text:
The company hopes that the new power saver tips, which aim to help people spend a significantly smaller amount on their home electricity bills will help the many Americans.
Houston, TX. (PRWEB) September 05, 2012
After new reports were released this week showing that household income is down sharply since the recession ended three years ago, Electric Saver 1200 announced a new report to help people save on their electricity bills. The new reports showed that even with the end of the recession, many Americans are not making as much as they once did, causing a need for many households to save money where they can. These new reports on the low household incomes in the United States inspired a new offer from Electricity Saver 1200 to help individuals save money on their power bills.
The company hopes that the new power saver tips, which aim to help people spend a significantly smaller amount on their home electricity bills will help the many Americans who are no longer making the type of household income they did before the recession. The new offer will pair subscribers with information on the proven Electric Saver 1200 products that are designed to help lower energy bills, and will also provide users with insight on easy ways they can spend less on their monthly power bills.
The new offer is being launched for both residential and commercial electricity users who are interested in proven ways to lower their monthly energy bills and save more money. The new offer has been launched on the company website and can be accessed by any interested individual who wants to spend less on their utility bills with the company’s power saver features.
For more information on the new free power saving tips offer from Electric Saver 1200 as well as the company’s power saving products and tools visit the company website at http://www.electricsaver1200.com/.


text: Canada raised its softwood lumber exports by 5% last year to roughly 40.2m m³. The decisive factor for the increase was higher exports to the USA, Canada’s main market. These were 11% higher than the 2013 level at around 28.5m m³. The provisional figures from Statistics Canada of Ottawa show that in contrast the exports to Asia fell again for the first time since the increases achieved in exports in the previous years. At a total of 10.9m m³, roughly 7% less softwood lumber was exported to Asia whereby 5% less was sold to China at 7.6m m³, and 20% less to Japan at 2.2m m³. A comparatively sharp decline was recorded in exports to Africa and the Middle East. At 362,000 m³ (468,000 m³), the deliveries to this regions fell roughly 23% below the figure for a year earlier. Deliveries to Europe, on the other hand, were 4% higher than the figure for 2013 at 203,000 m³.

domain: news


text:
LinkedIn is reporting that financial optimism in the UK market has almost doubled since the start of 2021. As someone who is very close to new business, I agree wholeheartedly that the appetite for entrepreneurialism has not been dented by our experiences of the past year. They say there’s no better time to start a business than when the chips are down and people are certainly willing to throw their hat in the ring at the moment.
In terms of helping startups to get the funding they need to bring their dream business into reality, I’ve helped an incredible 100 businesses in just four months of the current calendar year, against a total of 185 in the whole of the last calendar year. Things are incredibly busy, with food delivery and take-away businesses not surprisingly being a super-hot market right now (no pun intended!).
One of LinkedIn’s highlights states that employees of small and medium businesses have seen confidence rise faster than the UK average – possibly down to the fact that these businesses tend to be more agile and adaptable, meaning their damage will have been limited and they may even be going forward to experience a reinvented future.
You can read the rest of the report here.


text:
Plastic straws have become one of the top environmental evils, and Starbucks is going to do something about it. The coffee giant made the announcement that it will slowly stop using the disposable plastic by 2020, and instead the company will use a redesigned lid.
Alexander, an engineer in Global Research & Development at Starbucks, and her team set to work drawing up plans for a strawless lid.
“We realized we had our lid after 10 weeks of experimenting,” said Alexander, who recently began a new role as a senior sourcing analyst in the Global Sourcing department.
The new design will allow Starbucks to phase out plastic straws from its more than 28,000 stores worldwide —eliminating more than 1 billion straws a year.
From their debut in one initial store, the cold-cup lids now are used for a small number of drinks including Draft Nitro and Cold Foam in more than 8,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada. They will become the standard lid for all iced drinks except Frappuccino, which will be served with a straw made from paper or PLA compostable plastic manufactured from fermented plant starch or other sustainable material. Customers who prefer or need a straw can request one made of alternative materials for use with any cold drink. Last year in Santa Cruz, Calif., Starbucks started testing out straws made from materials other than traditional plastic. It is now in the middle of testing paper straws in its U.K. stores.


text:
Champion had a few different new things on display at NAFEM 2019.They had the DH-6000-VHR, a high temperature door machine, with a new HMI controller and an optionable onboard detergent delivery system; a unique feature for a unit like that. They were also showcasing a new blower dryer for their rack conveyor machine. This new blower dryer has a smaller footprint, coming in a 33-inch size as opposed to the older 48-inch model. This new smaller footprint design will help create more clean space on tables for end users. Most exciting, however, is the new Pro series 64 machine that was unveiled at NAFEM this year. This is a brand new two-tank machine, a new concept that Champion is trying out with their Pro series of dishwashers.
Champion has had a good year when it comes to breaking into new markets, we talked with Champion Regional Sales Manager for the Western Region Chris Richelieu about their big deal with Chik-fil-A and how that’s helped them break into a new market.
“We’ve really had a lot of awesome luck with Chik-fil-A,” Richelieu said. “That’s really put us on the quick-serve market segment with Chik-fil-A, one of the largest in the country, so we’re very, very excited about that and that’s ongoing. We see a lot of potential with smaller-tier chains based on having a flagship like Chik-fil-A using the DH-6000. So, we’re pretty excited about that and we’re basically going after the same segments: the healthcare segment, hospitality, lodging, hotel, casinos (we’ve had some good luck in Las Vegas, which is really good for us), healthcare, education, higher ed, and K-12. K-12 we’re pretty excited about, especially in the Texas market; replacing the existing Hobart machines out there.”
For Champion, NAFEM is the most exciting show in the industry, and they have good luck there. They’re able to show their product line off to designers and consultants from the West coast who would normally not get to check out the equipment in person. Everyone is gathered in one place, so they get to hit the most amount of people in a very short window of time. They’re able to show off the build of their machines, from the quality steel and copper that’s used to create the equipment, to the fact that their machines only have one seam instead of the more common two seamed machines, which has a greater chance of breaking and leaking over time, costing the end user major dollars in repair and replacement cost.
Results and quality along with a enticingly manageable cost of ownership is what drives consumers towards Champion dishwashers, and ultimately leads to the purchase of one of these brilliant machines. Champion is interested in not only making sure that customers get a quality product, but that they are well taken care of after the purchase and after the warranty has run out as well.
You can watch the companion video to this blog on our YouTube channel at the link below!


text:
The Supply Side: Niche brands took share from large CPG players in 2020
Consumers hunkering down at home during the pandemic spent more on food consumed at home. Many of them also reached for smaller, niche brands as supply chain disruptions meant national consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers had a hard time keeping products on grocery shelves.
IRI research found small and extra-small CPG manufacturers and private-label brands gained market share over larger food manufacturers during 2020. According to the study, the CPG industry had $933 billion of total U.S. sales in 2020. Large manufacturers collectively lost 1.3 share points, or $12.1 billion in sales, to smaller players due to channel shifts, supply constraints and category shifts.
“The consumer shift toward smaller manufacturers and private label products is something that IRI has been documenting for several years, and we saw the trend accelerate during the COVID-19 pandemic,” noted Dr. Krishnakumar Davey, president of Strategic Analytics for IRI. “Many large manufacturers were not able to meet the surge in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the second quarter when they lost most share to smaller players who seized on this opportunity.”
He said several brands attracted several new buyers as in-home consumption surged. By the third quarter of 2020, he said large manufacturers fared relatively better but still lost a significant share of 1.3 points versus a year ago. He said second-quarter losses were 1.9 share points lower the same period in 2019. The fourth quarter saw some improvement and reversion to historical trends with large manufacturers losing 0.8 points compared to a year ago.
“While some of the 2020 consumption trends will continue with consumers working from home at least part time, away-from-home consumption will continue to gain back lost share. We expect smaller and mid-sized players to continue to gain share from large manufacturers,” Davey added.
Large CPG manufacturers dominate the convenience store segment, and softness in the category accounted for 0.5 share points of the decline for large manufacturers overall last year, Davey said.
IRI found smaller manufacturers gained market share in nine out of 10 departments, except for the home care department. Smaller manufacturers accelerated their market share in beverage alcohol, frozen food and center-of-the-store food categories with products catered to distinct needs. Niche product manufacturers also showed market share gains in general merchandise and health and beauty departments. Within non-edible categories, small manufacturers playing in high-demand categories, such as hygiene, personal care and health and wellness, saw high growth, according to the IRI report. As consumers spent more time at home, breakfast categories, frozen fruit, snacks and shelf-stable products also saw growth for smaller niche manufacturers.
Davey said many small manufacturers took advantage of the opportunity that arose from larger product makers not meeting the surge in demand for paper products and hygiene-related products. The trend also holds in edible categories, where consumers shifted toward smaller or niche brands or picked up whatever was available on the shelf.
IRI’s analysis of e-commerce data also shows similar trends. Many smaller manufacturers, particularly in shelf-stable food and beverage products, pet care and personal grooming products, grew much faster.
“Looking ahead, we anticipate that consumer mobility will increase substantially over the next few months, and the convenience channel will bounce back as economic activity, especially construction-related activities, improves, providing a strong tailwind for large manufacturers,” Davey said.
Retail insiders recently weighed in on a RetailWire blog about why they thought consumers turned to small CPG brands in recent years and if the trend will continue. They also shared how retailers might try and mitigate these product shortfalls.
“The three worst words in retail are ‘out of stock,’ and this has enabled smaller brands to better develop their presence at the expense of larger brands because of their ability to be nimble while responding in omnichannel retail presence,” Kai Clark, CEO of American Retail Consultants, noted in the blog.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said recently, out-of-stocks in 2020 were higher than acceptable as demand outpaced supply in many categories. He said there was no way to predict the heightened demand as consumers stocked up on food, games and healthcare aids. McMillon said the out-of-stocks were made worse in part because of the retail giant’s efforts to reduce inventory over the past several years. He said Walmart worked with suppliers to mitigate out-of-stocks in essential categories such as hand sanitizer and face masks, which were in short supply as the pandemic began to worsen in the early spring of 2020.
There were toilet paper out-of-stocks at epic proportions during 2020, and niche supplier Dude Products saw a significant uptick in sales of their Dude Wipes in big box stores like Walmart this past year. Ryan Meegan, a founder of Dude Products, told the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal in July that the company saw an uptick in U.S. sales amid the early months of COVID. He said keeping up with the demand was challenging, but manufacturers have done a great job keeping the product flowing.
“It was sobering to walk in a retailer amid consumers’ frantic buying and see empty bins in the toilet paper aisle,” he said.
He said the product scarcity likely helped Dude pick up new customers who might not have previously tried the brand. Meegan said working with Walmart has been a great opportunity, and having the products sold by Walmart puts them close to millions of consumers. He said getting the deal with Walmart also helped the company scale up and add jobs in Chicago, while the manufacturing takes place in Northwest Arkansas.
While consumers may have turned to niche brands when they could not find standard items in stock, some retail insiders say the move to organic, niche products is not new. Michael Terpkosh, president of City Square Partners, said consumers have been looking for new and different brands for years.
“They are tired of the over-marketed, bland, mega brands they grew up with. Today’s consumer wants more natural/organic items, more ethnic foods, and more diversity in what they buy. Smaller brands and private labels have answered these needs and want through innovation, a better understanding of the consumer and being more nimble,” he said.
A poll conducted by RetailWire last month found 71% of retail insiders believed large CPGs would continue to lose share to smaller, niche product makers in the future.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Supply Side section of Talk Business & Politics focuses on the companies, organizations, issues and individuals engaged in providing products and services to retailers. The Supply Side is managed by Talk Business & Politics and sponsored by Propak Logistics.


text:
American Queen Steamboat Company has announced that Ted Sykes will be stepping down from his role as president and COO by the end of the year. Sykes joined the river cruise line six years ago after the launch of the first boat, American Queen. Since that time the company has expanded to the Pacific Northwest with the American Empress on the Columbia and Snake Rivers in 2014 and launched the American Duchess, the first purpose-built boutique paddlewheeler on the Mississippi River basin, in 2017. American Queen Steamboat Company also recently announced that the American Countess is under construction for launch in slightly over a year.
Under his stewardship, Sykes saw demand increase year upon year, with many voyages selling out months in advance, American Queen Steamboat Company said. 2018 will conclude with the river cruise line’s most successful season on record with bookings at record levels.
Under Sykes’s leadership, itineraries including the Mighty Mississippi voyages spanning from St. Paul to New Orleans were introduced. Sykes also brought the themed Christmas Market sailing concept from Europe to domestic river cruising, extending the seasons on the lower Mississippi. Sykes’s team also earned recognition for its shore excursions and cuisine, American Queen Steamboat Company said.


text:
Sponsored content, native advertising, ads that are annoyingly similar to editorial content — whatever you want to call them, they’re coming to The Wall Street Journal. Welcome to the party.
The paper has announced that WSJ Custom Studios will create the ads labeled as “Sponsor Generated Content,” and they’ll be embedded among other editorial content. The first native ads, from Brocade, will debut tomorrow. Each ad will be created by staffers hired specifically for WSJ Custom Studios. No Journal staffer will be involved in the ads.
The move isn’t surprising. More media companies are participating in native advertising every day. The New York Times said it was getting into the game last December. The problem with the sponsored ads is that some people view them as deceptive; that they’re designed to intentionally confuse the reader. Gerard Baker, editor of the Journal, doesn’t think that will be an issue.
“Our readers trust us, and the WSJ Custom Studios team has created clear and thorough labeling guidelines around the advertiser’s content in order to protect that trust,” he explained, in a statement. “I am confident that our readers will appreciate what is sponsor-generated content and what is content from our global news staff.”


text:
NBC to surpass $1 billion in Olympic ad sales
July 25, 2012 12:29 PM
The network’s coverage of Friday’s opening ceremony is sold out, and its coverage of the closing ceremony on Aug. 12 is virtually sold out, according to Seth Winter, NBC’s executive vice president of sales and marketing.
“It’s been a little over two years of hard work,” Winter said.
NBC’s ad sales performance comes as the network’s executives have been hinting that they expect to lose money on the Olympics this year. NBC said it lost $220 million on the Vancouver Games.
The $1 billion in ad sales includes NBC, Telemundo, NBC’s cable channels, NBCOlympics.com, 3-D, apps and specialty channels. NBC says its has sold more than $60 million in digital ad sales, though it is not selling digital on its own. All digital ad sales are packaged with TV buys. The Summer Games will be the first time every event will be streamed live online via NBCOlympics.com.
Winter said almost every TV ad sales category — other than hotels — has bought time. This year’s performance is a marked contrast to Beijing in 2008, when NBC ran up against the beginning of an economic recession in the United States.
“We saw some of our conversations fall apart in late May and early June going into Beijing,” Winter said.
NBC said Procter & Gamble made a big investment, as did BMW and GM. Winter also singled out Fruit of the Loom, which also made a big investment despite not being an official ring holder.


text:
Lexus LX570 which tuned by Wald was turn the ordinary SUV into Black Bison Edition. Tuning an SUV is something often left to become more capable off-road specially on Lexus LX570. Some platforms luxury SUV like the Land Rover, being treated ultra-luxury, but you’ve seen a Lexus LX570 SUV makeover of a renowned tuner? Wald International has been building body kits and update all kinds of offers from manufacturers of luxury cars for years and have set their sights on the LX570.
The brand new 2013 Nissan GTR was get its new engine which powered 560 Horse Power. As like oldest one, this 2013 Nissan GTR gets better and better every year and will no exception fot this one. As we know the first version of GTR was launched in 2007 at the Tokyo Motor Show delivered a total of 473 HP. The 2012 models was got impressive 530 HP and things aren’t slowing down for the Japanese automaker which prepare the next model year (2012 in Japan, 2013 in USA) will deliver an impressive 2013 Nissan GTR 560 HP.
Behind Audi completely new ideology behind this electric R8 and the normal gasoline version, they serious about bringing this Audi R8 E-Tron to the market. And after the E-tron Detroit Show car, Audi has brought us the e-tron technology platform based on the 2013 Audi R8 E-Tron. The supercar form of R8 was made an easier job for the Audi engineers to develop an electric version of this Audi R8 E-Tron. Mid-engine design of the 2013 Audi R8 with E-Tron technologies provides the perfect location to store heavy batteries without distorting the weight balance that Audi wanted to achieve.
2013 Chevrolet Malibu the first global version of the popular mid-size Chevy, has finally been revealed in 2011 New York Auto Show. 2013 Chevrolet Malibu was revealed one day before at 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu concept will take all of modernism of car design include exterior and interior of the car. Like 2012 Dodge Avenger R/T in New York 2011 Auto Show, the Chevy got many eyes look on its beautiful modern design style. The new Malibu is 4.5 inches smaller in wheelbase at 107.8 inches, and it’s 191.3 inches long–but an inch wider.
From the exclusive blockbuster movies at hollywood and have appeared in a growing number of them that involve superheroes, from the Batman Dark Knight Rises a Lamborghini Aventador become a new Batmobile. The supercar hollywood movies has strated from Iron Man that trend when Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., was seen riding the Audi R8 a few years back. That trend made another superheroes movie adapted the supercars like Audy R8 Spyder on Iron Man 2. Ferrari 458 Italia and Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 was used on Transformers: Dark of the Moon and The Dark Knight.
Related Auto Show & Car Showoff for 2013 lexus 350rx at AutoCarShowOff.com
Today without being noticed by many people in the world, Suzuki was design a concept of their new mid-size sedan, Suzuki Kizashi EcoCharge they named it. The Suzuki Kizashi EcoCharge was adapted eco green concept which will be a future technologies. Suzuki Kizashi EcoCharge was featured in Suzuki’s first-ever Super Bowl ad, a modified version [...]
From the exclusive blockbuster movies at hollywood and have appeared in a growing number of them that involve superheroes, from the Batman Dark Knight Rises a Lamborghini Aventador become a new Batmobile. The supercar hollywood movies has strated from Iron Man that trend when Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., was seen riding the [...]
From the best NASCAR cars Dodge Charger RT which driven by Kurt Busch the American NASCAR and NHRA driver has a lot more to offer then just being the leader in several races in the past few years. This Dodge Charger RT is third-generation race car driver is also head of the Kurt Busch Foundation. [...]
SR Auto Group was releasing their brand new tuning concept name Project Zeus. This project was completely awesome which more promising with some powerful and aggressive tuned cars. This project used a 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia and once they called the Father Gods and Men like who Zeus are. This 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia offers [...]
The black and white new bugatti veyron carbon edition is two different car type and models. The white bugatti veyron is based on the open-top Veyron Grand Sport and is labeled the Matte White Blue Carbon. The black bugatti veyron is presented in Shanghai Auto Show and not surprisingly is finished completely in black visible [...]
2012 Subaru Impreza was release the first debut at New York 2011 Auto Show with despite initial fears the design of the new small car. 2012 Subaru Impreza is also 30 percent more fuel efficient than the model it replaces, making the new 2012 range the most fuel efficient all-wheel drive car on the market. [...]
Aston Martin introducing their new super cars concept in this 2011 Aston Martin V12 Zagato. Without digesting the full breadth of the Aston Martin V12 Zagato, we presents the Race Specs of this brand new super cars concept. Aston Martin V12 Zagato was got its first debut in Nurburgring later of this week. Aston Martin [...]
After last year of Peugeot RCZ Asphalt and this year with the new 2011 Peugeot RCZ Asphalt LE, and what the differents of both of it? This brand new car is only limited into 75 units for right hand drive at UK and the goal is 500 unit at end of this year. The price [...]
The german tuning company Novitec Rosso building a fabulous works with 2011 Alfa Romeo 8C Spider which stands on top of tuning specs and modification style. Featuring 2011 Alfa Romeo 8C Spider, Novitec Rosso gave the fastest and the most powerful Alfa Romeo even more another fast cars. This 2011 Alfa Romeo 8C Spider powered [...]
Xplore has coming with the latest family pieces, the Jeep Xplore Grand Cherokee from the Xplore FJ Cruiser at SEMA and Xplore Wrangler in Moab. Some people said this Jeep Xplore Grand Cherokee is a Trail Rated car. The official spesification of this Jeep Xplore Grand Cherokee is not yet published but the past Xplore [...]


text:
Why Platforms Hold The Key To Igniting ePayables
Originally appeared in PYMNTS.com
They’re slow. They’re cumbersome and expensive. They open the door for fraud. For all their drawbacks, why do paper checks persist in accounts payable?
PYMNTS recently surveyed accounts payable (AP) executives’ satisfaction rates with their payment technologies for the latest Payables Friction Playbook and found something surprising. Yes, checks were nearly bottom-of-the-barrel in terms of satisfaction levels, but with 63.5 percent of survey respondents reporting that they are “very” or “extremely” satisfied with paper checks, it seems like B2B payers really don’t find them to be all that bad.
Indeed, Matt Clark, president and chief operating officer of Corcentric, tells PYMNTS’ Karen Webster that the pain of checks may not necessarily be felt acutely enough for a business to change its AP behavior.
“In order for things to materially change on a broad basis, the pain has to be acute enough to change the historical inertia that exists,” he said in a recent interview. “The pain from issuing checks and the inefficiencies that come along with it haven’t been brought to the surface well enough.”
But as is often the case in B2B payments, the AP world’s relative satisfaction with checks — despite their many drawbacks — might be chalked up to, “You don’t know what you don’t know.”
A company may accept absorbing the costs of bank fees related to cutting checks, or a vendor may be accounting for bank fees related to the costs of lockbox services and check processing as the cost of doing business, but often businesses don’t take the time to break down those bank fees to calculate exactly how much paper checks are costing their business, Clark said.
A business may be warned about the risk of fraud connected to paying with checks and believe “It won’t happen to me,” when in many cases, it already has — or it soon will be.
Clark emphasized the importance of third-party service providers delivering a clearer message to accounts payable departments. While these technology firms may approach a business about a particular financial process that could be improved by electronic payables, for example reconciliation or fraud mitigation, this strategy takes a fragmented approach to encouraging digitization that fails to provide a bigger picture for a company, he said.
“I don’t think this message has been delivered effectively enough to have [chief financial officers] CFOs of the world and others saying, ‘This is [at the] top of my priority [list],’” he said. “The conversations that do take place tend to be myopic. They’re happening between people that have a vested interest in a particular outcome, and in a small sliver of the payables continuum. It’s very hard for the person receiving the message to put the pieces together and make a coherent, end-to-end continuum assessment of what’s best for their entire B2B interaction universe.”
Keeping the Supplier In Mind
Rather than examining AP pain points, like reconciliation or vendor acceptance of cards, service providers should start the discussion of payments modernization further upstream in the source-to-pay process to examine where all friction points exist and how ePayables could address them.
But beyond that, Clark said businesses need to also address their accounts payable strategies within the broader context of a B2B community: that is, they must keep the supplier in mind, particularly as the buyer-supplier relationship evolves into a more strategic partnership. Rather than choosing vendors based on which offers the best price, as has historically been done, organizations today are beginning to take the time to source suppliers that can act as collaborators to explore opportunities of innovation and efficiencies in the broader B2B ecosystem, said Clark.
Historically, buyers have dictated the platforms upon which vendors operate, forcing vendors to provide visibility into their products and pricing — a strategy that was met with much resistance some 20 years ago. Today, with sellers accepting the need for transparency in the B2B transaction, there is a new opportunity for these platforms to drive buyer-supplier connectivity, but only if buyers address the needs of their vendor base when encouraging use of these platforms.
“It’s extremely important for suppliers to have some optionality,” said Clark, who added that it’s human nature to resist being forced into one option.
Depending on where a vendor is in its cash lifecycle, it may be a better option to accelerate payment by accepting cards or negotiating an early payment discount with vendors. Finding that win-win scenario is only possible when platforms provide both sides of a transaction with choice — not only in how payments are sent and received, Clark noted, but in how data and documents like purchase orders and invoices are exchanged as well.
That’s where the doors open for technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to automate traditionally manual tasks like reconciliation and exceptions management, bringing efficiency in areas of source-to-pay that promotes stronger buyer-supplier relationships, Clark said.
Remaining in a check-filled AP world, however, will prevent much of this progress from occurring. And as organizations begin to have conversations with vendors about how to encourage adoption of platforms that promote a strategic buyer-supplier relationship, ePayables must be included in that discussion.
“One method of driving ePayables adoption is taking a broader view of the transaction life cycle, and stepping back to look at the whole transaction lifecycle from source-to-pay,” Clark said. “How can we set up a whole picture here that makes it great for both parties involved? The ability to meet suppliers where they are at, and to do more from a B2B community perspective, will enable buyers and sellers to collaborate on a transaction that’s easy for both sides of the equation.”


text:
MediaTek has announced two new SoCs targeted at healthcare and fitness device makers. The two new SoCs – MT2511 and MT2523 – are targeted towards emerging health, fitness and wearables market. MediaTek says end products powered by MT2511 and MT2523 will be available in Indian market by early 2017. MediaTek’s new SoCs deliver on needs of a top range fitness tracking device.
The new MediaTek MT2511 is the first chip from the semiconductor manufacturer to feature bio-sensing analog front-end (AFE) chip. MediaTek MT2523 is designed for active and fitness smartwatches. The new chip is the first with system-in-package (SiP) to offer GPS, dual-mode Bluetooth Low Energy and a MIPI-supported high resolution mobile screen.
- Varun Gandhi Under Attack Over Defence Deals: Here’s How
- This Diwali, Let Blind Students Brighten Up your Homes With Candles & Diyas
- CBI Files Supplementary Chargesheet In Sheena Bora Murder Case
- Soha Ali Khan And Vir Das Starrer 31st October Audience Reaction
- Sahara Chief Subrata Roy’s Parole Extended Till November 28
- Simple Tips To Secure Your Debit Card From Fraudsters
- New Zealand & India Team Being Welcomed In Chandigarh
- Mumbai Call Centre Scam: All You Need To Know
- Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Appeals To Police: Here’s What She Said
- Shocker From Ahmedabad: Find Out What Happened
- Bigg Boss 10 Day 3 Review: Celebs Fail To Do Well in First Task
- Airtel Offers 10GB Data At Rs 259 For New 4G Smartphone Users
- Aamir Khan Starrer Dangal’s Trailer Launched: First Impressions
- TMC Supporters Attack BJP Leader Babul Supriyo
- Sri Lankan Navy Apprehends 20 Indian Fishermen
“MediaTek has always focused on combining power with efficiency and we are leading the charge in bringing this know-how to IoT products in India,” says Mr. Kuldeep Malik, Country Head – Corporate Sales International, MediaTek India. “With the MT2523 and MT2511 SoCs, MediaTek aims to broaden the scope of wearable segment in India to also cover health-related applications and deliver a variety of devices like fitness trackers, active lifestyle smart watches, sports and fitness bands.”
MediaTek MT2511 is a power efficient chip with built-in heart beat interval technology and 4KB SRAM to optimise overall power consumption. MediaTek says the heart technology is an exclusive and will ensure efficiency while monitoring heart rate in sleep mode. The chip can acquire bio signal through electrocardiography (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) simultaneously.
MediaTek’s MT2523 processor is more likely to reach your wrist than MT2511. The MT2523 comes with onboard GPS, dual-mode Bluetooth LE, support for high-resolution screens and ARM Cortex-M4F CPU. The fitness devices powered by this new processor is expected to last more than a week on single charge.
With the new chipsets, MediaTek is expanding its footprint in India’s health and fitness market.


text:
The Bengaluru-based foodtech startup Zomato listed on the bourses on Friday (July 23) at INR 120, a nearly 53% premium over the issue price of INR 79 per share
Valuation expert Ashwath Damodaran suggests that the company’s shares should be valued at INR 41, almost half of the actual issue price.
Zomato has reported narrower losses in FY2021 with 60% of its food delivery business recovering well after the pandemic last year, but it is still a loss making company
Even as Zomato scripted history on Friday by becoming India’s first unicorn to debut on the stock exchanges, analysts and experts remain sceptical about the share valuation of the company.
The Bengaluru-based foodtech startup Zomato listed on the bourses on Friday (July 23) at INR 120, a nearly 53% premium over the issue price of INR 79 per share. While the food delivery major’s stock has hovered around the INR 125 mark till a few hours after the listing, it touched a high of INR 138.9 briefly and powered the company’s market capitalisation to over INR 1 Lakh Cr. The price premium was far ahead of the 25-30% premium that analysts were expecting.
The company debuted right into the top 100 listed companies by market value. At issue price, its market cap stood at around INR 65,000 Cr.
Experts suggest that investors are betting big on the Indian market beyond Zomato to drive this demand. Valuation expert and professor of corporate finance at Stern School of Business at New York University- Ashwath Damodaran noted in his blog that as per the financials shred by the Zomato in its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) the company’s shares should be valued at INR 41, almost half of the actual issue price.
“That may seem like a lot to pay (INR 41) for a money-losing company with less than INR 20 Bn in revenues in the most recent year, but promise and potential have value, especially when you have a leader in a market of immense size. That said, the stock’s pricing (72-75 INR, per share) makes it too expensive,” he wrote.
Overall, the INR 9,375 Cr Zomato IPO received 2,751.27 Cr bids for a total issue size of 71.92 Cr equity shares, according to data from the National Stock Exchange (NSE).
The Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs) portion of Zomato IPO was oversubscribed the most at 51.79 times the size of the offering. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) led the QIB portion, followed by banks, financial institutions, and mutual funds companies.
Damodaran has listed a number of premises leading up to the valuation of INR 41. He has assumed the food delivery market in India to reach up to $40 Bn and Zomato’s market share to hit 40% in the next five years and operating margin of 30 per cent for his calculation. This includes the fact the Indian market is diversifying very fast and it is possible that Zomato will end up with a maximum of 20% share of the $10-40 Bn food delivery market. Further, if any rival businesses, which include Swiggy and Amazon’s food delivery initiative, make aggressive bets, the market dynamics can change significantly.
In fact, stock market guru and ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala recently stated that while he continues to remain bullish on the domestic market, he is not anywhere close to betting on the new-age internet companies.
“I think I will get much better returns from metals and other sectors such as banks. It (internet startups) is not my party, I do not go there. This party will get spooked at some stage,” he was quoted as saying in a Financial Express article.
Why Zomato Faces A Tough Task Ahead
Damodaran further noted that Zomato’s platform has the benefit of large numbers, but it falls short on both intensity and proprietary data. Thus, Zomato app users are on the system only when they order food, and the engagement is often restricted to food ordering and delivery.
“The biggest challenge that these businesses face are in the absence of stickiness and exclusivity, since users can have multiple food delivery apps on their devices and pick the cheapest one, and in balancing the competing needs of users and service/product providers with very different needs. Online food delivery businesses around the world, and Zomato is no exception, are facing backlash from restaurants and delivery personnel, who believe that they are getting the short end of the stick, as the company seeks to offer lower prices and better delivery deals from customers,” he wrote.
If Zomato plans to expand its offerings to its platform-users, it is very likely that these add-on businesses will be food-related, perhaps extending into grocery shopping, creating some option value.
In addition to its B2B supply chain business Hyperpure, Zomato is also doubling down on B2C online grocery delivery and will launch its grocery offering shortly, pitching itself against the likes of BigBasket. It has recently made a $100 mn investment in BigBasket rival Grofers but the company said that the investment is independent of its grocery plans.
Damodaran further stated that many companies, in large and fast expanding markets like India and China, are being valued at a premium simply because of the user base they cater to. However, these valuations tend to overlook the fact that these huge markets will also rapidly attract new rivals.
Zomato has reported narrower losses in FY2021 with 60% of its food delivery business recovering well after the pandemic last year. The company’s revenue declined almost 25% to INR 1,994 Cr in FY21, but at the same time losses also narrowed from INR 2,363 crore in FY20 to INR 812 crore in FY21, ending March this year. Goyal added that the adverse impact of the pandemic on the business in the first two quarters of FY 2020-21, which has been made up by the recovery in the subsequent months.
“In terms of operating risk, the company, in spite of its global ambitions, is still primarily an Indian company, dependent on Indian macroeconomic growth to succeed, and my rupee cost of capital will incorporate the country’s risk. Zomato is a money losing company, but it is not a start-up, facing imminent failure. On the plus side, its size and access to capital, as well as its post-IPO augmented cash balance, push down the risk of failure,” states Damodaran.


text:
China To Use Blockchain For Food Quality Assurance
The Chinese Chongqing Yuzhong District Food and Drug Administration will be the organization that adopts blockchain technology. The press release was issued by the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper, the People’s Daily. PrimeNumber Chain Technology Chengdu Co Ltd has developed this blockchain.
The company’s CEO, Deng Ke, said there are several reasons to believe that this will improve the quality of the food. In the first place, this will greatly enhance the regulations in general. Secondly, monitoring the quality of food items will also be more cost effective due to the use of blockchain.
This is of course not the first time a company has analyzed how blockchain can assist with the traceability and quality of food. Wal-Mart hogged the limelight by using blockchain technology to track its lettuce. Cargill, the largest privately held food company in the USA, also announced last year a blockchain-based fraud detection program allowing customers to know more about their Thanksgiving turkeys.
The World Wide Fund For Nature, which has built a food tracking system called OpenSC, is another organization that has used blockchain for food traceability. In addition, announcement came at the start of this month that China’s self-regulatory banking organization, the China Banking Association, will deploy a blockchain-based platform to improve industry efficiency.
The project, formally referred to as the “China Trade Finance Interbank Trading Blockchain Platform, “intends to focus on trade finance transactions and other financial services using the blockchain system.


text:
- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Tumblr
Strikes at the Berlin airports — and in London — threw travel plans out of whack for many executives trying to make it to Berlin for the start of the European Film Market, which kicks off Thursday.
But travel chaos aside, most are expecting a buoyant EFM, helped by strong business in Sundance, which produced a slew of deals, including from Netflix (11 films), Amazon (5) and the Hollywood majors, which have becoming increasingly aggressive in snatching up independent titles, both for domestic and international distribution.
“The studios are no longer making the volume of films they need for their international distribution operations and international TV deals,” says Gabrielle Stewart of Hanway Films. “So they are buying a lot more.”
On the domestic side, at least two newcomers are hunting for deals in Berlin after aggressively pursuing titles at Sundance. Neon, the new company from Alamo Drafthouse creator Tim League and former Radius-TWC chief Tom Quinn, has closed the first domestic deal out of Berlin, prebuying North American rights to Michael R. Roskam’s Racer and the Jailbird, starring Matthias Schoenaerts and Adele Exarchopoulos, from Wild Bunch. Annapurna, with plans to distribute its own films, also is hoping to fill its slate and will be on the ground at the EFM.
Along with Neon and Annapurna, Amazon and Netflix continue to be active buyers at festivals, and several other tech companies are on the verge of also joining the playing field. As a buyer, it takes more than just money to get the approval of a filmmaker with a hot project.
“Whether it’s a new traditional distributor or streaming company, the question is how you stand out in the crowd and market the film, as there will be several new services and companies coming into the marketplace,” says UTA’s Rena Ronson. “And the key will always be how to best reach the audience, however they end up watching.”
The increase in deep-pocketed buyers eyeing finished films is putting more pressure on distributors to buy early, at the development or script stage.
“The majority of major distributors continue to be focused on prebuying. Every type of distributor — from the traditional studios to emerging independents and streaming companies,” says CAA’s Micah Green. “There is execution risk in these pickups to be sure, but the reality of the market right now is that most of the best projects are gone by the time they’re completed. You can’t really build a release slate anymore just by culling through finished films at festivals.”
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day


text:
- Researchers find brain’s blue spot linked to sleep, memory
- Doctor dies in accident in Bhubaneswar
- UK expert warns of pandemic worse than Covid in new book
- Rahul not sure of winning Telangana Assembly elections
- Telangana's Agriculture Sector Success Story to be showcased at the Norman E Borlaug International Dialogue in the USA
- Drop cases against youth who protested demanding jobs in Tangedco: EPS
- Mallampally New Mandal Gazette Notification Issuance
- US prepares for potential government shutdown
- Hyderabad's Class 7 student earns PM Modi's praise
- 2nd ODI: Shubman Gill is touted to be the next big thing in World Cricket says Abhishek Nayar
HCL Technologies is set for high growth
IT major steadily closing gap with its bigger peers like Infosys
Bengaluru: HCL Technologies is steadily closing the gap with its bigger peers as the company crossed the $10 billion revenue mark in the calendar year 2020. Experts believe that the IT services firm is likely to clock higher growth in coming quarters as its product and platform business gained momentum.
"Digital transformation is benefitting all software services companies due to higher spending by enterprises. Apart from this factor, HCL Technologies has slightly differentiated its service offerings by betting on product and platform business. As the product business gains momentum, we believe that the company will return to industry-leading growth rate in the coming years," said Sanjeev Hota, Head of Research at Mumbai-based brokerage firm, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas.
HCL Technologies acquired select IBM software products in 2018 for $1.8 billion in its bid to push its product and platform business. Management of the company had said that around $650 million of annual revenue would accrue to its turnover post this deal. "The IT firm has already achieved $650 million annual revenue milestone from this acquisition and the portfolio is growing strongly as seen in recent quarters. In the future, the company will be able to cross-sale these products to other clients," Hota of Sharekhan said.
The Noida-headquartered company posted revenue of $7.5 billion in the first nine months of the current financial year FY21. Taking into account the revenue guidance given for the fourth quarter (January-March), the IT services firm is expected to cross the $10 billion revenue mark in the current financial year. Its bigger peer Infosys clocked revenue of $9.95 billion in the first nine months of the current financial year. Considering its revenue growth guidance, the Bengaluru-headquartered firm is expected to end FY21 with around $14 billion of annual revenue.
Experts said though both companies are growing strongly, HCL Technologies can close the gap with Infosys in revenue terms if its 'products and platform' business sees strong momentum.


text:
- Mandating the installation of smart meters over a 15 year period. Specifically, utilities must install smart meters at the consumers request and in any new construction.
- Enacting new laws to limit the way utilities acquire power- specifically requiring each utility to purchase a minimum amount of power through long term contracts.
- And establishing arbitrary conservations goals including a 4.5% reduction in the 100 hours of highest demand by May 2013.
Each of these mandates will increase the cost of doing business for utility companies, therefore raising the cost of electricity instead of lowering rates- the actual purpose of the legislation.
State Consumer Advocate Sonny Popowski, noted that, “Duquesne proposed a six-year rate plan (long-term contract) in 2004 that, if the state Public Utility Commission hadn’t rejected it as anti-competitive, might have saved customers millions of dollars.”
You mean the government actually prevented a utility from making a wise decision that would have saved consumers money? Such ironies only bolster the argument against more regulation. Regulators are simply unable to predict which regulations will save customers money. Deregulation only works if lawmakers can resist the temptation to “design” the competitive marketplace.


text:
You’re never far from a Maruti thief
You’ll sleep well tonight if you own a luxury car; it’s highly unlikely a car thief would steal it.delhi Updated: Nov 23, 2009 00:59 IST
You’ll sleep well tonight if you own a luxury car; it’s highly unlikely a car thief would steal it.
Statistics show one out of every three car stolen in the city is a Maruti-800.
India’s most-loved car has a special place in the hearts of the friendly neighbourhood car thieves too.
Delhi Police figures say it all. More than 50 per cent of stolen cars this year come from the Maruti stables — that’s 1,700 out of 3, 000. Of these, 650 are Maruti-800s — because it still has a great resale value. In contrast, only nine Honda Civic, a luxury car, have been reported stolen.
Police say Maruti cars are easier to unlock, drive away and sell than the bigger, expensive cars. “Buying a luxury car is easy but selling a stolen one is tricky,” said a senior police officer.
What makes the car so desirable is the sheer number of them on the roads. “Every second car is Maruti-800, so chances of a thief getting caught are slim,” the officer added.
The Maruti company has taken measures to tackle this problem. “After October 2006, all the cars have been fitted with iCats system. It immobilises the car if it is not started with the original key,” said spokesman for Maruti.


text:
Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview
Thanks for signing up!
Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go.
Today, Microsoft is trying to keep up with other tech giants, but sixteen years ago, the company was regarded as a leader in technology.
In 1999, Microsoft released a video segment about the connected home of the future. While the bulky 90s products, like a cell phone that looks more like a Game Boy, have since rendered themselves obsolete, the tech featured in the video — voice recognition, biometric identification, and more — is pretty spot-on.
The six-minute video depicts a family interacting with futuristic technology integrated into their homes.
What the company got wrong in the video is creating most of its products around the PC, and ignoring mobile. That said, most of what Microsoft predicted we'd be using in our homes tech-wise today is actually pretty accurate.
In the video, Robin pulls up a map on the desktop PC in the kitchen. She can see where her husband's car is on the map, and then calls to ask him to stop at a nearby grocery store on the way home. Today, people rely on location-based services and apps — from Google Maps to Uber — regularly.
Today, we have Siri, Cortana, or Google Now. Back in 1999, Microsoft's virtual personal assistant was named Astro. Robin gives Astro voice commands to add food to a shopping list, make phone calls, and more.
In Microsoft's smart home, you can watch TV and choose from cable, DVD, or Internet channels in one interface. It's not unlike Roku, the Amazon Fire Stick, Netflix, Hulu, or any of the other streaming options we have today.
Using connected screens around the home, the Microsoft family can communicate from anywhere around the house. There's a screen on the daughter's piano to let her know when her favorite TV show is on, and a message pops up on screens around the home (including TVs) to let everyone know when dinner's ready. There are connected screens everywhere.
In Microsoft's video, the family controls the home's thermostat through a mounted wall pad. Not so different from the Nest thermostat.
In the video, Robin lets her daughter know when dinner will be ready by pinging her on her "pocket PC." These days, that's called a phone.
When Robin gets home, she looks into an eye scanner, which unlocks the front door of the house. It's increasingly routine to use some form of biometric identification as a security measure — from an iPhone fingerprint reader to a number of fingerprint-enabled door locks. A company called Eyelock says it can use "iris authentication technology" as a security measure for your home, too.
The security system also deflects unwanted visitors. When a salesperson comes to the home, he finds a screen that only gives him the option to leave a message for the family. The family can see the visitor coming in a pop-up window on their dining room's security screen.
Whenever the family in Microsoft's smart home runs out of a particular food item, they use a barcode scanner to scan that item. The item gets added to a computerized grocery list. As Gizmodo points out, this already exists in the form of Amazon Dash, which lets you scan food items to add them to your AmazonFresh account.


text:
ROBBIE WILLIAMS' ALBUM HELPS CASSETTE SALES REACH 15-YEAR HIGH
Figures show that 2019 marked a fifth consecutive year of growth in the consumption of recorded music in the UK.
Robbie Williams's latest album has helped cassette sales to hit a 15-year high.
The singer's latest offering, The Christmas Present, was the fastest-selling cassette album since Now 52 in July 2002.
Releases by Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, Kylie Minogue and Madonna also did well on the format this year, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Cassette sales still only account for just 0.1% of overall recorded music consumption, but demand has increased for seven consecutive years, and the 2019 sales tally of 80,404 purchases is the biggest annual total recorded in 15 years.
Growth also continued for vinyl, with 4.3 million LPs sold, the biggest total this century.Published: by Radio NewsHub


text:
Would you pay $1 million for a table? What if it was made with a material that could give you cancer?
Believe it or not, in recent months, Sotheby’s New York has sold not one but two Jean Prouvé tables made from fibrated Granipoli concrete—a French trade term for a mixture of cement and asbestos, a fibrous mineral known to cause mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.
The first, from the collection of art collector Peter Brant and supermodel Stephanie Seymour, sold for $988,000 in December on an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. The second sold last month, at the house’s “Important Design” auction, for $1.6 million over a $350,000 to $550,000 estimate—enough to become the seventh highest auction result of all time for the French designer. (The object’s seller, Ken Mazik of the Pinnacle Art Collection, is a whole other can of worms.)
The refectory tables, as the works are known, are part of a set of 30 tables Prouvé made in 1939 for the canteen at La Pierre Attelée, a seaside summer camp in Saint-Brevin l’Océan, France.
To protect the table from the salty air of the Atlantic, Prouvé gave it galvanized steel legs. But what the designer didn’t consider was how to protect the owner from the dangers of asbestos, which were unknown at the time of its production.
For generations, asbestos was considered an excellent building material thanks to its strength, fire-resistance, and ability to act as an electrical insulator. But once the material starts deteriorating, inhaling its microscopic carcinogenic fibers can be deadly, and its use in construction has been outlawed in many countries—but not in the U.S.
It was Jonathan O’Hea, an art and antiques dealer in New Jersey, who first noticed that Sotheby’s was selling a table containing potentially hazardous materials. Thanks to his familiarity with older materials—he has a bachelors degree in historic preservation—it was the word “fibrated” that set off alarm bells.
“It’s such a weird word. I had never heard of it, but quickly deduced that it had to do with fibers being introduced to concrete,” O’Hea told Artnet News. “Seeing that the table dates to the 1930s, my immediate thought was, ‘That has to be an asbestos product.’ At the time, asbestos was seen as this miracle mineral, and [was considered] safe.”
A quick Google search turned up a 1956 United Nations treaty series with an item relating to the sale in Greece of “boards composed of a mixture of asbestos and cement. These boards, granitized, enamelled or lacquered for partitions and facings and known in France under the trade names of ‘Granitoloflex,’ ‘Granipoli’ and ‘Evergranit.’”
In layman’s terms, Prouvé had used a material somewhat akin to sheetrock for his tabletop.
“It was meant for architectural usage, technically. On a wall, it would not be constantly abraded with silverware, cups, and dishes,” O’Hea said. “I suspect it’s called Granipoli because it’s supposed to look like a faux granite.”
But the Sotheby’s listing gave no indication that the buyer would be ponying up hundreds of thousands of dollars for an object impregnated with a highly dangerous substance.
“It’s just wrong,” O’Hea said. “There’s a moral obligation to notify the buyers, whether they care or not—asbestos is a known carcinogen.”
Ahead of the sale, O’Hea alerted Sotheby’s about the presence of asbestos in the object, through a message on Twitter and in an email to seven members of its 20th-century design department, but did not receive a response.
“Sotheby’s is currently working with its scientific research team to identify the material in question,” a representative for the auction house told Artnet News in an email. “The object remains in Sotheby’s possession and will be isolated pending the results of analyses.”
Calling something a cute name (Granipoli) doesn’t not make it an asbestos product. #sothebys #designweek #jeanprouve #jeanprouvé #asbestos #dangerous #mesothelioma #midcenturymodern #mcm #interiors #asbestosawareness #midcentury #granipoli #interiordesign pic.twitter.com/fPUpcT4BOf
— Jonathan O’Hea (@HeaJonathan) June 4, 2022
It is unclear exactly how much asbestos the Prouvé table contains, but the asbestos in solid concrete table is unlikely to become friable, which is when it becomes airborne and the risk of exposure sets in.
“If you break the table, cut the table, sand the table, disturb the table in any way, it can generate airborne dust that may have asbestos particles that may contaminate the air that you may ingest or breath in,” Karen Selby, a registered nurse and patient advocate at the Mesothelioma Center, an advocacy center that helps patients find treatment for asbestos-related diseases, told Artnet News.
“But if none of that happens, there’s no risk to any individual around a product that contains asbestos,” she added.
The condition report for both tables sold at Sotheby’s described “light surface scratches, small losses concentrated to the edges and corners as well as minor abrasions throughout.”
More troublingly, the example sold last month also features fine hairline cracks, as well as a larger one that had to be “restored by a professional conservator to stabilize and minimize the appearance of a crack.”
The buyer chose to spend $1.6 million even knowing the tabletop had been damaged—but would they have made the same decision had they been aware that those cracks in the surface could later release tiny carcinogenic particles into the air?
Many buildings still contain asbestos to this day, but removing it creates the risk of fibers becoming airborne. New York law requires licenses and certification to work with or remove materials that contain asbestos.
There’s also the matter of where the buyer lives, as it is illegal to import or export products containing asbestos to some countries, including France (since 1996) and the U.K. (since 1999). Both tables sold at Sotheby’s appear to have been exported from France prior to the ban, according to their provenance records.
Prouvé also isn’t the only designer who used asbestos in his work before it was identified as a health hazard.
In the 1950s, the Swiss company Schweizerische Eternitwerke commissioned the Swiss designer Willy Guhl to create works using Eternit, a patented mixture of cement and asbestos known for its durability. It became a staple of his practice, used in his designs for furniture and planters.
Guhl was best-known for his sculptural . The piece took advantages of the load-bearing properties of fibrated concrete, bending a thin sheet while it was still damp to create a hollow, swooping design that rocked back and forth. Prized for its elegant simplicity, low cost to produce, and weather resistance, won the Swiss “Die Gute Form” design award in 1955.
But Eternit halted production on the chair in 1980, over concerns that it was 10 percent asbestos. (A new, asbestos-free model was introduced in 1997, but with additional support ribs.) In 2009, prosecutors in Italy filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that 2,000 workers had died from illnesses contracted due to asbestos exposure.
A suite of three of them sold for €13,650 ($16,611) at Cornette de Saint Cyr in Brussels in May 2021. It was Guhl’s second highest auction result, behind the 2007 sale of a concrete bench, also presumably containing asbestos, for £9,375 ($18,939) to Sotheby’s London, according to the Artnet Price Database.
Prouvé’s refectory table, which was not mass produced, has only appeared at auction a handful of times. There are only 17 surviving examples of this “important… outstanding and exceedingly rare” table, the Sotheby’s catalogue note wrote ahead of last month’s sale, describing the furniture piece as “exceptional and highly desirable.”
Before last year, only one other copy had ever sold, for $252,000 at Wright in 2005, according to the Artnet Price Database. (A slightly different Granipoli Prouvé table twice failed to sell at Phillips de Pury in New York in 2010 and London in 2011.)
Despite these auction appearances, Prouvé scholars don’t seem to have picked up on the fact that one of his most prized designs incorporated a hazardous material.
“How is it that I was the first person to Google Granipoli and figure out that this was asbestos?” O’Hea asked. “Ignorance is not a defense.”


text:
Microsoft’s Project Natal, the device for Microsoft’s controller-free gaming experience, was previously rumored to be released in October, and in a recent interview, Microsoft’s Saudi Marketing Manager, Syed Bilal Tariq, has confirmed that the device will be launched globally in October this year. Considering the little leaks regarding Project Natal recently, it’s not too surprising to hear that it’s almost ready for prime time. How will it fare against Nintendo’s Wii and the PlayStation Move? It’ll be interesting to find out. If you want to hear the October launch date mentioned for yourself, check out the video after the jump.
- 2014-04-22 Microsoft Organizes Party To Celebrate E.T. Videogame Dig
- 2014-04-22 Second Windows 8.1 Major Update To Arrive In August (Rumor)
- 2014-04-21 Phil Spencer Admits More Needs To Be Done For The Xbox One
- 2014-04-21 Motorola Solutions Licenses Microsoft IP For Chrome And Android Devices
- 2014-04-21 Microsoft Expands Retail Presence In The U.S.
- 2010-04-19 River Rush Is One Of The Games To Support Project Natal
- 2010-05-15 Sony PlayStation Move Arriving This September?
- 2010-05-30 Brunswick Pro Bowling To Boast Project Natal Support


text:
Start-ups reduce their funding expectations1 min read . Updated: 21 Jun 2016, 08:07 PM IST
Early-stage start-ups sought a lower amount when raising funds this year compared to last year
Bengaluru: It’s not only investor appetite that has taken a turn of caution in the past few months, but entrepreneur expectations have been rationalised too, data from around 10,000 start-ups on deal-making platform LetsVenture shows.
Start-ups at ideation, beta, and proof-of-concept (POC) stages (early-stage start-ups, essentially) in the consumer sector have been seeking a lower amount when raising funds this year, compared to the last, while those making revenues are doing the opposite, given the investor-interest in companies that would turn a profit quickly.
The percentage of stake dilution that start-ups are offering has also come down in start-ups across the board.
In the business-to-business sector, however, expectations for fund-raise have largely remained the same, or even increased compared to last year, in line with the trend of investors looking to fund B2B start-ups which need far less cash to expand, many of which are even profitable, compared with cash-heavy, loss-making consumer Internet start-ups.
To be sure, entrepreneurs don’t always get the valuation they ask for or expect—the final number may look very different, but this is a fairly accurate representation of expectations.


text:
Unless you own an iPhone and are near an Apple Store or Best Buy, getting your Android phone repaired has almost always been a pain. T-Mobile subscribers are getting ready to get a solution to that problem in a big way, starting on November first. The carrier has announced that starting on November 1st, you will be able to take your phone into get repaired and could get it back in the same day.
The normal process for getting your phone repaired usually involves shipping it off to a third-party. This usually leaves you without a phone for a couple of weeks, as you need to wait for the phone to arrive, get repaired, hope that all of the parts are available, and then get the phone back.
With this new initiative, T-Mobile is cutting out the need to wait around for weeks, and instead, you could get your phone back that day. Plus, T-Mobile and Assurant promise that these repairs will be completed with “manufacturer-approved parts”, so you won’t have to worry about incompatible parts being used.
Unfortunately, this new program isn’t arriving at every T-Mobile location. Instead, T-Mobile is “upgrading 500 stores across the country.” It’s doing so in a partnership with Assurant, but does state that “more locations” will be upgraded with this in-store repair shop.
In addition to making this announcement, T-Mobile also announced a pretty major upgrade to its “Protection” insurance plan for subscribers. Before, you were limited to three claims every 12 months, but now, you’ll be able to process and use up to five claims per year. When looking at insurance add-on plans from other carriers, and even Apple, you’re limited to either two or three claims per year. So if you have a penchant for cracking your phone every couple of months, having the ability to use five claims is a nice added touch.


text:
No, that's not a typo. Lucasfilm and Del Rey have announced that between now and the premiere of Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens, there will be 20 new Star Wars books published, all set in the time between Return of the Jedi and the new, upcoming movie.
On the plus side, these aren't all novels, thank the Maker — it also includes things like YA tales, vehicles guides and sticker books. But of the fiction, remember, it's all going to be canon now — and Del Rey says a lot of clues to the new movies will be seeded in the story.
This entire initiative will be consolidated under the Journey to The Force Awakens banner. Here's all the books we know so far, according to Entertainment Weekly:
• Star Wars: Aftermath, which sound like an epilogue for the original trilogy
• A prequel to Episode VII from C-3PO's point-of-view
• Star Wars: Ships of the Galaxy
• Moving Target, about Princess Leia
• The Weapon of a Jedi, about Luke Skywalker
• Smuggler's Run, about Han Solo (obviously)
• Lost Stars by fantasy author Claudia Gray
And apparently, there will also be some additional novels — not part of Journey — that retell the original trilogy, but from specific characters' perspectives. Again, from EW:
The aim is for YA readers, providing a deep dive to readers who were decades from being born when Han, Luke, and Leia first hit the screen. "It's a way to introduce the heroes and villains of that original trilogy to a new audience that might not be as familiar as the audience that went and saw the films when they first came out," said [executive vice president of Disney Publishing Worldwide Andrew] Sugerman.
I understand that The Force Awakens is a merchandising juggernaut that necessitates a terrifying amount of products, but this... this seems like too much. Not really that consumers can't handle it — although it's certainly a lot — but I worry how well the new Star Wars canon control team is juggling all these stories and making sure this new canon fits together. I'm even more worried that with so many books being pumped out, that not all of them will be good. It seems like way too much, way too quickly.
What do you guys think?
Contact the author at email@example.com.


text:
The Senegal-based startup introduces to the public the minimum viable product (MVP) version of its B2B online store for Made in Africa products targeting small and large businesses globally.
DAKAR, Senegal, 14 Decemeber 2022 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- Kwely Inc. announced today the launch of its game-changing, B2B e-marketplace to provide African producers and manufacturers with a global window to sell their products at scale. International buyers can now source high-quality, unique, and locally made products from across the continent. Starting with Made-in-Senegal products ranging from food, wellbeing, hair and skin care, the platform offers products which have been produced, tested and packaged following international standards such as the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) packaging requirements.
Kwely seeks to redefine the positioning and image of made-in-Africa products, increase their competitiveness on international markets and make global buyers and consumers discover the extensive range of natural and healthy ingredients that Africa has to offer. It also unlocks access to global markets and provides packaging solutions to create a level playing field for small producers venturing into international trade.
The platform was built with cutting-edge proprietary technology and offers unique features that mirror the way businesses and suppliers transact with each other. From lead times, minimum order quantities, purchase orders and quote requests, the platform makes it easier and faster for buyers to place orders and receive their goods wherever they are. A key feature also includes a full product configurator giving the buyer the opportunity to customize their order all the way to the packaging through a private label option. The first version of the platform is available in English and will soon integrate multi-language support as well as built-in shipping estimation calculation and integrated user-facing payment options.
“Today, we celebrate the launch of Kwely, your destination to the best that Africa has to offer. For a long time, Made-in-Africa products have not been given the value they deserve. The talented producers are usually hidden behind larger brands, hindering their ability to build a direct customer base and their own brand identity. Through Kwely, we are introducing to the world high-quality products sourced from small and medium-sized companies and we are unveiling rich and rare ingredients as well as the traditional workmanship of our continent. SMEs constitute the backbone of our economies. By connecting them to international buyers, we are fostering an inclusive economic growth but also impacting entire communities,” said Birame Sock, Founder & CEO of Kwely Inc.
Every year, Kwely’s team of experts organize the TEKKI Challenge, an annual competition inviting local suppliers to present their products. The team follows a rigorous selection process to identify promising entrepreneurs which are primarily women working on innovative products that undergo several months of rebranding before being featured on the platform and on global partners’ networks. The free rebranding phase aims to upgrade their products by providing to local producers the tools, knowledge, coaching and financial support to improve the quality and image of their offerings. It includes a full marketing and distribution strategy, an analysis of the packaging to meet international standards and the delivery of certifications that are compliant with global market requirements. During the first round of the TEKKI Challenge in 2021, 10 companies from the food and cosmetics industry were selected. The second phase recently concluded with 15 new brands which will soon be revealed.
“When I applied for the TEKKI Challenge, my goal was to refresh my brand image and packaging as I was just starting up and only selling my products via social media platforms. Since then, the Kwely team has really helped me work through a number of areas of my business by completely changing my brand, acquiring packaging, selling my products in large grocery chains and hotels as well as helping me secure some funding. I am so excited to see the Mixeko products on the shelves of supermarkets in Senegal including the American Food Store and Casino. And this happened in just a few months. My growing team is now focusing on making sure I can meet the demand as we look to expand internationally with Kwely in 2023”, said Maimouna Sow , founder of MyMix SN, a Kwely supplier based in Senegal and focused on ready-to-prepare baking mixes of African traditional pastries.
Kwely has the ambition to expand the TEKKI Challenge to at least three other African countries by the end of 2023 to provide a more diverse range of products. Kwely started distributing the products from the first cohort to a number of local supermarkets, hotels and pharmacies in July 2022. The company is experiencing a rapid growth and is getting ready to venture into other markets such as Europe, the U.S., Asia and other African countries.
“As one of the first retailers in Senegal to offer Kwely products, I must say that we are very pleased with our partnership. The quality of the products, the packaging and service is a reminder of how important it is for our local suppliers to comply with international standards and invest in their image. We are truly happy to have found in Kwely a partner who gives us access to local products that have nothing to envy from imported products and this reinforces our commitment to developing a larger space for Made in Africa on our shelves,” said Alioune Ndiaye, owner of the American Food Store in Dakar, Senegal.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Kwely.
About Kwely Inc
Kwely is a B2B wholesale distribution platform for Made-in-Africa products. Birame N. Sock, a tech entrepreneur who successfully exited two startups in the US, founded Kwely under the premise that Made In Africa products have a place on the global market and can help boost African exports as well as Africa’s industrial sector. Based in Senegal, the company focuses on the development of existing and new Made-in-Africa brands with local suppliers in order to get to export-ready status, a proprietary platform to support B2B wholesale transactions on the global market and a packaging studio to provide the services needed to deliver products that meet international standards. The company plans to raise its Series A round at the end of 2022. For more information, please visit our website at http://kwely.com or email us at email@example.com.
+221 77 635 6058 (Senegal)
+1 305 469 6300 (US)
The post ￼Kwely Launches Game-Changing Made in Africa Marketplace appeared first on African Media Agency.


text:
UPDATE from ICC:
“At the International Culinary Center, the health and wellness of our community, contributing chefs and students is our top priority. Our team has been diligently monitoring updates surrounding COVID-19, and with the rising concerns, have made the proactive decision to postpone our Pastryland Bake Sale and Pastry Plus Conference scheduled for March 28 and 29, to the weekend of June 13 and 14, 2020, respectively. We are taking this step to help protect all attendees and the establishments that they belong to, as we work in an industry that must continuously strive for safe and clean environments imperative for food preparation and our pastry chefs. We urge everyone to follow public health guidelines in order to preserve the welfare of our industry and ourselves.
Programming for the rescheduled dates will be consistent with what we had planned on the itinerary for March 28 and 29 pending any major conflicts; for ticket purchasers not available the weekend of June 13 and 14, a refund on previously purchased tickets is available until April 15, 2020 by emailing firstname.lastname@example.org. For continued updates on the upcoming Pastry Plus and Pastryland Bake Sale please visit https://www.internationalculinarycenter.com/pastry-plus/”
A popular pastry conference will make its return to New York City in March. The International Culinary Center (ICC) in New York City, in partnership with Callebaut, announced the return of industry conference Pastry Plus on Sunday, March 29.
The third year of the event looks to be the most exciting yet, with the theme of the conference reflecting “The Business of Taste” and as it continues to build a pastry community that promotes a constructive exchange of ideas and information to secure the future of chefs and the niche industry.
The programming for this year’s Pastry Plus conference will feature a welcome address by Founder of ICC’s Pastry Plus, Jansen Chan, followed by an all-female lineup of panel experts Emily Luchetti (Chief Pastry Officer of Big Night Restaurant Group), Lani Halliday (Owner of Brutus Bake Shop), Sherry Yard (Pastry Chef & Author), and Kirsten Tibballs (Pastry Chef/Founder of Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School) as they discuss the business of baking.
A series of breakout classes that stem from the pillars of craft, innovation, and workplace are available thereafter curated by pastry legends such as Jacques Torres, Christina Tosi, and Ron Ben-Israel. Additional activities throughout the day include a networking reception and (new to 2020) pre-conference Industry Field Trips at Union Square Hospitality Group’s Gramercy Tavern, Daily Provisions, and The Modern, as well as Ron Ben-Israel Cakes.
Throughout the conference, attendees will get an interactive and personal look at forecasted trends at three of the nine classes and seminars throughout the day. These include:
- Ruby Chocolate Innovation – International Pastry Chef Kirsten Tibballs, Founder of Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School in Melbourne, leads a class focused on chocolate techniques including use of Callebaut Ruby and Callebaut Gold Chocolate
- Understanding Your Spices – Burlap and Barrel takes you on a journey of spices you thought you knew, and some you’ve probably never heard of before, to explore the impact of single-origin spices
- The Resurgence of Bread – Ryan Morgan from Sixteen Bricks shares his story of a family business, turned leading bakery for the Cincinnati area, embracing the flavor of wheat
- Team Diversity & Inclusion – Jackie McMann-Oliveri educates on promoting workplace diversity and best practices for a productive and inclusive work environment as Director of Talent and Culture for Bobby Flay Restaurants
- Plant-Based Future of Pastry – Plants are the future; Eclipse Foods and Katzie Guy-Hamilton, Author of Clean Enough, discuss the trending plant-based industry and its impact on the pastry market
“Pastry Plus is one of the rare opportunities to gather the pastry industry and foster a community,” says Jansen Chan, founder of Pastry Plus and Director of Pastry Operations at ICC. “It is a reinvestment in our future. With this conference we’re able to connect fellow pastry chefs of all skill sets and give them an opportunity to learn, network, and be inspired by peers and mentors.”
Before Pastry Plus on Saturday, March 28 is Pastryland, a community bake sale presented by ICC that features never-before-tasted creations from more than 20 top pastry chefs. The bake sale will be held from 12-3 p.m., with VIP entrance from noon-1 p.m., and allows locals and pastry lovers to get a taste of edible works of art for $15 general admission and $50 VIP. All proceeds from Pastryland bake sale will go to charitable partner Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.
Tickets for Pastry Plus are available now through February 27 for the Early Bird rate of $90 on the International Culinary Center’s website; standard general admission will be $120/ticket come February 28. The package includes:
- Access to the Pastryland Bake Sale | Saturday, March 28
- All-access pass to the Pastry Plus Conference | Sunday, March 29
- All-Attendee Forum: The Business of Taste, Presented by Callebaut®
- Keynote Address
- Choice of three 75-min Pastry Plus Sessions
- Continental Breakfast & Lunch
- Networking Reception
- Gift Bag


text:
A few months back, Samsung India had announced that it would be postponing the release of the Android 10 and One UI 2.0 update for its smartphones and tablets because of the lockdown imposed in the country for battling the coronavirus. The One UI 2.1 update that Samsung has rolled out to multiple devices was also delayed in India as a result.
Two weeks back, Samsung India finally started releasing updates again, kicking things off with the Galaxy A50’s Android 10 update. Now, Samsung has also released One UI 2.1 in the country for at least one eligible device: Galaxy S10 Lite owners in India can now download the One UI 2.1 update and start enjoying a host of new software features.
All of these features debuted on the Galaxy S20 series and include Quick Share, Music Share, a basic Pro video mode and a number of other new camera functionality, such as Single Take, My Filters, and nighttime Hyperlapse recording. Unfortunately, the security patch included in the update is from the month of April, as the firmware version rolling out in India (G770FXXU2BTD2) is the same one that was released for the Galaxy S10 Lite in other countries a couple of months ago.
The update also doesn’t seem to be available over the air at this time, but that should change in the next couple of days. However, if you own a Galaxy S10 Lite and don’t want to wait, you can download the update via Samsung’s Smart Switch software for Windows or Mac. The One UI 2.1 firmware is also available for download in our archive for manual installation using a Windows PC.


text:
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Guru Gowrappan, CEO of Verizon Media and Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International announced today that Yahoo Sports has entered into a historic partnership with MGM Resorts and Roar Digital, a joint venture between global gaming industry leaders MGM Resorts and GVC Holdings, to power sports betting for Yahoo Sports and create collaborative content experiences and live events. The announcement builds upon Verizon Media's core strategy to connect content and discovery to transactions and is a natural extension of Yahoo Sports' mission to reimagine sports for fans with unprecedented experiences.
As part of the multi-year partnership, the integration will launch in the Yahoo Sports app in November in the U.S., with transactions to take place on the BetMGM platform. Yahoo Sports will be an official Digital Media Sports Partner of MGM Resorts.
"The historic partnership with Yahoo Sports and BetMGM will change the future of fandom, providing new ways for sports fans to go beyond engaging with content and interact through commerce," said Gowrappan. "At Verizon Media we believe in building products that connect consumers to their passions and drive the deepest end-to-end value possible."
"This partnership marks an important moment for BetMGM in the growing U.S. sports betting sector," said Murren. "Integrating Yahoo's leading fantasy sports operations and content with BetMGM's world-class sports betting and interactive platform uniquely positions us to drive market share and large-scale adoption among sports fans."
The experience will feature a wide variety of global sports, including the NBA, NHL, football, college sports, baseball, soccer, golf and tennis.
"As sports betting continues to transform the industry, this partnership brings together the power of two trusted partners of the NBA," said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. "By working together, MGM Resorts and Yahoo Sports will offer fans unprecedented ways to engage with our games."
"The expanding sports betting landscape presents exciting opportunities to increase fan engagement and leverage emerging technologies," said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. "MGM Resorts, a valued partner of the NHL, along with Yahoo, a leading media brand, will connect fans to the action on the ice in new and innovative ways."
As part of this partnership, MGM Resorts and Yahoo Sports will collaborate on an array of content experiences, exclusive live events, and more than 20 high profile major sporting and promotional marketing efforts. MGM Resorts will also distribute Yahoo Sports content across its properties and platforms. Yahoo Sports will also be hosting multiple player events at MGM Resorts properties.
"This is an exciting partnership for the BetMGM brand and Roar Digital, helping us reach the widest possible audience of engaged sports fans in the U.S.,'' added Roar Digital CEO, Adam Greenblatt. "The Yahoo Sports app and digital sports content is enjoyed by 60 million U.S. users every month, while Yahoo Fantasy Football clocks 9 billion minutes of user time every year. Together we offer fans a winning combination."
ENGAGE WITH US:
About Verizon Media
Verizon Media, a division of Verizon Communications, Inc., houses a trusted media ecosystem of premium brands like Yahoo, TechCrunch and HuffPost to help people stay informed and entertained, communicate and transact, while creating new ways for advertisers and media partners to connect. From XR experiences to advertising and content technology, Verizon Media is an incubator of innovation and is revolutionizing the next generation of content creation in a 5G world.
About Roar Digital
Roar Digital LLC is the U.S. sports betting and online gaming venture, owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and GVC Holdings Plc (LSE: GVC). Based in New Jersey, the venture was established in July 2018 to create a world-class sports betting and online gaming platform in the United States, in order to take advantage of the new opportunities created by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn the U.S. federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). Utilising GVC's U.S.-licensed, state-of-the-art proprietary technology platform, Roar Digital offers sports betting and online gaming via market leading brands including BetMGM and partypoker. The venture will have exclusive access to MGM's U.S. land-based and online sports betting, major tournament poker, and online gaming businesses.
About MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos, state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM Resorts creates immersive, iconic experiences through its suite of Las Vegas-inspired brands. The MGM Resorts portfolio encompasses 30 unique hotel and destination gaming offerings including some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry. Expanding throughout the U.S. and around the world, the company recently acquired the operations of Empire City Casino in New York and MGM Northfield Park. In 2018, MGM Resorts opened MGM Springfield in Massachusetts, MGM COTAI in Macau, and the first Bellagio-branded hotel in Shanghai. The 82,000 global employees of MGM Resorts are proud of their company for being recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies®. For more information visit us at www.mgmresorts.com.
About GVC Holdings PLC:
GVC Holdings PLC is one of the world's largest sports-betting and gaming groups, operating both online and in the retail sector. The Group owns a comprehensive portfolio of established brands; Sports Brands include bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds and Sportingbet; Games Brands include CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, partypoker and PartyCasino. The Group owns proprietary technology across all of its core product verticals and in addition to its B2C operations provides services to a number of third-party customers on a B2B basis. The Group has also entered into a joint-venture with MGM Resorts to capitalise on the sports-betting and gaming opportunity in the U.S. The Group, incorporated in the Isle of Man, is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index and has licences in more than 20 countries, across five continents. For more information see the Group's website: www.gvc-plc.com
SOURCE MGM Resorts International


text:
I just posted the article Microsoft announces 'Game of the Year' Xbox 360 edition.
Microsoft confirmed it plans to release a new "Game of the Year Bundle" Xbox 360 that will include the 120GB Xbox 360 game console along with copies of Halo 3 and Fable 2.
Read the full article here: [http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/15837-Microsoft-announces-Game-of-the-Year-Xbox-360-edition.html](http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/15837-Microsoft-announces-Game-of-the-Year-Xbox-360-edition.html)
Feel free to add your comments below.
Please note that the reactions from the complete site will be synched below.


text:
PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) - Nanosolar Inc., a developer of solar power technology, said Wednesday it raised more than $75 million in new funding and plans to build what it says will be the world's largest solar cell factory.
The Palo Alto-based company said its latest round of financing brings its total cash position to more than $100 million, including recently secured government subsidies.
The company said it plans to use the money to begin large-scale production of its photovoltaic solar power technology. Nanosolar plans to build a factory in the San Francisco Bay area with the capacity to produce 200 million solar cells each year, with the capacity to produce 430 megawatts of electricity.
The company also plans to build an assembly plant in Berlin that could produce more than 1 million solar panels annually.
Founded in 2002, Nanosolar's investors include Benchmark Capital, Capricorn Management, MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures, Onpoint, SAC Capital and GLG Partners.


text:
After a brief stint at number 2, the billionaire retakes the top spot, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Business Desk : dhakamirror.com
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk is yet again the world’s richest person. He has reclaimed the title of the richest person in the world, per Bloomberg’s tally.
Mr Musk, 51, was worth $187 billion as markets closed on Monday, nudging aside Bernard Arnault, whose family own the world’s leading luxury group, LVMH. Bloomberg valued Mr Arnault’s fortune at $185 billion.
Mr Musk’s return to the top of the rich list comes as Tesla stock has rebounded from its January 6 lows, with shares in the electric car giant doubling in value since then.
At Number 3 on the list is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, with an estimated fortune of $117 billion.
Earlier this year, that third-place spot had been held by India’s Gautam Adani. He has now slipped all the way to 32nd position as the market value of the Adani group of companies plummets following a scathing report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research.
Mr Musk’s fortune remains far below a peak of more than $300 billion in late 2021. Since then, he funded the $44 billion buyout of Twitter by selling about $20 billion in Tesla shares.
Tesla’s drop in value in 2022 came as tech stocks suffered amid increasing interest rates. But since January, investors have piled back into Tesla even as Mr Musk continues to be distracted by running Twitter.
For now at least, Tesla stock buyers also appear to be shrugging off any number of controversies, including one on Monday in which Mr Musk backed the creator of the Dilbert comicstrip amid a racism row. Tesla stock closed at $207.63, up more than five per cent for the day.


text:
Yesterday the yuan fell to its weakest against the US dollar since late last year. In just the last couple of months, the Chinese currency has fallen 1.3 per cent.Tuesday, 26 June, 2012, 12:00am
A STORY THAT IS getting increasing play on the prospects for Asian currencies has it that Asian countries cannot continue to rig their exchange rates at artificially weak levels against the US dollar as rising prices for imported goods will clobber their economies.26 Mar 2004 - 12:00am
I HAVE SEEN it all before. In the autumn of 1983, with the Hong Kong dollar collapsing just before the peg was adopted, the big business story was not the woes of the Hong Kong dollar but the joys of the price of gold, joys, that is, if you got that price in Hong Kong dollars.19 Dec 2002 - 12:00am
The introduction of a single European currency will make it easier and faster for Hong Kong firms to invest in Europe, the deputy foreign minister of Germany said yesterday.
Werner Hoyer, who was speaking at an Asia Society luncheon, said that by boosting economic growth and removing uncertainty it would also contribute to global currency stability.18 Feb 1998 - 12:00am
PRIVATE foreign currency deposits in the Bank of China (BOC) rose US$1.944 billion in the first seven months of the year, Xinhua (the New China News Agency) reports.
The figure, 110 per cent more than that for the same period last year, also exceeded last year's total increase of $1.67 billion, BOC official Wang Shaohong said.3 Sep 1993 - 12:00am
IS CURRENCY A over-valued and currency B under-valued? In these treacherous years of floating rates and the perversity of linked currencies and money with no intrinsic value, the exchange rate of currencies is in purgatory.1 Aug 1993 - 12:00am
CHINA is taking a step towards making the yuan fully convertible with the launch of a pilot scheme in Guangzhou allowing foreign travellers to change foreign money directly into yuan.
The pilot scheme, to be launched before June, will effectively float the yuan against other currencies on an open foreign exchange market.13 Apr 1993 - 12:00am
LOCAL department stores have announced they will accept mainland currency in a move which some bankers believe could upset the money supply.
And concerns have been raised that shoppers could be confused by stores which show price-tags in local and Chinese currencies.13 Mar 1993 - 12:00am
COMPANIES have returned from Moscow having sewn up $50 million worth of orders, largely for clothing and footwear.
The Trade Development Council (TDC), which organised the 28-strong local mission to the Consumexpo trade fair, said the five-fold increase in orders was fuelled by greater availability of hard currency.2 Feb 1993 - 12:00am


text:
Square Enix announced the creation of their latest development studio, Luminous Productions, on Tuesday. The studio, which was established to develop AAA titles and new, unique entertainment experiences, will be led by Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata.
Tabata will not be the only dash of Final Fantasy XV flavor at the new studio, though, as the majority of Luminous’ core will comprise team members who worked on the title, as well. Outside of those transitioning from the travels of Noctus, the studio has many openings to fill, but they still plan to announce their first project sometime in mid-2018.
The only detail outlined thus far is that the studio will develop titles for a global audience. Check out their website for more vague allusions to what could be coming down the pipe.