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Researchers Use Microstereolithography 3D Printers to Print Objects 400X’s Stronger Than Current Standards
When it comes to 3D printing, most people visualize the process on a macro scale, a scale which can be observed with the human eye. Critics of 3D printing argue that, in its current state, the technology is best used for prototypes. This is because we are limited by 2 factors: Material availability, and resolution of prints. Even though more and more materials are being introduced to 3D printing on an almost daily basis, we are still extremely limited when compared to traditional manufacturing techniques. Resolution of 3D printed items on todays machines range from poor, on consumer level FDM machines, to excellent, on industrial level stereolithographic and selective laser sintering machines. Still though, there can be great improvements made.
A group of researchers from MIT and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have come ou with a method of creating what is referred to as micro-architected metamaterials, by using an advanced form of 3D printing called microstereolithography, which work in the same basic way as today’s SLA 3D printers, but on a micro scale. It allows for extraordinary precision, in not only the 3D printing of an object, but the microstructure of that object as well.
If you were to take a microscope (at 25X) and examine common household items, under the right conditions, you would find that each material you examine looks different under a microsope than the next. This is because they are made up of all different densities due to the material differences. When a material is more dense, it is stronger. When it is less dense it will be weaker. Using this knowledge, the group of researchers set out to construct new metamaterials.
The research group included Howon Lee, an assistant professor at Rutgers University, Nicholas Fang and Qi “Kevin” Ge of MIT, as well as Christopher Spadaccini, Xiaoyu “Rayne” Zheng”, Todd Weisgraber, Maxim Shusteff, Joshua Deotte, Eric Duoss, Joshua Kuntz, Monika Biener, Julie Jackson, and Sergei Kucheyev of LLNL.. They took an idea that was developed decades ago, but until now was only a complicated mathematical equation and models on paper. By utilizing very precise microstereolithography 3D printers, they were able to develop and print incredibly unique and potentially world changing materials.
“We found that for a material as light and sparse as aerogel [a kind of glass foam], we see a mechanical stiffness that’s comparable to that of solid rubber, and 400 times stronger than a counterpart of similar density. Such samples can easily withstand a load of more than 160,000 times their own weight,” explained Nicholas Fang. “The key to this ultrahigh stiffness is that all the micro-structural elements in this material are designed to be over constrained and do not bend under applied load.”
On top of being 400 times stronger than similar materials of the same density, these materials were also 100 times stiffer than other ultra-lightweight lattice materials, previously reported. The researchers were able to arrange the structures of the material in ways that would make the final metamaterial extremely light weight, very strong, and very stiff. They have tested this printing method on ceramic, metal, polymer, as well as a polymer-ceramic hybrid, all showing the same benefits.
“This material is among the lightest in the world,” LLNL’s Spadaccini says. “However, because of its microarchitected layout, it performs with four orders of magnitude higher stiffness than unstructured materials, like aerogels, at a comparable density.”
This means that we are now able to, not only 3D print objects that look anyway we want them to, but we can also 3D print objects that take on different physical characteristics, making them stronger, stiffer, harder, etc. The potential uses for this type of 3D printing has unlimited potential.
Some of these possibilities include batteries for mobile devices, bicycle frames, automobile parts, aerospace engineering, prosthetic limbs, and the list goes on. Other researchers believe that this technology will eventually be used to create materials that could be created as flat panels, and then assembled together in small unit cells, in order to make up the larger desired structures. There are also numerous uses for circuits, creating smaller, much more efficient electronics.
Without the use of these highly sophisticated 3D printers, development of these metamaterials and their complex 3D micro-scale geometries would be near impossible, to impossible. “Now we can print a stiff and resilient material using a desktop machine,” said Fang. “This allows us to rapidly make many sample pieces and see how they behave mechanically.”
What do you think? How soon do you think it will be before people will be uploading their own unique metamaterial designs to websites like Thingiverse for others to download and print on their microstereolithography 3D printers? Discuss in the 3D Microstereolithography Printer forum thread on 3DPB.com
Here is a video that shows a little more detail about the microstereolithography process.
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The Bitcoin community just keeps on growing. More people want to get their hands on Bitcoin (BTC), but not everyone wants to rely solely on trading to get involved. This prompts the question, “Can I get paid in Bitcoin?”
This is definitely not a new idea. Earlier this year, New York City mayor Eric Adams had a portion of his first paycheck automatically converted into Bitcoin. Other examples of people getting paid in BTC include Odell Beckham, Jr. (of the NFL) and 50 Cent. With that said, you don’t have to be a celebrity to reap the benefits of a Bitcoin salary.
Getting paid in Bitcoin
With the increase in the utility of Bitcoin, people have been looking for various ways to get their hands on BTC. A reported 36% of U.S. employees are asking for the option to receive at least a portion of their pay in BTC, but is getting paid in Bitcoin really that straightforward? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons.
The most common rationale behind Bitcoin salaries is the potential for a high reward. While salaries remain consistent throughout your employment (factoring out pay raises), the potential for Bitcoin to find a path to increased value means you stand to receive a boosted salary if timed right.
You can also expect lower transfer fees and faster processing times when you get paid in Bitcoin. While these might seem like small benefits now, their impact will be appreciated by freelancers or employees working for overseas companies.
For example, in countries like Argentina where forex rates can be difficult to bear, employees working for overseas companies can choose to receive their pay in Bitcoin instead. This way, they can easily convert their Bitcoin salary back into any currency through platforms like Paxful to maximize their pay.
Using your money will be a lot more efficient, too. With a handy Bitcoin wallet, you can freely divert your money where you need it, precisely when you need it.
The best part? Bitcoin is secure. This should go without saying, since Bitcoin is the original blockchain and has improved its security progressively over the years, factoring in changes in technology and the internet.
While Bitcoin’s price volatility can benefit employees, the opposite is, unfortunately, also true. Should Bitcoin’s value take a hit on or after your payday, you can expect a lower payout.
Additionally, while being in control of your financial freedom is great, there’s still a risk in keeping your money in hardware wallets since they can be misplaced or stolen—be sure to keep them in a safe place if you decide to use that type of storage.
Unfortunately, Bitcoin can’t be used to pay for everything. While Bitcoin has become a household name and is recognized by some merchants as an acceptable payment method, we have yet to reach the point where Bitcoin has realized its true potential. With that said, it should be noted that BTC can still be used to pay for a lot of products and services.
Jobs where you can get paid in Bitcoin
Now that we have a better understanding of what the advantages and disadvantages are, let’s take a look at some industries where you can have the option to get paid in Bitcoin.
It goes without saying that businesses operating within the cryptocurrency industry will be offering their employees an option to receive their salary (or a portion of it) in Bitcoin.
Examples of jobs in this industry include:
- Bot developers
- Project management
- App developers
- Consultancy roles
The tech industry has understandably taken a more progressive stance when it comes to Bitcoin salaries. It might be the proximity to the community, but the industry, in general, has responded positively to developments made on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Examples of jobs in this industry include:
- Web developers
- Software developers
- Social media managers
- Content creators
- Virtual assistants
Aside from the names we mentioned earlier, some professional sports leagues have the opportunity to have their pay converted into Bitcoin. From the NBA and the NFL to FIFA—more and more athletes are choosing to divert some of their finances into Bitcoin.
Examples of professional athletes who get paid in crypto are:
- Sean Culkin (Kansas City Chiefs)
- Russel Okung (Carolina Panthers)
- Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors)
What you need to know when you get paid in Bitcoin
Getting paid in Bitcoin is not a new idea, but it is one that has become more reasonable as the blockchain continues to prove itself in all aspects of the industry. Its advantages of decentralized finance and direct access to money have become the battle cry of its users and have been convincing more people to experiment with how they receive their salary.
But we also have to understand that Bitcoin hasn’t reached maturity yet. It’s for this reason that people who decide to receive their salary in Bitcoin normally start with having just a portion of their pay converted into Bitcoin—with the rest maintained as fiat currencies.
Deep research and keeping up with the news are highly recommended for anyone looking to get paid in Bitcoin. After all, with all the possible benefits, doing desk work seems like a cheap expense.
*The content of this article is for informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. You should do your own research and may want to seek professional advice before making any decisions.

domain: news


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Hungarians think twice before spending
Hungarian consumers are still looking for cheaper options and special offers when shopping.
The performance of the retail sector this year depends on purchasing power, household income and businesses’ ability to make payroll, according to the National Trade Association (OKSz). While the consumer market is seen as shrinking slightly in the first half of the year, how it does in the long run will depend on Hungary’s overall economic performance.
“Turnover in the first couple of months of 2012 was low, but this period is traditionally weak in the retail sector,” Attila Fodor, head of communications at Hungarian supermarket chain CBA told the Budapest Business Journal. “Consumers think twice before spending and they are looking for the cheaper options and special offers. Thus, we have to closely follow other chains’ offers, deals and discounts.”
OKSz too noted that price continues to be the main factor in buying habits, as consumers still prefer cheaper products. Another decisive factor is inflation, especially the increase in fuel and food prices, according to the association.
At the same time, quality matters, too, with consumers looking for the highest possible value for money, according to Fodor. “For instance, they want to buy real chocolate bunnies for Easter rather than the cheaper fake chocolate option.”
”In 2012, we would like to maintain our top position after Tesco on the list of retail companies, but it is too early to provide an accurate annual revenue forecast in March, as in retail, the last two months of the year matter most,” Fodor said. “We hope that when the period of the early repayments of FX mortgage loans is over, both the frequency of shopping and the amount spent on one occasion will start to grow.”
Revenues at CBA reached HUF 565 billion in 2011, up 1.8% from the previous year’s HUF 555 billion.
The OKSz agrees that retail sales are strongly affected by what happens to FX loan holders, as these loans represent the greatest burden in Hungary’s consumer market. The market will also be influenced by the outcome of the talks on an international loan to Hungary. While the impact of a potential agreement cannot be estimated without knowing the details, it could strengthen Hungary’s consumer market through changes in the forint rates, both directly and indirectly. OKSz notes that an improvement in the international economic environment could also be beneficial for the market.
As to consumer confidence, while views on the current state of affairs have hardly improved, the outlook on the future was noticeably better in February, according to economic think tank GKI. Breaking a trend of almost continuous decline during the last 18 months, GKI’s consumer confidence index rose in February, reaching a value slightly above its level in December 2011. The pessimism of households abated in almost every respect, GKI said, including their expected financial situations and saving ability, as well as the possibility of purchasing high-value durables.
- HUF 400 bln extra income as a result of the change in the personal income tax rate
- HUF 260 bln payment of real yields on private pension fund assets transferred to the state
- gross wages were up 5.2% and net wages increased by 6.4% on average
- households’ burden of foreign currency denominated loans
- the sum of FX loans’ monthly payments exceeded HUF 400 bln in 2011, estimated to be at least twice as much as it was before the jump in forint rates
- the volume of early repayments reached HUF 620 bln in the last quarter of 2011
- higher than average increase in fuel and food prices
- due to a 15% increase in fuel prices, Hungarians paid HUF 160 bln more for 5% less fuel
- due to an average 7% increase in food prices, Hungarians spent an extra HUF 200 bln on only 0.3% more food
Source: National Trade Association (OKSz)
Plaza ban and new taxes
A recently introduced act placing a moratorium on new shopping mall and hypermarket developments will limit CBA’s room for maneuver, Fodor said. The act banned the construction of new outlets of more than 300 sqm of retail space or the equivalent expansion from January 1, 2012. The group has more than 3,300 shops, but had to close about 200 smaller units last year. Within the total, there are 103 high-end CBA Prima shops, and a handful of shops under CBA’s discount brand Cent.
The retail segment has also been strongly affected by the introduction of new taxes and an increase in existing ones, Roland Kanyó, the PR manager of drugstore chain dm drogerie markt Kft told the BBJ. He pointed out that this has inevitably led to price increases. The most painful tax changes in the retail sector are the introduction of the so-called ‘chips tax’, a levy on unhealthy food, higher excise taxes, a raise in the standard VAT rate to 27%, as well as an increase in environmental product fees.
Dm foresees a 4% increase in turnover in its 2011/2012 business year following a 3.4% increase in the previous year ended on September 30, Kanyó said. The number of shops is expected to reach 260 by the end of the financial year.
The business aims to further strengthen consumer relations and intensify communication with its customers, Kanyó said. The number of registered users of the company’s ‘active beauty program’ exceeded one million last year. Dm has 22 private brands, of which the Balea label line is the biggest with 400 different items. In line with changing consumer habits, the drugstore chain now offers a wider range of organic food products.
Retail turnover stagnant
After four consecutive years decreasing in value, the volume of retail sales stagnated at HUF 7.9 trillion in 2011, according to the figures of the Central Statistical Office (KSH). During the year, there was a slight increase in year-on-year sales in seven months and a drop in four months.
In terms of volume, sales have fluctuated at around the level of 2005 since mid-2009. Although consumers spent HUF 420 billion more in 2011 than in the previous year, inflation ate away the majority of the difference, said the National Trade Association in its comment on the 2011 figures.
In 2011, non-specialized and specialized food, beverages and tobacco stores had the highest market share with 44.5%, followed by petrol stations (18.1%) and furniture and electrical goods stores (13.2%), while the remaining stores had a combined market share of 24.2%.
In December, traditionally the month with the greatest sales volume in the retail sector, sales accounted for HUF 823 billion, 1.5% more than in the same month of the previous year and equal to 10.4% of total annual turnover. In 2011, the most dynamic increase was seen in the network of mail order houses, which accounted for a small proportion of all sales, the KSH said, attributing this to the fast expansion in online sales.
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Copyright Office Modernization Webinar Series Kicks Off â€” If you register copyrights and are interested in the US Copyright Office’s efforts to modernize its systems, you’ll want to check out the first in a series of webinars that the Office is planning on holding to provide updates on its ongoing efforts. The fun begins next Thursday, January 31, at 12pmET.
Digital Media is a Wasteland â€” Writer John DeVore pens this series of eminently quotable observations on the last two decades of online media. Example: “Opinion is easy to produce and goes stale quick, like a donut… There is nothing wrong with the opinion business, but I just donâ€™t think its wise for America to transform into an opinion-based economy. Facts are fussy. It takes work to dig them up and crack them open. Skill. Journalism isnâ€™t cheap. But a fact is valuable. For instance: ‘a hurricane is coming’ is an important fact to know. ‘There is tainted lettuce at the grocery store’ is another.”
TVEyes Will No Longer Carry Fox News in Negotiated End to Big Copyright Fight â€” At one time, there was concern that the news clipping service would prevail on its fair use defense, broadening the doctrine even further beyond its original purpose of complementing the goals of copyright, but last year the Second Circuit decisively concluded the 24/7 copying and commercial redistribution of Fox News’ copyrighted content was not fair use, and after an unsuccessful attempt at Supreme Court review, the two parties have reached a settlement.
Writer Associations Condemn Unauthorized Digital Scanning and Lending â€” The Writers’ Union of Canada has joined its counterparts in the US and UK in a campaign against the Internet Archive’s efforts to lend digital copies of books it has scanned regardless of copyright status. The legal basis for such controlled digital lending suffered a significant blow after last month’s Second Circuit decision in Capitol Records v ReDigi rejected applying fair use to permit the transfer of digital files of copyrighted works.
Netflix Joins the Motion Picture Association of America â€” It was announced this week that the streaming service will become a part of the 97-year-old trade association for film studios. As Variety reports here, the service also recently dropped ties with the Internet Association, a trade association “which represents many tech giants like Google, Amazon, Snap and Facebook.”


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The Weekly Africa News Podcast with @Wongel Zelalem
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EU Wants Africa to Support Ukraine, French Politician Bully African Leaders, Zimbabwe May Expel NGOs and more #Africanews here https://youtu.be/Cr_inejc5R4
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C-level executives need to increase literacy in cyber security and its associated risks, a study has revealed.
In a poll of 400 business executives and IT security professionals at Fortune 500 companies, only 68% of execs said they were confident that cybersecurity briefings to the board represent the urgency and intensity of cyber threats targeting their organizations, compared with 80% of IT pros.
According to The Cyber Security Literacy Confidence Gap study, C-level executives (65%) are also less confident than non-C-level executives (87%) and IT executives (78%) in the accuracy of the tools their organization uses to present cyber security risks to the board.
Despite this lack of confidence, 100% of C-level executives and 84% of non-C-level executives consider themselves “cyber security literate”, despite ongoing cyber attacks and high-profile breaches.
You can read the full story on Computer Weekly here.


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Get Alerts »
Consumer Reports ranks the best fast food burgers in America
2009: Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Frank McCourt, best known as the author of the memoir "Angela's Ashes," dies from melanoma at age 78 in New York City.
Rome burns, a famous gunslinger kills for the first time, Marilyn Monroe passes a big test, and The King's first single is released, all on this day.
A California probate judge ruled Monday in favor of Shelly Sterling, saying the estranged wife of Donald Sterling can sell the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 billion.


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How much today’s connected consumers trust mobile advertisements is influenced by the type of media and the screen size of their smartphone, according to recent research.
What’s more, the study revealed that screen size is linked to buying behaviour.
“While people are using smartphones — and these days, smartphone screen sizes are becoming bigger and bigger — they may think that the larger screen sizes are actually enhancing their experience and increasing the amount of information they can take in, but this subtle difference in screen size can also affect them in ways that they may not realise,” said S. Shyam Sundar, Distinguished Professor of Communications and co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University. “Our study sheds light on how they may be processing information on these new larger screens.”
The researchers tested smartphones with 5.3-inch screens and 3.7-inch screens among 120 undergraduate students in South Korea. They found that people who viewed video ads on large screens tended to experience feelings of “affective trust”, while reading text ads on smaller screens created greater “cognitive trust”.
“A simple way to put it is that affective trust refers to how you feel about something and cognitive trust refers to what you think about it,” Sundar explained. “The difference is between what you think and what you feel.”
According to the university, the study showed that affective trust had a greater influence on buying intention. In practice, this meant that participants who viewed video ads on larger screens were more likely to want to purchase a product. This was a surprise, as the researchers had expected that cognitive trust would be most associated with behavioural trust and buying intention.
One form of trust is not better than the other, but they indicate different depths of thinking by mobile users, Sundar said.
“There is a change in the depth of processing. When users have a large screen, people are processing heuristically, which means they are processing information in a less systematic manner, which may make them more prone to influences from cues in the surroundings and, in general, more open to persuasion.”
The feeling of immersion when watching an advert on a bigger screen may make users feel like they are inside the media environment and more inclined to trust what the video says, the researchers suggest.
Ki Joon Kim, endowed research professor of interaction science at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, said that the study may have implications for the use of virtual reality in mobile advertising. The findings may also help guide designers of wearable devices, which could have even smaller screens than smartphones.
Tags: buying behaviour


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Despite the forecasted increase in spending on pets by American consumers, experts are seeing cut backs in the amount spent on pets over the past three years.
The American Pet Products Association estimates Americans will spend approximately $50.84 billion dollars on pets in 2011, which is an increase from $48.35 billion in 2010 and $38.50 billion in 2006. The pet group’s previous president, Bob Vetere, believes people turn to their pets when other woes (financial, world affairs, et al.,) take hold.
Vetere stated, “People find comfort in pets. It’s someone who listens to your problems, then licks your face and says, ‘Let’s go play.’ ”
In the Richmond, Virginia, area, some pet industry storeowners have been hit by economic hard times. Michael Hughes, of Holiday Barn Pet Resorts, said two of his locations lost a percentage of business while other parts of the operation made up for it. “People sometimes were preserving their week of vacation in the summer but cutting out that three-day trip to the mountains or to D.C. with friends,” he said.
The American Pet Products Association (APPA) collected data and found an estimated 86.4 million cats and 78.2 million dogs live in American homes. These numbers do not include horses and smaller pets.
Americans love to pamper their pets (aka: “kids”) even with personal cutbacks in their own nights out and in personal spending. Baby boomers make up the largest percentage of new pet owners, Vetere reported.
Other businesses in the Richmond area, such as For the Love of Pete, are seeing people come to the store and gain a sense of pleasure in pampering their pets.
Learn more about APPA by visiting www.americanpetproducts.org.


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Nollywood actress and entrepreneur, Omoni Oboli, has taken a swipe at a troll who criticised her for repeating shoes on Instagram.
In a trending video, the mother of three was seen walking out of a building in a t-shirt and a pair of slipper heels.
Reacting to her video, a troll identified as king_diamond37 had berated the actress for wearing the same heels she wore previously on two different outfits.
"I feel say una be celebrity, same heels with different clothes, una dey make normal people dey tensioned."
In response, Omoni Oboli subtly threw shades at the troll for taking out the time to notice her repetition of shoes.
She said; "Last time I checked darling, they are my shoes and I can wear them everyday this year if I want. Thanks for noticing though. One Love."


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Savannah, GA – The Kennickell Group, a company specializing in print, fulfillment, direct mail and wide format, is celebrating 125 years in business. Founded as Kennickell Printing Company in 1892 by Milton Kennickell, the company still remains in the Kennickell family. Once a small print and office supply company, the Kennickell Group is now a diversified company handling print and marketing automation needs for many of the country’s leaders in their industries. With clients and print partners around the world, the company has become truly global.
The Kennickell Group has two locations in Savannah. Its print operations are housed in a 45,000 square foot building on President Street, while its direct mail and fulfillment operations are located one mile away in an 83,000 square foot facility. The company is proud to boast that the average tenure of all employees is 13 years, having approximately 100 employees. Most of the management team has been in place for almost 30 years.
Al Kennickell, the third generation company president, says that while the company is very different today than when it was when founded, the most dramatic changes in its 125 year history have come about in the last 15 years. “The industry has changed since the introduction of the Internet. Since 2005, 40% of printing companies in the United States have gone out of business. We were fortunate to have had a team in place willing to think outside of the box and realize that change was necessary. It worked out very well for us,” stated Kennickell.
A true family business, there are five Kennickells working within the company. Al Kennickell, Karen Kennickell Wessinger, Terri Kennickell, along with 4th generation members Kacey and Trip Kennickell.
“It is great working with family members, but what makes our company special is that even if your last name is not Kennickell, everyone here feels like part of the family,” said Al Kennickell.


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BASF announced that it is the recipient of General Motors’ Supplier of the Year Award for 2009. The Supplier of the Year Award recognizes BASF for consistently performing above expectations as a global paint supplier to General Motors. It is the sixth time in the last eight years that BASF has received this award.
“The Supplier of the Year award is always special, but those suppliers recognized this year have risen above and beyond the call during one of the most challenging years in GM history,” said Bob Socia, vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain at General Motors. “This is truly a world-class list of suppliers.”
The significance of receiving this award for 2009 is indeed recognized by BASF. Juan Carlos Ordonez, group vice president of BASF Coatings North America, accepted the award on behalf of BASF during General Motors’ 18th annual Supplier of the Year business meeting and recognition ceremony on March 11 at the GM Design Dome in Warren, Mich.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized as a global supplier exemplifying the level of performance that General Motors expects from its supplier partners in this very challenging and competitive environment,” said Ordonez. “Winning this award six times since 2002 is a tremendous source of pride for BASF employees as we work every day to strengthen our relationship with General Motors by providing world class products and services.”
Joe Schmondiuk, BASF’s Global Account Director for General Motors, notes that in past years, General Motors has honored closer to 100 suppliers with this award.
“This year, BASF is one of only 76 total suppliers and the only paint supplier recognized by General Motors for 2009,” said Schmondiuk. “We will work even harder in the future to ensure BASF supports the success of General Motors and continues to build our mutually beneficial partnership.”
The General Motors Supplier of the Year program started in 1992, and each year a global team of purchasing, engineering, quality, manufacturing and logistics executives determines the winners. The decisions are based on supplier performance in the areas of quality, service, technology and price.
BASF Automotive Refinish


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Rapid Review: iOS 7
Sep 18, 2013 9:05 AM
Apple's eye-catching new iOS 7 is more than just a facelift. It not only redefines the way your iPhone or iPad looks, but also how it works. And it does so with style.
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HTC spends $300 million to acquire some Beats Electronics awesomeness, but we have to admit: we're befuddled. Also, Apple is now officially the world's most valuable company, and we're happy, because they're slightly less evil than ExxonMobil. And in the worst idea we've heard in a while, the British Prime Minister floats the idea of turning off social networks to stem the rioting in London. Dude, do you WANT more riots!?Subscribe: iTunes (MP3) | iTunes (320x180) | iTunes (640x360) | RSS (MP3) | RSS (320x180) | RSS (640x360)… Read more
The Federal Communications Commission is planning to rapidly roll out several new ways for people in the U.S. to call the emergency 911 line.
Speaking yesterday at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials annual meeting, FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said that his organization has developed a "five-step action plan" to deploy Next Generation 9-1-1.
Next Generation 9-1-1 is the next phase of the emergency service. It's designed to offer users more ways to contact emergency officials, as well as improve the network to ensure it holds up for the new communication technologies.
According to Genachowski, a … Read more
The 10th anniversary of the fall of New York's World Trade Center towers is fast approaching. Brian August and his team of developers at Kickstarter are looking to memorialize the tragedy with 110 Stories, an augmented-reality app for iOS that will place the iconic buildings back into the New York skyline.
110 Stories is still in development, with a Kickstarter fundraiser wrapping up within a few days. The app will work by directing the user to point an iPhone camera at the former site of the towers. It will then etch an image of the towers over the picture … Read more
With 40 years of fine-tuning, you would expect the 911 to be a well-honed car by now. And with the new 911 Carrera GTS, it's easy to see how all this work paid off.
Despite the engine's being naturally aspirated, Porsche manages to get better than 100 horsepower per liter out of it, while at the same time delivering reasonable, if not stellar, fuel economy. The relatively light weight of the car is apparent when you first get behind the wheel. It dances through turns.
And the 911 has come a very long way, with new technology added … Read more
Gone are the days when "getting coffee" was the main responsibility of the corporate intern. Porsche recently let one intern design the race insignia emblazoned on a 911 GT3 race car.
Anna Frey, a recent industrial design graduate from Georgia Tech, in Atlanta, was responsible for designing the paint job for Porsche Cars North America's (PCNA) entry in the 2011 Porsche Carrera World Cup. The 70.2-mile race was held over the weekend on the Nurburgring-Nordschleife, and PCNA's 911 GT3 was piloted by American Le Mans Series GTC Champion Melanie Snow.
PCNA also let a team … Read more
The Senate Commerce Committee voted Wednesday to approve legislation aimed at resolving long-standing issues for mobile broadband users, both public and private.
Co-sponsored by Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tx.), S. 911, the "Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act," had wide bipartisan support, passing the committee by a vote of 21-4. (A current version of the bill is not available online, pending several amendments approved during the markup.)
A key provision of the proposed law would authorize the Federal Communications Commission to hold "voluntary incentive auctions" both to … Read more
Not exactly "The Tortoise and the Hare": This Web video shows a Cadillac CTS-V Wagon in a drag race with a Porsche 911 Twin Turbo
The CTS-V Wagon has been given a 650-horsepower Hennessey V650 upgrade and drag radial tires.
The upgrade includes a supercharger pulley and snout upgrade, stainless-steel long tube headers and midpipes, and a high-flow catalytic converter.
The Hennessey wagon offers 658 brake horsepower (bhp) at 6,200 rpm. And despite weighing almost 1,000 pounds more than the 911, the CTS-V Wagon bests the 480-horsepower Porsche.
Check it out for yourself.
Last week, CNET Editor-at-Large Brian Cooley walked us through the more interesting aspects of the Porsche 918 RSR Racing Lab concept at the 2011 Detroit auto show.
Now Porsche has released a video on YouTube of the high-performance hybrid doing laps on a test track. The highly stylized "Torture test" video (after the jump), tortures only the viewer because it's just a mere glimpse of what the RSR can, no doubt, do.
In a press release, Porsche boasts … Read more
Jill Schlesinger and Natali Morris join us on today's show as our Thanksgiving week without Justin Yu continues. Justin usually takes care of our daily blog post seen here but instead has opted to take off three days so he can read bedtime stories to his cat, Chairman Meow.
Today Jill and Natali help us make sense of the inherent dangers associated with allowing civilians to text, MMS, or even video stream to 911 rather than dialing in. Of course Wilson and I overlook the prime opportunities this would present hoodlums who will inevitably use the new technology for evil. While funny, we certainly wouldn't support pranking 911 with video of a fake incident. Not to worry though, Natali informs us that not only is there no funding for such a thing, it hasn't even been planned out at all, and it turns out it was just someone's idea that somehow made its way into mainstream news outlets.
Next up is Oprah Winfrey announcing that the iPad is her favorite thing ever. Though we're pretty sure Apple doesn't need the attention, it's hard for us to believe that Oprah even uses an iPad. We figure she'd just scream at it repeatedly and tell it that it's going on a 10-day trip to Europe over and over.
There are a tons of laughs on today's show, so be sure to tune in, plus some vital financial info that everyone shopping this holiday season needs to know! Jill tells us how much we should be spending on gifts this year, so make sure you've got a budget!Episode 715 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more
The Federal Communications Commission wants to bring the 911 emergency service into the 21st century with new technologies such as text messaging and automatic alerts.
In a speech Tuesday, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said it "is time to bring 911 into the Digital Age." He said this was important, as more and more people in the United States use cell phones. Text messaging, in particular, is an important feature to add to 911 call centers, he said.
About 70 percent of 911 calls already come from mobile phones, he said. And as more people text instead of talk … Read more


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Rising costs, logistical disruptions, sustainability requirements and the impact of the Russia/Ukraine conflict: Key topics at the 2nd SHAFFE online Congress to be held on 30th of March, 2022
SHAFFE, the Southern Hemisphere Association for Fresh Fruit Exporters will be hosting the 2nd Southern Hemisphere Fresh Fruit Trade Congress 2022 which will take place on the 30th of March 2022 via an online format, with the guiding theme “The new reality of Southern Hemisphere Exports”. The program of the event will explore the rising costs impacting fresh fruit exporters and growers in the region, the opportunities, and challenges in mega markets such as India and China, the current state of play of sustainability requirements in Europe and the US and will outline the Southern Hemisphere season outlook for 2022 / 2023.
Together with panellists from the region including representatives from South Africa, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, part of the program will address the current increases of costs along the supply chain. According to Mr. Anton Kruger, CEO of FPEF South Africa and confirmed panellist in the congress, “Tripling container rates, increasing costs for services and inputs and the cascading effects of the economic sanctions taken on Russia challenge the long-term economic viability of the Southern Hemisphere fruit sector.”,
Additionally, leading suppliers of key commodities from Australia, Chile, New Zealand and Peru will also review during the online event the current global market situation. Speakers to date include Mr. Ben McLeod, Sales and Marketing Director at Mr Apple New Zealand and Mr. Jason Bosch, General Manager of Origin Direct Asia South Africa, who will share an overview of the current developments in Asia. The program will also include leading trade experts such as Mr. Sumit Saran, Director of SS Associates, expert on the Indian fruit import and retail market and Mr. Kurt Huang, Deputy Secretary General of the Fruit Branch of the China Chamber of Commerce for Food Stuffs and Native Produce, who will be reviewing the characteristics of the Chinese fruit import market.
Furthermore, the congress will also serve as an important platform in which to review from the current sustainability requirements impacting the sector. According to Marta Bentancur, current SHAFFE Vice- President and representative of Upefruy – Uruguay. “The Congress is an excellent opportunity to review the opportunities and challenges sustainability represents for Southern Hemisphere fruit production now and for future generations.”
Finally, according to Charif Christian Carvajal, President of SHAFFE and representative of ASOEX – Chile “This year’s Congress is a not to be missed opportunity to review from a Southern Hemisphere perspective, those issues that are shaping the new reality for the regions global exports including global supply chain challenges and increasing costs of production, the road ahead in regards to sustainability, opportunities in mega markets such as China and India and a general season outlook for 2022/2023.”
For more information and registrations to the online Congress please visit: www.shaffe.net.
Participation is free. Simultaneous translation in Chinese and Spanish will be provided. For further enquiries please contact SHAFFE secretariat: email@example.com
Note to editors:
SHAFFE is the Southern Hemisphere Association for Fresh Fruit Exporters, a trade entity composed of the leading trade fresh produce associations from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay. Its member countries represent 25% of the total fresh fruit global supply which is equivalent to 11 million tonnes of fresh fruit exports, valued at USD$15,8 billion.


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Tourism Industry News
Strikes Continue to Disrupt Travel to French Caribbean Islands
Holidaymakers have been warned to stay indoors, while many petrol stations, supermarkets and car hire offices remain closed following 37 days of protests at the high cost of living and low wages on the French Caribbean islands.
In a statement released earlier this week, the Martinique Tourism Authority said it was “100 per cent open for tourists”. However, violence has escalated on the island since the comments were issued, with protesters blocking off a number of streets in the capital Fort-de-France on Wednesday night.
The Paris-based National Travel Agencies Organization has reported that around 10,000 tourists have abandoned holidays to the islands after a number of hotels were forced to close, while several cruise operators have cancelled scheduled visits.
Royal Caribbean, a cruise operator, has confirmed that its ship Vision of the Seas has cancelled planned stops at both islands. A spokeswoman said that upcoming itineraries could be affected but added that the situation was being constantly monitored.
Holland America’s ship Noordam was forced to visit Dominica last week instead of Martinique, while cruise lines P&O and Azamara have also been affected.Onyx Travel, an independent British-based operator that specializes in the French Caribbean, confirmed that it currently has clients on both islands.Lynn Hinton, the company’s director, admitted that she had received a few calls from concerned customers, but said that besides powers cuts and difficulties with car hire. the problems for travelers were not severe.
Although efforts to end the strikes are being made –with negotiations set to continue between union leaders and French government officials- the Foreign Office is advising travelers planning to visit Guadeloupe or Martinique to contact their tour operator.


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In a research note to clients, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster suggested that Apple is developing a 7-to-10-inch tablet priced at $500 to $700, perhaps ready for the public in 2010.
According to AppleInsider, Munster's contacts in the supply chain haven't seen a prototype of the device, but are in discussions with Apple to supply components for something at that size and price point.
Munster believes that Apple could adjust the iPhone SDK to allow for multiple display resolutions. Apps like Safari and Mail, he says, would benefit from the additional screen real estate. He also mentions that with the larger screen, more than one traditional iPhone app could be run at once.
As for timing, Munster suggests that the device could be ready next year, and possibly be subsidized by a wireless carrier.
As with most analysis of this kind, this is two parts hearsay, one part "interpretation of conference call statements," and seven parts wishful thinking. In providing technical details about a product that may not exist, Munster is writing checks that Apple might not be able to cash.
Is this something you'd buy? Is it even going to happen? Sound off in comments.


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Xingtai Capital plans to launch a China long/short equity hedge fund solely focused on the mainland consumer sector with a capacity of $500 million.
Hong Kong-based Xingtai, founded by former Lunar Capital executive Michelle Leung, has been running the strategy under a Ucits IV structure. Sources say it launched in May with $30 million, and has annualised returns of over 12% as of the end of October.
The firm plans to expand the offering to include a Cayman Islands vehicle in early 2014, says Leung, Xingtai’s chief executive. It aims to make the product the largest consumer-focused hedge fund focused on China. It will be a niche offering, with few other competitors in the region, she notes.
“We think it is a good time to invest in China, but focused expertise is required,” Leung tells AsianInvestor. Leung identified a gap in the market for a long-biased fund dedicated to listed consumer companies. She launched the fund earlier this year with a team including Stan Buncher, who also spun out of Lunar Capital and is Xingtai's portfolio manager.
The portfolio will be concentrated, with the long book comprising 15 to 25 stocks in the mid- to large-cap space, although it will occasionally consider some small-caps.
Xingtai is currently focused on H-shares – Hong Kong-listed stocks of consumer companies with business in China. “The ones with the longer track record are all listed in Hong Kong,” says Leung. But the company "intends to invest in A-shares in the future".
The portfolio will be hedged by index puts and trading in and out of cash, with the aim of protecting the value of the long book. “We consider ourselves to be long-term investors.”
“We try to benchmark listed Chinese companies against global public consumer businesses,” adds Leung.
Chinese consumer companies trade at a relative discount, despite greater scope for growth given the mainland’s demographics. “We see strong consumption trends in China,” she adds.
Alternative funds targeting China’s consumer sector have long been the domain of private equity. Xingtai will take a PE-style approach in its stock selection process, applying operational know-how of Chinese companies gleaned from the founders’ experience at Lunar, a Shanghai-based PE firm focused on the mainland.
Xingtai has a seven-member research team based in Shanghai. Whereas hedge fund managers typically only meet with managers of listed companies, Xingtai will additionally meet with the company’s distribution channels, suppliers, customers and competitors.
It will offer monthly liquidity and a portfolio of listed companies, differentiating itself from PE funds, which typically invest in privately-owned companies and lock up investor capital for about seven years. “We think there’s an appetite for a liquid, long-biased consumer fund,” says Leung.
Xingtai’s Ucits fund has an investor base of family offices based in the West. The firm is in talks with more family offices and also European and US endowments and pensions with the flexibility to invest in funds with shorter track records.
“The strategy has resonated well [with investors]. They like the pure consumer theme," says Leung, adding that the team's operating experience with Chinese companies is a bonus.
Arisaig Partners, based in Singapore, arguably runs the most well-known consumer-focused hedge fund in the region. The $3.2 billion long-only Arisaig Asia Consumer Fund focuses on the region's emerging markets.


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Vidible, a startup video syndicator, has announced its platform enabled 1 billion video streams in August. Further highlighting its momentum, Vidible said it has 150+ content providers across the U.S., Europe and Asia in 12 different categories now using its platform. Vidible anticipates 300% growth in 2014 and profitability in 2015.
Michael Hyman, Vidible's CEO and co-founder, recently explained to me that Vidible is differentiating itself from other video syndication platforms with greater transparency and controls for all parties plus a lower cost structure for publishers. Michael believes that to date video syndication has offered minimal transparency, akin to the early days of ad networks where arbitrage was the primary business model.


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Square to acquire Australian fintech Afterpay in $29 billion deal
Payments company Square is acquiring Australian buy now, pay later (BNPL) fintech Afterpay for approximately US$29 billion (A$39 billion). California-headquartered...Read More
The publishing and market intelligence platform for global fintech and financial services innovation. FinTech Intel is a forward thinking provider of market information, news and reports for the expansive and fast growing global fintech industry. FinTech Intel are also the proud organisers of The UK FinTech Awards, Europe FinTech Awards, US FinTech Awards, Asia FinTech Awards and FinTech Awards MENA.


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iOS users are also going to get the incognito mode for Google Maps as the company announced in a blog post. First announced at the Google I/O developer conference in May, the feature has already been available for Android users.
Google Maps’ incognito mode supposedly functions like how it does in web browsers. Switch it on, search for a location or move in an area and Google won’t save your data.
Switch it on by tapping your profile photo in the search bar. Then, tap on “Turn on incognito mode.”
In related news, Google says it will allow Android users to perform bulk-delete of their data from Google Maps, both timeline and location history next month.


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Elroy Air, a San Francisco based startup that develops drones for delivering large commercial payloads, made an announcement today regarding a milestone reached for its goal of commercializing by 2021. It was stated that the company completed a test run of over 1250 pound prototype drone called the chaparral in partnership with the Naval Postgraduate School. The company claimed that the drone can carry 250 pounds of cargo at an astonishing speed of 100 miles per hour for a range of 300 miles. Chaparral is equipped with various components like an array of sensors, cameras, radar, and a computer that has air-traffic management software running.
Since time immemorial, people have always dreamt of harnessing the skies for quick transport. The use of autonomous cargo systems would enable people to set up ultra-responsive logistics. When it comes to the Chaparral humans are not required to do the heavy lifting. The drone is self-guided and the cargo handling machine helps in loading and unloading the packages autonomously. The aerodynamic cargo pods automatically descend to the surface and release post landing.
The Elroy drone is yet to make a delivery and a test run was controlled by a human pilot, it ascended for 10 feet and hovered for over a minute before landing. Elroy not only wants to deliver goods to customers in remote places but also carries medical supplies and care packages to disasters-struck regions. An unnamed humanitarian organization has expressed interest in Elroy’s drones for food, water, medical supply, and supplement delivery.


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Bata returns to profit in 2022 Jan-March quarter
Footwear brand Bata Shoe Company has returned to profits in January to March quarter of 2022 after it suffered losses with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
The shoemaker's profits rose to Tk 6.84 crore in the first quarter of the current year, according to the financial statement of the company. The company incurred a loss of Tk 4.90 crore in the same period of the previous year.
For the first time in its 58 years of history in Bangladesh, it suffered losses from April to June period of 2020 as it missed the country's main shopping season of Eid amid the first wave of the pandemic.
In 2021, the company returned to profits in the second quarter (April to June) but the second wave of the pandemic again drowned the company into losses.
As the pandemic situation has been improved so the sales of shoes rose that causes the company to return to profit in 2022.


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Pakistan State Oil, country’s largest oil marketing company, is slowly turning itself into a stubborn corporate bully. But what have they done now? According to market sources, Competition Commission of Pakistan has started after receiving multiple complains from PSO contractors, alleging that PSO is forcefully selling lube oil to them by deducting the price of such products from the payments due for cartage services.
This is not the first time PSO is facing negative reviews in newspapers and blogs. Four months ago, PSO was alleged for supplying low quality fuel products. And almost a week ago, Pakistan State Oil was accused of violating OGRA notification and was alleged for charging higher Diesel prices to consumers.
Given the potentially anti-competitive nature of such actions, CCP has started to probe the matter in detail and solicited PSO’s response in the matter. However, despite a reminder, the reply is still awaited.Forced sale of products may constitute an anti-competitive practice prohibited by the Competition Act, 2010.
The practice of forced sales, which places unrelated obligation on trading parties for the conclusion of contracts, is barred under law and can amount to a prohibited agreement/practice or an abuse of dominance under the Act.
It would be pertinent to mention here that CCP has consistently strived to promote competition and curb anti-competitive behavior in Pakistan economy although recently they were striked back by Pakistani banks who were charged with a penalty of Rs 77 Crore. Banks requested the court to declare the Competition Commission of Pakistan in its present form is an institution without any lawful authority.
- Breaking: More than Dozen Pakistani Banks to Challenge Competition Commission
- We Won’t Tolerate Anti-Competitive Behaviour: CCP
- Competition Commission Searched Premises of Pakistan Poultry Association
- Competition Commission of Pakistan named for Global Award
- CCP Hammers PKR 2.5 Crore fine on ICAP for Violating Competition Act


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Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Mergers and acquisitions are in vogue, at least in some circles. The value of transactions involving Canadian companies and investors so far this year is on pace to eclipse last year’s total figure, projections extrapolated from Thomson Reuters data show.
Notably, publicly traded companies dominate the list of acquirers. (The numbers include two major deals awaiting approval — Potash Corp.’s all-stock tie-up with Agrium Inc., and Enbridge Inc.’s proposed takeover of U.S.-based Spectra Energy Corp.)
tap here to see other videos from our team.
The list, however, shrinks when transactions involving public companies are excluded. Canadian companies, both public and private, have to date acquired 251 private firms, 16 of which were backed by venture capitalists, CB Insights reports.
And when it comes exclusively to deals among startups and mid-sized private enterprises, the slate is nearly bare.
As these four entrepreneurs can attest to, there’s money on both sides of the border for startups with great potential
Why aspiring to achieve unicorn status could be dangerous for startups
While an acquisition can be a shortcut to growth in the fast-paced world of startups, the preferred and reliable path to growth still appears to be building from within. One plausible explanation, found in a recent Deloitte report, argues that just a tiny fraction of Canadian companies are intrepid risk-takers.
But Barry Gekiere, who helps seed-stage companies get to market in his role as manager of the MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund, disagrees. He contends the primary reason for the sporadic M&A activity among startups is a capital shortage.
“They’re trying to use their capital to grow their business rapidly,” Gekiere said. “They don’t have sufficient capital to make those acquisitions.”
There are a few exceptions in recent years. A few of the country’s leading startups have opened their chequebooks to bring another organization into the fold — Kik and Vidyard among them — and they suggested future acquisitions down the line could be a key component of their growth strategy.
“We are constantly looking at what’s coming down the pipe from a new technology perspective: What are people building, why are they building it,” said Vidyard co-founder and chief executive Michael Litt in an interview.
Kitchener, Ont.-based Vidyard got the ball rolling last July after it began to evaluate how to move forward with San Francisco-based Switch Merge, a partner that wanted to use Vidyard’s APIs to build its own products. Litt and his team felt Switch Merge’s personalized videos could be valuable to Vidyard’s marketing platform and a partnership limited how it could use that asset.
Since it became evident to Switch Merge’s founder that Vidyard was in a better position to take advantage of its technology, the timing of the deal also made sense.
People start companies because they have a dream and a vision. In a lot of cases, they sell companies because it hasn’t necessarily come true
Even though that was Vidyard’s first acquisition, the process was smooth because the two teams knew each other well. “No one actually tells you, at the earliest stage, how to acquire a business. (It) can be emotional,” Litt said.
“People start companies because they have a dream and a vision. In a lot of cases, they sell companies because it hasn’t necessarily come true. You deal with that in the process.”
The argument to make an acquisition, Litt contends, is different for a small company like his compared to a larger corporation, which he said is either trying to block competitors or “buying” revenue.
“For a startup like us, it’s not the way we think because anything in meaningful revenue would be too expensive to buy,” he added.
When Waterloo, Ont.-based messaging app Kik made the first of its two acquisitions two years ago, it was all about keeping up with its competitors. Kik coveted Relay’s ability to move GIFs and video on its own chat platform. “If we buy them, we can really accelerate how quickly we can get it to market for our users,” Ted Livingston, Kik founder and CEO, recalls about the decision. “If you’re always relying on hiring great people and then building great stuff, you’ll quickly fall behind.”
Livingston said that it’s shortsighted for startups to rule out acquisitions, and founders shouldn’t be discouraged by a shortage of funds.
Fintech startup Peotic (previously Nerture Financial) did an all-stock swap in a takeover that provided a missing building block in its very early days. In 2013, the Vancouver-based company, which compiles financial data to give retailers a better profile of their customers, wasn’t even a year old and was little more than an idea. Yet, without any money in the bank, the deal happened in early 2014.
“I didn’t want to wait extensively and have the market move from our solution,” said Ray Gill, founder of Peotic.
The acquired company, whose name Gill wouldn’t disclose, provided Peotic with a solid customer base for him to execute his vision, even if its technology was marginal and it was struggling along with the venture capital firm that backed it. Gill didn’t have a single customer despite actively negotiating, so ultimately he offered a one per cent equity stake in Peotic to the acquired company and rebuilt the platform from the ground up.
If you’re always relying on hiring great people and then building great stuff, you’ll quickly fall behind
Since then, Gill has been attempting to take Peotic’s platform around the world. The company is generating revenue and Gill said it would soon be cash flow positive.
Vidyard’s Switch Merge deal also paid off. The company gave itself a year to recover the money used in the transaction, but did it in half that time.
Litt still scrutinizes each opportunity that’s presented to him and assesses what an idea, technology or talent pool is worth. But he said, unlike Silicon Valley, with its bountiful assortment of startups to choose from, here there aren’t many compelling prospects, and shopping across the border comes with complications such as foreign exchange disparity and cultural differences.
“If you’re not immersed in that ecosystem, ‘A,’ you’re probably not going to find the companies and ‘B,’ if you wanted to buy them, it might be more difficult,” Litt said.


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LONDON A consortium of semiconductor companies, RFID industry players, system integrators and wireless data users have formed the DASH7 Alliance that will develop and promote a technology that extends the ISO 18000-7 standard.
The Alliance will provide a framework for application development on top of the core standard, seamless interoperability, and security for DASH7-enabled transactions.
The technology is expected to provide commercial, military and government users with the ability to track the status of objects such as vehicles, shipping containers, pharmaceutical products, hazardous materials, perishable goods and manufacturing and operational equipment.
The wireless data technology is already used in the global defense industry, and a major aim is to extend it to commercial customers.
Initial backers include STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Analog Devices from the components side, as well as 17 other cross-industry equipment providers, system integrators and users such as Lockheed Martin, Dow, Michelin, Savi Technologies and Unisys.
The U.S. Department of Energy and three of its laboratories, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, as well as the University of Pittsburgh plan to serve as technical advisors. The latter plans to serve as the initial test and certification lab for DASH7-enabled products.
The Alliance says the technology will be more cost effective and reliable and operate at lower power levels than ZigBee and similar wireless data technologies.
It adds the members would also foster wireless data innovations based on the standard, including advanced sensor networking, electronic seals and mobile phone integration.
"By assembling this coalition of both end users and technology companies, we can promote greater interoperability and reliability, but also inspire greater innovation around a common standard," commented David Stephens, CEO of Savi Technologies.
According to Michael Liard, Practice Director, RFID, of ABI Research, the Alliance "is both timely and mission critical to growing the active UHF segment of the RFID market."
STMicroelectronics and Analog Devices plan to provide hardware developer toolkits, while TI plans to be a DASH7 participant.
The Alliance says membership is open to end users, technology providers and research organizations.


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Sotiris Makrygiannis, who according to his LinkedIn profile is “Director of Applications, MeeGo” at Nokia, has just tweeted that after 12 years with the company it’s time to call it quits. He sent several additional tweets saying how he remembers the hard work his team put into the N9, that February 11th, 2011, was a “bitter” day, and how, ironically, it was the MeeGo team that made Nokia’s first Windows Phone applications. This is, without a shadow of doubt, confirmation that MeeGo is NOT Nokia’s “contingency plan” should Windows Phone 8 fail to take off. Now Sotiris doesn’t talk about Meltemi, but according to Eldar Murtazin, Editor in Chief of Mobile-Review, that Linux based budget phone operating system has also been canceled. So again, we can’t stress this enough, Nokia has effectively handed over their destiny to an American company, Microsoft. If Nokia fails to turn things around, and that’s looking to be the case with each passing day, then Microsoft will be to blame here.
Jean-Louis Gassée, a former Apple Executive, was recently interviewed by Computing UK. He said that Nokia needs to get rid of their CEO, Stephen Elop, and get rid of the board as well. The company should have gone with Android from the beginning, and that they should have shut their mouth about killing Symbian. He also said what we’ve been saying since Microsoft announced Windows Phone 8. That it was bad enough Elop made prospective smartphone buyers ignore Symbian for two quarters, now they’re going to ignore Windows Phone for another two quarters while they wait for Windows Phone 8 devices.
Can Nokia be turned around? At this point we’ve lost all hope. Their market cap is now below $8 billion. To put that number into some perspective, Nokia paid $8.1 billion on NAVTEQ back in 2007. Will Microsoft buy Nokia? We don’t think so, we think Samsung will try and initiate a hostile takeover.
Expect this year to be a bumpy ride.


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Portfolio Company News
Pittsburgh’s Clarabyte, Hibersense, and Aptiv plan to exhibit at CES, a consumer electronics industry show in Las Vegas.
“CMU alumna Hahna Alexander is making powerful strides toward an ‘uplugged’ future."
Abby Sorensen with Software Executive Magazine gives us takeaways from the November 2017 Demo Day.
“Fifteen companies presented at AlphaLab Demo Day hosted by Innovation Works on Thursday November 2 at Stage AE. Watch the slide show
The latest 7 early stage startups from renowned AlphaLab along with 8 companies previously funded by Innovation Works announced their newest product.
Behaivoir along with 6 other early stage startups recently completed the AlphaLab program and presented at Demo Day. Another eight companies also pitched their newest products.


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Leading shares have moved into positive territory after an opening rise on Wall Street, with the US market's increase fuelled by energy stocks on a firmer oil price and by better than expected February retail sales.
After spending the morning in the red, the FTSE 100 index is now 22.06 points higher at 3715.87, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up more than 90 points. February shop sales fell 0.1% but this was much better than analysts had been expecting, although enthusiasm was tempered by a rise in the weekly US jobless claims. Richard Snook at the Centre for Economic and Business Research said:
"The [0.1%] figure is significantly above expectations with consensus forecasts predicting a 0.5% decline in February. The data takes the year on year growth rate to -8.6% in February, from an upwardly revised -9.0% in January.
"The better than expected February retail figures and upward revision to January's estimate, suggest that the rate of contraction in the United States may have stabilised. It is still too early to talk about green shoots of recovery in the US, but perhaps we can start to see the bottom of the cycle."
Oil shares moved higher on the rise in crude, with BP 1.75p better at 450p and Royal Dutch Shell B shares rising 11p to £15.51.
Aviva continued to drop after Citigroup's gloomy note, off 26.2p at 187.3p. But fellow insurer Standard Life added 6.2p to 167.5p after its better than expected results, while Friends Provident climbed 6.4p to 72.5p.
Lower down the market, Dawson Holdings, the magazine and newspaper distribution group, saw its market value fall by around a third after the Guardian revealed it had lost one of its most valuable contracts. Frontline Group, which handles a third of the magazines published in the UK, said this morning that it would not renew a contract with Dawson's when it runs out in April 2010. Dawson also said it had lost a second distribution contract, with Seymour, which is part owned by Frontline.
Shares in Dawson Holdings fell 16p to 33.5p. Frontline will use two existing suppliers from next year, Menzies Distribution and Smiths News. Smiths rose by 8.7% to 50p while John Menzies, which owns Menzies Distribution, fell 3.75p to 50.25p.


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All Systems Ro’
Roku insiders are abuzz about a potential acquisition by Netflix, Insider reports.
There’s no firm reporting of a deal, or even of negotiations. But two employees say Roku abruptly closed the trading window to sell vested stock. That kind of trading halt is normal before an announcement that could affect the share price. Though jumping to a potential Netflix acquisition is highly speculative.
The rumor mill is also churning because Roku’s stock price has been crushed. Roku shares are down from an all-time high of almost $480 last summer to $189 at the close of trading Wednesday (and that’s with an 8% bump this week).
The anonymous leaks could also be a savvy PR play to revive the stock.
Still, the deal makes sense. Roku, at about a $14 billion market cap, is digestible for $90 billion Netflix.
The Trade Desk is another M&A option that would make Netflix a major advertising player without Netflix even showing ads. (David Wells, the former Netflix CFO, who retired in 2019, has been a TTD board member since 2015, overlapping for most of his tenure.) But at $26 billion, The Trade Desk is a riskier investment.
Automattic WordPresses The Advantage
Automattic, the WordPress parent company, is off most advertising radars. But perhaps not for long.
Automattic’s flagship is WordPress. But WordPress fits in a gray zone for first-party data. AdExchanger owns its site and audience, though WordPress is the CMS.
A contextual targeting deal this week between GumGum and Tumblr – which Automattic acquired from Verizon in 2019 for a measly $3 million – is an example. Tumblr has its own media and signed-in user base, a clear-cut first-party data relationship. But GumGum tells MediaPost the plan is to extend the contextual partnership to WordPress.
Publishers decry brand safety and contextual ad tech vendors that scrape their sites and repurpose the data for themselves. But Automattic isn’t scraping: It has real roots across the entire open web as the largest CMS.
And WooCommerce, Automattic’s ecommerce software plug-in, yesterday announced new functionality for in-person payments using a card reader. That’s another sweet first-party data set.
Last year, Automattic acquired the social media analytics provider Parse.ly, the journaling app Day One and a podcast listener app called Pocket Casts. The company is stealthily assembling a platform with an intimate view into the lives of hundreds of millions of web users.
Buyers Or Suppliers
The SSP Index Exchange announced its first-ever acquisition on Wednesday, taking over the German ad tech startup Rivr Technologies.
Rivr builds brand-specific bidding algos based on an advertiser’s KPIs and particular business priorities. It then uses that intelligence to curate supply sources. The acquisition is intended to “help our demand-side platform [partners] manage all of the supply that we manage for them,” Index CTO Ray Ghanbari tells Adweek.
Billions of programmatic auctions run every day, and DSPs in particular are turning to SPO to whittle down intermediaries and duplicate bids. (By doing some of that work itself, Index may hope to avoid being whittled out by advertisers or DSPs without any say in the matter.)
The Trade Desk initiated a demand-side stampede when it launched OpenPath, a publisher-direct supply channel. TTD also invested in Chalice Custom Algorithms, a competitor of Rivr. TripleLift’s acquisition of 1plusX this year and Magnite buying Carbon in 2022 (as well as nToggle in 2017) are other examples of SSPs realizing they must do more to connect and enhance publisher audiences or risk full-on disintermediation.
But Wait, There’s More!
The Washington Post announces that it will join Prebid.org as a Technology Partner. [blog]
Makers of ad blockers and browser privacy extensions fear the end is near with the new Chrome update. [The Register]
Smart AdServer rebrands as Equativ following recent acquisitions. [release]
An overview of iOS and iPadOS 16. [MacStories]
IAB Tech Lab expands Open Measurement SDK to connected TV. [release]
Is SKAdNetwork 4.0 a turning point for mobile advertising: Privacy with Purpose? [Mobile Dev Memo]


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So it may not be able to take advantage of all the One UI 4.1 features that have become available on high-end devices. Nonetheless, this is still a major version of the Android operating system and should undergo some significant changes and additions. Android 12 One UI 4.1 Core is the last major firmware update for the Galaxy A02s. The device shipped with Android 10 a few years ago, ending firmware support for major updates. Devices will continue to receive security patches twice a year, or more frequently if critical security issues are required.
Samsung made Android 12 available on its US Galaxy A02s a few months ago, but the phone hasn’t received the update on all US carriers at the same time. The update is finally out. Specifically, Android 12 is now available for his Tracfone’s Galaxy A02s (SM-S124DL). This update comes with firmware version S124DLUDU8CVK4 and includes security patches for November 2022. Also, as expected from the Android 12 update, a new version of One UI i.e. One UI 4.1 Core is also provided. In fact, the Galaxy A02s run on a lightweight core version of the company’s own software.
Galaxy A02 users on the US Tracfone network should be able to download Android 12 when they receive a notification or by opening the Settings app and going to Software Updates and going to the “Download and Install” type. You can also download the official Samsung firmware from the website and install the update manually.


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Why Guildhawk is creating an authentic multilingual virtual human twin for all its employees
Guildhawk CEO and coder Jurga Zilinskiene MBE says that in the future everyone will have a digital twin
Guildhawk CEO and coder, Jurga Zilinskiene, announced that her company now offers to create an authentic multilingual virtual human twin for all its collaborators.
—Jurga Zilinskiene MBE
LONDON, LONDON, UK, February 10, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — To learn more, watch the exclusive 1m video and full report on Guildhawk.com
Jurga Zilinskiene, the remarkable entrepreneur CEO who codes and was honored by Queen Elizabeth of England for her services to international business made a special announcement at Sheffield Hallam University. As a guest speaker at the University, where she is the new Entrepreneur in Residence, she explained how her company now proposes to create an authentic multilingual virtual human twin for all its employees. She also explained how to improve results with multilingual Big Data and the power of guildhawk helpedthe secure AI translation software that his company created in 8 years.
His speech, billed’The secret future of corporate avatars‘ brought together academics, students and business leaders and was followed by a Q&A and reception.
In a quick one-minute video and read, she shares the three big improvements she plans to create when Guildhawk’s multilingual virtual human twins, used to create inspirational videos in many languages, start working their magic in the new Metaverse. You can also now watch the full conversation online on the University’s website.
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Published 16 November 2023
Buckie Got It, St Kitts and Nevis News Source
Basseterre, St. Kitts (16th November 2023) – St. Kitts is thrilled to announce the much-awaited arrival of the inaugural cruise call of the Marella Voyager, as it sets sail into the destination’s picturesque harbor on 16th November 2023. This eagerly anticipated event compliments the Ministry of Tourism and the St. Kitts Tourism Authority’s ongoing efforts to solidify our position as one of the Caribbean’s premier cruise destinations.
Marella Voyager, a masterpiece in naval architecture, boasts remarkable features and amenities that redefine luxury and comfort for its 1,832 passengers. Marella Voyager, operated by TUI UK, a leading travel operator in the United Kingdom, signifies a promising partnership for St. Kitts that is poised to attract a greater influx of tourists to our shores in the years ahead.
Inaugural cruise calls hold immense importance for any destination, as they mark the genesis of a new era of tourism growth and development. These events create lasting memories for visitors, but they also offer an opportunity to showcase the distinct offerings that make St. Kitts an esteemed Caribbean haven to a wider international audience.
On behalf of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, CEO Ellison “Tommy” Thompson proudly stated, “We are honoured to welcome the inaugural cruise call of Marella Voyager to St. Kitts. This remarkable milestone demonstrates the major cruise lines’ confidence in the destination’s flourishing tourism industry. We remain steadfast in our commitment to bolster partnerships with various cruise lines to expand our cruise itineraries and reinforce St. Kitts’ status as a world-class destination.”
The arrival of Marella Voyager has countless benefits that will certainly leave an enduring impact on the economy and the lives of Kittitians. Specifically, this inaugural cruise call is projected to infuse significant benefits into the local economy through the thriving sale of goods and services, thereby providing a substantial economic boost to numerous local businesses and stimulating the overall growth of the destination.
As custodians of memorable experiences for all who visit St. Kitts, the Authority encourages all stakeholders to continue crafting memorable and hospitable experiences for our guests, as it is a defining element in building the destination’s reputation.


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What’s more, the mice models were able to reap the weight-loss benefits in a matter of “weeks”.
And this isn’t the only research that looked at ginger’s fat-burning effects.
A review of 60 studies, published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, also noticed that ginger offers anti-obesity powers.
However, this body of research also included human-based trials, unlike the previous study.
Post source: Daily Express


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January 14, 2020
President Donald Trump is slated to speak at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 101st Annual Convention. This will be his third time addressing farmers and ranchers at this event, and while there are certainly producers who either passionately love him or vehemently hate him, one thing I think “The Donald” could lead with in his keynote address is the export wins agriculture has achieved during his time in office.
According to a recent news release from the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), the beef industry is trending toward reaching new export records in Japan, South Korea and Mexico.
The USMEF reports that January-November highlights for U.S. beef exports include:
In Mexico, the third-largest market for U.S. beef behind Japan and Korea, exports increased 4% from a year ago in value to just over $1 billion despite a 2% decline in volume (214,963 mt). This was largely due to a strong value increase for tripe, one of the top U.S. beef variety meat export items to Mexico. Variety meat exports were up 2% year-over-year in volume (89,667 mt) but jumped an impressive 18% in value to $244.5 million. This included $88 million in tripe exports - up 28%.
Led by strong demand in Indonesia and steady growth in the Philippines, beef exports to the ASEAN region increased 23% from a year ago in volume (55,583 mt) and were 7% higher in value ($270.6 million).
Exports to the Dominican Republic already surpassed the 2018 record, increasing 24% in volume to 7,523 mt valued at $61.4 million (up 19%).
In Central America, strong demand in Guatemala and Panama helped push exports 4% higher than a year ago in volume (14,044 mt) and 9% higher in value ($79.9 million). Export value to Guatemala and Panama jumped 9% and 25%, respectively.
Mexico and Japan have led a very strong year for global exports of U.S. beef variety meat, which were up 4% from a year ago in volume (295,527 mt) and 9% higher in value ($885.9 million).
Exports to Japan, which largely consist of tongues and skirts, were up 20% from a year ago to 58,278 mt, valued at $355.5 million (up 13%).
Egypt, the largest destination for U.S. beef livers, saw a 4% increase in volume (59,203 mt) while export value climbed 17% to $69 million. Led by strong demand in Indonesia, variety meat exports to the ASEAN increased 39% in volume (16,595 mt) and 43% in value ($37.3 million).
Strong growth in the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago pushed variety meat exports to the Caribbean 17% higher in volume (6,814 mt) while value surged 61% to $14.2 million.
While producers here in the U.S. seem to be increasingly concerned about imported beef entering the United States marketplace, I think we fail to acknowledge that demand for our beef is steadily increasing with the growing middle class around the world!
It’s very clear to me that while our domestic consumer may be getting more finicky about eating beef, in other parts of the globe, the sweet taste of our grain-fed beef grown here in the United States is very welcome indeed!
There are robust opportunities ahead for us, and thankfully, some of these ongoing trade wars and market uncertainties should settle down in 2020.
According to the USMEF, “November beef exports totaled 108,662 mt, down 4% from a year ago, valued at $658.1 million (down 7%). For January through November, beef exports trailed 2018's record pace by 3% in both volume (1.21 million mt) and value ($7.4 billion). However, 2019 is already the second-highest year for beef export value, trailing only the 2018 record of $8.33 billion.
“Beef export value per head of fed slaughter was $307.55 in November, down 15% from a year ago. Through November, per-head export value averaged $308.74, down 4%. November exports accounted for 13.7% of total beef production and 11% for muscle cuts only, down from 14.1% and 11.8%, respectively, a year ago. For January through November, exports accounted for 14.1% of total beef production and 11.4% for muscle cuts, down from 14.5% and 12%, respectively, a year ago.”
To see all of the numbers from 2019, visit USMEF by clicking here.
While we may be trailing behind the record-shattering year of 2018, I think these numbers are still a positive, one that is certainly worth mentioning by President Trump in his address to the Farm Bureau members.
The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of beefmagazine.com or Farm Progress.
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Intel 10th Gen Desktop CPUs Launched Including 10 Core, 5.3GHz Core i9-10900K
30 April 2020 18:34 IST
The latest and greatest desktop CPUs run faster, but don't introduce major new capabilities.
Intel has launched its 10th Gen desktop CPU lineup based on the 14nm 'Comet Lake' architecture. The lineup consists of no fewer than 32 models, ranging from a new flagship Core i9 for gamers and enthusiasts, to the mainstream Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3 families, and even some entry-level Pentium, and Celeron options. The refresh comes as a slight update to the 9th Gen 'Coffee Lake' series. Intel continues to refresh and refine its 14nm manufacturing process, but does not introduce a brand new architecture. The company is promoting improved clock speeds, which it says are important for lightly threaded workloads such as gaming, as well as more cores and threads across much of the lineup.
The highlight of the launch is the new top-end Core i9-10900K model which features 10 cores with Hyper-Threading. It has a base speed of 3.7Ghz and a maximum boost speed of 4.8GHz across all cores or 5.3GHz for one core. The highest speeds are achieved using Intel's Turbo Boost Max 3.0, previously seen only in Core X-series models, and Thermal Velocity Boost, which depend on thermal and power variables. The TDP is rated at 125W and this model is fully overclockable. Intel's recommended price is $488 (approximately Rs. 36,630 before taxes). A non-unlocked model, the 65W Core i9-10900, has base and boost speeds of 2.8GHz and 5.2GHz respectively.
The company is billing the Core i9-10900K as the world's fastest gaming processor. Compared to the Core i9-9900K, Intel touts up to 33 percent better framerates in specific games, and 18 percent faster video encoding, with those figures rising to up to 81 percent and 35 percent respectively compared to a three-year-old Core i7-7700K.
Intel has also launched the new Core i7-10700K with eight cores and 16 threads, and these do benefit from Turbo Boost Max 3.0 but not Thermal Velocity Boost. The Core i5 family gets six cores and 12 threads without Turbo Boost Max 3.0. There are unlocked 125W as well as mainstream 65W versions of each. All Core i3 models feature four cores with Hyper-Threading, and all have 65W TDPs.
Below these models, Intel has also launched the new dual-core, four-thread Pentium Gold G6600, G6500 and G6400, and the dual-core Celeron G5920 and G5900 without Hyper-Threading. A series of 35W TDP variants across the hierarchy have also been introduced, for use in low-profile or temperature-sensitive situations.
Up to dual-channel DDR4-2933 RAM is supported for the Core i9 and Core i7 models, while everything below them maxes out at DDR4-2666. Intel has also carried forward its existing UHD Graphics 630 and 610 integrated GPUs with no new features highlighted. CPU models in the lineup with the F suffix, such as the Core i9-10900KF, do not have integrated graphics capabilities.
Unlocked models benefit from new overclocking controls including per-core Hyper-Threading and more detailed voltage/frequency curve adjustment. Intel also touts its soldered thermal interface material which makes cooling more effective.
All the CPUs use the new LGA1200 socket interface, breaking compatibility with existing motherboards. Intel has also quietly released the Z490, H470, B460 and H410 platform controllers to motherboard manufacturers, and all-new lineups can be expected to be announced shortly. LGA1200 will however allow coolers designed for previous LGA11xx sockets to be used.
Asus is the first to announce its lineup of seven Z490 motherboards in India, ranging from the Asus Prime Z490M-Plus priced at Rs. 22,500 to the ultra-high-end ROG Maximus XII Extreme which will cost a whopping Rs. 91,485. The flagship model features four M.2 slots, one 20Gbps USB 3.2 Gen2x2 port plus additional 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, Thunderbolt 3, 2.5Gbps Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, and Blueooth 5.1. It also boasts of advanced thermal and power delivery hardware for overclocking.
Intel recently launched a 10th Gen 'Comet Lake' series for high-end and gaming laptops, while mainstream slim laptops labeled as 10th Gen might feature either 14nm 'Comet Lake' or the newer 10nm 'Ice Lake' architecture, depending on what the manufacturer chose to use. Leaked roadmaps appear to suggest that Intel will continue shipping 14nm parts for the desktop, all derived from the 6th Gen 'Skylake' platform, until at least 2021 but its struggles with 10nm manufacturing will then be over for good as it transitions to 7nm and beyond.


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For the Delgado family, what began as an elementary school assignment challenging students to create something with materials found at home has now developed into an entrepreneurial project: making and selling face shields for bike helmets.
In June, 10-year-old Sam Delgado first pitched the idea of creating face shields for bike helmets to his third grade class at Lincoln-Eliot Elementary School, where he was assigned the task of presenting an innovative idea for a class project.
“First, he had the idea because he would complain about wearing the mask while they were going biking, so it was hard to get him wearing [one] all the time,” said Sam’s mom, Tirsa Delgado.
Sam and his dad, Carlos Delgado, frequently ride their bikes around trails near their Newton neighborhood and the Charles River.
“I asked my dad, ‘So motorcycle helmets have visors, why don’t bike helmets have face shields?’” Sam said.
The school assignment, which asked students to create and present a prototype for their idea, required Sam to get creative with resources and materials in his house.
“We don’t have any machines,” Tirsa Delgado said, deeming the process “pretty simple.”
Encouraging his son to launch a business out of the school project, Carlos Delgado applied for a provisional patent for the product in July and bought the domain bikefaceshield.com. The patent was approved in August under Sam Delgado’s name.
The idea to sell the face shields began when Sam asked to buy a new toy.
“I wanted to give him a life lesson: ‘If you want a new toy, why not just make the money for that toy?’” his father said.
The original face shield prototype involved three main materials: a headband made from spare craft foam, special strips of Velcro, and a shield molded from toy containers. Sam’s parents said they were impressed and worked together to materialize his creative vision from scratch.
After testing out the face shields on a bike path, the father-son duo said it worked “very well.”
“It’s not only against the virus, but also bugs, so you don’t eat mosquitos when you’re biking,” Carlos Delgado said. “The shield also protects your eyes and your face, and helps you avoid touching your face.”
Tirsa Delgado said in an interview Sept. 23 that 12 of their shields had been sold at $15 each.
Each handmade kit contains a detachable face shield, two extra strips of Velcro, and an instruction manual outlining how to apply the Velcro and attach the shield to a bike helmet, according to their website.
Before the patent was approved, the Delgado family experimented with the homegrown business endeavor by selling the face shields to local friends and neighbors.
Chris Golden, who manages facilities at the Sacred Heart Parish in Newton Centre, said he “recognized the benefit immediately” when the Delgado family introduced the idea of helmet shields to him.
Golden said wearing a face shield versus a mask while biking is “a big plus,” especially when it comes to biking uphill.
“With the face shield, it doesn’t inhibit you in any way,” Golden said. “It’s very convenient.”
Before filing for a patent, Sam Delgado said his dad checked Amazon for other face shield options for cyclists but “didn’t find anything economical.”
Though the business currently operates locally, Carlos Delgado said he hopes one day the patent can be sold to a bigger, more efficient company. “One of the challenges of this pandemic,” he said, is “the channels of distribution.”
They are currently providing free, no-contact delivery services to customers in Newton, Brookline, Waltham, Belmont, Needham, and Wellesley, according to the website.
“It’s a family project, so we have to distribute locally,” Carlos Delgado said.
Profits aside, the family said they gained valuable knowledge about creating a business from their entrepreneurial adventure. Carlos Delgado said they wanted to teach their son about making money, and the project turned out to be a fun alternative to something like a lemonade stand.
“It was this adventure to show Samuel the path from the conception to the profit, as well as all the steps,” he said.
Jessica Huang can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Beirut, June 15, 2014 - Bank Audi has recently launched an initiative consisting in a series of workshops for university students entitled “Payment Technologies: Past and Future” and presented by Mrs. Randa Bdeir, Group Head of e-Payment Solutions and Card Services at Bank Audi sal, with the aim of exposing the youth to newly implemented technologies worldwide and to the future of payment trends.
During these workshops, students are guided through the evolution of payment methods, from the barter era to modern credit cards and mobile banking, and are briefed on their spread across the world, particularly in the Middle East. They are also introduced to the specificities of payment cards, namely their different types and categories, as well as international security features.
Moreover, they are given the opportunity to explore the wide variety of Bank Audi payment cards and understand how they are sorted according to market segmentation by taking a deep look into the product development process and grasping “the four Ps” principle: Product, Price, Place and Promotion.
The latest technologies and payment solutions are also discussed through an in-depth review of their evolution from the magnetic strip to contactless payment, Tap2Pay NFC mobile payment, MPOS acceptance devices, and of course emall, e-commerce and m-commerce.
Following the presentation, students are treated to a tour inside the e-gallery where they can discover the latest payment solutions and banking technologies that were discussed during the workshop. The e-gallery is the first showroom of its kind and is located in Bank Audi’s headquarters in Bab Idriss. It is set up like a museum, showcasing the latest devices, technologies and payment solutions to be implemented in Lebanon by Bank Audi. It is composed of a mixture of informative display boxes, interactive applications and tablets, a prepaid cards vending machine and other state-of-the-art equipment.
Bank Audi invests considerable efforts to play a significant educational role in the society, which consolidates Mrs. Bdeir’s quote on the occasion: “We launched these workshops for university students from all over Lebanon because Bank Audi has taken on the responsibility to educate the coming generation. This initiative started with the inauguration of the e-gallery whose objective is to allow the youth to properly understand how the payment system works, what the future payment trends and solutions are, and how they adapt to people’s needs and lifestyles”.
Since its inauguration in June 2013, the e-gallery has welcomed over 5000 guests who were all impressed with the set up and the showcased technologies they thought would not be available in Lebanon before another decade.