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Tesco customer hits out at Finsbury Park store for selling food past its use by date
- Credit: Archant
A Tesco store has been creating a health risk by selling food that is past its use-by date, a customer has claimed.
Products including raw and cooked meats were repeatedly sold to Andrea O’Halloran the day after their expiry date by Tesco Metro in Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park, in breach of European Union regulations.
She first noticed that she had been sold food that was past its use-by date more than a year ago. She complained to the store – but continued to notice items on the shelves that should not have been there.
Then, in October, she accidentally bought some chicken that was dated for the previous day and after complaining was assured by the store manager it would not happen again.
Since then, she has managed to repeatedly buy and return items despite making persistent complaints to Tesco head office.
Mrs O’Halloran, 40, of Evershot Road, said: “Almost every time I go in there I find several items that are out of date and either buy them or hand them in.
“My husband has Crohn’s disease, so if he accidentally eats something that is out of date, he could end up being ill for a couple of weeks and would have to be off work.
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“What I worry about is elderly people who might not notice that the food is past its use-by date and then risk eating it and getting sick.”
Many of the items found and bought by Mrs O’Halloran were not reduced in price and she claims they were not flagged up as past their use-by date at the counter.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) website states: “A product with a ‘use by’ date cannot be sold after that date and should not be used after midnight of that day.
“It is an offence to sell food after the ‘use by’ date.
“Retailers can however sell products after the ‘best before’ date provided the product still complies with the General Food Law Regulation.”
Last year, the FSA ran a week-long campaign warning of the health risks of eating food that is past its sell-by date.
A Tesco spokesman said: “We set ourselves very high standards for the safety and quality of our food and take all complaints seriously.
“We are currently looking into the issues Mrs O’Halloran has raised.”


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Food findings: A team from LSU and the University of York this week published a report about the discovery of a previously unexplained step in the process of how green algae convert sunlight to energy—which can help unlock ways to boost yield in food crops. The research is part of a larger project focused on increasing food supplies supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, federal grants and the U.K. government. Read the full announcement.
New Orleans tourism: The New Orleans City Council is set to grant final approval to major restrictions on short-term vacation rentals such as those arranged online by Airbnb. The measures, up for a vote today, will ban short-term rentals of whole homes in residential areas. The regulations will still allow homeowners to rent out part of their houses but not their entire property. Read the full story.
Reverse: Barnes & Noble’s new chief executive wants to run America’s largest bookstore chain more like a collection of 627 independent stores, The Wall Street Journal reports. James Daunt, who also leads Britain’s largest bookstore chain, Waterstones, on Wednesday became Barnes & Noble’s fifth permanent chief executive in six years after hedge fund Elliott Management Corp. closed its deal to buy the company. The New York-based chain long worked to give its locations a similar look, feel and inventory, but readers shunned the stores in recent years, so Daunt plans to upend those efforts. Read the full story.

domain: news


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SAN FRANCISCO — A competition offering $10,500 in prizes for rocket engines designed for 3-D-printing was announced March 8 at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas. All entries are due June 1 and a winner is scheduled to be announced July 1.
Through the 3D Rocket Engine Design Challenge, the nonprofit DIYROCKETs has joined forces with venture capital-backed startup Sunglass to hold a competition that promises $5,000 to the team that produces the best engine through an open source collaboration, $2,500 for the top design offered by a student team and $2,500 for the most collaborative project. In addition, the 3-D-printing company Shapeways has pledged a total of $500 in 3-D-printing services for the top two designs.
DIYROCKET of Mountain View, Calif., and Sunglass of San Francisco and New Delhi established the competition to spur innovation in 3-D-printing and to promote dramatic reductions in the cost of space technology, said Darlene Damm, co-founder and co-president of DIYROCKETS. When DIYROCKETS founders noticed rocket engine components built on 3-D-printers appearing on YouTube in 2012, they conceived of the competition as a way to encourage innovation. The 3D Rocket Engine Design Challenge is likely to be the first of several competitions designed to promote collaborative, open source efforts to produce innovative space technology, Damm said.
Sunglass, a company formed in 2011, is sponsoring the competition and offering participants free use of Web-based tools that enable large teams of designers, architects and engineers working in various remote locations to share ideas, track multiple changes in designs and offer each other feedback in a centralized, cloud-based environment, said Sunglass Chief Executive Kaustuv DeBiswas.
DeBiswas and Nitin Rao, who met while studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, founded Sunglass to “open the doors to large-scale collaborations,” DeBiswas said. Investors provided Sunglass with $1.7 million in seed funding in 2012.
Although the entire roster of judges for the 3D Rocket Engine Design Challenge has not yet been announced, the panel will include representatives from NASA and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as entrepreneur Dean Kamen, who invented technology used in the Segway electric personal transporter, and Angelo Vermeulen, an artist, author and scientist.
NASA, Now in 3-D
The competition is the latest evidence of the growing interest in using 3-D-printing, also known as additive manufacturing, to produce space technology, said John Vickers, manager of NASA’s National Center for Advanced Manufacturing at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The idea of digitally transmitting the blueprint for a design to a device that can manufacture it out of plastic, metal or other materials offers the promise of making spaceflight hardware lighter, less expensive and more durable, Vickers said.
Engineers at NASA’s Marshall, for example, are using high-power lasers to melt fine metal powder to form intricate components of the heavy-lift Space Launch System’s liquid hydrogen fueled core stage RS-25 engines and upper-stage J-2X engines. The process, which is similar to 3-D-printing and known as selective laser melting, is designed to reduce manufacturing costs while building hardware that is more durable, lighter weight and less expensive than systems comprised of multiple components welded together.
Eventually, additive printing could enable engineers to reduce the number of components included in an injector for a liquid-fueled rocket engine from 300 parts to one, Vickers said. “Just imagine how going from 300 parts to one would decrease the processing and inspection required,” he added.
Additive printing may offer even more dramatic contributions to deep-space exploration missions, Vickers said. As NASA sends spacecraft farther from Earth, routine resupply flights are likely to become impossible. With additive printing, spaceflight crews may be able to produce their own supplies and repair parts, Vickers said.


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NHB shortlisted for Specialist Consumer Publisher of the YearWednesday, February 22, 2023
Nick Hern Books is delighted to be shortlisted for Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year at the 2023 Independent Publishing Awards.
NHB was shortlisted for the award - one of the most prestigious in publishing - in recognition of the way in which it bounced back from the challenges of Covid and theatre closures during lockdowns in 2022. The company achieved its best ever sales by refining its direct to consumer marketing and establishing new channels, including through partnerships with exam boards.
Judges said: "Nick Hern works in a sector of publishing that has had a more torrid time of it than most. But it's rolled up its sleeves and got the results that its hard work deserves."
Also shortlisted for Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year are Bloomsbury Publishing and David & Charles, with the winners announced at a ceremony in London on Wednesday 22 March 2023.


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Indonesia – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) administered the product of the main cluster of vehicles from Indonesia to the Australian market.
In view of this, President Jokowi commented that the principal product of vehicles from PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia to Australia filled in as proof that Indonesia had quickly taken advantage of the chance to investigate new commodity markets.
As seen from the authority YouTube Channel of the Presidential Secretariat, Jokowi lauded the endeavors put into it. The president additionally commended Toyota for having the option to push send out creation to up to 2,000,000 units.
The product from that organization additionally denoted the developments by the business area in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic not just presents tests and difficulties for everybody, particularly for the business area and especially for industry however the pandemic likewise (permitted) us to jump all over the chances that exist.
The head of state considered that vehicle products to Australia showed that homegrown (HR) had imperative capabilities to create vehicles. Care, exactness, and carefulness are significant viewpoints in the creation of vehicles to satisfy the security perspectives fundamental for driving.
The shoppers will pick their items in the event that they have great quality and capabilities to utilize. This demonstrates that Indonesian HR have great capabilities in delivering vehicles. Exceptionally intensive, extremely exact, and exceptionally cautious, as this concerns individuals’ security.
With the product to Australia, Indonesia had added another mainland to its rundown of vehicle trades that as of now includes four landmasses: America, Africa, Asia, and Australia, with an aggregate of 80 nations.
Morever, homegrown substance level is in excess of 75%. The neighborhood buys as well as a huge number, many extra parts, and furthermore the frill in the vehicle were provided by our Small and Medium Enterprises ventures as he expressed.


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Belmar's governing body on Monday adopted an amendment to its alcohol ordinance that allows liquor stores to be open on Sunday mornings.
The mayor and council held a special meeting to adopt the measure, which received a 5-0 affirmative vote, so licensed alcohol distributors could sell packaged goods beginning at 10 a.m. on Sundays -- just in time for the on March 4.
When the governing body earlier this month allowing restaurants to serve drinks on Sunday mornings, they inadvertantly failed to include liquor stores.
Mayor Matthew Doherty has said that when the governing body amended the ordinance on Feb. 1 to allow the sale of alcohol beginning at 10 a.m. on Sundays, they , but due to the language of the amendment, the new ordinance only covered consumption, which meant liquor stores still couldn't open shop before noon as the ordinance says.
Since the governing body wanted licensed distributors to be able to take advantage of the , the mayor and council scheduled the special meeting to adopt the amendment, introduced Feb. 15, to its second and final reading, Doherty has said.
"(The original amendment) was supposed to change the hours of operations for the consumption and distribution of alcohol in all of Belmar. We only did it for the consumption and not for the distribution, so we inadvertantly left out the stores that sell retail. So this (new amendment) will simply fix that error on our part," Doherty has said.


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A newly released study claiming that the danger of secondhand smoke is greatly overstated has provoked protests from antismoking advocates.
According to the study, which will appear in the prestigious British Journal of Medicine, exposure to secondhand smoke had no significant effect on death rates from lung cancer or heart disease. The rates were similar for those with spouses who smoked and those with nonsmoking spouses, the study found.
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Facebook Gaming is the new app dedicated to streaming video games. Available for PC and Android, it will also be coming soon to iOS
Facebook launches a challenge to Amazon's Twitch and Google's YouTube in the area of online video game streaming. The Menlo Prk company has made available for Android users the new Facebook Gaming app dedicated exclusively to video game streaming. The app is the mobile version of the "Games" service that has been available on the Menlo Park social network since last year and is accessible from the navigation bar of the desktop app.
Facebook Gaming is currently available only for Android smartphones and tablets, but an Apple version for iPhone and iPad is expected to be available soon. Facebook has decided to make its way into the videogame community, an important decision for the social network that is always ready to try to grab new market shares. And the world of videogames and eSports is growing fast, especially in these days of lockdown: the traffic on Twitch has exploded, thanks to the arrival of VIPs and sportsmen in the flesh, such as Charles Leclerc, who became a "professional streamer".
What is the Facebook Gaming app
The release of Facebook Gaming was scheduled for June, but the health emergency due to the spread of the Coronavirus and the subsequent quarantine have accelerated the plans of Mark Zuckerberg's company, actually anticipating the launch of the new app, an application that has been tested in Asia and Latin America. Facebook said that out of 2.5 billion users, 700 million are those who use content related to the world of video games. Facebook Gaming will allow users to play games online using their phones, view posts from developers, keep up to date with gaming news, see famous streamers play live and other cool features.
As Facebook app manager Fidji Simo told the New York Times, "We're seeing a huge growth in gaming usage during the quarantine. Investing in games in general has become a priority of ours because they are a form of entertainment that really connects people. It's not just a passive form of consumption, but interactive entertainment that brings people together."


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Binance Faces Turmoil Amidst US Regulatory Squeeze; WSJ Reports Senior Executives Exit, Market Share Slips
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, bitFlyer develop Japan's first insurance product for bitcoin exchanges
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, a Japanese insurance holding company headquartered in Tokyo, is developing an insurance product in collaboration with Japanese bitcoin exchange operator bitFlyer, which will cover losses and damages at bitcoin exchanges, Nikkei Asian Review reported.
The product will provide protection to exchanges as well as their customers. It will offer total coverage, ranging from 10 million yen to 1 billion yen, against damages and losses resulting from cyberattacks, unauthorized accesses, as well as mistakes and impropriety by employees.
In addition, the insurance product, the first-of-its-kind in Japan, will pay for the costs of dealing with problems such as informing customers of an incident and handling damages suits from outside Japan. The insurance premium is calculated on the basis of the exchange’s commission revenue.
While bitFlyer is Japan’s top bitcoin exchange with monthly transactions exceeding 100 billion yen, its domestic peers operate on much smaller scales and do not have the resources to deal with large damages which run into millions. Their customers face the risk of not being fully compensated in the event of a loss and the new product may help alleviate such concerns among bitcoin users.
Earlier in April, bitFlyer raised 3 billion yen in a Series C funding round led by Venture Labo Investment and SBI Investment, which followed its funding round last August in which it raised 510 million yen drawing support from Dentsu Digital Holdings, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital Co and Venture Labo.
In May 2016, the Diet in Japan approved a bill to regulate operators of virtual currency exchanges in the country, in order to help ensure better protection of users. The Cabinet had earlier approved the bill on virtual currencies that treat them as “asset-like values that can be used in making payments and be transferred digitally”.


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TRENDING NOW: Grandpa smashes through garage door
Howard Alexander - News Editor
June 06, 2015 - 5:01 AM
Kind of a weird one. Walter Thomas, 91, says he always wanted to back out of his garage — before opening the door.
He mentioned the dream to his family and they made it happen.
Thomas says he used to drive in the demolition derby and he thinks that's where the notion came from. Or, maybe some of those seniors driving through store windows are actually just trying to cross something off their bucket list. What do you think?
News from © InfoTel News Ltd, 2015


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"Thirty percent of our sales are a direct result of trading internationally. Free trade agreements have been vital for our company’s bottom line - especially during this difficult economic period."
Kent, WA (PRWEB) March 24, 2010
Sterlitech Corporation, one of the world’s leading producers of inorganic membranes and bench scale testing equipment, recently announced their acceptance of the prestigious Faces of Trade® Award presented by the US Chamber of Commerce.
“Sterlitech Corporation is a prime example of an American business successfully navigating the international marketplace,” said Liz Reilly, Director of http://www.traderoots.org/profile.jsf?profileId=6323 [TradeRoots for the US Chamber of Commerce. “Our award honors small and medium-sized [American-owned and operated] companies that are actively engaged in the global marketplace and creating jobs and opportunity.”
With ninety-six percent of the world’s consumers living outside of the United States, trade agreements and increased exports are critical in the success of American businesses. The Faces of Trade® Award recognizes the efforts of companies like Sterlitech which demonstrate how exercising an effective trade policy can lead to the success of small businesses while simultaneously having a measurable impact on their communities through domestic job opportunities and local economic growth.
“We have been doing business globally for over eight years,” said Mark Spatz, Founder and President of Sterlitech, a company whose products are used worldwide in research projects that require absolute precision in measurement and results. “Thirty percent of our sales are a direct result of trading internationally. Free trade agreements have been vital for our company’s bottom line - especially during this difficult economic period.”
About Sterlitech Corporation:
Sterlitech Corporation provides superior laboratory products, specializing in flat sheet filter membranes and bench scale testing equipment for a variety of industries, including the occupational health and safety, petrochemical, fossil fuels and biotech industries. For precision and accuracy, Sterlitech’s membrane disc filters, filter holders, silt density index test kits, and syringe and capsule filters consistently relied upon to assure exceptional results.
For more information about Sterlitech, visit: http://www.sterlitech.com.
About Mark Spatz:
Mark Spatz brings a wealth of experience in both the business world and in environmental economics to the role of Founder and President of Sterlitech Corporation. With a keen eye towards building superior performing products that fill niche market needs as well as extensive experience in the membrane industry, Mark has rapidly built Sterlitech into a leading manufacturer of inorganic membrane products.
Prior to launching Sterlitech, Mark worked as a Business Analyst for Aptimus (formerly known as FreeShop.com) as an Account Manager and Director of Research for McKnight & Company, Inc. and as an Economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.


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SK Siltron buys DuPont’s SiC wafer businessSK Siltron, a semiconductor material producer under the SK Group, said Monday it has completed the acquisition of DuPont de Nemours’ wafer business.
In September last year, SK Siltron signed an agreement to purchase DuPont’s silicon carbide (SiC) wafer unit for $450 million to beef up its presence in the advanced material sector.
SiC wafers are key components in making power electronics semiconductors. They are strong and have high thermal and radiation resistance.
Demand for SiC wafers has been growing with increasing sales of electric vehicles (EV) and the expansion of 5G networks, according to the company.
SK Siltron said it will continue to invest in the acquired unit so that the company can increase wafer production and create more jobs in the United States. The primary site for the business is in Auburn, Michigan.
SK Siltron is one of the world’s major wafer producers, accounting for 17 percent of the 300 millimeter silicon wafer market.


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Recent research at Cornell University found that people dining at “healthy” restaurants actually consume more calories than those that aren’t.
Feeling a little stuffed after yesterday’s meal?
Still cleaning up the dishes?
Don’t feel like cooking today?
Be careful if you decide to dine out.
Recent research by Cornell University has found that people ingest more calories when dining at so-called ‘healthy’ restaurants. According to a Fox News report:
“Researchers say healthy restaurants often prompt consumers to treat themselves to higher-calorie side dishes, drinks or desserts than they would normally eat at fast-food and other restaurants that do not claim to be healthy.
We found that when people go to restaurants claiming to be healthy, such as Subway, they choose additional side items containing up to 131 percent more calories than when they go for a Mcdonalds hamburger, counter intuitively more calories are consumed” said Brian Wansink, Cornell’s John S. Dyson professor of marketing and applied economics and director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, in a news release.”
Caveat emptor – let the buyer beware, of himself or herself.


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Apple will make it harder for police and government agencies to unlock iPhones and iPads in the next version of its iOS mobile operating system.
Computer forensics company Elcomsoft analysed the new features in Apple's upcoming iOS 11.4, which introduces a USB Restricted Mode feature.
This disables data connections over the iPhone and iPad Lightning port (which provides USB functionality), if the device has not been unlocked successfully within seven days.
Elcomsoft tested the new feature and found that after a week of no unlocking, "the Lightning port is only good for charging".
With USB Restricted Mode enabled, the iDevice can no longer be paired to computers or accessories, without entering the correct passcode or Touch ID / Face ID biometric.
The new iOS security feature "is aimed squarely at law enforcement." Elcomsoft wrote.
It is believed Apple introduced USB Restricted Mode as a countermeasure against iPhone unlocking via the Lightning port such as GreyShift's GreyKey - which is used by United States police forces - and in-house services from Cellebrite.
Although the exact workings of GreyKey and Cellebrite's techniques are yet to be revealed, it is thought that they use a file extracted from computers known as the lockdown record.
With the lockdown record file, it is possible to extract iTunes format data backups from the devices that have not been powered down or rebooted.
The lockdown record also allows retrieval of pictures and videos, lists of installed apps, and general device information, Elcomsoft said.
Apple has tightened the use of lockdown records in recent iOS 11 releases, including expiring them in seven days.
Police and government agencies wanting to extract data from an iPhone would now have to ensure that the device is kept powered on to obtain a non-expired lockdown record, and attempt to unlock the device within seven days.
"[Now] if the phone is delivered [to the unlocking service] in a powered-off state, and the passcode is not known, the chance of extraction is slim at best," Elcomsoft said.


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28 November 2018
The diversified chemicals group has paid an interim dividend in anticipation of a profitable full-year.
The packaging group says it won’t resume dividends until the sustainability of cash transfers from Angola and Zimbabwe is assured and it’s sold its Glass business.
The restaurant and luxury goods group also plans to outsource most of its supply chain as part of a restructuring of its operations.
After a two-day protest by the Economic Freedom Fighters outside of the Zondo Commission while he was testifying, Pravin Gordhan fights back against Julius Malema and...
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ANC cadre Evita Bezuidenhout tries to expose fake news and highlight alternative facts with a weekly episode of EVITA'S FREE SPEECH.
27 November 2018
The JSE has fined Pepkor R5 million, with R1 million suspended for two years, for breaching the exchange’s listing requirements.
The ICT services business has granted new CEO Stephen van Coller a million share options that will start to vest in two years’ time.
The property fund has trimmed its distribution after investing in its portfolio and paying higher finance costs and property rates.
The Eastern and Central European shopping centre owner says it’s benefiting from higher growth rates than in the rest of Europe.
Mpumalanga's filthy air is likely to be the subject of court action, as environmental groups have grown tired of government giving Eskom's coal-fired power stations free...
26 November 2018
The private hospitals group’s Polish operations have turned around, while it sold its Indian business in September.
Reporting interim results, the cement producer said CEO Johan Claassen planned to take early retirement.
The retailer’s biggest shareholder is offering minorities a 50% premium to buy their stock and go private.
23 November 2018
The retailer says independent research confirms that consumers’ perception of its quality and fashion has improved relative to its competitors.
Despite the listeriosis outbreak contributing to a slide in earnings, the group has maintained its dividend due to the strength of its balance sheet.
Steinhoff says its US subsidiary has strengthened its balance sheet, optimised its store footprint and emerged a stronger company.
Buying Mercantile would remove the need to reinvent and create new systems and processes from scratch, fast-tracking its broader bank strategy.
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Weekly summary of M&A activity by South African companies
Weekly summary of all M&A activity from across Africa (excluding South Africa)
Having survived a challenge from hardline anti-Europeans in her own party, Theresa May comes to Brussels on Wednesday to fine tune the terms of the Brexit...
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With decreasing tariffs and shareholder returns in the latter rounds of the REIPPPP, project finance equity facilities are structured to deliver lower electricity tariffs and better...
22 November 2018
The price of Brent crude oil topped $86 per barrel early last month but has since fallen back.
Following the acquisition of UFO, Lewis has launched call centre and online business INspire, which targets middle- to high-income customers in urban areas.
The financial services and wealth management group says the payout is in line with the direction given to shareholders at the time of its restructuring.
The property fund says hotels have also become more competitive in their pricing due to the weak state of the economy.
Turmoil engulfed cryptocurrency markets again on Tuesday, with every major coin extending a rout that's rocked confidence in the nascent asset class just as U.S. regulators...
Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan says that the fight against corruption is being hamstrung by the politics of disruption. This week, those politics came to...
Nothing would please market fundamentalists more than the media market being left entirely to the private sector. Be careful what you wish for, the saying goes....


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iGaming content provider CT Interactive has increased its footprint in Latin America by concluding a deal with the operator Slots Del Sol. An exclusive list of 60 games from the supplier's portfolio and the Hot Luck Jackpot is now live on the operator’s website in Paraguay.
Martin Ivanov, Director of Business Development at LatAm, said: "We are extremely proud that we are expanding our presence in Latin America with Slots Del Sol. We are providing local customers with our best-selling games and a 3-level interactive jackpot. We plan to continue delivering quality content to our partners."
Camilo Saravia at Slots Del Sol added: "Since the day of the launch, the Paraguayan clients have shown great interest in CT Interactive’s games. We are sure that the partnership will endure and we will extend it in the future."
Earlier this week the operator announced it has signed a new partnership deal with gaming operator Kajot Games, thus expanding its reach in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. According to a press release, once the integration process is completed, the first market that the company will enter is Slovakia, and later it will expand to the Czech Republic.


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More than half of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models were available in stores as of December 12, according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster.
If Morgan Stanley's prediction of 69 million iPhone shipments is accurate, the figure would far surpass the 51 million iPhones that Apple actually moved during the final quarter of 2013.
A redesign of the display for the next Apple smartphone has slowed production ahead of its expected unveiling on September 9, Reuters reports.
Today's deals include a seriously cool universal remote and some awesome gaming options.
Apple owns a big chunk of LCD production at a Sharp facility. Now Sharp would like it back, thank you.
Opportunity is a-knockin' for cube-dwelling "Game of Thrones" fans. Learn to shoot a mini-crossbow in a way that would make Ygritte proud.
Toshiba is slated to be a major chip supplier for the Project Ara smartphone, according to a Japan-based report.
Artist James Haggerty makes Darth Vader, Greedo, and C3P0 like you've never seen them.
Apple manufacturing partner GT Advanced Technologies has begun shipping sapphire from its Arizona plant to suppliers in China, according to a research note from UBS Securities.
Facebook-sponsored study claims the company added $227 billion to the global economy last year.


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South Korea August exports rebound on extra working days after 19 months of falls
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Cars made by GM Korea are seen in a yard of GM Korea's Bupyeong plant before they are transported to a port for export, in Incheon, west of Seoul August 9, 2013. REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won
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By Christine Kim and Cynthia Kim
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's exports rebounded in August after falling for 19 straight months, government data showed on Thursday, but analysts stopped short of calling it a firm recovery as the gain was due mainly to two extra working days.
Exports in August rose 2.6 percent on-year to $40.13 billion while imports edged up 0.1 percent to $34.82 billion to result in a trade surplus of $5.30 billion.
This was the first positive growth for exports since December 2015 and for imports since September 2014 and beat poll forecasts for a 0.6 percent rise for exports and a 3.3 percent fall for imports.
In July, exports and imports dropped 10.3 percent and 13.6 percent, respectively.
A majority of South Korea's 13 key export products showed positive growth, including computers, semiconductors and petrochemicals.
"When you exclude the effect of the two working days, trade probably moved at a similar pace as it did in July," said Stephen Lee, senior economist at Samsung Securities in Seoul.
August this year had 24 working days, versus 22 days last year.
"We still have to see whether this gain will be maintained through year-end. Prospects for IT products are positive while global oil prices will have a much smaller effect on trade," Lee added.
The Nikkei/Markit South Korea purchasing managers' index (PMI) showed South Korea's manufacturing activity contracted at its fastest pace in a year in August as production and export orders declined sharply.
A sub-index showed that new export orders declined the most this year amid stubbornly weak global demand, falling to 48.6 in August from 51.4 in July. A reduction in the volume of trade with China, Germany and Iraq contributed to the decline, according to the survey. (A number below 50 shows a contraction.)
The trade ministry said exports to China fell 5.3 percent on-year in August, the slowest decline since Sept. 2015. Further breakdowns will be released later in the day.
Meanwhile, South Korea's annual inflation eased to its lowest for more than a year in August following a temporary cut in electricity tariffs. The finance ministry said inflation was expected to return to previous levels after October.
The consumer price index rose 0.4 percent in August from a year earlier, Statistics Korea said, down from 0.7 percent in July. This was the smallest gain seen since April last year.
The result was well below a median 0.8 percent rise tipped in a Reuters survey.
"If you look at inflation alone, the central bank might look like it has room to cut interest rates, but you have to take other countries' policies into consideration as well as the continued surge in household debt," said Kim Yu-kyum, economist, LIG Investment & Securities.
"Right now export data is more important."
Inflation fell 0.1 percent from July.
South Korea last month took 420 billion Korean won ($377 million) off residential electricity bills for the July to September period due to unusually hot weather.
As a result, annual inflation for electricity, gas and water dropped 12.6 percent in August, compared to a 3.9 percent fall in July.
Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and fuel prices eased to 1.1 percent in August, down from 1.6 percent in July, all compared to a year earlier.
($1 = 1,114.5900 won)
(Reporting by Christine Kim and Cynthia Kim; Additional reporting by Dahee Kim; Editing by Eric Meijer)
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Cincinnati State in line for state funds to create more co-op jobs
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is slated to get $123,000 from the state of Ohio to create new co-op opportunities in Middletown and strengthen its existing, experiential learning programs.
The money is part of a statewide initiative to promote co-op and internship opportunities at colleges and universities across Ohio, according to a news release from Cincinnati State. The state is investing $11 million from casino license fees in the project, with matching funds coming from employers, including the Procter & Gamble Co.
“This is a win for students across Ohio, and especially for ours in the Middletown area,” Cincinnati State President O’dell Owens said in the release. “We believe in 'earn as you learn,' and over the past four decades we have seen time and again the value of on-the-job experience for our students.”
Cincinnati State plans to use the money to create 51 new or expanded co-op jobs in six industries: advanced manufacturing, aerospace/aviation, bio-health, consumer products, financial services and information technology, according to the release.
The money also will help the college recruit and support new co-op partners near the Middletown campus, enhance the college’s web site and databases and work with business partners in the region to make sure the college’s curriculum gives students the skills that employers need, the release said.
Lucy May covers nonprofits, urban affairs and arts and culture
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Motorcycle USA opened an online “Motorcycle Superstore,” offering
secure online shopping for motorcycle apparel, riding gear, accessories and
The store includes categorized product departments and
direct product links. Items not available in the store will be individually
quoted via an online form, the company said. The store carries such items as
helmets and boots, protective suits, gear bags, luggage, gloves and goggles.
The site also offers news about motorcycles, as well as race results and
access to a fantasy motorcycle racing league and The Motorcycle USA (weekly)


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De-Ice, one of the UK’s longest-established and leading winter gritting and snow clearance specialists, has launched a new website in preparation for what the company hopes will be busy winter ahead.
In the midst of De-ice’s busy summer and autumn winter selling seasons, the company has re-launched its website.
Vicky Lopez, co-founder and director at De-ice, commented: “This is the time of year that companies, property and FM managers begin to search for their winter gritting partner – in preparation for the season ahead.
“We wanted to ensure that the site was fully optimised and updated to tie in with this busy selling period.
“And we haven’t just been updating our website. Whatever the winter has in store for the UK this year, we are ready. We continue to work closely with all our customers (both existing and new), salt, machinery and equipment suppliers to make sure that – together – we enter the season well prepared to meet the possible challenges. This year will be no exception.”


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Our four nominations at the SABRE Awards EMEA
Louie St Claire
19 Apr 2017
What a way to kick-start the week after Easter! Four of our campaigns have been nominated for a SABRE EMEA award this year across a diverse range of categories. The nominations include our New Pace of Change campaign with Fujitsu in the Research and Planning category, and our Black Fiveday Boom campaign with Salmon, which is up for the B2B prize. We’ve also got a Cause-Related Marketing nomination for our consumer work on Azimo’s #BetterThanThat campaign, which aimed to dispel negative myths about migrants. Check out the video below if you haven’t already – pretty powerful stuff, and a brilliant example of the positive impact brands can have when they communicate in the right way: This fantastic news follows on from our two SABRE nominations last year and being named 2016 Technology PR Agency of the Year. The winners will be announced during Holmes Report’s annual awards dinner at the Roundhouse in London on 23rd May. Good luck to all those who’ve been nominated – we’ll see you there!


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How Audi showed off the renovated S1 during the Geneva Motor Show, many believed that, at the same event, the automaker could also show the post-facelift A1. That's not what happened, but our spies have managed images compact tests.
Subaru took the Geneva Motor Show to introduce the concept Viziv 2. If you think you've heard something like that, do not be surprised: the new conceptual utility comes a year after the Japanese brand show Viziv concept, also during the Swiss event.
The production version of the Cactus C4 was revealed by Citroen on Wednesday (5). According to the brand, it is a "real alternative to traditional hatchbacks", focusing on design, comfort and cost savings for the owner.


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Many of us have heard that from January 2017, Whatsapp® would not be supported on all blackberry devices, including the BB10 devices like Z10, Q10, Blackberry Passport and Blackberry Leap, and some little Java mobiles.This was their report in the support section of the new version of whatsapp on bb:
“WhatsApp support for mobile devicesAs announced in our blog, we will soon be ending support for certain devices. On June 30, 2017, we will no longer support the following platforms:BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10Nokia S40Nokia Symbian S60The following platforms will no longer be supported at the beginning of 2017:Android 2.1 and Android 2.2Windows Phone 7iPhone 3GS/iOS 6These platforms don’t offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app’s features in the future. If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer Android running OS 2.3+, a Windows Phone 8+, or an iPhone running iOS 7+ before the end of 2016 to continue using WhatsApp“Many blackberry users have gone ahead to sell theirs and so many are planning to sell theirs as soon as possibleI guess this is a bit of a consolation as this shutdown has been extended to June 30, 2017… 😁..It should go without saying, this will certainly make some folks happy. The new update for the BlackBerry 10 version is available through BlackBerry World right now but keep in mind, it’s a re-setting of the time-bomb built into the app, which will now no longer go off at the end of 2016.
A new update from the blackberry world would make yours last till ending of June next year.Download whatsapp from blackberry appworld


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B.T.E. BOTLabs Trusted Entity GmbH (B.T.E.), a subsidiary of blockchain company BOTLabs GmbH is pleased to announce that it has launched a decentralized identity service dubbed SocialKYC, to restore control to users.
Being a subsidiary of BOTLabs GmbH, the initial developer of the KILT protocol, B.T.E has built the project on the KILT protocol to enable users to regain control over their digital data.
KILT is a decentralized blockchain identity protocol for issuing self-sovereign, anonymous and verifiable credentials. Therefore, integrating with the KILT wallet will empower SocialKYC in allowing users to manage, store and present their personal credentials, enabling them to select which elements of their private information are accessed by online services.
The project ensures security as it issues credentials to users confirming the ownership of their email address or social media accounts after the user proves that they control the account.
KYC on the other hand is a short abbreviation for “Know Your Customer”. It is a standard practice mandated for users who want to open an account with a bank or exchange to prove that they possess government-issued credentials like a passport.
Ingo Rübe, the founder of KILT Protocol and CEO of BOTLabs Gmbh commented on the new project and how it works saying;
“Unlike sign-in processes on the internet to date, SocialKYC forgets about the user and the credential as soon as the credential is issued. This avoids your personal data being shared, sold or otherwise ‘monetized’ by third parties without your knowledge or benefit.”
“From brick and mortar to metaverse, there are SocialKYC use case opportunities wherever social trust is needed.”
According to the announcement, users would first create their KILT identity on Sporran, a browser extension for Firefox and Chrome that was created by B.T.E. so as to open and create a Social KYC account. This will serve as a gateway to the KILT blockchain. Sporran serves as a wallet for KILT Coins and KILT credentials, enabling users to manage several identities, create on-chain DIDs (Decentralized Identifiers) for them, and subsequently add Verifiable Credentials to the DIDs.
The team also noted that the credentials for social platforms apart from email and Twitter, such as Discord, GitHub, Twitch, and others will soon be available on SocialKYC.


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With climate change afoot, this could soon be a necessity
In the city that birthed Starbucks, there’s a new contender for the cup-o-joe throne. Meet Atomo, a Seattle-based startup that’s looking to brew the best cup of coffee … without actual coffee.
You see, Atomo has developed “molecular coffee,” the term they’re giving to a drink that uses naturally derived ingredients to replicate the look, mouthfeel, taste and, most importantly, caffeine of coffee without using the actual coffee bean.
Prepared for a future
Why would anyone want fake coffee when they can have the real thing? That’s just the point. Atomo’s mission statement isn’t to dethrone Starbucks (though they claimed victory at a small blind taste test at the University of Washington), it’s to prepare for a future where climate change decimates natural coffee production.
As Fast Company notes, “Farmers already report struggling with changes in temperature and longer droughts … A report from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture estimates that around half of the land now used for growing coffee won’t be able to grow it within around 30 years.”
If that comes to pass, Atomo hopes to step in and keep your daily caffeine intake in place — though they will look to change certain aspects of it. Since they’re tinkering with coffee composition on a molecular level, they’re also working to take out the bitterness so there’s no need to add milk or sweeteners. (Speaking on behalf of the black-coffee delegation, I sincerely hope they don’t plan to do that in toto.)
Caveat emptor: Atomo has yet to get their not-coffee coffee to market. To do that, they launched a Kickstarter, which at the time of writing is almost 200% funded. It ends March 9th, but with shipments not expected until December 2019, hop to it if you’re looking to get in on the, ahem, ground floor.


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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (CN) - The federal government on Friday told a federal judge it doubted that Apple is really concerned about the privacy of millions of iPhone users, and that the tech giant's resistance to unlocking terrorist Syed Farook's iPhone is driven by "marketing concerns."
In a motion filed Friday in Federal Court, the government asked a judge to force Apple to comply with what it describes as a lawful and binding order, and provide the master key to unlock the iPhone 5c recovered from Farook's black SUV after last year's terrorist attack in San Bernardino.
On Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym ordered Apple to provide "reasonable technical assistance" to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) technicians trying to get into the password-protected device. Ten failed attempts at cracking the code would auto-erase all the data.
Apple CEO Tim Cook responded by calling the FBI's request "chilling" and said the order would require the creation of a backdoor operating system for the iPhone. Cook said that such software would be "too dangerous to create" and said that Apple will fight the order in court.
"Specifically, the FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation. In the wrong hands, this software - which does not exist today - would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession," Cook wrote in a Feb. 16 message to Apple customers.
But in Friday's motion to compel, the government brushes off Apple's concerns.
The court's order "does not mean the end of privacy," the government says, and Apple would maintain full control over any master key it created to unlock the phone. FBI technicians would access the phone remotely in order to crack the passcode.
"This eliminates any danger that the software required by the order would go into the 'wrong hands' and lead to criminals' and bad actors' 'potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession,'" the motion states, citing Cook's letter frequently throughout.
Pym's order from Tuesday applies only to Farook's iPhone, the government added.
"The order does not, as Apple's public statement alleges, require Apple to create or provide a 'back door' to every iPhone; it does not provide 'hackers and criminals' access to iPhones; it does not require Apple to 'hack [its] own users' or to 'decrypt' its own phones; it does not give the government 'the power to reach into anyone's device' without a warrant or court authorization; and it does not compromise the security of personal information," according to the motion.
Perhaps more irksome for Apple is the government's claim that Cook's refusal to unlock the phone arises from marketing concerns.
"Apple has attempted to design and market its products to allow technology, rather than the law, to control access to data which has been found by this court to be warranted for an important investigation. Despite its efforts, Apple nonetheless retains the technical ability to comply with the order, and so should be required," the court filing states.
As to that technical ability, the government attempted to diminish the public's concerns about creating a new backdoor operating system by calling the software required to open Farook's phone no more of a "hack" than "any update" Apple sends to its customers.
"Indeed, it is less so because the software requested would not reside permanently on the subject device, and Apple can retain control over it entirely," the Feb. 19 motion states. "The order does nothing regarding the encryption aspect of the operating software, but instead implicates only the non-encryption additional features that Apple has programmed."
Phone records show that Farook communicated with the other shooter, Tashfeen Malik, with the device on Dec. 2, the day of the shooting. However, the available backup of iCloud data was from Oct. 19, 2015, the government says.
It says that Apple should abide by Pym's "valid order" under the All Writs Act of 1789. Cook said prosecutors were citing the centuries-old law in order to avoid Congressional authority.
But the government dismissed the argument, noting that until last year Apple did not dispute any search warrants to take off data from older devices.
The government says the court's order does not place an undue burden on Apple and that "Congressional inaction does not deprive courts of their authority under the All Writs Act" and no federal law "addresses data extraction from a passcode-locked cell phone."
The federal government filed the motion through Los Angeles U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker.
Apple could not immediately be reached for comment by phone.
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It was only a matter of time before Warren Buffett finally made the huge acquisition he had been talking about for a while now. On Thursday, it was announced that Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA) and Jorge Paolo Lemann’s investment firm 3G Capital had teamed up to purchase the long-standing and globally ubiquitous ketchup-maker H. J. Heinz Company (HNZ), in a deal worth about $28 billion after Heinz’s $5 billion of debt is factored in.
Heinz closed Wednesday at $60.48 per share, so the proposed purchase price represents a near 20 percent premium. Heinz, whose numerous brands include but are not limited to HP Sauce, Ore-Ida, as well as licensed products from Weight Watchers (WTW) and T.G.I. Friday’s, was already trading near all-time highs before Thursday’s news sent it up even further.
According to CNN Money, the primary beneficiaries of the acquisition may be two mutual funds managed by BlackRock (BLK), which owns about 5 percent, and the Vanguard Group, which owns about 4.5 percent. Heinz CEO William Johnson also stands to make a $100 million profit on the deal as the largest inside holder.
3G, who bought Burger King Holdings in 2010 for $4 billion, restructured the fast food chain and re-listed it in 2012 as Burger King Worldwide (BKW), has a great deal of expertise in the consumer goods industry and is expected to put up the difference after Berkshire’s $12 or $13 billion contribution and $8 billion in preferred stock takeaway. The Heinz acquisition is the largest Berkshire Hathaway deal since the $26 billion acquisition of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. in 2009.
The deal is the largest acquisition to date in the food industry, and is ranked third behind behind the $61.6 billion spin-off of Kraft Foods (KFT) from Altria Group (MO) in 2007 and the $60.4 billion buyout of Anheuser-Busch by InBev (BUD) in 2008.
Berkshire had about $47 billion to make the kind of big acquisition for which Buffet had been “itching”, but this deal hardly put a ding in that sum, so it is likely that Buffett will be on the look-out for another purchase, though for the time being there is no distinct indication of what that might be or when it will happen. In the meantime, Berkshire Hathaway’s stock climbed about 1.01 percent, to close the day at $149,200.


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The Future of Frisco Station
Emily DeMoss – Associate
Frisco Station is a 242-acre mixed development announced just four years ago. The sprawling development includes office, luxury hotel, retail, restaurant and apartments. Construction just wrapped at the second office building at Frisco Station, which is 210,000 SF. Tenants in the first phase of office include Fiserv, Brierley+Partners, Equinix, and 17,000 SF of Executive Workspace, among others. While still leasing up the second building, VanTrust, the developer, plans to have a permit for the third office building in January 2020. The developer also has The Hub under construction which will be home to retail and entertainment.
While all of this is exciting for the area, Frisco Station has even bigger things coming. The development includes a landing pad for helicopters and other flying vehicles for Uber Elevate. The program is set to launch in 2023. This will be Uber Air’s first launch and testing site. Uber plans to obtain Federal Aviation Administration approval for flights. If all goes to plan, the company will launch official flights from Frisco Station within the next five years, potentially making Frisco home of the flying taxis.


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One small step for Waymo; one giant leap for driverless mobility
Waymo’s world first, some raunchy research and a boost for Germany’s (artificial) intelligence: read our weekly analysis of the most important news in automated driving!
Dare I say it: we might be about to dip our toes in the driverless age - officially. Waymo is set to launch the first commercial driverless car service in the world – and it’ll be this side of Christmas. But as we’ve come to expect from Waymo, there hasn’t exactly been fireworks surrounding the announcement.
Speaking at the Wall Street Journal’s Live Tech conference in Laguna Beach, California on Tuesday, Waymo CEO John Krafcik mentioned how the firm wanted to expand the existing Early Rider program in Phoenix “step by step, little by little.” This followed whispers from a few weeks ago that it had already “moved into very early days of commercialization”. But it wasn’t until “a person familiar with the plans” spilled the beans to Bloomberg that we learned exactly what this means. Apparently, the commercial service will launch under a new brand name in December and will operate a fleet of driverless Chrysler Pacifica minivans (with backup drivers in some) which will compete directly with Uber and Lyft.
Now I’m not one to over-hype, but this is significant. Rightly, Waymo downplays it. One can speculate as to why: to manage consumer and media expectations? To not over-promise? To be on the record should something go wrong? It talks in terms of steps along a journey. And yes, this may be a small incremental step in its cautious roll-out and far from a stand-alone profitable business, but all of a sudden it makes driverless mobility all the more real. It’s no longer a question of “when will driverless ride hailing arrive?” and more a question of “when will it reach me?”
The answer – according to Krafcik – is decades. The man treads so carefully that he covered all of this talk of expansion with a heavy blanket of realism – even verging on driverless doubt as to whether the vehicles will ever be able to deal with all weather conditions. Thankfully, not quite as much doubt as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak who last week told CNBC that he doesn’t believe in driverless cars at all.
Well I do. And no matter how many decades it might take to expand to a large scale or how many barriers still need cleared, we might just have christened Phoenix as the birthplace of driverless mobility.
Doing the driverless deed
When their day comes, fully autonomous (Level 5) vehicles are bound to have a huge impact on many facets of our life; not least, working culture, which we recently explored in detail. But a research paper published in the Annals of Tourism Research journal in January was only recently unearthed by Fast Company – and it talks about something our cultural conservatism hasn’t allowed many to explore yet: “the night-time visitor economy” as the paper puts it. To you and me – the sex trade.
The authors – Scott Cohen from the University of Surrey and Debbie Hopkins from the University of Oxford – predict that “…’hotels-by-the-hour’ will be replaced by autonomous vehicles. “It’s not impossible or that far-fetched to imagine the red-light district on the move,” says Cohen, which he believes will have implications on urban tourism.
Granted, it’s only one finding in a wider look at how autonomous vehicles may impact cities in terms of tourism, but it’s an interesting one. Is it too far-fetched to think that automakers will consider this use case in their designs (sex sells after all)? Perhaps, but this study certainly shows that when you think about it, it’s difficult to imagine any industry escaping the impact of autonomous driving.
Germany’s AI boost is small change in China
Machine learning, deep-learning, neural networks – however you refer to it, artificial intelligence (AI) lies at the heart (or should I say brain) of automated driving. Succeed in this field and you’re a winner, so competition is already high amongst the big tech companies. But there’s also an inter-country battle for expertise going on – and Germany may be getting a boost.
According to a draft paper seen by Reuters last week, the German government has set aside 3 billion euros (3.4 billion USD) to spend before 2025 “for research and development of artificial intelligence” with the view to closing the gap between it and America and Asia.
A welcomed boost if you’re fighting for the European corner but it’s hard not to think how it pales in comparison to China’s ambition to foster a 1 trillion USD AI industry by 2030. It’s a huge gap to close. The city of Tianjin alone plans a 5 billion USD investment in the tech. But still, every little helps I suppose.
So long, drive safely (until cars are driverless),


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Apple’s latest iPhone 5S has been selling well since it launched in September, and now according to a recent report, the new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C grabbed a 76 percent share of Japan’s smartphone market for October.
The news comes from Kantar World Panel, who has said that Apple has a 61 percent share of all smartphone sales with mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo in Japan and a 76% share of the total smartphone market in Japan.
@KWP_ComTech 26 Nov
KWP ComTech Japan: #Apple takes 76% share of Japan Smartphone sales during October, including 61% on #NTT DoCoMo
NTT DoCoMo previously lost 3.2 million customers to other carriers like Softbank in Japan over the last few years, Softbank was the original iPhone partner of Apple in Japan.
Unfortunately there are no details on exactly how many iPhones have been sold in Japan, and there is no breakdown between the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C.
Apple has yet to provide any official sales figures for each of its handsets, it groups them together and announces the total iPhones sold, although as the iPhone 5C has been readily available since launch, it is easy to work out that the iPhone 5S is selling more units than the iPhone 5C.
Apple has now released a new iPhone SE to replace the iPhone 5S, have a look at out guide on the iPhone 5S vs iPhone SE.
Source Apple Insider
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The Federal government is set to execute various MSME-focused interventions, targeting 1.3 million beneficiaries across 17 States and Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This effort is part of a bid to complement the federal government’s efforts to improve the economy and create more jobs…..CONTINUE READING....CONTINUE READING
The MSME and Job Creation Unit of the Vice President’s Office, will coordinate the intervention.
Ray of hope for MSMEs
A statement from the Statehouse Abuja noted that the interventions will include shared centers for MSMEs providing four markets with 300KVA solar panels and mini-grids to provide eight hours of electricity a day to six fashion hubs and two furniture clusters.
Other interventions are for car painting/drying hubs and cold rooms for seafood storage, among others.
Leadership reports that Vice President Kashim Shettima has directed for speedy execution of the projects.
Five of the interventions will be completed and delivered by December 2023.
In addition, there will be 12 other interventions that have been scheduled for completion before December 2024.
States to benefit from the intervention include Abia, Rivers, Jigawa, Benue, Borno, Lagos, Ekiti, Niger, Sokoto, Enugu, Gombe, Akwa Ibom, Yobe, Ondo, Osun, Bayelsa, and Imo as well as the FCT.\
Who are the partners?
The MSME partners collaborating with the Office of the Vice President to execute these interventions include the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC).
Others are the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Bank of Industry (BOI), Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), among others.
Meet Seun Sangoleye, young Nigerian woman revolutionalising baby food in Africa
Meanwhile, earlier reported the story of Seun Sangoleye, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Baby Grubz, an infant food company established in 2013.
Her path from computer science graduate to entrepreneur nutritionist began in 2012 when she became a mother for the first and her son refused to take baby foods she bought from the supermarket.
She decided to start Baby Grubz in 2013, which has developed into a million-naira business picking several recognition from reputable organisations such as the African Development Bank Group…..CONTINUE READING


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TRIENNALE – MILANO
Timberland’s Yellow Boot is 50 years old and looks younger than ever.
When you hear ‘tan boot’ you immediately think of Timberland: this is how iconic the Original Timberland® Boot is.
Remaining faithful to their mission, which is ‘to inspire and equip those who have the adventure in their hearts to get involved and change the world together’, the global outdoor and workwear brand has collaborated with six visionary creatives to reimagine its ‘piece de resistance’.
First introduced in 1973, the boots have been reinterpreted by the knitwear developer, technician and footwear designer Suzanne Oude Hengel and that’s how The Timberland® x Future73 Knit 6- Inch were born. This is the first ever knitwear version of the boots, as well as the first collaboration of the series, and will be shown with an equally astonishing AI installation, from the 17th to the 23th of April 2023 at the Salone d’Onore of Triennale Milano.
Powered by Ouchhh, a global creative new media studio based in Istanbul, the installation merges technology, design and fashion to communicate the traditional values, the evolution and new horizons of Timberland.
Defying historical symbols, bringing new twists to the culture and showing the possibility of a new reality is what fashion should do. And we’re totally here for it!
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic boots, Timberland joined forces with Suzanne Oude Hengel and Ouchhh studio for the first chapter of the FUTURE73 VISIONS Series. Discover it at the Salone d’Onore of Triennale Milano, during Salone del Mobile 2023!


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MPs have condemned Whirlpool for 'cynical' failure to help customers with tumble dryers 'known to be dangerous'. In the Parlimentary debate, MPs estimate that 3M homes could be affected.
Whirlpool, the maker of Hotpoint, Creda and Indesit tumble dryers, had previously warned the owners of millions of potentially dangerous machines to unplug the appliances and stop using them until they are repaired.
A statement on Whirlpool's website reads: 'If your tumble dryer is affected by this issue, then you should unplug it and do not use it until the modification has taken place.'
MPs are disappointed that customers were advised of a 6-8 week wait for an engineer visit, as it has been reported that some people have waited as long as 16 months for the repair. The debate was first introduced by Hammersmith's MP Andy Slaughter after a serious fire in a block of flats in Shepherd’s Bush, in 2016.
There has been an independent review into 'product review', which recommends more information for customers with a websites and a specific company that customers can go to. You can read the report here.
In previous statements the company has said customers could keep using appliances as long as they were not left unattended.
How can I find out if I'm affected?
If you bought a Indesit, Hotpoint, Creda, Swan or Proline dryer that was manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015 then you need to check if it's faulty, immediately.
To do this, you need to find the serial code and model number (usually found on the back of the dryer).
If your tumble dryer is one of the affected models, unplug it immediately and leave it unplugged until you get the modification.
Customers who are worried can also call the Tumble Dryer modification programme on 0800 151 0905 for the UK or 1800 804320 for Ireland.
Why has the advice changed?
Whirlpool identified a safety defect in November 2015 after fires were caused by excess fluff, which can catch light when in close contact with the heating element in the machines. One machine, which caught fire in West London last August, caused a damage across five floors of an 18-storey tower block.
Whirlpool sent letters to 3.8 million owners of the affected dryers, which were sold by Hotpoint and Indesit between April 2004 and September 2015, letting them know that a modification was needed, but that appliances were still safe to use as long as you were present. After the incident in London, the fire department and Trading Standards urged Whirlpool to change its advice to customers to make sure dryers awaiting repair weren't used.
Finally, the manufacturer has updated the advice on its website after receiving two enforcement notices from Peterborough trading standards.
'Since the launch of this campaign, safety has been our number one priority,' Whirlpool said in a statement.
'We have consistently responded to the advice of Trading Standards and continue to do so. Trading Standards have now notified us that updated usage advice should be communicated to consumers and we are implementing this.'
London Fire Brigade's Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety Dan Daly said: 'This change of advice could save lives and we are extremely relieved that, after six months of campaigning by the Brigade, Whirlpool has finally brought its advice in line with our own.
'We attend nearly one fire a day involving white goods and strongly believe that if your appliance is subject to a safety or recall notice or you think there is something wrong with it you should unplug it immediately and contact the manufacturer or a qualified repair technician.'
The London Fire Brigade has created a Government petition to urge Whirlpool UK to recall all faulty tumble dryers - you can sign this here.
Reporting by Sara Benwell, Katie Jones and Victoria Crowe
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30 Nov VARLION TRIUMPHS IN BUENOS AIRES WPT
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A lot of people was interested both in our brand and products, what was a pleasantry surprise for us, considering that we didn’t expect such warm reception after 22 years witout being in argentinian markets.
Besides introducing there the new 2017 collection and notifying the lauching of the brand in that country, we could make important contacts for the organitazion of Varlion’s distribution in Argentina, we promoted Varlion courts and, above all, we could verify the strenght and prestige our brand and products have among Argentinian padel consumers.
From here, we want to express thanks to all who visited our stand and give us this great welcome, and encourage them to follow our Argentinian website (varlion.com.ar), specially designed to be closer to local consumers and players.
We also want to congratulate the tournament organization which, without any doubt, has been the best in which we have took part, with record in brands and exhibition companies, located at the best place in Buenos Aires.
Once more… thank you Argentina!
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Motor industry lessons from 2020 and trends for 2021
4th February 2021 | 6 minute read
There's no doubt 2020 was one of the most challenging years the motor industry has ever faced. Our MD, Richard Jones, has taken stock of the lessons we've learned. In this article, he offers insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the motor market, along with some predictions for 2021.
If you prefer, you can watch the full video of the interview.
What did we learn from 2020?
Lesson 1: A more resilient market than expected
In March 2020, nobody could be blamed for expecting a massive crash in the market for RVs as the UK went into its first national lockdown. However, that crash never materialised.
In fact, changes to transport have had a largely positive impact on the industry. A massive shift towards the use of private transport over the course of the year helped boost figures.
“Stats from October last year show just what had happened to transport in the UK… whilst train usage was down to about a quarter of pre-COVID levels, passenger car transport stayed at 95%.”
Dealers in the premium end of the market also saw strong figures – some described customers “revenge buying”, or investing in a new vehicle as a way of fighting back against a difficult and draining year.
Lesson 2: We’re all moving towards a more digital future
As people were stuck inside, we saw a rapid acceleration in customers’ use of digital. Even so, the majority of business we transact is still being completed physically with a dealer. It’s clear customers aren’t quite ready to go fully digital just yet. But don’t let that lower your guard – we’ll be talking about the future necessity of digital later in this article.
Lesson 3: Working together, we can do so much to support customers
Collectively, the motor industry has handled the pandemic very well. The strength of our partnerships has been more than proven. It’s been very positive to see the motor industry coming together to help customers cope. At Black Horse, we helped over 150,000 customers – just under a fifth of our total number – with forbearance. At the same time, we aided dealers with extended stocking. Supporting dealers and customers has been the focus of our efforts throughout the year, and we were pleased to see so many other members of our industry with the same aims.
Lesson 4: FCA regulations can give customer confidence a boost
The final key lesson we learned in 2020 came from the new FCA regulations relating to Commission and Commission Disclosures. We believe the regulations are going to be great for the industry – they’ll develop customer confidence in the market and help people feel more secure in their transactions with us. That can only be a good thing for everyone.
“The spirit of the rules is firstly to give customers transparency on your relationships – and to do that well in advance of when they are actually signing on the dotted line.”
What might 2021 bring?
Prediction 1: Digital is going to continue to grow in importance
As we touched on above, digitisation is more important than ever. In the past, it’s been possible to separate the physical and the digital journey – but that isn’t going to be the case going forward. You need to be able to follow customers at all stages of the journey, whether they’re physically in your dealership or browsing your website. The dealerships and manufacturers who manage to create a seamless experience across all channels will win out.
“The development for me is how you weave digital and physical journeys in an integrated way – to think of it as one journey.”
Prediction 2: Coping with more economic hardship
The new lockdown is obviously causing a lot of disruption, but it’s not exactly the same scenario as the first lockdown. Yes, dealerships and forecourts are closed. But servicing, remote sales, vehicle supply and all vital logistics remain open. And, as we saw during the November lockdown, dealers have done a great job of getting their digital propositions sorted to service customers remotely. From the conversations I’ve had with dealers this year, there’s an appetite to trade through this and keep the car market moving.
Once the lockdown ends, we’re likely to feel the pandemic’s other effects throughout this year. Economic issues are largely being drowned out by the need to focus on containing and combating the disease, but the scale of public debt is going to be impossible to ignore. Sadly, unemployment and economic difficulties are inevitable. Hundreds of thousands of customers will be facing financial difficulty this year, and as an industry we need to be there for them in the same way we were throughout 2020.
Prediction 3: Without more investment from the government, electric vehicle (EV) uptake may be slower than desired
The government’s decision to accelerate EV adoption and bring the ban on the sale of new traditionally fuelled vehicles forward to 2030 was a welcome one. However, we need more incentive in the used market to make sure this goal is achievable. Currently, all the incentives are weighted towards new car buyers. If the used car market doesn’t thrive, it will negatively impact new car sales – and we’ve been very vocal with the government about this.
Additionally, we’d like to see more support from the government on developing EV infrastructure. With a great deal more funding being channelled into HS2 than into EV charging, there’s going to be a real struggle to keep vehicles moving. It’s not enough simply to put chargers in place, either. Serious attention needs to be given to the reliability of the network to ensure public confidence.
Prediction 4: We’re going to see a rise in an ‘agency model'
It’s looking likely that dealerships’ roles are going to move more towards acting as an ‘experience centre’. We’ll see dealerships adding value through in-person interactions and technologies, expert sales consultations, test drives and vehicle handover – not far away from the concept Apple uses in its stores.
Prediction 5: We’ll find our feet post-Brexit
I think two important things came out of the Christmas Eve deal. The first is the no tariff structure. That was essential and we got it. But the second, which is just as vital to the automotive sector, is the changes to the rules of origin. These mean the UK is still a viable place for car manufacturing to sell back into Europe and for European manufacturers to continue selling their product.
The transition rules also open up an amazing opportunity for the UK linked to hybridisation and electrification. We’ve got to become a source manufacturer of battery motors and we’ve only got around five years to get our act together. With the incredible technical prowess the UK has in automotive, I’m really optimistic about this challenge. But it will need investment as well as government and industry working together to make that happen. The sooner the process begins, the better.
What is Black Horse doing to support this vision for the future?
Above all else, we are vehicle finance experts who love what we do. We’ll continue to bring that passion to our business, with continued focus on relationships.
“I am so lucky that I have a business full of super-dedicated, passionate people who know what they are doing and know the market.”
We’re also going to be focusing on digital. We’re creating a multi-channel financing journey, so customers can move seamlessly from digital to the physical retailer and back to digital. Keeping technology at the forefront means we can improve the journey for both dealers and customers, and continue to support dealers as they evolve their own models.
Alongside this, we’ll be constantly reviewing our products. If we find somewhere they could be more flexible, we’ll make changes where we can so we can continue to help customers as their needs evolve through 2021 and beyond.
“My ambition for Black Horse is for us to remain a market leader that puts customer outcomes and our long-term relationships with dealers at the heart of what we do. Whatever changes come about, we’ll stay true to those things.”
We hope Richard’s insights provide food for thought and encouragement as you prepare your dealership for a new year and new challenges. If you’d like to explore more industry analysis from Black Horse, browse more articles.


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Cuba in bid to halt tobacco package plans
plans in this country to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products have been challenged by Cuba.
Ireland wants to follow in the footsteps of Australia by having non-branded cigarette and cigar packets.
But Cuba, famous for its cigars, has complained to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that the move would violate the body’s protection of trademark rights.
While Cuba acknowledges Ireland’s right to protect “the health of its people”, it cannot compromise its WTO commitments, the Caribbean country has argued.
Cuba stated it is difficult to understand the increasing numbers of countries planning to introduce plain packaging while challenges are under way.
Last March, the WTO granted Indonesia the right to take on Australia’s plain packaging laws, it was reported.
Indonesia was disputing legislation requiring all cigarettes sold in Australia to have uniform green packets with white labelling.
It made Indonesia the fifth country after Ukraine, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Cuba to be granted the opportunity to challenge the policy.
They argue the rules breach trade and intellectual property regulations.
Now, Cuba wants Ireland to delay introducing its own laws until the WTO adjudicates.
Health Minister James Reilly said in December he expects the tobacco industry to take him to court over his plan to introduce plain packaging.
He said he believes tobacco companies would argue that their intellectual property rights are infringed by graphic photographs on cigarette packets.
He said the strength of the opposition is a sign it will be effective.
“I’ll be astonished if there isn’t a legal challenge,” he said.
But he said it would be an “extraordinary society” that put the intellectual property rights of an industry over the health of its citizens.
If it goes to court, the Government will argue graphic photographs are “an appropriate measure to protect public health”, Mr Reilly said.


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HIGHLINE is one of only a few designated organizations that have been selected by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC”) to support Startup Visa Canada applications, in order to apply for permanent residency.
Recently, one of our HIGHLINE founders, Jose Barrios, went through the Startup Visa process. Jose is the founder and CEO of Cognilab, a research suite for brain science that powers some of the world’s top research labs, including at Harvard, McGill and MIT. Jose, who was born in Mexico, has an immense passion for the brain, psychology and computer science, which has led him to consult for some of the world’s most renowned cognitive researchers, hospitals and universities.
He applied for the Startup Visa when he was part of the GrowLab Ventures accelerator (now HIGHLINE), and yesterday announced he was officially a permanent resident of Canada. We’re very excited for Jose, and look forward to helping other international founders obtain their Startup Visas as well. (You can learn more about Jose’s entrepreneurial journey in this Q&A.)
Other HIGHLINE portfolio company founders that have received the Startup Visa include Ukrainian-born entrepreneurs Stanislav Korsei and Oleksandr Zadorozhnyi, who co-founded Zeetl, a social telephony platform that was acquired by Hootsuite three months later. (Read more about Zeetl’s story here.)


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SANTA FE – Carwash today? Want a receipt? How about a Powerball ticket?
The options at the gas pump have expanded as the New Mexico Lottery tries a “Play at the Pump” program at some Albuquerque stations, allowing motorists who fuel up using debit cards to buy lottery tickets.
While it may be welcome news to lottery fans trying to avoid going into convenience stores, the pilot program has rankled a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
Members of the state House Ways and Means Committee sent a letter this week to the New Mexico Lottery suggesting that it may be operating the program illegally because the Legislature didn’t change the law to allow it.
“I was shocked,” Ways and Means Chairman Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, told the Journal on Wednesday. “I did not understand how they could move forward with that when the Legislature for two years in a row said ‘No.'”
The pilot program to sell Powerball and Mega Millions tickets at the pump began last week at 13 retailers that have about 100 fuel pumps, according to the lottery.
Current law says lottery tickets may be bought only with cash or a check.
A 2015 Senate bill initially would have allowed debit card lottery purchases, as well as purchases of $20 or less with a credit card. It was changed to remove the credit card provision, passed the Senate, then died in the House.
The issue was resurrected last year during debate on another Senate-passed lottery bill. Ways and Means members worried its vague wording could open the door to expansion, such as video gambling and sales at gas pumps, and killed the bill, Harper said.
“I think there was sort of widespread opposition to the idea of expanding access to these lottery games,” for which working-class New Mexicans tend to be the customers, said Rep. Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, a committee member.
All 13 committee members signed the letter, suggesting that the lottery either illegally implemented the new technology or misled the Legislature in 2015 by supporting legislation to authorize debit cards.
Wendy Ahlm, the New Mexico Lottery’s director of advertising and marketing, said Wednesday that the lottery’s legal counsel was working on a response to the committee’s letter.
The lottery’s position, she said, is that it didn’t need a change in the law to allow debit card purchases.
“I can tell you that a debit card transaction is a form of an electronic check. You’re not buying on credit; you’re buying with money you have in your account,” Ahlm said.
The sponsor of the Senate bills, Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, said he shares the lottery’s view.
“It’s sort of like a check, as far as I’m concerned. … I don’t have any problem with it,” he told the Journal.
The House committee raised a concern in its letter that 16-year-olds using debit cards to buy gas could illegally buy lottery tickets. State law says lottery players must be 18 or older.
Ahlm said that when debit cards are swiped to buy lottery tickets, the software verifies whether cardholders are 18 and rejects the sales if they’re not. Even if minors were using their parents’ cards, they wouldn’t be able to claim the winnings, she said. Winnings of $600 or less are automatically deposited into card owners’ accounts and winnings of more than that require card owners to collect in person, she said.
The lottery is governed by a seven-member board of directors appointed by the governor. The board hires the chief executive officer, who runs its day-to-day operations.
CEO David Barden said in announcing the new program last week, “The world is changing and lottery players have told us they want more convenient ways to buy our jackpot games.”
“The bottom line is maximizing revenues for the lottery scholarship fund by increasing retailer sales so we can provide more dollars for scholarships,” Barden said.
Gas station customers interviewed by the Journal on Wednesday agreed it would make buying lottery tickets easier.
“It’s pretty cool and convenient. I had no idea one could do so,” said Rio Rancho resident Pamela Lujan. She was fueling up at Latitudes in Rio Rancho, where big stickers next to the pumps advertised the new program.
“I love the convenience of not having to go inside the store to purchase the tickets,” said Zeke Castillo of Albuquerque, who was buying gas at a Murphy Express station in Southeast Albuquerque. He hadn’t bought tickets at the pump yet, but said he would.
Albuquerque resident Jessica Bachicha, buying gas at a Murphy Express in Southwest Albuquerque, wasn’t so sure it was a good idea, however.
“It might be convenient to buy them, but how do you keep the minors away from this? What’s next, alcohol?” she asked.
According to the lottery, the program is underway at the Latitudes station and 12 Murphy Express sites.
The seven Republicans and six Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee expressed other concerns with the pilot program, as well.
While four other states that offer lottery at the pump – California, North Carolina, Missouri and Pennsylvania – use a public process to come up with rules for such programs, “the New Mexico Lottery appears to have rolled out this game with no notice or public hearing,” the committee’s letter said. It questioned whether open meetings laws had been violated.
And the committee questioned whether the expansion could adversely affect the gambling compacts with Indian tribes under which they share casino revenue with the state.
“To me, it really boils down to the question of who has the authority to change laws in this state,” Harper told the Journal. “Is it the regulatory industry or your elected citizen Legislature?”
Journal photographer Roberto E. Rosales contributed to this report.


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Dubai: Only 20 per cent of medication in the UAE is produced locally, but within 5-7 years the country could become self-sufficient when it comes to producing basic medicines, according to the CEO of a local pharmaceutical plant.
“We’re a long way from becoming self-sufficient in the higher tech medicines,” said Madhukar Tanna, CEO of Pharmax Pharmaceuticals in Dubai Science Park, one of just five pharmaceutical plants here in the UAE along with the likes of Julphar, Global Pharma, Lifepharma and Neopharma.
“It will take 5-7 years to become self-sufficient in basic meds and maybe in the next 10 years we can become self-sufficient in higher tech meds too, but for now the idea is to produce the basic meds locally so it’s cheaper, so that budget can be spent on bringing in the higher tech products.
“It’s not impossible,” he added of developing higher tech meds, “But it would require more investment. Investment in our plant is Dh125 million but to produce the more complex medicines, investment would need to be three times more than that, so not it’s impossible, but these are the constraints.
“Pharmax started with an idea to produce high quality and affordable medicine in the UAE,” he added.
“As you know access to medicine is a major concern around the world. As medicine prices go up the access decreases, so we decided to put up a state of the art facility.
“In 2015 the idea was materialised, we got the funding and the construction started. It was completed in 2018 where we then decided to obtain EU approval of this facility to show to UAE authorities that we are the first EU approved facility. We managed to secure that approval before a single tablet was produced. We produce locally medicine for chronic conditions, this was not available prior, things like diabetes, a lot of people suffer from it here, so we have a product range for diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol,” said Tanna.
Pharmax is located in Dubai Science Park in Barsha South, a business community that serves the local science sector and supports entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs as well as multinational enterprises, and offers the region its first private laboratories.
“Our vision from the beginning was to provide a complete value chain. Where does the product start and where does it end? We looked at research and development aspects and manufacturing, logistics, sales and marketing until it reaches the patient. This entire Dubai Science park was built to accommodate each step of the journey,” said Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Managing Director of Dubai Science Park.
Benefiting the UAE consumer
There are numerous benefits to the launch of this locally based facility that produces medication specifically for the UAE based consumer.
Tanna believes that UAE consumers would have a sense of reassurance knowing the products are overseen by the UAE officials, “Firstly, the Ministry of Health and Prevention are maintaining the quality of the product locally. Secondly, self-sufficiency is imperative. Depending on another country’s supply in medication could be difficult if that country might be experiencing issues and cannot export the medication.”
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention control the prices of all medication produced locally ensuring that medication remains affordable and attainable to all, which is another major benefit of local production in the pharmaceutical industry. Tanna estimates that locally produced medicines are 40-60 per cent cheaper than those shipped in from abroad. Local production also brings in US$600 million into the UAE economy every year, he says.
Mental illnesses are also a priority
A conversation that has begun around the UAE openly is mental illness and awareness of the importance of removing the stigma associated to ensure that people are comfortable enough to seek the help they need. Pharmax understands this need in the UAE and places high important in the production of mental illness medication. CEO of Pharmax, Tanna says, “Mental illness is one of our most important subjects. I come from a mental illness background in the industry. We produce anti-depressants, anti-migraine drugs, anti-psychotic products and medication to help anxiety and sleep. The stigma is already reducing regarding mental illness. People are now more vocal and they’re freely speaking about mental illness and taking medications. Even insurance companies are giving access to mental illness medication. That’s why you find we are focusing on those medications. Response has been great now, because psychiatrists have tried our product and they believe that the quality is as good as any other important medicines. Now they’ve started prescribing our medication to a wide number of patients suffering from anxiety, depression or migraines, all of which are important areas in the medical industry.”
Gulf News took a tour of their facility in Dubai Science Park this week and witnessed first hand the journey of each tablet from the laboratory to coating and packaging.
Year long process of all medicine
- All active and inactive pharmaceutical ingredients are tested for required quality. Active Pharmaceutical ingredient must have European or US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved as far UAE regulations are concerned.
- Depending upon the validated process, material goes through either wet granulation or dry granulation followed by drying and blending.
- Blended material moves from granulation state either for capsulation or tablet compression.
- Compressed tablets are coated based on physiological properties to provide adequate absorption either in stomach or intestine.
- Compressed tablets and capsules are sent to packaging.
- Once validation of a batch is completed product goes through human trial in US FDA approved facility and in parallel kept for stability at specific temperature and humidity for the duration of the shelf life and periodically tested.
- If the human trial report approves the product, an entire document is sent to Ministry of Health and Prevention for approval.
- Once MOHAP approves the documents, it goes through a pricing committee.
- After getting pricing approval, various local authorities like Dubai Health Authority, Department of Health and insurance companies list the products in their formulary.
- Finally, physicians and pharmacist can dispense the product.


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New Elden Ring in development, but not the one we expected
| Last updated
Featured Image Credit: Bandai Namco
Elden Ring by FromSoftware is one of the best video games in recent years as players in the millions flocked to explore the deadly but beautiful world of the Lands Between.
Released in February 2022, FromSoftware’s Elden Ring went on to be one of the developer's most popular games from its already impressive back catalogue which includes the likes of Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and more.
Check out the Elden Ring trailer below!
In our review of Elden Ring, we said: “Elden Ring is a constantly surprising adventure that has taken FromSoftware’s tried-and-tested formula to delirious new heights. One of the best video games of the last decade”.
Fans have been patiently awaiting the release of the Elden Ring expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree since its announcement in February 2023. FromSoftware hasn't revealed a release date yet for the expansion, but it seems that Shadow of the Erdtree could be released very soon. However, it seems that fans not only have the expansion to look forward to but also a new Elden Ring game on mobile. Yes, I said mobile.
As reported by Reuters, Chinese tech company Tencent acquired licensing rights to Elden Ring in 2022 and it’s been speculated that a mobile game of some sort is on the way. The Elden Ring mobile game is expected to be free-to-play, so it might be a safe assumption that it will feature microtransactions.
It’s not been confirmed what genre of game Elden Ring on mobile will be, but I doubt it will be a port of its big brother counterpart on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. If I were to take a guess, I wouldn't be surprised if it was some sort of tower defence or turned-based RPG game. Only time will tell.
At this time, the reports have not been confirmed by either FromSoftware, Bandai Namco or Tencent, so this news should be taken with a pinch of salt until proven otherwise. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear of any official update.
Elden Ring is out now on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.