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(Credit: Carlos S)
It seems the Lego set of The Simpsons arriving in 2014 is confirmed, with an official-looking box appearing on Lego forum EuroBricks.
This year, Lego will be branching out into a new partnership — with 20th Century Fox's long-running cartoon The Simpsons, according to a story on posted in August on The Associated Press. And now we have more of an idea of what the set will look like, thanks to EuroBricks forum user Carlos S (who did not expand on how it was acquired).
He has posted what appears to be a very official-looking box for a set called The Simpsons House. The massive 2523-piece set includes (obviously) the home of the Simpsons family, with a hinged construction that allows it to be opened up and played with, and Homer's iconic pink car in the garage. It also includes minifigs of the Simpsons family, as well as neighbourino Ned Flanders.
The minifigs have custom moulded heads instead of the standard Lego heads, as seen in images spotted on eBay in early December.
Pricing and a release date are yet to be confirmed — as is Australian availability in general. So far, the set has only been confirmed for the US and European markets.


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Latest reports suggest Tesla’s Gigafactory in Texas is on a roll, churning out Cybertrucks in larger quantities. Drone enthusiast Joe Tegtmeyer recently treated us to some aerial insights into the facility, spotting multiple Cybertrucks, possibly indicating a test production run. So, is it raining Cybertrucks in Texas? Not quite yet. But it's an indication that Tesla's gears are moving, and the company might be edging closer to an official production kick-off.
Can anyone help me identify what these vehicles are? All NINE are covered up so it's really hard to tell. They are in the outbound transportation lot at Giga Texas if that helps any!@greggertruck@SERobinsonJr@esherifftv@TeslaPodcast pic.twitter.com/HrkHz2SBW2— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) August 13, 2023
And as for who gets to drive the first few off the lot? It might just be the Tesla insiders. Think board members getting the first bite of the apple while the rest of us drool in anticipation.
Recently, a prototype Cybertruck was found taking a roadside nap and became a golden opportunity for the curious. Thanks to Wayne, an enterprising Samaritan from Electrek, we got some ground-level paparazzi shots of the truck's undercarriage.Broken down Cybetruck - courtesy of Electrek
Remember Bastien Theron, the guy who shifted from tinkering with suspensions to electrifying ATVs? After examining the candid shots, Bastien noticed Tesla's anti-roll bar approach, differentiating from Rivian's hydraulic system. The rear lower A-arm is of a welded steel nature and also caught his attention. And while we might get tangled in these intricate details, Bastien summarized it best: "Simplicity might be its strength."
Speaking of suspension, Tesla has hinted at an adaptive air suspension system for the Cybertruck, with the ability to raise and lower it for easier access. Elon Musk, the man who rarely goes over 140 characters, dropped a hint about giving the Cybertruck some off-road love, suggesting it could show off its moves in the challenging Baja 1000 race.
If you've been living under a rock (or maybe in a vault, Cybertruck style), the Baja 1000 is an epic off-road motorsport race on the Baja California Peninsula. Imagine cars, trucks, ATVs, and more, all souped up and tackling the rugged terrains. Now imagine a Cybertruck amidst this madness.
It's an exciting time for the electric vehicle industry, and Tesla's Cybertruck is right at the forefront of this revolution. In all honesty, we still can’t believe this thing is actually about to go on sale, there’s a small part of us that hopes this is just the most elaborate prank ever, and the real Cybertruck will emerge to the whole world’s surprise. Small chance of that. Whether it's the bustling activity at Gigafactory Texas or the sneak peeks under a prototype, every hint and teaser only fuels our collective anticipation. And while we might not have all the answers yet, one thing's for sure: Cybertruck’s official launch is getting close.

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SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China must engage in a new “long march” in the technology sector now that the U.S. has imposed export restrictions on Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, the country’s largest chip manufacturer, Chinese state-backed tabloid the Global Times wrote on Sunday.
The unnamed author of an op-ed in the paper https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1202232.shtml argues that the U.S’ dominance of the global semiconductor industry supply chain is a “fundamental threat” to China.
“It now appears that China will need to control all research and production chains of the semiconductor industry, and rid itself of being dependent on the U.S.,” the author wrote.
On Saturday, Reuters reported that the U.S. had sent letters to companies informing them that they must obtain a license to supply SMIC.
The letter stated that SMIC and its subsidiaries “may pose an unacceptable risk of diversion to a military end use.” SMIC has denied any ties to China’s military.
The restrictions against SMIC, and earlier ones against Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the op-ed author argues, illustrate that the U.S is leading a protracted battle of “high-tech suppression” against China.
Although companies such as Tencent Holdings Ltd and Beijing ByteDance Co Ltd have made some tech breakthroughs, they are based on U.S. chip technology, the op-ed argues.
“The foundation of the entire industry is still in Americans’ hands. For now at least. China must leap from zero to one to provide solid support for the country’s competition with the U.S.,” the author wrote.
The Global Times is a tabloid published by the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party, but does not speak on behalf of the party and government, unlike its parent publication.
(Reporting by Josh Horwitz. Editing by Gerry Doyle)


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Inspirational Technologies’ “In the Weeds with Steve” begins Production as Writer’s Strike ends.
Inspirational Technologies “In the Weeds with Steve” to promote the diverse and disruptive Cannabis Culture.
Inspirational Technologies premieres “In the Weeds with Steve.” The long-awaited series, originally set to begin in September 2020, has finally begun production. Inspirational Technologies Production Company, Background Noise Productions, in the upcoming weeks, is slated to premier the anticipated, “In the Weeds with Steve”. Originally set to start in January 2021, was shelved due to the constraints of those days.
Beginning in November 2023 Inspirational Technologies will promote the long-awaited series, “In the Weeds with Steve “. An Inspirational Technologies production under their own “Background Noise Productions Studios.
Steven M Smith InspirationalTech.org
CEO since 2013.
4 Hemp Club was Inspired by Steven Smith’s vision to
“Have an older generation 4H Club, where an older community of adults could carry on what the younger 4H Club envisioned.
Our 4H Platform Uses HEMP as an Agricultural Focal Point, deserving of research, development and with the
4 Hemp key points being Health Hope and Happiness, thru Hemp“.
This is a demo store for testing purposes — no orders shall be fulfilled. Dismiss


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If you can’t make it down to the Southern Forests for the inaugural Pinot Picnic on the long weekend, fear not.
Lucky for Perth oenophiles, the event will host a virtual wine tasting via Zoom to help quash any FOMO.
The Pinot Pilgrimage event will be live-streamed from Tall Timbers Brewery in Manjimup from 7.30pm on April 23.
It will be hosted by a tasting panel of wine aficionados and winemakers sharing their knowledge about the region’s premium varieties, from sparkling pinot through to pinot rosé and noir.
Virtual guests can pre-order a Pinot Picnic hamper to play along with the tasting in the comfort of their homes, available through the Pinot Picnic website at pinotpicnic.com/picnichampers.
Those who want to make a last-minute dash to attend the event in person will experience a journey through a menu of pinots accompanied by a matching canape dinner experience, and finishing with a DJ Pinot Party.
For more, visit pinotpicnic.com/pinotpilgrimage. To join the Zoom tasting, visit bit.ly/3s0EXhV.


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In anticipation of the impending 3D content that’s sure to hit our smart phones, cameras and web browsers in the coming years, the clever minds at the Boston-based start-up, Lumii, have developed a way to print 3D photos on films using a standard aqueous wide-format printer.
“When we look at the next generation of content, we believe it’s going to be 3D content,” says Lumii CEO and founder Tom Baran. “When we talk to printers about it, they get very excited about the prospect of using the equipment they’ve already invested in.”
Baran, along with Matt Hirsch, Lumii CTO and founder, collaborated while pursuing their Ph.D.s at MIT to develop the technology that makes the 3D prints possible. Using light field technology, Lumii creates unique patterns from 3D scans or photos and then prints those patterns on two films — one clear and one translucent — to create the 3D effect once the layers are joined. When those prints are lit from behind, the 3D image pops out even more.
The key, Hirsch and Baran say, is using very high-resolution printers and the right materials. When searching for their translucent film for the rear layer of the 3D prints, they inquired at a local print shop, which is where they discovered LexJet 8 Mil Absolute Backlit film.
“We did a very unconventional analysis in that we looked at [the backlit film] under a microscope,” Hirsh says. “We looked at: How well does it hold ink; does it have the right opacity; did it bleed, etc. We tried a variety of things, and we really like the way this backlit performs.”
Although Lumii is still in its early stages, the plan is to offer their 3D prints to customers who upload their own 3D files to an ecommerce site. Lumii will then manage the fulfillment of those orders by working with print shops that have the right type of printer and use Absolute Backlit and other qualified products.
Possible applications for the technology could be endless — bus stop signage, movie theater posters and promotional graphics, to name a few. Hirsch and Baran certainly see digital décor, interior design and art installations as big potential, as well.
“It’s interesting how there’s a lot of room to add value in the print world that’s yet to be tapped,” Baran says. “Especially when you couple that with this massive 3D content that’s going to grow exponentially over the next five years.”
Check out another recent example in this video:


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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - One of the most famous Abraham Lincoln artifacts is going on public display in Springfield.
A copy of his Gettysburg Address written in Lincoln's own hand will be available for public viewing starting Thursday and running through November at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
Lincoln gave his 272-word speech on Nov. 19, 1863, at the dedication of the National Soldiers' Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pa. A battle there four months before left more than 50,000 dead or wounded.
Lincoln wrote out five copies of the address. The version in Illinois is known as the "Edward Everett copy." The scholar and politician also spoke at the dedication and Lincoln agreed to make him a copy.
Everett's speech lasted two hours and was little remembered in posterity. Lincoln's lasted two minutes.
The General Motors plant in Wentzville gets an infusion of money from Detroit to help in the building of two midsize pickups.
General Motors will invest $133 million to add a third stamping press to its Wentzville Assembly and Stamping plant. It's where the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana are built. But it's undergoing construction for production of GM’s next-generation midsize pickups, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.
Dave Baldridge with G-M tells me the move has the potential for creating or retaining approximately 55 jobs...
Baldridge says the new press will increase the plant’s capacity in stamping fenders, doors and other key components for the new pickups and full-size vans.
Construction will begin next month and GM expects the press to be operational by early 2015.
Wentzville Assembly employs approximately 2,000 employees across two shifts.
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced today he has joined 39 other attorneys general sending comments calling on the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to come up with solutions to the increasing problem of mobile “cramming.” That's the placement of unauthorized third-party charges on mobile phone bills.
The Missouri Attorney General’s Office continues to receive complaints from consumers about charges, usually around $9.95, that appear on their phone bills without their authorization. The charges are usually for goods and services that the consumers neither requested nor used. Many consumers fail to detect that they have been crammed. When they do discover the charges on their bills, sometimes after several months, consumers are rarely able to obtain a full refund.
“Today’s cell phone bills include pages and pages of numbers, and it can be difficult to detect illegitimate charges,” Koster said. “While I urge consumers to check their phone bills carefully, we need better protections for consumers to prevent cramming from occurring, and to give them mechanisms for obtaining full refunds if they unfairly charged.”
Koster’s office announced a settlement yesterday with three third-party businesses that had placed charges for unwanted services on Missouri consumers’ phone bills. The businesses repaid consumers more than $296,000. The businesses are permanently barred from placing any future charges on consumers’ phone bills.
Koster encourages consumers to check their phone bills monthly, and to contact his consumer hotline at 800-392-8222 if they detect unauthorized charges.


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Nomura analyst, Rick Sherlund has told investors that Microsoft may be losing US$2.5-billion on its Xbox endeavours, but is obscuring this loss with revenue generated by Android phone patent royalties.
Nomura is a global financial market investment and analytics group, operating in over 30 countries, with a strong foothold in the European market.
According to a report by Games Industry, Sherlund said “If we start with the overall traditional [Entertainment and Devices Division] business that actually loses money before corporate allocations and back out the nearly $2 billion 95 percent gross margin Android phone royalties, we conclude that Xbox platform plus Windows phone and Skype lose about $2.5 billion per year, and we estimate that the Xbox platform may account for roughly $2 billion of this.”
“This is contrary to conventional wisdom, we think investors do not realize how extensive the operating costs are for this business and it is concealed by the hugely profitable Android royalties.”
“Xbox is an orphan in our view. It is a ‘cool’ product line and a successful consumer franchise, but it also loses a lot of money and we think is a distraction to the more enterprise strengths of Microsoft,” said Sherlund.


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Philippines Passes Law to Fight Online Scams
A law requiring public telecommunications providers to compile a database of SIM cards and their owners was recently signed by the Philippines president. The new law establishes that Filipinos must register their identity with the phone companies in accordance with the law to avoid having their cards deleted. Law enforcement will be able to access user data in order to look into any crimes committed using a phone, and it will punish unauthorized registration. There are serious privacy issues being ignored.
Philippines detectives explain that one of the biggest problems with online fraud in general is the anonymity that simple tools like SIM cards allow, not to mention other more sophisticated online software and the easiness to move money around using crypto wallets. SIM cards currently play a big role as up until now nobody needed to register a name or an ID number to buy one, so scammers could buy as many as they liked and use them as they please without worrying about leaving any trace. With the new law before purchasing a SIM card users will be required to provide their full names and identity documents, with the goal of preventing criminals from concealing their identities. This will also apply to current prepaid customers, who will be required to register as well.
The law has been described as a critical step in combating text scams, bank fraud, and misinformation, and while many have seen it as a step in the right direction, there is a certain agreement that it is insufficient to reduce scams because it only penalizes fraudulent registration. If you want to find the person behind a scam, you’ll need a court order and the help of the police plus time, effort and money to pursue it.
Philippines investigators insist that the best way to fight online fraud and scams is prevention and education. When people are fully aware of the risks, and know that they have access to services that prevent fraud -like background checks-, they won’t be a victim at all. Information at the right time is the key to wise decisions.
On the other hand, concerns about personal data privacy have arisen as a result of the law’s potential to encourage surveillance of government critics, including human rights workers and journalists. Most governments label anyone who speaks out, and now law enforcement will have unrestricted access to these people’s data.
Other countries’ experiences also suggest that such policies may lead to an increase in data breaches, identity theft, and black markets for unregistered cards. In a country with widespread criminal activity in this sense, it is very likely that a black market for unregistered SIM cards is already growing by the minute.
Scammers will continue to find ways to dodge the law, so the best way to remain safe is to take safety measures before sending money to a stranger, or accepting an investment deal, or traveling to meet someone. Hire a background check in the Philippines from a reputable professional investigator as soon as you can to get to know who you are really communicating with, and consider other private investigations like surveillance when necessary. Not falling victim is the most efficient way to stop online crime!
© Copyright Philippine PI. All Rights Reserved. This content is the property of Philippine PI, LLC and is protected by the United States of America and international copyright laws.


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If you’re deeply entrenched in the tech world, there’s a good chance you pulled out your favorite iDevice to watch Apple’s “Spring Forward” event this afternoon: a showcase for Apple’s soon-to-be-released Apple Watch that, according to some trendsetters, could change the way the world tells time.
Of course Apple Watch is meant to be more than just a time piece. From Apple Pay to Siri, scheduling and more, Apple Watch is meant to be a fresh way to use so many of the things we’ve come to depend on from our mobile devices. As a games site, we had naturally expected that would mean, well… games.
Apple may not agree.
That’s not to say there won’t be games on Apple Watch, but when it came time to showcase everything their timepiece is capable of, they didn’t feel games were a big enough piece of the picture to talk about today.
Considering some of the cool concepts we’ve seen, as well as the Android Wear (the “Google Watch”) games that have been released so far, this is something of a surprise. From the fan mockup of “Tiny Threes” to Google’s own show of support, adding the Google-created location-based game Ingress to Android Wear last month, the possibilities for watch-based gaming are itching to be explored.
Then again, it’s really up to third-party developers to pick up this torch and run with it.
Let’s hope that they do.
Apple Watch will be available for pre-order on April 10th with prices starting at $349, and launches April 24th.


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Leading Dutch supermarket Albert Heijn recently started a test offering one-hour deliveries. Offering this service seems a logical step for the supermarket, enabling them to meet new consumer shopping preferences while at the same time making use if the existing network of supermarkets. How do consumers feel about this service and will they use it?Read More
According to founder Remco Bron, Amsterdam based Inbeacon is planning to create the largest beacon network in the Netherlands. They partner up with Exterion Media in order to do so.
By incorporating the beacons in busstops, Exterion wants to gather all kinds of data of users that interact with advertisments with their smartphone. After a succesfull initial test last year together with publisher TMG involving 350 beacons in 3 dutch cities, the aim is to grow to 6000 so-called touch points.Read More
Fresh food meal kit delivery services (also known as ’meal kit companies’ or ‘food boxes’) have become a multi-hundred-million euro business in Europe. Berlin based HelloFresh, founded in 2011, grew out to be market leader in mainland Europe and has expanded services to the US and Australia already selling fifty million meals on a yearly basis. The company was valued at 2,6 billion euro in 2015 and is planning an IPO in the near future.
Fresh food meal kit market report
The concept and it’s explosive growth have been much debated over the last year. Little is known about how consumers value these meal kits. In order to better understand the consumer part of the story we studied the meal kit market in the Netherlands, one of the most mature markets for meal kits. We focussed on how consumers experience and value meal kits.
How do consumers value meal kits?
For our report, behavioral research company Veylinx performed a consumer valuation research, among 1,084 Dutch consumers. They tested what people are really willing to pay for meal kits. By comparing the results for different meal kits, we were able to understand consumers’ perceived value and how it relates to their characteristics, purchase history and brand awareness.Read More
Amsterdam/The Netherlands: There is something intricately interesting and exciting about cocktails that people everywhere love. Some cocktail recipes are international, and they have traveled the world to be enriched by local flavors and evolve into new versions. A bartender’s skill, and even more, a venue’s reputation are strongly linked to how many cocktails are available on the menu, and, more often, their uniqueness and flavor.Read More
Amsterdam, the Netherlands: TripAdvisor may be a big name in the US, its home country, where it was among the first websites to consolidate its popularity by offering users the possibility to generate content on travel related issues, but in Europe, it still needs to make a stand. Without a doubt, a lot of US travelers choose to consult TripAdvisor on their travel choices, since there is so much user generated content on hotels, restaurants, sights and more that they would be hard pressed to find no information on what they are looking for. Nonetheless, TripAdvisor needs to up its game, and to do so, it has just acquired IENS, the well known Dutch restaurant review site. What is even more important for TripAdvisor, IENS comes in the same package with SeatMe.nl, a website dedicated to booking reservations at restaurants.Read More
Amsterdam, the Netherlands: People nowadays are using online tools to purchase goods, book flights, hotel rooms, and get reservations at restaurants, without having to go through the hassle of booking over the phone. Cutting the red tape is the main argument why so many customers prefer this business model over the traditional ways of booking a ticket or a place at a restaurant. Many prefer using an app on their smartphone to solve all these issues, and it is not by accident that the biggest players on the market are expanding and consolidating their positions through mergers and acquisitions. In the world of booking reservations at restaurants, the latest move was made by Couverts, an online reservation portal from RTL Ventures that has just acquired Dinnersite, the biggest online guide for restaurants in the Netherlands.Read More
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: The clothing industry is one of the biggest in the world. Employing millions of workers, and a large consumer of resources, it continuously makes an impact on the environment. Different solutions are emerging to make clothes more environmentally friendly, from garments created from recycled materials, to the brand new Fashion Library Lena recently opened on Westerstraat, in Amsterdam.
This is the first venue of the kind opened by Suzanne Smulders, one of the founders of the new clothing library. If this experiment proves to be a success, many others may emerge.Read More
Dutch startup BitStraat has launched a project aimed at turning Amsterdam into Bitcoin City, providing one hundred merchants with a free tablet-based POS terminal they can use to process mobile payments made using the virtual currency.
BitStraat has partnered with payment processor BitPay to launch the service. Fifteen retailers have signed up for the Bitcoin City project so far and the partners expect to reach their target of one hundred merchants by the end of February 2015
read the original article on NFCworldRead More
Arnhem, The Netherlands: For many people in the Netherlands, or outside the country’s borders, Arnhem is most probably known as the city where tourists can admire the Open Air Museum with its quaint windmills and farmhouses. However, more recently, the city has earned a rather interesting nickname: the most Bitcoin-friendly city in the world.Read More
Beacon Case: treasure hunting in the city of Amsterdam
Social gifting app Treatz used the popular Sinterklaas event in Amsterdamto promote the use of their app: during the Saint Nicholas ‘intocht’, Treatz app users were able to take part in a treasure hunt. They received clues (ibeacon triggered push messages) on their Iphone that led them to places where presents were handed out.
For Treatz it was the second time to employ beacons to promte their app . Earlier this year they took part in the Amsterdam shop route providing free beacons to participating shops.Read More
The offline retail business is in suffering; with so much online shopping going on, it is clear that brick and mortar stores have taken a big hit. However, the situation is about to change, as the implementation of iBeacon technology in such real life stores can draw more visitors and link their online experience, ever present on their smartphones, with what is happening before their very eyes.
At least, this is what the most recent iBeacon experiment related to offline retail is trying to state. FloraHolland Trade Fair, held at the beginning of November in Aalsmeer, proved to be quite a surprising experience to visitors through the implementation of iBeacon technology.
Amsterdam: Online shopping is a reality for most Internet users. Whether you want to purchase a digital or a physical product, you often turn to the old trusted World Wide Web for info, such as where to find it and how much it costs. The Dutch search engine Voradius, launched in April last year, was designed with the needs of Internet shoppers in mind. First launched in the Amsterdam area, where no less than 14,000 retail stores are connected to the platform, the engine has big expansion plans.
Just recently, Voradius has received a new round of financing, and, besides the initial investor, Javest Growth Investment, new players are getting a place at the table. However, Voradius representatives keep silent about these investors’ names, and no official data has been released regarding the amount invested during this second round.
Amsterdam: Scoupy, the Dutch mobile couponing app, that claims to have more than 750.000 registered users, launched a so-called cash back system. Users receive their cashback within 48 hours, directly from the advertiser. Wilkinson Sword will be the first partner. Scoupy claims no promotional packages will be needed this way.Read More
Eindhoven, the Netherlands: Whenever a new technology is born, competitors appear right away. At least this is the case with iBeacon and the ‘nearable’ devices already stemmed from the opportunities offered. The first competitor to iBeacon seems to be Philips, the company recently presenting an intelligent lighting system at an innovation showcase held in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
How does Philips want to compete with iBeacon? The lighting system is created in such a manner that it can transmit information on people’s smartphones, as they walk around shops, museums, or office buildings. The purpose of the new technology is to enhance customers’ shopping experience, by showing exactly where certain areas of interest are, or providing them with the latest offers.Read More
Hamburg/ Amsterdam: Navigating an airport and boarding a flight can be a grueling experience. Instead of asking for directions left and right, when you know there are minutes before you should board, you should turn towards your trusted smartphone and see what it has to say. Of course, that if you happen to be in one of the – so far – few airports in the world where the beacon technology has arrived and is being implemented to make travelers’ experience nothing but a breeze. With Virgin Atlantic and easyJet breaking the ice in Europe with their innovative apps that help travelers navigate through airports such as Heathrow, Luton, Gatwick and Charles de Gaulle, it was only a matter of time until others would jump the bandwagon.
In Germany, a new startup called Yoints has just launched its beacon technology app in the Hamburg Airport, while at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines makes it easier for transfer flights to happen with a new navigation system.Read More
Amsterdam: With Apple releasing Apple Pay, its new mobile payment option last week, it is quite obvious that the world waits for the new gimmick to revolutionize the way we pay for things, just the way iTunes and the iPod changed the way we listen to music years ago.
While the system is already being implemented by large companies in the US like Disney and Starbucks in the US, Europe needs to wait until at least 2015, before it can use Apple. However, the industry is get ready for Apple Pay..Read More
Amsterdam: Today Dutch couponing app Scoupy announced that one of its two main investors Netwerk VSP will sell its shares to the other shareholders Sanoma Ventures and Gennie Freen Productions. The latter two will jointly invest 2 million euros to speed-up growth. It has not been disclosed at what price the Netwerk VSP exit was valued.Read More
Amsterdam: Locals United offers local brick & mortar stores a platform that enables online sales, by providing them their a webshop environment and accommodating for matters such as product pictures, payments and logistics. Locals United also offers support for online promotion.
In return for a monthly membership subscription, physical stores can add 3 plug & play sales channels to their operations:
- a web shop under their own domain name,
- a shop on their Facebook page
- and their own shop-in-shop at LocalsUnited.nl
Amsterdam: The hackaton ‘iBeacon experience days is a two-days festival about co-operation, creativity and concepts concerning iBeacon. It is organized by Sanoma, Glimworm Beacons and Appsterdam. Developers, creatives, marketeers and entrepreneurs get together to further develop new applications for the Bluetooth transmitter and receiver. The event will take place on august 23rd and 24th in VondelCS in Amsterdam. The festival is open to everyone who is interested in this topic.Read More


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SBI To Auction NPAs Worth Rs 17K Cr | China Lockdown: Impact India | Top News | Top Headlines
Here are the top headlines of the day:1. SBI may clean up the bad loans worth Rs 17,000 Crores in the quarter ending March, The bad loans may transfer to NARCL this month so that they will reflect in the books in the upcoming earnings.2. Petrol Crosses ₹ 100 A Litre In Delhi With 7th Hike In 8 Days, Petrol in Delhi will now cost ₹ 100.21 per litre as against ₹ 99.41 previously while diesel rates have gone up from ₹ 90.77 per litre to ₹ 91.47, according to a price notification of state fuel retailers.3. Et Now's special report on 'How China's lockdown may impact Indian businesses?' as Shanghai’s sweeping, two-phase lockdown will likely deal a heavy blow to businesses reliant on consumer spending, though economists say the city’s industrial sector can largely withstand the disruption, mitigating threats to the global supply chain.Watch to know more!


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Bajaj quietly slips in an early BS IV update.
The 2017 Bajaj Pulsar 220F was launched in India yesterday at INR 91,000 (ex-showroom Thane) and INR 1.03 lakh OTR, at approximately INR 4,000 higher compared to the outgoing model. Here are a some more images of the updated model, originally published by carandbike.
The 220 cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine is now BS IV-compliant. A new timing chain designed for quieter working as well as a more linear and smoother power delivery sum up the changes to the motor. It makes 21.05 PS at 8,500 rpm and 19.12 Nm of torque at 7,000 rpm as before, and channels power via a 5-speed transmission.
Other changes introduced in the Bajaj Pulsar 220F for MY2017 are, a new digital instrument cluster featuring a blue backlight, improved seats which are softer, red and black paint, manual choke, red alloy wheel stripes and a black exhaust.
The BS IV emission norms is effective from April 2017, and the Bajaj Pulsar 220F has been updated accordingly months before. It was reported in September that the BS IV engine update will come to the Pulsar 135, Pulsar 150 and Pulsar 180 by year-end, and these new models too should be at dealerships within days.
[Image Source: carandbike]


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Danone, the French food manufacturer, has been accused of bribing Chinese doctors to provide postpartum mothers with its Dumex brand infant formula. This is the latest investigation in an anti-corruption crackdown which is targeting bribery in the medical industry. From Reuters:
The former Dumex sales manager, cited by CCTV, said that that company gave several hundred thousand yuan in “gifts” to the hospital every year.
CCTV said the man had a document detailing payments to doctors, with their bank card details and amounts paid.
The document, which CCTV said it had seen, showed staff at the hospital had received about 300,000 yuan ($49,000) in total each month from Dumex, with individual payments ranging from several hundred yuan to about 10,000 yuan.
“Dumex China pays great attention to and is extremely shocked by the CCTV report… We will immediately launch an investigation,” Dumex said in a statement passed on by a Danone SA spokeswoman in Paris on Monday. [Source]
Caijing has more on how the payments were allegedly made to hospitals:
According to Dai, to become a “designated” producer of baby formula in the hospital, spending is necessary to sponsor “lectures” in hospitals, in which doctors could be paid for lecturing and nurses and others could be given gift or money in the name of traffic allowances.
Such lectures, voice-over narration said, are typically exchanges held by companies to channel bribes to doctors and nurses in hospitals, according to state-run television.
The doctor also briefed the CCTV reporter that it would also be an appropriate time to channel money to the hospital for “revocation cost” when it opens a new branch. [Source]
Infant formula, especially from foreign brands, has been a booming business in China following a number of incidents of contaminated milk from Chinese manufacturers. Decreasing breast-feeding rates are also helping bolster the industry, as Quartz reports:
Breastfeeding competes directly with what’s now a huge business in China. On track to hit $9 billion this year, China’s infant formula market is projected to grow to $13 billion by 2015. At the same time, China’s rates of breastfeeding have plummeted since the 1970s, when infant formula first hit the market. While 58% of Chinese newborns are exclusively breast-fed, that percentage is just 14% after five months, compared with 38% globally. By month six it’s dropped to 2% (pdf, p.3); by comparison, 16% of American babies are still exclusively breast-fed at six months. The State Council wants to up that rate to 50% by 2020. Moreover, the government’s recent crackdown on GlaxoSmithKline and other foreign pharmaceutical companies has shed light on a system of kickbacks rampant in Chinese hospitals.
Kickbacks or no kickbacks, the growth in the use of formula in emerging markets is in no small part because of aggressive marketing by infant formula companies. [Source]
A number of other pharmaceutical companies, both Chinese and foreign, have also been targeted for investigations for bribery and price-fixing, most recently Novartis, Bayer, and Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd. Reuters reports on the investigation into the latter:
Regional sales teams at Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd, 60 percent owned by Sino Biopharmaceutical, had paid for doctors to travel to Thailand and Taiwan, which could be considered illegal bribes, China Central Television (CCTV) reported late on Wednesday.
Hong Kong-listed Sino Biopharmaceutical is the second Chinese firm to come under the spotlight this week, underlining that domestic companies are not immune to a recently launched drive against corruption in the sector.
Privately held Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals said separately on Wednesday it was investigating allegations it spent about 800 million yuan ($130.75 million) to bribe doctors to promote the firm’s drugs over five years. [Source]
Read more about the ongoing investigation into GlaxoSmithKline, the British pharmaceutical company, for bribery.


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Apple May Purge Nearly 200,000 Apps With iOS 11
They'd be mostly older or unused apps that haven't been updated
Apple is getting ready to roll out a new iPhone and its next OS, but in the process it could kill 187,000 apps.
Analytics firm Sensor Tower anticipates that thousands of 32-bit apps will become obsolete once Apple releases iOS 11, which is expected to only support apps that run on a 64-bit processor.
It’s unclear which specific apps are still 32-bit — and it’s hard to make a definitive list — but it’s none of the everyday apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Maps and Pokémon Go. However, there might be some classics that’ll take the hit and be missed. Some reputable apps and mobile games that might disappear include “Ridiculous Fishing,” “Peggle Classic,” and “Great Lightsaber,” according to Mashable. The famous “Ocarina” app, which lets you pretend you’re Link from “The Legend of Zelda,” would’ve been on the chopping block, but it was recently updated.
This doesn’t come as a surprise since Apple had already warned developers with 32-bit apps to update their apps and make them compatible with 64-bit processors, which are on every iPhone since the 5S. Back in January, Apple started sending popup notifications in the iOS 10.3 beta that read, “This app will not work with future versions of iOS.” Prior to that, popup messages would only warn that apps would slow down.
This is also not the first time that Apple cleaned house and removed apps that are no longer being updated, downloaded or used by users. Last October, nearly 50,000 apps were wiped out from the App Store.
There are currently an estimated 2.4 million apps available at the App Store, if 187,000 were to disappear, that’s 8 percent of the app store that would go missing. However, Sensor Tower said it might be a bigger percentage.
Apple is expected to reveal iOS 11 during the Worldwide Developers Conference in June and roll it out sometime in the fall. At that point, if there’s an old school game or app on your phone that stops working or magically disappears, you’ll know why.


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Amazon is reverse engineering the offline-to-online transformation buy going from a pure online player to now launching physical real-world stores. They already know the online digital playing field and how to serve customers through behavioral data and smart algorithms, and now, with physical stores they may be a very disruptive force in retail and path the way for more disruptors to follow and challenge traditional retail.
Last November, Amazon opened its first real physical bookstore in Seattle, the company’s home city. And it has continued to open staffed pickup points at universities across the U.S. Earlier this year Amazon said they were planning to open up 400 physical bookstores with the first bookstores already open and operational in California, Oregon and Washington with Illinois and Massachusetts coming soon.
And today, Amazon announced the opening of its Amazon Go stores, where a range of groceries will be available in a highly automated digital first store environment using all the latest artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.
Watch this promo video of how their Amazon Go grocery stores will work:
No lines. No checkout. No registers. No, seriously.
What is Amazon Go?
Amazon Go is a new kind of store with no checkout required. We created the world’s most advanced shopping technology so you never have to wait in line. With our Just Walk Out Shopping experience, simply use the Amazon Go app to enter the store, take the products you want, and go! No lines, no checkout. (No, seriously.)
The first store has opened in Seattle and limited to Amazon employees while in beta but expected to open up to the public (Amazon members of course) in early 2017.
All Amazon members need to do is install the Amazon Go app, and swipe the app as they enter the store. The artificial intelligent technology then does the rest and gives shoppers (hopefully) a unique digital shopping experience. Your virtual shopping cart fills automatically as you take products of the shelf and you just walk out when your done. Facial-recognition technology will be used to identify you personally to match you with your account.
Read the official FAQ page on Amazon Go for all the details.
Amazon explains why it created Amazon Go:
Four years ago we asked ourselves: what if we could create a shopping experience with no lines and no checkout? Could we push the boundaries of computer vision and machine learning to create a store where customers could simply take what they want and go?
Our answer to those questions is Amazon Go and Just Walk Out Shopping.
The future of brick-and-mortar grocery shopping is unfolding before our eyes. I hope retail will pay attention to these developments and try to learn from the pure players like Amazon on how to connect the offline and online shopping experience for a more holistic omni-channel experience. Traditional retails need to move (very) fast in order to out-smart these disruptive innovators who invent new games and play by new rules. Their rules!
Go! Before Amazon beats you to it.
A source of inspiration for this article was from the post today on Venture beat.


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Main Line Pizzas mobile marketing boosts double-digit returns
Main Line Pizza, located in Wayne, Penn., has experienced double-digit boosts from its mobile marketing initiative launched a year ago.
As a result, the restaurant's owners, Robert and Jennifer Saionz, plan to expand its text messaging components this year. Prior to the rollout, Main Line had relied on direct mail, Valpak coupons, calendars and brochures for promotions.
"Direct mail wasn't working as well as we had hoped since the cell phone became so popular," said Jennifer Saionz. "We also thought texting would be a great way to promote our business to college kids to get them to come in."
Main Line Pizza chose to work with 84444.com, which operates a do-it-yourself text message marketing tool owned by Advanced Telecom Services.
Prior to rolling out its text messaging initiative, Main Line had to create a database of customers, since all mobile marketing is opt-in. This was done by mobile couponing and discounts for loyal customers.
Main Line Pizza also promoted its keyword (MLPIZZA) and short code (84444) to its customers via window signs, menus, stickers on its pizza boxes and at the cash register.
"Customers can text when they come in the store and get 10 percent off right there if they show me the text message," said Robert Saoinz. "That really has helped build our database."
Main Line also launched a text message promotion for the Super Bowl, which yielded an 11 percent return rate.
To help continue this database growth, the restaurant is planning on giving away tickets to a Villanova basketball game next season via its texting platform.
Main Line Pizza also plans on implementing QR codes. When a customer scans its QR code from a smartphone, the customer will see Main Line Pizza's current menu on the phone.


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Creating effective merchandising strategies for mobile
By Ji Kim
According to the recent “Mobile Shopper Insights for 2011” report released by Adobe Scene7, 62 percent of consumers surveyed with connected mobile devices have made a purchase using their device, and many analysts believe that we are only at the beginning of the mobile shopping revolution.
In fact, Barclays Capital predicts that U.S. mobile commerce sales are expected to hit $5.3 billion in 2011, up 83 percent from a year ago, and ABI Research predicts that $119 billion worth of goods and services will be purchased via a mobile phone by 2015.
With growth figures climbing into the hundreds of billions of dollars in less than five years, now is the time for retailers and brands to take a much more in-depth look at mobile commerce strategies.
So, how does a marketer effectively embrace this trend of shoppers increasingly reaching for mobile devices to research products and prices at the point of decision?
Shop till you stop
For shopping activities such as researching products and comparing prices, a majority of mobile shopper respondents surveyed in the Mobile Shopper Insights for 2011 Report favored using mobile sites over applications, and two-thirds of those respondents stated that they prefer sites as opposed to apps for accessing product and other shopping content.
Many retailers are also now integrating the online and in-store shopping experience by offering customers access to a greater merchandise selection in the form of tablet-like displays in-store.
This, coupled with elements such as QR codes located on in-store promotional pieces and advertising materials to provide more information about a brand or product, is enticing shoppers now more than ever to make purchases from mobile devices – and the majority of those purchases are being made directly from the retail Web site.
The problem, however, is that some mobile commerce sites can be a bit clunky. It often takes several clicks for shoppers to find the products they want, and some search tools tend to return a list of irrelevant products.
The time for a mobile 2.0 revolution is now, and ecommerce sites need to do away with the limited mobile sites they are serving.
The development in mobile shopping tools over the past couple of years such as bar code scanning, deal searching and price comparisons, used in conjunction with a more scalable merchandising platform, can turn a static ecommerce site into an invaluable, dynamic, relevant resource for the mobile shopper.
Of course, this takes cooperation on both sides.
End cap, end goal
Retailers and brands need to more effectively collaborate in the new mobile environment to create mobile commerce sites that provide consumers with an easier and, ultimately greater, shopping experience.
The new mobile site should showcase popular, relevant products for interested shoppers and, as witnessed in the in-store retail environment and by its rapidly-growing use in ecommerce environments, brands will pay to be in front of mobile consumers researching the category of products that they sell.
The concept of a mobile end cap, benefiting consumers, retailers and brands, will help to bring these concepts to life.
Securing premium digital shelf space on mobile commerce sites allows brands to gain product awareness and capture their consumer at the mobile point of purchase while providing retailers with a new source of high-margin revenue from monetizing mobile digital shelf space.
Most importantly, this process preserves critical elements of the in-store shopping experience for the mobile consumer by providing them the ability to easily find the specific products they want through the use of an enhanced, highly relevant mobile shopping experience.
There are literally billions of dollars up for grabs in the rapidly-growing mobile market. What will you do to get your share of that?


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New entrants seek to change wireless game
"Take a good look at the three of us," he told an audience at the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto on Wednesday, pointing to himself and the heads of Globalive and DAVE Wireless, two of the expected new entrants in Canada's mobile telephone market.
"Two out of three of us will not be around at next year's telecom summit," said Krstajic. "All three of us may be here, but two out of three will have different business cards."
The expected arrival of new entrants to Canada's wireless industry has brought with it hope for consumers looking for choices beyond the current offerings of Rogers, Bell and Telus, and the new entrants have done nothing to dissuade that. There have been promises of unlimited talk and text for a single fee, assurances of better customer service and simple billing and hints of lower data rates and unlocked phones.
But Krstajic's bold pronouncement spoke to the difficult task facing the new players as they take on Rogers, Bell and Telus, who have a combined 95 per cent of the market between their seven collective brands and have already begun making changes in anticipation of new competition.
Consumers have been awaiting the arrival of the new entrants since they won spectrum from last year's auction of wireless airwaves, which raised $4.2 billion for the federal government. The government reserved 40 per cent of the 105 megahertz of airwaves up for sale for new entrants to encourage competition in the wireless industry.
Services to launch in late 2009, early 2010
So far, the new entrants have offered only scraps of information, in part for competitive reasons and in part because they have been busy over the last year assembling their management teams, positioning their future brands and setting up their networks.
But some details have emerged.
Public Mobile, backed by several private equity firms, has said it plans to launch a $40 unlimited talk-and-text service in Ontario and Quebec late in the third quarter of 2009, building its network from Windsor to Quebec using a block of spectrum it acquired at the auction that other players, including the incumbents, chose to ignore.
Toronto-based Globalive Communications Inc. has said it plans to launch two brands, a discount phone under the Yak brand with a price target of $40 a month and a still to be named core brand, but has only said it plans to launch a countrywide network — with the exception of Quebec — by the end of 2009.
Globalive CEO Anthony Lacavera said his company plans to start its rollout in major cities including Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver and that it is setting up a GSM-based high-speed network.
Toronto-based Data & Audio Visual Enterprises Wireless Inc., or DAVE Wireless, the wireless company headed by entrepreneur John Bitove, has said it plans to roll out service in early 2010 to Toronto and expand to other cities shortly thereafter.
DAVE Wireless president Dave Dobbin said his company plans to roll out a network compatible with a newer version of High-Speed Packet Access technology (called HSPA+) expected to catch on with smartphone makers in 2010.
Montreal-based Quebecor Inc. is also expected to launch its own network in Quebec by the end of 2009, though in February president and CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau complained incumbent wireless companies were delaying the approval of agreements to share towers and roaming services.
In addition to battling incumbents and battling each other, each of the new players faces unique obstacles to gaining traction in Canada.
For Public Mobile, it has to convince Canadian consumers that the chunk of isolated spectrum it bought in the "G" block has a future.
Analysts are divided: a Dave Wireless commissioned report from analyst LeMay-Yates Associates said the spectrum was untested and unlikely to be a priority for handset makers, while a SeaBoard Group report from earlier this year suggested Public Mobile may have scored a coup in picking up spectrum for much less than the new incumbents.
DAVE Wireless also faces marketing challenges, and recently announced that the company will have a new name when it launches.
As Dobbin said during the telecom summit: "I'm Dave from DAVE... gotta change the name."
Regulatory hurdles to clear
Globalive's challenges are both administrative and legal. It paid $442 million for its wireless spectrum and has the most ambitious plans for building a national network, with the hope to gain 1.5 million customers in the first three years.
But it is also facing regulatory challenges over the financial backing it receives from Egypt's Orascom Telecom Holding SAE. Foreign ownership of telecommunications firms is limited to 20 per cent of the voting shares of an operating company and one-third for a holding company. Industry Canada approved Globalive's ownership, but in April Telus and Shaw Communications called on the CRTC to make that review process more transparent and "immediately initiate" a review of Globalive.
Telus, Shaw, Bell and Rogers all filed comments arguing in favour of public hearings, but other groups, such as the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, said the process would cause unwanted delays.
The group also said adding another layer of bureaucracy for companies with some foreign ownership goes against the spirit of the government's stated goal for the auction to increase competition. A 2006 Telecommunications Policy Review Panel Report argued loosening restrictions on foreign ownership would act to increase competition.
But each company also has its advantages. Lacavera has said the established Yak brand allows Globalive to bundle services, something Quebecor is also likely to do when it rolls out its service. Dobbin said his track record at Toronto Hydro Telecom and the track record of his team of executives gives DAVE wireless a better understanding of how to compete with the incumbents. And Krstajic said his company's focus on working-class Canadians wanting simple phones and low price plans is an untapped market.
Though none of the new entrants has launched their services, their expected arrival has already had an impact on the incumbent wireless carriers.
Since the auction, Rogers and Bell lowered their prices and dropped their system access fees on their Fido and Solo brands, following the lead of Telus discount brand Koodo earlier in 2008 and in anticipation of new entrants to the marketplace.
And earlier this month Bell announced it was purchasing the remaining stake of Virgin Mobile it didn't already own.
Bell and Telus have also agreed to work together to set up a next generation HSPA wireless network by 2010 to pave the way for future wireless standards and allow them to offer phones such as Apple's iPhone, which don't work with Bell and Telus's current wireless network technology, an older communications standard known as code division multiple access (CDMA).
Rogers has joined Bell and Telus, in a rare show of open collaboration, on a new service called Zoompass that allows consumers to transfer money by phone.
Consumers may be hoping the new players will increase competition and lower prices not just at launch time, but also for the long term. But the concern is that the new carriers might go the way of Microcell's Fido, which emerged as a disruptive player in the wireless market before it was bought by Rogers and became a discount brand for the communications giant.
'Canadians excited to give us a shot'
The new rules prohibit entrants who bought advanced wireless spectrum — which includes Globalive, DAVE and Quebecor but not Public Mobile — from selling to any of the incumbents until 2013.
But given the entrenched position of the incumbents, speculation has been high that the best chance for success for the newcomers is to consolidate into one entity.
Lacavera and Krstajic said they have had discussions about partnering but both have decided to go it alone for now. And Lacavera said he was open to partnerships with any of the new players.
But for now, the new players say they are gearing up to go it alone and carve a niche in the market. Lacavera said conversations he has had with consumers suggest there is pent up demand for alternatives, but the new companies will have to earn their trust.
"Canadians are excited to give us a shot," he said. "But if we don't deliver we're not going to be around long term."


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A 1985 Rothmans liveried MG Metro 6R4 will be going under the hammer at the 2016 Autosport International show in the the Coys Auction.
The rallying icon – with just 3100 miles on the clock – will be sold to the highest bidder in the auction.
The 6R4 in question was the original Rothmans show car and was never raced or rallied, meaning that it is in pristine condition.
The Metro 6R4 was developed by Williams Grand Prix Engineering to compete in the much-loved Group B rally class in the mid 1980s.
The rally icon came with a 3.0-litre, V6 engine that was naturally aspirated, unlike many of its turbocharged rivals. Unfortunately the Metro would only be available for a couple of years, with Austin Rover pulling out of motorsport in 1987 due to the demise of the group B class.
The metro is just one of over 60 rare and collectable cars that will be available to buy in the prestigious auction.
Other icons that will be making an appearance include 996 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup which competed in the 2002 Porsche Supercup Challenge.
Driven by Henzler Wolf, the car would take victories at Silverstone and Indianapolis and end the season in fourth position overall.
The car has been dry-stored by its current owner, who has had the car for three years, and is now fully-prepared for a return to racing – along with a spare set of wheels.
Another iconic car which will be included in the auction is a 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GT which has been a member of the same family for the past 36 years.
The Italian supercar, which comes with a full history file dating back to when the owner’s father bought the car, is believed to worth between £230,000 and £265,000.
A rare 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark III which has only had two owners in the past 29 years will also be on offer.
Only 551 of these iconic British cars were built which mean they are highly sort after vehicles and are believed to be worth around £150,000.
This car has been well looked after by its current owner and has had a full rear suspension rebuild courtesy of Feltham restorers, Four Ashes.
The auction will also include the chance to drive away with a 1982 ex-works Vauxhall Chevette HSR DTV which was previously driven by Russell Brookes. The car retired from rallying in 1989 but was fully-restored ten years later.
This auction will take place on Saturday, January 16 at stand 2780 in Hall 20 of the NEC Birmingham Arena. It will begin at 2pm and only available to those with VIP tickets and those who have purchased through the auction catalogue.


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Tesla announced in Nov. the location of its fourth Gigafactory: a village of less than 9,000 souls called Grunheide, some 23 miles east of Berlin.
The automaker would need to clear 740 acres of forest for the factory, which will produce up to 500,000 cars per year. The land alone will cost $45.36 million, according to Reuters. The factory will employ as many as 12,000 people, Business Insider reported.
Bloomberg reported that plans for the factory have already lured more investment into the village of Grunheide; some developers have plied local leadership with plans for 22-story apartment high-rises and massive malls.
On Jan. 18, a group of some 250 protesters gathered in Grunheide to make clear their distaste for Elon Musk’s plans.
According to Business Insider, the protests were sparked by a report from a water association representing Brandenberg, a German state with 2.5 million residents. That report indicated Tesla would require more than 300 cubic meters of water per hour, which would deplete local reserves.
Germans are more worried than Americans are about the environment. A 2018 Pew survey revealed that 71% of Germans say climate change is a “major threat” to their country, compared to 59% of Americans and 68% of the average earthling.


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The tech giants have faced questions of conservative censorship for months, repeatedly insisting their platforms are neutral. » Read More
Apple Health records lets you import your health history right to your iPhone in just a couple of minutes. Here's how to get set up and what it shows you. » Read More
Uber's exec. behind bikes, scooters describes how Uber will become the "one stop" transportation app
By: Paayal Zaveri
Uber has made big moves in the transportation space recently, adding bike-sharing and e-scooters to its platform and Uber’s Rachel Holt, who runs these “new modalities” talked to CNBC about Uber’s future strategy in the space. » Read More
By: Sam Meredith
Retail giant Walmart signed a deal to use Microsoft's cloud and artificial intelligence technology on Tuesday, deepening a strategic partnership between two of Amazon’s major rivals. » Read More
Shares of Netflix fell by at least 10 percent on 13 occasions in the last decade.
Netflix believes it has room to grow in terms of engagement, which it calculates as median view time. However with more competitive services are entering the field, it may make it hard for the company to grow that metric.
This year, Prime Day started at 3 p.m. vs. 9 p.m. in 2017.
The market will likely hold up after Netflix's disappointing second-quarter results.
Netflix is seen a "momentum stock" and can't have one more disappointing quarter again, argues Jim Cramer.
Stocks rose on Tuesday, erasing earlier losses, led by strong gains in Johnson & Johnson after the company released its latest quarterly results.
Hannover, Germany — From June 11 to June 15, Huawei will be exhibiting its digital innovations at CEBIT 2018 under the theme of "Leading New ICT, The Road to Digital Transformation".
KeyBanc Capital Markets reiterates its overweight rating for Roku shares, citing positive data from a consumer survey.
The U.K. engineer plans to cut down on flight time lost by airlines to essential maintenance.
The plunge in Netflix shares following its disappointing quarterly results has many investors poring over Wall Street analysis, wondering if the other so-called "FANG" stocks may also be due for a slowdown.
According to Catchpoint — a firm that monitors retailers' web performance — the glitch lasted until roughly 10 p.m. ET Monday.
The stock was earlier on pace for its worst day in two years.
Boeing raised its rolling 20-year industry forecast for passenger and cargo aircraft on Tuesday.
Evercore ISI lowers its rating to in line from outperform for Intel shares, saying the search for the company's next CEO will add to investor uncertainty.
The launch of the new PetCoach store comes as the pet-goods industry overall has been under increasing pressure.
A boom in genetic testing is making it harder for consumers to discern which have key medical uses and which do not. Insurance coverage for these tests remains limited.


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To celebrate Cyber Monday, we’ve designed a holiday-theme “Shop Canada Online” graphic that you are free to use on your website, share on social media, etc. Let’s keep those shopping dollars in Canada where they’ll benefit all Canadians, and let other countries know we’re open for business in the great white north.
Paypal’s latest US competitor, Stripe, extended its services to Canadian online businesses this month. The expansion comes only one year after Stripe’s launch in the US. Canada has been suffering from limited options in online payments and is expected to quickly embrace Stripe.
According to eMarketer research, Canadian online B2C (business to consumer) sales growth will exceed US e-commerce growth until at least 2016.
Canadian web-based and e-Commerce-enabled retail stores are enjoying growth that brick & mortar establishments can only dream of, according to a MasterCard Canada SpendingPulse (TM) Report that “demonstrates e-Commerce is the shining light in retail”. All indicators suggest retail establishments in Canada would be well-advised to set up online shopping if they want to thrive.


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Who is the world richest man 2021?
Before this, Bernard Arnault led the list of the world’s wealthiest people in December 2019, January 2020, May 2021 and July 2021. Arnault holds a net worth of $198.9 billion compared to Jeff Bezos’ $194.9 billion and Tesla owner Elon Musk’s $185.5 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List on Friday.
Who is the richest man in June 2021?
Jeff Bezos is the world’s richest for the fourth year running, worth $177 billion, while Elon Musk rocketed into the number two spot with $151 billion, as Tesla and Amazon shares surged.
Who is the richest person in the world right now?
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has a net worth of 186.6 Billion US$ and ranks as the richest one on the earth today. His position remains the same even after divorcing his wife MacKenzie in 2019 and transferring a quarter of his stakes in Amazon to her. 2. Elon Musk
Who are the top 100 wealthiest people in the world?
Top Ten Wealthiest People In The World In 2018 Carlos Slim Helu (net of $80.3 billion) Bill Gates (over $79.2 billion) Warren Buffett (over $67.4 billion) Amancio Ortega (56 billion) Larry Ellison ($48 billion) Charles Koch ($39.7 billion) David Koch ($39.7 billion) Christy Walton and Family ($38.5 billion) Jim Walton ($37.2 billion) Alice Walton ($34.9 billion in net)
Who is the most rich man in the whole world?
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos surpassed Bill Gates in July 2017 to become not only the world’s richest man, but the richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $112 billion, according to Forbes ‘s 2018 Billionaires List.
How much money does the richest man in the world have?
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos surpassed Bill Gates in July 2017 to become not only the world’s richest man, but the richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $112 billion , according to Forbes ‘s 2018 Billionaires List.


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Upcoming textile trends are forecast as sparkling, cosmic and sustainable, naturally — but nonetheless, the textile market is one that remains poised for change.
And while consumers and brands have begun to authentically prioritize sustainability, other emerging issues remain. As far as stability is concerned, the outlook for textile mills is somewhat in flux due to changes in policy and ongoing trade wars. Tricia Carey, director of global business development apparel, Lenzing Fibers, told WWD, “In discussions with global textile mills I am hearing a strong sense of uncertainty. There are order reductions and delays from brands, trade wars, and shifts in sourcing. Mills have to work even more diligently to produce new product lines with storytelling to achieve the same results at lower price points.”
Carey pointed out that shoppers’ behaviors have also changed, partly due to social media exposure and education about sustainable fashion. “Consumers are bombarded with messages on social media, lackluster retail service, and purchase based on price. [However], more brands are educating consumers about initiatives to lower the environmental footprint of denim from fiber to finish, like with Tencel Lyocell or Tencel x Refibra.”
And in denim, as consumers become more and more sustainability savvy, it seems that the lines for what deems something “sustainable” have been blurred — or maybe just misunderstood by the industry itself. “For denim mills, there is a struggle to differentiate in product developments and marketing. The efforts to reduce environmental impact continue, but there is inconsistency of definition. The term sustainability is overused and misused.”
But in spite of instability on the brand side, denim is trending up: U.S. sales of men’s jeans increased 2 percent in the 12 months ending July 2019 to $5.7 billion, while women’s jeans grew at a slower pace, maintaining U.S. sales just shy of $9.1 billion, according to NPD’s Consumer Tracking Service.
Marshal Cohen, chief industry adviser, The NPD Group, told WWD, “While apparel continues to struggle and to barely make an appearance as of yet for back to school, denim shows some signs of life — albeit a glimmer of hope. Men’s jeans are up so slightly and women’s are just barely making last year’s numbers, but growth — versus no growth — is good news. Finish and fabric still dominate the trends, but it’s innovation that’s driving the growth with styles and finishes that strike the right chord. Cohen continued, “The real growth driver is waist and rise height — consumers want their higher waists and unique finishes to look good, and they will build new fits and finishes to their wardrobe.”
NPD’s “Denim Evolution” report also noted that for consumers today, both women and men shoppers are seeking perfect fit, reasonable prices, and comfort in the jeans they purchase. Premium female buyers are willing to pay extra for style, while premium male buyers will pay more for high-quality, comfortable jeans. And almost 75 percent of women and over half of men identify fabric as the number-one influence when deciding what pair of jeans to buy; interestingly, for both genders, sustainability is more important among premium buyers, all according to the report.
That’s why companies such as the ultra-cool Reformation stand out with their approach to denim. The brand’s new denim collection for fall features organic, regenerative and recycled fibers, such as organically grown cotton, recycled elastine, Tencel Lyocell and Refibra Lyocell. Kathleen Talbot, vice president, operations and sustainability at Reformation, told WWD, “Denim is a mainstay of most closets. It’s also one of the most resource-intensive and polluting pieces of clothing to make. So we launched Ref Jeans in 2017, one of the first full collections of sustainable denim on the market. Our goal is to make great products with the smallest environmental impact possible.”
Talbot continued, “Because we’re trying to make sustainable production the status quo, we work closely with mills to develop our own sustainable fabrics and allow other brands around the world to adopt them into their designs too.”
And from an eco-conscious perspective, for denim mills such as Orta, based in Turkey, sustainability is “business as usual,” according to the brand. The firm incorporates the use of organic cotton and today, approximately 15 percent of its cotton consumption is “better cotton” — including blends with an impressively long list of sustainable fibers, recycled polyester and recycled denim — which aligns well with current consumer preferences.
Renee Henze, global marketing director at DuPont Biomaterials, told WWD, “The conscious consumer is becoming more prevalent — taking a hard stance on the need for longer-lasting, eco-friendly materials — and so are brands. The textile market continues to make strides toward more sustainable standards, understanding the need to establish practical objectives for reducing the environmental impact. This was demonstrated most recently at the G7 Summit in August when some of the world’s most iconic fashion houses joined forces to make clothes more sustainable, and on the runway at New York Fashion Week in September.”
Henze continued, “We’ve begun to see a shift of supply chains and manufacturing from China to countries in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Central America. We are tracking consumer habits to understand if shopping brick-and-mortar versus online plays a role in the eco-conscious consumer’s decision and, if so, does one outweigh the other in terms of its full-circle, environmental impact? As the market moves in this direction, there is still consumer demand for cheap, fast fashions, which in many ways is counter to our push for progress. So education, combined with better and higher-performing materials, is still a critical component to making long-term impact across the entire supply chain, including the end-user.”
But branding oneself as “sustainable” has its own set of challenges when considering consumer psyche. Citizens of Humanity’s women’s design director, Alaina Miller, told WWD, “Overt branding and easily identifiable products are gaining popularity. When consumers purchase a product, they want it to come with a sense of inclusivity; to feel like they’re part of a community who shops the same brand. At the same time, they love exclusivity when it comes to what they are buying. Limited editions, special collaborations, etc., all do extremely well in today’s market. In terms of actual product, touch is key. A pair of jeans needs to feel as good as it looks. We have noticed some stores placing an importance on sustainable product and an even more noticeable effort from mills to create better, more sustainable fabrics, so hopefully this is something consumers begin demanding in a more meaningful way.”
And Henze agreed that sustainable alternatives, such as luxe faux furs, are experiencing significant growth. “On the horizon are more sustainable, high-performance alternatives to in-demand applications, including today’s newest trends. For example, as stretch continues to weave itself into ath-leisure, ready-to-wear, high-fashion and beyond, DuPont Sorona is offering a replacement to Spandex — with permanent stretch and recovery that’s recyclable at its end of life. We’re also exploring collaborations for faux fur, which is a rising eco-conscious trend that we’ll continue to see grow.”
So, what else is new? Well, upcycled textiles are in focus, with companies such as Marine Layer pioneering its atypical business model where 100 percent of its materials are made from upcycled, donated apparel. The company also recently introduced Re-Spun Fleece, made from 100 percent recycled materials.
In wool, select mills are taking it up a notch to make their green commitments known. For example, the Reda Group created an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) that lays out the impact of its products to help advance its efforts in environmental protection and monitor its consumption. Or take Botto Giuseppe, which offers technical wools replete with finishing applications that enable water repellency, performance, anti-stain guarantees and protection from UV rays — and are blended with silk, cashmere, cotton, linen, viscose or bamboo.
Meanwhile, brands such as Invista focus on fabric longevity and quality as key pillars of their sustainability solution. Cindy McNaull, Invista, Cordura brand business development director, explained, “There’s no denying that ethical purchasing is high on today’s agenda for consumers, and many experts agree that consumers are now turning to more holistic practices of simplification and purchasing of fewer, higher-quality items. Less is definitely more.” McNaull added, “Consumer education to understand sustainable choices will be key to the long-term success of brands. A driver for Invista’s Cordura brand fabric is in providing solutions that are durable and long-lasting in order to help minimize waste and reduce water and energy consumption.”
And participation in initiatives that help drive sustainability forward has gained notable popularity throughout the industry. Take fabric innovation firm Tintex Textiles, who recently joined the United Nations Global Compact to pledge its commitment to “responsible business action.” The company is well-known for its partnership Asahi Kasei and its sustainable Bemberg product, Cupro, a regenerated fiber made from cotton linter, a raw material that is pre-consumer waste. Tintex told WWD, “Things in the trend areas and markets are changing rapidly…consumers are changing, so it is compulsory to find the right, appropriate support in order to work in the right direction with an appropriate strategy. Many consumers want to be informed, especially when it comes to Millennials. It is all about storytelling and making a connection between the brand and the consumer.” The brand explained, “Our role is to provide brands and retailers with a full package of values inside each of our products: contemporary design, innovation and sustainability — all in one.”
For more business news from WWD, see:


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By Lisa Kaminski; Manager, Community Development
The Girl Scout Cookie Sale in NYPENN Pathways begins on January 7, 2013. That is just a few short weeks away! Soon girls in your community will be out selling those delicious varieties of cookies that so many people love.
The Cookie Sale program is more than just a fundraiser. It is a chance for girls to learn real-life skills while taking part in one of the biggest girl-run businesses in the country.
Here are three events girls in our council can participate in to kick off the sale and the excitement surrounding it!
Cookie Rally with the Syracuse Crunch – this event is happening January 11, 2013 from 5:45-10pm. Play cookie bingo, learn about the cookie club, make a craft and watch a hockey game!
Celebrate at the Cookie Rally in Watertown on January 12th. This is open to all girls and is held 10am-12noon.
National Girl Scout Cookie Sleepover on January 12th will feature games, goal setting, sales tips, virtual interaction with girls from across the country, and the Samoa’s Shout dance. Don’t miss it!
For more information on these programs, as well as other being offered throughout the year, check out the NYPENN website at www.gsnypenn.org


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Introducing BritBox: The streaming service set to rival Netflix
The BBC and ITV are teaming up to create a streaming service to rival the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
What is it?
In today’s world it is all about convenience. As scheduled TV viewing continues to decline and the use of streaming services increases, it is no wonder that the two channels are jumping on the metaphorical band wagon.
The Brit-tastic streaming service is already available in the US and Canada with over 500,000 subscribers.
Unlike the existing BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub where the majority of shows are available for a set length of time, BritBox will keep shows forever.
That means no more rushing to binge Luther before Idris’s time on BBC iPlayer is up.
When will it be available?
Before the streaming service is made available in the UK it has to be approved by regulators like OFCOM.
If they give it the go-ahead you should be able to access BritBox in the second half of 2019.
What shows will it have?
We’re still waiting to receive a list of all the shows that BritBox will have, but it will be the home of content new and old.
In the US and Canada it is home to Luther, Coronation Street, EastEnders and every series of Doctor Who.
Along with all of our current and past obsessions the streaming service will be commissioning brand new exclusive content.
What about show on other streaming services?
It has already been confirmed that any deals with streaming services like Netflix will be honoured. That means if a BBC show is currently on Netflix it will stay there, at least until the contract is renewed.
Other channels including Channel 4 and Channel 5 are rumoured to be in talks to get involved too.
How much will it cost?
The exact price of the streaming service is yet to be confirmed but it will be competitive.
Social media rumours have it priced at as little as £5 a month. This could be close because its US counterpart costs $6.99 a month.


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According to philly.com, the deal came after an "unsolicited" offer for the facility that is anchored by two department stores, one of which is apparently closing.
Requests for comment left with PREIT officials Wednesday afternoon were not returned.
"The decision to sell this property was not an easy one. We have business and personal relationships with mall staff, tenants, Voorhees township, and other public partners which we greatly value," PREIT Chief Executive Officer Joseph F. Coradino said in a statement.
A statement issued by PREIT notes that credits were awarded to the entity that purchased the mixed-use property that offers retail, dining, office space and luxury apartments. The credits cover the difference between an earlier price and what the buyer in Tuesday's transaction paid.
The Philadelphia Business Journal reported that PREIT -- which also owns the Cherry Hill Mall and the Gallery in Center City, Philadelphia -- bought the property formerly known as the Echelon Mall in 2003 for $263 million.
The Echelon Mall was built in 1970 and redeveloped in 2007. The property was previously home to an indoor amusement park. PREIT is a real estate investment trust that owns and manages retail shopping outlets around the Northeast.


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The Supreme Court has struck down a ban on trading of virtual currencies (VC) in India, which was imposed by a Reserve Bank of India order in April 2018. The court in its 180-page judgment said that the ban proposed on trading of virtual currencies was not proportionate and that the RBI itself had not found any adverse impact or harm done by the activities of these VC exchanges.
The top court allowed a batch of pleas challenging the 2018 circular of the Reserve Bank of India, which prohibited banks and financial institutions from providing trading services with relation to virtual currencies, which includes cryptocurrencies. Popular forms of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum use blockchain technology and operate independent of a central bank.
The RBI order had banned trading of all virtual currencies in India. The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) was the petitioner in this case on behalf of all the virtual currency trading companies.
“We welcome the Supreme Court verdict. The industry is looking forward to work closely with the regulators including the Reserve Bank of India to mitigate all possible risks related to virtual currencies and foster the growth of these game changing innovations,” Naveen Surya, Chairman, Fintech Convergence Council of IAMAI told indianexpress.com.
“We have allowed the writ petitions,” a bench headed by Justice R F Nariman said while pronouncing the verdict, noted PTI.
In the judgment, the bench noted, “While we have recognised elsewhere in this order, the power of RBI to take a pre-emptive action, we are testing in this part of the order the proportionality of such measure, for the determination of which RBI needs to show at least some semblance of any damage suffered by its regulated entities.”
According to the judgment, the RBI’s circular was not proportionate. It also pointed out the contradiction in the RBI’s stand where it insisted that virtual currencies are not banned in India, but the circular had then gone on to ban all trading around them.
The bench said that by banning trading and the VC exchanges, the virtual currencies have been disconnected from their lifeline. “What is worse is that this has been done (i) despite RBI not finding anything wrong about the way in which these exchanges function and (ii) despite the fact that VCs are not banned,” the court said.
The judgment also refers to the differing position from the government of India, and notes how the same inter-ministerial committee has come to two completely different conclusions in 2018 and 2019. In the 2018 version of the Crypto-token Regulation Bill, the inter-ministerial committee approved the sale and purchase of digital crypto asset at recognised exchanges.
But this position completely changed in 2019. The same committee called for a complete ban on “private cryptocurrencies,” while also calling for the creation of a digital rupee as legal tender. This inherent confusion in the stance of the government is noted in the judgment.
According to Naveen Surya, the RBI circular had baffled the industry, and was seen as a knee-jerk reaction. “The industry always wanted to work with regulators, and there were several responsible, skilled players who understood the risks and had reached out to SEBI, the government and RBI. But the sudden circular had baffled the industry,” Surya said.
While the industry will welcome the Supreme Court order, the fact remains that the issue is not completely at rest, as legislative action is still remaining.
“The matter is still critical as there is a bill to ban virtual currencies in the Parliament and we hope that the government takes appropriate decision to balance between innovation and risk, rather than looking at just one dimension,” Surya said.
He said that until the existing cryto-token bill is changed from its current form, one could still see virtual currencies being banned in India and called for a more holistic view of the subject.
“Digital/virtual currencies (both private or government backed) are integral part of digital economy and digital countries. India is at forefront of all things digital and an inspiration to world, our balanced approach between risk and innovation can become role model for the world. We hope to achieve the same with guidance of the government as well as the regulators,” he added.
In its 2018 order, the RBI had said, “entities regulated by the Reserve Bank shall not deal in VCs or provide services for facilitating any person or entity in dealing with or settling VCs. Such services include maintaining accounts, registering, trading, settling, clearing, giving loans against virtual tokens, accepting them as collateral, opening accounts of exchanges dealing with them and transfer / receipt of money in accounts relating to purchase/ sale of VCs.”
All regulated entities involved in trading of virtual currencies had to exit the relationship within three months from the date of the circular.
A virtual currency in simple terms is a digital currency, which is not a legal tender, meaning it does not have the backing of a central bank, like the Reserve Bank of India. A virtual currency is used by the community of developers who create it. Cryptocurrency is a form of virtual currency which is protected by cryptography.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc rely on the blockchain ledger technology to protect the currency. A blockchain is best defined as a open ledger, updated in real-time and the records are permanent, meaning they cannot be changed. Every time a transaction is done, a new block is added and each node or computer, which is part of the entire network, helps to maintain this blockchain. There is no central network or computer, which is keeping the records in one place.
For example, all Bitcoin transactions which have taken place since 2009 are part of the blockchain. One cannot change or modify these records, because they are protected by complex cryptography. One would technically have to control a majority of the blockchain or 51 per cent in order to tweak these records.


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Amazon CTO Werner Vogels yesterday released a paper on Dynamo, a technology Amazon created to engineer its infrastructure for reliability at massive scale. "Dynamo is internal technology developed at Amazon to address the need for an incrementally scalable, highly-available key-value storage system," Vogels says. "The technology is designed to give its users the ability to trade-off cost, consistency, durability and performance, while maintaining high-availability." He emphasizes that Amazon has no plans to offer Dynamo as part of its utility computing platform, which currently includes S3 and EC2. The paper on Dynamo is pretty technical, but is generating interest around the web. Here's a sampling of the reaction:
- Nicholas Carr says Dynamo "will be of great interest to other engineers engaged in building the massive and massively reliable data-processing systems that will define the future of computing."
- Jesse Robbins at O'Reilly Radar says the paper is an "excellent read for anyone thinking about scalable web sites ... The operational challenges and solutions presented in the paper are particularly interesting."
- Larry Dignan at ZDNet: "Amazon's paper details how storage technology is critical to managing SOA


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Google has unveiled Nexus Imprint, a system that brings fingerprint sensor support to its latest phones and the upcoming Android 6.0 Marshmallow mobile operating system. It will enable the entire app ecosystem to make use of fingerprint recognition and will also work with Android Pay to authenticate an in-store payment, says the company.
“The Nexus 5X and 6P come with Nexus Imprint, which makes unlocking phones more convenient and secure,” Dave Burke, VP of engineering at Google, told attendees at a press event today during which the company unveiled its latest flagship devices.
“Fingerprint sensors have been available in several devices in the Android ecosystem for a while, but Nexus Imprint implements new fingerprint sensor support in Android 6.0 for the first time which opens up fingerprint recognition to the entire app ecosystem.
“The Nexus Imprint sensor provides amazing performance. Registering a finger takes literally just a couple of seconds. Once trained, the sensor can recognise a single finger in less than 600 milliseconds. It’s convenient and secure and the sensor performs at an incredibly low false reject rate so it almost never fails.”
“What’s really cool is that Nexus Imprint gets better over time — with each use it learns more about your unique fingerprint,” Burke continued. “So, to unlock my device with Nexus Imprint, all I have to do is tap the sensor at the back and it simultaneously wakes up the app’s processor and unlocks the phone. It’s incredibly smooth and lightning fast.
“Fingerprint unlocking is super convenient when combined with Android Pay. When you’re in a store, simply touch the back of your phone [and] tap the payment terminal to complete your purchase, it’s that easy. On the phone itself, you can use your fingerprint to simply and quickly authorise Play Store purchases; we’ve been working with partners to integrate fingerprint support on a wide range of banking and commerce apps.”
Android Marshmallow, unveiled at Google I/O in May 2015 alongside the introduction of Android Pay, is also set to launch next week, the company revealed.
“I’m happy to announce that Android 6.0 Marshmallow will begin rolling out to existing Nexus devices starting next week, including the Nexus 5,6,7,9 and Nexus Player,” Burke said.
• Find details of all current and upcoming NFC phones in our comprehensive NFC devices list.


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There are a lot of things in the world that don’t make sense. There are a lot of unanswered questions that keep us up at night. The one that has plagued many of us in the beauty world for far too long is this: How has Naomi Campbell never been the spokesperson for a beauty brand? Well, for once, something in this unpredictable world has been answered: Campbell will be the face of the new NARS spring 2019 campaigns.
Campbell was, among many firsts, the first black woman to appear on the cover of Vogue in September 1989. While most of her super-famous, supermodel peers have been spokespeople for major cosmetics brands over the years, she has not. “I’ve never done [a makeup campaign] for anyone. People say, ‘Oh, you’ve got beautiful skin’, and yet I’ve never done one,” she said in a 2017 interview. When asked why that was the case, she gave her interviewer a look that was interpreted clearly as, “You know why.” She, fellow model Iman, and model agent Bethann Hardison have been putting pressure on the fashion industry to diversify the world of modeling in both runway shows and print campaigns.
François Nars and Campbell have held a close professional relationship for the past twenty years (Campbell and Alek Wek were both featured in a NARS ad in 1998). “Naomi is a living icon and brings such strong personality to the camera,” says Nars in an Instagram post. “She and I are like family. I have known her since the very beginning of her career. From the start, I have admired her, her beauty, and her style.” In addition to the Radiance Repowered campaign, she will also work on a new Orgasm campaign later next year. What better pairing for a legendary blush than a legendary model.


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Royal Caribbean International today announced that its newest ship, Quantum of the Seas, will make its home port in Shanghai (Baoshan), China, bringing the company's most innovative ship to the world's fastest-growing cruise market.
Hawaiian Airlines has reached a new milestone today as it launched three-times weekly non-stop service to Beijing, the latest addition to its expanded international network and first mainland China destination.
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Foundation today announces the results of its latest GBTA BTI Outlook China report, a semi-annual analysis that relates unfolding economic events at home and abroad to their resulting impacts on Chinas business travel market.
Air China will commence Beijing-Washington nonstop service on June 10, 2014, making Washington the 7th North American destination that Air China serves alongside New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Hawaii and Vancouver.
Northstar Travel Media has acquired Travel Weekly China, Travel Weekly Asia, and Events China from Contineo Media, a multi-platform information provider based in Singapore, with locations in Beijing and Shanghai.


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BionX launches pedal-powered watercraft with e-assist
The world of hybrid vehicles sporting electrically assisted drive trains has been expanded to include personal leisure watercraft.
TORONTO: The world of hybrid vehicles sporting electrically assisted drive trains has been expanded to include personal leisure watercraft.
BionX International, an electric propulsion company established by former Magna vice-chairman Manfred Gingl and strategically aligned with Magna International, has unveiled its SeaScape 12 watercraft, which supplements passengers’ pedal power with 250 watts of electricity provided by two 12-volt batteries.
It’s the same kind of power assist applied by the company’s e-bike system, designed and manufactured in Aurora, Ont. and marketed globally.
“Nothing like the SeaScape 12 exists on the water today and we expect it to carve out a share of the $4.2 billion Canadians spend on recreational fishing, personal watercraft and human powered boating every year,” said Paul Gingl, BionX’s vice-president of marine products. “Our research indicates the SeaScape 12 sits in the sweet spot between human powered craft like kayaks, canoes and traditional pedal-boats and combustion-powered watercraft.”
The 12-foot watercraft seats up to two adults and two children and its electric support allows it to silently reach a maximum sustained speed of 8.1 km per hour for as long as four hours, on a medium support level, which the company says greatly increases the range of the SeaScape 12 compared with human-powered watercraft.
First run of the SeaScape 12 will be limited to just 1,000 units next year and priced around $6,000.
BionX says the craft is currently assembled at its Austrian facility, but will eventually be built at the Aurora plant where the e-bike system is assembled.


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Last updated: 4 Mar 2021 | 698 Views |
Indonesia’s government is preparing a regulation to enable it to collect a 10% value-added tax on digital products from August, matching a similar levy already imposed on physical goods.
The rule will detail the range of products to be taxed and how the levies will be collected, according to a statement from Indonesia’s tax office. Subscriptions to film and music streaming services, purchases of online content and digital gaming are among the range of products and services that will be covered, the tax office said.
While Indonesia has been planning to tax digital companies for years as a way to boost revenue, spending on products such as Netflix and Zoom has “soared amid the Covid-19 outbreak,” Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said earlier this year. Indonesia’s tax revenue dropped 3.1% annually in the January-April period as the contagion hit. The government has cut this year’s economic growth forecast to 2.3%, while warning that it may contract.


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You are here: Home/News/ SME Action Plan Unlocks £35m Gov Contracts
SME Action Plan Unlocks £35m Gov Contracts
SMEs are set to have easier access to government contracts as the SME Action Plan will unlock opportunities for smaller businesses as part of a £35 million promise.
The SME Action Plan reveals the government’s target for £1 in every £3 spent to be contracted with smaller businesses and to spend an extra £35m by 2022 to level the playing field for SMEs bidding for government procurement contracts. BEIS – the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Startegy – and its partner agencies currently spend approximately £360 million a year on SMEs.
To help smaller businesses find subcontracting work, the department will also ensure government’s larger suppliers advertise on our Contracts Finder site.
Small Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst said:
The UK’s 5.7 million SMEs are the lifeblood of our economy, employing 16 million people and accounting for £1.9 trillion of turnover. They work hard, day in and day out, creating jobs, opportunities and greater choice for consumers and helping to keep the UK a great place to start and grow a business.
That is why this government’s modern Industrial Strategy is fully behind them and we are working, through initiatives like the SME Action Plan, to build a Britain in which they can continue to thrive.
The SME Action Plan forms an important part of the BEIS modern Industrial Strategy to ensure more is being done to grow the UK’s status as one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business.
The strategy looks to shape the right environment for business, invest in research, build a workforce with the right skills for industries of the future and seizing new trading opportunities after we leave the EU.
The government has also recently announced a strengthening of its own commitment to prompt payment with an ambition to pay 90% of undisputed invoices from SMEs within 5 days and ensuring government departments have a dedicated non-executive director responsible for prompt payment.