text:
Musk's Masterplan part II: solar powered vehicles and autonomous cars that earn you moneyBy Rob Thubron 19 comments
Earlier this month, Elon Musk announced that he would soon reveal the second part of Tesla's "Top Secret Masterplan," the first part - revealed in August 2006 - being the mass production of the Tesla S and Tesla 3. Now, he's finally shown off his company's ambitious plans for the future.
There are four main parts to Musk's "Masterplan, part Deux," as he calls it. The first, as suspected, is related to Tesla's controversial bid for solar panel installer SolarCity, for which Musk is both chairman and its largest shareholder.
The CEO wants to merge the two companies to create a single "solar-roof-with-battery-product" that can cleanly power people's homes, with any excess energy going into a Tesla vehicle's battery. The idea is to make Tesla the only place customers need to go for all their clean energy requirements. Musk says this all-in-one solution can only be made possible through the deal. "We can't do this well if Tesla and SolarCity are different companies," he claimed.
The next part of the plan is to expand the range of vehicles Tesla makes. Right now it's limited to premium sedans and SUVs, but it intends to move beyond this small market with the introduction of a pickup truck, compact SUV, and the Model 3. Moreover, at some point next year, the company hopes to unveil its line of heavy-duty trucks - the Tesla Semi - along with commercial vehicles such as buses.
Probably the most ambitious part of the plan involves Tesla upgrading its vehicles' semi-autonomous Autopilot to a completely self-driving system. Musk says Autopilot in its current form is still in "beta," and will only drop this label when it is fully autonomous and "ten times safer than the US vehicle average." Musk didn't say when this was likely to happen.
The Autopilot upgrade ties in with the last part of the plan: turning your Tesla into an autonomous taxi that brings in money when you're not using it. Since most cars are only in use between five and ten percent of the day, Musk wants owners to be able to add their vehicles to a shared fleet, which can then be rented out, Uber-style, to drive other people around. The fares will be shared with the car owners, helping to offset the cost of the vehicle.
While the first two parts of the plan seem attainable within the next year or so, the autonomous/shared cars idea is obviously a long way off. While the cynical will argue that his ambitious revolve around growing Tesla as a company, Musk says the Masterplan is about moving away from our reliance on dwindling supplies of fossil fuels.
"By definition, we must at some point achieve a sustainable energy economy or we will run out of fossil fuels to burn and civilization will collapse. Given that we must get off fossil fuels anyway and that virtually all scientists agree that dramatically increasing atmospheric and oceanic carbon levels is insane, the faster we achieve sustainability, the better."


text:
Although receiving an advertisement via a text message is less common in the U.S. than in some European countries, Americans are more likely to respond, according to a report released today by M:Metrics, a Seattle mobile measurement firm.
M:Metrics found that 17.2 percent of U.S. subscribers have received a text message ad in July, whereas in Europe as many as three out of four mobile subscribers reporting receiving one.
In the U.S., response rates were the highest, with 12 percent responding to the ads. The United Kingdom had the second highest response rates at 9.2 percent.
The big concern with sending ads via text message is that they will annoy customers, especially if they are sent without permission. Also, in the U.S., subscribers may be charged for the message if they do not have an unlimited texting plan.
M:Metrics found that across all geographies a majority, or 73 percent, of the ads are from the subscriber's mobile service provider; 17.5 percent of subscribers said they received an ad from a company that had permission to send it, and 21.1 percent said the advertisers did not have permission.
"Certainly the level of interaction is impressive compared to almost any advertising vehicle available today" said Evan Neufeld, a M:Metrics senior analyst. "It is undeniable that text-based mobile advertising is both a highly prevalent and an extremely effective medium for engaging customers."

domain: news


text:
Shazam is always listening to you on Mac -- but not for long
Should Shazam keep your Mac's microphone on, even when you turn it off?
Sean HollisterSenior Editor / Reviews
When his parents denied him a Super NES, he got mad. When they traded a prize Sega Genesis for a 2400 baud modem, he got even. Years of Internet shareware, eBay'd possessions and video game testing jobs after that, he joined Engadget. He helped found The Verge, and later served as Gizmodo's reviews editor. When he's not madly testing laptops, apps, virtual reality experiences, and whatever new gadget will supposedly change the world, he likes to kick back with some games, a good Nerf blaster, and a bottle of Tejava.
Seven years later, Shazam is still an amazing idea -- just press a button to know the name of the song that's currently playing. That's all well and good, but what if the music discovery tool keeps on listening, even when you turn it off?
On Monday, benevolent hacker Patrick Wardle revealed that -- on Mac computers -- the Shazam app never lets go of your laptop or desktop microphone. It continues to listen even after after you've told the app to stop listening.
Don't get outraged just yet, though. According to a report at Motherboard, which spoke to Wardle, it doesn't look like Shazam is doing anything malicious with that data: not saving it, processing it, or phoning it back home to servers. It's simply on when it should be off.
But it's also not a bug: Shazam told Motherboard it's intentional, so that users don't have to wait several seconds for music to buffer before getting the name of a song.
That excuse doesn't really pass the smell test, so we spoke to Shazam's Chief Product Officer Fabio Santini to understand the situation a little more. He explained that it was just a choice the company made in the Mac version -- and only the Mac version -- since the whole automatically-running-in-the-background thing is what the company promised on Mac since day one.
Santini told us that even if a hacker could get hold of that data, it still wouldn't let them eavesdrop on your personal conversations: Shazam just samples a few points along the audio wave to create a digital "fingerprint" that it matches against other "fingerprints" in the company's music database.
"Those points can't be reverse-engineered to reconstruct original audio," he tells us.
Still, Shazam has a target on its back now that the always-recording feature has been revealed -- what if hackers could figure out how to take advantage of the fact that the microphone stays on? (Stranger things have happened.)
This may all be a moot point, though, because the publicity has convinced Shazam to change how its Mac app works. "We want to be sensitive to what our users think and feel," says Santini.
"Even though we don't recognize a meaningful risk, we want to make this configuration change to show that we care, and we pay attention, and we want them to feel good about using Shazam on their Mac."
Santini says the company should be updating its Mac app within the next few days.


text:
You’ve heard the expression, go big, or go home?
Well, that is exactly what Hyundai is doing, when it comes to hydrogen fuel cell technology.
Acording to a Reuters report, South Korea’s Hyundai Motor plans to ship a new series of XCIENT fuel cell trucks to Europe later this year, turning up the heat on rivals in a battle to test the viability of hydrogen-powered heavy goods transport.
But they are not stopping there.
The Asian industrial giant has also launched a pilot project to rev up demand for fuel cells by marketing them beyond the auto industry, Nikkei Asia reported.
These shipping container size “boxes” contain compact powerplants with a capacity of 500 kW, enough for 1,100 average households, according to the automaker.
Stoking demand for these core systems could make production more cost-effective — giving the company an edge over rival Toyota Motor — and promote the infrastructure needed for the technology to spread.
The test run for the compact generators at the Ulsan facility, which began in January, aims to take advantage of the city’s hydrogen production.
Ulsan, a petrochemical industry hub, generates 820,000 tons of hydrogen per year as a byproduct of refining, about half the country’s total from that source.
“It’s an optimal energy source for South Korea, which is poor in natural resources,” the manager of Hyundai’s hydrogen energy development team said. If the test run goes well, the company plans to introduce the hydrogen generators elsewhere in South Korea and abroad.
The South Korean company looks to expand production of fuel cell systems as well. Affiliated parts maker Hyundai Mobis looks to bring a second plant at its Chungju facility online in 2022, increasing capacity more than tenfold to 40,000 units per year.
The group also is working on a factory in Guangzhou, slated to open in 2022 as well, that will be able to churn out about 6,500 yearly.
Hyundai aims to supply fuel cell systems not only to Chinese automakers, but also to manufacturers of products such as industrial equipment and drones.
This clean-burning fuel is expected to enjoy stronger demand amid the global pivot away from fossil fuels. Tokyo-based Fuji Keizai forecasts the worldwide market for fuel cell systems to reach 4.96 trillion yen (US$45.5 billion) in fiscal 2030, ballooning by a factor of 18 from fiscal 2019.
Meanwhile, a new class of the XCIENT Hyundai truck, equipped with more efficient fuel cells with longer life-span, is due to arrive in Europe in the fourth quarter, said Mark Freymueller, CEO of Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility (HHM).
Hydrogen lags electric batteries in the green transport stakes because it is more expensive, but proponents say for long-haul transport hydrogen-powered trucks have the advantage because they have a greater range.
HHM, a joint venture between Hyundai and Swiss hydrogen company H2 Energy, has been renting out “green” hydrogen trucks to commercial clients in Switzerland since last October in the world’s most advanced pilot in the field.
HHM plans to go into other European countries next year.
“Germany and the Netherlands are the most likely,” Freymueller told Reuters, adding there was also interest for pilots from Austria, Norway, France, Italy, Spain and Denmark.
Hyundai’s latest push will put more pressure on local players, which are developing their own hydrogen plans.
These include Germany’s Daimler with Sweden’s Volvo and Italy’s Iveco, a unit of Italian-American vehicle maker CNH Industrial, which is cooperating with low-emission truckmaker Nikola.
Hydrogen has come into the spotlight in Europe, where EU environment ministers want truck CO2 emissions cut by a third by 2030 from 2019 levels, threatening potential diesel bans and higher taxes but promising up to 75% of lower road tolls for greener vehicles.
A study by consultancy Berylls Strategy Advisors reckons that by 2030, 25% of new truck sales in Europe will be battery powered and 10% fuel cell. But the ratio could change if green hydrogen is scaled up, it said.
And Hyundai is not the only company hedging its bets.
US engine maker Cummins, due to start building a fuel cell system factory in Herten, Germany, later this year, sees no conflict.
“Fuel cells will complement the BEV (battery electric vehicle) system in places where energy storage, range, weight and power requirements are unable to be met by batteries alone,” said Amy Davis, president of New Power at Cummins.
“That’s why we are investing in the electric vehicle drivetrain components, because we think those will be maturing too, and they will be key to both fuel cells and batteries.”
2021 XCIENT Fuel Cell facts:
- Equipped with a 180-kW hydrogen fuel cell system with two 90-kW fuel cell stacks, newly modified for this heavy-duty truck model.
- The 350-kW e-motor features a maximum torque of 2,237 N·m further enabling dynamic driving performance.
- Seven large hydrogen tanks offer a combined storage capacity of around 31 kg of fuel, while three 72-kWh high voltage batteries provide an additional source of power.
- The maximum driving range of 2021 XCIENT Fuel Cell is set to be around 400 km (249 miles).
- Refueling a full tank of hydrogen takes about 8 to 20 minutes, depending on the ambient temperature.
- 2021 XCIENT Fuel Cell will be available in a 6×2 rigid body configuration as well as the 4×2 option introduced in the previous model.
- As of May 2021, the cumulative driving range of those trucks in operation reached more than 750,000 km. Over that distance, the hydrogen-powered trucks have reduced carbon emissions by an estimated 585 tons, compared to diesel-powered vehicles.
- Hyundai also plans to present XCIENT Fuel Cell to the North American market this year.
Sources: Nikkei Asia, Reuters, Hyundai, GreenCongress.com


text:
The Premier’s announcement of 17 December as the date for the reopening of Queensland’s borders is welcome news. It will give confidence to consumers and a compelling reason for the community to be vaccinated.
The onus is now on the community to get the borders to reopen and restart the region’s $3.5 billion visitor economy.
Our community needs to be aware that once the State reaches the 80% vaccination rate, communities with vaccination rates below 80% will be subject to lockdowns. The Federal Government will no longer provide financial assistance once the State reaches 80%.
Visitors will need to be double vaccinated and have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of travel and this will create a hurdle that will slow the rate of growth.
Our region’s recovery, and the thousands of jobs hanging in the balance, are in the hands of our community – so please get vaccinated and help us to avoid lockdowns. Going into lockdown while the rest of Australia is open will delay the destination’s recovery by months putting us behind the rest of Australia and the world and will impact thousands of jobs in our community.
The roadmap announcement comes as extensive summer marketing gets underway with the launch of Tourism and Events Queensland’s Great Queensland Getaway campaign this week offering heavily discounted flights, accommodation and tourism experiences.
Strongly supported in Tropical North Queensland with 142 of our operators registering deals, the $8 million Great Queensland Getaway includes up to 50% off tourism experiences, $75 Brisbane to Cairns airfares, and discounted bus passes.
One of TEQ’s largest-ever campaigns, it comes as access from Southeast Queensland is increasing with Virgin Australia launching new permanent flights from the Gold Coast to Cairns from December.
The timing supports TTNQ’s Summer Great campaign which launched this month to boost visitor numbers. ‘Summer Great. Leave Greater’, TTNQ’s first summer campaign, which was launched last year, generated more than $20 million in retail sales over five months.
Summer presents an opportunity for our region’s operators to pick up some much needed business after the disappointing loss of our key markets during what should have been a busy winter season.
The campaign will continue to grow awareness and consideration for summer in the tropics within the domestic market with activity including TV/Video on Demand, YouTube, editorial, digital, social, influencer and media educationals.
Chief Executive Officer


text:
17:29 | 14/04/2015 Trade
(VEN) - Vietnamese export turnover to the Latin American market has recorded a strong growth rate in recent times. As a new market group, Latin America has become a huge potential market for Vietnamese goods.
Garments and textiles have accounted for a large share of export turnover to Latin America
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in the first two months of this year, export turnover to Latin America and the Caribbean region reached US$601 million, an increase of 22.4 percent compared to the same period last year. Of this number, export turnover to Chile stood at US$78 million, an increase of 155.5 percent compared to a year ago. This figure was highly appreciated by the ministry, especially in the context of current economic difficulties.
Latin America has become a potentially lucrative market for Vietnamese goods in recent years. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s America Market Department, total two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Latin American countries reached US$9.5 billion in 2014, a year-on-year increase of 40.7 percent.
Trade relations between Vietnam and Latin American countries have been increasingly expanded. Vietnam’s export markets in the Latin American region have to date increased to 33 countries and territories. Vietnam’s key export markets in this region include Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.
Footwear, seafood, rice, garments and textiles, coffee, rubber, machinery, equipment and electronic components, engineering parts, iron and steel, furniture and ceramics are the main exports of Vietnam. Meanwhile, raw materials serving domestic production including garments and textiles, leather and footwear, iron and steel scrap, plastic materials, animal feed, soybean and cotton are the main imports.
In addition to 10 key markets, bilateral trade turnover between Vietnam and 23 other countries in the Latin American region is still on a small scale, accounting for just nine percent of total export turnover.
In addition to certain advantages, Vietnamese goods have also faced a number of difficulties such as long geographical distance and different consumer culture. A number of garments and textiles as well as leather and footwear businesses have had to visit Latin American countries to learn the tastes of local consumers. Payment methods and different working practices have also created difficulties in the early stages when entering the market. Most notably among the initial problem is that Vietnamese goods have not yet built their own brand.
At a time where key economies such as the US and the EU have not yet recovered, Latin American countries are considered Vietnam’s best potential export markets. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s America Market Department, the ministry has cooperated with relevant agencies to strengthen trade promotion activities. It has also expanded the distribution system and conducted market research in order to help businesses enter deeper into the market and so secure better deals. Businesses are also recommended to actively ascertain market conditions prior to the transaction in order to limit their exposure to risk.
By Lan Phuong


text:
Online holiday sales deflated 3 percent this year. ComScore estimates that holiday sales in the U.S. totaled $25.5 billion between November 1 and December 23, the last day orders could be delivered in time for Christmas. The comparable total in 2007 was $26.3 billion.
A simple look at U.S. traffic to retail sites in December through Christmas Eve (see table below) shows that eBay had the most unique visitors (85.4 million), followed by Amazon (76.2 million), and Wal-Mart (51.5 million). Even though eBay attracted the most people, its traffic was down 4 percent from last year. Amazon saw 7 percent more visitors, which might have contributed to its claiming to have a great Christmas.
But the retail sites that saw the biggest increases in visitors was Apple (up 19 percent) and Hewlett-Packard (up 28 percent). Dell, in contrast, saw a 17 percent decline in visitors.
(Photo by Randy Son of Robert)


text:
You might get to access your internet for ‘gratis’ if your adorable dog is just around the corner. Confused? Well, let us get down to brass tacks then. A Mexican Internet company has pretty oddly discovered a new way to reward caring dog owners for cleaning their poops. Yes, you read that right!
Dog owners will now seriously be rewarded for cleaning up their pets’ pooches but with free Internet access rather than with words of appreciation. Although the idea is quite unusual, but it definitely sounds interesting for those who find tidying up their dog’s poop an exhausting task. So how does it work?
Reportedly, ‘Poo Wi-Fi’ gets into action by prompting dog owners trash their pet’s waste into a unique receptacle. There will be a device within the receptacle which quite efficiently measures the weight of the package and treats everyone in the park with an equivalent number of free Wi-Fi minutes. Now, that sounds more like a fair deal.
So basically, the more dog poop in the recyclable bin, the more free Internet access minutes will be added to the clock for everyone to share. Generally, one small package proffers the park at least a few minutes. By taking advantage of which, you can definitely listen to a song or send at least an email. While it’s pretty interesting to see people clearing up their dogs’ waste, the creative idea also comes across as an intelligent way to keep the environment clean and healthy.
Though it would be great if this new program reaches other regions as well in the near future, Poo Wi-Fi however has already been installed at 10 parks across Mexico City. Quite a great try, we must say!


text:
It Could Be Moving Time in D.C.
If you’re advising an entrepreneur right now, you might tell them to consider the moving business in Washington, D.C. That’s because after the last few months of frustration, small business owners say they are ready for new leadership on Capitol Hill.
In our latest SurePayroll Small Business Scorecard® survey for October, more than 60 percent of small business owners said they would not vote to reelect their Congressman or woman if an election were held today.
Nine out of 10 said the concerns of businesses with 10 or less employees are not being heard by their government leaders.
It seems like a pretty clear call to action for the people in Congress: don’t forget about small businesses. They are, after all, the engine that really drives this economy, making up the majority of American businesses.
Their voices should be heard.
Michael Alter, payroll expert with an MBA from Harvard Business School, is a nationally recognized spokesperson providing thought-leadership and sensible advice to help accounting and payroll professionals build deeper more profitable relationships with clients. Alter, President of SurePayroll, writes the Trade Secrets column on INC.com and is frequently published in Bloomberg TV, the Wall Street Journal, and Entrepreneur Magazine.


text:
For Honor Season Six rolls out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One an PC today, May 17th at 5pm UK time.
Coming with Season Six of For Honor, there will be a seasonal event “The Rite of Champions” from May 17th to May 31st. In this event, players will honor the valor of the Heroes of yesterday and earn their place among today’s Heroes in a new limited-time 4vs4 Game Mode, the Carousel of Death. This new seasonal event will also give players the opportunity to loot special event items including ornaments, battle outfits, effects and weapon sets.
For more information, please visit: forhonorgame.com/seasonviherosmarch


text:
Truck-Tool-Box.com, the legendary manufacturer of aluminum pickup truck tool boxes, launches an aggressive social media campaign to highlight its toolbox products, customer reviews, and useful guides for truck owners.
Get A Truck Tool Box Today!
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV (1888PressRelease) October 23, 2010 - Social media has blazed across the internet in recent times as an interactive communication tool for business and friends alike.
Like many other companies in the automotive industry, www.Truck-Tool-Box.com realizes this valuable tool to communicate with its current and potential customers.
Starting November 1st, 2010, a new social campaign begins for the company. Plans and content are being created for popular video and networking websites such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
"We're really excited to get this up and running"; said Damion Rutherford, the company's Director of Online Marketing. "The internet has changed the ways we market and communicate with our clients, and this is another opportunity to give the best service in our industry."
"We've just established accounts with many of the popular social media websites online. Already, the news is spreading. We have over 100 fans on our FaceBook page for truck toolboxes." added Gary Kipe, the company's president.
Mr. Rutherford concluded with this statement: "This is a whole new arm to our website marketing efforts. We're hoping to give customers the info they want, updates on special offers, as well as some special goodies we're not going to mention yet!".
Truck-Tool-Box.com is an industry leader in aluminum pickup truck toolboxes. Designed specifically for service trucks, sports enthusiasts, and contractors alike. The company also offers an industry exclusive 3 year warranty on all moving parts of the toolbox. For More information, please visit www.Truck-Tool-Box.com.


text:
The Radicle by Kerry range includes a range of taste, nutrition and functional solutions which can be paired with plant-based proteins and dairy alternatives, and aims to offer customers an integrated solution to create nutritionally better plant-based foods with authentic tastes and cleaner labels.
The range has been launched in response to the growing plant-based market. According to an Acumen Research & Consulting study, the global plant-based food market value is estimated to reach approximately $24.3bn by 2026 and will grow at CAGR above 9.1% over the forecast time frame, a growth associated with the growing flexitarian consumer group.
Kerry said this represents an exciting opportunity for the food industry but many operators and manufacturers are unsure how to get ahead, or indeed get started, in delivering the plant-based foods consumers want.
Radicle launches initially in Europe and North America and will roll-out globally in the coming months.
Malcolm Sheil, president and CEO, of Kerry Europe & Russia explained the launch. “There is no doubt that there continues to be a mainstream consumer shift towards a flexitarian diet,” he said. “Consumer preferences, from restaurants to retail, have never seen such dynamic change, but for the food industry these developments are as challenging as they are exciting. Radicle by Kerry brings together our dairy and meat heritage and our technology, processing and applications expertise, with over 20 years of experience in the plant-based food space. It asserts Kerry’s position as a trusted partner for the food industry in leading to better plant-based food, by offering the industry’s broadest portfolio of taste, nutrition and functional solutions.”
Darren O’Sullivan, plant-based food director at Kerry Europe, added: “Radicle by Kerry represents a significant launch for our business. The depth of what we can offer customers is unique in the marketplace. Whether customers seek meat alternatives or dairy alternatives, we offer a total solution with the ability to deliver taste, texture, nutrition and functionality. We look forward to innovating with customers right across the foodservice and retail channels to create new and exciting dishes for the growing flexitarian consumer group.”


text:
SHENZHEN, China, April 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Creality, the 3D printing industry evangelist, is celebrating its 7 th anniversary in 2021 and to mark the memorable milestone, the company will host a 3D printing industry summit on April 9 at Gems Cube International Hotel in Shenzhen.
To register for the Create the Future anniversary event, please visit: https://www.creality.com/
Around a thousand people are expected to attend this unique anniversary celebration event including guests, staff, media and other well-known giants of the 3D printing industry who are focused on the advanced progress and cutting-edge technology of this industry and who regularly lead the way in 3D printing innovation.
General manager and one of the four co-founders of Creality, Chen Chun, is scheduled to give a speech on the day and award winners of the Creality Global Creative Modification Masters Contest will also receive prizes.
"As an industry leading company, we always set out to create work that is full of creativity and ingenuity to impress our users all around the world," said Chen Chun. "It is innovation and endless perseverance that has pushed us to be here, driving us to break boundaries in every one of our creations and intelligently guide the future, helping to build the technological innovation ecosystem, because, striving to be the leading global consumer grade printer enterprise is where we aim. It is for these reasons that we will also be launching a new mystery blockbuster product on the day of this special anniversary event."
This celebration event will be simultaneously broadcast on major global platforms including Facebook, Youtube, Netease, Nanjixiong, Bilibili, and others. Creality is looking forward to sharing this special day with everyone on April 9.
Founded in 2014, Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology Co., Ltd is a global consumer-level 3D printing leading brand and national high-tech enterprise, focusing on 3D printer research and production. We boast more than 100 patents in consumer, industrial and educational 3D printers. Creality has always been dedicated to the market application of 3D printers and provided efficient and cost-effective, comprehensive 3D printing solutions to individuals, families, schools and enterprises.
Headquartered in Shenzhen with branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Chengdu, Creality established an industry-university-research teaching and internship base with multiple colleges and universities, extending our technological strength. The progressive large-scale R&D center, 3D printing laboratory, Creality Academy and modernized production line combined with a 24 hour, non-stop professional testing line and rigid quality system has ensured product quality from its source. Our products have been sold to 192 countries and regions, ranking in the global 3D printer top sales list.
Contact us: [email protected]


text:
U.S. Postal Service Forever stamps
Forever stamps will climb 5 cents on Jan. 27 - from 50 cents to 55 cents each. (Photo: United States Postal Service)
Forever stamps and post cards
Old price: 50 cents
New price: 55 cents
Percentage increase: 10 percent
Each additional ounce will cost 15 cents, a decrease from 21 cents. So the cost to mail a 2-ounce stamped letter - will drop from 71 cents to 70 cents.
The cost to mail a postcard remains 35 cents.


text:
Entrepreneurship Week at EIU
Entrepreneurship Week is typically held in early November and represents a series of signature events, celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit at Eastern Illinois University.
Matt Allison talked to entrepreneurship and music students on November 5th. As an entrepreneur and musician, Dr. Matthew Allison is working to yoke the concepts of “creative type” and businessman. With over a decade as a professional music teacher and experience in arts administration, non-profits, music industry management, training/consulting and leadership development, Matthew has learned to focus versatile interests to create a rewarding career. He holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Kansas and is a certified trainer in Dr. Edward deBono’s Six Thinking Hats and Lateral Thinking Methods.
Pat Sullivan, the co-founder and former CEO of ACT!, the top selling sales software used by millions of salespeople worldwide, talked to the business students on November 6th at two separate events. Mr. Sullivan was named one of the "80 Most Influential People in Sales and Marketing History" among Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Jack Welch and Bill Gates by Sales and Marketing Management. He was also Ernst & Young "Entrepreneur of the Year" twice for both ACT! and SalesLogix. Mr. Sullivan has served as a board member for various tech companies, and is currently working on his next entrée to the sales CRM industry with Contatta.


text:
Details have emerged on the new 2008 Ford Racing Cobra Jet Mustang also known as the FR500CJ. The new Cobra Jet Mustang (FR500CJ) will join Ford Racing's two other successful road racing Mustangs, the FR500C and FR500S
as turn-key race cars available through Ford Dealers. The cars will be built in December of 2008 and shipped to customers in February of 2009.
The FR500CJ will be a factory-built race car with a 400 horsepower 5.4L DOHC supercharged engine with a 6-speed manual transmission that is standard, an optional automatic will also be available. The car itself will be lightweight at 3,300 lbs and will be NHRA legal to 10.00 second ET's along with the interior being NHRA Stock Eliminator legal interior. It will come with a unique trim and appearance package, drag race wheel/tire combination and a Cobra Jet graphics package. Ford says there will be an initial 50 unit production run with the MSRP being $69,900.


text:
Driving just south of Portland along Oregon highway 224 in Milwaukie, you can't miss it. Bob's Red Mill, a 15-acre production and flouring facility and two-acre retail outlet, is well-loved by natural foods enthusiasts and Oregonians. The landmark business and marketplace has grown from humble local roots into one of the most prominent producers of natural and organic milled grain products in North America. Despite great success, Red Mill's owner Bob Moore never forgot where his business began.
Now in a generous and humbling gesture, Moore has handed over ownership of the business to his 209 employees, according to OregonLive.com.
"In some ways I had a choice," said Moore, referring to the countless offers on the table to buy his privately held company or take it public. "But in my heart, I didn't. These people are far too good at their jobs for me to just sell it."
The plan was unveiled during Moore's 81st birthday event, which he celebrated with scores of his employees. Deemed The Employee Stock Ownership Plan, the new business model is a retirement plan in which the company contributes its stock to the plan to be held in trust for the benefit of its employees.
"This is Bob taking care of us," said Lori Sobelson, who helps run the business' retail operation. "He expects a lot out of us, but really gives us the world in return."
Although the company's worth is not public, revenues were estimated to be at least around $24 million in 2004, and a recent news release reported an annual growth rate of between 20 percent to 30 percent every year since. That means eventual payouts to the employees could be substantial.
Vested employees, who need to be with the company for at least three years to qualify, will be given annual reports detailing their respective stake in the company. When they quit or retire, the employees will be given cash totaling whatever amount they are due.
Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods bills itself as the "nation's leading miller of diverse whole-grain foods." It produces more than 400 products from flours, cereals and bread mixes, primarily whole grains, that are ground with quartz millstones which come from several 120-year-old mills, as well as distributing beans, seeds, nuts, dried fruits, spices and herbs. Many of the products are certified organic and some are also gluten-free.
"It's very humbling to be part of a company that cares this much about its employees," said Nancy Garner, Moore's executive assistant.
Indeed, in a time of national economic woes, employment insecurity and taxpayer-funded bank bailouts, it's refreshing to find a locally based natural foods company with a business model that's as healthy for its employee's well-being as its product.
MNN homepage photo: Bob’s Red Mill


text:
The British kiwi berry season is now underway, with this year’s crop expected to double last year’s, according to grower BerryWorld.
More than 20 tonnes are expected this year from BerryWorld’s Withers Farm in Herefordshire, compared with last year’s 11 tonnes, thanks to a greater planting area.
The miniature kiwis, originally native to northern China, have been grown in Herefordshire for the past five years. They are similar to kiwis in colour, but unlike kiwis, they are bite-sized and require no peeling.
The BerryWorld kiwi berries are available until the end of September in Ocado as well as selected Tesco, Waitrose and M&S stores across the UK. At this time of year, supermarkets source their kiwi berries from the UK, but in the imports season from Chile, according to BerryWorld.
It comes as BerryWorld has expanded its global reach by partnering with Australian producer Piñata Farms to establish a new joint venture to produce Australian-grown berries.
The joint venture company, called BerryWorld Australia, will produce strawberries, raspberries and blackberries grown on Piñata Farms in Australia and New Zealand, and will sell them under the BerryWorld label.
The first strawberries from the venture arrived in store in August, with raspberries to follow in February 2018, and blackberries expected in 2020. The fruit will initially launch in small volumes, but is expected to be produced all year round by 2019.
It is the latest step by BerryWorld to expand globally, following moves to South Africa and Iberia.
“As part of our strategy to ‘Grow the BerryWorld’, the last three years has seen the launch of BerryWorld Group, with new businesses being set up in South Africa in 2015, Iberia in 2016 and Australia in 2017,” said a BerryWorld spokeswoman.
“There are several ventures on the horizon for 2018 that we are excited to be announcing in the early part of the year.”


text:
Latest eCommerce News - Inside Retail Philippines
E-commerce has helped boost the first-quarter bottom line for Giordano International, particularly in China.
The Philippines is lagging behind its neighbours in online retail sales growth, says a new report.
Shopee Philippines has appointed Anne Curtis as its first brand ambassador, coinciding with its 5.5 Shopee Super Sale.
Investment in digital transformation is required to transition from a product-driven approach to a customer-centric model.
Nearly half of online shoppers in Asia are dissatisfied with the experience, according to the latest UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper study.
Inside Retail and retail innovation specialist Tofugear are launching a joint research study into the digital transformation strategies of Asian retailers.
Zalora parent Global Fashion Group says Asia-Pacific sales growth averaged 40 per cent in the final quarter of last year.
Abhijeet Vijayvergiya of Capillary Technologies shares five tips for Southeast Asian retailers to lift their omnichannel game.
Singapore-based lifestyle marketplace Zilingo has raised US$54 million in series-C funding, taking its total capital raised to $82 million.
Shoppers in emerging economies want a more luxury, personalised shopping service via mobile, Worldpay research reveals.
Consumers will spend more than US$3.3 trillion this year on remote payments for purchases, says Juniper Research.
Zalora and J.Crew are forming a partnership to expand the brand’s reach.


text:
Amazon to sell ready meals with a 12-month shelf life and no need for refrigeration
Muscling further into the grocery and ready meals markets, it is being reported that Amazon will be using new technology to create ready meals that have a shelf life of 12 months and do not need to be refrigerated. The logistics savings alone will be huge. Not only that, the meals are nutritious, taste good, require minimal processing and have clean labels.
The microwave assisted thermal sterilisation, or MATS, technology, originally developed by Washington State University, is being commercialised by US start-up 915 Labs. The patented, FDA-accepted technology is very different from conventional processing systems such as retort, where food is exposed to high temperatures for up to an hour; HPP, which has limited product scope and requires refrigeration; and frozen, which is plagued by food safety, consumer inconvenience and sustainability issues.
In MATS, packaged foods are simultaneously immersed in pressurised hot water and heated with targeted microwave energy at a frequency of 915 MHz, eliminating pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in a matter of minutes. The unique process allows a wide range of foods to be packaged for the shelf, including many that cannot be conventionally processed today including salmon fillets, chicken breasts, pasta and whole vegetables.
By reducing exposure to high heat, MATS allows the natural nutrients and flavours in food to remain intact — and eliminates the need for artificial additives, preservatives and excess sodium.
915 Labs is now building MATS-30 commercial production systems capable of processing up to 10 million units annually, including single-serve trays, pouches and foodservice packaging formats.
The MATS-30 complements the company’s small-scale MATS-B systems, which are operating in food innovation centres around the world.
Australian Defence has been an early adopter MATS
Last October, the Australian government announced a $7.2 million investment into improving food processing technology using the microwave processing systems sold by 915 Labs, beginning with a pilot-scale plant to be placed in the Defence Food and Nutrition Centre in Scottsdale, Tasmania.
“Microwave food processing can revolutionise the quality of packaged food,” said Prof Roger Stanley, director of the Centre for Food Innovation at the University of Tasmania. “The technology gives us the ability to deliver food that is much closer to fresh.”
MATS and microwave assisted pasteurisation systems manufactured and sold by 915 Labs offer a faster way to sterilise or pasteurise food and beverages. By shortening the time food is exposed to high heat, the microwave technology can preserve nutrients, texture and taste and eliminate the need for additives and additional sodium.
“Microwave sterilised meals have the potential to improve the production and quality of ready-made foods across both Defence rations and the wider commercial market, both nationally and within the Asia-Pacific region,” said Australia’s Senator Marise Payne, Minister for Defence, when announcing the investment.
The Australian investment in MATS followed a feasibility study undertaken by the Defence Science and Technology (DST) Group in cooperation with Australian industry and the Centre for Food Innovation, a collaboration of DST Group, the University of Tasmania and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).
The Australian government plans to use the pilot-scale MATS system to develop new and improved ration packs for its Defence forces. The government will also make the MATS pilot-scale machine available to food companies for product development and experimentation.
“It makes sense for the military and industry to work together because it is important to establish an industry base for the new technology before Defence can make use of it,” said Coad. “Our investment de-risks the capital investment for industry and gives food companies the opportunity to explore the opportunities offered by MATS.”
“By giving small to medium-size companies access to this innovation, we can help the regional hospitality and institutional food industries and improve the quality of emergency disaster relief rations,” Prof. Stanley added.
In addition to the Australian sale, 915 Labs has sold MATS systems in the US, India, Singapore and South Korea.
Ulu Hye has designed a plant-based milk base in a re-usable glass jar that can be combined with...
How can food manufacturers get on board with the consumer trend for gourmet versions of...
Microwave thermometry temperature testing not only performs a vital role in the safety of both...


text:
Amazon officially announced its long-rumored ad-supported news video service Tuesday. The new service will be available on Fire TV devices as well as Fire tablets, and rely on videos from publishers including CBS News, Reuters, Huffington Post, Bloomberg, People, Cheddar and others.
News coverage served up through the app includes livestreams as well as on-demand videos. Other publishers participating include Yahoo, AOL, Al Jazeera, Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated, Newsy and Wochit.
The service, which will simply be known as “News” on Amazon’s devices, will be coming to Fire TV streaming adapters and compatible TVs first. Rolling out in stages over the next several weeks, some Fire TV owners will be able to use the “News” app as early as this week.
Check out a demo of the service, provided by Amazon, in the video below:
Amazon didn’t announce a set launch date for Fire tablet, only saying that the service would launch on those devices “soon.” Amazon’s news service won’t require users to create a separate account, or authenticate with cable news networks. Instead, it is supported entirely by advertising.
Rumors about the company’s plans to launch an ad-supported news service had been circulating for months. With it, Amazon squarely competes with news aggregators like Haystack.tv and Watchup, as well as the news sections of ad-supported video services like Pluto and the Roku Channel.
This isn’t Amazon’s first foray into ad-supported video. The company launched an ad-supported service for movies and TV shows out of its IMDB subsidiary at the beginning of the year.


text:
New Delhi, Oct 21
DOWNWARD pricing pressure in the key US market has eroded the net profits of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd and its subsidiaries, which witnessed a 90.8 per cent dip in net profit during the third quarter of the current year.
Net profit fell to Rs 18.4 crore during the July-September period, compared to Rs 200.1 crore recorded during the same period last year. The consolidated sales of the company fell by two per cent to Rs 1,303.9 crore from Rs 1,343.9 crore last year.
However, the company's board has approved payment of an interim dividend of 50 per cent for the year ending December 2005.
During the same period, the Indian operations recorded net loss of Rs 10.77 crore against profit of Rs 141.30 crore earlier. Net sales stood at Rs 814.63 crore, down from the previous year's Rs 847.08 crore.
For the nine-month period ended September 2005, the company recorded consolidated sales of Rs 3,790.1 crore (Rs 3,909.8 crore), a 3.06 per cent decline. Net profit was down 67.5 per cent at Rs 190.5 crore (Rs 586.5 crore).
However, the company has increased its spending on research and development by 71 per cent to Rs 153 crore (Rs 89.6 crore), it said.
During the third quarter, the US operations fell by 25 per cent to $76 million, while the rest of the regions continued to grow, with European Union going up by five per cent, BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) by 16 per cent, and the rest of the world by 16 per cent. For the third quarter, Europe clocked sales of $49 million with France spearheading the market followed by the UK and Germany.
During the same three-month period, the BRIC countries recorded sales of $95 million led by the Indian operations, which registered sales of $69 million, followed by Russia and the Ukraine belt combined with sales at $16 million.
The company's China operations continued to show improvement with sales growth of 14 per cent at $3.5 million, while Brazil recorded sales of $6 million.
In the domestic market, Ranbaxy regained the second position for August 2005. Nineteen brands featured in the top-300 product list of the industry.
Ranbaxy also launched its first product in the Japanese generics market through its joint venture, Nihon Pharmaceutical Industry Ltd, by launching its anti-diabetic product, Vogseal.
At its EGM, the company obtained the necessary approval for raising of financial resources through appropriate securities such as FCCBs and/or GDRs and/or ADRs and/or any other appropriate security/instrument up to $1.5 billion equivalent in one or more tranches. These are enabling provisions to raise resources for funding acquisitions.
On Friday, the Ranbaxy scrip fell by 3.11 per cent on the BSE to close at Rs 389.60.


text:
Speaking at the supermarket's spring press tasting, where English wines featured heavily, he said: "Sales are up 92% year on year, and our market share is up 6% - to 40% of those retailers who are measured by Nielsen.
"If we get a decent summer, I think English wine is going to be very good. About four years ago, rosÚ started to become very popular, and that wasn't a blip but a real trend. English wine - notwithstanding supply constraints, given the 2007 vintage - will continue to perform very well for us."
Nine new additions to the English portfolio were on show at the tasting, including wines from Somborne Valley , Quoins , Bookers Vineyard
and Pebblebed .


text:
Lots of new (and highly giftable) releases we’ve sniffed out this week, including an actually nice-looking sheet pan, some velvet Lululemon leggings, and Billie Eilish baby merch.
Madewell x Hedley Bennett
A.P.C. x JJJJound
JJJJound, a.k.a. blogger and designer Justin Saunders, has finally released his long-awaited collaboration with A.P.C. And as Jean Touitou told Vogue: “It looks like nothing, but it’s everything.” Already, a lot of the clothing has sold out, but accessories (that would make nice gifts) are still available.
Great Jones’s Holy Sheet Pan
Great Jones has gone and done something rather unheard of: They have made a sheet pan … that’s actually nice-looking (and giftable). According to Great Jones co-founder (and former New York editor) Sierra Tishgart, it took them a year to perfect the pan, and the end result is that it doesn’t warp. Plus, it’s just very beautiful. And kinda Kindercore!


text:
[ Update 2011-11-15: Wow, Shravan was wrong, and we’re happy he was. We just received word that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has been available from the source code repository since a few hours ago. Devs and modders are most likely in a mad rush to download the source code right now. But, that’s okay–no more need to wait for November 17. Go get yourself some Ice Cream Sandwich. –Ed. ]
Android developers might want to mark November 17 on their calendars. Two days from now the source code of the upcoming Android 4.0Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) will become available according to Notion Ink founder and chief executive officer Rohan Shravan.
In his WordPress blog, Shravan let slip his expectation that the source code of ICS will be made publicly available and that the modding community will soon be abuzz with developers creating their own customized flavors of Android 4.0.
No official word has confirmed the supposed released date, although Shravan is quite knowledgeable of the goings-on in the Android development team and may have obtained insider info.
November 17 also happens to be date the Samsung Galaxy Nexus–the first smartphone to come preloaded with ICS–becomes available, despite rumors of a delay towards a December release which Samsung recently denied. Google previously stated that the ICS source code will be made available shortly after the phone’s launch.
Lucky owners of the Galaxy Nexus may not appreciate the arrival of the Android 4.0 source code, but developers and independent modders do. Its availability means widespread adoption of the latest version which will consequently widen the variety of phones that can support the Android operating system, even if official phone manufacturers decide not to update their older handsets.
Do you own an older Android handset that its manufacturer is not intending to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich? Perhaps some developer out there will create a customized ICS port for your phone. Isn’t that exciting?


text:
Pryor to showcase leading marking and traceability solutions at Factories of the Future Expo 2017
Pryor, a world leader in marking, identification and traceability solutions, will be exhibiting at this year’s Factories of the Future Expo. The Sheffield-based specialist is set to showcase its advanced traceability software and a selection of its laser marking technology.
Pryor’s team of experts will be on hand throughout the event to discuss the many advantages its traceability software offers, such as reducing quality escapes via unique component traceability, process control and data capture. They’ll also be available to answer questions visitors may have on how to integrate the software into existing systems and how to maximise its performance to ensure total traceability.
In addition, visitors to the Pryor exhibition stand will have the opportunity to see and experience the company’s popular laser marking products first-hand. Pryor’s stand-alone and production line integration laser markers have set the industry standard for reliable, high quality laser marking.
“The Factories of the Future Expo is the ideal exhibition to be presenting our range of laser markers and our traceability software,” explains Alastair Morris, Sales Director at Pryor. “We’re looking forward to meeting with event visitors and explaining how our products and solutions can be seamlessly implemented into their manufacturing processes to enhance traceability, while allowing them to achieve cuts in costs and waste and eliminate quality issues at the same time.”
The Factories of the Future Expo, which is co-located with the Industry 4.0 Summit, takes place on 4-5th April 2017 at Manchester Convention Centre in Manchester, England.
Learn more about Pryor and its comprehensive range of permanent marking, identification and traceability solutions at www.pryormarking.com.


text:
Polaris West has announced it is expanding by opening a new dealership in Belgrade, MT. Gallatin Recreation is the name of the new dealership, Polaris West's second location. Polaris West is the Polaris dealer in West Yellowstone, MT, for the past 17 years.
Gallatin Recreation is a full line Polaris dealership and will carry Victory Motorcycles as well as other Polaris powersports products. Gallatin Recreation is located at 387 Floss Flats Road in Belgrade, MT. The phone number is
Gallatin Recreation will carry Klim, Castle, Polaris and Victory lines of clothing and products.
Gallatin Recreation will be managed by former RMSHA racer Jason Adams. His staff has been involved with Polaris products for many years.


text:
To a greater than usual degree, The Armory Show depends on the weather gods. Previous editions have been all but submerged in March snowstorms, causing taxi traffic jams and lines of disgruntled, frigid collectors. Tony Tasset, a very clever artist, is well aware of this, which is why he asked his Chicago dealer, Kavi Gupta, to install his life-size hyper realistic bronze sculpture of a snowman just outside his Armory booth. “He wanted it here because this fair can succeed or fail because of snow,” Mr. Gupta said at the fair’s bustling VIP preview this afternoon. But there was no snow, and therefore surging attendance, and that snowman had sold by 3 p.m. (for a cool $80,000), along with just about everything else in Mr. Gupta’s booth, which has other pieces by Mr. Tasset as well as other gallery artists like Scott Reeder, at prices ranging from $15,000 to $200,000.
Sales were strong all over the fair today. New York dealer Sean Kelly, an Armory Show veteran, took a break from a conversation with his artist Anthony McCall (whose show is currently on view at the gallery over on 36th Street) to tell GalleristNY that the gallery had parted with pieces by Nathan Mabry, Terence Koh and many others. “Even before the fair started this year there was anticipation that it would be very good,” Mr. Kelly said. “And it’s been a quick start—we’ve sold lots of things.”
Across the aisle from him, Swiss dealer Eva Presenhuber had one of the most talked-about booths in the fair, for its sheer quality and curatorial savvy. “It’s a Basel-level booth,” said New York artist Jeremy Kost, who happened to be walking by the booth, referring to the grandaddy of art fairs, Art Basel, in Switzerland. The Presenhuber booth, which has terrific pieces by Alex Hubbard and others, is fronted by two mask-like sculptures by Ugo Rondinone, made with epoxy resin, fiberglass, soil, jute and other materials. They’re real show-stoppers, and they sold as a pair today, for around 200,000 Swiss francs.
Francis M. Naumann, who brought his Duchamp-centric show down from his 57th Street gallery (he will reinstall it after the fair), sold a piece for $800,000. A representative from Amsterdam-based GRIMM Gallery, which exhibited some delightfully creepy skeletal pieces by Matthew Day Jackson, said her biggest sale today has been $12,000. Lower East Side gallery Eleven Rivington completely sold out its booth of small TM Davy paintings (20 in total) which sold for $2,500 to $3,500 each. A dealer at Sprüth Mager, which has branches in London and Berlin, declined to name a sum, but said work by Barbara Kruger and Rosemarie Trockel, among others, has sold.
Barthélémy Schöller of New York’s Clearing gallery said he’d sold “a few” prints by Ryan Foerster, all priced at $5,000. These aren’t your usual works by the artist, they’re film from his house in Brighton Beach that he developed after it was damaged by Hurricane Sandy. He said he’d been getting a lot of attention for them through the name drop by Dasha Zhukova in her selection on the website Artsy (which is partially owned by Observer Media Group board member Josh Kushner), but then he said, “we would have been surprised if someone walked by and said, ‘Ryan Foerster who’s he? I don’t care.'”
Kim Bourus of New York’s Higher Pictures said her combined booth with On Stellar Rays sold everything but one piece. “Anything Artie [Vierkant] can give me always sells out,” she said. Those pieces were $17,000, and the rest in the booth, by Rochelle Feinstein, were priced between $11,000 and $23,000.
Another New York gallery, Invisible Exports, sold about one-third of the items in their booth, and some editions of those. Split between the artists Paul Gabrielli and Cary Leibowitz, the pieces by Mr. Gabrielli were sold for between $28,000 and $95,000. Works by Mr. Leibowitz were priced at $4,000 for smaller ones up to $65,000.
Italy’s Gallery Continua showed an untitled bicycle piece by Ai Wei Wei, stripy vinyl and metal sculptures by Daniel Buren and giant black and silver mirrors in Baroque frames by Michelangelo Pistoletto. When asked what it’s like seeing her reflection all day, gallerist Verusca Piazzesi said simply, “it’s a nightmare.”
For an artist’s take on the fair, GalleristNY buttonholed figurative painter Natalie Frank, whose own work is on view at Fredericks Freiser. What’s her favorite booth, besides the one that contains her art? “Victoria Miro,” she said, without missing a beat. “It’s nice to see someone showing just painting—by people like Barnaby Furnas, Alice Neel—with no apologies.”
Update: An earlier version of this post misspelled the name of Kim Bourus.


text:
DPD, GLS and Hermes launch parcel locker company ParcelLock
DPD, GLS and Hermes are about to launch a parcel locker company, but have changed the name of their joint venture company. Previously called Unibox, the carrier-neutral parcel boxes now will launch under the brand name ParcelLock. At first UPS was also involved in the development of the parcel lockers, but the courier company is now no longer mentioned.
Take a free data health check!
The quality of your data effects business efficiency, revenue and reputation. Discover how clean your data really is and get your free data health check. Request your audit now.
But ParcelLock is open to all parcel companies, so UPS could also make use of this new system if they want to. The German website Paket.da found out – by looking at the source code of the webpage – that the exact launch date of ParcelLock is October 6. It is still unknown whether consumers will be able to buy the boxes from that day on.
In October, the joint venture company will further explain the details and how consumers and service providers may benefit from the new parcel locker. Paket.da thinks the Hermes, DPS and GLS project won’t start selling lockers during the Christmas shopping season, it rather expects sales starting in the beginning of 2016.
The open system that can be used by all parcel delivery companies will be led by Dirk Reiche. He has been named as the managing director of the Frankfurt-based company.


text:
One can only sympathies with the mobile phone manufacturers. After all they are struggling to survive in an industry where a new mobile phone handset becomes obsolete sooner than you can say 4G. Well, not really. But technology seems to be speeding up things at a such an unbelievable pace that it must be most certainly difficult for them to keep abreast of developments and keep bringing in new mobile phone handsets that have something or the other to display in terms of their technical specifications and other attributes to do with their software or hardware.
Looked at from this perspective, it is really commendable that mobile phone companies are not only able to do this but also excel in this kind of a mad rush. Apple, HTC, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, RIM (Research in Motion), Motorola, LG and even Acer are all into this rat race and so far at least come up trumps.
The Finnish mobile phone giant Nokia is believed to have no less than 25 odd mobile phone handsets in various stages of completion. Similar is the case with the Taiwanese mobile phone major, HTC Phones that is neck deep into heavy work load and has already released no less than five to seven smartphone handset one after the other. HTC obviously wanted to take maximum advantage of the festive sales happening everywhere, and especially so in the UK and have do so and is currently reaping the rewards of it.
Nokia C3-01, Nokia C6-01, Nokia X3-01, Nokia 5230 Music Ovi Unlimited, Nokia 5228 X Factor, Nokia 5230 Chrome; HTC 7 Trophy, HTC 7 Mozart, HTC HD7, HTC Desire HD, HTC Desire Z, HTC Evo 4G, HTC 7 Surround, HTC Graita, Blackberry Curve 9300 3G, Blackberry Torch 9800, Blackberry Storm 3, Blackberry Playbook, Apple iPad 2, Sony Ericssn Xperia X7, Sony Ericsson Xperia X7 Mini, Sony Ericsson Xperia X12, Sony Ericsson X12 Mini, Samsung Omnia 7, Samsung Wave S 7230, Samsung S3350 Chat, the list of latest mobile phones is endless.
Latest Phones form the staple diet that keeps this sector alive and kicking. Even as we are writing some or the other mobile phone maker may release one or two latest phones. BOLA TANGKAS


text:
Mahindra and Mahindra have marked its entry into the non-fungible token (NFT) space with the release of its first set of digital collectables, joining the likes of MG Motor India in the automotive space. The first NFT offerings from Mahindra will be based on its iconic Thar sports utility vehicle (SUV) and will be released in collaboration with Tech Mahindra. The series which comprises four NFTs will be put up for sale via an auction starting later today on Tech Mahindra's NFT marketplace named ‘Mahindra Gallery'.
Mahindra Gallery is a non-custodial NFT platform that requires you to link your MetaMask wallet to the platform. Mahindra in a press release states that proceeds from the auction will go towards an NGO named Project Nanhi Kali, which supports the education of underprivileged girls in India.
"The Thar experience doesn't end with buying an NFT. The winners of the auction will be invited to the Mahindra Adventure Off-road Driver Training Academy (Igatpuri, Maharashtra) or to the new state-of-the-art Mahindra SUV Proving Track (MSPT, Chennai), to experience the thrill of 4x4 motoring," states Mahindra.
Commenting on the launch, Veejay Nakra, Chief Executive Officer, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra said, "Mahindra & Mahindra has always been a pioneer in adopting new-age digital innovations to enhance customer experience. The launch of NFTs is another exciting step for us to leverage the next frontier of digital marketing."
He further added, "We will be able to offer a whole new set of experiences to our customers, build communities for our brands, and also increase brand awareness and loyalty. With our entry into the NFT space, we are all set to harness the countless possibilities of interacting and adding to the Mahindra brand and all our nameplates, and there is no better brand for this debut than the Thar."
Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2024 hub.


text:
Atlus Can Freely Use Sega's Resources, Dormant Sega IP - NewsBrent Galietti, posted on 28 November 2013 / 3,261 Views
When Sega purchased Atlus' parent company, Index Coproration, some Atlus fans worried about the effect Sega would have on the popular niche developer. Famitsu interviewed current Sega Sammy Chief Operating Officer and new Index Corporation president Naoya Tsurumi and in the interview, he assauges any potential fears while discussing how the new Sega/Index dynamic is working.
"As a new company, we will venture together, with Index working as an independent company," Tsurumi said. "The plan is to have Atlus and Sega continue shining as brands, while aiming to increase their degree of independence."
"Everything will remain the same. The people of Index will continue working thoroughly, and Sega have no plans to undertake any of their work. However, we’re at a point where Sega is offering Index to freely make use of any resources they may have, that Index does not. Index will be keeping many of their fine qualities, such as Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei IP, and many others."
Interestingly, Tsurumi also mentioned that Atlus could have access to some of Sega's IP catalog. When asked about adding Atlus' skills in the RPG genre, Tsurumi responded by saying "While we have no intention of forcing this, we’d definitely love to have them utilize any of Sega’s dormant IPs."
Sega has plenty of IP that haven't seen many releases in recent times. Valkyria Chronicles, Space Channel 5, Sakura Wars, Jet Set Radio, and Shenmue are among the more well known ones.
There are no comments to display.


text:
Via Varejo Offering Gives Kleins Exit After Valuation ClashNey Hayashi and Denyse Godoy
Via Varejo SA’s 2.85 billion-real ($1.2 billion) equity sale is giving Brazil’s billionaire Klein family a way to cash out of the home-appliance retailer they founded after a disagreement with other owners about its value.
Chairman Michael Klein, whose family owned a 47 percent stake, sought to reduce that to as low as 26 percent. The Kleins have contested the price they got in the 2010 sale of their company Casas Bahia Comercial Ltda. to Cia. Brasileira de Distribuicao Grupo Pao de Acucar, which merged it with its unit Ponto Frio to create Via Varejo. The offering probably came as Klein failed to reach agreement with Pao de Acucar on the matter, said Felipe Miranda, an analyst at Empiricus Research.
Shareholders in yesterday’s sale priced units, each of which corresponds to one voting and two preferred shares, at 23 reais, according to a regulatory filing. That was below the range of 25.60 reais to 33.60 reais the company had estimated in a prospectus.
“The climate for share offerings in Brazil couldn’t be worse at the moment, so investors are seeing this sale only as a way to try to resolve a conflict between shareholders,” Miranda said by phone from Sao Paulo. “It’s possible that they preferred to sell shares at a lower price rather than wait for a better time just to put an end to the tension.”
Press officials for the Klein family and Pao de Acucar declined to comment when contacted by phone. Via Varejo’s press officer didn’t respond to a phone call seeking comment.
Via Varejo’s shareholders sold as many as 123.7 million units in the offering, according to the filing. The units start trading on Dec. 16.
The existing stock declined 4.9 percent to 9.51 reais at the close of trading in Sao Paulo.
The Rio de Janeiro-based retailer, which operates the Casas Bahia and Ponto Frio chains in Brazil and has a market value of $12.9 billion, will have a public float of 29.3 percent once the sale is completed, up from 0.6 percent before the deal, according to the filing. Credit Suisse Group AG is the main underwriter.
“The increased liquidity will also help the Klein family to sell shares in the market if they want to,” Miranda said.
The Klein family sent a letter to Pao de Acucar in October 2012, citing a report by KPMG LLP, questioning an estimate of the combined value of their company and the Pao de Acucar unit, which was the basis of the sale price. Pao de Acucar confirmed in a regulatory filing later that month that KPMG had been hired and defended the appraisal.
KPMG finished its audit in May this year, according to a regulatory filing by Pao de Acucar in Aug. 7, and the company hasn’t yet disclosed its conclusions.
Samuel Klein, a Polish immigrant and Holocaust survivor, founded Casas Bahia in 1952 and sold it to Pao de Acucar in 2010. He transferred his shares in Via Varejo to his children, including Michel, and grandchildren in September.
Via Varejo’s adjusted net income more than tripled in 2012 from 2011 after three straight years of losses.
While the units sold yesterday were priced below the company’s targeted range, the outlook for Brazilian retailers remains positive even as the Latin American country’s economic recovery loses momentum, according to Joao Pedro Brugger, who helps manage about 400 million reais as a portfolio manager at Leme Investimentos.
“Sales keep growing at reasonable rates,” Brugger said in a phone interview from Florianopolis, Brazil. “And to have such a big company in the market, with more liquidity, helps to boost the sector’s visibility among investors.”
Brazil’s gross domestic product declined 0.5 percent in the third quarter from the previous three months, the biggest contraction since 2009.
While retail sales in Brazil have been growing faster than GDP, the latest data point to a slowdown in consumption, said Gustavo Mendonca, an economist at Saga Capital, said by phone from Rio de Janeiro.
“There’s a limit to how much you can stimulate the economy through consumption,” Mendonca said. “There are many signs that the economy may be weakening.”


text:
Developers are showing signs of restored confidence in the market and as a result there are more speculative schemes in the pipeline, according to King Sturge’s latest research on European Industrial Property Markets. Much of this is fuelled by demand levels from occupiers, which has been propped up by consumer spending over the last few years. ‘Supply has also responded to the upturn in occupier avtivity and a renewed confidence among developers has started a number of schemes across Europe – a significant number are due to complete in 2007.’
France saw good occupier demand with emerging locations such as Bordeaux (demand up by 43 per cent) attracting more interest than more established locations such as Lyon (demand up by 13 per cent). Atisreal’s latest research on the French warehouse market concurred that Bordeaux was an area to watch, although it said: ‘There were some fine rental deals, although these have not prompted any new warehouse construction just yet. Nevertheless, some new projects have been announced.’
The strong economic prospects of the Spanish market have been particularly noteworthy, said King Sturge, with some 100,000 sq m of new logistics facilities finished during 2006 and another 1.1 million sq m under construction in Madrid alone.
Looking to Central and Eastern Europe the most active regions have been Czech Republic with 700,000 sq m added and in Poland where 560,000 sq m has been completed.
‘Despite this,’ said King Sturge, ‘vacancy generally dropped across the Central and eastern European markets.’
With this in mind King Sturge looked at rent levels and suggests that rents are likely to increase in Barcelona due to constraints on land for development.
Robert Agreda of King Sturge in Spain reported: ‘Rents have been increasing during the last three years in all prime logistics locations. Several high rental transactions in the locations around the A-2 (Barcelona Highway) have pushed up the rent levels in these locations. Around Coslada, near the Barajas airport, rental levels have seen an average increase of 6.5 per cent over the last three years. Current rents in the area are around €86.5 sq m a year.’
A similar increase is also expected in Lyon where lack of land could push up occupancy costs from €56 per sq m a year.
Rents in locations such as Prague in the Czech Republic and Upper Silesia in Poland remain stable despite demand as there is still plenty of supply maintaining a downward pressure on rents.
Heathrow remains the single most expensive industrial location, not just in Europe but globally, with total occupational costs just shy of €250 per sq m a year. Dublin boasted a total occupancy cost of €200 per sq m a year with Moscow in at just under €150 per sq m a year.
Looking at the industrial market in Moscow, King Sturge reported that it has seen significant growth during 2006 with the development of new international grade properties coming onto the market.
Demand is still higher than supply for grade ‘A’ warehouses, but rents are already close to stabilisation at €143 per sq m a year. During 2007 there are plans to build more than 1 million sq m of class ‘A’ warehouse in the Moscow region and a further 500,000 sq m in St Petersburg, reflecting a growing trend for further regional expansion in Russia.


text:
Dar Al Hekma University (DAH) and Makkah’s largest department store Abraj Avenue signed Thursday July 25th in Jeddah an agreement to open Dukkan Dar Al Hekma at Abraj Avenue.
The new partnership will open doors for young and senior designers of Dar Al Hekma University to display their artistic works in a dedicated section for retail at the Abraj Avenue department store. It will also allow DAH students to gain international exposure through Dukkan Dar Al Hekma, which was launched in February 2018 with an aim to support the startup young designers of Dar Al Hekma University. Dukkan DAH will open its store at the Abraj Avenue Department Store at the Makkah Clock Towner in September 2019.
Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi, President of Dar Al-Hekma University, said, “This agreement is undoubtedly important as it helps us expand Dukkan DAH and give a new platform for our students to put their creative works on display to the public and the whole world. It is one of the countless innovative ways Dar Al-Hekma University has adopted in order to encourage its students to be creative and offer them real opportunities to launch their careers.”
The Founder of Dukkan and Supervisor, Dean of the School of Design and Architecture Ms. Nada Zaidan said, “Dukkan DAH was an initiative to help empower women and education, with the support of Al Musbah Group and the opening of the Dukkan DAH Abraj Avenue, will empower students and give them much more exposure.”
Welcoming thousands of Muslim visitors from around the world daily, Abraj Avenue is a leading retail store of Makkah based, Al Musbah Group (AMG), a successful network of companies, established in 1969. Commencing business as a retailer of perfumes, the Group has since expanded into varied sectors including retail and looks forward to welcoming Dukkan Dar Al Hekma to a new store location at Abraj Avenue.
Dukkan Dar Al Hekma is a non-profit gift shop established to support DAH community talents and contribute to DAH scholarship fund. The first official shop was opened in Dar Al Hekma University. It can be accessed at www.dukkandah.com.


text:
Online sales for J.Jill are growing and hit $228 million for the 12 months ended Oct. 29.
The best time to send the marketing messages is after 3 p.m., a study says.
Flash-sale e-mails sent after 3 p.m. generate more transactions and more revenue than do e-mails sent earlier in the day, according to an Experian CheetahMail analysis.
Flash-sale e-mail messages sent after 3 p.m. have an open rate 90% greater than e-mails sent at mid-day, the e-mail marketing vendor’s data reveals. The transaction rate coming from late-day e-mails is 23% higher and the revenue per e-mail is 30% greater than mid-day e-mails.
Experian CheetahMail says late-day messages stand out more in consumers’ inboxes because fewer e-retailers send messages late in the day. “The lack of inbox competition for the customer’s attention later in the day offers e-mail marketers an opportunity to optimize flash-sale campaigns to improve ROI,” the company says.
E-mails advertising flash sales that last only two hours are opened the most often, but sales that last three hours generate more transactions, Experian CheetahMail says.
Traffic to flash-sale sites increased 128% during June compared with the same month a year ago, the company says. E-mail is the leading source of referral traffic for these limited-time offers, generating 18% of site traffic. Other primary traffic drivers are social media, at 13%, and search, at 11%.


text:
Trump signs tariffs on imported steel and aluminum for all nations including China. China is the top player in the steel industry. It retailed with a $3 billion tariff on U.S. imports.
The U.S. continues its trade war with China after weeks of stalled talks between Beijing and Washington. The source was released by Bloomberg, CNN.
50 billion-dollar tariffs announced in June have been periodically rolled out over the summer, with Thursday's tariffs the latest development in that multi-billion dollar announcement.
Image source: https://www.statista.com/chart/15199/us-chinese-trade-war-escalates/
Image license: CC-BY-ND


text:
A new report by Activate Technology reveals that the non-fungible token (NFT) and metaverse hype is over, and that both sectors will need targeted corporate interest going forward.
The future holds new use cases for NFTs to aid companies in building brand loyalty, while the metaverse will need sustained corporate development.
NFT use will change to community-building
According to new report released by the company, NFTs have gone past their peak bubble. Accordingly, the hype surrounding the space will gradually decrease.
NFTs will become mature products, with blockchain and Web3 driving greater utility for the tokens. Companies will also capitalize on the space to build communities around their brands. Buyers will also benefit from a sense of belonging.
Starbucks is already offering the Starbucks Odyssey experience that uses NFT collectible stamps that will give owners access to unique coffee experiences.
Additionally, the report revealed the shift in the demographics of current NFT market participants. It defines participants as those who “researched, discussed, browsed, bid on, purchased, displayed, sold, or created NFTs in the last 12 months.”
The number of U.S. participants increased from 12% in 2021 to 18% in 2022. Still, less than one-third of the U.S. population is still unaware of what NFTs are. Forty-three percent of NFT participants came from affluent households with incomes of $100K or more.
NFT sales in primary and secondary marketplaces, excluding LooksRare, have exceeded $23B in 2022. Most NFT owners are now buying them for display on social media and collections. This is unlike earlier in the NFT cycle, when people bought and traded NFTs as speculative investments.
Only 51% of adults 18 years or older bought them as investments in 2022,
Read Full Article…


text:
Sony announced that the PlayStation VR will release in October 2016 for a recommended retail price of $399.
The company said PlayStation VR represents “a transformative experience in gaming, and we wanted to take the time needed to launch with a broad variety of content and a sufficient supply of hardware”.
More than 230 developers are currently building content for PlayStation VR – from smaller independent teams to larger studios at the industry’s top publishers.
“We expect to have more than 50 games available from launch in October 2016 until the end of the year,” said Sony.
South Africa was not on the list of countries set to receive the VR system in October.


text:
If Phone Arena's leaked roadmap is correct, Sprint will be launching an Android WiMax phone from HTC in 2010.
The document says that an HTC A9292 is on the way, possessing a candybar form factor. And comparing that to HTC's convention for model numbers, means that the phone will be powered by Android. Also interesting is that Phone Arena's tipster brought up the possibility of Sprint launching the Palm C40 (which isn't on the list), and a Motorola WinMo phone though nobody has a clue what those could be. But Phone Arena says that Moto has no plans to launch a WinMo 6.5 phone, so it's possible that could be running 7.0 instead. Curious.
Other than that, the rest of the products listed look like run-of-the-mill dumbphones and featurephones. Yawn. [Phone Arena via Slashgear]


text:
The release of a brand-new, high-profile gadget always prompts a geeky ritual: videotaping the opening of its package, or “unboxing.” Unfortunately for Google, the ceremonial unboxing of its Nexus 7 tablet isn’t going so smoothly on YouTube.
There are already enough videos documenting the frustrating experience of opening the Nexus 7 box to fill a montage.
“I’ll go ahead and open this up — oh, there’s another sneaky piece of tape on the side,” one person complains.
“That is a hard sticker to open. Jeez,” says another.
On the other hand, a reporter who unboxed a Nexus 7 on Monday that had been sent by Google found the box to be mysteriously tape-free.
Google declined to comment on the packaging issues. But it did point out a more positive unboxing video, one that it sponsored. This one involves Georges St. Pierre, the world’s top UFC welterweight, having to fight ninjas before he can start using the Nexus 7.
He takes less time to vanquish the ninjas than it took some people to conquer the Nexus 7 box.


text:
Buttons go on sale Tuesday for New London’s Fall Food Stroll
New London - Buttons go on sale Tuesday for New London Main Street's 17th annual Fall Food Stroll Oct. 17, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Chefs from the historic Waterfront District's finest eateries will prepare samples of their signature dishes, and the eighth Culinary Excellence Competition is back with chef instructors from Johnson & Wales University as guest judges.
Local bands will perform throughout the stroll and galleries and specialty shops will hold drawings and offer special discounts and promotions. Nearly 50 eateries and businesses are expected to participate.
Buttons are available at the Main Street office, 147 State St., second floor, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, for $25 and include a free drink coupon. Buttons will cost $30 on the day of the stroll.
The discount for members of the military and students with identification are $20 in advance or $25 on stroll day. New this year, groups that purchase six or more buttons in advance will receive a 20 percent ($20 per button).
Buttons also may be purchased online at www.newlondonmainstreet.org.
For more information, call (860) 444-2489.
MOST VIEWED MEDIA


text:
Addressing a conference on digital business strategy in the VUCA era (Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) jointly held by the ministry and the e-commerce platform Alibaba.com on March 1 in Hanoi, Phu stressed that 2023 is a crucial year for Vietnam to be able to successfully implement the economic development plan in the 2021-2025 period. According to Phu, within the framework of cooperation between Vietrade and Alibaba, the two sides have coordinated to successfully deploy many international events which helped introduce reputable brands, quality products, and success stories of Vietnamese exporting businesses. Over 200 training courses were organized by the MoIT and Alibaba in localities nationwide, focusing on raising awareness of digital transformation, access to digital business methods, how to operate digital pavilions, and online sales. Businesses need to pay heed to improving and controlling product quality and competitiveness to meet regulations of import markets, and coordinate with trade promotion agencies in building plans and joining trade promotion activities to take advantage of opportunities from markets, Phu said. According to Roger Luo, director of Alibaba in Asia-Pacific, through Vietnam's export data in recent years, it can be seen that Vietnamese goods are at the top of the world’s consumption demand…. Read full this story
- VIETNAM BUSINESS NEWS HEADLINES OCTOBER 31
- VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES OCTOBER 31
- Central ramps up Vietnam expansion
- The Internet, Divided Between the U.S. and China, Has Become a Battleground.
- New large-scale tourism development to be built in Jurong Lake District
Vietnam speeds up digitization in trade promotion activities have 242 words, post on en.qdnd.vn at March 3, 2023. This is cached page on CHUTEU. If you want remove this page, please contact us.


text:
Nick Adams (Smoking) In America PraNa Takes Lead In Reviving Hemp Clothing
In the mid-’90s, hemp bracelets and necklaces were ubiquitous amongst college students and cannabis activists. Shirts, denims, jackets and sneakers made from hemp confirmed up in shops throughout the nation. High Times opened a store referred to as Planet Hemp in downtown Manhattan. But the hemp-clothing bubble didn’t final. Companies like Ecolution, Crucial Creations and Ohio Hempery closed their doorways. The problem was excessive costs and inferior hemp imported from countries like China and Romania. One current company that’s making trendy and sensible hemp clothing is the Carlsbad, Calif.-based prAna. Founders and out of doors lovers Beaver and Pam Theodosakis have been promoting clothes for 24 years since beginning the business Weed Dispensaries in Thailand their garage. “Our founders have been launched to hemp a long time in the past and all the time followed its improvement in apparel,” Andre Walker, who oversees model engagement and partnerships at prAna, tells Freedom Leaf. That listing consists of organic cotton, recycled polyester and spandex, that are blended with Chinese-grown hemp and made into shorts, pants, skirts, dresses, sweaters, scarves and headbands.
Republic of Texas Brands, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: RTXB) at this time has introduced that they’ve completed the acquisition of CHILL-Texas which is able to now turn into a completely-owned subsidiary of RTXB. The CHILL-Texas model brings the entire CHILLO Energy Beverage and C-Swiss Ice Tea product, inventory and distribution rights all below one roof. Randy Safford, who has carried out a masterful job, will proceed on as the CEO of CHILL-Texas. The CHILL-Texas acquisition was a mixture of cash and restricted shares. “We feel very lucky that Randy Safford has determined to stay on as CEO of CHILL-Texas. Randy has performed an excellent job securing new distributors and he’s the best individual to help us launch our new Proprietary Brand Beverage line-up, especially since he already has a working relationship with an ever rising list of shoppers who have been purchasing CHILLO Energy Beverage and C-Swiss Ice Tea products for many months now,” says RTXB CEO Tom Shuman. With the acquisition, CHILL-Texas simultaneously introduced their distribution initiatives for his or her CHILLO Hemp Energy Drink in Ohio, the 5 boroughs of latest York City and the Caribbean Isle of Jamaica.
The process simply hasn’t been in a position to be automated yet. Being the COVID era, which means that in Indonesia, specifically, there have been manufacturing unit closures and work stoppages since the start of the pandemic. This has led to a backlog in production and order achievement at a time when demand for cones has rapidly elevated. Add to that a global transport slowdown, and cones intended for Weed Dispensaries in Mexico stuffing have turn out to be the latest casualty of the current provide chain meltdown. “Cones had been invented about 20 to 30 years in the past by this Dutch guy who opened one in all the primary amenities Weed Dispensaries in California Indonesia,” stated Bryan Gerber, co-founder and CEO of Hemper, Atlanta Dispensaries which additionally owns Hara Supply. Gerber called Hara “the largest pre-rolled cone producer on the planet.” He explained that, over time, someone from the unique manufacturing unit break up off and opened another, and so forth and so forth, which has resulted in the big handful of factories making cones that now exist in Indonesia.


text:
The Canadian economy contracted 0.1 per cent in August, following 0.2 per cent growth in July. Declining industry output was registered mainly in the goods production sector due to weakness in mining and oil and gas extraction and manufacturing. Declines were also registered in utilities and construction. Output in the services sector was unchanged as increases in wholesale trade, transportation and the public sector were offset by declines in real estate activity, retail trade and finance and insurance.
Our updated third quarter GDP tracking estimate is currently reading just 1 per cent growth, in-line with the Bank of Canada's most recent forecast. Therefore, while the economy underperformed in the third quarter, that weakness was expected and so will not move the Bank off of its rate tightening bias. We are forecasting that the Canadian economy will grow at a modest pace of about 2.0 per cent this year followed by 2.1 per cent growth in 2013. This moderate growth and low inflation combined with lingering global economic uncertainty will continue to keep the Bank of Canada on hold until mid-to-late 2013.


text:
Auction for a laptop full of malware closes at $1.3 million (updated)
The work of art is meant to give physical form to abstract digital threats.
Senators ask the FCC to limit 5G auction to protect weather forecasts
They fear 5G in the 24 GHz band could interfere with vital weather data.
A pristine 'Super Mario Bros.' cartridge sold for over $100,000
The highest-price ever paid for a single game at auction.
FCC starts its first high-band 5G auction
It's a step toward delivering promised ultra-high speeds.
Sears hopes to sell its home improvement business to Service.com
The bankrupt company would lose a key division to a key rival.
AI-generated painting sells for $432,000 at auction
Portrait of Edmond Belamy’ from art collective Obvious was only expected to sell for $7,000 to $10,000.
Banksy's 'Girl with Balloon' was meant to be shredded completely
Banksy painting uses hidden shredder to destroy itself after auction
It's using technology to comment on art.
Christie’s will auction AI-generated art for the first time
It’s a portrait created with a type of algorithm.


text:
Feature-packed with custom triple-fan cooler
Sapphire has officially launched its new Sapphire Nitro+ RX Vega 65 and RX Vega 56 Limited Edition models that will both pack some unique features and a hefty vapor chamber triple-fan cooler.
Part of its Air Boost series
MSI has finally unveiled its first custom Radeon RX Vega 64 and RX Vega 56 designs which will be a part of the budget oriented - read cheap - Air Boost series.
Plenty of new and improved features
AMD has launched its third big Radeon Software yearly update that aims to raise the bar when it comes to graphics card drivers and software - the AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition.


text:
Brookfield acquires majority stake in UK biodiesel producer
Greenergy, a biodiesel producer and the U.K.’s largest supplier of road fuels, announced that it has reached an agreement for Brookfield Business Partners to invest in the business with the aim of accelerating growth.
Existing Greenergy management shareholders will invest alongside Brookfield Business Partners and will retain a 15 percent share in the business. As part of the process all existing nonmanagement shareholders will exit the business. There will be no change to company strategy and the current management team will remain in place.
“It has been our long-standing aim to increase our access to capital through a strategic investor,” said Andrew Owens, Greenergy chief executive. “The participation of Brookfield Business Partners will allow us to participate in larger-scale strategic mergers and acquisition activities to propel our business to its next phase of development.”
Cyrus Madon, CEO of Brookfield Business Partners, said, “Our investment in Greenergy expands our footprint in the European market through a business that provides an essential service and a track record of providing customers with reliable and competitive supply. Greenergy is well positioned to continue growing its service offering for its long-term U.K. customer base, and we believe we can broaden the company’s operations outside of the U.K. by leveraging our global presence.”
The transaction is expected to conclude in Q2 2017. Its value has not been disclosed.


text:
GTA V PC Version Rumoured For Early 2014
Two pieces of GTA V news for you today; at least, one piece of news and a big fat rumour. A new GTA Online patch is now live on PS3 and Xbox 360, which apparently fixes the accidental character overwrite issue and other problems, which will come as great news to anyone enjoying the fun yet buggy multiplayer sandbox.
According to some new claims from anonymous sources, however, PC owners may also be able to get in on the action as early as next year.
First up: the patch. Delivered by automatic title update, this new swathe of tweaks promises to address the following:
- Fixes multiple issues causing character deletion or other loss of progress
- Fixes issues causing infinite loading, infinite sky cams, and missing interface options between jobs
- Fixes an issue causing the “replay” option to be locked out on certain jobs
- Fixes an issue where a player would become stuck in the mod garage when respraying a Sanchez motor bike
- Fixes an issue where the Player became stuck inside Los Santos Customs during Online tutorial flow.
- Fixes an issue causing the loss of guns and ammo
- Fixes issues causing GTA races ending early because of players spawning too far ahead
- Fixes issues in Last Team Standing where sessions would not progress past the lobby
- Fixes issues with network errors when joining Last Team Standing using Quick Job
- Added clarifications around when a player is using a temporary character in GTA Online during Rockstar Cloud server outages
- Adjusts the monetary penalty for being killed in a One on One match
Good news indeed. Matt and Carl have been thoroughly enjoying GTA Online recently, and have been releasing some anarchic video footage ahead of their official verdict.
Now then, with that actual news out of the way, let's talk rumours. Eurogamer has heard from "multiple industry sources" who claim that GTA V will indeed release on PC, with a port coming in Q1 2014. This echoes a highly suggestive comment made by NVIDIA in August, who subsequently claimed that it was just an honest mistake.
Let's face it: we can be 99.99% certain that GTA V will release on PC at some point. Indeed, the PC community tends to be absolutely key in terms of generating post-launch viral video content, mods and other things that help boost long-term appeal. The only question, we suppose, is when.


text:
GameStop CEO Resigns After 3 Months in Position
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Game retailer GameStop announced on Friday that CEO Michael Mauler resigned from his position, three months after taking the position. The company's board of directors has appointed company co-founder Daniel DeMatteo as interim chief executive officer.
Entertainment news magazine Variety quoted a statement from a GameStop spokesperson who said that Mauler resigned due to personal reasons, and not, "due to any disagreement with the Company regarding its financial reporting, policies or practices, or any potential fraud relating thereto."
Source: Variety (Stefanie Fogel)


text:
'Push' pay can nudge security, bank branding and merchant acquiring
Successful technology disruption will require merchants to create new account-to-account checkout experiences using financial institution-branded "push" payment instruments to flip the transaction flow from "pull” to “push."
When financial institutions and merchants smartly enable push transactions there are several benefits: Institutions benefit by regaining brand presence at the point of sale, reclaiming revenue from other financial services providers, and by generating new income streams from new services; consumers benefit from additional security because push payments do not reveal their credentials and are guaranteed that they will not spend money that they do not have; and merchants benefit from lower payment acceptance costs, lower cash transfer costs, faster cash settlement, reduced chargebacks and refunds.
The new U.S. payments rails enable B-to-C and B-to-B “push” payments through existing P-to-P platforms. When financial institutions and merchants use them as account-to-account platforms, successful disruption can occur.
The U.S. lags behind Asia/Pacific A-to-A schemes thanks to an oversaturation of credit cards (in 2014, 57% of Americans used a credit card vs. only 11% of East Asians). The most popular P-to-P schemes such as Venmo are still linked to an underlying payment card, meant to benefit “pull” payment incumbents: the top 20 issuers and card schemes.
Outside of the top Issuers, financial institutions collect little net revenue from interchange raising cost-to-income ratios (expense as a “%” of income). Even though global peers collect less interchange, U.S. financial institutions have higher cost-to-income ratios (28% vs. 59%). It is getting tougher to compete globally.
In addition, cards have cut financial institution brands out of the checkout experience. Customers don’t pay with their branded card, they pay with their Visa/Mastercard card. Fragmentation of digital wallets has further obfuscated financial institution brand recognition. On top of that, millennials aren’t getting credit cards; so account acquisition becomes limited.
This is where Zelle and real-time payments come in. Both “push” transactions from the sender’s financial account to the receiver’s. Both services provide real-time money transfers with zero interchange, no consumer credit risk, no customer information in transit, and no chargeback risk. Plus, both are faster than Same Day ACH.