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BBVA And Wincor Nixdorf Partnership Brings ATM Network Innovation
When people think of cash, bank ATMs, and the financial system we use today, the recycling of paper currency hardly ever comes to mind. BBVA wants to change the way we think about recycling cash, as they will be upgrading their bank teller machine network shortly. This move would allow for deposited banknotes to be re-used to complete ATM withdrawals., which is quite innovative in the banking sector.
BBVA Wants To Recycle Cash Through ATM Network
The decision made by BBVA to recycle cash through their ATM network will make the entire concept of bank teller machines more secure. So far, every bank ATM has two different slots, one for deposits and one for withdrawals. By using one and the same cash slot, devices will become slightly more secure, reducing the bank teller machine hacking attempts.
But there is another benefit to this approach, as it will lessen the amount of time spent waiting by consumers to have bank teller machines refilled. Making existing bank ATMs more efficient will benefit both consumers and financial institutions alike. For now, this feature is only available to Spanish customers, though.
Implementing this concept will take some time, as upgrading an entire Bitcoin ATM network will take some time. BBVA will be working together with Wincor Nixdorf, as the latter will roll out CINEO 4080 recycling machines throughout the different bank branches. This process will continue through the year 2016 as several software improvements will have to be made as well.
BBVA Spain Head of Digital Banking & Channel Technology Manuel Crespo stated:
“We are moving forward with our omni channel strategy, making them another window to the bank, which our customers can use to work with their products, when, where and how they want.”
Among the coming software changes are the option for ATM users to access almost every service they have signed up for with BBVA, and not just the functionality limited to the card itself. Moreover, all of these services can be accessed through mobile phones and PC banking as well, rather than having to visit the ATM itself.
One of the features a lot of BBVA customers have been asking for is the option to associated aliases with bank account numbers. Memorizing an IBAN is close to impossible for multiple accounts, and BBVA has decided to display accounts using an alias from now on. This will help improve the global bank ATM experience.
But there is even more, as the software updates will introduce NFC capabilities as well. Consumers can identify themselves through this protocol by touching a contactless card to the device, and support for mobile devices will be coming shortly. All of these new features will make the BBVA bank ATMs entirely unique in Spain.
Source: News Tip Via Email
Header image courtesy of BBVA
Originally published at Fintechist.


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Denuvo’s latest version has been circumvented by crackers and could affect some top titles.
There’s some movement in this week’s chart with an impressive jump a rogue-like deck builder.
NIS hands the game over to a new developer to fix some major problems with the PC version before releasing it.
Love a CRPG? Give Tower of Time a look while it’s still in Early Access. It could be a game to watch this year and it’s coming soon,

domain: news


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Nestlé has joined forces with Deliveroo’s Essentials delivery platform to offer a variety of its brands to UK consumers direct to their door.
As part of the new service, consumers can order a variety of chocolate, sweets and snacks, as well as instant coffee from the app. These include KitKat two finger bars, Fruit Pastilles, San Pellegrino, Nescafé Azera and Nescafé Cappuccino sachets.
The announcement follows in the footsteps of companies such as PepsiCo and Kraft Heinz, which have recently launched direct-to-consumer online stores amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Currently, deliveries are available from 11 Deliveroo sites in Leeds, London, Manchester and Nottingham.
Alexandre Manoukian, e-commerce lead for Nestlé Professional, said: “With people not able to just pop to the shop as easily on their lunch break for their favourite drink or snack, it made complete sense for us to be able to work with Deliveroo to bring it directly to their door.
“Deliveroo offer a completely contactless delivery so it means even those having to self-isolate can enjoy a well-deserved treat.”
The partnership comes after Deliveroo collaborated with Kellogg’s last year to offer a menu of meals that incorporate some of Kellogg’s cereals and cereal bars. The delivery-only-meal service, exclusively available on Deliveroo, first launched in East London and then further across the UK for a six-month trial.
Arabella Jenkins at Deliveroo said: “When you can’t justify popping to the shop just for a KitKat to get you through the final hours of your working day, Deliveroo is here to deliver a range of Nestlé snacks and drinks to your door in as little as under 30 minutes.”
Earlier this year, Nestlé reported its best quarterly sales growth in nearly five years, driven by increased consumer stockpiling of its coffee, frozen food and pet food brands.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2021
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AFRICA – Africa’s mobile industry which currently contributes US$155 billion to the continent’s Gross Domesitc Product (GDP) is expected to expand in 4 years, contributing about US$184 billion to Africa’s GDP by 2024, according to recent data from GSMA.
The GSMA further noted that that as of 2019, 477 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa subscribed to mobile services, accounting for 45% of the population.
The mobile ecosystem also supported almost 3.8 million jobs (directly and indirectly) and made a substantial contribution to the funding of the public sector, with $17 billion raised through taxation.
GSMA reports that the mobile market in the region will reach several important milestones over the next five years.
The Mobile industry will have half a billion mobile subscribers in 2021, 1 billion mobile connections in 2024, and 50% subscriber penetration by 2025.
Operators are for instance expected to invest $52 billion in infrastructure rollouts between 2019 and 2025, a testimony to a strong investor confidence in the region’s future growth.
Smartphone adoption also continues to rise rapidly in the region, reaching 50% of total connections in 2020, as cheaper devices have become available.
Over the next five years, the number of smartphone connections in Sub-Saharan Africa will almost double to reach 678 million by the end of 2025 – an adoption rate of 65%.
However, mass adoption of mobile 5G is not imminent in the region, as the continent has significant unused 4G capacity and 4G adoption still relatively low.
The focus in the near term for operators and other stakeholders is to increase 4G uptake.
This will involve strategies to make 4G devices more affordable and the provision of relevant digital content to drive demand for enhanced connectivity services.
GSMA forecasts that by 2025, there will be just under 30 million mobile 5G connections in Sub-Saharan Africa, equivalent to almost 3% of total mobile connections.
However, with nearly 800 million people in the region still not connected to the mobile internet, it has never been more urgent to close the digital divide, GSMA noted.
This is crucial to reactivating the region’s economy postCovid-19 as digital technologies play an even more important role in society.


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Stores Deemed Essential Start to Limit Shoppers
As we enter the second week of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s stay-at-home order, business are starting to limit how many people are inside their stores.
In a statement Target Corp. provided to CCX News, the company said in order to “promote social distancing with its team and guests, Target will monitor store traffic, and meter, or limit, the number of guests inside stores, when needed.”
Target said occupancy limits will vary by location and be determined by the store’s specific square footage.
“If metering is required, a Target team member will provide a designated waiting area outside with social distancing markers,” the company statement said.
Target officials say the measures announced are aimed at not only creating a safe environment for guests, but provide its employees with additional resources “as they fulfill an essential service in communities across the country.”
“We’re incredibly proud of the commitment our more than 350,000 frontline team members have demonstrated to ensure millions of guests can count on Target, and we’ll continue to focus our efforts on supporting them,” said John Mulligan, executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Walmart Enacts Similar Customer Restrictions
Walmart stores are enacting similar distancing measures as Target, limiting the number of customers who can be in a store at one time.
“Stores will now allow no more than five customers for each 1,000 square feet at a given time, roughly 20 percent of a store’s capacity,” said Dacona Smith, executive vice president and chief operating officer with Walmart, in a statement to CCX News.
“To manage this restriction, the associates at a store will mark a queue at a single-entry door (in most cases the grocery entrance) and direct arriving customers there, where they will be admitted one-by-one and counted. Associates and signage will remind customers of the importance of social distancing while they’re waiting to enter a store – especially before it opens in the morning. Once a store reaches its capacity, customers will be admitted inside on a ‘1-out-1-in” basis,'” said Smith.
Hardware and DIY Stores Still Open, But Shopping Experience Changes
Lowe’s announced additional actions being made across all of its U.S. stores to further protect guests and store associates. Among other changes Lowe’s will be closing all stores at 7 p.m. daily and limiting the number of customers in a store. It’s also implementing what it calls “dedicated social distancing ambassadors,” who will be responsible for “monitoring customer flow in our garden centers and front-end areas and enforce customer limits to allow proper social distancing,” a company statement said.
“We are continually working on ways to protect and support our associates and our customers during this time when we are all adjusting how we work and live,” said Marvin Ellison, Lowe’s president and CEO. “I’m announcing these new operational changes as we continue to keep the health and well-being of our associates and customers top of mind, especially as they look to us now more than ever for essential products, services and support.”
Grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s have also limited the number of patrons allowed in the store by issuing each customer a shopping cart. When their allotted number of shopping carts have been issued to customers entering the store customers must wait for a shopping cart to become available from a patron leaving the store.
Many stores have issued their employees protective gear such as face masks and gloves. Many have also erected plastic shields separating checkout customers from store employees. It is now commonplace to see many shoppers donning various masks and gloves.
Other big box stores such as Best Buy, Home Goods and TJ Maxx Stores, Marshalls, and Dick’s sporting goods have shuttered their doors to customers entirely, some only allowing curbside pick-up from online orders.
Check back often at CCX Media News for up to date local news affecting where you live.


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09 April 2013 05:22 [Source: ICIS news]
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s consumer price index (CPI) for March this year showed that annual consumer inflation fell to 2.1% from 3.2% a month ago, data from the country's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Tuesday.
The month-on-month 0.9% drop in March’s CPI is in line with market expectations, according to an analyst.
“The declining CPI growth is normal, because the data last month (February) was at a much higher level [because it was] in line with surged food prices during Lunar New Year holiday,” the analyst said.
Food prices in China increased by 2.7% year on year in March compared with the 6% hike in February, the NBS data showed.
Meanwhile, China’s producer price index (PPI) showed that producer prices in March decreased by 1.9% from a year ago.
However, the PPI was unchanged from February’s levels, according to the NBS data.
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X5 Retail Group, a leading Russian food retailer, is deploying a robotic telephone platform based on advanced speech technologies. Used to handle incoming calls and make outgoing calls without human intervention, the group’s new voice assistants simulate dialogue with customers and help resolve their issues.
“After the caller formulates a question, the bot uses complex machine learning algorithms and accumulated data to identify the subject of the request. The bot can then maintain a dialogue with the caller and learn his or her name, as well as collect the caller’s date of birth, phone number and customer loyalty card information and enter this information into the system,” X5 explains.
The bot has more than 300 different phrases in its arsenal, according to the group, “with new conversation scripts created within a single day.”
“Most callers say they feel no difference between talking to a person and a bot,” claims X5.
From voice bot to visual interface
The retail group uses these technologies to enhance the functionality of existing call centres: “In the Pyaterochka retail chain, robots already resolve up to 50% of all requests on loyalty issues each day, and the conversion to target action is more than 60%. At the same time, the costs to maintain a bot are five to seven times lower than that of an operator.”
The robot also processes incoming scripts for registering loyalty cards (transferring points between cards and checking a customer’s card status) as well as outgoing calls to conduct Net Promoter Score (NPS) polls.
The system is a proprietary development of the X5 Big Data department. Yandex’s SpeechKit technology (a part of the Yandex.Cloud online services platform) is also used.
The next step for X5’s Big Data department is “to scale the use of voice robots in the Pyaterochka and Perekrestok retail chains and to create a convenient app with a visual interface,” said department director Sergey Dobryakov.
Listed in London and Moscow, X5 Retail Group operates the Pyaterochka, Perekrestok and Karusel retail chains. Among the group’s recent initiatives in the field of innovation was, earlier this year, to launch of the Retail Innovation Tech Alliance (RITA), an international startup scouting program, jointly with other Russian companies.


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Sentiment had been low all morning after Trump threatened China not to retaliate to the tariff increases. Risk aversion intensified when China announced that it will raise tariffs on US goods as from the first June. Riskier assets such as equities tanked, US treasury bonds jumped and flows into the safe haven yen increased. These developments come after the latest round of US -Sino trade talks concluded on Friday in stalemate with no plans for further negotiations.
The speed at which this trade spat has ramped again has caught the markets off guard. The Dow fell over 500 points on the open whilst the Nasdaq dropped 2.8%, as investors price in the potential fallout of the trade dispute. China targeted some of the biggest exporters from the US – Caterpillar, Boeing, Intel Corp.
With Trump now threatening 25% tariffs on all Chinese imports the impact on Chinese exports and the Chinese economy would be substantial. There is potential for the situation to get worse before it gets better. The markets would want to see an improved tone from Trump in order to stage some sort of recovery and given Trump’s unpredictable nature, the timing of that could be difficult to gauge.


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22 Sep New blow to Bangladeshi shippers as forwarding charges leap 57%
Freight forwarders in Bangladesh have raised forwarding charges by 57% for each import bill, blaming fuel oil prices in the domestic market.
Importers are the primary payee of the additional forwarding costs, which will raise the price of imported goods at a consumer level, while the export industry will also suffer, as raw material sourcing will cost more.
The rise follows 25% rate increases by the Bangladesh Inland Depots Association (BICDA) for diesel-linked service charges after the government raised fuel oil prices by as much as 51.7% on 6 August, an effort to lower costs as it had been selling fuel at subsidized rates.
Businesses have also been hit hard by rising trucking costs, as the majority of transport runs on diesel, which has seen a 42.5% price rise.
Kabir Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BAFFA) recently told members that the delivery order fee had remained unchanged since 2014, adding: “During this long period, due to increases in the price of water, gas, electricity, gasoline, diesel, etc, the costs of running the business have increased several times.”
Mr Ahmed said the recent unprecedented price hike in gasoline and diesel prices had resulted in a significant increase of not only the cost of transport, but also the overall cost of doing business and forwarders had no option but to increase the charges.
The revised delivery order fee will be a maximum of $55 per import bill, as negotiated between the member and the customer/consignee/importer.
“In [the] case of sea freight, if the number of containers in one HBL is more than three, then an additional delivery order fee of $10 per container shall apply,” he noted.
Apparel makers, the main users of port-related services in Bangladesh, have strongly protested against the new charge by writing to several government bodies demanding it be suspended.
In 2010, the government fixed the forwarding charge for each import bill at $20, which the BAFFA arbitrarily increased to $35 in 2013, said the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). As a result, BGMEA members claimed they had been overcharged by $189m over the past eight years.
They have asked the ministry of shipping, the national board of revenue, Chittagong port authority, Chittagong customs house and BAFFA to step in and suspend the new forwarding charge, due to the industry facing tough times amid a fall in work orders.


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Happy Thursday, y’all. Our mini trading week is almost over!
The U.S. labor market scored a small W today. 🏅 Weekly jobless claims hit an 18-month low, with just 310,000 filing for benefits. That figure fell 35,000 week-over-week. Continuing claims fell, too.
Despite that small dub, all four indexes closed in the red today. 💔 The Russell 2000 lost the least, trading down just over 2 basis points.
8/11 sectors also traded down today. Real estate had the worst day, losing 2.1%.
The global crypto market rose 1.7%, buoyed by double-digit gains in more than a dozen tokens and altcoins. $ALGO led the pack, +34.6% today. More on crypto below. 👀
In commodities: lumber jumped 4.1% today, but it’s still down 63.4% from its peak. 🌲
Here are today’s quotes:
Buy, Sell, Deliver; The Recreational Plant Company Conquering Verticals
All Aboard The Free Tuition Train 🚂
E-commerce giant Amazon just announced a new employee benefit: free college tuition for over 750,000 U.S. employees. 🤓 📚
It’s no secret that companies are struggling to attract minimum-wage workers atm. Amazon is the latest mega corporation to provide free college in an effort to pull more employees — the company will also pay for books at multiple universities nationwide.
Even if you work just 20 hours a week, you could be eligible for up to 50% college tuition reduction under Amazon’s plan. Clearly, $15/hr is no longer sufficient to build a workforce. Ardine Williams, Amazon’s VP of workforce development, said:
“Career progression is the new minimum wage. Most adult learners don’t have the luxury of quitting their jobs and going to school full-time.”
Chipotle, Starbucks, Walmart, and Target announced similar programs this year. Amazon intends to pay employees’ tuition upfront, with associate degrees, high-school completion programs, and English-second-language certifications also included in the plan.
To pull this off, Amazon will probably have to fork out a whopping $1.2 billion over the next 4 years. 💸 These are huge line-items, but ultimately necessary selling points for attracting new talent. Here’s the WSJ with more info.
These Cryptocurrencies are Unphased
Despite the dullness of the crypto market, some cryptocurrencies skyrocketed this week. 🚀 🚀
This week’s biggest gainer, Algorand ($ALGO.X), entered the top 20 cryptos in dramatic fashion. It has more than doubled in the last seven days, but still sits below its all-time high of $3.28.
Why is $ALGO.X surging? 💭 Recently, El Salvador permitted Bitcoin as legal tender. For better widespread crypto implementation, El Salvador partnered with leading crypto firm Koibanx to create a wallet product for its citizens. This wallet will be developed using the Algorand blockchain as a piece of core infrastructure. The news acted as a catalyst for $ALGO.X, and it soared. ✈ ✈
Algorand was joined by another usual suspect: Solana ($SOL.X). The crypto booked an all-time high after crossing the $210 mark this week. Solana has surged 383% over the past 30 days, according to CoinGecko. Since the start of the month, it has surpassed the market caps of $DOGE.X and $XRP.X. Today, $SOL.X is the 5th largest crypto ex-stablecoins, sitting north of a $55 billion valuation. 😍
The ongoing NFT hype on Solana has helped accelerate its price momentum. The blockchain’s big entry into the world of NFTs was boosted by the launch of the Degenerate Apes. On Monday, FTX.US’s NFT marketplace went live, enabling users to mint, buy and sell NFTs — all traded cross-chain on the Ethereum and Solana blockchains.
There are dozens of other tokens that remain unaffected by the hustle and bustle of the crypto market. For instance, Cosmos ($ATOM.X) is up by ~30%, and Harmony ($ONE.X) soared 33% in the past 24 hours. Wanna give them a try?? 🤑
The Delta variant is once again tipping the scales against airlines. 😪 Travel, which was battered during the COVID-19 pandemic, has appreciated a bounce-back with the economy’s gradual reopening. However, travel still hasn’t reached its pre-pandemic levels.
American Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest, and United all lowered outlooks for Q3 2021 because of the ongoing virus drama. Fewer bookings, paired with cancellations on already-booked itineraries, are among the core reasons for concern.
Surprisingly, the U.S. Global Jets ETF rose 1.91% today. 🤔 The $JETS ETF tracks some of the largest airlines in America. The ETF has fallen 14.8% over the last 3 months.
Mastercard’s Crypto-Related Acquisition
To enhance its cybersecurity tools and comply with crypto regulations, Mastercard acquired CipherTrace, a blockchain analytics start-up. 🤖
The details of the acquisition have not yet been disclosed. However, the deal will help the giant payment company track over 900 cryptocurrencies, as per the release.
CipherTrace specializes in scanning blockchains for illicit transactions. Mastercard said the deal will help businesses “identify and understand their risks” and “help manage their digital asset regulatory and compliance obligations.”
Earlier this year, the payment company demonstrated interest in crypto, saying Mastercard would allow customer-to-merchant payments in cryptocurrency without settling in fiat. In July, the company referred to using the USDC stablecoin as a bridge for users paying for goods in cryptocurrency.
This deal goes to show that payment companies are keeping an eye on the crypto security system. 👀
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CreditCardsCo Blog Tag - 'chase'
Even though American millionaires account for 1% of the population, close to half of all Congressional members are millionaires. Does this mean they can’t understand the difficulties many face on a daily basis?
2012 isn’t at its halfway mark yet, but there’s no denying a few credit card offers are surpassing the competition. Check out those rising to the top so far for the year.
Things are looking much brighter for business owners. Hiring’s up, the financial outlook has improved and the credit card offers are looking good too.
Discover, Chase and all the other credit card companies are offering up sugary-sweet savings for Valentine’s Day. And the best part? If you’re unattached, you can overindulge in all that wonderful chocolate yourself and don’t forget to send yourself a nice bouquet of roses!
The Obama Victory Fund mobile phone credit card donations app was unveiled this week, complete with a credit card swiper for campaign workers. And who says politics, money and technology can’t seamlessly change the world?
Cash back credit card offers can be found with 0% APR and no annual fee perks. The trick is finding the right one that meets all your needs.
Chase is the first card company out of the gate that will be incorporating EMV chip technology. Take a look at a few of this company’s credit card offers, including the co-branded British Airways offer which is the first card in the Chase family with the new technology.
As it turns out, Americans with good credit scores are getting approved for credit card offers that up until recently required excellent credit scores. Here are a few of our picks if you’re looking to strengthen or rebuild your credit history.
No shortage of business credit card offers can make choosing the right one difficult. Take a look at the reviews of the more popular offers, including AMEX OPEN and Chase Ink.
Regardless of whether or not the media says the economy is proving and despite all of the mixed messages we get from Wall Street, the fact is, small business owners are moving forward with an eye to the economy, but more importantly, with goals that reach the sky.
Your vacation doesn’t have to break the bank, whether you travel by air or prefer the scenic route when traveling by car. Check out our credit card tips on these rewards cards.
Regardless of what happens with the debt talks that continue on Capital Hill, protecting your credit rating is a matter of knowing which credit card offers are right for you.


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Nov 23, 2021 - 03:02 pm
Niu unveils electric scooters, bikes and motorbike at EICMA
Niu has presented a number of new models at the EICMA in Milan, including an electric scooter called MQi GT Evo that goes over 100 km/h and an urban electric motorcycle called RQi. The Chinese manufacturer also debuted a range of micro-mobility products in Milan.
Feb 1, 2021 - 05:57 pm
Lime adds shared electric mopeds to the fleet
Lime is adding electric mopeds to its micromobility platform and said it plans to launch as many as 600 LEVs on its platform in Washington D.C. this spring. The company is also working with authorities to pilot the mopeds in Paris.
Jan 8, 2020 - 01:11 pm
Niu presents new electric motorbike & 3-wheeler
Niu has just presented the RQi-GT electric motorcycle and the TQi-GT three-wheeled electric scooter at the CES. The Chinese manufacturer is planning to put the two new models into series production in the second half of 2020.
Nov 11, 2019 - 01:55 pm
Revel launches scooter fleet in Austin
The New York startup Revel has launched in the Texan capital with a fleet of 1,000 electric scooters (as in mopeds, not kick scooters) in a vehicle-sharing scheme. Revel already has 1,000 electric scooters on New York’s streets and 400 more in Washington DC.
Nov 10, 2019 - 11:24 am
NIU joins e-bike market, presents new electric scooters
At the EICMA in Milan this year, Niu presented three new electric scooters for the M, N and U series, as well as an e-bike – with which the Chinese scooter manufacturing giant enters the market for electric bicycles. The new scooter models and the Niu Aero EB-01 electric bike will be available in selected […]
Aug 27, 2019 - 12:43 pm
Niu announces electric scooter subsidiary
The Chinese electric scooter manufacturer Niu introduced a new brand called Gova for more affordable products. In specific terms, three electric scooter series is planned, for which Niu quotes a price range between 3,000 and 4,000 yuan (approx. 380 to 500 euros).
Jun 3, 2019 - 01:55 pm
USA: Revel completes scooter sharing tests in NY
The New York City-based startup Revel Transit has completed a nine-month pilot project on electric scooter sharing, in which 68 mopeds were used. Now 1,000 of their shared electric scooters were released onto the streets of Brooklyn and Queens.
Mar 19, 2019 - 03:21 pm
Niu continues expansion, adds VW cooperation
The Chinese electric scooter manufacturer Niu continues to grow, as is evident from last year’s figures. Niu plans to expand further and recently signed a cooperation agreement with Volkswagen.
Feb 20, 2019 - 02:22 pm
Forsee Power to deliver e-scooter batteries to Niu
Battery maker Forsee Power of France will supply the Chinese brand Niu with batteries for its electric scooter series. In addition, Forsee plans to produce more than 100,000 batteries for Niu at its Zhongshan plant in Guangdong Province between now and 2022.
Sep 26, 2018 - 01:30 pm
E-scooter firm Niu of China files for $150M U.S. IPO
Niu is among China’s largest electric scooter manufacturers. Now they are looking to get listed on the U.S. stock exchange, where they seek an IPO worth 150 million dollars to increase production, intensify R&D and widen their distribution.
Jun 2, 2015 - 09:11 am
BMW, ZEV credits, Citroën, Formula E, Niu, Garia, VW.
BMW may plan new PHEV: According to the Australian website Motoring, the next BMW X3 model expected for 2016 will also become available as a plug-in hybrid variant with an all-electric range of 50 kilometres. It could feature a 67 kW electric motor and a turbocharged four-cylinder combustion engine, giving it a combined output of around 245 kW.
All need to electrify: The California Air Resources Board announced that even small carmakers will have to comply with clean-car rules, denying the request of Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Volvo to be exempt from the rules. The decision will allow the five smaller automakers, all of which have less than 40 billion dollars in annual global revenue, to have the option of selling plug-in hybrids to earn credits towards compliance, rather than being forced to sell pure EVs.
Citroën Formula E update: Rumours that the French carmaker will take part in the second Formula E season are becoming more concrete. Motorsport.com has learned that a Citroën Formula E test took place earlier this month close to Paris. The carmaker is said to join Richard Branson’s Virgin racing team next year. The official announcement is expected during the ePrix finale in London at the end of June.
New scooter from China: Li Yinan, former chief technology officer of China’s largest internet search company Baidu, and his new company Niu introduced an electric scooter called “N1 smart e-scooter” to the Chinese market. The Vespa-like two-wheeler features a Bosch motor and weighs only 10 kilos. It could also become available in Europe at a later date.
From furniture to EVs: Danish newspaper Finans reports that Lars Larsen, owner of the internationally operating Danish retail chain Jysk, which is selling household goods, plans to produce electric utility vehicles for municipalities, public offices, parks and camping sites and to sell the EVs worldwide. Apparently the planning stage is all wrapped up and first deals have already been signed.
finans.dk (in Danish) via emobilitaetonline.de (in German)
Driving the Beetle Dune Hybrid concept: John Voelker from Green Car Concepts took the bug for a spin and found the ride rather bumpy, feeling the weight of the hybrid drivetrain also used in the Jetta. He believes the concept is really a way for VW to say “Look, we can put our hybrid powertrain in a bunch of different vehicles–including this one.”


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Mexico has been confirmed as the headline sponsor for visitor registration at WTM London 2017 – the leading global event for the travel industry.
The agreement is part of the destination’s plan to further promote itself to the global travel and tourism industry, building on a successful year.
“We have been working very hard to promote Mexico as a leading tourist destination,” said Vicente Salas, director for UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, South Africa and Russia for the Mexico Tourism Board.
“The UK is one of our major markets and WTM London provides us with the perfect platform to showcase everything our wonderful country has to offer.
“Our stand, in a prominent position in the exhibition hall, will host a number of key major exhibiting partners and we look forward to meeting buyers and members of the travel trade.”
Mexico’s tourist regions and hotels continue to make significant investment, with a new airport terminal scheduled to open in Acapulco in 2018 and new properties –including Solaz by Sheraton, Four Seasons and the first Nobu hotel in Mexico – opening in the fast-growing Los Cabos region.
On the popular Yucatan Peninsula, Palladium Hotel Group is to open a luxury development in autumn 2018 – the Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa – which will feature a system of canals so guests can travel through the resort by boat.
Meanwhile, Mexico is expected to register a record number of tourist arrivals by cruise ship this year of over seven million visitors.
WTM London, senior director, Simon Press said: “Mexico has had a super year in terms of tourism and we’re thrilled to announce the destination as our headline sponsor.
“Anyone who has been to Mexico will know how much the country has to offer – it’s teaming with history, culture, wildlife and authentic experiences.
“The sheer number of new developments in terms of infrastructure and new tourist offerings means Mexico is moving with the times and will continue to be right up there as a top tourist destination for years to come.”


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Sections SEARCH Skip to content Skip to site index Subscribe Log In Log In Today’s Paper DealBook | DealBook Briefing: The Fed Raised Rates. The Markets Didn’t Like It. DealBook Supported by Dec. 20, 2018 Good Thursday morning. (Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here .) The Fed raised rates, but it’s bracing for economic strain The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate yesterday to between 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent, and signaled that it expects “some” additional rate increases next year. The Fed believes the U.S. economy is strong. “Jerome H. Powell, the Fed’s chairman, emphasized the continued strength of economic growth at a news conference after the announcement,” Binyamin Appelbaum of the NYT writes. He adds that it was “a display of measured confidence in the economy.” But the move is a slap in the face to vocal critics. … [Read more...] about DealBook Briefing: The Fed Raised Rates. The Markets Didn’t Like It.
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Sections SEARCH Skip to content Skip to site index Subscribe Log In Subscribe Log In Today’s Paper DealBook | DealBook Briefing: Corporate America Says It Often Apologizes for Trump DealBook Supported by Dec. 17, 2018 Good Monday morning. (Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here .) What’s eating American C.E.O.s? We have some insight, thanks to the Yale C.E.O. Summit with Jeffrey Sonnenfeld last week in New York. The event was strictly off the record, but DealBook has the results of a survey of 134 business leaders who were there: President Trump. Three in four C.E.O.s said they often apologized to their international business partners about the president’s messages. Eighty-seven percent said Mr. Trump’s negotiating style had cost the nation the trust of its allies, and three-quarters felt he wasn’t leading effectively on issues critical to U.S. national security. Trade and … [Read more...] about DealBook Briefing: Corporate America Says It Often Apologizes for Trump
Mexico to face fierce competition from Vietnam: Mexican economists Mexican economists have shared the view that once the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) takes effect, Mexico will have to face fierce competition from Vietnam in many sectors, such as garments and textiles, leather and footwear, and electronic equipment. Arnulfo Gomez, a foreign trade expert, said Vietnam has successfully implemented a commercial strategy that helps improve the quality and competitiveness of its products on the international market by reducing spending on materials and applying technology in production. With such advantages, Vietnam has more capacity than Mexico to utilise opportunities generated by the CPTPP, he said. The experts suggested that the Mexican Government set forth new measures to raise the competitiveness of domestic businesses, thus avoiding adverse impacts from the deal. Statistics of the Mexican Ministry of … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 16/12
Sean Parker was in a bind. It was late May 2013, and a scandal was beginning to brew over his wedding, an opulent affair that was to be held on California's coast. State regulators were up in arms because the campground where the ceremony was scheduled was intended for public, not private usage. But an upscale hotel nearby had contracted it to Parker and his guests for the party, which was happening in less than a week. That standoff finally bore its fruit this week: a long awaited agreement between the state of California and the billionaire tech entrepreneur. The California Coastal Commission, which issued numerous violations to Parker and the hotel for the event at the time, released a slickly designed app that Parker created as part of a settlement with the state that included a $2.5 million payout. The free app, available currently to anyone with an iPhone, helps people find access to beaches along the entirety of the state's coast.When it spilled into public view more than … [Read more...] about How does a tech billionaire say sorry for his unauthorized wedding? With an app, of course.
Firms should seek to grow stronger in global economy: experts Vietnamese businesses need to urgently adapt their management methods and bravely step out into the world in order to survive and develop in the context of global integration, said experts at a workshop held Ho Chi Minh City on December 13. Vu Thi Thuan, Chairwoman of Traphaco JSC, said Vietnam is going through an extensive and intensive integration process by engaging in groups such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). This allows businesses to expand their markets but also presents a lot of challenges and competition, she said, adding that the development of technology and artificial intelligence requires enterprises to map out sustainable development strategies. Businesses should make plans to maintain comprehensive … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 15/12


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We held our tongue when Swedish Fish Oreos appeared last year.
But Peeps-filled Oreos? We can stay silent no longer.
This is a crime against cookie humanity.
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“That’s right folks, America’s least favorite Easter treat combined forces with America’s favorite cookie,” grumbles The Huffington Post.
This news is making quite a few people cranky. Check out these other declarations of outrage littering the internet since the news of this nefarious new pairing broke.
“Marshmallow Peep Oreos are coming, and our teeth hurt already.” (CNET)
“Oreo takes on Easter with a new flavor to delight and disgust us all.” (Uproxx)
It’s the Peeps filling that’s got folks riled up. Relationship goals don’t exist when it comes to Peeps. You either love ’em or hate ’em.
Anticipation for the new limited-edition Oreos is lining up that way as well.
The cookies hit store shelves on Wednesday, according to Today. But a few people online have apparently already snagged them.
Early reviews? People love ’em and hate ’em, sometimes at the same time.


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Victory Lane plans grand opening
By MISTY FRITZ
It’s been a long time coming, but Victory Lane in Carlinville is finally gearing up to host its grand opening event this weekend.
The business, located at 400 West Main Street, initially opened in September 2018, after owners Gene and Stephanie Hebenstreit purchased the Bruckert-Daley Chrysler dealership. “They’d been looking to expand and get into other franchises,” said Sales Manager Terry Pollard, noting the Hebenstreits also own a Ford dealership in Litchfield. G. Hebenstreit, who has roots in Carlinville, didn’t want to see the town lose its dealership, so he worked out the purchase with Chrysler.
The staff of nine employees is all-new, including Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram certified mechanics. The Hebenstreits also purchased Drew Ford in Gillespie; Dick Drew and Jeff Drew came to the Carlinville location, D. Drew as general manager and J. Drew to handle internet and social media marketing.
Though some significant changes were made to the building initially — a complete renovation of the interior, as well as painting the service department and upgrading much of the service equipment — even more had to be done after a driver traveling westbound on West Main in January had a mechanical problem and drove into the building’s front plate glass window, damaging the front entrance and a 2019 vehicle.
The renovation necessitated by that incident is expected to be complete within a couple of weeks.” The front’s going to be a little more pleasing cosmetically,” said Pollard. “The glass is going to be more open, so people can see in from the road, and you’re going to be able to see the showroom a little better.”
“It has taken a lot of effort, not to mention expense, to do it right, but that was the plan,” said Pollard. “We are absolutely committed to being here for the long run.”
So far, Pollard said, response from the community has been great. “Everybody’s been welcoming. Most of the customers we’ve had so far have been local, and they’ve been really positive.” He added, “We hope to return the favor in some small way by sponsorships and helping in any way we’re needed, financially or otherwise.”
“I think people will appreciate the way we do business,” said Pollard. “There will be no games or any of the other stuff you see in some other dealerships. We will shoot you straight, give you a fair shake and be honest in every way we deal with you, and we’re hoping people will respect that and give us a fair chance to earn their business.” He noted the company provides oil changes with no appointment required.
The grand opening event will begin with a complimentary breakfast Friday, March 1, from 7-10 a.m. at the dealership. On Saturday, March 2, they will host a Jeep ride from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Hillbillie Ranch in Jerseyville. “People can bring their Jeeps or side-by-sides and go four-wheeling,” said Pollard. “We will be serving free food there also, as well as music all day, and it will be a blast, I assure you.” Additional details about the event are available on the company’s website or Facebook page.
Staff at Victory Lane in Carlinville includes, back row, from left, Bill Sloan (service manager), Josh Taylor (certified technician), Matt Hewitt (certified technician), Billy Heyen (certified technician) and Austin Loftis (service and detailing); front row, Terry Pollard (sales manager) and Jeff Drew (internet/social media). Not pictured is General Manager Dick Drew. Enquirer-Democrat photo by Misty Fritz.


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SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Yonhap) -- Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-biggest carmaker, said Friday it will launch the all-electric K3 compact in China early next year to revive sales in the world's biggest automobile market.
Kia currently sells two versions of the all-new K3 sedan with a 1.6-liter gasoline or a 1.6-liter plug-in hybrid engine in China. The all-electric version will be added in the first quarter of 2020, the company said in a statement.
The maker of the K5 sedan and the Sorento SUV unveiled the zero-emission model at the 17th China Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition that opened Friday and lasts through Dec. 1.
The all-new KX3 SUV, a localized model of the entry SUV Seltos for Chinese customers, made its debut at the auto show to capture a growing demand for recreational vehicles, the statement said.
Kia said it plans to launch the KX3 SUV with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine and an intelligent variable transmission in the Chinese market in the first half of next year.
Other models to be promoted in the show include the K5 plug-in hybrid car, the Sportage SUV and the EV coupe concept Futuron, which was already introduced at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) early this month.
Seoul-Tokyo trade row averts worst case
Luxury fashion powerhouses rush into S. Korean market
With Asiana acquisition, construction-centered HDC eyes biz diversification
Telco-cable TV mergers to reshape S. Korean media market
Possibility of S. Korean rate cut looms after U.S. rate reduction


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A senior VP at Lotus has torn into Microsoft for its strategy on email clients. Cliff Reeves, VP of Lotus' communications products, was speaking at the launch of version 5.0 of Notes on a boat called The Silver Barracuda moored on the river Thames. He said Lotus had now re-named Notes SUPER.HUMAN.SOFTWARE as part of a $100 million re-brand of the product. Lotus is not a company which takes its end users prisoner in terms of legacy support, said Reeves. But Microsoft is. Inflicting collateral damage on Netscape in the process, Reeves said: "Microsoft is the worst offender in ripping and replacing [email clients]." Documents provided by Lotus-IBM claimed that Windows 2000 would obsolete previous email clients. "Microsoft Mail was a dead end for Microsoft and they moved to Exchange. They said 'there are no choices'. We [Lotus] didn't do that. We maintained support for cc:Mail long beyond the industry said we should. "When we did, we gave them [customers] a great deal of warning and financial incentives to move. When you install a Domino server it will actively detect cc:Mail. "We don't see our customers as catives. Microsoft gets a tad arrogant with some of their users." Reeves said code for R5 was now gold and boxed product will ship within a month. ®
AMD has decided to elect Robert Palmer, ex CEO of Digital before Compaq took it over, to its board of directors. The company held its annual general meeting yesterday. As predicted here, Jerry Sanders III will now take a back seat to Atiq Raza, who becomes president and chief operating officer of the company. Sanders claimed AMD has sorted out its manufacturing and process problems and at the same time pre-announced clock speeds for its K7 chip, partly based on Digital Alpha technology. He said at the shareholders' meeting that the K7 will be announced in June and will come at speeds of 500MHz, 550MHz and 600MHz. He came under attack from an 80-year old, according to reports, who asked Sanders whether he should sell his AMD stock and buy Intel, because the shares were his worst investment. Sanders is reported to have said: "Mine too. I've invested my whole life in AMD." ®
Woken up with a hangover this morning? You’re not alone - anyone with shares in IT companies is likely to be suffering from a pounding head, a queasy stomach and a strange hollow feeling in their bank account. Yesterday was a bad day for IT stocks in the US, according to Computer Reseller News (CRN), the US channel mag that has just been bought by United Media, along with its stable-mates. While the Dow Jones rose 32.9 points, Nasdaq fell by 21.3 to close at 2,529.1, the online report said. This is bad news for many IT stocks. Out of a whole unholy host of big hitters from the IT industry, IBM was one of the few to buck the trend. Strange but true. CRN’s list of slippery stocks goes like this: Microsoft - down 3/16 to 81 15/16; Cisco - down 2 1/2 to 109 1/4; Intel - down 5/16 at 60 7/8; Dell - down 9/16 to 41 1/16; Hewlett Packard - down 1 1/16 to 78 1/4; Compaq down 13/16 to 22 7/8. In the channel, Ingram Micro slipped 1/4 to 25 15/16, but CHS held steady at 5 1/4. ®
Reuters in the US reports that the Intel Pentium III serial number fiasco refuses to lie down and die. A hitherto-unknown Canadian software house, Montreal-based Zero-Knowledge Systems, has placed a program on the web that it claims can switch on the serial number and read it without the user knowing. Intel has persuaded long-term buddy Symantec to include the utility on its list of known viruses. And a good thing too, we say. What exactly are these people afraid of? The serial number cannot be used to identify an individual, it can't even identify a particular system. If you don't want people to know you've been visiting dodgy web sites, go down to the corner store and buy a dodgy magazine instead - but beware: the dollar bill you use to buy it has (gasp!) a serial number. Big Brother or what? Team Register has a Pentium III. Its serial number is 00000672000226FA025D71BF. We are not afraid. ® Register factoid 00000672000226FA025D71AB Starting with Whitney (i810) all Intel chipsets will have a hardware random number generator as standard. Let's see what the conspiracy loonies can read into that.
We noted last year that Lotus boss Jeff Papows had a murky background as a Microsoft secret agent, plotting the overthrow of anti-Redmond strategies at the IBM PC Company (see How Lotus boss helped MS), but we have to take our hats off to yesterday's revelations in the Wall Street Journal's of Jeff's advanced fictional capacities. Boy, has he been telling it to the marines -- apparently. The WSJ tells an absolutely staggering tale of lines Papows seems to have shot, backing the claims up with copious quotes from people from his past who seem to have distinct recollection of our Jeff shooting them (the lines, that is). Jeff himself understandably can't recall them, which is as well, given that they seem not to have been true. So he's not an orphan, his parents are alive and well. He wasn't a Marine Corps captain, he was a lieutenant. He didn't save a buddy by throwing a live grenade out of a trench. He didn't burst an eardrum when ejecting from a Phantom F4, which didn't crash, not killing his co-pilot. He's not a tae kwon do black belt, and he doesn't have a PhD from Pepperdine University. Marine Corps records undermine much of this, and although Papows says he never told these stories, former colleagues and customers remember hearing them. He says the legends just kind of grew up around him, and he let them run to motivate people. He still claims he was a marine flyer, but the Marine Corps says he was in air traffic control, and has no aviation records for him. And here's a little nugget from somebody the WSJ says has clear recollection of shooting the breeze with Jeff over his military background. Major General Thomas L Wilkerson, former commander of the Marine Corps Reserve, bought a stack of Lotus Notes after meeting Papows. It "gave us confidence," he tells the WSJ "Jeff was a Phantom driver just like me." There's plenty more where that came from -- an outstandingly hilarious piece from the WSJ -- grab a copy while you still can. ®
Microsoft has announced the Windows 2000 beta 3, as expected, and confirmed $59.95 as the general price. But the company has also come up with some numbers. The beta will go to 430,000 customers, 140,000 developers and 100,000 channel partners, which gives us 670,000 recipients before you include versions that go out with PCs from the 20 companies Microsoft says have agreed to ship beta 3. This is a major wild card, as volumes will be a combination of user demand and how restrictively the companies approach distribution. Microsoft doesn't seem to be busting a gut to get what looks set to be the largest ever Windows beta into testers' hands. Some of the most important punters will be getting code early, but the company is still quoting two to four weeks delivery for most, and congestion on Web orders plus delays in getting the international subsidiaries properly plugged into the programme will likely extend this. The company is still maintaining a vague stance on precise gold code shipment, although the beta seems pretty final. If the beta period is lengthy, though, we could see some seriously large numbers of copies going out. We at The Register are working on some estimates, and will get back to you with them RSN. ®
MS on TrialHewlett-Packard considered shipping another operating system with its Windows 95 machines, in order to get round Microsoft restrictions placed on the initial boot sequence, according to trial testimony released this week. The plan was apparently rejected because of the strain it would have placed on HP's resources, but it is a further sign of the stresses placed on the OEM relationship by Microsoft's "Windows Experience." This week's testimony comes from John Romano, famous some months back for a belligerent letter to Microsoft saying HP would buy its operating systems elsewhere if it had a choice - which it didn't (HP: We'd dump Windows if we could). The second operating system plan itself harks back to the Windows 95 prelaunch period, when HP PC boss Jacques Clay threatened to ship OS/2 in order to wring concessions from Microsoft, but it also shows that something Microsoft OEM chief Joachim Kempin said at the trial wasn't anything like as bizarre as it seemed. The Microsoft rules for what PC manufacturers can and can't do with Windows on their PCs have been covered ad nauseam here, but briefly, they go like this. There should be an installable (but not installed) version of Windows on the PC, and once the initial Windows boot sequence begins no software other than Microsoft software is allowed to run. PC manufacturers have, since the days of Romano's letter, gained a little more freedom in what they can do during this sequence, but it's still largely Microsoft-driven. Microsoft decides what is displayed on the desktop, and what the initial look and feel is. Microsoft also collects the registration data, whereas PC manufacturers would prefer to collect this themselves, naturally. Kempin suggested to the court that a way around this would be for the PC manufacturer to install a 'thin' operating system that kicked in before the Microsoft licensing procedure kicked in. At the time this seemed a convoluted way to get round the Microsoft contractual straightjacket, and surely something that had only appeared in Kempin's tortured, legalistic mind. But no - HP thought of it too. The fact that HP didn't pursue it, however, does tend to point up how much OEMs pursue the line of least resistance and least cost, and how much this inadvertently helps Microsoft ratchet-up its Ts and Cs. ® Complete Register trial coverage
MS on TrialOops - just when they thought it was safe to go back into the mail system, Caldera has unleashed a stack of nasties relating to the period when, the company claims, Microsoft was deliberately making sure DR-DOS wouldn't run Windows. And quote of the week comes from Jim "Videotape" Allchin, now running Microsoft's multiple OS rollouts but then pithily observing of Redmond's Utah competition: "I hate them." That's a lot easier to read than your deposition transcript, Jim. But more importantly, the email trail leads to Bill Gates again: "You never sent me a response on the question of what things an [application] would do that would make it run with MS-DOS and not run with DR-DOS," writes Bill. One must presume this is only healthy curiosity, rather than evidence of a Gates-inspired plot to sabotage DR-DOS. Microsoft did include a routine that tested for non-MS-DOS operating systems, but only included this in pre-release versions of MS-DOS. But other emails suggest that something was going on. Said Rich Abel: "I hate this whole thing. I think it's totally rude, reinforces the image that users have of us as the evil ones." The emails also show that Microsoft did identify ways to identify whether the OS was DR-DOS or MS-DOS, but found that applications "have no business making [these] calls." Caldera is currently suing Microsoft over claimed destabilisation and anti-competitive behaviour in a period which now seems largely ancient history, but the appearance of more skeletons after the DoJ ones have largely worked their way through the system must be unwelcome news for Microsoft. ® Complete Register trial coverage
Chip manufacturer Cyrix has posted an interesting presentation it made at the WinHEC conference at the beginning of the month. Thanks to JC for pointing us to the PDF file here. The presentation contains clear diagrams which show the layout of typical frontside and traditional "backside" (ahem) architecture. It also points to the problems involved in implementing level one and level two caches on microprocessors and contrasted integrated level two cache with external cache. If you read between the lines, you will detect some future technology Cyrix will integrate. ®
Graham Jackson, European marketing director of Cyrix, paid a visit to The Register the other evening toting a working model of the Webpad. The handheld device, with a 10-inch LCD screen, can use either RF (radio frequency) or DECT technology, the former giving a range of about 500 feet and the latter about 900 feet, said Jackson. He successfully logged into The Register pages using the machine. Jackson said that the Webpad, which will be manufactured by Taiwanese company Tatung for a range of OEMs, is likely to debut in volume in Q3. Applications include warehousing, hospitals and other jobs which involve working on the move. It could also be useful for Register staff when they are in The Old Monk, The Windmill, the Mason's Arms and other pubs in the locality. This, of course, is a very infrequent occurrence. Battery life on the reference model we saw was eight hours. ®
Proxim said today that chip giant Intel has signed an agreement over wireless LAN technology Proxim and at the same time took an equity stake in the company. Intel and Proxim will work together to develop home networking products based on the HomeRF shared wireless access protocol (SWAP) spec. The chip giant bought 320,000 shares in Proxim, representing a 2.9 equity share. It has also said it will buy another 96,000 shares. Dan Sweeney, Intel's general manager of home networking, said that the Proxim spec complements its own line of phoneline networking products. ® Intel is not an investor in The Register.
Boffins at New York University's Media Research Lab (MRL) have developed what they claim is are revolutionary new method for pen computing text entry. Designed for the Palm handheld, the Quikwriting system is, the researchers claim, much faster than the Palm's current text entry technology, Graffiti. Developed by MRL Associate Professor Ken Perlin, Quikwriting arranges characters in a special sequence of groups that determines how each letter, number or symbol will be drawn. Within the sequence are symbols which tell the software which character within a group you actually want to enter. Moving the stylus from the centre, towards the desired character's location, to one of two special symbol areas and back the to the centre allows the system to figure out which character you want and display it. The speed comes because it's instantly clear how to get a given character -- you don't need to learn Graffiti's shorthand -- and you need never take the stylus off the screen while writing. Quikwriting will be officially launched during November's User Interface Software and Technology 99 conference. ® You can see in detail how Quikwriting works and download a PalmOS demo here.
It's the same old story: Chipzilla shows a new fastest-ever CPU to a bunch of analysts or developers and a few weeks later, AMD cobbles together something using 20 gallons of liquid nitrogen and 5Kw of fans (and sacrifices a couple of virgins to be on the safe side) in a bid to match Intel’s performance. This fixation with raw MHz is as meaningless as the MIP rating beloved of old mainframers, yet both Chipzilla and the Great Satan of Taperecorders persist in playing the "mine’s bigger than yours" game. So, rather predictably, Jerry Sander’s swansong at the AMD annual shareholders' meeting yesterday was a demonstration of the KryoTech Super-G computer running at 1 GHz. KryoTech expects to deliver the Super-G to customers at speeds up to and including 1 GHz. Not above 1 GHz, you’ll notice. Now, Intel is targeting Coppermine to launch in September at 600MHz, but early reports from inside the chip behemoth indicate that yields of up to 733MHz are easily achievable, right now. So we have a situation where Intel has a choice: does it launch Coppermine at 600MHz and then phase in the faster 667MHz and 733MHz parts, or should it go for 733MHz from September? Going for 733MHz from day one would put Intel so far ahead it would leave AMD in a very tricky position in matching Chipzilla for raw speed – so tricky it just might be the final straw that breaks the AMD camel’s back. Your call, Chipzilla… ®
The Atlantic PC brand is to be resurrected by Midlands-based Sight & Sound Computers. Atlantic PC Systems, the line once sold by recently liquidated distributor Memsolve, was bought by the UK company earlier this month. Sight & Sound, owners of the SSC computer brand, said this week it expected the move to push the SSC group into the top 15 PC manufacturers in the UK. Nick Smith, SSC group MD, described Atlantic as "a good company that has been badly handled". He believed that with a strong name behind it, Atlantic would soon be brought back to life. "Atlantic has gone through a hard time, but it still has strong brand awareness. We have succeeded with the SCC brand -- we now ship 3000 units per month. Atlantic had slipped to only 500 shipments per month, but we believe we can bring that to 1000 units in three months' time, and over 2000 by the end of the year," he said. The Atlantic factory is based in Wales with 110 employees. The acquisition boosts Sight and Sound’s headcount to 158 in the UK. The desktop PC and notebook manufacturer is based in Bromsgrove near the M42, with offices in Birmingham and London. Smith declined to detail the price paid for Atlantic -– which keeps an 'Intel only' model -- but commented Sight & Sound had secured "a good deal". ®
Bob Jones, the man who gave Sonix Communications to the world, has set up a company which plans to make the Internet as easy to use as the humble telephone. Equiinet has been backed with a £5 million venture capital injection from Schroder Ventures, which has backed Jones when he set up Sonix in 1992 with £2.1 million. He sold Sonix in 1995 to 3Com for $70 million. Small wonder then, that Schroders was happy to help out again. Jones’ latest foray into the IT world has launched an Internet access box, the NetPilot – “a one-box solution that works for data in a very similar way to PABX,” the company literature says. The thinking behind Equiinet’s offering is that businesses need Internet access that is a straight-forward as using the telephone. The NetPilot logs Web use and monitors what staff are looking at, allowing much the same control as a company has over its telephone exchange. It does, however, fly in the face of the much-hyped voice-over IP technology. Voice and data are unlikely to converge in the near future because of inherent reliability issues, according to Equiinet. In a press statement, Equiinet says: “With voice communications, people expect high performance and their tolerance of failures or poor quality is low. While there is a lot of talk about data and voice convergence, Equiinet believes the risk of compromising the performance of telephony equipment means it is inappropriate – at least for now.” Jones does not dismiss voice-over IP altogether though. “I’m actually a big fan,” he said. “I just don’t believe that the technology is there yet and for many businesses it’s an approach that is just too radical at the moment.” Jones will be the chairman of Equiinet. He is also deputy chairman of Datatec, the South African IT giant. ®
The Pentium Xeon platform is to overtake PIII in the performance stakes for the first time. The high-end, high-priced Pentium III Xeon will overtake its little brother in MHz terms in September. The two ranges have always matched each other evenly since the launch of the original Pentium II Xeon last year, but now the Slot 2 chip is set to carry the performance banner alone. And if early reports from Intel insiders are to be believed, Coppermine is yielding so well that it could conceivably launch at 733MHz. (See story: Coppermine could finish AMD off for good) But at the moment, the plan is that the first Coppermine Pentium III will appear at 600MHz , while Xeon will hit 667MHz. Both parts will feature 256K on-die L2 cache. Prices (1K quantities) are expected to be something like this: The desktop part is expected to hit 667MHz sometime in Q4. Notice that the cache sizes are the dominant factor in the Xeon pricing model, so that if Coppermine launches higher than 667MHz, the price will remain pretty much the same. On die caches larger than 256K are in the pipeline - watch this space. ®
UpdatedMicrosoft has been sued by a US inventor who claims the company infringed patents he owns which cover the entry of handwritten data into a computer using an "electronic pen". The suit also targets Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, Casio and Sharp, which inventor Mitchell Forcier belives Microsoft sold its allegedly patent-infringing to. Forcier's patents were filed in 1993 and centre on the use of so-called electronic ink to input data into a computer. Electronic ink is essentially a bitmap generated from the movement of the stylus. The bitmap can then be analysed and converted into Ascii text. That's how devices like Apple's Newton MessagePad and, to an extent, Palm's eponymous line of handhelds work, but it's curious neither company is named in Forcier's suit. Forcier claims he developed this approach for a former employer, Aha! Software. The company then sold the technology on to Microsoft -- violating a confidentiality agreement, says Forcier -- which dsitributed it to the other named parties in turn. All five firms offer Windows CE-based machines, so it must be that OS' data entry system that Forcier has in mind. Ironically, Sharp was a Newton OS licensee before it switched to Windows CE. What makes CE different from other pen-based systems remains to be seen. The suit demands all five companies cough up damages to cover lost profits and royalty payments Forcier claims he should have received. It alse requests the companies cease to use his invention. Update Microsoft acquired Aha! Software back in 1996, clearly to get hold of its electronic ink recognition technology: "Aha! has come up with a very innovative way to deal with the handwriting recognition problem by manipulating handwriting in its ink form as though it were actual computer text," said Microsoft VP Paul Maritz at the time. Aha! was formed in 1991. At the time of the Microsoft acquisition, it had developed what it called SmartInk, which "overcomes handwriting-recognition obstacles by enabling people to edit their original ink handwriting in the same manner that they edit text with a word processor", according to company releases of the period. Microsoft used SmartInk to form the basis of the InkWriter application that ships with the palmtop-oriented version of CE. What's most important is that back in 1996, SmartInk was described as "patent pending". Clearly the company filed its own patent on the technology at roughly the same time Forcier did himself. It's fairly common practice for companies to file patents on behalf of staff. If that's the case here, Forcier must have believed he took ownership of the SmartInk patents when Aha! ceased to exist as an entity in its own right. Microsoft's case is likely to centre, then, on Aha!'s ownership of the patents, which, through the acquisition, it now owns and can do with as it sees fit. The Register would be the first to admit it's a bit weak on US patent ownership law, and we'd be glad to hear from anyone who has an idea of how it works. ®
The UK will pilot a software and hardware bundle from CHS Electronics and Computer Associates in an agreement announced today. Computer Associates’ IT management software solutions will be parcelled with server, desktop and storage products distributed by CHS in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. It will start in the UK in June, backed up by a CHS reseller marketing campaign. Peter Rigby, CHS group marketing director, said the scheme would later be expanded into Europe. Computer Associates said the agreement would boost its own product penetration, especially in European business markets. CHS will promote Computer Associates as the preferred supplier of enterprise management software to its resellers. Products include NetworkIT, InoculateIT, AimIT, ShipIT and ControlIT. ®
Siemens has been ordered to repay £18 million of UK taxpayers' money used to build its now defunct Tyneside chip plant. The German manufacturer yesterday received an invoice for the return of the central government grant, which it has enjoyed interest free since 1996.
AOL and Microsoft have separately chucked their corporate hats into the MediaOne takeover ring, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Confidentiality agreements have been signed with MediaOne and approved by Comcast, the first company to bid for the US cable TV service. That bid was subsequently topped by AT&T. Curiously, the WSJ claims the Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is involved in the takeover, but for Comcast rather than the Great Satan of Software. ®
MSN, Microsoft's erstwhile flagship Internet service, goes from worse to damn near unusable, reports Pete Sherriff. Regular contributors to The Register, tempted no doubt by MSN's free accounts for journalists offer, are finding it increasingly impossible to file anything other than their nails as they wait in vain for MSN to send or receive mails. Sometimes you can send but not receive. Sometimes you can receive but not send. Sometimes you need a stiff drink. Could this possibly be a damnably clever marketing move to make everyone so cheesed off with MSN that they simply won't care when and if Microsoft pulls the plug? Answers, please on a postcard, because email to our MSN accounts sure as Hell won't get here. ® Peter Sherriff is a regular contributor to The Register
A simple mistake by the PR company which represents AMD in Europe has led to enraged journalists wondering why a press release was issued by Mike Magee. The press release, which was something to do with home networking, was sent to several hundred journalists in the UK and Europe but with the email address of The Register's Mike Magee in the FROM field. Peter Kirwan, until recently the editor of influential British computing newspaper Computing emailed Magee, saying: "Mike, I didn't realise you'd gone into PR." And Richard Barry, online editor of ZD Net UK, said: "You sent me a mail from AMD." Other journalists responded in a similar vein. When contacted, Pierre Braude Associates offered no apology, initially. It said it was a mistake in the Compuserve software it uses. Later on in the day, a representative for PBA said: "We apologise for this. It was a fluke and we don't know how it happened. We are changing our provider straight away." ®
Sources extremely close to Intel's plans at Compaq said that engineers have until May 27th to tape out the piece. Said the insider: "Many a false deadline has come and gone but a May 27 Merced tapeout has been chiselled in stone or etched in silicon at Intel." The Compaq insider, who does not wish to be named, said: "If this date is not met, heads will roll." Intel, he said, has faithfully promised its partner Microsoft it will deliver real Merced boxes before the end of June. First samples will be within two to three weeks after tapeout and that will be followed by power-on a week later and Win64 boot a week after that. He added: "Hope springs eternal this deadline will be reached. Rolling heads are not a happy sight." ®
UK tabloid publisher Mirror Group today launched its promised free Internet access service. Dubbed ic24, the scheme was announced earlier this month to spoil the launch of a similar service by the Group's arch-rival, News Corp.'s tabloid, The Sun (see UK tabloid papers launch Web access for the masses). ic24 centres on a news-oriented portal site and offers an online betting service and links to BOL (Books Online), the e-commerce company that hopes to compete with Amazon.com. Interestingly, BOL's advertising highlights its Britishness -- ironic, given it is owned by German media giant Bertelsmann. The connection between the companies is also surprising given The Mirror's apparent fondness for anti-German headlines during international soccer tournaments. This could explain why BOL today announced that it "has teamed up with News International's new ISP, CurrantBun.com, to offer CurrantBun customers limited period discounts of up to 70 per cent off special titles", part of an "exclusive long-term relationship" between the two companies. The Mirror Group, meanwhile, claimed 50,000 readers had pre-registered for its service, which runs off a CD-ROM and provides news, sport and TV listings. Mirror Group CEO John Allwood claimed the launch of ic24 builds upon the Group's Mirror and Independent newspaper-based Web sites combine to form "the fifth most popular Internet destination in the UK", with 22 million page views per month. However, a swift check of the Audit Bureau of Circulation's Web site revealed the complete absence of Mirror Group sites from its official Top Ten UK sites listing, so you'll just have to take the Group's word for it, apparently. The Mirror Group's move follows The Sun's launch of its free Net access service and accompanying Web site Currantbun, Mockney rhyming slang for the paper's name, earlier this month. ®
The author of the CIH virus has confessed to his heinous crime, but cannot be prosecuted until victims come forward. Chen Ing-hau admitted he was guilty of masterminding the virus after Taiwanese police caught him red-handed with the same initials as the bug. Doh! CIH disabled PC systems worldwide earlier this week. The culprit is now serving mandatory military service, but cannot be charged as no local plaintiffs have come forward, according to online news font ZDNet. A Taipei police representative said: "He’s not a criminal here as long as no one registers a complaint. All we know about problems with the virus is what we’ve seen in foreign news reports.” If any victims should come forward, the 24-year-old creator of the Chernobyl virus could find himself facing a maximum three-year prison term. Not the sort of organisation to see a hardened criminal out on the streets, The Register contacted anti-virus company DataFellows. The Finnish bug-busters came up with the goods, saying they knew of thousands of victims in Taiwan. Jason Holloway, DataFellows UK country manager, said: "We would be happy to help the police in this matter." If you’re reading this Officer Dibble, DataFellows can be contacted on: 01223 257747. Book ‘im Danno. ®
There's an awful lot of rubbish spouted about keeping one's peripherals clean. At The Register, we take a rather more relaxed view of hardware care. If it breaks, we simply ask the supplier to send a replacement PDQ (pretty damn quick), or else. However, our "who cares attitude" has revealed some surprising results. Dirty keyboards? Stick it in the bath and scrub it with a nailbrush. Leave to dry and reconnect. Result? As new performance and no dandruff. Monitor and system unit looking tired? Remove casing and place in dishwasher. Result? Shiny new machine, 100% operational. So forget those expensive hardware upgrades, simply wash and go with the stuff you already have. The Register welcomes reader's hints and tips about keeping things shiny and happy. You know where we live. ®


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Russian schoolkids take advantage of the online revolution
Russia’s internet is booming with the number of people online doubling every year to reach 33m.
“Russians view the internet differently to people based in the West,” says Greg Thain, head of IMS marketing company. “Even poorer families in the remoter parts of Russia quickly invest in a computer hooked up to the internet as, if you live in the middle of nowhere, the easiest way to show your kids the rest of the world is online. It’s seen as an investment into children’s education.”
Russia’s telecoms sector was fully liberalised in 2001 and remains one of Russia’s most sophisticated sectors, and the internet is a must if your relatives are scattered around nine time zones.
The number of Russians online has gone from 12 million in 2007 to 33 million at the end of last year and is expected to continue growing at this pace for several more years if it follows the rapid penetration of mobile phones, say analysts. The number of queries on RuNet (as the Russian language internet is known) was up by half this March year-on-year to more than 1.75 billion questions and has tripled in the last two years. Indeed, Russians spend more time online than any other nationality (up to eight hours a week) as well as boasting more bloggers per capita.
All this is driving the growth of broadband, which has already increased to cover 20pc of the population and is expected to reach 60pc by 2014, according to Anastasia Obukhova a telecoms analyst with VTB Capital.
As more and more Russians move online, there is also money to be made: online advertising was the only segment of the advertising business that grew last year. The iContext agency estimated the Russian internet context market was up 13pc year-on-year in January worth a total of $600m, against a fall of 30pc in 2009 in spending for the sector as a whole.
Still, spending on online advertising still has a way to go: companies spend 9pc of their marketing budget on internet ads on average against the 15-25pc that is normal in the rest of Europe. And Russian companies dominate the business with 80 kopeks out of every rouble going to the leading Russian search engine Yandex.ru.
“The internet is only just getting going. We believe that [revenues earned by online companies] are likely to expand six-fold over the next five years,” says Obukhova.
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Nationals Member for Cowper, Luke Hartsuyker, today welcomed news that Mid North Coast blueberries produced by Driscoll’s Australia/Oz Group Co-op are being exported into Chennai, India.
“Blueberry farmers on the Mid North Coast already supply nearly 75 per cent of Australia’s blueberries, and exports into the Indian market will generate economic growth for our local producers,” Mr Hartsuyker said.
“Oz Group is an outstanding local co-op and a strong advocate for the interests of its over 90 member growers. It is fantastic to see them taking up trade opportunities internationally and to have one of their members be the first exporter of blueberries into India.
“Chennai is a city of around 9 million people, which has the potential to become a large consumer of Mid North Coast blueberries. This means more opportunities for our local farmers to grow their businesses and reach more markets.”
In 2016, Australia exported $8.9 million worth of blueberries to almost 20 countries, including $4.4 million to Hong Kong. At industry’s request, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources successfully negotiated market access for blueberries to India in September 2015.
Mr Hartsuyker said the commencement of exports was supported by his recent trip to India in his role as Assistant Minister as part of Australia Business Week in India.
“During my visit to India, I promoted opportunities for exports of Australian agricultural products to this highly valuable and important market,” Mr Hartsuyker said.
“I am pleased that ABWI has proved beneficial for Australia’s blueberry industry, with the first Australian blueberries now available in grocery stores for Indian consumers to enjoy.
“India was our fifth-largest agricultural export market in 2016-17, with exports valued at $3.1 billion, up 475 per cent since 2011-12. Exports of blueberries will further increase the economic opportunities of blueberry farmers on the Mid North Coast,” Mr Hartsuyker said.
Mr Gurmesh Singh, Chairman of Oz Group Co-op, said that the industry has been looking to open new markets in Asia for the last couple of years.
“The Indian market has the potential to be a really big market for the Australian blueberry industry,” Mr Singh said.
“Other fruits have shown that the Indian market takes really well to new crops and we hope that within the next decade that blueberries will be a staple in the Indian diet.”
Demand for agricultural produce in India is forecast to increase by 136 per cent between 2009 and 2050, according to ABARES research. Fruit consumption is also anticipated to rise by nearly 250 per cent by 2050, with the popularity of nutrient-rich and versatile blueberries expected to significantly increase over coming years.
The first shipment of Australian blueberries was imported into India by Kovai Pazhamudir Nilayam (KPN) Group, established in 1965. KPN is one of the leading premium retailers of fruit and vegetables in southern India, serving 30,000 customers a day.
This news comes after Australia and China recently agreed to new horticulture market access priorities that will work towards future exports of Australian blueberries to China. The inclusion of blueberries on the priority list will progress after the existing access priority of mainland apples.


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Thursday 26th July 2018
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Sausage-maker Hellers has continued its foray across the Tasman buying Victoria's Moira Mac Poultry for an undisclosed sum and adding A$40 million of revenue to its income stream.
Wellington-based Rangatira Investments, which controls Hellers, today said the purchase was part of the smallgoods manufacturer's plans to expand in Australia, where it's already identified an absence of pre-cooked sausages as a "significant opportunity in the largely untapped Australian market". The expansion plans are running alongside Rangatira's own considerations for the investment, with Cameron Partners reviewing the business and Australian media floating the possibility of a sale.
"Moira Mac’s is a key part of Hellers’ Australian growth strategy providing a platform to build on, that can be scaled up to establish an expanded presence in the Australian market," Rangatira said. "Moira Mac’s has a great culture, a highly experienced and long-serving management team, exciting growth opportunities and through investment in its manufacturing capability, additional capacity for growth."
Hellers employs 600 people and produced 30 million kilograms of meat in the year ended March 31, Rangatira said in its annual report. The meat company's earnings improved in the second half of the year with stricter margin control and a focus on new product development. Rangatira doesn't break out the firm's earnings, but the Australian Financial Review reported Hellers generates annual earnings of $20 million.
The Wellington investment firm increased its stake in Hellers to 63 percent from 50 percent in late 2015, paying $9.5 million for the extra shares, and valuing the investment at $52.2 million at the time.
Rangatira recognised a $36.3 million revaluation gain on the Hellers stake after the meat company acquired Gramart Foods. The investment firm didn't split out the value of its Hellers take in the 2018 annual report, although it recognised the value of the meat firm's goodwill at $27.7 million as at March 31.
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Food Flashes focuses on what's happening in the dining community, from restaurant openings and closings, to chef changes, to heart-healthy menus to kids' specials.
Señor Veggie, which began as a catering company focusing on vegan and vegetarian food, will open its restaurant Jan. 31 at the Southtown location of 620 S. Presa St. A grand opening will be scheduled for two weeks after the opening, owner Jose Cruz said. Like its catering company, the new restaurant will focus on […] [Read More]
Friday is the first full day of the conference, and there are multiple seminars going on at the same time. Here are the best picks for enthusiasts or professionals. Afficionados 11 a.m. Making Cocktails For Your Home Cocktail Party, Sheraton Gunter Hotel, $30. Sasha Petraske (Milk & Honey, Little Branch and more in NYC) demonstrates […] [Read More]
Join Express-News staffers Jennifer McInnis, Benjamin Olivo and Emily Spicer as they tweet live from the San Antonio Cocktail Conference, which runs through Sunday. Visit sanantoniococktailconference.com for a full schedule or to purchase tickets. Share your thoughts and photos here via Twitter with #SACC2014. [Read More]
Blue Box bar night manager Elisabeth Forsythe has won the Miss Speed Rack Texas title. Forsythe competed against other top female bartenders in the state at a regional contest Wednesday in Austin. San Antonio bartenders have won the Texas regional back-to-back. Last year, the all-female speed-bartending competition was held here and Karah Carmack (The […] [Read More]
GauchoGourmet, 935 Isom Road, is featuring organic produce from Johnson’s Backyard Garden in Austin 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. The farm offers customizable Community Supported Agriculture boxes of seasonal produce for pickup. Shop for just what you need, or preorder boxes online at www.jbgorganic.com. [Read More]
Chester’s has opened a new location at the Schertz Xpress Mart, 821 Live Oak Road in Schertz. The new location serves fried chicken, potato wedges, coleslaw, fried corn, okra and biscuits, and the restaurant’s dipping sauces. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. [Read More]
Dough Pizzeria, 6989 Blanco Road, is closing Jan. 20 to finish its renovations. Owners Doug and Lori Horn are adding two new ovens, expanding the pizza and cheese-making area and re-working the floor plan. They hope to re-open by Feb. 3, but that depends on permits and inspections. We’ll keep you posted when there’s a […] [Read More]


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Cisco's small cells and carrier WiFi marketing leader has left the firm to be replaced by a former Ubiquisys vice president.
Jared Headley took on the job of senior director of service provider mobility marketing at Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) in August 2013. A spokesperson for the networking company tells Light Reading that Headley left at the beginning of December. Headley had been at Cisco since 2000. (See In the Air Tonight: Cisco & Facebook's WiFi Tie-Up and The SON Always Shines on LTE.)
Headley started as VP of marketing at 4K video player Aptina on December 10.
Keith Day, former VP of marketing at Ubiquisys, has taken on Headley's role as director of service provider marketing mobility at Cisco. Small cell vendor Ubiquisys was bought by Cisco for $310 million in April 2013. (See Cisco Buying Ubiquisys for $310M.)
— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading


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Tesco has been hit with a £100m legal claim from 125 institutional investors who claim they lost money as a result of the supermarket's accounting scandal two years ago.
The legal action, filed on Monday, will seek to prove that the grocer made "misleading statements to the stock market", which investors relied upon by flattering its earnings.
The class action is being represented by Stewarts Law and is being bankrolled by Bentham Europe, a firm that specialises in funding litigation.
The lawsuit is a setback to Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis's attempts to put the darkest days of its accounting scandal behind the company.
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US: William Rast banks on denim
William Rast, the US label started by pop star Justin Timberlake, is to focus on denim this year, which it says is coming back into fashion.
The company's newly appointed president of wholesale, Rick Spielberg, will lead a new denim team.
"We see a huge growth opportunity in denim for 2011 and beyond," said Colin Dyne, chief executive officer of People's Liberation, the parent holding company of William Rast.
"After seeing a slow year for denim in 2010, we think the consumer, who has filled their closets with alternatives such as leggings, jeggings, chinos and cargos, is ready to come back to denim.
"We have invested significantly in denim development to come up with the best fits, and have taken all steps necessary to make sure we have the softest, most comfortable and sophisticated fabrics and washes in the market for Fall 2011."
Gregg Fiene, founder and previous owner of XOXO, will oversee the creative direction for non-denim, sportswear apparel, William Rast added.
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During the Qing Dynasty, the West labeled China with the term “Serica” because of the silk (Latin serica) Rome imported along a meandering 8,000-kilometer passage called by the geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen “the Silk Road.” It is well known that the Road formed an overland umbilical that linked China and Europe, favoring those who wanted to trade fabrics, goods and metals, and promoting the diffusion of ideas and religions. Here merchants, missionaries, travelers and warriors met one another to give rise to conflicts, exchanges of knowledge, and the emergence of new worlds.
The fame of these commercial and maritime routes resisted all the major changes imposed by time, but in 2013 Chinese President Xi Jinping announced his country’s intention to launch more ambitious cooperation projects to restore the ancient splendor and political centrality of the Silk Road. The necessary investments involve collaboration between governments, and their commitment to constructing a common destiny in the framework of one of the most discussed projects of contemporary society.
Over the years, more and more states joined the One Belt, One Road initiative, activating with Beijing a partnership to build interconnections on a regional and global scale whose main structures would be completed by 2049. Within this extended network, the lates peg in the chronological order has the colors of the Italian flag.
March turned out to be a decisive moment in the writing of a new paragraph in the relationship between China and Italy, with Xi and other leaders of the Beijing government officially visiting Rome to meet Italian counterparts and to sign 29 trade agreements and institutional arrangements with a value of approximately US$20 billion. In particular, the memorandum of understanding signed by Rome endorsing the Belt and Road Initiative served as the pillar document of the renewed friendship between the two countries, through which Italy became the first nation in the Group of Seven to join China’s New Silk Road.
By leveraging on its position at the gates of Europe, Italy reinforced its liaison with China to regain influence and control that the country had lost on the international chessboard due to gnawing economic stagnation – according to the Bank of Italy, in the third quarter of 2018 Italian gross domestic product decreased by 0.1% compared with the 0.2 percentage point of the previous period, recording a fragile recovery at the beginning of 2019 that left little room for the hopes of citizens. Although China is now a global economic power that frightens some with its size, ideology and potential, Italy does not deny the advantages that businesses and professionals can gain by penetrating a market characterized by challenges and growth opportunities.
Indeed, the Belt and Road MoU is focused on enhancing the dialogue between Rome and Beijing, stimulating their financial and commercial cooperation, the development of investments in transportation and logistics, and the implementation of cultural exchanges. For example, some of the companies and banks that are involved in the signed agreements are Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, which is interested in Panda bonds, Ansaldo STS, Eni Spa and the Authority of the Port of Trieste and Genova, which will partner with the Bank of China, China United Gas Turbine Technology, China Communication Construction Company, and Shanghai Electric Gas Turbine. Specifically, the Italian ports could play have strategic importance for China’s foreign activities.
Thanks to Italy’s geographical position on the Mediterranean Sea, these ports could represent additional access to European markets, as well as a focal point making the country attractive to control routes to Africa. In the last few years, Chinese interests were extended with investments on the Maritime Silk Road, since the main flow of goods takes place via sea. From Piraeus Port in Greece to the Noatum Port Holdings in Spain through the Port of Said in Egypt and the Euromak Terminal in the Netherlands, a dense network fostered by Chinese financial resources is going to wrap around and include the Italian ports, which in turn could multiply economic and occupational repercussions thanks to the BRI.
In addition, according to data published in 2018 by SRM, the Italian observatory on the economy of maritime transportation and logistics, container traffic in the Mediterranean grew by 500% over the past 20 years, with particular growth registered in Southern European ports. As well, the World Trade Organization named China as the No 9 market destination for Italian goods in 2018. Indeed, some 3% of Italian exports go to the Middle Kingdom, a percentage that is likely to increase after the agreements signed in March.
By triggering a win-win strategy, Italy could offer technological know-how, a consolidated luxury sector with Made in Italy products requested by more demanding Chinese consumers, quality products from the agri-food industry, and support for sustainable development. On the other side, China could invest in the construction and enlargement of ports and railways, in the rescue of the national airline, and in collaboration between Chinese and Italian startups.
Currently in China there are 1,700 Italian companies with 150,000 employees, which could be joined by small and medium-sized enterprises that will benefit from the Sino-Italian Co-Investment Fund. The internationalization of Italian organizations in China assumes relevance with the birth of a joint venture between Intesa San Paolo Bank and the City of Qingdao intended to develop a wealth-management plan.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that despite the objective benefits, European partners have expressed concerns about such Sino-Italian relationships. Criticisms were focused on three main points.
First, Germany and France discouraged the Belt and Road MoU, deeming this document not in line with European foreign policy. This suggests that German Chancellor Angela Merkel would have opted for a common approach to handle China, but according to her country’s Federal Statistical Office, Beijing and Berlin signed more than 225 agreements in the past decade, positioning Germany as China’s No 1 trading partner within the European Union. French President Emmanuel Macron also supported an action plan studied by EU members, but this vision did not match the contracts concluded with Xi Jinping one week after the Chinese state visit to Rome. The French concerns confirmed the competition within the eurozone, which could see France losing ground if Chinese goods terminate at Italian ports.
Second, the EU and the United States were skeptical about the MoU considering the risk of a debt trap. But this risk has no consistency because of Italy’s membership in the G7. In addition, according to international law, an MoU does not imply obligations for parties.
Third, debates raised in relation to industrial and technological property, with experts considering China insufficiently attentive to reciprocity in this field, despite the status of non-market economy assigned to China since its accession to the WTO in 2001, when members imposed new conditions the country had to satisfy in order to change its status. However, China recently demonstrated openness by introducing new laws to attract foreign investments and to protect intellectual property.
Western countries cannot waste time with an obsolete view of China if they want to take an active role in the dynamics that shape the modern international arena.


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The New NVIDIA Quadro-powered Dell Workstations
Earlier at SIGGRAPH, NVIDIA introduced the new Dell tower and rack workstations. Learn more about these workstations here.
Siggraph 2014 Cinema 4D Presentations
You can now watch the presentations recorded live from the Maxon Cinema 4D booth at SIGGRAPH 2014.
MAXON at SIGGRAPH 2014
MAXON has announced it will demonstrate its digital content creation technology at SIGGRAPH 2014.