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Mercedes-Benz pauses orders for E-Class in this country. Know why
Mercedes-Benz has reportedly stopped taking orders for its E-Class model in Germany. According to a report by Automobilwoche, the premium carmaker took this step from February 12. It is being suggested that this decision might be the outcome of many factors such as the global semiconductor shortage as well as the growing demand for the sedan in the overseas market that might have exhausted the company's inventory.
The premium automaker has been manufacturing the fifth-generation E-Class since 2017 before it launched its facelift variants last year. The company is also in the process of developing the sixth-generation E-Class. It is reportedly being suggested that it is also working on a new model that may be named CLE and it may replace the E-Coupe and convertible models.
Previously, it has been reported that Mercedes-Benz also paused accepting orders for its off-road model G-Class throughout Europe temporarily. Sources had stated the luxury automaker stop taking orders for the mentioned model from January 17 this year. It is being speculated that some deliveries may not be successfully carried out till the fourth quarter of 2024 whereas some might be pushed until the first quarter of 2025.
Also check these Cars
There has been no official declaration as to why such as decision has been taken, however, the automaker continues to take orders for G-Class in the US. It is being guessed that the company is in the process of altering the packages that are available with the G-Class model and it will start taking orders again between March and May.


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Fourteen critical vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer were among the targets of Microsoft's monthly batch of security patches released Tuesday. In all, it fixed 46 vulnerabilities across products including Windows, Internet Explorer and Office.
A critical vulnerability in MacKeeper, a controversial security program for Mac computers, could let attackers execute malicious commands on Macs when their owners visit specially crafted Web pages.
A new WordPress version released Thursday fixes two critical cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to compromise websites.
More than 95 percent of SAP systems deployed in enterprises are exposed to vulnerabilities that could lead to a full compromise of business data, a security firm claims.
Attackers can potentially snoop on the encrypted traffic of over 25,000 iOS applications due to a vulnerability in a popular open-source networking library.
A serious flaw in a component that's used to authenticate clients on Wi-Fi networks could expose Android, Linux, BSD, and possibly Windows and Mac OS X systems to attacks.
Ambiguous WordPress documentation led many plug-in and theme developers to make an error that exposed websites to cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
Apps used by millions of iPhone and iPad owners became vulnerable to snooping when a flaw was introduced into third-party code they used to establish HTTPS connections.
Adobe Systems released security patches Tuesday for ColdFusion, Flex and Flash Player, the latter addressing a flaw for which is an exploit is already available.
Oracle released patches for a total of 98 security issues across a wide range of products, including 14 in Java. This marks the last free patch for Java 7, users being encouraged to upgrade to version 8.
A program that pays researchers for information on software vulnerabilities, the Internet Bug Bounty (IBB), will now also reward those who develop tools and techniques to spot bugs.
A vulnerability in the popular WP Super Cache plug-in for WordPress could allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into websites. The scripts, when loaded by administrators, could trigger unauthorized actions.
Some Internet gateway devices commonly used by hotels and conference centers can easily be compromised by hackers, allowing them to launch a variety of attacks against guests accessing the Wi-Fi networks.
Open-source software projects are often well intended, but security can take a back seat to making the code work.
Cisco Systems released firmware updates for several routers and switches that run its IOS and IOS XE software in order to fix flaws in their autonomic networking infrastructure (ANI) feature.
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The Essential Phone Oreo (8.0) beta program has been running for quite some time now. Recently, the company even promised that the final update will be released soon. However, now it has been revealed that the device won't be getting Android 8.0.
In a tweet, the company announced the phone will directly be updated to Android 8.1, saying 8.0 has some stability issues that will be fixed in 8.1.
An update on the public release of Oreo: pic.twitter.com/fPJRtX7kvY— Essential (@essential) January 30, 2018
This change in plan also means that the final Oreo update roll out time frame will be pushed back by a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, the company will launch the Android 8.1 beta program for early testers.
Exactly. Updated to Oreo in my Nokia 6. Battery drains much faster than expected. Better not to upgrade now!
Yeah sure, but it has to be like Lollipop 5.0.1 or so. You were saying something like android lollipop eclair. It was Effing hilarious though.


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Fight Against RS World Event 3: Tuska with Cheap RS3 Gold
As scheduled, RS World Event 3 is coming on June 1, 2015. Few hours ago, Jagex unveiled a teaser of Tuska, the godless of this World Event. It is obvious that the world event will hit the shelves soon. Take time to buy rs3 gp to join in the third world event of RS.
What is World Event 3 featuring Tuska?
So far, the upcoming world event is untitled yet, but it is certain that there will be four factions involved, including Saradomin, Zamorak, Armadyl and The Godless. And all these factions are bound together to try to kill the blind boar gold Tuska, who attempts to devour Gielinor.
Players cannot side with Tuska, but they will be able to side with one of four factions to manage to kill her. One thing should be emphasized that Ironman accounts will be able to participate in all content and have access to all rewards as well.
What rewards will players gain from the World Event?
Joining in the activity will award a currency specific to this world event, as well as faction-aligned tokens. Besides, participants will also be rewarded tiered emotes, cosmetic overrides and armor, which all weigh the chance to give a critical hits. What’s more, based on the previous world event, some rewards will be available for purchase in the reward shop.
When would World Event 3 be available in game?
Originally, the release date of new RS 3 World Event was the third week of May. But it was moved to June 1, 2015. But Jagex has already posted Tuska teaser online.
Few people said that Tuska is XP waste. However, in my opinion, it is the end of Gielinor, and Jagex has spent more time in this project already. Players should take the event seriously. To take down Tuska effectively, you now can be able to buy cheap rs3 gold with exclusive code on RSorder to take into battle.
The RSorder Team


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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Quotient (NYSE: QUOT), the leading digital media and promotions technology company, announced today that its CEO and Founder, Steven Boal, and CFO, Pam Strayer, will speak at the Oppenheimer 24th Annual Technology, Internet & Communications Conference on Tuesday, August 10, 2021 at 2:55 p.m. ET in a fireside chat hosted by Oppenheimer Analyst, Jed Kelly.
A webcast of the presentation will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company website at http://investors.quotient.com under the Events and Presentations menu.
Quotient (NYSE: QUOT) is the leading digital media and promotions technology company for advertisers, retailers and consumers. Our omnichannel platform is powered by exclusive consumer spending data, location intelligence and purchase intent data to reach millions of shoppers daily and deliver measurable, incremental sales.
Quotient partners with leading advertisers and retailers, including Clorox, Procter & Gamble, General Mills, Unilever, Albertsons Companies, CVS, Dollar General and Peapod Digital Labs, a company of Ahold Delhaize USA. Quotient is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and has offices across the US as well as in Bangalore, Paris, London and Tel Aviv. For more information visit www.quotient.com.


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Two leading researchers of game-based learning discuss best practices for enriching course curriculum through the integration of consumer games.
Education-specific games are not the best way to incorporate games into curricula—a sentiment perhaps unexpected by an avid game-based learning professor.
This is just one of several tips given by experts in the higher-ed game-based learning field. eCampus News recently sat down with two leading researchers in the field of game-based learning to discuss best practices for enriching course curriculum by using consumer games to demonstrate and assess key concepts.
Sherry Jones is a Philosophy,...


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Elon Musk is reportedly planning to accept payments on Twitter using the cryptocurrency assets Dogecoin (DOGE), BNB, and Mask Network (MASK). It's interesting to note that a number of cryptocurrency exchanges have announced listing or releasing MASK-related items. Crypto Twitter predicts that the crypto token will soon be available on Twitter, taking clues from cryptocurrency exchanges and the significant MASK price surge.
MASK Listing on Crypto Exchanges
The announcement regarding the potential addition of crypto tokens to Twitter is eagerly awaited by the cryptocurrency world. Elon Musk, a supporter of Dogecoin, suggested adding Dogecoin (DOGE) on Twitter. As a result, the price of Dogecoin increased by nearly 130% in a week. The CEO of Binance, "CZ," also made a Twitter allusion to BNB payment support.
In addition, Binance declared the availability of USDS-M Binance Bluebird Index perpetual contracts (BLUEBIRDUSDT Perpetual Contracts). The BNB, Dogecoin (DOGE), and Mask coins are all included in the cryptocurrency price index. Many people think Elon Musk will likely add these cryptocurrencies as payment options on Twitter.
The crypto exchange FTX stated that it would list spot and perpetual futures for Mask Network (MASK). Following Binance and FTX, OKX and Bybit have also announced listing MASK. Other cryptocurrency exchanges including MoonXBT, CoinEx, and XT have jumped in to list MASK in the meanwhile.
Users can send bitcoins and add privacy features from Web3 to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter by using Mask Network.
450% Pump for MASK Price
Mask Network attracted a lot of attention because its pricing increased by approximately 450% in a single week. The MASK price was trading at $0.1 a week ago; today, it is trading at over $5.5.
At the time of writing, the MASK price is $5.35, up more than 50% in the previous day. The trade volume also increased by nearly 85% in a single day. However, these are just speculations, and investing without research could be risky.


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Sports Illustrated Models Designer Natalia Fedner Is Giving Back to Ukraine
Sports Illustrated models designer Natalia Fedner uses funds from her company to give back to civilians in Ukraine.
Fedner spoke out about being born in Ukraine but later moving to the states. The metal swimsuit designer, designed the latest bikini worn by MTV Catfish host Kamie Crawford. Fedner also designed for artists Anitta and Tinashe.
Fender became popular for making chain link apparel. In 2015 she spoke on Fox showing off a copper plated scarf. “I like to think of myself as a designer and an inventor. So, I’m always taking unconventional things and using them conventionally.”
She spoke to Okera Banks about working on Lemonade with Beyonce. ” The last time I did one of these podcasts it was after I did Lemonade with Beyonce. I didn’t even know it was Lemonade. I knew it was under water, because they said it will have to get wet. There were many limits between Beyonce and me. But I got to go to set and pick things up, drop things off and I got to work with her stylist. I knew I got to work with Beyonce and I couldn’t tell anyone. The podcast was like what’s coming up for you. I was just like follow my Instagram cause sometime soon something big will be happen.” So it did as her designer mesh chain bra was featured in “Hold Up” .
The Ukraine born designer spoke about the trend of her wearable art. “It’s made by hand, it’s made by me and a couple of other girls in my Italia. There so unique you’re not going to see anything that looks like that.”
With so much opportunity created and accomplishments the now Sports Illustrated models designer is using proceeds to help Ukrainians in need.
During her emotional interview she said, “I know some people are feeling a bit of fatigue, and I understand that. But it’s important to realize for the people in Ukraine things have not changed. They still need supplies.”
When asked how much the war in Ukraine weighs on her she spoke in tears. “A lot, but that’s not fair to say. I talk to Ukranian designers who made it out of the country, and they have a lot of survivors remorse. I have to reassure them and say, no no, we are doing fundraising right here in Los Angelas. This money helps.”
The best way to reach Natalia Fedner is via her IG. Link here.


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The war in Ukraine has lasted for over a week now and the games industry has joined the call for sanctions against Russia. CD Projekt Red is the latest company to answer the call and they've now confirmed they will be halting all sales of their games in Russia and Belarus.
Making the announcement on Twitter, CD Projekt Red has issued a statement in support of Ukraine. It states that the CD Project Group has “made the decision to halt all sales of our games to Russia and Belarus”. The company is working to suspect all digital sales and cease physical stock deliveries of their games to both countries.
GOG has also announced that they will be suspending all sales for Russian and Belarus gamers. “Effective March 3rd 2022, we suspend sales of all games distributed on the GOG platform on the territories of Russia and Belarus”. The team goes on to say that users from the affected regions can still log in to their accounts and play the games they have already purchased.
The CD Projekt Group states that it believes that “commercial entities, when united, have the power to inspire global change”. It adds that they know players who have “nothing to do with the invasion of Ukraine will be impacted by this decision, but with this action, we wish to further galvanize the global community to speak out about what is happening in the heart of Europe”.
Russia's war against Ukraine began on February 24th when Russia invaded the peaceful nation of Ukraine Since then, there has been global support for Ukraine and Russia has been hit with a large number of sanctions designed to cripple the financial system and isolate the country.
*This article has been supplied free of charge by Clare Lunawolf in hopes to help bring awareness to the Ukraine situation*
If you'd like to help Ukraine and rock some Robot Merch in solidarity. We have a Ukrainian flag design of our logo available on T-shirts and all sorts. The Stickers are overpriced as all profits from our shop are going to Sunflowers of Peace who create medical supply backpacks for those on the front lines.
Enjoying our work? Give us a follow everywhere and tell a friend!
PLAY, OBEY, CONSUME.


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Samsung Galaxy S10, S10+ ‘official’ renders appear online
Images of what is claimed to be official renders of Samsung’s upcoming flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+, have been uploaded online.
The Galaxy S10 and S10+ are yet to be officially unveiled, but thanks to WinFuture, we can now have a good look at these flagships. Based on the renders, the Galaxy S10 and S10+ sports really thin bezels and sports a punch-hole camera on the front. Also noticeable is the dual front lens for the S10+.
At the back, the two devices sport triple rear cameras. You’ll also notice that the fingerprint scanner is not found anywhere which suggests that Samsung is using an in-display fingerprint technology similar to what Vivo implemented in some of their phones.
As for other specs, the S10 features a 6.1-inch OLED screen, while the S10+ has a 6.4-inch, and will be powered by either a Samsung Exynos 9820 or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. Roland Quandt (@rquandt) of WinFuture also shared their RAM and storage configurations, reaching up to 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage, as well as color variants:
• S10E: 6GB RAM/128GB storage, Prism Black, Green, White, Canary Yellow
• S10: 6GB RAM/128GB storage, 8GB RAM/512GB storage, Prism Black, Green, White, Blue
• S10+: 6GB RAM/128GB, 8GB RAM/512GB storage, Prism Black, Green, White, Blue
• S10+: 12GB RAM/1TB storage only in Ceramic White or Ceramic Black
Just a few li'l tidbits:
S10E 6/128GB Prism Black, Green, White, Canary Yellow
S10 6/128GB, 8/512GB Prism Black, Green, White, Blue
S10+ 6/128GB, 8/512GB Prism Black, Green, White, Blue
S10+ 12GB/1TB only in Ceramic White or Ceramic Black https://t.co/O44I4VHGSU
— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) January 31, 2019
We’ll know more about the device during their UNPACKED event on February 20, 2019 (February 21, 2019, 3AM, Manila Time). We’ll be there to cover the event so stay tuned.


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Uber to hire more tech employees19 May 2022, 3:17 pm
Uber Technologies announced a fresh round of recruitment for its India tech centers, with a plan to hire 500 more tech employees by December.
The company has been expanding teams at all its tech centers across the globe, including the US, Canada, LatAm, Amsterdam, and at its twin centers in India.
Earlier this week, Uber inaugurated a new floor at its Bengaluru tech center. Dr. C. N. Ashwath Narayan, Minister of IT, Karnataka officially unveiled the new space in India’s tech capital.


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Samsung Now Number One US Android Supplier
Samsung has been going all out to get their Samsung Galaxy S just about everywhere on the globe, and over in the good ole US of A, old Sammy pushed out a Galaxy S variant to every national US carrier and the top regional carrier, which has led to Samsung taking the top Android supplier slot over in the states.
According to an article over on Engadget Mobile by Chris Ziegler, Samsung has apparently shifted 3 million Galaxy S smartphones in the US, which we all know are the Verizon Samsung Fascinate, AT&T Samsung Captivate, Sprint Samsung Epic 4G, T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant, and US Cellular’s Samsung Mesmerize.
Apparently jointly these Galaxy S models grabbed 32.1% of the Android market in the US during Q3 which has put Samsung in the top slot, and you have to agree when up against Android competitors like Motorola and HTC it’s a pretty impressive achievement.
The president of Samsung Mobile, Dale Sohn has said, “The Galaxy S portfolio has played a significant role in Samsung’s success in 2010 and we are extremely excited to show you what products, services and innovations we have in store for the U.S. market in 2011.”


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Last Monday, May 12, the winning wines were announced, possibly the most important touring wine event on the planet, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2014, and we can say very proud and proud that our Finca La Colina Verdejo CIENXCIEN continues with its Ìidilio de amor¨ with this competition to achieve a new Silver Medal. Another new success of this fantastic Verdejo of limited production that does not stop accumulating recognitions and distinctions.
On the occasion of the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the event, the 2014 edition of the contest returned to its hometown after eight years of touring the world.
The event featured a total of 8,060 wines from 58 countries, including 1,615 Spanish wines, which one year keeps Spain as the second country in samples submitted, behind France. In 2014, France is still the country with the most wines presented (2,428), followed by Spain (1,615 wines in competition), Italy (1,163), Portugal (965) and Chile, confirming its position as the most represented country in the southern hemisphere With 365 wines registered.
With this award, there are already 7 medals that our wine has received in this contest for part since it was presented for the first time. Finca La Colina Verdejo has obtained a Gold Medal and 6 Silver Medals, which demonstrates the great regularity and the quality line that is taken when making this product; And it is that this wine … NEVER FAILS!


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As more customers move to the Internet to manage their banking relationships, they seek banking partners that will enable them to manage their credit card accounts online. The top requirements are high-speed page downloads, online statements and online payment options. In addition, diversified players, such as Citibank and Chase, are out-slugging monoline card issuers MBNA and Capital One when it comes to online functionality.
These are the findings from the Q3 2003 Internet Credit Card Scorecard released by Gomez, a Waltham, Mass.-based company that provides research and tools to measure and improve Web sites.
"We research how well the issuer delivers service to the customer through the Web in terms of what features the site offers, how easily services are conducted, and how reliable the site is," explains Chris Musto, vice president of research for Gomez.
Using approximately 200 variables within four categories, Gomez weighs each issuer's overall score. Based on these metrics, Citibank has earned the study's top accolades for the fourth consecutive time.
"The Web is an important channel for us, and it has become a mainstream way for our customers to interact with us," says Amy Radin, executive vice president for the Citi Card eBusiness division, based in Long Island City, N.Y. "There are days when the number of online log-ins exceeds calls into our call center."
Industrywide, the study also revealed that access to online statements is now offered by the majority of issuers (72 percent). Further, 65 percent of online adults who access their credit card accounts online identified online statements as part of the "ideal Web offering," according to Gomez. In other findings, 77 percent of customers told Gomez they rank online bill payment as the most important functionality.
However, Citibank was not the only issuer earning high scores in the recent study. Chase (New York) was one of the study's fast movers, accelerating six spots, from ninth to third, in the overall score of the 18-issuer ranking. Areas that pushed Chase to this level include the creation of log-in fields directly on the creditcardsatchase.com home page, as well as on the chase.com page.
Gomez's study also positively reported that American Express' Web offering remains the epitome of prioritizing content over design. Like Citibank and Chase, New York-based American Express added same-day payments to its sites, a functionality that customers highly value, according to Gomez's research.
Diversified Tops Monoline
Conversely, the study reveals that some monoline issuers, including companies like MBNA (Wilmington, Del.) and Capital One (McLean, Va.), struggle with online credit card functionality. "It is surprising that they do not make their online presences stronger," Musto says.
"While these companies have specific groups dedicated to Internet delivery, it seems surprising that these companies, which focus solely on credit cards, aren't ahead of diversified companies like Chase or Citi that do lots of other things," Musto adds. "This is more evident when you realize that companies like Chase and Citi have very large Internet delivery groups of their own and are competing quite hard in this area."


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Erica Sandberg on the increase in property crime and retail theft
Addressing the impact of organized and rampant retail theft on California and beyond
You may have seen the viral video of a masked suspect in San Francisco astride his bicycle deep down an aisle of a retail drug store, corralling armloads of expensive makeup and sundries into a plastic garbage bag on his bicycle handlebars. There is a security officer in the frame, recording the brazen grand theft burglary with his cellphone. He even takes a swipe for the bag as the criminal escapes with his loot.
In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with consumer finance expert Erica Sandberg about how the increase in property crimes and retail theft impacts business districts and erodes community safety and quality of life.
RATE AND REVIEW THE POLICING MATTERS PODCAST


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In the East African region MTN Rwanda partners with MTN Uganda, Safaricom in Kenya and Vodacom in Tanzania to provide roaming services. This is believed to have boosted MTN Rwanda’s achievement of one million subscribers recently
The MTN Group has announced the introduction of the company’s first seamless roaming network across all its 21 operations in Africa and the Middle East within the first half of 2009. This will be in a move to provide affordable communication.
With the seamless roaming, MTN’s pre-paid subscribers traveling through countries that operate the MTN network will recharge or top up their accounts using vouchers from the national MTN network of countries visited.
A statement from the Johannesburg based company says that all calls made by the roamer will be charged at the local rates of the MTN participating country. Subscribers will also receive free incoming calls and access Short Message Services (SMS) and other value-added services.
“The free incoming calls and local calling rates have also been extended to the post-paid subscriber base,” the statement reads.
In the East African region MTN Rwanda partners with MTN Uganda, Safaricom in Kenya and Vodacom in Tanzania to provide roaming services. This is believed to have boosted MTN Rwanda’s achievement of one million subscribers recently.
MTN Group in South Africa announced a successful commercial launch of the solution (seamless roaming) in three key operations in it’s West and Central Africa (WECA) region.
MTN Cameroon, MTN Ghana and MTN Nigeria have already launched the roaming solution and MTN Benin is scheduled to launch before the end of November 2008.
MTN’s seamless roaming follows Zain’s launch of its ‘One Network’, a borderless mobile network that connects its clients in Africa and the Middle East where the company has operations.
Nozipho January-Bardill, MTN Group Executive Corporate Affairs and Spokesperson said, “MTN One World is another effort that underscores our commitment to continually provide service innovations that improve service to our growing subscriber base and meet our customers’ needs.”
Christian de Faria, WECA region vice-president, says MTN recognizes the growing volume of travellers within the region and believes that MTN One World will offer MTN subscribers an appropriate value proposition.
“We are offering MTN subscribers free incoming calls whilst roaming in the participating networks and no need for SIM card replacements when traveling within participating MTN operations. We are confident that this convenience will benefit our customers and provide them with a unique MTN experience,” he added.


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What does the future hold for home EV chargers?
Industry leaders make their predictions for what to expect next year and beyond with the latest innovations in electric vehicle charging.
Innovation in the electric vehicle market moves at a lightning pace and it means exciting new updates to transform the way we think about home charging are always just around the corner.
Smart Home Charge’s own editor and marketing manager Danny Morgan has shared his views on what to expect in the home charging market and is joined by industry leaders Daniel Hollingworth, engineering director at Ohme Technologies, Charlie O’Donoghue, Easee UK head of product and the EV Man himself Andrew Rogerson.
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Thinking of switching to an EV? Charging at home is one of the quickest and cheapest ways to keep it charged. Browse our range and click "request a quote" to get started.
What is the next big evolution in home charging?
There’s a consensus that EV drivers can expect further sophistication in how their cars interact with the electricity grid and even homes themselves.
Morgan expects better vehicle-to-home (V2H) integration will signal the next major step in charging technology. This would essentially create a home energy battery solution in the form of your EV sitting on your driveway.
He said: “In my view V2H could help homeowners make significant savings on their home energy costs, as well as reduce pressure on the grid.
“Sure, there are other options available now and solar EV charging achieves this to some degree, but the amount of solar charging that the majority of drivers will be able to make use of is small. Plus, solar charging represents an additional investment if you don't already have the panels installed.”
If vehicle owners have already invested in an EV, the ability to power your own home through the car’s battery will bring additional benefits to an existing investment.
As an example – a typical EV driver would be able to charge their EV overnight on an off-peak electricity rate, use it during the day for their commute, and then use a proportion of the car's battery to power the home during peak hours (around 4-7pm).
Morgan added: “This would effectively mean cooking and other activities that cannot be easily shifted to be used overnight at an off-peak rate are using the cheaper energy stored in the vehicle from the previous night. When the off-peak price kicks in again, the vehicle will be recharged.”
There are wider implications for the National Grid too because it will reduce pressure on the grid to generate huge amounts of extra electricity during peak demand.
Morgan said: “There are potentially millions of EV batteries that will be sat on driveways that could be a huge resource for homeowners and the nation at large. Not to mention the fact that a lot of effort, resources, and energy has gone into producing those batteries in the first place, so it's wise that we make the most of them.”
Hollingworth said the hike in energy prices will continue to have a massive impact on people’s lives into 2023 and beyond.
He said there will likely be more variation in prices across the day, week and season so smart charging technology will be essential.
Hollingworth said: “Now, more than ever, it is important to optimise the costs of charging.
“This means being on EV specific tariffs which offer lower costs of charging, usually overnight.
“The direction of travel is that these newer tariffs are much more complicated and require deeper integration with the energy supplier to allow them to minimise their costs, so the savings can be passed on.”
It will mean charger manufacturers need to support this kind of integration, but perhaps more importantly customers will need their installation company to help educate them on what is becoming a more complicated environment.
Hollingworth said: “I think in a year’s time we will start to see movement for customers on V2G and the V2H space.
“It promises not just cheaper miles for the car, but huge savings on the household energy bill too. Household battery sales have absolutely boomed this year. Car batteries are much, much bigger.”
Rogerson and O’Donoghue also agreed “the next big thing” is all about home energy integration, V2G and automation, but beyond this there are also emerging technologies like wireless charging and low power DC that will make better use of home batteries and solar systems.
O’Donoghue said: “Currently EVs have onboard chargers that convert AC to DC. If the energy could be used without having to be converted, coupled with the rise of solar integration, that would be a real game changer for technology and energy prices.”
Will new innovations mean replacing your current home charger?
Morgan said that it’s likely customers will have to think about investing in new home chargers in the future to take advantage of the savings to be made from V2G and V2H.
However, this is still a few years away at least, so it’s something to think about on the way to 2030 as more and more drivers make the switch to zero emissions.
He said: “V2G and V2H is not overly complicated technology but is certainly a step up on the smart home EV chargers sold today.
“The technology is available now and being tested across the country, so I expect it to become more commonplace in the next three to five years.”
Hollingworth said getting smart with energy tariffs can be done through software updates and will not affect the installed hardware.
He advised customers to choose a charger manufacturer with a track record of innovation and working with energy suppliers so they can be more confident the charger they have chosen will be supported in the future.
However, V2G is a “radically different” hardware approach and these units will be more expensive than current smart chargers on the market, although still much cheaper than installing a separate home battery storage solution.
Rogerson expects V2G innovations will mean a complete new charger for the majority of chargers.
O’Donoghue said there will be a mix of software and hardware changes as the new V2G and V2H technology is introduced.
He said: “If we focus on the whole home integration and automation, this will need small hardware pieces, coupled with a lot of work on the software.
“As for the switch to DC for home, this will mean new hardware all round.”
Compare EV energy tariffs
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What will be more useful - solar integration or V2H/V2G?
Rogerson said that if you already have a solar array installed at home, being able to integrate this with your EV is a big benefit.
He said: “Being able to divert solar energy to your EV should be a standard on all chargers in my opinion.
“It’s pretty much a software implementation with an external piece of hardware so if it’s easy to include as an option, include it.”
V2G isn’t quite as straightforward, but will be important for homeowners that haven’t opted to invest in solar.
Rogerson said: “Home chargers that do both solar and V2G as an option at install will be common I suspect in the future, just like solar divert now has several offerings.”
O’Donoghue is firmly on the side of solar as being far more useful for EV drivers in the future.
He said: “Microgeneration (the small-scale generation of energy by households) is a lot more powerful than pulling some load temporarily from the car. And it will protect the car’s batteries more this way too.”
Hollingworth doesn’t think V2G will become mainstream for a few years due to pricing, but this will change in time.
He said a very important point is that there are “far more savings to be achieved” from a smart charger with an intelligent tariff compared with charging an EV from solar.
Hollingworth said: “Customers usually only get a small proportion of their annual miles supplied from the sun.
“Selecting a charging manufacturer that supports advanced tariffs will save much more money.”
Morgan said it’s debatable how much solar charging is possible for most drivers, as the vehicle is likely to be away from the home during the sunniest points of the day.
However, he said it’s a nice to have as an added bonus and the technology does already expect, whereas V2H chargers are still in their infancy.
Charging with solar panels
Thinking about getting solar panels to assist with charging your electric vehicle? We’ve written a guide to help you with your decision.
What is the future of home EV charging for those without a driveway?
This is one of those stumbling blocks that some car owners can’t quite get past that haven’t yet made the switch to an EV.
If you don’t have a driveway for home charging, what are your options other than heading out to charge on the public charging network?
Hollingworth wants to see some movement from local authorities to allow homeowners to put narrow cable channels into the pavement to avoid tripping hazards for charging cables for on-street parking.
He said other cost effective options for those that can’t park outside their own home are “thin on the ground”.
Hollingworth predicts a hybrid between public and domestic charging will be needed for those without access to off-street parking in order to avoid high energy costs.
O’Donoghue expects a combination of improved kerbside infrastructure and increased availability of workplace and public charging to be some of the biggest helps.
The potential for a move away from car ownership and to an increase in car sharing could also provide another solution.
O’Donoghue said: “Companies like ZipCar already have dedicated charging bays on residential roads that mean drivers can rent an EV and park it and charge close to their destination.
“Car sharing has the potential to reduce the number of cars needed and keeps charging
simple. It will just become a normal part of the flow of using a hired car.”
Morgan said there are solutions for home charging for those without a driveway, but they’re not as straightforward for EV drivers compared with having off-street parking.
Innovative solutions are being developed, but the challenge faced by homeowners with no driveway is that it’s rare to have dedicated parking at the kerbside.
Morgan added: “I suspect there will need to be a more communal approach where there is a plentiful supply of charge points on the street that drivers can use.
“The key will be ensuring drivers can benefit from "home charging" prices regardless of whether they manage to park outside their home or further up the street, otherwise a major benefit of home charging, which is the fact it’s much more cost effective to charge, will be lost.”


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Jose Mourinho has reopened his feud with Arsene Wenger by ridiculing the theory that Arsenal are cautious spenders. Mourinho will face the... ...http://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/Mourinho-Turns-Up-the-Heat-on-Big-spending-Wenger/2015/07/28/article2944904.ece
Kevin Froemming, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Playa Resorts Management (Playa) today announced the promotions of Douglas... ...http://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/playa-resorts-promotes-howard-tanenbaum-doug-knapp-to-vps/
The marquee signing of Robin van Persie has underlined Fenerbahce's determination to compete with the best in Europe again, but they face a tough... ...https://in.news.yahoo.com/football-fener-hope-van-persie-155618932.html
Ocenico Group, the leading Algarve-based resort and golf owner-operator proudly announced record booking figures for the upcoming months of... ...http://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/oceanico-group-announces-soaring-golf-bookings-for-2015/
It s all about Porto Novo
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CROWD FUNDING POISED TO GROW
Federal business startup program aims to foster growth and eliminate regulatory hurdles
Some tips if you are considering crowd funding
For anyone contemplating raising money through crowd funding, the National Federation of Independent Business has some tips:
Spread the word: Reach out to your network of friends, family, patrons, existing clients and customers. Use social networking, as well as word-of-mouth.
Make it personal: It’s about a personal connection to you and your project. Tell why it’s important or how it will benefit others. Backers want to be part of something that matters.
Support your claims: Use videos, testimonials, examples of your work.
Show progress: It’s helpful for supporters to see you’ve made progress on an idea. If you’ve got a prototype, show it.
Keep it legal: Avoid little-known sites that might be making promises outside the law. Until the SEC rules are in place, do not utilize sites that promise investors a stake in your company.
To raise $15,000 for a new business venture, Sacramento artist Danny Scheible went the route of many creative professionals: crowd funding, a method of soliciting money over the Internet.
In a matter of weeks, his online appeal to launch a new line of quirky eyeglasses scooped up more than 200 interested donors. In amounts ranging from $5 to $1,000, backers of his “Hacker Glasses” surpassed the initial goal, promising donations of more than $16,000.
Crowd funding, on websites like IndieGoGo, Kickstarter and PeerBackers, has been around for several years, primarily as a low-key, grass-roots way for creative types — musicians, artists, filmmakers, writers and such — to gather donations for personal projects.
This year, crowd funding is poised to enter a new realm: small-business startups.
Under the federal Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act passed by Congress a year ago, equity crowd funding will be allowed by entrepreneurs who want to raise up to $1 million a year by selling shares to investors. For startups and small businesses unable to find or afford conventional loans or stock offerings, it’s intended to spur job growth and eliminate the costly regulatory hurdles typically required for issuing stock in a company.
The Securities and Exchange Commission was supposed to issue regulations by Dec. 31, but it is in the process of writing rules to regulate the process. Until then, as new crowd-funding websites are poised to jump in, regulators are urging caution.
The websites can’t start soliciting smaller companies and potential investors until the rules are finished. SEC officials told a House hearing on April 11 that they don’t know when the agency will be able to issue the rules, which they described as complex.
It’s taking time because the SEC is wary about small businesses, said James Angel, a Georgetown University associate professor who specializes in financial markets regulation.
“The way they look at it is, small companies are very risky and therefore bad investments,” Angel says. “They say, we are serving the public interest by protecting investors by keeping them from raising money in the capital markets.”
Meanwhile, people involved in small-business investing warn that many entrepreneurs will find that potential investors aren’t interested in their ventures because they don’t have an attractive track record or look like they’ll provide a good return.
“I think there’s going to be an enormous amount of companies that go online, and nothing happens,” said Brian Cohen, chairman of New York Angels, a group of angel investors. Angel investors are individuals who are willing to invest in very small or young companies.
For Tapigami, Scheible’s masking-tape art venture that’s moving into a new gallery space, raising money online was a natural.
“It’s the best designed system to fund any sort of creative project,” said Scheible, who has become a renowned young artist using a decidedly unconventional medium: masking tape. “There’s no other place where you can publicly ask for money and people feel comfortable contributing. It’s the best format out there for a creative person who doesn’t have a business background to get started.”
But there’s likely to be a fundamental difference between the expectations of entrepreneurs and investors, Cohen said. The entrepreneurs will want money to build their companies, and may not be thinking in terms of returning the cash to their investors. Investors will want to see their investment grow — so they can sell and take a profit. “These are nice businesses, a lot of mom and pops, but there’s no clear method in which an investor can get a return,” Cohen said.
Crowd funding isn’t expected to be a jackpot for investors, because even the savviest investors — those at venture capital companies — don’t have a great success rate. Three-quarters of U.S. companies that get venture capital investments don’t return their investors’ money, according to Shikhar Ghosh, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School. The National Venture Capital Association, a trade group, estimates that between 25 percent and 30 percent of companies that receive venture funding fail.
In general, the crowd funding-for-small-business concept is “a good thing,” encouraging job creation, economic growth and technology innovation, said California Department of Corporations spokesman Mark Leyes. “But we do have some cautions for folks on both sides: entrepreneurs and potential investors. There are risks and opportunities for abuse and fraud. People should be careful.”
With little state or federal oversight of the crowd funding offers, Leyes said, investors should do their due diligence, the same as with any online investment.
“There is endless speculation on how equity crowd funding is going to work, and hundreds of websites are waiting to launch to facilitate (it) once it’s legal,” said Laura Good, program and operations director for the Sacramento Regional Technology Alliance.
In the investment community, she noted, there are differing opinions “on whether or not equity crowd funding will be a good thing.” But, Good said, many of the technology entrepreneurs that her group works with consider it “a faster way to raise small amounts of capital from a larger pool of investors,” as well as an opportunity “for ‘average’ people to support the potential success of a startup they believe in.”
Tapigami essentially followed all of those guidelines on its Kickstarter.com campaign, which raised more than $16,000 in about three weeks. Scheible and his business manager Tre Borden, both 28, have been friends since their grade school days in Sacramento. The new funding moves their Hacker Glasses closer to production. The frames are being designed and 3-D printed by several local companies or individuals.
With Scheible’s colorful, tape-art lenses that are custom designed for each buyer, the glasses will sell for about $300 each. (And yes, you can see through them, but vision is limited.)
Some companies are able to raise money even when they’re not expecting to give much in return. Some of projects funded on websites like Kickstarter have been able to raise $100,000 or more. In return for giving money, donors — they’re not investors — tend to get free samples of products or T-shirts.
With that kind of success in mind, a flood of companies are likely to seek funding when the crowd-funding investment sites are up and running, said Sean Carr, director of intellectual capital at the University of Virginia’s Batten Institute, part of the Darden School of Business.
“There are plenty of capital-constrained entrepreneurs right now. They’ll take whatever opportunities come along, and if they think it’ll be relatively easy to do it that way, they’ll try it,” he said.


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DES | Digital Business World Congress 2018, the world’s largest international forum on digital transformation, will celebrate its third edition in Madrid (IFEMA) during the 22, 23 and 24 of May.
A week where Madrid will become the world capital of digital transformation. The event that in its last edition generated an economic impact in the city of more than 30 million euros, present this new edition under the claim “Facing the Digital Avalanche”.
Artificial Intelligence will be in the spotlight as the main trend during the show. DES reunites top tech solutions that are driving the development of new business models such as IoT, Cloud, Cybersecurity, Blockchain or Digital Marketing among many others. A marketplace where digital solutions are applied to any kind of industry from banking to retail, automotive to utilities.
The next edition of DES will highlight the dilemmas that every C-level must face up without further delay if they want to improve the competitiveness of their companies or management areas. During three days, more than 450 digital leaders will answer the 6 most common dilemmas faced by business management boards to implement a real digital transformation on their companies:
1 – Short-Termism vs Strategic Vision
2 – Customer Experience vs Profitability
3 – Security vs Privacy
4 – Inbreeding vs Attraction
5 – Legacy vs Innovation
6 – Control vs Speed
“This edition is designed to go deep in the knowledge required by C-Level executives and leaders of public administration to face a digitization and modernization process of business models. An essential improvement to be increase the competitiveness of our economy,” says Lluis Altés, Managing Director of DES2018. “This year we want to highlight the fact that digitization is here and now, that it is unstoppable and we have to prepare ourselves to take advantage of the opportunities it offers to boost the economy“, add Altés.
According to Forrester, the most important consultancy company in IT sector, the growth of the global technology market will be over 3.2 trillion dollars in the next two years. Business Technologies (BT) will have the most important role in this evolution. BT gather companies that provide IT services, software and hardware, and is expected to grow three times faster than the general technology market.
Cloud adoption will be another factor in the growth of IT sector in Europe. According to Altés, “Cloud technologies are an excellent beginning of the arrival and standardization of other technologies such as IoT, Blockchain or Artificial Intelligence. Therefore, DES2018 will showcase the cutting edge technology from partners that launch the latest tech solution to the market, to those that are fundamental for any company today.”
First speakers confirmed: 200 conferences in 3 days
The largest World Congress on digital transformation will once again bring up together top knowledge from more than 450 international speakers on Digital Leadership, Cloud, IoT, Cybersecurity, Blockchain or Artificial Intelligence. The only event that congregates more than 120 hours of conferences, combining keynotes with success stories on real tech applications to any kind of industry.
Among the confirmed speakers so far: Stuart Russel, world authority and leader of the World Economic Forum in Artificial Intelligence; Aristedes Mahairas, Head of the Cyber Operations / Cyber Division of the FBI in New York; Hanna Niemi-Hugaerts, Head of IoT Forum Virium in Helsinki with a worldwide example of SmartCity in Helsinky; Arun Sundararajan, expert in digital economy and the impact on the business network of the new models of the so-called Platform Economy; Tamara MacCleary, who will focus her contribution on the future of work and how candidates and employers will be; o Rahaf Harfoush, with a vision of digital anthropologism that addresses the intersections between emerging technologies, innovation and digital culture.
IT industry and business network supporting
DES2018 will be the great annual event for all organizations that are addressing or thinking about facing the challenges of digital transformation. World leaders in the technology industry such as Deloitte, IBM, Intel, HP, Fujitsu, SAS, T-Systems, Altran or Accenture have been strategic partners of Digital Business World Congress since its first edition.
DES has the support of the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and the Information Society (SETSI), the Community of Madrid and Madrid City Council, as well as employer and national organizations such as CEOE, CDTI, ICEX or Red.es, and international ones such as Business Europe or the European Commission.


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- Hathway offers a Rs 399 plan with unlimited data and 50 Mbps speed
- Airtel's V-Fiber broadband plans with appreciable benefits start at rs 1,099
As we are coming closer to the days of the launch of Reliance Jio GigaFiber, the broadband sector is heating up with the competition. The effect of Reliance Jio GigaFiber is visible even before it has launched commercially as the telecom operators and the broadband service providers are gearing up by tweaking their prices to make their plans more competitive in terms of pricing. Two other major broadband service providers in operation right now are Hathway Cable and Datacom and Airtel V-Fiber. While the former uses its massive last-mile connectivity of TV connections to extend fibre services to its customers, the latter is Bharti Airtel’s fibre broadband win. As such, there is the question which pops up, if the wait of Reliance Jio GigaFiber is still on, and these two broadband service providers are options, then which one should the subscriber choose. Here is a detailed wind-up on which operator you should choose.
Different Approaches to Pricing Broadband Plans
The major difference between the two broadband service providers is how they price their services. While Hathway Cable and Datacom goes for a predatory pricing technique, Airtel V-Fiber has a different approach. Hathway has decided to cut the prices of its broadband plans to make them more attractive and affordable. However, when it comes to Airtel, the company has decided to bundle lots of freebies with the plan to make it worth buying for the customer.
Hathway’s Affordable Plans
Also, Hathway has introduced a new plan for its subscribers in almost all the circles that it operates in and this plan comes for Rs 399. This plan stands out from the rest of the plans being provided by other ISPs since it offers unlimited data at Rs 399 and that too for 50 Mbps. Subscribers have to pay the Rs 1,999 deposit upfront after which they have to pay a monthly rental of Rs 399 simply. What’s worth noting is that although the plan offers a sweet deal when it comes to speed and data, there are no added benefits in this plan.
Airtel V-Fiber Bundling Lots of Additional Benefits
As opposed to Hathway which is betting on affordability, in order to get the best benefits in Airtel V Fiber, the subscribers will have to spend at least Rs 1,099 per month to avail the benefits of the plan. Under the Airtel Thanks scheme, subscribers will be able to get subscriptions to services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, ZEE5 and Airtel TV Premium. The cheapest plan to offer these benefits includes the Rs 1,099 plan, which offers 300GB data at 100 Mbps. The users get three months of Netflix subscription and a yearly Amazon Prime subscription. The Airtel plans also come with a data carryover feature.
Which One to Go For?
In case you can wait for a few weeks to get a broadband connection, then it would be our suggestion to go for Reliance Jio GigaFiber which will also get you a subscription to Jio Home TV which will offer 600 channels too. If you need to have a connection now and affordability is your priority, then Hathway Broadband would be the more obvious choice, but in case you would like to have lots of content subscription then Airtel V-Fiber has the most attractive plans.
Arpit spends his day closely following the telecom and tech industry. A music connoisseur and a night owl, he also takes a deep interest in the Indian technology start-up scene and spends rest of his time spilling poetry and stories on paper.


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GACIC Holds A Seminar Over Food Industries System
Published Monday, 18 March 2013 12:53 | Written by Islam Moatasem
The German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GACIC), in association with New Munich Trade Fair Centre, is holding today a special seminar around modernizing the food and beverage sector and following up the latest developments in the sector.
The seminar aims at utilizing the modern technology in the field of food industries, especially the high-value beverages; in addition to developing the packaging system, and considering the shipping and logistics.
Rainer Hirit, Executive Director of the German-Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Saif Sabet- Member of the Board Directors in Juhayna group, will attend the seminar, besides a number of businessmen, factories and companies' owners.
A press conference will be held on the sidelines of the seminar to prepare for "Drinktec" conference in Germany, leading trade fair for beverage and liquid food technology to be held in New Munich Trade Fair Centre, Germany from September 16-20, 2013.
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Suzuki has introduced the extremely predicted 3rd-technology Hayabusa. Formulated for flat-out velocity, the bicycle receives evolutionary styling updates, a redesigned motor, and a broader suite of digital using aids.
The authentic Hayabusa unexpectedly snatched the bike world’s leading-velocity crown shortly after its introduction in 1999. The next-technology product introduced in 2008 crafted on its predecessor’s achievements, but emissions laws killed it in 2018. Consigning the nameplate to the heritage reserve wasn’t an alternative, having said that.
Created with above 550 new elements, the 3rd-technology Hayabusa remains small, very long, and large, like its predecessors. Its over-all structure is sharper, having


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Whether or not Microsoft's KIN handsets have GenUpload appeal or not, one thing just about everyone outside of Verizon agrees on is that the carrier has priced the featurephone's data plans too highly. Ideal time for Sprint to leap in with some massively impressive prepaid offerings, using its Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile acquisitions to target the youth market, those looking for affordable, contract-free unlimited service, and even those wanting cheap BlackBerry BIS support (from $35 all-in, voice and text included).
Sprint have announced their Q2 2009 financial results, and while there are glimmers of hope in the shape of ongoing prepaid customer growth and stable post-pay revenue, the take-away figures are a loss of 257,000 customers over the three month period and a net loss of $384m on revenues of $8.1bn. That revenue is down 1-percent from Q1 2009, and down 10-percent on Q2 2008, though Sprint did manage to pay off $700m of debt (although it still owes $16.4bn).
Sprint have announced that they are acquiring Virgin Mobile USA for $483m, bringing the pre-pay MVNO under the Sprint umbrella but maintaining it as a separate brand. Virgin Mobile USA uses Sprint's CDMA network for its access, and will join Boost Mobile as Sprint's key entry-level line-up.
Virgin Mobile USA have announced a pay-as-you-go mobile broadband service, which will be exclusively available through Best Buy Mobile. Broadband2Go uses a Novatel Wireless EVDO Rev.A USB modem, and offers contract-free data from as little as $10; however, there are limits over how that data access can be used.
Virgin Mobile has followed suit with every major carrier (and apparently the American automakers too) in the rush to offer deals to consumers in this time of economic crisis. Virgin has announced a new Unlimited minutes plan for $49.99 and "Pink Slip Protection" which waves up to three months of phone bills if you lose your job. Pretty sweet deal for those of you who shy away from contracts and aren't concerned with having the latest and greatest phones.
Virgin Mobile have rolled out a pair of new Kyocera handsets, in the shape of the Kyocera X-tc and the Kyocera JAX. The former is the more interesting of the two, having a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, stereo Bluetooth support and a 1.3-megapixel camera, while the JAX brings up the budget end with a compact body and "real music ringtones".
It's been a long time coming, but the Ocean 2 has finally launched and should be reaching customers' hands this weekend. Along the way, network Helio has been acquired by Virgin Mobile, and we've seen devices like the iPhone 3G, T-Mobile G1 and various high-end feature phones all crash the market. The stakes are undoubtedly higher, and the question is whether the Ocean 2 is too little, too late; we'll have the SlashGear review for you soon, but first off here's the video unboxing and some first impressions.
Toshiba helped us kick off the week with the announcement of their new TG01 Windows Mobile smartphone: on paper it sounds perfect, with a high-res touchscreen, super-skinny body and all the wireless connectivity you could feasibly ask for, as well as being the first device to deliver NVIDIA’s 1GHz Snapdragon chipset. Check out our hands-on photos and video demos, as well as Toshiba’s own GUI demo, and then try and explain to me why I still can’t get as excited about the TG01 as I think I ought to be.


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among its 35th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment— its independent small businesses. There are roughly six million businesses in America today, and B-Reel has landed in the top 5000 fastest growing among them. Our business has grown 94% in the past few years, and we continue on that upward trend.
“We are humbled to be included alongside the esteemed companies on the Inc 5000, we hope this will be an annual tradition,” says Anders Wahlquist, CEO and founder, B-Reel
The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue is $200 billion, and the companies on the list collectively generated 640,000 jobs over the past three years, or about 8% of all jobs created in the entire economy during that period. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000.
"The Inc. 5000 list stands out where it really counts,” says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. “It honors real achievement by a founder or a team of them. No one makes the Inc. 5000 without building something great – usually from scratch. That’s one of the hardest things to do in business, as every company founder knows. But without it, free enterprise fails.”
The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring all the companies on the list will be held from October 18 through 20, in San Antonio, TX.


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First showcased as a concept back in 2012, the Lamborghini Urus is slowly inching towards production. The first SUV from the Italian brand since the LM-002 was recently spied testing ahead of its production that is slated to begin in April 2017.
Now, if a report by Auto Express is to be believed, the Lamborghini Urus will cost £180,000 (approximately INR 1.48 crore). The publication has also said that the 4.0-litre twin turbocharged V8 motor of the Urus will produce more than 600 PS of power and 800 Nm of torque. This engine will come mated to a dual clutch transmission that would send power to all four wheels via an all wheel drive system.
Lamborghini is also likely to equip the Urus with electronic four wheel steering and electronic dampers. The Italian sports car manufacturer would also be rolling out a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the Urus, thus making it their first hybrid vehicle.
The report further stated that Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Lamborghini, said that he expects the Urus to account for half of the brand’s sales by the year 2019. He also added that while the initial demand for the Urus will be quite high considering how the market reacts to SUVs, the real challenge would be to sustain sales after the first two years.
Source: Auto Express
Following is an image gallery of the Lamborghini Urus:


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USA / Global
gumpert tornante Articles
Gumpert Tornante production version arriving next year
Gumpert sales and marketing chief Harald Schlegel has announced the Tornante production version is scheduled for a 2015 release.
Mar 10, 2014
Gumpert Tornante production version leaked
The production version of the Gumpert Tornante has been revealed in patent drawings. Looking slightly revised.
Dec 18, 2012
Gumpert Tornante by Touring unveiled in Geneva
The newest supercar from Gumpert manages to squeeze in 200 liters of cargo space. Details and photos inside.
Mar 01, 2011
Gumpert Tornante teased again?
A mysterious new image has surfaced online which appears to show the Gumpert Tornante by Touring.
Feb 24, 2011
Gumpert teases the Tornante by Touring
Featuring an attractive design by Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, the bespoke Tornante is powered by a 4.2-liter biturbo V8 engine with 700 PS (515kW / 690 hp).
Feb 11, 2011
Gumpert Tornante Fast Tourer set for Geneva debut
Gumpert has announced plans to introduce the new Tornante at the Geneva Motor Show.
Jan 24, 2011
Car Buying Service
Get upfront price offers on local inventory.
Vehicle Imagery licensed from EVOX Images
USA / Global
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Travel Support Package a Step Forward but Broader Focus on Tourism Needed
The Federal Government’s travel stimulus measures are a step forward, but Australia’s cruise industry is calling for a broader focus on the tourism economy including tangible progress on the restart of cruising to act as an impetus for hard hit businesses and regional destinations that rely on the sector.
Cruise Lines International Association Australasia (CLIA) Managing Director Joel Katz said the Government should approve a pathway to the careful resumption of domestic cruising to assist the many farmers, food producers, winemakers, tour operators, transport companies, port workers and other service providers who supply the cruise industry but would see no benefit from the existing travel support package.
These groups along with regional destinations had been severely impacted by the cessation of cruise tourism but could see their livelihoods resuscitated through CLIA’s carefully laid-out plans for a phased resumption of local cruising while international borders remain closed.
Mr Katz stressed that the cruise industry was not seeking financial assistance from the Government. It merely sought the opportunity to resume business safely and for the benefit of the wider tourism economy.
“The cruise industry supports more than 18,000 jobs across Australia, all of which are at risk while the cruise suspension continues. Around $5 billion has already been lost to the Australian economy over the past year since the cruise industry stopped operating and the losses continue to mount,” Mr Katz said.
“While the package announced this week may assist some of the thousands of Australian cruise specialist travel agents impacted by government restrictions after the end of JobKeeper, it provides only short-term relief while little progress is made towards the resumption of cruising.
“The cruise industry has committed to extensive new health protocols in response to COVID-19 and has outlined detailed plans that would allow a carefully controlled resumption of domestic cruises for Australian locals.
“It is vital that governments now finalise these plans so that travel agents and other cruise suppliers can have greater certainty to work towards a longer-term revival.”


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BLACK SEA GRAIN-2021: stand reservations are open!
UkrAgroConsult is pleased to announce that the 18th International Conference ‘BLACK SEA GRAIN-2021’ opens up an opportunity for booking booths!
This year, taking into account the new hybrid format of the conference, booth placement is possible in physical and online format.
In addition to the standard placement (physical booth on April 14), placement of a virtual booth on the online conference platform will also be available. Take this great opportunity to inform your target audience about your business and showcase your products and services!
Learn more and book a booth here.
Be reminded that the first day of the conference will bring together a live conference, networking, stands, as well as an Evening Cocktail on the terrace of the InterContinental hotel. The second day will be held online only. Conference broadcast and recording, booths and networking will also be available on the online forum platform.
Registration for the Conference is available here
International Conference BLACK SEA GRAIN-2021 is a premiere event for the global leaders of grain and oilseed industry since 2004.
BLACK SEA GRAIN offers participants 2 days of exclusive agri market analytics and insights from the top industry experts, effective networking and meetings with players across the value chain, top managers, decision-makers and opinion leaders.
Located in the heart of the Black Sea region, the Conference annually brings together 700+ delegates from 50+ countries. Among them are: international producers and crushers of grains and oilseeds, agri holdings, commodity traders, banks and investment funds, commodity exchanges, government authorities and industry associations, shippers, brokers, insurance, surveying, law and consulting companies etc.
Be reminded that the 18th International Conference “Black Sea Grain-2021” will take place on April 14-15 at the InterContinental Hotel, Kiev.
The conference venue, InterContinental Hotel, guarantees compliance with enhanced security measures for forum visitors and hotel guests in connection with COVID-19.
Save the date in your calendar, as you will definitely want to be here !
In case of any enquiries, please contact:
BLACK SEA GRAIN-2021
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This past Friday we were elated to receive not 1, not 2, but 3 prestigious awards at the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. The evening started with the team receiving a highly commended award for our environmental and sustainability efforts within the business. Later in the evening we took to the stage as we were named the Manufacturing and Export Business of the Year. An incredible fete considering the tough opposition we faced in the category.
The night however culminated with an even greater accolade for our team as we were announced the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year, due to having an outstanding year across all facets of the business. James lees, Datum Managing Director commented,
“What an incredible privilege and what a night for our team. We have worked so hard over this past year and have been doing some incredible things across multiple markets around the globe. For this to be recognised by the Chamber and Island business community for these efforts is tremendous.”
Steven Holbrook, the Chamber’s CEO said,
“It’s been another amazing night for the Island’s business community. We have some amazing nominees and winners tonight and it’s a huge thrill to see so many great businesses celebrating in each other’s success. There are so many great stories here but as ever the big winner is the Isle of Wight, where Island businesses are thriving.”
The evening ended with the Island business community celebrating the night on the dance floor into the early hours.


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iQOO 8 will have 120W wired charging, iQOO 8 Pro also gets 50W wireless charging
Since iQOO is a sub-brand of vivo, which is a brand of the BBK stable, perhaps it’s not surprising that it’s applying a marketing strategy that seems taken straight from OnePlus – now part of Oppo, another BBK brand.
iQOO has been drip-feeding the media tidbits of information about the upcoming iQOO 8 phones, that will finally be made official on August 17. So far we know that there will be a BMW M Sport special edition, as well as details about the devices’ cameras, chipsets, and screens.
Today iQOO has outed the fact that both the iQOO 8 and iQOO 8 Pro will feature 120W fast wired charging, while the Pro model will also get 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging support. The wired charging capacity is lower than the previously rumored 160W, but still obviously nothing to scoff at.
Last year’s Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra had 120W charging too, and it went from zero to 100% in just over 20 minutes. The iQOO 8 series will get a 10-bit Samsung E5 LTPO AMOLED panel with a hole-punch selfie cam, 1440p resolution, and an adaptive refresh rate between 1 and 120 Hz.
According to previous rumors, we should see the Snapdragon 888+ at the helm, with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. iQOO has already revealed that the 8 Pro will have a 50 MP main camera and a 48 MP ultrawide. The third cam will be a 60mm in 35mm equivalent (about 2.5x) zoom lens.


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Diablo III Treasure Goblin Amiibo Revealed
This year has seen a multitude of excellent video games from previous console generations ported and re-released on the Nintendo Switch. The hybrid home/portable console has welcomed many favorite games onto its platform, but perhaps none of this year’s ports have excited as many as the confirmed Diablo III: Eternal Collection coming later this year.
With all of these third-party games, there hasn’t been a great many third-party collectible created for the system as of late. Given this, many have wondered if we might see a Diablo Amiibo with this port launch. It seems that a deal with the devil was made, as a new Diablo III treasure goblin version has been announced.
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 1, 2018
Activision unveiled the new Diablo III treasure goblin Amiibo on their official Twitter account. The new figurine is based off of the Diablo III enemy species, albeit a slightly more cartoonish version of the creature perhaps more fit for a figurine this size. The red goblin is shown carrying a large bag of loot on his back as two sword hilts pop out of it. According to Activision, this little fella will allow players on Nintendo Switch to open up a portal to a location where valuable loot can be found.
Little additional information about the figurine and its capabilities have been given, but the Amiibo is currently set to be released in December of this year. The Amiibo is also available for pre-order now at GameStop for $15.99. This goblin is surely going to be a treasure of its own to Diablo III players on Nintendo Switch.
Hopefully, scalpers don’t hoard these when they come out, and act like IRL treasure goblins themselves. What do you guys think about this new Diablo III Treasure Goblin Amiibo? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to stay tuned for the latest related news, such as the rumored appearance of Diablo at Blizzcon this year, here on Don’t Feed the Gamers! Follow us on Twitter to see our updates the minute they go live!
Cory Lara2094 Posts
A royally radical and totally tubular 90s kid, Cory has a passion for all things nerdy, particularly gaming and nostalgia. While an accountant by day, he strives to be as creative and humorous as possible in his free time, be it here writing on Don't Feed the Gamers, or making dumb satirical posts on his Twitter, Youtube, Facebook and Instagram accounts.


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Food preparation is going to the robotic overlords, with entrepreneurs tackling the tasks of making products such as smoothies with the help of automation. Take Blendid, which Co-Founder Vipin Jain defined in a PYMNTS interview as a fully autonomous “robotic kiosk that prepares food on demand.” Jain describes the company’s offerings as having an array of benefits such as protein, fiber, probiotics and antioxidants. The technology was just deployed at the University of San Francisco (USF), and Jain sees it coming to food service environments such as college and company cafeterias along with supermarkets, airports and health clubs (in essence, public places where people go and expect food).
To place an order for one of the company’s smoothie blends, diners can use a tablet at a kiosk or a mobile app. In the latter case, consumers can load the mobile app and choose the location where they want the company’s products. They can then look at the menu, and the company offers blends such as the Green Warrior (kale, banana, blueberry, apple juice, kefir, chia) and the Tropical Twist (mango, banana, coconut water). Consumers can browse through each blend and read the product’s nutrition profile. They can also customize beverages (within certain bounds set by the company) and the nutrition profile for the blend will change as consumers go through this process.
Once consumers customize an order, they can arrive at a payments screen and tap into Apple Pay or Google Pay. (They can also input a credit card directly as an alternative.) Consumers can then say they want an order as soon as possible or set a date and time for pickup. At USF, the company will have brand ambassadors on hand to help consumers pick up their drinks if they have any doubts or confusion when it comes time to retrieve their orders. When it comes to visualizing smoothie making, Jain sees the process as breaking down a recipe into a series of steps.
With food preparation, one might take many different ingredients and complete an operation: Ingredients might be blended, grilled, poured or steamed, for instance. And that is how Jain conceptualized the device. The machine has many different dispensers which store different types of ingredients from solids to liquids and superfood powders ranging from bananas to flax. It also has a prep table with three blenders as well as a delivery system that can bring the drinks to a pickup window once prepared. Technology ties it all together. “Blendid is a very sophisticated advanced robotics system,” Jain said.
Last year, the company unveiled a Blendid station at Plug and Play, which an announcement at the time described as “the world's largest startup innovation platform in Sunnyvale.” Jain described the company’s arrival at USF, however as the first commercial deployment. He said consumers are excited by the machine. “It is so well received,” Jain said. He also noted that the machine is a natural fit for students as they know technology and they are comfortable with technology. USF, however, is not the only campus to become home to robotic innovations in recent times.
The Robotics Market
At George Mason University, which is thousands of miles away from USF in Northern Virginia, students, staff and faculty can order drinks and food with the help of robotics firm Starship Technologies and food service company Sodexo. By using a Starship Deliveries app for iOS and Android devices, they can order food from quick-service restaurant (QSR) concepts from Starbucks, Blaze Pizza and Dunkin’ as well as Sodexo’s on-campus branded grocery store called 2nd Stop.
Diners choose a selection of food and drink items within that app and drop a pin at a location for delivery. A robot then makes the trek across campus and diners can monitor its progress via a map. When the robot arrives, a diner can receive an alert to meet the robot and unlock it through an app. Deliveries can happen within 15 minutes or faster and the robot has a payload of 20 pounds. The aim is to serve students, who may be open to using the technology and free up time in their busy lives.
Beyond college campuses, robotics has taken hold in food prep (like Blendid). Café X, for instance, uses robotics to prepare cups of coffee. There is Flippy, an automated fast-food burger-flipper, and also Sally the Salad Robot, which has been brought to markets that include hotels and C-stores. And it was reported last year that Little Caesars received a patent for what it called an “apparatus provided for assembling pizza.”
With the help of robotics, then, food preparation — and delivery — on and off campus might be handled with the help of robotics and automation from disruptors looking to provide convenience to customers hungry for food ranging from pizza to smoothies.


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Every day we hear from corporate-backed pundits and politicians that the only way companies can compete is to ship jobs overseas and engage in bottom of the battle practices at home. Don’t believe the hype. The truth is that many of our most iconic brands are still made here in America, by employees who are treated with respect. From Corvettes to Louisville Sluggers, union-made products – products that support good-paying middle-class jobs – are all around us. Read more »
Many iconic American products have been union-made: John Deere tractors, Campbell’s Soup, Tootsie Rolls, the Harley Davidson motorcycle, and classic cars such as the Ford Mustang and the Chevy Camaro. We can add to that list the most iconic item of them all, the American Flag itself.
Annin Flag Company of Roseland, New Jersey, produces thousands of union-made American flags each year. Workers at Annin Flags are represented by the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW), and their labor-management partnership has helped make the company one of the most prominent flag manufacturers in the country.
Established in 1847, the company prides itself on being the oldest and largest manufacturer of flags in the United States. Their flags have been in used in the inauguration ceremonies of U.S. presidents since Zachary Taylor was sworn in to office back in 1849. An Annin flag was draped across President Lincoln’s coffin, raised on Iwo Jima in 1945, and used in the Apollo space program.
Unfortunately, many American flags are not even made in the United States. However, in 2010 the House of Representatives unanimously passed the All-American Flag Act, which mandates that all flags used for government purchases be made domestically.
Union members have helped to build this country, and the value of their contributions is reflected each day by the union members at Annin Flag Company.
Guest Post by Chair of UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, Ken Jacobs.
Walmart is well known for both its low prices and its low wages, and the drive to keep prices down is offered as a ready rationale for the company’s substandard wages and benefits. New findings show that Walmart can still keep those prices low and pay its workers a living wage.
In a recent study I completed with my colleagues Dave Graham-Squire and Stephanie Luce, we found that Walmart could raise its starting wage to $12, a significant improvement for many Walmart workers, with only the slightest impact on customers. Read more »
On Monday, the Restaurant Opportunity Council of DC (ROC) held an event to discuss their most recent report, Behind the Kitchen Door: Inequality and Opportunity in Washington, DC’s Thriving Restaurant Industry. And the findings were less than appetizing for the area’s food service workers.
The report took a detailed look at a wide range of topics, including racial discrimination, workplace safety, low wages, and public health. Restaurant employees reported facing tip theft by managers and owners, as well as wage theft—owners requiring workers to clock out before finishing work in order to avoid earning overtime. Similarly, the report found that many wait staff, busboys, and dishwashers are not given paid sick leave from work, exposing their coworkers and customers to illness.


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An Aberdeenshire brewer is set to launch a new tasting experience in its city centre bar.
Six Degrees North
A brewer has created a new beer using Scottish-grown hops.
Smoke and Soul has launched a mouth-watering new menu at an Aberdeen bar.
A new Aberdeenshire tasting room will host a Six Degrees North food and drink evening later this month.
Aberdeen's Six Degrees North will launch 10 new beers next week as part of a collaborative project.
An Aberdeenshire brewery has raised £1,948 for charity as part of its street art auction.


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TOKYO — Imported American beef in Japan has proved so popular it’s topped the annual limits called “safeguards,” and the U.S. Meat Export Federation on Thursday urged Tokyo to raise the threshold.
Japan’s import limit for American beef of 242,000 metric tons was reached in early March, and so tariffs will be raised from 25.8% to 38.5% for a month, starting Thursday through April 16, according to the Japanese Finance Ministry.
Japan’s limits on imports of meat and other farm products have been a recurring trade issue with the U.S., which heavily imports Toyota cars and Nintendo video games.
“Triggering of the beef safeguard is not unexpected,” USMEF, which promotes American beef, said in a statement.
“In fact, based on our 15-year outlook, USMEF projects that without an increase to the safeguard threshold, Japan’s imports of U.S. beef are likely to trigger the annual safeguard every year.”
A bilateral trade agreement signed in 2019 provided for U.S. beef imports to gradually rise, and taxes to drop from 38.5% first to 25.8%, and eventually to 9% in 15 years.
The Japan-U.S. Trade Agreement also says that if the safeguard gets set off, Japan agrees to consult with the U.S. to adjust the level.
Japan’s imports of U.S. beef rose 3% in the first part of the year compared to the previous year. American beef exports to South Korea and China have also been growing.
For decades, Japanese consumers preferred the local, marbled but expensive beef. In recent years, tastes have gradually changed.
In 2018, the United States exported $2.1 billion of beef and beef products to Japan. Japan is the U.S. largest export market for beef, based on value.
In an effort to make up for the decline in dining out because of the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. meat exporters have been carrying out a social media campaign in Japan with recipes and photos to encourage cooking beef at home.
Australia is the biggest rival for the U.S. in beef exports to Japan, but the cattle supply in Australia has suffered lately because of drought.
Japan banned American beef imports in December 2003 after the first case of mad cow disease in the U.S. The ban was eased in December 2005, but tightened again the following month, after prohibited spinal bones were found in a veal shipment. Beef imports resumed in 2007.
Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama


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The Cigar Week Wrap is a one stop place to catch up on the activity here at Cigar Coop. It is a combination of our news reports, cigar reviews, and assessment updates we do throughout the week. We will throw in a few bonus items from time to time as well. Our intent is to publish once a week on Saturday mornings. Note: We have decided to label our posts as “Volume 2” to be consistent with the monthly “Editor’s Corner”.
- Part 4 of our IPCPR 2013 Trade Show Preview: Around the Show Floor (1st Installment)
- Our on-going IPCPR 2013 Digest is now in progress.
News and Previews
- Ashton: A fourth blend is being added to the San Cristobal line called San Cristobal Revelation. The cigar is targeted for a September release.
- CAO: The company has begun shipping a new limited edition to its Flavours line called American Slyce.
- Casa Fernandez: We previewed two 2013 IPCPR releases – the Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva Maduro and the limited edition Casa Fernandez 35th Anniversary.
- Dona Flor: Announced the Alonso Menendez line will be available in distribution in the U.S. The company has also announced it will release a limited edition cigar called Precioso 36 Edição Limitada. Both cigar lines will be at the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show.
- Drew Estate: Announced the Nica Rustica line and a 7 x 70 line extension to the My Uzi Weighs a Ton line will be at the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show.
- Dunhill: We previewed the 12th vitola to the Dunhill Aged Series – the Dunhill Aged Series Calatas.
- Elogio: As per the company’s Facebook page, it appears the company will be unveiling a new product to be announced at the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show.
- Ezra Zion Cigars: On an appearance on CigarChat, the company announced the next release of the Honor Series, which was going to be called MLK will be renamed. The new name was not specified. It was also announced the MLK would be delayed to a fall release.
- Gramercy Cigars: Announced the launch of the company and its first blend the Gravitas.
- La Aurora: We previewed the box-press extensions to the Guillermo Leon Signature and Fernando Leon Family Reserve. On a guest appearance on Cigar Chat, Barry Stein confirmed there will be a La Aurora Puro Vintage 2005 released at IPCPR.
- La Flor Domincana: The company announced its 2013 IPCPR Plans: The Factory Press Limitado, the new La Flor Dominicana Chapter 1, Line extensions to the LFD Double Ligero line, Tubo vitolas being added to three lines, a 2013 batch of the LFD Colorado Oscuro, and finally the 2013 Vintage of the Litto Gomez Diez will be released.
- La Gloria Cubana: We previewed a new retail exclusive to Famous Smoke Shop – the La Gloria Cubana Gilded Age. This cigar was launched at the 2013 Cigarnival event held by Famous.
- Lou Rodriguez Cigars: We previewed the company’s upcoming new release – the Lou Rod. This cigar will be launched at the 2013 IPCPR.
- My Father Cigars: The company is releasing a 6 x 60 Flor de las Antillas that will be a limited edition retail exclusive to Binny’s Beverage Depot in Illinois.
- Nomad Cigar Company: The company announced its first core line Nicaraguan-made cigar, the Nomad S-307.
- Primer Mundo Cigars: Has announced the Costa Fuerte, a line extension to La Hermandad will be launched at the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show.
- Rocky Patel Premium Cigars; Showed a first picture of the new Bold by Nish Patel.
- SAG Imports: On a post via the Quesada Cigars web page, the Cubita Noveau will be launched at the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show.
- T.L. Johnson Cigars/La Tradicion Cigars: Announced the two companies will collaborate on a joint cigar line to be launched at the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show.
- Ventura Cigar Company: Will launch two cigars at the 2013 IPCPR, the Project 805 and PSyKo SEVEN.
- Viaje: Announced a new extension to the Late Harvest Line – the Viaje Late Harvest Hang Time.
- Xikar: In a huge announcement, Xikar announced it is selling its Defiance and HC Cigar lines to Cigar International. The company will focus on its accessories business.
- FDA: Since last week’s report, an additional 2 co-sponsors have signed on to HR 792 –making for a total 103 co-sponsors (104 total sponsors). Meanwhile Senator Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania has signed on for the companion Senate Bill S 772, bringing the total co-sponsors to 10 (11 sponsors overall).
- Iowa: Legislation is being proposed to end the exemption to casinos on the State’s public smoking ban.
- New Jersey: State Senator Dawn Marie Addiego and Assemblyman Chris Brown are proposing legislation that would ban smoking in all state parks, beaches, wildlife management areas and “any property acquired or developed with the help of state funds for recreation and conservation purposes”
- Asylum 13 Authentic Corojo
- 601 La Bomba Maduro Warhead (Pre-Release)
- Casa Miranda Chapter Two (Pre-Release)
- Viaje Secret Sauce
- July 6th 2011: We assessed the Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro Torpedo.
- July 6th 2011: We posted a press release on the launch of Temptation Cigars.
- July 6th 2011: We covered the defeat of California SB 575. This was one of the most restrictive smoking bans ever proposed.
- July 6th 2012: We posted the original feature story, Jonathan Drew Explains Achieving Consistency in the Cigar Production Process.
- July 6th 2012: We posted a press release on the 262 Revere. This is a cigar that would become our #14 Cigar for 2012.


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With booming electric vehicle usage in India, the number of EV charging stations is expected to reach the 1 lakh mark by the end of the decade, as per industry experts, compared with 16,271 now. However, while growth isn’t an immediate problem, standardisation of various charging points is.
Of the current number, 5,059 are in Karnataka, making it the state with the largest number of charging stations. It is followed by Maharashtra (3,079), Delhi (1,886), Kerala (958), Tamil Nadu (643), Uttar Pradesh (583) and Rajasthan (500).
The growth in infrastructure is expected to be propelled mostly by private charge point operators, which already own a bulk of the current infrastructure. A case in point is Ola Electric, which earlier this month promised the addition of 10,000 more fast charging stations by the end of the quarter, while direct competitor Ather Energy is planning to expand its own network to 2,500 by March.
Tech-enabled fleet operators, which are two and three wheeler heavy, are currently the top adopters of electric vehicles and public charging infrastructure. This is expected to continue going forward, even as the market shifts from favouring slow to fast charging apparatus, according to Akhil Jayprakash, co-founder of EV charger aggregator Pulse Energy.
He revealed that the number of transactions the company has processed for EV charging grew 100 times in the past year, pointing to a clear and continued increase in adoption.
Challenges to penetration persist
The issue of interoperability between chargers remains a question. “The market will have to find a standard, when it comes to fast charging two and three wheelers. There will be an Ather and Ola connector battle, but ultimately the network infrastructure will grow, whether people build connectors to adapt to an Ather or Ola charger, that is up to the market,” Jayaprakash said, adding that both connectors are open source and it will be up to vehicle manufacturers to adopt either.
The recently approved Light Electric Combined Charging System (LECCS), India’s first-ever indigenously developed AC and DC Combined Charging connector standard for light electric vehicles, has brought relief, and the government is pushing operators to adopt standardisation, but public entities will have to step up, experts believe, even as a public private partnership model hasn’t materialised well.
“Challenges such as attracting private partners, ensuring fair competition, and establishing equitable access to charging infrastructure persist,” said Niranjan Nayak, managing director, Delta Electronics India.
“Along with budgetary constraints, public entities lack the specialised knowledge required to operate and maintain complex charging networks, leading to a hesitation in deployment. The evolving nature of EV technology and charging infrastructure can also deter those who may be risk-averse to investing in large-scale deployments,” he added.
Retail lags adoption
While fleet operators have been quick to adopt electric mobility, retail uptake continues to lag behind, especially for four wheelers. This is due to a number of factors that are unlikely to change soon, including a high upfront cost of electric vehicles and range anxiety due to a lack of infrastructure.
“EV charging for retail vehicles is social service,” said Magenta Mobility chief executive officer Maxson Lewis. This is because retail users prefer charging their vehicles at home, which proves to be cheaper, and their utilisation of public infrastructure remains low, leading to operators focusing on commercial users, he added.
Another deterrent to retail adoption is the urban dense nature of the current charging infrastructure. Bengaluru, for example, houses 85% of the chargers in Karnataka, while presence on highways and smaller towns and cities remains low.
Both these factors combined deter EV adoption for personal mobility, as they can't be relied upon as a primary vehicle or be used for long-distance travel.
“Further expansion with a focus on rural areas, improved reliability, and user-friendly experiences are crucial to building trust and accelerating EV adoption,” Nayak said.
(In part two, we will explore how EV makers are planning to bring parity between electric and internal combustion engine vehicles by 2027-28)