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In this article we are going to describe how one can store Bitcoin on USB.
For casual investors or those who want to start now, a usb crypto wallet is an.
A bootable drive is a thousand times more secure than a simple offline installation.
Opendime is a small USB stick that allows you to spend Bitcoin like a dollar bill.
Coldcard is a Bitcoin hardware wallet, it signs transactions to keep the private.
The mantra ‘progress through technology’ is a hard sell if your cars aren’t drenched in the latest gizmos. It’s a good thing.
Bitcoin Up Or Down Bitcoin, following news of civil unrest and riots in both the United States and Europe, attained a $10,000 price for a very. 14 Jul 2019. The search volume actually starts to pick up just before the price goes up. When the price of Bitcoin goes down, and you watch all of your. 19 Feb 2020.
As a compromise, some of the security properties of a hardware wallet can be.
If you don't have an optical drive, you can still boot TAILS like this with a USB.
the USB drive route since that is a superior option for handling Bitcoin private keys.
Numerai Reddit Bitcoin Atm Nyc 14 Dec 2018. Every shop with a Bitcoin machine in New York City—all 110 of them. PHOTOGRAPHS: Dina Litovsky for Bloomberg Businessweek. Bitcoin. 10/09/2019 · The People’s Bank of China is poised to become the first major central bank to issue a digital version of its currency, the yuan, seeking to keep up
How Bitcoin 2.0 Will Shape The Future Of Business A co-production with Niland’s wife, Julie, the seafood shrine has impacted the way chefs think about fish cookery like few. A recent Andreessen Horowitz report says crypto is in its growth stage, but critics say the industry is yet to create end-use. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many SEO agencies to rethink their business and
21 Dec 2014.
The Ledger Wallet Nano is a relatively affordable bitcoin hardware wallet.
What it is: A USB bitcoin wallet with smartcard security in a very.
although it does involve a bit of BIOS tinkering (i.e. changing the boot sequence).
Rapidly dwindling sex appeal aside, the Prius continues to make a case for its own existence – even amid an onslaught of head.


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Samsung’s Folding Phone Faults Delay Release Date
The release date of Samsung’s new dual-screen Galaxy Fold mobile handset has been delayed after reviewers reported having removed the top layer of the display causing damage to the screen, problems with hinge areas, and debris getting trapped under the screen.
The Galaxy Fold
Announced as the Galaxy X last summer, the Galaxy Fold handset has two inside panels and one outside panel with the two inside panels folding out to form the 7.3-inch OLED screen, thereby giving the user a much larger screen area. The fact that the flexible screen folds in on itself when closed also adds protection for the touchscreen when the phone is not in use.
A number of reviewers, including many journalists, were given Galaxy Fold handsets for trial use. It appears that faults were discovered and were perhaps even caused by many of the reviewers who peeled off what they believed was just a protective layer (despite being warned against doing in the handset’s documentation) that was, apparently, an important part of the screen display’s protection.
Several faults were identified by reviewers and confirmed in a statement from Samsung, including:
- Issues on the display associated with impact on the top and bottom exposed areas of the hinge.
- Substances being found inside the device affecting the display performance.
It has also been reported that some reviewers saw creases on the fold and other display glitches which the folding robot really should have found.
Production Problems – Is The Technology Ready Yet?
Part of the delay in the production of a commercial version of Galaxy’s folding phone from the first sighting of its prototype 7 years ago is thought to be down to production problems in the complexity of developing durable but flexible plastic screens.
Also, the fact that competitors LG and Sony have many patents on foldable mobile displays but have not produced a foldable phone yet has led some commentators to suggest that the technology may simply not be fully ready for use in the current generation of phone handsets.
In Samsung’s own statement about the reported faults the company said that “how the device needs further improvements”.
Another major phone market player (Huawei) also has a foldable phone in the development pipeline. Huawei’s ‘Mate X’ version folds outwards, which some have speculated may leave the most vulnerable part of the device exposed all the time. The fact that Huawei has not yet gone to market with its foldable offering may also be a sign that it too is wrestling with similar screen problems i.e. screen creasing.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
In the phone market, there has been a degree of stagnation as customers delay upgrades while waiting for more innovative models and new features. A folding phone offers value in terms of its versatility as a kind of “2-in-1” tablet and phone, as well as the novelty value and kudos of having a device with the very latest folding screen. As expected, however, the Samsung Folding (when is eventually launched), and competitor folding phone models will have a premium price tag (thought to be around £1,500), and although this would decrease as volumes increase, many businesses may decide to wait a bit longer before they buy one.
The fact that Samsung has called-off the launch and not given a future launch date for the Samsung Folding may indeed indicate that the technology is not quite ready, and that simply introducing a model with design faults just to be first to get a folding phone out there is not something they’re prepared to risk.

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€100 million foodtech and green tech fund launched
Today the Green Generation Fund, a new European early-stage (pre-seed to series A) environmental impact investor, has launched its a €100 million fund, after an oversubscribed first close in October last year.
Based in Berlin and investing across Europe and the US, it has backed its first eight portfolio companies and will deploy its capital in 20 to 25 ventures in the foodtech and green tech sectors.
The Green Generation Fund has two founding partners. Dr Manon Sarah Littek is a director at Upfield, a KKR-backed plant-based company, and a former sole general partner at food impact investor Katjesgreenfood and DLD Ventures, the corporate venture capital vehicle of Hubert Burda Media’s digital branch.
The other founding partner is Janna Ensthaler, a former management consultant at Bain & Company, Al Gore Antarctica Alumni, and a serial entrepreneur founder of several start-ups in various verticals including food (Kaiserwetter), cosmetics (Glossybox) and software (Event).
Since the inception of the fund, the founding partners have co-led the funding rounds of eight portfolio companies, including Neggst (the first vegan egg with separated yolk, white and shell), Biomilq (cell-cultured breast milk), Libre (meat substitutes based on mycelium/fungi), Lypid (plant-based solution mimicking fat tissue), Change Foods (a cheese substitute based on recombinant protein) and The Rainforest Company (superfood protecting the Amazon rainforest), as well as Klim (carbon offsetting app to promote regenerative agriculture) and One Five (R&D platform for plastic packaging alternatives).
The fund’s limited partner base includes anchor investors Kaltroco (UK family office) and Florian Wendelstadt (former managing director General Atlantic), as well as other international investors such as Canica (Switzerland/Norway), Corecam Capital Partners (Singapore) and Liesner & Co (Hamburg) and several unnamed high net worth individuals and families.
Fund of funds such as Equation and Aldea and institutional investors such as KfW Capital have also made significant contributions. In addition, industry experts such as Susan Danziger with Albert Wenger (Eutopia), ex-Aldi chief executive Dr Marc Heussinger, Peter Dill (Deutsche See), Dr Anne-Marie Großmann (Georgsmarienhütte) and Babor (Aachen) are invested in the fund, as well as founders and multipliers such as Delia Lachance (Westwing), Lea Cramer (Amorelie) and Verena Pausder (Das Neue Land).
It has a high average ticket for a first time fund; on average, more than three million euro in total capital having been committed by just over 30 investors.
Littek said: “Our actions in the next three years will define how we will live as humankind in the decades and generations to come. It’s a turning point to a liveable future and we believe that the solutions will be found in disruptive innovations and bold moves from strong entrepreneurs in the field of green tech and foodtech. We want to select and back these entrepreneurs and be part of the solution. We differentiate ourselves from other impact funds in the space through sector expertise and a clear focus on a few, selectively chosen categories. The green revolution, which began just a few years ago in the food sector with sustainability-oriented, plant-based retail brands, now extends across the entire value chain of food products and related consumer goods. As part of our investment strategy, we usually invest with the ambition to obtain significant shareholdings – 10%-plus in companies with technology-centric solutions and accompany them throughout the entire growth phase until the exit.”
Ensthaler commented: “Governments around the world are also increasingly recognising the obligation to promote this topic both through strong regulations and massive subsidies. Generation Z and millennials are also fed up with factory farming and a life that pushes our blue planet to its limits. These generations in particular will insist on the plant-based food revolution and the incorporation of CO2-reducing and more sustainable measures. This is where we invest.”
“We rely on founders who develop solutions for the really big problems of our time. Our start-up Neggst alone, which can do away with mass-laying batteries for eggs and instead offer plant-based alternatives, can save around 1% of global CO2 emissions through resource-saving production.
“I am convinced that we can make the German and European economy fit for the future, above all, by identifying the ecosystems of the future today and then building them up as quickly as possible in competition with other regions of the world and occupying them for ourselves. Our foodtech and green tech investment categories are two of the most important future industries of the coming decades.”


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Roxane Gay, social commentator and author of Difficult Women (Grove Press), kicked off Winter Institute 12’s first full day of education sessions with an impassioned talk about the role indie booksellers must play as spaces for solace and refuge in their communities. Gay’s breakfast keynote on Saturday, January 28, brought the room to its feet.
Addressing the hundreds of booksellers and publishers in attendance, Gay acknowledged that the book industry has a diversity problem. “This problem extends to absolutely every area of the industry,” she said. “There are not enough writers of color being published; when our books are published, we fight even more than white writers for publicity and reviews.”
People of color are underrepresented throughout the business — in editorial, in marketing, in publicity, and in literary agencies, said Gay. “People of color are underrepresented in bookselling, because look at this room. This inability of publishing to find people of color is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of our time…. The few of those who do manage to break through are touted as examples of progress while we are still the exception and not the rule.”
“I’m done having the same conversations over and over while very little changes,” Gay said. “People don’t really want to hear about diversity and inclusion. They don’t want to do what it takes, which is invest actual money for a sustained period of time to change the makeup of this industry.”
Gay, who describes herself as a black, bisexual, Haitian-American woman, stressed that she is first and foremost a writer — someone who has been writing since she was four years old, making up stories about villages and sketching them out on paper napkins. “I loved how I could make up anything I wanted. There were no limits or rules beyond the borders of my imagination,” she said. “I was also a reader, and it was reading that allowed the borders of my imagination to expand. It was reading that stoked my ambition to write bigger and better stories.”
The first bookstore Gay ever visited was a Little Professor bookstore in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Her mother, a voracious reader, brought her to the store to ensure she had reading to do once she was done with her schoolwork, “as is the way of Haitian parents,” she said. “I loved going to the Little Professor because I knew I was always going to find something new to read, something new for my imagination to devour.”
Gay consumed series like The Girls of Canby Hall by Emily Chase, The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin, The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner, and Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal. Her parents didn’t monitor her reading, so she was able to pick up books that were well beyond age appropriate, she said. And her imagination expanded.
“I continued to be charmed by booksellers, who were always so patient when I was younger, and then, as I grew up, helpful and interested in showing me, by introducing me to all manner of good books, that there need not be any borders to my imagination at all,” said Gay. “Throughout my life, books have been my best friends. In bookstores and with books, I have been able to forget the cruelties of the world. I have been able to shield myself when I need safety. I have been able to find solace and joy. I have been able to find sanctuary, a consecrated place, a place of refuge and protection.”
Gay explained how on the day after the recent presidential election she struggled to leave the house. “I was stunned,” she said. “I was ashamed of being so stunned and so unprepared to face America’s reality.”
That day, Gay visited an indie bookstore that was filled by people just as distraught as she. “I was surrounded by strangers who were not quite strangers because we shared a love of reading,” she said. “To feel like part of a community, even for an hour, on that dark day offered some small comfort and a smaller but much-needed measure of hope. Together, we found refuge.”
Bookstores have always been important community spaces, but in the coming years their role will become more necessary than ever, Gay stressed. As such, it is imperative that community spaces like bookstores do their part to make their stores more inclusive.
“As booksellers, the work ahead of you now is to ensure your stores are places of refuge for everyone who needs sanctuary,” she said.
As an example of the sanctuary and comfort booksellers can offer, Gay mentioned an appearance she made at Boswell Book Company in Milwaukee in 2014. Before the event, owner Daniel Goldin did a dedicated outreach to black organizations to generate interest for An Untamed State (Grove Press). “I’ve never forgotten that — how Daniel took the initiative to broaden the community welcomed into his store,” she said. “He afforded me the quiet joy of seeing some people who look like me in the audience. He afforded me some sanctuary.”
Gay said she had planned to offer advice on how booksellers can diversify their store communities and encourage book buyers to read more diversely; her list of suggestions had included looking to stores like Eso Won Books in Los Angeles and Source Booksellers in Detroit, black-owned bookstores that foster strong and diverse reading communities.
“I was going to talk about doing outreach into communities of color and making sure that books by people of color are not just segregated in special sections but offered throughout the store. I was going to discuss the importance of being vigorous in handselling books by writers of color, and to find ways of selling these books not just to readers of color but to white readers as well. I was going to talk about the physical spaces of many independent bookstores and how inhospitable they are to people with disabilities, because inclusion is not just about race and ethnicity,” said Gay.
“But really, you don’t need me to tell you these things,” she concluded. “You are smart, passionate book people. You can forego the distance of needing to be taught what you can learn through trial and error. You can figure out how to be more inclusive in all ways. You can get political. You can get uncomfortable. You can remember that you are not just selling books; you are providing sanctuary. You are the stewards of sacred spaces. Rise to the occasion. Rise.”


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With the demise of Google Reader planned for later this year, more users are looking for cloud based alternatives that can feed their news aggregation needs. Feedly is a great solution that I have been personally using on my PC for the past few weeks. It was released in 2008 by entrepreneur and software developer Edwin Khodabakchian.
Feedly is currently up to its fourteenth stable release and runs within the Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome web browsers. The news aggregator also offers applications for mobile devices running iOS and Android; this leaves trouble for Windows RT and Internet Explorer users who wish to use the service. The web interface is not compatible with Microsoft’s web browser and the company doesn’t currently provide an application within the Windows Store.
As a heavy Windows 8 user, this concerns me. I use feedly to collect the latest press news from Microsoft and other companies. Today I decided to reach out to Edwin himself on Twitter, asking if any plans were in the works to ensure us “Microsofties” don’t get left behind. To my delight, not only did he respond, but his tweet was exciting. Edwin stated that “we are working on something really interesting in this area” and to “please stay tuned.”
@marcham93 We are working on something really interesting in this area. Please stay tuned.
— Edwin Khodabakchian (@edwk) May 9, 2013
Microsoft’s Windows Store is nowhere near full, and adding more applications can only help the giant’s latest PC operating system. In addition, the Windows Store contains no large name news aggregators, and the addition of feedly to the collection would definitely draw attention to this great service.
When the Google Reader service shut down notice was posted, feedly noted that within 48 hours they had accumulated half a million new users. On April 2, they announced that the total number of users was up to 3 million.
Make sure to give feedly a look, along with seven other recommendations that our Editor-In-Chief, John Freml, has suggested. If you get hooked on the feedly service just as I have, then also read his guide to easily switch over from Google Reader.
Enjoy![Twitter | feedly]


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People around the world are changing their attitudes, behavior and consumption patterns to support products and services that shift toward a sustainable global economy that promises better health and dignity for all. Brands that embrace this shift are seeing positive results across multiple levels of their businesses. With CSR at the heart of everything they do, a willingness to experiment with new models, and a commitment to redesigning every aspect of their business, its no wonder that, as Triple Pundit points out, Corporate Citizenship enhances performance, recruitment, and sales growth.
From sharing food and gratitude with FEED at SXSW to surveying the powerful ripples of the “CVS Effect,” Interbrand’s March newsletter supplies the information and inspiration you need to help you accelerate change. Highlighting the link between CSR and financial performance, the encouraging impact of CVS’s decision to end tobacco sales, and TOM’s decision to expand its “one for one” model into the coffee business, our Corporate Citizenship outlook focuses on the stories that are moving the needle and companies that are making a difference.
To find out more about how to align personal and corporate values, how to take CSR initiatives to the next level, and learn more about the “Diffusion of Innovations” theory in action, check out this month’s installment of Closing the Gap!


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Inside the metaverse strategies of L’Oréal and LVMH
L’Oréal and Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LMVH) have both taken tentative steps into the metaverse. Senior leaders explain how they’re approaching this new space – from deciding which brands in their portfolios are best suited to the emerging environment to how they find the budget to fund their experiments.
L’Oréal and Louis Vuitton on the metaverse
There’s no shortage of brands dabbling in the ‘metaverse,’ creating something of a FOMO moment in the industry. Nike launched ‘Nikeland’ last year and now boasts over 7 million visitors to the metaverse store. Gucci claims that over 18 million people have engaged with it on Roblox, setting in motion a wave of luxury brands trying to replicate its success. This week at the Cannes Lions festival the program is littered with sessions on the buzzword du jour, while agencies including Publicis (which currently has over 1,000 staff now working on metaverse projects), McCann and Wunderman have set their stalls early by creating their own experiences.
L’Oréal and LMVH are already some way down the line with their metaverse strategies. But that’s not to say they are any the wiser than those just starting out. Both are keen to stress they are still very much in ‘experiment’ mode, still trying to understand its various iterations and the long-term potential.
Here’s what they’ve discovered.
L’Oréal is prioritizing three brands for its metaverse trials: YSL, Mugler and NYX Professional Make-up.
Testing the waters on NFTs, it recently launched a branded digital wallet. People can claim up to 10,000 free NTFs from L’Oréal to store in this wallet, and throughout the year they can be used to unlock exclusive digital experiences, real-world events and product drops.
There’s no measure of success on this activity – it’s simply about getting its customers used to engaging with the brand in new web3 environments.
“We want to lay down the foundations and understand what beauty will look like there and rooting the brand DNA there. We’re looking at it through the prism of community,” explains Asmita Dubey, chief digital and marketing officer at L’Oréal.
“We’re thinking about immersive experiences. We know that we will go from 2D to 3D beauty, so what does that look like? And from there we’re looking at virtual influence, avatars, products and collectibles. We’re exploring all of that to understand the new visual codes, the new ways people see beauty [in the metaverse].”
More broadly, she’s looking at forging new partnerships with companies and individuals L’Oréal hadn’t previously considered.
“There’s a diverse new ecosystem of partners that we need to start working with. We’re working with new tech platforms, we’re partnering with Ariani – a rising platform in web3 – and companies in the world of crypto. We need to partner with a very new ecosystem,” she continues.
This is most developed with NYX. It’s a make-up brand targeted at professional make-up artists largely through social media marketing.
But it’s now thinking about how the brand can empower a new generation of creators, and has set itself the task of what Dubey describes as “the first-ever decentralized record label for creators in web3.”
“There are so many 3D artists today who are doing phenomenal work on face and they’re into the digital beauty and make-up artistry. That’s where we’re starting. It means the brand will engage with more 3D artists, animators and even software engineers. We will start working with blockchain experts,” she says.
It’s making headway in that effort. NYX recently collaborated with Sandbox to create 8,000 Pride avatars that were ‘made up’ using the brand.
Taking a slightly different approach is LMVH, the luxury giant that houses brands including Givenchy, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.
It’s hired Nelly Mensah into the new role of ‘head of metaverse and crypto,’ indicating that it sees this as a serious revenue generator down the line. Mensah is a Deloitte Digital alumna and previously led beauty giant Sephora’s digital and innovation efforts. She now heads up all web3 and metaverse efforts globally for LVMH.
“We’re really thinking about four use cases primarily,” she explained. “One is client storytelling and immersive brand experiences. It’s about transparency, traceability and tracking for authenticity. We’re also looking at digital twins and having an extension of all of our product offerings in the virtual world that allow for personalization and expressing yourself. And finally accepting cryptocurrency for payments.”
Part of her role is distilling knowledge to individual brand owners, one of whom is Massimo Paloni, chief operations and innovation officer at Bulgari. Instead of creating an experience on one of the established platforms – such as Roblox – he drafted in Italian creative tech studio Experiency to help it build a metaverse from scratch.
“The metaverses today don’t have high enough quality to support the positioning of a luxury brand. So what we’re doing is creating our own proprietary metaverse. It’s a concept. We’re creating a learning curve, designing spaces. It’s another kind of creativity,” Paloni explains.
“We’re trying to prepare the culture and process of the company. And when the future opens to metaverses able to interact we’ll be ready.”
To get it ready for that moment, the key job for now is to create 3D digital versions of its entire product catalog. It’s a tricky process to make its diamonds look realistic in this space, and it’s taking the agency anywhere from a week to a month to create a single piece of jewelry.
Building a metaverse from scratch and spending weeks at a time creating digital diamond necklaces doesn’t come cheaply.
“Some brands more advanced in this have created their own P&L [for the metaverse]. But at the moment we’re not there,” says Paloni on where the budget is coming from. “The reality is that with innovation the budget is always opportunistic. There was a consensus around this, so we didn’t.”


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The owners of Yooper Steez launched a brand new website on Tuesday to help Yoopers find love.
YooperSingles.com was launched on April 1, 2014 as the first dating website made exclusively for those seeking to fall in love with a Yooper.
"I've used all the sites, OkCupid, Match.com, eHarmony. However, none of them cater well to Yoopers. I saw an opportunity in the market and hope to provide a platform for other Yoopers to find superior love," said Yooper Steez founder, Bugsy Sailor.
According to Sailor, users are given the option of selecting their interests including hiking, snowmobiling, hockey and even bear wrestling. The first 250 members to register will receive a free YOOPER sticker, he added.
What is the most important question on the survey? Do you like your pasty with ketchup, gravy or nothing at all?
If you're looking for a taste of Yooper love, click here and visit Yooper Singles.
"Thanks, for helping me find my lumberjack," said satisfied user Jane.


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We all know that a new Call of Duty game drops every year. 2022 is no different, other than that we already know so much more about this year’s FPS entry than usual. Infinity Ward is back in the drivers seat with a sequel to its Modern Warfare reboot, alongside a brand-new Warzone expansion. The studio seems to be gearing up for an imminent reveal, as its Twitter account has gone completely dark.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Announcement Incoming
If the official Infinity Ward Twitter account is anything to go by, then a Modern Warfare 2 reveal could be just around the corner. Both the profile picture and cover photo have been changed to almost entirely black images. They comprise part of a bigger image that hasn’t been revealed yet — though you can bet it’s promotional material from Modern Warfare 2.
The game was first announced in February 2022, in a short release confirming its existence. That was alongside details of a new Warzone expansion for next-gen consoles and PC only. However, a new Activision financial report shares even more about the game. “This year’s Call of Duty is a sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare, the most successful Call of Duty title to date, and will be the most advanced experience in franchise history,” it says.
Released today, April 25, it also confirms that the new Warzone sequel “features groundbreaking innovations” to gameplay. While we don’t know what that is yet, expect a new map, weapons, and performance tweaks to fit the modern hardware. On top of that, the earnings call reaffirmed the release of a mobile Warzone game. However, details are again rather slim. Given the enormous player base on mobile games, and CoD Mobile, it’s sure to be a success.
As such, all these factors seem to point towards a Modern Warfare 2 reveal very soon. Sledgehammer Games confirmed 2021’s Vanguard in August of that year. However, it seems like this upcoming game will go public much, much earlier.


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Mazda logo and type.
Irvine, California, January 6, 2009.
Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported 2008 sales of 263, 949 down 10.7 percent for the year. December 2008 sales were down 26.8 percent versus December 2007, with 17,965 vehicles sold, but represented the company's best sales month since August 2008.
On a sales-result basis, the company's strongest-performing vehicle was the MAZDA5 multi-activity vehicle. December was the vehicle's best-ever sales month since its launch, with sales of 2,884 units, up 77.4 percent from December 2007. On a 2008 year-to-date basis, the MAZDA5 is up 60.5 percent, selling a total of 22,021 vehicles compared to a total of 13,717 vehicles sold in 2007.
"2008 has been a roller-coaster ride unlike anything we've seen before," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO. "We started out the year with record fuel prices that subsequently returned to more 'normal' levels; the credit crunch made many believe that financing was unavailable, which kept them out of showrooms, but the money's out there now; we've battled depreciation in the housing market and there's no sign of it returning to headier days yet. Through it all, though, consumer confidence has continued to undermine efforts to drive customers to dealerships. Closing the year down a little more than ten percent may be nothing to crow about, but our market share is strong and we're ready for when the economy turns and the marketplace strengthens."
The all-new 2009 MAZDA6, which arrived at dealerships across the country in September 2008, continues its strong start. The new MAZDA6 features a larger body than the outgoing car, as well as more powerful - and more fuel efficient - engine choices.
The selldown of the outgoing MAZDA3 continues well, with the best sales month since August 2008, selling 7,864 vehicles. The all-new 2010 MAZDA3, which was revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show, offers two fuel efficient engines and a host of standard and optional features not available at any price on competitors' vehicles. The 2010 MAZDA3 arrives in dealerships across the country in the first quarter of this year.
Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) celebrated its best-ever December with sales of 2,704 vehicles, up 31 percent versus last year. For 2008, MMdM reported 21,997 total sales, accounting for a 33 percent increase versus 2007. The all-new MAZDA6 had a record month with 612 vehicles sold and the MAZDA3 also had a record month with 1,016 vehicles sold.
Mazda Canada Inc. (MCI) reported December sales of 4,510 units, down slightly compared to December 2007. Overall sales for 2008 were down 1.9 percent compared to overall 2007 sales, but in a shrinking market, MCI expects its market share to soar to record levels of over five percent.
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Mazda North American Operations oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario; in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City; and in Puerto Rico by Mazda de Puerto Rico in San Juan.
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Vauxhall Mokka SUV previewed by Buick
* Vauxhall Mokka SUV for 2012 * Rival for Nissan Juke and Skoda Yeti * Previewed by Buick Encore...
The Vauxhall Mokka SUV - due in late 2012 has been revealed, in the form of a new image of the new Buick Encore.
Vauxhall hasn't officially confirmed the Mokka name, but widespread internet speculation suggests it is the most likely name for the new compact SUV.
The two models are closely related, with minor cosmetic changes and different engines likely to be the major differences. A Chevrolet version, which will be closer in character to the Vauxhall than the Buick, is also due during 2012, while the European will be called Opel Mokka.
Buick has released teaser shots of parts of the Encore at a rate of one per week. Although the final section wont be revealed until the Encore makes its debut at the Detroit motor show next week, it gives a strong idea of how the new model and its Vauxhall counterpart - will look.
Although the Vauxhall version will have different lights, bumpers and grilles, the overall shape as seen in spy shots of the car - is expected to be identical to the Buicks.
Vauxhall sources have told us that the car has been tested on UK roads and that both front- and four-wheel-drive versions will be available.
More information on the Mokka is likely to be released soon, prior to a public unveiling at the Geneva motor show in March. The Mokka is due to go on sale in November and wed expect prices to start at around 14,000.


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Haier America’s new Serenity room air platform has been lauded by the folks at This Old House magazine.
Specifically, the super-silent AC series edged out thousands of recent introductions to make the pub’s fifth annual Top 100 list of best new home products of the year.
The Serenity line, available in 6,050 and 8,000 BTU models, is 9db quieter on average than other window ACs, and is softer on the ears than the next-quietest competitor by at least 3db — a 40 percent difference, Haier said.
The company managed to suppress the units’ sound by reconfiguring internal mechanisms, redistributing air flow, improving their structural design and strategically locating sound insulators.
“Haier is incredibly honored to be named to the This Old House Top 100,” said Haier marketing director James Liess. “The recognition really drives home the fact that we’ve built a brand that consumers can count on to elevate their homes through design innovation.”
- 2019 TWICE Top 100: Watch List - May 23, 2019
- 2019 TWICE Top 100: Consumer-Direct Sales Dominate The Charts - May 22, 2019
- 2019 TWICE Top 100: Best Buy Keeps The CE Crown, But Barely - May 21, 2019


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A paradise for outdoor clothing and accessories, Germany hosts a flock of companies specialized in the expanding sector, which has drawn the attention of major sports equipment makers.
Sales of the sector, which has constantly evolving contours, is estimated at 1.8 billion euros ($2.6 billion) in Germany, about 30 percent of the European market according to an estimation by the distributor Intersport.
Global sector growth has been "substantial" in past years and now boasts sales of around 10 billion euros, added the European Outdoor Group (EOG).
The success of Jack Wolfskin, a German brand that has risen to the top spot in Europe, gives an idea of the boom.
Its sales have gained an average of 25 percent per year for the past seven years and amounted to more than 300 million euros in 2010.
In July, the U.S. investment fund Blackstone bought Wolfskin, which uses a paw print as its logo, for almost 700 million euros, or more than seven times what it was worth in 2005.
Wolfskin caught on early to the potential created by outdoor lifestyles.
"Ten years ago we opened stores in German shopping malls, no one dared to do that at the time. And it worked very well," sales director Markus Boetsch said.
"Up till then the outdoor sector was a niche market of sports equipment but consumers progressively recognized the quality and practicality of these products for everyday use," he added.
In Germany, where consumers give a higher priority to clothing's practical side over style, windbreakers and jackets that breathe are seen more and more often in cities.
They also sometimes serve to signal a certain "passion" and "philosophy" for outdoor activities and environmental issues, "irrespective of whether it's true or not," EOG secretary general Mark Held said.
From its discrete headquarters in Idstein, a cozy town north of Frankfurt, Wolfskin wants to expand in France, Britain, Eastern Europe, and in China which is already its second biggest market after Germany.
Other German outdoor companies are often older family firms, like the hiking boot maker Meindl, clothing company Schoeffel, or backpack manufacturer Deuter, and they mostly sell their products in German-speaking countries.
Wolfskin must nonetheless deal with competition from compatriot Adidas, which also wants a share of the leisure sports market.
Outdoor products already represent "around 20 percent of the entire sport market" and "attracts more and more young people," said Rolf Reinschmidt, head of Adidas' outdoor division.
With sales of outdoor products at 200 million euros last year, it has only a modest global market share but the group aims to reach 500 million euros in sales by 2015.
The group's outdoor unit sales gained 21 percent in 2010 and rose "by almost 40 percent in the first half of 2011 on an annualized basis," Reinschmidt said.
The brand with three stripes is backed by a global distribution network, and plans to introduce a line of hiking shoes and other products in the United States this year.
Another German company, Puma, is aiming for the upscale markets for safari and sailing wear. The French group PPR, which owns Puma, has also bought the U.S. company Volcom, which markets clothing for several types of gliding sports.
|Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved.||https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/13489|


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--Soybean futures soared to their highest point since Sept. 25
--120,000 metric tons of soybeans sold to China, and 135,000 metric tons to unknown buyers
--840,000 metric tons of U.S. soft red winter wheat sold to China
By Andrew Johnson Jr.
CHICAGO--U.S. soybean futures for nearby delivery jumped to a 9 1/2-month high Monday amid concerns about tight domestic supplies.
Chicago Board of Trade soybeans for July delivery finished up 21 1/4 cents, or 1.3%, at $16.09 1/4. The November soybean contract settled up 24 cents, or 2%, to $12.52 1/4.
Soybean futures soared to their highest point since Sept. 25 on continuation charts amid tight supplies and uncertainty about crop weather in the U.S. farm belt.
Traders are still focused on tight near-term supplies, with spot prices climbing in an attempt to ration remaining supplies from last year's harvest.
Soybean supplies have been tight ever since the U.S. harvests last year were reduced by the country's historic drought. Cash markets are strong, as robust demand places pressure on scarce supplies.
The market was also lifted by new headlines of export sales to China and unknown buyers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday private exporters reported selling 120,000 metric tons of soybeans for delivery to China during the 2013-14 marketing year and 135,000 metric tons of soybeans for delivery to unknown destinations during the 2013/2014 marketing year.
Traders were also positioning themselves ahead of Thursday's supply and demand reports from federal forecasters, said Don Roose, president of brokerage U.S. Commodities in West Des Moines, Iowa.
"Chart-based traders sparked additional gains in near-term contracts, as prices were viewed as deeply oversold on technical charts after recent price declines."
"New crop" futures, such as the November contract, represent crops that will be harvested in autumn. They were higher Monday on less favorable crop weather forecasts.
"Weather is the big stick in the business," Mr. Roose said. "With late developing crops, the U.S. will need ideal weather through August and an extended growing season to avoid crop losses from autumn frosts."
Corn futures climbed with soybeans, supported by tight supplies and concerns about crop-growing weather.
CBOT corn for July delivery finished up 7 cents, or 1%, at $6.91 3/4 a bushel. The December contract settled up 9 1/4 cents, or 1.9%, to $5.00 1/2.
U.S. wheat futures settled higher, supported by continued export demand from China.
The USDA announced Monday that private exporters reported selling 840,000 metric tons of soft red winter wheat for delivery to China during the 2013-14 marketing year. The news came after the USDA last week similarly said private exporters had sold 480,000 tons of wheat to China.
July wheat futures ended up 4 cents, or 0.6%, at $6.60 a bushel at the Chicago Board of Trade. Kansas City Board of Trade July wheat climbed 17 1/4 cents, or 2.5%, to $6.93 3/4 a bushel. MGEX July wheat finished up 11 3/4 cents, or 1.5%, at $7.73 a bushel.
Write to Andrew Johnson Jr. at email@example.com.
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Living Room of Satoshi, an Australian company which enabled users to pay BPAY enabled bills using Bitcoin, has shut its doors due to concerns regarding the recent Goods and Services Tax ruling from the Australian Tax Office. The company had only recently won "best pitch" at the Future of Payments conference held in Sydney, Australia on the 19th of September.
Launched in May of this year, the service had a poor showing, processing just over AUD $250,000 in bill payments in 6 months, perhaps making the decision to close the service an easy one. While the final nail in the coffin was no doubt the GST guidance, by using the service provided by Living Room of Satoshi, customers introduced an intermediary to their bill payments and had the service shut abruptly, users of the service could have possibly ended up out of pocket, only to face paying the same bill twice.
Living Room of Satoshi also publishes data on what companies customers had paid, on what day and for what amount, leaving out only customer names. Plans for Satoshi Pay, which would have allowed businesses to include a Bitcoin QR code on invoices, also appear to have been scuttled.
As a result of Living Room of Satoshi closing, they have joined a number of other Australian Bitcoin businesses such as CoinSpot, Coinloft and BTC Markets to throw support behind Leo Treasure's petition to force the Australian government into becoming a Bitcoin friendly country.
Living Room of Satoshi was not the first company in Australia to provide customers with a way to use Bitcoin to pay BPAY enabled bills. BitBillPay.com.au, a service created by “Ryan” Zhou Tong, launched in January of this year although it too has closed.


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Dixons – a store which first began as a photographic studio in 1937 - will next month re-brand all its 190 UK high street stores as ‘Currys.digital’. Yet, despite adding…
The first in a new ‘ultra-compact’ line of digital compacts has been unveiled by Leica in the shape of the six-million-pixel C-Lux 1.
Fuji has unveiled a new general-purpose colour transparency film called Fujichrome Provia 400X Professional.
Today marks the official withdrawal of Konica Minolta from the photographic industry and the closure of the company’s UK office.
An inquest into the death of photographer Bob Carlos Clarke has been opened and adjourned.
A box of old photographs which sold at an auction in Cumbria last week is believed to include a precious collection of 1850 Daguerreotypes believed to be worth £500,000. Picture…
The family of Bob Carlos Clarke are setting up a foundation in memory of the photographer who died on Saturday.
Jessops is to close its only dedicated classic camera store in the UK - a shop in Great Russell Street, London which has been open since 1988. Picture credit: Chris
Tributes have been paid to photographer Bob Carlos Clarke who died after being hit by a train in what is believed to have been a suicide mission.
Irish Times photographer Bryan O’Brien has been crowned photographer of the year at the annual Picture Editors’ Awards – the first time the title has crossed the Irish Sea. Picture…
Pentax is to stop selling its medium-format film-based cameras in Europe as a result of new EU environment regulations. And we can exclusively reveal that – as well as the…
Young photography enthusiasts are being given the chance to learn about Victorian photography pioneer Julia Margaret Cameron thanks to a £7,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
Hasselblad has been forced to axe its groundbreaking dual-format XPan system camera because of a new European environmental regulation set to limit the amount of lead in electrical products.
Fuji is developing new image sensor technology which is reported to deliver 3x higher sensitivity and richer colour depth than conventional image sensors.
MPs just managed to outnumber peers in the line-up of winning pictures in this year’s Jessops Parliamentary Photographic Competition. The chosen images - selected by judges including AP’s Mike Maloney…
The world’s first 10-million-pixel camera phone will be available in the UK later this year priced around £250, the device’s maker Samsung has confirmed.
Renowned London-based photo lab Metro Imaging is to end its round-the-clock film processing service from 1 April, blaming a huge fall in demand.
A revamped version of the Epson R-D1 digital rangefinder camera, the R-D1s, will not be available in the UK, the company has revealed.
The National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (NMPFT) is preparing to change its name as part of plans to expand its remit, AP has learnt.
A ban on the publication of digital images showing action from the World Cup football tournament in Germany has been lifted after a five-month battle between the press and FIFA.


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Nov 16 (Reuters) – Premier Foods (PFD.L), the maker of Mr Kipling and Cadbury cakes, plans to spend most of its earnings from the first half of the year on its supply chain, with the UK battling a shortage of food items from cereal to crisps as it emerges from the pandemic.
The company, which reported a pre-tax profit of 30.7 million pounds for the six months ending Oct. 2, expects full-year capital expenditure of about 25 million pounds as it accelerates investment across the supply chain. In the first half of the year, Premier Foods spent 6.3 million pounds.
The British company saw a working capital outflow of 23.2 million pounds in the first half, compared to an inflow of 4.5 million pounds a year earlier.
“This outflow in the half was largely due to higher stock levels compared to six months ago as the group builds stock for the Christmas season,” Premier Foods said.
Reporting by Muvija M & Chris Peters in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Having bowed out of the European mobile phone market around five years ago, Panasonic has decided it’s time for a comeback. The Japanese company has announced that it will be releasing a new range of Android-powered handsets next year, with the first of its devices shipping in March 2012.
Its press release offered very little information on the upcoming handset, but what we do know at this point is that the device will boast a 4.3-inch OLED display with a 960 x 540 qHD resolution. It will be both waterproof and dust-proof, according to Panasonic, and it will sport an “ultra-slim D-shaped design” that offers “easy portability.”
The device will first arrive in Europe, with launches in the U.S., China, and the rest of Asia following later. And Panasonic has very high hopes for the device. The company says it will use its first handset as “a reference model” for the rest of its lineup, and it hopes to sell 1.5 million in Europe alone by the end of the next fiscal year.
By the end of the fiscal year ending March, 2016, Panasonic is aiming to shift a whopping 15 million units, including nine million in Europe, Asia, China, and the U.S.; and six million in Japan.
Panasonic certainly seems to have produced an attractive handset, but whether the device’s internals maintain its appeal is yet to be seen. I’m looking forward to hearing more about the device over the coming months.
Do you like the look of Panasonic’s new smartphone?


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Unilever brand hopes to break down boundaries and notions of ‘manliness’
Kieron Webb, Global Creative Director for Lynx Hair Styling, styles a model's hair
Lynx was the Official Grooming Sponsor for men’s fashion brand Agi & Sam for the SS17 London Collections: Men show.
The Unilever brand aimed to help the fashion label celebrate what it means to be a modern man today, with the collaboration said to reflect “a synergistic relationship based on self-expression”.
Agi & Sam’s show was scheduled for a morning slot on 11 June. Founders, Agape Mdumulla and Sam Cotton, explained: “Our approach to fashion has always been to have fun with clothes and never take it too seriously. Working with Lynx on this project was so perfect in that sense; it is the exact same message they are showing to society in their new campaigns – don’t feel pigeon-holed into other’s expectations. Be yourself, have fun in life and be proud of your individuality. Find your magic.”
At the start of this year, Lynx/Axe unveiled its new brand direction with a cross-channel campaign and video instalments surrounding the theme of ‘find your magic’. The campaign aims to encourage men to embrace what makes them unique and not feel pressured to conform to stereotypes of what makes a man ‘masculine’.
Kieron Webb, Global Creative Director, Lynx/Axe Styling, said: “I jumped at the chance to be a part of Lynx’s #FindYourMagic campaign because I could completely identify with their ideals surrounding equality and male stereotypes. Everyone knows Lynx, it’s a household name, and they are perfectly placed to spread the word, encouraging men to be whoever they want to be, not just what society tells them to be.”


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In the first seven months of 2021, car consumption in China continued to recover steadily, and new energy vehicle (NEV) vehicle sales reached an all-time high, data from the PRC Ministry of Commerce showed on Friday.
In January-July of this year, sales of NEV cars in China more than tripled year on year to 1.48 million units, exceeding the level of 2020, the department said.
In July this year alone, sales of this type of vehicle jumped 160% year on year to 271,000 units, hitting a monthly all-time high.
In January-July of this year, automakers sold approximately 14.76 million vehicles, which is 19.3% more than last year.
However, in July, sales fell 11.9% year-on-year to more than 1.86 million units, a decline for the past 3 consecutive months, the ministry said.
The department explained the decline in total car sales during this period by high base rates in the same period last year, as well as a shortage of car chips.
The data also showed that the used car market in China was booming in the first seven months of this year.
During the above period, more than 9.89 million used cars were sold, which is 46% more than last year.


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‘Yorkshire on Tap’ campaign to cut plastic bottle useEnergy & environment
Visitors to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s popular visitor centres can now enjoy free refills of Yorkshire Water after the Trust became the latest organisation to sign up to the ‘Yorkshire on Tap’ campaign, which aims to protect the environment from plastic pollution by reducing the use of plastic bottles.
Yorkshire Water launched the ‘Yorkshire on Tap’ campaign in partnership with Refill Yorkshire in May 2018 to encourage local businesses to sign up to become free water refill stations in a bid to move consumers away from single use plastics.
Participating shops and businesses will have stickers in their windows showing people they are offering Yorkshire Water on tap. All the public have to do is go into the shop and ask to get the country’s best water for free.
More than 75,000 people a year visit Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s visitor centres, which are:
The Living Seas Centre, South Landing, Flamborough.
Potteric Carr nature reserve, Doncaster.
Spurn Discovery Centre, Spurn Point, Kilnsea.
Sam Twyman from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is proud to back the ‘Yorkshire on Tap’ campaign. We work to provide pathways to enable local residents to help their local environment, so we are delighted to be invited on board this campaign by Yorkshire Water. We can be part of the movement towards sustainability, supporting wildlife and natural spaces for everyone to enjoy for years to come.”
Director of Communications at Yorkshire Water, Richard Emmott, said: “We have all seen the devastating effects plastic bottles can have on the environment. Yorkshire on Tap is our commitment to change that.
“Reducing the number of plastic bottles by one million is certainly a challenge, but we have had great support from the public and local businesses.
“We are thrilled that the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust will join us and hopefully we can make a real difference.”
The free Refill App is available to download on all App stores allowing businesses to add themselves to help the public to find their nearest water station.


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Finnish telecoms heavyweight Nokia has launched its Open Innovation Challenge for the fifth year running, with a focus on IoT.
Nokia is calling on start-ups and innovators to participate in the challenge and demonstrate the next major technological developments in IoT, smart cities, mobility, safety, security, and connected industries.
The challenge’s mission, according to its strapline, is “to enable a smart, safe and sustainable world”. Through the Open Innovation Challenge, the company is keen to demonstrate that it is at the forefront of innovation and on a drive to attract potential partners and employees with creative and smart ideas. The challenge has been organized in partnership with Nokia’s private venture arm, Nokia Growth Partners.
The Open Innovation Challenge
Specifically, Nokia is challenging participants to show how their ideas could improve people’s lives, by demonstrating a working prototype of their idea. The company wants to see a focus on ideas that:
- Improve cities by solving urban challenges;
- Improve safety with technology;
- Improve how we interact and experience the world around us with virtual reality and machine interactions;
- Enable the next industrial revolution with LTE, robotics and sensors;
- Improve health with digital technologies.
Last year, 12 finalists were selected from over 400 applicants from across the world. The overall winner was security start-up Cujo for its firewall for the connected home, designed to bring business-level security to the home network.
In second place came iSono Health, a company that empowers women to take charge of their health via a wearable for breast-health monitoring. Third place went to Mobagel for its Decanter Big Data AI engine, which allows tech companies to monitor smart home and office appliances.
Read more: How we can speed up IoT innovation?
Co-innovating key to success
“The industrial revolution is well on its way. Ultimately our aim at Nokia is to create technology that connects the world, a challenge which we embrace with nothing less than our relentless passion for innovation,” said Kathrin Buvac, chief strategy officer of Nokia. “But we know, that we cannot succeed alone. Co-innovating in an open ecosystem with start-ups and large tech companies in a healthy balance is so essential.”
“The Nokia Open Innovation Challenge is a fantastic opportunity for innovators and entrepreneurs to join us as we embrace the challenge of creating technology to serve the growing needs for the Internet of Things.”
Nokia says that submissions will be accepted between June 8 and September 20, after which they will be assessed. The top teams will be invited to a two-day concept development workshop with Nokia experts in Helsinki in November. The final judging and the award ceremony will be held after the workshop.


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Red Roof Inn ranked tops among economy hotels in TripAdvisor survey
Red Roof Inns Inc. beat out its economy lodging competitors in a recent survey of customer satisfaction by TripAdvisor.com.
Using its online reviews, TripAdvisor calculated its annual ReviewMetrix Consumer Satisfaction Index, finding guests of the Columbus-based economy chain ranked its rooms, service, cleanliness and overall value higher than that of its peers.
The index rates each review from 0 to 100 based on specific questions within each TripAdvisor survey. Red Roof had an overall score of 81.4, edging out Comfort Inn at 81.2 and Microtel Inn & Suites at 80.8. Motel 6 scored the lowest with 66.7.
ReviewMetrix is a joint service between Newton, Mass.-based TripAdvisor Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) and Larkspur, Calif.-based customer satisfaction research firm Market Metrix.
Evan Weese covers funding and capital for Columbus Business First.
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Video game retailer GameStop is deploying Shelfbucks beacons in test markets including Austin and College Station, Texas this month to deliver offers and relevant data to a shopper’s smartphone running a mobile app developed by BestFit Mobile. “We can deliver personalisation at a much higher level, ensuring customers always have access to relevant product offers, including product ratings and reviews, when and where it matters to them most,” says GameStop’s Charlie Larkin.
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Empired Group (and by extension Intergen in New Zealand as a subsidiary) won a couple of awards at the Episerver Ascend Partner Awards held in Las Vegas.
The Australian and New Zealand IT services provider took home the 2017 Episerver Dynamics Ecosystem Partner of the Year in Asia Pacific (APAC) and the 2017 Episerver Digital Experience Cloud Partner of the Year in APAC.
Episerver executive vice president of strategy and CMO James Norwood says they are proud to congratulate Empired for its double win.
“The two awards highlights Empired's broad range of capabilities and are testament to Empired's commitment to our mutual customers, delivering experiences that are both valuable to businesses and their users,” says Norwood.
“With two 2017 awards, Empired is a valuable partner to Episerver, continuing to lead through technology. We look forward to continuing this strong partnership and sharing the incredible customer journeys this relationship creates for consumers who crave better online interactions with brands and reward the companies that provide them.
The Dynamics Ecosystem award was conceived to celebrate partners and their successes in driving joint opportunities and their strategic contributions to the delivery of Episerver solutions in conjunction with Microsoft Dynamics 365 to solve customer business scenarios.
Meanwhile, the Digital Experience Cloud award recognises partners that are encouraging joint opportunities and bringing strategic contributions to the delivery of Episerver Digital Experience Cloud.
To identify the partner recipients of its annual awards, Episerver goes through its network of qualified regional partners, before considering the business value generated for customers by each and their successes in implementing best practices for guiding digital strategy.
According to Episerver, Empired (and Intergen as a subsidiary) stood out for the aforementioned reasons in addition to its commitment to cloud business applications and its proven ability to help clients transform their businesses.
Empired general manager of enterprise solutions Darren Christophersen says they are delighted to have received this recognition.
“At Empired we are at our best when we work in close partnership with our customers as they move along their digital transformation journey. Episerver is a key platform for us in making this transformation a reality,” says Christophersen.
“Episerver allows us to provide engaging, personalised, experiences for customers, citizens, employees and business partners and also help organisations to fully realise the often latent information and capability within enterprise systems like Microsoft Dynamics and the potential of emerging technologies such as AI.
Christophersen says the company laid some big bets a few years ago and set the goal to become Australia and New Zealand's leading expert in Microsoft Azure solutions as the company knew that it would be critical in securely providing customers with the agility and productivity they would soon demand.


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Mobile messaging and games company Line Corp is reported to be planning an IPO said to be worth as much as $8 billion.
Line has an audience of more than 270 million people worldwide tuned into its mobile messaging app – up from 120 million this March – and the company has decided to make gaming part of its monetization strategy.
That decision has proved fruitful; over half of the company’s $100 million in revenue last quarter came from in-game purchases.
According to a report from The Nikkei as translated by Dr. Serkan Toto, the Japanese firm will hit the Tokyo Stock exchange next summer with an estimated market capitalization of $8.2 billion.
That figure dwarfs the upcoming Twitter IPO, which is expected to raise about $1.6 billion.
Line Corp hasn’t confirmed the rumors, but said in a statement it’s just one of “various possibilities” for the company but that nothing has been officially decided.


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Gold prices reverse losses, spurred by yuan's devaluation
Gold prices turned higher Tuesday, reversing a drop that came after the surprise decision by China to devalue its currency. Gold prices earlier had slipped below the threshold of $1,100 an ounce after The People's Bank of China overnight allowed the yuan to devalue by 1.9%, in an effort to boost flagging exports, spur growth in the world's second-largest economy and allow the currency to be driven more by market forces. Prices of the yellow metal had climbed briefly the previous day, helped by a weaker dollar.
China accounts for nearly one-third of global gold demand. As the country is one of the world's biggest importers of the metal, a weaker yuan will make gold more expensive for domestic buyers. "If anything, it may worsen the gold demand," Barnabas Gan, economist with OCBC Bank in Singapore, said of the Chinese decision. A tumble in the price of gold to a five-year low in late July had sparked more retail buying, which had been lackluster for months amid a corruption crackdown by Beijing. Gold's late-July slump was triggered by selling in Asia, following a disclosure by China's central bank that its gold reserves were far below market expectations. That data showed China having the fifth-largest official gold reserves. Among other precious metals, the price of silver SIU5, -0.41% turned higher by 2 cents, or 0.2%, to $15.31 per ounce, while platinum PLU5, +0.75% rose $5.60, or 0.6%, to $995.40 an ounce.


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Back in June, Michele Boyarsky of The Engine Block reported that there is a growing shortage of auto technicians that is “alarming and worth your attention.” According to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), 76,000 new technicians are needed yearly to fill job openings, but there is an average annual shortage of 39,000 technicians. Boyarsky noted that the reasons for the shortage vary but include an “outdated flat-rate pay system and high personal investment for tools and certifications” as well as “unrealistic warranty repair times and a serious disconnect between management and technicians.”
A shortage of auto technicians is increasingly worrisome because vehicles are rapidly becoming more expensive and technical, now requiring special knowledge as well as unique tools that technicians need to be trained on in order to use them.
Previous generations could fix different makes and models because they had standard parts, but with each manufacturer coming up with its own computerized technologies that are installed into their vehicles, servicing them has begun to require more training. Of course, the widespread electrification of vehicles is creating an entirely new kind of technology that technicians must be trained on as well.
An article from Auto Remarketing from July of 2019 noted that Manheim has been promoting its Manheim Apprentice Program, which is a 12-week program that prepares individuals for entry-level auto technician employment. According to the company, “new technologies mean today’s technology-driven technicians work with their minds as much as their hands.”
Jackie Charniga of Automotive News reported that through its program, Manheim “plans to hire 500 new technicians by 2022, resulting in 1,300 companywide.” When asked about the apprenticeship program, Manheim President Grace Huang stated, “It’s very much a huge strategic pillar for us for the future.”
In addition to investing in this program, Manheim has plans to spend $40 million throughout the next two years to revamp existing service centers as well as build new ones.
Manheim is not alone in its quest to train new auto technicians. An Automotive News article from August 10, 2019 reported that BMW has big plans to open two technician training centers and expand two existing ones. The goal of these is reportedly to “train service techs to work on electrified drivetrains and a constantly evolving suite of technologies emerging in modern vehicles.” Jessica Saunders of Atlanta Business Chronicle reported that BMW’s project is expected to cost $56 million and increase training capacity by 50%.
Like Manheim, BMW also prides itself on its Service Technician Education Program, which was created in 1997 and is a 16-week program geared towards recruiting new technicians. Around 400 trainees graduate from the program annually and the company would like to see that number double in the coming years.
Over 5,000 individuals have completed the program since its creation and around 95% of them subsequently gained employment with BMW.
Of course, the shortage of auto technicians can be a huge problem for service centers and dealerships, but consumers are also affected. Despite the urgent need for more technicians, there is hope through programs like Manheim’s and BMW’s; however, finding ways to fund and promote these programs is crucial, as they have the potential to encourage individuals to choose the auto technician career path.


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China Construction Bank, one of the largest Chinese commercial banks, has expanded its trade finance blockchain platform with new abilities, including cross-chain and inter-bank transactions, as trading volume surpasses $53 billion. The platform provides factoring and financing services that allow exporters to receive cash payments in exchange for selling their medium and long-term receivables at low prices.
$53.5 billion transactions and counting
Launched in April 2018, the platform has to-date processed over $53.5 billion transactions between exporters, banks and non-bank financial institutions, he said.
The platform digitises commodities trade and financial services
between over 50 CCB branches and 40 banking institutions, including both
state-owned and foreign banks, commercial banks and non-bank platforms. The
CCB’s project has been in the works for some time. In 2017, the bank claimed to
be the first to use blockchain for domestic letters of credit, forfeiting, and
international factoring. It had managed $106 million and 20 participants.
There are new features in factoring, cross-chain connectivity, and improvements in efficiency. The CCB’s platform is just one of many blockchain trade finance initiatives in China. The central bank run ‘Bay Area Trade Finance Blockchain Platform’ reached USD 4.5 billion earlier in 2019.
The launch is the bank’s latest effort to increase the efficiency of its banking system for export trade financing with blockchain technology. It completed the debut blockchain-based trading via a factoring transaction in January 2018, according to a statement from the company.
“The move is in line with China’s economic plan to promote trade amid the One Belt One Road Initiative and help grow the real economy in the country,” the bank said in the statement.
Leading the front with Blockchain
China, is not only poised to regain their economic superpower
status, but has also been blazing ahead with many blockchain adoption. All four
largest commercial banks in China have launched blockchain-based financial
services initiatives in the past two years.
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the world’s largest bank in terms of total assets, used its blockchain-enabled financing platform to assist small and medium-sized firms with processing factoring transactions. Approximately 1,300 users have conducted transactions worth $6.4 billion on ICBC’s platform during the first nine months since its launch in February 2018.
Bank of China conducted its first blockchain-based cross-border transfer to South Korea in US dollars last August, while Agricultural Bank of China helped farmers with online trading by using its e-commerce blockchain financing system in August, 2017.


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“The unfavorable development of energy prices together with the growth of other costs is the most fundamental factor that already now, i.e. at the time of sowing winter species, decides whether growers will continue growing vegetables. Without irrigation, post-harvest processing and subsequent cooling, vegetables cannot be grown or delivered to the retail network in our conditions. In the case of production in covered areas, this applies to the entire growing process,” said Hanka.
According to Hanka, expensive energy has already forced some vegetable growers to decide to limit their activities in the coming months. “Growers in covered areas will cancel production during the winter months this year. However, the question is what price development awaits us until the possible start of the new greenhouse season in the pre-spring months. Whether it will even be realistic to continue these energy-intensive operations,” pointed out Hanka.
According to Hanka, domestic vegetable growers therefore need quick help within weeks. “Now they will decide whether to establish areas with vegetables. If they decide not to establish them, they will not be able to correct their decision in the spring. This year, the areas with vegetables fell by 5.2 percent year-on-year, and next year the drop could be much more significant,” warned Hanka.
Madeta’s profit fell by a fifth last year, sales rose slightly
According to Hanka, growing vegetables is one of the energy-intensive sectors. “Irrigation operations are demanding, where the share of energy costs is the largest cost item, while more than 80 percent of vegetable areas are irrigated. The subsequent processing and cooling of all production, including long-term storage, is also energy-intensive,” he explained.
“For individual growers, the share (of energy in costs) varies according to their specific focus and use of irrigation. In the case of production from covered areas, when the greenhouses need to be controlled, heated and lit, this share is even more significant,” Hanka pointed out.
More than 400 vegetable growers are registered in the Czech Republic. In recent years, domestic vegetable growing areas intended for the trade network and the processing industry have been between 11,000 and 12,000 hectares.


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News - Audi
Audi leads charge in 2014 sales
Global luxury car sales race heats up with Audi in the lead for January and February
12 Mar 2014
AUDI’S aggressive plan to be the world’s top-selling premium brand by 2020 has been given a shot in the arm, with the Ingolstadt marque reportedly overtaking regular leader BMW in the global sales race for the first two months of 2014.
Bloomberg has reported that Volkswagen’s premium arm sold 242,400 vehicles globally in January and February this year, a mere 383 more than arch rival BMW but enough to pocket the bragging rights.
It marks a turnaround on the results of the first two months of last year when BMW outsold the four-ringed brand by 429 units. And with a whopping 17 new or updated models set to launch this year, Audi stands every chance of retaining its position.
Mercedes-Benz still trails its two German competitors in 2014 with 214,445 sales in the same period, despite a 16.6 per cent jump over last year’s January/February results. This is contrary to Australia, where Benz reigns supreme.
Audi has never been the top-selling premium brand in overall annual sales, with BMW taking the crown for the past nine years.
Audi’s global sales increase has been attributed to a 43 per cent boost for its A3 small-car range in February and a 32 per cent lift for its Q7 family-size SUV, even though the latter is due to be replaced by an all-new model inside 12 months.
Speaking at the company’s annual press conference and company-wide update yesterday, chief executive officer Rupert Stadler explained that the company had laid many of the requisite foundations for its strong start to this year in 2013.
“The past twelve months have seen us embark on a huge globalisation drive in opening new plants in Hungary and China, as well as preparing for local production operations in Mexico and Brazil,” he said.
“The new A3 family is proving very popular with our customers, as are our SUV models in the Q car line.” Mr Stadler confirmed at yesterday’s press conference that Audi will launch 17 new or refreshed models in 2014, including its third-generation TT, an all-new Q7 luxury SUV and more S and RS versions of various models including the A1 and A3.
Audi has confirmed that between now and 2018, it will invest about €22 billion ($A34b) in technology and innovations as well as expanding its global manufacturing structures.
In 2013, 1,655,138 million BMW-branded vehicles were sold which was enough to retain its number one position, while Audi shifted 1,575,500 units for an 8.3 per cent increase over its 2012 result and Mercedes-Benz sold 1,460,000 passenger cars for the full 12 months of the year.
Each of the big three luxury brands launched important new models that impacted sales, with Mercedes’ 11 per cent increase in deliveries a result of more interest in the smaller end of its range, including a combined 64 per cent boost for the A-Class and B-Class hatches and incremental growth from its new CLA four-door coupe.
BMW said in a statement earlier this year that its 7.5 per cent lift in sales was thanks to increasing global demand for the still relatively new 3 Series range, which included sedan, wagon and GT body-styles, as well as the X1 compact crossover.
A number of crucial new BMW models arrived last year including the new-generation X5 SUV, the 4 Series Coupe and a facelifted 5 Series.
BMW’s launch calendar is looking pretty hectic this year with the facelifted X3 and X6, the new X4 crossover, M3 and M4 performance twins, 4 Series Convertible and Gran Coupe, 2 Series Coupe and Convertible and the company’s first front-wheel drive model – the 2 Series Active Tourer – all arriving by the end of the year.
The company will also launch its i8 hybrid sportscar, following on from the i3 electric city runabout that went on sale in Europe late last year and is scheduled for wider global roll-out over the coming months.
Mercedes will pick up the pace in 2014 as well, with the all-new C-Class, GLA crossover, facelifted B-Class and S-Class Coupe all expected.
Each of the three auto-makers have vowed to be the top-selling global luxury brands by the end of this decade, with Mercedes planning on releasing 13 completely new models with no predecessor by 2020 in a bid to regain the top spot it lost to BMW in 2005.
The Road to Recovery podcast series
10th of March 2014
Expanded TT range on Audi radar
Audi chief hints at TT Shooting Brake and other body styles, asks “why not more?”
4th of March 2014
Geneva show: Audi’s new TT emerges
Audi looks back to the original, and well into the future, for its new-generation TT
31st of December 2013
Mercedes aims to hit the sales boost in 2014
New C-Class and a full year of other top models put Benz on track for record year
14th of October 2013
German luxury car importers on record pace
Mercedes to become first luxury importer to hit 20,000 sales – and take BMW’s crown
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Motor industry news


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today announced that its video and voice communications software is now available on Linux-based "netbook" (mini-notebook) PCs. Dell Video Chat powered by SightSpeed will come pre-installed on the Linux build of Dell's newly-launched Inspiron Mini 9 device. Dell Video Chat, Windows version, is also pre-installed on the Windows XP version of the Mini 9. SightSpeed works on Macs, Windows, and now Linux and it is currently the the only multi-party video software to walk on all three major operating systems.
Dell pre-installs Ubuntu, a popular Linux distribution on the Mini 9, as well as Windows. With SightSpeed pre-installed as well on these popular Dell netbooks, Sightspeed will certainly increase the number of subscribers. In fact, Sightspeed has their software launch icon in a prime location, which will not doubt entice users to check it out. Another key advantage of Sightspeed is that it can do 4-way video and even 9-way video
, while most competitors (i.e. Skype) are limited to just 2-way video.
SightSpeed informed me that a standalone installer for other Linux distributions is in the works, but for now if you want the Linux-version of SightSpeed, you'll need to buy a Dell Mini 9 with Ubuntu.
"We know the specifications of the camera, speakers and microphones that are going into these new netbooks, and so we've optimized the factory version to take full advantage of them," says SightSpeed CEO Peter Csathy. "As a result, SightSpeed's best-in-class video and voice services have never been easier to use - the user is up, running and can make video and voice calls in less than 30 seconds."


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If you have any food allergies, you better keep on reading.
Almost one third of food outlets and businesses do not provide customers with allergen information, a new report has found.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland conducted a report which focused on 50 firms across the country.
The results? Somewhat worrying. Of those firms who do actually include allergen information, only 24% is accurate. Almost 90% of the firms investigated have been told to correct the situation - and rightly so.
Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive of the FSAI, on the results of the report said,
"Allergic reactions to food make people ill and in particular situations can be fatal. Whether consumers are eating out, getting takeaways or having food delivered to their home or workplace, food businesses have a legal obligation to provide accurate food allergen information in writing."
So if you're heading out to eat on this sunny day, make sure you ask for all the information available to keep yourselves healthy and full!


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A 38-year-old Filipina was sentenced to seven months jail by a court in Singapore on Monday after pleading guilty to stealing S$17,000 (US$12,737) worth of jewelry from her employer.
Defendant Balisi Shirley Martirez had been working for Tan Siew Kim, a female lawyer, as a domestic worker for four years, The Straits Times reported.
The maid allegedly cashed the stolen jewelry items over a period of 10 months to cover the medical bills of her father in the Philippines, but his condition was not disclosed.
She began to steal items from July last year but her thieving was only discovered on May 3 this year when the lawyer was browsing through her jewelry collection and shocked to find that most of the pieces had gone. They had an estimated value of S$17,000 (US$12,737).
In December 2017, Martirez stole a S$3,000 (US$2,248) diamond pendant with a white chain from Tan’s master bedroom.
In March this year, the maid took three gold bracelets worth S$6,000 (US$4,495), and on April 25 she took a chain with a green stone pendant valued at S$1,500 (US$1,124), plus a pair of diamond earrings worth S$2,500 (US$1,873).
A separate theft involving a S$300 (US$225) Seiko watch was also listed.
The maid pawned all the items for cash at Maxi-Cash shops, and fortunately, the owner Tan was able to recover all the missing items.


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Starkisha Benson of Berkeley, along with Jessika Green of Oakley and Khyber Law of Antioch, were charged in a 22-count indictment on Aug. 20, the U.S. Attorney's office said.
"As part of the scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly procured the names and identities of individuals through illegal means or by agreement with participants in the scheme," said the news release citing U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag and Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge José M. Martinez. "The filed returns claimed falsely wages and withholdings."
The criminal complaint filed by an IRS investigator against Benson says she arranged to have the refunded money deposited to Green Dot debit cards and conspired with a Brentwood resident to have multiple debit card sent to the Brentwood resident's address.
The complaint said the Brentwood resident admitted helping Benson obtain identifying information, including Social Security numbers and dates of birth, of several individuals, and that Benson promised $1,000 to each of the individuals if they weren't already claimed on anyone else's taxes.
One of the debit cards was used between Aug. 22-29, 2011 to withdraw $1,800 in cash from an ATM machine and to make $3,112.66 in purchases at Raley's, Winco Foods and other businesses, according to the complaint.
The counts filed against the three included fraud, conspiracy to file false claims, filing false claims, effecting fraudulent transactions with an access device, theft of public money and aggravated identity theft. The penalties for each ranged up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, the announcement said.
For other police-related news on Berkeley Patch, see our "Police and Fire" section.


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An accusation occasionally hurled at Nintendo is that it's slow or behind the times in social media, and failing to do enough on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. It would have been a valid point in past years, certainly, but it looks increasingly wrong with each passing year; 2014 brought some major improvements from the big N. Nintendo is still behind in some areas, absolutely, but various efforts in the last 12 months not only showed the company embracing the power of social media and video, but in some respects leading the way.
Looking back briefly on the years preceding 2014, Nintendo did already show an increasing willingness to relate to and communicate with online audiences. Nintendo Direct is testament to this, as the company took advantage of the fact that it develops or publishes the majority of its system's biggest games (itself arguably a disadvantage) to manage how it builds hype. Bypassing the typical route to a game announcements, bringing reveals and details 'directly' to fans has proven to be a sure-fire way to generate huge online buzz and attention. Sony and Microsoft have surprisingly not adopted the same approach, yet they're in trickier situations due to so many of the hottest games on their platforms being third-party, so companies like Activision, EA and Ubisoft have their own marketing strategies.
Despite the growth and success of Nintendo Direct, the company was slow in other areas, however. As recently as mid-2013 it received all the wrong kinds of press for imposing ad-revenue requirements on YouTube content. Was Nintendo legally entitled to do this? Absolutely. Was it a smart move? No. It backfired and Nintendo stepped back, also notably not being able to confirm fast enough that it wasn't involved in similar claim issues later that same year. While Nintendo was entitled to claim these revenues, it was short-sighted and old-fashioned. It was sacrificing the good will of power-brokers on YouTube for ad revenue, but in the process driving them away - if you have millions of subscribers, why cover Nintendo content and lose revenue when you can cover other games and pocket the ad money? It was a bad call that took time to retrieve.
To close out 2014 we listed five New Year's Resolutions for Nintendo, with the first point being "Build the Brand on Social Platforms". Twitter and Facebook were mentioned in passing, but we were really focusing on video with YouTube and - to a degree - Twitch. It may seem odd for someone writing an editorial on a website to emphasize this point, but YouTube in particular is hugely powerful in modern media and marketing. There are PC indie devs, in particular, that see sales spikes at crazy levels if a prominent YouTuber posts a video praising their game - or even criticising it. It's become such a powerful force that accusations often thrown at the traditional media of being 'bought' are becoming a topic on YouTube, especially if sponsored and paid-for content isn't clearly marked as such.
We certainly don't want Nintendo to get caught in grubby practices of questionable video promotion, which caught Microsoft out late last year, but it certainly needs to get back into the picture with the YouTube generation. There are plenty that likely spend more time watching YouTube videos than watching TV, making millionaires out of the platform's celebrities. For Nintendo, it's been scrabbling around and far too absent from some of the biggest channels out there - Minecraft is dominant, for one, but so much of YouTube's gaming content is focused on PC gaming, multi-platform blockbusters and more; Wii U in particular misses most of these areas, and it's out of the loop.
The Nintendo brand is still powerful, despite this, but the company's clearly realised that it needs to ensure it doesn't become a name of gaming's past at the expense of the present. In 2014 Nintendo had a fantastic E3, as it showed more awareness than its rivals - we'd argue - of what social media and online video demands. The Digital Event was mostly snappy and entertaining, the Super Smash Bros. Invitational tapped into eSports trends, and the rolling Nintendo Treehouse stream on Twitch and YouTube perhaps helped fans actually gain and learn more from watching online than those at the actual show. Throughout the rest of the year Nintendo ran more live stream events of tournaments, and even prompted an online meltdown at the start of one broadcast when it announced the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS demo. We should also mention the YouTube uploading options in Mario Kart 8, while Luigi's death stare provided priceless coverage that money can't necessarily buy.
Much of this Nintendo activity, excellent as it is, does have the side-effect of preaching to the converted. That's important, as its loyal fans of the company that have done much to sustain it in this tough generation, but winning over neutrals - those that embraced Wii and DS or are newer yet to Nintendo - is a priority. While we don't really know full details of what's happening with the so called "affiliate programme" for YouTube, recent weeks have brought us high profile videos in which Shigeru Miyamoto and Bill Trinen visited three prominent YouTube channels, each with different target demographics.
Below are the subscription numbers, publication dates and views so far (at the time of writing) from these appearances.
- Smosh Games (5.5 million subscribers) - posted 5th January (this year) and already has over 266,000 views
- iJustine (2.1 million subscribers) - posted 17th December and has over 223,000 views
- Rosanna Pansino (nearly 3.1 million subscribers) - posted 16th December with over 900,000 views
These are important beginnings, and the Smosh Games video was preceded with confirmation of a new weekly show dedicated to Super Smash Bros. It's possible that a number of you watching these videos were, like this writer, more interested in snippets of information that Shigeru Miyamoto let slip, but the priorities and focus of these channel's core audiences will have been different. Each channel has it own distinctive viewership, and it's these unconverted consumers that Nintendo is clearly targeting; it's doing so with its best known and most respected development figurehead.
When you combine these sorts of appearances with Nintendo's own efforts, and prominent roles at events such as December's Video Game Awards, there's an increasing sense that it's embracing the sizeable online audience that'd perhaps sooner watch videos of FIFA than Mario. While not a guarantee to win over those that'd prefer to play Call of Duty in 1080p, reaching out to diverse audiences and gamers of all types is vital for brand recognition; not only is it important for this 3DS and Wii U generation, but also for future hardware. The battlegrounds are continually shifting in marketing, and video services such as YouTube and Twitch cannot be ignored. Millions enjoy videos every day, and Nintendo needs to be involved.
Much credit should go to Nintendo for its efforts in 2014; it went its own way and came out well at E3, and it gave fans more chances than ever to watch official live streams and footage online. This mini-tour by Bill Trinen and Shigeru Miyamoto at the end of 2014 was also vital, as Nintendo gets some focus on hugely popular channels. The momentum will hopefully be kept up in 2015; the more popular vloggers and channels cover and enjoy Nintendo games the better, while more content to satisfy the most dedicated fans - such as those reading this page - will also be hugely welcome.
There's always room for improvement, but Nintendo is showing that it's ready to spread its message far and wide - more gamers seeing what it has to offer will bring improved chances of Nintendo returning to rule the roost in years to come.
Let us know what you think of Nintendo's efforts in online video in 2014, and what you hope it'll do throughout 2015.


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After setting up a wholly owned subsidiary in India, Kawasaki has chalked bigger plans and they come as a huge respite for the performance aficionados of the country. After creating a huge stir in the market with the launch of probably the only affordable sportsbike in the country Ninja 250R, Kawasaki has plans to launch the mean machine Ninja 650R.
IKM (India Kawasaki Motors) was set up to make it convenient to continue Indian operations and import and sell higher capacity bikes. The 650R is a bigger brother of 250R and boasts off an engine capacity of 649cc which is capable of producing 70 horses. The power output might not be comparable to other 600ccs around but the bike would hold the distinction of first proper sportsbike in India. 70 BHPs are enough to burn any kind of terrain in India with still power left. Crossing 200 kmph in India might not be a very distant dream now. And hold on, we have not even talked about the price! The bike as we expect, would be priced at 5 lakh INR. The bike would be imported from Thailand, where India enjoys trade benefits, as Completely Knocked Down (CKD) units similar to the Ninja 250R.
Kawasaki has been testing many bikes for Indian conditions and with the success of 250R, 650R has become a natural choice. The bike has many outstanding features like a 38mm Keihin fuel injector, 6 speed gearbox, 160 section rear tire, 41mm hydraulic telescopic forks, mono- shock absorber, 300mm dual petal discs upfront etc.
The company has sold over 500 units of 250R all over the country since its launch in October 2009 with a steep price tag of 3 lakh on road. For the same reason we feel 650R would garner a very good response. Kawasaki sells its bikes through the widespread Probiking service network of Indias second largest manufacturer, Bajaj Auto. Along with this bike many other premium bikes are expected from Kawasaki’s international portfolio for the power hungry souls. Though no official word has been made from either Kawasaki or Bajaj but we expect this bike be out by this year end. So what are you waiting for? Start saving!
– Saad Khan


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The Guinness Master Brewer, Peter Simpson is in town ahead of the launch of the new Guinness variant ‘Guinness Smooth’ a beer that has hit the Ugandan market like a wave ever since it was first introduced earlier this week.
Simpson who has been very fundamental in the making of this particular variant will officially launch the product in a luxurious function that is slated to take place tomorrow Saturday January 25, at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
Based at St James Gate Brewery, the home of Guinness in Dublin, Simpson who joined the brewery 12 years ago prides himself in having been part of the brewing process of not only Guinness Smooth but many other Guinness variants around the world.
“I have been working closely with the local brewing team here in Uganda to develop the liquid and make sure that we have a truly unique product that is perfect for everyone to enjoy when out to catch up with friends, this is a new expression of Guinness, crafted with Ugandan consumers in mind, you need to try it” said Simpson.
Simpson is also part of a Guinness initiative that encourages innovation by its talented team of expert brewers tasked with creating new products like the Guinness Smooth & Hop House 13 and exploring new recipes while drawing inspiration from the two and a half centuries of expertise contained in the Guinness archives.


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Black Friday has been happening in this country for at least seven years, if I remember correctly, gaining more and more momentum with each passing November. While many retailers and companies are already gearing up for one of the year's biggest sales, TalkTalk has jumped the gun by over a month.
The internet provider has slashed prices for its broadband and fibre plans, with the latter costing you an insane £25 a month (including line rental). That plan, which offers speeds up to 38MBps, normally costs £33.50 a month, plus a set-up fee of £60. But now you get a discount, a free router, free set-up, and because this is an 18 month contract it locks in this price for the next year and a half.
If you're happy with regular broadband, you can get a 17MBps plan for £19.95 a month (down from £27). That's also an 18 month contract, with the same free router and free set-up.


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The co-founder of Apple, Steve Woznack announced that he plans to get involved in blockchain and what it offers in a move that is highly touted to change the way the market will see this technology. He made the statement at the ChainXchange blockchain AI innovation conference, and the news was picked up and reported by NullTX news a few hours ago.
The conference was held in Las Vegas from August 13 to August 15; the co-founder revealed in a highly publicized interview that he plans to be part of a blockchain start-up, applauding the role of the technology in shaping transactions around the world.
He attributed the need for involvement due to the versatility of the technology as well as the realistic value of the currency. He equated the technology to a share of stock in a company. In this case, the company has a good track record with good returns, likening the investment to owning apartments in Dubai.
He also said the technology has a lot of value because it goes beyond speculation. He also said he expects the technology to get more application in future, though it is yet to be fully exploited.
He went ahead to say:
“It’s so independent! It’s kind of like the internet when it was brand new… I was amazed at the technology behind it. <…> I’ve encountered people working in real estate avenues, types of Uber systems, everything we’ve got in our life, especially involving transactions<…> Every single one you hear about, to me, has value… A few people can see the value, which reminds me very much of early internet days.”
The CEO didn’t go into details about the project, nor his nature of involvement. However, this support means a lot and it promises that with Wozniak on the bandwagon, the initiative is set to enjoy a higher level of credibility.
Will He Invest In Ethereum?
He finished off the session by comparing the versatile Ethereum blockchain as a kind of Apple’s App Store. The two platforms allow millions of companies to come up with applications and showcase them to millions of users. The only difference is Ethereum is decentralized, while Apple is more centralized.
He goes on to state:
“Ethereum provides the tools for a Blockchain application of your own… I see more people using Ethereum that way.”
So, it remains to see what blockchain he chooses to invest in because that wasn’t so clear from the talk.