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The Australian precision fermentation company Eden Brew raised $24.4m in a series A round, led by Main Sequence Ventures. This money will be used to introduce animal-free milk in the alternative protein market.
Eden Brew, a dairy product made by Australian farmers, was created in 2021 as a result of a partnership formed between Norco and CSIRO, the Australian science agency, and Main Sequence Ventures, its deep-tech venture fund.
“Eden Brew is focused on creating an animal free dairy category”
The company The CSIRO has developed a science-based fermentation process that is based on precision. The company claims its platform produces casein proteins that deliver the same nutrition, functionalites, sensory qualities and bioavailability as cow’s milk. Eden Brew raised an additional $6.9million in May 2022 from Main Sequence, a US-based investor and Digitalis Venture.
Breakthrough Victoria, Orkla Ventures Digitalis Ventures Possible Ventures Radar Ventures are also participants. The company also received capital from Australian celebrities including the musicians Bernard Fanning, Angus Stone and Paul Piticco. Paralympic gold-medallist Dylan Alcott was also a part of this investment.
Animal-free dairy products: a new category
The new fund ,…


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Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal invests Rs 650 crore in Ola
Largest personal bet in domestic internet sector to help Ola’s Aggarwal keep fi...
Enable risk-taking founders to retain control: Sachin Bansal & Bhavish Aggarwal
Sachin Bansal’s investment in Ola signifies a coming of age f...
Govt’s angel tax fix gives VCs, angel groups edge over HNIs
Individual investors will not get the advantage of tax benefits under govt’s new ...
Ola in talks to pick up 26% stake in carpooling app sRide
This may be the first institutional capital raised by sRide, which has mostly been ...
Flipkart's Binny Bansal breaks his silence after Walmart ouster
The entrepreneur once celebrated for jumpstarting India’s internet retail industry is now dedicating himself to helping other founders get their startups off the ground.
Sachin Bansal buys properties for Rs 45 crore
Flipkart co-founder has inked deals to buy two properties in Koramangala for Rs 45 crore.
Flipkart's Binny Bansal says small startups will take maximum hit under FDI rules
The new regulations come in the way of innovation and company creation, along with being a deterrent for investors who want to take a long-term view of India, Bansal said.
Mirae Asset Fund all set to hitch a ride in Ola
Ola has been looking to diversify from its core ride-hailing operations and exploring newer avenues for growth like pharmaceuticals delivery, lending and payments and more.
Sachin Bansal takes a ride in Ola, invests $21 million in cab-hailing firm
Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal has invested Rs 150 crore (approx $21 million) in Softbank-backed ride hailing firm Ola, according to documents filed with the registrar of companies (RoC) which were sourced from Paper.vc. Bansal purchased 70,588 ‘Series J’ preference shares at a value of Rs 21,250 per share, the documents revealed. The investment will value Ola at $5.7 billion, similar to the valuation the company got when Steadview Capital invested $74 million in it, which was reported earlier this month.
Sachin Bansal hands a Rs 150-crore cheque to Ola as part of a larger funding round
The investment will value Ola at $5.7 billion, similar to the valuation the company got when Steadview Capital invested $74 million in it, which was reported earlier this month.
US-based investors put Rs 112 crore in Ola
Last month, the company had received Rs 150 crore from Sachin Bansal and Rs 520 crore from Steadview Capital as part of the same round.
Sachin Bansal pays Rs 699 crore advance tax on gains from Flipkart sale
This includes capital gains tax from his income on sale of Flipkart stake to US retail giant Walmart.
Sachin Bansal's new company to focus on early stage startups, launch new businesses
The entrepreneur had exited India’s most valued startup by selling his stake for $1 bn earlier this year.
Sachin Bansal sets sights on Fin & Agri tech to stage comeback
The Flipkart cofounder will establish a holding company through which he will run his new businesses.
Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal has a problem with HDFC's new app
The HDFC mobile app is still down a week after it malfunctioned.

domain: news


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A highlight of this conference is the release of the second edition of its NMTC Economic Impact Report
on December 10[sup.
WBBA's 2011 Economic Impact Report
indicates Life sciences is Washington's fifth largest employment sector in the state, spanning close to 70 cities employing nearly 91,000 individuals and stimulating more than $10.
Hospitals Economic Impact Report
released today by the New Jersey Hospital Association.
4 billion to the economy more than tourism and technology according to a new economic impact report
released on Tuesday.
If you want to gain the attention of national and state legislators, present an economic impact report
If one or both guilds go on strike, the Los Angeles-area economy will be hit hard, particularly in the Valley, according to Mayor Richard Riordan's economic impact report
released last week.
4 billion to the Arizona economy and supported 39,200 Arizona jobs in 2010, according to an economic impact report
by Arizona State University's W.
As per to the 2012 Economic Impact Report
from the Aviation Authority of Indiana, South Bend International's total annual economic impact on South Bend and surrounding communities was in excess of $1.
According to the economic impact report
America's Beer Distributors: Fueling Jobs, Generating Economic Growth & Delivering Value to Local Communities, more than 3,300 independent beer distribution facilities directly employ more than 130,000 hardworking men and women in communities across the country, collectively earning $10.
Also cited in the economic impact report
were the significant taxes paid by industry companies to federal and state governments, and the Pittman-Robertson excise tax the industry pays on the products it sells.
More than 300 people, split between the two camps, crowded into a conference room at the Airtel Plaza Hotel to debate a recently released economic impact report
that stated eliminating older, noisy stage 2 jets would harm the airport's economy.
A recent economic impact report
conducted by the real estate research firm Vogt Santer Insights, indicated that in its 20 years, the Ohio Housing Trust Fund has fueled Ohio's economy by an estimated $2.
LOUIS, July 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Even in tough economic times, small businesses and non-profits throughout the United States are benefiting from the continued expansion of the ecommerce industry, according to the annual Economic Impact Report
released this week by Google.
As per Microsoft conclusion, economic impact report
named Ahead of the curve: Lessons on technology and growth from small business leaders, SMEs keen to bring in new solutions and are better positioned to encourage job growth.
The law would require notices to surrounding neighbors and an economic impact report
when gates are proposed near businesses.


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Asus Max Pro M1 that was launched a year ago, in the earlier months of 2018 is going to get a whopping update with several updates at a time! There were a lot of criticisms on many things after the release of this phone. Though it carries a mega battery, it did not get EIS on the lenses and some crucial compatibility issues for the third party apps. Sometimes the hotspot stops working in some cases. Overall the system was a bit buggy. Asus is to fix it through a mega OTA update soon later of this month and providing all the feature enhancement as much as possible.
A few days ago, it has launched Max Pro M2 but it’s looking like it has not forgotten the first phone of its series, Max Pro M1.
As per the logs provided on their official site, it has clearly mentioned that with its November update, it’s going to catch an important improvement on its WiFi hotspot compatibility. The latest update also improves some third party app compatibility and particularly power consumption.
On the camera part, some improvements will be seen in the video recording section and This update will add EIS to its camera through an OTA update. Asus Max Pro M2 is featured with EIS and now its elder sibling, M1 is getting the same feature though we are a little bit confused about how well it will perform on this.
Some audio enhancements are also in the way of getting implemented. Users may get several updates in a few weeks.


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Last month we had some reports that Samsung is working on a Galaxy tab S7 series tablet line-up. According to the rumours, there will be two tablets, Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7+. Some sources even confirmed that the tablets will be 5G compatible.
Now the launch of the Galaxy Tab S7 series seems imminent as a Samsung device with model number SM-T976B has received Wi-Fi certification. This device seems to be the Galaxy Tab S7+ 5G. According to some reliable sources, Galaxy Tab S7 has two model numbers SM-T970 (Wi-Fi) and SM-T975 (4G).
[su_note note_color=”#e3ecf0″ radius=”2″]
Sadly the Wi-Fi certification of the device hasn’t revealed anything about the hardware of the device. The listing only confirms that the device will be running Android 10 out of the box and will have Dual-band Wi-Fi.
If some rumours are to be believed then this device will be coming with a large 12.4 inches display and it will be available Globally unlike the previous Tab S6 5G which was exclusive to the South Korean market.


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Tom Nordlie (352) 392-1773 x 277
Bob Cousins, firstname.lastname@example.org, (352) 392-2133
GAINESVILLE, FL—Health conscious? Don’t overdo the nutritional supplements, advises a University of Florida nutritional biochemist.
“Some people may use excessive amounts of nutrients for weight loss, athletic performance or health maintenance, without considering possible adverse effects,” said Bob Cousins, who helped formulate new recommendations on nutrients for the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C.
The recommendations are part of a report on Dietary Reference Intakes released by the academies earlier this month.
Cousins served on a panel of experts that examined the nutritional value of vitamins A and K, arsenic, boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, vanadium and zinc.
Besides updating the well-known Recommended Dietary Allowances, or RDAs, the panel estimated — for the first time — nutrient intake levels “that are likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects.” These levels serve as recommended maximums for daily intake, and are called “tolerable upper intake levels.” The report says these levels are not likely to be obtained from ordinary foods, Cousins said.
“These new recommended maximums are a sign of the times,” said Cousins, professor and eminent scholar with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “Many of the nutrients reviewed in our study are being consumed in amounts that would be impossible to achieve through diet alone.”
Iron supplements have long been used to prevent anemia, particularly among pregnant women, he said. The panel’s new recommended intake for pregnant women — 27 milligrams per day — is about half the tolerable upper intake level recommended for healthy adults — 45 milligrams per day.
“Excessive iron intake can cause gastrointestinal distress,” Cousins said. “It also may be linked to heart disease and cancer in people genetically predisposed to accumulate high levels of iron.”
Zinc, popular in cold remedies, has a new recommended maximum intake of 40 milligrams per day. But the average zinc cold lozenge contains more than 20 milligrams of the mineral, Cousins said. Excessive zinc intake can lead to copper deficiency and cause anemia, and may cause immune system disfunction.
“A few zinc lozenges combined with zinc intake from foods like red meat can put your daily intake way over the tolerable upper intake level,” said Cousins, an international expert on zinc. “In the short term, our bodies can cope with high levels of many nutrients, but the long-term effects are unknown.”
Cousins, who directs UF’s Center for Nutritional Sciences, said nutrient toxicity has not been closely studied, and ethical considerations limit research on human subjects.
“As a result, many nutritional supplements have never been tested in well-controlled trials,” he said.
One example is chromium, used in diet aids such as chromium picolinate. Chromium’s role in human nutrition is unclear, so the panel did not establish a recommended intake for the metal, he said.
“Chromium is believed to play some role in glucose regulation,” Cousins said. “But long-term effects of chromium supplementation have not been widely studied.”
Substantial amounts of chromium and other nutrients are routinely added to “meal replacement” drinks and candy bars marketed to dieters and athletes, he said.
“More and more products are fortified with nutrients today, but you probably don’t want to carry a pocket calculator to the dinner table to keep track,” Cousins said. “If you eat a balanced diet of foods from each of the food groups and watch your supplement use, you should be fine.”
Cousins, elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences in May 2000, said the public is becoming more aware of nutrition-related issues. He believes the report will influence advertising, food labeling and government policy decisions. The report is the fourth in a series of seven, developed by the United States and Canada to review nutritional data.
Other recommendations in the report include:
- Vitamin A — Essential to vision and reproduction, vitamin A is produced from carotenes found in carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, meat and eggs. Recommended daily intake is 900 micrograms for men, 700 for women. The report says that to achieve these intakes, more vegetables and fruits must be consumed than was previously believed. Tolerable upper intake level is 3 milligrams per day; excessive intake may increase the risk of birth defects, skull malformations in children and liver abnormalities in adults.
- Vitamin K — Necessary for blood clotting, vitamin K is found in leafy green vegetables. Adequate daily intake is 120 micrograms for men, 90 for women. No tolerable upper intake level was established.
- Copper — Used for development of connective tissue, nerve coverings and skin pigment, copper is found in organ meats, seafood, nuts and seeds. Recommended daily intake is 900 micrograms for both men and women. This is the first time a recommended intake for copper was established. Tolerable upper intake level is 10 milligrams per day; excessive intake may cause liver damage.
- Iodine — An important component of thyroid hormones, iodine occurs in small amounts in seafood and is often added to table salt. Recommended daily intake is 150 micrograms for men and women. Tolerable upper intake level is 1.1 milligrams per day; excessive intake can cause abnormal functioning of the thyroid gland in some individuals.
- Manganese — Involved in metabolism and bone formation, manganese is found in nuts, legumes, whole grains and tea. Adequate daily intake is 2.3 milligrams for men, 1.8 for women. Tolerable upper intake level is 11 milligrams per day for adults; excessive intake may cause neurological side effects.
- Molybdenum — Used for enzyme enhancement, molybdenum is found in nuts, legumes and grain products. Recommended daily intake is 45 micrograms for men and women. Tolerable upper intake level is 2 milligrams per day; excessive intake may cause impaired reproduction and growth.


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GUANGZHOU, China — Hu Qingyuan camped out Friday, waiting for a train to take him home for the Chinese New Year holiday — his only chance each year to see his wife and 8-year-old son.
At a shopping mall not far away, throngs of middle-class Chinese tried on Nike running shoes, browsed for Swatch watches and ate at McDonald”s.
The shoppers seemed light years away from the working masses waiting in the cold rain at the train station in the bustling southern city of Guangzhou.
Dizzying contrasts are on display as China prepares for a holiday that could be spoiled for millions by the worst snowstorms in decades. The freakish weather in southern and eastern China has killed at least 60 people, stranded 5.8 million railway passengers and causing $7.5 billion in damages.
Among the victims are Hu and the millions of other Chinese workers who make most of the things sold at Guangzhou”s trendy Update Mall.
“I”ve already been waiting here for four days, and I have no idea when I”ll be going,” said Hu, a 35-year-old factory worker who wore a navy polyester suit and tan turtleneck for his trip home.
Workers leave villages to work in the factories that supply the world with everything from laptops and bicycles to jeans and cars. They are tethered to assembly lines all day and spend nights in crowded, dank dormitories.
But despite their key role in China”s rip-roaring economic growth of the past 30 years, migrant workers are often despised by the locals in wealthy cities such as Guangzhou — the capital of booming Guangdong province.
Semiliterate laborers can”t speak the local dialect, Cantonese, and are treated like bumpkins. Gangsters prey on them, trying to cheat them out of money they save to send home. Some factory owners fail to pay their wages and ignore the labor law.
One of the brightest spots in the workers” dreary lives is the Lunar New Year holiday, which starts Feb. 7. But since the snowstorms knocked out sections of the rail system, the government has been urging the migrants to cash in their tickets and spend the holiday at their workplaces.
About 11 million of the 19 million migrant workers in Guangdong have received refunds for their tickets, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
But doing so was unthinkable for Hu, who said he earns $280 a month working in a furniture factory.
“I would never stay here for New Years. I don”t care how long I need to wait for a train. I”m going home,” said Hu, whose square jaw, thick hair and long sideburns made him resemble the late martial arts star Bruce Lee.
He chain-smoked as he sat on the sidewalk littered with orange peels and discarded red wrappers that said “Good Luck Cookies” in gold lettering.
A half-mile stretch of the boulevard leading to the train station was packed with people. Officials said about 200,000 people were waiting for the trains, which resumed normal service Thursday.
Hu said the trip to his home in central Hubei province would take about 17 hours. He doubted there would be room on the wooden benches that serve as seats and expected to stand in a packed, unheated car for the entire trip.
Hu said he had to be back to the factory by Feb. 16. His employer would not allow him to extend his holiday even though the storm delayed his departure.
“I might be able to come back a day or two late, but if I extended my holiday by a week, I wouldn”t have a job,” he said.
Hu”s colleague, who would only give his surname, Zhang, said the factory did not follow the labor law, which sets standards for hours and overtime pay.
“The labor law is just something high-level officials talk about. The law is what our boss says it is,” Zhang said. “Sometimes we work 31 days a month. If there are goods to be made, then we keep making them.”


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Yesterday we reported that Caterham and Renault were going to build a pair of sports cars together, and we knew that the British track-car maker was looking into creating a more reasonable road-car, but this is something different entirely.
CEO Graham MacDonald revealed that the company is also looking into making a crossover and a city car, which will be a total change of pace for the company that has, thus far, made nothing but '60s F1-inspired track cars and actual F1 cars. The partnership with Renault will help the company access existing platforms to save costs during development.
"If you look at what Porsche has done, it has set a great template for a company such as ours... It has gone from a pure DNA sports car maker and evolved from there," said MacDonald to What Car? magazine.
[via Left Lane News]


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Andy Goddard joined Computacenter back in 1997 as a technology leader in its Distributed Computing Solution Unit responsible for Microsoft Platforms and Operations practices and moved into the services team over the subsequent years. He is currently practice leader for workspace and collaboration at the company. Prior to Computacenter, Andy was a senior consultant at Cap Gemini.
RIM has seen its once dominant market position in corporate mobile plummet from a great height in the last couple of years. The Canadian giant has suffered a huge fall in stock price and, more importantly, penetration - currently around eight per cent market share - with continual declines, quarter upon quarter. So there is a …
In a fortnight you’ll start to hear Microsoft's marketing machine crunching into overdrive as Windows 8 is driven onto the market. Not only will you hear from them, but also from the hardware manufacturers who are primed and ready to simultaneously release a slew of products that will support and embrace the new functionality of …
This proves Redmond needs a Ford man
Endpoints: The world has moved on... and become a lot more complex
Ending slavery in Africa needn't cost this much
ObamaCare, UK.gov, and paying for blusterguffs instead of technology
- Windows 7 outstrips Windows 8.x with small November growth
- IT MELTDOWN ruins Cyber Monday for RBS, Natwest customers
- iPhone slips in Europe as Windows Phone claims OVER 10% market share
- Beijing leans on Microsoft to maintain Windows XP support
- Update The only way is Office: UK Parliament to migrate to Microsoft cloud
A survivor's guide to being sold down the river...
Microsoft and cloudy pals go DIY as networking giant's stock plummets
Plus other fascinating nuggets we found when carving into UK.gov's IT spending pie
Apply clever tech to lift economic gloom, says chip giant labs chief


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Google Friend Connect is a way to log in to blogs or news websites using a Google, Yahoo!, AIM, or OpenID account. Now Twitter users can log in to Google Friend Connect powered sites using their Twitter login ID. Twitter is one of the first third party companies to sign up with Google Friend Connect.
Twitter will not be exclusively working with Google Friend Connect. Twitter had announced earlier that they will be working with MySpaceID and Facebook Connect. In order to setup Twitter with Google Friend Connect, a user must login with their Google, Yahoo!, OpenID, or AIM first. After that a user can choose to connect their profile with Twitter.
This integration with Twitter is an example of how we want to continue improving Friend Connect, extending the open social web and bringing social features to more places on the web,” wrote Mussie Shore, Product Manager on the Google Blog.
Some websites that are already powered with Google Friend Connect include My Latest Piece, Qloud, GO2WEB2.0 Blog, BibleApps, and My First Earthquake. Facebook and MySpace have already developed competitors of their own against Google Friend Connect.


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Why Should You “Social Distance” Yourself from HEXO Stock
Avoid this marijuana stock like it has COVID-19 and seek better marijuana stock investment opportunities
If you’ve been following marijuana stocks this year, you know that most Canadian marijuana companies are in lousy shape. Yes, the markets have been gutted the past couple of months because of COVID-19 but the entire cannabis sector has been hurting for the past year – with most marijuana stocks losing 50-90% of their value.
Overvaluation, long-term operating viability, and the rise of this global pandemic have contributed to these monumental losses and many marijuana stock investors are calling it quits.
What’s the good news?
The cannabis industry continues to gain momentum on a daily basis. With increasing demand and legalization growing on a global scale – there’s plenty of great opportunities abound – if you know where to look. HEXO is not one of those opportunities.
Several cannabis companies are set to deplete their cash as the markets grind to a halt in the coming months. In fact, MJ Business Daily (more commonly known as MJBiz Daily) recently found that 8 of 33 cannabis firms they track don’t have enough funding to last more than 10 months.
While the last twelve months have been an absolute nightmare for cannabis investors, there’s still a ton of potential opportunities out there as the long-term outlook for Cannabis remains as bright as ever. The winners and losers among the bunch are now becoming more and more evident. In fact, analysts at MJBiz Daily predict the fallout from the COVID crisis will be an “extinction-level event for some companies”. They also maintain that “the long-term investment opportunity for the industry hasn’t changed as legalization spreads and demand grows but companies need to survive long enough to see it”.
The companies that do survive will rebound very sharply. If you expect to profit from your stock investments, you’ll need to pick the winners from the bunch.
Is HEXO one of the winners from the bunch?
At face value, things are not looking terrible for this marijuana stock.
HEXO is a vertically integrated, licensed cannabis company in Canada and the USA. They have more than enough production space and retail sites to be profitable. They sell cannabis topicals, extracts, edibles, and beverages. After recently raising $70 Million in private placement, HEXO remains as one of the few marijuana stocks to have enough cash on hand to weather the COVID Crisis.
First the good news. They have strong branding with their UP, HEXO, and Original Stash brands. Smaller product lines include Time of Day, Decarb, and Exlixir. Their product SKU’s are also impressive.
They recently raised $70 million in a private placement so they have plenty of operating capital. They are also listed on the TSX and NYSE so there is plenty of access to capital. Partnerships with huge companies like Molson Coors of Canada prove that there could be a tremendous value for HEXO.
That all sounds pretty good – so why should you “social distance” yourself from HEXO stock?
Recent revenue was almost 3x higher than the same time last year, BUT the company reported CA$58.5 million in losses. The total net losses are up by almost 500%. This means that although they just raised some capital to work with, the company is bleeding cash at an extremely high rate.
Although HEXO seems to have a stronger cash position than many marijuana stocks, recently, HEXO has been forced to turn to common stock offerings to raise more capital to sustain its operations during these uncertain times. Much like, Aurora Cannabis, HEXO has been cutting operations to try to conserve the cash it’s sitting on. In fact, HEXO has reduced its annual output by ~30% over the last five months. If HEXO is unable to double its share price, they may be forced to take the route of Aurora Cannabis and elect for a “reverse-split” to avoid being delisted from the TSX and NYSE. Even at less than $0.50/share, you should still socially distance from this stock for the rest of 2020.
The company is under investigation for fraud, has recently fired over 200 employees and, and the stock price is on a strong downward trend.
This stock is one to stay away from.
There are good signs in this company, as noted above, but they need to right the ship in 2020 before we’ll believe they can stage a financial comeback. Until then, we’ll continue to “social distance” ourselves from this marijuana stock.
Why Should You “Social Distance” Yourself from HEXO Stock
About Cannin: Cannabis and Hemp Investment Experts
Market analysts expect the cannabis and hemp industry will have an annual value exceeding $75 Billion in the next decade. The time to invest in cannabis and hemp stocks is now. Are you looking to buy stock in hemp companies or cannabis companies? Interested in emerging penny pot stock companies? Looking for the best Canadian pot company to invest in?
Cannin is your trusted resource for information about Cannabis and Hemp stock investment opportunities. Our global team of experts evaluates emerging cannabis and hemp companies. We aggregate hundreds of hours of research and provide tips on the best cannabis and hemp stock investments for 2020. We provide the latest marijuana and hemp investment news and analysis.
Visit our site for breaking cannabis investing news and featured companies, sign up for the free Cannin Chronicle or get a free trial of our smart cannabis and hemp stock algorithm to take the guesswork out of profiting from this exciting industry. Predict the price of cannabis and hemp stocks hours in advance with our proven machine learning algorithm. Is it too late to invest in other marijuana stocks besides HEXO? No! This is the perfect time to invest.
Profit from the best Cannabis and Hemp stocks – we’ll show you how at cannin.com


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New Delhi: In a time-strapped 21st century, millenials are struggling to find time with their families. However a majority of Indians feel that home cleaning on Diwali is a great way to spend time with family, says a survey conducted by an online service provider. The survey was conducted in across 8 major cities.
Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad between the age group of 22-34 years and covered more than 5,000 consumers. The survey states that home cleaning on Diwali not only creates nostalgia, but is also a great way to spend time with family with 68 per cent of respondents feel that pre-festival home cleaning is the best time to spend with family. Also for many, Pre-Diwali is an exciting time with 55 per cent of the respondents looking forward to food, new clothes and home decoration.
Also 30 per cent of consumers look forward to Diwali Ki Safai as this practice of pre-festival is an integral tradition for many households in India. However, modern lifestyle and time constraint does not make Diwali house cleaning a fun task. Almost 31 per cent of the respondents feel that Diwali cleaning turns into a hectic or a chaotic day. Among the survey respondents, 42 per cent have the fear of dust allergy, 26 per cent of them fear losing a weekend and equate this feeling of being on a house arrest.
Outsourcing to professionals for home cleaning is also a new found tradition with the new age Indians with 68 per cent of consumers between the age of 20-35 are willing to hire professional help, while only 46 per cent over the age of 35 feel no need to outsource. Gender comparison highlights that close to 65 per cent of women are more likely to outsource this yearly task while 40 per cent of the men would prefer to keep the house cleaning a family tradition and will not opt to hire professional help.


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Gap t-shirt becomes vintage 48 hours after leaving Taiwan factory.
After being manufactured in Taiwan and arriving in U.S. retail store 48 hours later, t-shirts are certified by the Gap retailer as vintage. “We have a strict policy of allowing the extra time for all of our t-shirts to age appropriately before certifying them as vintage. Our customers appreciate this extra care.” commented Mark Forston, Gap Senior Vice President. Pointing to a specific t-shirt in a mall store, Forston explained, “I estimate this particular model was manufactured circa 72 hours ago. The customer who purchases this product is certainly acquiring a premium vintage value.” Customer Mark Schelsberg said, “Why should I wait 25 years for a cool t-shirt to become vintage when I can have it the day after tomorrow thanks to The Gap?”
- Trapped gay coal miner hoped for slower rescue
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Find out which Littlehampton car parks will become free over Christmas
Festive shoppers will be given a boost after a number of council-run car parks have been made free over the Christmas period.
The St Martins car park in High Street, Littlehampton, and the Manor House car park in Church Street, Littlehampton, will be free on Saturday, December 1 for Small Business Saturday, a national event
aimed at encouraging people to shop locally.
The Manor House car park will also be free on Saturday, December 8, 15, and 22 to get shoppers using the High Street.
Arun District Council owns the car parks.
Councillor Paul Wotherspoon, Arun’s cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: “Our town centre shops and businesses have a great deal to offer and we’re delighted to be supporting our business community
in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton again this year by offering free parking, including on Small Business Saturday.
“We hope that more people than ever make the most of the free parking scheme and support our local shops during what is such an important time of year for them.”
The free parking does not include any privately run car parks. Disabled bays will also remain strictly for the use of blue badge holders only, the council said.
Fitzleet, Lyon Street and Hothamton car parks in Bognor Regis will be running a similar scheme.


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Lawrence and Olathe residents charged with conspiring to illegally ship aviation equipment to Russia
Two Kansans, including a Lawrence man, have been arrested and charged with what federal authorities allege was a yearslong scheme to illegally export aviation-related technology to Russia.
According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, 59, of Lawrence, and Douglas Robertson, 55, of Olathe, were arrested on Thursday and charged with conspiracy, exporting controlled goods without a license, falsifying and failing to file electronic export information and smuggling goods contrary to U.S. law.
The federal indictment included with the release said Buyanovsky and Robertson owned and operated KanRus Trading Company, which supplied electronic aviation equipment to Russian companies and provided repair services for equipment used in Russian-manufactured aircraft. It alleges that since 2020, the two men conspired to evade U.S. export laws by concealing and misstating the value and final destinations of their exports and by shipping items through other countries.
For example, the indictment says that in November 2020, a Russian customer sent a computer component to the company that had a sticker with the acronym of Russia’s Federal Security Services on it. Robertson sent the Russian customer an email saying the component “has a ФСБ [i.e., FSB] sticker on it!!!” and the customer responded “Interesting about sticker, you can remove and after stick on back?” according to the indictment. Authorities allege that when the men shipped the component back, they concealed the true end user and destination by providing a fraudulent invoice to the shipment company identifying the end destination as Germany.
The indictment describes several other alleged shipments of equipment to Russia, and it says that on Feb. 28, 2022, U.S. authorities detained one of the shipments, and the U.S. Department of Commerce informed Buyanovsky and Robertson that a license was required to export this equipment to Russia. Authorities said that Robertson emailed a Russian customer in April 2022 and said that “things are complicated in the USA” and that “[t]his is NOT the right time for [more paperwork and visibility].” Then, authorities allege that in May, June and July 2022, the defendants illegally shipped equipment to Russia via Armenia and Cyprus without obtaining the required licenses.
If Buyanovsky and Robertson are convicted, they could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of exporting controlled goods without a license; up to 10 years in prison for each count of smuggling; and up to five years in prison for each count of conspiracy and falsifying export information, according to the news release. The release did not provide any information about future hearings or trial dates in the case.
The release said the investigation was coordinated through a U.S. Department of Justice task force called KleptoCapture that focuses on enforcing the sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States and its allies have imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.


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Netflix has announced plans to expand its efforts to curb account sharing by introducing paid account sharing in the first quarter of 2023. According to the company, widespread account sharing has weakened its ability to invest in and improve the service.
The company has been working on developing new features to improve the Netflix experience, including the ability for members to see which devices are currently using their accounts, and the ability to transfer personal profiles to new accounts. With the introduction of paid account sharing, members in many countries/regions will have the option to pay an additional fee if they wish to share their accounts with people who do not live with them.
According to tests in Latin America, Netflix expects to see a decline in subscriptions initially, but predicts that overall revenue will improve as more independent accounts are activated and more members join. It is estimated that there are currently 2.22 billion paying households and an additional 1 billion households that could potentially pay for an account.
The additional fee for non-household users has already been introduced in some Latin American countries, with Netflix charging around $3 (currently about $20) for additional users.
It remains to be seen how the introduction of paid account sharing will affect the streaming giant’s subscriber base and revenue.


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The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently announced its Golf Ambassador to promote the kingdom as a leading golf destination.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has appointed Thongchai Jaidee, a professional Thail golfer ranked at number 54, as the brand ambassador for golf tourism in the country.
Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, TAT, stated, “The brand ambassador partnership with Thongchai Jaidee will help achieve a key strategic objective to better link tourism and sports and increase the number of long-staying, high-spending visitors from the Middle East and Europe. Thailand has over 260 world class golf courses nationwide, with superb facilities and services including experienced, friendly caddies, wonderful accommodation and excellent side activities, such as shopping and spa treatments.
Thailand also holds many international golf tournaments every year including Honda LPGA Thailand 2017 will be hosted on February 23 to 26, 2017 at Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course which attract a large number of professional players and spectators.” TAT hopes to attract more golfers from the Middle East to enjoy their different courses. Jaidee will work very closely with TAT in order to attract more ‘golfing visitors’ to the destination. Jaidee stated, “I will work together with the Thailand tourism board in all their activities to promote our country as a supe


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After hanging onto the Insignia for an additional month, we take a look at how it tours across our country.
We check in again with our long-term 2016 Holden Insignia VXR to see how it's keeping on, and even take it to the track...
The turbocharged all-wheel drive Holden Insignia VXR joins the Melbourne long-term fleet.
The Holden Insignia VXR could be a window into Holden's performance future when the Commodore takes its final bow. We spend a week behind the wheel to take a closer look.
It's back — this time it wears a Holden badge. The Holden Insignia VXR marks one of the raft of new vehicles being launched in Australia by Holden over the coming years.
CarAdvice heads to the UK to try Holden's upcoming Insignia VXR performance model.


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View All Contract Maintenance
The Bundy Group reported 13 transactions in the month of December. Analysis on the acquisitions and reports are highlighted below.
The Motion Ai facility in Eden Prairie, Minn., allows for integrated use and engineering labs for customer product and demonstration engagement.
Schneider Electric is investing $46 million in its Lexington, Ky., and Lincoln, Neb., manufacturing plants to increase circuit breaker and related electrical product output.
Research from Interact Analysis projects that total manufacturing industry output will grow by 4% in 2022 to $44.5 billion.
IDTechEx's report finds the metal additive manufacturing market will recover from COVID-19 and hit $18.5 billion by 2032.
Tech innovation and new design methodologies have simplified efforts, but design engineering progress and innovation are being stymied by supply chain issues.
The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation's monthly confidence index dropped to 56.1 in April, but optimism about the future remains high.
SEMI projects fab equipment spending for front-end facilities is expected to jump to an all-time high of $107 billion in 2022 as demand remains high across the globe.
Interact Analysis reported an 8.3% growth for the manufacturing industry in 2021, which is a rebound from 2020.
COVID-19’s impact has changed the supply chain and companies are looking to keep up with growing and sophisticated demand. Technology improvements can help companies get an edge on last-mile logistics. Five methods are highlighted.
The road ahead for manufacturing is bumpy due to disrupted supply chains, labor shortages, and high shipping and energy costs.
Manufacturing has gone through many seismic changes and more are on the horizon.
The ELFA reports September new business volume is up 6% year-over-year, 8% month-to-month and 10% year-to-date.
While manufacturing in China did well in 2020, Interact Analysis reports its growth will lag behind other countries in 2021.
Semiconductor manufacturing billings were up more than 35% in August 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.
Manufacturing is digging out from the impact of COVID-19, but its recovery is being hampered by a labor shortage in many major markets.
Peak Performance Inc., which launches on October 1, will be the first Smart Factory based in the United States.
SKF has acquired Rubico Consulting AB, a Swedish industrial consultancy firm that specializes in visualization and analysis of signal data.
Global sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment by OEMs are forecast to surpass $100 billion next year according to a report by SEMI.
Confidence in the equipment finance industry rose to 72.9 in July as the industry as a whole is now close to full strength and shaking off the effects of COVID-19.
Würth Additive Group signs agreement with Markforged.
Annual equipment and software investment growth of 13.3% is forecast for 2021 as manufacturing demand remains very high.
The Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA) has chosen a new chairman of the board, vice-chairman and secretary/treasurer for 2021-2022.
Sustainable agriculture, medical treatment, reliable water supply, and wildlife conservation among causes tackled by 2021 ASME ISHOW Regional Finalists.
5G will help manufacturers will be able to dynamically adapt their production areas to current circumstances at any time and create smart factories.
The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation released the June 2021 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry.
Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam are expected to see their overall economies expand next year compared with levels prior to the COVID-19 outbreak according to a report by Interact Analysis.
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is encouraging material handling professionals to take its new Mission Zero Pledge and commit to a safe, incident free workplace.
The purchasing manufacturers' index (PMI) stayed above 60% for the fourth straight month, finishing at 61.2%.
Ken Hope, a 30-year industry veteran from Chevron Phillips Chemical, has been appointed as president of STLE from 2021-22.
U.S. cutting tool consumption jumped almost 20% in March according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and Association For Manufacturing Technology (AMT).
The purchasing manufacturers' index hits 60.7% in April as new orders, production and employment continue to grow for manufacturing.
The U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) reported a 3.3% increase in February over the prior month, but it remains down by almost 20% compared to the same period in 2020.
Purchasing manufacturers' index jumps to 64.7% in March as demand, employment rise.
Confidence in the equipment finance market jumped almost five points to 64.4 in February thanks to high demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manufacturing demand remains strong in spite of the COVID-19, but workers are still adjusting.
January manufacturing index slides a bit from December to 58.7%, but industry still showing strength.
Cutting tool consumption in the U.S. declined almost 10% in November compared to the previous month and almost 20% compared to November 2019.
Global semiconductor sales by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is expected to increase 16% in 2020 with solid increases expected in 2021 and 2022.
The purchasing manufacturers' index (PMI) drops from the 2-year high in October to 57.5%, but still records its seventh straight month of growth.
Why human capital is key to prospering in the new manufacturing normal
General confidence in the equipment leasing industry stayed steady in November with an index of 56.1, which is a slight increase from October.
The purchasing manufacturers' index jumped almost 4% to 59.3 in October as new orders, production and employment grow.
The equipment finance market's confidence dropped to 55.0 in October, as concerns about the economy's long-term health remain due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manufacturing orders totaled under $300 million in August according to the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), which is down more than 20% from the same period in 2019.
The purchasing manufacturers' index registered at 55.4% in September, down slightly from August, as cautious optimism abounds due to COVID-19.
Making meaningful connections requires planning and research requires a little extra planning and preparation when it comes to a virtual career fair and a slightly different mindset.
Manufacturing technology orders dropped by almost 2% in July compared to June, but the industry seems to be stabilizing overall.
Confidence in the equipment finance market jumped to 48.4 in August according to the Equipment Leasing & Finance Association (ELFA).
The manufacturing sector reported its fourth straight month of growth, rising to 56%.
The software industry is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in new and interesting ways.
The ELFA's monthly report shows overall business volume is down 3% YOY, but confidence is rising in spite of potential COVID-19 challenges ahead.
Research reveals nearly three-quarters of manufacturers are working remotely and reporting optimism for the future after COVID-19.
Manufacturing technology orders soared to $346.7 million in June, a 56% increase over the previous month, but still down 6% from the same period in 2019.
The Institute for Supply Management's purchasing manufacturers' index reported a 1.6% increase to 54.2%, which is the third straight month of growth.
A survey of German and U.S. manufacturers found many have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are looking to become more flexible and more dependent on data, maintenance models.
SEMI FlexTech announced the launch of three projects to accelerate sensor and sensor system innovations for new applications in industries including healthcare, automotive, industrial and defense.
COVID-19 has forced virtual meetings to become the primary focus of interaction with co-workers and clients, which means an adjustment for many. It also represents an opportunity for companies.
The Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) purchasing manufacturers' index (PMI) registered at 52.6% in June, which is up almost 10% from May's reading of 43.1%, as the industry rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic and look to pick up where they left off.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things for people who worked at home, but there are some valuable lessons to take from this unique experience that can make the work environment a better one.
Articles about COVID-19 business impacts and upgrades, ferrography fundamentals, planning an energy assessment and the Product of the Year winners were Plant Engineering’s five most clicked articles from June 15-21, 2020. Miss something? You can catch up here.
The ACEC Research Institute released its report on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected manufacturing companies and what the future looks like for the industry.
Engineering employee reviews, when done right, give the manager and the employee a chance to build and strengthen a relationship and carve a path for future success. Incorporate these six tips to improve the review process for engineering employees and those around them.
National Safety Council president and CEO Lorraine M. Martin releases a statement for respect and inclusion in the wake of the events in Minneapolis and the subsequent nationwide response.
The purchasing manufacturers' index rose to 43.1% in May, but the general mood remains cautious and uncertain as COVID-19 continues to cause havoc on global supply chains.
The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing many employees to work from home, which can be an issue for companies that require high-end graphic design.
Looking wider, at engineering career development requires looking at other perspectives, understanding customers, finding a mentor, and having fun.
The meeting host is not only responsible for sending invites, they are also responsible for establishing the meeting etiquette and strategy that are crucial to creating the best possible meeting experience and outcomes for the client.
Public and private organizations from all industries, sectors and geographies are encouraging their teams to work remotely to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic
The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation's monthly confidence index dropped more than 50% in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic shutdown.
The purchasing manufactuers' index had a slight decline in March, but the specter of COVID-19 continues to loom over the manufacturing industry as the pandemic spreads.
Supply chain concerns depend on the industry according to an MIT expert on the topic. While food availability is not a major concern, the lack of critical medical supplies is and needs to be addressed quickly.
The ELFA reported a drop of 26% in business volume in February as concerns about coronavirus and its impact on manufacturing take hold.
U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $196.5 million in January, which is up from December, but down almost 10% compared to January 2019
Manufacturing orders dropped by a third in January 2020 as anxiety about the coronavirus outbreak, as well as other manufacturing challenges, threaten to weigh down on general economic optimism.
The supply chain is being impacted by coronavirus, but manufacturers can keep their supply chain going by improving visibility and taking advantage of automation technologies.
Capital planning should be done annually and there are many aspects to consider when putting together a comprehensive plan.
Asset management is helping city and state government prioritize spending and budget management, but they have a long way to go, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
A critical step in managing international projects is understanding how regulatory compliance changes across borders
Are you ready for these technologies to change the way you work?
Manufacturing technology orders fell to under $300 million in April 2019, which is a sharp decline compared to the previous month and April 2018.
Manufacturing index stays in growth range, but slides to a 17-month low of 52.1%.
The recent broadening in knowledge and understanding about 3D printing and additive manufacturing have generated new business ideas and opportunities ranging from home hobby machines to printing buildings on other planets.
On 10th anniversary of manufacturing rebound, the purchasing manufacturers' index (PMI) falls to 52.8%.
It’s never been a better time to be a woman in engineering or any STEM career.
Analyst sees looming issues for manufacturing beyond EU-Great Britain dispute.
John Malinowski has been named to Plant Engineering’s Editorial Advisory Board.
Trade wars, supply issues among the concerns, but index firmly in growth mode.
When it comes to finding qualified candidates for a job, it all starts with a job description that draws people to your position. Below are the top five ways to attract the best talent in the industry.
Index drops almost 10% to 2-year low as production, new orders slump.
Four divisions focus on robotics, electrification, industrial automation, and motion.
Index jumps to 60.8% as production, employment expands.
All companies should form solid customer relationships for success, but the field service industry faces more unique barriers to establishing a good word-of-mouth reputation.
Three steps to drive reliability while preparing for IIoT.
Tom Hoenig of GTI Predictive Technology talks about the five most common mistakes maintenance professionals make when using an analyzer. These include proper mounting for accelerometer, ski slope spectrums, finding the right RPM or point location, no FMAX set and using the wrong sensor.
CMMS enhances maintenance strategies of all types and not enough companies have come to realize the benefits that they offer.
Respondents to the Plant Engineering 2016 Maintenance Study identified seven important, high-level findings impacting the manufacturing industries.
Top 5 Plant Engineering articles, August 31 to September 6: Electrical systems and IIoT, predicting equipment lifecycle, college grads salary, more
Articles about optimizing electrical systems through the IIoT. predicting equipment lifecycle, engineering pay for college grads, achieving world-class manufacturing maintenance, and Lean's relevance in today's economy were Plant Engineering’s five most-clicked articles from last week, August 31 to September 6. Were you out last week? Miss something? You can catch up here.
The VL 2 vertical turning machine is a universal production that includes automatic loading and unloading for workpieces.
If Lean manufacturing is initiated with the wrong problems in mind, the problem is exacerbated rather than improved. Here are ten questions aimed at helping uncover the true source of causes.
Now that we have begun a new year, it’s a good time to reflect on lean lessons learned in 2014.
When estimating your numbers for food processing projects on the horizon, don’t just base your predictions on what you did the last time around.
An honest, realistic evaluation of skills and consistent reinforcement are the key factors
A valuable cleaning tool, cavitation must be properly used to be effective. First of two parts
Online resource driven by increase in skilled worker need
Plants utilize multiple strategies to keep facility up and running.
Plant Engineering performed this research to better understand maintenance practices and strategies currently in place in North American manufacturing facilities and the effects of maintenance on productivity and profitability.
New Texas facility builds on concept of integrated operations to help align process manufacturing information.
Positive rhetoric in governor’s speeches tied to more investments, hiring.
State-of-the-art specialty lubricants contribute to economic, success, or how a small investment makes the difference
Index declines for third straight month, but stays above growth threshold
Economic uncertainty blunts two straight months of growth
Company announces new Georgia plant investment, works with Ohio ceramics company to make mugs
In the last three years, there have been have been numerous acquisitions in the M2M module market.
Association blames global instability, lack of U.S. government action
M.O.S.T. works to speed training and placement for manufacturing jobs
Manufacturing sector to keep building on three-year winning streak, report finds.
Metalforming companies anticipate a dip in business during the next three months, according to the April 2012 Precision Metalforming Association Business Conditions Report.
Value creation in pay-TV distribution is shifting from CPE to software. Cisco is not alone in thinking this.
Plant Manager, Zeller Plastik
Disintermediation isn’t a buzzword, its very, very real. Now it has come to video content distribution. It happened to stock brokers, travel agents, and eventually Borders and other booksellers. Blockbuster has already fallen victim, but now the threat of disintermediation looms over the major over-the-top video service providers.
Still in contraction, business index up 63% since June
Nearly 60 percent of manufacturing executives believe the economy will improve over the next six months, though they are slightly less optimistic about the prospects for the manufacturing sector.
In this economy, there’s not a company out there with marketing dollars to spare—particularly when it comes to small business. But cutting marketing hinders growth, and even leads to loss in market share or revenue. VerticalResponse says its solutions let small businesses proceed with marketing in the smartest, most precise, most cost-effective way possible while removing the guesswork.
New position will helkp continue to drive client growth
While both the services and manufacturing indexes fell to record lows to finish out 2008, and all 20 of the collective components fell below 50 as indicated by the index, 2009 may offer signs of hope for the business landscape.
Tax-time advisory: Business services leaders help midmarket companies boost returns on R&D investments
Because manufacturers perform the bulk of private sector R&D to drive new products and process improvements, taking full advantage of the R&D credit is crucial. The fact is IRS scrutiny of this tax incentive has risen in recent years. As tax time comes to a close, RSM McGladrey and Axiom Solutions are offering tax credit services that some companies can take advantage of now.
The National Association of Manufacturers/Industry Week business outlook survey for the second quarter of 2007 points to confidence edging up from both large and small companies after declining during the prior four quarters.
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)/Industry Week business outlook survey for Q2 2007 points to confidence edging up from both large and small companies, after declining during the prior four quarters.
The Electroindustry Business Confidence Index for current North American conditions slipped to 38.6 in the latest month, down from 62 in April, its highest level in a year. However, evidence suggests that the present deterioration in conditions may be short-lived, according to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.
Barbara B. Hulit has been named president of Fluke Corporation, with responsibility for the Fluke Industrial and Fluke Precision Measurement businesses. Hulit comes to Fluke from The Boston Consulting Group, where she was a vice president and director with responsibility for the firm’s packaged goods sector.As president of Fluke, Hulit will report to Jim Lico, executive vice president for Danaher Corporation, the parent company of Fluke. “Barbara’s experience, business acumen and keen insight will be invaluable as Fluke continues to strengthen its traditional business and expand into new markets,” said Lico.“While at BCG, Barbara has had a long and productive relationship with Danaher and has been an effective business partner in helping drive Danaher’s growth in new market opportunities.Barbara has partnered with many of our senior leaders in strategy and business development, as well as having played an active role in developing our Danaher Business Systems (DBS) Growth Tools initiatives.” Over the past seven years, Hulit has worked extensively with Fluke and was instrumental in the identification of the company’s new indoor air quality and thermography businesses.At BCG, she helped grow the global packaged goods sector by roughly 20% annually, leveraging her expertise in uncovering and driving new business opportunities.Her background also includes senior positions in sales and marketing for Noxell Corporation, Frito Lay and Marketing Corporation of America.Hulit holds an MBA from the KelloggSchool at NorthwesternUniversity and a BA in Marketing from the University of Texas-Austin.
Administrative and Publishing Office 2000 Clearwater DriveOak Brook, IL 60523T 630.288.8780F 630.288.8781 Publisher Jim Langhenry T 630.288.8789 Assistant to the Publisher Trudy Kelly T 630.288.8780 Advertising Contracts and Insertion Orders Mary Ann Brockway T 630.288.8430 Internet/Web Stephanie Grammens T 630.288.8019 Sales Offices SOUTHEAST Karen Cira email@example.com 879 Autumn Rain LaneCharlotte, NC 28209T 704.523.5466F 704.523.5472 NORTH CENTRAL Kerry Gottlieb firstname.lastname@example.org 2000 Clearwater Dr.Oak Brook, IL 60523T 630.288.8778F 630.288.8781 NORTHEAST Diane Houghton email@example.com 180 Dailey DriveFranklin, MAT 508.528.8051F 508.528.8052 WEST John Bolduc firstname.lastname@example.org T 714.997.2220F 714.997.0958 INTERNATIONAL Stuart Smith email@example.com SSM Global Media Ltd.T 44 208 464 5577F 44 208 464 5588 POLAND/RUSSIA Michael Majchrzak firstname.lastname@example.org T 48 22 556 6968F 48 22 556 6997.
Metalforming companies are forecasting little change in near-term business conditions, according to the October 1 Precision Metalforming Association Business Conditions Report. When asked what they expect the trend in general economic activity to be over the next three months, the response from metalforming companies in October, 26% of participants reported that business conditions will improve...
This is the final part of a three-part series. Part 2 appeared in the November issue, p 31. World-class overall craft effectiveness is still being defined, since the concept of OCE is rather new. There are a limited number of case studies outside the real-world experiences of Maintenance Excellence Institute staff and alliance members.
Every plant outsources some maintenance services. It frankly doesn't make sense — financial or otherwise — to try to do everything yourself. But when we talk about contract maintenance, we're talking about a long-term commitment to have nonemployees take over substantial responsibilities for normal maintenance operations, perhaps even all of them.
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In a global economy, there is no question that companies must continually improve to remain competitive. When a company is in financial danger-and even when it is not-internal analysts look for opportunities to minimize expenditures.
There are a number of questions you should ask yourself before entering into an outsourcing contract.
The monthly surveys that the National Association of Purchasing Management (NAPM) compiles for both the manufacturing and nonmanufacturing sectors of the economy suggest that fourth-quarter 1998 GDP growth was considerably lower than the third quarter's 3.9% rate. Preliminary figures on total economic activity in last year's final three months will be released on January 29th. The NAPM's nonmanufacturing index of business activity slipped to a level of 53 in November -- a full six points lower than in September. And the closely-watched NAPM manufacturing index dropped to a much weaker 46.8 in November.
Real GDP is estimated to have increased at a solid 4.3% annual rate during the October-December period of last year. This preliminary estimate from the Commerce Dept. was just the latest in a long string of better-than average reports on U.S.


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Paramount Plus debuts in the UK, Ireland, and South Korea in June, with more countries to follow in the upcoming months
In the recent years, our digital world has been slowly shifting to the subscription format. Whether it be apps, games, or TV shows — the recurring monthly or annual payments are becoming more prevalent. So now instead of owning the digital goods you’re paying for, you get limited-time access for as long as they’re available and you’re subscribed. Some people argue that this format is making it hard for collectors to preserve their favorite art. On the other hand, many prefer paying a small monthly fee for accessing unlimited content. However, this small fee can also end up accumulating to become a significant monthly expense — if users want to subscribe to several services. Just like rivaling companies, Paramount Plus is planning to expand its reach to even more regions. Starting next month, the service will become accessible to those residing in the UK, Ireland, and South Korea.
Paramount Global has announced in an earnings call that Paramount Plus is coming to the UK and Ireland on June 22. The service will make its way to South Korea at some point during that month as well. Additionally, those residing in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland will get to subscribe in the second half of 2022. Finally, Paramount Plus aims to launch in India during 2023, but the exact date remains unclear for now.
Paramount Plus will cost £7/month or £70/year in the UK. Pricing in other regions could vary depending on the local currencies and other factors. Subscribers to the service will get to enjoy content from CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Smithsonian Channel, and more. Whether this subscription is worth your penny depends on your favorite shows and movies. Ultimately, there isn’t an all-encompassing service, and users could find themselves hooked to endless different subscriptions.
How many TV streaming services are you subscribed to? List them in the comments section below.


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Despite lowering its projected revenue for the entire year, TSMC may be on track to post record profits for 2018. This is because the company will be fabricating A12 chipsets for Apple on its advanced 7nm fabrication. Additionally, Qualcomm will also be making use of TSMC’s 7nm foundry for its new smartphone chips.
A report from earlier this year claimed that TSMC would be exclusively fabricating A12 chipset for Apple in 2018. Apple has been exclusively using TSMC’s foundries for fabricating its A-series chipsets. The company had last split the order between Samsung and TSMC with its A9 chip for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. After that, the A10 Fusion and A11 Bionic chips have been exclusively fabricated by TSMC for Apple.
Apple heavily relies on Samsung for various other iPhone components, including the 5.8-inch OLED screen for the iPhone X, so it is understandable that it does not want the Korean company to build another key component for the iPhone.
The DigiTimes report also states that TSMC is “about to start fulfilling orders for fabricating A12 processors on 7nm node.” This indicates that previous reports of the 2018 iPhones entering into trial production within the next month or two. This would ensure that unlike the iPhone X last year, there are no supply issues with the 2018 iPhone lineup. Apple is reported to launch three new iPhones this year, including one rumored to cost around $500-600 and include a 6.1-inch notched LCD display. There will also be an iPhone X Plus with a larger 6.5-inch OLED display along with an upgraded iPhone X.[Via DigiTimes]


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IT security vendors should start paying closer attention the small business market as content security spend is expected to skyrocket in the next few years.
A new forecast from market research firm Canalys predicts that small businesses worldwide will spend upwards of $3.3 billion in 2017.
Researchers expect small business investment in hosted security services will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 36 percent within the next three years.
Canalys senior analyst Nushin Vaiani explained in Thursday's report that smaller businesses are growing more keen on hosted services that can be managed by a third-party, especially as prices start to come down and become more competitive.
Not to mentioned heightened awareness about IT security and data protection -- either from hackers or even government agencies -- has also spurned more interest.
In 2013, IT security became more important to small businesses, driving overall security budgets upwards. Small businesses are beginning to understand the need to demonstrate to customers that their information is being handled securely, especially in light of numerous data breaches and the NSA scandal.
Aside from these businesses and their respective clients, the parties that most likely stand to benefit from this awareness are the security vendors themselves.
Canalys pegged Trend Micro as the current leader as of the end of 2013, trailed by Symantec, McAfee, and Kaspersky Lab, respectively.
While analysts did not offer theories about which vendors might lead this particular segment over the next three years, Canalys did hint at Kaspersky coming on stronger, describing it as a "high-growth vendor" that has bumped up the number of licences available to match "an aggressive pricing strategy."
Image via Canalys


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Air travelers are confronted by long lines, unforeseen delays, and other challenges. On top of all these hassles, there's the unpleasant airplane food. A new survey found that airlines still have to work on serving nutritious meals and snacks on board.
Most airlines fail to provide nutritional information about their food offerings, hindering passengers from making healthy choices.
Charles Platkin, nutrition professor from Hunter College and City University of New York published the survey on his site DietDetective.com. Platkin surveyed 12 major air carriers in the U.S. and ranked them according to 10 criteria, including average calories and willingness to share nutritional details on their menu items.
"I don't think airlines are keeping up with the trends across the United States, the 'better for you' food trend, the organic trend," said Platkin. His survey focused on meals and snacks served to domestic-flight economy-class passengers.
The nutrition expert started his annual survey in 2000, a time when airlines have moved from providing free meals and selling supersized snacks to selling meals and smaller snack servings.
Topping Platkin's list this year is Virgin America, launched in 2007, and said to be the first to offer calorie and nutritional information. None of VA's meals are noted to be high in calories, with the average count at 408 calories or over 70 calories lower than last year.
Platkin noted, however, that VA could perform better in health value on its individual snacks. "In fact, all the airlines could do better with their snack choices - there is no clear leader," he added.
Platkin recommended the following in the VA in-flight menu:
Breakfast: Udi's Granola with Yogurt and Fruit, "a bit high in sugar but overall lower in calories at 330."
Meals: Ginger Chicken Soba Noodles at 328 calories, the high-protein, low-fat-mayo Provencal Tuna Sandwich, and Vegan Wrap with vegetables and hummus
Snack box: Protein Meal with hummus, nuts, and tuna
Kids meal: Half peanut butter and jam sandwich, which Platkin noted climbed to 60 calories more than last year
Trailing Virgin America are JetBlue and Delta, which are tied on the second spot.
JetBlue Airways scored points for its meal calorie and nutrition information as well as its snack boxes, with lower-calorie options including the Grilled Chicken and Brie Sandwich and Chobani Yogurt and Granola at 680 and 210 calories.
Delta, believed to have some of the worst airplane food offerings, emerged second this year partly due to its partnership with health-centered frozen food firm Luvo.
While its Luvo lineup offers caloric data, others do not. For-purchase snacks and snack boxes were discovered to pack in the calories, including a cran-blueberry nut mix with 860 calories.
'Shame On You' Awardees
Platkin said the Top Three are not sharing nutritional information for some of their food lineup. And while Hawaiian Air didn't fare so well either, they at least returned information via email.
If there were clear frontrunners, there were also hall of shamers in Platkin's list, including Alaska, Spirit, and Frontier airlines.
Frontier Airlines particularly declined to provide Platkin with nutritional information about its offerings. The professor suggested that if one is hard pressed for something to eat while on board the carrier, she can settle for the 120-calorie beef jerky, although it is noted to be high in sodium.
This year, the average calorie count per food item is 400, a 3-calorie rise from last year. Airlines also appeared to have decreasing food choices, Platkin said.
How To Eat Healthy While In Transit
With limited options and lack of needed information, passengers are choosing to pack their own food to eat during flights.
Author and blogger Jessica Sepel said she would typically bring raw bars and nuts, flaxseed crackers, green apples, and homemade protein balls with her during flights. "[S]ometimes I will take a salad or some brown rice and chicken in a disposable container," she wrote on her blog.
The Physicians Committee on Responsible Medicine, on the other hand, recommended bringing healthy snacks such as bananas and oranges while traveling, as well as skipping processed treats and salted nuts.
Photo: Stefan Krasowski | Flickr


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Ever wondered why you get junk mail at your new home? You have just moved in, you have not bought anything, not even ordered a pizza there, but you get junk mail addressed to you. How do they know its you?
The answer is as simple as it is sad.
Its because your local council sells your details to junk mail (direct marketing) companies. In fact selling the electoral role is a pretty steady income for most councils.
Currently the Ministry of Justice are in discussion about banning this practice, but the MoJ have stated that they will look at the overall effect of just a ban “not just on the individual but the economy as a whole”.
Which makes the ban unlikely.
The junk mail industry has never reacted positively to such a suggestion, stating, amazingly, that such an action would not be “environmentally friendly”!
Its nice to know that the MoJ have our data nicely protected, after they have lost so much of it.


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The European Central Bank (ECB) has announced plans to launch a new real-time payments settlement service, which will be known as Target instant payment settlement (TIPS).
TIPS, expected to be go live in November 2018, will be part of ECB’s Eurosystem’s real-time gross settlement system named Target2.
The service is developed in collaboration with Europe’s banking industry and will allow users to make money transfers through their bank anywhere in the Eurozone.
Banks can avail the service at a maximum price of 0.20 eurocent for every payment for at least the first two years of operation.
“By providing TIPS, the ECB will make sure that the demand for instant payments is met at European level and further facilitate the integration of the euro area,” ECB said in a statement.


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See motor company recalls for the week ending June 29. Audi Daimler Trucks,...
See the motor company recalls for the week ending December 16. Audi Ford Nissan
See the motor company recalls for the week ending May...
Audi has announced its 2011 order cut-off dates for its model lineup. Due to high global demand and limited availability the A6 order bank has been closed.
Audi Motor Company has announced its 2011 model year fleet incentive program.
Audi of America has announced that effective immediately, no additional 2010 orders for the Q7 model with the 4.2 engine will be accepted.
Audi Motor Company has announced a revision to the 2010 fleet incentive on the Q7. The revised incentive is $1,500.00, compared to the originally announced $2,500.00.
Audi Canada recently announced fleet incentives for select 2009/2010 vehicles.


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The National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) 2021 annual trade show will go on despite the pandemic, but the group is now requiring attendees be vaccinated.
Face masks, however, will likely be optional for attendees, the group says on 31 August.
The NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (BACE) is scheduled for 12-14 October in Las Vegas. NBAA cancelled last year’s event, which is the business aviation’s largest such gathering, due to Covid-19.
“The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is announcing today that it is adopting a Covid-19 vaccine requirement for the 2021,” says NBAA. “We are taking guidance from health and safety experts and adopting trade show best practices.”
NBAA has not specified methods by which attendees can prove they have been vaccinated. “We are working on additional details and anticipate providing information about proof of vaccination at least 30 days in advance of the show,” the group says.
People vaccinated in the USA typically receive paper CDC vaccination cards, which are widely considered proof. Some state governments also accept digital images of the cards as proof.
“With the vaccine requirement at NBAA-BACE, we anticipate that mask wearing will be a personal choice for attendees and exhibitors”, including those at the main convention hall and at the display at Henderson Executive airport, NBAA adds. “Persons who wish to wear masks are encouraged to do so.”
But attendees should have masks on hand in any case, as face coverings will be required when on shuttle buses, NBAA says. Additionally, the group intends to mark the trade show floor so as to encourage “physical distancing in queuing locations”.
The show’s exhibit floor is sold out, and NBAA expects “an important and highly successful show”, the group says.
“Flight activity is high, transactions are strong and innovations are coming to the market at an accelerated pace. NBAA-BACE is going to be a great show that will move the business aviation industry to new heights,” NBAA chief executive Ed Bolin says.
NBAA is pushing ahead with the show despite lingering travel restrictions that threaten to keep out attendees from many major business aviation markets.
The US government still prohibits entry into the US by travellers from 33 countries, including Brazil, China, Ireland, the United Kingdom, India and countries in the Schengen Area (which includes most of continental Europe).
The 2021 NBAA-BACE stands to be a US-centric event unless the USA lifts restrictions prior to the show.
The group had secured 730 exhibitors as 31 August. Some 970 companies exhibited at the 2019 show, according to NBAA’s figures.


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The National – Wednesday, December 22, 2010
By RIGGO NANGAN
ALANGAMBU coffee project of Wasu, in Tewai-Siassi electorate, Morobe, has benefited from the National Agriculture Development Programme (NADP) by purchasing factory machinery parts from overseas to refurbish their factory.
The parts and two elevator machines were among five crates bought with K50,000 NADP funds allocated by the local MP Vincent Michaels.
The parts were bought last year from a manufacturer in India and shipped to the country and they arrived at Wasu in the middle of this year.
After they are fitted the mill would be operational.
Alangambu Coffee’s chairman Winsum Minewa said coffee growers in the Wasu area last month said that they have not been able to process their coffee to international requirements.
He hoped to achieve that when their new factory is operating.
The coffee mill, located at Neng village, uphill from Wasu along the Wasu-Kabwum road, was constructed by the growers mainly out of bush material.
The money used in the coffee project was half of the K100,000 allocated by the MP from the K1 million NADP for the district. The other K50,000 will go towards cocoa projects.
Fish projects in Wasu and Siassi sub-districts each received K100,000, while the three LLGs Wasu, Suassi and Sialum shared a K50,000 funding for piggery and another K50,000 for cattle projects in their respective areas.
The rehabilitation of the Siassi Development Corporation plantation at Gizarum on Siassi Island and the Sialum abattoir were each allocated a K100,000 funding.
Two vehicles have been purchased at a cost of K200,000 and allocated to agriculture development work in Siassi and Wasu.
Michaels said he was setting aside funds for more agriculture projects in NADP fund allocations for next year.


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UK waste industry faces Halloween-hell recycle rates.
Halloween is the scary season, but there is nothing more shocking than the thousands of tonnes of rubbish that are buried in a hole in the ground during this spooky celebration.
It’s not that the rubbish has a curse on it – it’s far worse than that says the country’s fastest growing commercial waste and recycling company.
Because – according to waste management experts BusinessWaste.co.uk – the days following the 31st October are a nightmare for the UK’s waste industry as it struggles to cope with mounds of plastic and non-recyclable rubbish that has to go to landfill.
“Halloween gets bigger and bigger every year,” says BusinessWaste.co.uk spokesman Mark Hall, “And that means an ever-larger clean-up operation.”
The problem, says BusinessWaste.co.uk is that most Halloween-themed merchandise is “single use”, and it gets thrown away almost immediately. And that’s not good enough, Hall says.
“Halloween is like no other holiday in that it generates so much rubbish that gets used for a couple of hours at most. Cheap spooky costumes seem – at least to us – to be the biggest waste.”
Among the goods that refuse and recycling centre operators are looking forward to seeing in early November are:
• Plastic lamps and batteries
• Novelty items
• Plastic masks
• Witches’ hats
• Devil’s tridents and horns
• Fake spider webs
“And because the manufacturers know that everything is disposable, and they tend to be at the budget end of the market, everything seems to be made with the cheapest possible materials,” says Hall.
The worst for workers in the refuse industry are the costumes and lamps.
“You won’t believe how many of these we see,” says Hall.
Those Halloween costumes are made of such cheap materials there’s no way that they can be recycled
“They either go to be burned or just get buried in landfill. What a waste of money and resources.”
And then there’s the lamps and plastic novelties.
“Mass-produced plastic, sold for a pound, and with cheap, leaking batteries,” the Business Waste spokesperson laments. “We can deal with the batteries if people bother to separate them into recyclable waste, but 99 per cent of the time they don’t.
“Guess where it ends up? In a big hole in the ground, that’s where.”
Of course, sending batteries to landfill is a nightmare scenario that should be avoided wherever possible. But with so many to find there’s a near 100 per cent certainty that the chemicals they contain will find their way into the environment.
But it’s not all bad news.
Last year BusinessWaste.co.uk called on households to recycle or compost their 18,000 tons of used pumpkins after years of rotting fruit filling Britain’s bin lorries.
“That’s one nasty habit people have got themselves out of through enlightened recycling,” says Hall, “Now let’s say goodbye to the cheap plastic Halloween rubbish that ends up in landfill.”
“Don’t be a devil, be a saint.”


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The American Bankers Association announced the winners of its 2007 Financial Marketing Awards, and Mills Financial Marketing won gold in the "Customer Acquisition" category for its FBB Corporation branding campaign. This is the third award MFM in Storm Lake has brought home from the national competition, winning two categories in 2006.
The awards, which were announced during the ABA Marketing Conference, recognize the year's most impressive bank marketing campaigns, including print, radio, television, direct mail, multi-media and online advertising in the financial service industry.
A panel of financial serves marketers and advertising professionals judge each entry based on the implementation of the communication strategy, tone, message and positioning, as well as the campaign's overall quality.
Each of the 390 entries was divided into 11 categories, including annual report, brand, community service, inspirational, financial education, humor, diversity, internal branding, customer retention marketing and customer acquisition marketing.
Each category had a premier financial advertising campaign winner that was judge in four asset levels: under $500 million, $500 million - $1 billion, $1 billion - $5 billion and more then $5 billion. Financial institutions - banks, savings and loans, insurance companions, brokerage firms, investment firms, credit card companies and their adverting agencies submitted entries.
MFM entered the $1 billion - $5 billion category.


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Spawn creator Todd McFarlane may have just revealed the identity of a surprise fighter in the upcoming Mortal Kombat 11. During a Reddit AMA (Ask me Anything), McFarlane responded positively to a question about Spawn appearing in the over-the-top fighting series, according to Comic Book.
“Will you please let Spawn be in Mortal Kombat 11?” a Reddit user asked.
McFarlane replied, “I believe he’s on his way …”
That’s not exactly a firm yes, but it’s certainly an interesting response. McFarlane created Spawn in 1992 for Image Comics. Spawn’s real name is Albert Simmons, a decorated marine who rose to the top of the CIA only to become leery of the actions of the government. Simmons was killed by his partner and sent to Hell. In order to see his wife again, Simmons traded his soul. When beamed back to Earth, he became the demonic being known as Spawn and could barely remember his life as a human.
Spawn has appeared in multiple video games. He made his debut in the SNES game Todd McFarlane’s Spawn: The Video Game in 1995, the first of five Spawn games. The last Spawn game, Spawn: Armageddon, came out in 2003 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube.
If Spawn does in fact get added to the Mortal Kombat 11 lineup, it won’t be the first time the antihero has been playable in a popular fighting game franchise. Spawn first appeared as a guest fighter in Soulcalibur II on the original Xbox. He was also featured in the HD port for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Mortal Kombat 11 was revealed during The Game Awards. The debut trailer showcased a match between Scorpion and Dark Raiden. The pair battled on a version of the Courtyard stage seen in the very first Mortal Kombat game. Scorpion was also seen sporting a costume from Mortal Kombat II, a nod to what NetherRealm has called a “time-bending” story featuring numerous versions of the series’ classic characters.
We know that Mortal Kombat 11 will rely heavily on character customization, which played a major role in NetherRealm’s Injustice 2. It will be released on April 23, 2019, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. NetherRealm Studios will host a community event on January 17 to share more details.
As of now, we know that those who pre-order will get Shao Kahn as a bonus fighter and access to the beta. We’ll just have to wait and see if Spawn joins the fight, too.
A live-action Spawn movie starring Jamie Foxx is currently in the works at Blumhouse Productions.


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11 Nov 2014
Sales of LED lamps and systems up 72% on last year as former Carl Zeiss executive Olaf Berlien takes over from Wolfgang Dehen.
The flurry of announcements came as the Germany-headquartered company revealed its latest financial results, and claimed that its transformation was paying off as it adapted to the challenges facing the wider lighting industry.
Chief among those was news that Olaf Berlien, currently CEO of the tech-focused construction firm M+W Group, is set to take over as Osram’s CEO in January.
Previously an executive at Carl Zeiss and armed with a doctorate from the Technical University of Berlin, the 52-year-old will also take on the role of chief technology officer. However, the immediate priority for Berlien will be to oversee another phase of cost-cuts at the company, with 7800 more jobs set to be eliminated – many of them in Germany.
Between his Zeiss and M+W stints, Berlien was in charge of the technologies division at steel maker ThyssenKrupp, but left under a cloud in late 2012 after the company reported losses amid an ill-fated Asian expansion and allegations of corruption.
The management switch at Osram follows the unexpected departure from the board of former CTO Peter Laier earlier this year, while Dehen was originally appointed by the firm’s former parent company Siemens back in 2011 to oversee Osram’s eventual stock market flotation.
Explaining the changes, Osram’s supervisory board chairman Peter Bauer said that Dehen had told the board that he wanted to leave the company shortly after the departure of Laier. He also waived the normal six-month CEO transition period so that the company could install his successor as quickly as possible.
“Wolfgang Dehen has led Osram through an unprecedented transformation,” Bauer told a press conference, highlighting the upheaval impacting the entire industry as it manages the change from traditional to solid-state lighting technology based on LEDs.
Critical to that has been a slimming-down of Osram’s operations that has seen nearly 9000 jobs relating to traditional lighting technologies lost already.
"He conducted a very successful IPO and has created the conditions for Osram to be profitable and take on a leading position in the future of digital lighting," Bauer added.
The speed of the transformation was evident in Osram’s sales figures for the three months ending September 30, in which the company reported 72 per cent year-on-year growth in sales of LED lamps and systems.
Those solid-state lighting technologies accounted for €144 million in the latest quarter, equivalent to 10 per cent of Osram’s total sales. Its Osram Opto division, which actually fabricates the LED chips that are central to the lighting revolution, as well as a range of laser didoes and other photonic components, accounted for 21 per cent of sales in the quarter.
However, the older technology that Osram classifies as “classic lamps and ballasts” still amounted to one-third of the company’s total €1.34 billion quarterly revenues.
Phase two “push” strategy
The ongoing transformation is proving very costly to Osram in the short term, with just under €600 million in charges as the company shed 11 facilities and 8700 jobs over the past couple of years.
Referred to as “push phase one” of the transformation strategy, it is estimated to have saved a cumulative €871 million thus far, with a further €400 million in savings anticipated next year.
Next up is “push phase two”, which will see a further 7800 jobs lost and more restructuring in Germany as Osram targets saving an additional €1.3 billion. Achieving that is expected to cost an initial €450 million.
Bauer and his management team want to set up a “lean” organization capable of competing in the new lighting industry conditions, where there are many more competitors than Osram, Philips and GE have been used to as bulb-makers.
Meanwhile, the firm is to issue its first shareholder dividend - of €0.90 per share, equivalent to half its €193 million net income for fiscal 2014 - since its stock market flotation as a public company separate from Siemens.
“We want our shareholders to benefit from this and plan to distribute a dividend for the first time for fiscal 2014,” said the outgoing Dehen. “The planned dividend continuity for fiscal 2015 underlines our confidence in the positive development of Osram.”
But while sales revenues for fiscal 2015 are expected to be similar to the €5.1 billion posted for the year ending September 2014, earnings will be significantly lower as Osram incurs the cost of its phase-two cuts.
Green LEDs break efficacy records
In other developments at the Munich firm, red and yellow LEDs should become cheaper as Osram switches their fabrication from 4-inch gallium arsenide wafers to the more cost-effective 6-inch format. The investment will mean Osram produces all of its visible-range LED chips on the larger-sized wafers.
“LED technology is becoming more and more popular, for example in the Ford F-150, which is one of the best-selling pickup trucks in the US and came into the market in 2014 with a full LED front lighting from Osram,” the firm added.
In addition to that, Audi’s R8 LMX and BMW’s i8 have become the first two production cars to feature laser headlamp modules.
In the laboratory, Osram Opto has also been working to improve green LED technology, which because of the so-called “green gap” problem has lagged well behind its red, yellow and blue cousins.
Using two different approaches – one based on a new phosphor combined with a blue LED chip – Osram’s researchers appear to have made some good progress.
Under the “Hi-Q-LED” project funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), its InGaN devices have shown record 147 lumens per Watt efficacy in the green spectrum at 530 nm. The alternative, phosphor-based approach has delivered a record 209 lumens per Watt centered at 540 nm but with a much broader emission spectrum than the direct green emitter.
Osram research engineer Thomas Lehnhardt said: “Continuous improvement of the blue LED chips, an optimized excitation wavelength and an increased degree of conversion of the phosphor converter are the winning combination underlying the new record-breaking LED.”
Neither device is yet ready for mass production, however, with a two-year development time frame typically required for that transformation from lab to fab.


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Global Auto Chip Shortage: Challenges, Opportunities and Implications for OEMs
TCL Technology Acquires Suzhou CSOT, Reinforcing the Company’s Competitive Edge
According to recent reports, TCL Technology acquired Suzhou CSOT to increase the company’s competitive edge in the semiconductor industry, optimizing product quality and expediting the streamlined process.
Oct 12, 2021 02:12 PM
Chinese Battery Maker CATL Confirms Canada's Millennial Lithium Takeover
CATL also confirmed that the company had signed a 100% equity acquisition agreement with Millennium Lithium. The firm sees this acquisition as an important measure for its supply chain layout and further ensuring the long-term and stable supply of lithium raw materials.
Sep 29, 2021 01:30 PM


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Google launches smart contact lens to track glucose levels in diabetics
Google [X] is known for its amazing innovative products like Google Glass, Google Driverless cars, Project loon and more. Adding to the list, Google announced today its smart contact lens project to monitor blood sugar levels using a tiny wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor.
Diabetes is the scourge of modern times, affecting one in 19 people worldwide. The traditional method of tracking glucose levels by pricking the finger for blood sample is uncomfortable and painful, but according to Google, scientists have investigated various body fluids, like tears, in the hope of finding an easy solution. Taking advantage of this investigation, Google is testing a prototype that is built to measure glucose levels in tears using tiny wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor that are embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material.
This has the potential to serve as an early warning and Google is exploring integrating tiny LED lights that would light up to indicate that glucose levels have crossed above or below certain thresholds.
We checked out the electronic circuitry of a traditional glucose measuring machine and you can tell from the diagram below the kind of research Google has put in to make a miniaturized version of this glucose tracker.
Google is in discussions with the FDA, though it says there is a lot more research required before the product can be put for commercial use.
In the light of International Diabetes Federation’s statement that the world is “losing the battle” against diabetes, it becomes imperative to find ways of managing the disease better.
A lot of research on the same lines is already underway. A recent scientific paper published in June, 2013, titled ‘Miniature Biofuel Cell as a Potential Power Source for Glucose-Sensing Contact Lenses’, indicates the technology is not new. A popular tech blog also reported that Microsoft has been working on a similar technology for some time now.
Manoja, a medical student at KIMS, Hyderabad, agrees that it is an amazing product idea but adds that glucose in tears varies depending on the condition of the eye (cataract for example).
There are many aspects of this innovation which will need to be addressed. As an ophthalmologist indicated that wearing a contact lens for more than 10 hours can cause harm. And what about someone who already wears a power lens? Runjhun Jain, another MBBS student expressed concern that the eye is a delicate organ and the product should maintain high safety standards.
But all said and done, it is a revolutionary concept and another example of an amazing wearable technology device. Turns out the year is starting on a good note for technology.


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- EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Jim Cramer's Protégé, Dave Peltier, only buys Stocks Under $10 that he thinks could potentially double. See what he's trading today with a 14-day FREE pass.
The Fed and retail drive markets on Wednesday.
Pressure is mounting on CEOs to step down from President Donald Trump's American Manufacturing Council
Target and Urban Outfitters sweetened investor appetite for retail names.
President Donald Trump said in a tweet on Wednesday that he is ending both CEO advisory councils to him after several executives quit the groups.
Campbell's Morrison joins 3M's Thulin in quitting Trump's manufacturing council.