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Surprise! The Chinese have a hinky economic system.
The reason for the sarcasm is that a US government investigation into the Chinese solar panel industry has found evidence that Chinese manufacturers are selling solar panels for less than the cost to make them, which really hurts their competitors (and them, but they’re getting free money from the Chinese government, so they’re doing well at the moment). This shouldn’t be much of a surprise to anyone.
For over a decade now, the Chinese government has been making money easily accessible to Chinese manufacturers in the form of low-interest loans. This has provided many jobs and sparked the Chinese economy into a huge boom, but it’s also allowed the companies to become bloated and inefficient (after all, why bother with efficiency when you can just take out another loan?). The loans have become essentially free since the Great Recession started, which has made the bloat grow even faster. This is, if you’re curious, the same situation that Japan was in in the late 80s, just before it fell into its current multi-decade stagnation.
So, yeah. Not at all surprised that the same thing’s been going on in the solar industry over there. The only question is what the US (and others) are going to do about it. This situation leaves China’s competitors with three bad choices: either take advantage of the artificially cheap goods for sale (driving their own solar industries out of business), subsidize their solar industries (which would cost a lot of money), or slap import tariffs on Chinese solar panels, which would very likely start a trade war. There aren’t really any good responses to this, the way I see it.
China has said that it will take another (small) step towards controlling its GHG emissions. This is supposed to be an actual cap on emissions in seven provinces and cities, not just an intensity target or an emissions permit trading scheme. Whether the, um, flexible nature of China’s local governments will actually produce meaningful results, we’ll have to wait and see.
Damn it. The Chinese are doing it again. Not content with almost driving Rhinos to extinction, they’re now going after large ray species. Apparently, the gill strainers of manta and mobula rays have become a vital ingredient in some Chinese folk medicines. You can guess what’s happened to their populations in the wild.
The Pentagon is not happy about how easy it is to crack/infect/hack the systems of the various security agencies in the US. And to give you an excellent example of why, there’s the news that Chinese hackers have found another way to get into the Pentagon’s system and steal information, this time using smart-cards.
Constructing buildings is a time-consuming affair, usually. But a Chinese construction company has put together a 30-story hotel in under 15 days using pre-fabricated parts. I’ve seen a number of other concepts and businesses that use pre-fabricated sections to construct houses and office buildings in remarkably short periods of time, and with considerably less labor costs. Will the efficiencies offered by prefabrication of buildings change how we build structures? Or are the traditional methods going to maintain an economic advantage? I’ll keep an eye out for more stories on the subject.
Ah, CES. What wonders it holds each year. And what a deluge of news stories. Which I have sifted through and picked out what I think will actually matter. Read on…
- A new survey says that only 48% of consumers were watching cable TV in 2011, down from 71% in 2009. I wonder if we’re going to see the TV turn into a peripheral for the internet and mobile devices, rather than being the central media device?
- We’re used to touchscreens by now, but what about touch-sensitive clothing or upholstery?
- Touchscreens are coming to the kitchen, now, too: A touchscreen is the controller for an induction stove, which can selectively heat whatever is on its surface, wherever it’s placed.
- Liquipel is a new waterproof coating for the innards of your electronics; we may be looking at the beginning of widespread waterproofing of anything and everything electronic. [Update, 1/11: Here’s another brand that’s looking to do the same thing.]
- You’re at a conference (say, CES) and your cell is about to die. You don’t want to be tied to a wall socket waiting for it to recharge, so what do you do? Plug it into your backpack. The Powerbag is a backpack with a battery built in, which can charge your electronics while you’re on the go. And they thoughtfully provided some attending reporters with some, just to make sure that we heard about it.
- Somebody’s finally built a couple of wall sockets with built-in USB plugs. All I have to say is, it’s about time.
- 3D printing is trying to make a move into the home market – for reals, this time – and the Cube and MakerBot’s new two-color printer called the Replicator are the contenders that I’ve seen in the coverage of CES today.
- Sheesh, talk about a wonder-material. Scientists have found another use for graphene. Again! This time they’ve tinkered with the isotope make-up of the material, which creates a form of the stuff that’s apparently very good at dissipating heat. So now, even if we can’t figure out a way to make graphene computer chips, we’ll be able to use graphene to keep our old-fashioned silicon chips cool.
- Scientists have recreated the white, fungus-filled layer that coats some types of cheese. Why am I talking about fungus and cheese, you ask? Because the layer that they’ve created could be used to keep a surface permanently clean – it eats organic material (like bacteria) that falls onto it, and it can theoretically live forever as long as there’s enough moisture in the air.
- The Marines are looking for a new brain/control-system for their robots – something that doesn’t need its hand held going from one place to another, and that can be plugged into multiple different platforms.
- And speaking of military robots… The US military’s airfleet is now 1/3 UAVs. I repeat: one third of all aircraft in the US military is now unmanned. Mind you, this includes the itty-bitty ones that are launched by hand, but that’s still an… interesting milestone, considering that the number was 5% in 2005. I wonder when it’ll become 50%? or 90%?
- Is NASA thinking of sending another lander to Venus? It’s not a particularly hospitable environment, what with a temperature around 1000*F, massive air pressure and a choking atmosphere. Still, NASA’s building a hell-on-Earth simulator for wannabe Venusian probes, so they seem to be considering the possibility…
- One of the things that I’m going to be keeping an eye on this year is the legal status of civilian drone use. The reason I bring this up is that Sea Shepherd (the vigilante anti-whaling group) has received permission from the Australian government to use drones to track the Japanese whaling fleet.
- Speaking of civvie surveillance drones… here are some toy versions for making mischief.
- And, lest we forget, there are certain improvements that have to be made for drones to work in busy airspaces and around cities. Like avoiding other aircraft and knowing what spots are safe for an emergency landing.
- Smart traffic lights – they’re a dream for planners and commuters, and a nightmare for people who deal with them when they glitch. Still, maybe if they have something that tells them what’s at the intersection, that’ll help a little.
- A new pathway for cybercrime (and possibly assassination): hacking your car. Seriously, if you hook a car up to the internet, this will happen. Who, when, where, why, and how aren’t possible to determine, but it will happen. Really doesn’t make me look forward to buying my next car…
- Sleeves that track your arm movements, another way for people and companies to improve productivity.
- Connect your home appliances, thermostat, power and water supply, etc, to a single electrical monitoring system, which you can access and control via the internet. This is a smart home, and we’re likely to see more and better in the coming decade or two.
- Oh hey, I was talking about the US military’s budget plans yesterday, and here they are in the news: Wired and DefenseTech have articles on Obama’s and Panetta’s plans for the military. They were also on the network news quite a bit, too.
- There’s been some chatter on the blogosphere about the USAF X-37B spaceplane spying on China’s space station/lab. Not sure if it’s legit concerns or just a bit of noise that lacks real substance.


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Philipp Plein has big global ambitions — and the U.S. is high on his list.
A 1,400-square-foot flagship at 250 Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles opening on Tuesday will be the German designer’s 38th store worldwide. Plein plans to quickly ramp up his store count. By next year, he hopes to have 80 to 100 stores in operation. “There’s a big Asian expansion, but Europe will continue to grow,” he said. “We’re going to open some outlet stores in Europe.”
New units are slated to open in St. Moritz, Courchevel in the French Alps, Istanbul, Moscow and Samara, Russia. In China, stores will open in Tianjin, Dalian, Zhengzhou and Shenyang. Four more stores are planned for Seoul, where there are three existing units, a fourth shop will open in Moscow and a second store in Dubai is planned.
Ever since he was a child, Plein has been infatuated with America. His hunger for U.S. culture was fueled by a trip he took when he was 14 years old when he accompanied his father, a heart surgeon, to a convention in Dallas.
The Los Angeles store is Plein’s third store in the U.S. In just under a year, he has unveiled flagships in Miami and on Madison Avenue in New York. He’s also opened a U.S. showroom, proving to American retailers — with whom he wants to do business — that he’s not a flash in the pan.
“In the U.S. we’re looking for more locations,” Plein said. “Las Vegas will probably be our next one. We’re targeting cities with a high frequency of tourists and high visibility.”
The Rodeo Drive store will have many of the same elements as other Philipp Plein units, such as his trademark giant skull studded with Crystallized Swarovski Elements. Illuminated hexagonal shapes in polished steel can be seen throughout the store, bearing the “PP” initials. The store is decorated with black-and-white stone, crocodile-embossed leather and a Murano smoked glass chandelier. “When you enter a store, you enter a world,” Plein said. “I control the music, lighting and even the smell.”
Plein said the key to success will be “to become a brand. It’s brand awareness. We have a strong retail network in Europe. We’re only missing London in Europe.” Plein has begun advertising in the U.S. and celebrity publicity will come next, with the company courting celebrity stylists, he said.
Plein’s $253 million business is 75 percent driven by wholesale sales with 600 points of distribution worldwide. “We are not yet in American department stores because I don’t want to be,” Plein claimed. “I want to build the image of the brand first. The next step in the U.S. will be wholesale. My team from Milan is traveling the country and going to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas to do a market study. Our biggest markets to date are Asia, Russia and Europe. The U.S. is a different market. It’s not hungry for luxury goods like Russia.”
Plein’s business is divided equally between men and women. He said 90 percent of the manufacturing is done in Italy, with the remaining 10 percent in Istanbul.
Wearing a black V-neck T-shirt and baggy jogging pants slung low to reveal the waistband of his Philipp Plein underwear, the designer, 36, last week discussed his business with intensity, barely stopping to take a breath. A can of Red Bull sat on the table in front of him. Asked if that’s how he gets his energy, Plein said he doesn’t normally drink the beverage, but thought he might need it to fight off jet lag since he arrived from Europe the night before. Plein was sitting in his New York showroom, which occupies a two-story penthouse on 58th Street, across from the Plaza Hotel and has views of Central Park. The designer, whose arms are heavily tattooed, wears a trio of Cartier Love bracelets. He explained why his runway shows are spectacles; Rita Ora, Iggy Azalea and Grace Jones have performed in past seasons. “Today, people don’t dream,” he said. “We have to give them something to dream about.
“People talk about inspiration and going to India and blah, blah, blah,” Plein said. “It’s all bulls–t. You can get inspiration from anything. I like to be surprising.”
Plein’s designs are not for the shy, retiring type. Handbags have names such as “Little Weapon,” T-shirts are emblazoned with the message “The Bitch Is Back” and a recurring theme in Plein’s collections is the skull.
“Luxury has to be fun,” Plein said. “At the moment, the market is dominated by big groups with big names. They’re getting boring for the customer.”

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Sabrina Carpenter recently joined forces with Kim Kardashian's brand SKIMS to break the internet in its latest release.
On Monday, April 1, SKIMS took to their Instagram to share a carousel of photos and videos featuring the "next generation pop star".
The brand went on to share more pictures of the actress and detailed her outfit from their latest collection whilst rrevealing the drop date.
SKIMS captioned the post: "Next-gen pop star @SabrinaCarpenter gets intimate with spring’s sexiest sets: ultra-romantic Stretch Lace and new Fits Everybody colors drop Wednesday, April 3 at 9AM PT / 12PM ET. Join the waitlist to be the first to shop. @SabrinaCarpenter wears the Stretch Lace Corset and Tie Side Bikini in Cotton Candy."
In a video posted to the social platform, SKIMS showcased Carpenter trying out various products from the line, giving off major vintage vibes.
The Tall Girl alum looked stunning as she tired on a different looks.
The brand, which was founded by Kardashian, posted the video with a caption that read: "@sabrinacarpenter’s spring fling: SKIMS. The girliest Stretch Lace and Fits Everybody intimates drop Wednesday, April 3 at 9AM PT / 12PM ET."
Following the release, fans left heartfelt comments for the actress.
One fan commented: "Sabrina carpenter is the HOTTEST WOMAN ALIVE."
Another user chimed in, adding: "The way sabrina carpenter serves every time should be studied...... like."
Taylor Swift surprised her fans with 15 more songs as part of her latest album
King Charles reportedly invited Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for Balmoral retreat
Harry, The Duke of Sussex, comes under fire after fresh abuse claims hit African charity
Taylor Swift released her 11th studio album, 'The Tortured Poets Department' on April 19
Sabrina Carpenter is longtime friends with Taylor Swift
Katy Perry and Orlando have been together for nearly a decade


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January 2, 2009 | Sheri Hebbeln
Amid all of the news of economic downturn, I think it’s important to call attention to some of the reasons for optimism for this coming year, and trends we can look to in ensuring it’s a good year.
The Promise of Millennials (born between 1980 and 1990)
This market is growing. The people of this generation are enthusiastic about wine, and they’re not afraid to try new things. They’re only now shaping their tastes for the future and present a tremendous opportunity for wine marketers.
In mid-November StrategyOne conducted a study on behalf of Pepsi, very appropriately named POP (or the ‘Pepsi Optimism Project’). The survey was conducted as part of a new branding initiative by Pepsi, which will include an ad campaign featuring this theme of optimism.
According to the Pepsi study, 94% of Generation Y (or Millennials) have a positive outlook on the future. Moreover, despite recent job forecasts, 77% of them report having a strong sense of optimism about their careers. When you think about it, this would seem to make sense. In an article for CIO Magazine, Meredith Levinson points out that: 1) They’ve been taught to put their own well-being ahead of that of their employers, and as a result may well be better prepared to weather the storm – or to take action in advance of potential bad news, 2) They’re just starting out, which means they are generally paid less relative to workers who have been around for longer, 3) Their financial burdens are less. They typically haven’t taken on things like mortgages or childcare at this stage. 4) They’re adept at multitasking, making them well prepared to fill in the gaps where necessary.
This group is fueled by an eagerness to begin shaping their own destinies and make 2009 their year. As Pepsi spokesperson Lisa Orrell points out “With so much to worry about over the next several months, maybe we would all be better served taking on this group’s optimism.”
New Innovations in Social Media
In difficult economic times, Social Media becomes even more relevant and more important as a means of energizing loyal consumers than ever before. It’s particularly useful for our industry given the social nature of wine, and because after all, wine may well be the last sacrifice in hard times. More and more wine marketing professionals are realizing that tomorrow’s marketing is all about developing a conversation with customers. And what was once reserved for the early adopters has now become mainstream. Social media is not reserved for just Millennials, but is popular with Gen X, and Baby Boomers alike, and with the potential that Smart Phone Apps present for 2009, these same people are more connected than ever before. According to a great new book, Groundswell by Forrester Research, Stormhoek (a success story that is familiar to many in the wine industry for its early adoption and success with social media) first started tapping into the blogging community in 2005 and grew from a $1 million dollar company to a $10 million company within a couple of short years.
Wired magazine published a list of the “six web technologies of 2008 you need to use now” and it is no coincidence that several of these technologies relate to things like identity management and lifestreaming; items which in short are designed to make it easier for all of us to maneuver the social web.


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Monday, October 31, 2016
2017 Hyundai Azera aka Hyundai Grandeur photos released - Very European in execution and premium looking too
Sometimes it is actually better to wait awhile when it comes to typing out automotive related news. I recently received the press release on the all-new 2017 Hyundai Azera / Hyundai Grandeur which had a sketch teasing the upcoming model. It was the company throwing a hint or two. Luckily I didn't bite and here we now have proper images of the car.
Dai Lieng Machinery Sdn Bhd, which operates Volvo Trucks' official Sandakan dealership has recently upgraded to a new cutting-edge facility. The Sandakan dealership is Dai Lieng Machinery's third after its Volvo Trucks dealerships in Kota Kinabalu and Miri. Dai Lieng Machinery had invested RM7.9 million into this new facility which offers a full range of services and on-site facilities.
ISUZU MARKS 10TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF BORNEO SAFARI SPONSORSHIP BY SENDING A MU-X & THREE D-MAX TO PARTICIPATE
The Borneo Safari 2016 is officially underway and will be ongoing for about eight days or so (30th October - 6th November) in Sabah. This also marks the 10th year in a row that Isuzu Malaysia has sent a team to participate. This time around Isuzu Malaysia have prepared a 7-seater SUV to tackle the tropical rainforests of Borneo. The Isuzu Mu-X Monster makes its debut together with three other Isuzu D-Max pickup trucks.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
NISSAN still sells a 1990 Nissan Sentra in Mexico - Zero Stars and recently tested against a new 5 Star Nissan Versa
I usually keep an eye out for cars that have been in production for decades but somehow, the Nissan Tsuru, aka the 1990 Nissan Sentra has eluded me until today. I saw it on Facebook that the Latin NCAP had crash tested the 2015 Nissan Tsuru against a 2016 Nissan Versa, aka the Nissan Sylphy (here in Malaysia - still think the name sounds like a sexually transmitted disease. Versa is so much nicer). The Tsuru died a terrible death. For a car (and the crash test dummy inside) that is.
HAPPENINGS: STUDENT WINS ISUZU D-MAX PICK-UP IN DECAL DESIGN CONTEST ORGANISED BY ISUZU MALAYSIA, THE ONE ACADEMY AND SIME KANSAI PAINTS
Being a student pays off in many ways these days. Recently, a student from UPM was suddenly given the keys to an All-New Proton Saga. Now, a student from The One Academy wins an Isuzu D-MAX Pickup Truck in the pecial Isuzu D-Max Decal Design Contest jointly organized by Isuzu Malaysia Sdn Bhd, The One Academy and Sime Kansai Paints Sdn Bhd.
HAPPENINGS: Perodua and Nippon Paint spruces up a home for children and senior citizens in time for Deepavali
Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd General Manager, Mr Suresh Kumar (second from left) handover the cheque to representative from Divine Life Society. Also in the picture is Ms Elina Baseri, General Manager Perodua Strategic Communications Div. (right)
The Kasih Sayang Welfare Home, which operates from a small house on a roadside near Perodua Headquarters, cares for 10 senior citizens and 13 children at the moment. Perodua and Nippon Paint (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd had joined forces in order to give a home for children and senior citizens a makeover in preparation for the upcoming Deepavali celebration.
Friday, October 28, 2016
The Original. According to Mercedes-Benz. Actually so original because this is the same goodness to gracious G-Wagen that was conceived in 1979. What is even more amazing is that the people at Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) has decided to officially offer the stomping Mercedes-AMG G63 in Malaysia. So we officially get the original in one of its most monstrous form. Hats off to the people at MBM.
Motorsport: Shell Renews Title Sponsorship of the Malaysian MotoGP till 2020 & Other Sepang International Circuit News
Shell and Dorna Sports have announced an exciting four-year extension to the energy company’s title sponsorship of the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit (SIC). This news comes ahead of the latest instalment of the race in Kuala Lumpur, it reaffirms Shell’s commitment to top-level motorsport and the Asian region, having been title sponsor of the event in seven of the past eight seasons since 2009.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
UPCOMING EVENTS: THE STOP THE CRASH ASEAN 2016 TO BE HELD AT SEPANG CIRCUIT, 30TH NOVEMBER 2016 & IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
The Stop the Crash Partnership, with the support from the New Car Assessment Programme for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) will be organising: Stop the Crash ASEAN 2016 from 29 to 30 November 2016 at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Isuzu launched a facelifted Isuzu D-MAX pickup truck yesterday evening. The Japanese company who specialises in pickup trucks, SUVs and commercial vehicles (they do this also) have made some exterior and interior changes to keep their pickup and SUV refreshed for the Malaysian market. This is about time as the D-MAX in its previous form was first launched in 2013. Three years is quite a long time in the ever evolving car industry.
Monday, October 24, 2016
Bosch launches all-new Clear Advantage Wiper - Flat Blade wiper and Bosch Rover roadshow in Peninsular Malaysia
Bosch Automotive Aftermarket recently announced the launch of its latest flat-blade wiper – the Bosch Clear Advantage. According to Bosch, this new flat-blade wiper provides superior performance for Asian cars even in extreme weather conditions. Up to 200,000 wipe cycles. Or a heck of a lot of wipes.
The Perodua Tweckbot team is back in conjunction with the Deepavali celebrations this year. This time around, the Tweckbot team held its free 50-point vehicle inspection for its customers in Taiping, Perak. The Tweckbot programme, which was introduced in 2011, was a first for Perodua whereby it engages its customers via social media to offer free safety inspections at specified time, date and location.
This is a long time coming. This review of the all-new Proton Persona 1.6 Premium SE CVT and a few more car that desperately needed to be written. But due to a slew of new car launches and other events it has had to wait a fair bit. Anyway, the good people at Proton had managed to squeeze me into the Proton Persona media drive from the Proton Center of Excellence (COE) to Kuantan and back. Again, this was an opportunity to get proper highway and B-road (trunk road) experience on this newly launched B segment car.
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Good news! A rebate of RM4000 will be provided for individuals who purchase the Proton Iriz as part of their plans to become ride-sharing drivers, like those GrabCar and Uber type services. This is in line with what was announced in the recent 2017 budget tabled recently.
Friday, October 21, 2016
In some ways this is a surprise. Geely, that Chinese company which owns Volvo Car has now come up with another car brand that will go global. The brand is called LYNK & CO. I wonder if there are any other car companies that have the '& Co' and how are we going to call the car? Just 'Lynk' or do we need to call it 'LynkCo' or 'Lynk & Co'?
Limited Subaru Russ Swift Show Units For Sale at Promo Prices starting 21 October 2016 - Time to get your Scooby!
If you're interested in procuring a Subaru but need a little more incentive now's the time. Motor Image Malaysia, the authorised distributor of Subaru vehicles in Malaysia, will be selling limited show units including the Subaru Forester 2.0i-Premium,. These vehicles were previously used by international stunt driver Russ Swift during various Subaru roadshows. Motor Image Malaysia is offering these cars at a special promotional price commencing 21 October 2016.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Goodyear today launched its latest high performance tire, the Goodyear Wrangler TripleMax, in Malaysia. The tyre is meant for mid-size SUVs and is designed to deliver Superior Braking Performance, Shorter Wet Braking and Road Hazard Resistant features. The TripleMax basically offers a safer and fun driving experience even when one is with the family. Especially when one is with the family.
Naza Quest Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor and importer of Chevrolet vehicles in Malaysia, has launched the All-New Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck. Variants made available are the Colorado 2.5L Standard LT Manual, 2.5L LT Automatic, 2.5L Standard LTZ Automatic, the 2.8L Standard LTZ automatic and the range topping 2.8L High Country automatic. This marks a thorough revision of the current generation Colorado pickup truck. First launched globally in 2011, this latest revision features new exterior and interior design.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Mr Pascal Nouvellon, MD Michelin Malaysia (middle) with Mr Putu yudha, Marketing Manager Michelin Malaysia (right) with Bibendum the Michelin Man at the launch (yes, that white tyre fella)
Michelin has launched the ultra high performance MICHELIN Pilot Sport 4 here in Malaysia. The Pilot Sport series of tyres have been been one of the tyres that have been the choice of driving enthusiasts globally. This time, the new Pilot Sport 4 improves on its predecessor. It offers more innovation and technology that would increase every aspect of performance and safety for drivers seeking that ultimate drive.
MERCEDES-BENZ MALAYSIA 3RD Quarter 2016 Performance Report - On the way to another record year with 9,047 cars delivered between January-September 2016
Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) is on the way to another record year in terms of sales and growth. The Mercedes-Benz brand is still the number one premium automotive brand in Malaysia with 10% growth and 9,047 cars delivered to customers in the first nine months of 2016. Seriously folks, there may be an economic slowdown in various sectors but not here. And definitely not for the people who are buying these Mercedes-Benz cars.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
And meanwhile, over at camp Perodua, over 20,000 Perodua Bezza compact sedans have been delivered throughout Malaysia! The Malaysian company which specializes in small compact cars have also announced that their total industry volume, or in layman's terms market share, to be estimated at 36.1% as the the year to date.
Monday, October 17, 2016
I am in Ipoh, Perak today! This happened as part of the New Proton Saga media drive. I must say that the trip down in the mid specced Saga Executive 1.3CVT is quite nice.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Friday, October 14, 2016
The all-new Renault Koleos – Renault’s new flagship SUV – is now launched and available in Renault showrooms nationwide. The fresh looking SUV is available at the introductory price of RM172,800 in Peninsular Malaysia and RM116,800 in Langkawi (on-the-road inclusive of GST, without insurance and for private registration).
Thursday, October 13, 2016
PROTON SEARCH CONTEST 2016 WINNER ANNOUNCED - LONGEST SINGLE OWNER PROTON WITH MOST MEMORABLE STORY WINS A NEW PROTON SAGA
I was at Proton's Center of Excellence this afternoon for one of those truly unique and heartfelt motoring events that only happens every few years or so. Proton had announced the winners for the Proton Search Contest 2016 where they invited Proton owners who had owned the longest running, decent condition Proton cars out there to participate and also required them to share warm memories of their cars either through written stories or short videos.
This is just to inform you readers out there that there will be a Volkswagen Driving Experience event this weekend at Angsana Johor Bahru Mall on the 15th and 16th of October 2016. If you are in JB during this coming weekend, do head over for one of those motoring experiences that usually only money can buy. This one is free. Courtesy of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia.
This is finally it. The seventh generation of the G30 BMW 5 Series Sedan has been revealed and it further evolves the styling of its predecessor, the F10 5 Series. This new one will definitely make its mark when it hits the roads in markets around the world in February 2017 - we should get it at the very least two months or so after that usually (which is still darn fast by Malaysian standards).
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
In commemorating 10 years of durable and timeless collaborations with Land Rover, renowned Dutch based lifestyle designers, Piet Boon, today debuted his latest bespoke limited edition design Range Rover in Malaysia.
Volkswagen Wearnes Sg Besi 4S Centre Relocates to its new Facility just across the road from where it was earlier
If you've been frequenting or intend to visit the Volkswagen showroom and service center in Sungei Besi take note that it has moved to somewhere close by. The Volkswagen Wearnes Sg Besi 4S Centre has officially relocated to their their new 4S facility located at No. 8, Jalan Dua, Off Jalan Sungei Besi, KL. The new location, now fully operational and open for business, is located just across the road from where the earlier Centre was previously located.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Hertz Is Offering Exclusive Car Rental Discounts to Singaporean and Malaysian Drivers Travelling to the United States
If you are travelling to the land of burger and fries,, the United States of America, and have the intention of driving yourself now's the time to do so. Well, IF you have money to blow lah. HERTZ, that famous car rental company has an offer for those of us in Malaysia and Singapore. You can enjoy a 15% discount on cars from the Hertz Prestige and Adrenaline Collections as well as other top of the line vehicles. Note, as I said, if you have money to spend.
Monday, October 10, 2016
PROTON cars is on a roll. The All-new Proton Persona and the All-New Proton Saga have managed to be quite a sales success for them raking in over 12,000 and 4,000 bookings respectively. This is quite promising for them as the new Persona was launched on the 23rd of August and the New Saga was only launched on the 28th of September. A mere two weeks or so ago!
Lotus Cars has launched the new Lotus Exige 350 Special Edition. This is the final car in a series of three Lotus 50th celebration edition cars in conjunction with the celebration of Lotus' 50 years at Hethel.
L to R - At the launch - Chief Procurement Officer PROTON-Tuan Haji Hamizan bin Osman, MAI CEO-Datuk Madani Sahari & Mr. Rohime Bin Shafie, CEO Proton Edar
It was a whole day thing for me today at the Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI). I witnessed the prize giving and conference for the inaugural Formula SEA ASEAN in the morning and then later in the afternoon, I attended the launch of the latest round Automotive Supplier Excellence Programme (ASEP) and Dealers Entrepreneurship Enhancement Programme (DEEP) conducted by MAI featuring PROTON with participation by its chosen vendors and dealers.
UiTM student team walks away with RM35,000 at the inaugural Formula SAE ASEAN - Taylor's Uni students a close second!
Today I attended the Prize giving ceremony of the inaugural Formula SAE ASEAN at the Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) in Cyberjaya. Seven (7) teams from six (6) universities competed at the multi-stage design competition. This year's competition comprised of teams from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Taylor's University, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Inti International University and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). From there, the team from UiTM (car no 88) was the overall winner, with a close second by the team from Taylor's University (No 28).
Sunday, October 09, 2016
Volkswagen Group announces relocation of their regional after sales center to Johor - Operational by 2018
This bit of good news comes from Volkswagen Group directly. They group is moving their Regional After Sales center for the Asia Pacific region to Malaysia! This means faster spares and faster spares means better after sales services.
Here is another one of those cars that you can find whilst scouring mudah.my for nice used sports cars. However, I wouldn't really say that this is one of those 'nice sports cars'. How about a nicely done up, identity confused sports car? I think this is more apt. What we have here folks is a 1993 Nissan 300ZX Fairlady that has been worked into something that bears resemblance to a Lamborghini. Why? This is the million Ringgit question.
Saturday, October 08, 2016
Perodua won something with the Bezza at the CarSifu Editor's Choice Awards 2016. Something called the BEST FAMILY RIDE OF THE YEAR. Whilst it is good that Perodua won something. Congratulations is in order, but..... It would make sense if the award was for Best A-segment sedan or something like that.
Recently, PROTON, the national car company managed to bag a couple of awards at the first ever Carsifu Editor's Choice Awards 2016. The very recently launched All-New, Persona Premium CVT (the mid-specced car) had won Best Compact Car and the also freshly launched All-New Proton Perdana 2.4 won Best Local Design of the Year at the inaugural CarSifu Editors’ Choice Awards 2016. Congratulations to Proton cars is in order.
Managing Director of Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd, Dr. Zahari Husin (right), set off an air horn to release the participants of Perodua Fun Walk 2016. Also in the picture is Mr. Takamasa Kurinami, Executive Director of Perodua.
It's National Sports Day here in Malaysia today folks and I was busy taking a long afternoon nap just now. The reason was that I had to wake up early today and send my kid to her school for her school sports day today held in conjunction with the National Sports Day. So I sent her, went out with the missus for some fabric shopping in SS2 (we ended up not buying anything) and then later went over to the little kiddo's school and ate nasi lemak whilst waiting. After that I went home and fell asleep on the sofa. So much for National Sports Day participation on my part. But anyway, Perodua did something today too!
ISUZU D-MAX BEAST wins ‘Best Dressed-up Pick-up Truck’ at the first ever Carsifu Editor’s Choice Awards
The limited edition Isuzu D-Max BEAST triumphed in the ‘Best Dressed-up Pick-up Truck’ category at the first ever Carsifu Editor’s Choice Awards organised by Star Media Group. Isuzu Malaysia Sdn Bhd Executive Director Hajime Machimura (3rd from left in the photo above) received the award from Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong in the presence of Star Media Group Chairman Datuk Fu Ah Kiow, chief operating officer Calvin Kan and chief revenue officer Lim Bee Leng at a gala dinner on the 6th of October 2016.
Friday, October 07, 2016
Ford starts producing more Ford Ranger pickup trucks in Thailand to meet demand & photos of a Ford Ranger Wildtrak
A bit of regional automotive news now folks. Ford Motor Company has announced the official start of production for the Ford Ranger pickup truck at its Ford Thailand Manufacturing (FTM) facility to help meet extraordinary demand across the Asia Pacific region.
Haji Idros, Sales Director od Scania SEA (2nd from right) handing over the key to the Scania truck to the Directors of SMG Mega Sappire.
SMG Mega Sappire Sdn Bhd (SMG) has added two new Scania trucks to its fleet as part of its expansion to cater for the increase in the haulage and loader business. The keys to its two latest P410LA6X2MSZ trucks were handed over to the Managing Director of SMG, Mr Kanapathy Raman Satish by the Sales Director for Scania Southeast Asia, Tuan Haji Idros Puteh today.
AUDI MALAYSIA introduces the Q7 2.0 TFSI Quattro - The flagship Audi SUV gets competitive in terms of pricing
Don't you just love downsizing? Now you can buy a huge full-sized SUV (or house) and only pay less road tax for it! Audi Malaysia has just introduced the flagship Audi Q7 with a 2.0liter TFSI engine. This comes in close to a year after the official launch of the current Q7 with the 3.0 TFSI engine here in Malaysia. So you can have all the style of the largest SUV Audi offers with its more common and smaller engine (usually seen in the smaller A4, Q5, A6 models).
Thursday, October 06, 2016
The Ford Fiesta is 40 years old already! Time flies. Since first little Fiesta rolled off the production line in 1976, there have been 6 generations of Fiesta with more than 17 million units produced to date. Ford is marking this special 40th birthday with a celebration of a car that is still keeping with the times and is innovative to this day. It is also the best-selling car in Europe for the past four years as it has been throughout the years.
Truck News: GIGA Shipping takes delivery of 2 HINO Truck Carriers & HINO announces sales of 2,551 units for the 1st Half of 2016
Earlier today GIGA Shipping, a subsidiary of Giga Maritime Group took delivery of two HINO SG2PDPA Prime Mover / Truck Carriers. The handover ceremony took place in HINO 3S dealer center, Soon Seng Truck & Parts Sdn Bhd. in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. It was attended by Mr. Ken Iwamoto, Managing Director of Hino Motor Sales Malaysia who presented the trucks to Datuk Kumar Prabakaran, Managing Director of GIGA .


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Not all food trucks are for profit businesses. The latest to join the industry is in Greenville, SC where a food truck will be used to feed students of the Greenvile County School district.
GREENVILLE, SC – The latest Greenville institution to get a food truck? Greenville County Schools.
Greenville County Schools today announced that it would expand its Food and Nutrition Services program with the addition of a full service food truck. The truck will hit the streets this summer as part of the school system’s summer feeding program, and will be used throughout the school year to help the Food and Nutrition Services program introduce fun new items to the school lunch menu.
Greenville County Schools director of Food and Nutrition Services Joe Urban alluded to the fact that the district was working on getting a truck last year, but had not finalized anything at that time.
Anderson 5 School District launched its food truck last summer as a way to reach more children during the summer months.
The food truck is the latest in the Food and Nutrition Service’s innovation. In the 2015-2016 school year, FANS introduced new items to school lunch menus like sushi, St. Louis style ribs, Buffalo wings, a mac and cheese bar, a mashed potato bar and Latin Fusion tacos.
The new full service food truck will be used to feed children free summer meals and will be used at schools to introduce new, unique lunch items throughout the school year.
Find the original article at greenvilleonline.com [here]


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LOGAN SQUARE — More than 50 local artists and makers will sell their wares at a holiday market in Logan Square this weekend.
The inaugural Windy City Made market is set for noon-6 p.m. Sunday at the historic Stan Mansion, 2408 N. Kedzie Blvd. Those who RSVP online (and use the code “RSVP”) get in free. Otherwise, it’s $5 at the door.
The market will feature a mix of vendors selling a range of last-minute gifts, from handmade jewelry and small-batch soap to vintage barware and art prints. Gathering Hands, Primaries Vintage and Chicago Wick Stop are just a few of the vendors slated to participate.
Outfitted with festive decor and offering seasonal drinks and snacks, the event will have the feel of a “fancy” holiday party, according to a news release.
The market was launched by Emma Lewis, an art historian and vendor who sells art deco-inspired stationery and gifts under the moniker The Twentieth.
After a year of vending at 30 markets across the city, the Andersonville resident decided to organize her own market that would double as a celebration of Chicago’s maker community.
“Since I’m a vendor, and not an event organizer, I know a lot of these vendors — they’re my friends and people I’ve met like coworkers in a way,” Lewis said. “We’ve all been working so hard [leading up to] the holiday season; I wanted to have a party atmosphere. For most people, it will be their last show they do this year.”
So far, more than 1,000 people have RSVP’d for the market, a “great show of support” for local makers, Lewis said.
If all goes according to plan, Lewis plans to bring the market back next year, possibly on a quarterly basis, she said.
“Something I heard all of the time before I started my business from Chicago small business owners is that when people choose to shop with us, it makes such a huge difference. That’s the way we want to send us out into 2023,” Lewis said.
Limited free parking will be available at 2323 N. Albany Ave.
Listen to “It’s All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast”:


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French trade commissioner says cheeses, meat products and juice may be produced in the UAE to lower import costs.
UAE strategic to food production plans, says France
DUBAI // French food companies will soon be making cheese and other dairy products, meat and juice in the UAE, if talks with prospective partners here are successful.
The development was revealed today by French trade commissioner Francois Sporrer, though he said he could not name the firms involved at this stage.
The move would slash the cost of French brands sold here, because the current need to import items by air pushes up prices greatly.
"We'll see more and more companies coming here because you have to be close to the markets, especially when you deal with fresh products," he added. "The Emirates are a major platform for trade with neighbouring countries, including more distant ones such as India, Egypt and maybe East Africa."
The French spice company Gyma has already set up a plant at Dubai Investment Park, and some of the products made there are shipped to France.
Mr Sporrer was one of the guests at an event promoting the giant Gulfood exhibition, which takes place in Dubai next week.
He said it would not be possible for French companies to make speciality products such as Camembert in the UAE, but added: "You could produce a fair quality cheese here, why not?"


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|Logan: "Entrepreneurs can do more than offer rewards to backers."|
PLANTSVILLE: Two Connecticut entrepreneurs are taking on the crowd funding and crowdsorcing “space” with a new company Umergence, at umergence.com.
CEO and co-founder David Logan previously served as director of technology at the University of Connecticut, and CFO and co-founder, Jeff Ciarcia was an international trader and portfolio manager at First New York Securities.
The company has just finished its alpha testing, and says it is a one-stop-shop where aspiring entrepreneurs can test, grow, fund and ultimately build their ideas.”
"With Umergence, entrepreneurs can do more than offer rewards to backers," Logan said, adding, "they can test out their initial ideas, raise real capital and hire and manage skilled collaborators."
Umergence founders understand the need that entrepreneurs have, Logan told us, “we are self-funded, bootstrapped.” Logan and Ciarcia tapped their retirement accounts and personal savings to fund their enterprise. Logan added, “We are all in!! All the chips are in and now we are playing the hand. Really excited to start helping entrepreneurs build their dreams!”
The duo is working to forge a partnership with Connecticut Innovations to help Connecticut startups raise funds.
The fees range from 3-5% for capital raises and th company says the “platform that crowdsources the whole entrepreneurial process, starting with the ideation behind new ventures.”
From there, says Logan, Umergence continues to support growth. "As members clarify their vision and build community, they can open doors to financial support and even find the talent to build their business. This harnesses the power and wisdom of the crowd."
Umergence, is a broker/dealer member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), is uniquely positioned to help entrepreneurs raise capital from supporters as true partners. Entrepreneurs can create custom offerings, tailored to their business needs and development stage, from prefunding prototypes to IPOs and ICOs (initial coin offerings).
"We wanted to provide a flexibility and scale that just isn't there in other crowdfunding platforms," says Ciarcia, adding, "entrepreneurs with killer ideas don't have to move off-platform to thrive and scale. We're supporting their growth through the long haul."
Umergence also provides entrepreneurs access to human resources. With a full services marketplace and job listings, startups and accelerators can find talent in the crowd and manage it from their own dashboards.
The company’s material says “the platform is modeled after the self-organizing productivity of the modern co-working space. With dynamic menus, users can view interest-based community feeds while simultaneously guiding their own projects. https://umergence.com/how-it-works


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World Health Emergency declared by WHO due to Coronavirus threat
Recently WHO declared world health emergency due to Coronavirus threat all over the world. Now people are seeking business advantage over Coronavirus. Especially eBay and Amazon sellers. Selling face mask over the last few days went sky high as per eBay and Amazon trending reports. However many of them not up to the standard which protects from Coronavirus. But people who scared to death buy those things over the internet without any knowledge that those facemasks will do nothing to prevent them from Coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Asians found fortune from Coronavirus, especially in Sri Lankans. As per the eBay reports they have taken done many eBay listings due to its policy violation over drug sales. Many sellers from Asia sell local remedies and balms on the internet saying those stuff protect people from Coronavirus. That’s a large scale scam over the eBay and Amazon. As per the spokesperson from the eBay mentioned, they are taking necessary actions against those sellers who do not follow the eBay drug selling rules as well as seller who sell the fake drugs which claim those are antivirus for Coronavirus. As per the internal trending geographical reports, Sri Lankan sellers are on top of the list at the moment who sell fake drugs for Coronavirus.


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Fifteen years after its accession into the World Trade Organisation (WTO), China is now looking forward to seeing its status as a non-market economy (NME) expire this December. With this accession protocol about to expire, China has the ability to be considered for Market Economy Status (MES) and therefore be allowed to export its goods without needing to bear the burden of proof when called to arbitration cases in the WTO.
In 2001, when China joined the WTO, several developed economies like the U.S. and the European Union (EU) argued that China should be treated as a NME due to government subsidies in heavy industries and currency policy. Such subsidies arguably give Chinese state and non-state companies an unfair advantage in the European market. For example, dumping products like steel at a lower-than-normal price into a market to undercut the domestic industry of the importing country and therefore unfairly increase its market share. This has remained a prominent and controversial issue. In such cases brought forward to the WTO, China’s status as a NME would normally lead to higher anti-dumping duties if they cannot prove they were not involved in dumping.
With MES however, the arbitration process – the process by which the WTO deems practices illegal – is different, in that the burden of proof falls on the complainant. Instead of China having to prove it was not dumping, the EU would have to prove China had dumped products. On December 11th, it will be up to the countries that previously saw China as a NME to decide whether to maintain that China is a NME or decide that it should have MES. To be considered for such status, the country must prove that there is limited government involvement and intervention in allocation of resources, and transparent and non-discriminatory company law.
The socialist market economy was adopted in China as part of Deng Xiaoping’s Open Door policy, where industry and commerce are run by the open-market economy but within limits that are set by the government. Needless to say, this is not enough for economies like the US and the EU, but over 80 countries now recognize China as a market economy, including Singapore, Australia, and Russia – these countries will then have to prove China is breaking the rules instead. The US is firmly planted in its policy of inaction regarding China’s status, which would force China to challenge them in the WTO, putting the onus on Beijing to prove that its economy has met all the criteria for MES.
The biggest contention with China’s MES comes from the EU, where the debate revolves around how beneficial, or risky, the removal of trade barriers will be for the economy. The question of whether WTO members like the EU unilaterally decide in December 2016 that China still has to prove MES according to their own criteria, by industrial sector, or case-by-case remains to be seen. China of course wants its MES instated automatically after 2016, although the WTO and its members are under no obligation to do so.
Now this is where it could get awkward – your biggest trading partner arguably is not a market economy based on your definition, and yet urges you to treat it as such. In the EU, the glut of steel coming in from over-producing factories in China has led to the closure of several steel plants in the region. This has created a tense situation within the EU, where up to 3.5 million jobs are at risk in heavy industries according to the Economic Policy Institute, which has triggered protests among heavy-industry work forces in Britain, France, and Italy.
The EU has been having a rough time lately. Economically it has been struggling to keep up with the likes of US and China. The economic struggle is underlined by the financial problems Greece has been suffering over the past years. Currently the refugee crisis is at the fore of many minds in Europe, but the next big economic decision is already on the table; the EU has to reach a consensus regarding the market economy status of China.
Through the latest free trade agreements that have been in the making, such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, China could be sidelined in the global economy. If the EU would approve the nation as a market economy this would, without a doubt, strengthen their relationship with China, which could turn out to be warmly welcomed in the EU’s economically tough times, despite the potential downfalls. Currently the EU is negotiating an investment deal with China that would open up the Chinese market for European investors – a deal for which the price would be giving China its MES.
Besides the likely positive consequences that are connected to the acknowledgement of China as a market economy, there are also negative consequences if they do not. The EU granted MES to another ‘doubtful’ market economy, Russia, back in 2002, which at the time was not even a member of the WTO. Refusing MES status to China would be interpreted as applying double standards and could provoke retaliation. Examples include tariffs and quotas on EU imports, as well as restrictions on Chinese exports of raw materials. Even so, the EU could, in the WTO’s arbitration system, challenge this further and will most likely win if China is not considered for MES.
This is clearly a decision that will take time to be made, which makes sense, as this is a big decision with significant consequences for the EU. Countries’ stances on both sides of the argument within the EU only make the decision a more difficult one. It seems however, that with growing trade pressures from China only making things more tense in the political arena, it may be with great reluctance that the EU will have to grant China market economy status.
By Ceinwen Thomas
- NOVAsia Is Hiring: Call For Applications and Contributors! - February 19, 2024
- Click and Scroll: How Webtoons Revolutionized Digital Entertainment - October 18, 2023
- NOVAsia Is Hiring: Open Call For Applications and Contributors! - August 23, 2023


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NHTSA announced Discount Tire is issuing a recall of certain Pathfinder SAT tires.
The affected replacement light ruck tires may have been manufactured with an inner liner gauge that is lower than specified, which could cause tire tread separation and rapid air pressure loss, reported NHTSA.
Recalled tires include:
- Pathfinder SAT size LT 245/75R17E1 121R W – manufactured September 16, 2013, to May 19.
- Pathfinder SAT size LT 265/75R16E1 123Q W – manufactured August 5, 2013, to May 19.
- Pathfinder SAT size LT 265/70R17E1 121S B – manufactured September 2, 2013, to May 19.
- Pathfinder SAT size LT 275/65R18E1 123S B – manufactured October 7, 2013, to May 19.
Discount Tire will notify tire owners, and dealers will provide replacement tires for free or issue a refund.
The recall is expected to begin in August. For questions, contact Discount Tire customer service at 1-888-519-6914.


text:
Samsung Steps Up "War of Words" Against Apple
September 23, 2011 2:17 PM
comment(s) - last by
Samsung's Lee Younghee
(Source: The Korean Herald)
Android manufacturer promises to be more aggressive, bring more suits to end Apples "free ride"
Lee Young-hee, head of global marketing for mobile communications at Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd. (
Friday blasted rival Apple, Inc. (
). She complains, "We've been quite respectful and also passive in a way. However, we shouldn't be ... anymore. We believe Apple is free riding [on Samsung's patented technology]."
The remarks echo the claims of her rival. Apple's South Korea spokesperson retaliates, "It is no coincidence that Samsung's latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging. This kind of blatant copying is wrong and we need to protect Apple's intellectual property when companies steal our ideas."
Ms. Lee adds, "We'll be pursuing our rights for this in a more aggressive way from now on."
That could spell trouble for Apple in local courts like Japan and South Korea. Samsung is currently working to ban Apple's best-selling iPad 2 and
the company's soon-to-be-release iPhone 5
. The moves come as a matter of self-defense [
]. In Germany, Europe's third largest tablet market, Samsung's best-selling Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet was banned after a judge granted Apple
a court-enforced monopoly on minimalist tablet designs
Apple and Samsung are
number one and two
, respectively, in phone sales by manufacturer. Currently 23 lawsuits have been filed between the companies, in ten different countries.
Samsung's infringement claims against Apple stem largely from its deep portfolio of wireless communications patents. Much like Apple, Samsung is essentially inferring that Apple must broadly alter its product from what the market seemingly demands to bring it out of infringement.
Much as Apple says Samsung cannot make a minimalist tablet, Samsung says Apple cannot make a tablet with wireless communications onboard.
very upset about this claim
as many of the patents involved are filed under the "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory" (F/RAND) principle. F/RAND applies to patents developed as part of industry standards. It states that companies must pay you fair licensing fees for the patent, but you must express willingness to license the IP.
Samsung also has Android OS-maker Google Inc.'s (
) growing patent library backing it, should it need the help. States Ms. Lee, "We still have a very good relationship. We are working very closely with Google."
Google recently grew its IP catalog by
acquiring Motorola Mobility
purchasing 1,000 patents
from International Business Machines, Inc. (
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: Screw Apple
9/23/2011 7:37:11 PM
Faux chrome rims, glossy back, rectangular shape, and the square/ rectangle home button is nothing unique. Many devices prior had this design. Many of the mp3 players I've owned had such a resemblance and this was before the ipod touch.
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text:
Leonardo DiCaprio, while a very good Samaritan who once saved a FTW staffer in distress, needs to pick a team, and he needs to pick one now.
Aimé Leon Dore features NBA guard Jose Alvarado in Fall/Winter 2022 campaign, and it's brilliant
Grand Theft Alvarado for ALD?!
Here are all the stunning outfits from athletes at the 2022 Met Gala
What a night!
Eric Emanuel on designing the uniforms for the McDonald's All-American Game: 'It’s the future of basketball'
The next generation of basketball legends will rock uniforms by New York City-based streetwear designer Eric Emanuel.


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Morocco, Berber mobile phones ready
Rabat – Mobile phones do not all speak the same language: Maroc Telecom, a Moroccan telephone operator, has announced the marketing of the first mobile phone models that operate with the Amazigh alphabet, which is the one used in pre-Islamic Berber languages.
The new mobile phones on sale at prices below 50 euros with a prepaid card, are two Sony Ericsson models characterized by the initials J110i and J120i, made in collaboration with the Royal Amazigh Cultural Institute (IRCAM).
The two devices, guarantees Maroc Telecom, offer the same functions and applications that every user is now used to using, simply “customized” with an interface in the Tamazight alphabet.
For both, the operator boasts “substantial” characteristics, such as lightness (75 grams), a 65,000-color display, polyphonic ringtones, icon menus, speakerphone, agenda with 200 contacts. The J120i model has a few more details, such as FM radio and a headset.
A note from the company explains that this is “a new initiative that demonstrates the commitment that Maroc Telecom has taken with its customers: it is about taking into account their cultural diversity, applying our innovation skills in order to favor the customs of all “. A teaching that hopefully will cross the borders of Morocco.


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Logitech has taken the next logical step in the progression of its Harmony range of intelligent remote controls by expanding the range of voice-activated controls supported for Amazon Alexa on an Echo or Echo Dot.
Logitech has today announced that those using Alexa-powered Echo, or its smaller sibling, the Echo Dot, can now control their Logitech Harmony devices using nothing but the power of their voices.
Logitech today announced that its CREATE Keyboard Case with Smart Connector is getting a new version specifically made for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Originally released for the larger 12.9-inch model, the CREATE keyboard takes advantage of the iPad Pro's Smart Connector in order to remove the need for the accessory to be powered by a battery or connect to the tablet via Bluetooth.
Logitech's newly announced ZeroTouch smartphone mount for your car brings complete hands-free connectivity into the cabin thanks to the accompanying app. Here's everything you need to know.
For many home automation lovers, the Logitech Harmony Ultimate Remote is a must have accessory. And now thanks to a huge discount, it's a lot more affordable than ever before after being reduced from $299.99 to $194.99 for today only.
A full year after it was announced, Logitech has finally released its Harmony Home Hub Extender to add ZigBee and Z-Wave compatibility to its Harmony Hub.
SteelSeries announced an all-new Bluetooth gaming 'Nimbus Controller' for Apple TV 4 while an official 'Remote Loop' accessory to secure your Apple TV remote was announced along with Logitech's CREATE keyboard for iPad Pro.
Known for making high-quality accessories for numerous devices, Logitech has today announced a bunch of new cases for the iPad lineup under its new marketing brand "Logi." The new BLOK family of iPad cases promises level of protection unlike before.
Logitech's peripherals serve a wide range of consumer electronics, although in recent years, the company has increasingly seemed to target products bearing Apple's unmistakable logo. Its Harmony series has sought to reinvent the way we interact with our digital devices at home, and the feature-packed new Harmony Smart Keyboard follows this same ethos by providing a novel way of controlling the likes of the Apple TV set-top, as well as pretty much anything else one could possibly own in the world of living room gadgetry.
Mobile gaming is slowly but surely moving away from dedicated gaming devices and towards multipurpose ones like tablets and smartphones, which is born out by the fact that the top apps across stores like the App Store and Google Play tend to be of the gaming variety. There's only one problem with playing what some would call 'proper' games on a small, touch-based device though and that's the fact that there's not tactile feel or more simply, no buttons. Depending on the kind of game being played, that may or may not be an issue.


text:
Samsung Electronics Announces New LeadershipShare open/close
Jong-Hee Han to lead the newly merged SET Division, Kyehyun Kyung to head the Device Solutions (DS) Division
Samsung Electronics today announced its new leadership for the next phase of the Company’s future growth and to strengthen its business competitiveness.
Jong-Hee (JH) Han was promoted to Vice Chairman and CEO, and will lead the newly merged SET Division as he continues to head the Visual Display Business. President Kyehyun Kyung was also named CEO and will lead the DS Division.
- JH Han is a leading expert in TV research and development and has played a major role in the Company achieving the top position in global TV sales for the 15th consecutive year. He is expected to strengthen the synergies among the different businesses in the SET Division and help drive new businesses and technologies.
- Kyehyun Kyung, who has been the CEO of Samsung Electro-Mechanics, is an expert in semiconductor design, having previously been the head of Samsung Electronics’ Flash Product & Technology Team as well as part of the DRAM Design Team. He is expected to help maintain the Company’s semiconductor leadership and lead innovation in the components business.
Other promotions and changes in today’s announcement include:
- Yongin Park, named President and Head of System LSI Business; previously Executive Vice President and Head of System LSI Sales & Marketing
- Hark Kyu Park, named President and Chief Financial Officer; previously President and Head of the Corporate Management Office, DS Division
- Kinam Kim, named Chairman of Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology; previously Vice Chairman and head of the DS Division
- KS Choi, named President and Head of North America Office for SET Division; previously Executive Vice President and Head of North America Office
- Inyup Kang, named President and Head of North America Office for DS Division; previously President and Head of System LSI Business


text:
FIRST time buyers in Britain are so keen to get visitors round, 55% will move into a house without a bed or sofa, as long as there is room to entertain.
Six in 10 also say when buying things for a new property, their initial purchasing decisions will be led by how many guests they want round.
And the study of 1,000 adults who bought their first home in the last 18 months – or are looking to buy in the next 18 months – found 47% admit the guest room is likely to be finished before their own bedroom.
When restrictions are lifted, new homeowners hope to host seven people per month on average, once they’ve got their living spaces sorted.
For 16% however, they’re expecting as many as 15 different guests through their doors in a four week period.
And 60% are prioritising filling their homes with products to impress – even if they’re only hosting one or two guests a month.
John Lewis sales data – from 1st February 2021
- Sofa +154%
- Sofa Beds +106%
- Storage Beds +70%
- Floor Lamps +63%
- Dining Tables: +57%
- Beds +54%
- Table lamps +49%
- Rugs +42%
- Dining Chairs: +41%
- Door mats +33%
- Pillows +32%
- Door mats +33%
- Towels +28%
- Bedding +28%
- Cookware +28%
- Coffee Tables: +20%
A spokesperson for John Lewis, which carried out the study in conjunction with the launch of the new ANYDAY range, said: “It is really difficult to get on the housing ladder, so when you do, you want to enjoy it with others and celebrate.
“Having people round has been very difficult for obvious reasons over the last year and a bit, so as we tentatively emerge from the pandemic, there’s a huge appetite to make up for lost time.
“Our sales data across all customers from recent weeks has shown a staggering increase in items that make hosting easier and suggests the joy of hosting has returned – including sofa beds and dining tables.”
Internal figures revealed by John Lewis show a 154% increase in sofa sales in 2021, with sofa beds the second-most-popular purchase, showing a 106% uptick.
Top 40 homebuying priorities for first-time buyers
- Bedding (bedroom)
- Bedding (guests/ entertaining)
- Guest bed
- Kitchen table
- Bedside table
- Cutlery set
- Chest of drawers
- Sofa bed
- Coffee Mugs
- Kitchen seating
- Table lamp
- TV Unit
- Matching dinnerware
- Coffee table
- Storage (kitchen/ dining room)
- Matching glassware
- Vases for flowers
- Coffee machine
- Slow cooker
- Throws and blankets
- Storage (living room)
- Good sound system
- Bar stools
- Frames for the gallery wall
Dining tables have also sold 57% more this year than at the same point in 2020, while even door mats are up 33% – to allow guests to wipe their feet before coming in.
According to the OnePoll research carried out by John Lewis, more than one in five (21%) first time buyers plan to host a lavish housewarming party before they’ve decorated their new home.
And setting up the Wi-Fi is deemed more important than ordering a bed, having the TV installed and arranging home insurance.
One in five said they would take nine days or longer to sort out home insurance.
First time buyers expect to part with precisely £999 on average for each room they want to newly furnish.
But more than a third (36%) are put off from buying big-ticket homewares like beds, sofas and wardrobes because they worry about affording them straight away.
Over two-thirds of those surveyed (68%) said they would seek interiors advice for designing their home.
Over the past 12 months home design stylists at John Lewis have taken 10,000 virtual appointments, with the living room coming out on top as the most popular room in the home that customers needed help with.
The first week the shops reopened there was a 49% increase in bookings compared to the week before; with appointments specifically designed for first time buyers needing a little inspiration.
John Lewis’ spokesperson added: “We’ve introduced the ANYDAY range to bring together affordability, quality and style, which means new homeowners don’t need to compromise on what they are buying – and can still sit on a sofa, with guests, when allowed.”
Aldi is selling a two-seater version of its sell-out hanging egg chair
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7ft wide home on sale for £150k is so tiny it’s barely visible from the road
Following the pandemic, John Lewis experienced a big dip in sales and the store revealed which locations wouldn’t reopen after lockdown eased.
First-time buyers tried to get their hands on 12 shiny new houses that had at least a third off in a new programme capping the price of new homes under £420,000 in London.
If you’re looking for inspiration for how to save for your first home, you should check out our My First Home series.


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Lee Min Ho becomes Lazada’s brand ambassador in Southeast Asia.
Lazada Group announced a partnership with Korea’s leading movie actor – Lee Min Ho.
In the advertising campaign for the 11.11 Shopping Festival, Lee Min Ho also collaborated with the brand ambassadors from Lazada’s 6 Southeast Asian markets to convey joy through gifting each other full packages. exciting.
The brand ambassadors of Lazada are singer Agnez Monika – actor Verrel Bramasta from Indonesia, singer Ayda Jebat from Malaysia, actress Kathryn Bernardo from the Philippines, actress Bella Ranee Campen from Thailand and singer – actor Chi Pu from Vietnam.


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June 25, 2010
SOUND CREATIVE & PRUDENTIAL WIN NEW MEDIA AGE
We’re very pleased to announce that Sound Creative, a markettiers4dc group company, won the New Media Age effectiveness award for online banking & personal finance this week, for their work with Prudential.
Sound Creative claimed this coveted online industry prize with their campaign ‘Prudential Pensions Surgery’ which brought together various elements of markettiers4dc Group to deliver a ‘first’ for effective customer engagement in the financial services sector, by revolutionising the traditional communications in annual pension statements and breaking the mould of regional hotel based ‘pensions seminars’ with an online TV programme.
To see a full case study on this campaign please click here where there’s also an article from Marketing Week where the campaign was also shortlisted in the Marketing Week Grand Prix award for ‘Brand Innovation of the Year’
Congratulations to Prudential and the team at Sound Creative.


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Easdale brothers announce plans for £2m Port Glasgow coffee drive through
The Scottish billionaire brothers, Sandy and James Easdale, have unveiled plans for their latest £2 million drive-through coffee location in Port Glasgow and are planning a raft of locations to follow across the UK.
The new project will replace a former Department of Works and Pensions building at the corner of Scarlow Street and Greenock Road will create a mixture of between 40 and 50 full and part-time jobs.
Several international chains have expressed interest already in the site and if planning permission is granted by Inverclyde Council, it will be the second drive-through established by the Easdales in Inverclyde after a £1.5m drive-through coffee shop on land beside the A8 into Greenock town centre was given the green light.
The brothers said they had early plans in place for around 25 sites across the UK. This is a new development for their transport, construction and manufacturing conglomerate.
Sandy Easdale said: “There has been research that demand from drive-through outlet locations has grown by 25% since the pandemic, alongside the boom in fast-food delivery companies.
“Whereas around five years ago, drive-throughs were occupied by only a handful of big-name outlets, more and more food and drink companies are wanting to gain a foothold in this market.
“We’ve got locations across the United Kingdom in the pipeline to satisfy this demand and we’re pleased to have started local in Inverclyde, where a mix of full and part-time jobs will be created and it will provide a boost to nearby traders in the area.”
James Easdale added: “Despite our Port Glasgow site being early in the planning process, we’ve already had strong interest from several national retailers.
“Location is key when identifying suitable sites as both planners and retailers will have strict criteria for what they are looking for. The sites we have underway across the UK will take some time to all come to fruition but we’re already on the lookout for further opportunities in the right locations.”


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China’s second largest smartphone maker is aiming for a market share of at least 5% in Europe by next year and plans to be one of the top players there over the next three years. Alen Wu, Vice President and President of Global Sales at Oppo, told Nikkei Asia in an exclusive interview.
“2020 is the second full year since we entered the Western and Eastern European market and we want to become a real player [with a market share of over 5%] There in the third year, “said Wu.” We see enormous scope for us to grow and improve our market position in Europe, a strategically important market for Oppo. ”
Wu said Oppo’s sales in Western Europe, the fastest growing market, tripled this year, while sales in Eastern Europe grew almost as fast. “But for every smartphone manufacturer you have to achieve a market share of 10 to 15% in order to be called a market leader and to reach this break-even point. … We want to achieve this goal in the next two. ”Up to three years. ”
Samsung is currently at the top of the table with a market share of 35% in Europe, followed by Apple with 17%, according to the research company Counterpoint.
Alen Wu, Oppos vice president and president of global sales (photo courtesy of Oppo)
Oppo, the fifth largest smartphone maker in the world, has its sights set on Europe as Huawei, its biggest domestic rival, loses ground to Washington’s actions against the company overseas. Other smartphone manufacturers, including Xiaomi and Samsung, also want to gain market share from Huawei.
On Tuesday, Oppo announced it had signed a contract with Deutsche Telekom to sell the company’s 5G smartphones – the Reno 4 series – in Germany, the Netherlands and Poland this month. The deal is expected to give Oppo further impetus after it tripled its European market share from 1% in the second quarter of last year to 3% in the April-June quarter of 2020, according to research firm Counterpoint. This puts the company in fifth place in Europe after a little more than two years of cooperation with important telecommunications operators such as Deutsche Telekom Vodafone, Telefonica and Orange.
Huawei’s European market share fell from 22% a year earlier to 16% in the June quarter, while Xiaomi’s share rose from 6% to 13%, data from Counterpoint showed.
Oppo’s ambitions are not limited to Europe. At the end of July, the smartphone manufacturer started selling 5G smartphones in Japan, a highly competitive Japanese market in which premium devices dominate, together with two major Japanese providers, KDDI and Softbank.
While Oppo’s main focus over the next year will be on the high-end segment with 5G-enabled models, Wu said that with the introduction of 5G Mobile, the company will continue to release some 4G entry-level models for Europe and emerging markets due to the coronavirus -Pandemic and bandwidth auction delays slower than expected.
“China’s deployment of the 5G network is faster than expected. Looking ahead to next year, we expect that around 80% of smartphones in China will be 5G phones, up from around 60% this year, while South Korea is also fast, ”said Wu. “In many overseas markets, however, the introduction of 5G is a little slower than expected.”
Wu said the coronavirus pandemic and geopolitical tensions made 2020 a very challenging year for the entire smartphone industry, and Oppo has taken steps to address both risks.
“We took compliance with local laws more seriously than ever this year. We make sure everything we do conforms to the local regulations in each market, ”said Wu. Oppo also reviewed its manufacturing process and increased the number of suppliers in areas where it came from a single source, he added.
Unlike competitors like Apple and Xiaomi, who outsource their entire smartphone production, Oppo manufactures more than 80% of its smartphones itself. The production facilities are spread across several countries, including Indonesia, Bangladesh and India. This allowed the company to adjust production in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.
According to Luke Lin, an analyst at Digitimes Research, Oppo smartphone shipments are expected to increase more than 38% from around 118 million units to more than 164 million units over the next year. Compatriots like Xiaomi and Vivo will also see similarly high growth between 30% and 46%. In contrast, Huawei’s shipments are likely to drop more than 61% from this year to around 64.5 million in 2021, Lin estimated, while the entire smartphone market will grow again at a growth rate of 12% in 2021.
These were the details of the news China’s Oppo is playing for European growth while Huawei is slipping for this day. We hope that we have succeeded by giving you the full details and information. To follow all our news, you can subscribe to the alerts system or to one of our different systems to provide you with all that is new.
It is also worth noting that the original news has been published and is available at de24.news and the editorial team at AlKhaleej Today has confirmed it and it has been modified, and it may have been completely transferred or quoted from it and you can read and follow this news from its main source.


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Fork in the Road: Historic Valley Falls building goes from hardware to silverware
What used to be a hardware store in Valley Falls has turned into a smokehouse serving barbecue.
For 125 years, Stewart’s was a local hardware store on Broadway St. In 2015 the Heinen's purchased the building and in 2017 they re-purposed it into a family restaurant, transitioning from hardware, to silverware.
Co-Owner Bob Heinen said the idea came from his wife Carla and their 5 daughters.
"They'd always mention that it'd be fun to open up a restaurant here in Valley and it’s been a long time since we had a good sit down type restaurant,” Bob said. “They'd always make mention that Stewart’s would be the perfect building."
Stewarts Ol' Store Smokehouse provides customers with in house smoked meats and homemade side dishes coupled with a rotating dessert menu, all made with recipes that the Heinen's use at home.
"We make our own barbecue sauce and our desserts are all homemade,” Carla said. “We have two daughters and another gal that are in charge of our desserts every weekend, and the desserts change every single weekend.”
Coming to Stewart’s is more than just about the food. The original building was built in 1878.
The Heinen's aim is to preserve the history of Stewart’s, while providing valley falls with a place to enjoy their delicious barbecue.
"You see so many small towns die out,” Bob said. “I think if a person takes something that already has the history to it just like Stewart’s does, and hold on to that, people can relate to that."
"People that may have grown up in this town and moved away, they can come back and still enjoy this building,” Carla said. “Otherwise, this building would have probably just run down."
Bob says a big part of the history of the building in Valley Falls is in the name.
"We wanted permission to use the Stewart’s name because that's where the history lies,” Bob said. “We could change the name to Heinen's smokehouse, but everybody would still call it Stewart’s."
Stewart's Ol’ Store Smokehouse is open on weekends; Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.


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Online poker specialist PokerStars is introducing a new sports betting brand – BetStars – the firm announced on Friday.
“This is the next stage of development of PokerStars’ new sportsbook offering, which will continue to be rolled out during 2016,” the company stated.
“We’re applying the same dedication and passion we have for poker to sports betting, and intend to create an authentic, world-class offering,” said Rafi Ashkenazi, chief executive of Rational Group Ltd, owner and operator PokerStars.
The launch of BetStars will be supported by a special marketing campaign in the first half of 2016. It will initially be available only in “select[ed] jurisdictions”, the firm said, without providing details.
The BetStars sports betting site “will initially offer a range of betting options across more than 25 sports, including football, tennis and basketball, as well as specialty offerings such as e-sports and poker,” stated the release from PokerStars.
Rational Group was acquired by Amaya Inc in a deal completed in August 2014. Amaya now owns several gaming and related consumer businesses and brands including: PokerStars, Full Tilt, the European Poker Tour and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour. According to the group, its brands cumulatively have more than 97 million registered customers globally.
In late December, Melco Crown (Philippines) Entertainment Corp said it had opened a PokerStars-branded poker room at the City of Dreams Manila casino resort.
The original City of Dreams – located on Cotai in Macau and operated by Melco Crown Philippines’ parent Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd – also works with PokerStars, via a room branded as ‘PokerStars LIVE at the City of Dreams’.
Nov 30, 2023Philippine gross gaming revenue (GGR) could be “US$5.0 billion to US$5.2 billion” for full-year 2023, says industry consultancy GCG Gaming Advisory Services Pty Ltd. Anything toward the top of...
”The hotel towers, convention hall, and arena are the cornerstones in Phase 1. The resort is mainly aimed at Koreans first”
President of the Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort in South Korea


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Retailers who install child car seats are "potentially putting children at risk" by making mistakes, a new report suggests.
An investigation by Which? found that 90% of stores it visited failed to fit car seats correctly, with Babies R Us and Mamas & Papas among the worst offenders.
The consumer group asked staff to fit two different car seats in 42 stores across the UK, but just four managed to fit both correctly and 13 failed to ask essential questions beforehand.
The failings included fitting the seat with the support leg still folded under the base of the seat making it unstable, while one seat was not attached to the car securely enough as the fitter did not know how to install it using the seat belt.
The consumer group said parents should be able to trust the advice they receive, describing the findings as "unacceptable".
Babies R Us and Mamas & Papas both said they would improve training for safety fittings to improve the "disappointing" findings.


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Speaking on a conference call today (23 April) after the FMCG giant unveiled its latest quarterly results – its third – chief financial officer Jon Moeller says P&G has cut marketing costs by reducing “non-working dollars” and running a tighter operation across its design, creative and marketing programmes.
This will be helped by recently announced plans to reorganise its marketing department under a “brand management system” that incorporates design, consumer and market understanding, communications and marketing.
He said: “We have improved marketing effectiveness and productivity through an optimised media mix. Marketing spend will be below the prior year but overall effectiveness will be well ahead.
“We are at a point where looking at dollars is not representative of the strength of a marketing programme in a rapidly changing marketing landscape.
“Are we underinvesting? We look at this very carefully and there are some categories where we reduced spending and somewhere we increased.
”We are not going to underinvest; we are going to be effective and efficient in our investment.”
P&G spends about 30 per cent of its budget on digital channels, where media can be bought at a cheaper rate than traditional channels such as TV. The shift has already led to a drop in UK ad spend, which fell 9.18 per cent year on year in 2013, according to Nielsen’s Ad Dynamix.
P&G’s third quarter sales were flat at $20.6bn. Profit rose 1.7 per cent year on year to $2.61bn, driven by a combination of marketing efficiencies and overhead productivity savings.


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Bank of America and Wells Fargo this week became the latest financial institutions to revamp overdraft fees: Starting in May, Bank of America will slash the penalty, imposed when a customer withdraws more than the available amount, from $35 to $10.
The Charlotte, North Carolina, bank said it is also abolishing its “non-sufficient funds” fee — incurred when a payment bounces — and eliminating the transfer fee associated with overdraft protection, when funds from one account are used to cover a shortage in another.
Wells Fargo said that, by the end of March, it would also ditch its non-sufficient fund charge as well as the fee for overdraft protection. Starting in October, the 169-year-old financial institution will also give customers a 24-hour grace period before imposing an overdraft fee and allow them to access direct-deposit payments two days earlier.
Mary Mack, chief executive officer of Wells Fargo Consumer and Small Business Banking, said in a statement that the changes “give our customers more choice and flexibility in meeting their needs.”
Here’s what the two banking giants are doing, which institutions are also cutting overdraft penalties and why, and how you can avoid them in the first place.
For more, learn about the best checking accounts for 2022, the best debit cards for kids, and what banking institutions are doing to help during the pandemic.
What is an overdraft fee?
An overdraft fee is a financial penalty your bank charges you when you spend more money than you have available in your account.
For example, if you have $50 in your checking account and buy a $100 item, your bank may clear the transaction but charge you an overdraft fee because you were $50 short. It will also take the remaining $50 when you make another deposit.
Overdraft fees are a subset of “non-sufficient fund” (NSF) fees: If your bank returns the presented payment — say, a check — without covering the amount, you’re generally charged an NSF.
How much do overdraft fees cost?
Overdraft fees vary by bank, but typically you’re looking at $30 per overdrawn transaction, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. If one overdraft charge causes another transaction to come up short, you can be hit with multiple fees all at once.
And the fee is fixed, whether you were short $1 or $100.
Why are overdraft fees such a big deal?
The nation’s top banks generated some $4 billion from overdraft fees last year, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, said in a Senate Banking Committee hearing in May 2021.
Almost one in 10 Americans overdraw their accounts more than 10 times a year — accounting for approximately 80% of all overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
“They most often get charged to low-income customers, so they hit the people who can least afford to be in that situation,” Varun Krishna, senior vice president and head of consumer finance for Mint and Intuit’s Consumer Group, told CNET. “The person who gets hit with an overdraft on a $5 Starbucks latte can’t afford a $30 overdraft fee.”
One overdraft fee can start a cascade effect, throwing a person’s entire account out of whack and causing other payments to be missed. “They think maybe I need a paycheck advance, and that opens up a whole new set of financial problems,” said Krishna.
And the penalties keep rising: In 2000, the average overdraft fee was $23.74, according to a Bankrate study. In 2021, they cost $33.58 on average.
Have other banks eliminated overdraft fees?
Ally Bank announced in June it was permanently eliminating all overdraft fees after waiving them temporarily amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while PNC rolled out a feature for its online customers in April that helps prevent overdrafts.
In December, Capital One said it was eliminating all overdraft and non-sufficient fund fees in 2022 for its consumer banking customers. (The company already offers free overdraft protection.)
The National Consumer Law Center called the move “a landmark moment” that will have “tremendous benefits for the most vulnerable consumers.”
That same month, JP Morgan Chase also eliminated its returned item fee/non-sufficient funds fee and increased its overdraft “cushion” from $5 to $50.
“Overdraft service fees only begin with the transactions that overdraw the account by more than $50 at the end of the business day,” the company said in a release.
Later this year, Chase will begin giving customers 24 hours to bring their balance current to avoid a fee and will enable customers to use their direct-deposited payroll up to two business days early.
“These changes have already provided the extra support to more than two million customers who have avoided on average $60 in fees waiting for their paycheck to hit or are just a little short in funds that day,” Jennifer Roberts, CEO of Consumer Banking at Chase,” said in the statement.
Discover, Chime, Axos and Aspiration all offer checking accounts with no overdraft fees.
Jennifer Bombardier, director of personal banking public affairs at Citi, told CNET the money Citibank collects from overdraft fees “is among the lowest compared to our peer set.”
According to Bombardier, Citibank declines ATM or point-of-sale debit transactions when the money is not available, and processes checks from the lowest dollar amount to the highest, minimizing the impact of an overdraft.
Krishna said he suspected there are discussions about cutting overdraft fees at many banks.
“A lot of customers shift around between the bigger banks, so they try to keep up with their offering,” he said. “But if you want to innovate you need to think a few steps ahead – I think we might see even more changes coming.”
Be sure to check with your bank about any alterations to their overdraft fee policies.
Why are these banks eliminating fees?
Banks aren’t typically known for doing things out of the kindness of their heart. Krishna says the trend is likely spurred by a variety of motives, including good PR and a desire to avoid government intervention. (In 2021, both the House and Senate proposed bills to limit overdraft fees.)
There are also new products and institutions in the banking world they need to compete with.
“Overdraft fees should have been improved a long time ago,” Krisnha said. “The reason they haven’t is that they’ve been able to make a profit off misfortune. But they have to get off of these predatory practices. You have new players that don’t charge these fees. But it’s like a drug — it’s hard for them.”
How can I avoid overdraft fees if my bank charges them?
Besides moving your money to one of the banks that has eliminated overdraft fees, you can always opt out of them: According to the CFPB, if you don’t agree to overdraft charges, transactions that exceed your available balance will simply be declined.
It’s not a fool-proof option, though: If you write a check that bounces and is returned by the merchant, your bank or credit union will likely still hit you with a non-sufficient funds fee.
There are other strategies to make an overdraft less likely, such as signing up for low-balance alerts. Mint offers an overdraft early warning system independent of your banking system, Krishna said.
You can also link your checking account to your savings account – so funds can transition from one to the other if needed – or link your checking account to a line of credit. You may still have to pay a fee and interest — but it’s usually less than an overdraft fee, according to the CFPB.


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With 2023 set to become the first year that Apple hasn't released a new iPad since the very first one, it should perhaps come as no surprise that there are multiple models getting close to a release. Now, a new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims that Apple has as many as four new iPads all chopping at the bit, and that they're going to be here soon.
Gurman suggests that we might see the new iPads arrive in March 2024, alongside a new MacBook Air, with two new iPad Air and two new iPad Pro models set to debut. The releases are going to be upgrades to the existing models, but there are some bug changes afoot including the addition of the biggest iPad Air yet.
Starting with the iPad Pro, Gurman says that there will be updated 11- and 12.9-inch versions that will feature the Apple M3 chip as well as a new OLED display. That display will offer improved color reproduction, among other things. This is the OLED technology currently used in the iPhone. In fact, the iPhone has been using OLED displays since 2017, but the 2024 iPad Pro will be the first to follow suit. The two new iPad Pro models will both come in Wi-Fi and cellular configurations.
However, the most interesting thing here is the new iPad Air with Apple refreshing the current 10.9-inch model with what can be expected to be a new chip. That model will of course come in Wi-Fi and cellular options, but the news here is the addition of another iPad Air to the lineup. That tablet is expected to be around 13 inches, and will be similar in size to the iPad Pro but cost much less. Gurman says this will be a similar move that saw the 15-inch MacBook Air arrive for people who want a bigger screen but don't want to buy a 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Again, the 13-inch iPad Air will be offered in Wi-Fi and cellular options when it arrives. Again, that's expected to happen in March.
Gurman says that the new tablets will be Apple's attempt to arrest a slide in tablet sales which surely wasn't helped by the lack of a refresh through the entire lineup in 2023. Apple looks set to fix that pretty soon in 2024, however, assuming that Gurman's unnamed sources are on the money. Those sources also say that an updated M2 MacBook Air is on the way, making March quite an expensive month.


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In today’s ever-evolving corporate landscape, where an increasing number of companies have adopted remote or hybrid work models, the challenge of fostering connection and engagement among employees has taken center stage. As teams spread across…READ ARTICLE
While it’s long been associated with gaming, Virtual Reality’s use has fast become a trend in other industries as social platforms and businesses push this tech to the forefront. Affordable headsets have also made VR almost mainstream.
Learn how experiential marketing firms and businesses alike are using virtual reality in new and exciting ways from museum tours, rock concerts, even business safety trainings.


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DAMN was released April 14 through Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope Records and set the bar for all 2017 releases as the rapper’s latest LP easily achieved the best-selling week of the year so far.
According to a Billboard report Damn, sold 603,000 total copies in its first week of availability, nearly 100,000 more than 2017’s previous highest seller, Drake’s More Life. Of Damn!’s total, 353,000 copies came from traditional album sales, while another 227,000 were generated by streaming equivalent albums, or SEAs,
“The debut is larger than expected: on the afternoon of April 20, industry prognosticators had forecasted a bow of between 530,000 and 550,000 units,” wrote Billboard’s Keith Caulfield. “And that figure was an upgrade from three days earlier when its start was pegged at 475,000.”