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Relive the highlights of Creative3 2016
From live streaming to business investment, gaming and education, this year’s Creative3 Forum explored the full spectrum of growth and opportunities in creative-tech.
With creative industries now contributing $90 billion annually to the Australian economy, Creative3 celebrates the innovation happening in this sector. This year our panel of speakers flew in from across the world and around Australia to join the conversation. They spoke about many of the challenges creative-tech entrepreneurs face, including investment, growth and product development, and looked at current trends and future forecasts for solutions.
The 2016 edition of Creative3 came after Australia was named as the number one country on the Global Creativity Index (GCI). The index is calculated by technology, talent and tolerance metrics, and our speakers touched on all of these themes and more. The key takeaways from the day showcased the potential we have to harness creativity in the development of successful, global enterprises.
Highlights from Creative3 2016
Our diverse line-up of speakers shared insights, celebrated break-through ideas and inspired the change-makers in the room. Closing the day, Bethany Koby reminded us, “65% of kids in school today will have jobs that don’t exist yet”. As we move towards this future characterised by so many unknowns, our speakers all looked at the ever-growing potential for disruption and innovation in creative-tech.
Bethany’s uplifting talk about growing a mission-based tech company was a fitting end to a day started by Anna Reeves, who explored the idea of empathy and designing human-first experiences using virtual reality. Empathy, she argued, is fast becoming the world’s most precious resource. And with virtual reality imprinting memories on the brain in a way that screens cannot, the medium presents us with new avenues to educate, entertain and become more empathetic towards others.
“The future is standing in other people’s shoes in ways we have never thought of before … Virtual reality may give us a deeper understanding of ourselves.” – Anna Reeves
Ben Britten from Mighty Games also explored how to design experiences with a human-centric approach. He highlighted that most designers only create games for the two percent of consumers willing to spend the most money. That means that 98 percent of gamers are having a sub-optimal experience, which presents a massive opportunity for game development.
As our MC Mark Pesce pointed out, many businesses right across the board are going after that two percent, so we need to ask ourselves how we can have greater empathy for people.
“We have a mantra that if we see something that has changed, we are willing to drop what we are doing and change immediately. The digital industry is moving so fast.” – Ben Britten
In his presentation, Ben also reminded us of the importance of having a strategy for scaling a company. He argued that right across the creative industries there’s a problematic belief that, ‘if I just work really hard then people will somehow find it.’ Without a growth strategy and a willingness to be adaptable, organic growth will only take you so far.
This sentiment was echoed in many of this year’s presentations. As an entrepreneur who has started a number of creative-tech companies, Chris Smith explained that creatives and investors are not hard-wired in the same way. If investment is part of your growth strategy, you need to develop a robust pitch that tells your story, explains your idea simply and gets to the point.
“There is a big gap between the way creatives think and the way investors want to hear your pitches.” – Chris Smith
On the topic of investment, our resident shark Steve Baxter agreed with Chris, explaining that, “you can’t replace brains with hustle – know when no means no and move on.” There comes a point, he said, when you may need to change your business strategy to turn that no into a yes.
The question remained, though, how do you get an investor to even agree to meet with you? Our speakers were quick to offer ideas, with Kristen Souvlis from Like A Photon Creative highlighting that she develops partnerships with “big fish” and uses these as leverage to attract investment.
Lindsay Stewart also outlined the importance of understanding your market for investors. In the same way you conduct market research to define customers, she said, you should seek out investors most relevant to your stage of business and industry. Then, once you have an investor in the room, Paul Bennetts said entrepreneurs must show passion as well as expertise in order to get their pitches across the line.
“Is this person the expert on what they are saying? That is what investors look for. You need to believe you know about this problem better than anyone else.” – Paul Bennetts
Before you get to the investment stage, however, you need to have great ideas, and these were in abundance. Having launched Bidchat just one week before stepping on stage, Roger Ein spoke about the intersection between tech and charity. His live streaming platform Bidchat allows users to join live streams and bid to chat with their favourite celebrities, experts and influencers. A portion of proceeds from each bid goes to charity. Just as Anna explored how virtual reality places the user in the centre of the action, Roger presented us with an entirely new way of allowing audiences to seek out meaningful experiences and interact with the content they consume.
“Now you can interact with your entertainment … This is live streaming 1.0.” – Roger Ein
From live streaming to education, video content is one of the biggest growth areas in creative-tech. The potential of video was on show in Ryan Lee’s presentation, where he explained how he turned Smartstudy in a global education company. The stats were compelling: more than 1,800 pieces of content have translated into over 110 million app downloads and one billion views on YouTube. Ryan explained that the formula to Smartstudy’s success is bringing in the right people to create content, understanding the market of both children and parents, getting digitisation right, and knowing how and when to monetise content.
Stepping on stage for the second time, Lindsay also weighed in on the production of video content. Her platform Stringr fosters a network of more than 23,000 videographers across the United States, who create video content to feed the 24-hour news cycle. By curating the crowd of users on the platform, she explained how Stringr delivers high quality footage to news producers. The appeal of the platform works in two ways – it provides news producers with footage quickly and for the videographers, Stringr is a creative outlet with a financial return.
“You don’t want to tackle too small of a problem. If you are going to go to the effort, you want to tackle a big problem so that potentially there is a big return.” – Lindsay Stewart
There were so many themes running through this year’s forum, but the growing relationship between tech, authenticity and success was consistent throughout the day. This narrative made for a compelling forum that inspired us all to use tech to shape not only our individual success, but also the future we’re collectively working towards.
Looking towards the future of creative-tech
As Australia’s startup ecosystem continues to diversify, creative-tech will become an important part of the innovation agenda. Already creative enterprise is the driving force of the UK and US economies, and now Australia must start moving towards a similar future or risk falling behind.
By hosting Creative3, we hope to elevate the discussion of creative-tech in Australia and put a spotlight on the enterprises already achieving success in this dynamic field. The GCI has shown that Australia has the creative potential to lead the world in creative-tech – now we just need to take full advantage of the talent on our doorstep.
This year’s conference may have wrapped up, but we still have plenty more to come. If you want to continue reliving your favourite talks from the day, check back in the coming weeks as we’ll be releasing videos and interviews from many of the speakers.
In the meantime, let’s revisit Smartstudy’s lovable shark family one more time…


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Johnny Manziel Will Set Up a Booth & Charge $50 For Selfies During Super Bowl Week
Former Cleveland Browns QB Johnny Manziel didn’t just fall off a cliff. He hit the bottom and then proceeded to keep digging so he could fall further.
The former college star and Heisman Trophy winner who was released by the Browns will be in Texas during the Super Bowl and will reportedly be signing autographs and taking selfies for $50.
“The Texas A&M Heisman Trophy winning quarterback will be at the Stadium Signatures stores in Katy Mills Mall from 7-8 p.m. Feb. 2 and Woodlands Mall from 7-8 p.m. Feb. 3. The Stadium Signature stores are advertising the appearances on their Facebook page.
Manziel will charge $99 to sign any item, plus $29 extra if you want him to write a special inscription up to four words. There also will be a $99 charge for a professional photo, but only a $50 charge if it’s a selfie.”
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) January 10, 2017

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By Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Vice-Chancellor University of Glasgow
The global spread of the new coronavirus has required a major healthcare response in those countries with major clusters. Other countries are bracing themselves for impact as the virus spreads. Of course, our immediate concern has to be for human health. Healthcare systems will have to respond to the emergency with all available resources.
But, although it’s a secondary consideration, it is important to consider the economic impact of the outbreak and how the world economy can best attenuate further long-term misery due to the effect the virus will have on our economies and social fabric.
The Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) economic impact assessment of COVID-19 is stark. It predicts a 0.5% decrease in 2020 world GDP growth to 2.4%, assuming no worsening of the epidemic.
Threat of global recession
But it also warned that a worsening of the coronavirus spread could take world growth as low as 1.5% in 2020. This ‘low case’ scenario is well below the level which signifies a global recession. The OECD’s ‘base case’ sees a drop of UK growth to 0.8% in both 2020 and 2021, with the danger of outright recession.
World stock markets have reacted to the worsening economic prospects with the biggest percentage drops in equity values since the Great Financial Crisis in 2008.
So, how different is the COVID-19 crisis to the financial crisis? And what should our policy response be?
The current crisis triggered an initial global supply shock, as the sudden reduction in China’s production spills over to all the countries with trading and supply-chain links to China. We have seen very similar disruptions to production systems in other countries like Italy as workers stay at home and plants pause production (the outbreak is centred on Italy’s manufacturing and economic heartlands, in Lombardy and surrounding regions), and in Japan.
Consumer spending reduction
A fall in production in these regions has also impacted on global supply chains. Following the initial supply shock, we are now seeing a demand shock as consumer spending is reduced: initially on travel and other services, but also as a result of the negative wealth effect from declining financial markets on consumer spending and business confidence more generally. This came on top of an already slowing world economy.
In contrast, the great financial crisis was arguably the reverse: initially a major demand shock as consumers and business reduced spending and deleveraged, reducing debt. It also did have a long-run adverse supply effect through its impact on lower business investment. The response across the major industrialised economies was for governments to take on additional debt to support financial institutions and to support demand in the economy. It also consisted of major reductions in interest rates and an expansion in liquidity in financial markets.
So how should the major world economies react to this latest challenge? The first response will be, quite correctly, to increase spending on health service capacity, to offset the immediate health emergency and to try to mitigate the supply shock.
Less scope for monetary policy
But beyond that there is less scope to act in 2020 through monetary policy. Unlike 2008 policy interest rates are already close to zero, and additional liquidity will not stimulate demand: in these circumstances as in that quote attributed to John Maynard Keynes, monetary policy is as effective as ‘pushing on a string’.
A temporary fiscal policy stimulus would be more potent. It might best target the suspension of state aid rules to support companies who are experiencing a temporary slump in demand and avoid major collapses and consequent reductions in employment and economic capacity.
This could be targeted to those companies where the ‘deglobalisation’ impact is greatest. In Europe (including the UK in the post-Brexit implementation period in 2020) this may need to be decided at the EU level.
Need to reduce barriers to trade
But ultimately a supply-side shock requires not only a demand-side response, helpful though that is to protect output and employment during the immediate crisis. The best supply-side response in the medium run would be for the G-20 economies to offset the shock by reducing trade barriers. The USA and China would need to accelerate their trade talks and move beyond their phase 1 deal to reduce tariffs further. Similarly, there could scarcely be a greater incentive for the EU and the UK to reach a trade deal quickly in 2020.
Above all the coronavirus crisis needs concerted action. In 2008 the G20 briefly acted jointly to help rescue the world economy.
It’s time to work together again.


text: “There is an urgent need to explore the full-potential of processed food and hospitality sectors as these sectors are imperative, not only for India ‘s socio-economic progress but also for enhancing exports and employment in the country. The Government has geared up to launch a ‘pro-farmer based agri-policy’ to ensure farmers are encouraged to imbibe value addition of their produce and connect with the export activity directly. They can become an integral part of retail and supply chain globally. Events such as ‘AAHAR’ are vital in providing an excellent platform for all the stakeholders to have meaningful interaction, collaboration and investment opportunities,” asserted Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Commerce and Industries, Government of India, while inaugurating the 33rd edition of AAHAR – the international food and hospitality fair – on March 13 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Also Read – Add new books to your shelfIn his inaugural speech, the Minister complimented the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and its associates for hosting Aahar 2018. Expressing his satisfaction with redevelopment project of Pragati Maidan he said that such an iconic infrastructure is imperative to fulfil “New India” aspiration.AAHAR is a one-stop solution for catering Indian delicacies to the international platter. It is a visionary of transforming India globally and is giving an international platform to Indian SME’s to the global market. The fair will go on till March 17, 2018. Also Read – Over 2 hours screen time daily will make your kids impulsiveHighlighting vast export potential of marine sector products, the Minister mentioned that there are 13 coastal states in India with abundant marine products. He indicated that a comprehensive roadmap is being prepared by the government to double the exports of marine products soon. Referring to the participation of Japan in the fair, he pointed out that India has to adopt Japanese innovations and technology to provide a fillip to the marine sector through value addition and preservation practices of marine products. Stressing on the need to vitalize the hospitality sectors, he indicated that the fair is devoted to ‘food’ and ‘hospitality’ which are an integral part of India’s ancient heritage and culture with the world-famed slogan ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’. “The country registered 17 to 20 percent increase in the aviation market last year, we have to prepare ourself in providing quality services in hospitality including conducive air travel and cargo facilities”, he further added. This edition of AAHAR has much to offer to the world with 18 foreign countries participating, who are masters of food export industry. USA, China, Italy, Japan, Tunisia, Poland, Turkey, Spain, Oman, South Korea, Thailand, UAE, Peru, Indonesia, Canada, Hongkong, Norway, Singapore brings their best techniques and products to share with the world. Present on the occasion were Jacek Bogucki, First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Republic of Poland, Nejmeddine Lakhal, Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia, Mitsuhiro Miyakoshi, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan, LC Goyal, CMD, India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), Narendra Kumar Singh, CMD, APEDA and Deepak Kumar, Executive Director, ITPO. LC Goyal in his key address said that the redevelopment project of Pragati Maidan as a world class ‘International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre’ is on the right track. “The next AAHAR edition will be organized with its enhanced scale as new halls would be available in February/March 2019”. An exclusive Culinary Art Competition would be organized by the Indian Culinary Forum in Lounge B (near Gate 1) while other major attractions are exclusive seminar in Hall 8 (Auditorium) on “The Role of R&D and Food Safety in the Development of Food Processing Sector” by AIFPA (at 9 am on March 14).The fair has been organized by the ITPO with the support of Ministry of Food Processing and Industries, Government of India, APEDA along with other apex bodies such as AIFPA, ARCHI, HOTERMAI, FHSAI and FIFI for the fair.AAHAR is open for the business visitors from 10 am to 6 pm every day until March 17. Visitors can park their vehicles at Bhairon Road parking.


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Goodwill Retail Team Honored For Global Outreach in UK
Goodwill Industries International
Goodwill's mission to create employment opportunities through eliminating barriers for people with disabilities and other disadvantages is structured on a global basis. In keeping with global outreach, Goodwill retail experts transferred the Goodwill thrift store model to Shaw Trust (UK), increasing both its productivity and profitability. While the network of small square footage "charity" shops throughout the UK was a recognized as a nonprofit service provider to persons with disabilities, it needed to enhance its revenue stream.
Facilitated by Goodwill Global Inc., a team of Goodwill experts - Ginnie Rien, Goodwill Industries International (GII) Retail Specialist; George Galyean, Senior Vice President at the Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana (Indianapolis); and Terry Fitzpatrick, a Vice President at the Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties (CA) at the time - provided both group and individual consultations to the Shaw Trust over a two-year period beginning in October 1999. Four of the Shaw Trust's stores were selected as pilot shops in which to introduce Goodwill retail techniques.
According to Nick Mason, National Retail Director for the Shaw Trust, the consultancy achieved substantial and impressive results. "After a very short time, the four test shops were achieving a 17 percent increase in sales and we started a roll-out program to the rest of the shops," wrote Mason.
As a result of the outreach, the Shaw Trust generated profits of £280,000 in 2001-2002 and £425,000 for 2002-2003, and greatly improved productivity per store. Because of the improvement in sales on the retail side, the Shaw Trust has been able to serve an additional 4,000 people with disabilities per year.
The retail team is honored with the Global Outreach Award for their consultations and activities that led to the successful globalization of Goodwill's retail model in the UK. "There is great potential and business opportunity in the international arena to replicate the Goodwill model to help severely disadvantaged people in the poorest of countries," says Howard Wallack, Director Goodwill Global Inc. "Developing and expanding these opportunities globally also helps Goodwill reach its 21st Century Initiative goal of helping 20 million people around the world gain economic independence by 2020."
For more information, or to contact Goodwill Industries International, see their website at: www.goodwill.org
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Returning to a theme that helped to propel him to victory in the 2008 election, President Barack Obama told supporters gathered at a November 14, 2011 campaign event in Ko Olina, Hawaii that “we’ve already started to see what change looks like.”
In his remarks, Obama pointed to new fuel efficiency standards as one example of how his administration is pursuing “change” when it comes to the environment and climate change:
Change is the decision we made -- not a popular one at the time -- to save the auto industry from collapse. There were a lot of folks who said, let Detroit go bankrupt. But we decided to not only save thousands of jobs, get hundreds of local businesses thriving again, but we are now seeing fuel-efficient cars rolling off the assembly lines, stamped with three proud words: Made in America. And those are going to be exported all around the world. That's because of you. (Applause.) Because of the change that you brought.
Change is the decision we made to stop waiting for Congress to do something about our oil addiction and finally raise our fuel-efficiency standards on our cars and on our trucks. And now, by the next decade, we'll be driving cars that get 56 miles per gallon. And that means that we are not only saving consumers money, but we're also taking carbon out of the atmosphere, and it is going to make a huge difference in terms of our environment, and that's because of you and the campaign that you helped run in 2008.


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Beer prices have risen by an unprecedented 8p a pint this year and a pint of bitter has broken the £2 barrier for the first time, according to The Publican's annual Market Report survey.
The survey, which analysed price increases across four sectors - lager, bitter, wine and whisky, revealed that bitter now costs an average of £2 a pint in the South East and a standard pint of lager, which hit the £2 mark in 2001, is up 7p to £2.07 this year.
Only Wales, Scotland and North West England now have an average price for lager of below £2 while in the South East it has hit £2.21 a pint.
A small glass of wine is up by a whopping 10p and a shot of whisky up by 6p.
The rise reflects a tough year for the trade which has been hit by increased rents, rates and red tape and has seen tourism drop.
The Publican Newspaper's Editor Lorna Harrison said: "We expect to see a small rise of 1p or 2p on alcoholic drinks each year but these figures are way above the norm.
"Many publicans, like most businesses, have had a hard year due to a drop in tourism. Coupled with rising rents and increased red tape, publicans have clearly needed to take action to survive."
The British Beer & Pub Association has said that although the industry is seeing an increase in the price of beer year on year it is still remaining competitive and keeping its prices down.
Spokeswoman Karen Kelshaw said: "In the face of an increase in running costs and the minimum wage we are still remaining highly competitive compared to other industries."
Meanwhile, CAMRA figures launched this month at the Great British Beer festival, revealed wide variations in the price of beer in pubs across the country. It found differences of up to 43p a pint between the North and South.
But CAMRA's findings have been criticised by the trade as "stating the obvious".
Brian Rees of the Guild of Master Victuallers said the price difference was inevitable.
He added that the difference in the cost of living and running a pub in the North was inevitably cheaper and would be reflected in the beer prices.
"Rates and general costs and rents are traditionally cheaper in the North," he added.
Lorna Harrison said: "The cost of living in the South East is much more, therefore the prices are relative."
Ted Bruning, editor of CAMRA's newspaper What's Brewing, said he believed that property prices and the business rates in the South East were forcing tenants to raise prices. He said: "Licensees are having costs loaded on them. Tenants are in the front line and are being loaded with extra overheads."
Get your copy of this year's Market Report - the most comprehensive survey of the UK pub trade.
Can you afford to miss it?
More on the findings of this year's Market Report:
Publicans are against licensing reform bill
Smoke charter to meet target


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Who says it doesn't pay to play video games?
Gamers-turned-content creators are raking it in as demand for online video focused on gaming grows.
That market is now worth $3.8 billion, according to a new report by digital gaming analysis firm SuperData Research. Much of that money is being spent on websites where gamers watch other gamers play.
Video game enthusiasts have always watched one another's play, but the combination of cheap production tools and the rise of sites like YouTube and livestreaming platforms like Twitch have turned this aspect of gaming culture into a multibillion dollar cottage industry.
Joost van Dreunen, CEO of SuperData Research, said gamers are taking ownership of the medium much the same way music lovers used at-home editing software to blend old songs into new mashups.
"This is part of a much larger trend of people changing their relationships with media and media consumption," he told CNBC.
SuperData estimates the audience for gaming-focused video content will grow 26 percent to 486 million this year. By 2017, it sees viewership growing to 790 million people.
Professionally produced game trailers still get the most clicks, but more than half of the nearly 900 American viewers surveyed by SuperData Research also watch so-called "walkthroughs"—recordings of gameplay in which players walk audiences through levels.
About a third of those viewers said they stream live gameplay or watch "Let's Play" videos, a type of walkthrough with colorful commentary unique to the creator.
While some fortunate gamers earn hundreds or thousands of dollars per month, other breakout stars have gone stratospheric. Felix Kjellberg, a Swedish gamer who goes by the handle PewDiePie, earned $4 million last year and has garnered 9.1 billion views from his roughly 2,300 videos.
More than three-quarters of earnings for content creators and providers—$2.9 million—came from advertising and sponsorship deals. Donations from fans drummed up $638 million and paid subscriptions chipped in $252 million.
This ecosystem has created a new type of marketing that is remarkably potent, and is also beyond publishers' control to a large extent, said van Dreunen. An endorsement from gamers comes with a level of authenticity a public relations company can't buy, but game companies cannot guarantee that message will be family-friendly, he said.
"It's basically the Wild Wild West. You can have anybody commenting on your game," van Dreunen said.
SuperData also sees a battle brewing between Google, which launched a specialty streaming and on-demand video app and website called YouTube Gaming last month, and Amazon.com, whichpurchased Twitch last year for $970 million.
YouTube dwarfs Twitch in terms of viewership, boasting 364 billion gaming content views. But Twitch has the biggest slice of the revenue; it controls 43 percent of the market on a dollar basis compared with YouTube's 36 percent share.
The reason is simple: Twitch is home to hardcore gamers, the medium's most dependable viewers and those most willing to shell out real world money to support their digital idols.


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In a bid to enhance the productivity of its devices, Apple inc has released new versions of its iWork apps for iPhone and iPod Touch. It is to be noted that the iWork apps namely Pages, Numbers and Keynote have been available on iPad since April 2010. Meanwhile experts believe that it will take some time before the apps can capture the attention of the market.
Running On Devices Powered By iOS4
The applications can be purchased for $ 9.99 and will run on devices which are powered by iOS4 which includes iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS etc. Apple said that the applications include several new features. One of the features is improved document management tool which allows you to organize your files and folder.
Another feature is “Smart Zoom” which is a navigation feature. The apps can be purchased from iTunes. iPad users who already have one or more of the three applications can upgrade to the iPhone able versions free of cost.


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ATLANTA -- Wachovia Bank Card Services said its credit card outstandings surpassed $4 billion during the third week in December.
The Atlanta-based unit of Wachoiva Corp. also said its portfolio had risen 31% in 1994, marking the third consecutive year in which growth exceeded 30%.
The continued growth is "evidence that our customers appreciate the value that our primerate-based products provide," said Beverly B. Wells, president of the Wachovia unit, which has used a low-rate strategy to become one of the most aggressive credit card banks in the country.
"New customers have consistently used the free transfer checks they receive to transfer checks they receive to transfer balances from other, higher-rate credit cards to a Wachovia card," Ms. Wells added.


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Android O 8.0 names have began circulating online and “Orange” is among the top suggestions. Aside from what this year’s operating system (OS) will be called, there have also been speculations about its release date. We have rounded up some of the details for tech enthusiasts who are awaiting its launch.
Android N’s final version was released in August of last year. It was dubbed as Android Nougat, which fuelled mixed reactions from the public. Several patrons are suggesting that the timeframe and name trend might be the same this 2017.
Android O name
After Android Alpha and Beta, Google began naming its OS updates after alphabetically ordered sweets. Among the names that were given include Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb. The tech giant has also used Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow and Nougat.
Based on this trend, the public is expecting the next OS to also start with the letter O. PC Advisor pointed out that there are not a lot of treats that begin with the said letter. One that was raised is the catchy “Android Orange.”
However, some might argue that the citrus snack is a fruit and not a treat. As such, other Android O name suggestions were given. Among these were Android Oreo and Android Oatcake.
Furthermore, people are not sure if this year’s OS will be Android 8.0. Patrons would remember that Android Marshmallow was Android 6.0 and that Android Nougat was Android 7.0-7.1. However, Google has previously veered away from this sequence. This was because Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean and KitKat were all 4.x updates.
When will it be available?
Aside from what it will be called, there has also been a lot of buzz about Android O’s release date. Google announced last January 26 that the Google I/O will be taking place from May 17 to 19, 2017. People are inevitably expecting that the OS will be unveiled during the said event
The California-based organization also surprised the public in 2016 when they launched Android Nougat’s developer preview ahead of the conference. The final release followed months later in August. After which, the accompanying new hardware Google Pixel and Pixel XL was unveiled in October.
Do you have other suggestions for Android O’s name? Do you think that Google will follow the same timeframe and trend for this year? Let us know by commenting below and make sure to also keep following TheBitBag for updates.


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Speedco Inc. reports it has opened its 52nd location. The new outlet is in Commerce City, Colo., just outside Denver.
The company has added more than 20 new locations in the last three years.
Speedco provides lube, oil and filter service to heavy-duty trucks in about 30 minutes. Speedco locations are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The Commerce City location offers three pull-through lube lanes and two tire lanes.
Forty of Speedco’s 52 locations offer full-service tire lanes that will now feature Bridgestone and Firestone brand tires, as well as Bandag retreads.
Bridgestone Bandag LLC has an 87.5% interest in Speedco. Bridgestone Bandag LLC is part of Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions, an operating unit of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC.
On July 2, Speedco will host a grand opening celebration at the Denver location. The event will feature the Speedco Chopper, a motorcycle custom-built for the company by Orange County Chopper. The chopper is on a nation-wide tour to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Everyone who donates to the cause while attending the event will receive a poster of the chopper.


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See Jon Hamm as Don Grouper on SpongeBob SquarePants
The actor will spoof his Emmy-winning role in an upcoming episode of the animated hit
He sold suitcases, cereal and Coke with a smile, but Don Draper never got a bite of the elusive Krabby Patties account – until now.
Jon Hamm, who just reeled in the Emmy for his iconic Mad Men role, will spoof the ad exec in an episode of Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants set to air next year – and PEOPLE has the exclusive first look.
Hamm is set to play Don Grouper, and according to Nickelodeon, the fish is “a charismatic head ad executive of the ad agency Grouper, Goby & Koi.”
Like his human counterpart, Grouper’s “sharp mind and devastating charm make him an irresistible force,” says the network. “When Don’s in the room, everyone laps up his words like overpriced organic honey.”
In the episode, Mr. Krabs goes to Don for help as he tries to launch his line of frozen Krabby Patties. If anyone can sell crab in an ocean, Don can!
SpongeBob SquarePants airs Fridays at 7:30 p.m. ET on Nickelodeon.


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The prices of many key fish species remain on a downward trend year on year.
Mackerel is down 15.9% as catches have returned to more normal levels following poor catches last year, and plaice prices are down 26% year on year thanks to increases to EU fishing quotas. Plaice prices have, however, moved upon a month-on-month basis.
Good supply is also weighing on farmed salmon prices, which have fallen by nearly 20% over the past year following unusually high prices and tight supplies in 2013.
Meanwhile, tuna prices have benefited from good fishing and high stock levels - the price of skipjack tuna is currently nearly 50% below the prices seen a year ago, while the price of yellowfin tuna is down by nearly 20% year on year. However, prices for both have edged up over the past month as fishing has slowed across all major tuna fisheries and stock levels at canneries have fallen.


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LANGLEY, BC – Dead Frog Brewery has announced the release of “something new, spicy, juicy & hazy.”
Habanero Hazy IPA is described as “a hazy IPA with juicy hop flavours of mango & pineapple with a big blast of habanero heat on the finish.”
Habanero Hazy IPA will be released tomorrow (February 11th) at Dead Frog, with a launch party in the taproom from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM featuring a habanero hot wings challenge. It will also be available in the Dead Frog retail store, online shop and select beer retailers in BC.
Source & Photo: Dead Frog Brewery


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Bumper weekend at IKEA Bengaluru store: 'Not MLAs queuing in Maharashtra'. Watch
IKEA, the Swedish-founded, Dutch-headquartered multinational conglomerate, saw huge crowds in Bengaluru and a bumper weekend. This was also the fist weekend since the firm - that sells and designs ready-to-assemble furniture - opened the Karnataka capital's first store for the public. This happens to be the fourth store, however, for India - other stores are in Hyderabad, Navi Mumbai and Worli.
In Bengaluru, the waiting time was said to be around two-three hours as visuals showed long queues outside the store. Expectedly, the firm said it was "overwhelmed". "Bengaluru, we are overwhelmed by your response❣ Current wait time at Nagasandra store is 3 hours. Please plan accordingly or shop online, (sic)" a post read.
And the videos of huge crowds - that flooded the social media - also prompted interesting responses. Harsh Goenka, chairman of RPG Enterprises, one of country's biggest industrial firms, linked it to political crisis that has emerged for the Uddhav Thackeray government after minister Eknath Shinde's rebellion
"It’s not MLAs queuing in Maharashtra to form government, It’s not an immigration queue to enter our country, It’s not a vaccination queue to avoid Covid wave. It’s not pilgrims queueing in Tirupati for darshan, It’s the opening of IKEA store in Bangalore! (sic)", he tweeted
But the long queues also mean inconvenience. And there have been enough tweets to draw IKEA's attention.
"Dear Ikea @IKEA @IKEAIndia It good you are in Bangalore and got good response from
@NammaBengaluroo But you should atleast take care of small childrens who are waiting for 3 hrs in Q," wrote a user. The response to the angry tweet read: "Hej Hassan! IKEA strives to make the experience smoother for customers. Sorry to know about the long queues. We do have Småland available at our store for kids after entering the store. Rest assured, the relevant feedback has been shared with our team. We hope to see you soon. (sic)".
While the firm has branded its furniture as affordable, one user - also miffed with the crowd - complained it was overpriced.
Spread over 12.2 acres, the 4,60,000 sq. ft. Ikea Nagasandra store - that features over 7,000 home furnishing products - opened for the public on June 22.
Restrictions were imposed in major parts of Srinagar city on Sunday to stop mourning processions by Shia Muslims on the eighth day of month of Muharram with authorities saying they feared deterioration of law and order situation. Netizens were also aghast. Small groups of youth, meanwhile, tried to march on roads in Jehangir Chowk and Batamaloo areas but were detained by police. Since the 90s, the authorities have not allowed any such procession.
Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur, is aiming to get geographical indication tag for various kidney beans, locally called Rajmash, a variety grown in Himachal Pradesh. HPAU vice-chancellor Prof Harinder Kumar Chaudhary said the university has identified 368 landraces of rajmash from Kukumseri located in cold desert of Lahaul and Spiti, and remote parts of Kinnaur, Kullu, Mandi and Chamba districts. These areas are called the hotspot of rajmash cultivation.
At least 40 animals have died due to lumpy skin disease in Himachal Pradesh and nearly 500 have been infected, mostly cows, shows the government data. Sirmaur and Solan have been the worst-hit districts. Apart from them, the cases have also been reported from Una, Kangra, Hamirpur and Bilaspur. The disease was first reported in Sirmaur. Sirmaur district alone has over 300 cases of lumpy skin disease, which is caused by capripoxvirus genus.
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday asked the central government to allot five TV channels to the state under the recently announced Swayam Prabha scheme to telecast high-quality education programmes. He was speaking at the Niti Aayog governing council meeting in New Delhi which was presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting discussed self-sufficiency in agricultural production and crop diversification, implementation of national education policy and urban bodies administration.
This local goon was arrested and booked by the police for public nuisance after Darvez Mehmood Sayed, 24, also known as Darvez Bhai's supporters took out a rally to celebrate his release from Arthur Road jail, where he was lodged in an attempt to murder case. Darvez Mehmood Sayed, 24, also known as Darvez Bhai, was riding in a BMW, showing himself off through the sunroof, with people acknowledging his grandiose with firecrackers and loud sloganeering.


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Apple's results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2016 are just in, and the company's reign as a near-invincible titan of Wall Street is, in the words of Nathan Fillion, "certainly coming to a middle." On the one hand, the company just posted its first year-on-year quarterly decline in 13 years (meaning Q2 2016 sales were lower than Q2 2015 sales). On the other, Apple still had the kind of quarter that most companies would kill for, with $50.6 billion in sales and $10.5 billion net revenue.Nonetheless, that's an $8 billion decline over the same period last year, and the declines hit across most Apple segments. iPhone sales declined 18.42%, iPad's fell 18.7%, and Macintosh sales declined 9%. "Services" increased by 20% (that's Apple Music and iTunes), while "Other Products" increased from $1.59 billion to $2.19 billion. Apple still isn't telling anyone how many Apple Watches it has sold, but the company did note that most of the increase in "Other" was Apple Watch revenue.
Breaking out the declines
The declines in Apple's core businesses reflect three different trends and have to be broken out separately. The easiest to explain is the steep drop in iPhone sales. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus triggered a great deal of pent-up demand in the Apple world for larger-screen devices, and sales of these units were extremely high as a result.Graph by
Most of that high sales volume occurred in Q1 2015, as the chart shows, but Q2 2015 was still far above Apple's historical norm for the iPhone. iPhone sales grew 20% in 2013 over 2012, 12% in 2014 compared with 2013, and 37% in 2015 compared with 2014. 2016's figures, in other words, are less a decline than a return to previous trends.
The iPad decline, on the other hand, is much more of a trend. iPad sales peaked in Q1 2014 and have continued to decline since then, despite a number of refreshes and product launches, including the iPad Pro. The continued decline in iPad shipments suggest that tablet sales were not particularly rejuvenated by Apple's recent hardware launches.
Finally, there's the decline in Mac shipments. It's hard to parse much from this -- on the one hand, most of Apple's products are at least a year old, and some, like the Mac Pro, are three years old. With 14nm GPU hardware right around the corner, Apple will probably launch some significant product refreshes in the next 12 months. On the other hand, the Mac market probably isn't immune to the same contractions that have dogged the PC industry for several years now. The speed at which people replace hardware isn't likely to be a Mac-versus-PC issue. And you could argue new Macs, including the just-released 2016 Macbook, are decidedly evolutionary, not revolutionary these days.
The iPad tablet sales information is interesting because it suggests that tablets may be falling prey to the same forces that have dragged down PC sales for nearly five years. If most customers are making do with tablets that are 2-3 years old, then how long before that same trend impacts smartphones -- and what will the impact be on handset manufacturers and technology companies that now depend on shipments in these markets to prop up margins and provide revenue?Come what may, Apple remains the best-positioned of any of the tech companies to ride out that uncertainty. But the stark gap between Apple's "Other" category revenue and everything else is a reminder that for all the hype, the "wearables" revolution has yet to arrive -- and nobody, including Apple, has figured out how to build wearable devices that consumers want to wear.


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Kicking off the annual ritual of shopping the day after Thanksgiving, Sarasotans hoping to find a bargain packed stores early today.
Black Friday began as early as midnight in some locations, and at area Walmarts, it actually started on Thursday. The world’s largest retail was open all day Thanksgiving Day for those bargain hunters who just couldn’t wait to get a jump on Christmas shopping.
The Best Buy on South Tamiami Trail opened at 5 a.m. this morning. For the convenience of the people lining up before the doors opened, the store placed two portable toilets in the parking lot.
Nationwide, 138 million people are expected to be lured into stores to take advantage of sales such as Walmart’s $200 laptop computer and Target’s $298 high-definition TV.
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Do the hop
When the curious students at the Forty Carrots Family Center checked on their class garden, they noticed something moving in the mulch.
Taking love to new heights
The sky was the actual limit for the vow renewal of Ed and Dora Sementelli Saturday, at Autumn of Sarasota.
All grown pup
On Jan. 29, guide dog Sotheby walked across the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall stage to receive his diploma as a Southeastern Guide Dog graduate with his new handler, Ginny Eichholz.


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P.E.I. tourism industry 'thrilled' as half of summer opens to Canadian visitors
‘The July 28 opening to the rest of Canada is a game changer’
P.E.I. made a big shift Tuesday morning on when it would open its borders to Canadians outside of Atlantic Canada, and the tourism industry is looking forward to welcoming those visitors.
At a COVID-19 pandemic briefing Tuesday morning, the province moved forward some dates for reopening borders.
Fully vaccinated Canadians will be able to apply for a P.E.I. Pass that will allow travel to the Island as soon as July 28. Under the original plan announced May 27, no travellers from outside Atlantic Canada could arrive before Sept. 12, unless they got pre-travel approval through one of the existing travel streams.
"We were really excited to get the news. Obviously, the July 28 opening to the rest of Canada is a game changer for our industry," said Corryn Clemence, executive director of the Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I.
"I'm thrilled that we can start looking at a partial summer with the rest of Canada."
Clemence said operators had been getting cancellations following that original announcement, but she is hopeful they will be able to win some of that business back.
Kevin Murphy, a spokesperson for P.E.I. Business Continuity Group, an association of business people working toward post-pandemic economic recovery, said the P.E.I. announcement today, along with new announcements from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have helped clarify the travel situation in the region.
"We heard it loud and clear from our guests off-Island, they were confused," said Murphy.
"They can plan with some certainty now. If you're vaccinated you're welcome to Prince Edward Island. We look forward to entertaining you."
Hearing the change of date now will give the industry time to market and plan for the border reopening, said Clemence.
More from CBC P.E.I.
With files from Julien Lecacheur and Angela Walker


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October 6, 2014: Innovators & Startups
October 6, 2014 12:00PM
This week we get a preview into some of Boston’s brightest innovators and creative start-ups!
First up, a philanthropic website and mobile app-to-be, called Phfeast. It’s a restaurant loyalty program where users can dine out at their favorite restaurants and get reward points, which translate to a donated meal to a local family in need. Participating restaurants are Stone Hearth Pizza, Chicken and Rice Guys food truck, Amsterdam Falafel Shop in Somerville, and Foodie Café in Framingham. Sign up soon and get ready to Phfeast!
Next, an energizing group of scientists at Solid Energy Systems is recharging the battery industry. They’re creating a more efficient battery for cellphones, tablets, laptops and electric cars, which means longer lasting and safer batteries are in the near future thanks to this small yet energetic start-up.
Later, the Founder and President of MassChallenge, Akhil Nigam, stops by to tell us about how the accelerator is helping 128 start-ups this year to grow and learn with no strings attached.
Also, a visit from Gilad Rosenzweig, the creator of Smarter in the City, a new accelerator program in Roxbury designed to allocate resources and guidance to a few start-ups headed by bright minority entrepreneurs. Lots to look forward to in our increasingly innovative Boston!


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from The Wall Street Journal..
July 8, 2013
By KATE O’KEEFFE
The garment industry has transformed Cambodia’s economy, but factory working conditions remain poor. WSJ reporter Kate O’Keeffe speaks with an employee to see what it’s like.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia—This small Southeast Asian country was supposed to become a model for the world apparel industry, with tough factory monitoring and strong worker protections.
But a dozen years after the United Nations’ International Labour Organization launched a program to manage Cambodia’s booming garment trade—the first of its kind in the world—labor activists say many factories still suffer from problems that triggered calls for more oversight in the first place, including the abuse of workers’ rights.
Accidents at two Cambodian factories in May, including one that left two people dead when part of a shoemaking factory collapsed, highlight what activists say are continuing unsafe conditions. Cambodia’s opposition party has made better working conditions one of its big campaign issues in the national election set for July 28, calling for the monthly minimum wage for workers to rise to $150, almost double the current level, and for working hours to be limited to eight hours a day.
“The core problem is the way the supply chain is structured, which exploits the most vulnerable people, the workers,” says Sanjiv Pandita, executive director of the Asia Monitor Resource Center, a nongovernmental organization focusing on Asia labor issues. Labor activists say the government, factories, brands and even some unions keep labor costs down for their own economic benefit. Workers—often extremely poor and uneducated—have little leverage.
“There is a lot of injustice in Cambodia” even after years of work to improve factories, said Lao Bunna, a 43-year-old who works in one of the heavily guarded garment complexes that line the chaotic roads into Phnom Penh, the capital.
Workers at Ms. Lao’s factory often feel faint because there are few windows and poor air circulation, she said. Her boss told her and other employees that they would be fired if they refused to work overtime, she added. She has declined to join a union, saying she fears retaliation from factory owners.
Her complaints point to gaps between reality and Cambodian law—which prohibits laborers from being asked to put in excessive overtime or work in overheated factories, and protects their right to unionizes—and the voluntary ILO program that is meant to monitor adherence to those laws.
Officials at the factory declined to comment on these issues. Cambodia’s Secretary of State of the Ministry of Labor Oum Mean said the country doesn’t have problems with garment factories because it has appropriate legislation in place to police them.
In May, the country’s minimum wage rose to $80 per month, from $66, the largest bump in over a decade. Even so, when adjusted for inflation, the wages of Cambodian garment-sector workers are equal to what they were in 2000, according to Bent Gehrt, Southeast Asia field director for the Worker Rights Consortium.
Meanwhile, employers are increasingly signing workers to short-term contracts lasting three or six months, which critics say let them easily terminate workers if they join unions or seek bonuses or maternity leave benefits. An April 2013 Better Factories Cambodia report said that 90% of the newly-registered factories it assessed say all of their workers are on short-term contracts…
Link to the entire article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324423904578521240151597504.html?KEYWORDS=Cambodia


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Yahoo Mail still has a ton of people using its services – a recent estimate from ComScore claimed the service still has about 298 million subscribers. Today, Yahoo rewarded those stalwarts by announcing a major revamp of Yahoo Mail which includes the launch of a new app for the service made especially for the Windows 8 Modern UI.
The Windows 8 app itself has been well integrated into the overall Modern interface, featuring a design similar to the default Mail app. Yahoo Mail has the usual email features, and it also lets users see new email notifications from the Windows 8 Start screen. It also auto completes email addresses that are in your Yahoo Mail contact list and it contains a continuous scroll feature for scanning email messages quickly.
Yahoo has also released a new app for iPhone and iPod Touch devices as well as a revamped app for Android products. In a blog post, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer states:
We’ve redesigned the new version of Yahoo! Mail with speed in mind – getting through your emails is faster than ever before. We’ve also made your inbox more intuitive and easier to navigate, allowing you to focus on what matters most: your messages. And, because mobile is everything these days, Yahoo! Mail now has a consistent look and feel across devices.
For people who check their Yahoo Mail accounts via a standard web browser, the new redesign should go live in "the next few days." This is just the latest revamp for a popular online email service; Microsoft launched its new Outlook.com service in July and AOL Mail also launched its own revamp later that month.
Source: Windows Store | Image via Yahoo


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Dominican Today | July 18 2006
DR and Panama make advances on a commerce treaty
PANAMA.— Dominican ambassador in Panama, Virgilio Alvarez Bonilla, affirmed that governments from both nations are making advances in the negotiations of a Free Trade Agreement, which in his esteem, will be ready to be implemented by the beginning of next year.
The diplomat explained the negotiations for the bilateral agreement will allow the Dominican Republic’s participation in this important market and will both extend the possibilities of businesses to the private sector of both countries as well as industrial trading.
"We have made significant advances in the preparations of a Commerce Treaty between our country and Panama, which has been delayed just a little bit because here they are very concentrated in the Panama Canal expansion, said Alvarez Bonilla
The Dominican ambassador spoke during last week end when he participated in a breakfast offered by industrialists from Santiago de los Caballeros (DR) and Panamanians representing Copa Air Lines which initiated regular flights from Panama to the Cibao International airport last weekend.


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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The People's Bank of China raised its benchmark interest rates by a quarter-percentage point early Tuesday, the first hike since December 2007.
Unlike rate change statements from the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Chinese central bank's statement did not give any reason for the move, nor any commentary on its economic forecast.
China's economy has been growing rapidly even as western economies remain mired in sluggish growth. China's gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the economy, grew at an 10.3% annual rate in the second quarter, compared to the 1.7% rate in the United States.
The rapid growth in China has resulted in sharp rises in wages, food prices and real estate. Consumer prices rose 3.5% in August, led by a 7.5% rise in food prices. And the Chinese government reported this week that overall real estate prices were up 9.1% in September compared to a year ago in the nation's 70 largest cities.
Higher interest rates are a typical step central banks take to slow those kinds of increases.
In the United States, the Fed has kept interest rates near 0% since December 2008 and is widely expected to announce new asset purchases next month in an effort to spur the U.S. economy.
China's actions shook financial markets in Europe and the United States, as the growth in China has become an important component to keeping the global economic recovery on track. All major stock indexes in Europe turned lower on the news announced after the close of Asian markets, while U.S. stocks opened sharply lower.
China's benchmark rates are not an overnight lending rate as is the case in the United States and other major western economies. Instead, it has a one-year interest rate on saving deposits, which increased to 2.5% and a one-year interest rate on loans, which rose to 5.56%.
China is due to report third quarter GDP and September price readings on Thursday, and economists said this action suggests that those readings might be coming in higher than current forecasts.
Mark Williams, senior China economist for Capital Economics, said there had been signs of softening in China's economy earlier this year but that "my guess is they wouldn't have announced it today unless they were convinced" the softness was over. His forecast is for growth of 9.5% in the third quarter.
Jay Bryson, international economist at Wells Fargo Securities, said while the timing of the rate hike might have been a surprise, the move should have been expected because of rising inflation rates.
"It's long been clear inflation is more of a concern than insufficient growth," he said.
Williams said he had expected the Chinese authorities to move to slow the economy more by allowing its currency, the yuan, to appreciate against the dollar and other freely-traded currencies, rather than by raising rates. U.S. officials and Congress have been pushing China to allow the yuan to rise.
But both Bryson and Williams said they didn't think the rate hike would do much to slow growth in China.
"Rates are very low, and demand will remain very strong," Williams said. "If you can borrow under 6% in China, you probably will."
|Overnight Avg Rate||Latest||Change||Last Week|
|30 yr fixed||3.80%||3.88%|
|15 yr fixed||3.20%||3.23%|
|30 yr refi||3.82%||3.93%|
|15 yr refi||3.20%||3.23%|
Today's featured rates:
Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford charts her career path, from her first job to becoming the first openly gay CEO at a Fortune 500 company in an interview with CNN's Boss Files. More
Honda and General Motors are creating a new generation of fully autonomous vehicles. More
In 1998, Ntsiki Biyela won a scholarship to study wine making. Now she's about to launch her own brand. More
Whether you hedge inflation or look for a return that outpaces inflation, here's how to prepare. More


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The canceled electric vehicle of Dyson, known for household appliances such as vacuum cleaners and bladeless fans, would have been able to go 600 miles on a single charge.
Dyson announced its electric vehicle project in September 2017, claiming a “radically different” design with a targeted 2020 launch. Sir James Dyson, the founder of the company, said that he was investing $2.7 billion into the project, which will use solid-state batteries instead of the lithium-ion batteries used by other electric car manufacturers in order to improve range and shorten charging times.
However, after about two years, Dyson abandoned the electric vehicle project, as the company “simply cannot make it commercially viable.”
Several months after the project’s cancellation, Sir Dyson revealed what could have been in an interview with The Sunday Times.
Sir James Dyson, Britain’s richest man, spent £500m developing an electric car to rival Tesla’s. Then he scrapped it before the first prototype took to the road. He tells John Arlidge why https://t.co/mIVmVFnN6D
— The Sunday Times Magazine (@TheSTMagazine) May 17, 2020
Codenamed N526, Dyson’s electric SUV weighed 2.6 tons and could fit up to 7 people. Its top speed was 125 miles per hour, and it could go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.8 seconds.
A more impressive statistic for the scrapped vehicle was its 600-mile range in a single charge. In comparison, Tesla’s Model S is rated with a 391-mile range, while the Model X, which more closely resembles Dyson’s vehicle, is rated with a 351-mile range, according to Tesla’s website.
The feat would have been made possible through Dyson’s solid-state batteries, which would be able to endure “a freezing February night, on the naughty side of 70 mph on the motorway, with the heater on and the radio at full blast” without any decline in performance.
Sir Dyson, who also revealed that the electric SUV’s dashboard “floats in front of your face like a hologram,” confirmed that he was able to drive a prototype in a screened-off compound. However, each sale of the vehicle would have needed to make at least £150,000, or about $181,000, to break even, a figure that was too high for a company that only had experience in home appliances.
Sir Dyson, who invested £500 million, or about $605,000, of his own money in the project before walking away from it, said that he is open to working with carmakers who would be interested in Dyson’s solid-state batteries, so electric vehicles with a 600-mile range is still a possibility in the future.
- Rivian R1T gets estimated 410 miles of range with Dual-Motor powertrain, Max Pack battery
- How to maximize EV range in hot weather, according to the experts
- Volvo EX30 price, range, release date, specs, and more
- This city’s residents voted to ban electric scooters
- VinFast’s new electric cars will be available in the U.S. this year


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While an Italian luxury brand is currently colouring Chinese New Year celebrations on the Great Wall, here are some other little-known facts about one of the world’s most well-known walls!
The Chinese Lunar New Year is coming up on February 1. For the occasion, Italian luxury fashion brand Bottega Veneta has made a section of the Great Wall of China extra festive, adding its signature Bottega green and tangerine (considered lucky by the Chinese) hues to ‘新春快乐’, which is ‘Happy New Year’ in Mandarin flashing on a huge digital screen!
This unique takeover went live on January 6 and will reportedly continue until February 15, as will their special sale of tangerine-coloured products in stores across China. Bottega Veneta has also pledged a donation to support the renovation and maintenance of the ‘Shanhai Pass’, the Great Wall of China’s easternmost stronghold, historically known as the ‘First Pass under Heaven’.
Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site as far back as in 1987, the Great Wall of China has been considered one of the seven wonders of the medieval as well as modern world and one for the bucket list for any travel enthusiast. Here are some fascinating facts about this monumental edifice…
- It is the world’s longest structure made by humans. While all its sections together amass a length that’s officially more than 21,000 kms long, the wall as it exists today, is about 8,851 kms long. People estimate that if you walk 25 kms a day, you’ll still need a year to walk its length!
- The wall that crosses 15 Chinese regions — Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, and Xinjiang — isn’t just one straight line as we usually see in pictures. Many separate walls and forts dating back to different eras have been connected to create this fortification, and in some places, there are even two or three parallel walls forming a section!
- Of a height that varies between 20 to 46 feet and with an average width of about 21.3 feet, the Great Wall of China is certainly a formidable construction that dates back 2,700 years! They say it took more than 10,00,000 labourers to build it, many of them forced into its construction.
- What many people don’t know, is that this solid structure that has withstood the test of time, is held together by a glutinous paste made of rice flour! Yes, talk about sticky rice having multiple uses.
- One of the best places to see the Great Wall is at Badaling. This section of the wall, which is 70 kms northwest of Beijing, has the highest tourist footfall since it is in good condition and tourist friendly. In many other places, you’ll likely see a very different, more crumbling story!
22 best holiday destinations in the world to visit in 2022!
By The Mekong is the latest fine-dining address to explore Southeast Asian cuisine
Orient Express goes full steam ahead with its super-luxe travel accessories


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Are you building a startup and want to share your story? Do you have tips for entrepreneurs, or insights to MENA industries? Submit your article with a photo and we'll get in touch with you.
Photo format: 800 x 491 pixels.
The new funding will be used to strengthen the startup’s logistics infrastructure, grow the team, and expand across the country
Terraa, a Moroccan-based B2B food distribution platform, has raised $1.5 million in a pre-Seed funding round led by FoodLabs, alongside other strategic investors such as UM6P Ventures, Outlierz Ventures, Musha Ventures and Africa-centric DFS Lab.
Founded by Youssef Benkirane and Benoit De Vigne in 2022, Terraa enables farmers to earn higher incomes by selling their produce directly to resellers at fair prices while also providing retailers with a consistent supply of high-quality products.
“We saw an opportunity to use technology to bring transparency, efficiency, and sustainability to the African food supply chain. Terraa is not just about connecting farmers and retailers, it’s about creating a more equitable and environmentally-friendly food system for everyone,” Youssef Benkirane, Co-Founder and CEO at Terraa, tells StartupScene. “We’re glad to have won such renowned and like-minded investors to back our mission.”
According to the startup, the supply chain of fresh food in Morocco is fragmented, with retailers buying food from farmers at very low prices and often selling it for high profit margins. The startup aims to change that by making the process more equitable and sustainable for both farmers and resellers.
The new funding will be used to strengthen the startup’s logistics infrastructure, grow the team, and expand across the country.
The Moroccan startup ecosystem has been growing steadily in recent years. In 2022, startups in the country raised $30 million in more than 25 funding rounds, according to the Morocco Startup Ecosystem report by Lotf Belych and Yassin El Hardouz. That’s $1 million more compared to 2021, according to a report by Techcabal.
Sign up for the daily Startup Digest.


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6 August 2018
GraphicsFuzz is acquired by Google
We are excited to announce that GraphicsFuzz Ltd. has been acquired by Google, and that the GraphicsFuzz team – Alastair Donaldson, Hugues Evrard and Paul Thomson – will be joining Google’s Android Graphics Team to integrate their specialist graphics driver testing technology within the Android ecosystem.
GraphicsFuzz has pioneered the combination of fuzzing and metamorphic testing to yield a highly automatic method for testing graphics drivers that quickly finds and fixes bugs that could undermine reliability and security before they affect end users. As reported in a series of blog posts on Medium, the approach has been successful at exposing a large number of graphics driver defects across a wide range of mobile and desktop platforms.
The GraphicsFuzz technology was developed by Alastair, Hugues, Paul and Andrei Lascu from the Department of Computing at Imperial College London, with funding support from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the TETRACOM EU project. The team entered and reached the finals in the first edition of Programm/able, a combined business and software competition co-organised by Imperial Innovations, the College’s technology commercialisation partner, and Imperial Enterprise Lab.
The inventors continued to work with Imperial Innovations after the competition to set up the company, and GraphicsFuzz was one of the first companies to found a startup through the College's Founders Choice™ Programme, which offers academics the option to keep a much greater share of founding equity – up to 95% – in exchange for a more basic level of support.
The team was also supported by the Imperial Venture Mentoring Service, the ICURe Programme, and the Cybersecurity Academic Startups Programme funded by Innovate UK and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Alastair Donaldson, Director of GraphicsFuzz, said: "The acquisition by Google is a fantastic opportunity to maximise the worldwide impact of our graphics driver testing technology."
Lamia Baker, Senior Licensing Executive at Imperial Innovations, said: "The technology developed by GraphicsFuzz helps graphics technology vendors to build more reliable products, which is in high demand in today's technology-driven world. This acquisition is an endorsement of the company's progress, as well as a unique opportunity for GraphicsFuzz to have a positive impact in one of the world's leading mobile operating systems."
Simon Hepworth, Director of Enterprise at Imperial College London, said: "At Imperial, we encourage innovation at all levels. We have a unique entrepreneurial ecosystem, where our world-leading academics and students are encouraged to act boldly, pursue new opportunities, and translate their work into real-world impact. GraphicsFuzz embodies this culture, and we commend them on their tremendous success."
GraphicsFuzz blog posts:
- 17 January 2018: Samsung Galaxy S8 (ARM, Qualcomm)
- 22 January 2018: Nvidia Shield TV, Tablet (Nvidia)
- 25 January 2018: Google Pixel Phone 1, 2 (Qualcomm)
- 5 February 2018: Google Nexus Player (Imagination Technologies)
- 15 February 2018: Huawei Honor 9, 9 lite, 10 (ARM)
- 22 February 2018: Apple iPhone 6, 7, 8, X (Apple, Imagination Technologies)
- 12 March 2018: Samsung Galaxy S6, S7 (ARM, Qualcomm)
- 22 May 2018: Samsung Galaxy S9 (ARM, Qualcomm)
Academic research project blog posts:
- 30 November 2016: Intro
- 1 December 2016: AMD
- 7 December 2016: Apple
- 12 December 2016: ARM
- 15 December 2016: Imagination Technologies
- 20 December 2016: Intel
- 25 January 2017: Nvidia
- 1 February 2017: Qualcomm
The GraphicsFuzz Demo
Run our 60 second Demo right from your browser!
This web app was created in early 2018 to showcase a range of issues that affected graphics drivers at the time. How does your device score?
See the results that users have posted on Twitter by searching for #GraphicsFuzz.


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Headlines from newspapers across Pa., June 14
- Urban Outfitters might build a million square foot warehouse in Lancaster County. See the story in the Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era.
- Philadelphia City Council has approved a $2 a pack cigarette tax but needs state approval to levy it. See the story The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Pittsburgh police oral exam board draws more fire. Old board included a convicted felon, new board includes an officer under internal investigation. See the story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- State College concerned about commuters clogging parking downtown. See the story in the Centre Daily Times.
- A woman is suing her employer, a McDonald’s restaurant, because employees can get paid only one way – a payroll debit card. See the story in the Times-Tribune.


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SILVER SPRING, MD, February 13, 2019 — Mercaris, a market data and auctions startup that is helping to grow organic and non-GMO agriculture in the U.S., today released its monthly market update as the halfway point of the 2018/2019 corn and soybean marketing year (MY) approaches. The report analyzes organic broiler slaughter data and organic egg layer inventories following the recent U.S. government shutdown.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS) over the first five months of the 18/19 MY organic broiler slaughter reached 21.7 million head, or down 1 percent year over year (y/y). The y/y decline in organic broiler slaughter is unexpected given the industry’s growth through the 17/18 MY. However, the USDA’s estimated values may have been skewed lower by the government shutdown as Mercaris estimates 18/19 MY organic broiler slaughter is likely closer to 23 million head over the first five months of the marketing year, or 6 percent higher than the USDA AMS estimate.
Comparing September through November 2018 to the same period in 2017, organic broiler slaughter exceeded year ago levels by 6 percent. Following this, USDA estimates show organic broiler slaughter growth slowed to 1 percent y/y in December, and then collapsed with a 19 percent decline y/y in January.
“It will be worth watching over the coming month if organic poultry slaughter figures rebound following the re-opening of the U.S. government, or if revisions will be made to the historical data,” said Kellee James, founder and CEO at Mercaris.
In contrast to broiler slaughter, organic egg layer inventories remained strong, averaging 15.7 million head per week through January, up 8 percent y/y. The stable growth in organic egg layers is in contrast to the unexpected collapse in broiler slaughter, casting further suspicion on the USDA estimates for organic broiler slaughter numbers.
USDA organic fluid milk sales data suggest that the industry continues to struggle with slowing consumer demand growth. From September through November 2018 U.S. organic fluid milk sales reached 652 million pounds, up less than 1 percent y/y.
“Although sales still achieved y/y growth, the rate of expansion has slowed significantly, and organic price premiums appear to be struggling as a result,” said James. “Despite the headwinds faced by organic dairy at the moment, overall organic livestock production and the resulting growth in feed demand appear to be generally positive as the market looks to the second half of 18/19.”
To learn more about Mercaris research and market insights, visit www.mercaris.com.
Since 2013, Mercaris has been helping its customers capitalize on growing demand for organic and non-GMO foods by providing market access and services tailored to the needs of the identity-preserved agriculture industry. Mercaris focuses its data and services on identity-preserved commodities, including organic and non-GMO corn, soybean, meal, and wheat markets across all regions of the United States and Canada, and recently launched an organic dairy initiative. Mercaris also maintains an online Auctions Platform, a pioneering tool that enables buyers and sellers to find new markets and more profitably trade organic and non-GMO commodities.
Chelsey Kruger | [email protected] | (480) 775-8880 ext. 4017


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OCI Falls on Report Germany May Cut Subsidies: Seoul Mover
OCI Co., the world’s second-biggest maker of polysilicon used in solar panels, fell the most in more than three months in Seoul trading after Citigroup Inc. said Germany may cut industry subsidies by more than 20 percent.
The stock declined 6 percent, the most since Nov. 10, to close at 283,500 won on the Korea Exchange today. The benchmark Kospi stock index gained 1.1 percent.
Germany, the world’s biggest solar market, will probably reduce feed-in tariffs, the rate paid to owners of solar installations in the country, by at least 20 percent from April, Citigroup analysts led by Timothy Arcuri wrote in a report yesterday. Shares of LDK Solar Co., a panel maker based in China’s south-central Jiangxi province, and those of module manufacturer Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. declined yesterday in U.S. trading after the report was released.
“The possibility of a subsidy reduction in the world’s biggest solar market is darkening the outlook for polysilicon makers,” said Ahn Sang Hee, an analyst at Daishin Securities Co. in Seoul, who has a “neutral” recommendation on the stock. “The outlook is affecting investment appetite on OCI,” which is scheduled to boost its output capacity to the world’s biggest later this year.
To contact the reporter on this story: Sangim Han in Seoul at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Amit Prakash at email@example.com


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31 Oct 2022, 10:33 UTC · By: Monica Coman / Tennis star Emma Raducanu became a Porsche ambassador earlier this year and now was seen riding in a 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet
22 Aug 2022, 21:30 UTC · By: Ancuta Iosub / The unique 911 has a number of special touches inspired by the Cars character and is now the most expensive Porsche ever sold at auction
12 Aug 2022, 20:14 UTC · By: Bogdan Bebeselea / With this tribute car, Porsche is showing us behind the cold and calculated engineering there lies a big heart that loves putting a smile on kids’ faces
13 Jun 2022, 07:58 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Made exclusively for North America, the 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet America Edition is $35,420 pricier than the normal model on which it builds
20 Aug 2021, 09:00 UTC · By: Elena Gorgan / A-Rod gave the red Porsche to Jennifer as a present two years ago, and had it customized with her initials. He’s now showing it off on social media
25 Jan 2020, 10:04 UTC · By: Elena Gorgan / For the first time since 1997, Porsche is joining the list of automakers buying ad time for the biggest sporting event in history
30 Jul 2019, 11:15 UTC · By: Elena Gorgan / The singer turned 50 this month and fiance Alex Rodriguez surprised her with a red Porsche or, as JLo calls it, a “little car I can manage”
5 Dec 2017, 20:54 UTC · By: Andrei Tutu / The performance gap between the Carrera 4S and the Carrera GTS incarnations of the 991.1 Neunelfer is smaller than you might expect
19 Oct 2017, 18:00 UTC · By: Mihnea Radu / The 911 GTS has better traction off the line and it looks like more power than Porsche ever admitted. It's Murder She Wrote if you race an M4
11 May 2017, 11:30 UTC · By: Andrei Tutu / The independent test we have here brings a lap time that sits reasonably close to the official Nurburgring performance of the 911 Carrera GTS
20 Nov 2014, 14:22 UTC · By: Andrei Tutu / Porsche’s Los Angeles Auto Show booth has a strong aroma this year, thanks to the Gran Turismo Sport bouquet, which is obviously led by the 911 Carrera GTS, but includes the just-as-fresh 201...
20 Oct 2014, 15:02 UTC · By: Andrei Tutu / When a carmaker like Porsche claims to have put together a list of the most spectacular driving routes in the world, you might want to check it out. In an effort made under the GTS banner, the Zuffe...
8 Oct 2014, 02:47 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / When you hear GTS in the same sentence with Porsche, die-hard enthusiasts think of the 904 GTS mid-engined race-bred model from the 1960s. But nowadays, the GTS moniker is used by the Stuttgart-base...


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Presenting the best online prices for Latest Bikes in India as on 18 Dec 2014.
In the last 3 months there have been 348710 new launches and the most recent one is Mv Agusta F3 675 priced at 15.00L.
Other Popular products which were recently launched include: KTM Duke 690, Mahindra Gusto Vx, Piaggio Vespa Elegante.
The cheapest Bike launched in the last three months is Mahindra Gusto Dx priced at Rs.45,542 and
the most expensive one being Harley Davidson Cvo Limited priced at Rs. 50.51L Browse through the complete list of Bikes
including a wide range of products at Bikes Price List.


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In the spring, the southern part of the Netherlands will be a real hot spot for buyers. Four spring fairs have decided to open their doors during approximately the same period of time. This means that you only need one week to purchase everything you need.
For three years now, a number of spring fairs in the south of the Netherlands have joined forces. By organising all these fairs during the same period of time, the green industry offers buyers the chance to make their purchases at over 100 companies in an efficient way. To visualise this cooperation, they introduced a shared logo. More information on this collaboration can be found at www.springfairs.eu.
The development of the logo, which shows a compass that focuses on the south, is a result of the efforts of the PR team and will be used by the spring fairs Groenbeurs Haaren, Groenbeurs Brabant, Spring Fair GrootGroenPlus, and TreeVention.
In 2020, the spring fairs will be organised between 22 and 27 January. Entrance, parking, and coffee are free everywhere.


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In 2015, Windows 10
launched dramatic changes, mostly because Microsoft introduced “Windows as a Service” with ongoing updates from the cloud. In fact, some industry watchers interpreted early remarks from spokespeople to mean that Microsoft considered Windows 10 its final version. They thought Microsoft implied that users should consider periodic upgrades as updates to Windows 10.
Now in 2021, Microsoft has let the public know to expect Windows 11 release date very soon. Even so, ZDNet mentioned
that Windows 11
would still rest upon the Windows 10 framework and probably could have been introduced as a major update and not an entirely new version. On the positive side, most devices that currently run Windows 10 should handle the key features of Windows 11.
When Is the Microsoft Windows 11 Release Date?
Microsoft announced Windows 11 near the end of June. They expect to offer the first opportunities for the general public to download the new operating system in the last few months of 2021. By the end of the year, new computers on the market will come with Windows 11 already loaded. In addition, Microsoft plans to offer Windows 11 as a free update for any devices that already run licensed copies of Windows 10.
Which PCs Can Run Windows 11?
The Microsoft Windows 11 page details
the current minimum hardware specs suggested for the upgrade. Requirements such as having at least 1 GHz of power and 4 GB of RAM look pretty typical of Windows PCs released in the past few years.
As a note, the company has said they will release more information about required hardware as testing progresses. Also, some older computers produced before 2018 might not be able to run the upgrade. Microsoft has committed to supporting Windows 10 at least until 2025. By that time, users will probably have aged out their old computers in favor of newer ones.
According to the company, most computers that can run Windows 10 can also accommodate Windows 11. However, not all devices can take advantage of every Windows 11 feature. For instance, computers need a microphone, camera, and speaker to take advantage of such new features as Intelligent Video Conferencing and Teams.
Which New Features Will Windows 11 Release Introduce?
Microsoft saved up a large bundle of new features for Windows 11. However, as mentioned above, the usefulness of some of these might depend upon hardware configurations, connectivity, screen resolution, and accessories.
According to ZDNet, some of the most important and generally available updates will include:
- Updated icons and colors and changes to taskbars and menus will impact the user experience.
- Mandatory hardware-assisted security will provide more protection against hackers.
- Updates will allow developers to make more applications available via the Microsoft Store, including a subsystem that lets users run Android apps.
Protection Plans for Windows 11 Computers
Again, most computers that currently run Windows 10 can also run Windows 11. Few people keep their devices longer than five years. So, by the time Microsoft drops support for Windows 10 in 2025, the vast majority of working computers should perform fine.
Nobody needs to feel pressured to run out and buy a new computer by the end of the year. However, PC owners may consider buying a new device in order to enjoy many new communication, connectivity, and productivity features.
Learn More About Windows Laptops:


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The Foundation of Goodness is a holistic rural development model that seeks to bridge the urban-rural divide in Sri Lanka via 10 empowerment divisions across 900+ villages island-wide, and reached over 307,000+ beneficiaries in 2022 alone by way of 15 Empowerment Centres, free of cost.
The past 5 weeks of the Feed the Hungry Essential Grocery Pack campaign has been extraordinary and the Phase 3 has been the biggest distribution of essential grocery packs for the Foundation of Goodness. This project commenced under the backdrop of an overwhelming number of appeals reaching us from all over Sri Lanka as the economic hardships brought about by COVID-19 made it difficult for many rural Sri Lankans to put food on the table.
Through the remarkable generosity of members of the FoG Family, we managed to reach our target of 5000 essential grocery packs during this phase of the Feed the Hungry Campaign!
The first week saw the distribution of 400 essential grocery packs in the rural villages of the Anuradhapura, Kandy and Badulla Districts. These essential grocery packs will greatly alleviate the suffering of over 1446 beneficiaries from 400 rural families.
All distributions took place in adherence to health and safety guidelines with some of the distributions being subject to delays due to prevailing quarantine regulations imposed across Sri Lanka.


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The Royal Mail Group has been doing very well in an environment that is becoming increasingly challenging, according to its CIO, David Burden. The financial performance of Royal Mail is improving, and this is in part due to cost efficiencies across the business that are being supported by IT.
The organisation is facing some very substantial and public issues, not least its pensions deficit. But the biggest difference is that from 1 January 2006 the UK market was opened up to competitors. “It is a brave new world now,” says Burden. “We are beginning to see the effects of earlier moves, and the measures are being felt on the revenue and nature of the work. Other organisations are now licensed to deliver in the UK and in the same way as in the telecoms market, they have access to our downstream delivery services.
"“It is a brave new world now. We are beginning to see the effects of earlier moves, and the measures are being felt on the revenue and nature of the work”"
David Burden, CIO, Royal Mail Group
“At the same time, Royal Mail is subject to price controls by the government regulator. So we are operating in a very competitive market where there are stringent price controls, a pensions deficit and a need to invest in the business in order to modernise.”
Technology is playing a big role in facing the market challenges, according to Burden. “We are making technology investments to improve the efficiency of the business, using automatic sorting and so on, and in the back office to improve business efficiency.”
But he believes there is another dimension, which concerns the way in which the business of Royal Mail itself is changing. “The business is traditionally about the physical transportation of mail, but it is the information about the transportation of mail that has become increasingly important,” he says.
“For example, in internet commerce providing information-rich services, where we can track and trace deliveries and also improve the quality of the service, is critical.
“For internet retailers the customer experience is not just about the product and price, it is about the delivery too. Big internet players are very anxious to get rich information and address issues as part of their offering.”
The internet has been a double-edged sword for Royal Mail, according to Burden. “Email has changed communications radically, but has also changed the physical side of sending things. E-fulfilment and the direct mail side of the business have exploded. The internet has been an interesting paradox, many traditional parts of the businesses have gone, but there has been a huge growth in others.
“What has emerged is a very complex hybrid, with reverse logistics too where parcels are returned, so the business has changed in nature. There has been a massive rise in the growth of parcels and packages to manage. It is all good exciting stuff.”
Technology is at the foundation of many of these business changes. Royal Mail has introduced an electronic postage product, SmartStamp, and has entered into partnerships with the very large internet players.
Royal Mail has introduced the ability to generate electronic two-dimensional barcodes – or SmartStamps – to speed up this part of the business. SmartStamp has slowly built using subscriptions and is proving very popular with smaller businesses. Royal Mail is also using RFID to track mail flows and a telemetry-based system for its fleet vehicles.
Burden says the organisation also dealt well with the introduction of chip and pin, and has had good progress with putting new accounting systems into its 14,230 post offices. The organisation has also introduced a Track and Trace system for Royal Mail Special Delivery, which handles two million items a week, and has extended this for e-fulfilment, giving an electronic proof of delivery where customers can see a signature online.
Burden says Royal Mail is realising that although its business is based on the physical collection and sorting of items, its supply chain management has to be fully integrated from an information point of view. “Those information flows are just as important as the physical side,” he says.
“There are major challenges in our business, and we are working away at all of them. We are very pleased with the quality of service we have achieved, and are looking at how the information flows, and when things go wrong, why, when and what to do about it.”


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Ah the trade war. There'll be winners and there'll be losers.
While it's still too early to tell who the victors are, the chess pieces are already being moved across the board.
On the left flank is Apple, already mulling to pull out some 15% to 30% of its production capacity from China, according to Nikkei Asian Review.
With the Sino-U.S. trade war seeing no end in sight at present times, Apple has also confirmed that a trade deal will not change their minds.
Apple is among the American companies together with Dell Technologies Inc. and HP that can potentially be blacklisted by China. The risks are "yuge".
Thanks to U.S. President Donald Trump, these are the countries that Apple is currently mulling on: Mexico, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.
India and Vietnam sit at the top of the American tech giant's list, possibility due to the affordability and skills available.
With majority of Apple's suppliers centralized in China, instructions have been sent out to the tech giant's major suppliers to study the cost implications of the move.
In short, Apple not only wants to move a significant chunk of production from China, but also diversify into other countries.
However, the move might set off a domino effect as some 5 million Chinese might be impacted by the move.
Apple has 1.8 million Chinese working on developing the software and iOS App while the company has directly employed some 10,000 staff.
Now, who are the winners and losers again?


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A new business that has recently opened on William Street is adding a vibrant new feel to Bathurst’s burgeoning cafe market.
Nikki’s Cafe on William opened their doors a few weeks ago, and has already started to leave an impression with their refreshing coffee and home-made pasta.
“I believe that the coffee we make here is second to none in Bathurst,” Nikki’s Cafe on William co-owner Pino Calabro said.
“The pasta that we serve, including the accompanying sauces, is fresh and made in-store.”
Mr Calabro and fellow co-owner Nikki Schmidt moved to Bathurst in late 2017 from the Hawkesbury region in Sydney’s north-west, where they were heavily involved in the hospitality scene for a decade.
In order to further grow the cafe’s brand, Mr Calabro is looking to open up the venue on Friday and Saturday nights to provide a unique Italian restaurant experience.
“We have a liquor license from a former store that we’re looking to transfer to this venue,” Mr Calabro said.
“The key to running a standout cafe is to be unique and offer something different for everyone.”
Nikki’s Cafe on William has also been championing a creative approach to their specials board.
Last Friday, the venue ran a special for senior citizens offering a ‘cake of the day’ and a small coffee for just $5.50.
While starting a new business comes with its fair share of challenges, Mr Calabro hopes the venue will become a desirable Bathurst venue in time.
“So far, people have warmly received our coffee and have returned for more,” he said.


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TORONTO, Sept. 11, 2014 /CNW/ - Despite mixed performances across its industrial sectors to date, the overall pace of growth in Quebec's economy is likely to be stronger this year than it was in 2013, according to the latest Provincial Outlook issued today by RBC Economics. RBC revised its real GDP growth forecast slightly downwardly for 2014—to 1.7 per cent from 1.9 per cent previously—to reflect weaker domestic momentum this year.
"We're seeing signs that external sources of growth are starting to drive the economy, which is good news because many domestically-oriented industries seem to be operating at lower levels than where they were a year ago," said Craig Wright, senior vice-president and chief economist, RBC. "Exports are on an impressive run in the province."
Recent statistics from the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) indicate that real merchandise exports were up by a solid 6.6 per cent year-over-year during the first half of 2014. Further, the province's net trade position improved because real merchandise imports fell. RBC says that this lays the groundwork for external trade to contribute significantly to growth this year. Indeed, ISQ estimates for Q1 show that net trade accounted for the entire 2.4 per cent annualized gain in real GDP.
On the domestic front, however, businesses have been reluctant to turn up their investments or hiring in the province, and households have been very selective in their spending. Public-sector spending increased, although the load that administrations can carry is limited given the intense fiscal pressures that they face at all levels of government.
"Disappointment in Quebec's domestic economy also applies to a lack of vigour in the provincial job market," explained Wright. "Year-to-date it's been stagnant – declines in private-sector jobs and full-time positions offset increases in the public sector, the self-employed and part-time positions."
Still, RBC believes that the benefits of strong and persistent external performance will progressively spread to the domestic side. Among other things, increasing evidence that the rise in U.S. demand is no fluke will likely boost business confidence in investing and hiring in the province.
RBC's forecast for 2015 unchanged at 1.8 per cent in anticipation of a further contribution from external trade and augmented by stronger business investment.
The RBC Economics Provincial Outlook assesses the provinces according to economic growth, employment growth, unemployment rates, retail sales, housing starts, and consumer price indices. The full report and provincial details are available online as of 8 a.m. ET today at rbc.com/economics/economic-reports/provincial-economic-forecasts.html.
For further information: Craig Wright, RBC Economics Research, 416-974-7457, [email protected]; Robert Hogue, RBC Economics Research, 416-974-6192, [email protected]; Elyse Lalonde, Communications, RBC Capital Markets, 416-842-5635, [email protected]


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Mini-Digest: New transgenic pigs, Wendy’s bird burgers, sodas with gas
The digest was contributed by Ethicurean buddy Barry Foy.
Stop busting my chops: Researchers at Texas A&M have introduced a genetically modified hog that has a pair of succulent jowls at each end. Targeted at the "foodie" market, the new animal provides twice the usual amount of the cut used to make gourmet guanciale. (Charcuterie Today)
Sing for your supper: Responding to studies linking the beef-cattle industry with deforestation, Wendy's plans to test-market a burger made of starlings. (News on the Wing)
Caca-Cola: The National Pork Producers Council and Coca-Cola have announced a joint venture to build facilities that will carbonate soft drinks using CAFO-sourced methane. The partners call the project "a dynamic, environmentally conscious approach to eliminating factory farming odors, which of course were never really a problem in the first place." (CartelWatch.org)
Who said Quakers are gentle?: Hot on the heels of the city's foie gras controversy, a panel convened by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has ruled that rolling is "gratuitously cruel" to grains, and plans to ban both oatmeal and granola in local restaurants. (Modern Kindness) Related: "Troubling" rise in bulimia among foie gras geese. (Gavage Collector)
What's your "tempeh footprint"? (Yo Soy Serene)
Salmon raised in "heavy water" last years without refrigeration (Fish Food Daily)
Grass-fed cows 36% more polite, says study (Pasture-ization.com)
Tasty seahorse casserole an “Eco No-No,” expert warns (Humanatee Journal)
Autistic livestock expert accidentally slaughtered (Chutes, Eats & Leaves)
No related posts.


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RollerCoaster Tycoon announced for the Xbox
Infogrames announces that it will release an Xbox version of its best-selling PC management game in March. First screens inside.
We'll begin emailing you updates about %gameName%.
Infogrames has today revealed that it will release a previously unannounced Xbox version of RollerCoaster Tycoon in March. The Xbox version of the game, which was first released for the PC in 1999, will not only incorporate all the features of the original game , but it will also include those found in the subsequent original game and original game expansion packs.
"RollerCoaster Tycoon has been one of the most popular games released in the last three years," said Pascale Vermeerbergen, marketing director for Infogrames Europe. "The fans have been shouting for RollerCoaster Tycoon on the Xbox console and we're glad to give them what they've been demanding."
In RollerCoaster Tycoon, players must attempt to build and manage a successful theme park, complete with roller coasters of their own design. The game is currently scheduled for release in Europe on March 14 and in North America on March 18. We'll bring you more information on the Xbox version of RollerCoaster Tycoon as it becomes available.