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If you thought that comment from Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry, claiming that Motorola would bring 10 new Android devices to market in the next six to 10 months, was more fantastic than realistic, take a seat. Microsoft is now saying that the world will welcome 30 new smartphones running Windows Mobile 6.5 before year’s end. Benjamin Tan, senior director, GCR Mobile Team Unit at Microsoft China says that more than 15 smartphone makers are preparing their own WinMo 6.5 handsets for launch later this year.
We’ll apparently see these new smartphones from the likes of HTC, Acer, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba. That’s really not surprising, seeing as how these manufacturers have been getting down with Windows Mobile for some time. In fact, HTC is expected to launch an incredibly sexy and powerful Windows Mobile device in the HTC Leo (Pro3/Pro.Three) later this year. The Leo’s 4.3-inch capacitance touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera and 1Ghz Snapdragon processor is sure to make the HTC Pro3 the WinMo smartphone to look for this holiday season.
Android has been gaining traction recently, but with no less than 30 new Windows Phones hitting market this year, the little green robot would do well to watch its back.


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Boasting 35 million players a month, Gameloft announces all its future games will include in-app purchases
Even bringing free-to-play to Java
As with the rest of the industry, it's identified social features and free-to-play games as a critical focus.
All of its smartphone and tablet games released in 2012 will include in-app purchases and be what the company describes as "heavily social".
The company is also bringing the free-to-play model to Java, announcing that it's launched its first such game for feature phones, and that it intends to release more titles in future.
Further to yesterday news that it's working on a Men in Black 3 game, Gameloft listed some of the other deals it's recently signed.
These include The Dark Knight Rises (DC Comics), Ice Age (Fox), The Avengers and The Amazing Spider-Man (both Marvel), and My Little Pony and Littlest Pet Shop (both Hasbro).
Titles based on these brands will be released on feature phones, smartphone and tablets, including Kindle Fire, which it's currently supporting with 32 games.
Update: We've been asked to point out that Gameloft only has the feature phone licence for The Avengers.
And highlighting its scale, Gameloft pointed out that it's had almost 125 million titles downloaded on iOS and Android, with 35 million users playing its games on a monthly basis.

domain: news


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Most of us are aware of the rather weird dimple on the back of the Nexus 6, but ex-Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside has revealed that it was meant to be a fingerprint sensor. This indicates that even Google considered incorporating the technology that was made popular by Apple.
Woodside said that the plan was scrapped because of the nature of the sensor. Unlike the ones on the recent Apple iPhones that only require users to touch and hold the sensor, the fingerprint sensor that the company was testing required a swiping motion like the one on the Samsung Galaxy S5, which isn’t as accurate as the former method.
The secret behind that (dimple) is that it was supposed to be fingerprint recognition, and Apple bought the best supplier. So the second best supplier was the only one available to everyone else in the industry and they weren’t there yet.
As Apple acquired the supplier that had the better touch-and-hold sensor for fingerprint recognition, the company basically ruined any other company from implementing a similar feature. Until other suppliers come up with a better method of fingerprint recognition, it seems Apple will have the upper-hand.
However, Motorola’s trademark dimple at the back of its smartphones has been there ever since the first-generation Moto X was unveiled back in 2013. Then again, Google had already acquired Motorola when the dimple was introduced, so Woodside’s claim is still very plausible.
If Google had gone through with the fingerprint sensor, it would mean that an official API for a fingerprint sensor would have been available on Android. This in turn would make it easier for other manufacturers to implement this feature; but alas, it is only a dream for now.


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SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 13, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apigee® (NASDAQ:APIC), developer of an intelligent API platform for digital business, today announced that it will host a live webcast of its investor and analyst conference today, Tuesday, October 13, 2015. The webcast will feature remarks by Apigee partners and customers, as well as remarks by Apigee CEO Chet Kapoor, Apigee CFO Tim Wan and other members of the company’s senior leadership team.
The webcast will take place in two sessions. The first session will begin at approximately 10:30 am PDT, will run until approximately 12:00 noon PDT, and will feature Apigee customers and partners. The second session will begin at approximately 12:45 pm PDT, will run until approximately 2:00 pm PDT, and will feature Apigee executives. Apigee invites investors and analysts to listen to the live webcast and view slides at the investor relations page of Apigee’s company website at investors.apigee.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the website later in the day. The webcast will include forward-looking statements.
Apigee provides an intelligent API platform for digital business. Many of the world's largest organizations select Apigee to enable their digital business, including 20 of the Fortune 100, five of the top 10 Global 2000 retail brands, and six of the top 10 global telecommunications companies. Apigee customers include global enterprises such as Walgreens, eBay, Burberry, Shell, Live Nation, and First Data. Apigee is headquartered in San Jose, California and has over 400 employees worldwide.


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Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) has recently declared its results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2014. Bloomberg TV’s Yang Yang analyzed better than estimated third quarter results posted by the $59.2 billion market capped beverage giant, on its popular ‘In The Loop‘ programming segment, and highlighted how “food actually drove” the “company sales and bottom-line”. The program also threw light on the new impetus being provided by Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz to experiment with a new lunch menu.
Yang Yang explained that, “Starbucks, as we all know, definitely a coffee company at its core, but for the third quarter, it was actually food that came out as the standout” performance. She also agreed with the analyst and the company’s management description that third quarter performance “was an outstanding and strong quarter” for the world’s top coffee maker.
Yang then proceeded to list out the highlights from the Seattle headquartered firm’s third quarter earnings report.
“They clocked in net income of some $513 million, about a 23% gain from a year ago. Earnings per share in at 67 cents, beating the street estimate by one cent, on revenue of $4.2 billion for the quarter. Global same-store sales growth, (that is a key number) clocked in at 6% for an impressive 18th consecutive quarter of com growth of 5% or more.”
Yang then walked through the market region wise break up in same store sales data, and pointed out that China, Asia Pacific and home market of U.S grew at an impressive 7 percent, while the Americas grew at 6 percent, followed by Europe, Middle East and Africa, which came in at 3 percent. She also went on to underline that, “Food drove 2 percent of comp growth in the united states alone”.
Looking ahead, she pointed to the optimism Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) has voiced based on “the fact that as coffee costs rise, they have locked in about 60% of coffee prices for the next year, giving them a big leg up on their competitors”. She also underlined that optimism that is being displayed by the coffee chain major by saying that, “They have actually increased their earnings per share estimate for the current quarter up by 2 cents, now it is at 76 Cents”.
The report then went on to underline the changes that are being embraced by Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by pointing out Chairman and Chief Executive, Howard Schultz’s, comments after the earnings call in which he is quoted saying, “expect the lunch hour to look different.” These changes include increasing food items on the menu, opening up more number of 24 hour stores and strengthening its mobile ordering platform.


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By Medha de Alwis
What is the viewpoint of the economy post COVID-19 from homegrown entrepreneurs? The Chamber of Young Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE), under the leadership of Chamath Kottage together with the Daily FT, recently invited three popular “Made in Sri Lanka” brands and entrepreneurs to share key insights to this important issue through a webinar. The trio were Laugfs Holdings PLC Chairman W.K.H. Wegapitiya, Epic Technology Group Chairman Dr. Nayana Dehigama, and Nature’s Beauty Creation Chairman Samantha Kumarasinghe. Daily FT Editor Nisthar Cassim moderated the webinar.
|Laugfs Holdings PLC Chairman W.K.H. Wegapitiya
|Nature’s Beauty Creation Chairman Samantha Kumarasinghe
|Epic Technology Group Chairman Dr. Nayana Dehigama
Wegapitiya said that it was too early to gauge how the future would look like. Yet, he said, following global financial crises, the conventional business models became obsolete, and new innovations came up. Enterprises are the live wire of the entire economy creating wealth for the entire society. Moving forward from COVID-19, the industries have to understand how the previous global crises were managed.
Wegapitiya took a strong stand that we were not normal, prior to COVID-19. The human race was leading towards an absolute destination. Economic supremacy was the norm of the day and the powerful nations showed their muscles to developing nations. This trend has changed at present. Currently, for every society, economy is not the first. The wellbeing of the economy has become more important. The Chairman of Laugfs Holdings went on to elaborate that there are four pillars in any society, namely: a) economic pillar b) social pillar c) environment pillar and d) cultural pillar.
The economic pillar represents the economies and finance in the society. The social pillar embodies salient features such as freedom of expression, health, education, law and order. The environmental pillar embodies preservation of the environment including safeguarding air quality, water quality and the manner in which goods and services are produced without disturbing the balance of the environment.
In the recent past, these four pillars were unbalanced, said Wegapitiya. The society focused mostly on the economic pillar, at the expense or neglect of others.
To drive home his point, he cited the example of a large number of patients in the North Central province suffering from kidney disease. Another was the Easter Sunday terror attacks, the crisis that followed, and cultural extremism.
Shifting his focus to the global arena, Wegapitiya said: “Six months ago China and the USA competed for economic supremacy in Asia. All over the world, these kinds of challenges compel society to drive their journey towards a different destination, which may not be a safe destination.”
He said before trying to understand the post COVID-19 economy, it was vital to know that Sri Lanka wasn’t normal prior to COVID-19. “It is foolish to talk about getting back to normalcy,” said Wegapitiya, adding that the former priorities of economic gain, management priorities, and political behaviour have to be forgotten, and new norms of socially beneficial, resourceful citizenship and entrepreneurship are the new way to go forward.
He said it was interesting to note how both SriLankan Airlines staff and the Army had to double up as para-health workers. A new dimension has to be adopted, in which the citizen does not want to go back to the ‘normalcy’ that was in the past.
Wegapitiya explained three shocks that have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic, are likely to continue in the post COVID-19 era too. They are:
- Social shock: Half the world’s population is restricted in movement. The social life that one was earlier accustomed to cannot go on anymore.
- Demand shock: This happened in the USA post 9/11 attack. Consumers do not buy the luxury items that they earlier did. The current trend is to move on to basics. Supply chain has been disrupted.
- Financial shock: The previous two shocks cause financial shock. It is time to look for a new future.
Samantha Kumarasinghe said that since the Second World War, what has been in effect is the neo-liberal economic policy. The brainchild of the London School of Economics in 1945, it concentrated on a few people getting rich, and most people staying poor. The poor US citizens dying on the street is a result of this, as per Kumarasinghe, because the poor segment of any society as well as the developing countries have been manipulated for the advantage of the rich.
Kumarasinghe went on to explain that nature was the most powerful. “When nature takes over, there is no way how it can be controlled. We have not been normal,” he opined, adding that the pre-COVID-19 era was a system in which greed was facilitated. Post COVID-19, he expressed the confidence that different social values, behaviours, and economic models will be brought forward. “Neither the economy nor society will ever go back to what it had once been,” he emphasised.
Dr. Dayana Dehigama said that the webinar discussion was pragmatic, as the panel comprises of entrepreneurs who have hands-on experience on the situation.
He agreed with the other two panellists that the economy as well as society has missed the bus by miles by concentrating solely on the competitive race.
Dehigama stated that there is a difference between wealth and value creation at the cost of destroying our own valuable industries. Sri Lanka has become an import-dependent nation. He stated that dhal and bread are the unofficial staple food in the island, which exemplifies what an import-dependent economy Sri Lanka has become.
Dehigama further stated that the reason for getting into such dependence was too much focus on comparative advantage, though what is important is to create value and not only wealth. As the economy cannot enjoy the economies of scale, import culture has been established, thereby not accruing the proper place to the concept of value creation.
“Value comes in a critical situation like this to help ourselves and stand on our own feet. We have been facing similar crisis situations in the past. In the period between 2000 and 2009 there were many crises. Political crisis where the Government changed thrice. Worst economic situation, intensified civil world, Asian economic crisis, global economic crisis. Yet, that was the time most of the entrepreneurship have gained growth. Some got over 40% growth at that time. Opportunities came up in crisis markets,” expressed Dehigama, who was of the belief that crises are opportunities for businesses to thrive. “Sri Lanka will adapt very smoothly, no need to be stressed. The country will understand what has be to done and will take it up positively as nation,” added Dehigama further.
Answering the question of whether the post COVID-19 era was an ideal opportunity for Sri Lanka to make it right, and as to whether this opportunity too would be missed as the previous ones, Wegapitiya replied, “We are a nation with short memory. Historically not only once, we have missed chances many times in the past,” adding "we are a very resilient nation, nevertheless."
Coronavirus tested how tensile the nations and the economies are. The US and European economies were regarded as great economies who create economic fundamentals and policies. But the virus shattered it all. Economies have been running behind selfish economic objectives. Because of such recklessness, economies have come to a halt. Now is the time for not only the Government, but also entrepreneurs and citizenry to be responsible and make the correct decisions for the future. Sri Lanka made tea using artificial chemicals, taking the environment for granted. Due to COVID-19, the majority of exports such as apparel, tea and rubber have stopped. These are all conventional goods. It is sad that Sri Lanka did not export industrial goods. It is time to change in the post COVID-19 phase. To do this, a new socio-cultural-economic strategy should be crafted.
Kumarasinghe said in spite of the religious and ethnic differences, it is important to stand up as one nation. Because of globalisation, Sri Lanka succumbed to the pressure of following economic policies that were prescribed by global institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, for which the island lost her roots with the intention of getting on the track of the global race.
He also emphasised that a strong hand needs to be lent to local entrepreneurs. Sri Lanka is not independent of the colonial mentality. Foreign investors are treated well. As much as it should be the case, in order to bring in foreign direct investment, it is wise to bear in mind that if foreign investment only provides citizens with employment, there is no growth for the island; and it is still colonisation.
Due to the pressure of the Institutions like the IMF and the World Bank, even the Sri Lankan Government formulated policies which are for the benefit of multinationals and foreigners. There is little benefit to the locals at large. This system has to change post COVID-19. If one feels that being a member of the Commonwealth does not serve a purpose, one should get out of the Commonwealth. Britain has taken the wealth out of Sri Lanka; and as per Kumarasinghe, there is no reason to have any further alliance with Britain or the Commonwealth.
Kumarasinghe further explicated that the Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement of 1998 was designed for the benefit of multinational companies, not Sri Lankans. “These are the errors that were made in the modern economic history of Sri Lanka. In following with the Indo-Sri Lankan Free Trade Agreement, the Government had given a tax benefit to a non-Indian product, as it came through India. The said non-eligible company used the said source of income to kill local competition.”
The Government has to be independent in its approach and look afar. Kumarasinghe recalled that in February 2019, a duty fraud by a multi-national company was exposed. Still the Government has not been able to recover the fraudulent money.
Right policy mix
The moderator posed the question of how Sri Lanka should strike a balance, since these three companies featured in the webinar were also foreign investors in other countries in Asian region.
Kumarasinghe, who has invested in a manufacturing plant in Vietnam, said Vietnam supports foreign companies for 100% export, whilst in the local market preference is given for domestic companies. “We need to adapt a strong policy which addresses an equal playing field,” he added.
He said as a policy, he used only local audit firms and not foreign. He noted that arbitration in Sri Lanka is influenced by looking after the interest of large multinationals.
Claiming that multinationals pose a serious threat to the environment, Kumarasinghe said if a country opens up business opportunities mainly for foreigners while simultaneously closing doors for local entrepreneurs, it was suicidal.
Dr. Dehigama listed out his learnings from the COVID-19 experience, stating that one cannot go back to the same old country and the same old market. If one does that, it is detrimental and will be cutting one’s own throat. It is important to learn that the only certainty is uncertainty, scientific analysis, forecasting, and future economic predicting have little reliability, and that agility, as well as adaptability, preparedness, and resilience are important. It is important to be aware that the market could turn tables anytime, and to have a plan to manage the country’s balance of payment. Foreign exchange inflows could stop anytime, hence building up an economy that is independent of imports is a way not to give in to the pressure of the dollar.
Expressing his view on how to support local industries, Dehigama said that it is vital to adopt a holistic approach without looking at competitive and comparative advantages. Value addition is important because there is a pleasure of creating a value about purchasing local products.
Wegapitiya clarified that he is not against foreign investment in Sri Lanka, but it is important to ensure that local entrepreneurs are not crushed by the same. It is vital to look at the actual value created by the foreign investors. Nationalisation and opening the economy were done in Sri Lanka at the wrong time. And now it is important to lend an ear to the local investor’s grievance. The rest of the panellists agreed with this view.
Dehigama said Malaysia, where he has operations, offers special incentives for local entrepreneurs. The Government needs to play a role in protecting the small and medium scale enterprises which are the backbone of the economy.
Support for local entrepreneurs
The webinar then focused on specific support needed for local entrepreneurs, post-COVID-19. The question was twofold: what are the opportunities created by COVID-19? And what is the future of micro and small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs)?
Wegapitiya expressed his opinion based on the fact that 52% of the employment is created by SMEs. He said restriction of movement and demand shock that have arisen should be considered as opportunities. He urged entrepreneurs to look at the new trends of engagements that have been there in the past 2 months since the lockdown. Mobile solutions, digitalisation, healthcare, import substitution and agro business have come to the forefront, and it is in these that the opportunities lie.
In response to question if the companies cannot operate in their full capacity, how the cost of production can be managed, Kumarasinghe revealed that even while running in lesser capacity, he has diverted to products that are the need of the day, such as hand sanitiser and sanitation liquids. He also noted that onions and dry chilies have been imported to Sri Lanka, and at the halt of these imports, there is a strong potential business.
With regard to the question of whether the Government took the right steps during the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation, Wegapitiya said all need to appreciate the unconventional political leadership which helped to contain the situation. “Sri Lankan economy was not doing well anyway. It is an import-dependent economy with a small export basket and many issues in the GDP. Crafting a new strategy is the need of the day. To do this, old policies should be left behind,” he said.
The panellists were then inquired as to how financially resourceful the local entrepreneurs are to take up the challenge. Dehigama was of the opinion that though moratoriums are available, it is wise to handle the situation without getting into excessive debt. There is a 35-40% trade decline, hence the pitch is not the best to bask in further borrowing. It is better to adopt a cost cutting strategy. Layoffs would seem the easy thing to do, but the role of the entrepreneur is not to layoff but to create employment. Adopt diversified channels that lead into novel revenue pathways. Train the existing employees on these new revenue channels without laying them off. Create new local trends such as local food, local travel destinations and local races.
When inquired as to whether there is a necessity in the post COVID-19 economic and business environment for the companies to merge, Kumarasinghe cited banks as a clear example of the failed European economic model, and therefore do not support local entrepreneurs properly.
“Moratoriums add up interest and by doing that banks make profit out of this calamity,” he alleged. For the question what their single advice to the Government would be, Wegapitiya replied that he would urge the Government to properly govern. Kumarasinghe appreciated that the Government is exercising control on unnecessary opening up of the economy and that it was important to support and cooperate with the Government. He stated the excessive millions of rupees spent on motor vehicles and fuel and requested to rethink their consumption. Dehigama urged the Government to increase liquidity/cashflow in the economy to revive the economy post-COVID-19.


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We'll give you a hint: it's not millennials. Plus, women and men prefer different cannabis products, but not in the ways you'd expect.
After studying two large, nationally representative surveys, we found that although the amount of time teens spent with their friends face to face has declined since the 1970s, the drop accelerated after 2010 – just as smartphones use started to grow.
FOR A WEEKLY DOSE OF THE FRESH TOAST
Hand selected from our editors with all the latest news and entertainment with a side of cannabis.
The 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor said he wanted his daughter to trust him, and didn't want her experimenting at a party.
Despite clear medical advice, experts in the cannabis industry believe vaping will make a strong comeback over the summer.
Growth opportunities remain in cannabis, but it requires creativity, enterprise and knowledge, according to top investors.


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Tonnes and tonnes of soaps from hotel rooms in Croatia are thrown away every year. In Split alone, over 5 and a half tonnes of soaps are thrown away annually. That will soon be a thing of the past however, as Split is set to become the first place in Europe with a recycling soap factory.
The factory, which will employ people with disabilities, is expected to be built within the next 14 months. The used soaps will be sterilised and reproduced into fresh bars.
“At the start there will be 8 people employed. We hope that these products will successfully be branded and go onto the market. We hope that the brand becomes recognizable and that these plants will be able to generate income for the education of disabled persons and create more jobs for them,” Mihaela Jovic Karašin, from ‘Visoki jablani’ – the Association for Rehabilitation and Education, told HRT.
Millions of used bars of soap from hotels around the world are sent to landfills every day, and this project in Croatia is a great opportunity to help keep the world clean and also is an employment opportunity for the disabled in the country.


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The continuing revival of the discounters in 2011 has been confirmed by the latest monthly figures from Kantar Worldpanel.
According to a report in The Grocer, Aldi grew its market share in the three months to 20 February from 2.8% to 3.1%, new data shows, while Lidl boosted its share from 2.2% to 2.4%.
At the upper end of the market, Waitrose achieved its highest ever ranking, with market share of 4.4% for the period.
Sainsbury’s grew its share from 16.3% to 16.5%. That narrowed the gap to Asda in second place, whose share slipped slightly to 16.9%. And Tesco lost share, down 0.1 percentage points to 30.3% of the UK grocery market.
Kantar analyst Fraser McKevitt said the discounters’ growth was driven by existing customers spending more rather than by luring new shoppers from supermarket rivals.
“With economic uncertainty increasingly in the news it is no surprise that shoppers are being cautious with their spending,” he said. “The majority of people continued to seek value through promotions in the mainstream retailers, rather than trading down to the discounters.”
Pelican Communications are specialists in the environment, food and drink, outdoor and leisure and packaging sectors and offer a range of services such as media relations, brand management, event management and people development. Contact us for marketing and communications expertise.


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With the semiconductor industry's plans to transition to 450mm wafers on deep freeze, chipmakers are doubling down on 300mm fabs.
With the semiconductor industry’s plans to transition to 450mm wafers on deep freeze, chipmakers are doubling down on 300mm fabs.
According to market research firm IC Insights, 300mm wafers represented about 64 percent of worldwide fab capacity at the end of last year. The firm expects that percentage to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8 percent between 2016 to 2021, rising to more than 71 percent.
There was a time when the industry was pushing for 450mm fabs to be in place by now, although many observers were skeptical. In recent years, momentum around 450mm has all but fizzled. The Global 450 Consortium (G450C) — a joint R&D program that involved Intel, TSMC, Globalfoundries, IBM, Samsung and the SUNY Polytechnic Institute — quietly finished the first phase of its work at the end of last year, with no date selected for beginning the next phase.
G. Dan Hutcheson, a veteran semiconductor equipment analyst who is chairman and CEO of VLSI Research, told EE Times in January that 450mm is “probably dead for another five to 10 years.”
Even five to 10 years may be optimistic. “I don’t see 450mm on the horizon,” said Christian Dieseldorff, director of industry research and analysis at the SEMI trade association, in an email exchange this week.
Dieseldorff, who like many in the industry experienced the transition from 200mm to 300mm first hand, said the problem is the initial cost of 450mm and disagreement about whether the chipmakers or the equipment suppliers should bear that substantial burden.
“It’s the same issue as with 300mm,” Dieseldorff said. “Everyone ‘rushes’ not to be the first.”
Meanwhile, the industry keeps getting more mileage out of 300mm. IC Insights forecasts that the number of 300mm fabs in the world will rise from 98 to 123 by 2021.
SEMI, meanwhile, is tracking about 45 300mm fabs that it expects to come online between 2016 and 2021, not including R&D or pilot fabs.
And, according to IC Insights, there’s plenty of life left in 200mm, too, as 300mm doesn’t make economic sense for many types of devices, including specialty memories, display drivers, microcontrollers and RF and analog products. “Fabs running 200mm wafers will continue to be profitable for many more years for the fabrication of numerous types of ICs,” the firm said in a statement released last week.
IC Insights pointed out that 200mm fabs are also still being used for building MEMS-based “non-IC” products such as accelerometers, pressure sensors and actuators, including acoustic-wave RF filtering devices and micro-mirror chips for digital projectors and displays, as well as power discrete semiconductors and some high-brightness LEDs.
— Dylan McGrath is editor in chief of EE Times.


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Chemicals & Materials Now!
From basic to specialty, and everything in between
Posted on December 28th, 2016 by Vasiliki Parapouli in Chemicals Industry News and Analysis
Due to recent votes in the United States and the UK, aromatics players are increasingly fearful of the impact that political isolationism could have on market liquidity. Continue reading “The Foul Aroma of Isolationism” »
Posted on November 28th, 2016 by Dr. Kai Pflug in Chemical R&D
CEFIC, a European association of chemical companies, expects China´s share of the global chemical market to increase further – from the current 39.9% (2015) to 44% in 2030. So, despite the slowdown of the Chinese economy, growth is still faster than the global average. Continue reading “Bringing R&D To China” »
Posted on October 25th, 2016 by Dr. Kai Pflug in Chemical R&D
Rare earth metals are needed to make many high-tech products, including smartphones, wind turbines, laptops and electric cars. Though 65% of the world’s reserves are located outside of China, currently China supplies more than 93% of the world’s rare earth elements, Continue reading “Politically induced scarcity leading to innovation” »


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The climate deal struck yesterday by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin would significantly expand consumer tax credits for electric vehicles by offering a $7,500 tax credit to people buying an EV made with a certain percentage of minerals mined or processed in nations with U.S. free trade agreements, or recycled in North America.
But there’s a catch: The EV supply chain required for the tax credit doesn’t exist.
Minerals required to make market-ready EV batteries — lithium, cobalt, graphite and nickel — are primarily mined, refined and processed in China and Russia or in less adversarial nations like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia that aren’t parties to U.S. free trade agreements (Greenwire, Feb. 24).
That tax-credit provision is sparking concerns from climate activists and EV promoters that the much-lauded Senate bill could actually limit the effectiveness of its electric vehicle tax credit by putting an impossibly high hurdle in front of automakers.
“These things aren’t in place, and might not be for more than a decade,” said Morgan Bazilian, director of the Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines.
The requirement, he added, “may limit the amount of tax credits that get the full amount.”
There is currently a $7,500 tax credit for consumers buying electric vehicles, but it is limited to 200,000 vehicles sold per manufacturer, resulting in some automakers hitting that cap and no longer benefiting from the credit.
The reconciliation bill would expand this benefit by lifting the limit on how many vehicles can qualify for the credit. President Joe Biden and many congressional Democrats wanted to remove this cap because it could hypothetically supercharge consumer EV purchases and included language doing so in the House version of the “Build Back Better Act” that passed last year (Climatewire, July 21).
If signed into law, the bill would require EVs by 2024 to have batteries made with at least 40 percent minerals extracted or processed by a nation that is party to a U.S. free trade agreement, with the percentage measured by the value of the total minerals in the battery. Minerals recycled in North America could also be included in the percentage requirement.
The critical minerals content requirement for batteries would increase to 80 percent by 2027.
A similar requirement would apply to battery components, requiring 100 percent of battery components in qualifying EVs be made in North America by 2029.
Half of the tax credit would be tied to the mineral requirement. The other half would be tethered to the battery component mandate.
Such requirements are in line with Manchin’s stated policy priorities. The West Virginia Democrat has slammed incentives to switch the U.S. away from fossil fuel-powered cars by citing the EV industry’s heavily reliance on minerals mined abroad, most notably in China (E&E Daily, April 8).
Supporters of the bill’s language say this requirement is precisely what the United States and its allies need — a mega-market signal to auto companies and mine developers that they should heavily invest in developing a made-in-America battery sector.
“For far too long ‘made in America’ has ignored the front end of the supply chain: domestically sourced mined minerals,” said Conor Bernstein, a spokesperson for the National Mining Association. “Requirements that minerals for batteries be sourced close to home rather than from geopolitical rivals directly supports high-paying, stable U.S. jobs that strengthen our economy, secure our supply chains and enhance our global competitiveness.”
National security hawks have long sounded alarm bells that a transition away from fossil fuels and toward electrified transportation and energy networks could increase the U.S. reliance on adversaries for mineral and metal supplies.
Abby Wulf, director of the Center for Critical Minerals Strategy at the nonprofit Securing America’s Future Energy, called the bill’s mineral content requirements “ambitious.”
“Ultimately, we hope this will help to make automakers realize how serious it is that they can’t just rely on unreliable supply chains and that they’re going to have to focus much more on diversifying them,” Wulf said.
But Bazilian, an academic who advocates for climate action in tandem with a more robust American EV supply chain, said the percentages set by the bill could ultimately hinder the effectiveness of the tax credit into the foreseeable future.
“Even though this may get [Manchin’s] sign-off, and it might be very important to Manchin to get these percentages, they will likely not be reached,” he said.
Environmental groups agree with Bazilian’s assessment, asserting that the minerals requirement spoils a potentially powerful pathway to hastening decarbonization of the U.S. transportation system.
“All it does is negate the tax credit,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director for the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s not like the car companies are deliberately overlooking a U.S. supply chain. It just doesn’t exist right now.”
Lauren Pagel, policy director at environmental nongovernmental organization Earthworks, said her group believes the language would essentially provide a subsidy for new mines in the U.S. and its allied nations “because now they need those mines to get their critical minerals percentages up, so their cars can be deemed clean under this bill.”
“If I were an electric vehicle advocate, someone who’s trying to incentivize more electric vehicles to solve climate change, I would not want this provision in there,” Pagel said. “I’d want everyone to get the tax credit if they bought an electric vehicle. That’s the solution that’s the most climate friendly and realistic.”
Joe Britton, executive director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association, which represents EV-related corporations big and small across the United States, from lithium mining companies to EV startups, said his group had pushed for “a more universally accessible credit” because “if you limit the credit, you limit the public benefits of the credit.”
He said he’s optimistic that if the bill is enacted, it would be an “enormous accelerant” for American EV manufacturing when combined with billions of dollars in the measure for building battery manufacturing and mineral processing facilities, as well as funds to reconfigure auto plants so they can make EVs.
But Britton is clear-eyed about the reality of the existing supply chain, conceding that “people are looking at their supply chains now” to “think through” how they “meet these targets.”
“I’m not saying there’s no concern,” he said. “These will make people reach.”


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Every once in a while, the wedding industry makes adjustments according to changing laws and shifting perceptions. The latest percolation: cannabis-friendly nuptials in states that have legalized marijuana. Some couples are requesting its presence (usually in the form of manned booths and bars) to calm nerves, enhance senses and offer something other than a glass of whatever to unwind. For interested couples, online database Love & Marij has begun logging cannabis-friendly vendors, including wedding photographers.
Bianca and Kyle of Oak and Iron Photography signed up for Love & Marij last year. “We understand the taboo that comes along with being cannabis-friendly vendors and think the benefits outweigh any negative feedback we may receive,” the duo says. “We want the people who hire us to be completely comfortable with us, and if that means adding cannabis to the mix, whether chatting about it or involving it in a session, we are more than open to it.”
Colorado photographer Ali Vagnini has been shooting cannabis weddings since 2014. She’s seen buds incorporated into boutonnieres, floral arrangements and bouquets as well. “I value staying open to new and different ideas,” Vagnini says. “It sparks my creativity.” She does make sure to know which participating guests may be new to cannabis so she doesn’t overwhelm them with her camera: “It is no different than giving a guest extra space who may have had one too many cocktails.”
Portland, Oregon-based photographer Jessica Hill likens the addition of cannabis to a cigar bar: “It’s there for guests that want it and not for those who don’t.” She also notes the visual opportunities for photographers—the intriguing combination of smoke and light, for example—but all the same, Hill makes sure to get plenty of anonymous-looking photos so she can share them freely online.
The photographers agree on one thing: their role is still rooted in simply documenting the day. “Ultimately, it is not about the cannabis,” Vagnini says. “I am there to showcase their story. If cannabis is a big part of their lives and they want to share that passion with their guests, I will be there to capture it in an honest way.”


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According to scuttlebut at the Google Launchpad conference, we’ll see the Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 launched Tuesday, October 15th. Google Launchpad is a ”two-week boot camp for early stage start-ups helping with subjects including user interface, product strategy & technology, marketing, business development and more,” and sponsored by Google for Entrepreneurs.
We’ve been wondering if we’d see the Nexus 5 launch without an event. Google usually sends out invites at least 10 days in advance, and they’ve been eerily quiet. They could be hosting another of their manicured events, where invites go to a very small group of journalists, but even at that, we would think we’d have heard something. Of course, they could just be launching later this month or early next, too.
According to a variety of sources, this news is just floating around the Launchpad, and not coming from one particular developer at the conference. As for validity, we’re on the fence. Without news of an official event, we’re inclined to be open to the possibility. Whenever it ends up happening, make sure you have both money and patience; I think we all remember the debacle that was the Nexus 4 launch.


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Many have always argued that wearing outfits made from animal skin or fur is just a sign of man's inordinate vanity. There are many garments made with gree-like materials such as eco-leather. A leather-like material can be made from mushrooms.
This was supported by a team from the University of Vienna, who created a renewable sustainable fabric. It was published in the journal Nature Sustainability. Researchers explains that the production of synthetic leather materials from plastics such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane (PU) also depends on chemicals derived from fossil fuels.
The scientist points out that mushrooms could represent an economic, sustainable and respectful raw material. A University of Vienna experts said: "Traditional leather can be considered a co-product of meat production, obtained from animals and synthetic polymers through processes increasingly considered ethically questionable and not very respectful of the environment.
We thought that materials similar to leather can be derived from fungi, recycling low-cost agricultural and forestry by-products such as sawdust, which could represent the raw material for the growth of the fungal mycelium."
The green turning point in fashion could come from mushrooms saving many animals
According to experts, the biomass sheets are very similar to leather and show comparable tactile properties. The first biotechnological companies are already marketing materials derived from mushrooms, which represent a precious and sustainable resource.
The replacement sheets contain chitin, a completely biodegradable substance, which acts as a stabilizer in the material, and polysaccharides such as glucans. The authors had previously conducted experiments on some fungal species treated to make paper and substances that could be used for isolation.
They said: "We examined the sustainability of bovine and synthetic leathers presenting an overview of the first developments and commercialization of skin substitutes derived from mushrooms. One of the main challenges will be to obtain homogeneous and consistent sheets, which show uniformity of thickness, color and mechanical properties.
We believe and hope that in the future studies and research will ensure that this new material based on fungal biomass plays a fundamental role in the use of ethically environmentally friendly fabrics." It is an ethical choice, which has long been supported by scientists and experts, which preserves the use of animal skins and furs to be used in the manufacture of clothing.


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DALLAS -- Each year, the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce presents the Bridge Builder Award to an outstanding business innovator who has had a significant impact on the economic development of Texas and Israel. The 2012 recipient, Joe DePinto, president and CEO of 7-Eleven Inc., "exudes the characteristics that this prestigious award represents," the group said.
Under the leadership of DePinto, Dallas-based 7-Eleven, Inc. has grown from $13.4 billion in revenues in 2006 to $20.5 billion in 2011, raising the bar for the convenience store industry globally.
"7-Eleven's explosive growth and industry leadership has promoted strong ties with Texas-Israel Chamber members who are also significant contributors to the global growth of the convenience store industry such as Alon USA, Delek US and Retalix," the chamber said.
These companies are based in Israel but have their U.S. headquarters in Texas.
Prior to his role as president and CEO of 7-Eleven, DePinto was president of GameStop Corp. and held executive positions at PepsiCo Inc. and Thornton Oil Corp.
DePinto is a board director of 7-Eleven, OfficeMax, Brinker International, The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), Business Executives for National Security, SMU's Cox School of Business, Lone Star Big Brothers/Big Sisters and The Command & General Staff College Foundation. He is a member of the Advisory Councils for CSP's Outlook Leadership Conference, The Pro Players Foundation, The Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth and is a Network of Executive Women Champion.
The Fifth Annual Texas-Israel Bridge Builder Award Dinner will be held on November 1 in Dallas. David Johnson of KRLD will serve as master of ceremonies and Shelly Stein, CEO of Glazer's Distributors, will introduce DePinto.
The dinner provides essential funding for the chamber to be the primary resource for economic development between Texas and Israel.
The Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce was established in 2007 by business leaders in every major Texas city, The Israel-American Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Governor's office with the sole mission of being the primary resource for economic development between Texas and Israel. It is a private, not-for-profit business organization.


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A new month is here and with it, the kickoff of the ninth annual "Fight Hunger" campaign at all Weis Markets in our area. Many stores are starting to roll out the project and it officially kicks into high gear on Thursday, September 8.
To date, the supermarket corporation has raised nearly a million dollars for local food banks in our area. The grocery store chain is also one of seven corporate sponsors of WNEP-TV's Ryan's Run which raises money for kids and adults with disabilities served by Allied Services. You can support WNEP's Ryan's Run at this link!
Newswatch 16's Ryan Leckey visited the Weis store in the Clarks Summit area Thursday morning to explain how people can get involved in the "Fight Hunger" campaign, the items you can donate, and the places that'll benefit.
- "Fight Hunger" will benefit local food banks and pantries throughout PA, MD, NJ, NY & WV.
- 100% of proceeds will be donated to area food banks in the form of gift cards to help fill gaps in food supplies.
- HOW TO GET INVOLVED
- Donate shelf-stable items
- Purchase $2, $4 and or “Round-Up Donation” to the next whole dollar
- You can make a PayPal donation and/or learn more about the campaign by clicking here!


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Ity Bytes 14 June
- Huawei premium phones now display advertising on the lock screen – how to piss off friends
- Huawei cancels new MateBook laptop launch at CES 2019
- Speaking of ads – Google relaxes Chrome extension that could cripple ad blockers
- 5G – 70% never hear of it and 99% can’t get it
- New Windows 10 security updates may cactus older Bluetooth devices
- Epson issues conditional recall notice for all wall/ceiling mountable projectors
- Google Pixel 4 – Google leaked a picture
ITy Bytes 14 June
Huawei premium phones now display advertising on the lock screen – how to piss off friends
Huawei has annoyed owners of its P20/Lite/Pro, P30/Pro and some other models by displaying advertisements on its lock screen.
Respected site Ausdroid reported the story late yesterday and you should read it for more detail. The image below has been borrowed from our good friends at Ausdroid.
What it amounts to is an overt invasion of privacy regardless of whether Huawei had the right to do so, buried somewhere deep in its End User Licence Agreement – which no one reads.
Huawei did respond, “The ads are not initiated by Huawei. We encourage individuals to check app settings, or follow publicly available directions on how to remove lock screen ads,” Huawei said in a statement to Digital Trends.
Huawei cancels new MateBook laptop launch at CES 2019
GadgetGuy likes Huawei notebooks – well made, good value and great performance. The MateBook X Pro is close to perfection scoring 4.9-out-of-5 in GadgetGuy’s review. We were going to review the MateBook 13 but as its no longer on the shelves at major retailers we have had to hold that review back (a condition of all reviews is that goods are available for at least 90 days from approved retailers).
Huawei consumer division CEO Richard Yu confirmed that due to being placed on the U.S. Entity List, Huawei “cannot supply the PC.” Yu added that the matter was “unfortunate” and any future launch date “depends on how long the Entity List will be there.”
Huawei had stated that it wanted to gain a top-five spot unseating one of the incumbents – Lenovo, HP, Dell, Acer or ASUS. The US Entity List stops firms including Intel, Microsoft and others supplying Huawei with vital components and technology.
Speaking of ads – Google relaxes Chrome extension that could cripple ad blockers
Without getting techy new Chrome APIs could have stopped ad blockers from functioning. We don’t know if the move was deliberate (to make more money from ads), or accidental (damned programmers) or in the public interest (safer browsing).
Google says, “There’s been a lot of confusion and misconception around both the motivations and implications of this change, including speculation that these changes were designed to prevent or weaken ad blockers. This is absolutely not the goal. In fact, this change is meant to give developers a way to create safer and more performant ad blockers.”
It adds that the old API was a source of abuse, with 42% of all the malicious extensions the company detected since January 2018, abusing it for nefarious purposes.
Analysts state that Google was perhaps trying to play catchup with Mozilla Firefox that champions ad free browsing and increased privacy.
5G – 70% never hear of it and 99% can’t get it
GadgetGuy’s 5G experiences so far on the HTC 5G modem, LG V50 ThinQ and OPPO Reno are, yawn, slow at best. The phones/modem are great – Telstra’s coverage is not.
At the OPPO Reno launch at Telstra’s HQ in 400 George Street Sydney it achieved damned near 2Gbps (20 times NBN 100). But the secret was that it was sitting directly under a 5G small cell and four discrete antennas. Samsung and LG in similar circumstances achieved about 1.2Gbps. Never let the facts spoil a good story, eh Telstra?
Standing right outside Telstra’s HQ was a disaster.
None of the devices could get more than 70Mbps and 40Mbps upload. Since then Seven Sunrise GadgetGuy Val Quinn has been on the hunt at Randwick (where 5G coverage is supposed to exist) and it has eluded him.
Preliminary reports however show these devices excel on the 4GX Network often getting speeds of over 150Mbps – and that network is everywhere! And I think I am torn between the wonderful sea green shark fin equipped OPPO Reno and the dual screen LG V50 ThinQ – lucky I am a Gemini!
GadgetGuy’s Guide to 5G is here.
New Windows 10 security updates may prevent older Bluetooth devices from connecting
Ever paired a Bluetooth device to Windows 10 – easy as. Ever had to enter a pairing code 0000 or 1234 – yes, almost all older BT devices need this. And that is where the problem begins and now ends. It’s a huge security hole allowing BT devices to be hijacked and used as a gateway to the host computer and network.
Microsoft says, “You may experience issues pairing, connecting or using certain Bluetooth devices after installing security updates released June 11, 2019. These security updates address a security vulnerability by intentionally preventing connections from Windows to unsecure Bluetooth devices. Any device using well-known keys to encrypt connections may be affected, including certain security fobs.”
Bottom line – unless the manufacturer of the BT device issues a firmware
update your device is cactus.
We understand that this may apply to Android as well. While there solid reasons behind this I hope Microsoft issues a ‘switch option’ update to allow older devices at the owner’s risk.
Advanced users can verify if their device is affected by checking Event Log for the following event:
|Event Source||BTHUSB or BTHMINI|
|Event Message Text||Your Bluetooth device attempted to establish a debug connection. The Windows Bluetooth stack does not allow debug connection while it is not in the debug mode.|
Epson issues conditional recall notice for all wall/ceiling mountable projectors apart from the L, Z, LS and EV Series
The term ‘drop bear’ may be ‘drop Epson’ if you mount these projectors on a wall or ceiling in a location that can result in their exposure to smoke, steam or vapours containing oils and solvents, the plastic casing can be weakened near where the projector is attached to the ceiling mount and the plastic may crack. If this occurs, the projector may fall from its mounting. Locations where these exposures are most likely to occur include near kitchens or near exhaust extraction fans.
If you have an affected projector you will be given a free inspection service and the installation of
Google Pixel 4 – Google leaked a picture
The Google Pixel 4/XL is due out in October. GadgetGuy curated all the rumours into one article here, Well now Google leaked a picture – and we don’t know if it is in jest or earnest.
It may even support Project Soli – a Google feature using radar hardware for device control via subtle hand movements. This miniature radar sensor can differentiate between very fine motions to perform various platform-specific functions.


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Trump Campaign Press Release - FACT: President Trump's Economy Delivered Huge Wage Growth For Workers
The Trump economy was delivering huge wage gains for workers before the Chinese coronavirus reached our shores.
President Trump built the greatest economy in history once and he's doing it again. The only thing that could stop the Great American Comeback is Joe Biden's disastrous economic agenda.
Before the artificial interruption to our economy, wages for typical workers were rising at their fastest rate in a decade:
According to the Wall Street Journal, wages for "rank-and-file" workers were growing at the fastest rate in a decade, outpacing those of their bosses.
Wages for the bottom quarter of workers were outpacing gains for high income workers.
Wages for Black Americans were growing even faster. After years of stagnation, President Trump's economy finally accelerated wage growth for Black workers.
In stark contrast to the President's economic success, Joe Biden completely botched the economy and led us to the worst economic recovery since the Great Depression with near stagnant wage growth.
Donald J. Trump, Trump Campaign Press Release - FACT: President Trump's Economy Delivered Huge Wage Growth For Workers Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/345678


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WeWork is gearing up to go public after its S-1 filing last week, but Sam McBride, New Constructs Investment Analyst, thinks it's the 'most ridiculous IPO of 2019.' He joins YFi AM to discuss.
Daniel: Today, Donald Trump insisted that China pays the tariffs, hundreds of billions of dollars are coming in from China that never did before. Mr. Trump, please wake up and listen, the importers like Walmart are paying the tariffs and then pass it on to consumers in the form of higher prices. "we, the consumers are the people paying the tariffs".


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Many people like to start the new year with a personal challenge. Some choose something fitness-related or the ever-popular “Dry January” — one month without alcohol.
For Mitch Felderhoff, he’s attempting to eat nothing but dog food for 30 days.
Wednesday was a milestone for Felderhoff, who says he’s literally eaten nothing but chicken, beef, elk and venison-based dog foods for 20 days. No sauces, no seasonings, nothing but high-protein, freeze-dried premium dog food and kibble.
Felderhoff is president of sales and marketing as well as a co-owner of Muenster Milling Co., a pet food distributor based 45 minutes north of Denton in the small town of Muenster.
“Probably my favorite feed right now is our ancient grains ocean fish. I don’t know why, but from a kibble standpoint, it tastes the best to me,” Felderhoff said. “And then on the freeze-dried side, our chicken meatballs and our beef meatballs are pretty good for dog food.”
He’s been documenting the challenge on social media and on his company’s website. In a recent update, he revealed he’s lost 20 pounds since starting the challenge.
Felderhoff said he’s tried a wide variety of extreme diets in the past several years.
“We’ve tried Paleo, we’ve tried Whole 30. … Last January, I did Carnivore where I did only meat and nothing else,” Felderhoff said, “And so I knew that for 30 days I could make myself eat whatever I wanted to.”
Still, Felderhoff talked to his doctor about the challenge ahead of time.
“After he got done staring at me with his mouth open, he said, ‘OK, well, let’s check you out,’” Felderhoff said. He had bloodwork and a physical done and plans to do the same after the challenge to see how his body responded to the diet.
Felderhoff wants his challenge to be an educational moment for pet owners who may not think twice about what’s going into the food they give their animals.
“We trust [Muenster Milling] so much we’re willing to eat it,” he said. “And we know a lot of these other companies would never eat [their product] because they know what they’re putting in it.”
He was on vacation with his wife when he got serious about the dog food diet idea, something he said he considered for years but didn’t really want to do.
“You go through times when you take a break, you try to reassess. … ‘Am I doing everything that I can to pull my weight in moving the company and for our customers and our employees?’”
His wife gave him the go-ahead.
“She said, ‘Well, if anyone can do it, I know you can’ and ‘Just keep your breath away from me,’” Felderhoff said.
Muenster Milling is a fourth-generation, family-owned business started in 1932 by Mitch’s great-grandfather. It began as a dairy feed business, but converted to pet feed in the late 1980s as consolidation started to squeeze the dairy industry, Felderhoff said.
The company came out with its first naturally preserved pet food line in the early 1990s. When Mitch and his brother Chad took over the family business about five years ago, they told each other they wanted to do things differently.
“We started making super premium pet foods and bought our first freeze dryer about a year ago,” Felderhoff said. He and his brother started removing as much carbohydrates from the company’s pet food as they could.
“That’s the leading cause of chronic inflammation and obesity in pets,” Felderhoff said.
Muenster Milling’s grain-free dog foods start at $15 for a 5-pound bag and can be custom modified with added ingredients like bacon fat and salmon oil.
“It’s not something that’s cheap, but it’s necessary for dogs,” he said.
With a little more than a week left in his challenge, Felderhoff said he’s confident he can make it through all 30 days.
And as anyone would be, he’s focused on what his first meal will be at 12:01 a.m. on Day 31.


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Fidelity is to spend £250m across its UK platform business over the next five years as part of a plan to enhance its open architecture proposition and dominate the distribution landscape.
This includes a new fund manager-focused programme called Access which will see the platform work more closely with participating asset managers to promote their products to its customers globally.
The Access programme will provide enhanced marketing and relationship support in exchange for access to the lowest cost share classes available. Groups which join will be able to get closer to end users, benefiting from Fidelity’s 1.1m-strong retail investor base in the UK and the 10,000 advisers using the platform.
As part of the deal, Fidelity will ramp up its marketing activities to users of its UK platform business – which includes Funds Network, its personal investing business, and its defined contribution arm.
Members of the Access programme will also get much more information about Fidelity’s own plans, alongside greater access to its entire business, including senior staff and fund managers.
Ed Dymott (pictured), head of business development and strategy at Fidelity Worldwide Investment, said: “Fund managers have become more and more intermediated and further away from their end buyers than ever before.
“Now, through the Access programme, we can help them get much closer to those customers once again.”
Its major £250m spend over the next five years will help Fidelity prepare for the huge cultural shift in the UK savings market which is developing apace.
“The industry is changing hugely as a result of regulatory reform, consumer behaviour and auto-enrolment,” Dymott said.
“70% of the wealth in the world is held by the baby-boomer generation, and in the next decade all of them will be in retirement, so it is a huge focus for us.”
The platform is making its move amid a rush by rivals to launch more restricted propositions.


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Hexbyte – Tech News – Ars Technica |
Chilling effect —
Move highlights the lack of legal access options for much of gaming’s history.
In the wake of Nintendo’s recent lawsuits against other ROM distribution sites, major ROM repository EmuParadise has announced it will preemptively cease providing downloadable versions of copyrighted classic games.
While EmuParadise doesn’t seem to have been hit with any lawsuits yet, site founder MasJ writes in an announcement post that “it’s not worth it for us to risk potentially disastrous consequences. I cannot in good conscience risk the futures of our team members who have contributed to the site through the years. We run EmuParadise for the love of retro games and for you to be able to revisit those good times. Unfortunately, it’s not possible right now to do so in a way that makes everyone happy and keeps us out of trouble.”
EmuParadise will continue to operate as a repository for legal downloads of classic console emulators, as well as a database of information on thousands of classic games. “But you won’t be able to get your games from here for now,” as MasJ writes.
Hexbyte – Tech News – Ars Technica | Give us other options
Since founding EmuParadise in 2000, MasJ says EmuParadise has faced threatening letters, server shutdowns, and numerous DMCA takedown requests for individual games. Through it all, he says he was encouraged by “thousands of emails from people telling us how happy they’ve been to rediscover and even share their childhood with the next generations in their families.”
Those kinds of emails highlight just how hard it can be to get legal access to vast swaths of video game history in a convenient, downloadable form. Efforts like Nintendo’s now-de


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Topps Tiles has swung to a loss in the first half of its financial year amid what it called a “challenging trading environment”.
The flooring specialist suffered a £4m statutory pre-tax loss during the 26 weeks to March 28, on a post-IFRS 16 basis, compared with a £5.2m profit the previous year.
Adjusted pre-tax profit, excluding one-off costs and exceptional items, plummeted 85% to £1.2m.
Sales dropped 3.7% to £106.2m during the period, while like-for-likes slumped 6.1%. Excluding week 26 of its financial year, when the UK went into lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, like-for-likes were down 4.3%.
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Fanatics has nearly tripled in value over the last year, and now — after a C-suite reshuffle — it’s looking into new lines of business.
The sports merchandise company raised $325 million from Major League Baseball, SoftBank, Roc Nation, Jay-Z, Silver Lake, and others at an $18 billion valuation, according to people familiar with the matter.
Fanatics, founded in 1995, has seen its valuation soar over the past year.
- In March, it raised $320 million at a $12.8 billion valuation.
- In August 2020, it raised $350 million at a $6.2 billion valuation.
- Softbank invested $1 billion in Fanatics in 2017 at a $4.5 billion valuation. The NFL and MLB joined the round with around $95 million and $50 million, respectively.
- Fanatics has raised about $2.2 billion total.
Fanatics partners with all the major U.S. sports leagues on e-commerce and owns the NFT company Candy Digital.
Now it has its sights set on sports betting, gaming, ticketing, and media. In June, it hired former FanDuel CEO Matt King to run its betting operations. Chairman Michael Rubin is stepping into the CEO role, while current CEO Doug Mack will continue to oversee the company’s e-commerce division.
Former Los Angeles Dodgers president Tucker Kain is joining as chief strategy and growth officer, and Glenn Schiffman, who recently left as CFO of investment company IAC, will take the same role at Fanatics.


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WASHINGTON—The Obama administration publicly called on Saudi Arabia to rescind its sentencing of a political activist that includes the punishment of 1,000 lashes.
The unusual diplomatic rebuke is expected to further strain Washington’s relations with the Arab monarchy at a time of serious disagreements over strategic and economic policies.
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Molson Coors posts 4Q profit
DENVER — Molson Coors Brewing Co. (TAP) on Tuesday reported fourth-quarter net income of $1.44 billion.
On a per-share basis, the Denver-based company said it had net income of $6.65. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring gains, were 46 cents per share.
The beer maker posted revenue of $2.9 billion in the period. Its adjusted revenue was $2.29 billion.
Molson Coors shares have dropped 1 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has climbed 4 percent. The stock has risen 15 percent in the last 12 months.


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Xiaomi unveiled its lost over $1 billion in the initial 3 months because the smartphone maker of China gears up to offer investors to invest into the biggest initial public offering(IPO) since the year 2014. The 8 year old company has commenced taking demand of a 1st time share sale which is expected to speed up its enlargement beyond China & bankroll the media services as well as devices development.
The firm also published its very first version of prospectus for the China Depositary Receipts sale in Shanghai which claims that its plans are likely to use about 40 percent of the proceeds to widen up its worldwide footprint. Xiaomi registered a $1.1 billion i.e ¥7 net loss on the revenue of ¥34.4 in the 1st quarter. It is an extremely awaited Hong Kong coming out parties in years that taking full advantages of brand new regulation which mostly focused at attracting home grown technology firms to China & Hong Kong.
The co founder of Xiaomi is Lei Jun who is said to be seeking around $10 billion in the IPO which could become the largest first time share sale of the world since Alibaba Group Holding Ltd counted in the America in 2014. It could also become the first firm to issue CDRs which is known to be a signature reform to try & reverse an exodus of its biggest organizations to overseas bourses in coming years.
In the ongoing year, the firm plans to enter or grab positions in the markets of Southeast Asia & Europe. Last month, Xiaomi opened its first store on Paris, while the Xiaomi’s senior vice president Wang Xiang has revealed that several times our firm is looking forward to sell smartphones in the United States of America & meanwhile compete against Apple Inc.
In February 2018, the social networking site Instagram began testing a feature which would inform its users if someone tries to take a screenshot of the
According to the new study, the researchers have warned that global warming is expected to make veggies scarcer across the globe, unless some brand new growing practices & resil
Recently, the tech giant Microsoft has given a biggest surprise about a brand new game studio or to be very specific a new life for an old game studio called
With an adaptable blockchain based platform for dissolution applications, EOS.IO has generated a lot of stir in the market. However, the current platform has been facing several bac
One of the biggest iPhone makers Apple Inc has currently decided to make use of OLED screens in their all new three models of iPhone which are planned to release for next year. As r


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05/06/2014 2:24pmDid you know it's screen free week? There are ways to put down your phone and pay attention to those around you with completely getting rid of your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
05/06/2014 2:29pmAs with most Apple products, the rumor mill has kicked into high gear the last couple days for the new iPhone 6. Alex Lawrence has been following the rumors.
05/06/2014 2:40pmNow former Paypal Executive Rakesh Agrawal has left the company over some controversial tweets sent Friday night.
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SP International celebrates its 50th anniversary
SP International, Burnaby BC, a worldwide distributor of electronic components, celebrates its 50th anniversary in business this year.
A supplier and supplier of passive and active components to the electronics industry for five decades, SP International has grown over the years to operate one of the largest warehouses in Canada. What began as a small supplier of resistors and capacitors to the Canadian electronics industry has grown into a highly diversified provider of electronics manufacturing services, component sourcing, cable assembly, custom enclosures and supply chain management for CMs and OEMs worldwide.
“Through our network of regional distributors, we continue to provide on-time delivery, quality service and market-competitive pricing to OEMs and CMs around the world,” says Wilf Wassersleben, CEO of the company.
He says the growth and diversity has been made possible by our quality suppliers, our many employees and of course our many loyal customers.
“Thank you all for your support over all these years,” says Wassersleben. “As I begin to end my professional career, I am very confident that our next generation of exceptional leaders can only build on the success of the past 50 years.”


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More scrutiny for Japanese maker of defective air bags
Today the government urged still more owners of vehicles with potentially deadly airbags to bring them in immediately for repair. 3 million more vehicles were added to the list, bringing the total to 7.8 million.
Also today, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Japanese maker of the defective airbags, Takata, is being targeted by federal prosecutors.
It seemed to be a minor accident in Florida involving a 2006 Dodge Charger. But when the airbag went off, it exploded, sending shrapnel into the driver's leg.
This car had a Takata airbag, but the vehicle is not on a recall list.
"The only difference between this piece of shrapnel shooting him in the leg and in the heart were inches. It was just a small difference, and luck," said Jason Turchin, who represented the victim.
Flying metal from Takata airbags has been linked to at least four deaths and 30 injuries.
The airbags contain a canister filled with a chemical propellant. In an accident, the propellant explodes with excessive force, rupturing the metal canister, sending shrapnel out.
So far, the recalls have mostly been in southern states -- because Takata believes humidity increases the force of the propellant.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was first alerted to this problem in 2008.
Now a growing chorus of legislators is asking why more isn't being done.
"I have no patience for federal regulators not being entirely up front forward leaning and aggressive to stop these defective products," said Florida Sen. Bill Nelson.
Chrysler settled that case in Florida and told us tonight they're investigating the performance of certain airbag inflators. Takata told us previously "one accident is one too many," but no new statement from Takata tonight.
The NHTSA released an updated advisory Tuesday night with a new list of the vehicles being recalled:
BMW: 627,615 total number of potentially affected vehicles:
2000 - 2005 3 Series Sedan2000 - 2006 3 Series Coupe2000 - 2005 3 Series Sports Wagon2000 - 2006 3 Series Convertible2001 - 2006 M3 Coupe2001 - 2006 M3 Convertible
Chrysler: 371,309 total number of potentially affected vehicles:
2003 - 2008 Dodge Ram 15002005 - 2008 Dodge Ram 25002006 - 2008 Dodge Ram 35002006 - 2008 Dodge Ram 45002008 - Dodge Ram 55002005 - 2008 Dodge Durango2005 - 2008 Dodge Dakota2005 - 2008 Chrysler 3002007 - 2008 Chrysler Aspen
Ford: 58,669 total number of potentially affected vehicles:
2004 - Ranger2005 - 2006 GT2005 - 2007 Mustang
General Motors: undetermined total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 - 2005 Pontiac Vibe2005 - Saab 9-2X
Honda: 5,051,364 total number of potentially affected vehicles:
2001 - 2007 Honda Accord2001 - 2005 Honda Civic2002 - 2006 Honda CR-V2003 - 2011 Honda Element2002 - 2004 Honda Odyssey2003 - 2007 Honda Pilot2006 - Honda Ridgeline2003 - 2006 Acura MDX2002 - 2003 Acura TL/CL2005 - Acura RL
Mazda: 64,872 total number of potentially affected vehicles:
2003 - 2007 Mazda62006 - 2007 MazdaSpeed62004 - 2008 Mazda RX-82004 - 2005 MPV2004 - B-Series Truck
Mitsubishi: 11,985 total number of potentially affected vehicles:
2004 - 2005 Lancer2006 - 2007 Raider
Nissan: 694,626 total number of potentially affected vehicles:
2001 - 2003 Nissan Maxima2001 - 2004 Nissan Pathfinder2002 - 2004 Nissan Sentra2001 - 2004 Infiniti I30/I352002 - 2003 Infiniti QX42003 - 2005 Infiniti FX35/FX45
Subaru: 17,516 total number of potentially affected vehicles:
2003 - 2005 Baja2003 - 2005 Legacy2003 - 2005 Outback2003 - 2005 Baja2004 - 2005 Impreza
Toyota: 877,000 total number of potentially affected vehicles:
2002 - 2005 Lexus SC2002 - 2005 Toyota Corolla2003 - 2005 Toyota Corolla Matrix2002 - 2005 Toyota Sequoia2003 - 2005 Toyota Tundra
for more features.


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Following is the full transcript of the entire Apple WWDC 2020 Special Event Keynote. Apple CEO Tim Cook and the team addressed the iPhone maker’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) virtually from the Apple Park, California. The team announced the latest updates on iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, privacy, tvOS, macOS, and Mac etc. This event occurred on Monday, June 22, 2020.
Speakers at the event:
Tim Cook – CEO, Apple Inc.
Craig Federighi – SVP, Software Engineering, Apple Inc.
Yael Garten – Director, Siri Data Science & Engineering at Apple
Stacey Lysik – Senior Director, OS Program Management
Meg Frost – Director, Product Design for Apple Maps
Emily Schubert –Senior Manager, Car Experience Engineering at Apple
Josh Shaffer – Director, Swift Frameworks
Jenny Chen – Engineer, Apple Pencil Software
Mary-Ann Ionascu – Senior Engineer, Airpods Firmware
Kevin Lynch – VP Technology, Apple
Julz Arney – Senior Manager, Fitness Technologies
Vera Carr – Manager, Health Software Engineering at Apple
Katie Skinner – Manager, User Privacy Software
Erik Neuenschwander – Director, User Privacy
Yah Yah Cason – Senior Engineer, HomeKit Software
Cindy Lin – Director, Program Management for Media Products Engineering
Alan Dye – VP Human Interface at Apple
Beth Dakin – Manager, Safari Software Engineering
Johny Srouji – SVP, Hardware Technology at Apple
Andreas Wendker – VP, Tools & Framewoks Engineering at Apple
[Video clip – “Daydreamer” by Aurora music]
Tim Cook – CEO, Apple Inc.
Good morning. And welcome to WWDC.
WWDC is an incredibly important event to Apple, our developers and our users. It’s here that we bring some of our biggest innovations to life.
And we have not stopped innovating, doing the work that will enrich people’s lives for years to come. Because we’re all looking forward to a more hopeful tomorrow. That’s why we believe it’s so important to have WWDC this year.
And while it cannot possibly feel the same in here without you, I can assure you that we have a great show ahead of us.
This year we’re delivering the conference in a whole new way to all of you around the world, directly to your home. And we want to welcome you to our home here at Apple Park.
I’d like to first talk to you about two big things that are happening in the world right now.
To start, I want to address the topic of racism, inequality and injustice and to recognize the pain being felt throughout our nation, especially in our Black and Brown communities, after the senseless killing of George Floyd.
And while the events of this past month are sadly not new, they have caused us to face long-standing institutional inequalities and social injustices.
This country was founded on the principles of freedom and equality for all. For too many people and for too long, we haven’t lived up to those ideals. We’re inspired and moved by the passionate people around our nation and around the world who have stood up to demand change.
We must all aim far higher to build a future that lives up to our ideals. This means taking action.
Two weeks ago, we announced Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative with a commitment of $100 million. Starting in the United States, and expanding over time, this initiative will challenge systemic barriers that limit opportunity for communities of color in the critical areas of education, economic equality and criminal justice.