text:
Media Release — The Image Comics/Skybound series THIEF OF THIEVES, Robert Kirkman’s cinematic crime comic has no zombies, no superheroes, and no larger-than-life arsenal — and it has become one of the best-selling independent comics hits of the year. The first three issues are now entering their fourth printings, with the fourth issue not far behind with a third printing.
With a story overseen by Kirkman (THE WALKING DEAD, INVINCIBLE), scripts by Nick Spencer (MORNING GLORIES) and art by Shawn Martinbrough, THIEF OF THIEVES is the story of a master thief, “Redmond,” who tries to leave a life of crime to reclaim his “real” life and family as Conrad Paulson. Or is it his real life? An estranged wife, a son set on following in his footsteps — Paulson is finding that identities can’t be changed as easily as suits.
The third printing of THIEF OF THIEVES #1 will be in stores this week, on May 16, and the third printings of #2 and #3 and the second printing of #4 will be in stores the following week, on May 23. The most current printings will land on shelves on June 13 and can be pre-ordered from comic book stores now. THIEF OF THIEVES is an ongoing series, and issue #5 will be stores on June 6.
Previews of each new THIEF OF THIEVES, which is published by Image Comics under Kirkman’s Skybound imprint, appear on The Hollywood Reporter website exclusively on the Friday before its release. It is available in comic book stores and digitally from multiple platforms. AMC has optioned the title as a series with Kirkman and Chic Eglee (Dexter) serving as Creators/Executive Producers/Writers.
ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.
ABOUT ROBERT KIRKMAN
Robert Kirkman’s success and passionate advocacy for creator-owned comics led him to become the first person invited to become a partner at Image Comics since the company’s inception twenty years ago. He’s the creator/writer of the Eisner Award-winning The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, kid-friendly Super Dinosaur, The Astounding Wolf-Man, and new title Thief of Thieves, among many others. Kirkman has earned the respect of the comic, writing and television communities and topped the New York Times bestseller list for graphic novels in 2011, taking four of the top spots. He’s the creator/executive producer and writer of the hit television show, AMC’s The Walking Dead, the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time in the U.S, also an international success in 120 countries and 250 million households. www.Skybound.com is your destination for all news and merchandise for Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all Skybound titles.


text:
Netflix Raises Price for Getting Streaming and Discs12 Jul, 2011 By: Chris Tribbey
Netflix July 12 announced it would separate subscriber plans into DVD-only and streaming-only offerings, essentially raising the base price for getting both from $9.99 to $15.98.
The announcement comes a day after news of the online retailer’s new $7.99 DVD-only plan.
Beginning Sept. 1, current subscribers to Netflix’s $9.99 DVD-plus-streaming plan will have to choose between DVD-only or streaming-only plans, or pay $15.98 a month for both. The streaming-only plan already was priced at $7.99.
“Netflix members love watching instantly, but we’ve come to recognize there is still a very large continuing demand for DVDs by mail,” said Andy Rendich, Netflix chief service and operations officer. “By better reflecting the underlying costs and offering our lowest prices ever for unlimited DVD, we hope to provide a great value to our current and future DVD-by-mail members.”
Netflix also is offering an $11.99-a-month plan for DVD, which gives consumers two DVDs at a time. The $7.99 plan allows for one DVD at a time.
“Given the long life we think DVDs by mail will have, treating DVDs as a $2 add-on to our unlimited streaming plan neither makes great financial sense nor satisfies people who just want DVDs,” said Jessie Baker, VP of marketing for Netflix, in a blog post.
Netflix also is establishing a new management team focused solely on DVDs, with Rendich, an 11-year Netflix veteran, at the helm.
The news comes on the heels of Netflix CFO David Wells’ assertion in early June that the company was looking to pay more attention to its DVD roots.
“We’re looking down the road at both re-energizing DVD functions and paying a little bit more attention to it, or at least stop really de-emphasizing it as well right the economics of that business,” he said.
Netflix has been offering its streaming plan since 2007, and has watched membership balloon from 6 million to 23 million in the U.S. since.
“In order to prosper in streaming we must concentrate on having the best possible streaming service,” Hastings and Wells wrote in a note to investors then. “As a result, we are beginning to treat [streaming and DVD] separately in many ways.”
Consumer reaction to the price changes was overwhelmingly negative, with thousands going to Twitter to voice their concerns, and thousands more commenting on Netflix’s blog. A Facebook page decrying the decision sprung up within hours.
“The only way that this is terrific for the customer is if you plan to offer your entire collection available for streaming, otherwise this is just yet another way to choke more change out of your customers,” wrote Scotty Fagaly, of Olive Branch, Miss., on Netflix’s blog.
Netflix subscriber Hideki Saito of Issaquah, Wash., wrote: “I love Netflix, I really do. But this decision [gave] me no choice but to remove all DVDs from my queue to cancel that portion of service, and I’m now seriously considering canceling [the] streaming portion, too.”
Saito’s comment was posted on Netflix’s Facebook page, where nearly 10,000 had commented on the move by 5 p.m. PST July 12.
However, despite consumer outrage, Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for The NPD Group, said Netflix’s decision to offer a DVD-only option makes perfect sense, and proves there’s still life for physical disc.
“There is still a large population of physical renters who Netflix can [get] on board, and then later convert to streaming,” he said. “They can build some equity as a wall versus other over-the-top options and cable.
“Three of four Netflix streamers are also still regularly getting physical as well,” Crupnick added. “And until the licensing and catalog issues get worked out the DVD and Blu-ray option represents a strong alternative to other rental options that offer a broader selection of more current titles.”
Eric Wold, research director with Merriman Capital in San Francisco, said the price hike for Netflix to have both streaming and DVD may cause some to cancel, especially after the $1 price hike on its combo plan at the beginning of the year.
“While we understand Netflix’s move to more effectively monetize the costs of acquiring both DVD and streaming content, we would not be surprised if existing Netflix subscribers re-evaluate their monthly subscription to Netflix,” he wrote in a research note.
Wold said Redbox could “be a beneficiary of any churn,” suggesting Netflix customers could choose the $7.99 streaming-only plan, and turn to the kiosk operator for $1-a-night DVDs.
“Even though Redbox’s average rental period is about two nights, consumers have the ability to watch movies for $1 a night — indicating potential incremental value from Redbox to anyone requesting less than eight DVDs a month from Netflix,” he wrote.
Redbox president Mitch Lowe would not comment on Netflix’s change in plans, reiterating instead that Redbox’s national reach (27,000-plus locations) gives
“consumers access to the latest DVDs, Blu-ray Discs and video games for as low as a buck a night.”
Netflix’s decision to offer a $7.99 DVD-only plan does back up a Redbox-commissioned study on the staying power of physical disc. The study, released in April and published exclusively by Home Media Magazine, concluded that physical media will remain the dominant home media player through at least 2015.
“The portability and relatively inexpensive price point of the DVD help expand the lifespan of physical media, highlighted by Redbox’s $1-a-night rentals and Netflix’s unlimited DVD subscription plans that start at $9.99 per month,” that study read.

domain: news


text:
US and Japan in negotiations on trade in goods
Authorities from Japan and the US held high-level trade talks towards the end of September in the US. This round of meetings was the second in the past two months, and were an extension of the US-Japan Economic Dialogue that was set up in 2017 by both countries' administrations.
The meeting between Japan's minister for economic revitalisation, Toshimitsu Motegi, and the US trade representative (USTR), Robert Lighthizer, on September 25th was on the sidelines of the visit by the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, to the US to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Prior to the UNGA, Mr Abe met the US president, Donald Trump, on September 23rd; the meeting focused on trade matters and unresolved issues regarding North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes. Mr Motegi indicated that the US and Japan agreed to a "framework" to deal with their trade issues. In a bid to reduce US's trade deficit with Japan, the US administration has been pressuring Japan to provide greater market access for US agricultural products. However, Japan's focus has been to push for a multilateral trade agenda. It concluded its free-trade agreement (FTA) with the EU, the Economic Partnership Agreement, in July 2018 and has been instrumental in shepherding the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
In their meeting on September 26th, Mr Abe and Mr Trump stressed the need for closer trade ties between the two nations. So far, Japan's main concern has been to avoid any materialisation of US threats to impose tariffs on the imports of vehicles. From Japan's perspective, a bilateral FTA would be counter to its interests, although the USTR is still aiming for a full FTA deal at some point in the future. However, given Mr Trump's protectionist stance, Japan has agreed to enter into formal trade negotiations with the US in order to support its own exporters, especially in the automotive sector.
Impact on the forecast
The Abe administration has finally agreed to negotiate a goods trade agreement with the US. This would allow Japan to avoid tariffs on its automotive sector, at least in the short run. The US also acknowledged the concessions that Japan had previously made for its own agricultural sector under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which Mr Trump had backed out from. Therefore, no changes to our external sector forecasts are required at present.


text:
US blocks sugar imports from top Dominican producer over forced labor concerns: US Trade Rep
WASHINGTON: The US has said it will impose safeguards on imports of sugar from the Dominican Republic, after Washington’s top trade diplomat told the US Congress that the country has violated human rights and is a “national security threat.”
Betsy Brat, director of US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s trade division, said a package being negotiated with the Dominican Republic would require US importers to certify that they have no plan to use forced labor in their operations.
“The Dominican Republic’s sugar sector is a national security threat” and it must work to ensure the “best possible treatment of workers, and we can’t allow that to happen,” Brat told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Lighthizer said the sanctions would “help ensure that these exports remain in the US to continue our economic prosperity.”
The United States took over the trade sanctions against the Dominican Republic last March, following a months-long investigation that found widespread abuse in the industry and said the country was a “major conduit for the illegal trade of consumer goods and products.”
Brat also confirmed to the committee last week that the Dominican Republic has been sanctioned by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) since 2016 over the ongoing violations of human rights there.
The Dominican Republic is the world’s second-largest sugar producer, but its sugar exports are valued at around US$5.2 billion. The country’s sugar producers, many of whom are members of trade unions, alleged they were told they could not sign collective agreements after the country’s 2014 referendum of constitutional change that led to the end of its decades-long military rule.
“Sugar is the lifeblood of the Dominican economy,” Lighthizer told reporters at a White House briefing. “Our goal is to ensure that the sugar import ban is not lifted, and we’re moving forward on this,” he said.
According to Br


text:
US citizens will now be able to accept their tax refunds in Bitcoin Core (BTC). This is after a partnership between leading crypto payments processor BitPay and Refundo, a leading provider of tax related financial products.
Through the partnership, Refundo users will be able to access their federal and state tax refunds in BTC directly through BitPay’s payouts. Refundo’s new product, CoinRT will process all or a portion of the refunds.
Founded in 2011, Refundo caters to clients from low income communities. The New York-based firm promises low fees and high speed transactions, benefits that users who choose to receive their refunds in BTC will purportedly enjoy.
In a press release shared with CoinGeek, the CEO of Refundo, Roger Chinchilla explained the reason the company added BTC support:
“Refundo offers several options to help taxpayers receive their tax refunds safer, faster and more conveniently. Adding Bitcoin was a natural fit for our customers who often do not have traditional checking accounts, pay high check cashing fees and regularly send money internationally. CoinRT enables them to get Bitcoin quickly and easily for one flat fee.”
Upon creating an account, taxpayers receive a unique routing and account number to input on their tax return. The users must also go through a comprehensive know-your-customer process and lastly, provide their BTC address. Once the IRS or the state deposits the refund, BitPay processes the payment and deposits the tokens in the user’s BTC address.
BitPay’s Head of Business Solutions Rolf Haag expressed the company’s excitement at the partnership stating:
“We are thrilled to power Refundo’s CoinRT product. Refundo can now offer their customers a Bitcoin Payout for their tax refunds, meeting their customers’ demand for a more digital choice. Refundo’s integration joins existing BitPay Payouts used in global marketplace, affiliate programs and payroll, highlighting the high-speed and low cost of Payouts in Bitcoin. Whether they’re going around the corner or around the globe.”
Crypto use in taxation has become increasingly popular in recent times. As we reported last month, Innisfil town in Ontario province became the first town in Canada to approve cryptos for taxes. The company partnered with CoinBerry, a local crypto payments processor in its year-long pilot.
New to blockchain? Check out CoinGeek’s Blockchain for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about blockchain technology.


text:
The next model in the new Renault Megane range – an estate version – has been spotted testing. The new estate, to be called the Renault Megane Sport Tourer, will go on sale later this year after a launch at the Geneva motor show in March.
The new Sport Tourer will be the third Renault Megane variant, following the five-door hatchback and three-door Coupe. The Renault Megane Sport Tourer will join the range after the Renaultsport Megane, the replacement for today’s R26, which will also be launched at Geneva.
Despite the heavy disguise covering the car in our pictures, the new Renault Megane Sport Tourer is identical to the hatch from the B-pillars forward. The Sport Tourer will look neater and more integrated to the hatch’s design than the current Megane Tourer, though, which replaced the hatch’s distinctive bustle boot with a much plainer rear.
The roofline is also more elegant and drops away more sharply at the rear, which should help the Megane Sport Tourer’s visual appeal and makes it seem more of an individual model than the current car.
Renault will also launch two more Megane variants at Geneva, the new Scenic and the Grand Scenic, which retain their five and seven-seat layouts respectively. They will go on sale in the UK before the Sport Tourer, which arrives in the UK in August.


text:
ASH Industries, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA, a custom moulding manufacturer which offers in-house Metal Injection Moulding, thermoplastic and silicone injection moulding, reports that it will invest $5 million to expand its facility in Lafayette. The investment will see an additional 1,860 m2 of workspace, new equipment and create 85 new jobs.
Established in 1991, the company also offers rotational moulding and tooling, cast epoxy components and seven-axis Swiss lathe production. In addition to this, the company offers component assembly, secondary processing and decorating, utilising the latest in CNC, EDM and modelling technology.
“ASH Industries is optimistic about the future of manufacturing in Louisiana and so far has launched phase one of a three-phase programme to invest in jobs in our community,” commented Hartie Spence, president of ASH Industries. “The ingredients of economic development in our industry are manufacturing space, a solid employee base and the latest in cutting-edge manufacturing equipment. ASH’s current expansion will directly support and increase the services that we can provide customers who appreciate the benefits of having their products manufactured in our state.”
To secure ASH’s expansion in Lafayette, the State of Louisiana offered the company an incentive package that includes the services of LED FastStart, a workforce development programme. ASH Industries is also expected to participate in the state’s Enterprise Zone and Industrial Tax Exemption programmes.
“The expansion of ASH Industries is an important job creation project for the skilled workforce in Lafayette,” stated Gov. John Bel Edwards. “For more than thirty years, ASH has fostered a strong team, and is set to grow that team further – a testament to the opportunities available in Louisiana’s manufacturing industry.”
Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory added, “ASH Industries has consistently grown since opening its doors in Lafayette 31 years ago, and expanding its operations will lead to continued success for its employees, their families and our community. This multi-million-dollar investment will not only benefit ASH Industries but Lafayette as a whole by stimulating economic growth and creating competitive job opportunities.”


text:
Virtues to Serve as Gluten-free Alternative for Increasing Reported Gluten Intolerance spells growth in Infused Dried Fruits Market; Market to expand at healthy 5.1%CAGR from 2019 - 2029 TMR
- Customers are likely to look for sugar substitutes due to increasing health issues. It is becoming more common to use infused dried fruit as a sugar substitute.
- In order to meet their nutritional needs, a growing number of customers are turning to infused dried fruit ingredients as a gluten-free alternative.
ALBANY, N.Y., April 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The intake of frozen food and ready-to-cook food items is rapidly increasing as a result of growing disposable income, eating habits, changing lifestyles, and a rise in the proportion of working women. Consumers prefer ready-to-eat food items with extra health benefits. Infused dried fruits are widely being utilized in ready-to-cook food items such as fruit juices, noodles, pasta, and various other food items. Dried fruits that have been infused add nutritional value and flavour to food products. The popularity of infused dried fruits, as well as the benefits they provide, is likely to bolster growth of the global infused dried fruits market in the years to come.
In 2019, the global infused dried fruits market was worth around US$ 1,954 Mn. By 2029, the said market is predicted to rise at a rate of ~ 5.1% CAGR, reaching US$ 3.2 Bn. Natural sugar is found in infused dried fruit products, making them healthier product. Consumers' rising health issues are causing them to seek out sugar substitutes. The utilization of infused dried fruit as a sugar substitute is becoming more common. Fruit-based bars and snacks are becoming increasingly popular, which is likely to open up new growth opportunities for global infused dried fruits market in near future. As a result, customers are enthusiastic about new items that include infused dried fruit ingredients.
Request for Covid-19 Impact Analysis on Infused Dried Fruits Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/Covid19.php
Key Findings of Market Report
- Health Benefits Associated with Infused Dried Fruits to Add Fillip to the Market
Raisins and other infused dried fruit items are rich in nutrients and energy. Sportsmen and athletes are increasingly opting for raw, chemical-free energy supplements, with infused dried fruit ingredients being one of the most common options. Raisins are high-energy ingredients that are often used in nutritional tonics and energy-packed supplements. Backpackers, campers, and mountaineers use infused dried fruit ingredients as an instant source of energy since they are easy to transport and have a longer shelf life. As a result, demand for infused dried fruit products is sparked by the numerous health benefits associated with their consumption. Health benefits associated with its consumption is expected to work in favor of the global infused dried fruits market in the forthcoming years.


text:
Home > News > Nation
Sunday April 1, 2012 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Sunday May 26, 2013 MYT 12:32:39 AM
by lim wey wen
SEMENYIH: As the number of people treating their pets as family members increases, the Qing Ming Festival has become a time to remember the dead pets, too.
The festival, which falls on April 4 this year, is also called the Chinese All Souls Day and families visit their relatives' graves and columbariums to perform prayers and pay their respects.
Since the Nirvana Pet Memorial Garden in Semenyih opened five years ago, it has become common for people to visit the graves of their dearly departed pets after paying their respects to their relatives and ancestors.
“We have had customers visiting their pets after offering prayers for their family members,” said NV Alliance Sdn Bhd general manager Reeno Kong, whose Shih Tzu Fiffy is buried in the pet cemetery.
He expects some of the pet owners to visit the cemetery this weekend as the rituals for the Qing Ming Festival can be performed 10 days before the actual day.
While he does not perform similar prayers for Fiffy as he does for his relatives, Kong said some visitors even burned paper replicas for their pets.
“Most use the same type of paper replicas they burn for their departed relatives because there are still not many who want to buy replicas made specifically for their pets,” Kong added.
He said about 40 to 50 pets were buried in the pet cemetery and most of them were dogs.
“However, many pet owners have bought burial plots and our first phase of the cemetery, of about 300 lots, have already been sold out,” he said.
He added that the price of a lot was about RM4,800 and the package came with burial services.
Since there have also been requests for pet cremation, Kong said his company was studying the possibility of building a columbarium at the pet cemetery.
Tags / Keywords:
Azmi Sharom arrives at Palace of Justice for Sedition Act ruling
New cameras to detect passing cars with outstanding summonses
No strong chemicals used in cloud seeding ops
US confident TPP will spur economic growth
Siti named among world’s top 500 influential Muslims
Court dismisses Azmi’s challenge, rules Sedition Act valid
Hotels association: Be ready for Visit Sibu next year
More than 1,500 join hands in park clean-up
Soccer-Elia recalled as injury replacement for Netherlands
Copyright © 1995-2015 Star Media Group Berhad (ROC 10894D)(Formerly known as Star Publications (Malaysia) Berhad)


text:
Headset manufacturer Lightspeed Aviation announced Monday that it is bringing Heider Lazzarini on board as the company’s new president.
Lazzarini succeeds Lightspeed founder Allan Schrader, who will remain with the company as its CEO and chairman of the board of directors. According to Lightspeed, Lazzarini will be responsible for day-to-day operations while Schrader will focus on “developing adjacent market opportunities utilizing existing and evolving technologies.”
“I’m excited to turn over our ongoing business operations to Heider,” said Schrader. “Heider’s experience, combined with his passion and energy, provide the perfect accelerant for our expanding business opportunities.”
Lazzarini comes to Lightspeed from a position as vice president of marketing for Axiometrix Solutions brands Audio Precision, GRAS Sound and Vibration, and Imc Test & Measurement. The company noted that he brings two decades of executive experience in general management, marketing and product sales in consumer, commercial, industrial, and military/government sectors. Lazzarini holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Oregon.
“With decades of being first to market with audio and now piloting safety solutions, I believe that Lightspeed has a tremendous opportunity to deliver new value for its customers and partners,” said Lazzarini. “I am very excited to be joining this seasoned team as the company continues to evolve its latest technology platform to enhance the flying experience for the aviation market worldwide.”
- READ MORE: Lightspeed Aviation Releases Delta Zulu
Lightspeed launched its first headset in 1996 at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In 2022, it unveiled its latest model, called Delta Zulu, which introduced features including a built-in carbon monoxide detector and app-controlled audio equalization system.


text:
Tata Motors has finally added ADAS, a 360-degree camera and many other features to its SUV duo, Tata Harrier and Safari. Updated car bookings are open from today. The updated SUV is expected to be launched in India soon.
Starting with the list of changes, the first one is ADAS technology. The Tata SUV will now have up to 10 safety features such as front and rear collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, high beam assist, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, lane change alert, open door alert and rear cross allert. In addition, the SUV will be equipped with a 360-degree surround camera and six airbags.
Along with improved safety, Tata has made the Harrier's cabin even more luxurious with Oak Brown theme on the dashboard. It will also feature a new 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with an updated user interface and more than 200 voice commands in six languages.
Another upgrade is behind the steering wheel, the SUV will feature a new 7-inch digital instrument cluster. Also in terms of connectivity, the upgraded infotainment unit gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
With the XUV700, Harrier now features six-way power driver's seats with memory and a welcome feature.
Mechanically, the new Harrier will come equipped with a BS6 Stage 2 compliant 2.0-litre Kryotec diesel engine producing the same 168 horsepower and 350Nm of torque. In the meantime, the transfer options will be carried over from the outgoing model.
Also Read: Maruti Suzuki’s 1.2-litre petrol engine to get BS6-2 update soon


text:
Ford’s F-150, enjoying record sales, is getting a revised 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and a new 10-speed transmission for 2017. Both are available in the truck this fall.
The second-generation engine has 30 lb-ft more peak torque, now up to 450 lb-ft, while horsepower stays the same at 365 hp. A higher-output version, rumored to produce 450-plus hp, is coming in the 2017 Raptor. The engine has both direct and port fuel-injection, a first for Ford. Two injectors per cylinder -- one in the intake port and one inside the cylinder -- work together to improve power output, efficiency and emissions.
Ford engineers said new turbochargers deliver more boost and better throttle response thanks largely to a lighter turbine wheel and electrically activated wastegates, another Ford first. The engine’s hollow camshafts save 4 pounds. Stop-start is now standard but is disabled when towing or in four-wheel drive.
Ford says the new transmission, developed with General Motors, is the first volume-production 10-speed automatic, adding it delivers better acceleration and performance compared with the previous six-speed thanks to wide-span gear spacing and reduced friction. Three overdrive gears and the wider ratio span help improve fuel efficiency at highway speeds, while maintaining what Ford calls best-in-class towing. Engineers said the EPA mileage numbers are pending. They also said that real-time-adaptive shift algorithms monitor more than a dozen powertrain- and driver-control signals to ensure the right gear at the right time, including in sport mode.
Ford sold 70,774 F-150s in April, the best month since 2005 -- if you're doing the math, that's 95 F-150s sold every hour in April around the clock, 7 days a week.


text:
New Ekurhuleni mayor promises to fix metro as opposition parties blame each other
South African Breweries (SAB), along with the Gauteng provincial government, partnered to address and tackle the harmful consumption and abuse of alcohol. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
Should the third alcohol ban currently gripping South Africa extend beyond 15 February, multiple businesses within the sector run the risk of drying up completely.
One particular sector at risk is the glass manufacturing industry.
Consol Glass chief executive officer (CEO) Mike Arnold said that 85% of Consol’s business was in the alcohol industry.
In an interview with Moneyweb journalist Nompu Siziba on SAFM’s Market Update, Arnold explained that the current ban was not yet adversely affecting Consol, because in terms of the legislation, the business is allowed to produce and fill alcohol, and store it in warehouses.
“But, of course, if the alcohol ban continues, then there will be an impact as orders dry up almost immediately. Then we’ll have to make a decision on how we run the business.”
One aspect of Consol’s business that complicates the ban on booze is that furnaces must be kept hot and running, whether the company is producing or not, “from a safety perspective”, Arnold explained.
Another is the looming salary and wage cuts, which were already made in the first and second alcohol bans due to reduced production.
“Basically we lost 85% of our sales over that 12-to-13-week period. So that was the harm the industry has suffered. Of course, if [the ban] gets to an extended period of time, then you would look at actually shutting down operations – and that would then of course impact employment.”
Consol cancelled an investment in a new factory in the Nigel area, which would have added 120,000 tones of capacity. This is approximately 15% of the total market.
Arnold said this investment was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the country’s alcohol bans, which he said “had an impact on market demand as far as our customers are concerned, obviously their investment plans”.
But the negative effects of other failed investments in the alcoholic beverages industry will also trickle down and impact the glass manufacturing sector, Arnold said, referring to Heineken canning its R6 billion expansion plans, which included possibly establishing a brewery in KwaZulu-Natal.
“And that of course is a lost opportunity, not only for glass, but for the entire value chain.”
Consol contributes between R11.8 billion and R12 billion to the economy. If glass packaging were not available through Consol, it would have to be imported, which would “have a direct impact on foreign-exchange requirements”, Arnold continued.
Arnold said the outright ban of alcohol over the new year was something the sector could not argue with. In the short term, this was a decision many could “get their head around”.
But should the ban continue past 15 February, and therefore impact the sector’s medium term plans, in Arnold’s view, this would be “both unreasonable and disproportionate.”
“We think retail sales of alcohol for home consumption should be allowed. We have no evidence to suggest that home consumption of alcohol will significantly increase hospitalisation and therefore impact on the capacity of hospitals, as well s the Covid-19 treatment,” he said.
“We fully expect that retail sales for home consumption would be the first step towards unbanning of alcohol consumption.”
Listen to the full interview below:
Compiled by Nica Richards.
Access to the top content, vouchers and other member only benefits


text:
The Chinese entertainment industry is gradually globalizing
Chinese audio platform LIZHI INC (Chinese: 荔枝集团, NASDAQ:LIZI) released its Q3 2022 financial report on 16 November.
According to the report, LIZHI's net revenues in the third quarter of 2022 were CNY 565.2 million (USD 79.5 million), representing a 12% increase year-on-year. The average mobile MAUs (Monthly Active Users) was CNY 49.7 million, compared to CNY 58.9 million in Q3 2021. The average number of monthly paying users was 476.7 thousand, compared to 485.5 thousand in the same period of the previous year.
Founded in 2013, LIZHI is a well-known Chinese audio platform dedicated to meeting users' needs for audio entertainment and online social networking through a diverse product portfolio, enabling everyone to connect and interact through sound in a global audio ecosystem. The products of LIZHI include LIZHI Podcast, LIZHI App and TIYA.
Jinnan Lai, Founder and CEO of LIZHI, said, "In the third quarter of 2022, we remained focused on advancing our dual pillar approach of interactive entertainment plus audio-based social networking business and diversifying the product matrix through innovative product features. Internationally, we continued to enhance its globalization capabilities in the third quarter, further improving its international team building and actively exploring overseas market opportunities; enhancing our core technologies also empowered our global business expansion. Next, we will continue solidifying our core competencies, dedicated to creating greater value for our users and shareholders."
The domestic rivals of the firm include Dragonfly FM (Chinese: 蜻蜓FM) and Himalaya (Chinese: 喜马拉雅). LIZHI shares closed at USD 0.72 apiece today, with a market cap of USD 37.06 million.


text:
The Indonesian National Police in a joint press conference with Interpol earlier today announced the arrest of three Magecart-style Indonesian hackers who had compromised hundreds of international e-commerce websites and stolen payment card details of their online shoppers.
Dubbed ‘Operation Night Fury,’ the investigation was led by Interpol’s ASEAN Cyber Capability Desk, a joint initiative by law enforcement agencies of Southeast Asian countries to combat cybercrime.
According to the press conference, all three accused (23, 26, and 35 years old) were arrested last year in December from Jakarta and Yogyakarta and charged with criminal laws related to the data theft, fraud, and unauthorized access.
Just like most of the other widespread Magecart attacks, the modus operandi behind this series of attacks also involved exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities in e-commerce websites powered by Magento and WordPress content management platforms.
Hackers then secretly implanted digital credit card skimming code—also known as web skimming or JS sniffers—on those compromised websites to intercept users’ inputs in real-time and steal their payment card numbers, names, addresses and…


text:
Apple Arcade comes out on September 19th! Here is the price
Apple’s highly anticipated game subscription service, the Apple Arcade, will soon be available to gamers. The release date and price of the new service was officially announced.
Apple’s iOS, MacOS and tvOS platforms for the game subscription service Apple Arcade, will soon be released. Apple today announced that Apple Arcade will be released on September 19. The price of the service will be 4.99 dollars.
- The money the Witcher 3 earns to its producer continues to surprise
- Render image of LG V60 ThinQ smartphone model leaked
- According to the report, Apple iPhone 9 test production started
- Huawei’s patent reveals possible Mate X2 design: 6 cameras and pen support
- Apple closes stores in China due to coronavirus
Apple Arcade gives you access to over 100 quality games without any advertising or in-game purchases. With your Apple Arcade subscription, you will be able to play your games on your iOS, MacOS or tvOS devices in an unlimited way. You will also be able to continue your game on TVOS or MacOS devices from where you left off, for example, where you started on your iOS device, but left you interrupted.


text:
The Future of Transportation: EV Battery Breakthroughs
Electric vehicles are no longer a distant dream; they are here, and they are evolving. The key to this evolution lies in the heart of the vehicle – the battery. With recent breakthroughs in EV battery innovation, the automotive industry is on the brink of a revolution.
Unleashing the Power: Top Innovations in EV Batteries
- Extended Range: New battery technologies are allowing EVs to travel longer distances on a single charge. This is a game-changer for both daily commuters and long-distance travelers.
- Faster Charging: Gone are the days of overnight charging. With the latest innovations, EV batteries can be charged in a matter of minutes, not hours.
- Sustainability: The development of eco-friendly battery materials is paving the way for a greener future.
- Affordability: Cutting-edge research is driving down costs, making electric vehicles accessible to more people.
“These innovations are not just changing the way we drive; they’re changing the way we live. The future of transportation is electric, and it’s happening now.” – Industry Expert
The world is shifting gears, and the EV battery innovation is leading the way. From the way we commute to the impact on the environment, these breakthroughs are setting new standards and redefining the future of transportation.
- Extended Range
- Faster Charging
These are not mere buzzwords; they are the pillars of a new era. An era where technology meets sustainability, where innovation drives accessibility, and where the road ahead is as exciting as the journey itself.
References and Facts
Here are some related news and facts about the EV battery modules with integrated inverter and charger unveiled by Stellantis and Saft:
- Stellantis and Saft engineers have unveiled a prototype of an EV battery pack that integrates the inverter and charger functions into the modules146.
- Integrating the inverter and charger functions creates a battery that is more efficient, which enhances the battery electric vehicle range25.
- Stellantis is exploring all battery technology to meet the diverse needs of its broad customer base and ensure clean, safe, and affordable mobility3.
- Stellantis has invested in Lyten’s breakthrough lithium-sulfur EV battery technology, which has demonstrated significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and will advance the transition to sustainable mobility3.
- Lithium-sulfur batteries have the potential to deliver more than twice the energy density of lithium-ion and represent an alternative, non-nickel-manganese-cobalt cathode solution3.
- Stellantis and Lyten will develop applications for advanced lithium-sulfur based EV batteries, vehicle lightweighting, and enhanced vehicle sensing solutions3.
- Stellantis’ new battery technology could go into its BEVs before 20304.
- The new battery system could be the key to smaller, cheaper EVs5.
- The EV battery modules operate at a lower voltage and current than the pack as a whole5.


text:
Recently, the images of the upcoming device Meizu Pro 6 revealed both its front and rear side of the device. Now just after the launching of Meizu m3 note, the first official image of the upcoming device revealed its only rear side so we have no any ideas about the look of its front. But it is expected that it has the similar design as the image leaked earlier. Its rear section showed that it will come with the laser autofocus and the LED flash just below the camera.
According to the recent rumor, the upcoming device Meizu Pro 6 will sport a QHD Super AMOLED display of 5.7”, 4/6GB of RAM and a 3D touch display. It will also include fast UFS3.0 storage, NFC 3.0 and a massive battery of 3,500 mAh. It will be powered by Samsung Exynos 8890 chipset.The camera section of the device will include a rear camera of 21 MP and front-facing camera of 5MP.
The company hasn’t revealed the date of its announcement but it is expected that it will be announced in coming month.
Proceed with us for more information.


text:
SHOCKING footage shows a McDonald’s staff member tossing deliveries on the floor.
A disgusted customer filmed the incident at a branch in Dartford, Kent, after going to the restaurant when his food didn’t arrive.
The video was posted by a man who said that his son’s “food didn’t turn up so he went” to the takeaway.
It is captioned “McDonald’s in Dartford tonight my son’s food didn’t turn up, so he went down there”.
An onlooker can be heard saying: “She’s throwing the food, like it’s no one else’s food, someone’s got to eat that.”
A McDonald’s spokesman said their team worked immediately to fix the situation.
He said: “We are sorry to hear of this customer’s experience.
“McDelivery was unavailable for a short time and we are working with Just Eat to investigate the matter further.
“Our team at Dartford worked as quickly as possible to rectify the situation and provided all customers with new, freshly prepared products.
“Complimentary replacement products were also offered and accepted by the customer in question.
“We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused.”
It comes after McDonald’s customers have been left disgusted by the grim footage, recorded at a branch in Old Kent Road, Douth London.
The video, posted on TikTok by whistleblower @McOldKentRoad, shows earthworms writhing in the drain of the machine.
The user – who doesn’t speak in the video – added the word ‘maggots’ beneath the film.
However, officials at the huge chain say the creatures were actually worms – a clarification that won’t necessarily cheer up customers.


text:
1 Mar – Indonesia’s Volcano Rock Festival will be erupting this 12 May at Stadium Pandan Arang, Boyolali, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia!
The festival will be featuring legendary rock band, Europe, as well as Indonesia’s own rock legends, God Bless.
Europe will be performing in support of their latest album, “Walk The Earth”, which was released in 2017 featuring songs such as “Election Day” and “Walk The Earth”.
Ticket prices are yet to be announced, but they will be available for purchase online at tiketapasaja.com soon.
|Rock legends will be making a blast in Indonesia this May!|
Known for their popular songs like, “Carrie”, “Rock The Night” and the ever iconic “The Final Countdown”, Europe was first formed in 1978 and is still rocking hard until this day, making them one of music history’s veteran legends.
Joining them will be another popular rock band, Indonesia’s God Bless who have garnered numerous awards from the Indonesian music industry, the most notable one being the AMI Award for Best Rock Album with their album, “Cermin 7”.
Organiser of the event, Anas S. Alimi, stated that “The performance from Europe is a reminiscence of the album that made the breakthrough of their career 30 years ago, “The Final Countdown”.”
(Photo Source: zimel.com)


text:
Google admits it allows developers to collect Gmail data
Google Pixel 3 & Pixel 3 XL Leak In Highest-Resolution Render Yet
And Now Devil May Cry 5 Has The Mega Man Buster
Amazon Is Bringing 4 New Alexa Devices To Australia
Samsung to unveil new Galaxy Note smartphone in August
01 July 2018, 07:00 | Megan Pierce
You can bet money the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will debut on Aug. 9
The Unpacked event kicks off at 10 a.m. ET and will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The timeframe certainly lines up. We should trust Samsung's most recent offering packs one of a kind highlights, other than the show, to emerge in the swarmed advertise. More details about the device are likely to surface as we near its official launch.
Samsung has typically unveiled new models in the Galaxy Note series towards the end of the third quarter, but this time around the South Korean maker is speeding things up.
Samsung is without a doubt the biggest name in the Android world, and so if you are considering purchasing a new phone, logic dictates you may be looking to pick up a phone made by the ...
Otherwise, however, Note 9reports paint a picture of fairly minor upgrades over the Note 8, with plenty of features cribbed from the S9 announced back in February at Mobile World Congress. And they were right - Samsung has already teased the announcement of the next Galaxy Note device on August 9. Well, in case you don't, the Galaxy Note 9 is coming with the same design as last year's Note 8 with some minor design changes like the changed location of the fingerprint scanner on the rear.
French convict pulls off daring jailbreak via helicopter
The assailants then hacked through a lock that led through to a hallway where Faid was waiting with one of his brothers. Redoine Faid escaped after three heavily armed accomplices landed the helicopter in the prison courtyard.
EU leaders reach migration deal
Donald Tusk, the European council president, told reporters in Brussels that it was "far too early to talk about a success". Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF) branded the new European Union deal inhumane.
The Galaxy J4 features a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 720 x 1280 HD resolution and a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio.
Talking about the release date, the rumors suggest that the upcoming SamsungGear S4 will be going to launch in early August, along with the launch of Galaxy Note 9. The phone will also have camera improvements, like similar to the ones on the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The former is said to be the worldwide variant while latter should be a dual SIM Galaxy Note 9 expected to be probably for Asia region. The US version of the phone will be powered by a QualcommSnapdragon 845 chipset, while a global edition will be powered by the latest version of Samsung's own Exynos processor. The device has been rumored to feature a 6.4-inch Infinity display without any notch at the top.
While the amount of features the little tool offers is commendable, we are still waiting for Samsung to completely blow us away.
Donald Trump answers prank call aboard Air Force One
His trial ended in a hung jury and a federal judge declared a mistrial and later the Justice Department dismissed all charges. The White House operator can be heard telling Melendez that the president was in Fargo, North Dakota , and unreachable.
Trump wants U.S. to withdraw from WTO
Trump has said his tariffs are created to protect domestic industries that have been hammered by an unfair global trading system. USA tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese goods are set to take effect on July 6 and a further $16 billion could follow.
Asia shares hobbled by trade fears, oil extends gains
SSEC both gave up weak midday gains, deepening the losses that pushed them into bear-market territory on Tuesday and Wednesday. The dollar was up 0.28 percent against the yen at 110.36 yen, and it advanced 0.47 percent against the franc.
DeAndre Jordan Opts Out of Deal with Los Angeles Clippers
This is an obvious indication that he has played his last game for the Clippers and will be on a new team next year. Despite trade speculation a year ago , the Clippers kept Jordan and narrowly missed out on making the playoffs.
DeAndre Jordan to Dallas For Real This Time?
Jordan could opt-in for his final year to facilitate a trade, but he must do so by midnight on Friday, so the clock is ticking. He's has spent his entire 11-year career with the Clippers and blossomed into a fringe All-Star and an All-NBA center.


text:
Industrial output increases 6.6%
Industrial output rose 6.6 percent last year, up 0.6 percentage point from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday, driven largely by the global economic rebound, momentum from the Belt and Road Initiative and surging domestic demand.
High-tech and equipment manufacturing industries witnessed higher output growth of 13.4 percent and 11.3 percent respectively in 2017, while the mining sector saw a 1.5 percent decline on a yearly basis.
Industrial businesses above the designated size shipped 12.32 trillion yuan ($1.9 trillion) of goods to overseas markets last year, up 10.7 percent from 2016.
"Manufacturing companies in China received more orders than in previous years and their cash flow improved considerably in 2017. This trend will not only benefit upstream businesses, but also the middle and downstream manufacturers," said Deng Haiqing, an analyst with JZ Securities.
Corporate profits remained strong, with total profits of industrial manufacturers above the designated size surging 21.9 percent year-on-year to 6.88 trillion yuan between January and November last year, said the National Bureau of Statistics.
The profit rate for these firms' pillar business climbed to 6.36 percent during this period, from 5.82 percent a year earlier.
Zhou Zhicheng, deputy director for market research at the Beijing-based China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, said the price rebound in industrial goods would support the manufacturers' earning ability.
The producer price index, which measures costs for goods at the factory gate, climbed 6.3 percent year-on-year, compared with a 1.4 percent drop in 2016, ending the declining trend during the past five years.
"Consumption spending in both the home and global markets is expected to rise at a fast pace this year, pushed by China's ongoing consumption and industrial upgrading, as well as the emergence of new industries, including e-commerce, 4G and 5G technologies, mobile payment, virtual reality and the sharing economy," said Zhou.
Leading Chinese technology companies such as Baidu Inc, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and JD are making inroads into artificial intelligence, as part of the broad push to promote technology innovation and improve the quality of economic growth.
Baidu was chosen to lead the establishment of China's AI national laboratory on deep learning last year.
The internet search giant plans to put autonomous buses that operate in designated areas into mass production and trial operation by the end of July 2018, according to Baidu Chairman and CEO Robin Li.
E-commerce giants Alibaba and JD have also begun to help retailers merge online and offline resources with the aid of AI, big data and cloud computing technologies, in order to reshape the traditional retail industry.
Alibaba's cashier-less retail store has already applied facial recognition and digital payment technologies to cope with the removal of human elements.


text:
|By Kevin Benedict||
|January 2, 2014 07:00 AM EST||
Also read Enterprise Mobility Asia News Weekly
Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly
Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly
Also read Mobile Cyber Security News Weekly
Also read Mobile Health News Weekly
Looking for an enterprise mobility solution? Read the Mobile Solution Directory Here!
It was only a matter of time before smartphones started hurting every camera maker in the industry, and according to a new report from Reuters, only the three big ones will survive: “Only those who have a strong brand and are competitive on price will last — and only Canon, Nikon and Sony fulfill that criteria.” Read Original Content
Ben Liu, a father who has also worked as a teacher for 20 years, has just launched a fundraiser on Indiegogo to try to raise money to market his innovative and educational West Journey Spell Force voice language game. The game, which Liu says is the first voice language game released on the mobile application market, helps children practice their speech and learn language. Read Original Content
GainClients, Inc. adds a mobile home search application, Property Seeker, to its web and text lead generation and marketing platform. The Property Seeker app provides buyers instant access to all of the homes for sale in each available market. Consumers can save favorite homes and searches; share homes via social media and connect with local Real Estate, Lender and Title Professionals. Read Original Content
Magic Software Enterprises, with a presence in more than 50 countries, provides development, deployment, and integration of core business applications, supporting scalable deployment on multiple channels, including on-premise, Web (HTML5), rich Internet, mobile, and SaaS. This newsletter is sponsored in part by Magic Software Enterprises.
Christmas application downloads were up by 91 percent compared to an average day in the first three weeks of December, according to a new report from Flurry Analytics. Read Original Content
According to a new market research report, World Mobile phone & Smartphone Market, published by MarketsandMarkets, the total global mobile handset market is expected to reach $341.4 billion by 2015 while smartphone sales will account for 75.8 percent of the overall mobile handset revenue at $258.9 billion in the same year. Read Original Content
Read Original Content
According to the results of a recently released online poll, almost half of Canadian smartphone owners said they keep their device with them pretty much 24/7. About 42 percent of the respondents in the survey, conducted by Harris-Decima for Rogers, said they keep their phone within reach for 90 to 100 percent of the day. Read Original Content
Android operating system continued to broaden its smartphone market power, with the mobile platform now cornering a stupendous 81 percent market share in fiscal Q3, as shown in a data purchased by research analyst firm IDC. Read Original Content
Apple's iPhone 5 has become the most commonly used smartphone in the UAE replacing Samsung S3, according to a new report released by the country's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. Read Original Content
Samsung was ranked the best enterprise smartphone solutions provider in the world. Market research company ABI Research released the results its Enterprise Smartphone vendor matrix and determined out of nine smartphone vendors evaluated in 18 categories, Samsung’s handsets and services are the best available for enterprise use. Read Original Content
U.S. smartphone penetration jumped from 56 percent on January 1, 2013 to 65 percent of subscribers by the end of October 2013, according to research firm Nielsen. Android and iOS devices ruled the year with 52 percent and 41 percent market share, respectively. Read Original Content
Berg Insight estimates the total value of the global mobile marketing and advertising market was €6.9 billion in 2012, having experienced strong growth in the fluctuating financial climate in recent years. Read Original Content
According to a report from The Information, Hewlett Packard aims to introduce six-inch and seven-inch smartphones for consumers in emerging markets including China, India, and the Philippines. The mobile devices will be sold at around $200 to $250 without carrier contract. Read Original Content
Lenovo’s entry into the smartphone and tablet market has paid off. The firm has revealed its best-ever Q2 results, including a rise in sales of mobile devices. Lenovo achieved growth of 78 percent year-on-year for smartphones, while its tablet sales grew by 4.2 times. Read Original Content
Reportbuyer.com just published a new market research report: Strategic Analysis of European Rail eTicketing Market. The study provides the technology requirements for mobility integration and future prospects along with the benefits of integrating mobility with the help of eTicketing in rail transportation. Read Original Content
Recent Articles by Kevin Benedict
A New Perspective on Enterprise Mobility and 2014 Requirements, Part 1
Operational Tempo, Faster than Real-Time, Enterprise Mobility and the Next Y2K Event
Digital Transformation, 3D Laser Scanning of Assets, Mobile Devices and Field Services
Digital Transformation, Mobile Technologies and Customer Engagement Models - Transilio
Merging the Physical with the Digital for Optimized Productivity
Thinking about Enterprise Mobility, Digital Transformation and Doctrine
Reducing Conjecture with Enterprise Mobility and M2M
Videos of Note
ROI Calculation for Optimizing the Mobile Workforce
Webinars of Note (Recorded)
Build an app in two minutes
Building Effective Mobile Business Screens
Mobile Apps For JD Edwards
Whitepapers of Note
4 Tips for Effective Mobile Screens
10 Tips To Design Effective Mobile Screens For Business
Don't Get SMACked - How Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud are Reshaping the Enterprise
Making BYOD Work for Your Organization
What are the successful IoT innovations from emerging markets? What are the unique challenges and opportunities from these markets? How did the constraints in connectivity among others lead to groundbreaking insights? In her session at @ThingsExpo, Carmen Feliciano, a Principal at AMDG, will answer all these questions and share how you can apply IoT best practices and frameworks from the emerging markets to your own business.
Oct. 25, 2016 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 2,566
More and more brands have jumped on the IoT bandwagon. We have an excess of wearables – activity trackers, smartwatches, smart glasses and sneakers, and more that track seemingly endless datapoints. However, most consumers have no idea what “IoT” means. Creating more wearables that track data shouldn't be the aim of brands; delivering meaningful, tangible relevance to their users should be. We're in a period in which the IoT pendulum is still swinging. Initially, it swung toward "smart for smar...
Oct. 25, 2016 09:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,062
In past @ThingsExpo presentations, Joseph di Paolantonio has explored how various Internet of Things (IoT) and data management and analytics (DMA) solution spaces will come together as sensor analytics ecosystems. This year, in his session at @ThingsExpo, Joseph di Paolantonio from DataArchon, will be adding the numerous Transportation areas, from autonomous vehicles to “Uber for containers.” While IoT data in any one area of Transportation will have a huge impact in that area, combining sensor...
Oct. 25, 2016 08:30 AM EDT Reads: 890
Machine Learning helps make complex systems more efficient. By applying advanced Machine Learning techniques such as Cognitive Fingerprinting, wind project operators can utilize these tools to learn from collected data, detect regular patterns, and optimize their own operations. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Stuart Gillen, Director of Business Development at SparkCognition, discussed how research has demonstrated the value of Machine Learning in delivering next generation analytics to impr...
Oct. 25, 2016 08:00 AM EDT Reads: 5,738
Successful digital transformation requires new organizational competencies and capabilities. Research tells us that the biggest impediment to successful transformation is human; consequently, the biggest enabler is a properly skilled and empowered workforce. In the digital age, new individual and collective competencies are required. In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, Bob Newhouse, CEO and founder of Agilitiv, will draw together recent research and lessons learned from emerging and established ...
Oct. 25, 2016 07:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,399
The best way to leverage your Cloud Expo presence as a sponsor and exhibitor is to plan your news announcements around our events. The press covering Cloud Expo and @ThingsExpo will have access to these releases and will amplify your news announcements. More than two dozen Cloud companies either set deals at our shows or have announced their mergers and acquisitions at Cloud Expo. Product announcements during our show provide your company with the most reach through our targeted audiences.
Oct. 25, 2016 07:45 AM EDT Reads: 4,907
Amazon has gradually rolled out parts of its IoT offerings, but these are just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to optimizing their backend AWS offerings, Amazon is laying the ground work to be a major force in IoT - especially in the connected home and office. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Chris Kocher, founder and managing director of Grey Heron, explained how Amazon is extending its reach to become a major force in IoT by building on its dominant cloud IoT platform, its Dash Button strat...
Oct. 25, 2016 06:45 AM EDT Reads: 4,823
@ThingsExpo has been named the Top 5 Most Influential M2M Brand by Onalytica in the ‘Machine to Machine: Top 100 Influencers and Brands.' Onalytica analyzed the online debate on M2M by looking at over 85,000 tweets to provide the most influential individuals and brands that drive the discussion. According to Onalytica the "analysis showed a very engaged community with a lot of interactive tweets. The M2M discussion seems to be more fragmented and driven by some of the major brands present in the...
Oct. 25, 2016 06:15 AM EDT Reads: 11,433
We are reaching the end of the beginning with WebRTC, and real systems using this technology have begun to appear. One challenge that faces every WebRTC deployment (in some form or another) is identity management. For example, if you have an existing service – possibly built on a variety of different PaaS/SaaS offerings – and you want to add real-time communications you are faced with a challenge relating to user management, authentication, authorization, and validation. Service providers will w...
Oct. 25, 2016 05:30 AM EDT Reads: 3,376
DevOps is being widely accepted (if not fully adopted) as essential in enterprise IT. But as Enterprise DevOps gains maturity, expands scope, and increases velocity, the need for data-driven decisions across teams becomes more acute. DevOps teams in any modern business must wrangle the ‘digital exhaust’ from the delivery toolchain, "pervasive" and "cognitive" computing, APIs and services, mobile devices and applications, the Internet of Things, and now even blockchain. In this power panel at @...
Oct. 25, 2016 05:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,997
SYS-CON Media announced today that @WebRTCSummit Blog, the largest WebRTC resource in the world, has been launched. @WebRTCSummit Blog offers top articles, news stories, and blog posts from the world's well-known experts and guarantees better exposure for its authors than any other publication. @WebRTCSummit Blog can be bookmarked ▸ Here @WebRTCSummit conference site can be bookmarked ▸ Here
Oct. 25, 2016 04:30 AM EDT Reads: 9,706
You have great SaaS business app ideas. You want to turn your idea quickly into a functional and engaging proof of concept. You need to be able to modify it to meet customers' needs, and you need to deliver a complete and secure SaaS application. How could you achieve all the above and yet avoid unforeseen IT requirements that add unnecessary cost and complexity? You also want your app to be responsive in any device at any time. In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, Mark Allen, General Manager of...
Oct. 25, 2016 04:15 AM EDT Reads: 955
One of biggest questions about Big Data is “How do we harness all that information for business use quickly and effectively?” Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or spatial technology is about more than making maps, but adding critical context and meaning to data of all types, coming from all different channels – even sensors. In his session at @ThingsExpo, William (Bill) Meehan, director of utility solutions for Esri, will take a closer look at the current state of spatial technology and ar...
Oct. 25, 2016 04:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,741
SYS-CON Events announced today that Streamlyzer will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Streamlyzer is a powerful analytics for video streaming service that enables video streaming providers to monitor and analyze QoE (Quality-of-Experience) from end-user devices in real time.
Oct. 25, 2016 04:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,012
SYS-CON Events announced today that SoftNet Solutions will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. SoftNet Solutions specializes in Enterprise Solutions for Hadoop and Big Data. It offers customers the most open, robust, and value-conscious portfolio of solutions, services, and tools for the shortest route to success with Big Data. The unique differentiator is the ability to architect and ...
Oct. 25, 2016 04:00 AM EDT Reads: 968
The IoT industry is now at a crossroads, between the fast-paced innovation of technologies and the pending mass adoption by global enterprises. The complexity of combining rapidly evolving technologies and the need to establish practices for market acceleration pose a strong challenge to global enterprises as well as IoT vendors. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Clark Smith, senior product manager for Numerex, will discuss how Numerex, as an experienced, established IoT provider, has embraced a ...
Oct. 25, 2016 03:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,130
Cloud based infrastructure deployment is becoming more and more appealing to customers, from Fortune 500 companies to SMEs due to its pay-as-you-go model. Enterprise storage vendors are able to reach out to these customers by integrating in cloud based deployments; this needs adaptability and interoperability of the products confirming to cloud standards such as OpenStack, CloudStack, or Azure. As compared to off the shelf commodity storage, enterprise storages by its reliability, high-availabil...
Oct. 25, 2016 03:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,166
Donna Yasay, President of HomeGrid Forum, today discussed with a panel of technology peers how certification programs are at the forefront of interoperability, and the answer for vendors looking to keep up with today's growing industry for smart home innovation. "To ensure multi-vendor interoperability, accredited industry certification programs should be used for every product to provide credibility and quality assurance for retail and carrier based customers looking to add ever increasing num...
Oct. 25, 2016 02:00 AM EDT Reads: 628
In the next forty months – just over three years – businesses will undergo extraordinary changes. The exponential growth of digitization and machine learning will see a step function change in how businesses create value, satisfy customers, and outperform their competition. In the next forty months companies will take the actions that will see them get to the next level of the game called Capitalism. Or they won’t – game over. The winners of today and tomorrow think differently, follow different...
Oct. 25, 2016 01:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,030
“Media Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. CloudBerry Backup is a leading cross-platform cloud backup and disaster recovery solution integrated with major public cloud services, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform.
Oct. 25, 2016 01:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,423


text:
No doubt, the current pandemic has changed the way people make transactions with institutions. To protect ourselves from the virus, people are encouraged to use digital platforms to avail of end-to-end processing in the delivery of goods and services. As face-to-face mechanisms may pose health hazards during this uncertain time, going digital may foster market efficiencies and provide an enabling environment towards increased access to goods and services even in the comfort of our homes.
In one of his speeches, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno shared that the Digital Transformation Roadmap for the Philippines aims to shift at least 50 percent of retail payment transactions to digital, and to have at least 70 percent of adult Filipinos own a transaction account by 2023. Having that transaction account gives them the opportunity to avail of financial services using digital platforms.
Digital banking is one of the solutions to address the banking services needed by people during the pandemic and as we usher in the “new normal” of banking landscapes. As economies begin to reopen gradually, wide use and access of Internet plays a vital role in delivering these services online to ensure business continuity as people shift to e-commerce, digital financial services, digital payments, and digital public services.
Pending the release of a BSP circular providing guidelines on the establishment of digital banks, the Monetary Board includes digital banks as a distinct classification of banks. BSP has recognized the role of digital platforms employed by banks to drive greater banking efficiency and expand its reach to the unserved and underserved market segments. Having a regulatory environment will provide space for responsible innovation, cyber-resilience and digitalization of the financial services industry.
This means that digital banks in the Philippines are expected to operate a business model applying robust, secure, and resilient technology infrastructure, effective data management strategy and practices, and sound digital governance. Also, digital banks are exposed to risks similar to those encountered by other classifications of banks under the Risk Management Framework. It is, therefore, imperative for digital banks to meet certain corporate governance and risk management standards following the principle of proportionality in terms of business model and risk profile.
In establishing these banks, BSP will require a minimum capitalization of Php1 billion and will adopt prudential standards in granting digital banking authority to those who meet the desired requirements. Other requirements and standards have yet to be finalized.
The eventual release of this regulation before year-end would beef up the digital banking landscape in the Philippines as more Filipinos will subscribe to digital platforms, thereby promoting inclusivity in the delivery of financial services.


text:
(Corrects 2nd paragraph to say paid leave will start in May, not April)
SAO PAULO, April 4 (Reuters) - Embattled Brazilian food processor BRF SA, reeling from a food safety scandal, will place 3,500 workers on paid leave at two plants, the latest move to adjust capacity following a government-imposed trade ban affecting exports to the European Union, the company said on Wednesday.
BRF said it would send 1,300 workers on leave at its Carambeí plant in southern Brazil, in addition to 2,300 people from its Rio Verde poultry production line in central Brazil. The leaves, effective from May 21 and May 14 respectively, will last 30 days at both plants, it said.
"As is in the public domain, Brazil's agriculture ministry decided to temporarily and preemptively suspend production and certification of BRF poultry exports to the European Union from March 16," BRF said in a statement.
The move raises the tally of employees affected by measures to adjust capacity to demand to around 7,000.
Last month BRF said it would send around 3,000 people on furlough at its Capinzal plant state effective May 7.
BRF also sent more than 1,000 workers on leave at its Mineiros plant, one of the units involved in the food safety investigation that preceded the trade suspension related to Europe. Some 623 people at Mineiros' chicken production line have since returned to work, BRF said on Wednesday.
BRF shares fell 0.5 percent to 23.06 reais in mid-afternoon trading, reaching a low of 37 percent this year, as the company still reels from the food probe, which accused managers of acting to evade safety checks.
The stock price is also impacted by an imminent management shakeup being pushed by controlling shareholders after the company posted its largest ever loss last year. (Reporting by Ana Mano and Paula Laier; editing by Diane Craft)


text:
by MIKE CHAIKEN
CONTRIBUTING FASHION EDITOR
Fashion week in New York City has always been about change.
Silhouettes change. Hemlines change. Fabric choice changes. Colors change. Influences change.
However, New York Fashion Week in September 2020 truly was a game changer.
Due to COVID-19, in-person fashion shows were a rarity. Those runways shows that opened the door to people other than the models, creative team and designers included only the elite of the elite in the fashion industry.
Most designers went virtual for the spring summer 2021 collections. Either they livestreamed models walking the runway, only witnessed by a camera crew, or they presented mini-fashion films.
Even with the changes in presentation, Fashion Snoops kept track some of the top trends in September.
Fashion Snoops, which is an agency that tracks changes in fashion, offered up their take on what designers were offering this time around
"Virtual spectacle." As noted, NYFW had a different feel this year. "Designers found new ways to reinvent collections through a heavy dose of creative pragmatism," said Maria Coleiro, youth editor for Fashion Snoops.
"Joyful escape:" "Meadow emerges as a popular theme at NYFW, offering a lighter spin on escapist fashion that aligns with the countryside," said Melissa Moylan, a vice-president and creative drector in charge of womenswear at Fashion Snoops. Botanical florals and flowy silhouettes were among the manifestations of this trend.
Statement masks: With COVID-19 everywhere, everyone is wearing a mask. Subsequently, designers are dipping their toes into the world of fashionable masks. "Christian Siriano was of the few designers who opted for a traditional runway showcase, where every single model donned a coordinated facemask," said Hallie Spradlin, the accessories director at Fashion Snoops.
Leisurewear: "Designers seem to be rethinking the idea of 'casual' by truly embracing a relaxed approach to clothing with new twists on leisure wear," said Patricia Maeda, womenswear editor for Fashion Snoops.
"Express yourself." Melissa Hago, vice president and creative director of beauty and wellness said, "Bold makeup looks are here to stay … (Despite the preponderance of masks) makeup can still be expressive as we stay safe."


text:
Fecha: 2018-01-15 / 15:27:49
Whereabouts are you from? olanzapine 20
The Treasury Department and IRS ruling assures tax benefits for all legally married same-sex couples in an effort to ensure their ability to move freely throughout the country without altering their federal filing status.
essay about successful people Republicans and Congress in general have taken a publicbeating in the showdown, with an Associated Press-Gfk survey onWednesday showing Congress as a whole at a rock-bottom 5 percentapproval rating. More than 6 of every 10 Americans blamedRepublicans for the impasse.
femelle 30 beneficios Amazon is trying to turn itself from an online retailer into a broader technology company offering consumer gadgets like tablets and cloud computing services to corporations and governments. It is doing this while expanding in competitive overseas markets such as China.
usp 32 olanzapine They also hit the three Pats fans â Nugent of Boston, Amanda MacDowell, 25, of Marlborough, Mass., and David James Sacco, 28, also of Boston â with the same charges. âAfter a thorough review of the evidence, the investigation revealed that Amanda MacDowell and Jaclyn Nugent were observed kicking and punching Paschke in the body and head,â the state copsâ statement said.
cytotec 200mg pills (generic) On the other side of this radio road are the Mets, unceremoniously dumped by WFAN, the station that owned the teamâs broadcast rights all the way back to the 1980s when its call letters were WHN. Anyone already believing there is no loyalty in this business now has eight legs to stand on.


text:
The Automotive Components Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) today announced it is deferring the biennial Components Expo, in line with the main motor show that also stands postponed.
As always, the four-day event was to be held in tandem with the Motor Show but at Pragati Maidan, which has been undergoing extensive renovation since the last Components Show in February 2020.
Speaking at a press conference to announce the Indian component industry’s FY2021 performance results, ACMA president Deepak Jain said, "The component industry has to be aligned with the vehicle industry. The Auto Expo is a very prestigious event and hence the Components Show will also need to be postponed. So, we would also look at a later date, when the pandemic situation is conducive."
Yesterday, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) had announced that the Auto Expo 2022 (February 2- 9) at Greater Noida, has been postponed given the ongoing Covid situation in the country.
"Safety of exhibitors, visitors and all stakeholders involved and present at the expo is the topmost priority for SIAM. It is in this context that the Indian automobile industry and SIAM recognise the inherent risks in organising the Auto Expo due to the on-going Covid-19 Pandemic and the apprehensions of a possible third wave," SIAM said in a statement.
Both the Auto Expo 2022 and ACMA Components Show 2022 are likely to be rescheduled, in alignment with the OICA calendar of global auto shows.


text:
BOULDER, Colo. (AP/CBS4) – Boulder is considering a ban on plastic shopping bags at supermarkets and convenience stores or a mandatory fee for using them.
The City Council will consider the measures Tuesday.
The Daily Camera reported Monday that students in the Net Zero Club at Fairview High School and Summit Middle School have lobbied the council to consider a ban.
The proposed ban and an alternative fee of 10 to 20 cents per bag are included in an update to the city’s Zero Waste Master Plan, which will be presented to the council.
Another option calls for banning plastic bans and requiring a fee for paper bags.
The council won’t make a final decision at Tuesday’s meeting.
San Jose, Calif., and Telluride have banned plastic and imposed a fee on paper. Last month the town of Basalt approved a 20 cent fee for plastic bags.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


text:
Sustainable Seafood as Grimsby Fish Van Fleet Goes Electric
The sustainable transport of seafood in the UK took a major step forward last week at the launch event to celebrate the electrification pilot of Grimsby’s fish van fleet.
The project, which is being led by the University of Lincoln’s National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM) and the Seafood Grimsby and Humber Alliance, will trial Electric Vans for fish delivery around the country.
It is being supported and funded by the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, UK Government and Toyota UK.
The launch event took place at the Grimsby Port Office on Thursday 23 February.
The vans currently used by Grimsby are estimated to have a carbon footprint of 2,000 CO2 tonnes per year, and the project aims to reduce this for at least 10 vans through the length of the pilot scheme.
Val Braybrooks, Dean of the National Centre for Food Manufacturing said:
“We are very pleased to be working with the Seafood Grimsby and Humber Alliance and partners on the delivery of this transformational project.
“The Grimsby seafood processing cluster is the largest in UK and makes a significant contribution to the UK agrifood industry, and it is encouraging to see it leading the way in terms of sustainability and carbon reduction.
“The NCFM will oversee the project, monitor the carbon impact and assess the cost effectiveness of the full transition to Electric Vehicles.
“In addition to this, we will be looking at innovation and knowledge exchange. This will include how the vans perform in terms of carbon reduction and economic savings and what could be done to increase the wider take-up of electric vehicles for food delivery.
“We hope that the success of this project will encourage the wider use of electric vehicles across many more food delivery businesses nationwide.”
The Toyota vans being used in the pilot are listed for sale new at around £40,000, but with a Government EV Grant and support from Greater Lincolnshire LEP and Toyota UK, this is reduced significantly for businesses participating in the project. There are currently over 100 independent fish vans operating around Grimsby.
Halina Davies, Partnerships and Programmes Executive Manager at the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership said:
“Greater Lincolnshire is the UK’s Food Valley – one of our game-changing sectors for growth across Lincolnshire. The decarbonisation of the food sector and its logistics chain is a strategic priority for us, and therefore we are delighted to be adding to the suite of projects we are funding for UK Food Valley with the seafood pilot scheme.
“The Grimsby seafood processing cluster is the largest seafood processing and trading cluster in Europe, employing at least 6,000 people with a further 12,000 in the supply chain. However, the cluster is reliant on traditional diesel engine and electrical refrigeration systems which, because of rising energy costs, emissions challenges, sustainability, and carbon net zero agendas, will be under increasing pressure as the UK strives to meet its 2050 decarbonisation goals.
“We look forward to working together with our partners to take this ground-breaking project forward.”
Simon Smith, Chair of the Seafood Grimsby and Humber Alliance said:
“We are pleased that the Seafood and Grimsby and Humber Alliance is launching another project to help the industry, following on from the hugely successful Community Renewal Funded UK Food Valley Seafood pilot in 2022.
“Most recently we have successfully secured £350,000 for Seafood Skills Training from the UK Seafood Fund, which is another successful project that will be provided in partnership with NCFM and the University of Lincoln.”


text:
Apple To Launch 'MLS Season Pass' For $99/Year: Why This Analyst Thinks NFL Deal Not Far Off
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has just announced a subscription service as part of its live sports coverage.
What Happened: Apple and Major League Soccer announced that the MLS Season Pass — a new subscription service to soccer fans in over 100 countries and regions — will be launched on Feb. 1.
This service will bring to fans every MLS regular-season match, entire playoffs and Leagues Cup with no blackout. These matches will be made available on billions of devices through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, consoles and the web at tv.apple.com.
See Also: Apple Analyst Sees All 2023 iPhones Switching To USB-C — But Only These 2 Models May Support High-Speed Transfer
The company said the MLS Season Pass marks the official kickoff of the 10-year partnership between MLS and Apple.
“There isn’t a more perfect time to introduce MLS Season Pass, coming off the heels of the most dramatic MLS Cup in history and with MLS as the fastest-growing soccer league in the world,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services.
During match days, MLS Season Pass will feature an exclusive live match whip-around show, so fans never miss any exciting moment.
Pricing: Subscription to the MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app will cost $14.99 per month during the season or $99 per season. Apple TV+ subscribers get special pricing of $12.99 per month and $79 per season, the company said.
The first match of the MLS 2023 regular season starts Feb. 25.
For promoting the partnership, all 29 clubs in the MLS will have an Apple TV parch on their jerseys in different colors.
Why It’s Important: Given the intensifying rivalry in the streaming space, companies are trying out options such as live sports coverage to lure viewers and keep the subscription dollars coming. Rival Amazon Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) exclusively covers Thursday Night Football as part of an 11-year deal. Apple is widely speculated as a contender for acquiring the rights to National Football League Sunday Ticket.
The odds of Apple getting into NFL streaming went up with the announcement, said Loup Funds Managing Partner Gene Munster. The $99 a year subscription pricing lends credence to the expectations, the venture capitalist said, adding that he was bracing for MLS season being included in the base Apple TV+ offering.
Price Action: Apple closed Wednesday’s session down 0.83% at $148.79, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Photo: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Read Next: Best Technology Stocks Right Now


text:
YouSendIt, the cloud storage service that specializes in shipping large files and easy-to-use digital signage, came out Dec. 13 with mobile applications for iPhones, iPads and Android tablet users.
Not only that, but it also launched a new Windows and Macintosh desktop client-in the form of a folder-that automatically hooks up with the YouSendIt cloud when files are dropped into it.
The Campbell, Calif.-based company launched its e-signage feature (pictured) in July. With it, users simply employ a finger to write their names in script on the screen to sign off on documents online, including legal types, such as contracts and non-disclosure agreements.
“Email feels broken, and sending large files as attachments is hard to deal with,” Vice President of Product and Business Strategy Brian Curry told eWEEK. “But the fact is, most people still go there when they are doing document and content collaboration, to attach files and send them. We are committed to being that onramp from email.”
YouSendIt’s security includes full encryption of documents, both in transit and while at rest on YouSendIt servers. Files stored on mobile devices also are encrypted and protected by an application passcode, Curry said.
The company has sharpened its focus on collaboration for enterprise teams and departments. YouSendIt can be used not only internally by companies, but within the same system to share documents with outside contractors and partners.
Users can synchronize information with partners and customers in a mobile, distributed environment and shorten the time needed to get work done. They can use a desktop, smartphone or tablet to do it, Curry said.
YouSendIt finished third-quarter 2011 with about 23.5 million registered users, Curry said, and is signing up an average of 1.5 million people per month. It introduces itself with 2GB free storage (including five e-signatures) accounts for individual users and makes its money on 50GB ($9.99/month) and unlimited ($14.99/month) accounts.
More enterprise-type accounts and new high-end features will be coming in 2012, Curry said. “We see ourselves as a suite of content collaboration tools (with storage, collaboration folders and e-signage),” Curry said.


text:
This Instant Insight covers the suspension of December 15 tariffs and the Phase One deal of the U.S. - China trade agreement.
On December 13 2019, the U.S. and China reached a new trade agreement—referred to as the Phase 1 deal—which they hope paves the way for a larger deal down the road.
WHAT HAPPENED - HIGHLIGHTS (ACCORDING TO U.S. OFFICIALS)
- U.S. has agreed to suspend the December 15 tariffs that would have impacted ~$160 billion of Chinese-made goods.
- U.S. has agreed to cut the rate on existing tariffs from September to 7.5% from 15%.
- China has agreed to purchase $200 billion of additional U.S. goods over the next two years.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE ECONOMY
- The deal does not address the thornier issues such as technology transfers, intellectual property and a host of other regulations.
- Stock markets generally reacted positively to the truce. However, the deal does not end the uncertainty as it includes a ‘snapback’ provision: if the Trump Administration views that China is not making good on the terms of the new deal, tariffs could very quickly ramp back up.
- It is also important to note that while some tariffs have been halted or reduced, many others remain in effect.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR CRE
- By general consent, the trade dispute has negatively impacted certain aspects of the global economy and will continue to do so. The IMF estimates that the existing tariffs and trade-related uncertainty will shave 0.8% off global GDP growth by 2020.
- Notably, since the trade war intensified, global trade flows have slowed, business confidence has deteriorated, and the global manufacturing sector has also arguably slipped into recession.
- CRE leasing fundamentals have held up reasonably well since the trade skirmish first began.
- However, demand for industrial space in certain U.S. West Coast markets, and for office and industrial in certain Chinese cities was slower. And export-oriented economies in general lagged behind other markets in 2019.


text:
The official launch event of TechBase at Beijing's Wudaokou District [Photo by courtesy of TechBase]
Amid the current tide of growing female entrepreneurship, China's first technology incubator for women, TechBase, was officially launched in tandem with a grand forum in late-November on the theme of the so-called "She-Economy". Beijing Women's Federation guided the initiative, which drew support from different entrepreneurial groups specializing in women's products, fashion and technology.
The event — half a year in the planning — was held in Beijing's Wudaokou district, well-known for its startup-friendly business climate. On the first floor of an independent three-story building, two rooms were filled with dozens of booths representing e-businesses including Teenker, Reflower, Pair, Helijia, and Originators. More than 20 top investment organizations such as Crystal Stream, Plum Ventures, Atom Ventures and Tops Fund also participated, offering plenty of choices and opportunities to share ideas on the women-focused economy.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, founder and chief executive officer of TechBase Ling Zihan retraced the development of the incubator and pledged to boost the expansion of the She-Economy.
"More than six months ago, the four of us used to 'steal' free WiFi at a nearby coffee shop. We have rode a rollercoaster of ups and downs all along the way, and here we are holding the opening ceremony," she said.
Ling said in the billowy waves of entrepreneurship, they have experienced the dramatic industrial changes as well as fierce competition. Since then, some of the entrepreneurial teams they met have succeeded while others vanished. "Female entrepreneurs are like snow lotuses bursting into bloom on a cliff, seemingly incompatible with the cruel battlefield," Ling commented.
However, Ling continued that women have a "special power". "Their participation in the entrepreneurship makes the market more colorful; their wit and sensitivity help them recognize consumers' needs more easily and their communication skills bring more tacit understanding with customers."
She also noted that the growth of the She-Economy is reeling e-businesses, with female consumption accounting for more than half of online consumption. Now the word "women" can be translated as great potential in China's consumer market.
Liu Bo, vice-president of Crystal Stream, shared her view on the prospect of female consumption during the event. "We are talking about trading-up every year. Consumer demands have been changing swiftly from Taobao Marketplace (China's largest online shopping website) through to today's model of "community plus e-commerce". Back then, consumers wanted to buy goods online that were cheaper than offline, so that 70 percent of Taobao's flow came from retrieval," she said.
According to Liu's observation, since the end of 2013, e-business has started taking on dramatic changes, mainly driven by women consumers. "Nowadays, community plays a role in helping women make purchase decisions." Liu predicted that a number of small-scale but specialist e-businesses would gain ground to serve certain groups of women consumers.
Regarding women entrepreneurs, she said women, as consumers themselves, know consumer psychology better than men, but they are prone to losing the commercial pattern in a speedy environment.
Zhu Yueyi, chief executive officer of Reflower and founder and former chief marketing officer of Yongche.com, a website providing delivery and passenger services shared her experience in business-starting for the second time. "In the past, flowers are usually given as gifts but now a rising number of people buy flowers to decorate their houses. This is a new phenomenon in China. We target young to middle-aged women who love life and have a certain consumption capacity."
Zhang Zihao, president of Beijing's HX accelerator, expressed his expectation that more and more entrepreneurs can realize their dreams with the help and support from different incubators to create more jobs and wealth for society. "This is the greatest source of my happiness," he declared.
The 240-square meter hall had more than 70 booths, and was equipped with a mother-and-baby room, a salon and other facilities catering to female entrepreneurs. Since it was founded, TechBase has agreed cooperation deals with more than 50 investment organizations and service centers to provide its users with comprehensive support.
The booths at one room of the apartment [Photo by courtesy of TechBase]
Accessories at one booth [Photo by courtesy of TechBase]
Please understand that womenofchina.cn,a non-profit, information-communication website, cannot reach every writer before using articles and images. For copyright issues, please contact us by emailing: firstname.lastname@example.org. The articles published and opinions expressed on this website represent the opinions of writers and are not necessarily shared by womenofchina.cn.


text:
Shoppers will no longer be able to find Grolsch lager bottles in Tesco and Asda supermarkets.
The Dutch beer is recognisable by its distinctive green glass bottles and swig-top lids.
But now the owner Asahi group have confirmed its brewing deal with its UK manufacturer has come to an end, Birmingham Mail reports.
A spokesperson said, "After 35 years, Asahi and Molson Coors have agreed to end the joint venture agreements for the Grolsch brand in the UK and Ireland. As a result, Grolsch is no longer available in the UK and Ireland."
The spokesperson declined to comment on whether the lager would return to the UK and Ireland.
The rise of craft beers and lagers, cheaper rivals and lower alcohol alternatives are thought to have contributed to the decrease in popularity of Grolsch.
The Grolsch Brewery was founded in 1515 Groenlo, the Netherlands. At the time the town was known as Groelle, which is the inspiration behind the lager's name.
For the latest news in and around Bristol, visit and bookmark Bristol Live's homepage .


text:
Great ideas shared in this article on stoking your metabolism. According to food-industry expert, Phil Lempert, “Everyone is constantly eating, especially foods that are convenient to buy and hold,” he goes on to say, “And you guessed it: Those convenient foods often tend to be the ones most laden with fat, sugar, and sodium. Snacks in general have more calories than ever before. No wonder the obesity rate among American adults has shot from 15 percent to 34 percent over the past 30 years. But aside from being insanely accessible, why do these between-meal bites have such power?”
This is another reason to pack a snack at home if you are going to be out and about and brown-bag it for lunch a few times a week if you can….