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By JEFF CLEMETSON | La Mesa Courier
When the COVID crisis first began, retail businesses were some of the hardest to be hit. Deemed unessential, gift shops, clothing stores and the like were ordered closed. Then on May 8, shops could again reopen in California, but under strict guidelines that only allowed for customers to utilize online purchases with curbside pickups or by-appointment-only shopping. And on May 20, the state announced that San Diego County businesses and restaurants could open for in-person shopping and dining with a new set of guidelines.
For retail shops in La Mesa, the last few months have been a struggle to adapt to a different set of rules, develop new safety protocols, navigate government assistance programs and — most of all — attract customers in what is already one of the worst economic downturns in all of history.
“Saying that business is down is way an understatement for a lot of us retail people. It’s just pretty nonexistent,” said Evangelina Gomez who owns Blackbird, a retail shop on the corner of La Mesa Boulevard and Date Avenue.
Like a lot of shop owners caught off guard by the mandatory closure following the virus outbreak, Gomez used the time away from running her store to work on building up her online presence. She started a Shopify page and updated her website to allow customers access to her shop during quarantine. However, she said the results were “very, very small.”
“I did just start that so I’m being patient to see the growth for it, but the reality is that most of us are doing [business] at like 10% [of normal],” she said. “We are still in that place of concern.”
Unsurprisingly, paying rent on a storefront in the Village is one of the most difficult expenses to manage for Gomez.
“That is very, very hard for me. I’ve only been in here for two years and I’ve always paid my rent and to be in that hole … it takes a hit to the gut. It’s also very scary,” she said.
For Teri Favro, owner of Amethyst Moon, rent and employee costs were too much for her to keep the doors open at a second business she was in the process of building up.
“That store was just going to focus on classes and seminars and we had a lot of people lined up to do everything from belly dancing, yoga, meditation, Reiki classes, painting classes you name it — it was such a great spot for that — but with all this happening, I couldn’t carry both rents and wait for someday when we could have a class again,” she said, adding that she also had to lay off all her employees at both businesses.
For Act II owner Deanne Ross, rent was more of an issue before the crisis began. Just before the mandatory shutdown, her landlord at one of her Downtown locations tripled her rent, so she decided to consolidate her two stores into one. She spent the last couple months remodeling.
“I think [business] is slower than normal but I also think that we’re fortunate because it’s not too slow. We’ve been doing pretty darn good,” she said. “We’ve been around for 38 years so we have a really good product that’s super cheap so people realize during this quarantine that ‘Wow, this is what’s missing in my closet.” Or, ‘I’ve gained weight’ or ‘I’ve lost weight’ and we changed seasons during the quarantine so people need to ramp up their summer wardrobe.”
For businesses that haven’t been around for almost 40 years, ramping up online sales was key to staying afloat during the quarantine.
That is what Small Batch owner Brittany Pena did. She worked on her online stores and posted her products to Instagram and Facebook to make sales and then delivered them to customers before stores could open for curbside pickup. She credits the La Mesa community for stepping up to support hers and other businesses during the crisis.
“Everyone’s been really supportive. It seems like everyone’s been really conscience of ordering food from local and then we’ve done pretty well with the online sales,” she said. “It’s not necessarily that people needed a candle, it’s just making sure they support us and they don’t want us to go anywhere.”
When Pena was allowed to reopen her storefront for curbside pickup and no longer had to deliver her products to customers who orders online, she had to decide on safety protocols for her business. For Small Batch, that means all customers must still purchase through her online stores so that Pena doesn’t have to handle any cards or cash. She also decided to not let anyone in her store.
Gomez enacted a similar policy at Blackbird, although she does allow customers to purchase items at her door where she set up a no-touch card reader. Still, most of her business right now is from an online purchase that is then picked up at her door.
“That’s usually how people are making their purchases,” she said. “People can also come to my windows. I have a lot of my products window-facing — so old school window shopping. I also have menus on the doors with my essential oils and my different apothecary products that I have.”
Not every business banned customers from entry into their shops. James Simpson, owner of Time and Treasures instead installed a doorbell for customers to ring for entry. He only allows a couple of customers in at a time and requires masks.
“Because if they don’t have a mask on, they’re not coming in,” he said. “It’s common sense. If you wear a mask and you keep a distance, you’ll be okay. That’s pretty much plain and simple.”
Despite being in a high-risk group because of his age of 74 years, Simpson said he feels comfortable with opening his door to customers as long as they follow his mask policy.
“It’s actually worked out very well for me and I intend to keep it that way,” he said. “I don’t want to put my health at risk and I don’t want to put anybody else’s at risk.”
Claudia Sotelo, owner of Modern Market in Grossmont Center, reopened her store in the beginning on May for pickup only.
“But I decided there was no point in doing curbside pickup, especially for my store. Everyone wants to touch and see what I have,” she said. Now she allows a few customers at a time into her spacious store and also requires masks, which she also makes and sells.
Modern Market is one of just a few Grossmont Center shops that are open for business — other than large retailers like Target and Walmart.
Ben Potter, general manager for Grossmont Shopping Center General Manager Ben Potter said tenants are allowed to do curbside, but some of the national chain stores that rent space there are waiting for more direction from officials on how to open for in-store shopping.
“When we do have the directive that we can do in-store shopping, as soon as we get that, we’re ready to do that,” he said. “We’re excited to get everyone open. It’s on the horizon.”
Amethyst Moon owner Favro also chose to forgo curbside pickup, and eventually opened for in-store shopping at the end of May.
“I don’t have an online business, that’s not why I’m in business,” she said. “I’m in business to have the one-on-one, which is what I thrive on. I help people every day. Online you just can’t get that. That’s not what I set out to do when I was little girl wanting my own shop.”
For safety, Favro has ordered Plexiglas for the store’s counter and reading room; she is requiring masks; and is allowing only a few people in at a time. She is confident that those precautions will provide herself and her customers with enough safety.
“People know what to do at this point,” she said “It’s been nine weeks of shutdown. People are ready to go with some guidelines and get out for their shopping and get back to their life.”
Craig Maxwell, owner of Maxwell’s House of Books reopened for curbside at beginning of May when Governor Newsom allowed it.
“We decided to do a slow unfolding of the opening – take it incrementally, stage by stage,” he said, adding that he thought about allowing small groups or individuals in at a time but decided against it. Online purchasing and pickup works for his bookstore because he has a website and his inventory is cataloged on several shopping sites, including Amazon. He added that the varied way shops are reopening in the Village and elsewhere in the region is because of a lack of clarity when new rules or guidelines are presented to businesses.
“[The rollout of guidelines] has been a little haphazard seeming and kind of scattered, certainly at the federal level – what they give with one hand, they take back with the other,” he said “And Newsom’s directives have been vague enough to make people frustrated and I can see why.”
Help on the way?
Guidelines on reopening is just one area businesses owners are finding frustration with state and federal government. A bigger problem has been with aid programs.
Blackbird owner Gomez said she has applied for every kind of assistance she could qualify for. She applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan and was notified that her application was received but she hasn’t heard back in over six weeks. She applied for a state grant for women business owners and is in phase two of four-phase process but has no idea when she might get through all the phases — if she even does at all. Similarly, the unemployment office confirmed they received her application but she hasn’t heard anything else from them.
Gomez said she sees that businesses that have between 50 and 500 employees are the ones getting help right away, but small independent shops with few or no employees are stuck in a sort of assistance limbo.
“We are the ones falling through the cracks,” she said.
Gino Serrano, owner of Gino’s Wide Shoes & Repair in Grossmont Center applied for an SBA (Small Business Association) loan two months ago but was denied.
“Two days ago I got an email, said they couldn’t do anything for me. So that’s when I decided to start opening up again.”
One bit of relief for businesses has come from the city of La Mesa. On May 12, the City Council voted to suspend collecting business license fees. Council member Kristine Alessio said the savings to businesses — averaging only $75 depending on number of employees — was a pittance for struggling shop owners, but felt that the gesture was important. She added that the Council is also exploring other ways to help local retailers and restaurants that will be discussed at upcoming meetings.
Although government aid will help struggling businesses, what retailers said they need most are customers to return to shopping — and on May 20, the state gave businesses in San Diego a bit of good news when it decided to allow the region to accelerate phase two reopening which will officially allow for in-person shopping. That is the only aid that some businesses have been hoping for.
“I don’t need any help. I just need to open my front door,” Favro said. “I think that we don’t need any more printing of money. We don’t need any more stimulus. We just need to open our front doors.”
(Photo by Jeff Clemetson)
— Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Ubisoft will announce several Assassin’s Creed games during its Ubisoft Forward showcase later this week, says a new report. Bloomberg. The said report adds some serious fuel to the rumors that have been doing the rounds for the past few weeks, which have suggested that the French publisher big Plans for the future of the franchise.
According to the article, everything revolves around Assassin’s Creed Infinity – the live service umbrella that will cover multiple games at different points in history. Infinity’s first two games are apparently codenamed ‘Red’ and ‘Neo’, or ‘Hexy’. The former is reportedly set in Japan, while the latter takes place during the Holy Roman Empire’s witch trials. Quite a mix, then.
However, Bloomberg notes that these projects aren’t expected to be released until 2024 at the earliest — which is interesting. For Ubisoft to reveal this content more than a year from the expected launch dates would mean that it must be pushing for a significant marketing cycle. again, big Plans
And of course, these infinite titles will be revealed alongside Assassin’s Creed Mirage – the next game in the series, which has already been made official.
How does this all sound to you? Is infinity something you have your eye on? Feel free to bring up Tsushima’s ghost in the comments section below.
Check the latest gaming news here.

domain: news


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9to5Mac Happy Hour
watchOS 2.0 adds many new colors including variations of the previous colors and even new tones: light orange, turquoise, light blue, midnight blue, lavender, vintage rose, walnut, stone, and antique white.
A previous beta version of watchOS 2 already added a multicolor option for the modular watch face. watchOS 2 also changes how complications like activity and sunrise/sunset appear, adding new color elements on watch faces including utility. watchOS 2 GM was released to developers today and will be available on September 16th alongside iOS 9 a week from today.


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Driverless Futures: Utopia or Dystopia?
3 March to 23 April 2017
The first driverless vehicles are expected to be publically available from 2020. From 3 March – 23 April, the Royal College of Art will present an interactive design display as part of London Transport Museum’s Designology exhibition, that will explore the world of driverless vehicles as part of the GATEway project (Greenwich Automated Transport Environment).
The dawn of autonomous vehicles presents the most significant change in transport since the transition from horse-drawn carriages to motorised vehicles. As driverless technology develops, it is estimated that driverless vehicles will be prolific in our cities from 2050. This exhibition will dig deep into the impact these developments will have on our everyday lives, and will highlight real-life hopes and fears as well as ideas from Vehicle Designers at the RCA.
Driverless Futures will look at peoples, aspirations about driverless vehicles as well as their concerns by using the narrative of four fictional characters and scenarios based on real journeys. Thinking beyond traditional car-like vehicles to include systems, services and even architectural spaces, these future lifestyles might include an orderable bus service that takes commuters door-to-door and allows them to take a yoga class while travelling, or hirable drones that carry shopping bags home. Whether these changes will herald the end of busy commutes and personal freedom, or the loss of independence and the decline of healthy lifestyles, Driverless Futures will consider possible perspectives.
The designs and findings are drawn from new research that the RCA has developed through public workshops with over 100 participants, incorporating thousands of resultant hopes and fears for future cities.
Visitors to the display will be encouraged to put forward their own ideas for the future and thereby inform future investigations – from hopes, relating to accessible and affordable driverless vehicles with less stress, less pollution and safer streets, to fears, of streets and cities filled with intimidating machines and isolated people.
London Transport Museum is inviting visitors to a series of workshops as part of its current Designology exhibition programme. Designers and Researchers from the RCA will be in the Studio meeting visitors and showcasing their work.


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The latest 3D printing news article Eagle Materials stocks the latest 3-D printed materials for its ear buds.
The company has been using a 3D printer for its head-to-head audio earbuds, but it’s also been using an existing plastic for its new earbud.
Eagle has been testing the new material out in its earbudding earbunches, and they’ve been pretty successful.
Eagle’s earbups are still a bit big, but they’re much better than their competitors, according to the company.
Here’s a closer look at how Eagle’s latest earbunks stack up.
Read more: Eagle Materials Eagle’s 3-d printed earbundles feature a new material called “eagle” and it’s designed to absorb vibrations that would otherwise interfere with sound.
Eagle Materials uses a “low pressure” material, which makes it hard to bend, but Eagle says it’s able to bend the material to the shape of the earbend, and that the material will last longer than other earbongs.
Eagle says the earband will last up to a year, and it claims to be able to last up the equivalent of “four years of continuous use.”
Eagle says that it’s working with a number of partners, including companies such as Nike, Adidas, and Adidas Originals, to get Eagle’s new earband to market.
Eagle also has a 3-in-1 earbout, the “Eagle Ear Bead”, which it describes as a “headband-like design” that attaches to the earring and attaches to a “plug-in ear” that you can use to charge the earphones.
The earbaddies will be available for preorder from Eagle’s website beginning this week.
Eagle describes the ear buds as a great way to replace the bulky earbids found in most earbuddies.
“With these earbads, you can take the comfort of earbukers, but still be able listen to your favorite music with a little more sound and feel,” the company says.
Eagle will also sell the earbands at its own store in New York, as well as on eBay.
The product should ship in late March, and Eagle says there will be some additional perks for preordering the earbites.
Eagle said it’s looking for partners that can manufacture and sell Eagle’s products.
You can preorder the earbits for $149.99 or $179.99.
You’ll have to pay a $30 deposit upfront, which is used to pay for shipping, as Eagle said.
Eagle is still looking for buyers, so if you want to get your hands on an Eagle earbunk right now, you’ll have until March 31 to do so.
Eagle isn’t the only 3D-printed earbuddy on the market.
The 3-In-1 Earbout is also available, but the company said that it was aiming for a more consumer-friendly design and was not aiming for mass production.
The $169.99 earbod is a small, rectangular earbike with a flexible, foam-filled base, as opposed to Eagle’s proprietary earbouts.
It also features a microphone on the base, and the earpieces are meant to be worn over your ear.
It’s not clear whether Eagle will offer an upgrade to the 3-IN-1 for people who don’t want to spend $200 on their own earboots.
We asked Eagle if it would make a 3d-printed, reusable earbak for people without a flexible base.
We’re still waiting on a response.


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Diablo III has been doing rather well for Blizzard over the past few years – not only with a strong presence on PC, but also on consoles, with Reaper of Souls getting an expanded release and drawing in millions of fans. But a new listing on the ESRB indicates we could be getting an even bigger release.
This follows up the Ultimate Evil Edition that came out for consoles, which included the original game and Reaper of Souls. More than likely, the Eternal Collection will come with all of this already, along with the confirmed Necromancer expansion, which just arrived last week for both consoles and PC.
The listing has since changed, but it looks like Blizzard could be planning some kind of announcement as soon as next week, when the Electronic Entertainment Expo rolls around. Fans will probably be wanting some kind of Overwatch-related news instead, but seeing a new Diablo III package that includes the Necromancer pack would probably be a treat for those that haven't picked it up yet.
As for what the Rise of the Necromancer pack includes, it'll come with the Necromancer class, as well as a variety of new cosmetics to choose from, two additional tabs to help you organize your stash, and two more character slots that will make it a little easier to organize things.
Though the Necromancer class doesn't have a release date yet, we could know more, again, come next week, and the Eternal Collection will likely be announced at the same time for a yet unconfirmed price. Blizzard certainly likes packaging their games with bonus goodies, so this is looking very likely. The real question is when we'll get it.
For now, fans can certainly enjoy the Diablo III game and the Reaper of Souls add-on that are available for a pretty reasonable price, as it packs hours of gameplay without the Necromancer content. If you haven't dug in yet, go for it.


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Willy Paul’s ‘666’ plated Mercedes Benz A45 AMG is Usher’s favourite ride – Watch
Controversial artiste Willy Paul alias Pozze has allegedly bought himself a Mercedes-Benz sunroof. We say allegedly because most personalities hire cars for music video shoots and are also paid to promote them.
Pozze’s new ride is a Mercedes Benz A 45 AMG and American RnB singer Akon’s favourite car.
Pop icon Usher was the first to drive the posh ride before its debut at the Geneva auto show in 2013.
According to the company website, Mercedes Benz Panoramic sunroofs vehicles are larger than the standard sunroof, letting more light in.
This helps to keep you warmer in the cold and helps the cabin feel larger than it truly is.
Pozze said he had decided to reward himself with the new ride through his social media since he recently released ‘clean’ content. The singer is known for his ratchet content that crosses the line between risque and tasteless.
During the announcement of his new acquisition, the singer told his fans he would release more music, thanking them for supporting his career.
“I intend to keep it that way, and to you my fans that gave me a second chance. It is because of your generosity that I am where I am today,” Pozze wrote.
In May 2021, Pozze vowed to his fans that he would be more intentional in his approach to content creation.
“For the longest time, I thought that being nasty was the way to go. That being nasty would make my music sell. I’ve come to realise that good music is what people want, and this year, I promise nothing but the best,” he said.
In the video Pozze shared with his 2 million followers, many were keen to notice the ride’s number plate, 666.
The number 666 is associated with dark forces and is considered the mark of The Beast, according to the book of revelation in the Bible.
Mercedes is one of the most expensive cars in the world.
Pozze’s new ride ranges from KSh 8.65M to KSh 13.75M depending on the dealer, mileage, and year of manufacture.
Check out the specs in the video below.
View this post on Instagram
Some fans speculate the car is not his as he recently ventured into the car hire business.
The 29-year-old singer in September this year launched a flashy Nissan that he said would be hiring to the public.
The vehicle, which previously operated as a matatu before it stalled, is christened ‘Pozzee’ and is decorated with graffiti and his photos.
Taking to social media, the Njiwa Njiwa hitmaker wrote, “My new business. To God be the Glory. It’s open for hire, classy thing, fam!”
In 2019, Pozze also said he had bought a brand new Mercedes Benz.
At the time, he said his car was his new girlfriend.
“Oooh yes, meet my new woman. Of course, I had to reward myself for the good job I’ve been doing… so
I bought myself this new machine. Meet my new girlfriend, fam. I’m not only the number one artist. I am Mr. Mapozi #pozzeamefika.”
Some fans also praised the singer for his handwork.
jerrytravis_: Congratulations, bro. You deserve it Mtoto Wa Mathare, to the world.
mchina_mdogo: Pozzee ndio Diamond wa Kenya current.
Also, read our top stories today:


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It’s February, and I’ve surprisingly managed to stick with my New Year’s resolution. Usually, by this point in time, my declaration serves o (NASDAQ:ORLY)nly as a painful reminder of my lack of willpower. And I’m not alone in my plan for transformation this year. In fact, many companies are getting into tip-top shape for 2013 and beyond. They’re making smart decisions now that’ll pave the way for greatness later.
Let’s take a look at five companies implementing fresh strategies or leveraging tried-and-true ideas.
1. Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) Despite a challenging global economic climate, Starbucks continues to kick tail and take names. The company recently unveiled plans for future growth, including expansion of its Verismo home-brewing coffee machines and drive-through locations. Starbucks’ Teavana tea, Evolution Fresh juice, and La Boulange bakery acquisitions are redefining and diversifying the company from its past coffee-shop-only status. And don’t discount the company’s enormous opportunities for international expansion. In fact, Starbucks is already enjoying success from its handful of recently opened stores in India.
2. Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) The Silicon Valley-based electric automaker is in the midst of a critical growth stage. The company recently turned cash flow positive, and CEO Elon Musk intends to make Tesla profitable for the first time by the end of the year. Tesla unveiled its highly anticipated crossover at the Detroit Auto Show. Sales of the Model X — which will go toe-to-toe with new luxury electric cars from BMW and Cadillac — will begin next year. Tesla is also working on a building a lower-priced model.
Last year Tesla announced its plans to expand its network of electric car recharging stations across the U.S. over the next several years. So far, it’s established a number of stations in California and along the East Coast. Converting solar energy to electricity, the stations allow Tesla customers to charge their cars for free.
3. Covidien plc (NYSE:COV) This health care company boasts leading market positions across its product portfolio. Covidien operates three divisions — medical devices (which represents 68% of sales), pharmaceuticals (17% of sales), and medical supplies (15% of sales). The company will spin off its pharmaceutical business in mid-2013 and focus on the faster-growing, higher-margin medical device industry.
But, even with the divestment, Covidien will remain well diversified. The company plans to launch 100 new products across its portfolio by year-end 2014. It’s also enjoying strong sales growth in emerging markets. However, as a result of health care reform, two challenges for the company include pricing pressure and taxation on medical devices that went into effect at the start of 2013.
4. O’Reilly Automotive Inc (NASDAQ:ORLY) O’Reilly is the second-largest retailer of aftermarket parts, tools, and accessories for the auto industry. The company’s products are sold to both DIY customers and professional mechanics. This “dual-market strategy” diversifies revenues, maintains consistency, and acts as a competitive advantage for the company. Driven by stable growth in the auto parts market, O’Reilly has delivered 19 consecutive years of record revenues, earnings, and same-store sales growth since its 1993 IPO.


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As per unconfirmed reports, Sony is working on new high-end smartphone to be showcased in early 2013 in Consumer Electronics Show and in Mobile World Congress. This smartphone will be extension of popular Xperia range and Sony is working on this flagship model, which can compete with Samsung’s Galaxy SIII, LG’s Optimus G and Apple’s iPhone 5 smartphones.
Sony’s upcoming smartphone, which may be named Xperia Odin, will run on latest Android operating system Jelly Bean and is expected to to feature a 5-inch Full HD display, 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset and 2GB of RAM, 13MP rear camera and 32GB of onboard storage.
Sony is also mulling with the idea of coming out with Windows 8 phone, but would like to see the response of Lumia 920 and 820, to take plunge in Windows 8 arena.
Of late, we have seen that two companies have become very aggressive with their smartphone business – one is LG and the another is Sony. LG has achieved tremendous success in mobile segment with its Optimus series of smartphones and Sony has also tasted success with its Xperia range of smartphones.
To take their journery forward, both the companies have ambitious plans for 2013. Besides Xperia Odin, we expect that Sony will come out with few mid-segment smartphones also. Sony is also desperate to make a mark in mobile segment because of its huge losses in other business segment like TV and audio products. With the advancement in mobile technology, all the companies whether they are in consumer goods segment or making PC’s, are compelled to include mobile technology in their business plans either by making their products smart or expanding with smartphones or tablets.
It is high time for Sony to re-enter with tablets also on Android platform, as their earlier foray into tablet business was not successful. They should come out with tablets of below $ 400 to get maximum share of the fast expanding tablet market.


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E-commerce giant Amazon is preparing to launch a digital currency project in Mexico. The latest payment product will enable customers to convert their cash into digital currency for paying for services such as Prime Video or on its flagship e-commerce online shopping site. An official announcement on the project has not been made but the deduction was made from its latest job posting on the company looking to hire a software development manager on launching the product.
Amazon’s Digital and Emerging Payments (DEP) division is initially intending to launch the product in Mexico. It symbolizes that the product appears to be targeting emerging markets.
However, no clear clarification has been provided on how Amazon is planning to launch the digital currency in line with its 8-year-old Amazon Coins. The company’s veteran virtual currency coin allows owners to transact in Amazon-issued cash across web-based games.
Recently, the online retail company made an announcement that Jeff Bezos is stepping down as its CEO. Bezos will be replaced by Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy, currently leading the corporation’s cloud computing subsidiary, Amazon Web Services (AWS). Jassy will take the position as the leader of Amazon during Q3.
Instead of building an Amazon blockchain, Jassy proposed building the Amazon Quantum Ledger Database. Like blockchains, the network claims transparency, immutability, and cryptographic security. Although, unlike blockchains, it relies on a central trusted authority.
Notably, Jassy launched AWS's Amazon Managed Blockchain service, a service for developers looking to build in Hyperledger Fabric or Ethereum without needing to supply their own hosting or hardware. The move signifies that Jassy is looking to integrate cryptocurrency payments into Amazon’s network.
If proven to be successful, this will come out to be favourable for the crypto industry as a whole. His position as the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world in the coming times might influence other companies too to integrate cryptocurrency payments in their networks.


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UMWT welcomed Malaysian Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Jacob Dungau Sagan to the ceremony, which was also attended by TMC Executive Vice President Yukitoshi Funo, UMWT President Ismet Suki and others. At the ceremony, Funo expressed his gratitude by saying: "UMWT has marked its 30th year of business in Malaysia. This is a task that could not have been accomplished without the support of our customers and of our many guests who have kindly joined us today."
Funo also expressed TMC's commitment to Malaysia and hopes for growth. "The economy is stable, and the automotive market is steadily growing, thanks to the strong leadership of the government. In order to keep up with the growing market, we will further strengthen our efforts to contribute to the economy, environment and safety through cars that will be appreciated by the people of Malaysia", he said.
In 1982, TMC established Sejati Motor Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia as a joint venture with Malaysia-based United Motor Works (UMW). Sejati Motor Sdn. Bhd. was renamed UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd. in 1987. At that time, the company's annual sales volume was approximately 30,000 units, but with the introduction of popular vehicles such as the "Vios" subcompact sedan in 2003 and the IMV-series1 "Hilux" pickup truck in 2005, annual sales have grown to approximately 90,000 units. Last year, Toyota saw a 15 percent share of the total passenger car market, the largest among non-domestic manufacturers.
Production of Toyota-brand vehicles in Malaysia, carried out by UMWT subsidiary Assembly Services Sdn. Bhd. (ASSB), began in 1968 with the "Land Cruiser" SUV, followed by the "Corolla", IMV series models and others. Cumulative production reached 500,000 units in 2000 and 1 million units in 2011.
TMC is also involved in social contribution activities in Malaysia, such as the Toyota Classics concert scheduled for November 8. Toyota Classics is an annual concert tour conducted since 1990 to promote music culture around Asia. Proceeds from ticket sales and "Hiace" vans will be donated to local social welfare organizations and "Prius" gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles will be presented to the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology as a part of UMWT's 30th anniversary celebrations as well as marking the start of the Malaysian government's Look East Policy(2).
The Toyota Global Vision announced in March of last year calls for a reinforcement of activities in emerging markets. TMC is determined to satisfy the needs of consumers and contribute to the Malaysian economy and society by producing vehicles that exceed expectations.
Overview of UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd.
President: Ismet Suki
Main business: Import, export, distribution and sales of vehicles
Main models sold: Vios, Hilux, Camry, Avanza, Corolla, Hiace, Prius,
Innova, Lexus-brand models
2011 sales results: Approx. 89,000 units
Equity: UMW Holdings (51%), Toyota Motor Corporation (39%),
Toyota Tsusho Corporation (10%)
Employees: Approx. 3,500 (As of October 31, 2012)
Overview of Assembly Services Sdn. Bhd.
Plant Director: Hideki Omae
Main business: Vehicle manufacture
Products: Vios, Hilux, Camry, Fortuner, Innova, Hiace
Product. capacity: 67,000 units/year (two-shift operation with
no overtime and holiday shifts)
2011 production: Approx. 59,000 units
Equity: UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd. (100%)
Employees: Approx. 2,900 (As of October 31, 2012)
(1) Based on an optimal worldwide production and supply system to quickly offer attractive vehicles at an affordable price to consumers around the world, the Innovative International Multi-purpose Vehicle (IMV) series consists of five vehicles - three pickup trucks, a minivan, and an SUV - specially developed in 2004 for introduction to over 140 countries and regions.
(2) A program for teaching Malaysian students and workers about work ethics, economic philosophy and successful case studies in Japan and other countries with the aim of contributing to economic development in Malaysia.
Supported by people around the world, Toyota Motor Corporation (TSE: 7203; NYSE: TM), has endeavored since its establishment in 1937 to serve society by creating better products. As of the end of March 2012, Toyota conducts its business worldwide with 50 overseas manufacturing companies in 27 countries and regions. Toyota's vehicles are sold in more than 160 countries and regions. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.
Toyota Motor Corporation Corporate Communications Department Public Affairs Division Tel: +81-3-3817-9150
Copyright 2012 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.japancorp.net


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Bangladesh's exports and imports as percentage of its gross domestic product (GDP) has been falling gradually, although the economy has continued growing by 6.5 percent annually in the last one decade.
The ratio of import to GDP, which was 21.2 percent in 2013-14 fiscal year, halved to 10.69 percent in 10 years.
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The ratio of export to GDP even experienced a sharper fall, from 17.2 percent a decade ago to 7.66 percent in FY23, according to data by Bangladesh Economic Review 2023.
As a result, share of Bangladesh's international trade to its growing economy has halved in the past one decade, raising questions about the credibility of national income estimates.
At the same time, the falling ratio of exports and import also shows Bangladeshi entrepreneurs' lack of appetite to try their products in the international market through exports, two analysts said last week.
"Behind the drop, one reason could be that our industrialisation strategy is inward looking. There is high tariff protection for domestic market-oriented industries that prevent entry of foreign products. This makes profits from business from domestic market protected," said Zahid Hussain, former lead economist at the World Bank Dhaka.
So, naturally entrepreneurs will be interested to invest for domestic market in lieu of competing for selling their products in the international market, he said.
"Return on capital is much higher in doing business locally than exporting."
The maiden national tariff policy published this week showed that the customs authority has cut Bangladesh's average tariff protection rate from over 70 percent two decades ago.
During the FY23, average tariff protection rate was 30.58 percent.
"When you provide high tariff protection, incentive to become efficient does not exist," he said, "Export to GDP would have risen had we focused on export diversification."
The economist said local industries have been getting tariff protection year after year. Now even an efficient firm loves protection, he said adding that the government provided incentive to Bangladesh's main export earner garment industry in the 1980s after it showed potential.
"The incentive has helped the sector scale up," he said.
Hussain said the fall in trade to GDP ratio also raises questions about the credibility of GDP estimate by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. "Our estimated GDP has grown so fast that it could not keep pace with growth of exports and import," he said.
The former WB economist said Bangladesh has inadequate natural resources and raw materials.
The estimate of economic growth shows it is manufacturing driven and the question is why will imports fall if the economic growth is manufacturing driven, he questioned.
"Input has not increased even though output has grown. This raises question about GDP," Hussain said.
Mustafizur Rahman, distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said in general the proportion of export and import grows with the expansion of overall output of the economy.
The fall in export to GDP ratio is a very bad sign because payment of import bills, building of foreign exchange reserves and servicing debt is related with imports, he said. In general, exports and imports grow when the economy grows.
But the decline in overall trade as percentage of GDP is not a good sign at all, he said.
As a solution, Rahman said, Bangladesh needs to increase export by using its comparative advantage.
He said the government should not give support to local industries to help them mature and the support should not continue year after year.
"It has to be time-bound and effective, said Rahman. Sourc


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U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said work on the follow-up negotiations would depend on how China fulfills the commitments made at the beginning. „We need to make sure this is properly implemented,“ Lighthizer said. „This is the first deal of its kind, and we need to make sure it works.“ The 86-page agreement facilitates criminal proceedings in China against those accused of stealing trade secrets. It contains provisions to prevent Chinese government officials from applying administrative and regulatory procedures to detect foreign companies` trade secrets and pass this information into the hands of Chinese competitors. The deal brings into force tariffs on Chinese imports worth about $360 billion, which the government hopes will generate future concessions. The Chinese delegation also welcomed the pact. Chinese leader Xi Jinping said in a letter to Trump that the first-phase deal was „good for China, good for the United States.“ and for the whole world. He said it also showed that both countries have the capacity to act „on the basis of equality and mutual respect.“ The letter was read by Beijing`s chief negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He. So far, the U.S.
merchandise trade deficit with China has narrowed this year by 16 percent, or $US 62 billion, to $US 321 billion from last year. The deficit will continue to shrink if Beijing keeps its commitments to buy a significantly larger number of U.S. imports. The agriculture chapter addresses structural barriers to trade and will support a dramatic expansion of U.S. food, agricultural and seafood exports, increase U.S. farm and fishery incomes, generate more rural activity, and boost job growth. A large number of non-tariff barriers for U.S. agriculture and seafood products are addressed, including meat, poultry, seafood, rice, dairy, infant formula, horticultural products, animal feed and feed additives, pet food, and agricultural biotechnology products. Derek Scissors, a China specialist at the American Enterprise Institute, said the trade war has already brought Trump an advantage, even though he hasn`t forced Beijing to make big changes to its economic policy: Trump`s tariffs have reduced Chinese exports to the U.S. and reduced America`s trade deficit with China. The deal aims to ease some U.S.
economic sanctions against China, while Beijing is to step up the purchase of U.S. agricultural products and other goods. Trump cited beef, pork, poultry, seafood, rice and dairy as examples. The United States and China have reached a historic and enforceable agreement on a phase one agreement that requires structural reforms and other changes to China`s economic and trade regime in the areas of intellectual property, technology transfer, agriculture, financial services, and currency and currency. . . .


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Creating alcoholic drinks involves a process that feels like it should be an exact science by now, but with until now it’s been a little hit and miss. Ailsa Bay is a single-malt whisky from William Grant & Sons, an independent family-owned distiller. The product has just launched in Australia,...
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Apple has now confirmed previous rumors that it has acquired the Israel-based PrimeSense, which developed the technology behind Microsoft's original Kinect sensor.
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A report claims that PrimeSense, which developed the motion-tracking tech in Microsoft's original Kinect sensor, has been purchased by Apple for $345m, following rumours of takeover talks in July.
Apple is reportedly in talks to buy PrimeSense, the company behind the hardware and tracking technology in Microsoft's current-generation Kinect, with the deal likely for about $280 million.
PrimeSense, the company behind the Kinect sensor, have demonstrated a similar sensor designed for tablets that can capture 3D maps of areas and objects, and it's one tenth the size of the Kinect


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Meta readying to monetize digital assets in the metaverse
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will give content creators the opportunity to sell digital assets of virtual items to users in Horizon Worlds, its main platform in the metaverse, the company said earlier this week.
It already exists in a basic way in the form of video games such as Minecraft, Fortnite and Roblox and social platforms such as Horizon Worlds, and VRChat, where people come together not only to play, but also to interact and participate in events.
Meta, whose income is overwhelmingly dependent on large-scale targeted advertising, has made it its mission to make a major contribution to the emergence of the metaverse, and is staking out its place in the next battle for the public’s attention.
To that end, the social networking giant is seeking to attract content creators who are likely, in turn, to attract more new users. It had already set up a US$10 million fund for creators on Horizon in October, where more than 10,000 different “worlds” already exist, according to the company.
“While we’re launching this today as a test with a handful of creators to get their feedback, these types of tools are steps toward our long-term vision for the metaverse where creators can earn a living and people can purchase digital goods, services, and experiences,” Meta said.
The company also plans to test bonuses for creators who achieve certain goals — such as “building worlds that attract the most time spent.” These bonuses will not be “subject to fees and will be paid to creators in full,” Meta said, unlike revenue from digital assets, which is subject to a commission.
Horizon Worlds has more than 300,000 users in the United States and Canada, according to an article by the specialized site The Verge published in February. Doubts have swirled about whether the major metaverse investments will pay off for Meta, which changed its name from Facebook last year to highlight its shifting focus — though critics claim it was to distract from negative media reports. Meanwhile, formidable rivals such as Apple, Google and Microsoft seem poised to compete with Meta on the new virtual terrain.
© Agence France-Presse
22 February 2024
21 February 2024
21 February 2024


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Triumph Motorcycles America has recalled about 216 Sprint motorcycles because of short dipsticks.
The company reported the recall, which affects 2010 Sprint GT and ST models, to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Because the dipstick is short, it may not adequately measure the bike’s oil levels. Dealers will be replacing the dipsticks this month.
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Copyright 2010 Powersports Business


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Australian telco giant Telstra Corp. Ltd. signed a five-year mobile rights and sponsorship agreement with Football Federation Australia (FFA), according to a May 10 press release.
As part of the deal, Telstra will create and launch a new My Football Live App where data-free live matches will be made available through the Telstra Live Pass for its mobile subscribers. Non-Telstra customers will have to purchase the app.
The app will also support live streaming of Hyundai A-League and select Westfield W-League, FFA Cup and the national team games.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
The parties further agreed that Telstra will be the FFA's exclusive telecoms partner of FFA and a technology partner across all FFA properties, such as Hyundai A-League, Caltex Socceroos and Westfield Matildas until 2023, the release said.
Over 1.5 million Telstra subscribers accessed live streaming of sporting games in 2017.


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LOS ANGELES — The Walt Disney Company, with the help of Steven P. Jobs and his retailing team at Apple drastically overhauled its approach to the shopping mall.
At a time when many retailers are still cutting back or approaching strategic shifts with extreme caution, Disney went the other way, getting more aggressive and putting into motion an expensive and ambitious floor-to-ceiling reboot of its 340+ stores in the United States and Europe — as well as opening new ones, including a potential flagship in Times Square.
Disney Stores, which the media giant is considering rebranding Imagination Park, just became more akin to cozy entertainment hubs. The chain’s traditional approach of displaying row after row of toys and apparel geared to Disney franchises have been given a high-tech makeover and incorporated into a new array of recreational activities. The goal was to make children clamor to visit the stores and stay longer, perhaps bolstering sales as a result. Over the next five years, analysts estimate that Disney will spend about $1 million a store to redecorate, reorganize and install interactive technology.
Among the critical design elements of the re-modeled stores are 13 foot tall “Magic Trees”. Finished with Screen Goo Rear Projection coatings, these acrylic trees and their suitability for displaying high quality projected images are a key component of the interactive experience planned for the stores.
Please see the accompanying photos for what is just one example of the almost limitless possibilities Screen Goo makes available to architects and designers for incorporating projected images into their designs in innovative and compelling ways
To read the whole article as it appeared in the New York Times on October 12, 2009 please click here –
There are quite a few YouTube videos posted where you can see the fantastic, crowds-captivating layouts of Disney stores worldwide. The ones below are just a few of them, notably, in New York’s Time Square, Oxford Street in London, England and Glasgow, Scotland amongst many others:


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Aptiv Heading to China With Autonomous Technology
【Summary】Building upon its programs in the United States and Singapore, Aptiv is expanding to China, where the automotive supplier will open a mobility R&D facility.
U.S. auto supplier Aptiv is setting its sights on expanding its autonomous program to another country: China. Aptiv already has programs in the United States and Singapore, but the brand is looking to bring its self-driving technology to the Chinese market with a new China Autonomous Mobility Center. Entering the Chinese market builds upon Aptiv's current programs, which it currently has in Boston, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, and Singapore.
China Will Be An Autonomous Hot Spot
The center in Shanghai will focus on autonomous driving technology. "With high market acceptance to autonomous driving in China, we see a strong demand for autonomous driving technologies in the Chinese market," said Karl Iagnemma, president of Aptiv Autonomous Mobility.
While Aptiv hasn't tested its vehicles in China before, the company does have history in the country. TechCrunch claims that Aptiv was previously known as Delphi and Delco, which have been in China since 1993. The knowledge Aptiv has gained from its past efforts, even if it's been under different names, will help the company with its goals to introduce autonomous vehicles in the country.
A few years ago, Aptiv's CEO, Kevin Clark, claimed that autonomous taxis and self-driving delivery machines would be on the road in 2018. It's 2019 and driverless vehicles aren't on the road yet. Sure, companies are testing driverless cars, but they aren't on the road in full capacity yet. But that doesn't mean companies should stop pushing the envelope.
According to Forbes, citing Navigant Research, China is projected to account for the largest number of autonomous vehicles within the 20 years. The outlet claims that more than 33 million highly automated vehicles with Level 4 autonomous capabilities, and above, will be in Asia Pacific by 2035.
What Challenges Does China Pose?
As the outlet outlines, things won't be easy for Aptiv. China does things a little different when it comes to testing self-driving vehicles in the country. China restricts foreign companies from collecting data and protecting their intellectual property, states Forbes. But the most important thing about China that could affect Aptiv is the restriction on collecting data on high-resolution maps. This, as the report states, could lead to Aptiv working with local partners to make ends meet.
Partnerships aren't a new thing for Aptiv. In America, Aptiv teamed with Lyft to bring autonomous vehicles to Las Vegas. Together, the two companies managed to complete 5,000 trips on the Las Vegas strip. By using Lyft's platform, Aptiv has provided roughly 40,000 paid self-driving trips.
Clearly, getting autonomous testing underway in China won't be easy for Aptiv, but the company, and Iagnemma specifically, has experience with getting things started from the ground up. Iagnemma is the co-founder of nuTonomy, which was acquired by Delphi for $400 million in October 2017.
Aptiv didn't provide any official dates as to when official testing will begin, but we can only assume that things will progress slowly, as it will take some time for the company to find the right partners to work with.
Vineeth Joel Patel
Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods
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Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited launched a new fleet management solution that is designed to offer Mitsubishi's fleet customers an array of services and solutions aimed at enhancing mobile resource visibility, safety, and uptime, while reducing total cost of ownership.
Mitsubishi Motors Fleet iQ will utilize Fleet Complete's CONNVEX solution, which is a cloud-based data analytics platform for connected vehicles, to create customizable solutions that are aimed at maximizing fleet efficiency and effectiveness, according to Fleet Complete.
Mitsubishi Motors Fleet iQ provides customers with insights into several areas of their vehicle operations, including the ability to monitor driver behavior such as speeding, idling, rapid acceleration, harsh braking, and cornering, according to the automaker. The devices will transmit real-time vehicle location data, monitor fuel usage, idle time, and report on vehicle diagnostics.
The launch of Mitsubishi Motors Fleet iQ will provide customers with the unique ability to have their vehicles connected with a fleet management solution before they hit the road for the first time. This model will help encourage the adoption of this technology by providing companies with an efficient way to connect their vehicles, while avoiding the associated financial and productivity costs grounding their fleet.


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Slow-Starting E-Books Find Niche Markets
Tuesday, December 4, 2007; 3:47 PM
NEW YORK -- For a decade now, publishers have been hoping to wean readers off books and move them to electronic versions, which are much cheaper to produce and distribute.
It just hasn't happened, even with the support of an electronics giant like Sony, which put out a dedicated e-book reader last year. Amazon.com Inc. recently followed up with its own reader.
But if you look away from the mainstream publishing industry, e-books are already a success in a few niches, where they are giving rise to new ways of doing business. The standout example is role-playing games, but buyers of college textbooks and even romance novels are warming to e-books.
Witness Gareth-Michael Skarka, a representative of one of our newest professions: the e-book publisher. "E-book publishers" that reformat printed books into electronic formats have been around for a while, but Skarka commissions, edits and sells books that overwhelmingly never see print, and would never have existed if it weren't for electronic publishing.
"Most of our customers are fairly comfortable with the electronic format," said Skarka. He pulls in around $50,000 a year in sales, enough to make a living of it in Lawrence, Kan., where he is based.
The 156 e-books in Portable Document Format, or PDF, sold by Skarka's Adamant Entertainment aren't exactly highbrow literature. With titles like "Slavers of Mars," and "One Million Magic Items," they're aimed at people who play role-playing games _ the most famous of which would be "Dungeons & Dragons." Skarka's prices are mostly less than $10, but the e-books aren't hugely cheaper than printed books, because most of the PDFs are short.
Role-players buy lots of books, which contain rules for their games or expand on the imaginary worlds in which they are set. It's fiction, but it's more like reference material than the kind of long narratives you'd find in novels. Industry insiders see that as a big reason PDFs work for role-players.
"In general, it's not the 300-page prose novels that people want to read on the screen," said Steve Wieck, who co-founded one of the most successful publishers of role-playing games, Atlanta-based White Wolf Inc., in the early 90s.
Wieck started noticing that a lot of White Wolf's releases would be scanned by fans and pirated online. Following a "can't beat 'em _ join 'em" strategy, he and his brother started DriveThruRPG.com in 2004 to sell PDFs, gathering books from many publishers, including Adamant Entertainment.
Wieck and Skarka estimate that e-book sales make up 10 percent of the $25 million in annual RPG sales. DriveThruRPG alone does $2 million in business annually. By comparison, the Association of American publishers put 2006 e-book sales at $54 million, 0.02 percent of total book sales of $24.2 billion.
Marc Zuckerman, a role-player in Rockville Centre, N.Y., bought his first e-book six months ago, even though he already has, or at least may have, a print copy of the book. His copy of the superhero game "Villains and Vigilantes" got lost in a move. Originally published in 1982, it's long out of print but available on DriveThruRPG.
"It's really nifty to be able to walk into a gaming session and plug in my laptop and everything is there, as opposed to lugging 40 books," Zuckerman said.


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DC leads list of most shopaholic cities in America - and New York doesn't even make it into top ten
The biggest fashion spenders in America aren't New Yorkers, Los Angelinos or even Chicagoans. They're Washington, DC locals.
A new list by Bundle.com focuses on different spending habits across the U.S. - and has thrown some less than predictable cities into the fashion spotlight.
Focusing on average monthly spend on clothes, shoes and other wear, the figures show that DC - not normally associated with fashion - is packed with shopaholics who spend, on average, a massive $263 each month on clothes and shoes.
Serious spending: As much as NYC is viewed as a shoppers' city, it is Washington DC that is full of shopaholics, according to Bundle
The data is taken from across the country, combining figures from the U.S. government, Citi, and other sources, between March 2010 and March 2011.
While the national monthly average spent on clothes and shoes is $142.08, the big spenders level out at almost double that.
Washington, DC, a city of suits and
conservative office wear, is the unlikely leader in monthly fashion
AMERICA'S MOST SHOPAHOLIC CITIES
Average monthly spending on clothes, shoes and other wear:
- 1. Washington, DC: $263
- 2. Arlington, VA: $254.58
- 3. Nashville, TN: $251.17
- 4. Scottsdale, AZ: $243.17
- 5. Dallas, TX: $228.58
- 6. San Francisco, CA: $227.42
- 7. San Jose, CA: $221.17
- 8. Seattle, WA: $221.17
- 9. Austin, TX: $213
- 10. Bakersfield, CA: $201.50
Bundle points out that half of the
leaders in Congress are millionaires, whose finely cut suits and
expensive shoes undoubtedly add to the high expenditure there.
Almost $10 lower is runner-up, Arlington, Virginia, where shoppers spend $254.58 on average each month.
But the top ten list is glaringly devoid of some usual suspects.
New York City - which is expensive even
before considering the fashionable bent of its residents, is missing, as
is Los Angeles, a notoriously materialistic metropolis, and Las Vegas,
where gambling tourists may have been expected to nudge up locals'
Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles come in at positions 11, 12 and 20 consecutively.
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Two-wheeled, Self-balancing CAR
Described as a "motorbike-car" hybrid, the Lit C-1 two wheeler uses a set of futuristic electronic gyroscopes to ensure it remains upright and balanced, similar to the technology used by Segway scooters and the recent Honda
A group of scientists have announced that within a few years it may be possible to sell a two-wheeled vehicle that can't tip over. However, this will be one of the most unique applications to date, potentially enabling drivers to switch to smaller vehicles which offer the benefits of a bike with the comparative safety of a car.
The technology allows drivers to sit and use a steering wheel, as in a car, but allows the C-1 to stay perfectly balanced, even at slow speeds or a standstill.
The C-1 uses electric drive and offers a battery pack capable of 200 miles (321 km/h) from a single charge, as well as reaching a top speed of over 120 mph (193 km/h) -- far faster than most electric cars available on the market today.
The manufacturer says that it could be available in showrooms by the end of 2014 -- it's already offering preorders on the website from $250, although the final price of the vehicle is unclear.


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Nasa engineers are using sophisticated visualisation technology to remotely pilot its two Mars Exploration Rovers, including Spirit which recently landed on the surface of the red planet.
The biggest issues facing the scientists at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena are associated with communicating across 106 million miles of space to the remote controlled vehicles.
The system is based around a 'virtual Mars' built on SGI Onyx 300 systems and the OpenGL Performer graphics APIs to combine 360-degree photographic images taken each morning by the Spirit Rover with terrain data.
Using the visualisation kit the scientists can generate a 3D simulacrum of the surrounding Martian geography with an interactive model of the Spirit Rover.
Using this model the engineers can safely pilot the Rover while compensating for round-trip space communication lag times of up to 20 minutes.
Each of the laboratory's two SGI Onyx 300 supercomputers has a dual-pipeline SGI InfiniteReality4 graphics subsystem.
Nasa is using one system to help pilot the Spirit Rover and the other will pilot the Opportunity Rover, which is due to land on 24 January on the other side of the planet.
Paul McNamara, senior vice president and general manager at SGI's visual systems group, said: "Not surprisingly, Nasa has once again uncovered some of the most exciting and fundamentally important uses for computer graphics."
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Grab plans to spend $500 million to boost its food delivery, payments and ride-sharing busineses.
Grab Holdings, the Southeast Asian ride sharing, food delivery and payments app, is investing $500 million over a five-year period in Vietnam, part of a massive plan to grow the country’s digital economy and increase the level of financial inclusion among workers.
The funding will be used to expand Grab’s transport, food and payments business in Vietnam, and explore new opportunities in fintech, mobility solutions and the logistics industry.
Grab, which has operated in the country since 2014, has grown into the leading super app in Vietnam. Grab Food has 300,000 daily orders and Grab drivers have earned more than $1 billion, while its payments partner, called Moca, has grown into one of the nation’s largest mobile payment apps.
“We will use the investment to roll out new services in the country, such as ticketing, groceries and multi-modal solutions, and scale our transport and food business and increase the adoption of cashless payments via our partner Moca,” a spokesman told Mobile Payments Today via email. “Our investment in new mobility solutions, fintech and logistics, would either involve investing in startups holding those core competencies or investing in the development of promising solutions and services for the country.”
As part of the announcement, Grab said it will partner with Sovico Group, a Vietnamese conglomerate, to invest in logistics and mobility in order to grow first and last-mile delivery in Vietnam.
The announcement comes one month after Grab announced a similar $2 billion investment in Indonesia using funding from SoftBank.
Cover photo: Courtesy of Grab


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Chef Baruch Rabasa, best known for his stints turning out incredible food at shortlived Warehouse District beauty Meson 923 and Irish Channel favorite Atchafalaya, is now the executive chef of sultry Marigny den The Franklin, reports Ian McNulty. Not too surprising as Rabasa started popping up in the Marigny restaurant in 2014 with his popular Sunday brunch operation Chilango NOLA, but a very welcome change for the restaurant that's had a rather shaky year including the recent death of co-owner Jason Baas.
Rabasa brings Latin flavor and a load of awesome new dishes to the new dinner menu. Here's what McNulty has gobbled up so far:
Buttery-tasting slices of hamachi, the nightly crudo recently, were ignited by aji amarillo sauce as thick as caramel and flickering with chile heat. The frisée salad is joined by guacamole puree and a chicken taquito to break apart in crispy chunks between the bitter greens. And the bacon-wrapped pork loin gets a roasted corn and poblano relish and hominy puree.
Grilled octopus and quail served with a savory bread pudding that's "imbued with flavors of Vietnamese pho" are also fair game. A few old menu favorites remain, including the crab stuffed deep fried avocado and oysters galore.
Chilango NOLA brunch will continue every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and The Franklin's new dinner menu is now available nightly at 6 p.m. Get you some.


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If you kayak, ski, ride a bicycle, hike, camp or anything of the sort in Colorado, the cost of your equipment could soar before the end of the year.
Among the industries that could take a hit from the latest Trump administration announcement of another 25% on goods from China is Colorado’s outdoor recreation industry.
Gail Ross, the chief operating officer at Krimson Klover, stays up late at night these days, worrying about what’s about to happen to the small Boulder women’s wear company.
The Trump administration announced on May 13 it would put virtually all imports from China under a 25% tariff — about $300 billion of goods annually.
Krimson Klover is a wholesaler of women’s knitwear, what it calls sustainable or “slow” fashion — sweaters and other products made from Merino wool and other natural fibers that the company’s website says are always in style.
The company employs eight to 10 in Boulder, plus contract designers and sales reps. But the clothing is manufactured in China.
The latest round of tariffs — known as the “fourth list” — targets just about everything imported from China. That includes agricultural products, live animals and processed; textiles, including footwear; vehicles; and firearms. Little will be excluded.
“Every product we make is on the fourth list,” Ross said.
Exactly when those tariffs go into effect is still a big question. If it’s Aug. 1, the company can probably get its factories to move up production so that the fall 2020 line is “in the water” (shipped) ahead of time, Ross pointed out.
But if it’s July 1 — or worse, if the products have to be at U.S. ports by then — “we’re screwed,” she said.
Krimson Klover priced the products they will sell for fall 2020 last October. Sales reps sold them until March at those prices. The factories are making the clothes at those same prices.
What happens to those prices with an additional 25% tacked on?
Ross said they haven’t decided yet. One option is to split it three ways, with the company, factory and the customers taking a third. That’s a price hike consumers will pay in about three to five months, Ross said.
“China is paying for [these tariffs] as much as Mexico is paying for the border wall,” she said.
Another option is to start looking outside China for factories, and while the company is exploring that option, it isn’t an easy one. The machinery to make sweaters doesn’t exist in the United States, she said. Travel to those countries — primarily in East Asia — is very costly.
Instead of a minimum order of 300 that they can get in China, another country may require 1,200 or more. That cuts into the variety in the product line, she said.
“If people start moving [manufacturing] to other countries, China better think long and hard on whether they want to play this game,” Ross warned.
“We’re a small brand that doesn’t want to go out of existence because of this stupid [trade war],” she added. “These aren’t essential products” that can sometimes be spared the tariffs. “People will be shocked” at the higher prices.
That story is being repeated all over Boulder and throughout Colorado, which has embraced the outdoor recreation industry and recently persuaded the Outdoor Industry Association to move to Boulder.
Amy Roberts, executive director of the Outdoor Industry Association, said in a letter sent to President Donald Trump on Wednesday that the group appreciates “the administration’s commitment to negotiate an agreement with China that will address long-standing concerns about China’s industrial policies and protect U.S. intellectual property.”
But more tariffs will “deliver a devastating blow to the $887 billion outdoor recreation economy and the 7.6 million American jobs it supports,” Roberts wrote.
Roberts pointed out there is no “viable domestic production” of products such as hiking boots, polar fleece jackets, ski helmets, ski jackets, sports bags and backpacks. Manufacturers are now paying an estimated $750 million annually in import tariffs. Raising the tariffs again on these and other outdoor gear such as kayaks, camp chairs, stoves and bicycles will “cut into an already thin profit margin,” she wrote. That threatens jobs and could force the closure of small- and medium-size businesses.
Outdoor recreation isn’t alone in worrying about the pain to come, of course; the impact of tariffs on agriculture is well-known but will not be as great of a concern in Colorado, according to Shawn Martini of Colorado Farm Bureau.
The fourth list doesn’t add agricultural products as much as it raises the tariffs on commodities that were already targeted, he said.
Colorado exports corn, wheat, beef and beef hides to China, with wheat exports at about $400 million per year. Colorado ranchers send a lot of beef hides to China, where they are tanned and turned into consumer products. But the beef export market to China was relatively new and never had a chance to get started before the trade war launched, Martini said.
The bigger concern for Colorado agriculture is ratification of NAFTA 2.0, he added. Colorado exports far more agricultural products to Mexico and Canada and that agreement is of more interest right now.


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Release Date: 21 July 2009
Release ID: 4202
Common sense should take precedence in decisions on where to site rail freight interchanges and terminals. Thatís the view of the Freight Transport Association following the decision of St Albans District Council to reject plans for a new interchange at Radlett. Despite regular calls from the public for a greater number of goods to be moved off roads and onto rail, proposals to build interchanges are often met with local protest.
Christopher Snelling, FTA Head of Rail Freight Policy said:
"We are all very conscious of our impact on the environment and we must all play our part to reduce carbon emissions. While FTA fully understands that local impacts have to be managed and minimised, it is clearly in our national environmental interest that sufficient terminals are built.
"The rail freight industry has ambitions to almost double railís market share to 20 per cent over the next 30 years. The Government is spending millions upgrading rail lines, and retailers and manufacturers are working to adjust their logistics arrangements to incorporate rail. But none of this will help if the freight cannot get on and off the network at the right place."
59 Piccadilly Manchester M1 2AQ
Telephone: +44 (0)161 408 0542
Fax: +44 (0)870 432 1732
© The Adora Group Limited 2018 - Publishers of Freightnet


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A new Spectrem’s Millionaire Corner study of how ethnic investors use social media and mobile technology finds that Asian investors are more actively using the Internet as a resource for financial information and tool for transactions. Sixty percent of Asian investors said they regularly go online to research information on financial products and services, compared with 55 percent of Hispanic respondents and 45 percent of Black investors.
An equal percentage (59 percent) regularly log on to the Internet to obtain market updates vs. half of Hispanics and 44 percent of African-Americans. Similarly, Hispanic investors are more likely than their Hispanic and African-American counterparts to conduct financial business such as buying and selling investments (43 percent vs. 28 percent and 27 percent, respectively) and check account information (87 percent vs. 82 percent and 83 percent) Hispanic respondents to the Millionaire Corner study were most likely to report regularly following the news online (88 percent vs. 83 percent of both Asian and Black investors), while Blacks and Hispanics equally (24 percent) more likely than their Asian counterparts (21 percent) to correspond online with a financial professional.
Black and Hispanic investors expressed the most interest in using the Internet to expand their financial knowledge and to conduct more financial activities. Nearly three-fourths (73 percent) said they would be interested in accessing personal account information through websites accessed through personal computer, smartphone or tablet computer. Nearly seven-in-ten (67 percent) would be interested in looking at balances in one place from multiple providers (vs. 59 percent of Hispanics and 58 percent of Asians). Black investors also expressed the most interest in accessing through their personal computer, smartphone or tablet advice from financial experts and checking out online ratings of financial advisors. Ethnic background is not a factor in gauging interest in using online resources to benchmark against investment returns, access stock market ticker tape or view videos of experts speaking about financial topics.


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To our New Lebanon community..
On Tuesday, April 21st at 11:15 am, the New Lebanon Central School District is giving away frozen food to our New Lebanon community. The food was donated by The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. ThIs food is completely free and for community members in need. Food will be handed out on a first come, first serve basis. We ask that you abide by social distancing guidelines and bring your own bag.
Remember, new regulations require the use of a face mask anytime you are in public and unable to maintain social distancing (six feet between yourself and others).
Frozen food products may include: chicken breasts, pork loins, sliced turkey, egg beaters, and frozen fruit. Donated food can be picked up at the WBH bus circle starting at 11:15 am on Tuesday, April 21st. The food is completely free and will be handed out on a first come, first serve basis.
If you have any questions please contact Andrew Kourt at firstname.lastname@example.org


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A scheme which provides financial help towards shop-front revamps has helped fifty businesses in the Scottish Borders.
The 'Shopfront Improvement Grant Scheme' was set up by the Scottish Borders Council and has no been running for three years.
More than £285,000 has been granted to local traders, with around £100,000 allocated again this year.
The money is spent on everything from new signage and joinery work to brightening up town centres.
"I am delighted so many of our local town centre businesses are taking advantage of this scheme.
"It not only provides grant aid to local retailers and town centre businesses and improves the visual appearance of our town centres but it also has an important secondary impact on the local economy.
"Many local traders, such as painters, joiners, stonemasons and sign manufacturers have gained vital additional work. Much of the spend has gone directly into our local economy."
The latest phase of funding allows for new improvement works to begin next year.
More top news
A look ahead at the Bank Holiday forecast for the Border region.
Cumbria County Council will start work on a £320,000 resurfacing scheme on 6 June, between 6.00pm and 12.30am.
ITV Border's favourite Tapir has left the Lake District Wildlife Park near Keswick, to travel to his new home in the United Arab Emirates.


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Advanced Micro Devices has opened the door to embrace Google's Android operating system, but said it would continue to focus on Windows with its upcoming tablet and laptop chips.
AMD on multiple occasions has said it had no interest in putting its chips in Android tablets and would focus exclusively on Windows 8. A change of heart could open up a wider market for tablets for the company.
For now, the company's focus remains on optimizing chips for usage on Windows laptops, desktops and tablets, said Kevin Lansing, director of the notebook product line at AMD's client business unit.
In an email, however, AMD spokesman Gary Silcott said OS adoption depends on device makers.
"Windows is it for right now. Nothing about our architecture precludes Android operation if AMD or a third party decided to pursue it," Silcott said.
The tablet market is currently ruled by Apple's iOS, followed by Android. Windows 8 adoption on tablets and smartphones has been weak. Android support could open up a potentially larger market for AMD, whose chips are used in just a handful of tablets. AMD to date has released two chips for Windows tablets over the past two years, both of which have failed.
AMD on Thursday also shared more details about its upcoming Temash tablet chips, and will be showing off devices with the latest processors at the Computex trade show early next month. AMD is competing against ARM, whose processors are used in most tablets, and Intel, which later this year will be releasing new chips code-named Bay Trail for tablets running Android and Intel.
ARM and Intel already support Android 4.2, while independent efforts are under way to bring Android to the handful of AMD tablets. AMD has signed an ARM license, and is building chips based on the architecture for servers.
Android is used in most low-cost tablets with small screens, which are gaining preference over the larger-screen devices. Intel is chasing the low-cost tablet market and has said Android tablets priced between US$200 and $399 with Bay Trail could be available by the end of the year.
However, AMD has shown no interest in low-cost tablets, and with 64-bit support, the Temash chip for now is optimized for high-performance tablets and low-end laptops. It can offer a full Windows 8 tablet and desktop experience, which is an edge over competing chips that are optimized for specific tablet or PC usage. For example, Intel's current Clover Trail chip, designed for tablets, is 32-bit and may not run specific desktop applications that are 64-bit.
AMD's Lansing said its Temash chips hold an advantage in graphics, which are becoming more important with online video streaming and gaming. AMD's core strength is in graphics, and its chips have been adopted by Sony for PlayStation and by Microsoft for the next Xbox.
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As has been CES tradition for the past three years, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer kicked off the 2012 show with a keynote speech the night before the show floor opened. It's a role Ballmer inherited from Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who gave almost a dozen CES talks over the past two decades.
But Microsoft said last month that CES 2012 would be its last, and the company opted to go out with a ridiculous bang. Its event featured Ryan Seacrest as host, a Cookie Monster skit and an Auto-Tuned Bill Gates montage.
The craziest stunt of them all: a "Tweet Choir" that featured about a dozen gospel singers belting out the day's Microsoft- and CES-related tweets, set to song. Ballmer laughed and clapped from the shadows at the other end of the stage, while the audience watched with mouths agape. -Julianne Pepitone
From ultrabooks to an obnoxious iPod dock, the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show ran the gamut from "great" to "really?"
|Carrier workers' rage over move to Mexico caught on video|
|Joe Scarborough-Donald Trump friendship increasing source of discomfort at NBC|
|Women coders do better than men in gender-blind study|
|Volatile oil spikes 12% in biggest gain since 2009|
|What a world with 5G will look like|


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Applied Materials (AMAT), which hopes to finalize its merger with Tokyo Electron this year to form the new company Eteris, is expected to show continued growth momentum when it reports fiscal year Q3 earnings after the close Thursday.
The No. 1 chip gear maker had expected earnings per share minus items of 25 cents to 29 cents and revenue of $2.28 billion in the quarter. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters forecast EPS minus items of 27 cents, up 50% from the year-earlier quarter, on revenue of $2.3 billion, up 16.5%. At those levels, both metrics would have decelerating growth from the two prior quarters.
In May, Applied Materials reported Q2 EPS minus items of 28 cents for the period ended April 27, in line with its prior forecast and analysts' consensus. The company said that it generated orders of $2.63 billion in Q2, up 15%.
On July 27, Applied Materials refiled an application with China's Ministry of Commerce asking for approval of its takeover of Tokyo Electron, according to a U.S. regulatory filing. Applied Materials announced in September its merger with Tokyo Electron in an all-stock deal valued at more than $7 billion. Eteris, the new name and logo of the combined entity, is derived from the concept of "eternal innovation for society," company officials said.
"Despite customer pushback, we continue to expect the deal to get approval in both the U.S. and China, albeit with a set of conditions likely," said Cowen & Co. analyst Timothy Arcuri in a research report on Tuesday. "We expect no change in Applied Materials' last public commentary on the merger — closure by year-end 2014."
Arcuri said key issues for Thursday include an update on the semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment outlook and the extent to which the Samsung/GlobalFoundries agreement will impact foundry spending in 2015. In April, Samsung and GlobalFoundries announced they would partner to deploy Samsung's technology at all GlobalFoundries facilities. The two companies said they will synchronize materials, process recipes and tools.
Applied Materials could benefit from a positive outlook for capital spending in 2014 on strong sales of smartphones and ultra-mobile products such as smartwatches and fitness devices.
Global spending on manufacturing equipment and materials used to build semiconductors is expected to rise 7% this year to $62.1 billion, says market tracker Gartner. Global chip sales in 2014 are projected to rise 5.7% to $336 billion.
Applied Materials reported in Q2 that its overall outlook for its display segment remains positive, citing growing TV demand and spending for mobile devices. The company booked new orders worth $340 million in Q2, compared with $195 million in the year-earlier quarter and $79 million in Q1 2014.
Analysts say sales of TV sets, especially larger-size TVs, are rising significantly faster than historical trends and are driving demand for display equipment.
Applied Materials stock was up a fraction in early trading in the stock market today, near 21.
Chip Manufacturing Equipment Demand Sees Order Uptick.


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Family Bank has launched a series of prepaid cards set to allow customers to transact in multiple currencies.
The facility, which will be accessible internationally, targets traders, travelers, diaspora, and business communities to load numerous currencies including the Euro, Yuan and USD.
Speaking during the launch, Family Bank Chief Executive Rebecca Mbithi noted that this will transform the Bank’s strategic vision of delivering unmatched digital and the customer experience in addressing the specific needs of its clients.
“We are cognizant that one of the ways of deepening financial inclusion across different ages and different types of customers is to diversify the portfolio and drive customer-led innovations that can exceed customer expectations,” said Mbithi.
At the same time, the financial institution unveiled students’ prepaid cards, youth cards and the General Purpose Family Bank Prepaid Card.
With the students’ card, besides parents helping their children learn the saving culture it can be used to purchase online exams as well as E-books online.
“You can use your card to pay for your online exams, save for a birthday trip with your crew, enjoy the massive Black Friday discounts from any store locally or globally – Buy that chic bag or that Fenty lip gloss from Amazon or even the GTA games on your PS 5,” Kevin Ayugi, Chief Digital Officer at Family Bank Kenya said.
Visa Country Lead for Kenya, Eva Ngigi Sarwari reaffirmed the firm’s role in supporting economic growth and financial inclusion through tailored solutions that suit the changing needs of the markets.


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Qatar Chamber has been chosen to be the “national guarantee” for temporary admission system (ATA Carnet).
The ATA system works a gateway for companies and institutions to help them to speed up the process of clearance of goods and equipment to be brought into the country for participation in exhibitions, conferences and seminars.
The announcement was made during a training workshop organized by the Chamber on the implementation of the new system in the presence of the Executive Director of the International Chamber – Asia, JO Sung Lee and participants from the General Authority of Customs and Qatar Chamber staff.
Qatar Chamber head of Legal Affairs Dept. Abdulaziz Al Kuwari said the government is keen to be up-to-date with international developments in trade and investment.
“Facilitating customs procedures is the cornerstone to support imports, exports and trade in general,” he added.
Elaborating on the new system, al Kuwari explained that Istanbul International Convention requires a “national guarantee” to ensure customs duties and rights.
Jo Lee thanked Qatar Chamber for its effort in implementing the ATA Carnet temporary admission system.
She said Qatar is the third country in the region to join the system, adding that this will contribute to enhancing Qatar as a global investment destination.
ATA Carnet is an international uniform customs document issued in 75 countries which arw parties to the Customs Convention in ATA Carnet.
It permits duty free temporary admission of goods into a member country without the need to raise the customs bond, payment of duty and fulfillment of other customs formalities in one or a number of foreign countries.
It is a perfect illustration of how close cooperation between business and customs can facilitate and stimulate international trade.
It operates under the International Customs Conventions administered by the World Customs Organization (WCO).


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CLAREMONT, N.H. — Trends toward non-GMO, organic foods may seem like the best thing to hit the food scene since sliced bread, but for North Country Smokehouse, the rest of the world just joined the dinner table. The company celebrated 16 years of organic farming last summer, marking the occasion with a pasture to plate luncheon on Egli farm, one of the first-ever farms to join the company’s organic program.
“We spent 3-full days on the farm,” said Alicia Baker, Director of Marketing for North Country Smokehouse. “It is easy to get caught up in the business of making better-for-you food accessible. Having feet on the ground and seeing the story in action is inspiring. It’s tangible. The impact on the farmers, the livestock, and the land are evident.”
The agri-food producer quite literally puts their money where their mouth is. They have been committed to humanely raised and organic farming for decades, long before the movement began. “We realized there was a demand for clean label, organic pork and meeting it would require adding more certified organic suppliers to our 400-farm, family-owned operation.” says Aaron Corbett, North Country Smokehouse, CEO. No easy feat considering the transition to organic requires farmers to shut down operations for 3-years, the time it takes to remove chemical pesticides and other synthetics from the soil and water.
“Our farm model is designed to help farmers transition to organic. We subsidize the farms with fair market prices during their transition and share our years of learning. These partnerships have an enormous impact on family farmers and ultimately – impacts the entire food system.” Corbett says.
Once the farms have successfully converted to organic, they become a premium supplier under the NCS organic program, which credits their off-market operations for the quality, consistency, and stable pricing the brand has become well known for.
About North Country Smokehouse
As one of America’s few remaining family-owned smokehouses, North Country’s mission is to hand craft premium, artisanal smoked meats through culinary excellence, exceptional animal care standards, and respect for the land. Located in the heart of New England, their authentic charcuterie features only the best hand-selected, natural ingredients and small batch smoking process over embers of local hardwoods.
The NCS product line features smoked bacon, ham, sausages, deli meats, and unique offerings like smoked chicken, and Cajun Pork Tasso. Voted America’s Best Bacon by Men’s Journal, New England’s Best Meat by Yankee Magazine, and The Best Bacon in America by Food & Wine, North Country is noted for balancing taste with time-honored tradition and modern food trends.
Visit ncsmokehouse.com for more information.


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The Alabama Department of Commerce and the Export Alabama Alliance will host a virtual trade mission to Israel on May 10-12 in preparation for an in-person trade mission to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to take place later this year.
Alabama companies already exporting to Israel in addition to those looking to get started in this market are welcome to apply. The virtual trade mission is not meant to replace the in-person trade mission to Israel, but rather to better prepare companies for it.
Participating companies will have the opportunity to meet with potential business partners on one-on-one business matchmaking meetings in a virtual setting. The trade mission will be multi-industry.
“At a time when businesses face continued challenges globally and domestically, we are looking to deepen and strengthen ties with our long-term ally, Israel, which is a logical choice for a virtual trade mission,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.
The United States is Israel’s single largest trading partner, and Israel is the second-largest trading partner for the U.S. in the Middle East. Since signing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 1985, U.S.-Israel trade has grown six-fold. Nearly all non-agricultural trade tariffs between the U.S. and Israel have been eliminated.
Despite regional geopolitical challenges, Israel has a stable, strong economy. Indeed, business between Alabama and Israel continues to be strong. Alabama’s exports to Israel in 2020 totaled $49 million, an increase of nearly 27% from 2019.
“We have found that virtual events leading up to an in-person trade mission can be very beneficial in that they allow companies to make initial contacts, learn more about the market to be visited and pave the way for a more productive trip,” said Hilda Lockhart, director of the Office of International Trade for the Alabama Department of Commerce.
Key target sectors for U.S. exports to Israel include safety & security, healthcare, information and communication technologies, and defense.
For more information on the virtual trade mission, contact Beau Lore at the Alabama Department of Commerce, [email protected] or 334-324-7525.
(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)


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Citi names its TTS head for one of its most important markets - China. The Asia veteran has led digitisation initiatives for cash and trade products and grown revenues from intra-Asian flows
The fastest way to get a pay rise, it’s often said, is to simply change jobs. A new report from KPMG on HK salaries and bonuses in 2020 is showing that the reality is not meeting expectations
Appointments in China banking and technology are aimed at broadening the bank’s client base in the Asia Pacific region
Standard Chartered has taken on a 30-year banking veteran – who has worked across Europe, the US and Asia – to head up its global trade business in Singapore
New appointment will head corporate banking in Japan, one of its key franchises in the Asia-Pacific region
Blockchain? Libor? IFRS 9? What's a treasurer to do? CT takes a look at the best-read stories of 2018 as we wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a very prosperous New Year
The Italian bank promotes its trade finance lead to head global transaction banking in the Asia Pacific region and makes a fresh appointment to its financial institutions group
The luxury hotel chain names Jardine Matheson group treasurer Craig Beattie as successor to hotel industry veteran Stuart Dickie.
The international miner names a new chief financial officer to replace the retiring Chris Lynch.
The electric vehicle company has announced a new China chief financial officer while the Singapore industrial conglomerate appoints a new group chief financial officer.


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The compact concept is the second addition to the EQ sub-brand, which represents Mercedes-Benz’s ambition for an all-electric model range.
With a pair of electric motors (one on each axle) the EQA is being touted as an ‘electric athlete in the compact segment’.
The car is capable of a total system output of over 200kW and 500Nm, and a 0-100km/h time of around 5sec.
Range is estimated to be around 400km, putting it on the same level as the Tesla Model 3, which has started production already.
Mercedes-Benz claims the EQA will be able to be recharged with 100km of range in just 10 minutes from a rapid charging station.
Inductive charging and wall box units for homes would also be available should the EQA see production.
Two drive modes are available in the concept, Sport and Sport Plus, offering different levels of front to rear torque distribution for the permanent all-wheel drive system, and allowing for individual driving characteristics.
"With the Mercedes-Benz Concept EQA, our electric initiative is gathering pace: by 2022 Mercedes-Benz Cars will have more than ten all-electric vehicles on the market," Dr Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said.
“The Mercedes-Benz Concept EQA proves that we are serious about introducing electric mobility throughout the portfolio."
The EQA’s design follows from the Concept A Saloon which made its debut in Shanghai earlier this year, and gives us a solid look at what Mercedes-Benz’s design language could look like in the future.
It also joins the EQ concept to build on the brand’s electric family.
Riding on 20-inch wheels, Mercedes highlights the car’s short overhangs, and large glasshouse as a signature of future electric designs.