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Forget pumpkin spice season — Red season is officially upon us, and Starbucks just may be marking it in a very appropriate way. Ahead of the Friday, Nov. 12 release of Red (Taylor's Version), some Swifties seem to believe Taylor Swift and Starbucks have collaborated on a limited-time-only Red-inspired drink.
The beloved coffee chain set social media ablaze on Monday, Nov. 8 with a tweet announcing, "it's red season," alongside a series of fall-themed emojis, including a red scarf, a possible nod to the infamous scarf Swift sings about in "All Too Well." It didn't take long for the tweets to roll in asking if the tweet was hinting at a collab, and Starbuck's didn't hesitate to roll with the Red hints. In a follow-up tweet, the coffee chain referenced both "All Too Well" and "Forever & Always," the latter song of which is from Fearless, when writing, "We know all too well how exciting this time of year is, and we'll forever & always love it: Our red holiday cups and drinks are back!" The chain referenced two other songs from Red, "Holy Ground" and "Begin Again," in two other tweets, which read, "This tweet took off faster than a green light, go," and "here's to throwing your head back laughing like a little kid." In a separate tweet, Starbucks even quoted a previous Instagram caption from Swift reading, "We're just in a holiday vibe right now, not a lot going on at the moment otherwise."
It's Red Season. ☕✨🧣❤— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) November 8, 2021
It remains unclear if a Starbucks-Swift collab is on the horizon or if the chain was simply using the anticipation surrounding the release of Red (Taylor's Version) to promote its recently-released 2021 red holiday cups. Speculation that a collaboration could be in the works was first sparked back in late October when Swift, who is known for dropping easter eggs in just about everything she does, expressed her love of fall with the recreation of one of her old Tumblr posts. In the video, Swift picked up a Starbucks cup as she mentioned, "pumpkin-flavored stuff." Fans immediately guessed the cup was no accident and a Swift-themed Starbucks beverage was in the works. Following Starbucks' string of tweets, some believe "Taylor's Latte," a grande caramel nonfat latte, could debut on the menu on Friday.
Swift is currently in the process of re-recording her masters following the acquisition of Big Machine Records by Scooter Braun. After she released Fearless (Taylor's Version), a re-recording of her 2008 sophomore album, in April, the singer announced in June that her next re-release would be Red, which was initially released back in October 2012. In addition to re-recordings of all 16 songs on the original album, Red (Taylor's Version) will include 14 previously unreleased songs, including an unreleased duet with Ed Sheeran and a 10-minute version of "All Too Well."
Ahead of the album's release, Swift is doing plenty of promotion. On Friday, the singer announced that she will direct, produce, and star in a short film for the 10-minute version of her critically acclaimed song "All Too Well," which fans have eagerly been waiting for the better part of a decade. The short film, to be released on Friday, stars Dylan O'Brien and Sadie Sink. Swift is also set to appear on Saturday Night Live on Nov. 13. Red (Taylor's Version) releases on Friday.


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Rainway is an app in the works that allows you to stream your PC games to other platforms, Switch included. A lot of people love the idea, and have been hungry for more information on how the Switch side of things is coming along. Those fans seemed to cause a bit of an uproar on Twitter today following some tweets from the Rainway team.
The Rainway Twitter account started things off today by joking around, saying they were trying to talk about the app without getting asked about the Switch version. This set off a lot of fans, who replied to the original tweet with anger. Switch owners wanted to know what was up with the app's progress on Switch, and didn't find the joke to be funny. This lead to the Rainway team seeming a little frustrated by the situation, making a comment about how they now realize they can't joke around with fans, as they did in their original tweet.
This was followed up with some actual info on the status of Rainway on Switch, to which the team said, "the ball is in Nintendo's court, they have to approve us before we can do anything else." This was followed up with, "Even if Nintendo approved us at launch, it still wouldn't be out today. We made it clear that our main focus was on PC to PC streaming. We'd have to improve our tech before moving on to other consoles."
Things only got worse from here on out, with fans saying Rainway shouldn't have prominently featured the Switch in their promo video if they don't have any idea if/when the app is coming out. Some believe Rainway used Switch in their video just to drum up attention, with the Switch being such a hot commodity in the gaming world in the last year. Rainway fired back by saying the app does indeed run on Switch, leaving some fans confused, since the team also previously said that they'd need to improve tech before moving to consoles.
This all ended with the entire series of tweets being deleted, making it obvious that the Rainway team is trying to move away from the debacle. Were the fans right to be frustrated and fire back on Twitter? Did fans take the original tweet in the wrong way, and everything just became an unintended mess thereafter? What do you guys think?

domain: news


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Follow Endeavour, who while struggling with Joan Thursday’s sudden departure, is consumed by a nightmarish hunt for a serial killer. Sunday, August 20 at 9 PM
On Second Thought is a one-hour, daily news talk show that airs at 9 a.m. ET weekdays.
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Chick-fil-A Makes Statement On Controversy
Chick-fil-A is making another statement about recent reports that it will stop giving money to groups that oppose gay marriage, but the company did not make any clearer whether it is still funding them


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Toyota to Settle Accelerator Case for $1.4 Billion
Toyota agreed on Dec. 26 to settle a class action accusing the auto maker of selling cars that are defective because they suddenly accelerate.
The total settlement amount is a reportedly record-breaking $1.4 billion, and while months remain before it is finally approved, a judge granted preliminary approval Dec. 28.
Error Hard to Find
Toyota faced a raft of legal problems following reports in 2009 and 2010 that its cars were unintentionally accelerating and causing horrible accidents. Congressional hearings, government investigations, and lawsuits focused on everything from floor mats to sticky gas pedals.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and even the National Aeronautics and Space Administration investigated the problems but could find no defects in the computer parts involved, according to the plaintiffs’ law firm, Hagens Berman in Seattle.
Despite a government investigation concluding that driver error and not the throttle electronics were to blame, this class action reportedly alleged that a flaw in Toyota’s electronic throttle control system (ETCS) caused the cars to unintentionally accelerate out of control.
Largest Settlement in Auto History
The case was filed in 2010 and then consolidated into an even larger pool of similar cases in federal court in California. Reached three years later, the settlement covers the economic losses of a class of up to 19 million owners of Toyota, Lexus, and Scion vehicles.
Toyota admits no wrong-doing in the settlement. “This was a difficult decision – especially since reliable scientific evidence and multiple independent evaluations have confirmed the safety of Toyota’s electronic throttle control systems,” said one of Toyota’s chief legal officers in a statement.
Both sides seemed to believe the case could go either way, and that the risk and cost of litigation was too high. “Toyota was a tenacious opponent and there were many risks to proceeding,” said co-lead counsel Steve W. Berman of Hagens Berman in a Q&A provided to the media.
“Had we gone to trial and won, any trial victory would have been followed by years of appeals,” he explained. “Weighing all these factors, we felt the risks of going further outweighed the benefits. Finally, remember that no one has definitely discovered what causes unintended acceleration other than driver error, floor mats and sticky pedals.”
Berman told one news source that the settlement is the largest in the automotive industry. The settlement is still subject to final approval by a federal judge, who gave preliminary approval on Dec. 28. Berman’s firm says a hearing will be held regarding final approval on June 14, 2013.
Models with Electronic Throttles Covered
According to the proposed settlement, Toyota owners can get money for the lost resale value of their cars as well as free installation of a brake-override system in 3.25 million cars. They will also be covered by a new warranty of the parts at issue, including engine control parts, the cruise control switch, and parts for the accelerator pedal.
A $250 million fund covers former Toyota owners who sold their cars from September 2009 through December 2010 at a reduced value because of the bad publicity surrounding the unintentional acceleration, according to Hagens Berman.
If you own or lease any of a number of Toyota, Lexus or Prius models (from a 1998 Supra to a 2010 Lexus LS), and your car had an ETCS, you are eligible for some relief under the settlement.
Hagens Berman says consumers should not contact their Toyota dealers. “If the court approves the settlement, a court-approved notice with more information will be sent to about 19 million Toyota, Lexus and Scion owners and former owners,” it says.
More information about the proposed settlement, including which models are covered, can be found by visiting www.ToyotaELsettlement.com or www.hbsslaw.com/toyota or by calling 1-877-283-0507.


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A sculptor has created what is believed to be the world’s smallest portrait of the Queen – on a 2mm coffee bean.
The miniature masterpiece of the Queen’s head is so small it is invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen using a magnifying glass.
The amazing sculpture was made to mark Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.
British micro-sculptor Willard Wigan created the commemorative tribute by slowing his heartbeat and working between beats to avoid hand tremors.
He used tiny homemade tools and painted with a hair plucked from a housefly’s back to carve the microscopic figures.
It took four painstaking weeks to finish after coffee experts Douwe Egberts decided to collaborate with the sculptor to mark the special occasion.
But Wigan, who has been honoured by the Queen with an MBE for his services to art, said he enjoyed the challenge.


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In the future, burritos will be free to Londoners as Mexican fast food joints try to eat out a profit from the margins made selling beverages and sides.
Or at least, that's the sense we're getting these days. First there was the new Chancery Lane Chilango giveaway launch and now, tomorrow's official opening of the new Tortilla on King Street in Hammersmith.
But don't expect anything quite like street party atmo of the mega-give Chilango put on. Unless they yield to pressure, the sixth resto in the Tortilla chain will put a wrap on the freebie fest after the 1000th burrito's been ordered.
The giveaway starts at noon tomorrow (Thursday 2 June) at Tortilla, 6A King Street, W6 0QA. Visit www.tortilla.co.uk to find out more.


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Expectations for May PVC pricing call for sharp decreases in Asia
India, a key market for PVC, has gone under a complete lockdown for a period of 21 days starting from March 25 in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus. This pushed several producers in the country to declare force majeure or even shut their plants temporarily.
All regional countries in Southeast Asia, except for Indonesia, have also ordered some quarantine measures with the same purpose.
Import PVC at nearly 4-year low prior to May pricing in India, China
According to the ChemOrbis Price Index, the weekly averages of PVC K67 offers on CIF China/India basis were standing at their lowest levels since June-July 2016 during the week ended on April 3.
The April announcement was the first price cut from the major producer since the beginning of 2020, indicating a $50/ton decrease to both China and India on the month. Now that the major producer is expected to announce its May offers with more drastic drops, these markets are likely to see new thresholds in the weeks to come.
Some comments from regional market players
A source from a Japanese producer commented, “We think that the Taiwanese major will cut its new offers at least by $100/ton as regional and global demand have been fading away due to the war with the COVID-19 pandemic. Even the world’s largest PVC consumer, India, has been under a lockdown. In order to see business transactions, offer levels must be around $700/ton CIF China/SEA and $800/ton CIF India for May, we believe.”
A source from a Chinese producer also evaluated the possible impact of any price cut from the major producer and said, “There is market talk that the major producer will apply a deep cut on its May PVC prices. In such a scenario, China’s local PVC market as well as global PVC markets will face challenges.”
A source from a Taiwanese producer also opined, “The latest price indications from India are indicating around a $100/ton price gap with the major producer’s April levels. We think that the major producer will take this into consideration while determining their new levels.”
Crude rebound leads to firmer PVC futures
On the other side of the coin, September PVC prices on the Dalian Commodity Exchange have been gaining ground since last week in response to the rebound of crude oil futures.
Chinese players are now observing whether firming futures will reflect on spot PVC prices as the downward pressure from muted demand along with the inventory pressure inside China still continues. A Chinese producer reported that their acetylene and ethylene-based PVC prices stabilized this week, but underlined that COVID-19 pandemic still dampens buying sentiment.
More free plastics newsPlastic resin (PP, LDPE, LLDPE ,HDPE, PVC, GPS; HIPS, PET, ABS) prices, polymer market trends, and more...
- Gradually returning demand offers glimmer of hope in polymer markets
- What propels PE prices higher in China?
- Vietnam PP, PE markets keep rising but some cautiousness remains
- Malaysia PP exports almost triple in February
- Spot ethylene markets rally on diminishing supply in Asia, Europe
- Will European PP markets change direction after 3 months?
- Turkish PP, PE players leaving market for holiday with firm post-Eid expectations
- June PVC hikes exceed expectations in Asia, sustainability under discussion
- Import PS, ABS markets recover amid upstream gains in Egypt
- PP, PE markets on a slight uptrend in Indonesia despite Ramadan lull


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You Searched For "Suraj Bangera"
28 July 2022 5:40 AM GMT
Suraj was the managing director of DHL eCommerce India before.
9 Aug 2017 6:30 PM GMT
In a bid to create new opportunities in cross border e-commerce for India’s e-tailers, DHL eCommerce, a division of Deutsche Post DHL Group (DPDHL...


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Mirroring Renault 5 E-Tech Electric’s avant-garde and popular spirit, Renault has created an unprecedented series of attractions to introduce the new all-electric pop icon.
Renault 5 E-Tech electric, which will be reaching Renault network dealerships in a few months with the first deliveries expected this autumn, will meanwhile be on show at three unique events, providing opportunities for the public to discover Renault’s electric pop icon, enjoy exclusive content, and be wowed by a variety of artistic and cultural surprises.
For the first presentation of the new pop icon in France, Renault will team up with several well-known artists at the wt5 show, which will take place in central Paris, on the esplanade in front of the Centre Georges-Pompidou modern art museum. It is during this exceptionnal party on 23 April next that Renault will stage Renault 5 E-Tech electric, with a one-time-only, colourful music and dance show choreographed by Sadeck Berrabah and set against a colorful backdrop of immersive sculptures by Cyril Lancelin.
As a Roland-Garros premium partner, Renault will also shine a spotlight on Renault 5 E-Tech electric at the 2024 tennis tournament, from 20 May to 9 June next.
Lastly, from 15 June to 15 September, Renault will open a singular concept store, Maison5, in Paris’s 7th arrondissement, which will feature a packed artistic and cultural programme – and Renault 5 E-Tech electric from every angle.
The Renault brand also has other surprises in store before the commercial launch of Renault E-Tech electric. In August, it will be presented in the heart of New York City on a giant, hand-painted mural.


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In a deal approved “in concept” by Donald Trump, Oracle will take a 12.5% ownership stake in TikTok, and Walmart will take 7.5%.
Walmart, which previously sought to partner with Microsoft during its unsuccessful bid to buy the shortform video app, laid out the framework of the tentative deal in a statement. It said that first and foremost, the agreement will create a new company, TikTok Global, “that will be responsible for providing all TikTok services to users in United States and most of the users in the rest of the world.”
If the deal goes through, Walmart and Oracle will both have roles in handling TikTok Global’s tech. Oracle, which has ties to the Trump administration, will process and store all American users’ data via its Generation 2 Cloud data centers. And Walmart will potentially boost TikTok’s ecommerce efforts, as it plans to weave in “omnichannel retail capabilities” including digital marketplaces, product fulfillment, payment processing, and advertising services, it said.
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TikTok Global will be majority owned by American investors, Walmart added, and will be an “independent American company, headquartered in the U.S.” Current American investors include Susquehanna International Group, General Atlantic, Sequoia Capital, and Coatue Management, all of which are investors in TikTok’s current parent company, ByteDance. It’s not clear how much of TikTok Global ByteDance would own.
Walmart emphasized the impact TikTok Global would have on the U.S. economy, claiming the company would create more than 25,000 new jobs and pay $5 billion in tax dollars to the U.S. Treasury. (No time period for these contributions was provided.) It also promised that TikTok Global and its investors will create “an educational initiative to develop and deliver an AI-driven online video curriculum to teach children from inner cities to the suburbs, a variety of courses from basic reading and math to science, history and computer engineering.”
And finally, Walmart confirmed reports that TikTok Global plans to have an initial public offering in the U.S. within 12 months of the sale’s closure.
TikTok still faces Sept. 27 removal from American app stores
To achieve that closure, the deal must be formally approved by both Trump and the Chinese government. The Trump administration has given ByteDance until Nov. 12 to divest majority ownership, but the company is likely pushing for a resolution before that date, considering Trump has said the government will ban TikTok (and fellow Chinese-developed app WeChat) from American app stores this week.
TikTok is attempting to put a stop to its Sept. 27 ban with a lawsuit filed last Friday. WeChat’s ban, scheduled for Sept. 20, has been successfully stymied thanks to a lawsuit from users who argued its removal violates their First Amendment rights.
Over the weekend, as TikTok fought to stay available, its interim leader Vanessa Pappas told users that “we are here for the long run.”
“We were thrilled to share that we are working with a U.S. tech partner to ensure that TikTok can continue to provide a home to each and every one of you just as it does today, with no change to our users here in the U.S. or around the world,” she said in a TikTok video (below). “We are incredibly inspired, grateful, and proud of our community, and our teams are committed to keeping the app running just as you know and love it.”
@tiktok##WeAreTikTok and we are here to stay!♬ original sound – TikTok


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Regional language users will account for 75 per cent of the country’s internet user base by 2021, says a report. Affordable smartphones and low priced 3G and 4G connections are driving internet penetration and digital literacy in the country and access to high-speed internet connectivity is no longer restricted to metro cities, which is causing a massive shift in online content consumption patterns, according to the Times Internet study ‘The Changing Lingual Face of Digital India’. The regional language user base in India has grown at a compounded rate of 41 per cent between 2011 and 2016 to reach 234 million. This is expected to grow by 18 per cent CAGR to reach 536 million by 2021 against English which may grow at 3 per cent CAGR to reach 199 million by 2021. The Times Internet study surveyed over 90 million people and noted the rapid shift of digital users towards regional content consumption, as more than half of those are non-English readers.
More than two third of Hindi readers are also reading English, it observed. “Regional languages have surpassed English with a 66 per cent share in overall content consumption,” it said. Across all regional languages, news as a genre sees the highest content consumption at 67 per cent, followed by sports at 17 per cent and entertainment at 16 per cent.
Among female users, Gujarati language has the highest online content consumption at 44.78 per cent. It observed that content consumption in regional languages among younger audiences is fast growing, with consumption among Indians in the 25-34 age group being the highest.


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Many economic experts, including former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, are calling for a brief and shallow recession.
If these economic soothsayers are right, what is the best way to take advantage of that kind of event? What would a "short recession" stock screen call for?
It's a problem worthy of the man most famous for referring to the dot-com bubble as "irrational exuberance."
The first problem is economic growth. Our gross domestic product (GDP), is slow, down to 0.6 percent in the first quarter of 2008. It's important to note: That's very slow but definitely not contracting, as would happen in what most people would call a recession.
But recessions can, and often do, start in quarters when the government reports positive GDP growth. Consider research done recently by Barry Ritholtz.
The chief market strategist at Ritholtz Research & Analytics found that initially reported GDP sometimes gets revised lower. In the two most recent recessions, for instance, GDP data was initially reported as positive, only to be revised later to negative.
In 1990, according to Ritholtz, an initial report of 1.8 percent positive growth for third-quarter GDP was later revised to negative 1.6 percent.
As the next recession began, in 2001, initial reports showed 2 percent growth. That was subsequently revised to a 0.6 percent contraction.
Could it happen again? No one really knows, but the 1990 and 2001 recessions were later recognized to be fairly brief and mild, conditions similar to the "pale recession" recently forecast by Greenspan.
That gives us a starting point for finding stocks that would do well in those conditions.
This superstar screen based on Greenspan's "mild recession" call looked at the stocks that performed the best in the year after the start of each of the most recent mild recessions.
Two groups appeared in the top five performers each time — home improvement retailers and casinos. Agricultural companies and for-profit schools also did well.
The best performers increased earnings during the following, weak recessions. So here we identify stocks which grew earnings last year and are projected to see earnings increase this year as well.
The following "weak recession" screen includes eight stocks:
ANDE manages grain elevators and sells fertilizers at the wholesale and retail level, among other businesses. Earnings have grown by an average of more than 40 percent a year over the past five years, while the P/E ratio is only 12 at the recent price of 43.45.
Apollo Group (APOL)
Best known for its University of Phoenix night school division, APOL operates several other training programs offering degree programs and continuing education. Its 40 percent return on equity indicates good management and strong future prospects. Recent price: 48.32.
Bally Technologies (BYI)
From its beginnings as a pinball machine manufacturer in the Depression, BYI now creates high tech gaming systems linking casinos. This helps the casino manage players, increasing the amount of money the casino wins. The result: Profits at BYI should grow by 25 percent next year. Recent price: 36.80.
Churchill Downs (CHDN)
Insiders already own nearly 30 percent of the company, so it is surprising to see them continuing to buy over the past six months. Despite a P/E ratio of 40, the managers who know the company best still think it's a good investment, even recently trading at 45.72.
GP Strategies (GPX)
As companies outsourced training, GPX has benefited. Earnings growth has averaged more than 80 percent a year for five years. While earnings growth is expected to slow to only 20 percent a year going forward, a share price near 10 gives the company a P/E ratio of just 17.
Sherwin Williams (SHW)
With home sales declining, many homeowners will choose to paint a few rooms in their existing homes, a low-cost home improvement. SHW will profit from this trend, and investors will earn a 2.5 percent dividend while earnings grow at a double digit pace. Trading near 57.
Tractor Supply Company (TSCO)
This little-known company operates nearly 800 retail stores in farm communities. Among its largest investors is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. A recent price of 33.34 gives this growth stock a P/E ratio of 15.
WMS Industries (WMS)
A pure play slot machine maker, this company should see earnings double over the next four years. WMS is well positioned to gain from the trend of more states allowing slot machines in an effort to increase revenue without raising taxes. Closed at 38.33 recently.
© 2023 Newsmax Finance. All rights reserved.


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Apple is turning to Intel for the modem in iPhones it plans to market in emerging markets in 2016, a Silicon Valley tech blog said today.
Intel s new 7360 LTE modem will occupy a socket on the new iPhone s circuit board that s long been reserved for Qualcomm chips, VentureBeat said Wednesday, citing sources.
The phones will be sold in Asia and Latin America, VentureBeat s sources told it.
The move would be a coup for Intel, which is struggling to get into the smartphone market dominated by rival Qualcomm, which has long made the modems for iPhones.
Intel bought modem maker Infineon in 2010. Infineon once made the modem for Intel phones. The company has a factory in Germany. Intel and Apple engineers have been working together there on the communications chip.
Intel had no comment.


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The UK government is planning to slash reams of red tape by scrapping or simplifying hundreds of regulations currently blighting British businesses.
Following a nationwide campaign to tackle business red tape, named the Company and Commercial Law Red Tape Challenge, half of the 115 regulations regarding the day-to-day running of a company and the preparing and filing of their accounts are to be scrapped, merged or simplified.
The planned change in the law book would remove redundant legislation and make remaining regulations simpler to understand.
"The Companies Act is understandably a complex bit of law. However, there are many areas where this has resulted in companies unnecessarily being tied down by red tape," Business Minister Jo Swinson said in a statement.
"Businesses told us through this bureaucracy cutting exercise just how time consuming some of the form-filling is and how the rules they have to abide by are completely redundant. We have heard them loud and clear and are now taking action."
The government is also planning to reform the company and business names regime, simplify regulations on displaying the company name at company premises, on paper or online, and remove micro-businesses from certain accounting requirements.
The Companies Act will be amended to simplify the system for companies to use assets to raise finance, streamline company annual reporting requirements and repeal certain filing obligations when companies change their auditors.
"These changes are common sense and make business sense. We are determined to create a flexible business environment for companies to flourish in so they can compete globally and help grow the economy," Swinson added.
The Companies Act in 2006 had consolidated and simplified many aspects of business legislation. Nevertheless, it has little day-to-day impact on the functioning of smaller companies, as it remains largely the province of corporate lawyers and other specialists.
The proposed changes are expected to help company directors with a better understanding of important company documents.


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PayPal will this week start allowing customers in Britain to trade bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as it extends its crypto trading platform internationally.
PayPal entered the crypto market in the US at the end of 2020 as bitcoin started to pique the interest of leading institutions.
Now UK users will be able to trade bitcoin, 비트코인 거래소 ethereum, litecoin and bitcoin cash – a spin-off from bitcoin.
It comes as today bitcoin pushes through the $50,000 a coin barrier for the first time in three months.
Crypto convert: PayPal is expanding its cryptocurrency trading platform to the UK
UK users can start buying as little as £1 of cryptocurrency through PayPal, with a maximum single purchase of £15,000.
The maximum amount for weekly purchases is also £15,000 and 비트코인 거래소 a maximum of £35,000 over a 12-month period.
PayPal has said it will not charge users to hold cryptocurrencies but there will be currency conversion fees and transaction fees.
‘The exchange rate may include a margin that PayPal earns on each purchase and sale and conversion between your electronic money in pounds sterling and the relevant cryptocurrency which is purchased in US dollars,’ the platform told This Is Money.
PayPal’s move into cryptocurrency could prove significant for crypto adoption, particularly given how easy and widespread the platform is.
As a result it has said it will provide users with ‘educational content to help them understand the cryptocurrency ecosystem, the volatility, risks, and opportunities related to purchasing cryptocurrency.’
Although UK customers will be able to trade crypto, PayPal will retain control of the asset.


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More convergence. Active Worlds and Facebook
In another demonstration of convergence taking place in the metaverse space, virtual world platform Active Worlds recently announced an integration tool with Facebook.
The ‘Active Worlds 3D Avatar and World Explorer’ allows developers to build virtual environment applications on the Facebook website (in the browser).
Commenting on the news, JP McCormick, Active Worlds Chairman said,
“Since our Active Worlds technology continues to be standards driven, we feel this release sets a new milestone on 3D Internet implementation. The push is on for interoperability and a set of standards which will drive Virtual World technology into the future. We believe that many of these already exist. By continuing to enhance our already standards driven application we greatly increase our value to e- commerce, education, entertainment, and social networking sites, as well as our core business with Fortune 500 companies.”


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Banks aim for comeback in retail payments
Wang Hailin, 30, is the typical target of a new offensive by China’s banks. They want his business.
Wang, a Shanghai mobile applications developer, lives a virtually cashless lifestyle. Almost all of his purchases and transactions are made via Alipay, a mobile payment platform run by Ant Financial Services Group, an arm of tech giant Alibaba.
His year-end Alipay statement for 2018 showed that he spent 57,669 yuan (US$ 8,504) on clothing, grooming products, dining out and daily expenditures.
He told Shanghai Daily that he has a Bank of Communications credit card with a credit line of 12,000 yuan, but he seldom uses it. Wang said he finds Ant Credit Pay, which also gives him a 12,000 yuan line of credit, easier to use.
“Convenience is king,” Wang said.
Globally, the US$700 billion payments market has long been dominated by banks, McKinsey & Co said in a recent report on the banking industry. But times are changing.
In China, soaring penetration into this lucrative market has been led by tech giants such as Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu. The market share of technology firms in the retail-payments market surged 10-fold to almost 50 percent in 2017 from just 5 percent in 2012.
China banks that once dominated the consumer credit scene are fighting back.
The banking card association launched a two-week discount campaign across the country during the Double 12 shopping festival last month in a bid to win more users.
China UnionPay, the world’s biggest card network with over 7 billion cards issued, said that it attracted more than 1 million new users for its mobile application on December 12 and the number of transactions soared more than fivefold from a year earlier during the first week of the discount campaign.
To offer its customers more choices at attractive prices, UnionPay has joined hands with 60 commercial banks and 400,000 merchants, both online and offline.
The banks’ offensive seems to be paying off.
In 2018, the number of people who used debit or credit cards for mobile payments surged 6 percent. UnionPay said that its mobile payment platform Yunshanfu has attracted 120 million users less than one year after its launch.
At the same time, users making online payments via shopping credit services like Jingdong Baitiao and Ant Credit Pay declined 6 percent, UnionPay’s report said.
But the battle is not over. More banks are joining the army to promote their own payment platforms.
China Construction Bank is one example. The state-owned commercial lender partnered with UnionPay in 2011 to explore the mobile payments market. Five years later, the bank introduced a flagship payment product called DragonPay.
During the Double 12 shopping spree, China Construction Bank put on splashy promotions to catch the attention of consumers.
Another player in the mix is Ping An Insurance (Group), a financial conglomerate in the world’s second-largest economy.
In early 2014, the company launched a mobile financial services platform called Yiqianbao, which features online payments and social networking services. So far, the platform has enjoyed some success in terms of numbers of users.
Strong promotion, Yiqianbao said, led to transactions on the platform of nearly 6 trillion yuan by the end of 2018, with registered users numbering about 200 million. A 10th of them are active users.
Industry watchers said the public tends to be very loyal to online payment platforms they have chosen because of safety concerns, making it difficult for new players to crack those allegiances.
Wang said he did notice UnionPay’s efforts to promote its mobile payment platform Yunshanfu, but he said has no plans to download the application and use it.
“For me, Alipay is good enough,” he explained.
However, for Guo Lanying, a lawyer in her 60s from Jilin Province, traditional banks seem more trustworthy when it comes to making payments.
Guo told Shanghai Daily that she began to use credit cards in the 1980s and now has six. She prefers to use bank cards on overseas trips and for expensive items like air tickets and big-ticket merchandise. For petty daily expenses, she often pays by scanning a Quick Response code.
McKinsey said in its report that tightened regulations on digital services have improved the window of opportunity for Chinese banks to become part of the booming mobile payments market.
Recently, Chinese authorities have implemented stricter rules on mobile payments and other digital services to reduce misuse and strengthen the digital economy. The new regulations may lead to a temporary slowdown in technological developments, allowing traditional banks to get up to speed, the global management consulting firm said.
McKinsey said banks should make full use of the massive data at their fingerprints to develop new products, services and consumer experiences.
Data, “the new oil” of the information age, have traditionally given banks a significant advantage over other firms in the financial intermediation system. But unless they act decisively now, banking institutions could see that advantage erode quickly, McKinsey warned.


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Fog this morning, took it’s time lifting. Lifted in time for “the Dutch” to crawl out of what was left. Took here 54 hours to come from Lewisport, seems kind of slow in these sea conditions.
It is a day short of four weeks since the previous departure out of Lewisport, and what does she have on board for the community stores?
Lots of construction material as I predicted some trucks, an old trap boat, some freezer reefers. But the local store operators are saying there is nothing on there for them.
One would have to go back many many decades to see a worse freight service to the coast. Now the word is that the mv Astron is being brought back to the service to play catch up with the freight that has been left behind and freight that is expected in the near future.


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It appears that LG has started selling two mid-range dual-sim Android smartphones, L70 and L90, part of its L Series III, in the Indian market.
Although the South Korean electronics giant has not made any official announcement, it has listed the L90 on its official India website, albeit without a price point. E-commerce website SnapDeal has already started selling the phones with LG L70 available at a selling price of Rs 14,500 (with Rs 16,990 mentioned as the MRP) and L90 bearing a price tag of Rs 17,499 (with Rs 19,990 quoted as the MRP). Both the phones are shipped in 12 business days which suggests that LG might make an official announcement in the coming days.
LG L70 and L90 phones were unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The smartphones come with Android 4.4 KitKat, the latest version of the OS. These phones also include a feature called Knock Code, which lets users unlock the phone by tapping the phone in a specified manner.
LG L70 sports a 4.5-inch display (400 X 800p) and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, Adreno 302 graphics processor and 1GB RAM. It comes with 4GB internal storage expandable via microSD card, and a 2,100mAh removable battery. The phone sports an 8MP rear camera and a VGA front facing camera.
LG L90 sports a 4.7-inch display (540 X 960p) and is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, Adreno 305 graphics processor and 1GB RAM. It comes with 8GB internal storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD card, and a 2,540mAh removable battery. The phone sports an 8MP rear camera and a 1.3MP front camera.


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Thanks to Jennifer Lawrence's memorable Oscars night on Sunday (well, and that whole Katniss Everdeen thing), she's now a household name. But the newly minted Oscar winner is also, of course, the face of Miss Dior.
Her first ads for the handbag line dropped last week, and today we get a peek behind-the-scenes of the Willy Vanderperre-lensed campaign.
In the video for her sleek, minimalist shoot, she says wearing Dior "makes you feel confident." After that graceful, beautiful, and downright glamorous fall she had in her Dior gown at the Oscars, we totally buy it. Seriously. That was hands down the most confident fall/recovery we've ever seen.
Check out the rest of her Miss Dior shoot below.


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The Wii U was an abysmal flop, among the biggest mainstream failures released by either Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo ever. Everyone wants to forget about it and move on from it as quickly as possible (including Nintendo themselves, as evidenced by them having moved so swiftly to replace it with the Switch, and pillage its library for its best games to put on their new console).
That presumably includes Enterbrain Famitsu, who track sales of video game hardware and software in Japan, as well, because they announced that they will no longer report on Wii U sales going forward. Rival tracking firm Media Create had stopped reporting on Wii U sales last year, so this means we will no longer be betting sales stats for Wii U from Japan at all.
The final tally for the Wii U, for those who may have a morbid curiosity for this sort of thing, is 3.3 million units sold in Japan (which is about a quarter of what it sold worldwide). And that’s where it will stay.
At least, as Nintendo points out, the Wii U’s failure led to their success with the Switch, if nothing else.


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When we heard about rumors of Samsung releasing a 10.1-inch version of the popular Galaxy Note smartphone, we were understandably a bit skeptical. I mean, the idea makes sense - a larger Note would mean more area to use that advanced pressure-sensitive stylus. But given that Samsung has yet to announce a Galaxy Tab 10.1 successor, it seemed a bit odd. But now, the Note 10.1 is obviously for-real, and we spent a little time with it today.
Just three short weeks ago, we shared news of a major update to Dropbox for Android that, among other things, brought automatic photo/video syncing to the service. At the time, it was still in beta and only available for download directly from Dropbox, but now a final version of the update has hit the Market. The changelog:
- Allows you to automatically uploads photos and videos in the background using Wi-Fi or data plan
- Up to 3 GB of free space for uploading photos automatically (in 500 MB increments)
- Upload files of any size
- Various performance improvements & bug fixes
- Heads up, Dropbox can no longer be installed on your SD Card due to more secure credential storage.
I'm not sure how season two of Fact Checkers Unit escaped our attention back in January, but thanks to Samsung's official blog which highlighted this hilarious series today, we now know better. And let me tell you, if you haven't seen any of the new episodes yet, you're in for a treat.
Fact Checkers Unit started as a short film with Bill Murray, then turned into a web series (Hulu has the first season episodes as well), and thanks to Samsung, MTV, SXM Entertainment, and Moxie Pictures has now reached season two.
The boot animation from CyanogenMod 7 still ranks somewhere towards the top of my personal list, but this new one, created by the same designer Cameron Behzadpour (73v1n) using Adobe After Effects, is definitely a step-up.
It builds on top of his previous effort and is quite possibly the best-looking boot animation I've seen on Android so far. And it's officially coming to CM9. Excellent work, Cameron!
Update: Check out this unofficial take on the same animation, but without as much background noise that some of you may prefer:
Via: CyanogenMod Plus
What we have here today is probably the most hysterical unofficial review of
the Galaxy Note any phone, ever. Of course, I welcome you to beat it (just leave a link in the comments), but my memory does not have a record of a performance that could rival this one by ELPRESADOR.
The poor, neglected Galaxy S series of phones may have earned Samsung a reputation for being slow to update their devices, especially here in the states. Today, however, a build of Ice Cream Sandwich for the Epic 4G Touch was leaked that suggests Samsung is making decent progress on the ICS front. So, while Sammy may be a touch on the slow side, at last they're working on it! That's something, right?
Paper Camera, one of the most successful camera apps on the Android Market, got an update to version 2.0 today. You may remember our preview of version 2.0 earlier this month, 2.0 being the update which promised to add video capability to the already awesome app. Well, JFDP Labs LTD has made good on that promise, and thrown in a few other tweaks as well.
At the moment, only the Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy SII, Galaxy Note, Droid 3, and Transformer Prime have official video support, but JFDP advises that other devices "might have some degree of support."
Besides added video capabilities, Paper Camera has also received support for Android Beam, allowing users to transfer images seamlessly between devices powered by Ice Cream Sandwich.
Skype, a hugely practical video (and internet) calling solution, got an update today, bringing the app to version 18.104.22.1687 and bringing a few key improvements to the table. The most noticeable improvement in this release is an updated (and enhanced) call interface, adding functionality and panache to the screen every user sees when placing or receiving a call.
Besides an updated call screen, the latest release also adds much-needed video call compatibility with Samsung's Epic 4G Touch (Sprint's version of the Galaxy SII), as well as enhanced call quality.
In a post to the official GoogleTV blog earlier today, Product Manager Jurek Foryciarz revealed that Youtube for GoogleTV is set to receive an update "in the next few days," bringing some "big improvements" to the app.
First off, Google touts smoother navigation, and a new feature called "discover," which allows users to find YouTube channels by categories, which range from comedy, to cooking, to news, and more.
Next up, you can expect the YouTube app to feature channel pages, meaning users can navigate an individual channel's playlists, videos, and subscribe to said channel quickly and easily.
The veil of secrecy surrounding Google's mysterious X lab may be getting pulled back later on today, as evident from new developments around the web in the last couple of days. The X lab, revealed by the New York Times a few months ago, could reportedly have engineers working on projects spanning from plates that post what you're eating on your social networks to driverless cars, robots, and things most of us have never even dreamt of.


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On the back cover of Famitsu, Level-5 has an ad for Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney. "6211" is written big numbers and Layton says "turnabout" as a hint. Japanese blogs are speculating that if you turn the magazine around you get 1129 or *possibly* November 29. Could this be the release date for Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney?
Level-5 hasn’t said much about the title after showing it at Level-5 World. Last year, Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney was slated for a 2012 release on Nintendo 3DS.


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5G to transform Middle East mobile market in 2019Jawad Abbassi, head of Middle East and North Africa region, GSMA The Gulf states are set to be global leaders in the deployment of 5G networks, with many expected to launch commercial 5G services in 2019. According to a recent GSMA Intelligence report, 5G will account for 16 percent of mobile connections across the six Gulf states by 2025 -- slightly ahead of the global average. Early 5G offerings in the region are likely to focus on enhanced mobile broadband services and 5G-based fixed-wireless -- especially in regions with limited fiber penetration. However, there is also an opportunity to use 5G to drive developments in immersive reality, e-sports, and enhanced in-venue digital entertainment. On the enterprise side, 5G will enable operators and governments to collaborate on smart city initiatives, focused, for example, on addressing population-related challenges. Oil and gas, mining, and tourism -- each particularly relevant to the … [Read more...] about Middle East tech: What does 2019 have in store?
Smart city hackathon
The Hanoitimes - The competition looks for talented kids in creative programming, creative and practical products that can be applied in reality. Microsoft Vietnam, Teky Steam Academy, and the Central Council of the Ho Chi Minh Vanguard Children’s Union on September 19 held a press conference to introduce the first programming contest for Vietnamese students (Minecraft Hackathon) with the theme "Smart city". At the press conference. Photo: People's Army Newspaper The competition, named “I love science in the academic year 2018-2019 - Young tech talents”, looks for talented kids in creative programming, creative and practical products that can be applied in reality. Standing Vice Chairperson of the Central Council of the Ho Chi Minh Vanguard Children’s Union Nguyen Pham Duy Trang said that this is a new and exciting playground for teenagers that will inspire their love for science and thirst for creativity. It is also an opportunity for … [Read more...] about First programming contest for teenagers nationwide launched in Vietnam
Portland, Oregon officials claim its city has some of the best bike data in the United States -- data revealing how many people ride bicycles, where they're going and what streets they're using. Their collection of that data, however, has been as low-tech as it gets: city staffers and volunteers stand out on street corners for two hours at a time and count.Now, the city is aiming for more comprehensive, accurate data collection with the installation of 200 sensors installed on street lights on three of Portland's deadliest streets: Southeast Division St., SE Hawthorne Blvd. and 122nd St. The Traffic Sensor Safety Project, for a price tag of just over $1 million, represents the first major milestone for the Smart City PDX initiative. It relies on GE's Current CityIQ sensors, which are powered with Intel IoT technology and use AT&T as the data carrier. GE, Intel and AT&T have already worked together to deploy smart streetlight sensors in San Diego. "We are bringing forth the … [Read more...] about Portland kicks off smart city initiative with traffic sensor safety project
Video: Data analytics to save our most valuable resource -- water Earth Day serves as a reminder of the strain our planet is under. With a number of intertwined environmental and societal challenges open, could data and analytics help get a better understanding of the big picture, determine desirable outcomes, and steer toward them?. Planet Analytics, as we named this effort, is a very complex task. Not only because of the number and complexity of data and models that would have to be utilized, but also because of the cacophony of actors involved. Read also: iPhone terminator: Apple's Daisy teardown robot can rip your iPhone The only actor that could, in theory, pull this task off would be the UN. But there are many roadblocks to overcome on the way to getting results. Just imagine an organization that does not have full stock or control over the data it manages, or a leadership without a mandate and budget to embark full steam on making the organization data-driven. … [Read more...] about Planet analytics 1.0: From the UN lab to the globe
A few months ago, Motorola announced its plans to offer third-party developers a chance to create their own Moto Mods that would attach and expand the features of the company’s Moto Z family of smartphones. It also announced a contest to find the best ideas and prototypes from those teams. Today, Motorola announced the 12 finalists for its Moto Mods “Transform the Smartphone Challenge”. Motorola said that their Moto Mods challenge resulted in over 700 submissions from 55 countries. Here’s the list of the 12 finalists, all of which have launched fund raising campaigns on Indiegogo to help fund the development of their ideas and prototypes: Edge – Supercharge your notifications Linc Smart Walkie Talkie MotoMod Concept Smart Z Wallet- Moto Mods concept for Moto Z The Ultimate Moto Z Mod with Wireless Charging Mico – A Modular Solar Battery Moto Mod InstruMod – A Moto Z Mod Measuring Instrument The Palm Smart Remote for Moto Mod Devices … [Read more...] about Motorola reveals the 12 finalists for its Moto Mods developer challenge


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Birch in Portree has now launched its own coffee blends which are being stocked by some of the island’s wholesalers, while coffee fans will be able to try it out for themselves in the cafe and purchase their own in the coming months.
After launching his cafe at the beginning of March last year, it wasn’t long before Niall Munro had to close the doors to Birch in Portree due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But while the hospitality industry took a hit with many cafes, restaurants and bars across the country being forced to closed, allowed to open, then forced to close again through the best part of last year, Niall took the chance to work up some new ideas to keep his new venture ticking over.
One of these ideas was to set up his own roastery, using the “Birch” brand to establish the cafe’s own taste.
He said: “The idea has been a work in progress from the latter part of last year to pull everything together and we just started roasting back in March. It’s been a great venture and learning curve and a lot of my staff were actually working in a roastery down in Newcastle before.
“We reopened the café on Saturday, May 1 and we’ve already started the roastery.”
After being inspired by his travels to Melbourne, Niall has tried to recreate the Australian city’s cafe and coffee culture with his brand in Skye.
He added: “I opened Birch up last year after spending a lot of time in Melbourne and witnessing the café culture and coffee culture over there.
“I wanted to replicate it in some way, shape or form in terms of the kind of quality of produce that seems like a general rule of thumb across the board in Melbourne.
We’re very excited to announce our next venture for Birch! ….#roastery #coffee #skye #birch #speciality #local
Posted by BIRCH on Friday, April 16, 2021
“Generally, wherever you go in the city, there is a lot of care taken over the food that’s brought in. It’s not necessarily fancy food, but stuff that’s sourced locally and there seems to be a real emphasis on that side of things. There are so many great suppliers on the Isle of Skye, ranging from meat to vegetables, to salads.
“So I wanted to try to replicate that slightly but on the coffee side of things and have a real focus on speciality coffee. That was the plan last year, when I opened Birch, then a natural progression, if you like, was to look at roasting coffee ourselves.”
With his roastery now in full swing, Niall is hoping that the desire for artisan coffee that appears to be developing across the nation is something his beverage can be a part of.
He continued: “I think more and more these days people are starting to appreciate coffee in a different sense to how it’s maybe been perceived before. Coffee is comparable to the likes of wine and the different varieties you have, the regions that it comes from and the process involved in roasting it.
“It’s been a real passion project and it’s just nice to be part of the whole process – sourcing it, importing the coffee, roasting it then serving it.
“Now, more so than ever, as a consumer people like to be aware of a full back story of what they’re consuming. It’s also a good ethical way to go in that literally you’ve got direct links with the specific farms that the coffee’s coming from. Whereas, if you were to use commodity coffee that has a much lower price point then you don’t have any of that. It’s nice to have that trail going right back to the grower.”
Though it’s not possible for Birch fans to purchase the coffee themselves just yet, with the roastery’s main customers currently being wholesale, it is possible to try out the home-produced blends in the Birch cafe.
Niall continued: “We’ve started selling to wholesale customers for the moment. I’ve got a few stockists in Skye, with Birch being one of the main stockists.
“From a retail point of view we will have it in the cafe initially and then a couple of months down the line I’ll open it up to online sales. But for the moment, we’re still finding our feet and getting the bread and butter from the wholesale stockists on Skye is the easiest way just now.
“It’s just called Birch Roastery and it made sense because it was a coffee house last year and got good recognition through social media and people were aware of it. So it made sense to utilise the name on the roastery side of things and so that it all ties in together.
“I think the ultimate goal will be for Birch to be recognised as the coffee rather than the cafe.
“We’re keeping it fairly simple on the offering front, so we’ve got one blend and one single origin as well, and a decaf. It’s going to be rotated on a monthly basis, where we’ll just get different single origins in. The goal with that though is to go down the single origin route.”


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At the October 10, 2017 Utah ACG breakfast, guest speaker Derek Miller, President and CEO of World Trade Center Utah, provided an engaging presentation centering on Utah businesses’ need to “Think, Act, and Succeed Globally.” The room was filled to capacity to hear Miller’s remarks about what’s happening in Utah’s economy and the connection to the world. Board members of World Trade Center Utah in attendance were represented by Parsons, Behle, and Latimer, CBRE, Zions Bank, Key Bank, Chase Bank, Parr Brown Gee & Loveless, and Wells Fargo.
World Trade Center Utah is a non-profit, and part of the world-wide World Trade Center network comprised of over 300 World Trade Centers in over 100 countries. Miller explained that when Governor Huntsman took office, he ran on a platform of revitalizing economic development, and accomplished two important things – the first was to create GOED. The second was to call for the creation of a World Trade Center in Utah. Governor Huntsman asked for the private sector to step forward and create this entity so that Utah could have its own World Trade Center.
Miller said Utah is the only state to double exports over the last ten years, and the only state to have positive export growth, even in the recession years. Utah is now the sixth fastest growing export economy in the country. Miller describes this as “remarkable,” given the fact Utah is a state of only three million people. Nearly one in four jobs in Utah are supported by international business. It is a testament to the more than 3,500 companies in Utah, and of those, more than 85% are small businesses that are doing exactly what a free market requires them to do -- find out how to be more competitive, faster, better, less expensive, and offer higher quality than their competitors, not just go out in the global market, but to go out and win.
The question Miller gets asked the most is how and why Utah has achieved its economic success. Miller said it is based on the state’s global engagement and global leadership. He said that a large part of Utah’s economy is supported by international business. The top Utah exports include: metals (37%), computer and electronic products (17%), chemicals (10%), food and kindred products (8%), transportation equipment (7%), and other goods and services (21%). Utah’s top export destinations include the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, and Singapore. According to Miller, “Utah businesses are killing it in the global marketplace!” Miller highlighted these additional Utah accomplishments:
Utah’s GDP growth is twice the national average, with one of the lowest unemployment rates
Utah has the third-most diverse economy in the U.S.
Utah was recently cited by Newsweek as the best in upward mobility
Utah, according to The New Yorker, is a state where the “American Dream is still alive”
Utah has the best economic outlook by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Miller said World Trade Center Utah accomplishes their mission, in part, by holding seminars and forums. It recently hosted an international forum designed to motivate and educate Utah businesses. Topics for the seminars have included Brexit and its impact on Utah business, how and when businesses make money abroad, and how to get Utah goods into other countries. World Trade Center Utah also works one-on-one with companies to help them perform market analysis. Because of the generosity of the founding members – including the state legislature, and the contract with the state, all services provided are free of charge. The goal is to build the economy by helping companies do more international business. World Trade Center Utah helps businesses determine locations in the world to be focused, based on the service they provide or the goods they produce.
In 2008, Miller became the Deputy Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). He was directly responsible for incenting companies to bring tens of thousands of jobs in both rural and urban Utah by various companies such as eBay, Adobe, and Proctor and Gamble. Later, Miller was named Governor Herbert’s Chief of Staff. Miller now oversees World Trade Center Utah. In 2016, under his leadership, World Trade Center Utah took over the coordination of all state-led trade missions involving hundreds of participants from over 50 Utah businesses.
Miller further highlighted that World Trade Center Utah is helping to expand Utah businesses’ global network. The organization does this by hosting visiting dignitaries and when they come to Utah, World Trade Center Utah provides an opportunity for Utah businesses to network with the dignitaries. The organization has hosted Ambassadors of China, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Chile, Peru, Belgium, France, and Germany. In addition to its hosting duties, World Trade Center Utah takes trade missions and leads delegations to destinations such as Singapore, Vietnam, England, Jordan, and Israel. In 2018, trade missions are planned for Dubai, France, Mexico, and Taiwan.
Miller said there are some businesses in the U.S. that don’t understand that in our country, we have a healthy tension between government and business, but in almost every other country, it’s not that way. There is a close connection between business and government and having a relationship with these foreign government officials is a great benefit to Utah companies doing business with these countries.
When Miller was working with Governor Herbert at the height of the recent recession, a team of top advisors created a vision for the state of Utah to be the best performing economy and recognized as a premier global business destination. One of the goals the team had was to achieve a number-one ranking for businesses and careers from Forbes. Since that first win, Utah has been ranked by Forbes six out of seven years in a row.
There’s one thing Miller says he knows for sure – businesses aren’t successful by accident. None of the success achieved is by coincidence. And that’s true for the state of Utah.
September 12, 2017 Breakfast Meeting
At the ACG Utah kick-off breakfast meeting in September 2017, Trevor Milton, CEO and founder of Nikola Motor Company, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, spoke to a large audience, sharing how he is revolutionizing the trucking industry with a zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell line of long haul trucks. Milton has a passion for and expertise with electric and hybrid vehicles, and identified a market need for an electric truck in 2012. After launching out with an electrified trash collection truck, Nikola Motor Company shifted to designing and producing the industry’s first Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell electric semi-truck.
During the company’s initial phases, Milton and his team at Nikola Motor Company collaborated with Diversified Insurance, Chase Bank, Wells Fargo, Zions Bank, and CFO Solutions on some of the preliminary groundwork.
Nikola Motor Company’s flagship vehicle is the “Nikola One”, which Milton described as a 100 percent zero-emission semi-truck featuring a hydrogen fuel cell that powers densely-packed batteries and an electric powertrain that delivers 1,000 horsepower and significant torque. The fuel cell will allow drivers to go between 500 and 1,000 miles between refueling with hydrogen at the company’s expanding hydrogen refueling station network. Other significant benefits of the hydrogen fuel cell technology include the following:
Reduces refueling time for drivers;
Reduces overall truck weight, resulting in better profit on every load, every day;
Eliminates the need to ever plug-in to recharge the onboard batteries;
Reduces traditional diesel operating costs by approximately half; and
Eliminates all fuel costs by providing free hydrogen fuel for one million miles.
Nikola Motor Company has surpassed over $6.5 billion in reservations for their trucks, and has filled out their manufacturing schedule for the next 10 years. The company has partnered with Ryder Systems, Inc. for all sales and service, and has contracted with a leading third-party manufacturer for its initial 5,000 trucks while the company completes its state-of-the-art assembly operation. Road testing will begin next year, with the first trucks available in two years.
Long-haul trucks carry approximately 70% of the country’s cargo. Milton said the heavy-duty diesel truck market is significant, with an estimated 3.6 million Class 8 trucks on the road in the U.S. today. As these trucks reach end of life, Nikola will be in a great position to take advantage of a potential shift to an innovative and more environmentally friendly trucking option.
Milton said that Nikola Motors “is probably one of the most successful product launches in American history of a private company; and this is something that came out of Utah.” He called this technology the “Holy Grail of trucking.”
Using multiple independent databases, GrowthEconomy.org illustrates the positive impact that private capital investment has on corporate growth and job creation in the United States. Check out your area today.


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At E3 2019, LG showed the world’s first two IPS gaming monitors with an incredibly fast 1ms response time typically reserved for TN monitors. Carrying the new UltraGear brand, the new monitors come in two sizes.
The smaller 27-inch 27GL850 has a 1440P (2560 x 1440) IPS panel with a native 144Hz refresh rate. Designed to work with AMD Radeon GPUs, the monitor supports Freesync for a much smoother gaming experience when frame rate fluctuate. However, that doesn’t mean LG wants to cast Nvidia users aside. The 27GL850 is G-Sync Compatible, meaning green team users can take advantage of Freesync as well.
Other specs include HDR10 support and a versatile monitor stand that comes in the box.
The bigger 38GL950G is a different beast. It has a 37.5-inch WQHD(3840 by 1600) ultrawide IPS panel with a native 144Hz refresh rate. It’s also possible to overclock the display to 175Hz. In comparison, many high-end ultrawide monitors like the Acer Predator Z35P top out at 3440 by 1440 with 120Hz. Other than that, the 38-inch variant has RGB and native G-Sync support for Nvidia GPUs only.
However, both LG monitors come with a rudimentary VEGA Display HDR 400 certification. The press release says nothing about the new monitors’ backlighting system. Given that, it is possible they lack the Full-Array-Back-Lighting(FALD) system that minimizes the annoying ‘halo’ effect when displaying HDR content.
Unfortunately, this particular disadvantage also makes the new LG ultrawide less attractive than the other new monitors in 2019. For gamers, the upcoming AOC Agon AG353UCG, Acer Predator X35, and ASUS ROG Swift PG35VQ all carry a FALD system, 200Hz, and the best VESA Display HDR1000 for increased peak brightness levels.
LG says pre-orders for the 27-inch variant starts on July 1st in the US but gives no price. There is no word on price or availability of the 38-inch model.


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City officials in Duluth, Minn., have extended the city’s cigarette regulations to include the increasingly popular electronic cigarettes (also known as e-cigarettes), which produce water vapor instead of tobacco smoke.
A series of ordinances approved by the City Council on Monday strictly prohibits smoking e-cigarettes in commercial establishments and public spaces. The ordinances also ban hookah bars from operating in the city. Duluth, a city of 86,000 people on the western shore of Lake Superior, is the fourth-largest city in Minnesota.
Councilor Jennifer Julsrud introduced the ordinances. The Associated Press quoted her saying, “I wrote these ordinances and I pushed for them because I want to protect kids, and I believe in supporting clean air.”
Opponents of the ordinances, though, noted it’s already against the law for stores to sell e-cigarettes to minors.
Electronic cigarettes were first marketed in the early 2000s, and currently generate $1.7 billion per year in sales. The product is a plastic tube with a small battery in it that can heat a liquid that includes nicotine. The heat vaporizes the liquid and allows the user to have the sensation of smoking without the need for tobacco smoke. Even though e-cigarettes have no tobacco, the Food and Drug Administration considers them to be a “tobacco product” and therefore subject to the same level of regulation as chewing tobacco.
Nicotine With Lower Risks
Proponents say e-cigarettes provide a level of nicotine satisfaction comparable to regular cigarettes but with much lower health risks to users and others who may breathe the vapor. For this reason, e-cigarettes are becoming a popular means of quitting regular cigarettes or at least reducing the harmful effects of smoking.
Opponents counter that e-cigarettes have not been around long enough to know their long-term health effects and may act as a gateway product to heavier tobacco use.
Many e-cigarette advocates don’t think their value can be underestimated.
“E-cigarettes are one of the most significant public health technologies of the past 50 years,” said Greg Conley, legislative director for the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association.
Dr. Brad Rodu, a senior fellow at The Heartland Institute (which publishes Budget & Tax News), calls e-cigarettes a “game changer” in the tobacco market.
“Tobacco prohibitionists will group them with combustibles despite [their] being less hazardous. To remove the option of e-cigarettes would be a disaster for smokers seeking a healthier alternative,” Rodu said.
Jeff Stier, a senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research, argues such regulation is actually reckless: “We already know the long-term effects of cigarettes. All the evidence shows that e-cigarettes are far less harmful, so why should we reduce [cigarette consumers’] ability to make less-bad choices?”
In response to claims that rhe safety and flavor options of e-cigarettes make them a gateway to regular cigarettes, Stier said, “There is absolutely no evidence that e-cigarettes encourage regular cigarette users to ‘graduate upwards.’ The move is usually downward from regular to e-cigarettes.”


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Bang & Olufsen is launching a new premier collection in honour of its 95th birthday––all glistening with a singular golden touch.
Apple hosted a ‘Time Flies’ event on Tuesday. Apple announced Watch SE, Watch Series 6, iPad Air, 8th generation iPad, and new services.
Virgin Galactic is making strides toward its goal of creating high-speed commercial aircraft. It aims for one that operates a little closer to Earth.
Hublot is taking the next step in the evolution of the ‘Art of Fusion’. They drop a new collaboration with entrepreneur Lapo Elkann, and his Garage Italia.


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Arizona credit union scores big with new mobile apps after thinking small. An in-depth look from technology writer Robert McGarvey.
Arizona credit union scores big with new mobile apps after thinking small. An in-depth look from Robert McGarvey, Credit Union Times' veteran technology writer.
Opportunity to build enduring relationships by leveraging the mobile channel is within reach. But credit unions must act now, before their members direct their payments elsewhere.
In his latest column, technology writer Robert McGarvey says lack of wave-and-pay in iPhone 5 a blow but there are a lot of other players.
Internal behavior can let the bad stuff in, and even if they don't, it can get in anyway.
Mobile wallets are coming – that is a certainty, some experts say. But just about everything else around this issue remains uncertain as credit unions, banks, and merchants scramble to attempt to keep pace with a fast evolving marketplace.
Unlike mortgages and business loans, for many financial institutions, including credit unions, auto loans are probably the least likely to have a flood of new competitors entering the space.
Near-field communications panelists watching Isis pilots, says wave-and-pay technology awaiting consumers, security rules.
NACHA study says bill pay posting exceptions occur in about one in 200 transactions.
What’s your wallet made of – leather, or bits and bytes? At CUNA’s recent Government Affairs Conference held in Washington that was a key question raised among those close to the evolution of payment transactions.


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I know a few of you out there are very much looking forward to this potential MMO player. More about the delay:
Many orcs are putting on their sad faces today as Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning suffers another delay. Eurogamer reports that the game’s producer, Jeff Hickman, stated the title is being pushed from Q2 until the fall. WAR’s last delay, which shifted it from 2007 to this year, was blamed on EA’s takeover of Mythic, though it did affordthe company more time to polish the title.


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NEW YORK Google continued its sharp growth trajectory, reporting sharply higher first-quarter revenue and profits.
The Mountain View, Calif., search giant said revenue was $1.26 billion, up 93 percent from the first quarter in 2004. Excluding revenue shared with search distribution partners, Google's sales were $794 million. Google's net income for the fourth quarter was $369 million, or $1.29 per share, compared to $64 million a year earlier.
Google's Q1 results improved on the holiday quarter, which tends to be stronger. Sales, excluding revenue shared with partners, were up 21 percent sequentially. Net income was up 80 percent.
"This was a very strong quarter for Google," CEO Eric Schmidt said in a statement. "We continue to execute well and we have been able to take full advantage of the growth in online advertising."
Google generated $657 million of its revenue from advertising run on its own sites and $584 million from those in its network. Advertising on Google sites grew faster than its AdSense partners. Google sites' revenue was up 116 percent year over year, while AdSense revenue was up 75 percent.
The strong sales and profit growth echoes a solid fourth quarter reported earlier this week by Yahoo, which said it experienced a strong demand for both search and display advertising.
Keeping with its practice, Google did not provide future financial forecasts.


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Online KuraFes 2020
With the KuraFest 2020 in Asahiyama canceled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the Niigata prefectural governor Yasushi Hosoda has decided to take the event online creating the Online KuraFes 2020. This festival will take place on April 18 and will be streamed live on YouTube from 15:00–16:00 in the afternoon.
The event will be a live show with interesting segments about sake and its brewing process, live music and a virtual tour of the brewing facilities. So grab some snacks and a cold sake and tune in here to this online festival.


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U.K. Consumer Sentiment Dives Most Since 1994 on Brexit Effectby
Rapid price increases expected by 33% of respondents
Number of people placed in permanent jobs fell in June: REC
U.K. consumer confidence plunged the most in 21 years, the latest sign that Britons’ vote to leave the European Union is harming the nation’s outlook.
Gfk’s core index slid to minus 9 in a special post-referendum survey conducted from June 30 to July 5, from minus 1 earlier in June. That’s the biggest slide since December 1994 when increases in tax, interest rates and job insecurity weighed on spending. While confidence among respondents who said they voted to remain in the EU dropped to minus 13, the decline was tempered by a lesser slide of minus 5 among those who said they opted to leave.
Anxiety is growing as investors and households try to gauge the economic ramifications of the June 23 decision. With both major political parties engaged in heated leadership battles and the politicians who campaigned to leave slow to put forward plans of what a post-Brexit relationship with the EU will look like, the exit strategy may remain unknown for months to come.
“During this period of uncertainty, we’ve seen a very significant drop in confidence,” said Joe Staton, head of market dynamics at GfK. “Every one of our key measures has fallen, with the biggest decrease occurring in the outlook for the general economic situation in the next 12 months.”
The impact of uncertainty is becoming increasingly evident, with a Lloyds Banking Group Plc gauge Thursday showing business sentiment sank in the days after the referendum. The last time U.K. consumer confidence plunged as much as in the GfK survey, Bon Jovi and Celine Dion had top-10 songs and Cindy Crawford was announcing her separation from Richard Gere.
That’s being reflected on the high street. U.K. retailers had their worst June in a decade as shoppers reined in purchases before the referendum, according to figures from accounting firm BDO. That confirms comments from retailers including Marks & Spencer Group Plc that Britons trimmed spending in the lead-up to the vote.
GfK’s regular June survey, conducted before the vote, suggested consumers were becoming gloomier even before the Brexit outcome, while the National Institute of Economic and Social Research said its monthly estimate for June gross domestic product showed an “intensifying contraction.”
Six in 10 respondents in GfK’s special survey of 2,002 people said they expect the economic situation to worsen in the coming year, up from 46 percent in the June survey. The proportion of people who believe prices will increase rapidly in the same period jumped to 33 percent from 13 percent. The report noted a greater drop of confidence among those living in the north of England and Scotland than the south, including London.
“The survey results are grim,” Allan Monks, an economist at JPMorgan Chase in London, wrote in a note to clients. “This is adding to a sense that the economic shock from the Brexit vote will be significant. We think the Gfk raises the risk of recession, but by itself we do not think there is yet enough evidence to change our call for a near stagnation in growth” in the second half.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that apprehension in the lead up to the vote also hurt hiring, according to a report by Markit for the Recruitment & Employment Confederation. The number of people placed in permanent jobs fell for the first time since September 2012, according to a survey of 400 U.K. consultancies from June 13-24. Growth in temporary and contract staff billing was the lowest in nine months.


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Men's Wearhouse investor calls Jos. A. Bank deal for Eddie Bauer 'desperate tactics'
- Gary Haber, Staff Reporter - Baltimore Business Journal
The Men's Wearhouse Inc.'s (NYSE: MW) largest shareholder on Tuesday lambasted Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc.'s (Nasdaq: JOSB) plans to buy outdoor apparel retailer Eddie Bauer as “desperate tactics” by the company’s executives and board to hold onto their jobs at the expense of shareholders.
Ricky Sandler, CEO of New York hedge fund Eminence Capital LLC, said in a letter to Jos. A. Bank’s board that the deal “to purchase a completely unrelated business” demonstrates “a total and complete disregard for your principal role: serving as a steward for shareholders in maximizing value.”
Jos. A. Bank announced Friday its deal to acquire Eddie Bauer for $825 million.
Sandler has been pushing Maryland-based Jos. A. Bank to accept a $1.6 billion buyout offer from Houston-based rival Men’s Wearhouse. Eminence is Men’s Wearhouse’s largest shareholder with a stake just under 10 percent. It also owns 4.9 percent of Jos. A. Bank, or more than 1.37 million shares.
In his letter Sandler said that Jos. A. Bank’s “bet the company” strategy to buy Eddie Bauer is risky because 40 percent of Eddie Bauer’s sales come from women’s clothing, an area that is “outside of Jos. A. Bank’s core men’s tailored clothing segment.” The deal also exposes Jos. A. Bank to more risk because Eddie Bauer’s clothing is also more of a discretionary purchase.
Jos. A. Bank said previously the acquisition was not meant to block a transaction with Men's Wearhouse and instead would expand its offerings, bring in new customers, including women, and result in about $25 million in cost savings. A Jos. A. Bank spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.
Eminence filed a lawsuit in Chancery Court in Delaware in an attempt to block Jos. A. Bank from making an acquisition that would lessen the chances of Men’s Wearhouse buying the company. Eminence filed an amended complaint on Feb. 4 even before Jos. A. Bank announced a deal to buy Bellevue, Wash.-based Eddie Bauer.
Gary Haber covers Banking, Finance, Insurance, Law for the Baltimore Business Journal, a sister publication of the Houston Business Journal.
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The Victorian Taxi Industry Inquiry has called for sweeping reforms of the taxi and hire car industries to increase competition, improve performance, and restore trust, all with the consumer as the central focus. On May 31 the Victorian Government released the draft report of the Taxi Industry Inquiry.
This report investigates the Victorian Taxi and hire car industries and concludes that the taxi industry currently “performs poorly and is not working well for consumers”.
The Report, which was chaired by former ACCC chairman Professor Allan Fels, recommends that the Victorian Taxi industry needs to be completely reformed to “increase and improve the supply of taxis, restore trust in the industry and boost the demand for taxi services”.
The recommendations of the inquiry’s report center around creating a more open taxi industry which will drive competition allowing for the industry to develop a greater consumer focus.
The report recommends that this be achieved by significant deregulation of taxi licensing, allowing for higher levels of driver ownership, greater flexibility in the use of different vehicle types, and for the market to determine the number of taxis.
The draft report also found that “it is clear that Victorians are generally dissatisfied and disappointed with the quality and behaviour of taxi drivers”. In response to this a core element of the proposed reforms is a new streamlined permit system and better training, testing, and salary for drivers, all with the intention of improving customer service and consumer satisfaction.
Although the full report is not due until later in the year it urges the government to act swiftly for, as it states, “allowing the taxi and hire car industry to continue in its current form is untenable”.
The draft report can be found here.


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New hotels in London and Istanbul expected to join The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand
Iconic Hôtel Martinez in Cannes partially reopened as part of the brand portfolio
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today two hotels in Europe are expected to join The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand – the Great Scotland Yard Hotel in London and Nish Palas in Istanbul. Additionally, the iconic Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, the charming Párisi Udvar Hotel in Budapest and the newly renovated Hôtel du Louvre in Paris are all expected to open and become a part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt portfolio by early 2019, creating significant growth for the brand in Europe.
“The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand offers tremendous potential for growth in the European market. The brand allows new hotel owners to explore opportunities with us,” said Peter Norman, senior vice president, acquisitions and development – Europe, Africa and Middle East (EAME) and Southwest Asia for Hyatt. “This brand enables us to team up with new owners and developers and furthers the foundation they’ve developed with their individual hotel brands. We also know guests are increasingly seeking authentic and one-of-a-kind experiences and have a desire to stay at properties that have a story to tell while creating new stories of their own and The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand caters to this demand.” Continue reading “The Unbound Collection by Hyatt Brand to Expand in Europe”


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Reducing the User Acquisition Cost per Client (UAC) by 20% could save fintechs and marketplaces over $120K per month in savings with the correct data security software.
E-commerce has grown considerably in the past years, most likely due to the global pandemic and social distancing requirements. During 2020, Latin America saw the second largest increase in its online market share globally (55%), which has proved extremely beneficial to companies with digital commerce platforms.
However, these companies have also had to face a considerable hurdle in their business operations: user and client onboarding and the data security and verification challenges this creates.
Many companies struggle to implement a suitable onboarding tool or that also provides data storage security, either because it is expensive to invest in a digital infrastructure of that calibre, or because they simply haven’t found a provider that meets their needs.
Truora, a company that provides identity verification and digital onboarding software , estimates that “reducing the UAC cost by 20% would be equivalent to more than $12K per month in savings for most Latin American marketplaces and fintechs.”
These estimates further confirm the urgent need for Latin America companies to have access to and implement adequate data security tools: technology that can allow them to create a secure digital environment for their users which will protect both customers and merchants from fraud and also protect the business model of e-commerce platforms.
Data risks of the client onboarding processes
In Latin America, fintech companies and marketplaces lose more than 30% of their new users during the registration process on their platforms. Without a doubt, entrepreneurs are eager to reverse these statistics.
Frequently, it is the complex registration process, a lack of security, and the need to jump through multiple hoops that put customers off joining a platform:
“Our clients tell us that the main reason a customer abandons the registration process is due to the difficult and cumbersome nature of the process which requires printed documents or incur a delay of several business days before registration approval. Similarly, the need to have a strong internet connection and access to different forms of online data remains a major barrier for many merchants and customers,” says Maite Muñiz, co-founder of Truora.
One solution to these problems are the new digital tools which help to simplify the registration process and decrease the costs of new user onboarding for companies by creating a portal with the correct data security and identity checking resources.
Solutions like TruConnect allow fintechs, proptechs, and e-commerce marketplaces to sign new clients via WhatsApp.
Through a WhatsApp conversation, new users who want to open an account with a marketplace, either as a customer or a seller, can now complete the full registration, validation, and onboarding process within minutes and without so many obstacles.
This simplified onboarding process helps catch those users who might otherwise slip through the net during traditional registration processes.
Another digital security tool that is helping to reduce the CAC for companies is digital compliance and identity checks, which reduce the security risks caused by potential hackers on e-commerce sites. The difficulty faced by companies here is finding a tool that performs these functions in the simplest way for businesses.
Solutions that offer automated background check during the onboarding process help mitigate these risks. Companies that handle highly sensitive data, such as banks and fintechs, can take advantage of these new technological solutions that are now appearing in the market.
These solutions are also built for simple, no-code integration, so that smaller, developing companies who do not have a development team or robust infrastructure can also implement these tools on their platforms.
E-commerce is proving to be a great business model for both merchants and buyers in the digital age, but data security is a major concern. It is the responsibility of e-commerce companies to take of care of their customers and provide the necessary security and tools to provide protection to not only their users, but also to their own business infrastructure.
An awareness of data security risks and the correct implementation of suitable tools and software is a smart investment that can save major costs in the future. Cost of Acquisition of Clients and Users can provide valuable insight into how much a company invests in each new client, but it also provides an important insight into business operations.
(translated by LatamList)


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Nicolas Cage’s Stolen Superman Comic Book Reportedly Being Auctioned Online
3:45 pm, November 12th, 2011
The Superman comic book stolen from Nicolas Cage eleven years ago is reportedly being sold at auction, and it could fetch an unprecedented $2 million.
Action Comics No. 1, from June 1938, marks the first appearance of the Man of Steel, and well-known fan Cage spent approximately $150,000 for his copy in 1997.
While roughly a hundred copies are thought to exist, only a handful are in quality as pristine as Cage’s.
But the comic was stolen from the actor’s home in January 2000.
It was ultimately discovered in a storage locker last April.
At the time, Cage, who’d been reimbursed by an insurance company, expressed his hope that he could reach a settlement and regain the item.
But an online auction featuring what’s assumed to be the infamous copy is now underway, with the current bid at just over $1.3 million.
The previous record sale for an Action Comics No. 1 was $1.5 million in 2010 – except that copy’s condition wasn’t as good as this one’s.
Bids end on November 30, so be sure to scrape together some cash before then!
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Turkey discloses cargo transshipment via Port of Samsun
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
The volume of cargo transshipment through Turkish Port of Samsun amounted to 986,640 tons in January 2020, Trend reports referring to the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure on Feb. 28.
In January 2020, the volume of cargo transshipment by ships through the Turkish Port of Samsun amounted to 61,819 tons, and by ships flying the flag of other countries - 924,821 tons.
Cargo transshipment via Port of Samsun by transit was not carried out in January 2020.
The volume of cargo transshipment through the Turkish ports exceeded 32.9 million tons in January 2020. Meanwhile, the volume of cargo transshipment by ships flying the Turkish flag amounted to 2.4 million tons.
The volume of cargo transshipment through Turkish ports by ships flying the flag of other countries amounted to 30.5 million tons.
In January 2020, over 6.1 million tons of cargo transshipment in transit were carried out through Turkish ports.
Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu


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In a fillip to ‘Make in India’ and Indian Railways aim to move towards environment-friendly methods, state-run BHEL recently flagged of its first electric locomotive.
State-run engineering major Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) flagged off its first 6,000 HP electric locomotive from its Jhansi plant in Uttar Pradesh, expanding its footprint in the transportation sector.
A company statement said that as part of its diversification initiatives, BHEL has flagged off of its first 6,000 HP electric locomotive (Type WAG-9H). BHEL has manufactured the 6,000 HP locomotive against an order from the Railway Board for 30 locomotives for Indian Railways.
Interestingly, the public sector firm has created a dedicated centre for research and development in transportation technology as well as manufacturing facilities at Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) and Bengaluru (Karnataka) plants. Read More
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The Semantic Web, a concept tossed around for years as a Web extension to make it easier to find and group information, is getting a critical boost Tuesday from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). W3C will announce publication of SPARQL (pronounced “sparkle”) query technology, a Semantic Web component enabling people to focus on what they want to know rather than on the database technology or data format used to store data, W3C said. The potential of the Semantic Web cannot be underestimated. By scanning the Web on behalf of users, even Google’s ad-based business model could be impacted, an analyst said. SPARQL queries express high-levels goals and are easier to extend to unanticipated data sources. The technology overcomes limitations of local searches and single formats, according to W3C.
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