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December 6, 1988 |
Zayre Corp., in a move to boost profits after the sale of its money-losing Zayre Stores unit in October, said Monday that it will spin off its Warehouse Clubs division and then buy the 17% of TJX Cos. it does not already own. Zayre said it would change its name after the merger to TJX Cos. effective at the Zayre annual meeting in June. Zayre had spun off a minority interest in TJX, a profitable off-price retailer, in 1987. One analyst said the deal would value TJX at $32 a share or about $1.
May 26, 1987
The Framingham, Mass.-based retailer said it will sell 16% of its ownership for $200 million in a bid to raise cash and bolster its stock price. Zayre shares last week advanced $2.125 to $26 in heavy trading as Wall Street responded favorably to the plan, which places a value of about $1.2 billion on the off-price division as a whole. The offering will give stock market investors the first chance to buy shares of a large off-price business, aside from such regional chains as Syms Corp.
September 16, 1986
Malcolm L. Sherman has been named chairman of Zayre Stores, a division of Framingham, Mass.-based Zayre Corp.
September 16, 1988 |
Zayre Corp., the Massachusetts retailer that owns Fullerton-based HomeClub, has agreed to sell its ailing discount-store division to Ames Department Stores in a deal valued at about $800 million. With Zayre's 388 discount department stores, Ames will roughly double the number of discount stores it operates--and more than double its revenue--making it the third-largest discount retailer in the country.
October 15, 1992 |
Ames Sues Investment Bank Over Advice: Ames Department Stores Inc. filed a $375-million lawsuit against investment bank Wertheim Schroder & Co. for offering alleged faulty advice in a takeover that eventually forced Ames into bankruptcy. Wertheim was the investment banker for Ames in the $788-million takeover of Zayre Corp. in 1988, which gave the company 392 stores in New England but also saddled it with huge debts.
August 17, 1988 |
J. C. Penney Co., the nation's third-largest retailer, said Tuesday that its profit declined 21.3% in the second quarter, and No. 5 retailer Zayre Corp. said it had a $21.9-million loss. Dayton Hudson Corp., which operates the Mervyn's chain, said its second-quarter profit rose 24%. Chicago-based Carson Pirie Scott lost $8.1 million; it had a $45.7-million loss in the year-ago quarter.


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HAIKOU, May 6 (ChinaEuropeNet) — The first China International Consumer Products Expo scheduled for May 7 to 10 in Haikou, capital of south China’s Hainan Province, will be a magnet for international brands, according to the organizers on Thursday.
Co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the expo has registered 2,628 consumer brands, including 1,365 international brands from 69 countries and regions.
Covering 80,000 square meters, including 60,000 square meters of international exhibition space featuring products including jewelry, food and health products from leading brands, the expo is expected to attract more than 30,000 buyers and over 200,000 visitors.
To cater to the demand for high-end leisure products among the country’s new rich, the city of Haikou will hold a yacht show during the event, which will feature 107 yachts of 58 brands from 12 countries and regions.
Switzerland, as the guest of honor for the expo, has planned to launch 81 activities of consumer product debuts releasing new products.
The event will be the first international expo to be held in Hainan since China released a master plan in June 2020 to build the island province into a globally influential and high-level free trade port by the middle of the century.
It is also the first-ever expo focused on consumer products organized by the world’s second-largest economy. It is expected to showcase the country’s consumption power, facilitate the construction of the free trade port, and contribute to the new development paradigm of dual circulation.
Han Shengjian, director of the Hainan International Economic Development Bureau, said that the expo serves as a global platform for displaying and trading fine consumer products.
The expo will be more focused on product displaying and brand promotion than on on-site sales, according to the organizers.
“Most exhibitors hope to get access to more buyers and look for more business cooperation opportunities through the expo instead of on-site retails,” Han said. Enditem

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Foxconn’s April sales fall 12% on slowing smartphone business
Taiwan’s Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics maker and major iPhone assembler, said on Friday revenue in April fell 11.77% year-on-year due to weakness in smart consumer electronics, and expected business to drop this quarter.
Foxconn said revenue last month reached T$429.2 billion ($14 billion), in line with the company’s own expectations.
For smart consumer electronics products, which include smartphones and are the company’s main business driver, revenue in April declined as it entered the “traditional slow season”, the company said in a statement, without elaborating.
Business in the second quarter is expected to decline due to a high base last year and “the seasonal off-peak period” amid a transition between old and new products, it said.
The first half of the year is traditionally slower for Taiwan tech manufacturers as major electronics vendors including Apple (AAPL.O) launch new products near the year-end holiday season.
This report’s information was first seen on REUTERS; to read more, click this link.


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I’m kicking-off a two-part column here. After all, it’s nearing the end of 2003, and at this time of the year one naturally begins to look back, to take stock. Since many people more famous and wiser than I have correctly pointed out that it’s easier to criticize than to compliment, I’m going to start with the more difficult task.
Allow me to look at the bright side of 2003.
First let’s tackle the macroeconomics. According to a CIO Canada (a sister publication) and Athabasca University survey detailed in this issue, 42 per cent of you are predicting a rise in IT budgets next year. Only 19 per cent see a decline. According to Gartner, the worldwide IT economy will rebound strongly by 2006, and most enterprises will soon change their strategic focus from cutting costs and protecting profits to aggressively driving growth.
More spending means more jobs. So take heart, the scarcity of IT employment in Canada is likely to be alleviated.
Next is security. Sure, there’s a long way to go – witness the crippling effects of worms this year, not to mention several serious, high-profile breaches. But the industry is beginning to stagger its way toward some semblance of action. Microsoft, regardless of what opinion you may have of the company, has started doing its bit by revamping its patching policies, and perhaps soon even automating the process. It delayed the release of Windows 2003 so it could be reinforced and is now talking about adding spam filters to Exchange. Look at it this way – if Microsoft is starting to take some blame, the general air about the industry has definitely changed.
On that topic, it also appears this was the year the vendors started listening. Everything from licensing schemes (Redmond a very notable exception) to upgrades are now being handled with such care for customers that one wonders if the vendor execs have finally figured out that the loud, angry roar resulting from years of arrogant treatment may actually harm them in the long term.
Diversity. If you’re a fan of competition in the OS market, then you have to be impressed with the strides Linux made in 2003. Its share is still dwarfed by Windows, but it’s expected to perform well against Unix and Windows in installs year over year for the next several years. Novell, IBM and Sun are all making big bets. And a P.S. to all those free OS enthusiasts fretting about Big Business involvement: what was the point of working so hard on an open source platform, if not to make it a viable platform for everyone?
Finally, there’s a growing concept of real-time/grid/utility/adaptive computing. All of the vendors have a different buzzword for it. But call it what you want, what’s important is that the notion of true, enterprise-wide, real-time computing with built-in flexibility is no longer just a dream. You and the vendors are laying the groundwork for it now.
Now, what was that I heard about IT not mattering, again?
See next issue for a more pessimistic view.


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MOBILE, Alabama - Fox News reported Tuesday a New Mexico company has expanded its recall of peanut butter and almond butter to include cashew butters, tahini and blanched and roasted peanut products.
Sunland Inc. sells its nuts to large groceries and other food distributors around the country. The company recalled products under multiple brand names after salmonella illnesses were linked to Trader Joe's Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter, one of the brands manufactured by Sunland.
The federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention said there are now 30 illnesses in 19 states that can be traced to the Trader Joe's peanut butter. No other foods have been linked to the illnesses, but Sunland recalled other products manufactured on the same equipment as the Trader Joe's product.
In addition to Trader Joe's, the recall includes nut products sold at Whole Foods Market, Target, Fresh & Easy, Giant Food, Harry and David, Stop & Shop Supermarket Company and several other stores. Some stores used Sunland ingredients in items they prepared and packaged themselves.
Brand names recalled include Archer Farms, Earth Balance, Fresh & Easy, Late July, Heinen's, Joseph's, Natural Value, Naturally More, Open Nature, Peanut Power Butter, Serious Food, Snaclite Power, Sprouts Farmers Market, Sprout's, Sunland and Dogsbutter, among others.http://www.al.com/mobile


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In consultation with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) has established guidelines that will now enable the online sale of.
Intuit (INTU) Prices Senior Notes Offerings Worth $2 Billion – Per the company, J.P. Morgan, BofA Securities, MUFG, US Bancorp, Wells Fargo Securities and Scotiabank are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. Intuit stated that it might use a.
These activities include the launch of the ‘I AM CARICOM’ photo frame for social media, interviews with the island’s Ambassador to Caricom as well as online games and quizzes and the development.
Air Force Pt Test Calculator Listen To Shortwave Radio On Android AI Speakers – Talk to your smart home device to listen to KBS WORLD Radio! We’ll bring you the latest from and around Korea. “Listen to news from KBS WORLD Radio” “Listen to news from KBS WORLD Radio News”. Unexplained clips appeared on Webdriver Torso’s account in September Clips
The Detroit News first reported on the three-minute video posted online that shows part of the interaction. Takelia Hill, who is Black, told the newspaper that it happened after the white woman.
In addition, no employee has been negatively impacted by the changes and there will be no displacement as a result of the developments,” the Trust said in a response to OBSERVER ONLINE yesterday.
Redskins undergoing ‘thorough review’ of team name – On Thursday night, Nike appeared to remove all Redskins gear from its online store. Nike did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment. Coach Ron Rivera, who said in a recent radio.


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Bugatti 3D prints world's largest functional titanium car component
The name Bugatti is associated with bleeding-edge motor cars rather than 3D printing, but the automaker has announced it has produced a new brake caliper that is not only the largest in the motor industry, but is the largest component to be printed from titanium alloy. The product of a joint effort by the Bugatti Development Department and Laser Zentrum Nord in Hamburg, the eight-piston monobloc brake caliper may one day lead to auto components that combine superior performance with faster, cheaper production.
The development of hypercars like the Bugatti Veyron and Chiron may be pushing the envelope of automotive performance, but it's also forcing the development of vehicle components and the materials used to make them. One example is the brake design used on the Chiron, the calipers for which are the largest installed in any production car and were designed using bionic principles. They're forged from high-strength aluminum alloy and contain titanium pistons – eight for the front brakes and six for the rear.
The new calipers are meant to combine minimum weight with maximum stiffness, but Bugatti felt there was room for improvement, so the company's engineers came up with another version made entirely of an aerospace titanium alloy called Ti6AI4V, which is normally used in highly stressed undercarriages, wing components, and jet and rocket engines.
According to Bugatti, calipers made from titanium would have a tensile strength of 1,250 N/mm² (125 kg/mm²). In addition, the titanium caliper, measuring 41 x 21 x 13.6 cm (16 x 8 x 5 in) and with walls only one to four mm thick, would weigh only 2.9 kg (6.4 lb), as opposed to an aluminum version's 4.9 kg (11 lb).
Unfortunately, while titanium promised superior performance and durability compared to aluminum with a 40 percent weight savings, titanium alloys are notoriously hard to cast or forge and often require exotic techniques, like explosive forming. Bugatti's answer was to turn to an additive manufacturing technique, better known as 3D printing, that uses lasers to fuse titanium alloy powder into precise, complex shapes.
The caliper went from idea to prototype in only three months. After Bugatti completed computer modeling, the data files were sent to Laser Zentrum Nord for final process simulation and printing using the world's largest printer capable of handling titanium thanks to its four 400 W lasers.
Bugatti says that printing the caliper took only 45 hours, which is a remarkably short time for making a complex prototype. During the process, the printer laid down 2,213 layers of fine titanium alloy powder one at a time. After each layer was set down, the lasers, guided by the design files, fused the alloy into a cross section of the caliper along with temporary support structures that cooled and solidified instantly, before the machine repeated the process.
Once completed, the excess powder was removed and the caliper was placed in a furnace, where it was initially subjected to a temperature of 700° C (1,300° F), which was lowered to 100° C (212° F) to stabilize the structure and eliminate stresses. The supports were then removed and the caliper was sent back to Bugatti for final mechanical, physical, and chemical processing to improve is durability before final machining.
"It was a very moving moment for the team when we held our first titanium brake caliper from the 3D printer in our hands," says Frank Götzke, Head of New Technologies in the Technical Development Department of Bugatti Automobiles. "In terms of volume, this is the largest functional component produced from titanium by additive manufacturing methods. Everyone who looks at the part is surprised at how light it is – despite its large size. Technically, this is an extremely impressive brake caliper, and it also looks great."
With the goal of being used in series production, the new caliper is scheduled to begin vehicle trials before June of this year.
Flying 3D-printer concept gets off the ground in Shanghai
The Fly Elephant 3D printing drone would be fed printing materials through a tube at the top, to be extruded through the nozzle at the bottom(Credit: DediBot)
Under the six rotor cage of the Open-ended Additive Manufacturing (OAM) drone hangs a 3D printing nozzle that's fed plastic, concrete mix or other material from a tube connected to the top of the OAM Fly Elephant. The drone's printing path will be precisely plotted by software, for a promised printing accuracy of 0.1 mm.
The 3D printing drone flying around the company's booth at TCT Asia is showcasing its potential applications in the construction industry, with the free-flying design meaning that the size and shape of printed structures are not restricted by the dimensions of a static 3D printer's enclosure. Printed examples on display look similar to the kind of layer-by-layer 3D-printed builds in Dubai and Spain.
Construction projects could be undertaken by a cluster of 3D printing drones working together, possibly with drones each extruding different materials for a kind of multiple print head approach to structure builds. Of course, short battery life may well limit the potential usefulness of such technologies so DediBot is looking to wireless power solutions to give the drones potentially unlimited air time on the construction site.
All of which could make the out-there plan put forward by Vincent Callebaut to rebuild Mosul in Iraq seem not so far fetched after all.
The Fly Elephant is still very much at the concept stage, with many questions yet to be answered – including what impact on flight, movement and printing accuracy the material supply tube might have on the drone, would printing need to abandoned during high winds, and would the process be limited to producing rough and ready structure prototypes or might we see drones printing usable buildings? But the flying prototype on show in Shanghai, China, is an intriguing taste of things to come. Maybe.
Electronics 3D-printed onto human skin
The printing system can compensate for subtle movements of the hand(Credit: University of Minnesota)
Various research institutes have already developed skin-applied electronics, that are pre-made and simply adhered to the user's body. Researchers at the University of Minnesota, however, have taken a different approach. They've developed a method of 3D-printing custom electronics directly onto the skin.
Led by Prof. Michael McAlpine, the scientists are utilizing an adapted inexpensive 3D printer, that extrudes a special conductive ink made of silver flakes. Unlike other such inks, which need to cure at high temperatures and would thus burn the skin, theirs cures at room temperature.
Because no one can hold their body completely still, an array of temporary dot-like markers are initially placed on the skin, after which the skin is scanned. The printer subsequently uses a computer vision system to track these markers during the printing process, automatically moving its print nozzle to stay in alignment with the curving contours of its subtly-moving target.
The resulting electronics could be powered wirelessly (as is the case with the LED seen in the video below), although McAlpine tells us that in the future, it should also be possible for the system to 3D-print batteries or solar cells. Once users were done with the electronics, they could just be peeled or washed off.
"We are excited about the potential of this new 3D-printing technology using a portable, lightweight printer costing less than $400," says McAlpine. "We imagine that a soldier could pull this printer out of a backpack and print a chemical sensor or other electronics they need, directly on the skin. It would be like a 'Swiss Army knife' of the future with everything they need all in one portable 3D-printing tool."
It should also be noted that by using a bioink in the printer, the team was able to print cells onto a live mouse's skin wound – so the technology has potential medical applications, as well.
A paper on the research was recently published in the journal Advanced Materials.
Source: University of Minnesota
Nano Dimension Joins Techniplas Open Innovation Program, Will Use DragonFly 2020 Pro 3D Printer for Automotive Applications
Global design and manufacturing provider of automotive products and services Techniplas, headquartered in Wisconsin, brings 3D printing companies together to offer benefits from their shared technologies. The company is working to shape the future of mobility and is committed to open innovation, as evidenced by its open innovation program. Techniplas focuses on developing partnerships that provide 3D printing innovators mutual benefits in each other’s capabilities and strengths, and companies like Sharebot, DWS, Sicnova, ParaMatters, and Nexa3D have recently joined the program as innovation partners.
The like-minded partners in the open innovation program work together to push the boundaries of automotive manufacturing, and Techniplas announced at CES 2018 this week that Israeli 3D printed electronics leader Nano Dimension has joined the program.
“We are thrilled to welcome Nano Dimension as a member of our program which brings together today’s best and most innovative players and technologies. With Nano Dimension on board, we are the first to bring additive electronics capabilities to our automotive customers,” said George Votis, Founder and Chairman of Techniplas.
Nano Dimension is targeting the demand for electronic devices that rely on PCBs, using its unique 3D printing technology to disrupt and reshape the future of how electronics are made. The company, which was the first to embed conductive paths and print antennas into shapes and 3D print fully functioning PCBs, came on the scene with its DragonFly 2020 electronic circuit board 3D printer back in 2015. Nano Dimension ended its highly successful beta program this summer, and introduced its industrial-grade DragonFly 2020 Pro this fall.
The award-winning flagship DragonFly 2020 Pro allows for the 3D printing of functional electronics, including PCBs, antennas, sensors, conductive geometries, and molded connected devices, and is, according to a Techniplas release, “poised to transform electronic additive manufacturing by empowering companies to take control of their entire development cycle.”
Nano Dimension has joined the Techniplas open innovation program in order to make 3D printed conductive components, encapsulated sensors, and smart surfaces available to the automotive industry for the first time.
Nano Dimension CEO Amit Dror said, “Techniplas’ open innovation program is fast becoming the preeminent hub for innovative 3D printing companies to validate and mainstream their additive manufacturing solutions for the automotive industry. Together, we plan to lay the foundation for a new era of connected mobility and automotive products that are unencumbered by traditional design and manufacturing restrictions.”
PCB 3D printed by Nano Dimension [Image: Sarah Goehrke for 3DPrint.com]
As part of this new partnership, Nano Dimension will bring its DragonFly 2020 Pro 3D printer to the new Techniplas Additive Manufacturing Innovation Center in California, which also houses the company’s digital business unit. The industrial 3D printer will use its advanced inkjet engineering materials expertise in order to speed up development of cognitive, connected next-generation vehicle components, parts, and systems.
By joining the open innovation program, Nano Dimension’s 3D printed electronics and Techniplas’ cognitive lighting technology will come together to offer new ways of designing and 3D printing electronic conductive paths, in one step, right into the interior and facia surfaces of vehicles.
This week, Techniplas invites all CES 2018 attendees to stop by its booth #9100, in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, in order to experience the combination of these two technologies firsthand. 3DPrint.com will also be at CES this week, bringing you all of the latest product and technology news right from the showroom floor.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR 3D PRINTING IN 2018? THE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING EXPERT PERSPECTIVE
What’s next for 3D printing in 2018? We asked the CEO’s, analysts and other experts in our industry that question.
Their responses give predictions for 3D printing in 2018 featuring Blockchain technology, the Internet of Things, high-speed 3D printers and trends in metal 3D printing.
Bart Van der Schueren, CTO of Materialise
For 2018, we believe that the adoption cycle for 3D Printing will become increasingly easier, thanks to more automated processes, integrated software, collaborations with partners across industries and standardized processes.
Materialise e-Stage for metal 3D printing. Photo by Michael Petch.
Al Siblani, CEO of EnvisionTEC
While we can’t disclose much of our behind-the-scenes work with customers, we continue to see manufacturers moving quickly toward mass customized production — for medical, consumer and sporting goods — as well as real short-run production with 3D printers. This long-talked-about shift is finally being driven by the availability of high-speed 3D printers and functional new materials that make direct printing of end-use parts that compete with injection molded pieces a reality.
In 2018, we believe an even bigger development is coming. EnvisionTEC is one of many 3D printer manufacturers who have been racing to provide the dental market’s first 3D printed orthodontic aligners (not to be confused with aligners thermoformed on 3D printed models). The challenge is real to deliver a material that can directly print aligners with the proper biocompatibility, stability, flexion and strength. We feel confident that 2018 will be the year of the 3D printed aligner.
Also in 2018, the EnvisionTEC team sees a downturn coming in what appears to be an every-few-years hype cycle in low-cost, low-quality 3D printers. Much like the hype around MakerBot climbed for half a decade before trailing off, we’re starting to see a slowdown in the recent wave toward cheap 3D printers. While some of these low-cost 3D printer companies may survive long-term as they try to enter a more premium end of the 3D market, where the requirements for high accuracy, repeatability and sophisticated materials are paramount, we believe the next year will see a shakeout of many of these companies.
EnvisionTEC 3D printed jewelry molds. Photo by Michael Petch.
Shane Fox, co-founder and CEO of LINK3D
In 2018, we’ll see an increase in collaboration between software and hardware. This will help industries advance their additive manufacturing facilities towards mainstream manufacturing. Those that invest in automation software will begin to experience the true benefits of what Industry 4.0 promises.
Eric Savant, CEO of iMakr
2018 will see another significant upswing in the adoption of 3D printing, both on a consumer and professional level, and iMakr will continue to play a global role in facilitating that trend. Lower priced entry level 3D printers, like our very own $99 STARTT, make entering the 3D printing market a relatively risk-free proposition for home buyers.
On a professional front, improved dependability, advancement in materials and more affordable access to innovation will drive ever more businesses and schools to explore new applications for 3D printing. With the introduction of our new franchise scheme, iMakr is poised to provide on the ground support, advice and leadership across the world in this fast developing market.
Vishal Singh, co-founder and CTO of LINK3D
I believe that in 2018 the emergence of Blockchain technology will slowly be adopted within the Additive Manufacturing industry because Blockchain offers immutability of digital files. This is a quality that is paramount to increasing security management of IP throughout the AM workflow.
Shon Anderson, CEO of B9Creations
I believe we’ll continue to see more customer demand for tailored solutions beyond the basic technology, with user interface improvements, industry-specific workflow integrations, and innovative material solutions at the top of their list. These are the investments we’ve made based on market feedback.
Final preparations for RAPID + TCT taking place. Photo by Michael Petch.
Romain Kidd, CEO of MyMiniFactory
Following a record year for the adoption of desktop 3D printers, 2018 will see even more consumers get their first device. With popular 3D printer models now costing less than a Playstation or an Xbox, this growth in adoption will be driven by 3D printer manufacturers focusing their attention on the user experience of the whole solution – hardware + software + content.
Indeed, MyMiniFactory Click & Print – our unique solution which removes the need for slicing – allows manufacturers to open up the market to users who would otherwise never get into 3D printing. Specifically, Click & Print shortens the learning curve traditionally associated with 3D printing.
For designers, this growing adoption of desktop 3D printers translates into an increased demand for high quality 3D printable content, and as a consequence of that, more opportunities to grow their audience and monetise their talent.
Ramon Pastor, Vice President and General Manager at HP 3D Printing
In 2018, we’ll see an inflection point in the number of commercial applications for industrial 3D production as costs are dramatically reduced and awareness of its many advantages increases. More companies in more industries will start reinventing their businesses for manufacturing’s fully-digital future.
Amit Dror, CEO of Nano Dimension
In 2018, the 3D printing market will continue to mature, where we are anticipating the addition of new entrants into the market, technological advancements, and more customer-driven end applications. As a driving force behind the Internet of Things, the Industry 4.0 revolution and other advanced manufacturing technologies, 3D printing and highly sophisticated additive manufacturing technology will translate the digital world to the real world. As such, we can expect to witness a more connected, digital, functional and agile world to do things the right way. It’s a world limited only by our imagination.
Nano Dimension 3D printed electronics. Photo by Michael Petch.
Menno Ellis, SVP Strategy and Vertical Markets, 3D Systems
I believe that 3D printing in 2018 will see continued advancements in bioprinting of tissues and organs, enabling greater number of healthcare applications. Also, continuing advancements in material development enabling new applications for end-part production in high stress environments including auto, aero, consumer goods and medical/dental.
This year 3D printers will see significant price reduction of production-caliber technologies and platforms (DLP, SLS, Metal) will open up new markets and drive penetration for 3D printing.
There will be an increasing importance of APAC. Technical advances and market gains by Chinese OEM’s, including growing 3D printing adoption by APAC manufacturing facilities as range of 3D printing benefits, for example economic, technical, operational, exceed labor cost arbitrage.
3D printing M&A activity in 2018 will be driven both by captives, for example GE 2016 acquisitions of Arcam and Concept laser, and consolidation among legacy hardware and software players seeking to control a larger portion of the solution and leveraging scale for demanding R&D environment.
In 2017 3D Printing Industry made frequent visits to the APAC region. Photo by Michael Petch.
Prof. Wildemann. TCW Transfer-Centrum GmbH & Co.
In 2018, the industrialisation of the metallic 3D printing value chain will make significant progress, leading to more reliable, more economical and better certified production.
Constantine Ivanov, CEO of DigiFabster
I think that 3D printing is heading the way of the 2D printing industry. Starting in 2017 we saw growing numbers of 3D printing bureaus open, partly thanks to HP.
3D printers are becoming more reliable, easier to use and producing higher-quality output. A lot of post-production effort is still required, but this is better than a year ago.
Owners now have a little bit more time to think about other important things like marketing, workflow and labor cost optimization. That is happening right now. And that makes me very happy because it gives us a lot of work for us.
2018 will be definitely a year of new user-friendly printers, high-quality materials, and automatic post-production solutions, but more important to the industry, that it should be a year when more AM companies become more efficient and profitable. This is my wish for all industry.
Andre Wegner, CEO of Authentise
We’re going to see more focus on software tools that enable greater speed, reliability, efficiency and quality. There’s an increasing realization that many of the challenges the industry has to overcome to make additive a true mass-scale production technology can be solved by software.
3D Systems Figure 4 3D printer. Photo by Michael Petch.
Cullen Hilkene, CEO of 3Diligent
What will the next year hold for 3D Printing technology?
First, the arrival of extrusion metal printing. Today’s extrusion printers are the most prevalent and, arguably, user-friendly 3D Printers in the market. Now, after years of there being zero metal extrusion printers, there will be two in the new year from Desktop Metal and Markforged. These technologies promise new materials and a higher degree of user friendliness for metal printing.
Second, will be stories about other metal injection molding-based 3D Printing systems that are focused on bringing down the price of printing. Each of these, like extrusion metal printing, will offer a different take on building up a part “scaffold” and then sintering it in an oven as a secondary step to create a part.
Third, will be an increasing recognition that these metal injection molding (MIM)-based systems don’t displace existing 3D printing technologies but instead will target the market for molding and machining parts. These lower cost systems will gain some traction with traditional metal 3D Printer users like aerospace and medical, but where they will truly make their mark are in industries like industrial products, automotive, and oil and gas.
Fourth, will be the expansion of additive manufacturing as a production technology. More and more announcements will come from the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Aviation Administration that parts have been approved for production use. News of the success of these parts in market will start leaking out as well.
Fifth, there will be more buzz about increased speed. This will start with headlines from the new products that HP and Carbon are launching. And that will lead to incumbents who have been chasing them to highlight their successes. In addition to these known products, there will be more news about some of the exciting next-generation technologies that are coming from research labs.
These are the top five trends I see coming for 2018, and they all bode well for the year to be another great one for 3D printing.
Zortrax and Shining 3D. Photo by Michael Petch.
Richard Gaignon, CEO of 3DCeram
Ceramic 3D printing will be really effective if and when a company launches a fully automated line.
Gordon Styles, founder and president of Star Rapid
When it comes to metal 3D printing, it wouldn’t be surprising for 2018 to be uneventful. The reality is that we are still in a sort of trial phase and many companies are testing the water in terms of figuring out how the technology can be leveraged for their specific purposes. This year we’ve seen many companies take the plunge and reach out to us about metal 3D printing. This has exposed a knowledge gap when it comes to design-for-manufacturing practices about the process.
To help combat this issue, Star Rapid launched online tutorial videos and in-person training at out factory and other companies have launched various educational initiatives as well. Many companies that know how to design metal 3D printing have found suitable applications and have ordered parts. But these are still in a trial phase. They are testing small batches of parts to ensure that they successfully operate under real-world conditions with the intended performance. Once this is completed and doubts are erased, the industry will explode with demand. Most likely, this won’t begin to happen until the latter part of 2018.
GE launches the ATLAS 3D printing system. Photo by Michael Petch.
Janis Grinhofs, CEO of Mass Portal
In 2018, the 3D printing industry will see the opening of a broader market for end-use applications beyond early adopters, as in many verticals the the long tail will start investigation deployments, for the following reasons:
- Measured performance — cases, examples and studies of real-world end-use applications; data the verticals can understand and trust.
- Higher level of automation in workflows and machines, meaning easier deployment and lower barrier of entry.
Massportal’s Dynasty additive manufacturing system. Photo by Michael Petch.
Andy Kalambi, CEO of Rize
Many new players will enter Additive Manufacturing – including material providers, manufacturing companies and technology companies. Ecosystem orchestration will be key to the success of 3D printing to be able to deliver additive at scale.
Edward D. Herderick, PhD, Director Additive Manufacturing, College of Engineering CDME
2018 will be the year of metal printing—all the major manufacturers are building larger machines with more lasers and higher power energy sources. This improvement in productivity, coupled with greater maturation and understanding of printed metal performance, and we’re going to see new applications emerge in sectors beyond aerospace and healthcare like automotive and oil and gas. The applications will grow because they’re not just driven by performance, but cost management and economics.
Visiting GE Healthcare in Uppsala, Sweden. Photo by Beau Jackson.
Michele Marchesan, New Kinpo Group (XYZPrinting), Senior Vice President Industry 4.0
Customers will focus on cost effective solutions and 3D printed parts will be required for function. Metal 3D printing will find increased application and market share. Likewise, high speed plastics will increase market share.
Gary Taylor, Regional Manager UK&I at EOS
As our customers continue to innovate at scale, it’s exciting to see the growing potential of this technology as we continue to strive toward the factories of the future.
Dr. Hans J. Langer, Executive Chairman of the EOS Group and founder of EOS. Photo by Michael Petch.
Jonathan Schwartz, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Voodoo Manufacturing
In 2018, I expect to see a continued focus on materials from both the printer companies, but now from large material companies that are just starting to enter the 3DP market. With new materials will also continue to see more and more end-use applications for 3D printed parts, both at the high and low-value ends of the spectrum.
Dr. Dirk Simon, Global Business Director BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH
Taking the recent announcements of several 3D printing equipment suppliers into account, in 2018 we expect that more and more high throughput systems becoming open for use of materials from various suppliers. This will substantially increase the competitiveness of Additive Manufacturing versus classical manufacturing technologies.
Oerlikon entered the additive manufacturing industry. Photo by Michael Petch.
George Fisher-Wilson, Communications Manager at 3D Hubs
As demand increases for low-cost industrial technologies and the benefits they can provide so will the adoption of generative design. Generative design is breaking new ground for engineers around the world to easily create efficient parts in every sense of the word. In order to truly take advantage of generative design, you need technologies that can produce the geometries generated.
This is particularly relevant for low-cost metal 3D printing options now developed by Desktop Metal and Markforged which provide functional end parts.
Todd Grimm on 3D Scanning in 2017. Photo by Michael Petch.
Chris Connery at CONTEXT
During 2018, we will see the emergence of a new class of low-end industrial metal 3D printing machines. While these are, of course, not for the masses, “low-end” in this context still means ~$150k, this new class includes $1M machines that will allow more companies to experiment with 3D printing in ways that were previously out of reach for most of them.
Farewell My Concubine performed by Beijing Opera singers at the Royal College of Art with 3D printed textiles by Mingjing Lin. Photo by Michael Petch
Dr.-Ing. Paul Schüler, Managing Director of CellCore
Big developments concerning mass production of metal AM parts in smart factories including the PAG (Premium Aerotech) plant in Varel, GE plant in Lichtenfels and Bionic Production plant in Lüneburg.
Prodways high precision 3D printing. Photo by Michael Petch.
Hugo Fromont & Pierre Ayroles, co founders of Cults
FDM 3D printing will improve by allowing to print much faster, for example the algorithm to speed up printing developed by engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Personal 3D printers will allow printing in multiple colors, such as the Da Vinci Color from XYZPrinting.
3D modeling for 3D printing will become more and more valued because manufacturing is no longer a barrier. Only the idea of design will be important and its distribution, its sharing, will be strategic.
David McCann, Senior Business Architect at Clariant
We anticipate more industrial products being produced with extrusion type printing (filament).
The products will demonstrate that extrusion printing meets the desired industrial requirements such as strength, surface quality, certification, and more.
Michael Sorkin, Head of Europe at Formlabs
The market needs to hold its promises of the last years. What new players need to do in order to survive is to start focusing on vertical instead of just horizontal growth. There is so many applications, where the potential is not fully explored: aerospace, healthcare… For this qualitative approach, a lot can be done on the materials side as dentistry has proven already in 2017.
2017 was a good year for learning, 2018 should be a year of doing. Formlabs is going to set the industry standards by announcing partnerships and materials next year – stay tuned and meet us at CES!
Medical and Dental 3D printing applications. Photo by Michael Petch.
Joshua Dugdale, Technical Manager, The Manufacturing Technologies Association
I think the AM industry is currently struggling from a lack of History. Essentially other manufacturing technologies (milling, grinding, turning, forming etc) have had decades to develop and in what was previously a less regulated environment. Hence now, they are mature technologies which everyone understands and knows what the value propositions are and have an understanding of parts made using those technologies.
Therefore, AM is now having to compete against established technologies in a highly controlled environment and people just don’t yet quite fully understand where the value is in using the technology and we aren’t yet in a position where we fully understand/have confidence in the consistency of the mechanical properties of parts being manufactured. I think we are slowly getting there on this but this is the kind of thing that just takes a little bit of time as the community builds a knowledge base.
The 3D Printing Industry in 2018
What are your predictions for 3D printing in 2018? Let us know in the comments section below, or you can contact us here.
One prediction for 2018 is that the 3D Printing Industry Awards will be bigger than ever. We have some exciting news about the event coming soon – also there is still time to make your nominations for the awards.
Want to read more about the future of 3D printing? Our series “The Future of 3D Printing” has in-depth articles from almost 100 leaders in the 3D printing industry.
Featured image shows HP MultiJet Fusion 3D printed parts in PA12 displayed during the Taiwan International 3D Printing Show. Photo by Michael Petch.
This cheap 3D-printed home is a start for the 1 billion who lack shelter
Food, water, and shelter are basic human needs, but 1.2 billion people in the world live without adequate housing, according to a report by the World Resources Institute’s Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. Today at SXSW, an Austin-based startup will unveil its approach to combat that deficiency by using low-cost 3D printing as a potential solution.
ICON has developed a method for printing a single-story 650-square-foot house out of cement in only 12 to 24 hours, a fraction of the time it takes for new construction. If all goes according to plan, a community made up of about 100 homes will be constructed for residents in El Salvador next year. The company has partnered with New Story, a nonprofit that is vested in international housing solutions. “We have been building homes for communities in Haiti, El Salvador, and Bolivia,” Alexandria Lafci, co-founder of New Story, tells The Verge.
The first model, scheduled to be unveiled in Austin today, is a step toward providing shelter to those in underserved communities. Jason Ballard, one of ICON’s three founders, says he is going to trial the model as an office to test out their practical use. “We are going to install air quality monitors. How does it look, and how does it smell?” Ballard also runs Treehouse, a company that focuses on sustainable home upgrades.
Using the Vulcan printer, ICON can print an entire home for $10,000 and plans to bring costs down to $4,000 per house. “It’s much cheaper than the typical American home,” Ballard says. It’s capable of printing a home that’s 800 square feet, a significantly bigger structure than properties pushed by the tiny home movement, which top out at about 400 square feet. In contrast, the average New York apartment is about 866 square feet.
Inside the 3D-printed home. Photo: ICON
The model has a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and a curved porch. “There are a few other companies that have printed homes and structures,” Ballard says. “But they are printed in a warehouse, or they look like Yoda huts. For this venture to succeed, they have to be the best houses.” The use of cement as a common material will help normalize the process for potential tenants that question the sturdiness of the structure. “I think if we were printing in plastic we would encounter some issues.”
Once ICON completes material testing and tweaking of the design, the company will move the Vulcan printer to El Salvador to begin construction. ICON says its 3D-printed houses will create minimal waste and labor costs are significantly reduced. The company also intends to build homes in the US eventually. It’s a compelling solution to solving housing shortages but one that could be contentious among labor unions that represent workers.
It’s almost cliché that tech innovations happen in the high-end, for-profit segment long before they filter down to the masses, where innovation could serve the greatest social good. ICON and New Story are challenging that premise. Lafci uses the example of latency in cellphone availability to reach the African continent as the reason she believes in the endeavor. “(ICON) believes, as do I, that 3D printing is going to be a method for all kinds of housing,” she says.
But the company is already looking past the global housing crises to think about communities that will one day live off-planet. “One of the big challenges is how are we going to create habitats in space,” Ballard says. “You’re not going to open a two by four and open screws. It’s one of the more promising potential habitat technologies.”


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Apple was trying “very hard” (in Elon Musk’s own words) to recruit top talent from Tesla.
Now that its Project Titan has shifted gear from building an electric vehicle to developing an autonomous driving software, some of the engineers associated with the initiative have departed for Tesla.
Just as we’ve discovered that Swift creator Chris Lattner was leaving the iPhone maker to take a position as Vice President of Autopilot Software at Tesla, Electrek.co is reporting that the guy who designed many of Apple’s iconic Macs will now be building Tesla vehicles.
Matt Casebolt, who was Senior Director of Design for the Mac lineup, left the company last month for a role at Tesla as Sr. Director Engineering, Closures & Mechanisms. Casebolt led the tams that worked on the cylindrical Mac Pro, the latest MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and the original MacBook Air design, among other things.
Tesla is full of former Apple directors and Vice Presidents.
Some of the high-profile Apple executives who departed for Tesla include Vice President of Mac Hardware Engineering Doug Field, Apple’s Director of Reliability Engineering David Erhart, Chester Chipperfield who worked on Special Projects at the Cupertino firm, Director of Product Design and alloy expert Charles Kuehmann and veteran PR manager Sarah O’Brien, to name but a few.
So far, Tesla appears to be winning this poaching war.


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Monadnock's latest paper made with 100% post-consumer waste recycled fiber
High quality eliminates compromise between quality and the environment
Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. based in New Hampshire, has announced a new line of RIT HP Indigo 3-Star Certified media made with 100 percent post-consumer waste (PCW) recycled fiber.
The line includes uncoated and coated options under its flagship Astrolite PC 100 line of fine recycled printing papers.
Astrolite PC 100 Digital+ for HP Indigo is available in weights ranging from 80 lb. text to 130 lb. double-thick cover, while Astrolite PC 100 Velvet C2S with a universal coating optimized for HP Indigo (LEP), dry toner (EP) and offset lithography presses, is available in weights ranging from 80 lb. text to 150 lb. cover. This single ply 150 lb. cover is unique to the industry, according to Monadnock.
"Today more jobs require shorter runs and variable data with the print quality that HP Indigo presses afford," said Julie Brannen, Director of Sustainable Innovation for Monadnock. "Because of the high quality of Monadnock's PCW recycled papers, there is no longer a compromise between quality and the environment."
All of Monadnock's fine printing papers are Forest Stewardship Council certified (FSC C0018866) ensuring responsible use of forest resources. They are manufactured carbon neutral with 100% Green-e certified renewable electricity, and are recyclable in curb-side mix paper recycle bins.
Astrolite PC 100 is available now and is distributed throughout the U.S. and Canada.
For more information about Monadnock Paper Mills and their latest sustainable paper products to go www.mpm.com.


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DALLAS, Sept. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Avocados From Mexico (AFM) is kicking off fall football season and gearing up for Hispanic Heritage Month with a targeted line-up of retail promotions, continuing to grow the category while encouraging avo-lovers to “Savor Every Moment” with complementary products for every occasion.
The number one selling brand of avocados in the U.S. is making a stronger connection with shoppers at retail with the launch of its new communications platform, “Savor Every Moment.” Strategically designed to elevate consumer engagement, expand usage, and increase basket size, “Savor Every Moment” seamlessly ties-in all shopper efforts at point of sale, across every touchpoint. With the launch of 2018 seasonal programs, like the “Tastiest Tailgate” and “Toast to your Heritage”, AFM continues to reinforce its commitment to getting avocados on consumers’ shopping lists and driving impulse purchases in-store all year round.
“Our new communications platform, ‘Savor Every Moment’ and this year’s programs are focused on enhancing the shopper experience and retail efforts,” said Stephanie Bazan, Senior Market Development Director of Avocados From Mexico. “We will help remind consumers how the addition of fresh avocados can turn every meal and every occasion into moments they can savor.”
To celebrate the “Savor Every Moment” launch and highlight the fall football season, AFM returns with the “Tastiest Tailgate” program, in partnership with Lime-A-Rita®. The program aims to inspire fans to throw the tastiest, most original, crowd-pleasing tailgate and home-gate feasts with the ultimate go-to’s for any game day celebration: creamy AFM guacamole and an ice cold Lime-A-Rita®. Kicking off on September 16th, National Guacamole Day, Avocados From Mexico will be distributing approximately 700,000 coupons via Facebook to recognize the promotion period and to help encourage consumers to celebrate the holiday. From a tasty BBQ with its signature guac burgers to a party spread with chips, guacamole, tacos, and sandwiches, Avocados From Mexico and Lime-A-Rita are inviting all consumers to “Have-A-Rita® and Eat Guac.”
“Creating engaging experiences for our consumers while staying true to their game day rituals is important for us. Even though tailgating and home-gating season offers a variety of food choices, we are focused on providing fans with two delicious go-to’s while reinforcing the connection between guacamole, beer and football,” said Dianne Le, Associate Shopper Marketing Director at Avocados From Mexico.
Running through December 31st, the “Tastiest Tailgate” program offers 360° campaign support to increase sales, lift and inspire avocado consumption through store merchandising, consumer savings, in-store radio, digital support, and retail-specific programming.
Click here for full article on Market Watch
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The average occupancy rate of Macau hotels in the first five months of 2018 stood at 89.3 percent, up 4.4 percentage points from the prior-year period, according to the latest data from the city’s Statistics and Census Service. Five-star hotels recorded the biggest increase in year-on-year terms, as well as the highest occupancy rate during the period.
In the five months to May 31, the average occupancy rate of the city’s five-star hotels rose by 6.7 percentage points year-on-year to 91.6 percent. Average length of stay for guests staying in five-star hotels was 1.7 days, slightly higher than the average of 1.5 days for all the hotels in Macau.
Four-star hotels in Macau recorded a 3.1 percentage points increase in occupancy during the period, to 90.4 percent. It was the second highest occupancy rate amongst all hotel categories.
In the first five months of 2018, guests of hotels and guesthouses increased by 8.2 percent year-on-year to approximately 5.71 million, showed the data.
In May, Macau had a total of 38,600 operating rooms of hotels and inns, representing an increase of 6.4 percent year-on-year. About 61 percent of that inventory are rooms that are of the five-star category.
In May alone, the average occupancy rate of the five-star and four-star hotels stood at around 90 percent, higher than the average occupancy rate of 87.5 percent of all hotels in Macau.
The month of May includes a Chinese holiday period surrounding the May 1 Labour Day. During that month, there were a total of 2.57 million visitors arriving in Macau, a tally that was up 3.7 percent from the prior-year period.
A separate set of data released by Macao Government Tourism Office – citing figures from the Macau Hotel Association – showed that the average room rate of the city’s three-star to five-star hotels stood at MOP1,329.3 (US$164.54) for the first five months this year, representing a 5.7 percent year-on-year increase.
During the January to May period, the average room rate of the city’s five-star hotels stood at MOP1,643.9, up 2.7 percent from the prior-year period; while the four-star category saw a 10.3 percent increase in its average room rate, to MOP814.2.
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Royal Appliance Mfg. Co. of Cleveland, maker of Dirt Devil vacuum cleaners, said that its chairman and chief executive, John A. Balch, resigned. The firm did not say why Balch, 59, who also is the company's spokesman in much of its radio and television advertising, decided to quit. The announcement came as the firm reported losses in the second quarter of $1.9 million. R. Louis Schneeberger will replace Balch as chairman, and Michael J. Merriman, who had been chief operating officer, is the new chief executive.
Copyright © 2019, Chicago Tribune


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This decision was taken by Samsung after its main factory in Vietnam and other countries experienced problems in the production process related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Citing a report from ETnews, Wednesday (16/2/2022), Samsung has shifted their production since the end of 2021.
Currently, Samsung's annual production of mobile phones is around 300 million units. In which, their two factories in Bac Ninh and Tai Ninh provinces in Vietnam are the largest producers of products.
These two factories are known to account for about 60 percent of the total production of Samsung's HP globally.
See also: Samsung Patents Portable Folding Laptop
Meanwhile, Samsung's factory in Noida, India has a production capacity of 100 million units. Meanwhile, factories in Brazil and Indonesia adjust their production capacity to local demand.


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American tuner Hennessey is well known for its work with V8-engined, high-horsepower muscle cars like the Chevrolet Camaro and the Ford Mustang.
It will visit Porsche territory for the first time by releasing an array of aftermarket parts designed to fit the Taycan, the German firm’s first series-produced electric model.
The Taycan stands out as the first Porsche Hennessey has ever worked on, and it’s also the first electric car it has put its hands into.
Company founder and CEO John Hennessey explained his team has wanted to modify electric cars for a while, and the Taycan is the right platform to start with because it’s quick right out of the box.
The upgrades available from the Texas-based tuner will initially be limited to fairly basic parts like alloy wheels, stickier tires, and new-look interior components, though photos of the upgraded cabin haven’t been released yet.
Renderings show a wide vent right below the hood that reminds us of the 911 GT3.


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New NYC law bans takeout joints from providing plastic utensils unless requested
Take-out food devotees who want plastic utensils and other freebies with their order-in meals will soon have to request them under a new law Mayor Adams approved on Wednesday.
The so-called “Skip the Stuff” law, which was sponsored by Bronx Councilwoman Marjorie Velázquez, prohibits restaurants and any other businesses that deliver food from providing utensils, condiment packets, napkins or extra food containers unless those items are specifically requested when an order is made.
The aim is to reduce unnecessary plastic waste, and the law’s main provisions are set to go into effect in six months.
“Our goal is to constantly look at how do we to remove trash from our environment, and this is a brilliant way to do so,” Adams said in City Hall just minutes before signing the Council-approved bill into law. “This bill makes our city cleaner, more sustainable and waste free.”
In addition to restaurants that run their own delivery operations, the new law covers apps such as Grubhub and Uber Eats that make food deliveries on behalf of restaurants and also makes them subject to the same fines take-out joints could be slapped with in the event of a violation.
Under the law, app-based take-out delivery services are required to provide an option for customers to request utensils, condiments, napkins and additional containers to eat from. The default option must be that none of those items are provided unless requested.
A first-time violation carries a potential fine of $100, with subsequent violations subject to $200 and $300 tickets. But the law also offers a grace period for violations that occur before July 1 of this year.
How much of an impact it will have remains unclear, and advocates for a cleaner environment have described the challenge in daunting terms.
But Velázquez and Eric Goldstein, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said Wednesday that the law is a step in the right direction.
“According to the Sanitation Department, more than 20,000 tons a year of unused, unwanted plastic foodware is discarded every year. Much of it goes to landfills and incinerators, which are environmentally troublesome,” Goldstein said. “The ‘Skip the Stuff’ legislation is an answer to that problem.”


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IMS: ‘Pharmerging’ to propel Rx growth farther
NORWAlK, Conn. —Pharmaceuticals are expected to become a global market worth more than $1 trillion within four years, according to a recent prediction by market research firm IMS Health.
The company expected the size of the global market to grow at a rate of between 5% and 8% a year during that period, in addition to this year’s projected rate of 4% to 6%, hitting $1.1 trillion by 2014, according to a new report titled “IMS Market Prognosis.”
“Patient demand for pharmaceuticals will remain robust, despite the ongoing effects of the economic downturn being felt in many parts of the world,” IMS SVP healthcare insight Murray Aitken said. “In developed markets, with publicly funded healthcare plans, pressure by payers to curb drug spending growth will only intensify, but that will be more than offset by the ongoing, rapid expansion of demand in the pharmerging markets.”
“Pharmerging” is a special term that IMS uses for those developing countries that are quickly becoming major markets for drugs, and the firm expected them to grow at a rate of between 14% and 17% through 2014, compared with 3% to 6% in developed countries. China is expected to become the world’s third-largest market for drugs by next year.
Meanwhile, a big wave of patent expirations will shift major therapies to dominance by generics, IMS said, with expirations peaking in 2011 and 2012 in the United States; already, according to an IMS report from early April, generics represent 75% of all dispensed prescriptions in the United States, up from 57% in 2004. IMS also noted in the early April report a 5.1% growth in sales of drugs and insulin through retail and nonretail channels in the United States in 2009, with sales reaching $300.3 billion, compared with 1.8% growth in 2008.
Total global pharmaceutical market by region
|Market size*||Market size**||% Growth**||% Growth**||% CAGR†||Forecast % growth**||% CAGR†|
Retail clinics: Improved care at a lower cost
WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT Retail clinics. Save. Money. Without regard to who’s footing the bill exactly — healthcare payer or Jane Patient — retail clinics not only represent a significant cost savings across the board, but by siphoning nonemergency-yet-still-urgent cases out of the emergency rooms and doctors’ offices, retail clinics also can contribute to improved care across the healthcare continuum.
(THE NEWS: Study: Retail clinics save nonemergency patients money. For the full story, click here)
All told there were 119.2 million total ER visits in 2006, up 8.2% as compared with 2004, according to ACEP. Extrapolate that figure with WellPoint’s finding that 19.4% of those visits may be for nonemergencies across the entire nation, and the fuzzy math equates to an approximate 23.1 million non-emergency patients presenting across some 3,833 ERs. For whoever is paying for the cost of care, that’s an expenditure totaling $10.2 billion if every case were to present at an ER; as compared to $1.2 billion if every case were to present at a retail clinic. That’s the cost savings piece.
But cost savings aren’t the only benefit retail clinics afford the overall healthcare system — there’s a general improvement in care. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, average waiting times for patients triaged with non-emergency ailments at emergency departments range between one and two hours, but only when the ER isn’t crowded. That’s like saying that bee stings don’t hurt, you know, except when they do.
Let’s face it, in a nation of 309 million and counting, there are simply not enough points of care, be it for an emergency or nonemergency situation. Taking nonemergency visits out of emergency rooms would likely improve the efficiency of care for more critical patients, as well as the experience of care for noncritical patients. That’s the improved care piece.
Improved care at a lower cost, that’s what retail clinics bring to the table.
Tide brings Loads of Hope to Dollar General
NASHVILLE Tide brought its mobile laundromat to a local Dollar General to benefit victims of the recent floods.
Tide’s Loads of Hope program visited a Nashville Dollar General May 12 to provide customers in the area with clean laundry. One truck and a fleet of vans house more than 32 energy-efficient washers and dryers that are capable of cleaning over 300 loads of laundry every day. Tide washs, dries and folds the clothes for these families for free.
The Loads of Hope program also benefited victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Ike, in addition to other natural disasters.


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Angola: Latest News
Dana Sanchez, 5:56 pm
Among the star performers attracting growing numbers of investment projects are Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia Mozambique, Mauritius and South Africa.
Makula Dunbar, 4:46 pm
Research that benchmarks African private equity against the global market for the first time shows the industry is far maturer than analysts had previously thought.
Dana Sanchez, 7:04 pm AFKI Original
Nando’s signature dish is its peri peri flame-grilled chicken. Peri peri is the South African name for the African bird’s eye chili. The name is thought to have originated in the Portuguese-speaking Mozambican community.
Ann Brown, 8:54 pm
the African country of Angola can now boast of a booming economy and a growing regional and international diplomatic profile.”
Dana Sanchez, 2:54 pm
SABMiller tries to buy starch from local suppliers in Africa for beer-making. This raises the potential for local consumption and builds engagement with local communities, the company says.
Dana Sanchez, 8:43 pm
Despite soil’s importance, most people in Africa lack knowledge about soil partly because information tends to be in publications read only by scientists.
Dana Sanchez, 2:30 pm
Findings from an exploratory well in the Walvis Basin off Namibia’s central coast are promising, although drilling results for this first well show that the rock penetrated does not contain commercially viable oil reserves.
Dana Sanchez, 9:09 pm
Home-grown African companies have been steadily creating brand love and brand equity over the last decade or so. They’re local, they’re low priced, and in terms of quality they’re as good as the international brands,
Makula Dunbar, 4:17 pm
The Southern African country of Angola – one of the fastest growing economies on the continent – as announced plans to launch a bourse in the next three years.
Makula Dunbar, 3:29 pm
Africa’s consumer-facing industries have the potential to deliver good investment returns, according to Robert Scharar, Commonwealth Funds manager and president of financial planning and investment firm, FCA Corp.
- Real Estate


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The warehouse was packed, crammed to the brim with made use of Herman Miller Aeron chairs, Herman Miller Mirra 2 chairs, Herman Miller sit-to-stand desks, and other remnants of the day by day commute era. “There’s so substantially products. We have no space in our warehouses,” Zachary Unger said excitedly. “At this issue, we want to get, like, one more 10 warehouses. It is outrageous.”
In the months prior to, the house owners of Swivel Place of work Methods, dependent in a nondescript warehouse an hour east of Manhattan, just previous John F. Kennedy International Airport, had noticed even a lot more of what experienced come to be usual considering the fact that the pandemic: Fortune 500 providers coming to them, expressing they necessary to clear their workplace house, and if Unger’s company could do it quick and for cheap, they could have household furniture for up coming to nothing at all. “The business market is just crashing like crazy,” claimed Zachary. He and his spouse and children-run company have turn out to be targeted on building the most of it, by relentlessly pushing refurbished, significant-conclusion furniture from a bygone period for inexpensive on Craigslist and Fb Market. Listed here, multi-thousand dollar standing desks go for $600, and thousand-dollar Aeron chairs and Mirra 2s value $500 or significantly less.
Ahead of the pandemic, Zachary’s father, Steven Unger, had built his living buying chairs, desks, and cubicles and then advertising them to companies that had been opening up. Some of the world’s most successful companies would will need 300, 400, or even 1,000 chairs, and they’d need to have them rapidly. Unger could make it transpire.
Then the coronavirus pandemic adjusted every little thing for the Ungers. Abruptly, as workers turned at ease functioning from home, lots of enterprises had every rationale to decrease the dimension of their workplace footprint, and incredibly handful of to extend it. A single corporation even purchased thousands and thousands of pounds worthy of of home furniture, only to never ever open up up. “Nobody was opening up area anymore. It was all just downsizing,” Zachary said. Early on, the swap frightened the Ungers. “It was scary mainly because no one was shopping for anymore,” Zachary mentioned. “We couldn’t offer organizations furniture.” That pattern has ongoing by to the existing day. According to Zachary, the enterprise has not marketed 100 desks to a organization in 3 years.
But the flood of top media, finance, and tech organizations rushing to conserve income by lessening the sizing of their office space—or closing their places of work entirely—also available the Ungers an chance. Usually, liquidating an office environment does not appear cheap, often costing hundreds of 1000’s of bucks. But a lot of businesses experienced valuable desks and chairs. The place there was great home furnishings, Swivel Workplace Options was prepared to swoop in and present to handle it for a fraction of what a moving organization would demand since they ended up ready to consider on the possibility involved in storing the nicest household furniture and then obtaining potential buyers themselves. “We experienced to start liquidating businesses as an alternative of advertising to them,” mentioned Zachary. “We come in and we say we will do it for literally a quarter of the price, and we can do it in a working day.” The arrangement took advantage of the Ungers connections with business house owners, business office landlords, serious estate brokers, who experienced beforehand let them know when a organization desired to transfer in. Apart from now, they much more typically reported when a business enterprise was relocating out.
The Fortune 500 corporations, it turned out, have been significantly inclined to give the Ungers hundreds of significant-good quality chairs and desks for totally free (or close to it) if they were willing to tackle clearing the business house properly and promptly enough for the firms to get their safety deposits again. And so that was what the Ungers did, and how they ended up with a excellent offer much more Herman Miller than they are utilized to carrying.
The weekend right before we satisfied, for example, a enterprise experienced contacted the Ungers to notify them that it was abruptly shutting down and required to get 150 chairs out of the office environment “ASAP,” claimed Zachary. Swivel Office Options sped more than and collected the chairs, which ended up as superior as new. “They in no way even opened their office, essentially. They purchased a bunch of things and just shut down,” claimed Zachary.
The cellophane-wrapped chairs and desks started to pile up. Abruptly, the Ungers had hundreds of made use of, identify-brand name chairs at a time when tens of millions of personnel preferred to improve their at-residence setups on the low-priced. Offer-chain woes additionally handed the Ungers an advantage—here they have been with hundreds of chairs that they could promote at a moment’s recognize. If you order 100 chairs new from a corporation, it could acquire up to a month, Zachary mentioned: “We could have them on a truck actually in 10 minutes.”
Swivel Office environment Options is just one smaller component of a developing secondary workplace market place that is capitalizing off corporations like Meta, Twitter, and BuzzFeed, which have lowered their business office area amid a cascade of layoffs inside the technology sector, a complex macroeconomic progress that also, additional straightforwardly, has led to office chairs and desks flooding the market. “I’m just a single of quite a few folks having edge of this option,” explained a different vendor who explained he started off selling Herman Miller chairs in California as a result of Silicon Valley downsizing.
That vendor, who reported he did not have time to discuss immediately after we exchanged Facebook messages, is indicative of a distrustful corner of the economy that mostly prefers to run in the shadows, other than when it arrives to obsessively putting up to Fb Marketplace. Yet another New York chair seller, who explained negotiations in between prime providers and moving providers as “a big conspiracy,” demanded I not use his title because of his possess absence of belief in the press.
In all cases, the most appealing and legendary piece to acquire is an Aeron chair by Herman Miller, probably the most iconic piece of office furnishings in corporate The usa. Since it burst on to the market place in 1994, the Aeron chair has come to be synonymous with Silicon Valley, and, much more broadly, carrying out organization, specially in a vaguely innovative-adjacent way, serving as something like the chore coat of chairs. Herman Miller, in its individual self-aggrandizing corporate background, claims the Aeron “swiftly revolutionized the business household furniture industry” and led to an “ergonomic revolution.”
Silly as it might audio, it is also hard to argue in opposition to. “It’s our most popular chair by far,” stated Zachary. By 2000, Businessweek experienced named it the “Design of the Decade.” The up coming 12 months, Speedy Corporation went further, calling it a person of the best merchandise types of the previous 100 yrs, appropriate at the rear of the auto and Harley-Davidson and in advance of the iMac, Coke bottle, and Disney Globe. It has a lot more recently been described as “America’s ideal-marketing chair” (8 million and counting) and landed a spot in the Museum of Fashionable Art’s everlasting assortment.
And now, they have flooded the current market, as they did soon after the previous tech bust, when they acquired the nickname the “Dot-Com Throne.” Zachary started off to provide his father on setting up a next-hand retail small business, advertising chairs and desks on Craigslist, Fb Market, eBay, and Amazon. It was a riskier proposition, one that built his father extra than a minor nervous. Rather of taking the wholesale solution of obtaining 100 chairs and then turning all over and advertising them in a single go to a business as promptly as possible, Zachary was proposing having 100 chairs, then sitting on them and advertising them piecemeal online.
Zachary questioned his father to give him two months he would get care of the on line promoting, and his father could manage the liquidating. Ultimately, Steven relented, and the enterprise started off fixing the applied chairs that had become worn down right after a long time of use, spraying them, for illustration, with a touch-up paint known as Arm Chair Black. “When they arrive in, they [can occasionally] glance like rubbish. No one desires to purchase rubbish,” Zachary claimed. But he claimed that Swivel Workplace Solutions won’t promote a chair unless of course they can make it appear “pristine,” and he proudly confirmed me the refurbished chairs, which seemed fantastic as new.
The program started to perform. People today would appear in, from time to time even with stipends, hoping to enhance their property office set up. Generally, they arrived from the metropolis, but they also traveled from New Jersey, Connecticut, and even Boston. Swivel Place of work Alternatives transported discounted and made use of Aeron chairs to Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Mississippi. “The complete enterprise shifted,” Zachary mentioned.
The absence of recently opening offices—and the subsequent threat that arrived with using on hundreds of chairs—gave Swivel Office environment Methods leverage when it arrived to negotiating with downsizing companies. The place just before, they required to pay back to get the nicest furnishings, Business office Swivel Answers could now typically pay significantly less or almost nothing at all. “We you should not like to fork out for home furniture anymore,” Zachary stated. But he was brief to note that no cost isn’t genuinely free of charge. It continue to fees the Ungers a lot of income to shell out for the workers, vans, and other products and warehouses required to liquidate places of work and then maintain the household furniture until finally they discover prospective buyers on the world-wide-web. (Cubicles, it’s worthy of noting, rarely even make it again to the warehouse any more, according to Zachary.)
Advertising off the chairs and desk just one by just one usually takes extra operate and time—Zachary life on his cellular phone, continuously messaging with probable buyers—and it implies they have experienced to turn into snug with business home furnishings piling up. But Zachary stated the math functions, considering the fact that they are capable to sell the household furniture at selling prices shoppers see as very good value but which is far more income, for each chair, than the Ungers would get offering in bulk to businesses that want wholesale charges. Acquire a standing desk that retails for $3,000 when procured new. Each individual used desk could only fetch $150-200 if sold in bulk to a enterprise, but can net $600 when offered to a WFH consumer, according to Zachary.
Zachary most prefers eBay—“people have faith in it”—while Fb Market and Craigslist can be a little bit more durable to navigate. On those sites, folks usually flood him with lowball presents or have his staff drive several hours only to say they really do not want the chairs right after all. (The firm requests payment in progress when providing.) Amazon, in the meantime, is large stakes, and the chairs should glance pristine.
The business is likely properly for now. But issues remain. From what he’s noticed, Zachary expects the drop of commuter culture will only keep on from here. The individuals he talks to normally say that renting great amounts of business area just doesn’t make as a lot feeling as it utilized to, now that individuals have adapted to performing from household. “They’re all expressing that in 5, 6 a long time. I really don’t know if there’s any a lot more chairs coming in, due to the fact every firm is gonna be just doing the job from household. There’s not gonna be any much more furnishings coming out,” he said. “That would be a big collapse if the complete office environment field just shuts down and there’s no home furnishings still left.”
Zachary remains optimistic. It is a good business, he reported, due to the fact there will constantly be need for chairs. As he place it, “Everyone requires a position to sit.” When I questioned Zachary about his have place of work set-up, he reported he has a sit-to-stand desk. But then, he admitted even he does not devote all his time there. Why would he?
“Mostly,” he stated, I just offer with the cellular phone.”


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The stock of Reject Shop Ltd (ASX:TRS) is a huge mover today! The stock decreased 6.88% or $0.65 on October 19, hitting $8.8. About 260,989 shares traded hands or 84.05% up from the average. Reject Shop Ltd (ASX:TRS) has declined 34.81% since March 23, 2016 and is downtrending. It has underperformed by 40.36% the S&P500.
The move comes after 6 months negative chart setup for the $253.96M company. It was reported on Oct, 19 by Barchart.com. We have $7.83 PT which if reached, will make ASX:TRS worth $27.94M less.
More notable recent Reject Shop Ltd (ASX:TRS) news were published by: Fool.com.Au which released: “REJECTED: Reject Shop Ltd sheds 14% on profit report” on August 24, 2016, also Fool.com.Au with their article: “Why the Reject Shop Ltd share price is plunging today” published on March 18, 2016, Fool.com.Au published: “What happened to the share price of Reject Shop Ltd?” on October 27, 2015. More interesting news about Reject Shop Ltd (ASX:TRS) were released by: Fool.com.Au and their article: “The Reject Shop share price soars after profit result” published on February 17, 2016 as well as Fool.com.Au‘s news article titled: “The Reject Shop Ltd reports interim results: Should you buy?” with publication date: February 18, 2015.
The Reject Shop Limited is an Australia firm engaged in the retailing of discount variety merchandise. The company has a market cap of $253.96 million. The Firm offers a range of general consumer merchandise. It has a 14.98 P/E ratio. The Firm offers various products, such as toiletries, cosmetics, home wares, personal care products, hardware, basic furniture, household cleaning products, kitchenware, confectionery and snack food, and lifestyle and seasonal merchandise, such as seasonal gifts, cards and wrap, toys, leisure items and home decorations.
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Free parking during the afternoon has been scrapped from council-owned car parks in Tameside .
Until the start of this month, motorists were able to park free of charge after 3pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
But the council has now axed the offer as it looks at ways to save money in the face of government cuts.
Coun Peter Robinson, cabinet member for transport, said: “Over the last three years the council has undergone 41 per cent cuts to its funding with more cuts to come.
"We’ve had to review all services to ensure they remain efficient, effective and affordable. Where possible we must maximise external income to help sustain other critical frontline and statutory services such as supporting the most vulnerable members of the community including children and older
“Given this challenging financial situation, it is important that the council’s car park charging regime covers the costs of the service and is competitive with other service providers. We simply can no longer afford to provide this long-term free parking offer."
The council made the decision last year but delayed charging so people could park for free over the festive period.
It hoped the move would help to attract more shoppers into town centres such as Ashton .
Signs are being put up in car parks to alert drivers to the changes.
Coun Robinson added: "We’ll continue to work hard to support the local economy and help the borough’s town centres improve their offer and remain attractive to shoppers. We also hope to run the free December parking offer again this year to help boost trade and showcase our town centres during
the busy festive season”


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London, October 18, 2018 — Emma, the financial advocate, launched a cryptocurrency exchange integration with Coinbase, Bittrex, Binance, Bitstamp, Kraken, Bitfinex and individual Bitcoin and Ethereum addresses. Emma users will now be able to view all their cryptocurrency investments in real time under one platform.
Emma is the only app allowing UK consumers to view their cryptocurrency assets alongside traditional banking products for free. In a few taps, crypto exchanges and individual addresses can connect to Emma enabling users to smoothly access their banking and investment information under one secure app.
“Emma was built to empower millions of individuals to live a better and more fulfilling financial life. Cryptocurrency is the next emerging asset class and we are thrilled to welcome it as part of our family of integrations. Our users can now manage and track their crypto holdings alongside more traditional finances to make wiser and more transparent decisions.
For Emma, this is one of the first steps towards a world where account aggregation doesn’t just refer to banking products, but opens the doors to several financial services.” – Edoardo Moreni, CEO of Emma.
Users can now connect crypto exchanges to Emma, view live performance, track coins and tokens right from the app. This will be possible without ever having to manually enter a transaction again.
In the past years, managing money has become extremely difficult. People tend to have multiple accounts, several contracts, different credit cards and the challenges of having everything under control keep growing. Emma wants to put an end to this. Money management should be easy and straightforward. Consumers should be able to access all the information regarding their personal finance from the push of a button.
Emma is here to solve this problem and try to give customers a different banking experience, which puts them first, not their money or background. The company believes anyone should have an advocate that is able to help in the daily life, no matter who they are and where they come from.
Emma is currently building the banking app for millennials (iOS and Android), a mobile only solution that helps consumers avoid overdrafts, find and cancel subscriptions, track debt and save money. The product aims at providing a consumer focused banking experience, with the goal to improve the financial lives of its users.
Based in London, Emma launched in January 2018 with a team of finance and technology experts. The company raised a seed round of £500k in July 2018 led by Kima Ventures, one of the first investors in Transferwise, and Aglaé Ventures, the early stage program of the Groupe Arnault, investor in Netflix and Airbnb.


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According to Catch News, the cabinet has decided to withdraw the bill, which came as an amendment to the original 1940 Drugs and Cosmetics Act, as the amendment has meant the country is unable to regulate the latest industry developments appropriately in such areas as “stem cells, regenerative medicines, medical devices and clinical trials under the law”.
The cabinet is now in the process of drawing up new legislation, which is set to particularly clarify regulation requirements for the medical devices market, and separate their regulation from that of cosmetics more generally.
Looking ahead, Catch News reports that the Drug Controller General of India will be the central licensing authority for cosmetics, drugs and medical devices.
It will control the issuing, licensing, suspension and cancellation of licences for the import, export and manufacture of products, and regulate the standard quality expected from them.
For those products which fall below minimum standards, the new bill is set to also specify conditions under which they will be considered misbranded, adulterated or spurious, and outlines the penalties for these breaches.
Starting from scratch
Wider consultations have been recommended for the formulation of the new legislation, and the Ministry of Health is expected to hold various sessions with interested groups and departments.
The cabinet has made clear that the incoming legislation will be in the form of a new bill rather than an amendment, in order to be able to address current industry demands fully.
"The Cabinet has, keeping in view the role of the sector in managing public health, decided that it will not be appropriate to carry out further amendments in the present Act," it confirmed in a statement.


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Microsoft developers meeting
How to 'Build' a better app with Microsoft's Windows 8
- Greg Lamm
- Staff Writer
Microsoft is ready to unveil more details about its Windows 8 operating system at a special developers meeting in California that gets underway this week.
The Microsoft Build conference , which starts Tuesday and runs through Friday in Anaheim, Calif., is a way for Microsoft to showcase ways developers can take advantage of Microsoft’s platform. And it will be a much-watched event as people anticipate more details about Microsoft’s Windows operating system, its Windows Phone and plans moving ahead for a tablet.
Meanwhile, there has been a lot of buzz about Microsoft’s plans for a Windows 8 tablet, and Microsoft also is expected to focus on its tablet at the Build conference.
Microsoft’s long-awaited tablet will run on Windows 8 and a speedy quad-core ARM processor. Microsoft’s Jeff Johnson showed off the new Windows slate-style tablet at TechEd 2011 New Zealand recently.
Marketwatch says Wall Street is eager to hear more news about Windows 8 in hopes that Microsoft will gain more traction in the hot markets for tablets and smartphones.
We gave a sneak peek of the next generation of Windows -- "Windows 8" -- in June at the D9 conference, and this week we’ll be sharing more with developers about the direction we’re taking. We’ll provide more details about how developers can build exciting new apps on Windows with no compromises.
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The EU is said to be threatening a “sausage trade war” with the UK if it fails to comply with the “international law obligations” set out in the Brexit agreement 17 months ago.
The two sides “have become locked in an escalating row over trade rules for Northern Ireland”, reports the Financial Times.
Maros Sefcovic, a vice-president of the European Commission, and David Frost, the UK’s Brexit minister, will meet tomorrow in London to discuss the Northern Ireland protocol, which has led to “rising tensions in the region” as grace periods for the new rules are set to expire, says the newspaper.
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What is the row about?
In an effort to avoid checks along the Irish land border, which would breach the Good Friday Agreement, the Brexit deal kept Northern Ireland in the EU single market for goods and created a trade border in the Irish Sea.
But, writing in the FT on Sunday, Frost admitted that the government had “underestimated” the effect this would have on goods movements, with “some suppliers in Great Britain simply not sending their products because of the time-consuming paperwork required”.
After the EU accused the UK of unilaterally deciding to delay some checks on products, Frost warned that there had already been “political turbulence” and street protests in Northern Ireland since implementing the Irish Sea border, and called on the EU to abandon “legal purism” and take a “common sense” approach.
What has this got to do with sausages?
“‘Europe threatens sausage trade war’ is not a plot line from Yes Minister,” said the BBC this morning. It is, in fact, the main story on The Daily Telegraph’s front page.
Sefcovic has written an article for the newspaper in which he warns that the EU will react “swiftly, firmly and resolutely” if the UK fails to meet the “international law obligations” it agreed to in 2019.
The Telegraph notes that the UK has “already unilaterally extended grace periods – on supermarket goods and parcels – earlier this year”, prompting legal action from the EU. Now, the newspaper understands that ministers are “considering, as a last resort, another unilateral extension for chilled meats, including sausages and mince” – the grace period for which ends on 30 June.
It quotes one Brussels official as saying the “EU’s patience is wearing thin”, and says the row could “ultimately lead to heavy tariffs on British exports and the suspension of parts of the trade agreement, which would demand a UK response”.
Frost and Sefcovic are set to thrash out the issue in person this week, with both men talking about resolving difficulties as “friendly” trading partners and rebuilding trust. However, The Telegraph says “there appears little hope of agreeing a deal that would keep sausage supplies flowing”.
Controls on animal food products entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain is “one of the thorniest problems” related to the NI protocol, explains The Guardian.
The EU has proposed that the UK align its animal produce rules with the bloc’s to avoid checks at Northern Ireland ports, but Frost has suggested that the UK is not willing to lose control over its own laws.
Meanwhile, under the headline “Bangers and clash!”, the Daily Mail says Sefcovic’s warning comes amid reports that US President Joe Biden “will use this week’s G7 summit to impress upon Mr Johnson the importance that he attaches to maintaining the protocol”.
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BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mana Interactive Inc., a financial technology company serving gamers, revealed the close of its seed round funding, securing just over $7 million from multiple high-power individual and institutional investors. This first round of funding was backed by One Way Ventures, Pillar, Quasar Holding Co., Sundance DiGiovanni (co-founder of Major League Gaming, and former vice president of brand and content at Activision Blizzard), BlockDream Ventures (OKEX), and Sandeep Nailwal, Co-founder and COO of Polygon Network.
“Mana was developed by creatives who have been part of the gaming industry for decades and wanted to introduce a product that delivers the type of financial experience that reflects who its users are and what they care about,” said Joe Zhou, CEO. “The video game sector is currently untapped by financial applications companies and with its expansive market share and broad audience, brings a major opportunity to offer an all-new service and rewards system that is currently unavailable.”
The new funds will help fuel Mana’s goal of creating a complete rewards-driven financial ecosystem that provides everything gamers need in one place. It will be a comprehensive offering of its kind spanning all current and future gaming platforms.
Find more information about Mana at: https://mana.app
Mana Interactive Inc. is a Boston-based financial solutions provider focusing on providing a new rewards platform designed specifically for gamers. Founded in 2021, Mana Interactive is comprised of a team of passionate gamers striving to evolve the fintech space and change the way people see rewards, payments and technology working together. Mana has secured over $7M in seed funding to help fuel its boundary-pushing fintech into gamers’ spotlights around the world.


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It sure does get around
Blizzard announced that it has undergone an agreement with The9 in order to release the Burning Crusade expansion in mainland China.
The9 currently operates Blizzard Entertainment®'s critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game, World of Warcraft, in China, where the game is played by more than 3.5 million subscribers. Localization of The Burning Crusade, Blizzard's first World of Warcraft expansion, into simplified Chinese is underway, and further details regarding the release of the expansion in China will be announced in the months ahead.
Click to read the rest of the press release.
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our World of Warcraft Game Page.