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Large businesses have been outsourcing IT work to India since before the turn of the century, with waves of outsourcing and the establishment of captive technology centers. Businesses are increasing their footprints in business and tech hubs like Bangalore andPune. 600 data and cyber security specialists are going to be hired by Lloyds Banking Group as part of its digital transformation, as it opens a tech centre in India.
The 14 and 16 inch MacBook Pros based on the M2 Pro and M2 Max and the 13 inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip will be covered by Apple’s self service device repair program. It is reported that the phone will have a big battery and fast charging. This solution is likely to compete with other solutions. It will be interesting to see how consumers respond to this product and the impact it has on the foldable phone market.
There is a partnership between a South Korean gaming company and an automotive couture icon. With this update, you can get your hands on both the La Voiture Noire and the Grand Sport Vitesse, with additional secret colour themes to unlock. You will get a themed ornament and a parachute after the update. There are reports that suggest that the upcoming iPhone SE’s hardware has gone through a lot of changes. The tentative release date for the iPhone SE 4 was pushed back from 2023 to 2024, and now it may be released in 2025. Several US and European government agencies are using chips made by a Chinese company with ties to the Chinese military and intelligence, according to an investigation by Ars Technica.
Why The Battle To Save The Uk’s Semiconductor Industry Matters
The Federal Cartel Office said it had warned Google’s parent company Alphabet in a preliminary legal assessment that it “intends to prohibit” various “anti-competitive practices” linked to Google Automative Services (GAS). The CEO Action Premier of Ford said Tesla’s Cybertruck is only for “Silicon Valley people.” Jim Farley said Ford wasn’t threatened by the EV maker’s upcoming EV pickup, adding that he made “trucks for real people who do real work.” The full story.
Dubai Successfully Trials Medication Delivery Via Drones, Paving The Way For Advanced Technologies In Healthcare
The Indian mobile market has immense potential due to the rapid adoption of 5G technology, according to the findings of the report. The report predicts a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% for smartphone subscriptions in India over the course of the next two decades. Increasing affordability and accessibility of phones to a broader section of the population is reflected in the growth. Businesses that bought software from Microsoft for their own data centers face restrictions and surcharges when moving their licenses to Microsoft’s top cloud competitors. NetChoice said these practices include preventing customers from changing providers in search of lower costs, stronger service offerings and more innovative solutions for their businesses. In order to give users better control over their privacy, Whatsapp has introduced a feature that would allow users to silence calls from unknown contacts.
Actual results may vary from those projected in the forward looking statements if any of the risks or uncertainties come true. We do not have an obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under securities laws. The risks and other things described in our SEC filings may not be complete. The operation, which will open this year, is part of the strategy to improve the customer experience through technology as more people rely on digital banking channels, where the bank is investing heavily. Banks are making big investments in digital technology to improve the user experience as digital channels become the prime destination for customers in the age of smartphones New CEO Linda Yaccarino is likely to focus on video, creator and commerce partnerships.
The ride hailing giant is laying off 200 jobs in its recruitment division as it implements cost cutting measures. According to a report by news agency, the job cuts affect less than 1 per cent of the 32,700 staff at the ride share company. The Federal Trade Commission has been accused by technology trade groups of unfair business practices in the cloud, including by the industry’s number two by market share Microsoft, according to a report.
Top Tech News Today: Realme Secretly Collecting User Data, Cheaper Uber Rides For Amazon Prime Members And More
The unemployment figures and the balance of trade are some of the major upcoming dates for the UK. Key indicators of the country’s economic well being are used by investors to gauge the current situation A growing and healthy Semiconductor could make a big difference to these numbers and encourage investors to take a closer look at Britain.
According to a report by Dealabs Magazine, the prices of the Galaxy Watch 6 series have been leaked in France. They follow scrutiny worldwide, including a recent probe by Europe’s antitrust authority into Microsoft’s licensing agreements. Fees to remove data from clouds have been criticized. According to the Mobility Report, the average data traffic per phone is projected to increase from 26 to 62 gigabytes per month in the years to come. Increasing reliance on smartphones for various activities, such as streaming, online gaming and remote work is reflected in the substantial growth in data consumption. A short video platform that shot to popularity after the Indian government banned Chinese apps is laying off 20 percent of its workforce.
We need to wait to see if the current support package will be enough to provide the stimulation this sector needs. The investigation found that HiSilicon sells its chips to third party vendors who then sell them to government customers. The security of the users could be at risk because the chips have not been independently audited or certified. The popular website builder and hosting service has announced that it has acquired the domain name registrar service launched by Google in 2015. The deal will allow customers of Squarespace to register and manage their domain names through the platform. The personal data of millions of Americans who applied for driver’s licenses or vehicle registration has been compromised.
Business, financial, national and international news is delivered to professionals via desktop terminals, the world’s media organizations, industry events, and directly to consumers. They follow scrutiny worldwide, including a recent probe by Europe’s antitrust authority into Microsoft’s licensing agreements that discouraged rival cloud usage. Fees to take data out of providers’ clouds have been criticized. The price of the upcoming Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic have leaked online, with the event in South Korea being the first of its kind. According to multiple leaks and rumors, the next iteration of the watch will be unveiled at the upcoming Unpacked event.


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AppotaPay, a subsidiary of recreation writer Appota Group, is the most recent fintech participant within the nation to accumulate a fee middleman license from the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), in response to an announcement. With this issuance, AppotaPay will be a part of a particularly aggressive fintech market with 38 different licensed e-wallet gamers.
The license permits AppotaPay to function digital fee gateways, an e-wallet, and fee assortment companies.
Based in 2015, AppotaPay supplies fee options to the digital leisure business. The agency has amassed over 55 million customers, along with 1,000 direct point-of-sale (POS) and 10,000 oblique POS methods. “The largest proportion of users comes from the game publishing segment, then content apps, and business management apps like ACheckin. Thus, compared to other applications that take a lot of time to attract users, this is a huge advantage of AppotaPay,” stated Tran Vinh Quang, chief working officer (COO) at Appota Group.
“AppotaPay’s target customers over the next 2 to 3 years for payment services are young customers, who are familiar and willing to pay for digital entertainment,” added the COO.
The brand new license will assist the group to construct its digital leisure ecosystem which presently covers recreation publishing, promoting, e-sports, among the many others. The COO informed KrASIA that the agency will concentrate on behavioural analysis to reinforce person experiences, with an ambition to dominate the digital content material market.
Vietnam’s digital fee market is projected to succeed in USD 8.6 billion in 2020, whereas the entire transaction value is anticipated to develop by 14.1% to USD 14.59 billion by 2024, in response to information analysis agency Statista.
A number of gamers have stood out in Vietnam’s e-wallet market. Momo, one in every of Vietnam’s main e-wallets that has amassed 20 million customers, or 21% of Vietnam’s 97 million inhabitants, is the primary native agency to be counted among the many high 100 fintech corporations on the earth since its launch in 2012.
Momo raised USD 100 million from Warburg Pincus in January, in one of many largest single funding rounds for a Vietnamese startup.
Different notable names embrace ZaloPay which is a part of VNG, the nation’s solely unicorn, and Moca which has fashioned a partnership with Seize. Ant Group additionally reportedly entered the nation final summer season after buying a stake in native fee firm eMonkey.

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2012 Halloween Sales to Reach Record-setting $8 Billion
According to industry research firm IBISWorld, Halloween spending is expected to grow 10.7 percent from 2011 to reach a record-setting $8 billion, as more consumers participate in festivities and purchase small-ticket items like home decorations and candy.
Additionally, larger budgets will allow consumers to spend more on store-bought, ready-made costumes, rather than do-it-yourself (DIY) alternatives that were popular during the recession.
“Rising consumer sentiment and disposable incomes have allowed total spending on Halloween to increase every year since its low of $5 billion in 2009, which was a massive 18.5 percent decline from 2008,” said Olivia Tang, analyst for Santa Monica, Calif.-based IBISWorld. “Halloween spending fully recovered in 2011 when it surpassed its 2008 peak of $6.1 billion. This year, as Americans continue to relieve their pent-up demand that lingered from the recession, IBISWorld expects almost every category to benefit.”
Costumes make up the largest proportion of Halloween spending at 35.8 percent, representing a 12.2 percent increase to $2.9 billion in 2012.
The price of sugar, candy’s main input, has surged at an estimated 11.6 percent per year on average during the five years to 2012. Although this factor drives up the price of chocolate and other candies, sales will remain strong, accounting for about 29.3 percent ($2.4 billion) of Halloween sales.
Revenue for the decorations segment is anticipated to grow the fastest, jumping 23.7 percent in 2012 to total $2.4 billion. Social media sites like Pinterest, which prompt users to develop and share decoration ideas and instructions, have largely driven this trend. Creative inspiration and higher consumer sentiment will drive consumers to buy more high-priced decorations.
Consumers are anticipated to spend less on greeting cards this Halloween, causing this segment’s revenue to fall 7.7 percent to an estimated $440 million in 2012. As consumers allocate more of their funds to costumes, candy and decorations, people will spend less on Halloween greeting cards.


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While modern supercars undeniably offer the absolute pinnacle of automotive performance, there’s a small but growing number of elite tuning shops that take these already exotic machines to the next level via the addition of engine upgrades, up-specced running gear, and custom aero kits. One such outfit is Japanese shop and race team, Autobacs Racing Team Aguri (ARTA), which has just pulled the cover off of an all-new GT-inspired bodywork kit for the Honda/Acura NSX christened the “LEGAVELO.”
Freshly unveiled at the recent Tokyo Auto Salon show, ARTA’s kit for the NSX sees the revived supercar’s standard bodywork replaced with bespoke carbon fiber items that tweak the donor’s already sleek design with vented, angular flared fenders, a revised hood, and a custom rear wing. The new bodywork also includes a redesigned rear-end that sports a centrally-exiting quad-exhaust setup — one similar to the pipes poking out from the back of the $2.4M Pagani Huayra.
Crafted largely by hand, the kit also includes a bespoke set of forged aluminum wheels that are being offered exclusively to buyers of the LEGAVELOs. What’s more, the kit also includes major revisions to the interior, seeing the stock upholstery jettisoned in favor of an Alcantara-lined cabin with carbon fiber liberally used for the trim. Interestingly, the new exhaust doesn’t appear to be paired with a matching ECU, and as such the NSX’s power remains at its stock output of 573bhp and 476lbft-lbs of torque.
ARTA’s ‘LEGAVELO’ body kit for the NSX will be limited to only five units worldwide. Pricing for the kit has been set at 25.3M Japanese Yen (~$222,550).


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Britain is a key location for Europe’s car sector. More than half the vehicles that roll off UK assembly lines are exported to the Continent. Can the industry be sustained post-Brexit?
With just 10 weeks left until the UK is scheduled to leave the EU, the prospect of a no-deal exit remains firmly on the table. That’s bad news for the UK car industry, which is already planning for the worst.
It's a new year, and nothing has changed. Read all about Benedict Cumberbatch's Uncivil War, a taxpayer-funded traffic jam, a shady shipping deal, and more dire economic news in this week's Brexit Diaries.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there was still "time to negotiate" with the UK after parliament rejected Theresa May's Brexit deal. Leaders across the EU urged London to make up its mind on the way forward.
German companies are closely following all developments that might give them an idea of exactly how the United Kingdom will leave the European Union. Soft or hard Brexit — that's the question yet to be answered.
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GOINOUT partying anywhere has been so much fun!
Social networking has always been very popular in the Philippines. A research from blog 24/7 Wall Street put the Philippines as the number one country in Asia that has 93.9% of the nation signed up to Facebook. In terms of nightlife, Philippines is one of the most happening countries in South-East Asia, offering incredible experiences. With a plethora of exotic hang outs, bars, clubs, discos around, party goers in the Philippines are spoilt for choice. This is what the creators of Goinout have spotted as a big opportunity, a huge market – the social networking trend combined with nightlife experiences. Introducing Goinout – The Social Nightlife Network app for the iPhone & Android.
Goinout delivers all that Philippines’ nightlife enthusiasts need to socialize and explore the endless nightlife choices. It redefines the nightlife experience and brings about a “revolution of the way we’re going out every night”. With social media booming in the country, low costs of Android mobile phones and the rise of the mobile internet, the creators of Goinout are confident that the application will soon steal people’s attention as they use Manila as a launching pad.
Android Release & Cool New Features
With the much-vaunted release of the Android version of the app, users can now interact with a greater number of like-minded clubbers and party-goers. The app now boasts a dedicated camera feature for users to upload pictures from their nights out, thus, making it easier for other users of the app to decide on the best parties to go to. In the coming months, users can also expect more rewards that can be redeemed via the app as Goinout partners up with clubs & bars all over the city.
With the current member base at approximately 40,000 strong from the IOS community alone, this figure is expected to grow exponentially in the coming months – especially with aggressive and innovative marketing strategies in the pipeline. “We’ve been very fortunate that the Singapore Infocomm and Technology Federation has recently awarded us with a grant to bring our product and services to the next level – not only through tech improvements but with such valuable support from the SITF grant, we can explore more innovative and cost-effective modes of marketing and awareness-creation.” says Vasu Gulati, Marketing Head of Goinout. This is good news for both advertisers and venue operators alike as they seek to garner the attention of an increasingly affluent, yet, demanding consumer base. With Goinout’s highly targeted member base (over 18, socially mobile and have money to spend while hitting up nightspots), the founders expect to receive very positive support and demand from marketers and venue operators alike.
Advertisers Playing A More Significant Role
With several category leaders from the lifestyle industry as potential advertisers lined up, the plan is to allow these advertisers more autonomy in deciding how they want to reach out to the lucrative member base. From product discounts to giveaways, these advertisers have been hand-picked to ensure that they are plugging products and services that would appeal to the lifestyle of the typical Goinout user: 18-50 years of age, socially mobile, time-poor but cash-rich executives and entrepreneurs who trust that the app will allow them to be at the right parties at the right time, always.
With advertisers providing such innovative and content-rich support, the Goinout user experience will be all that more rich, fun and fulfilling.
Greater Interaction Between Clubs/Bars and Consumers
In addition to a smoother, faster and more fluid user experience, Goinout users can expect to enjoy and capitalize on cool new features like photo-sharing and instant messaging. With the photo-sharing function, users can interact with their communities and tribes real-time by sharing interesting and cool photos of the going-ons in the clubs and bars they visit, thus, providing a visually impactful and accurate review of the venue they are patronising. “When the sun is out on a Sunday, my routine would be to check out who’s at Tanjong Beach Club and if it’s worth my trip there or not – usually it is” says Vasu.
Over time, venue operators will be given access to an easy-to-use interface where they can post the latest updates on promotions and activities to ensure that they speak to the member base in as effective and as alluring manner possible.
A Well-Rounded Team
With a well-rounded team headed by individuals with vast experience and competence in the nightlife entertainment, information technology, luxury lifestyle and new business development, the Goinout team has been working round-the-clock to ensure that the app will be a winning platform for consumers, advertisers and venue operators alike with a vision to expand into the region in the coming 12 months.


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A local charity calls 12 after it spends nearly $10,000 on laptops that were never delivered.
The Friends of Chesterfield County Public Library says it used local Apple supplier MacPro Solutions to place the order. Months later, the charity is out of thousands of dollars and the owners of the computer company are no where to be found.
Khail Dotay, with the charity, called 12 when he felt he was out of options. He says the problems started when the organization wrote a $9,972 check to MacPro Solutions in Richmond. "We almost feel burned for trying to do business with a local little small business," he says.
The money was for nine laptops for the library system. The charity says MacPro took their money but never delivered the computers. After nearly two months of waiting, Dotay says MacPro admitted it was having major financial problems. The news got worse, the charity was told their money was gone and they would not be receiving any computers. Dotay was in disbelief. "Stunned and sick to my stomach. I literally felt like I was sick," he says.
We went to MacPro looking for answers. The doors were locked, the lights were out and there was a sign stating the building had been secured by the landlord. An attorney for the landlord says MacPro owes over 30-thousand dollars in rent. Several times we called and emailed MacPro but never got a response. The website was also taken down.
The BBB issued an alert stating the company had shutdown. President and CEO of the Richmond BBB, Tom Gallagher is aware of the complaints. "One was for $10,000, the others were for a couple of thousand dollars each," he says. The BBB also so reached out to MacPro but has not gotten a response. Gallagher says the company once had an "A" rating. "We will keep trying to contact the principal of this company but I am afraid that this is a casualty of this horrible economy," Gallagher told us.
We went to Consumer Attorney, John Gayle, with The Consumer Law Group to see if anything could be done. He says in situation like this, there is little consumer protection. "If there is no money and they have no money in the account, what is the point. If all the assets for the company are gone, what is the point," he says.
Gayle says if MacPro filed for bankruptcy there may be a chance for to get some money back but the charity would have to get in line with other creditors. It may not be all bad news for Friends of The Chesterfield County Public Library. The BBB says it has reached out to Apple. "I do not know what that help is going to be but they want to help. They have stepped up and say they are aware of this. Not only what we are bringing to them but there are some other instances too," Gallagher says.
The charity is still out of $10,000 and hoping for some resolution with MacPro Solutions."To me they need to get right with us and whatever other customers they might owe money or a computer to, before they continue business at all," Dotay says. For now, there is no sign MacPro will be back in business anytime soon.
If you have dealt with MacPro and have had a negative experience, file a complaint with the BBB. The organization says using a credit card may offer more protection when buying items from businesses than using checks, cash or debit cards.
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Photos from the 2019 Duck Meat Quality Conference
Asian Agribiz applauded for drawing focus to Asia’s duck meat industry
A list of international experts were present at the region’s first Duck Meat Quality Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand on November 13 and 14.
Organized by Asian Agribiz and its Asian Poultry Magazine, the event, a collaboration with the Department of Animal Science at Kasetsart University included two-days of technical presentations featuring 16 expert duck industry speakers and 20 presentations that covered among others, opportunities for duck meat cuisine, fundamentals of duck science, genetics & breeding, nutrition & feeding and processing and marketing.
On the sidelines, was another first – a Duck Quality Cooking Competition, another first for the organizer and the region, which drew much interest from those present as well as onlookers. (see report)
Focused genetics and research
Dr Hans-Heinrich Thiele from Germany together with Chaiyapoom Bunchasak, Assistant Professor at Kasetsart University of Thailand, addressed the fundamentals of duck genetics and breeding science. Dr Thiele explained that in genetics and breeding, producers seek a number of values such as laying performance, fertility, feed efficiency, meatiness and overall productivity.
“These are the traits that we work on in genetic selection,” Dr Thiele said. “We respond to the needs of producers who in turn looking for what their markets demand.”
Assistant Professor Bunchasak added that breast meat development in ducks yields better after 42 days and suggested that ducks be harvested after this period if breast meat yield is what is sought.
Advances and innovations of duck egg handling concerning profitability was explained by Jacco Wagelaar, General Manager of GI-Ovo BV of the Netherlands, a company that specializes in designing and producing dedicated and afe packaging for the egg industry.
“Up to 10% of all duck eggs get cracked in storage or transportation due to the use of wrong type of tray and no uniform way of transportation.” Mr Wagelaar suggested use of stacks that don’t exceed 120 eggs and crates for smaller volumes.
“Furthermore, stacking trays too high add weight and pressure to the eggs below. Also bad roads and manual handling are often the cause of damaged eggs,” added Mr Wagelaar. He urged producers to invest in reliable trays designed specifically for duck eggs to maintain the integrity of the eggs, and to help improve their profitability as well as reduce labor and transport costs.
For foodies and further processors who attended the conference, Rob Gosney, a Protein Product Development and Innovation Advisor, explained the amazing versatility, benefits and opportunities that duck meat has to offer.
Mr Gosney has launched many new meat and poultry products in Asia and Australia. “It is an interesting red meat protein and new to many chefs, customers and consumers,” he explained. “Duck meat is a premium meat and so offers higher menu prices and margins; it’s tasty and nutritious, versatile for all menus and cuisines; high in iron, vitamin B and selenium; and the industry is committed to future growth and sustainability,” he concluded.
One of the topic highlights of the conference was the impact of feeding insect meals and live insect on duck performance and meat quality by professor Achille Schiavone of the University of Torino in Italy. The questions that lingered on many people’s minds was whether insects contain health benefits and if diets containing insects can promote animal health.
Dr Schiavone addressed its growing popularity in duck diets saying insect meal offers 40-70% of protein requirement in diets and has also been found to contain natural antibiotics. “Studies have shown that insect meal is a good substitute for fishmeal and soybean meal. It’s inclusion in duck diets has no impact on meat quality neither does it affect the fat deposit composition,” said Dr Schiavone.
Being a highly anticipated speaker on the duck meat conference, CPF introduced its emerging market for the new generation emphasizing on sustainability and ready-to-eat duck meal products. Its initiatives in modernizing duck production has grown in leaps and bounds.
From a free-range model prior to 1986, the company now operates environment-controlled houses with evaporative cooling. “We are moving towards smart farms with robotics and artificial intelligence in the near future,” said Payungsak S.tanagul, Vice President Technical Services CPF.
“There are five key drivers of our meat duck farming practices and these include a fully vertical integration to ensure food safety & hygiene; quality feed and good biosecurity; globally acknowledged standards and the use of sound technology.”
Opening its doors towards modernization, Indonesia’s duck breeding and farming sector still has a long way to go, said Hardi Prasetyo of PT Putra Perkasa Genetika. “While there have been some inroads into Intensification and development of commercial breeding farms in recent years, a large sector of the industry in Indonesia is still focused on duck egg production rather than on broiler ducks,” said Mr Hardi. However, he said that demand for duck meat has grown in the past 10 years, although the production system is not structured.
On many counts, this first Duck Meat Quality Conference that attracted more than 120 delegates from 14 countries and sponsored by Global Nutrition, GI-Ovo, CP Foods and Bangkok Ranch, was an immense success.


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The recall affects about 705,000 Mercedes-Benz cars and around 136,000 Daimler vans in the United States, the German automaker said Wednesday. It is the latest is a series of recalls prompted by concerns about Takata airbags. - Referenced Article
What a way to make an announcement about the end. CBS drama series The Good Wife made it official in a commercial during Sunday night's Super Bowl. This is the drama series' final season. - Referenced Article
So this was weird. If Super Bowl 50 was indeed Peyton Manning’s last game, he was sure to get in some final plugs for several of his biggest sponsors. Manning was seen before the Denver Broncos’ 24-10 victory... - Referenced Article
Brett Favre became the 14th first ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback on Saturday night after being voted in, according to USA Today.
Favre, who has been described as having a “gun-slinging approach” to quarterbacking, became one of the eight members of the 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, in his first year of being eligible to do so. - Referenced Article
Apple for the first time is accepting banged up iPhones as a trade-in from those wanting to upgrade. Until now, Apple offered credit to iPhone owners only if the device had an intact screen and working buttons.
Apple hopes that with more leeway, applicable only to iPhone 5 and later models, more people will upgrade to new iPhones. - Referenced Article
Wall Street got its first glimpse of the financial details of a new conglomerate called Alphabet on Monday. Investors liked what they saw so much that the outfit formerly known as Google is poised to become the world’s most valuable company.
Despite spending $3.6 billion a year on projects like self-driving cars that don’t make much money... - Referenced Article


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Amazon Just Ranked the Top 100 Toys of 2018 — These Are All Under $25
If you're starting to feel like all of the major stores have been releasing the big toy lists for the year, you're correct — retailers from Amazon to Target and Walmart have been placing bets on what the hot items will be this holiday season. And since Amazon released a whopping 100 toys, we decided to make the shopping even easier for you and narrow it down further. Looking for the It items without breaking the bank? Here are 36 of the best toys, all under $25.


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JK Lakshmi Cement's net profit jumps more than 2 fold at 119 cr for Q1FY22
New Delhi: JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd’s standalone net profit jumped more than two fold at 119 crore for the first quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 44 crore in the same quarter of previous fiscal.
The net sales of the cement maker jumped 49 percent at Rs 1,232 crore for the first quarter of the current fiscal as against Rs 825 crore in the same quarter of the previous fiscal.
The EBITDA of the company rose 54 percent at Rs. 233 crore from Rs 152 crore last year. The earnings per share of the company jumped to Rs 10.09 as compared to Rs 3.77 in 2020.


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3 August 2015
Makerland: the first European retail store dedicated to the maker world has opened its doors in Italy
Makerland was presented on the 28th July at the Auchan shopping center in Monza, Italy. Sales, consultancy, and a laboratory in one place: the first retail store dedicated to the world of craftsmanship and technology.
The culture of digital craftsmanship, which combines creativity and innovation with the possibility of easily realizing new products, has entered the world of large retailers for the first time.
At Makerland, people won’t only be able to purchase tools, electronic boards, and customizable objects, but they will also receive consultancy service for approaching 3D printing and laser cutting.
Moreover, the store can turn into a laboratory thanks to the flexible spaces and modular furniture designed by dotdotdot.
This will allow Makerland to organize events for children and adults and to become a showcase for projects realized by makers from all over the world.
The project is born of the collaboration of Auchan and Gallerie Commerciali Italia (GCI) with Talent Garden, Sharazad, Opendot lab, and Gummy Industries, reference points and leading players in the world of innovation in Europe.
It aims to popularize the potential of new technologies, such as 3D printing and laser cutting, and to show how they are changing the world of design and craftsmanship, sectors of which Italy has always been on the cutting-edge.
The presence of public institutions
During the inauguration of Makerland, representatives of institutions and innovative companies analyzed how traditional and digital craftsmen can collaborate to reinvent the world of commerce through technology:
“Maker movement and innovative start-up businesses have multiplied in Brianza. Their protagonists are young innovators, creative talents, and tinkerers who want to do business. Information and IT activities have increased by 42.3% in one year and, in Italy, there are nearly 137,000 cultural and creative companies that have managed to successfully face the economic crisis.” Renato Mattioni, General Secretary at the Chamber of Commerce of Monza and Brianza.
“Makerland is born of the desire of creating a meeting point for makers, but also for curious people who want to discover the potential of 3D printing and digital craftsmanship. This is one of TAG’s (Talent Garden) first steps in line with the support offered to the digital Made in Italy together with Digital Magics and Tamburi Investment Partners and involving important players such as Auchan. Makerland is going to be the reference point for the spread of the technological culture in craftsmanship.” Davide Dattoli, Managing Director and co-founder at Talent Garden.
“This initiative is really a countertrend. At the beginning, combining different worlds seemed a very complex idea to me as a viewer. But today, after seeing the realization of Makerland, I think that the gap we have talked about for years finds here an actual example of how to do something very new. Here, we introduce the logic of making. This is really innovation.“ Aurelio Ravarini, Director of CETIC (Research center of economy, information and communication technology) at Carlo Cattaneo University.
“Rushing into such an initiative means going against the flow: nowadays, craftsmen are told to go on the Internet and do e-commerce. Makerland completely changes the vision of making. This store can be of help especially for those who want to live this experience like a moment of visibility and contact with customers. I wish it can become a new distributive model because it’s really different from anything else.” Gabriele Ronchini, co-founder and executive director at Digital Magics.
The awareness that digital fabrication can be a resource to relaunch local economies is apparently taking hold.
Our hope is that this is not only a commercial operation, but that institutions will be able to bring entrepreneurship into contact with the local human resources and needs, so as to generate a durable co-operation and really benefit the community.
Translation and adaptation: PlugnMake
• Make in Italy CDB Foundation – Ecco Makerland: il primo retail store in Europa dedicato al mondo dei makers, 21 July 2015 – Licence: CC-BY-3.0
• Gravità Zero – Nasce Makerland: dedicato al mondo dell’artigianato 2.0 e della stampa 3D, 29 July 2015 – Licence: CC-BY 2.5 IT


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Square Enix extinguishes FFXIII rumor firestorm
Final Fantasy creators put the brakes on rampant misinformation claiming upcoming installment in acclaimed RPG series has been confirmed for the PS3 in 2008.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Secretary Husted Announces July 2015 Ohio Business Profiles
COLUMBUS – Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted today announced “Patriotic Businesses” as this month’s feature in the Ohio Business Profile program. All the businesses selected develop popular products Ohioans use while celebrating American independence on the Fourth of July and other national occasions.
“On the Fourth of July, we have the opportunity to eat some good food, connect with family and friends and celebrate the best parts of our culture and communities while expressing our pride in America,” Secretary Husted said. “From American flags and fireworks to kites and homemade pies, the businesses we are highlighting this month supply Ohioans with everything they need to celebrate an all-American holiday.”
Companies profiled this month include:
- The National Flag Company (Cincinnati, Ohio) has been doing business in the Buckeye State for almost a century and a half. From specially-made flags to “Old Glory,” their work can be seen flying above government buildings, schools, sports stadiums and businesses across the state and region.
- Phantom Fireworks (Youngstown, Ohio) has more than 1,200 locations across the nation, but calls the Mahoning Valley “home.” They are a premier consumer fireworks producer while also supplying other Fourth of July products to national retail chains and wholesale outlets.
- Yankee Doodle Flags, Kites & Fun (Toledo, Ohio) is owned and operated by a U.S. Army Veteran and has specialized in manufacturing flags and flagpoles since 1967. They’ve since expanded to also sell kites, collectables and other items to help create an all-American holiday atmosphere.
- Sugardale Foods, Inc. (Massillon, Ohio) is one of the largest private companies in the smoked and processed meat industry. Their commitment to quality and safety has helped them become a nationwide supplier of bacon, ham and other specialty meats. They count many major grocery chains and well-known restaurants throughout the United States among their customers.
- Revolutionary Kettle Corn (Elyria, Ohio) started as a small family business with one person testing different recipes on friends and family in order to find the perfect kettle corn balance between sweet and salty. They supply kettle corn to various school events, churches and a local farmers market and even creates custom-colors to satisfy the needs of weddings and festivals.
- The Pie Shell (New Bremen, Ohio) has been a small town bakery since 2005 and has grown to be the supplier of homemade pies, cheesecakes, cupcakes and other sweet treats to a number of local grocery stores. Their mouthwatering deserts are made from scratch and have become a staple in West Central Ohio.
Launched in June 2011, Ohio Business Profile has helped raise awareness about companies registered and doing business in Ohio that are creating interesting products, offering outstanding service, contributing to their local communities and employing Ohioans in the process. Each month, a handful of diverse businesses linked together by a common theme are featured on the Secretary of State’s website, where Ohioans are encouraged to submit companies they feel are deserving of recognition in future months.
The Secretary of State’s office also releases a monthly report of new business filings in Ohio and recent data has shown that Ohio experienced another record year for the number of newly-registered businesses. One reason for the growth has been the launch of online services. In October 2013, Secretary Husted launched Ohio Business Central allowing businesses to file some of the most commonly used forms online and services continue to be expanded. Since January 2011, more than 365,000 filings have been submitted and half of all new companies are now started online in Ohio.
NOTE: New business filings are classified as forms filed with the Ohio Secretary of State that declare the formation of a business entity, including for-profit, non-profit and professional corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships. Filing as a business in Ohio does not guarantee the company will begin operations, be profitable or create jobs.
For more information, please contact Joshua Eck at (614) 466-2729


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FORMER Unilever Plantations International group chairman Datuk Leslie Davidson has called on the local palm oil industry to establish an Environment Council in collaboration with several non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
He said the industry needed to set up a committee to examine the strategy on publicity campaigns overseas particularly in Western Europe where anti-globalists had fed consumers with misleading information about the effect of oil palm plantations on the environment through the felling of virgin jungle.
We believe the Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council could extend its successful publicity campaigns to the NGOs and the tourism industry with a whole range of hard facts, Davidson said.
He said this when presenting his paper on Agricultural Globalisation and The Impact on Malaysia's Oil Palm Industry at the 4th International Planters Conference organised by the Incorporated Society of Planters (ISP) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Davidson said being one of the largest buyers of oils and fats, Unilever had offered its help in this regard to the Malaysian Palm Oil Association.
He said the company had established a sustainable agriculture advisory board and recruited the services of an agricultural expert from the World Wildlife Fund.
Davidson stressed that it would be unwise for the palm oil industry to continue turning a blind eye to the anti-globalists' criticism as the public and NGOs had inadequate and outdated knowledge about the plantation industry.
He said the palm oil sector should be hammering home at every opportunity that it was one of the most efficient food producers in the Third World countries.
Big food companies in the world such as Nestle, Unilever, Pepsico and Cadbury did not produce food, he added.
These companies merely change it. They buy, freeze, dry, process, package and market it! They do not produce it like the farmers and growers who actually produce it (palm oil).
What also emerges is that few among the anti-globalists and NGOs are aware of the plantation industry's role as a food producer.
Many of their supporters would be dismayed to learn that some of the NGOs have been actively campaigning to curb the expansion of the only group of Third World food producers to have proved themselves able to compete with the heavily subsidised farmers in the West, he said.
He also lamented that such NGOs were indirectly helping to maintain the Third World's dependence on food hand-outs from the West.
Davidson is a well known planter having started with Pamol estate near Kluang, Johor, in 1951.
He is also the former Bertam Holdings Bhd deputy chairman, Britain-based chairman of Tropical Growers Association and first chairman of the International Centre for Plantation Studies.
Yesterday, he was awarded the Fellow of the ISP in acknowledgement of his outstanding contribution to the industry for over half a century.
Davidson also celebrates his 52 years as a member of the ISP this year.
Earlier, Primary Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said major palm oil producers like Malaysia and Indonesia should strive by working closely to capture a bigger market share for palm oil against competitive oils and fats.
Palm oil should not be competing against palm oil, he told reporters after officiating the conference.
Palm oil producing countries should not undercut each other but should cooperate to capture a bigger portion of the market at better price levels, Lim said.
He added that palm oil exporters only produced about 30 million tonnes of edible oil compared with the current world's oils and fats consumption of 125 million tonnes.
On the local front, Lim said: Cost is a crucial factor to compete with other oils.
He said oil palm planters must lower their cost of production by using new clones and improving their agronomic practices.
He noted that the average palm oil production was about 3.8 million tonnes per ha per year.
Even with the existing clones, we should be able to average at five tonnes per ha per year in the short term, added Lim.
He called on government agencies such as Felda, Felcra and Risda to ensure that smallholders strive hard to reach the national average of five tonnes per ha per year.
With the introduction of new clones, I believe that our palm oil sector will be able to contribute about eight tonnes per ha per year in the long term, he said.
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Significant recommendation offers have actually been rare for gamers on the Michigan football group, however quarterback Cade McNamara struck an one-of-a-kind contract today that will certainly pay him in cryptocurrency.
On Thursday, Even More Monitoring, LLC, a Los Angeles-based cryptocurrency firm that concentrates on subscription solutions, curated online experiences as well as electronic antiques, revealed the manage McNamara, that will certainly advertise the firm on social media sites as well as emerge at online occasions.
Under regards to the offer, which were not revealed, McNamara will certainly get settlements in crypto, a fast-growing alternate money made prominent by Bitcoin.
The firm handles a crypto token called “EVEN MORE” that professions on the Bittrex Exchange.
” We delight in to be collaborating with Cade,” Even more Monitoring LLC creator as well as Chief Executive Officer claimed in a press release. “With the quickly expanding passion in cryptocurrency as well as a variety of expert athletes currently making money in crypto, we anticipate various other university professional athletes to quickly comply with Cade’s lead in looking for collaborations within the cryptocurrency neighborhood. We are expecting having Cade as component of the EVEN MORE family members.”
Because the NCAA unwinded its regulations forbiding student-athletes from benefiting off their name, picture as well as similarity (NIL) on July 1, gamers throughout the nation have actually attempted to money in. College of Miami quarterback D’Eriq King has actually authorized take care of trading card firm (Panini America), relocating firm (University Hunks Relocating), a regional Miami-area dining establishment as well as neighborhood vehicle dealer.
When It Comes To Michigan, gamers on the lineup are qualified to take part in a licensing contract with the sports division’s authorities seller, The M Den, to market customized jackets. A lot of have actually joined to the offer, which will certainly pay each gamer per jacket marketed. A number of student-athletes have actually additionally signed up with YOKE, a preferred system that permits followers to play computer game with their favored gamer.
” Could not be extra ecstatic to sign up with EVEN MORE,” McNamara claimed current launch. “I am expecting discovering more regarding crypto as well as belonging to this wonderful company.”
Extra proclaims connections with nationwide recording musicians, tv characters as well as expert athletes, a listing that consists of Migos, Cardi B, 21 Savage, Saweetie, Rich the Child as well as LilBaby.


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IRVINE, Calif. — CarFinance Capital LLC, a nonprime auto finance source, today announced the opening of a new office in Fort Worth, Texas. The new facility is expected to house an additional 125 employees, which will serve the Eastern and Central time zones.
The Company, which has been rapidly expanding its lending services to auto dealers across the country, has funded more than $100 million in auto loans in its first 10 months of business, and is helping more than 1,500 auto dealers serve the growing ranks of nonprime consumers, who now account for more than one-third of U.S. car buyers.
"Reaching over $100 million of loan fundings in 10 months — coupled with the opening of our new Texas office — represents significant milestones for CarFinance Capital," said company President and CEO Jim Landy. "As car sales continue to improve and more consumers come back into the market, dealers need increased access to high quality lending, as well as more efficient ways to reach ready-to-buy customers."
Launched a year ago, CarFinance Capital provides auto dealers with indirect, less-than-prime lending solutions, as well as first look opportunity on referrals from its consumer direct lending site, CarFinance.com. The Company currently provides lending services to auto dealerships in multiple states.
The company’s new office will house CarFinance Capital's portfolio management group and credit staff, which will serve the Central and Eastern time zones.
For more information, e-mail [email protected].


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The Finance Latvia Association continues its development strategy aimed at becoming a platform for cooperation amongst finance, technology and related industries to represent broad interests in Latvia, the Baltics and Europe.
The Finance Latvia Association welcomes three new associate members:
- – Intrum – industry-leading European credit management service provider
- – Microsoft Latvia – Microsoft representation in Latvia
- – Mintos Marketplace – Europe’s leading peer-to-peer lending platform
The Association has already proven its ability to facilitate high-level discussions — for instance, in 2017 it ensured a united position among market participants on the future of the European Union financial market and the development of financial technologies.
“The Finance Latvia Association vision for Latvia’s financial sector is to become a model for Europe in terms of cooperation and innovation. The basic principles and values of the Association for creating a unified platform and maintaining high-quality discussion on current issues are openness, responsibility and cooperation. We appreciate the dedication of the new associate members and their joint effort in the development of the industry and Latvian economy,” Sanda Liepiņa, Head of the Finance Latvia Association, describes the new associate members. “Questions which require collaboration between the financial and technology industries, as well as other related industries, are appearing more often on the Association agenda. Thus, closer cooperation will allow for quicker decision-making in matters essential to the financial sector.”
Martins Sulte, Mintos CEO and Co-founder: “The finance sector is changing throughout the world, both as a result of opportunities offered by new technologies, and as a reaction to the needs of a new generation of clients and lifestyle changes. Today there are not only banks working in the finance sector, but also a string of various fintech startups, as well as such global tech giants as Amazon, Facebook and Google. We’re pleased that the Finance Latvia Association is also thinking progressively and reacting to changes in the global market by also inviting other finance sector players to join its ranks. With one association representing the common interests of the whole Latvian finance sector it will be possible to create even better products for consumers, and mark the region on the world map as a powerful, modern and transparent financial service provider. Mintos is honoured to be the first fintech startup to join the Association. It’s a welcome acknowledgment of our accomplishments, and affirms that we’re working in the right direction.”
The Finance Latvia Association invites technology companies, fintech start-ups, experienced finance companies and businesses in related industries to join the organization by becoming associate members or members.
Every associate member or member must prove their readiness to adhere to the Social Charter and Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) initiatives. It is essential that the goals, interests and values of associate members or members coincide with the basic aims and principles of the Finance Latvia Association. Benefits of associate member or member can be found at the home page.
About the Finance Latvia Association
The Finance Latvia Association is an open minded non-profit organization for broad and joined-up representation of finance, technology and related industries in Latvia.
Our vision – the Latvian financial industry pursues broad partnerships and leads in innovation in Europe.
The basic principles and values of the organisation in creating a unified platform and maintaining high-quality discussions on topical issues are openness, responsibility and cooperation.
July 12, 2018 – the annual general meeting endorsed change of name from the Association of Latvian Commercial Banks to the Finance Latvia Association.
Finance Latvia Association missions:
Development – the industry adheres to the highest international standards and provides competitive, modern and European – facing financial services to support the growth of the economy;
Technology – Latvian financial industry is agile and uses technology to enable access for European customers;
Compliance – achieving the highest “anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism” (AML/CFT) compliance standards among member banks within the next 2 to 3 years.


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Daimler and BAIC are planning to co-invest about €1.5bn to expand local production of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in China.
With $ 9 billion placed in Daimler, he singlehandedly becomes the largest stakeholder in the German Automaker, accounting for 9.69 percent of the company. Employing over 11,000 staff, the Daimler and BAIC venture builds C-Class, E-Class, GLA, and GLC vehicles.
With that, Li Shufu aims to be able to share and use technologies used in Daimler vehicles, from hardware to software.
The first attempt to acquire shares in Daimler Li Shufu has been made in November. Just to make sure that Zetsche's management team comes to talk with the desired attitude, Li followed up with a veiled threat that he wouldn't add to his stake "for the time being".
On Wednesday, a German parliamentary committee will question government officials on whether Geely has violated disclosure rules and whether loopholes in securities trading law need to be closed, the Stuttgarter Zeitung and Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspaper reported on Tuesday. As part of this new 1.5 million euro investment, a production facility currently operated solely by BAIC in Beijing's Shunyi district will be transferred to BBAC and modified to produce premium Mercedes-Benz models.
The listed autos unit of his empire, Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd, saw its shares rise 6.5 percent on Monday after the investment was announced. The company blamed intensifying competition in the local passenger vehicle market, as well as "the overall sluggish Korean vehicle market", which led to a decline in sales at Beijing Hyundai Motor. Showing full commitment to electric mobility in China, both partners will jointly establish a Research Cooperation in the field of Battery Safety and Fast-Charging.
The man behind an audacious swoop for almost 10 per cent of Daimler has bought himself an audience in Angela Merkel's chancellery today.
The move is the latest sign that the global auto industry is ratcheting up pressure on Geely, which owns Volvo Cars and has a 8.2 per cent stake in AB Volvo, to reveal its global strategy amid active asset buying around the world.
Analysts have speculated that Geely is looking for help with the development of electric-vehicle technology.
Germany is "an open economy that welcomes investments, as long as they happen in line with the market", Zypries said in an interview with business daily Handelsblatt.
Volvo owner Geely has no immediate plans to buy more into Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler after becoming the German brand's largest shareholder. Output will include electric vehicles, the joint announcement said. The Geely stake, worth an estimated $9 billion, should give the Chinese automotive giant more leverage when trying to work out cross-company tech arrangements with Daimler and its sub brands including Mercedes-Benz.


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- CBA on
- CBA Media
Fraud & Cybersecurity
CBA supports strong national data protection and consumer notification standards with effective enforcement provisions that are applicable to any party with access to important consumer financial information. CBA members are already subject to robust data protection and notification standards and these requirements must be recognized. Inconsistent state laws and regulations should be preempted in favor of strong Federal data protection and notification standards. CBA firmly holds that all parties must share in protecting consumers and, as such, the costs of a data breach should ultimately be borne by the entity that incurs the breach. Protecting consumer data is a shared responsibility, and merchants must have the same tough data security standards as financial institutions to thwart hackers as well as the ability to accept chip-based cards.
- September 12, 2014CFPB Holds Consumer Advisory Board Meeting in Washington, D.C. On Thursday, September 11, 2014, the CFPB's Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) held its third meeting of the year, attended by approximately 20 people, including the public and members of the press. The agenda covered the student loan market, small dollar credit building, harnessing technology to improve access to financial services, and...
- September 12, 2014Home Depot Breach Verified – Brace for Impact This week we learned what many of us had feared -- the mother of all breaches is upon us with the verification of Home Depot's lapsed security. Already many of our banks have identified patterns of behavior consistent with a data breach in certain geographical areas. While fraud seems limited at this moment, cyber-criminals could begin dumping...
- September 9, 2014Washington, D.C. (September 9, 2014) – In today’s global economy consumers can purchase products anywhere, at any time, online, or in person. Unfortunately, this means criminals have evolved as well. Consumers should be aware of cyber threats and remain vigilant in guarding their personal data. Data breaches may result in the compromising of credit or debit card information, in addition to...
- September 5, 2014Possible Home Depot Breach Bigger than Target? The end of the Labor Day holiday came with some unsettling news – a possible massive breach of consumer data at retailer Home Depot. According to KrebsonSecurity, the breach may have impacted data from all 2,200 stores across the U.S. We all recall the breach at Target earlier this year, which resulted in the compromising of 40 million payment card...
- August 21, 2014August 20, 2014August 15, 2014CFPB Takes Action against Mortgage Lender for Deceptive Practices On Tuesday, August 12, 2014, the CFPB ordered Amerisave and its affiliate to pay $14.8 million in compensation to consumers, as well as a $4.5 million penalty for "engaging in a deceptive bait-and-switch mortgage-lending scheme." The Bureau claims Amerisave advertised misleading interest rates and illegally overcharged for...August 8, 2014CFPB Asks about Agreements with Financial Institutions On Wednesday, August 6, 2014, the CFPB sent a letter to the 14 "Big Ten" universities urging them to disclose their agreements with financial institutions which result in providing financial products to students on campus. According to a Bureau blog post , The letter was sent to follow up an effort the CFPB began in 2013 to collect...August 1, 2014CFPB Releases Overdraft Data Point On Thursday, July 31, 2014, the CFPB released a long-awaited report entitled: “Data Point: Checking Account Overdraft,” which provided statistics on the usage of overdraft products. The report is not final and does not make express policy recommendations. The CFPB is expected to release more overdraft reports prior to a proposed rulemaking. Key findings from the...August 1, 2014Re: Support for the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2014 Dear Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell: The undersigned financial services organizations are writing in strong support of S. 2588, the “Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2014,” or CISA, favorably reported out of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on July 10th by a bipartisan 12-3 vote. CISA will...


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Bitcoin’s frenzied rally lost momentum on Tuesday after prices hit a new all-time high of $48,000.
The cryptocurrency pulled back in the early U.S. hours, trading up 2.9% on the day around $46,000.
Prices are still up more than 30% since the beginning of February.
While the trading action was calmer, there’s still a fierce debate over whether Tesla’s $1.5 billion investment in Bitcoin will lead to other companies following suit.
While crypto acolytes have been saying for some time that corporate adoption is imminent, in reality it had been limited to firms such as MicroStrategy Inc. and Square Inc.
While Tesla’s investment makes up about 8% of its most recent cash reserves, it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the holdings of America’s blue-chip corporates. The purchase is worth just 0.05% of the $2.79 trillion of cash and cash-equivalents held on the balance sheets of S&P 500 members, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
And while Tesla announced plans to accept Bitcoin for purchases, hardly anyone uses the cryptocurrency for anything beyond speculation. Data from New York-based blockchain researcher Chainalysis Inc. showed that only 1.3% of economic transactions came from merchants in the first four months of 2019.


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Nvidia Rises After Profit Tops Estimates on New BusinessIan King
Nvidia Corp. rose after the maker of graphics processors reported fiscal third-quarter profit that exceeded analysts’ estimates as revenue from new businesses helped make up for declining personal-computer demand.
Nvidia shares rose 7 percent to $15.56 at the close in New York, after the company released its results yesterday. The shares have risen 27 percent this year compared with a 24 percent gain in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.
Chief Executive Officer Jen-Hsun Huang is trying to lessen Nvidia’s dependence on PCs by getting the company’s products into new markets, such as handheld gaming devices and servers. Sales of Tegra, a chip for mobile phones and the basis of Shield, a portable gaming machine Nvidia is building and selling itself, helped compensate for weaker sales of chips for laptops.
“We did see a nice bounce back in Tegra,” said Betsy Van Hees, an analyst at Wedbush Securities in San Francisco. She has the equivalent of a buy rating on the stock. “Expectations were pretty low,” for earnings and forecasts, she said.
Profit before certain costs was 26 cents a share in the period that ended Oct. 27, the company said in a statement yesterday. That compared with an average analyst projection of 25 cents. Net income fell to $118.7 million, or 20 cents a share, from $209.1 million, or 33 cents, a year earlier.
Sales declined 12 percent to $1.05 billion, in line with analysts’ estimates.
Nvidia’s plans for Tegra go beyond phones and the processor range will continue to appear in new tablets, computers, vehicles and other devices, said Huang.
“We had anticipated a rebound for the year starting this quarter and it’s pretty much on track,” he said in a phone interview. “Tegra is more than about phones.”
Revenue will be $1.05 billion, plus or minus 2 percent, in the fiscal fourth quarter ending in January, the Santa Clara, California-based company said in the statement. That indicates sales of $1.03 billion to $1.07 billion, lower than the average analyst estimate of $1.08 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Gross margin, or the percentage of sales remaining after deducting production costs, will be 54.2 percent in the fiscal fourth quarter, Nvidia said.
The company said it is increasing its quarterly dividend payment to 8.5 cents a share from 7.5 cents, and added $1 billion to its stock repurchase program. It has a total of $1.29 billion available for buying its own shares before January 2016.


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EVs have gained immense popularity in five Nordic countries
In an interesting report, US News has revealed that electric cars have gained a lot of popularity in five Nordic countries --- Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland. The report is based on information shared by the International Energy Agency.
The above-mentioned five Nordic countries account for barely 0.4 percent of the world’s population. These countries have excessively cold weather conditions and lots of snowfall; thereby leading to the assumption that people in these countries would ideally prefer gas-powered or diesel-powered vehicles. However, quite surprisingly, electric cars are extremely popular in these five countries.
According to the US News report, almost eight percent of the total worldwide sales of fuel-efficient cars --- including battery-powered vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell cars -- were attributable collectively to the five mentioned Nordic countries in 2016.
The reason behind the popularity of electric vehicles in Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland is that the governments in these five Nordic countries are encouraging consumers to ditch gas-powered vehicles and choose vehicles running on alternative fuels. Consumers who purchase fuel-efficient cars in these countries get generous tax breaks and rebates, along with discounts to use toll roads.
With regard to the popularity of EVs in the five mentioned Nordic countries, Mark Gottfredson -- a partner at Bain & Company -- said that “it's just cheaper to own an electric vehicle” in these countries, so EV demand here has rocketed.
In a new email recently sent to Tesla employees, CEO Elon Musk has given the latest status update with regard to the automaker’s production of its Model 3 electric car.
A team of engineers at University of Colorado Boulder’s Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering are working to develop new technology which will enable electric cars of the future to recharge wirelessly on the road.
According to a press release from Tritium, the Australia-based fast-charger supplying company has launched its new European Headquarters in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
The new Nissan Leaf electric vehicle (EV) is apparently on its way to set an all-time sales record in Norway this month!
The Boring Company promoted by Elon Musk has received an order to setup transport system in Chicago.
According to a noteworthy assertion by Japanese automaker Nissan, the company’s next-generation Nissan Leaf is the ‘fastest selling’ electric vehicle (EV) in Europe.


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City hopes boost Brown
City money-men today called an end to talk of recession as a majority predicted that better times lay ahead.
The poll finding came as an eve-of-Budget boost for Chancellor Gordon Brown, who has long been derided in the Square Mile for his insistence that Britain will enjoy a soft landing this year instead of plunging into recession.
A monthly survey of top fund managers by Merrill Lynch detected the sharpest improvement in sentiment since polling began in 1990, with 67% now saying that the economy would be stronger in 12 months' time - up from 33% just a month ago.
It was the first time since mid-1997 that optimism had topped 50%. Last September just 3% predicted an upturn. Managers now favour stock market investment, particularly shares outside the FTSE 100.
The survey of 79 institutions managing £1120 billion was the second accolade for Brown within 24 hours, after the International Monetary Fund praised his policies in its annual report on Britain published last night.
The IMF warned that output growth would fall below Treasury forecasts this year, but it said there was scope for the Bank of England to tackle the downturn by cutting interest rates.
It also said that the Chancellor had room to loosen the purse-strings a little in tomorrow's Budget.
Further good news came from Britain's recession-hit manufacturing sector, where output lifted by 0.1% in January against City expectations of a standstill.
Prices at the factory gate fell 0.1% in the month and were up 0.3% year-on-year.
The pound fell a sixth of a cent to $1.6085 but the biggest gainer was the euro, today dubbed the "toilet currency" by The Sun because it has been heading "down the pan" since its launch in January.
For once it was flushed with success, lifting a third of a penny to 67.7p and nearly half a cent to to $1.089.
The Merrill Lynch survey found that City support for British entry to the euro is waning. Just 53% of fund managers said it was economically desirable to join, against 61% when the question was last asked in November 1997. However, 83% think joining is inevitable - as does 88% of the public, according to an NOP poll also released today.
The IMF warned that the pound was still overvalued and added: "One of the main economic imponderables was whether the exchange rate would be sufficiently well behaved to permit a viable entry rate."
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Blue clay soil slows construction at Bedford's Market & MainBy KIMBERLY HOUGHTON
Union Leader Correspondent
May 25. 2018 9:15PM
BEDFORD — Construction for the Market and Main development at the old Macy’s site has been delayed slightly as crews have discovered blue clay, a type of expansive soil.
“It looks like things have come to a stop out there, but they really haven’t,” explained Becky Hebert, planning director for Bedford.
Blue clay is a water-rich soil, or a glacial material associated with the river, according to Hebert.
“The Market and Main project hit a blue clay,” she said. “They have been dewatering on-site right now. This blue clay is common in areas of Bedford along South River Road.”
Blue clay was discovered during other development projects in the vicinity of the old Macy’s, including the former Bedford mall and the former Wayfarer site, said Town Manager Rick Sawyer.
“It is well known to all of the contractors in the area,” Sawyer said of the blue clay.
Town planners previously granted conditional approval for the Market and Main project, a large mixed-use development at 125 South River Rd.
Encore Retail LLC has slowly revealed more details about the potential tenants that will be occupying the 355,708-square-foot complex that is expected to include a cinema, hotel, medical office, restaurants, retail space and parking garage.
“They are dewatering, and when they get through with that process, you will see more action on the site,” Hebert said this week.
According to town officials, the blue clay is a unique geological feature in the area, explaining that it was likely not a surprise when construction crews discovered it.
To date, Pressed Cafe, Charles Schwab, Trader Joe’s, The Friendly Toast and Red Heat Tavern have all announced that they have signed leases for the new Market and Main development. Other businesses such as Athleta, REI, Cycle Bar, European Wax and MidiCi have been working on finalizing leases, representatives with Encore Enterprises said recently.
The building foundation for The Friendly Toast is already in place, according to Hebert.
As part of the construction process, the access drive to Whole Foods Market in the abutting parcel has been temporarily relocated, she said.
“That is a temporary sweep in the access drive,” said Hebert, adding the access road will eventually return to its original layout.
Developers say a lot of activity has been taking place behind the scenes to finalize leases for Market and Main; a groundbreaking date is expected to be announced soon. The project, once completed, could create more than $1 million a year in tax revenue, developers said earlier.


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KAMPALA – Ugandans have been cautioned to double check with the car dealers before making any transactions in order to avoid losing their monies to conmen.
The call made by Mr Marvin Ayebare, the publicity secretary of the association of used car importers in Uganda came at a time when Be Forward, a Japanese car exporter compensated 53 clients who were defrauded by one of their former agents, Steel Logistics Nagoya in November last year.
Ayebare said that before dealing with companies, Ugandans should always take an initiative and do thorough checks on internet and even make calls before carrying out these dealings.
In November 2022, a total of 53 customers were defrauded by Steel Logistics Nagoya after they paid for their vehicles only to turn out that they had diverted the funds.
In a press conference held at their offices in Kampala, officials from Be Forward said that all the aggrieved customers had been compensated.
“For us we prioritise solution other than anything else. We took an initiative, verified all the payment information by our clients and decided to compensate them by sending their vehicles,” Joseph Bogere, the Tokyo-based Uganda’s country manager said.
Mr John Mutahi, the senior manager in charge of South/East Africa said that the unfortunate incident made them to sit down and assess before acting.
“As we keep on tracking these people, we have decided to take the initiative and clear our brand, which we have built for years,” he added.
Some of the complainants including Mr Andrew Kisitu told the press that they had received their vehicles after exerting pressure on the company which later cooperated.
Kisitu said that after the scandal, the company reached out to him and asked him to pay the remaining balance so that he can get his car.
“I had paid $10,000 so after finishing my balance, they sent my vehicle which is now in Mombasa,” he said.
The other Be Forward agents in Uganda are Kheri Group Limited, Pre Motors Limited, Mpaatanel Company Limited, Fahd Enterprises Limited, Meik Car Hub Limited, and Beetonda Auto Limited in Masaka.
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Despite what we might think, smartphones aren’t destroying good reading habits. Rather, smartphones are enabling access to books in developing countries, according to a new study. They allow readers to find books in remote parts of the world without libraries and at a cheaper price.
In case you missed it, this past weekend The New York Review of Books likely outed the author who’s been writing under the nom de plume of Elena Ferrante. Condemnation was fast and furious, including pieces by n+1 and this fantastic Twitter thread by critic Lili Loofbourow. We join the chorus of voices who would rather direct the attention back to Ferrante’s work. Might we suggest starting with this piece about The Neapolitan Quartet‘s subversive power?


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Something new and exciting is coming our way, friends. Toronto’s newest emerging neighbourhood, The Well, will be home to a “mind-bending” immersive experience called Arcadia Earth.
Before we go any further, let’s back up for a second. If you haven’t heard, The Well is a shopping, dining, residential, and office district that is springing up in the downtown core.
It will be home to an indoor-outdoor shopping pavillion, a food market, a 22,000 sq ft event venue, office towers, and luxury condos.
Several of the retail tenants have already been announced at The Well — Australian eyewear store Bailey Nelson, popular fitness chain Sweat and Tonic, and Canada’s first-ever Arcadia Earth.
Arcadia Earth is a “large scale multi-sensory journey through underwater worlds, fantasy lands, and inspirational art installations,” according to its website.
Toronto’s all-you-can-taste outdoor wine festival is coming back
Toronto’s getting a massive entertainment resort & casino this year
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The exhibition is powered by augmented reality, virtual reality, and projection mapping.
The combination of in-person and virtual effects will transport you into a surreal universe.
The mission of Arcadia Earth is to “inform, inspire, and activate” communities to positively impact the planet.
It reimagines the most pressing environmental issues of our time in breathtaking ways, showing visitors how their small everyday choices impact the future of Earth in significant ways.
The exhibition currently has three locations around the world, in New York, Miami, and Saudi Arabia.
Pretty soon, Canadians will have the opportunity to go on this unique journey right in the heart of Toronto.
The Well is set to open to the public this spring, but an official date hasn’t been announced.
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BRISTOL, U.K. (Jan. 3, 2017) — Pokemon Go introduced the magic that comes from augmented reality to the world. As fun as it was, it was limited to watching onscreen battles between digital creatures. Now, augmented reality breaks out of the screen with MekaMon: the world’s first premium gaming robots that battle in both the physical and virtual worlds, creating a limitless experience for gamers everywhere.
Created by Reach Robotics and available for purchase today at MekaMon.com, MekaMon starts at $279 and is a new way to experience augmented reality, robotics and video games, where the whole universe is one giant battlefield.
Augmented Reality, Real Robots
Inside the MekaMon app, the smartphone screen becomes a dashboard for controlling and customizing the real-life robots, as well as a gateway for augmented reality gameplay. In single player, the screen transforms into a vast augmented reality world where players embark on an epic campaign and gamers learn how to strike, evade, and
master the robot’s controls. MekaMon’s tracking technology enables robots to transcend the physical environment and become one with digital gameplay in real time.
MekaMon’s robots have gone through 27 iterations over three years of development to become premium fighting machines. Features include:
Three degrees of freedom per leg allowing a sophisticated level of movement
Customization by physical accessories that add weapons or shields, enabling the creation of aggressive, defensive or technical specialists
One hour of battery life per charge
Phone camera and infrared tracking system for precision gameplay
Lightweight form factor (2.2 pounds) to enable swift battle strikes Two Bots Enter, One Bot Leaves MekaMon spans single and multiplayer action.
In multiplayer mode, friends battle in bot-to bot-combat as well as arcade-style, co-op gameplay that spans Tug of War, Last Man Standing, and more. MekaMon robots can also connect to multiple devices, allowing for cooperative gameplay for two people and up. In single-player mode, gamers progress through the MekaMon campaign and earn upgrades and experience points that they can use later for future battles.
As the robots battle, they level up and achieve new capabilities and weapons that can be customized in the mobile app based on a player’s strategy. Digital items augment abilities and boost health and recovery times, adding a layer of depth and strategy to upgrade choices and inventory.
Co-founded by 25-year-old Nigerian robotics engineer Silas Adekunle, Reach Robotics has assembled a team of leading engineers, game designers and computer vision PhDs and experts who have built their
reputations working at Aston Martin and Airbus. The result is a premium robotics product that’s easy to play but difficult to master and aimed squarely at bringing consumer robots to the multi-billion dollar toys-to-life market.
“At the root of everything we build is the premise that gaming is an experience that goes beyond a screen. We imagine a world where things come to life in front of you,” says Silas Adekunle, CEO and cofounder of Reach Robotics. “Our inspiration came from building robots in STEM classes with underprivileged students in the U.K., and while we got our humble start there — we’re ready to introduce a new twist on hardware and video games and unleash our battling robots.”
Enlist in the MekAcademy
The first 500 people to buy MekaMon will receive exclusive features and enter the MekAcademy, a club that offers special promotions, battle advice and more. For a limited time, a single MekaMon is available in the Lone Wolf Battle Pack for $279 while the Ultimate Battle Pack contains two MekaMons and is available for $499 – a discount of more than 35 percent from its retail price.
Founded in 2013 by CEO Silas Adekunle, CTO Chris Beck and COO John Rees, Reach Robotics is creating the future of gaming by fusing robotics, reality-bending technology and competitive play. MekaMon is the company’s first product and the company is backed by world-class investors like London Venture Partners, Qualcomm Ventures, Hardware Club, Iglobe Partners, Passion Capital and Techstars.
Dolls, Robots and Dreams: the aim is to engage more girls in Science & Tech by connecting their tablets and smartphones to their dolls via a robot
January 31st, 2017, Spielwarenmesse, Nuremberg, Germany
While millions of robots and mini-drones have been sold this year, few have ended up in the hands of women or even girls reflecting a deepening gender gap in the world of technology.
Many girls’ toys lag behind in the development of spatial skills, hands-on problem solving skills, and confidence with technology.
These are exactly the skills that SmartGurlz aims to develop.
SmartGurlz has a unique offering of stylish scooter robots, dolls and books with digital elements such as an e-learning platform that teaches basic coding. The idea is to encourage girls from being consumers of technology into creators and code writers.
‘We at SmartGurlz believe that kids learn by playing and childhood is a time for setting the foundation for further educational pursuits,’ said CEO and Co-Founder, Sharmi Albrechtsen, ‘we wanted to modernize doll playing to reflect changing times. The end result are really amazing mini-drones shaped like fashionable Italian scooters and Segway-like vehicles that are self-balancing, driven by App and can be coded using our own coding platform SugarCoded TM.’
The self-balancing aspect is unique since the robot can maneuver in small rooms, on carpet, inside and outside. SmartGurlz’s CTO, Thomas Kølbæk Jespersen has been working with Aalborg University and DTU’s robotics departments to finalise this unique feature.
Launched this 2016 Christmas in Denmark, Switzerland and UK, SmartGurlz charms geeks and toy masters but most importantly impresses girls and their parents with the amount of creative fun coding can give.
Designed by tech toy start-up company, SmartGurlz Aps, girls playing with SmartGurlz gain three major learnings:
1. SPATIAL REASONING. Girls learn how to direct/orient their robots in new environments and interpret maps.
2. COMPUTER PROGRAMMING. Girls learn to program their robots using our specially made kids coding software App called Sugar CodedTM*.
3. STORYTELLING & PROBLEM SOLVING.Girls learn to story tell and solve missions via coding.
*SugarCoded was inspired by open-sourced Scratch, the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab and uses elements from Blockly, created by Google.
SMARTGURLZ NEW YORK STORY: CHARACTERS & BOOKS
SmartGurlz first product line is SmartGurlz New York ™ which focuses on the everyday adventures of 4 young talented women studying at the fictional New York Institute of Technology – N.I.T.
A collaboration with the Kurhn Doll Company allows us to offer high quality fashion/action dolls that represent the ideals of SmartGurlz New York TM.
SmartGurlz New York dolls are naturalistic and smartly dressed with simple elegance that you may find in a real-life, young woman touring around a college campus in the ‘Big Apple’, New York City. The multi-cultural dolls represent various education backgrounds including Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and our books highlight each girl’s corresponding story line.
SmartGurlz New York products are available Christmas 2016.
Siggy: Robot, Doll and Apps •Ages 6+
SugarCoded App•Free a strategic game-like interface that teaches coding and allows for self-build coding projects available at both App Store and Google Play
ABOUT SMARTGURLZ, A/S. SmartGurlz is a fun, tech toy to engage girls in design, robotics and computer programming using their mobile phones and tablets. It’s created for girls who want to take playing with fashion dolls to the next level, and the name of our little company. (We’re brand new!)
Hong Kong (PRWEB) January 23, 2017 — Today Hanson Robotics launched a Kickstarter campaign for an uncannily human-like robot version of Albert Einstein. The company aims to honor the iconic and imaginative scientist and bring fully expressive robots direct to consumers.
Professor Einstein is a 14.5” personal robot with the ability to walk, hold a natural conversation, learn your name, maintain eye contact, answer questions, entertain and teach science. He’s cloud and Wifi connected, allowing for dynamic interaction with a tablet and the corresponding Stein-O-Matic app to learn and play games.
The robot guides users through the world of science and beyond by presenting interactive lessons, eye-popping slideshows, daily mental kick starts, thought experiments, jokes, brain games and more. With new activities added to the Stein-O-Matic every day, Professor Einstein’s robust reward system allows users to earn IQ points, which can be used to unlock special items, bonus games and avatar upgrades.
The idea for Professor Einstein was born out of toy inventor Andy Rifkin’s lifelong fascination with all things Einstein, and the values he stood for. Hanson Robotics founder and CEO Dr. David Hanson approached Andy about teaming up to create a robot, which led to the formation of a unique shared vision. Rifkin was invited to join as Hanson Robotics’ Chief Technology Officer and the robot was developed under the Hanson Robotics umbrella.
“Professor Einstein has an adaptive learning ability, which means that if you don’t understand something, he will modify the way he presents the information,” said Rifkin. “He has infinite patience. He will keep trying different ways of explaining things until it “clicks” for you. Plus, because he teaches through jokes, metaphors, and games, he makes learning genuinely fun.”
“It was crucial for us that Professor Einstein would embody a sense of playfulness and wonder,” said Hanson. “He had to inspire imagination, be a great conversationalist, and make the gestures and facial expressions that the real Albert Einstein was known for.”
The Professor Einstein Kickstarter campaign runs from January 23 – February 27, 2017. Early bird pricing starts at $249 USD. For a full rundown of the pledge levels visit the Kickstarter page.


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- Other Apps
San Francisco lifestyle photographer Marcy Maloy was recently hired by social media marketing agency Mr. Youth to document the behind the scenes moments at a video shoot for H&M. The “flash mob” made up of 55 kids, aged 9 to 13 at Union Square is featured in a youtube webspot to promote the new H&M store in San Francisco. “All of the kids in the shoot were amazing dancers,” says Maloy. “There was so much unbridled energy. Getting authentic, spontaneous images of the kids was fun.” Most of the dancers were associated with Future Shock, a dance school in Oakland, California that teaches hip hop among other things. “I've never seen such great hip hop,” says Maloy. Following the four minute “flash mom” scene Marcy shot a fashion show at the H&M store.


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Analyst sees a no contract, pre-paid $350 Apple iPhone coming in September11
According to Whitmore, Apple has shipped 87 million units of the iPhone over the last two years which is only a 6% penetration of the market. The analyst sees Apple aiming to increase that percentage and feels that a $349 low-end variant of Apple's touchscreen phone would allow the company to keep a high level of profitability. He figures that an unlocked Apple iPhone 4 at $649 gives Apple a 70% profit margin. A low-end iPhone, he figures, is similar to the $229 iPod Touch which has a 38% profit margin. By adding an RF module to the iPod so it can make and receive phone calls, and pricing the device at around $350, Apple could score a respectable 53% profit margin.
With pre-paid users dominating in some countries, a pre-paid Apple iPhone could be a good way for Apple to increase it's share of the cellular market. In China, a market that Apple would like to increase its presence, a whopping 85% of cellular customers use a pre-paid account.


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There has been an unexpected spike in demand for commercial utensil washers as a result of the pandemic, it has been claimed.
Milton Keynes-based supplier Winterhalter said factors such as hygiene and labour-saving were driving the trend after reporting increased interest in the category.
National sales manager, Glenn Roberts, said: “In the past, many foodservice operators would wash utensils, pots and pans by hand – we’re now getting comments from customers like, ‘it’s time we got a machine to do the job properly.’
“There’s no doubt that a quality utensil washer will deliver a more hygienic result than hand washing. At the same time, with staff shortages, a utensil washer will reduce labour requirements and do the job quickly as well as hygienically, so it’s a win-win.”
Some operators have avoided buying utensil washers in the past because of the space they take up.
Mr Roberts said that traditional utensil washers had been viewed as ‘cumbersome machines taking up valuable kitchen space’, but modern machines tend to be much smaller.
He said Winterhalter now supplies a UF Series utensil washer with a footprint that is just 775mm wide by 870mm deep. It is capable of washing up to 64 large (612mm x 672mm) racks per hour.
List price for Winterhalter utensil washers start at £18,570 but operators that don’t want to purchase machines outright can lease them to spread out the costs.
“Utensil washers were once thought of as a bit of a luxury. Not any more. We expect to see demand increase as the foodservice market returns to full operation,” said Mr Roberts.


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The coronavirus originated in the Chinese region of Wuhan only 3 weeks ago but already it is having devastating effects on Chinese businesses in the province of Alicante where owners are claiming to be suffering losses in turnover of up to 30%.
They say that the numbers of customers are plummeting, thereby affecting retail outlets and restaurants in the area.
Many colleges where Chinese is taught have also suspended classes because they have students who have recently returned from China following New Year celebrations and who are having to undergo quarantine of fifteen days as a precaution, during which time they are not permitted to leave their homes.
Among those Chinese immigrants who speak good Spanish there is calmness, because they are able to communicate, but among those many immigrants who do not speak the language, there is a fear of going out into the street in case they suffer social rejection or some kind of xenophobic attack.
Alessandro Zhou, who runs a business in Elche selling bags, says that he has friends who have said they are concerned, particularly for the welfare of their children who attend local schools. But he adds that there are also many people in Alicante who “ask how we are and tell us that they are very sorry for what is happening.”
In the province there is a settlement of just over 10,000 Chinese immigrants, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), but associations such as the intercultural Alacant-Xina claim that there are many more.
Zhou, one of the few Chinese residents who is not concerned to publicise his name admits, though, that the global alarm caused by the coronavirus is affecting his entire community.
“I have friends and colleague throughout Europe,” he says. “In Spain things are slightly better but the contacts I have in Italy say that when the Italians see a Chinese face, they treat you as if you were the virus, as a result of which some stores have seen their turnover fall by as much as 80%.”
He says that here in the Alicante Province there has definitely been a decline in business because people are afraid. He has colleagues who are very worried because there are members of the public who are afraid of entering Chinese stores. He says they have heard things like: ‘Look, a Chinese shop. I don’t go in because they all have a virus.”
Chinese Business Groups point out that there is no need to be concerned because in Spain there has only been one confirmed case of the virus, many miles away, a German citizen in the Canary Islands.
Zhou said “We have lived here 10, 20, even 30 years, and we are your countrymen. We know you are concerned, but we are doing our best. Everyone who returns from China goes into quarantine for 15 days. They stay at home, for the health of themselves and for everyone else. In these cases they only have contact with family members who provide them with food. Unfortunately the virus originated in China but it could so easily have come from another country.”
Many Chinese restauranteurs are also claiming a dramatic fall in custom with one in Alicante saying that his restaurant, which caters predominantly for Spaniards, is completely empty. “At lunchtime yesterday I didn’t have a single table occupied when, before, during the lunch period, it was usual to serve a dozen or more people.”
He said that people are getting scared and, if the situation continues, he won’t be able to pay his staff or rent the premises. “I also have Chinese friends with large premises and if this continues their businesses won’t be able to survive.”


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There’s no doubt that 2014 was a landmark year for virtual reality (VR) technology. While Oculus VR and its Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD) continued to grow, Sony Computer Entertainment entered the industry with the introduction of its Project Morpheus HMD for PlayStation 4 as did Google with Cardboard and Samsung with Gear VR. But despite all of the news to come from VR in 2014, there can be no doubt that 2015 will hold even more. In fact, the Oculus VR recently labelled 2015 as ‘the Year of VR’.
At least, that’s what Oculus VR’s Bacon VR stated in this week’s update for the Oculus Store on Gear VR. “Happy 2015!” the developer wrote. “Everyone ready for the Year of VR?” It’s just a small quote but coming from a member of the Oculus VR team carries some significance. It’s hoped that 2015 will finally be the year that Oculus VR releases the consumer version of the Oculus Rift, which fans have been anticipating ever since the company completed its hugely successful Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign in 2012.
Recently Oculus VR CEO Brendan Iribe noted that the consumer release of the Oculus Rift was ‘months away’. Earlier this month The Telegraph wrote in a feature that Oculus VR creator Palmer Luckey ‘estimates’ a Winter 2015 launch for the device, although this quote was quickly retracted with statements from Luckey noting that he didn’t know where the information had come from. It certainly seems as if the launch is nearing, then. And with Gear VR already released in the US and set to roll out elsewhere in 2015, it’s easy to see why 2015 could be the Year of VR.
VRFocus will continue to bring regular and consistent coverage of the VR industry throughout 2015, following every single update and announcement and bringing them to you.