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LONDON, February 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
The global rum market will decline over the next five years according to joint research from just-drinks and The IWSR featuring the latest full-year data available.
The Global Rum Insights report has forecast a compound annual drop of 0.5% between 2016 and 2021, representing a decline of almost 3.7m cases, with rum's top three markets - India, the US and the Philippines - all expected to record falls. The predicted five-year dip follows a decline of 0.8% in 2015 to 141.8m nine-litre cases, with nine of the top 20 markets and four of the top five registering declines.
Between 2010 and 2015, the sector registered a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.6%.
The report notes that, while only two of rum's ten largest markets - Cuba and the Dominican Republic - are set to grow over the coming five years, the heaviest declines will be seen in high-volume, low-value markets.
Germany is predicted to be flat to 2021, and only "small declines" are forecast for France, Spain and the UK. On the other hand, India will see a fall of more than 2m cases, while volumes in the Philippines are forecast to decline by 3.8m cases.
Some of rum's other significant markets are expected to enjoy better fortunes, notably Brazil and Venezuela. Meanwhile, Peru, Australia and Jamaica, are all expected to grow strongly over the next few years.
"Taken all together, these trends reflect a growing diversity among rum's global markets," the report states. "While high-volume (but usually low-value) countries such as India and the Philippines are set to decline, a basket of much smaller but more promising destinations are on the increase."
While overall category volumes are on the decline, the report notes that the super- and ultra-premium rum categories are "still expanding at a healthy rate". Nevertheless, in premiumisation terms rum continues to underperform compared to rival spirits categories, such as Scotch whisky and Cognac, with the super- and ultra-premium price segments accounting for less than 0.5% of sales.
Global Rum Insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends, published in August 2016, can be purchased via the just-drinks research store.
just-drinks.com is the online news, insight and research portal for the global drinks industry. Our editorial team includes contributors from around the world, while our commentators comprise experts in their respective fields of beer, bottled water, soft drinks, spirits (both brown and white) and wine. Under the direction of managing editor Olly Wehring, we offer an impartial voice and are driven by our passion for the drinks industry.
About The IWSR
The IWSR is the leading source of data and analysis on the alcoholic beverage market. The IWSR's database, essential to the industry, quantifies the global market of wine, spirits, beer and RTDs by volume and value, and provides insight into short- and long-term trends. IWSR statistics are used by all of the largest multinational wine and spirits companies, as well as many more local companies. The IWSR's unique methodology allows them to get closer to what is actually consumed and better understand how markets work. The IWSR conducts face-to- face interviews with 1,500 companies in 118 countries each year, with further input from 350 companies. The IWSR tracks overall consumption and trends at brand, quality and category level.
For further information and images please contact James Lawley, Public Relations at Aroq Limited on +44(0)1527-573-606, email firstname.lastname@example.org
SOURCE just-drinks and The IWSR


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MariMed Announces Agreement to Acquire Kind Therapeutics USA, LLC, A Maryland Licensed Vertically Integrated Cannabis Business
NORWOOD, Mass., Jan. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MariMed Inc. (OTCQX: MRMD) (“MariMed” or the “Company”), a leading multi-state cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Kind Therapeutics U.S.A., LLC (“Kind”), a leading vertically integrated cannabis business in Maryland. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
The transaction will result in the third state, incremental to Massachusetts and Illinois, in which MariMed will have acquired a licensed cannabis business it manages and assisted in developing. Once acquired, Kind’s financial results with be reported by the Company on a consolidated basis. The Kind acquisition will further represent MariMed’s successful implementation of its strategic growth plan to consolidate the multiple state cannabis businesses it organically developed and manages.
Kind, which holds cannabis licenses for cultivation and production, as well as a provisional license for a dispensary, currently leases from Mari Holdings MD, LLC, a MariMed subsidiary, a 180,000 square foot cultivation and processing facility in Hagerstown, which MariMed developed. Mari Holdings MD, LLC also owns and is developing a dispensary facility for Kind in Annapolis, which is expected to open in early 2022. Under MariMed’s management, Kind has been successfully manufacturing and distributing cannabis and cannabis products into Maryland’s robust wholesale cannabis industry, which has grown to 103 dispensaries. These products include MariMed’s award-winning products and brands including Nature’s Heritage™ craft flower, Betty’s Eddies® fruit chews, and k FUSION chewable tablets. Betty’s Eddies® has been a top-selling edible brand in the state.
“I am pleased to announce our agreement to acquire Kind, which operates in one of the top medical cannabis programs and markets in the country,” said Bob Fireman, Chief Executive Officer of MariMed. “This acquisition will deliver another transformational year for MariMed in 2022, building on two consecutive years of more than 100% cannabis revenue and Adjusted EBITDA growth.”
The aggregate purchase price to be paid for Kind, in a combination of cash and promissory notes, will be $20 million. In addition, the Company will acquire the minority interests of one of the current owners of Kind in two subsidiaries of the Company that own cannabis facilities in Maryland and Delaware for $2 million in the aggregate. Further, upon the closing of these transactions, all Kind related litigation will be dismissed with prejudice.
Maryland’s legal medical cannabis program currently has more than 139,000 registered patients and, according to the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (“MMCC”), the state receives more than 200 applications for medical cannabis cards every day. Maryland’s medical cannabis program was on pace to generate more than $500 million in sales in 2021. According to Cowen Research, with a population of 6.2 million, Maryland’s medical cannabis program boasts some of the highest rates of registered medical consumers, incidence usage and spending, on a per capita basis, among all legal medical cannabis programs in the U.S. The state legislature is reviewing proposals to implement an adult use cannabis program in the future.
MariMed Inc., a multi-state cannabis operator, is dedicated to improving lives every day through its high-quality products, its actions, and its values. The Company develops, owns, and manages seed to sale state-licensed cannabis facilities, which are models of excellence in horticultural principles, cannabis cultivation, cannabis-infused products, and dispensary operations. MariMed has an experienced management team that has produced consistent growth and success for the Company and its managed business units. Proprietary formulations created by the Company’s technicians are embedded in its top-selling and award-winning products and brands, including Betty's Eddies®, Nature’s Heritage®, Bubby’s Baked™, k FUSION, and Kalm FUSION®. For additional information, visit www.marimedinc.com.
Investor Relations Contact:
Vice President, Investor Relations
Chief Communications Officer
Released January 5, 2022

domain: news


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Regardless of your personal sentiments about Kylie Jenner, it’s undeniable that the 21-year-old has paved her way to becoming a modern makeup guru of sorts. So, when Kylie recently uploaded an au naturel, sun-drenched portrait captioned “skin”, followed by another bare-faced selfie three days later, it naturally sent the internet into a frenzy – but not for obvious reasons.
It was soon evident that this trail of makeup-free selfies was leading to the announcement of her latest beauty venture, Kylie Skin. Details on the launch are slowly starting to trickle in through the brand’s Instagram account, so we know that a cleanser, scrub, toner, serum, eye cream, and moisturizer – as well as an all-inclusive set – will be part of the first drop on May 22. Even better: everything is cruelty-free, gluten-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, vegan, and dermatologist tested.
But Kylie isn’t the only Jenner, or celebrity for that matter, with a personal care launch on the horizon. Though Lady Gaga’s striptease was all everyone could talk about after this year’s Met Gala, there was a small – but nonetheless major – detail of her entrance that diehards were quick to dissect.
While the little pink and gold wagon that accompanied Gaga on the red carpet felt like just another theatrical accessory to many, it was the words written on its side, Haus of Gaga, that left people speculating if it was a teaser for her long-anticipated beauty line, Haus Beauty. Though the popstar has yet to confirm anything about the launch, it was unveiled last year that she had filed to trademark a cosmetics line called Haus Beauty – in fact, a local Las Vegas newspaper recently announced that it would launch in Sin City this May.
But that’s not all. In April, we caught wind of a potential cosmetics and skincare line by Hailey Bieber, which was soon followed by reports that her bestie Kendall Jenner might also have a personal care line in the works after filing to trademark ‘Kendall’ and ‘Kendall Jenner’. Is it just us, or is the beauty industry experiencing a celebrity makeover?


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Social game developer Zynga will buy its corporate headquarters building in San Francisco for $228 million, which will house a portion of its fast-growing workforce of more than 2800 employees.
In September 2010, when Zynga signed its seven-year lease agreement for the building
, which previously served as the headquarters of Sega of America, the FarmVille
developer had only 1,200 workers. It's since more than doubled its headcount through acquisitions and lots of new hires.
Prior to this building purchase, Zynga leased 65 percent of the 670,000-square-foot building. The company has already placed $25 million into escrow to buy the building, and is expected to complete the purchase during the April-June quarter, according to a report
from the San Jose Mercury News.


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Will the next Xbox continue the reign of success Microsoft has seen this generation or will it stumble Sony-style, losing momentum at a critical junction for console systems? The answer could lie in a single feature.
Kotaku recently reignited the rumor about the next Xbox requiring a constant connection to the Internet - and Microsoft Studios' creative director did nothing to put out that growing brushfire with his Twitter fiasco last week.
Will the next generation Xbox require an 'always-on' connection? There's nothing to base that on right now except for rumors and the echo chamber of the Internet. But, for the sake of argument alone, let's say that is an upcoming feature. Is it as bad as it seems?
Certainly, the recent history of mandatory Internet connections hasn't been a good one. Anyone who purchased Diablo III, SimCity, Defiance or, for that matter, any recent World of Warcraft expansion has lived the same story: Eager to play, they inserted their game disc - only to be unable to log onto the servers. It's a nightmare scenario for pretty much everyone involved - player, developer and PR/community person who has to do clean up work afterward.
What's staggering about this all-too-familiar scenario is its regularity. The video game industry has had the chance to prepare for these sorts of launches time and time again, yet constantly drops the ball.
"If we cannot provide the level of service appropriate and we continuously disappoint, we create continued ill will from customers"Christian Svensson on failed always-online attempts
"As an industry, we needed [SimCity] to get it right," says Christian Svensson, Senior Vice President at Capcom Entertainment. "We needed Blizzard to get it right. And there are reasons that needed to happen for the sanctity of our revenue streams. ... Network based service models are crucial to our business moving forward. If we cannot provide the level of service appropriate and we continuously disappoint, we create continued ill will from customers. Even when there's a huge value to consumers ... every single time, it's going to be viewed with skepticism and waiting for people to get burnt."
While that logjam created by a big launch is one of the most-cited problems with the always-on model, it's not an insurmountable one.
"It's a money question," says Chris Early, VP of digital publishing at Ubisoft. "If you backed it up with Amazon servers, you could launch any game that we make today - completely digitally. There's enough server space and bandwidth to do that."
Of course, those servers cost money - and publishers aren't in a financial position to overestimate and miss, especially with investors watching them so closely these days. (Investors, it's worth noting, didn't seem to care about SimCity's problems. EA stock didn't suffer during the launch woes.)
Microsoft is in a slightly different position. It has the ability to make that gamble - and having launched a few big games of its own without incident, it has some expectations of what to look out for. Halo 4 and any recent Call of Duty debuted without any major hiccups in the multiplayer component - and expanding capacity to handle the single player element wouldn't be too challenging for the company.
Consider also that, even if the new Xbox does require a constant Internet connection, Microsoft will have plenty of time to study trends before it reaches a significant roadblock. The system will be supply constrained at launch, meaning roadblocks won't be a problem. Additionally, there's unlikely to be a game that has the same level of anticipation as a SimCity or Diablo, since it's economically infeasible for publishers. (That's why the holiday after a system's launch is typically much more exciting for players - the installed base has reached a point that publishers can fully devote resources to it.)
That gives Microsoft a chance to learn, like Valve did with Steam, and be ready.
"We face [as an industry], I think, the same problems as when people started to think about 'I have a home phone and I have this new cellular phone.' And who sat at home and used their cellular phone? Nobody did - because it was unreliable," says Early. "When you were home you picked up the phone. ... Now, some amount of time later, when the appropriate amount of investment has been made in the infrastructure, a lot of people don't have hard lines any more."
"Any potential cries of forum dwellers are unlikely to match the level of volume Microsoft's marketing machine will make during the ramp up to the new system"
The more troubling problem - and the one that seemingly doesn't have an answer right now - is what happens when someone's Internet goes out for more than a few minutes? Or, conversely, what about the people who live in rural areas, where Internet speeds are well below the national average?
While that audience makes up a minority of the potential buyers, their defenders are vocal - and could prove sufficiently loud to affect sales, though likely not on the scale they'd like to imagine.
Why's that? Well, despite the tempest in a teapot that was the SimCity or Diablo III launches, look at the sales numbers of both games. EA topped its expectations and Blizzard moved more than 12 million copies. Even with all the outrage that accompanied both of those games, they were massive successes. And any potential cries of forum dwellers are unlikely to match the level of volume Microsoft's marketing machine will make during the ramp up to the new system.
Of course, even if Microsoft launches with this feature, it can always switch course fairly easily. Should it sniff a consumer pushback that's growing beyond its ability to contain and control, it can easily fall back to the position Sony has established - pushing the choice (and, thus, the blame) back onto the publishers, while quietly offering them all the support they need.
To some, that might seem a victory, but when it comes to big titles, they're likely to see that always-on connection just the same.
That's not a roundabout way of saying "deal with it". (We've all seen the effects of that ludicrously condescending hashtag.) However, always-on DRM is unlikely to go away anytime soon. It's invasive and annoying for some consumers, but many, many more don't really care too much about it. Additionally, it helps publishers protect their IP - and regulate things like cheating much more easily.
It's a problem that's slowly getting better, as publishers try to work it out themselves. Maybe - just maybe - having a central player like Microsoft stepping in could speed up that learning process and make it palatable.


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Due to the heavy penalty for driving an electric scooter without a license, causing public opinion controversy
According to the European Union News Agency, electric scooters have brought a series of safety problems while gradually gaining the Italian market due to low pollution, low consumption and environmental protection. In the society, the legislative call for electric electric scooter management is getting louder and louder. During this period, the Brescia traffic police imposed high fines on riding electric scooters on the grounds of no driver's license, which caused public opinion and social controversy.
According to reports, Brescia police said that recently, the local traffic police issued a 5,000 euro ticket to a 40-year-old man and detained the man's electric scooter. The reason for the fine is unlicensed driving.
According to the police, the speed of the rider exceeds 16 kilometers per hour. According to the relevant traffic regulations, the electric scooter has reached the speed limit of scooters and electric bicycles. Therefore, it is necessary to have a driver's license to get on the road, and the man riding the electric scooter. Did not realize this. At the same time, the local police seized four electric scooters for the same reason.
The Brescia police especially stressed that in order to ensure the safety of electric scooters, it is necessary to take the road.
With the popularization of shared electric scooters in Italian cities, due to the lag of relevant legislative work, many violations such as speeding riding of electric scooters, riding with two people, riding in the restricted area, etc. are common, and even traffic accidents are caused by excessive speed. This has led to the concerns of traffic managers and the call for legislation.
The Brescia traffic police punish the cyclists on the grounds that they need a driver's license to ride an electric scooter. The current law is rigidly placed on an electric scooter. It seems to be somewhat reluctant and irrational. After all, Italy has nowhere to get an electric scooter license. Obviously this is still a legal vacuum zone. Enforcement in a legal vacuum environment is inevitable.
What do you think of it?


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Apple might be working on two iPhone models that will feature a 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch screen, with a lower price point and in a range of colors, according to a report from Reuters.
Four people with knowledge of the alleged plans state that the larger smartphones could hit the market within the next year. It would not come as much of a surprise considering Samsung, one of Apple\’s biggest competitors, recently announced a smaller version of its popular Galaxy S4 with a screen size that is still larger than the iPhone 5. The Galaxy S4 Mini will feature a screen just under 4.5-inches with mostly the same features as its flagship companion.
Reuters notes that Apple is potentially attempting to enter the “phablet” market, which has increased in popularity with users that are interested in larger screens, but in smartphone format. The 4-inch screen of the iPhone 5 was a big departure from the classic 3.5-inch screens of past iPhone models, but the competition has proven consumers want more options when it comes to handsets. The report states that the cheaper iPhone models could run for as low as $99 in the US with five or six different color options, distinguishing it from the higher-priced iPhone 5.


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Stocks tanked across Europe — including 3.2 percent in London and 3.3 in Germany — yesterday amid concerns about debt overload in Dubai. Trad ers expect more of the same in New York, when markets open today after the Thanksgiving holiday. The sell-off triggered swings in currency bets, with the long-laggard US dollar climbing as much as 2 percent against most currencies, and gold snapped its weeklong rally, dropping to $1,188.38 an ounce in London.
KKR is reportedly in the hunt for Siemens’ hea ring-aid business, which could fetch $4.5 billion. KKR is among several buyout firms eyeing the Munich-based unit.
A Chinese company may step up as the sole buyer of General Motors’ Saab automobile group after partner Koenigsegg Group of Sweden pulled out of talks. Beijing Auto motive is among a group of prospective buyers that have approached GM about buying the Swedish carmaker. Oth ers include Wyoming in vestment group Mer banco and Manhattan- based Renco Group.
Japan’s unemployment rate in October unexpect- edly fell for a third month, a sign the worst may be over for the labor market. It declined to 5.1 percent — half the size of the monthly rate of America’s 10.2 percent. Unlike in the US, the government has stepped up measures to support workers, and yesterday’s figures indicate that growth spurred by ex ports and production is spreading through the economy.


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- press -
The Hibiscus Coast - a foodie hotspot
Some of the county's award winning food is being made and sold on Auckland's Hibiscus Coast.
Local businesses have been punching above their weight and winning awards in competitions such as the New Zealand Food Awards.
Hibiscus Coast food company punches above its weight
A Hibiscus Coast food company had Something to Crow About yesterday at the New Zealand Food Awards. Something to Crow About's roasted seed sprinkle range was given a highly commended award last night at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Out of 20 finalists in the Artisan category, the sprinkle range was given the award alongside four other companies. more


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Roshan Digital Accounts (RDA) crossed billion-dollar mark in less than eight months since its launch. The number is growing at an increasing rate. It took around eighteen weeks to get to the first $500 million, and nine for the next $500 million. It may not be too optimistic to assume that the figure may cross $2 billion within this calendar year.
Around two third of the flows are in the Naya Pakistan Certificates (NPC). These are reported in the financial account (not current account) within balance of payment as government’s debt; and within foreign reserves, these are recorded under SBP reserves.
Remaining one third is mainly used for local consumption or parked in RDAs as foreign currency – these are recorded in the current account. The amount being used locally is marked in remittances and is not repatriable, while the amount parked in RDAs is recorded as other current transfers in secondary income account. These flows are part of banks’ foreign reserves. A small portion of Rs1.5 billion ($10 mn) is deployed in the stock market.
The RDA flows are coming from 100+ countries and over 120,000 accounts have been opened – giving an average account inflow of $8,000-9,000. That is healthy—smaller the ticker size, stickier the flows. Some of the amount in RDA are from resident Pakistanis’ declared wealth outside Pakistan. It is hard to tell how much of flows within RDAs are from resident Pakistanis.
The product was started with eight domestic banks and by now eleven have been on-boarded. Some banks are performing better than others in terms of account opening, amounts received and product offerings. The top performing banks are HBL, Meezan, Bank Alfalah and UBL.
The central bank is working with banks to come up with new products for RDA holders. Right now, the leveraging products available against NPCs are offered by foreign banks operating outside the jurisdiction of Pakistan. SBP will soon announce new products in an event planned with PM in attendance to offer gratitude to expats for reposing their trust in RDA.
Two new products are likely to be offered soon. One is car financing for RDA holders -Roshan Apni Car. There will be some nuggets to be offered such as low interest and insurance rates, buying cars remotely, and quicker delivery times. That may encourage expats to finance cars for their families in Pakistan.
The other product is to create a platform for donation and charity through RDAs -Roshan Samaji Khidmat. Expats usually send their charity through remittances via family and friends, and directly to charitable organizations routed through other current transfers. Soon, RDA can be used to remit these as well.
SBP offered a discount (better rate on NPCs) to RDAs as a marketing tool to attract new market, and to compensate expats on their opportunity cost of investing in their resident country. The question is how long will this discount continue. There are around 7-9 million expats residing outside Pakistan – conservative estimate is 2-3 million households – right now less than 5 percent is being tapped. The SBP’s view is to strengthen this base to 10-15 percent of households and by this count $2-3 billion should be in RDA assuming current average inflow per person, before the Bank can start thinking of tapering off the discount.


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Humanity Africa CEO Bhupinder Baidwan attended the AFRO Packaging & Food Manufacturing convention in Cairo, Egypt between 26-29th May 2016 to network with potential partners for its Moringa products produced and distributed by sister entity Nutri-Globe.
AFRO Packaging & Food Manufacturing holds the leading trade fair in Egypt and North Africa, hosting more than 12,000 visitors from all over the world. AFRO Packaging and Food Manufacturing held its fifth annual event at Cairo, Egypt, International Convention and Exhibition Center from the 26th to the 29th of May 2016. The event was called the AFRO Packaging & Food Exhibition and aimed to create a suitable industrial environment between international exhibitions and trade visitors and to discover new trends for the latest innovations in the food industry and technology.
The exhibition brought in companies from 20 countries from all over the globe, attesting to Africa’s growing role in food manufacturing and the effect of globalization on food supply chains. Notable organizations attended the exhibition with different interests.
Such trade shows have become a crucial space of opportunity for upcoming businesses, manufacturers, and investors, and are a center for creativity, innovation, and the sharing of disruptive practices.
Humanity Africa’s sister entity Nutri-globe has social interests of producing, packaging and marketing Moringa products in Zambia. The dried leaves of the Moringa tree are a vital source of nutrition for many communities because Moringa contains high amounts of Vitamins A, B6, C, E, as well as Iron, Riboflavin, and Zinc. The high content of nutrition and antioxidants in Moringa makes it a key ingredient for the nutrition of communities who are now facing malnutrition and stunted growth, among other issues. Nutri-globe works with female-led farming cooperatives in rural Zambia to grow Moringa, which will be used to improve local nutrition and help farmers earn a sustainable livelihood by selling Moringa products in the UK.
Nutri-Globe’s new Moringa products include tea, loose powder, capsules, and a nutrition bar. Humanity Africa was invited to the AFRO Packaging and Food Manufacturing exhibition. The main focus was on meeting potential sellers of packaging for our new products in order to develop our business.
The exhibition created a great atmosphere and exciting opportunity to network with so many people from various parts of Africa. Mr. Bhupinder Singh Baidwan, was honored to be able to take part of the event and was proud to have the opportunity to represent Zambia.


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Written by Alicia Edwards The COVID-19 pandemic has forced industries all around the world to innovate in order to continue their operations. The banking industry is no exception. Since the lockdown, banks have had to move their services online. That, in itself, is a technological
Are you really sure that you are optimally positioned to get Maximised Operating Profits in 2021? A lot changed out there this year; many businesses did not robustly adapt their businesses to the new environments so Revenue, Market Share, Costs and Risks can easily now
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Everyone wants robustness and lowest operational cost. In the very short term this is hard to achieve, but since this is not just a short term challenge now, then it is crucial to evaluate new partners who can augment BAU with new revenue streams and
by Adrian Hausser, CEO PayX Group (Inc. building out Asia operation), Advisory Board Member and Investor 25 November 2019 There are a number of conferences – some are leaders and have been around years and some have evolved and grown in recent times – some
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Across Asia, digital payments are on the rise due to supportive government policies, evolving consumer behavior and the dizzying pace of technological innovation, payment service providers face enormous pressure from a wide range of competitors. Key stakeholders in the payment ecosystem, including banks, alternative payment


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Cowen and Company analyst Doug Creutz recently ruffled the feathers of BioWare (and a few fans) after slamming the upcoming MMOG Star Wars: The Old Republic as a "highly derivative" clone of World of Warcraft. He even went so far as to suggesting that EA hasn't announced a release date because the game will likely not ship this year.
"We got hands-on time with the game, and were largely unimpressed," Creutz said in the firm's E3 2011 report. "Despite promises from EA/BioWare that the title represents a major step forward in MMO design, what we saw was essentially a World of Warcraft clone with Star Wars character skins and the BioWare RPG nice/nasty dialogue tree mechanism bolted on for non-player character conversations."
He also didn't have anything positive to say about the game's visual presentation, calling the scenery and character designs competent but hardly breathtaking. "Granted, we were playing in a desert area, so other areas may be more impressive-looking... on the other hand we question why EA chose a desert level to showcase the title,” he added.
BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka responded to the criticism by not even addressing Creutz's comments directly, saying that the development schedule is currently on track. "We're progressing well," he said. "The fact we're showing it hands-on on the show floor is an indication of our confidence in the quality. We're getting a lot of positive feedback on that. We know how critical it is to launch as a solid game and then have really high quality service afterwards, too. We have plans to do follow-on content and things that'll keep our players engaged and active for years to come."
BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk also threw in his two cents worth. "The content's getting there," he said. "We're pretty happy with what we're showing. There's always a lot of refining and polishing. We've pretty well announced the whole range of features. There's such an incredibly large range of things, like crafting, heroic combat, PVP, war zones, end game content – what we call operations, which are basically raids, companion characters, there's all this stuff. All those things all together are looking good."
Zeschuk added that it's not just enough to make the game great. "You have to give great service and you have to be able to support the game on a long-term basis," he said. "So we've devoted a lot of effort and thinking towards how we do that. The beta testing really is a validation of that stuff. At some point we'll be ready to go."
As for the actual launch date, Zeschuk said that EA is guided towards this calendar year. At least, that's what the "big men" have stated. "At the end of the day quality also matters," he added. "And quality of service just as much as quality of game."
So far SWTOR is still slated to launch by the end of the year. As reported, even Blizzard is banking on the game's success, hoping that Star Wars fans who have never played an MMORPG before will get hooked and have a desire to taste other offerings like one particular fantasy-based MMORPG played by millions and millions worldwide.


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Tonight, Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy XVI will be receiving a panel titled “Yes, You Can Pet the Torgal: A Final Fantasy XVI Discussion” during PAX East 2023. The panel will consist of both Naoki Yoshida, Producer of Final Fantasy XVI, and the game’s Localization Director, Michael-Christopher Koji Fox.
Join us at #PAXEast 2023.
Yes, You Can Pet the Torgal: A Final Fantasy XVI Discussion with Naoki Yoshida and Michael-Christopher Koji Fox takes place on March 25th.
The panel will be livestreamed for those who can’t attend. pic.twitter.com/YtyDgLFJMy
— FINAL FANTASY XVI (@finalfantasyxvi) February 28, 2023
Luckily for those not attending, this panel will be livestreamed around the world. If you’re looking to watch this panel with Yoshi-P, be sure to stay tuned for more information as it releases. As for what the panel of Final Fantasy XVI at PAX East could reveal, it really is anyone’s guess. A new trailer seems pretty likely, as well as some insight regarding the localization process from Michael-Christopher Koji Fox.
His work goes all the way back to Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, and also includes the acclaimed Final Fantasy XIV and NieR: Automata. His insight regarding the process behind translating one of the most anticipated games of the year is sure to be insightful.
Square Enix revealed in December that they planned to share plenty of news regarding the title in 2023, so this could be the start of the big marketing push. Considering the game is just under four months out, this would be the time to start pushing marketing into second gear. This will be the first mainline Final Fantasy title releasing in the past seven years if you do not count Final Fantasy VII Remake.
PAX East has shaped up to host an impressive amount of companies, including The Pokémon Company, XSEED Games, and more. Some surprises are surely in store for both fans and viewers around the world. Be sure to tune into Final Weapon for the latest information regarding PAX East as it drops.
Final Fantasy XVI is set to release on June 22, 2023. For more on the game, check out Final Weapon’s archive of content here!


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Latest Kalio Inc. Stories
CUPERTINO, Calif., and COVINGTON, Ky., May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading on-demand ecommerce software firm Kalio, Inc. (www.kalioinc.com) today announced that Jonathan Lee has been named chief executive officer.
CUPERTINO, Calif. and COVINGTON, Ky, May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading ecommerce software firm Kalio Inc.
- To writhe; struggle or twist about with more or less force; wriggle.
- To scribble, jot.


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Global Cybersecurity Market Forecast to Be Worth $403B by 2027
The cybersecurity market will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5% over a 5-year forecast period.
LONDON — The global cybersecurity market is forecast to be valued at $403 billion by 2027, according to Brandessence Market Research and Consulting (BMRC).
The market, estimated to be valued at $176.5 billion in 2020, will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5% over the 5-year forecast period, according to BMRC, based here.
Cyber-attacks are usually aimed at changing, accessing or interrupting normal business processes or destroying sensitive information; thus, cybersecurity services are necessary for businesses and organizations of all sizes.
The world is depending on technology more than ever before; hence, digital data creation has surged as a result. As governments and businesses store a great deal of their data on computers and transmit it across networks, the threat of cyber breaches is ever present.
Common types of cybersecurity include data loss prevention (DLP), network security, identity and access management (IAM), intrusion detection systems (IDS) or intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and antivirus/anti-malware.
The North America region is expected to dominate the global cybersecurity market due to the presence of prominent security vendors that have global and regional headquarters in U.S. In addition, the increased spending on security solutions and services by large enterprises and SMEs are among other factors driving the cybersecurity market growth in the region.
Furthermore, increasing stringency in standards and policies for maintaining data privacy and security also contributes to the cybersecurity industry trends in North America. For example, according to Council of Economic Advisers, malicious cyber-activity cost the U.S. economy between about $57 billion and about $109 billion in 2016.
The BMRC cybersecurity industry report is segmented on the basis of solution, component, security type, service, organization size, industry vertical, and region and country level. On the basis of solution, the market is segmented into identity and access management (IAM), infrastructure security, governance, risk and compliance, unified vulnerability management service offering, data security and privacy service offering, among others.
The prominent players included in the report of global cybersecurity Industry are IBM, Trend Micro, Fortinet, F-Secure, Trustwave Holdings, Qualys, Proofpoint, FireEye, Sophos Ltd., Rapid7 and others.
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This article analyses the changing interaction between supply chains, sustainability and e-commerce as well as recommends how brands, their products, and packaging can adapt to a new world that has e-commerce and sustainability at its centre.
This article is part of a series of articles from the WARC Guide to effective packaging. Read more.
COVID-19 has introduced a new era of e-commerce, which has exploded amid stay-at-home orders. Online sales have increased by 52% compared...


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Smoothwall Hires Georg Ell
Leeds internet safety company hires former Tesla executive as CEO.
15:18 08 May 2018
Georg Ell, the former director of Western Europe for Tesla, has been recently hired by Smoothwall as its chief executive officer. The role will see Ell lead the company’s global business as it seeks to grow its market presence and develop its technology.
Ell said: “Keeping people safe online is critical to today’s digital world; in particular, safeguarding our children who face unprecedented threats online including cyber-bullying, radicalisation, and grooming.
"I am very proud to join the highly mission-driven team at Smoothwall; at Smoothwall’s heart is keeping all people, but especially children, safe. This is deep-rooted in the company and myself, and I can’t wait to start and drive our mission forward.”
Henri Murison, Northern Powerhouse Partnership Director, said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Georg to the business community here in the Northern Powerhouse, showing how attractive our tech community is becoming and the calibre of people joining our many entrepreneurs driving the North’s ambitions."


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Jordan release dates at NiceKicks.com for the latest news about upcoming retro Jordans set to release. Release dates updated for 2017.
Air Jordan Release Dates for the whole year!. The ultimate basketball shoe in performance & innovation releases on Oct. 18th for $175. Pull the black strap to .
We provide you the most comprehensive list of Air Jordan Release Dates and tracking features. Never miss another release!
In 2018 though, copping Air Jordan Retro releases will seemingly be a lot harder. Spring 2019.
The Jordan Release Dates page is a complete guide to all current and upcoming Air Jordan and Jordan Brand sneaker releases. Here you will find confirmed .
The Air Jordan line is getting plenty of fire power to kick off 2017. The Air Jordan 8 Sequoia kicks it off and we'll see a KAWS collaboration Spring 2017.
The Air Jordan 11 â€œConcordâ€ releases again for the fifth time in December 2018 for $220. Click here for more release details and price information.
Our guide will be updated regularly with the latest Air Jordan release date information. Take a look at Air Jordans scheduled to release from this weekend and .
That is why so many Air Jordan releases 2018 have been retro iterations of the Air Jordan 3. For more Air Jordan release dates 2019 as well as news and updates, keep checking back to SneakersDog.. .. December 18, 2017 at 9:52 am.
Never miss another new Air Jordan releases 2018-2019 ever again.. Our Jordan Release Dates page gives you the latest and most current details about the date, price, and style code for all the upcoming. Jordan Release Date 2017
jordan release dates. updated: November 13th, 2017. Go back to Jordan News. Archives. Archive. Archive, February 2017 · January 2017 · December 2016 .


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In addition to Moto will release a new machine equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor this month, Xiaomi will also launch the Xiaomi Mi 12 series this month.
As the release time approaches, there are more and more news about the Xiaomi Mi 12 series, and even the design of this model has been exposed online.
Recently, the back mobile phone shell module of the Xiaomi 12 series has been uploaded on the Internet. It is worth mentioning that the design of the module is consistent with the back cover previously exposed online, and the digital expert also released this group of exposure pictures. The physical picture resembling the back cover of the real phone is still very credible.
From the mobile phone case module exposed this time, it can be seen that the back shape of the Xiaomi 12 Pro phone case is exactly the same as the Xiaomi 12 standard version.
The camera is a matrix design, the top is the main lens, and under the main lens are two secondary lenses.
The Mi 12 Pro is expected to be equipped with an ultra-wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens, while the Mi 12 is expected to be equipped with an ultra-wide-angle lens and a macro lens. The opening on the right side of the two lenses is a flash.
It is worth mentioning that the phone case of the Mi 12 Ultra is the most exaggerated, with as many as 8 openings in the camera area. Does this mean that the Mi 12 Ultra is equipped with multiple primary lenses and a multi-primary lens design?
This will be the most powerful imaging flagship in Xiaomi’s history. It is reported that the previous generation of Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra scored 143 points in DxOMarl.
With this result, it surpassed the then-camera overlord Huawei Mate 40 Pro+ and succeeded in dominating the DxOMark list, becoming the smartphone with the best camera performance at the time.


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As the Moroku Series A investment gathers momentum this week’s new favourite question is
Will banks place a game engine at their core?
Deloitte just provided an insight into the answer. According to their new 2021 Banking trends report, nine out of ten chief marketing officers now expect to compete mostly based on customer experience. Given that 73% of consumer interactions with banks are digital, the only way this happens is through smart use of technology and data. The report concludes by stating that banks should leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) with platforms to collect data signals, identify moments and deliver against them in a personalized, relevant and meaningful way.
Enter the GameSystem. Game Theory is the best way we know of to engage people on journeys. It’s why we get hooked on games, compelled to compete, have fun, master and build emotional connection. Dharmesh Mistry, ex Chief Digital Officer at Temenos and respected Fintech commentator and leader gets this in his recently published modern banking platform. Smack bang in the middle is Engagement, driven by game, a platform that Moroku has, integration and API ready.
Banks will place game engines at their core to drive engagement because it is the number one priority and game is the best way of solving it.
Moroku’s vision is of a world where everyone is being great with their money. To do that, financial services needs to be fun and social. When service is this way, people pay attention, get curious, overcome challenges, grow skills, and go on a journey of mastery.
Characterised by games and social, customer engagement, of all ages and backgrounds, is being redefined. Customers want to have fun, take on challenges, be recognised and share. Moroku’s platform and processes create engaging financial services experiences for banks and wealth providers that empower customers and help them compete. It does this with its proprietary GameSystem methodology that maps the customer journey towards mastery and an innovative, cloud based, application engagement platform that drives the user experience, getting users to pay attention, build financial muscle and act.
The company makes money by integrating its cloud platform into the digital fabric of financial service providers’ technology and charging for that on a monthly user subscription basis. Go to market is a blend of direct and indirect with a growing number of large fintech’s embedding Moroku into their solutions for scale.


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In short: T-Mobile’s Layer3 TV service is reportedly now being offered in select markets with additional discounts available to existing T-Mobile customers. However, this does not currently seem to be a proper rolling out of the new service, but more so a testing of various price points in different locations, ahead of a full and proper launch.
Background: T-Mobile acquired Layer3 back in December 2017 with the suggestion the service would go live at some point in 2018. It had been highly expected the revised TV service would be properly announced during the last Un-carrier announcement although that was not the case. While it’s still expected the service will fully launch in 2018, it seems T-Mobile is already selling Layer3 as a product although not quite in the way it’s expected to later in the year. For example, the current reporting highlights T-Mobile representatives selling the traditional Layer3 TV service to existing T-Mobile customers at around $80 per month – a discount (which in some cases amounts to $40 per month) compared to what the service is sold to general customers at. In contrast, it’s expected the new TV service will launch as more of a digital-first offering (unlike the package currently being sold) and there has even been the suggestion it may arrive to market as an exclusive product. Meaning it will only be available to T-Mobile’s existing mobile customers.
The impact: The news here suggests T-Mobile is trying to determine the ways in which it can capitalize on a Layer3-based TV solution in the future. While the current understanding is the new version will arrive to market as a wireless-based service it could be the case T-Mobile also plans to launch a more traditional interpretation of the service in the short-term. Possible, to either generate additional revenue, or to cater to those who have still yet to transition to more of a cable-free TV lifestyle. Considering the wireless nature of the new T-Mobile TV service is expected to be one of its key and main selling points, offering those customers a TV product they are already familiar with may prove enough to help those same customers transition to the newer product when it goes live. Especially if they are already of the understanding they are gaining access to the service at a reduced cost simply by virtue of their T-Mobile mobile plan.


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Summary: Replika, an AI-powered chatbot created by Luka, Inc., is not currently a publicly traded company, so its stocks and equity is not available for investment. There's no announced intention for an Initial Public Offering (IPO), but investors should stay vigilant for any changes.
Replika is owned by Luka, Inc., backed by prominent investors, and as of a 2017 funding round, was valued at $16.2 million. Given the growth of AI technology, the company's valuation could have significantly increased since then.
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Can you Buy Replika Stocks?
At present, Replika, the innovative AI-based personal chatbot application, is not a publicly listed entity, which means its stocks or shares are not available for purchase on the general market. Replika was developed by Luka, Inc., a forward-thinking tech firm focused on creating advanced and interactive artificial intelligence solutions.
Replika's financial support chiefly comes from private avenues, including considerable funding from its parent company, Luka, Inc. This AI chatbot, with its novel technology and potential to revolutionize AI communication and mental health assistance, has caught the attention of several private investors. These investors, keen on its evolution, await any move by Luka to publicize Replika.
Is Replika Going to IPO?
There are no public announcements regarding an Initial Public Offering (IPO) for Replika. Luka, Inc., the parent company of the AI chatbot Replika, has not shared plans to take the company or the product public.
However, this could change in the future as tech companies frequently evolve their business strategies. Investors interested in Replika should closely monitor updates from Luka, Inc. for any signs of an upcoming IPO.
Who Owns Replika?
Replika is owned by Luka, Inc., a technology company based in San Francisco, California. The CEO and founder of Luka is Eugenia Kuyda. Replika has also received financial backing from prominent investors, such as Khosla Ventures, Sherpa Capital, Phil Libin (co-founder of Evernote), and Richard Socher (chief scientist at Salesforce), as highlighted in a press release.
Replika Stock Price
As of a Series A.2 funding round in 2017, Replika was valued at $16.2 million. Given the subsequent growth and widespread adoption of AI technologies, including the marked increase in Replika's popularity, it is plausible that the company's valuation has significantly expanded. Some analysts even project that its value could have multiplied over a hundredfold. However, the actual current valuation would require updated financial and operational data from the company itself.
In conclusion, Replika, the AI-powered chatbot developed by Luka, Inc., remains a privately held entity with no publicly available stocks. While the company has not announced plans for an Initial Public Offering (IPO), potential investors should stay informed about Luka, Inc.'s updates for any indication of change.
With significant funding from various prominent investors and a potential surge in valuation due to the broadening use of AI technology, Replika presents an intriguing watch for tech and AI enthusiasts alike.


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Adidas's stock rocket past Nike's (Highsnobiety)
Highsnobiety is running a report explaining that "the astronomical growth in adidas’ popularity is undeniable, even from the perspective of the most die-hard Nike fan. Is it the collaborations? Palace, Yohji Yamamoto, Yeezy, Pharrell, to name a few. Is it the flurry of new silhouettes? NMD, Ultra Boost, Tubular and so on. Or is it the renaissance of the Stan Smith, the slides, and the Gazelles?" (continued...)
House of Fraser appoints former M&S Digital Director (Retail Gazette)
Today the Retail Gazette is reporting that "British department store chain House of Fraser has appointed former M&S Director David Walmsley as its new Chief Customer Officer.
Walmsley has more than 20 years’ experience in retail and digital and previously served as Director of Digital at Marks and Spencer, leading the retailer’s global digital business since 2011. Prior to this he held the position of Director of eCommerce at Dixons Retail Group and also Head of Web Selling and Customer Services at John Lewis." (continued...)
Michael Kors rises after forecast exceeds analyst's expectations (Business Of Fashion)
According to the Business Of Fashion "Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. rose as much as 12 percent in early trading after forecasting profit for the current year that exceeded analysts’ estimates, helped by new products that are drawing customers to its stores.
Profit will be $4.56 to the $4.64 a share in the year through March 2017, the London-based company said in a statement Wednesday. Analysts projected $4.51, on average. The luxury-goods maker also reported profit of 98 cents a share in the fiscal fourth quarter ended April 2, topping analysts’ 97-cent average estimate." (continued...)


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The in-display Touch ID has been touted as the Holy Grail for the iPhone in the past few years.
DigiTimes reported in 2015 that Apple was working on touch and display driver integration (TDDI) single-chip solutions for the iPhone where fingerprint sensors are integrated with the virtual home button. Later that year, G for Games reported on five different iPhone 7 configurations with one having embedded fingerprint recognition technology in the display.
In 2016, it was uncovered that Apple filed a patent in March 2015 on optical, capacitive and ultrasonic fingerprint reading technologies. A year later, the U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted Apple some patents with one describing an invention of a fingerprint sensor embeded within the touch display for authentication. Analyst Kuo wrote in 2019 that he believes an iPhone with Face ID and in-screen Touch ID could arrive in 2021.
Bloomberg also jumped on the bandwagon and said that Apple is developing an in-screen fingerprint reader for use as early as 2020. In September last year, the USPTO granted Apple another patent for an in-screen Touch ID.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg wrote that a key feature of the 2021 iPhone could be the in-screen Touch ID which will work alongside Face ID as another authentication method. The Wall Street Journal also made a similar claim in the following month. Barclays analysts followed up with their own analysis that the iPhone 13 would come with the in-display Touch ID and even tout it as the "security feature of the future".
However, hopes were dashed late last month when Bloomberg shared that the feature would not make the cut this year and Apple's long term goal is "to implement Face ID in the display itself".


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With Its Streaming TV Service, Apple Is Now a Media Company
Apple sent out invites for a March 25 press event where it’s expected to unveil video streaming and news services. The moves signify a long-in-the-making shift for the tech giant.
By Rob Marvin
Tech companies have long resisted the idea that they are media companies. They provide devices, software, and social media platforms to host…


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By Yifang (Evonne) Liu
Green beer, leprechauns, four-leaf clovers, and a green Chicago River, here comes another St. Patrick’s Day celebration!
On Saturday morning, at 9 a.m., members of the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union poured an environmentally friendly green vegetable dye into the river to celebrate the traditional Irish St. Patrick’s Day.
For more than 40 years, it’s been a tradition in the city that the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers turn the Chicago River green for the celebration.
Thousands of people gathered in downtown Chicago for various festivities, including a parade that started at noon and Irish-themed food and drinks offered by stores and vendors along the Chicago River.


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All three stocks have posted excellent returns in 2017, and all three are well positioned to continue outpacing the broader market. But if investors had to choose just one of these three stellar companies, which should they choose?
The dominant force in advertising
Google controls a massive share of the global internet search market. Google consistently takes over 90% of global search traffic. Those searches not only provide high-value advertising space, but also provide great ad-targeting data for use across Google's portfolio of apps including YouTube, GMail, and Maps -- all of which have over 1 billion users.
YouTube, in particular, presents a massive opportunity for Google. The video service boasts over 1.5 billion logged-in users streaming an average of over one hour of video on mobile devices alone. As advertisers look to shift spending from traditional TV to digital media, YouTube presents the best analog to television advertising.
The continued growth of YouTube and internet-connected devices in general resulted in Google posting a 21% year-over-year increase in ad revenue last quarter. Average ad prices continue to fall year over year as users spend more time on mobile and more new users come from emerging markets with lower average ad prices. That said, Google showed some signs of stabilization as average ad prices increased sequentially.
With so much ad inventory and such great targeting data, Google has become a dominant force in advertising. As digital ad spending overtakes television advertising, Google is a prime beneficiary. The company also continues to take moonshots, mostly under the Alphabet umbrella. Those offer tremendous upside, but their size relative to Google results in minimal negative impact on the operations of the company in the near term.
The second piece of the digital advertising duopoly
Facebook is the second-largest digital advertising platform after Google. Its 2 billion member flagship social network is flanked by 2 billion-user messaging services and a relatively small photo-sharing network you might've heard of -- Instagram -- which only has 800 million users of its own.
But buyer beware. Facebook is facing an expected slowdown starting in the second half of this year as it bumps up against ad load saturation on its flagship product. Last quarter, Facebook managed just 49% advertising revenue growth. It would be great if all revenue growth slowdowns looked like Facebook's.
Facebook is managing to increase average ad prices even as the growth in ad impressions stagnates. It's pushing more into video advertising, and recently launched Watch to compete more directly with YouTube. It's also quickly growing advertising on Instagram as it works to develop a long-term monetization strategy for Messenger and WhatsApp.
Facebook has a few moonshots of its own, including a big investment in virtual reality with its Oculus operations. The company is at the forefront of VR technology, so if it really is the next big computing platform as CEO Mark Zuckerberg predicts, Facebook will play an even bigger role in our lives next decade.
The retail giant that's a "Prime" candidate for your investment dollars
Amazon is much more than a retail company these days. In fact, most of its profits stem from its cloud computing services division, Amazon Web Services. One could argue Amazon is more of a services business than a retailer. From cloud computing, to its marketplace, to streaming video and music, Amazon has a plethora of services available to customers.
Amazon Prime is the glue that holds nearly all of its services together. Prime is the reason why more than half of all product searches on the internet start on Amazon.com. It's the reason shoppers will opt to buy something from Amazon rather than a competitor, all else being equal (or just close to equal). It's the reason more and more third-party merchants want space in Amazon's warehouses for its Fulfillment by Amazon program. It's the reason Amazon can produce original content, show its movies in theaters, and offer a subscription streaming service in parts of the world where Prime isn't available.
There are 90 million U.S. households with a Prime subscription, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.
Prime's success has led to continual growth for Amazon. Last quarter, sales increased 34%. While Amazon continues to plow cash back into the business, its top-line growth results appear to be paying off.
Which is a better buy?
Comparing Alphabet and Facebook is relatively easy, as both companies have similar operations. But Amazon presents a big challenge, as it doesn't really have any peers that can compare.
Let's do the easy comparison first.
On an EV/EBITDA basis, Alphabet offers a significant discount to Facebook. Shares of Alphabet trade hands at a 19.7 times multiple versus a 23.9 times multiple for Facebook. With similar profit growth outlooks longnterm (considering they each benefit from the exact same secular trends), Alphabet shares appear to be the better buy at this time compared to Facebook.
But Amazon may present an even better opportunity. Its valuation is certainly off the charts with an EV/EBITDA ratio more than twice as high as Alphabet's, but it presents significant growth opportunities as it expands Prime into more countries, moves its retail operations into more verticals, and looks for new services to support its own business as well as new customers.
Investing in Amazon certainly requires faith in management to execute on an extremely long-term playbook. Investors who just want to maximize their returns on a megatrend in advertising would do well with Alphabet shares. As I said, all three companies present great opportunities.


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Paris, November 19, 2007 -- Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to the soft goods industries, is proud to announce that the company has received the "2007 Investor in Japan Award" by the Invest in France Agency (IFA). This award was presented during the "France-Japan Investment Awards Ceremony" evening held on November 15, in Osaka in the presence of Gildas Le Lidec, France's Ambassador to Japan
and chaired by Philippe Favre, French Ambassador for international investment, Chairman and CEO of Invest in France Agency.
The Invest in France Agency award recognizes outstanding French entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic, growing businesses in Japan.
Robert Agnes, President of Lectra Asia-Pacific, along with key Lectra Japanese managers, attended the ceremony and received the award on behalf of Lectra's contribution to economic development in Japan through direct investment.
Lectra Japan was established in August 1985 in Osaka as the company's first headquarters in Asia. Lectra is located in 8 offices in Japan - including sales offices and service centers - in Tokyo, Toyota, Okayama, Fukuoka, Hanamaki, Sakata, and Morioka.
Lectra Japan is one of the largest subsidiaries of Lectra. Dedicated to 400 clients, Lectra Japan has a particularly strong presence in the Japanese automotive market, serving leading car seat manufacturers such as Toyota Boshoku, which uses the new generation of Vector and a wide range of Lectra software and services. Lectra also has a long-term presence in the Japanese fashion market, and is a leading supplier of 2D/3D software solutions to footwear brands including Asics.
"This prestigious award demonstrates the strong overall dynamism Lectra has in Japan. This is a real tribute to our Japanese team and to the entire Lectra Group, which is committed to providing innovative solutions and high quality service to our customers in Japan and throughout the world," said Daniel Harari, Chief Executive Officer, Lectra. "This award acknowledges Lectra's strong investment and commitment within the Japanese industry over the past 22 years. I am deeply honored that our long-term relationship with Japan has been recognized by the IFA."
About Invest in France Agency (IFA)
Invest in France Agency (IFA) promotes and facilitates international investment in France. The IFA network operates worldwide, with offices in France, as well as in North America, Asia and Europe. IFA works in partnership with regional development agencies to offer international investors business opportunities and customized services all over France. For more information, please visit
Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions that automate, streamline and accelerate product design, development and manufacturing processes for the soft goods industries. Lectra develops the most advanced specialized software, cutting systems, and provides associated services to a broad array of markets including fashion (apparel, accessories, footwear), automotive (car seats and interiors, airbags), aeronautical, marine and furniture. Lectra serves more than 17,000 customers in over 100 countries with 1500 employees and $272 million in 2006 revenues. Lectra is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange.
For more information, please visit www.lectra.com


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First Free Story (1 of 3)Join Skift Pro
Business travelers are tired of their economy class seats and spending more time and money researching how squeezed they’ll be on their next flight.
Forty-one percent of economy passengers are willing to pay more to get better comfort within economy class and 34 percent of frequent travelers say they research seat size (think SeatGuru and RouteHappy) before purchasing a flight.
This is according to a Airbus survey of 1,052 long-haul economy class passengers at airports in Singapore, Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam.
Despite the mounting luxury of business class amenities, the reality is that up to 70 percent of economy class flyers are traveling for business. And they’re among the most impacted once on the ground and expected to perform.
According to the survey, the top three complaints about economy class seats are discomfort during sleep, back aches, and leg aches.
Eighty-nine percent of economy flyers use social media and turn to the networks to complain about the uncomfortable, but more affordable, seats.
Too bad these economy class seats that can be customized to flyers’ width won’t appear any time soon.


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Publisher Thames & Hudson is launching two further Style City titles this weekend, for New York and Barcelona, both designed by Grade Design. Creative director Peter Dawson and designer Tom Green worked closely with Thames & Hudson associate director Lucas Dietrich on the project, and location photography is by Anthony Webb and Ingrid Rasmussen. Each guide highlights ‘the best and coolest’ the city can offer ‘the design-conscious traveller’, says Dawson. A forthcoming StyleCity guide to Amsterdam is almost complete, and work has just started on the next city, San Francisco, he adds.
A podcast series on designing for impact and a networking event for designers are among this month’s highlights.
Nesta U-Shisha has been positioned as a safer alternative to traditional pipes, potentially cutting down cancer risks and carbon emissions.
The capital’s most prominent design festival celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
This year’s competition invited designers in training to revamp the cover of three well-known books across adult fiction, adult non-fiction and children’s literature.


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Fort Smith and Airbnb.com now have a deal to collect lodging taxes, but there are several legal catches.
The Fort Smith Advertising and Promotion Commission agreed Tuesday to sign a voluntary collection agreement with the lodging website to collect and remit a 3 percent A&P tax to the Fort Smith Convention and Visitors Bureau. Meanwhile, the city administrator is still working on details to collect the city’s 2 percent city sales tax from Airbnb.
As pointed out by Fort Smith A&P Commissioner Storm Nolan, major caveats in the agreement are sections that allow lodging “hosts” to not register with the A&P, which is an ordinance requirement; and a waiver of “look-back” that keeps the A&P from collecting back taxes on any Airbnb host in Fort Smith. Also, "new types of transactions on the Airbnb platform will not necessarily be taxed,” Nolan wrote in a memo to the commission.
The agreement allows Airbnb hosts to operate without a city business license, and the city will not have the host’s contact information. Also, the agreement does not make Airbnb collect and remit sales tax on its service fee, which Nolan pointed out was required by state law and local ordinance.
The agreement has a 30-day window for retraction, but the “look-back” waiver would survive, he adds. Although the A&P is uncertain on how many Airbnb hosts are in Fort Smith, Nolan said he thinks there are between 20 and 25.
Nolan and A&P Commissioner Tom Caldarera Jr. noted they were willing to go along with the agreement, but “begrudgingly.” Other commissioners — Dwight Curry, Robyn Dawson and Calvin Remy and Mayor George McGill — agreed.
Several cities in Arkansas have signed the collection agreement with Airbnb, including Hot Springs, Eureka Springs and Little Rock.
After several years of planning, there is a little longer wait for Fort Smith’s wayfinding signs following a decision by the A&P Commission to request a bid for installation be sent out again to allow for a Fort Smith business to bid on the job.
A previous bid request was made by A&P Executive Director Claude Legris to four area businesses based on recommendation from the Arkansas Department of Transportation. The businesses did not include a Fort Smith business, which is now capable of the job.


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Global tech security giant Mimecast has set up its APAC headquarters in Melbourne as the Victorian government continues its efforts to become the a world-leading cyber security hub.
Mimecast, which specialises in email and data security, has enjoyed strong growth in Australia with its team increasing from seven to 40 since arriving here in 2013.
Founded in London, Mimecast works closely with organisations around the world to protect them from increasing online threats.
Mimecast is listed on the Nasdaq with a market cap of $1.2 billion ($US911 million).
Victorian minister for innovation Philip Dalidakis attended the launch of the new office and welcomed the tech company to the state’s thriving startup ecosystem.
“To see them double-down and invest greater amounts of money in a new headquarters is very encouraging,” Dalidakis tells StartupSmart.
“What’s more important is they have a significant cyber security component to their software platform.”
“We’re wanting Victoria to be one of the top give global cyber security centres within the next five to 10 years.”
Opening @MimecastAPAC‘s new HQ! Congrats @edwardvjennings @niklen another tech company thriving in our gr8 state. pic.twitter.com/b2lECUyUBD
— Philip Dalidakis MP (@philipdalidakis) August 25, 2016
In recent months, a spike in SME-targeted cyber attacks has pushed the private sector and government to be on alert.
Even at the Australian Retail Awards, Dalidakis reminded business owners of the threats of ransomware and similar attacks, encouraging them to put in place basic mitigation.
Dalidakis says the Victorian Labor government has made this a high priority and will be making more announcements on info-tech and security from mid-September.
Mimecast Global CEO Ed Jennings says this is one of the key reasons the company decided to set up shop in Melbourne.
“Australia’s prioritisation of cyber security has been a government and business focus over the last three years and has been a catalyst for Mimecast’s continued growth and investment in the region,” Jennings says.
“Our Melbourne office also acts as the APAC headquarters for customer service and offers global support services around the clock.”
Mimecast will join fellow global tech giants including Zendesk, Square and Slack, which have located regional and Australian headquarters in Melbourne.
“We haven’t had to lure them here, they want to be here, they’ve made their own decision that this is where they want to be,” Dalidakis says .
A huge benefit of having companies like this come to Victoria, says Dalidakis, is that it provides great opportunities for tech and security graduates.
“It will continually provide pathways for those graduates and uni students to find the jobs that they want,” he says.
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Verizon suspends advertising on Facebook, joins growing boycott
Verizon is the biggest yet to join the advertising boycott, which has gained the backing of dozens of U.S. companies, and its announcement was a blow to Facebook's efforts to contain the growing revolt.
"We're pausing our advertising until Facebook can create an acceptable solution that makes us comfortable," a Verizon representative said.
U.S. civil rights groups are urging brands to support the Stop Hate for Profit campaign, which protests the world's biggest social network's lax approach to hate speech, harassment and misinformation.
The Anti-Defamation League said in a letter to advertisers on Thursday it had found a Verizon ad on Facebook appearing next to a video containing anti-Semitic rhetoric from conspiracy group QAnon.
"Advertisements are running alongside divisive, hateful and conspiratorial content - not something that most companies want," the ADL said.
Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's and outdoor gear companies Patagonia and The North Face earlier said they would suspend Facebook ads.
Facebook said it is working with civil rights organizations.
"We respect any brand's decision and remain focused on the important work of removing hate speech and providing critical voting information," said Carolyn Everson, Facebook's vice president of global business.
The company intensified outreach to advertisers this week as it worked to contain the damage, without pledging any specific changes, recipients of those messages said.
One of Facebook's top spenders, consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble Co, on Wednesday pledged to conduct a review of ad platforms and stop spending where it found hateful content. P&G declined to say if it had reached a decision on Facebook.
(Reporting by Ayanti Bera, Sheila Dang and Katie Paul; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Leslie Adler)
With a huge amount of the world currently having to self isolate and work from home, there is a great opportunity for people to use the new free time to learn and improve their skills. One skill of these skills is software development.


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THIS man is wanted for using bolt croppers to steal a bike from a busy city centre shopping area.
The £500 Cube mountain bike was snatched from outside Debenhams in Commercial Road, Landport, Portsmouth.
Now police have released this CCTV image in a bid to track down the thief who stole the bike at 1.30pm on May 28.
Acting Inspector Rob Sutton said: ‘This appears to be a brazen use of bolt croppers to steal a bike in a busy part of Commercial Road.’
Call police on 101.


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The export of palm oil products is expected to exceed RM100 billion in 2020 boosted by strong production, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said on Tuesday.
To achieve the target, he said the government is looking to generate exports of more value added products, services and palm oil related technologies.
In 2008, the export of palm oil products stood at RM65.2 billion.
As for timber, he said export earnings from the industry is expected to reach RM53 billion by 2020 from RM22.5 billion in 2008.
Asked about the crude palm oil (CPO) price, Dompok said he is comfortable with the present RM2,400-RM2,600 per tonne level.
“At the RM2,400-RM2,600 level, the farmers and plantation owners should be happy. If they are happy, of cause I am happy too,” he added.
Earlier, Dompok disclosed that the overall commodity export declined by 19 per cent to RM84.6 billion during January to November of 2009, compared to the same period of the previous year.
He attributed the downtrend to a weaker external demand due to the global economic crisis, which began in the second quarter of 2008.
As the commodities sector is expected to play a vital role in the nation’s economic development, he said under the Tenth Malaysia Plan, the focus would be on funding activities towards the development of value added products and a sustainable supply of raw materials to support downstream activities.
“This will be implemented with input and cooperation from the private sector,” he said, adding that, attention would also be given to smallholders.
He explained this is to ensure the income level is raised in line with the nation’s objective of moving towards a high-income nation.
The government, he said would be also implementing measures to encourage development and training for the Malaysian labour force, in the commodities sector.
“The sector must not lose sight of the need to reduce the dependency on foreign labour. Currently, this sector has a total of 218,000 foreign labourers,” he added.
Dompok said the ministry would continue to consult the industry, including developing long-term plans to reduce labour, especially foreign labour. – Bernama
Source: The Star


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Black Friday has passed and the usual suspects, from the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X to Nintendo’s recently released Switch OLED, were in demand. However, according to the Adobe Digital Economy Index (as reported by Business Insider), it’s the Xbox Series S that was the top-selling console during Black Friday sales. This is based on “over one trillion visits to US retail sites.”
Along with its $300 price tag, the availability of the console also made it a prime choice for many consumers. Chip shortages also continue to be an issue for the PS5 and Xbox Series X – there’s just not enough supply to meet demand. Xbox Game Pass is great but it also doesn’t hurt that the highly anticipated Halo Infinite is releasing on December 8th, thus making the Xbox Series S a great value option for playing it.
Unfortunately, those seeking the other consoles may not have much luck in 2022 either. Nintendo will produce 20 percent fewer Switch consoles for the fiscal year due to chip shortages. Sony has also reportedly cut back on PS5 production due to the same and Xbox boss Phil Spencer notes that console supplies may continue to be in short supply heading into next year.
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February 19, 2013 News
3 years ago, 7022 views, By American Conference Institute
American Conference Institute has released the agenda for its upcoming flagship National Forum on Global Export Controls, scheduled for May 15-16, 2013 in Arlington, VA.
3 years ago, 4854 views, By LoveGizmo
LoveGizmo are very excited to present you with the spy camera car/tank which can be controlled by the apple series of devices including the iPad, iPhone and iPod.
3 years ago, 4384 views, By Motor Werks BMW of Barrington
The German automaker will produce a hatchback GT version of the venerable compact luxury car for 2013.
3 years ago, 4048 views, By MindStream Creative, Inc.
Offered by a small percentage of plastic surgeons nationally, the drain-free tummy tuck procedure is a technological advancement that allows patients to experience a faster recovery with less discomfort.
3 years ago, 3586 views, By The YCB Agency
Ashley Mills wants to meet you at her 2013 official Meet & Greet event
3 years ago, 3207 views, By Calisthenics Kingz
Fitness trainer Hit Richards welcomes Chad Ochocinco to his roster
3 years ago, 2862 views, By MBT Marketing Solutions
Tim Johnson Productions (TJP) star-studded fashion shows brings talented designers, stunning models, glorious couture, tailored fashions, creative makeup artists, and edgy trend-setting hair stylists together.
3 years ago, 2825 views, By McDonald Audi
Denver’s Premier Audi dealership, McDonald Audi, recently announced their new 2013 Audi A8 specials
3 years ago, 2808 views, By TopFreeMMORPG.net
Gaming website TopFreeMMORPG.net releases its annual list of top 10 MMO games for 2014.
3 years ago, 2663 views, By Joseph Mundy
AVADirect, a leading provider of custom computer solutions, now offers the NVIDIA GTX TITAN Graphics Processing Unit.
3 years ago, 2623 views, By The Ivory Company
The Ivory Company, an Atlanta based home-décor company focused on curating an assortment of gently priced quality home merchandise in white and ivory, announces the closing of an angel round of investment capital.
3 years ago, 2577 views, By ITEK Construction + Consulting, Inc
The retail restaurant construction specialist ITEK has been awarded Pollo Campero Restaurant project in Woodbridge, VA
3 years ago, 2503 views, By Rich Specialty Trailers
Rich Specialty Trailers introduces complete line of Mud Logging Trailers
3 years ago, 2470 views, By ExhibitView Solutions, LLC
New product release allows Attorneys to get everything out of a deposition they put into it. Learn DepositionPro™ in 30 minutes or less.
3 years ago, 2357 views, By ts14plus
Previously, fashionable plus sizes clothing used to be a dream for oversized women. Now, they can get a wide range of plus fashion clothes. Lots of designers have exclusively designed plus dress due to their high demand.
3 years ago, 2317 views, By DSCR Communications
Office 365 Single Sign On can now be enabled WITHOUT ADFS 2.0! SSO Easy's Office 365 single sign on solution installations are fast, easy, and cost effective! Go into production in less than 1 day! Free Trial completed in less than 1 hour!
3 years ago, 2067 views, By XYIENCE
UFC Octagon Girls Arianny Celeste and Brittany Palmer Join UFC Fighter Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy for XYIENCE Customer Appreciation Event in Anaheim, Calif. on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 MMA fans are invited to JT Schmid’s from 5 to 7 p.m.
3 years ago, 2065 views, By Jewelry by Rita Sunderland
We are pleased to announce RitaSunderland.com in association with The Artisan Group, will participate in a luxury celebrity gift lounge hosted by GBK Productions on February 22-23, 2013, in honor of THE 2013 Academy Awards Nominees and Presenters.
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Owners of CrankUpTheHeat.com and MiamiSportsGeneration.com team up to create a new Miami sports website, covering all local teams and events in South Florida. LiveFromThe305.com will provide fresh content beyond game recaps and short-lived stories.
3 years ago, 2021 views, By The Kevin Turner Foundation
Citizens of Montgomery, Alabama give record level of support for local hero Kevin Turner at The “American Man” Documentary Screening and Reception, raising close to $120,000 for charity.


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Combating Digital Fatigue with Direct Mail
After several years dominated by pandemics and remote work, it should come as no surprise to anyone that digital fatigue is starting to set in. Microsoft released a study earlier this year reporting that Teams — the digital meeting platform many businesses have turned to as a replacement for in-person meetings — has seen an increase of 252% in weekly meeting times since February 2020. And the number of weekly meetings themselves has risen 153% in that same time period. In short, people are spending a great deal of time staring at screens, and it’s starting to wear them down.
And the strain of too much screen time is carrying over into personal lives as well. Deloitte’s 2021 Connectivity and Mobile Trends Survey found that the average household now has an average of 25 connected devices, with 38% of households connecting additional devices since the onset of the pandemic. Deloitte also found that 32% of consumers are feeling overwhelmed by technology — and that number has only continued to climb.
All of this represents an opportunity for direct mail printers.
Digital marketing is just getting lost in the crowd right now, with consumers pulling away from connecting with brands on yet another platform that requires the use of a screen. This is a great time to put direct mail back on the minds of customers struggling to stay relevant in this day and age, and the numbers support it. According to the Direct Mail Advertising Global Market Report 2022, the average response rate of the direct mail is around 2.7% to 4.4%, while the email has around 0.6%. The average open rate varies between 57.5% to 85% — a far cry from the newsletters, web banners, or other digital marketing mediums brands are using. And in fact, the Report notes that the direct mail industry is expected to reach $73.57 billion in CAGR by 2026, compared to $71.57 billion in 2021.
This is the perfect time to go back to your customers with ideas for direct mail campaigns to help them improve their ROI on every marketing dollar spent, increase engagement, and at the end of the day, help them grow their profits. And if you — as a partner for their business, rather than just another vendor — are the ones to help them conceive and execute such a campaign, they will be far more likely to stick with you in the long term, instead of being seduced away to a competitor offering them a few cents lower pricing.
Whether you’re currently offering traditional direct mail and want to explore options for more personalized and versioned campaigns for even better results, or you aren’t currently offering direct mail at all but want look into adding it to your mix, this is a great time to be at the show. On the PRINTING United show floor there are a number of vendors offering a range of both hardware and software upgrades to make the most of the direct mail opportunity, including HP Indigo and Pagewide (Booth C4256), Rollem International (Booth N503), Melissa (Booth N1415), iJetColor by Printware (Booth N1955); and AccuZIP (Booth N2365) — just to name a few. And don’t forget to stop at the Mailing & Shipping Pavilion (Booth N2347) sponsored by Pitney Bowes (Booth N2343), which is comprised of mailing and shipping partners and associations focused on education and networking.


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- Huw Hughes |
Superdry chairmen Peter Bamford has said he will step down by the end of 2019, The Sunday Times reports.
The move will reportedly “heighten the focus” on CEO Euan Sutherland as he continues to navigate the company through difficult times. In February, Superdry reported global brand revenue up 5.4 percent to 479.6 million pounds for the 13-week period to January 26, 2019, but group revenue was down 1.5 percent to 269.3 million pounds.
Superdry co-founder Julian Dunkerton has recently made it clear that he’s looking to return to the company, after leaving it in March 2018. Dunkerton described the company's recent performance as a “damning indictment" of its "misguided strategy.”


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A season of huge discounts ahead
Huge cuts are expected in the High Street over the next five weeks, leaving shoppers celebrating a discount Christmas.
Discount Christmas: Huge price cuts are expected on the High St
Sainsbury's boss Justin King said the chain was 'mobbed on toys' after they were discounted last week.
He said he expected a similar reaction to price cuts on Christmas cards and crackers this weekend.
Reductions will be offered for other types of goods in the coming weeks, he added.
Marks & Spencer last week cut 20% off its prices of women's party wear and dresses ahead of what looks set to be a subdued Christmas party season with many firms cancelling the office party.
Debenhams yesterday kicked off a four-day 25% off promotion online for cardholders. This is a curtain-raiser to what is likely to be a manic three-day sale from Wednesday.
One retail supplier said: 'In this environment, you'd be mad to pay full price for anything. This is going to be a discount Christmas.'
The stand-off between retailers and shoppers gets increasingly tense each year, with the Christmas rush arriving later and later.
This year is likely to be even more nerve-racking as retailers struggling to make ends meet cut prices to generate cash.
Many others are battling with tighter controls from banks and credit insurers that are likely to produce a domino effect.
Stronger businesses will hope to tempt shoppers from weaker rivals. Tesco is offering furniture at up to half price for pre-Christmas delivery while House of Fraser has an offer of a £20 gift card when shoppers spend £20.
Argos has a range of offers including 25% off digital photo frames and up to £300 off plasma televisions.
However, even the weakest of players are expected to survive December since creditors will be reluctant to cut off cash coming through the tills.
But hard-pressed chains will find it difficult to make it through January when business falls away and others are likely to fail in March when quarterly rents will be due.
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text: Yes, the market was up yesterday following through on Friday’s late surge. However, I urge readers to take the current uptrend with a grain of salt. For the most part yesterday’s postive action represented lots of short covering along with some bargain hunting, since most of the economic news remains poor. Housing remains mired in what can only be called a mini-depression and consumers are beginning to scale back on their purchases of big ticket items. I expect the uptrend to be very short-lived and beginning today I believe the market will begin to once again trend lower. Keep your powder dry for the real buying opportunities that will emerge in the coming months.


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Let’s hope Tesla shares some final design photos soon.
Several electric trucks will be hitting the market this year and next. These include the Ford F-150 Electric, Rivian R1T, Lordstown Endurance, and the GMC Hummer EV truck. But none is talked more about than the Tesla Cybertruck. Not just because it’s a Tesla, but for its controversial design. Many love it, and many hate it.
One person that obviously likes it is Elon Musk. The Tesla CEO replied to a tweet made by the Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley today. It appears he had just seen the Cybertruck in the design studio and likes the final design. This isn’t surprising, but what is, is the fact that we have yet to see any pictures of the final Cybertruck design. In a tweet last year (below), Musk said we would have seen photos of it by now.
It’s likely the final design will look much like the one we’ve already seen, but slightly smaller. Musk said the electric truck is about 3 percent smaller in a recent interview with Joe Rogan. More importantly, the engineering of the truck is almost complete. Part of the hold-up is where the electric truck will be built: Giga Texas. That facility is still under construction in Austin, Texas.
The Cyberturck order site still has late 2021 as the expected production date, which correlates with what Musk said about delivering a few Cybertrucks in late 2021 when on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Gigafactories are built impressively fast, so the timeline is plausible.
Source: Read Full Article


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“The bug currently has no other solution apart from factory resetting the phone”
Google’s Pixel line has not been a stranger to bugs and big software issues. The latest one that has just cropped up weeks before the launch of the Pixel 4 is a weird lock screen glitch that doesn’t unlock the device even with the right PIN. Now, the issue has been there for a while but more Pixel users have started reporting the bug now on the Pixel Phone help page. The Pixel 3 has previously been plagued with a number of issues including a slow and crashing camera app, poor memory management, ambient display flickering, not to mention big hardware issues such as screen burn-in.
Coming to the lock screen bug, the problem can be noticed when users enter the right PIN on the lock screen. Instead of unlocking, the handset’s screen goes black and just takes the user back to the lock screen, and this is not just with the Pixel, but also with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 line. The bug is reported on devices running Android 9.0 or Android 10.0 and the fingerprint works fine in any case. However, the bigger problem arises after a reboot when a pin is needed. Also, the pin number is requested after a certain period of time has elapsed without the phone being unlocked.
The only solution to this bug, for now, seems to be the most dreaded one as well, factory reset, as per a Google product expert. The bug is dated back to August and it still continues today with fresh complaints and no easy solution from Google. For now, factory reset seems to be the only way to fix the issue and this is not what users should be subjected to. Google will be announcing Pixel 4 line to date on October 15th in the US, let’s hope this kind of issue doesn’t plague the upcoming series as well.


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African cities are becoming congested with traffic, but when will their roads be blocked by African-built cars? In Ethiopia they are trying, with a range of models named after Ethiopian rivers. The Holland Car brand is the result of a project headed by Tadesse Tessema, who started as an import-export dealer before trying his hand at car manufacture.
Holland Car is backed by a Dutch investor and the cars are designed in China, which supplies the parts. At present the company is producing six cars a day, but aims to increase output and move closer to a product designed and made in Africa.
There are several other factories on the continent assembling parts produced elsewhere. For years Peugeot produced indestructible 504s at seven different works, including Kaduna in Nigeria, which made tens of thousands of cars in the 1980s. But there have been few attempts to manufacture cars from start to finish.
Just before the Arab spring took a violent turn in Libya, Muammar Gaddafi launched a car called the Saroukh el-Jamahiriya (Libyan Rocket), but despite its aggressive Italian design, it never reached production.
Outside of South Africa, the only vehicle wholly designed and developed on the continent was made in Kenya. Former president Daniel Arap Moi commissioned the Nyayo in 1986. Four years after an unsuccessful putsch, the all-Kenyan car joined other projects meant to give substance to the president's ideology.
The Nyayo concept was applied to many sectors of the economy controlled by the regime, through semi-public companies that contributed to tight control of the country. Many operated under a protectionist umbrella and Kenya became accustomed to locally sourced consumption.
It is said Moi asked the engineering department at Nairobi University to design a car, "however ugly or slow", suggesting that high performance was not an essential factor. The Kenya Railways central workshops and military bases were involved in manufacturing parts for the Nyayo prototypes, which topped 120km/h in tests on the Mombasa Road.
The Nyayo was not very smart, but its appearance had nothing to do with its failure. It just became a regular source of embezzled funds for cronies close to the regime, with not a single vehicle sold. Kenyan car workers carried on assembling Land Rovers, Mitsubishis and Peugeots.
Despite rising growth over the past decade, governments all over Africa have failed to frame industrial policies capable of boosting home-grown industry. The lack of such projects is a handicap for the future, according to a recent report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development and the UN Industrial Development Organisation.
In the few factories it possesses, Africa currently produces less than 1% of the world's manufactured goods. The economies of many African countries benefit from the exploitation of natural resources and foreign direct investment, but it is up to governments to set up or restore industry that promises prosperity, independence and an end to the unemployment that dogs the continent.
The Ghanaian economist Kingsley Y Amoako served as executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and set up the African Centre for Economic Transformation to advise governments. In a piece in African Business magazine he emphasised the urgent need for national policies to follow up the infrastructure programme launched by the African Development Bank.
Apart from South Africa and Mauritius, no country in sub-Saharan Africa has an industrial sector that can compete on the world stage, and he thinks each country must define its "own vision" using policies to encourage the development of industry and services.