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California-based mobility startup Lime has announced a $ 50M (approx €41.36M) investment in e-bikes, including new and improved hardware and plans to expand service to an additional 25 cities this year.
The new investment comes a month after the company announced its plans to add electric mopeds to its platform, with an aim to serve longer-distance trips between two-to-five miles.
Use of the funds
This new e-bikes model will be launched this summer. “We’re focused on expanding globally, and aim to launch in new cities primarily in Europe and North America, with a handful in Australia and New Zealand as well,” says the company in a statement.
The interoperability of the battery is a game-changer for the micromobility industry, according to the company. “It means we’ll be able to streamline operations across vehicle types and reduce the frequency of charging and rebalancing vehicles, meaning more fully-charged vehicles on the street when you need them.”
The latest generation e-bike has a swappable battery, which is interchangeable with Lime’s Gen4 scooter. Additional upgrades to the e-bike include:
- Increased motor power to help riders easily climb hills
- A phone holder for easy navigation
- A new handlebar display that aligns with Lime’s scooters for a standardised display across vehicle types
- An automatic two-speed transmission that eliminates the prior generation’s gears for an easier and smoother ride
“As we build out the Lime platform to serve any trip under five miles, e-bikes are a key piece of the puzzle, providing a perfect option for medium-length trips,” says Wayne Ting, CEO of Lime.
He further adds, “That’s why we’re making substantial investments to upgrade our world-class e-bike and bring it to more cities across the globe, giving riders a new and exciting way to leave the car behind. Shared micromobility is playing an essential role in getting cities moving again safely so we see this as a critical moment to double down on e-bikes as an open-air, socially-distanced transportation option.”
Partnership with the League of American Bicyclists
Besides the hardware upgrade and the funding, the company has also announced its partnership with the League of American Bicyclists, one of the country’s preeminent bike safety and advocacy organisations.
The partnership includes an education campaign for riders on safe cycling and scooting practices. The company will be creating graphics with reminders and tips about safe riding and parking. “We’re also planning to work with the League of American Bicyclists to leverage local bicycle clubs and our hundreds of thousands of riders across the country to advocate for federal, state, and local funding and action to create healthier, safer streets for micromobility travel.”
Carbon negative by 2025, net zero by 2030
Last year, the company partnered with the WWF to launch its Ride Green initiative to create more liveable, pollution-free cities. As part of this collaboration, Lime has committed to reaching carbon negative by 2025 and net-zero by 2030 as well as setting a science-based carbon emissions target to hold itself accountable.
The company is, therefore, taking a number of steps to reduce its carbon impacts, including:
1. Transforming its local operations to rely only on zero-emission vehicles and e-cargo bikes in Europe by 2021, and globally by 2023.
2. Building its scooters using 90 per cent recycled or low-carbon materials by 202.
3. Continuing to purchase local renewable energy near the cities it serves.
4. Continuing to assess its supply chain to find improvements and efficiencies around sustainability.
Founded by Brad Bao and Toby Sun, Lime aims to provide a sustainable solution to the first and last-mile transportation problem by helping people move around their cities in an affordable and convenient way while eliminating their carbon footprint.
The company partners with cities to deploy electric bikes and scooters enabled with GPS and self-activating locks. In Europe, it serves more than 60 cities, including Paris, Berlin, London, Rome, or Budapest.
Riders took more than three million rides through the platform last year and the company expects that number to grow this year as people return to work, school, social activities, and more after the vaccination.
“Since launching a new generation of e-bikes we acquired from JUMP in May of 2020, we’ve seen the addition of the e-bikes boost rides on our scooters in cities where both are available. In cities like Seattle, where e-scooters were added to an existing e-bike service, rides on both modes increased,” says the company.
In May 2020, the company had secured a whopping $ 170M (approx €157M) in funding led by Uber as well as participation from Google’s Alphabet, GV, Bain Capital Ventures, and other new and existing investors. The funds helped Lime to acquire Uber’s bike and scooter service – JUMP’s business operations, and expand its mobile app integration with Uber. Besides, Lime also promoted Wayne Ting as its new CEO.
Prior to that, in 2018, Lime secured $ 335M (approx €277.7M) in funding from Uber and Alphabet, among others.
I’m 18 years old and own a construction business. (Might not seem like a start up but trust me the way I’m doing things it is 😂) The brother of a client I am working for approached me yesterday and said he’s impressed with my Business and the skills I have as an entrepreneur.
He said he’d like to discuss investing in my company.
I told him the amount I’ve been trying to save to take my business to the next level is £150,000 He said that amount of money wouldn’t be a problem.
Note: he did not say he wants to invest in my company, just that he’d like to discuss it further in the future.
What I want to know is, should I accept investment even if I’m most likely going to have that money in the nearish future? It should take me a year or two to get that money the way my operations are now.
And my second question is, if I decide to invest, how would I go about discussions etc. and what is the protocol?
What could I do to make receiving the investment more likely if discussions are to occur shortly?
Note: he does not know that I am 18, and I look around 23-24, so I don’t know if that would affect anything in the future.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks for your reply. In advance.
Today Hiro Capital, a VC focused on backing innovators in video games, the metaverse, e-sports and digital fitness, has announced investing around €12.3 million into two European-based, and one US-based, game studios. On the European side, the two startups are Stockholm/Berlin-based Snowprint and Belgian startup Happy Volcano, with the US-based startup being Double Loop Games in San Francisco….
The post European gaming studios Happy Volcano and Snowprint nab millions of investment from Hiro Capital first appeared on EU-Startups.
London-based Hiro Capital is an entrepreneur-led Venture Capital fund focused on sectors such as video games, the metaverse, esports, and digital fitness. The fund has, today, announced that it has invested $ 15M (approx €12.34M) into three creative games studios – Snowprint in Stockholm/Berlin, Double Loop Games in San Francisco and Happy Volcano in Belgium
About Hiro Capital
Hiro Capital is a technology venture capital fund that invests in the UK, US, and European innovators in games, metaverse technology, esports, and digital fitness. It usually invests at the post-seed Series A and B stages.
“We invest both in front-end content creators in games, esports and digital sports, and in deep tech metaverse applications of cloud, mobile, streaming, big data, AI, wearables, AR, and VR technologies. We back experienced entrepreneurial teams, building innovative technologies and content with a strongly differentiated proposition and with the scaling opportunity to become very large,” the company mentions in a statement.
The VC funds believe that games, esports, and digital sports will be a central pillar of entertainment, economic, and social life in the mid 21st century.
“The addition of these three exciting Games studios brings our total investments to 11, with more deals to be announced soon,” says Cherry Freeman, co-founding Partner at Hiro Capital.
The portfolio of Hiro Capital also includes Flavourworks, Polyarc, Lightfox, LIV.tv, Edgegap, Fix XR, and Nurvv.
How will the firms use the funds?
All three video game studios will use Hiro’s investment to expand their development pipelines and accelerate global growth.
Ian Livingstone, a co-founding partner at Hiro Capital says, “Each studio has demonstrated innovation and expertise in developing fun-to-play games which resonate with today’s audiences. I’m especially pleased that one of the studios came through our first Dark Star event for emerging indies looking to scale their businesses. If only venture capital had been interested in the games sector back in the 1970s, I might not have had to sleep in a van during the early days of Games Workshop!”
The Stockholm-based company was founded in 2015 and is led by industry veterans Alexander Ekvall and Patrik Lindegren, each formerly of King; John Hargelid, formerly of Paradox Interactive; and Wilhelm Osterberg, formerly of Wooga.
Snowprint Studios operates their debut mobile title Legend of Solgard and is now also working on three new mobile projects, including Rivengard, a turn-based tactics game that launched globally on 21st January 2021, as well as an undisclosed AAA mobile IP coming soon out of its Berlin studio.
Alexander Ekvall says, “The team has a deep understanding of building successful games companies and this is reflected in the support they provide. The backing from Hiro means we are better equipped than ever to execute on our mission to deliver genre-defining experiences.”
Double Loop Games
San Francisco-based Double Loop Games, founded in 2019, is a social mobile studio dedicated to making delightful, relaxing experiences for the biggest audience in games. The team’s leaders are industry veterans Emily Greer, co-founder of Kongregate; and Shelby Moledina, formerly of Warner Bros., Interactive Entertainment, and DeNA.
The company is working on its debut game, and will soon launch its social mobile title, made for players who don’t think of themselves as gamers.
Belgium-based Happy Volcano was founded in 2015 by David Prinsmel, Jeroen Janssen, and Peter Maasen. The company has released the critically acclaimed narrative exploration game The Almost Gone and is currently working on a new soon-to-launch cross-platform game You Suck at Parking.
Hiro Capital’s future plan
Luke Alvarez, founding partner of Hiro Capital said, “Hiro was founded to invest in the super-sector of games, sports, and metaverse technologies. On every dimension, in every market, 2020/21 has been a story of strong growth – in users, sales, devices, stream views, and innovations. People fell in love, got married and graduated in games, and are coming out of lockdown stronger thanks to gamified wearables and VR fitness tech. As a VC, it is exciting to see our sector focus so emphatically confirmed. Finally, Hiro is a diverse team and so are these new studios, including our first female Games founders, Emily and Shelby (Double Loop Games).”
The venture capital is looking for more ambitious games entrepreneurs and will be launching the next Dark Star event for Games Studios in March 2021.
Dark Star 2.0 will give game studios looking for investment the chance to hear from Hiro Capital’s partners and portfolio entrepreneurs about how and why to position themselves for venture funding.
I know, dilution is expected and needed, but im trying to see what to look out for so that im not diluted disproportionately from other board members, and that my shares would still be worth something in the long term. I'd be going into a board that currently has around 4 members, and i still want to be involved a good amount in the business once VCs get involved.


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WWE officially began its collaboration with Peacock, the streaming platform, in March 2021, but only in the United States, while the rest of Europe and the UK remained with the WWE Network. The landing of the Stamford company on Peacock, however, was not so easy, in fact, the complaints of users are now on the agenda, with a service that works very badly especially during the PPV.
In fact, streaming often stops responding, as happened during Money In The Bank, with users who rightly rose up complaining on social media, before someone came to restore order by simply reloading the page. But now apparently the American friends will no longer feel alone in this adventure, in fact even Europe and the UK will salute the WWE Network in favor of Peacock.
Peacock currently has 54 million memberships
Deadline reported that Brian Roberts, the company's CEO, confirmed that Peacock currently has 54 million memberships with 20 million active accounts. These numbers were 50% higher than the company's latest forecast.
The CEO himself has communicated and confirmed that Peacock will arrive its first international territories within a few months. In the UK and Europe, Sky will roll out the streaming service as part of its offering to its 20 million customers at no additional cost.
Obviously there remains the question of what content we might have on Peacock, with the WWE Network performing much better and really full of interesting content that can be found easily. We also remind you that Peacock not only broadcasts wrestling, but also many very famous TV series all over the world, so the service would be expanded in terms of programming.
We hope that however things go the service can improve between now and when it also lands with us and be good for everyone in general because it is difficult to let go of the WWE Network. Given that Peacock is home to many more subscribers than the WWE Network, amassing around 22 million subscriptions in only its first six months, the move can only be seen as a positive and highly profitable one for WWE which will allow their product to be seen by a potentially much larger audience.
As well as taking to Twitter, WWE CBO Stephanie McMahon also released an official statement expressing her excitement and optimism at the new partnership between Peacock and WWE. In a move that shocked many, WWE announced today that the WWE Network will become exclusively available to the Peacock streaming service for users in the United States.

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Johnnie Walker illustrates flavours with global ad push
Johnnie Walker, the world's best-selling blended Scotch whisky, is launching a global ad campaign focused on its 'rich and intense' flavours.
Entitled ‘Where Flavour Is King’, the campaign for the Diageo-owned brand aims to bring to life the craft of blending through the collection of campaign images, featuring giant fruit smashers, towers of spices, honey cauldrons and fire-breathers.
The production – led by award-winning set designer Robin Brown, Michelin star food stylist James Hayward and fashion director of GQ Style in the UK, Luke Day – required a drawing room to be built from scratch, featuring dramatic lighting, giant fruits and six feet tall bottles of Johnnie Walker.
Running on outdoor and radio, the campaign, created by ad agency Love, will also feature social media activation via a Facebook app, aimed at educating consumers on the ways to enjoy Johnnie Walker.
Gavin Pike, global brand director for Johnnie Walker, said the campaign would help drive consumer awareness of the range of tastes across the brand portfolio: "The new campaign, ‘Where Flavour Is King’, will open consumers’ eyes to the depth and variety of flavour that exists across the Johnnie Walker whisky taste spectrum. By creating a unique image for each variant of Johnnie Walker whisky, the consumer will be able to make an instant, tangible association with the power and depth of flavour of each blend.
"For example our Red Label shot centres around spices and fresh fruit, whereas the Black Label campaign highlights rich fruits and vanilla, with the distinctive Johnnie Walker smoky finish," he added.
The campaign rolls out this month in Africa, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Russia, Taiwan and Thailand and in European markets from July 2013. It does not replace ‘Keep Walking’, the brand’s global brand campaign which has run since 1999.
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
- Senior Marketing Director - 9-12 month FTC Comedy Central £competitive, Camden, London (Greater)
- Marketing Manager Stopgap £45000 - £60000 per annum, ShÃ nghÇŽi
- Global Marketing Manager Ball & Hoolahan £65,000 per annum, London (Central), London (Greater)
- Brand Manager Ball & Hoolahan £38,000 per annum + Car/Car Allowance, London (Central), London (Greater), South East
- Junior Brand Manager Ball & Hoolahan £35,000 per annum, London (Central), London (Greater)
Agency: Wieden & Kennedy New York
- Twitter launches learning hub for agencies
- Guinness Africa launches 'made of black' campaign with Kanye West ad
- McDonald's launches 40th anniversary campaign
- TalkTalk to launch user-generated X Factor idents
- Watch Harvey Keitel's Wolf bark again in new Direct Line ads
- Celebrity Cruises opts for Goodstuff


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European retail giant Carrefour has joined other participants involved in building the IBM Food Trust blockchain network, adopting the technology to improve the traceability of food products with plans to expand to all Carrefour brands by 2022.
11 Oct 2018
Future trends in food consumption in Europe, China and the Indian sub-continent could impact on food producing nations such as South Africa.
21 Nov 2007
More than 300 transport industry captains attended the 2007 “FOCUS on Excellence” awards banquet that took place recently in Midrand. BP Castrol for the second year in a row, was named the Best Supplier of Fuels and Lubricants.
16 Nov 2007
Philip Morris International Inc. and British American Tobacco South Africa has terminated their Chesterfield licence agreement.
12 Oct 2007
Knowledge is power, and as businesses come to realise the value of business intelligence (BI) and seek to grow the amount and scope of the information they require, so the BI technology market will be driven by commoditization and ubiquity of digital data.
11 Oct 2007
South African company Douglasdale Dairy, has conceptualised a software program that is claimed will revolutionise processing and distribution businesses – in a variety of sectors.
4 Oct 2007
TNT has announced the launch of its new service portfolio to offer customers an extended range of standardised international and domestic services across the globe. Placing a strong emphasis on morning deliveries, TNT has added two new time-guaranteed services - '10:00 Express' and '12:00 Economy Express' - to the existing ‘9:00 Express' and '12:00 Express'.
12 Sep 2007
The effectiveness and reliability of the C-track vehicle tracking and fleet management system had been emphasised with the marked reduction of vehicle abuse and the recovery of 12 stolen vehicles of the eThekwini Municipality recently.
6 Sep 2007
The Reverse Logistics Conference and Expo in Singapore will feature two leading authorities on Supply Chain Solutions and Reverse Logistics. John Mehrmann, author and industry expert, will present "Evolve or Become Extinct, A Reverse Logistics Model to Deliver Expanded Shareholder Value". Ron Kula, Vice President of Supply Chain Solutions at DEX, will participate in the panel discussion, "Methods of Outsourcing".
4 Sep 2007
Telogis has released OnTrack 5, its latest real-time GPS Fleet Tracking solution. The new features in this release include Routing, Find Nearest, Giant Maps, and Quicklinks.
28 Aug 2007
Navtrak has announced it will be launching a free online resource for fleet owners, managers and dispatchers researching the benefits of GPS fleet tracking.
10 Aug 2007
Transnet has launched its new corporate brand identity, signaling the culmination of a three-year transformation from a diversified conglomerate into a focused and integrated bulk freight transport company.
27 Jul 2007
More environmentally friendly logistics strategies and operations will come - but this will be as a result of consumer pressure and will require collaboration between supply chain partners and a culture of trust. This was the key message which emerged from the SCALA Consulting Annual Logistics Debate. The debate, "Will environmental issues force logisticians to think the unthinkable?" was held on 12 July 2007 in association with the West midlands CILT (UK).
24 Jul 2007


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The cost of petfood is set to rise in coming months on the heels of increases in human food prices, according to experts.
“Recent food price increases appear to be passing through to petfood products, as they did to an even greater degree in 2008," said Zach Pandl, senior economist at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. “These gains have added to the rise in core inflation, and likely will continue to do so for a while longer.” Changes in the food component of the consumer price index have led movements in petfood costs since 2006. In 2008, petfood prices jumped by 16% after human food inflation reached 6%. Human food costs have accelerated by more than 2% as of February after falling 0.7% at the end of 2009.
By Lindsay Beaton
Giving back is a significant part of the pet food industry, and companies focused on philanthropy want to make connections, not just donations.
By Ann Reus


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Sweet snowballs zap sweltering season
Snowballs are a rite of summer in south Louisiana. From Easter to Labor Day, small portable buildings filled with shelves of brightly colored bottles of sugary liquid pop up in parking lots in every town and city.
“When it gets really hot, I start craving them,” said Krista LaFrance while deliberating over dozens of flavors at the SnoMan snowball stand on Burbank Drive.
An opinionated bunch, snowball lovers have definite ideas about what makes a great one — some say it’s the syrup, others insist it’s the ice.
“I like ice that is so soft it melts, like snow,” said Allison Claire Poche on a 95-degree day at Snoballs on Call at the corner of Essen Lane and Perkins Road.
“If it’s like dry chunks of ice, it’s terrible,” said her friend, Carter James. “You want it all to be the same consistency. You don’t want to get to the bottom and have a big chunk of ice.”
When it comes to flavor, there are dozens of varieties tasting of nearly any soft drink, candy bar or ice cream you can find at the local Circle K. There’s the tartness of Polar Punch, the super sweetness of Tropical Blend, the creaminess of Tutti Frutti and the cake-in-the-cup goodness of Yellow Cake Batter.
Vendors have even solved the most fearful of snowball mishaps — dropping a syrup-laden cone on the car seat during the ride home. Now there are clear options of flavors that used to turn your tongue (and your car seats) red-light red or swamp green.
Poche insisted the clear strawberry she dug into tasted just like James’ choice, the traditional bright red interpretation of the flavor.
“It doesn’t make your mouth all red or blue,” she said. “I’m a spiller, so I would get this all over me.”
The dread of spills has lead to another snowball innovation loved by mothers everywhere — the topless snowball. Lopping off that peak of ice that protrudes above the cup greatly cuts the odds of upholstery stains.
“I’m a mom. I am all about the no-top, sugar-free snowball,” said Tippy Thomassie, who brought her son Blaise, 5, to SnoMan Snoballs on Burbank Drive. He got his rainbow favorite — “it has a lot of colors on it” — and slurped it through a straw.
The syrup, according to several aficionados, should cover all the ice with no dry spots.
“Too much juice is not good, either,” said Krista LaFrance, standing in line at SnoMan. “Too much juice and it’s like a drink. It takes away from the ice.”
Some snowball stands have even figured out a way to take the humble concoction to new heights — the stuffed snowball has a scoop of ice cream sandwiched inside the ice.
“Paradise,” said Stacy Parker, who brought her two sons to get regular snowballs at SnoMan. “It’s like you get snowball, then ice cream and snowball again. It’s delicious.”
After growing up in Baton Rouge, Danny McDonald and his family now live in Louisville, Ky. They eat snow cones up there, but get real snow in the winter.
“In Louisiana, they call it a snowball,” he said, spooning up his root beer-flavored treat. “It’s the only snowball you’ll see here.”


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Image Source: Cyril Marcilhacy/Bloomberg
One of the most controversial foods, foie gras is banned in several countries and US cities like New York and Chicago. To revive the market, the public investment bank Bpifrance (backed by the French government) has chipped into a $10 million development fund for a kinder, gentler foie gras. Introduced by startup company Gourmey, the product is made from duck stem cells grown in bioreactor tanks. Some tasters say it's a fair match for the real thing. You can taste for yourself in a little over a year when Gourmey's faux gras hits the market.
Image Source: ReGrained/Upcycled Food Association
Earlier this year, the Upcycled Food Association (UFA) established certification standards to help reduce global food waste. This month, UFA certified its first food product, SuperGrain+ flour made by baked goods company ReGrained. The flour is recycled from spent grain produced by breweries and is high in protein, dietary fiber, and prebiotics. The US beer industry generates more than 20 billion pounds of spent grain per year, and according to ReGrained, every pound of its upcycled flour prevents the carbon dioxide equivalent of burning 1 pound of coal and saves more than 300 gallons of water. Does the flour have an aftertaste of beer? Find out by trying ReGrained's line of crunchy snacks. SuperGrain+ flour is the main ingredient.
Image Source: AP Photo/Stephen Groves
Slaughterhouses around the country have been participating in a pilot program allowing them to process up to 1,450 hogs per hour, a significant increase over the previous maximum line speed of 1,106 hogs. The National Pork Producers Council and North American Meat Institute have been lobbying to make the faster line speeds permanent, but the USDA recently rejected their requests due to worker safety concerns. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union International, which represents 33,000 workers, welcomed the decision as well as the USDA's commitment to strengthening worker safety protections. As processors revert to previous maximum line speeds as of June 30, consumer prices may be affected. If processors decide to supply less pork to the market, wholesale and retail prices for ham, pork chops and bacon may go up.
Image Source: Aleph Farms
Israeli startup Aleph Farms aims to shift the global paradigm of meat production and consumption. The company's pioneering bioprinting technology cultivates living bovine cells in a lab to replicate the shape and texture of beef steak. Aleph’s chief executive Didier Toubia says the process is similar to the vascularization that occurs naturally as cattle grow and develop muscle. Toubia claims that Aleph's ribeye tastes, chews, and cooks much like a conventional steak. The company also says that it can tailor steaks to consumer preferences, increasing or decreasing factors like tenderness and leanness. Aleph's first products will reach the US market in the second half of 2022. However, the US Food and Drug Administration has yet to grant regulatory approval for the sale of cultivated meat.
Image Source: Courtesy The Spoon
San Francisco tech startup Air Protein has raised $32 million to create alternative meats for direct-to-consumer sales. The company feeds elements found in the air, such as carbon dioxide, to genetically modified microbes in a fermentation tank. The resulting protein is texturized and flavored to resemble various meats. Other than air, the technology requires very few resources, allowing "air protein" to be produced virtually anywhere in the world. Focus groups have yet to weigh in on the taste.


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When Robert Fleming watched one of the world’s most powerful weapons detonate 60 years ago, little did he know of the lasting impact it would have on future generations.
Breckland could see the installation of four charging points for electric and hybrid vehicles after councillors agreed to bid for Highways England funds.
New or relocating businesses in Breckland’s five market towns are being given the opportunity to claim up to 80 percent rate relief in their first year.
A programme of creative activities designed to give older people and those with dementia opportunities to get active and socialise is set to expand again after receiving grant funding from a district council.
Almost £25,000 is being made available to further enhance Breckland’s five market towns and attract more visitors and businesses.
Choosing a name for anything – from a new baby to a new car – can prove a challenge.
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Hot Topics in Worker Rights
With the turning of the calendar to 2013, ten states and two large cities have increased their minimum wage for low-wage workers. Is your city or state one of them?
‘Tis the season of temporary holiday work. As unemployment continues to hover around eight percent, many Americans will be on the lookout for seasonal work this year. But before starting any new job, workers need to familiarize themselves with the potential pitfalls of seasonal or temporary employment to avoid becoming a victim of wage theft.
It was recently restaurant week here in Washington, DC, when participating restaurants make dining out a little more affordable by offering discounted price-fixed meals. Eating out is a special treat for many consumers, but what about workers? NCL staff hit the streets leafletting downtown DC to let restaurant customers in on some facts about what workers in the industry experience -- and it turned many consumers' stomachs.


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The Directorate General of Shipping ordered to prohibit on board a large number of single-use plastic products including ice cream containers, hot dish cups, microwave dishes and potato chips bags, on Indian and foreign ships that are in Indian waters from January 1, 2020.
The decision has been taken the by Directorate General of Shipping following an appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 to “take the first big step” towards freeing India of single-use plastics. The decision is supposed to be in the larger interest of the public and to protect the marine ecosystem.
Items like bags, trays, containers, food packaging film, milk bottles, freezer bags, shampoo bottles, ice cream containers, bottles for water and other drinks, dispensing containers for cleaning fluid and biscuits trays are prohibited, including hot drink cups, insulated food packaging, protective packaging for fragile items, microwave dishes, ice cream tubs, potato chips bags and bottle caps.
Apart from this, the Directorate has also banned the use of single-use plastic cutlery, plates and cups, up to 10 litres of bottles for water and other drinks, garbage and shopping bags and dispensing containers for cleaning fluids which are less than 10 litres volume with immediate impact.
The Directorate has directed the authorities to ensure during surveys, inspection and audits of Indian ships that no single-use plastic is found or stored onboard any Indian ships. And, in case of repeated offence, it will be a case for detention.
Further, it said foreign ships intending to enter Indian waterways will have to declare single-use plastic items on board and no such item will be permitted to discharge at India ports.


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Samsung is going to launch it’s first ever foldable smartphone and it can be as early as November 2018. While talking to CNBC Samsung’s mobile division CEO DJ Koh confirmed this news. Koh said that they can launch the foldable phone during the developer conference. It will take place in San Fransisco, Nov 7-8.
DJ KOH: “It will be usable when folded”
If Samsung manages to launch this foldable phone before 2019 they will become the first ever smartphone manufacturer to do that. Koh also went along and confirmed that the phone will be usable when folded, and the development process is almost done. He also added that Samsung is trying to differentiate the unfolded experience from that of a tabled.
Talking to CNBC, Koh said, “You can use most of the uses … on foldable status. But when you need to browse or see something, then you may need to unfold it. But even unfolded, what kind of benefit does that give compared to the tablet? If the unfolded experience is the same as the tablet, why would they (consumers) buy it?”
That is a valid question, the tablet market has been falling ever science it came out. People really don’t like tablets that much. If Samsung can make the unfolded experience different from that of a tablet then there is a strong chance that the folded phone will bring a new era in smartphone technology. Otherwise, it will also be another failed experiment by Samsung.
We know almost nothing about the specification of the phone but it will surely have a 7 inches plus screen.
Some rumours suggest that Huawei is trying to beat Samsung by launching a limited number of foldable phones in early 2019. Therefore if they still want to beat Samsung they must speed up their work.
What do you think about the folded phone? let us know in the comment section down below.
Also published on Medium.


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CINCINNATI—Fletcher Building has revealed the sale of Cincinnati-based Formica Group to Broadview Industries, a Netherlands-based industrial firm. The sale includes Formica businesses in North America, Europe, and Asia, as well as its Homapal metal laminates business.
The news reflects the signing of a sale purchase agreement, which defines the main elements of the transaction and brings together two leading companies in the international decorative surfacing industry. The transition is expected to be finalized in the first half of 2019.
“This combination represents an exciting future for the Formica Group, as the two businesses are complimentary with a strong strategic alignment,”said Mitch Quint, president of Formica Corporation North America. “Formica brings a global reach with its operational and commercial capabilities and Broadview brings unique and innovative product technologies, including Trespa exterior products and Fenix acrylic surfaces.”


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Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has announced Brisbane’s parking meters will be turned off and fees halved at the Council’s two major car parks from tomorrow.
Cr Schrinner said his Council’s latest economic stimulus measure would help the thousands of Brisbane businesses hit hard by a downturn in trade throughout the COVID-19 Omicron case wave.
“We are dedicated to being the most small business friendly local government in Australia and our free parking initiative to stimulate the economy is another example,” Cr Schrinner said.
“Last month we waived $5 million in fees, charges and rents for businesses and community groups hit during the current downturn and this took our commitment towards recovery measures to more than $63 million.
“To coincide with many offices reopening and school returning fully, we are switching off Brisbane’s park meters and halving the cost of Council’s car parks.
“We want to attract people back to our major shopping areas to help businesses survive and continue employing people because this will ensure Brisbane’s economy recovers quicker.
“Hopefully our free and half priced parking will prompt people to catch up with friends, enjoy a meal out and indulge in a bit of retail therapy, all of which will help businesses that have done it tough.”
The new measure will involve switching off the meters for Brisbane’s 7869 metered parking spaces, which are mostly in inner-city areas, and halving the prices at the King George Square and Wickham Terrace car parks.
Brisbane Infrastructure Committee Chair Andrew Wines said the measure will save motorists about up to $17.50 a day at off-street car parks and between $1.20 to $5.50 an hour at parking meters.
“We’re hoping people will be able to spend a little extra as a result,” Cr Wines said.
However, motorists have been warned that parking limits will remain along with fines for people who park longer than allowed.
“You don’t have to pay for parking, but motorist have to remember that they can’t overstay the parking limit,” Cr Wines.
“Our officers will still be enforcing limits because parking space turnover will mean more people benefit and the dividend to business from this measure should be even better.”
- From Wednesday 8 February and for the remainder of the month all of Brisbane’s parking meters will be turned off.
- There is no need to pay at parking meters, but the time limit of the parking space remains and will be enforced.
Council’s two major car parks – King George Square and Wickham Terrace – will be half price


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A north-east coffee shop has introduced a line-up of milkshakes to its offering.
An Aberdeenshire bar has released a line-up of cocktails available for takeaway.
BrewDog is recognised across the globe for its extensive, high-quality beer range.
Focused on offering niche and small batch eclectic spirits, owner of Aberdeen Whisky Shop, Nick Sullivan, is proud to have a loyal clientele.
The finalists of Society’s One To Watch competition can be revealed today, with locals now given the difficult task of choosing the top three firms ...
Aberdeen bar The Noose and Monkey is set to reopen this week.


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Thesp and environmentalist Ed Begley Jr. signed pact with startup Evox Television to produce and star in an Internet-only series documenting his quest to build the greenest house in North America…
CNN is increasing its emphasis on consumers who get its content from mobile phones and tablets, its top executive said Wednesday, investing about $15 million so far in 2013 on reworking its digital…
Google may claim its motto is “Don’t Be Evil,” but don’t tell that to Larry Ellison. The CEO of tech titan Oracle launched a blistering broadside at Google chief Larry Page on “Charlie Rose” Monday…
There hasn't been much for CEO Bob Iger to worry about since each of his divisions, from cable TV to theme parks, has performed strongly, with even the film studio showing signs of a turnaround this…
Smosh could be making the move to TV. Alloy Digital, the company behind the top-ranked YouTube channel, is in talks with multiple cable networks about finding a second home for the talent across…
Sony’s new PlayStation 4 has a lot of heavy lifting to do even before it hits retail shelves this fall. The videogame console, revealed for the first time Wednesday, to 1,200 reporters gathered…
All eyes are on Netflix as it continues to surprise the market -- for better or worse -- with new deals and developments.
Quartet extends pic experience and audience engagement
Digital storytelling came to Doha this week as a duo of events at the fourth annual Doha Tribeca Film Festival distilled the art of transmedia for both industry insiders and aspiring filmmakers alike.
YouTube will start experimenting with charging subscription fees for some of its branded content following its partnerships, announced at Mipcom, with European TV content providers to feed 60 new…
In an unusual example of corporate matchmaking, two leading software makers for visual effects have agreed to merge following a suggestion from Industrial Light & Magic.


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The red-hot market for crossovers will save about 200 jobs at a General Motors Co. plant in Oshawa, Ont. – at least temporarily.
GM will cease production of the older version of the Chevrolet Impala sedan at its Oshawa consolidated plant in June but will boost output of the hot-selling Chevrolet Equinox crossover.
The move will save the jobs of about 160 production workers, and work associated with Equinox production will provide employment for more than 30 skilled trades workers, said Greg Moffatt, Oshawa plant chair of Unifor, the union that represents about 2,600 workers at the consolidated factory and the neighbouring flex plant.
Workers at the consolidated plant now assemble the older Impala and do final assembly of the Equinox, which is also built at a GM plant in Ingersoll, Ont.
The consolidated plant is still scheduled to close in 2017, and no new or replacement vehicles have been earmarked for either Oshawa plant later this decade, so a question mark still hangs over the future of the GM factories – which in the early 2000s cranked out almost 900,000 vehicles a year. The two plants produced 203,183 vehicles last year.
Equinox production will rise to 352 vehicles daily in July from the current figure of 288, Greg Pratt, GM's Oshawa plant manager, said in a memo to employees this week.
"This will equate to a neutral manpower impact allowing Oshawa to retain jobs that would have otherwise been affected by the end of the Impala Limited [edition]," Mr. Pratt said.
GM has also been hiring new workers at the Ingersoll plant to boost production of the Equinox and the Terrain, the GMC version of the compact crossover, union officials at that plant said.
The hiring at GM and the creation of several hundred new jobs at a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV assembly plant in Windsor, Ont., are part of a trend that has taken employment in vehicle and parts manufacturing to its highest level since the industry crisis during the 2008-09 recession.
Employment in vehicle assembly rose to 41,386 last year, up 3 per cent from a year earlier and 6,000 higher than the trough of 35,614 hit in 2009. The number of parts jobs rose 4 per cent to 70,751 from 2014 levels and more than 10,000 jobs higher than the parts industry trough, which was hit in 2010.
"On the surface, yes, this performance is very positive, but relative to where this industry has been in the long term, it still has a very long way to go before anyone can say it has fully recovered," industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers, president of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc., wrote in a commentary on the numbers.
The assembly sector, for example, employed 55,712 people in 2000, while 98,154 Canadians worked at auto parts companies.
The jobs numbers should be higher, Mr. DesRosiers noted, given the state of the industry in North America – with record sales in Canadian and American markets last year and a 3-per-cent rise in vehicle production in Canada, the United States and Mexico last year from year-earlier levels.
U.S. data provided by the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., show that employment in U.S. parts and assembly is also well below the levels hit in 2000, but auto makers have created many more jobs at U.S. plants than they have in Canada on a proportional basis.
Employment at U.S. assembly plants was 65-per-cent higher at the end of last year than it was in the trough of 2009. Employment at Canadian vehicle plants was just 16 per cent higher last year than during the 2009 bottom.


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The Chairman and MD, Himanshu Patel, declared his company’s readiness to launch the 8.5-tonne EV Truck in India and the Middle East. Himanshu Patel of Triton EV emphasizes his dedication to providing the logistics industry with comprehensive EV and green tech mobility.
Himanshu Patel of Triton EV has reiterated his dedication to providing all-encompassing EV and eco-friendly smart mobility solutions for logistics. In a significant announcement, the Chairman and MD of Triton EV stated that they are preparing to roll out the 8.5-tonne EV Truck for the Indian and Middle Eastern markets.
By mid-November 2023, the truck is expected to be ready for display. Patel emphasizes that the creation of this 8.5-tonne EV truck, capable of covering 300 Km on a single charge, stems from intense market demand, anticipating it to be a valuable addition to the logistics sector.
Electric trucks are celebrated for their environmental advantages, including eliminating tailpipe emissions. This can significantly curtail air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in cityscapes. Typically, 8.5-tonne trucks are categorized as medium or heavy-duty, serving a range of functions from urban deliveries and regional distribution to some construction-related tasks.
Triton EV disclosed plans to introduce a 3.5-tonne EV Truck in another development. Patel believes that this new product is poised to revolutionize the commercial vehicle sector due to its stellar performance metrics. Specifically, he highlighted the truck’s mileage and maintenance aspects as potential industry game-changers.
Furthermore, Triton EV’s expansive Research and Development Center is located in Kheda, within the Anand District, close to Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Covering an area of 150,000 square feet, this centre is now the epicentre for Triton EV’s global R&D endeavours, focusing on the innovation of their EV Trucks and other specialized vehicles.


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South Korea’s digital advertising spending showed a two-digit growth in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year. The personal computer (PC) advertisement market shrunk, while the mobile and video ad market expanded.
Naver still has an overwhelming portion of PC display ads (DAs) and mobile DAs but YouTube and Facebook have well over half of portion of video ads.
According to a “2017 Industry Analysis Report” released by CJ E&M Mezzomedia on August 3, the total domestic digital advertising spending amounted to 608.6 billion won (US$539.3 million) in the first half of this year, up 19 percent from 512.5 billion won (US$454.51 million) at the same period last year.
By ad type, the share of PC DAs in the ad market decreased from 46 percent last year to 39 percent this year, while the share of mobile and video DAs increased from 26 percent and 28 percent to 28 percent to 33 percent, respectively.
By media, Naver had the highest advertising revenues in the PC DA sector with a large gap with other media. The company’s PC DA revenues in the first half of the year stood at 110.76 billion won (US$98.15 million), accounting for 46 percent of the total, followed by Daum with 50.6 billion won (US$44.84 million), or 21 percent, and Nate with 26.7 billion won (US$23.66 million), or 11 percent. In addition, Zum and YouTube recorded an advertising revenue of 41.4 billion won (US$3.67 million) and 41.1 billion won (US$3.64 million), respectively, making a breakthrough.
Naver also put up a good show in the mobile DA sector. The nation's largest search engine raked in 40.3 billion won (US$35.71 million) in the mobile DA sector in the first half of this year, taking up 24 percent of the entire market. AdMob and Cauly also earned revenues of 19.4 billion won (US$17.19 million) and 19 billion won (US$16.84 million), accounting for 12 percent and 11 percent, respectively.
Naver had the highest share of the PC and mobile DA market, while Google and YouTube had an overwhelming share of the video DA market.
YouTube earned 74.17 billion won (US$65.72 million) in the first half of this year, making up 37 percent of the total domestic video ad market. Facebook saw its shares significantly increase from 24 percent to 31 percent on-year, recording video ad sales of 62.26 billion won (US$55.17 million). The combined share of the two companies totaled 68 percent.
On the other hand, Naver had video ad sales of 23.85 billion won (US$21.13 million), accounting for 12 percent of the total, followed by Daum with 16.88 billion won (US$14.96 million), GOMTV with 7.37 billion won (US$6.53 million), imbc with 4.5 billion won (US$3.99 million) and SBS with 3.58 billion won (US$3.17 million).


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(PRESS RELEASE) GENEVA, 18-Aug-2020 — /EuropaWire/ — SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, has announced that its SGS Digicomply, a ground-breaking compliance intelligence platform for the cosmetic, personal care and household care (CPCH) industry, has added new markets to its global network.
Launched by SGS in 2019, the platform combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) with in-house expertise to help CPCH manufacturers, suppliers and retailers keep track of regulatory changes. Interactive and easy-to-navigate, it sorts and classifies huge volumes of the most current, industry-specific global compliance data into a single, reliable source.
SGS Digicomply now includes relevant data from Canada; the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates; and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) more specifically Indonesia and Malaysia. These markets will add to information already provided for the European Union and more specifically UK, France, Germany, Belgium and Spain; USA, Brazil and China.
Nicola Colombo, Global Head of SGS Digicomply said: “In this fast-changing and increasingly complex, regulatory landscape, CPCH manufacturers, suppliers and retailers need to be able to access the most up-to-date global legislation quickly and efficiently. That’s why we’re delighted to welcome so many new markets to the Digicomply platform, both now and over the coming months.”
SGS Digicomply provides the CPCH industry with access to:
- Regulatory Guides – to provide a summary of regulatory requirements, validated by SGS experts, by market or by specific topics for immediate access to the legislation and sources necessary to support daily decision making
- Dossiers – to provide fast and easy access to data collections of summarized requirements, specifications and interpretation of regulatory compliance and safety related matters, with added functionality to create and share dossiers for collaborative team working
- Searches and Feeds – to give access to the most up-to-date global regulations from relevant sources, translated from local languages into English, and provide constantly updated content on specific topics via personalized feeds and updates
SGS is now working on Thailand, Turkey, Korea, India and Japan to bring them onto the platform by the end of 2020.
Visit SGS Digicomply today.
For more information, contact:
CEO C-LABS SA
Global Head of SGS Digicomply
t: +41 (0) 215520976
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 89,000 employees, we operate a network of more than 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.
SOURCE: SGS SA


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Tombini Says Brazil Will Do What It Takes to Slow Inflation
The bank’s board, led by Tombini, voted 6-to-2 last month to increase the benchmark Selic rate to 7.50 percent after holding it at a record-low 7.25 percent since October. The first increase since July 2011 came after annual inflation accelerated beyond the 6.5 percent upper limit of the bank’s target range in March.
President Dilma Rousseff is facing growing pressure to slow inflation that is threatening Brazil’s economic recovery as higher prices sap domestic demand. Retail sales will contract for a second straight month in March, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 28 economists.
“The central bank is acting, it’s vigilant and will keep acting,” Tombini said in an interview with Globo television on May 10. The bank “will do what’s needed to consolidate inflation at lower levels this year and next.”
The swap rate contract maturing in January 2015, the most traded in Sao Paulo, gained 11 basis points, or 0.11 percentage point, to 8.35 percent on May 10, as traders increased bets policy makers may opt to raise borrowing costs by half a percentage point after a quarter-point increase in April.
Annual inflation, which has remained above the 4.5 percent mid-point of the central bank’s target range since Tombini took office in January 2011, slowed to 6.49 percent last month. Still, consumer prices increased 0.55 percent, more than the 0.48 percent median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 37 analysts.
Tombini told Globo that annual inflation will slow between July and December. House-wives “will see that inflation is easing” over the next months, he said.
Inflation quickened even as growth slowed. The world’s second-biggest emerging economy expanded 0.9 percent last year, less than the U.S., Japan and other major emerging markets, including China, Mexico, India, Russia and South Africa.
The fight against inflation “is in line with the gradual recovery of the economy that we will see in Brazil this year,” Tombini said.
The central bank expects gross domestic product to expand 3.1 percent this year, the fastest pace since 2010, according to its March quarterly inflation report.
Retail sales fell 0.5 percent in March, after contracting 0.4 percent in February, according the median estimate in Bloomberg’s survey. The data is scheduled to be released May 15 by the national statistics agency.
Brazil’s central bank may have to step up the pace of interest rate increases to tame above-target inflation, its director for economic policy, Carlos Hamilton, said April 25.
In the minutes of the bank’s April 16-17 meeting, the board said that an unclear outlook for the world economy required a cautious monetary policy. Policy makers said slower global economic growth could help contain inflationary pressures.
Tombini said Brazil is the only country in the world facing faster inflation that is trying to tame price increases by raising rates. He said that slowing inflation back to target isn’t an “unreal” goal.
“We will pursue this target,” Tombini said. “‘We’re in the middle of a process and will do what it takes to slow inflation.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Andre Soliani in Brasilia at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andre Soliani at email@example.com


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The latest research from YouGov Omnibus is based on a sample of 9,000 respondents across nine countries in the region, with 1,000 each from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
It found, for example, that exactly half (50%) of APAC consumers believe businesses have a responsibility to ensure their supply chain does not harm the environment.
This opinion rises to almost two-thirds (63%) of Filipino consumers, followed by Australians (58%), Singaporeans (56%) and Malaysians (52%).
However, it falls to just 43% of Chinese and Indonesian consumers, with Thai consumers (42%) the least concerned in the region on this score.
The survey also found that 62% of APAC consumers would be more likely to recommend a brand to their friends and family if it gave a small portion of its annual profits to charity.
This rises to three-quarters (75%) of consumers in Indonesia and 70% in Thailand, but falls to 51% in Singapore and 55% in both Australia and Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, six in ten (61%) of respondents in Hong Kong believe business should be doing more to help charities as a whole, compared to 56% of Australians and Singaporeans.
Ensuring a brand’s supply chain is free from harmful practices, such as forced labour, is also an important issue for APAC consumers, although the strength of feeling varies from 57% in Australia to 47% in Hong Kong.
And upskilling members of the community, volunteering and offering pro-bono services in a brand’s area of expertise are also rated highly by APAC consumers, the survey revealed.
“That a majority of consumers believe that businesses have a responsibility to ensure that they have ethical supply chains suggests consumers expect ever more from brands,” the report concluded.
“In order to get ahead, brands now have to go beyond simply proving that their given product is a cut above the rest; smart business looking to distinguish themselves need to work hard to showcase their values as well.”
Sourced from YouGov Omnibus; additional content by WARC staff


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We have already said in our previous post that Google working hard to launch it’s Google Play portal services to more countries, ( See: Google is working on adding Google Play services in more countries), And finally an email sent to publishers partners of Google book search that, Google is about to launch it’s E-book store in France.
The email said that customers will be automatically redirected to Google Play eBook Store and there they will be able to buy eBooks.
To to able to sell digital version of eBooks in Google play eBook store the publishers have to sign an agreement with Google stating that they would give Google 48% of the sale price. Rest 52% will be transferred to the publishers account.
Till now no French publishers has signed this contract for Google Play eBook Store.Only Hachette Book Group has also signed an agreement to sell its titles through Google Play in the United States but still not in French EBook store. Let’s see whether this service can attract French publishers or not.
What do you think, will Google Play eBook store in France be hit or flop??


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Grocery sales are booming due to the coronavirus lockdown but many may feel they’ve missed the boat.
The Coles share price jumped over 20% since the start of the year while the Woolworths and Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS) share prices have gained around 8% each.
More room to climb
But I don’t think it’s too late to buy these stocks as we head into what is likely to be a nerve wrecking reporting season.
Stocks with profit upside and a relatively low level of earnings risks are in demand and will continue to command a market premium.
Supermarket stocks fit the bill and this isn’t the only reason to buy the sector.
Profit margin boost
The analysts at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) believe Woolies and Coles will enjoy fatter profit margins in the nearer-term, although this tailwind won’t last.
“We believe COL and WOW should have a tailwind to margins on the back of improved volumes over at least FY20 and FY21,” said the broker.
“However, we note that excess margins in supermarkets have consistently been lost to competition, inflation, regulation, staff costs or management follies.”
Excess profits to flow online
There’s another reason why the benefits from expanding margins won’t flow to shareholders. The broker noted that Woolies and Coles have underinvested in their online capabilities and will be using any extra profit they can get to play catch up.
This isn’t a bad thing, in my opinion. Having a strong online business will provide the two supermarket giants with a competitive edge over rivals like Aldi.
But despite the potential negatives, Macquarie has an “outperform” (meaning “buy”) recommendation on both stocks.
This is in part due to expectations that investors will rotate out of the consumer discretionary sector and into retailers that sell staple goods.
Better placed than other retailers
“We are cautious on the current level of consumer discretionary spending and believe a second wave of the virus, coupled with a gradual reduction in fiscal stimulus will see some spending divert from consumer durables into services,” explained Macquarie.
“This puts pressure on the discretionary space into FY21. We see more sustainability of earnings in the staples sector at the current point in the cycle.”
Looking for other ASX stocks that can outperform during the reporting season? The experts at the Motley Fool have picked a number of bargain stocks to buy today.
Follow the link below to find out for free what these stocks are.


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Congressional Candidate Waters On Supply Chain Issues: “Look To Our Governors”
February 16, 2022
PROVIDENCE, RI: Supply chain issues from across the globe are affecting Americans and
Rhode Islanders every day.
But for Allen Waters, Republican candidate for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District, the
federal solution to these major issues affecting the American people lies in our Governors.
“With the federal government in gridlock, we must look to pragmatic out-of-state Governors
who target the main issues hurting the supply chain, which include repealing regulation and
facilitating better logistics with other government agencies” Waters said.
Drawing on an effort by 15 Governors pledging to "take action to address workforce shortages
and prevent bottlenecks, logjams, and other transportation issues", Waters went on to say
Congress can follow up with individual states’ policy proposals with immediate federal action.
“What Congress can do is turn these policy proposals from our governors into federal law,
cutting, even temporarily, the regulatory burden and government red tape, such as vaccination
mandates in various sectors and new regulations on the trucking industry, which continue to keep
the supply chain stagnant."
Waters went on to cite the new federal regulations which took effect on Feb 7 that toughened
entry level truck driver requirements. The new mandate requires prospective truck drivers to
complete training from a school listed on the Training Provider Registry, deems many applicants
ineligible to take the needed test.
“Our truckers make the world continue to run, and only since our supply chain woes have
worsened have we begun to appreciate the men and women in that industry,” Waters said.
“By repealing this unnecessary federal regulation, one aspect of the supply chain problem, the
delivery of products to our stores and in the homes of American families, can see great
improvement in short order.”
Meanwhile, citing a hearing last month in which Congressman David Cicilline cited market
consolidation and lack of competition as the main cause of rising food costs and supply chain
vulnerability, Waters underscored the need to “look deeper”: at solving the issues.
“We can’t just blame one aspect of the market as the root cause of the supply chain crisis”
Waters said. “The federal government must look deeper, less dogmatic, and more open-minded
to solve vital problems affecting all Americans.”
“As member of congress, representing the basic needs of all Rhode Islanders will be my main
concern and will I look for bipartisan solutions to ensure job opportunity, strengthen economic vitality, and
improve the supply chain mobility the for the betterment of all,” Waters said.


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In recent times, India’s emerging tech giants such as Zomato, Nykaa, and Paytm have achieved their most promising quarter since their stock market debuts, marking a significant development over the past couple of years. Investors and analysts are increasingly embracing these stocks.
Performance of new age tech companies:
|Source: ACEMF, Fisdom Research |
The provided chart underscores the remarkable performance of new-age tech firms during the current financial year. However, it’s important to highlight that a handful of companies still find themselves trading significantly below their IPO price points further indicating a potential upside.
Why have these companies caught the eye of investors recently? Well, in the world of the stock market, there’s a saying that earnings and share price go hand in hand. If the earnings of a company improve share price will follow and create wealth for its investors and vice a versa. This is precisely what has unfolded over the last few quarters for these modern tech platform firms. Take a look at the table below – it shows how these new-age tech companies have been making more money, getting more profitable, as time has gone on in the past few quarters.
Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) of new age tech companies:
|Source: Tickertape, Fisdom Research. Amount in crores |
Digging deeper, there are two main factors driving this renewed interest. Firstly, there’s a positive outlook for many of these companies to become profitable in the near future. Some of them have already achieved this goal. Additionally, their stocks have become more affordable after experiencing significant drops from their initial high prices during their IPOs. Take the example of Paytm: its shares dropped to a low of Rs 438 this year from its IPO price of Rs 2,150. However, since then, the stock has nearly doubled and has increased by more than 35 percent since the start of FY24. Notably, Paytm achieved operational profitability in the December quarter, with reduced net losses in the following March quarter. Similar progress is visible in other companies like PB Fintech and Delhivery.
We have covered a story on how Zomato became profitable👉 here
As a result of improved focus on profitability and efficiency, majority of the analyst covering these stocks have turned bullish:
|Source: Refinitive, Fisdom Research. Stock price data as on 18th August 2023 |
While a takeways for the investor might be that going ahead there could be investment opportunities as most of the stocks have shed weight and have become lighter in terms of valuation from their IPO price some of them are still far away. Retail investors who had invested in these companies during IPOs might still be in losses. Below are important lessons that investors can learn from this:
- First with a flurry of companies that are upcoming with their IPOs in 2nd half of the year, investors need to consciously look out for their pricing and fundamentals, which might not be in line with what market participants agree to.
- Earnings and share price go hand in hand and hence as and when quality of earnings improve companies that are able to multiply their profits will see a rerating and attract investor.
The same has happened in case of these new age tech companies. As and when their fundamentals improved other institutional investors also participated and increased their holdings eventually.
Below is how mutual funds and FIIs increased their holding in these new age companies.
Source: Trendlyne, Fisdom Research
Markets this week
| ||14th Aug 2023 (Open)||18nd Aug 2023 (Close)||%Change|
|Nifty 50||₹ 19,384||₹ 19,310||-0.40%|
|Sensex||₹ 65,153||₹ 64,949||-0.30%|
Source: BSE & NSE
- Indian equity market sustained a prolonged period of selling, extending for the fourth consecutive week until August 18.
- The extended selling was influenced by weak global cues, including apprehensions about higher interest rates, a slowdown in China, mounting inflation concerns, currency depreciation, and increased bond yields. These factors collectively prompted investors to exit the equity markets.
- FIIs continued their selling streak for the fourth week, disposing of equities valued at Rs 3,379.31 crore.
- In contrast, DIIs stepped in as buyers, acquiring equities amounting to Rs 3,892.3 crore during the same week.
- The cumulative picture for the month reveals that FIIs have sold equities worth Rs 10,925.84 crore, while DIIs have purchased equities worth Rs 9,245.86 crore, indicating ongoing activity in the equity market.
Weekly Leader Board
NSE Top Gainers
|Adani Ports||▲ 4.35%|
|HUL||▲ 2.12 %|
|Adani Enterprises||▲ 1.49 %|
|Infosys||▲ 1.24 % |
|Titan Company||▲ 1.10 % |
NSE Top Losers
|Hindalco Ind||▼ (4.96) %|
|JSW Steel||▼ (4.09) %|
|TATA Steel||▼ (3.74) %|
|UPL||▼ (3.54) %|
|Coal India||▼ (3.17) %|
Stocks that made the news this week:
- IndiGo airlines saw its stock price drop by 4.0 percent during the week. This happened because of a block deal. In this deal, 5.1 percent of the company’s ownership changed hands. Two crore shares were sold for a total of Rs 4,837 crore. Even though the exact buyers and sellers aren’t mentioned here, it was reported that the main owner of the company, the Gangwal family led by Rakesh Gangwal, wanted to sell some of their ownership in the company. They were trying to raise $450 million (about Rs 3,735 crore) through this deal, which would reduce their stake in the low-cost airline, IndiGo.
- PVR and Inox, the multiplex chains, witnessed a 5 percent gains during the week. This came after they shared record-breaking achievements in terms of daily and weekend admissions, along with box office earnings. Over the weekend, the combined guest count for both chains reached 33.6 lakh, generating a box office revenue exceeding Rs 100 crore. Notably, on August 13, 2023, PVR and Inox achieved their highest-ever single-day admissions and box office earnings across their theaters, hosting 12.8 lakh guests and accumulating a gross box office revenue of Rs 39.5 crore.
- Ashok Leyland, the main company of the Hinduja group, has announced its complete acquisition of OHM Global Mobility Pvt Ltd. The acquisition involves Ashok Leyland investing Rs 300 crore into the acquired entity. OHM Global Mobility Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of OHM International Mobility Ltd UK, is the focus of this acquisition. Hinduja Automotive Ltd, the promoter, directly holds 20 percent and indirectly through other subsidiaries holds 43.23 percent in OHM UK. This move is in line with Ashok Leyland’s electric vehicle (EV) strategy to venture into e-Mobility as a Service (eMaaS) business


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Amazon India reported a groundbreaking achievement on Tuesday, revealing an impressive 9.5 crore customer visits in the initial 48 hours of its Great Indian Festival 2023.
During the first 24 hours of Prime Early Access (PEA), Prime members displayed an astonishing 18-fold increase in shopping compared to the average daily purchase during the sale, which commenced on October 7.
In a phenomenal display of buying frenzy, Prime members purchased more than 75 smartphones per second during the first hour of the sale’s commencement in the Prime Early Access period.
Notably, four out of every five smartphones sold within the first 48 hours were 5G ready, signifying a growing demand for next-generation technology. Premium smartphones priced at Rs 30,000 and above witnessed a threefold growth compared to the previous year.
Expressing delight over the overwhelming response, Manish Tiwary, Vice President and Country Manager, India Consumer Business, Amazon, stated, “We are elated to witness the biggest ever opening with record customer visits and the highest number of Prime members shopping during the 24 hours of Prime Early Access.”
Furthermore, Tiwary highlighted the significant increase in seller participation, with over 65 percent of sellers originating from tier 2 and 3 cities. Amazon currently boasts 14 lakh sellers in India.
The company observed an impressive 35 percent increase in small and medium businesses securing sales within the initial 48 hours, as compared to the previous year.
Amazon Pay UPI sign-ups saw an all-time high growth of 37 percent year-on-year (YoY) since its launch. Additionally, the usage of the Amazon Pay ICICI Co-branded credit card surged by 65 percent, providing customers with enticing 5 percent unlimited cashback rewards.
Popular smartphone brands included OnePlus, Samsung, and Apple, with customers purchasing more than 100 OnePlus smartphones every minute during the first 48 hours, marking a 2.5 times increase from 2022. Samsung, on the other hand, drove the demand for premium phones, with its flagship Galaxy S Series experiencing a threefold growth over the previous year.
TV sales were equally impressive, with customers purchasing one TV per second, and a significant 80 percent of orders coming from Tier 2 and 3 cities and towns. Among TV purchases, 4K TVs were the most preferred, and one in every three TV shoppers opted for the no-cost EMI option to make their purchase affordable.
Lastly, the demand for large screen TVs witnessed an extraordinary record growth of 260 percent YoY, reflecting the enthusiasm among customers for enhanced viewing experiences.


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Sony the Japanese tech giant has just launched a new smartphone in India. Dubbed as the Xperia XA1, the device is a mid-range smartphone and is priced at Rs 19,990.
The smartphone is available in white, black and pink colors, and the company has already put up the device on sale from today. Furthermore, the company is also shipping a MH-410 in-ear headphone and offering three months free subscription of Sony LIV with every purchase.
However, the key highlight of the device according to the company is its premium photographic capabilities. To elaborate, the smartphone features a 23-megapixel rear camera with 1/2.3" Exmor RS mobile image sensor, f/2.0 aperture, 24mm wide-angle lens and hybrid auto-focus. On the front, there's an 8-megapixel snapper with 1/4″ Exmor R mobile image sensor, f/2.0 aperture, and 23mm wide-angle lens.
Coming to other specifications of the device, the Sony Xperia XA1 comes with a 5-inch HD (720p) display with image enhance technology and Corning Gorilla glass protection. The device is powered by a MediaTek Helio P20 64-bit octa-core chipset which is paired with 3GB of RAM. The smartphone comes with 32GB internal storage which can further be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card.
The smartphone is backed by 2300mAh battery with Quick Charging support. The dual-SIM smartphone also comes with connectivity options like 4G VoLTE support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, and USB Type-C port. On the software front, the Xperia XA1 runs on Android Nougat out-of-the-box.
Unfortunately, the smartphone misses out on a fingerprint sensor which is kind of absurd because there are already many devices below that price range who offer such feature.


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Rebecca Foerster Resigns, Alrosa To Close Its US Office
Foerster said she stepped down March 10, and the office will close by the end of April.
Foerster said she officially turned in her resignation on March 10, one day before U.S. President Joe Biden announced a ban on imports of non-industrial Russian diamonds.
She cited the ongoing “geopolitical situation” and the inability of Alrosa to do any business in the U.S. market as the reasons for her resignation.
Foerster said the office, which is in New York City, will close no later than April 30.
Alrosa and its CEO, Sergey Ivanov Jr., have been under U.S. sanction since Feb. 25, one of a number of measures enacted by the U.S. government to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Those sanctions were not an outright freeze on Alrosa’s assets, nor did they bar U.S. companies from doing business with Alrosa, but they made it complicated.
In the wake of the sanctions, the Jewelers Vigilance Committee recommended companies review the sanctions lists and their anti-money laundering programs to ensure they were in compliance, while Jewelers of America advised its members to stop dealing in goods of Russian or Belorussian origin completely.
The subsequent ban on imports of Russian diamonds put in place March 11 further tightened the noose by barring direct diamond buying from Alrosa or any other Russian diamond companies.
While diamonds cut and polished elsewhere can be imported into the United States, JVC recommends the trade proceed with “extreme caution” when it comes to anything from Russia.
It also noted it is likely the U.S. government will ban diamonds cut and polished elsewhere in the future.
Foerster was hired to head Alrosa’s U.S. office in January 2019, with responsibility for polished diamond sales and customer service in the United States.
She came to Alrosa USA from Leo Schachter Diamonds, where she served as executive vice president of strategic planning and marketing.
Prior to that, she headed the U.S. office for Rio Tinto and, before that, was vice president of marketing for Frederick Goldman Inc.
Foerster also served as the president of Diamonds Do Good, succeeding Anna Martin in January 2021.
She said she was asked to step down from DDG the week prior to her resignation at Alrosa.
The watch seller’s new index tracks sales data from 14 brands, including Rolex and Patek Philippe.
Without the ability to instill confidence within the industry and directly to the consumer, a diamond holds very little value.
The lab-grown diamond brand also collaborated with the website The Future Rocks on a collection launching today.
It’s the hero piece of the newest "Green Jewel" collection, a collaborative offering from the two mines.
With holiday proposals right around the corner, encourage your customers to go for platinum when making the big purchase.
Chris Cramer, who also spent time at Gen Z intimates brand Parade, will take on the dual role.
The retail offering lets customers track their diamond’s journey.
From Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, 200.4 million consumers shopped online and in stores.
The growing company also plans to open more of its own boutiques.
The best quotes from the Oracle of Omaha and his right-hand man Charlie Munger from the 2018 Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting.
Next year’s milestone show will be full of educational programming and collaborations.
The Albany Business Review recently honored the 100-year-old company.
To honor his legacy, GIA has set up a scholarship in his name.
There have been eight attacks in the last month, spanning from a jewelry store parking lot in Rhode Island to highways in California.


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Speaking of manic Monday, in November 2013 Kimberly-Clark, known for products such as Kleenex, announced that it would spin off its health care division into a separate company called Halyard Health.
No need to grab a tissue or eat a tub of ice cream to mourn the breakup on this one. Cramer actually thinks this made a ton of sense.
Additionally, with contagious diseases such as Ebola fresh on the minds of investors, this spin-off came at a good time. Halyard is expected to generate $1.7 billion in annual sales, and is the maker of surgical and infection prevention products for the operating room.
Could the Ebola epidemic really be boosting this stock on its first day of trading? Cramer spoke with Halyard Health CEO Robert Abernathy to find out if it is a distributor within Ebola markets and whether he has seen an increase due to the disease.
"Yes, we are in those markets," Abernathy said. "We manufacture products for infection control that are part of the [Centers for Disease Control] protocol for stopping the advancement of the disease. We are growing a little bit, but it's hard to tell whether it is based on Ebola, or just a normal build up of business due to cold and flu season."
The company's main focus within the first year will be to establish itself independent of Kimberly-Clark, and the second year will be to better utilize their cash surplus to make strategic acquisitions to expand in its markets.
Cramer continued to speculate stocks headed higher, by addressing a few caller favorites in the Lightning Round:
Sysco: "I want that deal closed, it didn't. I'm losing a little heart for SYY. It's just not coming together for me like I thought it would."
Omega Healthcare: "I think that Ventas has got more game, it's got more growth."
Read MoreLightning Round: Celgene, Sysco & more


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There’s been a multitude of new delivery formats for dietary supplements beyond pills, tablets, and capsules. Gummies are all the rage right now, and several companies are coming up with Keurig/Nespresso-type supplement appliances. The latest addition is… an edible cup infused with vitamins.
“We focus on sustainable materials to replace plastic. When we look at the concept of Loliware, what we’re really trying to have resonate with audiences is the idea of sustainability coupled with new experiences in food and drink,” Briganti said.
Lolivita is the latest prototype product by Loliware, an edible cup start-up that is now part of billionaire Mark Cuban’s portfolio after co-founders Chelsea Briganti and Leigh Ann Tucker struck a $600,000 investment with him on an October 2015 episode of Shark Tank.
The co-founders, industrial designers who met while studying at Parsons School of Design in New York City, originally developed the cups for a Jell-O design competition they did on the side for fun. “Loliware is one of those stories where it went from a silly, fun, competition entry to actually being a company with interest in 45 countries,” she said.
Through the show, global nutrition company DSM contacted the team to collaborate, and six months later, Lolivita was ready to showcase.
Like fruit leather in cup form
Loliware’s products are a plant-based fare—the gelatinous structure is mostly made out of agar, derived from seaweed, while the flavors and colors are derived from fruits and vegetables, Briganti said.
“The mouth feel is similar to a gummy-slash-liquorice, or fruit leather,” she added. “It’s structural enough to hold a beverage or dessert, but also flexible enough so you can actually bite into it.” Upon filling with cold liquid, the material stiffens and becomes a lot more structural.
Showcased at IFT was a tangerine-colored and tangerine-flavored Lolivita cup with a daily servings worth of multivitamins each, which of course is only the first iteration. “The next for the entire functional food line is that we’re prototyping an electrolyte cup, an energy cup, and also a protein cup—we’re working on a bunch of functional food iterations all to be launched next year in a staggered type of launch,” she said, adding that there isn’t a specific date yet because it’s still at the concept realm.
Moving categories from food to supplements isn’t easy, and Briganti said there are still more tests and trials they have to do before it can be launched to the market. But she described response at trade shows to have been very positive.
“It’s like the perfect fertile ground to launch at a food ingredients and technology show, to show a new and novel application of vitamins—we had an overwhelming positive response, everyone was really excited about it,” she added.
From concerts to weddings—a new audience for supplements?
Dietary supplements are mostly targeted to individual consumers or households, but with a “functional vessel” application, Lolivita is targeting its cups to events. “We’re targeting high waste, high volume applications. We’re targeting outdoor concerts, and eco weddings, and the event space—anywhere you would typically use plastic,” she said.
Yes, there are compostable cups out there, and it’s growing very quickly, Briganti said. “But even if you use a corn plastic cup, you feel about using that cup, but where does that cup go?” she added. “You still have something left after you use it, but with Loliware, if you eat it, it’s like it’s never existed. We’re in a realm we like to think we created, it’s post-sustainable.”


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Mercedes has imported one unit of the right-hand drive Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe to India, signifying that its launch is not that far away.
We had recently brought you the news that Mercedes will be launching the S63 AMG in India in July 2015. Well, the company is also looking to bring the coupe version, the S63 AMG Coupe to India in the near future as well. The German luxury car manufacturer has just imported one unit of the right-hand drive S63 AMG Coupe from its headquarters in Germany. We are certain that this car will soon be launched in our country because Mercedes has always been following the same trend.
The Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe is one hoot of a performance car. The vehicle was unveiled to the world in the month of April and replaced the CL63 AMG model in the lineup. The new S63 AMG coupe is lighter than the CL63 AMG and the S63 sedan by more than 63 kgs and 90 kgs respectively. It is lighter than the aforementioned models thanks to a steel-aluminium hybrid body, a light weight braking system, a lithium-ion battery and signature lightweight AMG wheels.
The stunning car is powered by a humongous 5.5-litre M157, twin-turbo V8 engine that develops 577 BHP at 5500 RPM and 900.2 Nm of torque at 2250 RPM. The engine comes mated to a 7-speed AMG Speedshift MCT transmission and two-thirds of the available thrust is driven to the rear wheels due to the performance-tuned 4MATIC drive system. The car can hit the 100 km/hr mark in just 3.9 seconds and its top speed is rated at 300 km/hr. The coupe rides 0.4 inches lower than its sedan counterpart and also has special compound wheels that has improved the vehicle’s handling around corners.
A head-up display is available as standard and one can also equip the S63 AMG coupe with an optional set of carbon-ceramic brakes. Witnessing rival Audi launching a range of luxury performance vehicles in India, Mercedes will not be sitting idle in the same segment and is looking to bring its range of products to the country as soon as possible, thereby keeping the intense rivalry at its peak.
Source – Zauba.com


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The British SPF brand, Hello Sunday, has announced its commitment to promoting all-year round sun protection in the UK, making it accessible for all.
Hello Sunday is committed to spreading awareness about the year-round importance of sun protection. It is a common misconception that harmful UV (ultraviolet) rays are only present on sunny days or during warmer seasons. However, UVA rays can penetrate clouds, windows, and even clothing, causing long-term damage to the skin.
Their aim is to address misconceptions surrounding sun care usage in the UK considering the fact that 45% of UK customers do not consider SPF a daily essential, according to recent studies conducted by the British Skin Foundation. This is a concerning statistic keeping in mind the rising prevalence of Melanoma and other skin cancers in the UK. 86% of Melanoma diagnoses, which is currently ranked as the 5th most prominent cancer in the UK, could be prevented through regular SPF use.
Hello Sunday supports the efforts of key cancer charities and MPs who are advocating for more affordable options. While changes in pricing may take time, Hello Sunday wants to encourage UK customers to incorporate SPF into their daily routine, 365 days a year.
With this in mind, Hello Sunday will be offering a reduction in the price of all sunscreen products available on hellosundayspf.com throughout the summer months (July and August 2023). This initiative aims to make high quality SPF products more accessible to individuals across the UK, making sure everyone has the opportunity to prioritize skin health.


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Green Shoots spring up as Express Star funds make the difference Express Star
"All of the companies are small to medium enterprises of varying sizes, structures and disciplines, from small factories who are embracing new technology for the first time, to those who have already seen growth and are now diversifying and expanding into new markets. It is very exciting to actually see projects coming to life and new job opportunities being created."
"We want to help bring about opportunities for businesses and individuals to be successful and create a climate for growth within the area, creating more of a positive climate generally. Businesses often need support and this fund acts as a lever to open up new and exciting opportunities to carry out projects and create jobs that would not have been generated without the funding.
submitted by the companies. This has included workshops, company visits and one to one sessions with applicants.
Help has been given with aligning applications to the required criteria, developing business plans and ensuring that the best possible applications can be Converse Black And White
"We are here to support any business through the process of obtaining their grant. We have helped several companies to develop financial plans for their business. The support provided has been very well received and has helped organisations with their financial and business strategies in order to ensure future success.
and I take my hat off to you.
"We can now start to make more exotic alloys and move to aerospace standard, which is what we set out to do. We'll also be recruiting a new administrator and an apprentice in the foundry. We've already taken on a new salesman."
Green Shoots investment manager Martin Nicholas said: "We take great pride in the fact that Green Shoots is creating jobs within the Black Country. We know that the growth created will have a positive cumulative effect on the local and wider economy generally over the next few years. With such diverse support it is hoped that the programme can be used as a springboard to work closely in the future with local business and to create the opportunity for further similar funding that will benefit the Black Country and beyond.
Quality manager Colin Hunt said: "We have placed the order and our new spectograph machine will be up and running around the middle of the month.
West Bromwich based Longwear Alloys has been helped with its plans.
Former business minister Lord Digby Jones also said the fund would help give businesses the confidence to employ people.
A team of business advisers working out of the university's Business Solutions Centre has also been going out offering support to applicants.
The Green Shoots Fund is awarding shares of a 1.4 million pot from the government's Regional Growth Fund and has been praised by David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
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Members of the Green Shoots team, Martin Nicholls, Professor Ian Oakes, Michelle Depper Westwood and Luke HillThe fund is now open again until the end of the month for new expressions of interest.
"You need every small business in Britain to employ one more person. Ninety two per cent of businesses employ fewer than 10 people so if every one took on one more person you'd solve Converse Black White High Tops
So far 12 businesses have been awarded a total of 392,000 between them to create 47 jobs between them. Companies with fewer than 250 employees and based in the Black Country are eligible to bid for up to 50,000 each.
He said: "I congratulate you for it, I thank you for it, I think it's fabulous.
Birmingham born Lord Jones, the former head of the Confederation of British Industry begins presenting a BBC Two series troubleshooting for businesses next week.
The company, which employs 15 people and makes melted ingots, needs new pieces of kit and some specialist industry training for staff. It is investing 48,000, with a 14,496 grant from Green Shoots.
Lord Digby Jones visits Wolverhampton Science and Business Park"I've always gone on about media not getting business, not getting wealth creation and being suspicious of it but I've also thought the regional press is different and whether it's the Express Star here or another somewhere else, regional media gets behind business. It always has. It's a critical friend, not there as a cheerleader, but it's always got behind it."
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- Last Active
Avon B7 said, "No manufacturer of low or mid tier phones has even the slightest intention of massive profit. Comparing those profits to those of Apple serves little or no purpose."
If maximizing profits isn't the goal, then it's time for those companies to get out of the business.
The criticism of the points DED made with statements like this are pretty ridiculous.
Apple and Samsung are the only two companies capable of reliably profiting from the smartphone industry. Samsung primarily in components and Apple in the finished product and vertically integrated system.
Samsung is attempting to move to Apple's vertically integrated model much to the consternation of Google. Samsung's plan is to move off of Android all together and over to Tizen. Samsung's Tizen phone sales in India are pretty nice. And it is quite worrisome to Google. Because if Samsung is successful, the only high end players will be Apple and Samsung. And neither will be running on Android.
So it actually be self-fulfilling if the low end Android device manufacturers aren't interested in large profits. Because it won't happen. There will be Apple and Samsung. The others, including Huawei won't be playing at the high end of anything. Samsung's Gear S3 makes the Android wear watches from Huawei and LG look atrocious.
Samsung is so far ahead everyone else, it is going to take a major setback or a new technology development to displace them.
While the others are getting started, Samsung is now working on raising efficiencies and lowering costs of production. Samsung will continue to offer the best combination of lowest cost and high quality panels for some time. They make outstanding components. Unless Foxconn is willing to take losses on their upcoming panels, Samsung will be getting Apple's business for a long time. And Cook would be smart to do so. It will keep OLED panel prices higher for the rest of the market. Such that the Pixel from Google will be seriously disadvantaged.
Google just doesn't get it. If they are serious, they need to focus and go about things in a disciplined fashion.
Despite all of the talk about Brin and Page being visionaries, they are not. They are two guys who got lucky, much like Gates and Allen did.
Jobs was the true visionary in which MSFT and GOOGL stole their ideas and products. And Android would have died if it weren't for Samsung who are true hardware innovators.
Samsung will eventually move off of Amdroid and Google will not be able to follow. Google had better hope that LG and Huawei can keep up.
3 million pixel phones is inconsequential. Samsung sells more smartwatches than that. They also sell more Tizen based Z series phones. Samsung innovated the rotating bezel on their smartwatch. Google has since copied it. Samsung invested heavily in NVM, OLED and CPU fabrication technology. Where's Google in all of this? Apple purchased PA Semi and pushed advanced CPU development; moving forward at an unheard of pace and even taking Intel itself by surprise.
Google's best hardware product is glass and that was a failure. Building a laptop with generic components, slapping a non-standard OS on it with few applications is a recipe for failure. Putting Android on the desktop won't drive the adoption of a third desktop OS either.
At least Google gets part of it. Hardware development can drive a new computing paradigm. After all, Apple eliminated Microsoft's monopoly. But if Google wants to do that, they need to truly get serious about it. By all indications, they appear utterly incapable.
I actually think that this is a good thing. More competition in office based productivity software is good for the market. Especially if Amazon bundles the service into Prime like so much else of what they do.
I rather despise MSFT's move to a subscription based model. I don't use any of Google docs and I rather like what Apple has delivered with respect to office based software. If Amazon delivers a nice product and makes it available to their prime membership, I would definitely give it a try.
I rather like the service that Amazon provides for their prime members. More competition is not a bad thing and Amazon has several million prime members who might just adopt these products for primary use.
rob53 said:Then Apple should win its lawsuit against Qualcomm who used the entire cost of the iPhone as the basis for FRAND calculations. If Samsung wins the reduced amount Apple should win a greatly reduced patent royalty charge as well as a return on previous charges. If the EU can collect in arrears then so can Apple. I doubt The cost of Qualcomm hardware is more than a few dollars per device at the most.
Apple has already likely made a decision to move to Intel for cellular modems and QCOM is going to suffer in the move to 5G and the loss of Apple's business. It means that they are going to have to make some awful choices. Continue to invest in baseband technology now competing with Intel, or invest in CPU technology and compete with Apple.
Competing with both simultaneously with reduced revenues is going to be awfully difficult.
Samsung is likely to be one the few winners with QCOM's loss of competitiveness. They make their own modems and SOCs. Huawei is also another beneficiary and perhaps LG if they successfully develop and release the Nuclun processor.
Google's Android will be the ultimate loser as Samsung, Huawei and LG demand concessions with the other OEMs reduced to low performance modems and CPUs from QCOM.
I don't expect much to come from the lawsuit. It doesn't really matter much as the landscape has changed dramatically from Steve Jobs' time at Apple.
What is interesting to watch is what Samsung does to Google over the next several years. The Pixel won't be competitive for long. Not by a long shot. And apart from the phone itself, Samsung runs their other electronics on Tizen.
With the crippling of QCOM, Google won't have many options left to exploit.