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Independent accessories retailer forecasts £5m turnover for 2011.
Independent accessories retailer Shadestation is celebrating year-on-year growth of 45% and the opening of a new 1,500sq ft, flagship store in Leeds’ Victoria Quarter, following the expansion of its watch and jewellery offer.
Now in its 12th year of trading, the company has enjoyed year-on-year growth of almost 45% and is forecasting a record turnover of £5 million for 2011.
Shadestation’s trasactional website receives more than 45,000 unique visitors a week and claims to be the only accessory retailer in the UK to offer virtual visualisation, a technology that allows the consumer to rotate products by 360 degrees.
Shadestation joint managing director Jocelyn Anders, said: “We are very excited about expanding the business with the launch of our new, larger store. Due to the fast paced and ever-evolving nature of the style industry, we are constantly reviewing the latest trends, styles and brands and updating our collections accordingly.
“We have seen 10 new brands come on board in the last few months and with over 15,000 products, we wanted to showcase our offering as best we could, whilst making the shopping experience as enjoyable as possible for our customers.”
The company has developed over the past 12 years from originally specialising in designer sunglasses to expanding its reach firstly with watches and more recently with jewellery and accessories.
The company continues to grow its jewellery collection with brands including Coeur de Lion, Guess, Fossil, Pilgrim, Dogeared and Azuni.
The new store will also showcase watches from more than 55 brands including D&G, Michael Kors, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Baby G, Hip Hop and Skagen.


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Results of this year’s survey of North American Effie Awards Final Round judges, conducted in partnership with the Forbes CMO Network, encapsulate the myriad changes and trends affecting an industry weathering ongoing disruption. One example? The rise of in-house agencies and increased client-side capabilities could be complicating effective agency-client collaboration. The survey, now in its sixth year, gauges advertising executives’ overall take on the most pressing industry issues, including metrics management, media investment, and marketing priorities in 2016.
Judging for this year’s competition was held at the Sofitel in New York in early March; during that time more than 125 judges from the advertiser and agency side—including Georgia-Pacific, General Mills, Kenneth Cole, PepsiCo, and JetBlue, as well as agencies such as BBDO, Droga5, Venables Bell, Leo Burnett, UM, Starcom MediaVest Group,—were surveyed on marketing-effectiveness trends. A majority of respondents were from agencies.
As CMOs and agencies alike seek to retain relevance in a swiftly changing marketing and advertising landscape—CMOs within their organizations and agencies with their clients—owning data and resources and having the control over marketing-strategy effectiveness is as critical as ever—even moreso. CMOs are expected to align marketing strategy with business-growth. One manifestation of that is they're bringing more marketing and advertising operations—analytics and even creative and media—in-house. Agencies, meanwhile, are adapting to projects large and small and working with other agencies to meet clients’ goals, as the agency-of-record model increasingly falls away.
Cited as the biggest impediment to achieving effective marketing communications today, “measuring ROI” ranked highest, followed by “media fragmentation” and, just behind, “agency/client relationship.” (Surprisingly, for all of the industry talk about it, “lack of talent” ranks second-to-lowest as an impediment.)
Meanwhile, lack of client/agency transparency and lack of agency collaboration ranked as the third and fourth-biggest issues holding back the marketing/advertising industry, behind the ability to effectively decipher data and procurement issues.
“We’re in a state of transition,” said Mark Renshaw, chief innovation officer at Leo Burnett, and an Effie judge. “There are a lot more people involved in these processes; the scale and sophistication of things is progressing. I think there’s some real tension going on around all those things. But it’s also coming down to choices,” he said.
“All three [impediments] are about choices—if ROI is the biggest one, the answer isn’t about what you could do, but what you should do. What are the choices companies are making on where they’re placing their bets? Sometimes it takes a while to build a capability.”
In the end, he said, it seems agencies and clients alike might still be sorting through roles, asking questions: “How? How do we work together? How do we work together better? What are the right models?”
Effie judge Douwe Bergsma is an example of CMO of a company, Georgia-Pacific, that has undergone significant change in its internal marketing capabilities and operations and agency relationships in the past two years. The company dropped their digital agency, for one thing, because “if you really believe that we’re moving away from digital marketing to marketing in a digital world, then why would you have separate agencies?” he noted. Instead, the company works with myriad agencies such as Droga5, Cutwater and The Martin Agency, among others. It started building an in-house agency and working with AOL.
It used to be that you’d “run everything through your agency of record,” he said. Now, however, “agencies,” he said, “especially the ones that have not transformed themselves, are anxious, because everything they knew is changing or already has,” and clients are either bringing more capabilities in house, like email marketing, or they are in charge of and assembling their own bespoke agency collectives.
The largest marketing investment this year, according to survey respondents, is social media, followed by mobile. More specifically, marketers will maximize the following top social/digital channels: Facebook, followed by YouTube and, tied for third, Instagram and, in a sign that its time among major advertisers may have come, Snapchat.
“It’s fascinating to see changes in channel selection and investment from year to year,” said Neal Davies, president and CEO of Effie Worldwide, in an email. “Facebook – as expected – has remained pretty constant and is more and more established as part and parcel of the marketing armory, but the story this year has been the story of two channels: Twitter, down to 6% in 2016 from 16% last year, and Snapchat, which hit 12.73% from no mentions last year,” he said.
“That said, we’ve noted that the cases that tend to do well are the ones that have a clear sense of the roles that individual channels play in the overall go to market plan and—following on from the earlier question—a sense of KPI for each.”
In the case of Snapchat, said Bergsma, “It feels like many of us [marketers] are following the next platform. Basically, all of us follow the consumer, and ideally you get a little ahead of [her]. You automatically figure out where you need to be as an advertiser,” he said. “The next thing is YikYak. You can already see that coming up. With Snapchat they’ve got critical mass.”
Meanwhile, an overwhelming majority of respondents—close to 86%--indicated that their marketing KPIs are more greatly tied to business objectives now than they were two years ago.
As the industry moves further away from traditional ad formats, the Effies will continue to refine and evolve the way work is evaluated, Davies said.
“Effie celebrates marketing effectiveness in all channels, and we work constantly with our Board and the marketing and advertising community to reflect the changes or definitions that emerge year to year. After each gala, we review everything—our guidelines, our categories, our questions, our entry forms etc. etc.— based on consultation with and feedback from industry leaders and practitioners, so that each year’s Effie program accurately reflects the needs of the industry. In doing so, we are best able to provide the most meaningful learning opportunities and resources back to the industry.”

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SONY Unveils 11- and 27-in. OLED TV Prototypes; Commercialization Appears to Be At Least Two Years Away
LAS VEGAS — One of the most talked-about introductions at January's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) came from SONY, which unveiled ultra-thin organic-light-emitting-diode (OLED) panel prototypes for next-generation TVs.
SONY did not offer any official word on roll-out date or price for the OLED TVs, although media specu-lation suggested that it could be up to 2 years before they are avail-able for sale to the public. The Japanese elec-tronics giant showcased 12 11-in. TVs equipped with a wide-SVGA panel (resolution:1024 x 600) that were approximately 3 mm in depth in the thinnest region, along with a 27-in.TV equipped with a full-high-definition (HD) panel (resolution: 1920 x 1080) with a depth atits thinnest area of approximately 10 mm.
According to information provided to Information Display by SONY engineers Yoshito Shiraishi, Chisato Kitsukawa, and Tetsuo Urabe, the OLED panel was developed based on Sony's unique "Super Top Emission" technology, which comprises a top-emission technology, a micro-cavity structure for producing multiple reflection interference, and color filters. Super Top Emission emits light from the top of the organic material, realizing an all-white brightness level of 200 cd/m2 and a peak level of 600 cd/m2. Further, by optimizing the thickness of the organic layer for each of the RGB color components, Sony generated multi-interference of reflecting light, and the cavity multi-reflection interference structure produces a wider color gamut.
The 27-in. OLED TV features a contrast ratio of greater than 1,000,000:1, 1080p resolution, and color reproduction in excess of 100% NTSC, according to SONY.
"We of course consider OLED to be the most powerful device available for use in future TVs and other display devices," stated the engineers in a written summary provided to Information Display. "However, at this time we have no immediate plans to make OLED-TV products available commercially. While mass production technology of OLED panels for use in small-sized products may be available soon, there are still hurdles to clear before production of mid- and large-sized panels can proceed."
This is not the first time that a large-size OLED panel has been showcased, however. Two years ago, at the SID 2005 International Symposium, Seminar, and Exhibition, Samsung unveiled a 40-in. OLED-TV prototype. However, Samsung has been quiet on the large-screen OLED front since then.
Canon Buys Toshiba Stake in SED Inc., Litigation in Breach of Contract Dispute Continues
AUSTIN, Tex. and TOKYO – In an attempt to put a stop to ongoing litigation concerning allegations of fraud and breach of contract,Canon Inc. has bought all of partner company Toshiba Corp.'s shares in SED Inc., the joint venture that has for the past several years promised the upcoming launch of the highly anticipated surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED) TV.
The pending litigation stems from a 1999 agreement between Canon and Texas-based Nano-Proprietary Inc. in which Nano-Proprietary licensed field-emission display technology to Canon. In 2004, Canon announced it would join forces with Toshiba to create SED Inc., and that the new joint venture would have SED TVs on store shelves the following year. But in 2005, Nano-Proprietary filed a lawsuit in a Texas U.S. District Court claiming the licensing agreement did not allow for use of the technology by Canon partner companies, such as Toshiba.
Canon and Toshiba, which showed 37-in. prototypes at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), had planned on showing a 55-in. model at CES 2007. However, in December 2006, Toshiba announced it would not be demonstrating its SED TV at the 2007 show.
"The reason is neither a technical nor business issue, but we are not allowed to disclose details due to a confidentiality obligation," the Toshiba statement explained. "Toshiba further believes that the issue will be resolved soon and then we will be able to come back to the U.S. for a 55-in. SED demo."
No doubt Canon and Toshiba both hoped the issue would be resolved when the pending litigation led the two companies to decide Canon would become the sole shareholder of SED Inc. on January 12.
"Placing top priority on the early commercial launch of the SED television business, we decided to revise the equity relationship between Canon and Toshiba in view of resolving the patent contract dispute between Canon and Nano-Proprietary Inc.," a Toshiba spokesperson confirmed.
"The decision (to buy Toshiba's shares in SED Inc.) was reached following discussions between Canon and Toshiba based on the assumption of prolonged litigation pending against Canon in the United States with respect to SED technology," stated a Canon press release. "As a result of these discussions, it was decided that Canon will carry out the SED panel business independently in order to facilitate the earliest possible launch of a commercial SED television business."
But on the day of the announcement that Canon would buy all of Toshiba's shares in SED Inc., Nano-Proprietary said that while it was "pleased" with the decision, it would not be dropping its lawsuit against Canon.
"Restructuring of Canon's ownership position does not resolve the pending litigation which goes to trial in a few weeks," Nano-Proprietary CEO Tom Bijou said in a company statement issued January 12. "We have terminated Canon's license as a result of breach of contract. Moreover, our complaint against Canon includes other counts, including fraud unrelated to the ownership of SED."
Still, Bijou added, Nano-Proprietary would consider entering into a new licensing agreement with Canon on "reasonable terms." A representative from Nano-Proprietary declined to comment beyond the company's press release, and representatives for Canon did not respond to requests for more information.
Even though a statement from Nano-Proprietary confirmed that litigation in this case would continue despite the restructur-ing of SED Inc., Canon and Toshiba seem unfazed in their determination to bring SED TV to market.
"Toshiba will purchase the SED panels from SED Inc., and as originally planned, we intend to launch the first SED television sets in the fourth quarter of 2007 in Japan," according to the Toshiba representative.
Toshiba will also "lend" engineers to SED Inc., and Toshiba-appointed SED Inc. President Kazunori Fukuma resigned from Toshiba on Jan. 29 to continue on in his position as a Canon employee.
Canon said in a company statement it too still plans to launch SED TV in the fourth quarter of 2007, as it had set out as its schedule in early 2006, but will reassess its future mass-production plans for the panels. The ongoing litigation with Nano-Proprietary is only the latest of several recent struggles for SED TV. After the technology's unveiling in 2004, during which SED Inc. had announced a 2005 launch date, the release was soon pushed back to Spring 2006. But by early 2006, Canon and Toshiba announced another delay, pushing the launch back to late 2007. The reasons cited for the hold ups, however, were not legal. Rather, a Toshiba spokesperson in 2006 cited changing trends in the flat-panel-display market, including rapidly declining prices and increasing global availability, and said the partner companies needed time to re-strategize.
— Jessica Quandt
Flexible Displays Ready for Their Big Break As Mass Production Is Scheduled at Two Major European Fabs
EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands and CAMBRIDGE, U.K. – Flexible displays, which have received a great deal of industry hype but have yet to emerge in mainstream products, may be poised to catapult to commercial success now that two companies have announced they are building large-scale manufacturing facilities in Europe.
Polymer Vision, a four-year-old research group recently spun off from Philips to focus on manufacturing flexible displays, andPlastic Logic, an independent company formed in 2000, both announced in January they would soon begin volume production on flexible displays for the consumer-electronics market. Polymer Vision will open its Southampton, U.K., fab and begin commercial-volume production this year on a 5-in. monochrome display intended for use in mobile applications. Plastic Logic will begin production at its Dresden, Germany, plant in 2008 on a line of electronic readers.
"I think one of the problems with flexible displays is that it's been kind of a novel idea—it's been kind of a gimmicky thing. And people were searching for the next big thing, for what they could really be used for. I think it was just very difficult to think about them because we had little odds and ends and prototypes here and there, but what we didn't have was a real, true flexible-display prototype or rollable-display prototype," explained flexible-displays expert Greg Crawford, Dean of Engineering at Brown University. "And now with these companies such as Polymer Vision demonstrating this beautiful rollable display, I think it'll open up minds for a lot of people to think about bigger ideas."
Thanks to the versatility of flexible displays and the two very different markets to which they'll cater, there should be little if any overlap between the two lines, officials from both companies explained.
"Theoretically, we should be competitors, but in many ways, we're both working toward the same goal, which is to create a new industry," explained Simon Jones, vice president of product development for Plastic Logic. "And there's more than enough opportunity for both different approaches."
The Plastic Logic approach, which incorporates E Ink electrophoretic display technology, centers around the printing of polymer transistors on a plastic substrate. This replaces the heavy and fragile glass backplanes of traditional displays with a thin, light, robust, and bendable (but not necessarily rollable) sheet of plastic. Weight is further reduced by the elimination of a rigid plastic case. The flexible displays don't require the same impact-protection as their stiff predecessors, meaning Plastic Logic is able to achieve roughly three times the screen size of a glass display at about the same weight, according to Jones.
"Our goal is to enable products which don't really feel like an electronic device in the sense that you would be comfortable in using them for bedtime reading or reading them by the pool or by the beach," Jones said.
So far, Plastic Logic has received $100 million in financing from various venture-capital companies for its Dresden factory, which it will operate with help from nanoscale technol-ogy R&D company Innos. The fab is expected to have an initial capacity of 1 million units when it begins production in 2008, although what exactly it will turn out has yet to be decided. Plastic Logic is currently working on specific product concepts based on consumer research being conducted in the United States, Jones explained, and the results of this research will determine Plastic Logic's first product.
"One tremendous advantage our process has is that it's much easier to make displays different shapes and sizes than it would be on a more conventional amorphous-silicon production line," Jones explained. "We can print these different shapes and sizes of displays and allow them to be dynamically driven by consumer preference, so if it turns out that people like long, thin displays, for example, then we can make those sorts of displays very easily."
Polymer Vision's plan is focused more on rollable flexible displays intended as extensions of mobile devices. This year, the company will launch a mobile device with a 5-in. rollable screen that can fold out to show a large-screen map or set of directions, then fold back up and tuck neatly inside the device after use. Polymer Vision also incorporates E Ink technology in its manufacturing process, and is slated to begin production later this year.
According to a statement from Polymer Vision, the device features the largest display available in the industry for the same form factor; 16 gray levels combined with a high contrast and high reflectivity display for a paper-like reading experience even in bright sunlight; and up to 10 days of battery life. Planned future developments include color and moving-image capabilities.
On a recent visit to the Netherlands, Crawford had a chance to view the Polymer Vision prototype.
"It's amazing. It's just unbelievable," he said. "It will blow you away."
Although the former Philips division recently announced it would launch its own fab in Southampton, U.K., it also plans to see its 5-in. monochrome displays produced by partner companies.
"Manufacturing will take place at our partners' facilities on their machines, but according to Polymer Vision process description," Polymer Vision Vice President of Marketing Thomas van der Zijden explained. "Also, all output is destined for Polymer Vision, no third sales parties."
Polymer Vision supply chain partners include E Ink Corp., SiPix Imaging, and DuPont Teijin Films.
Funded by a $27.5 million investment from Technology Capital SA of Luxemburg, Polymer Vision has been an independent company since Dec. 6, 2006, although Philips still owns a 20% stake in the business.
While van der Zijden couldn't reveal specific customer names yet, he did confirm that Polymer Vision is in an advanced stage of discussions with different players in the mobile industry including handset makers, network operators, and content owners.
Once the upcoming generation of flexible-display products finally hits the commercial market, Crawford has no doubt their time will finally have come.
"Seeing these prototypes, it kind of gives you the idea that, wow… it seems like everything's possible," he concluded.
Sharp Unveils World's Largest LCD TV, Measuring 108 in.
LAS VEGAS – In the never-ending race to build ever-larger liquid-crystal-display televisions (LCD TVs), Sharp has upped the ante once again, unveiling a 108-in. model at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January.
This 108-in. LCD screen drew mobs of CES attendees to the Sharp booth. It measures 93.9-in. wide by 52.9-in. high and features a Black Advanced Super View Full-Spec HD LCD panel manufactured at Sharp's Kameyama Plant No. 2, the first plant in the world to use 8th generation glass substrates. This virtually guarantees that Sharp's 108-in. behemoth will maintain the title of largest LCD TV in the world, as no other display manufacturer currently has a Gen 8 LCD plant online.
The TV features an active-matrix thin-film-transistor (TFT) drive and 2.07 million pixels (1920 x 1080). Sharp stated that it plans to sell the TV to consumers worldwide, but did not release details on when or on pricing.
The 108-in. screen is the largest commercially viable television set, besting the 103-in. plasma display shown by Panasonic in 2006. A 100-in. LCD TV was shown by LG.Philips LCD at the SID 2006 International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition.


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Konami has announced an exclusivity deal with Serie A team Atalanta B.C., making it the fourth team in the Italian top flight that won’t appear in the FIFA games.
Konami has secured exclusive rights to the team’s name, crest and kits starting with the 2021/22 season, meaning FIFA 22 will not be able to use any official Atalanta branding.
Instead, EA will have to give the team a new name, design new kits for them and give them a new badge. It will still be able to include the real players and their likenesses, however.
Konami secured the exclusive Juventus licence in July 2019, meaning in FIFA 20 the team was renamed Piemonte Calcio and given a generic kit and badge.
The following year, Konami agreed a similar deal with AS Roma, forcing EA to rename them Roma FC and once again create a uniquebadge and kits.
Today’s Atalanta deal will come into effect as of PES 2022, meaning FIFA 22 will not feature the team that finished third in Serie A this season.
Konami also secured the exclusive licence for Napoli last month, but this doesn’t come into effect until the following season, which means FIFA 23 will have to remove them too.
Last year’s PES game arrived in the form of a budget-priced “season update” rather than a traditional full release, as Konami prepares the first next-gen entry in the series.
Konami claimed last year that “the sheer scale of everything we are aiming to achieve for our next-gen debut has made it necessary to pare back our efforts in other areas of development”, resulting in 2020’s streamlined PES release, but added that it’s “still extremely confident that this year’s game offers fans more than enough thrills to tide them over” until the next one.
A new data pack released for PES last week contains updates for the game’s exclusive UEFA Euro 2020 mode, including updated national kits and squads.


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Experts see pandemic accelerating adoption of AI solutions in customer service
Posted by Senti AI
August 27, 2020
Top leaders in tech, contact centers and marketing agree that the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence solutions in customer service.
Manila, August 27, 2020 — Experts see the pandemic accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence solutions in customer service as consumer behaviors change in response to the global crisis.
“I think everyone will be pushed to go online. E-commerce will be pushed, even services will be pushed online. So AI will have to handle that volume to aid the agents in handling each of those calls,” said PLDT Enterprise Innovation Center head Andy Santos at the Voix Live!2020 webinar.
Head of PLDT Enterprise Innovation Center
Vice President for Digital Solutions
Telus International Vice President for Digital Solutions Nalakumar RS said the pandemic has fast-tracked the adoption of AI chatbots as people begin to move away from accessing customer services through voice calls.
“There is that push from our customers to transform the way we used to do things to fit our current lifestyle and work style that is needed right now,” said TeamAsia Managing Director Bea Lim.
Roadblocks in AI adoption
However, Google Cloud Customer Engineer Graeme Merrall pointed out that there are roadblocks in the adoption of AI solutions in contact centers, particularly because some of them work in traditional organizations.
Santos agreed, saying that contact centers in the Philippines are still measuring key performance indicators based on the duration of calls and number of calls handled by agents.
“Probably it’s time to shift from that KPI to a better measurement wherein we automate the first touchpoint, we improve the experience when a customer calls or introduces through a chat,” he said.
Nalakumar, meanwhile, allayed fears that the adoption of AI solutions in contact centers would mean job cuts for human agents.
“We’re still growing. We’re still hiring for the same customer base because the level of support for the customers has increased,” he said.
Is the Philippines ready?
Santos, Nalakumar, Lim and Merrall all agreed that the Philippines is ready to adopt AI solutions, with some of them remarking that Filipinos are already using AI in their daily lives.
“[AI adoption] is inevitable,” said Santos. “As communication becomes available to everyone, our customers become more demanding, asking for answers right away. So with that demand, I think efficiency should increase.”
For her part, Lim said, “[The pandemic] just launched us all forward into the biggest experiment of mankind, especially with technology. So I think now is a right place and a right time for us.”
A novel contact center solution
Leading Filipino AI company Senti AI also introduced during the event a new contact center solution called Voix.
The AI solution can improve customer experience and operational efficiency with human-like conversational AI that understands Filipino, English and Taglish.
It gives customers 24/7 access to immediate conversational self-service, while more complex issues are seamlessly handed off to human agents.
Voix also empowers human agents by providing them with continuous support during calls by identifying intent and providing them with real-time, step-by-step assistance.
The solution also uses natural language processing to identify call drivers and sentiment, helping contact center managers learn more about customer interactions to improve call outcomes.
“Yes, indeed, we are in unprecedented times,” Senti AI CEO Ralph Regalado said. “But this shouldn’t stop us from pursuing innovation. Though physical movements may have stopped in most of the world, but the world continues to spin — and so should we.”
The Voix Live!2020 webinar was co-presented by Google Cloud, PLDT Enterprise and PLDT Innolab.
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Automobile giant Hyundai Motor Company announced plans to set up a multi-million dollar research center with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, to specialize in developing driverless cars.
Another university, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, or KAIST, will also be a research partner.
The South Korean automaker has agreed to fund the Technion-KAIST center for at least the next two years, with an option to continue for three more years, the partners announced on Wednesday. The academic research center will receive between $1 million and $10 million annually, said Technion Prof. Daniel Weihs, who will chair its Israeli component.
“It will include joint projects in both universities on autonomous vehicles, cars, services vehicles for carrying loads from one place to another, all of which would be unmanned.
The research includes all aspects, from the mechanical to computer programming, along with algorithms and sensors,” Weihs told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
Israel is not home to any automobile manufacturers, but that may be an advantage in collaborating with international carmakers.
“It means that we have more flexibility in working with all the manufacturers. Teams from all the major automobile companies in the world are touring Israel to see what they can pick up,” Weihs said, adding that several companies have already set up Israeli research and development centers, including General Motors, in Herzliya, while its competitor Ford will soon do the same.
Weihs, who is a professor in the Technion’s aeronautic engineering department, said it is rare for multinational companies to open up shop at Israeli universities. Only a few other partnerships exist between large pharmaceutical companies and hi-tech corporations and Israeli academia. And with the new research center, Weihs expects he will be in near-daily contact with his Korean partners.
In what is likely its first partnership with a South Korean university, the Technion will act as a bridge in discovering and connecting Hyundai to Israeli start-ups in the fields of robotics, sensors and artificial intelligence, according the agreement. The research center will support and consult with Israeli start-ups to bring their products to market and advance driverless vehicle technology.
Around 10 to 12 Israeli graduate students will be involved in the project, along with five to 10 professors, Weihs said. Some of the Israeli students will be able to enroll in an exchange program at KAIST, while a number of Korean students could study at the Technion.
The two universities and Hyundai signed a memorandum of understanding in Haifa in Tuesday titled the “HTK Consortium for Future Mobility Research,” with HTK an acronym formed from the first letters of the three partners’ names.
“Israel is known around the world for the quality of its startups, so with Technion and KAIST’s combined expertise, Hyundai Motor will be well placed to lead the development of the next generation of automotive technology,” Tae-won Lim, the head of Hyundai’s technology innovation center, said in a statement.
Hyundai sold nearly five million cars in 2016 and it employs more than 110,000 people, some of whom work in seven design & technical centers worldwide. If the Technion- KAIST project proves successful for the carmaker, it may consider opening an R&D center in Israel.
In May, Hyundai Motor heir vice chairman Chung Eui-sun visited Israel in order to discuss working with the Jerusalem- based Mobileye, a company developing vision-based driver assisted systems. Mobileye is currently embroiled in a long-running dispute with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem over who will profit from the inventions, showcasing the potential pitfalls of academic- corporate partnerships.
While the Mobileye visit piqued Chung’s interest in Israel’s burgeoning hi-tech start-up scene, that’s not what sealed the deal. Two years ago, Weihs gave a series of lectures in South Korea, many of which ended up being published in a Korean- translated book. That travel led to Hyundai contacting Israeli academia.
With the Technion-KAISTHyundai deal, the company would get “first-refusal” rights to the technology developed at the research center. If Hyundai isn’t interested in furthering a certain product, then the two schools can acquire the intellectual property rights and possibly profit from the product.
The Technion is the country’s oldest university and its most prestigious in engineering and the hard sciences. Located in Haifa, its alumni have had a hand in more Israeli hi-tech start-ups than those from any other school. Three Nobel Prize winners are affiliated as faculty members.
While the Israeli university is advancing driverless technology, Weihs said that it will be a few years before most cars on the road won’t require a human being behind the driver’s seat, due to regulatory and safety issues.
“Technically, it could be done tomorrow. The problem is how to interact with non-autonomous cars and with pedestrians.
People do unexpected things, both behind the wheel and in the street. And machines need to react to that,” he said.
“What the Israeli contribution will be is taking a car and making it smarter and more independent, even though the actual car design won’t be [produced] here.”
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Asuka Holdings invested in WorkIndia through its Singapore-based subsidiary Asuka Global, co-founder Nilesh Dungarwal told VCCircle.com. This is the third time WorkIndia, operated by Mumbai-based Eloquent Info Solutions Pvt Ltd, has secured funding in a little more than a year.
The portal helps in the placement of blue collar jobs, such as delivery boys, office assistants, field sales executives, tele-callers and counter sales people in companies. It has 60,000 monthly active users.
Launched in 2015, co-founder Nilesh Dungarwal said about 50,000 interview calls will take place through the platform this month. He said the company’s app has recorded 300,000 downloads and 120 new jobs are posted on the app every day.


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Not playing: Toys R Us owner makes low-key stock float
The private equity firm that owns Toys R Us and Alliance Boots is making a low-key float on the stock market.
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, a founder of the modern buyout industry, had hoped to follow rival Blackstone onto the New York Stock Exchange but shelved plans announced two years ago because of the economic crisis.
Instead it will list on the Dutch section of the Euronext market, which is owned by NYSE. It is part of a complex manoeuvre which could lead to an eventual listing on Wall St.
Making a play: Toyrs R Us' owner has made a quiet flotation on the stock market
KKR is merging with one of its affiliates, KKR Private Equity Investors, which has a Dutch listing, and effectively reversing itself onto Euronext.
After six months KKR will have the ability to seek a listing of the combined business in the U.S..
The board of KPE has unanimously approved the merger although it still requires the consent of KPE investors.
KKR said it expects to have earned between £235million and £257million for the three months to the end of June on £31billion of assets.
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- Ford Europe teases the release of new Ford Focus in latest clip
- Mercedes-Benz teases its new Ultimate Luxury SUV concept
- Aston Martin showcase the new Vantage with a top speed of 195mph
- Will stock markets start to rise again?
- Take a look inside the classic Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 car
- Reactions as ASDA and Sainsbury's to merge in near future
- Can the good times return for investors? Investing Show Live


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How to catch wwdc 2008 keynote live?June 9th, 2008 - 11:24 pm ICT by David M N James
Due to the hype and popularity of the Apples latest technology in the 3g iphone, the word wide developer’s conference live coverage of the event will be a high stake deal. Amyone who wants to watch the keynote live can catch it up at TMO who will be on location at Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference Monday and throughout the week with event coverage. TMO is advising those who want to catch this keynote in its actuality to check back at 10:00 AM PST, 1:00 PM EST.
CUDA Makers are speculating that Apple will use them since Apple knows a lot about CUDA. Apple may announce support for the technology at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). CUDA demonstrated for CNet, Nvidia engineers demonstrated how a CUDA-enabled version of a program could dramatically speed up converting video from one format to another. Trans-coding video can be useful to convert existing video to be played on the iphone. Live coverage on the keynote is also available at http://live.iphonebuzz.com/ with exclusive news and media coverage from the events location. There are also live blogs which will feature the keynote.
The event will bring to light the much anticipated wanton iphone 3g technology. M-Team at Techcrunch.com will be reporting live from WWDC 2008 at 10AM Pacific, 1PM Eastern. They will bring the event live to the computers those away from their computers will get SMS messages regarding only the product launch. This is an exciting event and Apple will bask in glory as it rakes in million from this 3g iphone.
Tags: 3g, actuality, apple, apples, cuda, developer conference, hype, iphone, keynote, latest technology, live coverage, live from wwdc, media coverage, nvidia, popularity, product launch, sms messages, stake, tmo, worldwide developers conference, wwdc


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THE online world is tugging at the fabric of South Pasadena’s retail businesses.
But traditional values keep many longtime shop owners afloat against competitors found both online and in bigger retail stores.
“South Pasadena has been called ‘quaint,’ a ‘small town’ (and) ‘Mayberry,’ and many businesses here really do embody that. They are often small mom-and-pop stores,’’ said Laurie Wheeler, president of the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce.
“If that ever changes, South Pasadena loses its uniqueness. People come to find that sort of thing. People are coming to find that experience that they can’t find online.”
I talked this week to local store owners who have spent more than a decade watching how customers have reacted to increased choices — especially during this holiday season, when many of them did bigger business as recently as five years ago.
South Pasadena isn’t unique in that regard. PwC — an auditing, tax and consulting firm — reports in its 2019 “Holiday Outlook’’ that online shopping nationwide has gone from 42 percent in 2015 to what it estimates will be 54 percent in 2019.
South Pasadena owners report that the change is not only noticeable, but is in their face.
“Technology has definitely increased among our customers,’’ said Lucia Wiltrout, founder of Lucha’s Shoes on Fair Oaks Avenue, who has been in business here for more than 30 years.
“We had a customer who had a metric size-42 shoe, which is a (U.S.) size 12. It took an hour to fit her. And she says, ‘I’ll find it online. She said that she was going to take the shoes, but if she found them for less online, she’d return them. And she did.’’
Several other owners had the same feeling about the internet. People are Googling more now, and it isn’t even subtle. Jean Boujekian, owner of Vana Watch and Jewelry on Mission Street, is going right after the elephant in the room.
“We’re seeing the same thing as other stores,’’ Boujekian said. “They try on a watch, and I’ll say, ‘What is the best price you have found online?’ and I’ll try to compete with that. I’ll say, ‘What have you seen it for?’ In some cases, I’ve been able to win some of these customers over.
“It used to be that, four years ago, we had a much higher profit margin. Now, when I sell a watch for 50 percent off, I’m just hoping that the customer might (also) buy something else,’’ added Boujekian, who used to have three stores, and now has one remaining — that being in South Pasadena, where he has been in business for 13 years.
“The community helps out in South Pasadena,’’ he said. “It’s amazing. They will pay a little more rather than search elsewhere in some cases. I’ve had three generations come in now. My other stores couldn’t create the relationships and there was no loyalty like I have here in South Pasadena.’’
People who do end up buying online often end up coming into his store, observed Ash Harikian, who has owned Speers TV on Fair Oaks Avenue since 1997.
“A lot of people will buy online or at some other store, and they will ask us to install it. We do, and then they know we will always be there for them.
“People who buy from us know about our services. Kids come in to us —second- or third-generation grandchildren. Once the young customer buys our service, they don’t go to the bigger stores. When they buy our TVs, they are happy to pay a little more because they know we are going to be there for them for installation and repair.’’
It seems the tradition of passing along loyalties through generations is what helps keep South Pasadena’s small retail businesses in business.
Marcia Ellinger, founder of the Marz gift shop on Mission Street, was telling me that she has had three generations of customers who have shopped at her store. Just as she said that, two women walked in and overheard our conversation.
“Here’s one generation,’’ Margaret Germond said with a laugh.
“Here’s the second generation,’’ answered her daughter, Marion.
Marion still remembers the fragrant smells of soaps and other merchandise she encountered at Marz as a child. “It’s an inviting atmosphere and it’s different,’’ she said.
“Online is fine, but this is so much more personal,’’ her mother added.
Ellinger said the difference is that she and her daughter Jasa, who now runs the store, “stock what we like. People buy into it or they don’t. We don’t want to be in competition with Target. We want to have our own look.’’
All of the owners or managers I talked to have 10, 20 years — or in the case of Lucha’s, 30 years — of waiting on South Pasadena customers, which gives them an advantage in welcoming and knowing the needs and wants of their customers.
Boujekian said that the entire month of December used to be booming. Now the boom has settled into a boomlet the week before Christmas.
Alan Uehara, owner of the UPS store in South Pasadena, said that 50 percent of the store’s business is now dealing with Amazon.
“Three, four, five years ago, we would have people come in here frantic and they wouldn’t care how much it costs, just so their packages got there by Christmas,” Uehara said.
Uehara, who has owned his store for 20 years, said that Amazon has actually brought about a new season.
“In January, things used to die way down,’’ he said. “Now we are processing all those things that need to be processed to be returned to Amazon.’’
My email is ALippman@gavilanmedia.com. Please write if you have any story ideas about people, places or things of interest to South Pasadena residents.


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AHMEDABAD: Consumers gain from a correction in global edible oils prices. Companies like Adani Wilmar and Ruchi Soya have reduced consumer pack prices by 75 paise to Rs 2 a litre. They are expected to cut the prices further with palm and soya prices seeing a correction in the global market.
Currently, refined palm oil is quoted at Rs 550 per 10 kg compared to Rs 620 per 10 kg in March. Similarly, refined soya prices were in the range of Rs 665-670 per 10 kg from the previous high of Rs 695 in March.
Since March, the edible oil manufacturers have raised consumer pack prices by around Rs 5-6 a litre. "We have reduced prices of consumer pack by 75 paise a litre across the board in the past few days.
In April also, we had reduced the prices by Re 1 per litre. A further price reduction will take place if the prices fall in the international markets," said Adani Wilmar COO Angshu Mallick. Adani Wilmar is the leader in the 'refined oil in consumer packs' market with a volume share of about 15%. Similarly, Ruchi Soya has also passed on the benefit of procurement price reduction to its consumers.
"We have reduced prices of sunflower and soya by Rs 1-1.50 a litre. Palm prices have been reduced by Rs 2 a litre," said Ruchi Soya Industries MD Dinesh Shahra.


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Kia has partnered up with DC Entertainment to create eight different superhero-themed vehicles to be auctioned off for charity.
Read This Article
Those two words during a dinnertime conversation are all you need to know when it comes to the Kia Quoris full-size luxury sedan going on sale in the U.S.
We caught the 2015 Kia Sedona minivan, known internationally as the Carnival, testing in its native South Korea without much covering.
Did you ever think you'd live to see the day when a $75,000 Kia would be sold in the U.S.?


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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Edmunds.com, the premier destination for car shopping, forecasts that 1,155,866 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. in January for an estimated Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) of 16.7 million. The projected sales will be a 23.1 percent decrease from December 2014, but a 14.4 percent increase from January 2014.
*NOTE: January 2015 had 26 selling days, while January 2014 had 25 and December 2014 had 26. This analysis is unadjusted for that difference.
Edmunds.com estimates that retail SAAR will come in at 13.8 million vehicles in January, with fleet transactions accounting for 17.4 percent of total sales. An estimated 2.9 million used cars will be sold in January, for a SAAR of 35.8 million (compared to 2.4 million – or a SAAR of 35.6 million – used car sales in December).
About Edmunds.com, Inc. Car-shopping website Edmunds.com serves nearly 18 million visitors each month. With Edmunds.com Price Promise®, shoppers can get an instant, upfront price for cars and trucks currently for sale at 10,000 dealer franchises across the U.S. Car shoppers can browse not only inventory listings at Edmunds.com and on its acclaimed apps, but also comprehensive car reviews, shopping tips, photos, videos and feature stories. Named by Maritz Research as one of the most trusted online consumer review sites – and the only automotive site listed in the top ten – Edmunds.com welcomes all car-shopping questions on its free Live Help Line at 1-855-782-4711 and [email protected], via text at ED411 and on Twitter and Facebook. Based in Santa Monica with a satellite office in downtown Detroit, Edmunds.com can also be found on Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Google+ and Flipboard.


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Is holiday package delivery Armageddon starting up again?
If my recent experience with late, damaged or undelivered packages is any indication, it could be another rough season for holiday shipping this year.
One college care package I mailed at the post office with two-day shipping in early November was delivered a week late and badly damaged.
Another delivery of a gift basket ordered through Amazon around Thanksgiving missed its Prime two-day delivery promise by eight days.
Amazon also would not give me an estimated delivery date on a foot massager for my father purchased this week, even though I am a Prime member and requested my free two-day shipping. Amazon later said its estimated shipping was expected to be 3-10 days after my purchase date — not even close to two days.
Finally, a $500 50-inch television purchased online at Walmart the day before Thanksgiving was never delivered. After going online to check the status, Walmart said it was lost and there were no more sets in stock at that price.
Coincidence? I don’t think so. I think the delivery infrastructure is getting slammed again.
Several reports point to a major surge in online shopping this holiday season, increasing congestion for shippers.
▪ The National Retail Federation said more people shopped online during Thanksgiving and Black Friday than in stores. Around 34.6 million people shopped in stores on Thanksgiving, while 41 million shopped online. On Black Friday, 74.2 million went into stores while 75.3 million shopped online.
▪ The Postal Service said it expects to handle approximately 600 million packages between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, an increase of 10.5 percent over last year.
▪ Cyber Monday ranked as the largest day in history for online shopping, topping out at around $3 billion in sales.
Two years ago, we had holiday shipping problems when an estimated 2 million express packages didn’t arrive by Christmas, according to Shipmatrix, a software tracking developer. Both UPS and FedEx apologized for the delays as the number of packages exceeded network capacity.
Last year was better, and this year the big shippers and Postal Service have hired thousands to help with higher volumes. The postal service has added seven-day delivery in areas like DFW for December.
Given the potential for shipping problems, here are seven ways to get your holiday gifts under the tree in time.
1. Shop and ship now. The Postal Service predicts that Monday will be the busiest mailing and shipping day for holiday packages, letters and cards. It is also expected to be the busiest day online with more than 7 million customers expected to visit usps.com.
For standard mail to be received by Dec. 25, the post office says it must be mailed by Dec. 15; first class mail by Dec. 19; priority mail by Dec. 21. The post office predicts its busiest delivery day to be Dec. 21, with more than 30 million packages delivered on that day alone.
2. Keep your receipts. If a package doesn’t show up or is damaged, you can usually get a refund from delivery services. But having your receipt is essential.
3. Watch for fake notifications. The Better Business Bureau warns to be careful clicking links in shipping notification emails, which may be scammers. Always verify the shipping company before giving out any personal information.
4. Get alerts, download apps. The post office and commercial shippers offer real-time delivery notifications. Customers who sign up for alerts with the post office at https://my.usps.com will get a notification within a few minutes of the delivery scan. Similar alerts and tracking can be found at FedEx, UPS and through retailers. The UPS mobile phone app sends a notice the day before delivery, allows you to leave instructions on where to drop a package at your house, and for a fee gives you a two-hour window for delivery.
5. Check credit and debit accounts. As a second way to remind yourself of purchases, look more often at your bank accounts online. If you haven’t seen an item appear on your doorstep or heard from the retailer via email, contact a customer service representative to check on delivery.
6. Use tech to avoid theft. We’ve already seen some reports of people lifting packages off other people’s doorsteps. Consider some new gadgets at stores like Best Buy to secure your deliveries.
Shane Kitzman, a spokesman for Best Buy, recommends smart home devices like the Chamberlain MyQ ($119) garage door controller and the August smart lock ($199) that let you remotely control access to your garage or home via your smartphone. While away, you can open the door when the driver delivers a package, then close it again.
7. Free shipping day. On Dec. 18, more than 700 merchants — including many major retailers like Walmart and Target — have pledged to offer free shipping with no minimum order requirements and guaranteed delivery by Dec. 24. Check out those retailers at freeshippingday.com. This is the one day smaller retailers like Harry & David, Keurig and Fisher Price make the offer.
With these steps you should have a good chance of having presents under the tree.
Teresa McUsic’s column appears Saturdays.


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Vermont became the eleventh state in the US to legalize adult-use cannabis sales after Gov. Phil Scott allowed Senate Bill 54 to take effect without his signature.
Vermont legalized marijuana possession of up one ounce and cultivation of two plants for adults 21 and older in 2018 but the law change did not allow for commercial production or sales. Gov. Scott vetoed an earlier version of the 2018 bill before coming around to a revised version negotiated with lawmakers.
Each chamber of Vermont’s legislature approved its own version of an adult-use legal marijuana sales bill. The two bills were then crafted into a single piece of legislation through the efforts of bicameral conference committee though this effort was delayed by the coronavirus outbreak. The resulting bill was then approved by the legislature and passed on to Gov. Scott who allowed the veto deadline to pass.
Senate Bill 54 sets excise taxes at 30 percent and establishes the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) as the state body responsible for issuing licenses for marijuana businesses. It will take over the Department of Public Safety’s current responsibilities for Vermont’s medical marijuana program.
It sets a potency limit of 30 percent THC on marijuana flower, while oils are allowed up to 60 percent THC. Flavored vape cartridges will be prohibited though other vaping products are allowed.
The legislation takes effect immediately though the CCC must decide on licensing rules and regulations before retail sales can start. The bill stipulates though that marijuana dispensary licenses must be issued prior to October 1, 2022.
Gov. Scott is skeptical of allowing legal cannabis sales in Vermont and remained noncommittal right up until he finally announced he would not stand in the bill’s way. Not only that, on the same day the governor signed a separate bill into law to facilitate automatic expungements for low-level marijuana possession convictions prior to January 1, 2021.
One of Scott’s initial concerns about allowing legal cannabis sales in Vermont is that it would lead to more impaired driving, though such a fear isn’t yet backed up by science. The bicameral conference committee nonetheless attempted to address these concerns in the final bill, as well as including provisions which mean local authorities must opt in to have marijuana dispensaries operate in its jurisdictions. Scott then threw the bicameral conference committee a curve ball by stating the proposed bill does not adequately address social equity and racial justice in the legal cannabis industry, which some lawmakers felt was mainly a ruse to block the legislation.
Ultimately though, Scott decided to let the bill take effect and instead offered suggestions on how lawmakers could improve the legislation in the next session such as “creating a social equity applicant category for cannabis establishment licenses; a 50 percent licensing fee waiver for these applicants; and additional technical and financial supports.”
He went on to emphasize that “justice should be foundational to our work, not an add-on to be figured out secondary to commercial or other interests.”
Gov. Scott’s letter to lawmakers goes on to detail further concerns about vaping products, though a recent study suggests states with legal cannabis markets report fewer cases of vaping illnesses. He also states the possibility of child or youth-friendly cannabis marketing has still not been sufficiently addressed.
Given Scott’s long list of unresolved issues with the adult-use marijuana sales bill, speculation abounds he decided to let the bill take effect in order to fend off lines of attack from his reelection rival, Lt. Gov David Zuckerman (D), who is a vocal supporter of the legislation.
Vermont Attorney General Thomas J. Donovan Jr. welcomed the bill’s passage into law by tweet, while Sen. Bernie Sanders also took the time to celebrate his home state’s move to a legal marijuana market.


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This morning’s Inside Radio reports that Hubbard owned WTOP will no longer insert ads in its streams, opting instead to simulcast 100% of its broadcast programming online. This is a decision made earlier this year by small market broadcasting group Saga Communications, who at the time blamed imperfect ad insertion technology for its decision.
The biggest reason that a broadcast company would opt to simulcast 100% of its programming rather than inserting different ads into its stream would be that Arbitron will only measure the online audience and the on-air audience as one if the station simulcasts the exact same thing on the stream as it broadcasts. There’s nothing wrong with Arbitron’s thinking in this regard – it would be flawed for them to represent the two audiences (streamed and broadcast) as one if the programming were not completely identical. That would be misleading to advertisers who might look at the combined audience number and conclude that their commercials achieved that reach when they had not.
WTOP is up front about the reason for its move. Inside Radio quotes SVP/GM Joel Oxley : “Since WTOP is now a simulcast, those listeners can now be added to our Arbitron ratings,” he says. “For WTOP even a slight move up in ratings can mean a significant rise in revenue.” For the top billing radio station in the country, that can make a big difference.
This move by WTOP signals a growing interest by broadcasters in blending their audiences into one to create ratings uniformity. It’s a clear decision to sell the audience as one, rather than two separate audiences. It makes sense in some ways, but there are problems as well. Ads created for over the air listeners often have a call to action like “Call this number” while ads that are streamed should have an online call to action. As well, streaming ads have more targeting and tracking capabilities than broadcast ads do. But times are tough and revenues are down. Broadcasters, like everyone else, are forced to take a hard look at their options and in a case like this prefer the one that promises a more immediate uptick for revenue.


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SimCity players. The fix includes some unspecified improvements and also disables a few "non-critical gameplay features," according to a community manager on the EA forums. These features include leaderboards, achievements and region filters, with EA promising their removal will "in no way affect your core gameplay experience."
SimCity has suffered from server issues since it launched earlier this week, with many players (including our own Alexander Sliwinski) unable to connect to the "always-on" required game and, thus, unable to play. EA will be adding new servers over the next two days. The publisher recently expressed confidence in the international launch, saying it would not suffer the same problems.
Update: Amazon has stopped selling digital copies of the game citing customer complaints.


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What is happening in Shanghai will affect Australia’s economy?
While millions of Australians have been wondering in recent weeks how the result of the election on 21 May will affect them, anecdotal evidence indicates very few consider what’s happening in Shanghai will likely affect them more than whether they give the nod to Albo or Scomo – or anyone else for that matter.
But Shanghai, China’s largest city, has a population that approximately equals Australia’s, and what is happening there, has global significance.
It’s the world’s largest port and it’s in total lockdown because of China’s zero tolerance of Covid. Many other Chinese cities that produce large quantities of manufactured goods, traditionally send them by ship to Shanghai for export. But that can’t happen now, and international supply chains are broken.
Armadas of ships are anchored indefinitely offshore, waiting either to unload to, or load from, Shanghai. Meanwhile staff at the port’s vast terminals operate in a closed loop that prevents effective contact and function with the outside world.
Consequences of this
In Europe and the US, many people on their third or fourth round of assorted Covid infections continue to ignore the significance of China’s virus restrictions and understand neither the policy behind them nor consequent product shortages and rising prices.
Similarly, millions of Australians, now with open borders in a country where numbers of Covid cases have either peaked or are about to peak and are looking forward to working without restrictions to boost an economy that has survived the pandemic as well if not better than anywhere else on Earth, can’t see how what’s happening in China could specifically affect them.
But it can, because what is going on there will restrict Australia’s economic growth and therefore their livelihoods and wellbeing.
Not only is stuff Australia needs not getting out of China, factories across Asia that make things Australia also needs, can’t get components from the Chinese necessary for manufacturing plants that produce goods needed by Australian businesses to grow the economy.
Manufacturers in the US and Europe with orders from Australia are similarly afflicted by China’s Covid policy. They can’t get components necessary to fulfil the orders.
The bottom line for Australia is that surging price rises occasioned by shortages and delays stemming from woes of our nation’s most important trading partner, together with our country’s locally generated inflationary influences that are gaining momentum, will harm us in the immediate future.
And long term?
Macks Advisory has seen reports of solid data confirming our belief that Covid chaos and its consequences for the Chinese economy will have long-lasting negative side effects for Australia.
Economist Jingling Chen of Tsinghua University and his colleagues have used truck tracking data to determine that truck traffic drops some 60% when a Chinese city is locked down.
The significance of this for Shanghai is massive. Every month of Shanghai’s lockdown costs China 4% of its national monthly income.
But in a worst-case scenario where prevailing policy dictates that all Chinese cities are locked down, Jingling Chen’s team has calculated China’s national income would drop by more than 50% monthly – a monstrous, unsustainable cost to its economy, that because of China’s vital commercial links with Australia, would have unavoidable negative consequences here.
The more pandemic lockdowns stunt China’s economic growth the harder it will be for Xi Jinping to activate plans for deleveraging in the property sector in the wake of Evergrande’s spectacular collapse – the gargantuan real estate conglomerate responsible for the health of about a third of the nation’s economy.
According to Gavekal, one of the world’s leading providers of independent financial research, all but 13 of China’s 100 most productive cities have already imposed some degree of quarantine, and because Covid’s Omicron variant is so highly infectious, it’s expected there will be frequent lockdowns across the country for the rest of this year.
Business analysts are saying they have very little indication that Australian companies are factoring this risk into their pricing – and they should be doing this, because expert political observers are almost universal in their expressed belief that Xi Jinping sees a hard line on lockdowns as the best option for ensuring his political future.
So, has China’s delayed attempts to control the virus, at least to some extent, been catastrophic globally? Probably.
How this affects Australians
Scarcity of product out of China and broken supply chains resulting from pandemic restrictions have inevitably increased prices, which has worsened inflation that’s now running at a 20-year high of 5%. Because this is about twice what the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has considered acceptable, it this month increased the cash rate for the first time in 11 years -- from the prevailing record low of 0.1% to 0.35%.
Some economists are tipping it could be 1.0% by year’s end, and financial markets suggest it could be double that.
A cash rate of 2.0% widely expected before the end of next year, would push the rate on the average standard variable home loan to more than 5.5%, increasing millions of Australians’ repayments by thousands of dollars annually, and thereby, according to a recent Westpac media statement, reducing house prices by 14% between the end of this year and 2024.
Surely, as so many Australians struggle to retain home ownership in this situation, consumption nationally will be reduced substantially, which won’t make retailers happy – especially as so many of them have been doing so well in recent months.
The RBA expects about two-thirds of people who locked in home loans at historically low interest rates during the pandemic, will have to refinance by next year, and half of them will face increases in borrowing costs of up to 20%.
Yet all is not entirely doom and gloom. National Australia Bank (NAB) director of economics and markets Tapas Strickland said recently that even a 15% drop in house prices shouldn’t be of too much concern, because years of increasing values – 22% last year – means about 95% of Australians with home loans, have at least 75% equity in their homes.
Come what may, Xi Jinping’s decisions about resolving his problems in China are likely to have a far more significant effect on our individual immediate future than anything we may do in a polling booth on the 21st of this month.


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Turkey’s online shoppers under risk of theft during COVID-19 outbreak
While some 63 percent of Turkey's internet users also shop online, that may have become a risky choice during the COVID-19 outbreak, experts warn. Users should prefer the 3D payment method that requests a second form of confirmation in addition to payment methods, experts recommend.
More than half of Turkey’s internet users shop online, a behavior that presents risks during the COVID-19 outbreak, the 2020 We Are Social Turkey Report revealed in February.
Revealing data from immediately before the announcement of the first coronavirus case in Turkey, the report reveals that some 63 percent of internet users in Turkey shop online and 70 percent of those consumers use credit cards to pay online.
While the report revealed that an average user spends seven and a half hours online, experts have noted that these numbers may have surged during the COVID-19 outbreak where many Turkey residents have been self isolating.Turkey doubles contactless limit as transaction volumes soar amid coronavirus outbreak
Use the 3D payment method
Experts recommend that users use the 3D payment method to protect their payment information while shopping online.
When using the 3D method, users are presented with a pop-up window where they’re requested to enter a unique code that their bank will text them.
The payment will not go through without the unique code, which prevents foreign parties from making payments without access to the card owner’s phone.Online scammers try to lure victims using Turkish President Erdoğan's signature
Experts also recommend the use of “digital cards,” a pseudo sub-account within your credit card that allows you to limit your online shopping.
Digital cards allow limiting the use of payment information by third parties.
Don’t save your payment information
Experts warn against “phishing,” a method used to steal online shoppers’ payment information by creating a false payment website, identical to the original, that would essentially have you enter your information.
A user being exposed to “phishing” would receive emails about campaigns or advertisements to highly common websites that look identical to an original email from a real shop.
A user would presumably be convinced that the email and linked website are real and enter their payment information when prompted.
Experts recommend not saving payment information on websites and to look for the extension “https” at the start of the website url, which would mean it has a current safety certificate.Online Kurdish classes in Turkey receive over 1,000 applications in 24 hrsHuman rights under quarantine: Turkish NGO to start online courses on rights violations


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By Laurene Caron. Manufacturing Robot. Published at Sunday, November 11th, 2018 - 19:53:17 PM.
For companies to succeed, along with trying to create a fully employed economy, the biggest factor is cost efficiency. More and more companies rely on the cheapest alternative to produce outputs, in hopes of earning profits. Boston Consulting Group reports that it costs roughly $8 an hour to use a robot for spot welding in the auto industry, compared to $25 for a worker.
Offshore manufacturing is beneficial to both the manufacturer's country of origin and the host country for it provides employments opportunities, taxes and other benefits for the host country. As for the company's origin country, it lowers the cost of goods and services because goods produced cheaply are also sold at a competitively cheaper price.
In order to provide the users of this report with comprehensive view of the market, we have included detailed competitiveness analysis and company players with unique selling propositions. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, by application, gripper type and end-use industries.
Nearly every day a news story is published that proclaims the U.S. manufacturing industry is dead and little if any manufacturing hiring is occurring. Take these claims with a grain of salt. U.S. manufacturers are thriving. But they are not the low tech, unskilled-labor businesses of twenty or thirty years ago. They have integrated so much technology into the manufacturing process that they require highly trained employees.
Any content, trademark’s, or other material that might be found on the Reisroboticsusa website that is not Reisroboticsusa’s property remains the copyright of its respective owner/s. In no way does Reisroboticsusa claim ownership or responsibility for such items, and you should seek legal consent for any use of such materials from its owner.


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High-flying demand has lifted prices for polypropylene and PET bottle resin in recent weeks.
Average North American selling prices for PP have gone up another 2 cents per pound since Aug. 1, while makers of PET have fully implemented their 2 cent June increase to most buyers, according to a number of PET buyers contacted recently.
With crude oil hitting record highs, the entire feedstock chain for both products has been affected. U.S. crude surpassed the $47 per-barrel level on Aug. 18, an all-time high that represents an increase of more than 50 percent from a year ago.
An Ohio-based PP buyer said he thought suppliers were ``trying to make up for lost time,'' after seeking relatively small increases earlier in the year. The 2 cent-per-pound increase for August leaves prices up an average of 13 cents so far in 2004. That's an increase of about 28 percent on injection molding grades of homopolymer PP, according to the Plastics News resin pricing chart.
Fueled by an increase of almost 30 percent in export sales, U.S/Canadian PP sales were up almost 9 percent in the first half of 2004, according to the American Plastics Council in Arlington, Va. Higher resin prices in Asia have opened up that market to North American imports, sources said.
Even without export growth, domestic demand is up almost 8 percent. Domestic growth has been led by gains of 20 percent in sales for injection molded cups and containers, 13 percent for sheet, 31 percent for resellers and 13 percent for compounders.
``Exports and injection molding are both strong,'' said Bob Dennett, a PP industry analyst with consulting group Chemical Market Associates Inc. in Houston. ``Early on, PP makers didn't think processors could absorb large price increases, They also expected propylene [monomer] prices to drop, but they never did. Now [PP makers] will probably try to get more [price increases] by the end of the year.''
Another industry source said a number of consumer products that first may have been made of polystyrene or high density polyethylene now are going directly into PP because of the material's improved performance and relatively lower price.
With operating rates at or above 90 percent, industry watchers said PP supply could be an issue if demand growth continues.
Several sources said that PP manufacturers Atofina Petrochemicals Inc. of Houston and Formosa Plastics Corp. USA of Livingston, N.J., planned incremental capacity increases of as much as 650 million pounds, total, via debottlenecks by the end of the year. Officials at Atofina and Formosa declined to comment.
Outside of those possible moves, the next North American PP capacity gain might not happen until late 2005, when Basell Polyolefins could restart 800 million pounds of idled capacity in Bayport, Texas.
Meanwhile, PET makers have taken advantage of first-half demand growth of 8-9 percent to put another 2 cents in place, elevating their total 2004 price gain to 14 cents per pound - a jump of about 22 percent on bottle resin prices, according to the Plastics News pricing chart.
Industry officials recently have cited strong sales into markets for bottled water, juices and new, low-carbohydrate soft drinks. PET makers now are working on completing a 2 cent-per-pound move implemented July 1.
They also blamed higher prices for feedstocks paraxylene and purified terephthalic acid.
On the capacity front, Wellman Inc. of Shrewsbury, N.J., recently announced plans to add 600 million pounds of resin via a fiber conversion in Bienville, Miss., in early 2006. Market leader Voridian of Kingsport, Tenn., also has said it will meet market demand via debottlenecks, but declined to offer details.


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The next big update to Windows 8.1 may be just a few weeks away—but don't get too excited.
According to WinBeta, evidence posted by Russian site PC Portal suggests Windows 8.1 Update 2 is on track for an August 12 release. However, WinBeta adds that the update will mostly comprise small tweaks and bug fixes. The feature we've all been waiting for, the resurrected Start menu, has apparently been postponed:
Update 2 was originally going to include the new Start Menu, but Microsoft decided to pull the feature and save it for Threshold. Update 2 will include no new features, and will most likely be preparing for Threshold when it launches in 2015.
Oh well. At least the rumored August 12 date seems fairly plausible. It corresponds to Patch Tuesday, and it jibes with a ZDnet report from back in April. In that report, Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley said her sources pointed to a possible August time frame for Windows 8.1 Update 2.
Microsoft demoed the new Start menu at its Build conference earlier this year, promising to unleash it as part of a future update. Unofficial evidence suggests that Windows Threshold, the next major Windows release, will go as far as to disable Modern UI entirely on desktop PCs. On the flip side, the desktop will reportedly be off-limits to small tablets.
|Asus' Tinker Board single-board computer reviewed||5|
|Poll: Where do you use ECC RAM?||11|
|Gigabyte's Z370 boards are ready to dip into Coffee Lake||1|
|Glorious Modular Mechanical TKL Keyboard takes any switch||3|
|Imagination Technologies sold to CBFI Investment Limited||11|
|Gigabyte Aero 15 X stuffs a GTX 1070 in a thin chassis||3|
|Take a sneak peek at our Core i9-7960X and Core i9-7980XE results||54|
|Intel warms up Coffee Lake with eighth-gen desktop Core details||104|
|Geil lights up its Evo X ROG-certified RAM||4|
|What's really going to bake your noodle later on is, would you still have commented if I hadn't said anything?||+22|


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Oren Weininger named chair of Eris board
This article was originally published in Scrip
Eris Pharma, a private Australian pharmaceutical company, has named Oren Weininger chair of its board of directors. Mr Weininger is currently CEO of Fair-Med Healthcare, a privately owned pharmaceutical company based in Baar, Switzerland. Eris, located in Melbourne, is focused on bringing a range of Australian TGA approved healthcare products to global markets.


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Welcome to Rise & Shine
If you have any news about your business you’d like to see here please contact our News Editor, Carolyn Moss, at firstname.lastname@example.org or call her on 01305 575155. Follow us on Twitter @BreadButterNews for updates.
White Lake win Champion cheese third year running
White Lake Cheese won Supreme Champion at this year’s British Cheese Awards, becoming the first cheesemaker to win three years in a row. Their English Pecorino came ahead of just under 900 other cheeses entered into the awards, held on the first day of the Royal Bath & West Show, in Shepton Mallet, Somerset on the 29th May 2019.
The Somerset-based artisan cheesemaker took the Supreme Champion award last year for Sheep Rustler and in 2017 with Pavé Cobble.
English Pecorino is made from thermised sheep’s milk with vegetarian rennet. According to the producer, it has “a sweet smooth, long-lasting creamy flavour with subtle nutty notes. It is washed in brine three times a week and is matured for around six months.”
Roger Longman, co-founder and cheesemaker at White Lake Cheese says: “The British Cheese Awards is a great competition for artisan cheesemakers. The level of judging is superb as the judges are extremely experienced, they are the best in the UK, and we really value the feedback that we get from them.
“The British Cheese Industry at the moment is a fantastic place to work in. As well as established cheesemakers there are also new and upcoming cheesemakers, like Marcus Fergusson who makes Renegade Monk, who are making really exciting cheeses. There’s a real camaraderie in the industry that you don’t see in many other businesses.”
Julius Longman, chairman of the British Cheese Awards, said: “This English Pecorino from White Lake Cheese is an exceptional cheese and a worthy Supreme Champion. It has a semi-hard texture with a well-balanced creamy and nutty flavour. It’s the third year in a row for Pete and Roger and a testament to their skill in cheesemaking.”
Independent coffee chain removes plastic milk bottles
Independently owned coffee chain Boston Tea Party (BTP) removed all single-use plastic milk bottles from its operations as part of a new environmental initiative held on June 1st called ‘National Making Things Better Day’.
Celebrating the chain’s removal of single-use coffee cups in 2018, BTP are pledging to do something more for the planet each year on the 1st June anniversary.
Boston Tea Party’s 22 cafés currently use 190,000 single-use plastic milk bottles every year, and milk is one of BTP’s biggest annual costs at over £220,000. It plans to work with its organic dairy supplier to select the most sustainable alternative, switching to pergola bag-in-box milk and then a fully reusable, returnable solution by the end of the year.
“What a year it has been since we took the groundbreaking decision to remove single-use cups from our business,” says Sam Roberts, co-owner and CEO of BTP. “The reaction from our teams and customers has been frankly amazing.
“12 months on and the anti-plastic movement is really gathering some significant momentum. That said, nothing much has actually changed within the wider industry. Lots of noise and sticky plaster fixes, but very little concrete action. Businesses still seem happy to turn a blind eye to the waste product from their activities thereby outsourcing the cost and responsibility of the clean-up. Not cool.
“We’re on a continuous journey to try and make things better, and with this in mind we’ve decided to launch our very own ‘Making Things Better Day’ on the 1st June, forever. Each year we’ll be announcing a (for now) plastic based problem we’ll commit to resolve. This June we’re gunning for single-use plastic milk bottles. By the end of this year we reckon we’ll have rid ourselves of them entirely. Good times. However we can’t afford to rest on our laurels and can’t fix this on our own, so please get involved.”
Cheese Industry Award for Mary Quicke
Mary Quicke from Devon-based cheese producer, Quicke’s, has been awarded for the prestigious Cheese Industry Award at the British Cheese Awards 2019.
The annual award was presented to Mary for “her impact on the industry, particularly the recent development of the Academy of Cheese, with its promise to transform how cheese is sold across the globe with its training programmes.”
Mary took over the running of the family farm in 1987 and received an MBE in 2005 for her contribution to farming and cheesemaking. She became a member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers in 2016 and was instrumental in the establishment of the Academy of Cheese in 2017, also sitting on the board at both the FSA (Food Standards Agency) and AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) Dairy Sector.
Mary Quicke said: “Following a day tasting some of the best cheese in the land at the British Cheese Awards, I’m absolutely blown away to have received this trophy. British cheese has boomed, so to be singled out as someone who has made a contribution to this movement is truly an honour. For me, great cheesemaking starts in the soft boundary between admiration and partnership with the land, and I’m delighted to see more and more artisan cheesemakers making wonderful cheeses from the ground up. It was great also to judge for the Young Cheesemonger Award, to see the passionate and knowledgeable young people coming on. The future is bright for British cheese and at Quicke’s, we’ll continue to be driven by the pursuit of great cheesemaking, farming like we’re going to live forever.”
Travelodge announces expansion plan
UK budget hotel chain Travelodge plan to open 17 new hotels and create 350 jobs in 2019. New sites in the South West include Chippenham, Swindon and Winchester.
The group will continue the roll-out of its new build ‘budget chic’ Travelodge Plus concept and introduce more ‘premium economy’ SuperRooms which include mini chiller cabinets.
The expansion programme in the UK will also see Travelodge’s restaurant business extended. It is expected to open its 200th hotel with an on-site restaurant in 2019, with 13 of the new hotels featuring its bar café concept.
The 17 new hotels will be developed by third-party investors, with an approximate investment value of £115 million. The group is now in 595 locations in the UK, Spain and Ireland.
Peter Gowers, Travelodge, chief executive said: “Despite the uncertainty facing the UK, the long-term prospects for low-cost hotels remain strong. The next phase of our expansion plan will see us deliver more choice in more places than ever before. We’ve come a long way from our early days by the side of the motorway and today’s Travelodge not only offers the same great value as always, but the extra choice of our new Travelodge Plus and SuperRoom concepts – ideal for those for who want just that little bit more.
“Britain’s travellers are changing. We expect more and increasingly we travel to a wider range of places. More and more of us are working away from home during the week, and we’re taking more long weekends. Travelodge now has to satisfy the needs of travellers who just want the essentials at a low price, and of those who also value the little extras. With a network expected to reach 595 hotels this year and our new line-up of Travelodge, SuperRooms and Travelodge Plus, we’re focused on making sure we can give you the right choice, in the right place, at the right price.”
South West hotelier Peter Brend dies aged 61
Tributes have been paid to Peter Brend Senior, a director of the family-run Brend Hotels group, who has died at the age of 61 after a “long battle with his health.”
He was one of six directors of the group which comprises 11 three- and four-AA-star hotels in Devon and Cornwall including the Carlyon Bay, St Austell and the Saunton Sands, Saunton.
Born in Barnstaple, he first worked as a trainee mechanic in his father’s garage business before joining the Saunton Sands hotel in 1977 after his parents purchased it.
A statement from the company described Brend as “a passionate hotelier… He was also a very special and loyal man to his work colleagues, showing respect, kindness, always on hand with support and generous with his time. Over the years he formed lifelong friendships with guests which has shaped the nature of the company to what it is today.”
Peter is survived by his brother John, his sisters June and Patsy, his children, Peter, Michael and Hannah, partner Kirsten and his nine grandchildren.
FOOD AND DRINK NEWS
Goddards launch Planet lager
Isle of Wight-based Goddards Brewery are launching a new gluten-free, vegan lager called Planet.
Made using local malted barley, they describe it as sitting between a pilsner and a Vienna lager.
Brewer Josh Davies said: “It was great to be let loose to spend the last 7 months experimenting with this new rogue brew from Goddards. Trying new ingredients, brewing methods old and new, to create this refreshing flavoursome lager.”
Xavier Baker, managing director at Goddards Brewery said: “Moving into our 26th year of operation we have decided to diversify our range by bringing to you our new lager, Planet.
“As much as our new lager is unique in our range, we still wanted to maintain a link to our Island born and brewed status, hence the name Planet was born. Where possible we will use planet barley grown on the Isle of Wight.
“You may be wondering why gluten free and why vegan friendly. We have been inundated with requests to bring you something that fits this criteria, and Planet lager has been the perfect way to do this and fill the gap that there has been within our range.”
Planet Lager (4.6% ABV) is available in 30 litre kegs and 330ml bottles (sold in cases of 24). For more details call 01983 611011 or email email@example.com.
New Forest ice cream’s new flavour
New Forest Ice Cream are adding Candy Floss to their range of 50 flavours. They describe it as “insta-worthy…[and] right on trend.”
Christina Veal, director said: “Candy Floss is very nostalgic that has been loved for many years and we are so excited to bring back this family favourite in a whole new and refreshing way! The flavour, texture and playfully pink colour are sure to be the star of any dish. However you choose to serve it, we are sure that the Candy Floss ice cream will catch the eye of all ages!”
The new Candy Floss flavour is available in 4l and 4.75l catering tubs. For more information, visit www.newforesticecream.com or call 01590 647611.
Chilli Farm launch BBQ sauces
South Devon Chilli Farm are introducing two new BBQ sauces for the summer, Cool ‘n’ Smoky and Hot ‘n’ Smoky.
Both varieties feature chipotle chilli, allspice and molasses for “a sauce that’s rich, bold and flavourful with just the right kick”, according to the producers. They add: “The Cool ‘n’ Smoky variety brings a mild pop of spice to the grill courtesy of the jalapeño chilli. The Hot ‘n’ Smoky variety turns up the heat by showcasing the fruity heat of the habanero chilli in a mouthwatering blend of sweet, tangy and smoky.”
Kaz Lobendhan, trade director, said: “As interest in BBQ and chillies continues to grow, we identified BBQ sauces as a great opportunity to expand our offering. With the warm weather fast approaching, we hope that these sauces will become essentials for all occasions from summer parties to BBQs on the beach”.
South Devon Chilli Farm Cool ‘n’ Smoky and Hot ‘n’ Smoky BBQ sauces are available in glass bottles with an RRP of £3.50 (trade price: £2.28 per 280g unit).
For further information, contact firstname.lastname@example.org or call 01548 550782.
St Austell reveal new keg portfolio
St Austell Brewery have unveiled their new keg brand portfolio, made up of Bath Ales and St Austell Brewery beers all now available in 30-litre kegs.
Included are three Bath Ale brands which have had a makeover in terms of branding and recipe tweaks to the Cubic and Monterey brands from the brewery team now headed by Georgina Young.
Brands making up the St Austell Family Group keg portfolio include: Monterey (3.9% ABV) – “an easy-going, easy-drinking California Pale Ale”; Cubic (4.5% ABV) – “pale ale precision”, Bounder’s (5.5% ABV) – Bath Ales’ cider brand, and one of St Austell’s flagship beers Proper Job IPA (4.5% ABV).
For more information call 0345 241 112 or email email@example.com.
Scotsman launches new large capacity ice machine
Hubbard has launched the latest in Scotsman’s MXG range of high volume ice machines. The MXG 938 is the biggest model in the range, producing up to 400kg of ice per day which, it is hoped, will keep up with the hospitality industry’s trend for using more ice than ever before.
The machine produces Scotsman’s gourmet ‘supercube’ ice cubes. Thimble-shaped and long lasting they don’t dilute drinks as much as traditional shapes.
Despite its capacity, the MXG 938 has a compact footprint and will be sited on top of a storage bin. The ice machine will be available for next day delivery, perfect if it’s a replacement purchase during a busy period.
The MXG range has list prices starting from £3,834 + VAT. The list price for the MXG 938 is £6,621 + VAT.
For more information and details of local stockists, freephone Hubbard Systems on 0800 616559, call 01473 350045, email firstname.lastname@example.org or visit www.scotsman-ice.co.uk.
New exec head chef for Gidleigh Park
Andrew Brownsword Hotels have announced the appointment of Chris Eden as executive head chef at Gidleigh Park.
He joins then from Driftwood in Cornwall where he was head chef for 12 years and won and retained a Michelin Star in 2012. Chris was also awarded a fourth AA rosette in 2018.
Andrew Brownsword Hotels statement said: “We are delighted to welcome Chris and are looking forward to him bringing his produce-led ethos to the kitchens of Gidleigh Park. His style, beautifully laced with touches of adventure and invention, creates refined plates where flavour is king. Chris’ passion for great produce is infectious, always handled with exceptional skill and care, and we are very much looking forward to enjoying his menus at Gidleigh Park”.
Chris Eden said: “Having grown up in the South West, to take up this role at Gidleigh Park is the stuff of childhood dreams. Gidleigh Park’s great team, beautiful setting and iconic reputation combine to make this such an exciting opportunity and I can’t wait to get started”.
South West Wine School ‘First of the Summer Wine’ event
13th June 2019, from 6pm
Deer Park Country House, near Honiton
“The evening will offer the chance for guests to taste wines from Lebanon, the Napa Valley in California, Alsace, South Africa and the SW of England alongside a smorgasbord of delicious food created by the chefs at this beautiful country house.”
For more information, please visit www.southwestwineschool.co.uk.
Food Drink Devon Summer Party
17th June 2019
6.30pm – 9.30pm
Dartington Hall Gardens, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6EL
“You are invited to join Food Drink Devon for our Summer Party. This is a fabulous excuse to celebrate the wonderful Devon food and drink businesses in this region.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit –
Abel & Imray Food & Drink Brand Event
25th June 2019
4pm – 6.30pm
Yurt Lush, Bristol. BS1 6QH
“Come along and hear a panel discussion from experts in the food & drink sector, ask questions and network over a drink and nibbles with the panel and other food & drink businesses.”
To attend this free event, please register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-do-you-build-a-food-and-drink-brand-that-makes-an-impact-bristol-tickets-60520977874


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Australian startup, Jaunt, converts old vehicles like a 1971 Land Rover Series 2a into hardy electric cars. The Land Rover, named Juniper, is the first prototype. The car should be available in time for the Australian spring and summer. Read more…Mo…
Tesla CEO Elon Musk argued Friday that his Twitter use did not violate a settlement agreement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and that the agency’s request to have him held in contempt is based on a “radical interpretation” of the order, according to court papers filed in Manhattan federal court. The SEC has asked […]
Ride-hailing platform Ola announced today that it has raised $300 million from Hyundai and Kia as part of a strategic partnership focused on electric vehicle development. This brings the company’s total raised to $3.8 billion according to Crunchbase. Ola’s last funding was announced just three weeks ago, when the company said it had raised $56 […]
If you’ve ever been sucked into the black hole that is YouTube, you’re likely familiar with the wonderful world of dash cam footage. In it, you’ll witness talented parallel parkers, insane crashes, and even meteor blasts.
But dash cams don’t just exist to immortalize highway drama. They can also save your butt when a person doing the Bird Box challenge collides with you on the road.
We know you don’t want your auto-insurance premium skyrocketing, which is why we bring you these five dash cams on sale that can serve as your extra set of eyes on the road.
Take your pick: Read more…
Black Box 1080p Dash Cam — 80% off
Customers can already place an order for the Tesla Model Y, a mid-sized crossover SUV that won’t go into production until 2020. Tesla requires a $2,500 deposit to complete the order for the all-electric vehicle, according to information posted on its website. A disclaimer on the order form states that “production is expected to begin […]
Tesla is scheduled to reveal the Model Y — the next electric vehicle in electric automaker’s lineup — tonight at an event in Los Angeles after, not months, but years of teasers and hints from CEO Elon Musk . Tesla will live stream the Model Y unveiling event at 8 pm PT via its website. […]
Car accidents are no fun. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to find the person responsible, and you just end up stuck with a serious fender bender. Your best course of action would be to have a dashboard camera that can see everything that happens to your vehicle, and it just so happens that VAVA has a great option on sale.
The VAVA Dashboard Camera is currently on sale for $99.99 on Amazon, but we have an exclusive code that can drop that price down even further — to $69.99. That’s a total savings of $50 when compared to the full price of $119.99.
Drivezy — the startup out of India that wants to turn private car usage on its head through a car-sharing network where people lend their cars and two-wheeled vehicles but also have options to use vehicles from a fleet managed by Drivezy — said it is raising more money as it gears up for the […]
Tesla is using more than $13 million worth of stock to buy trucks and trailers that will transport its electric vehicles to customers, the latest effort by the automaker to improve its logistics and delivery services. Instead of using cash, Tesla issued $13.8 million in stock, a new securities filing posted Monday shows. Tesla used […]
Tesla is rolling out a third generation Supercharger that is designed to dramatically cut charging times for its electric vehicles as it seeks to keep its edge over new competitors. The V3 Supercharger, which was unveiled Wednesday at the company’s Fremont, California factory, supports a peak rate of up 250 kilowatts on the long range version […]
Audi provided Tuesday an advanced look at what will be its fifth production electric vehicle, a compact crossover concept that is expected to come to market at the end of 2020. The all-electric Q4 e-tron SUV concept, which was revealed at the Geneva International Motor Show, is equipped with dual motors with a power output […]
Mercedes-Benz revealed Tuesday the Concept EQV, an all-electric premium van designed to travel up to 249 miles on a single charge. Concepts often times never become production vehicles. But this one will. The EQV, which was unveiled at the Geneva International; Motor Show, will go into series production. The automaker plans to produce an electric […]


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Xiaomi has recently celebrated its fifth anniversary by setting up an event in China, and the company is launching few of its amazing products to celebrate the occasion. One of them was the new 55-inch Mi TV 2 that is priced at RMB 4,999 (approximately INR 50,000).
It has arrived in the market just a week after the company launched the 40-inch Mi TV 2 in China. If we see the the specification then this bigger Mi TV2 is slimmer than its 49-inch predecessor. It also comes with a 15.2mm ultra-thin frame and 6mm bezel.
This newly launched Mi TV 2 comes with a Samsung HD 4K (3840×2160) panel and powered by a MStar 6A928 quad-core 1.4GHz processor paired with Mali-760 MP4 GPU. The company says that it has re-designed the Bluetooth subwoofer and sound bar. It comes with a Dolby MS12 virtual surround sound system. Other features include a 2GB DDR3 RAM and 8 gigs of eMMC5.0 flash storage. For this Mi TV 2, the new version supports H.265 codec, and out of the box support for popular media formats including MKV, and MP4 among others. It also supports the Dual-band 802.11ac WiFi. This TV also supports 3D movie playback. It will be running on Android 4.4 KitKat with MIUI skin on top, which enables this TV to support android apps and games.
The new Mi TV 2 is available for purchase in the China starting today. There’s no update on availability in other countries. But the good news is that the company last month announced that it will debut in United States and Europe markets later this year.
At the event of Mi TV 2 launch, the company also announced a cheap variant of its already very popular Redmi series of smartphone. The new variant is called the Redmi 2A and costs just $96. The company also launched a weight scale called the Mi Smart Weight Scale, which costs just $16. Along with this, Xiaomi also unveiled a Mi Note Pink Edition and a Mi Smart Plug Board which costs just 8 bucks. Lets experience the products performance once they are available over market.