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Yesterday, the 2022 Ford Maverick hybrid EPA estimated fuel economy figures were finally released, though order holders will be waiting a bit longer to take delivery of the new pickups due to the fact that required state and federal emissions certifications have not yet been completed. The Maverick hybrid will begin shipping in December with the first deliveries expected in January, although deliveries of models powered by Ford’s 2.0L EcoBoost I-4 have already begun. This is undoubtedly disappointing news for those looking to purchase a Maverick hybrid, so Ford is giving them a free FITS accessory kit for the inconvenience.
As Ford Authority reported back in August, the Ford Integrated Tether System – or FITS for short – are essentially slots or receivers designed for matching mounts to slide into and hold accessories. Each Maverick comes equipped with eight total slots – including one at the rear of the center console and seven located in the under-seat storage bins. Owners can purchase accessories designed to fit in these slots, or even 3D print them themselves, thanks to the Maverick’s DIY nature.
Some Maverick hybrid order holders recently received a letter from Ford informing them that that they will receive a free FITS accessory kit after they take delivery of their pickups, which includes a storage bin, cupholder, phone cord organizer, bag hooks, and dividers for the under-seat storage area. This gift is just the latest from The Blue Oval to its eager customers facing delays, following up a new Ford Bronco customer satisfaction plan that rolled out early last month.
Unsurprisingly, due to its low starting MSRP and impressive fuel economy, the 2022 Ford Maverick hybrid is nearly sold out, and the automaker recently stated that it believes the new pickup will be completely reserved by early November. At that time, Ford will close ordering until next summer for that particular configuration.


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If you're eating a citrus fruit, chances are it was grown somewhere in the Western Cape.
And if the Western Cape was a country, it would be the world’s fifth largest exporter of citrus fruits!
- Over 6% of the global market share of citrus was exported from the Western Cape in 2017.
- China and the USA, which hold the spots as the world’s third and fourth biggest exporters, hold global market share of eight percent and 7 percent respectively.
- Most of the province’s exports are oranges (54% of all exports in 2017).
- Europe is the biggest market for Western Cape exports, however, the market size has declined from 55% of all Western Cape citrus exports in 2008, to 47% in 2017. The Asian and Oceana markets however have made up the decline, growing from 34% in 2008 to 42% last year.
- At a country level, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are the biggest buyers of Western Cape citrus, however, citrus exports to China have shown remarkable growth.
He adds: “Our Project Khulisa strategy has been to focus on growing the agricultural and agri-processing sectors, thereby creating new jobs."
"By developing new export markets for our produce, while still providing a world class product to our traditional markets, we can grow this economy. We’ve also been focused on growing our Halal exports, and the growth of citrus exports to countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain is a positive step towards meeting this Project Khulisa goal," says Winde.

domain: news


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THANE: The sheer number of offers
available on e-commerce websites on almost every item over the past few weeks seems to be taking a toll on the business of retail stores
in the city.
While the trend of purchasing festive essentials
, including clothes, decorations and even electronics online
has been going on since the past few years, retailers in Thane were hoping that it would have died down like many other trends by now.
However, with the older generation also dipping their toes into the online pool and shopping for their requirements through these portals, the shopkeepers are seeing a steep decline in profits.
“Last year, we suffered a drop of 30 per cent in our sales. We had thought that the online offers and discounts will not affect us as people need to see their furniture to buy it, but it did as youngsters preferred buying their study tables and other requirements online. We thought this trend will fade away in a year or two. However, even the adults have now started going online to shop for their festive wall hangings, frames, furniture and so on leaving us with a 50 per cent or more drop in sales this year,” said Nihar Shah, a Thane-based furniture store owner.
Meanwhile, Jayesh Jain, who owns a jewellery stall in Thane market area, said, “The festive crowd that we have become accustomed to and look forward to over the years was shockingly low this year. While people still prefer buying gold and valuables from the store, we have seen a massive drop in the sale of artificial and ethnic jewellery.”
While the sale of gold and valuable jewellery has not witnessed much of a drop in retail business here, the profits of clothing stores have dropped this year.
“We have a number of stores and also a website, where we put sarees for sale. While the number of those buying things on the website had increased last year, there are many more who preferred looking at the fabric and design in person before buying it. This, however, changed this year, as we have seen a visible drop in retail sales. As we haven’t dropped our rates to match the online sales, our sales are taking a hit this year too,” said a store manager of a popular saree store branch at Gokhale Road.
Last year, we suffered a drop of 30 per cent in our sales. We thought that online offers will not affect us as people need to see their furniture to buy it, but it did as youngsters preferred buying their study tables and other requirements online


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CHARLESTON — A Georgia-based real estate firm has purchased the Charleston Town Center mall, the group announced in a press release Monday
The Hull Property Group, based out of Augusta, Georgia, is buying the property, which went on the market Feb. 3. The release did not provide a buying price.
“We are excited to join the Charleston community and own our first property in West Virginia. The Charleston Town Center can and should continue to be a viable shopping and dining destination,” said Jim Hull, owner of Hull Property Group. “Our goal is to reposition Charleston Town Center by working with Charleston leaders and downtown property owners to create a successful future for not only the mall but the entire downtown area. The first step is to address the exit of national retailers from downtown Charleston while we work together to develop the path forward.”
The Hull group owns 33 malls in 16 other states, most located in the Southeastern United States. The firm owns six malls in North Carolina, six in Georgia and four in Alabama. The Town Center will be its first property located in West Virginia.
“The stabilization of the mall should be a top priority. It occupies a prominent location in downtown Charleston and represents a great redevelopment opportunity,” Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin said in the release. “We are pleased that a group with the experience of Hull Property Group has purchased the mall and we look forward to working with them.”
Goodwin first announced the sale during a radio show on MetroNews affiliate WCHS-580 Monday morning. Hull joined Goodwin to speak on the group’s purchase of the mall, but did not give many details about what will happen to the property in the near future.
Hull did say the new ownership group will work immediately to keep existing stores from leaving.
“We want to keep who we’ve got. We don’t want to lose any more tenants,” Hull said.
Hull said the firm has only sold one mall in the company’s history, and his group is in the business of renovating and developing. He said the Town Center mall is the firm’s only mall located in a city’s downtown area.
Hull said he looks forward to meeting with nearby business owners to collaborate on ways to develop the city’s downtown business area. He said the mall’s location in Charleston presents a unique opportunity for the firm to do something it hasn’t done in other areas, like developing a downtown economy.
“We really feel connected to the downtown,” Hull said.
“The decline of this property did not occur overnight, and it will not be fixed overnight,” said John Mulherin, Hull’s vice president of government relations. “Regional malls across the country are struggling with the new realities of retail — changing shopping patterns, the rise of internet sales and simply too much space and too few tenants. We must be adaptable and there are many ways to creatively reconfigure properties to accommodate retail, commercial, civic, hospitality and other type uses.
“We look forward to getting to know the downtown Charleston area better and being the good stewards this important property needs.”
The mall went up for sale in February after its former owners defaulted on a loan, leading to its purchase by U.S. National Bank for $35 million in January 2019. A number of stores have shuttered since the COVID-19 pandemic began 14 months ago, leading to questions about how the city and county can replace the property’s falling tax revenue if its value continues its decline.


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Download our latest newsletter for app stores and discover how the Bango Platform makes operator billed payments as simple for app stores to offer as credit card payments.
In the year to June 2014, app stores sold $18BN of games, music, movies, books and a vast range of other applications. Sales for 2014 will grow to exceed $23BN, and there are strong signs that this pace of growth will continue over the next 5 years. Continue reading
Bango does not currently provide its Direct Carrier Billing service in China, where regulation requires the Chinese operators to tightly control how customers are allowed to pay for mobile services on their phone bills. This includes the requirement for users to continually verify payments through SMS confirmation, a process which is incompatible with app store checkout flows.
China has a huge subscriber base distributed across three main operators. The billing systems aggregate multiple regional network systems, which means that it is not possible to operate an “order to cash” system, where there is certainty of settlement. Speed of settlement is also slower than many global companies are used to, and bad debt is comparatively high. The cumulative costs of charging to mobile phone bills is therefore much more expensive than headline payout rates (which are currently low by international standards).
The Chinese market is almost entirely served by local Chinese content and billing providers. A very few non-Chinese companies have some PSMS connectivity on the back of local Chinese aggregators. It is very hard for non-Chinese companies to be licensed to operate payments businesses and settling funds outside of China is expensive and time-consuming.
Today Bango is focused on Chinese partners who are working globally, such as Huawei and on developers who want to sell their products to an international audience. In time Chinese operators may offer more favorable carrier billing terms and technology for global app stores, which will provide opportunity for Bango to offer Direct Carrier Billing.
There have been several news stories in the last few years contributing to the fear that the rise of smartphones, the shift to in-app payment for virtual goods and the introduction of frictionless, one-click payment all combine to produce massive bill shock. The standard story is that children get hold of their parent’s mobile phone and run up huge bills. So where does the truth lie?
Bango powers payment for most of the world’s largest app stores. Our technology allows users to charge the cost of a digital purchase to their phone bill, in one click. Global leaders plugging into Bango include Amazon, BlackBerry World, Facebook, Firefox Marketplace, Google Play and Windows Phone Store. Continue reading
Bango has signed an agreement with Etisalat, to deploy Direct Operator Billing (DOB) across the group’s markets in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The established partnership between Bango and Etisalat has already seen DOB launched for users of BlackBerry World. This new agreement will deliver further app store integrations, beginning on 5 June, 2014 with Google Play. Continue reading
The emergence of the app economy has brutally exposed the limitations of many established business models. The basic model of pay to play has been severely challenged. The average smartphone user now expects most of the content they consume to be free, and is rather unlikely to pay for content until they’ve played with it, tested it, and want to go deeper. This is the “freemium” model, whereby an application gives away its core functionality for free and offers upgrades, normally in-app purchases, to add certain features. Continue reading
Image courtesy Flickr user Thomas Hawk
Did you go to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona back in February? If you did, there’s a good chance that the show gave you your first glimpse of Google Glass ‘in the wild’.
Google Glass has the tech world hugely excited, but the devices themselves have been rare. Only 10,000 were initially released, as part of an “Explorer Program”, which Google hopes will inspire developers to build innovative apps for the platform. It’s clear that many of those ‘explorers’ made their way to Barcelona, as Bango saw dozens of Google Glass wearers at MWC 2014. The big news earlier this month was that Google Glass was made available to the general public, though Google slammed the door shut after a few hours. Continue reading
Last week BlackBerry celebrated the 5th anniversary of the BlackBerry World storefront. They’ve released an infographic to coincide with the anniversary, highlighting its growth, including the success of operator billing. In BlackBerry’s own words:
“We… set out to ensure purchases were simple, especially for emerging markets. This led to our decision to invest aggressively in carrier billing. Today, we are a global leader in this respect – 77 partners in 51 countries around the world offer carrier billing”. Continue reading


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Today, Disney Cruise Line informed guests booked on the Disney Wonder’s March 4, 2022 14-Night Westbound Panama Canal Cruise from New Orleans to San Diego the scheduled call in Grand Cayman will be replaced by a day at sea due to the continued closure of cruise port in Grand Cayman.
The Disney Wonder’s revised itinerary is as follows:
- Friday March 4, 2022 – New Orleans, Louisiana
- Saturday March 5, 2022 – At Sea
- Sunday March 6, 2022 – Cozumel, Mexico
- Monday March 7, 2022 – At Sea
- Tuesday March 8, 2022 – At Sea
- Wednesday March 9, 2022 – Cartagena, Colombia
- Thursday March 10, 2022 – Panama Canal
- Friday March 11, 2022 – At Sea
- Saturday March 12, 2022 – At Sea
- Sunday March 13, 2022 – At Sea
- Monday March 14, 2022 – At Sea
- Tuesday March 15, 2022 – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Wednesday March 16, 2022 – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Thursday March 17, 2022 – At Sea
Friday March 18, 2022 – San Diego, California (Debarkation)
In December 2021, Acting Minister for Tourism Hon. Dwayne Seymour recently stated that “we look forward to welcoming cruise tourism business in 2022 when it is safer to do so.” In late January 2022, the Cayman Islands Government approved the extension of the temporary ban on cruise ships through February 28, 2022. Government officials and cruise line executive have been discussing safety protocols for the resumption of cruise calls in Grand Cayman.
There are still a few scheduled calls to Grand Cayman in March which at this time are on track if the ban is lifted. The dates shown below are the schedule port day in Grand Cayman, not the sail date.
- Disney Fantasy | Tuesday March 15, 2022 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- Disney Magic | Monday March 21, 2022 – 5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Miami
- Disney Fantasy | Tuesday March 29, 2022 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
At this time, the sailings listed above remain unaltered with the advertised calls in the Cayman Islands as of this publication over on Disney Cruise Line’s website.


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Godmother Valerie Ann Wilson at the naming ceremony
Swan Hellenic’s new expedition cruise ship, SH Diana, was officially named in a christening ceremony held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 4 May.
Valerie Ann Wilson, founder and CEO of Valerie Wilson Travel, served as godmother of SH Diana and named the ship, which is the third and largest vessel in Swan Hellenic’s fleet.
“I really am so proud to be godmother to this wonderful new ship,” said Wilson. “It takes Swan Hellenic’s hallmark contemporary lifestyle elegance to new levels and is a fabulous expression of the way Swan Hellenic really want us to be explorers and discover the world. I’m not just excited to depart on the Norwegian cruise this evening, but also look forward to joining SH Diana’s explorations worldwide to places that even an industry veteran like me has never heard of!”
The ceremony also saw the official launch of Swan Hellenic’s new dining experience Maris, created in partnership with Jeunes Restauranteurs (JRE), an organisation made up of gourmet chefs from around the world.
Maris will bring different JRE gourmet chefs onboard for a series of exclusive cruises to take guests through a cultural food journey.
SH Diana will accommodate up to 192 guests in 96 staterooms and suites and an onboard team of 141 people to provide guests with luxury, personalised services.
“I would again like to congratulate everyone at Helsinki Shipyard for their superb achievements in creating this exceptional new ship,” said Andrea Zito, CEO of Swan Hellenic. “We are delighted with the quality of their work, creating another unique presence on the waves, and very much look forward to the new era SH Diana heralds, taking cultural expedition cruising worldwide.”
Following the ceremony, SH Diana departed Amsterdam for an 11-day cruise through the Norwegian fjords, which will conclude in Tromsø, Norway, on 14 May.


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Does Insurance Cover CBD?
As you have likely noticed, CBD has experienced a huge boom in its popularity of late. There’s a simple reason for this: Millions of users, and some scientific evidence, have found the compound to be very helpful in addressing a slew of physical and emotional issues. It’s popularity has turned CBD into big business, with one industry estimate saying that CBD is expected to generate $22 billion by 2022.
CBD is now legal in the United States, and given that it has applications which seem similar to medicine, many have asked whether or not CBD is covered by insurance.
The answer is no.
CBD is not covered by health insurance, for many reasons. First and foremost, CBD is not a prescription drug, and is available over the counter. Over the counter medicine is generally not covered by insurance, which typically only covers prescription medication that tends to be more expensive.
CBD is not usually covered by Health Savings Accounts. These accounts, which are tax-advantaged accounts that allow for pre-tax deposits and withdrawals after medical care or for medical equipment or drugs, do not typically recognize CBD as medicine. Furthermore, the IRS has not yet issued guidance about CBD’s status – as such, it is illegal for agencies which run Health Savings Accounts to offer reimbursement for them.
It is possible that, in the future, stronger CBD strains will be available that may be considered “prescription strength” and regulated by the FDA as such. However, if they contain more than .3% THC (the current amount which is legal to sell as CBD), they will still run into insurance issues. Medical Marijuana, currently legal in 33 states and Washington D.C., is not covered by insurance at the moment. This is because the Federal government still classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, meaning that it is illegal for insurance companies to cover the drug, even when prescribed by a medical professional. Furthermore, companies which sell medical marijuana cannot use the Federal banking system for the same reason – as such, medical marijuana remains a cash-only business in most places, despite the fact that it is prescribed by a Doctor and has the blessing of a states appropriate regulatory and medical authorities.
The only exception to this rule is Epidiolex, which is the first (and, at the moment) only drug approved by the United States’ Food & Drug Administration which has CBD as its active ingredient. As an FDA approved medication, the typical restrictions which apply to medical marijuana do not apply to Epidiolex. As such, it is eligible for reimbursement from insurance companies.


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The flexible micro LEDs can be twisted (on left) or folded (on the right). The LEDs, which can be peeled off and stuck to almost any surface, could help pave the way for the next generation of wearable technology.
Novel Devices Can Be Folded, Cut, Attached to Surfaces
University of Texas at Dallas researchers and their international colleagues have developed a method to create micro LEDs that can be folded, twisted, cut and stuck to different surfaces.
The research, published online in June in the journal Science Advances, helps pave the way for the next generation of flexible, wearable technology.
Used in products ranging from brake lights to billboards, LEDs are ideal components for backlighting and displays in electronic devices because they are lightweight, thin, energy efficient and visible in different types of lighting. Micro LEDs, which can be as small as 2 micrometers and bundled to be any size, provide higher resolution than other LEDs. Their size makes them a good fit for small devices such as smart watches, but they can be bundled to work in flat-screen TVs and other larger displays. LEDs of all sizes, however, are brittle and typically can only be used on flat surfaces.
The researchers’ new micro LEDs aim to fill a demand for bendable, wearable electronics.
“The biggest benefit of this research is that we have created a detachable LED that can be attached to almost anything,” said Dr. Moon Kim, Louis Beecherl Jr. Distinguished Professor of materials science and engineering at UT Dallas and a corresponding author of the study. “You can transfer it onto your clothing or even rubber — that was the main idea. It can survive even if you wrinkle it. If you cut it, you can use half of the LED.”
Researchers in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics helped develop the flexible LED through a technique called remote epitaxy, which involves growing a thin layer of LED crystals on the surface of a sapphire crystal wafer, or substrate.
Typically, the LED would remain on the wafer. To make it detachable, researchers added a nonstick layer to the substrate, which acts similarly to the way parchment paper protects a baking sheet and allows for the easy removal of cookies, for instance. The added layer, made of a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon called graphene, prevents the new layer of LED crystals from sticking to the wafer.
“The biggest benefit of this research is that we have created a detachable LED that can be attached to almost anything. You can transfer it onto your clothing or even rubber — that was the main idea. It can survive even if you wrinkle it. If you cut it, you can use half of the LED.”
Dr. Moon Kim, Louis Beecherl Jr. Distinguished Professor of materials science and engineering at UT Dallas
“The graphene does not form chemical bonds with the LED material, so it adds a layer that allows us to peel the LEDs from the wafer and stick them to any surface,” said Kim, who oversaw the physical analysis of the LEDs using an atomic resolution scanning/transmission electron microscope at UT Dallas’ Nano Characterization Facility.
Colleagues in South Korea carried out laboratory tests of LEDs by adhering them to curved surfaces, as well as to materials that were subsequently twisted, bent and crumpled. In another demonstration, they adhered an LED to the legs of a Lego minifigure with different leg positions.
Bending and cutting do not affect the quality or electronic properties of the LED, Kim said.
The bendy LEDs have a variety of possible uses, including flexible lighting, clothing and wearable biomedical devices. From a manufacturing perspective, the fabrication technique offers another advantage: Because the LED can be removed without breaking the underlying wafer substrate, the wafer can be used repeatedly.
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
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Micro-influencer led marketing has high potential and has gained prominence in India with the popularity of the new content-sharing digital platforms ...
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LED displays that offer a pixel density of 2000ppi. Such image clarity would be a major step forward for AR display technology, but don't get too excited yet. These won't hit the market for a few ...
- Foxconn developing micro LED AR smart glasseson September 30, 2020 at 8:11 am
Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai) is developing AR smart glasses based on micro LED displays, according to industry sources. The displays for the smart glasses have been developed by Electronic and ...
- Foxconn’s AR Smart Glasses will reportedly feature micro-LED displayson September 30, 2020 at 7:51 am
And, the new Glasses will reportedly have micro-LED displays according to Digitimes. The report says that Electronics and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories(EOSRL) has made the micro-LED ...
- Global Micro LED Market Report 2020: Market to Grow by 80% - Opportunities in Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Advertisement, and Aerospace & Defense Industries ...on September 30, 2020 at 7:12 am
Trends, Forecast and Competitive Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global micro-LED market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 80% from 2019 to 2024. The future ...
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Here are 8 wearable tech companies Google could acquire to take the fight to Apple, based on expert opinion and Business Insider's analysis.


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Which of these 10 startups is ready for prime time?
Next Big Futures founder Alex Ochs believes it’s likely that the biggest companies in the world are going to get some big changes in the next five to 10 years.
Och’s company is aiming to launch a new type of smart-home technology with a range of smart appliances and smart sensors.
In a press release, Och stated that the company will release the product as soon as possible.
OChs believes that this will enable companies to move away from the traditional smart-watches, and instead focus on the products they want to build, as opposed to those that simply provide the functionality.
“In many cases, this will require the company to build something new, but in many cases it will require a change in the way we think about smart devices and the way they are designed,” Och said.
“It will be a fundamental change for the entire smart-device industry, and it will bring new opportunities and new opportunities for people who want to make better smart products.”
The company plans to launch an app that will allow consumers to choose a smart home for their home, and then use its connected appliances to manage them.
The company hopes to have a device with 10 to 15 smart appliances that can manage the different devices that people have in their homes, such as lighting, security, smart locks, smart thermostats, security cameras, thermostat sensors, and more.
It also hopes to offer an app for users to create and share their own homes.
Oech is excited about the company’s vision for the future of the home.
“I think this will be the year that we finally see some of the companies who have been doing a lot of research on the smart home start to realize how they can do this with the devices they already have,” Oech said.


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On May 28, took place Netcomm Forum in Milan, an event in which operators have faced eCommerce issues. Data presented show that in 2012 e-commerce b2c in Italy grew by 19% and sales from Italian sites came to 9,5 billion euro, and the value of the Italian web shoppers online purchase (almost 12 million users, about 40% of internet users, an increase of about 30% in 2012) came to almost 11 billion euro with a +18%.
2013 is expected to grow by 17% with 11,2 billion euro of revenue. The sectors that will drive the online sales market are clothing (+27%) and computer / electronics (+24%).
Considering the data, what are the trends for the near future?
The first is certainly the mobile commerce that in 2012 grew by 142% compared to 2011, rising from 74 million to 180 million euro, in addition the 30 million smartphone owners opens a vast scenario of potential consumers constantly reachable, in fact every two merchant one has already started initiative for smartphones such as the pre and post sales support.
Moreover, the multichannel intended as the use of the channels on and off line jointly and integrated to offer the consumer the greatest possible interaction with the company. Finally, the Social Network to support these activities (90% of the merchant uses these instruments) with the aim to engage and retain more consumers than to make a direct sale.
In this scenario, Italy is still lagging behind other nations, but for this reason can be considered the country with greater growth opportunities as consumers are increasingly interested and ready to buy online. Companies therefore must seize this opportunity and adapt to this new way of selling and dialogue with the consumer.
E-Business Consulting, an agency specialized in digital marketing, provides business consultancies and develops ecommerce projects, giving its clients all the tools necessary to promote online business such as Email campaigns, Mobile Marketing, Banner, Search Engine Optimization and E-Commerce.


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Top 5 -yesterday
- Taking the wisdom from indoor farming and bringing it into greenhouses
- Top tips for growing lettuce in a greenhouse
- Greenhouse grower purchases 75-acre greenhouse in Jalisco, Mexico
- "One thing's sure: there will be less lit cultivation next season"
- New type of strawberry harvester introduced to the market
Top 5 -last month
Marrone Bio Innovations receives EPA approval for Majestene Bionematicide
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Other news in this sector:
- 2022-07-20 Better fertigation with ion-specific measurements
- 2022-07-18 Verano365 readies organic wetting agent
- 2022-07-14 VitalFluid trials their Natural Nitrogen
- 2022-07-14 Chinese scientists expected to raise Pakistan tomato production
- 2022-07-08 Active ingredients: worth the investment?
- 2022-07-06 Australia: bee tracker measures real-time pollination
- 2022-07-06 "Tomato waste biofertilizer is cheaper and more sustainable than the traditional ones"
- 2022-06-30 US decided to impose a tax on nitrogen fertilizers from Russia
- 2022-06-30 Tanzania: Tomato farmers combat fertilizer shortage
- 2022-06-30 Bioline Agroscience is launching the first rhizobacterial-based biostimulant
- 2022-06-29 US (CT): Rising fertilizer prices hitting farms, parks and gardens
- 2022-06-29 Integrated Pest Management farming methods get a boost in Europe
- 2022-06-07 Organic fertilizer guidelines launched to address fertilizer crisis in Ghana
- 2022-05-27 Plant-based biostimulants from cultivated crops
- 2022-05-13 Natural Growth boosts strawberry crop in yield and sweetness
- 2022-05-11 Using an app to use resources more efficiently
- 2022-05-10 "Soaring fertilizer prices put global food security at risk"
- 2022-05-04 Human urine could be an effective and less polluting crop fertiliser
- 2022-04-12 Application for fertilizer efficiency research now open
- 2022-04-12 Sri Lankan coconut industry faces collapse without fertilizer


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Manu Kumar Jain
Xiaomi is in active discussions with two more component partners to set up factories to support its growing operations in the country, especially its smartphones business where it has emerged as the market leader.
Xiaomi is locked in an intense battle with South Korea’s Samsung for the top slot in the highly competitive and price sensitive Indian market, the world’s second largest after China.
Xiaomi has made investments in 10 startups in India, several of which align with its strategy of building internet services, such as social networking app Sharechat
At almost one-fourth the price of the most expensive brands in the market, Xiaomi TV comes with the world’s thinnest LED and an intelligent content-first PatchWall software
Xiaomi, which last year had $1-billion sales, shared the number one position in Indian smartphone market with Samsung in the last quarter, as per tracker IDC India.
Indian executives are multifaceted, agile and adaptive besides tending to be more eager to embrace challenges and adapting to new cultures.
Xiaomi's VP and India head Manu Kumar Jain feels two factors will work tremendously in the company's favour in India, helping it cross $2 billion revenue target and bringing new customers on board.
Xiaomi India head Manu Kumar Jain said the focus is on rolling out exclusive service centers in large cities while they use multi brand service centers in smaller cities
Xiaomi VP Manu Jain said the company will focus on addressing key pain points, chief among them being making its phones available across all platforms including offline and recently launched Mi Homes
Xiaomi is launching similar Mi Home stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai in coming months and plan to launch 100 such stores across India in the next 2 years.
Jain who joined Xiaomi as the India head in May 2014, will however continue to oversee India operations as its Managing Director.
"This year, we are looking at what more ecosystem products we can introduce in India. We are exploring the market and seeing if there is a need (for the products)," said Xiaomi India head Manu Jain
Xiaomi, in April this year, had approached the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) for opening single brand retail stores in India.
The journey of the company began in a 12x6 sq ft office containing a table and two chairs and now they will shift to a 25,000 sq ft space in Bengaluru.
Jain says Xiaomi launched more products & categories in India than it had anticipated a year ago. It even did a global launch in India for the first time.
Xiaomi is in "active talks with a few companies, which are a little bit established and had raised a couple of rounds of investments earlier" said India head Manu Kumar Jain


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We have yet another example of why it is not wise to buy and consume processed and manufactured foods. Meat eaters take note.
Horse meat found at levels of up to 30% has been found in burgers in Ireland and the UK (in Tesco and Iceland in the UK). Pig meat contamination was also found. Was the horse meat even of human consumption quality? If you are religiously against eating pig meat or have an objection to eating horses (it’s not the culture of the UK or Ireland), this is highly offensive. It throws open again the question of ethical dealings in corporate manufacturing.
It is always safer to buy and consume fresh wholefoods.


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Apple's CEO Steve Jobs posted a letter on the company website yesterday to current iPhone users who bristled at Apple's decision to reduce the cost of the 8GB iPhone by $200, a mere two months after its launch. Jobs apologized to these early adopters and offered a $100 credit at Apple stores.
"iPhone is so far ahead of the competition, and now it will be affordable by even more customers," Jobs wrote in the letter.Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â "It benefits both Apple and every iPhone user to get as many new customers as possible in the iPhone 'tent'. We strongly believe the $399 price will help us do just that this holiday season."
Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart said the price reduction made sense because a $599 8GB iPhone looks much more expensive when compared to an $299 8GB iPod Touch. "This $200 price drop will keep the iPhone looking attractive despite the new iPod Touch, and I think the drop in price will make AT&T happy, too," Greengart said. "A $399 iPhone is still not a mainstream price point though."
"The iPod Touch was really the big story of the week from Apple's perspective,"Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â Greengart continued,Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â "and I think they got distracted by the ire of early iPhone adopters. In some ways, Apple just can't win. This rebate or gift certificate is really just going to make the seriously angry users even angrier because its an incentive to spend more [on Apple products]."
Interestingly, Nokia looked to capitalize on the iPhone price reduction with an advertisement on Google:
For more on the rebate:
- read Jobs' entire letter here
Timeline of Apple iPhone Rumors (1999-Present) Timeline


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Aswath Damodaran, Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University, Strongly believes that Ethereum (ETH) has a greater possibility of becoming a commodity than Bitcoin (BTC).
Ether (ETH) is a cryptocurrency that runs on the Ethereum blockchain. It is currently just one step behind Bitcoin (BTC) in terms of market cap. ETH is often viewed as silver, while BTC is observed as gold in the world of cryptocurrency.
According to Prof. Damodaran, ETH has a stronger upside story than bitcoin does. Moreover, ETH will be a better lubricant of those blockchain transactions in the distant future.
Prof. Damodaran, longtime critic of the cryptocurrency, said bitcoin lacks an “endgame” and called it a “purely speculative game” and further added that
All that bitcoin bulls seem to talk about, their biggest sales pitch for bitcoin is: ‘Look at how much money I’ve made on bitcoin.’ That’s it, that’s the end of the sales pitch,” he said. “That’s not a sales pitch. That tells me nothing about the substance here.
Further adding, Prof. Damodaran believes that we need to start to separate the crypto space into those cryptos trying to be currencies, those cryptos that are trying to be collectables — millennial gold — and those cryptos that are commodities.
The professor’s judgments came after a wreck in cryptocurrency values on Wednesday when the flagship cryptocurrency dropped to more than three-month lows sinking to about $30,000 at one point. Elon Musks tweet was also a key reason for BTC decline.
However, the critics from the finance prof. is not new, earlier in 2017, he described Bitcoin as a “pricing game with no good ending.” Then again, in 2018, he called BTC “failing currency and speculative investment.”
The crypto market is in a massive downtrend, with Bitcoin plunging more than 30% in the recent week. The entire market capitalization has likewise taken a colossal gouge, losing more than $800 billion in the same period.
New to Crypto? Enroll in Cryptocurrency Course at Todayq Education.


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AHMEDABAD: Business to Business (B2B) e-commerce is emerging as one of the finest sectors in the startup industry and companies are witnessing an unprecedented surge in Tier 2, Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities.
Industrybuying, the leading B2B ecommerce platform, has observed Ahmedabad as the top tier 2 city among others that are driving online demand for industrial utility products
in the manufacturing sector
. At present, the sector contributes around 23% in total order value and 10% of the entire Gross Merchandise Value (GMV).
Rahul Gupta, co-founder, Industrybuying said, “India’s manufacturing sector has the potential to touch US$ 1 trillion by 2025 and the sector will account for 25-30 per cent of the country’s GDP. Be it Oil and Gas or electronic product manufacturing, Ahmedabad is marked as one of the finest manufacturing clusters in India and has always been a huge market for us.”
“As the sector has played an essential role in our growth, we will continue our focus to establish Industrybuying as a reliable and authentic source of procuring industrial products in this region,"he added.
The products that show high demand in this category are Safety Shoes, Reflective Jackets, Hard Helmets, Harnesses, Convex Mirrors, Safety Spectacles, First Aid kits etc.
Moreover, other top Tier 2 cities like Coimbatore, Jamnagar, Surat, Dhanbad and Vadodara are also procuring utility products online through Industry buying’s platform that are being used in manufacturing industry. In a major boost to the government led 'Make in India' initiative, Industrybuying aims to further strengthen its presence to these Tier 2, Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities.


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There’s something that you probably don’t know about the obesity epidemic: It had its origins in the US Department of Agriculture and the food industry. An article in Britain’s Guardian newspaper and a recent BBC documentary show clearly how big business and big government contributed.
In summary, government and big business made us fat by greatly increasing the amount of sugar in our food. The increased level of sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup in our food was the result of a government policy that started under Richard Nixon – and was not a decision made by consumers.
How Richard Nixon Started The Obesity Epidemic
The roots of the obesity epidemic started back in 1971 when Richard Nixon and his Secretary of Agriculture, Earl Butz, started a policy of massive subsidies for corn farmers. The idea was to greatly increase the amount of corn and drive down food prices in order to help Nixon get reelected.
The policy worked and by the mid-1970s the United States was producing so much corn, nobody knew what to do with it. Butz came up with a solution: High fructose corn syrup (HCFS) or liquid sugar made from corn. The syrup was cheaper that traditional sugar and it was soon added to a wide variety of food.
“HFCS was soon pumped into every conceivable food: pizzas, coleslaw, meat,” BBC journalist and Guardian writer Jaques Peretti noted lasted year. “It provided that ‘just baked’ sheen on bread and cakes, made everything sweeter, and extended shelf life from days to years. A silent revolution of the amount of sugar that was going into our bodies was taking place.”
Author Michael Pollen told the Christian Science Monitor in 2002 that America produces “way too much corn.”
“So, we make corn sweeteners,” Pollen said. “High-fructose corn sweeteners are everywhere. They’ve completely replaced sugar in sodas and soft drinks. They make sweet things cheaper. And we subsidize this overproduction. We structure the subsidies to make corn very, very cheap, which encourages farmers to plant more and more to make the same amount of money. We’re subsidizing obesity.”
High fructose corn syrup resulted in the least healthy foods being the cheapest. Since 1971 to 2000, the obesity rate in the Unites States doubled, from 14.5 percent to 30.9 percent.
Food Industry Tried to Suppress Truth about Sugar and Fat
Last year many Americans were shocked by Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s excellent 60 Minutes documentary on the dangers of sugar. Many others were alarmed by University of California at San Francisco professor Dr. Robert Lustig’s YouTube video Sugar the Bitter Truth. Many were surprised to learn that sugar and not fat was one of the main causes of obesity and problems like heart disease.
“Authorities consider sugar as ’empty calories’ – but there is nothing empty about these calories,” Lustig wrote in the journal Nature earlier this year. “A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills – slowly.”
What’s truly frightening is that scientists and doctors were aware of this fact as early as the 1970s. Unfortunately, the food industry was able to keep the truth about sugar from the public by discrediting the researchers behind it.
University of London researcher John Yudkin published research that indicated sugar was causing obesity in the 1970s. Yudkin’s research was ignored largely because of a campaign to discredit him by the food industry, Lustig believes.
“There was a huge lobby from [the food] industry, particularly from the sugar industry, and Yudkin complained bitterly that they were subverting some of his ideas,” Yudkin’s colleague, Richard Bruckdorfer, told The Guardian.
Lustig thinks the food industry wanted to discredit Yudkin because it was planning to market large amounts of “low-fat” food that was high in sugar. The idea was to sell the low fat food to people worried about heart disease. Sugar was added to the low-fat food to make it tastier and more appealing.
“When you take the fat out of a recipe, food tastes like cardboard, and you need to replace it with something – that something being sugar,” Lustig said.
A big cause of obesity is the food industry and the government that supports it. If we want to end obesity, we need to end our dependence on big government and industrialized food.


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In good news for Ford fans the automaker will soon be taking orders again for the Mustang Mach-E, at the same time adding some new options and configurations.
In bad news for hopeful Mach-E owners, Ford has also raised prices on the electric SUV by as much as $8,100 USD depending on the configuration.
Back in April Ford shut down Mach-E orders, citing “high demand” as the reason behind the decision. Today the automaker cited “significant material cost increases, continued strain on key supply chains, and rapidly evolving market conditions” as the reason for increasing prices.
The entry-level Mach-E Select RWD now starts at $46,895 in the US, up $3,000 from earlier this year. The price increase is more than double that for the Premium RWD variant, up $6,200 to $54,975.
The increases continue to get higher, up $7,900 for the Mach-E GT ($now $61,995). The biggest increase is $81,00 for the California Route 1, now $63,575 and now only offered in an AWD configuration.
Vehicle prices aren’t the only prices that increased, with shipping charges going up $200 to $1,300, and the Extended Range Battery for Premium RWD increasing $2,600.
Along with the price increases, Ford is adding two new colour options for the Mach-E while at the same time removing two paint colours. The new additions are Gray Metallic and Vapor Blue Metallic. Dark Matter Great and Iced Blue Silver were discontinued.
Here is a full breakdown of all the price changes, which will go into effect on Tuesday, August 30 when order books reopen. We have reached out to Ford Canada for information on Canadian pricing and will update this article when we get a response.


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Researchers Find Eating Meat Regularly Increases Risk of Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Pneumonia
Eating meat regularly increases someone’s risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, pneumonia and other serious illnesses, research has found.
It is already known that intake of red and processed meat heightens the risk of being diagnosed with bowel cancer. But these findings are the first to assess whether meat consumption is linked to any of the 25 non-cancerous illnesses that most commonly lead to people being admitted to hospital in the UK.
The academics from Oxford University who published the study found that consumption of red meat, processed meat and poultry meat such as chicken and turkey, either alone or together, at least three times a week was linked to a greater risk of nine different illnesses.
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Yammer moves into Market Square
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Yammer Inc., the social networking platform for businesses, officially moved into its new headquarters in San Francisco’s Mid-Market Street neighborhood Monday with a ribbon cutting and coming out party.
Purchased last year for the impressive sum of $1.2 billion by Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT), Yammer was co-founded in 2008 by PayPal founding COO David Sacks and Adam Pisoni, who are Yammer’s CEO and CTO, respectively. The company has 330 employees in San Francisco, 445 globally.
Yammer’s new space occupies 80,000 square feet, taking the entire third floor at 1355 Market St., the 11-story, 1937 Art Deco edifice where Twitter Inc. also moved its headquarters last year. A company spokeswoman said the space could likely accommodate another 100 people if needed.
The structure is part of a two-building complex called Market Square which the Shorenstein Co. is completely renovating, and its revival has helped spark a dramatic economic renaissance in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Patrick covers technology.
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Scammers add COVID-19 angle to 'Mystery Shopper' con
Scammers are using COVID-19 to add a new twist to an old con.
A Huron county resident looking to make a little extra money responded to an online ad for a 'Mystery Shopper.'
The victim was told they would need to go to various local businesses and document whether they were following COVID-19 regulations and rate the overall shopping experience.
The resident then recieved a cheque for $2,980 despite the agreed upon fee of $400 per completed survey.
The scammers told the victim they had accidently over-paid and asked the victim to send back the extra $2,580 in the form of a bank draft.
After that was done the victim found out the initial cheque had bounced, and they were now out that money.
'We must find the turning point from anger and despair to hope and possibility' By Gervan Fearon Brock U Pres.Tim talks to Brock U President Dr. Gervan Fearon


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May was a month of sales gains and new model releases for the German brands. Mercedes-Benz released the new 2013 SL550 while Volkswagen unleashed its new 2012 Golf R hot hatch. BMW posted a 7.3-percent increase, while other brands posted double-digit increases compared to May 2011.
Volkswagen – 38,657 sales, up 28.4 percent
The Jetta continues to be the brand’s volume leader with 12,962 sedans sold last month; still, it wasn’t enough to avoid a decrease of 5.5 percent compared to May 2011. The redesigned Passat is still selling well with 10,178 sold. Last month marked the start of U.S. sales for the Golf R, which found its way home to 423 customers. Its tamer sibling the GTI sold 1568 units (down 9.4 percent), while 1887 customers bought the Golf (up 7.2 percent). On the SUV side, VW sold 2475 Tiguans ( a decrease of 19.9 percent) and 700 Touaregs (up 20.5 percent).
Audi – 11,503 sales, up 10.0 percent
Overall May sales were up 10.0 percent thanks in large part to the A6 sedan, which sold 1693 unit, a big jump of 260.2 percent compared to the same period last year. Also up was the Q5 SUV with 2332 sold, an increase of 5.0 percent. The remainder of Audi’s lineup, however, was all down. Audi sold 3058 units of its popular A4, which was 4.2 percent lower than May 2011. The sleek A7 reported a 2.5-percent decrease with 792 sold, while the A8 was down 6.7 percent with 528 units sold. Both the A7 and A8 will soon include S models, which may boost future sales. In May, Audi sold 90 R8s and 198 TTs, decreases of about 10 percent compared to May 2011.
Mercedes-Benz – 22,515, up 19.2 percent
The new 2013 SL went on sale last month and found its way home to 709 customers, a jump of 458.3 percent compared to May 2011. The CLS sold 743 units compared to just 38 in May 2011, while the SLK also posted big gains with 405 units sold (up 542.9 percent). The C-Class was the brand’s best seller with 6649 sold, a 34.7-percent increase compared to last year. The E-Class was flat with 5576 cars sold, while the soon-to-be-replaced GL and GLK SUVs slid with 1722 units sold (down 8.6 percent) and 2133 units sold (down 3.7 percent) respectively.
BMW – 22,168, up 7.3 percent
BMW sold 6321 3 Series models last month, representing a 22.1-percent drop compared to May 2011. The 6 Series experienced the biggest gains with 725 units sold (up 159.9 percent). Also up was the X5 SUV (3730 units, up 39.0 percent), the 5 Series (6102, up 45.3 percent), and the 1 Series (628 sold, up 51.7 percent). Summer is just around the corner, but sales of the top-down Z4 have slipped 56.3 percent (284 units) compared to May 2011.
Source: Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi


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In the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic, Vietnam was the country that practically organized the event and the RCEP was created at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It took eight years for ASEAN members and five of its partners – Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea – to sign the trade agreement. It should be noted that this is the first trade agreement between China, Japan and South Korea. The government has implemented ambitious structural reform that addresses economic challenges such as public debt, welding, non-trade barriers and environmental sustainability, social justice and emerging macroeconomic stability issues. Australia and Japan can be proud of the growth we have achieved in our trade and investment relations. It is therefore surprising that after 40 years, Vietnam does not have a free trade agreement (or economic partnership agreement) that will also ensure alignment with national standards of workers` rights, including environmental protection. Both the CPTPP and the EVFTA require that Vietnam comply with International Labour Organization (ILO) standards. THEO`s Chan Lee said it was an opportunity for Vietnam to modernize its labour laws and industrial relations systems. 6.8 Minter Ellison`s review of the agreement concludes that the main effects on trade with Malaysia (AD$14 billion in total for 2007-2008), Indonesia (AUD 10.8 billion) and Vietnam (AUD 8 billion) will be the largest. This will not affect the framework governing NZ trade; Australia has already concluded free trade agreements with Thailand and Singapore; and trade with Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Burma, Laos and the Philippines is weak compared to other ASEAN countries.  Where I expect change, there may be some measure in distributing some of that trade among a broader group of ASEAN countries.
Right now, we are both focusing on Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. A free trade agreement between Australia and the Republic of Korea offers considerable opportunities to strengthen our bilateral trade and investment relations, which complement and strengthen, and to bring benefits to both countries through closer economic integration.  I think it is important in a facilitating way, and I expect that part of the trade to change. I also expect that service exchanges will change. New Zealand`s education services, for example, are real priorities for the environment and engineering. Some of the benefits we have received from the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement with Malaysia would give our two countries some competitive advantages over other service providers.


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American Diabetes Wholesale is donating $5,000.00 in diabetes testing supplies in support of the ‘National Diabetes Mall Testing Tour’ which starts next month.
The tour is designed to take diabetes testing to the public in a manner that has never been done before and will feature free diabetes screening, free blood pressure monitoring, and cooking demonstrations. Developed by Celebrity Chef and Best-Selling author Charles Mattocks, the tour is scheduled to visit major metropolitan cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Orlando, and Miami.
“It was an easy decision for American Diabetes Wholesale to donate supplies to the National Diabetes Mall Testing Tour. Our team is proud to support Charles’ endeavor as he works hard to educate, help, and inspire thousands of people with diabetes throughout his tour”, says Chris Maguire, Vice President and co-founder of American Diabetes Wholesale.
Charles Mattocks was diagnosed with diabetes in 2010. Already a popular celebrity chef known for creating recipes that are healthy and affordable, Mattocks took his dedication to healthy eating to a new level upon being diagnosed with diabetes. His push to educate and show people how they can take better care of their health, while on a budget, is the foundation for what this bus tour is all about.
Mattocks states, “In my fight to save my own life and the life of others with diabetes, we look for people and companies that will stand and step up and arm us with the tools we need to reach the millions of people that are looking for help and hope. American Diabetes Wholesale is one of those companies that have gone above and beyond to allow me to keep believing that we can offer that hope, education, and inspiration to those in need. This gracious donation and continuous support of American Diabetes Wholesale will not only make screening possible for thousands who didn’t know they have diabetes but we hope to encourage those with diabetes to stay the course”.
American Diabetes Wholesale has partnered with Charles Mattocks in the past, from the launch of his Best-Selling cookbook to his Sugar-Free and diabetes friendly gourmet chocolate bars. Charles is also part of the ADW’s Destination Diabetes advisor board – an educational component of their website featuring tips and advice from diabetes and nutrition experts, diabetic recipes and more.
About American Diabetes Wholesale
American Diabetes Wholesale (ADW) is a mail order company that is dedicated to keeping diabetes management affordable. ADW is focused on helping customers effectively manage their disease by providing one of the largest selections of diabetes-related products, including glucose testing products, blood pressure monitors, and diabetic friendly foot at significant discounts. ADW takes a leading role in diabetes education through Destination Diabetes, an informational website featuring tips and advice from experienced healthcare professionals. ADW is involved in and supports the diabetes community and organizations that further diabetes education and research.
About Celebrity Chef Charles Mattocks
Charles Mattocks, aka The Poor Chef, has made a name for himself as the bestselling author of Eat Cheap, But Well. His famous tag line – “What can you cook for $7?” – has taken the country by storm. Charles’ love of healthy food fueled his passion for health and wellness. Charles aims to educate people on how to buy great food for the family without breaking the budget. He has a new line of sugar and gluten free chocolate called “The Charles Bar“, a documentary based on his life with diabetes in the works, a kids book and diabetic cookbook coming soon. Charles has teamed up with the USDA Pyramid program, a proponent of early education, teaching children to eat and shop for healthy foods. Charles has showcased his cooking tips on The Dr. Oz Show, where he and Dr. Oz prepared a great family meal for less than $7. For more information on Charles, visit www.thepoorchef.com.


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Holden has announced that the General Assembly line at its Adelaide manufacturing plant will move to a single shift in May. The move will se...
POSTED THU, 2 FEB, 2012
Though the beleaguered Saab is battling all manner of setbacks as it tries to secure the future of its operations, some good news has arrived for ...
POSTED WED, 15 APR, 2009
Honda has already taken a tight grip of its purse strings in recent months, in the process killing off the keenly-awaited NSX successor as well as...
POSTED THU, 2 APR, 2009
With stalling sales and an impending separation from General Motors, coupled with a blockade on supplier parts into the company, Saab has been for...
POSTED FRI, 13 MAR, 2009
The impact of the global financial crisis continues to take its toll in the automotive arena, with the announcement today that Melbourne-based Rob...
POSTED MON, 2 MAR, 2009
The falling demand for vehicles worldwide has claimed another scalp, with Lamborghini announcing a temporary shut down.
POSTED THU, 19 FEB, 2009
Brembo, possibly the best known name in brakes, has announced plans to temporarily lay off 1,840 workers - a response to the on-going decline...
POSTED WED, 18 FEB, 2009
Yesterday's announcement by General Motors US that it was slashing its white-collar workforce by 10,000 may have had more than a fe...
POSTED THU, 12 FEB, 2009
With no sign of slowing down, the global automotive sales slump continues to claim scalps.
POSTED TUE, 10 FEB, 2009
Despite the long-awaited introduction of exciting new products, and the prospect of more to come Jaguar-Land Rover today announced that it will be...
POSTED THU, 15 JAN, 2009
Not such a great news day for Blue Oval fans and the Australian car industry in general. In response to the continuing decline of the large ...
POSTED FRI, 22 AUG, 2008
The expected shake-out at Chrysler LLC has begun with the announcement overnight of the automaker’s plan to drop four models from it’s line-up...
POSTED FRI, 2 NOV, 2007


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Jack Ma and China regulators Meet to Discuss Issue of Fake Goods Sold Through Alibaba’s Platforms
Reportedly, on Friday, Jack Ma the founder and head Alibaba Group met the commerce regulator of China for a discussion over the issue of combating sales of fake products through the company's platforms. Both sides adopted a conciliatory tone during the discussion after a tussle over the issue of illegal business being carried on over the platforms of the Internet company.
Earlier, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC), had issued a "white paper", which is often used to convey positions of official policy, saying that several of the products that are sold on the websites of Alibaba infringed on trademarks or were fake, banned or substandard. However, later the report, which said that the company did do enough to stop the counterfeiting on its platforms, was backtracked.
The follow-up statement that was posted on Friday, in the regulator's website said that the report was not actually a white paper and had no legal power.
In a statement, Alibaba said, "The most recent SAIC posting speaks for itself. We feel vindicated."
According to a news paper report, during the meeting on Friday with the SAIC, Jack Ma promised to "actively cooperate with the government (and) devote more capital" for stopping the fake goods transactions.
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- Karma Automotive announces attractive price tag & unique features for upcoming GSe-6 electric sedan
- Twin River acquires iconic Bally’s brand from Caesars Entertainment for $20 million
- Wynn Resorts’ Encore to close for 3 days a week due to low demand


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THE SUNDAY TIMES
HOME WA: BATHROOM TRENDS P.10,11
BACK TO CLASSIC BLACK
- Alyesha Anderson
BLACK is the new white when it comes to your bathroom decor. The demand for sleek, dark tapware, vanities, tubs and accessories in Europe is being mirrored on our sandy shores. Suppliers say the transition from stark white to black (and bold coloured bathroom fittings) has gradually been taking place over the past two years, with some of Australia’s top designers among the first to embrace the dark side. Now its popularity is becoming more mainstream as style-savvy homemakers in inner-city areas cotton on to the chic looks they can create.
“Black, like chrome, goes with any finish or colour scheme,” says Nicholas Matten, sales director and head of global projects at Hansgrohe. “It’s neutral colouring is a design alternative to chrome and becomes a signature piece. “Beautifully designed tapware looks stunning when presented in black. It accentuates the curves, handle and overall style of the product.”
Reece Bathrooms marketing manager Belinda Geels says Australian design “more often than not takes its cues from the European market”. “One of the key trends to emerge from the recent ISH bathroom fair in Frankfurt (Germany) has been the striking contrast created by black accented fittings and accessories,” she says.
According to the bathroom retailers, black-finished products are just as tough as their chrome counterparts. “Hansgrohe uses a PVD finish, which is an electroplated finish for our metallic colours in polished and brushed finishes, such as black, nickel, bronze, red and gold,” Nicholas says. “The finish is as robust as chrome and should be cared for in the same way – without the use of harsh chemicals and abrasive cloths. PVD finish doesn’t fade or discolour over time.” Reece is so confident of its product quality, it offers a minimum seven-year warranty on black tapware.
Rosmond Homes has responded to this trend by creating a range of black bathroom options for clients who build with them. “Some clients might just want a splash of black to give that luxury feel or a heavier amount to offer the impression of a boutique hotel-style bathroom,” says Belinda Nicolaou, pre-start consultant for Rosmond Homes. “More and more people are using a feature wall of black tiles or alternative up-market cladding or even simply a statement black bath to add a touch of sophistication and elegance,” she says. “Black has proven to be timeless. It will be, and always has been, a classic look, which I don’t think will ever lose its appeal.” If price is your worry, Belinda says the increasing number of suppliers catering to the demand means the cost of this “dramatic” look is now “reasonable”.
Rosmond Homes, 9440 6644


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Since we’re longtime advocates of innovation and tech, we’re always proud to support events (like World Maker Faire New York) that celebrate invention, creativity, and all things DIY.
So, as part of our inaugural sponsorship of World Maker Faire New York 2013, we welcomed makers, inventors, and tech enthusiasts to compete in our third Road to Maker Faire Challenge (the first 2 were part of our sponsorship of Maker Faire Bay Area). More than 66 entries, ranging from pedal-powered contraptions to drone fliers, were received. And, after an intense week of voting, one maker won the grand prize: $2,500 and an opportunity to showcase alongside us at World Maker Faire New York.
Bobby Lambright and his 3-D printer
Bobby Lambright’s Deep Imager 5, a 3-D printer capable of creating just about anything, represents not only the spirit of the Maker movement but also the latest in 3-D printing innovation.
Making its grand debut at World Maker Faire New York 2013, the Deep Imager 5 features an aluminum powder-coated frame built to last, an LED Pico Projector, and door interlock switches for added safety. Using digital light processing technology and UV-based resin, the Deep Imager 5 builds high-resolution 3-D replicas from solid models that are sliced into layers, projected, and then cured with UV light.
Esurance at Maker Faire New York 2013
As makers ourselves (of innovative mobile tools), we were also there to share our time-saving invention with the community: photo claims on Esurance Mobile.
With photo claims, you can send in photos of your damaged car from your phone to get your claim settled faster. It’s just one more way we’re using technology and innovation to make car insurance easier.
Upcoming technologies from Esurance
Since innovation is the backbone of our business, we never rest on our laurels. Stay tuned for some exciting new technologies heading your way in the coming months.


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An Online Antidote to the Housing BustBy
Drew Sivgals used to do most of his landscape design near Newport Beach, Calif., where his five-employee office is based. Now nearly one-third of his business comes from out-of-state or overseas clients. He attributes much of his newfound clientele—including a Dubai homeowner who wanted a semi-enclosed air-conditioned patio—to a three-year-old website called Houzz. “I’m getting quite a few inquiries from all over the United States and internationally,” says Sivgals. “I just got an e-mail from a lady who lives in Capri.”
Houzz is an online directory that homeowners use to find architects, general contractors, and myriad other home-improvement pros for construction or remodeling projects. Combining elements of local review site Angie’s List (homeowners can read reviews fellow homeowners post) and image-sharing network Pinterest (professionals can post photos of their work for homeowners to browse), Houzz has more than 60,000 professionals in the U.S. who actively manage their profiles, adding photos and answering questions. Sequoia Capital led an $11.6 million investment in the Palo Alto startup in December.
Does the world need another service aimed at making comfortable people more comfortable? The commercial benefits aren’t just for furniture makers and other brands that pay Houzz to advertise their products. The site helps small business owners like Sivgals broaden their reach beyond their local area, says co-founder and Chief Executive Adi Tatarko. “Now Houzz turned on the light and we can see what’s going on around the world,” she says. “I think Dubai is an extreme example, but there are definitely many others who are reporting that they are getting jobs across the U.S. and not in their local metro areas.”
Houzz’s ability to connect professionals with homeowners regardless of location builds on a national trend: an upswing over the past year in remodeling as new construction stagnated. Contractors who typically did new construction before the housing bust “broadened their geographic coverage because they’ve been able to pick up remodeling work,” says David Crowe, chief economist for the National Association of Homebuilders in Washington.
“The housing cycles prior to this one had not been so severe,” notes Crowe. “Most builders had ways of surviving that require them to travel farther or take on work they didn’t usually do—but this cycle it’s a new phenomenon. It surprised me in that it was that widespread.”
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The corner of Main and Washington has a storied history in Vandalia. Once the Montgomery Ward catalogue store, it has also been a bank, a coffee shop called the Java Goddess and most recently an antique store, Past Reflections. Now it’s His Place.
Serving premium ice cream, Amish bread and pastries, fresh deli sandwiches, and brewed or specialty coffee drinks, His Place hopes to open sometime early this summer.
Featuring a spacious dining area with tables, refurbished ceilings and sunshine beaming through high windows, it’s the perfect spot to either relax and chat or enjoy the privacy of your own table. Owner Virginia Howdeshell, 84, hopes it will be a spot where people can come get a bite to eat or just hang out over a cup of coffee.
“The three goals is to put people back to work, to have a place for socializing where people will feel comfortable to come, and to see some of the old buildings in Vandalia restored, opened up and keeping them alive,” Howdeshell said.
“So much of it is her incredible vision that has brought this about,” explained Nathan Geesey, who is helping Howdeshell open the coffee shop as well as a thrift store next door. “She has a passion for restoring old buildings. Our goal is bringing the community together. We’ve had enough COVID, and enough isolation and enough of that. We need to be able to get back together again and connect.”
They have been working with community volunteers for the past three months to clean up and restore two adjoining buildings. The one on the corner will be the His Place coffee shop and deli with the adjoining building on the north side becoming Hope Restored thrift store.
Many community members have joined in to help with the hard work, which has kept start-up costs down. Geesey has also been working with businesses in Missouri, Illinois and Iowa to find and purchase good quality used kitchen equipment at discount prices.
“I’m very grateful for the volunteers that has came and worked because a lot of work has been done and a lot more needs to be done,” Howdeshell said.
The dining area needed a good cleaning, but it had already been beautifully restored by the previous owners. Refurbishing the kitchen area and the thrift store next door was a different matter altogether. The thrift shop building had previously been a stained glass windows manufacturing shop.
“Virginia has quite a group of volunteers who have rallied around her to bring this about,” Geesey said. “She outworks the rest of us. Today, she got here and started sanding the drywall. Yesterday, she was mudding and taping, she’s a worker.”
“How much can you read and sew?” Howdeshell asked. “I’m better off when I’m working.”
The coffee shop will operate as an independent, for-profit business, but the thrift store will be a nonprofit entity specializing in good-condition children’s clothing.
“I got sick in November with the COVID,” Howdeshell said. “I don’t know how much time I have left because I’m 84, so I’m giving the rest of my life and resources to enhance the Kingdom of God. So this is a ministry.”
His Place will be open Monday through Saturday, beginning with a limited lunchtime schedule from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Soon, though, the shop will begin to expand in phases. They hope to have local musicians on Friday nights this fall and eventually begin serving breakfast.
Look for the Leader’s coverage of the grand opening soon with more about Howdeshell’s contributions to the Vandalia community.


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When you're green, you're green: Tesla Motors chairman Elon Musk's other gig is SolarCity, a solar energy company that just announced it would lease panels to residents of San Jose with no money down. Typically going solar requires a $20K to $30K install, or at the very least, a $2,000 down payment, so a no-cash-upfront proposition is nice. But further reading suggests it may not be the homeowner's dream come true.
The Mercury News says:
In a typical scenario for a 2.8-kilowatt system, Rive said, a customer with a $150-a-month electric bill before installing solar would end up with a $60-a-month electric bill, an $80 or $90 monthly lease payment to Solar City, and thus "positive cash flow" of as much as $10.
But to me that sounds as arbitrary as it costing $10 more. Maybe you can't put a price on the smug feeling you'll get from being the first on your block with panels, but there's also a small matter of SolarCity's 15-year contract to ask about first. One hopes a long-term contract like that will provide regular upgrades as solar-power conversion gets more and more efficient. [Mercury News via TreeHugger; SolarCity]


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Police issue CCTV image after shop theft in Spalding
Police have issued a CCTV image of a man they are looking for in connection with the theft of goods from a Spalding store.
It happened at B and M, in Winsover Road, where a number of children's DVDs were stolen from at about 1pm on Monday, April 30.
The man police want to trace is described as having dark hair and he was wearing an Adidas white shirt with a coat over it.
Police believe someone carrying a bag entered the store and took the DVDs.
Anyone with information should call 101, quoting incident 182 of April 30, or email firstname.lastname@example.org
You can also call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or go online at crimestoppers-uk.org


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2 Minutes Read
Contradicting its own policy of drawing investments in the gaming industry, the Telangana state cabinet moved four ordinances to amend existing online gaming acts to ban online gambling making both online gamblers and promoters of these games in the state liable for prosecution under the new law. The ordinance with the gaming clause has been approved last week and sent to Governor E S L Narasimhan.
Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari after the cabinet meeting in Hyderabad spoke about the new developments, “Soon after the formation of Telangana, the CM had ordered police to crack down on clubs and other places which encourage gambling. But the government received complaints that people are now indulging in online gambling. We want to eliminate gambling in all forms. So the Gaming Act would be amended, banning online gambling. The cyber police will track online gambling and act against violators”
Notably, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had released its gaming policy three months ago under which investors in the online gaming industry were proposed to be given incentives but upset over rising patronage of online card games, the CM asked officials to prepare a new law. The new government (TRS) has made voluntary efforts to crack the whip on gambling, illegal card clubs and forced them to stop their operations, which lead to online card games being promoted.
According to reports, the local police received several complaints of financial loss due to these games and the state government was upset over the rising number of complaints against the industry.
The state is looking to classify online poker and rummy as ‘gambling’ and planned to impose a fine of ₹5,000 for the first offence and higher fines for repeat offenders.
Two years ago, Andhra Pradesh High Court upheld that Rummy is a game of skill and playing it was within the framework of the Constitution, which was followed by a Supreme Court order that also ruled that online rummy was not illegal.
Apart from online gaming, the TRS also plans to curb sale of spurious seeds, food adulteration and fake certification with these ordinances.
Image Source: Times Of India e-paper
Industry sources have indicated that a consortium of gaming operators are likely to challenge these acts of the government in court in the next few days.
Keep following the latest development on this story right here on PokerGuru!


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As per IntoTheBlock data shared by a prominent crypto analyst, 3.89 million addresses are presently holding Dogecoin. Though this might seem impressive, three months ago, this number stood at 4.55 million. However, the decline in the number of holders may not directly impact the token in terms of market price. But from the perspective of primary growth, this may be a key sign.
As indicated by WhaleStats' analysis of the top 100 BSC whales, Dogecoin remains among the top 10 holdings by Binance whales, who now control 237,474,203 tokens, or $33,212,182 worth of Dogecoin at the current exchange rate. At press time, Dogecoin was changing hands at $0.114, nearly 3% up on the day.
After Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that he will not sell his cryptocurrency holdings, the price of joke cryptocurrency Dogecoin soared by more than 9%. Musk took a veiled swipe at MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor, who predicted that weaker currencies would fall and that capital flight from other assets to Bitcoin would "intensify."
Musk moved to Twitter to question his followers about the "likely inflation rate" over the next few years after the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) jumped 7.9% from a year ago, the highest level in more than 40 years.
Dogecoin accumulation is net positive
Dogecoin's top holders appear to be scooping up tokens at a discount amid the present market volatility concerning the short-term price action for cryptocurrencies. It might be worth noting that every market cycle has an accumulation phase, during which prices flatten and contrarian investors see an opportunity to buy at a discount.
As per IntoTheBlock data, Dogecoin whales have become more active over the last 24 hours as the number of large transactions rose by 81%. Spikes in large transactions often point to high activity among institutional players, or whales, who are either buying or selling.
Dogecoin profitability, per IntoTheBlock data, remains at 53%. More addresses in the money are expected to be beneficial to the network because holders are less inclined to sell to break even on their positions.


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Late last week we heard whisperings that HP had a huge restructuring plan in the works, one that would see the company cut more than 20,000 people in order to reinvest. HP today announced its plans for a multi-year restructuring initiative that will see it axe 27,000 jobs.
HP will eat a $1.7 billion pre-tax charge in fiscal 2012 as a result of the restructuring, along with another $1.8 billion through 2014. However, the company says the new plan will generate annualized savings in the range of $3 to $3.5 billion (after 2014) and hopes the new plan will simplify business processes, boost innovation and deliver better results for employees, customers and shareholders. Approximately 27,000 employees will leave the company between now and the end of 2014. The restructuring plan will involve cash-saving reductions in other areas, including supply chain optimization and SKU and platform rationalization.
"These initiatives build upon our recent organizational realignment, and will further streamline our operations, improve our processes, and remove complexity from our business," Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement. "While some of these actions are difficult because they involve the loss of jobs, they are necessary to improve execution and to fund the long term health of the company. We are setting HP on a path to extend our global leadership and deliver the greatest value to customers and shareholders."
So, with all those savings, HP's got some money to spend. What's it going to do with all that cash? Reinvest, mostly. The company plans to spread the money across all of its departments, providing extra dough for R&D for its Services, Software, and Enterprise Servers, Storage and Networking divisions.
Today's restructuring initiative is part of newly-appointed CEO Meg Whitman's overall plan to return the Silicon Valley company back into positive growth. PC sales are reportedly dropping due to consumer favoritism towards tablets. The company has also been slow to shift away from ITservices and focus on the current trend of cloud computing.


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Schools in Los Angeles are now teaching children that eating donuts is ‘healthy’ as part of a radical new plan to destigmatize obesity.
A video, published on the Human Relations page of the Los Angeles Unified School district Instagram account, aims to dismiss the idea of “bad” food no matter its nutritional value as “based on a false standard of ‘health.’”
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The clip, which has since been deleted, begins with a woman offered a plate of iced donuts who recoils at them.
Thefederalist.com reports: “Those are so bad for you,” she claims, as her friend suggesting the sugary snack appears perplexed at the reaction.
“Oh no! Are they moldy? I mean, are they poisoned? Are you allergic?” the presenter asks while holding up the plate of dough and sprinkles. “Hm, you’re judging my food choices based on a false standard of health again, aren’t you.”
The conversation is followed by Kéra Nyemb-Diop, whom the video identified as the “Black Nutritionist,” encouraging students to abandon conventional standards of “good” and “bad choices.”
“Diet culture, fatphobia, and systems of oppression have created false hierarchies of food and show up everywhere,” says Nyemb-Diop. “Remember that you do not need to ‘earn’ food… Eat without guilt, regardless of what society says.”
According to Nyemb-Diop’s LinkedIn page, the nutritionist has been a “senior scientist” with Mondelēz International for nearly six years. Mondelēz International is a Chicago-based snack food company behind dozens of processed brands especially popular with children, including Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Honey Maid, and Sour Patch Kids.
Contrary to the alleged nutritionist’s corporatized claims, recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which L.A. schools adhered to as gospel during lockdowns, encourages individuals to “add an array of colors to your plate and think of it as eating the rainbow.”
“Dark, leafy greens, oranges, and tomatoes—even fresh herbs—are loaded with vitamins, fiber, and minerals,” the CDC website reads. “Adding frozen peppers, broccoli, or onions to stews and omelets gives them a quick and convenient boost of color and nutrients.”
The website also posted an outline of the dietary guidelines for 2020-2025 which:
Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
Includes a variety of protein foods such as seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), soy products, nuts, and seeds.
Is low in added sugars, sodium, saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol.
Stays within your daily calorie needs.
Data from the CDC shows America continuing to fail in its effort against childhood obesity more than 10 years after the launch of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative. The public health agency says about 1 in 5 American children are categorically obese. According to State of Childhood Obesity, about 15 percent of California youth aged 10 to 17 are considered medically obese.
Recalibrating nutritional standards to erase notions of “bad food” not only sets children up for a lifetime weighed down by unhealthy eating habits, but it’s also anti-science. In the clip promoted by the Los Angeles school district, a pro-fat commentator labeled “SavageXFatty” claims “the only foods that are bad for you are foods that contain allergens, poisons, or contaminants. Or, food that is spoiled, or it otherwise inedible.”
“Basically, the higher the intake of added sugar, the higher the risk for heart disease,” Hu said. “The effects of added sugar intake — higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease — are all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke.”
Excess sugar, however, such as that found in just one package of Nyemb-Diop-promoted Oreos, is itself a “poison,” according to University of California San Francisco obesity expert Robert Lustig in 2009. Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, outlined the latest research on the consequences of ingesting too much sugar in the Harvard Medical Journal in January.
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Australia is to become the first country to enforce the plain packaging of cigarettes but tobacco companies have vowed to fight the new legislation in court.
From December next year, all cigarettes will be sold in olive green packs, which research has shown is least appealing to smokers.
Under the new laws, approved by the upper house of parliament, no trademark brand logos will be permitted on any packaging of tobacco products, although companies will be able to print their name and the cigarette brand in small, prescribed font on the packets.
The boxes will continue to carry stark health warning messages and pictures, which will cover 75% of the front of the pack and 90% of the back.
"If this legislation stops one young Australian from picking up a shiny, coloured packet and prevents them becoming addicted to cigarettes then in my view it will have been worthwhile," said John Faulkner, a Labor senator, during the parliamentary debate.
The debate in Australia has been keenly watched around the world, including in Britain, Canada and New Zealand where similar plans to curtail branding are being considered.
Cigarette giant British American Tobacco, which owns 46% of the Australian market, plans to challenge the legislation in the high court on constitutional grounds.
"The government can't take away valuable property from a legal company without compensation," said Scott McIntyre, spokesman for British American Tobacco Australia.
McIntyre said the company's brands, including Winfield and Benson & Hedges, were worth billions of dollars.
"We're a legal company with legal products selling to adults who know the risks of smoking. We're taking this to the high court because we believe the removal of our valuable intellectual property is unconstitutional," he said.
Cigarette makers Philip Morris Australia said the legislation meant it had little option but to pursue its compensation claim "through international arbitration against Australia and to also consider domestic legal action under Australian law".
The health minister, Nicola Roxon, said the government would not be bullied by the tobacco industry's threat of a legal challenge.
"We're ready for that if they take legal action. We hope that they don't. We believe that this is a measure that's in the interests of the community and it would be better off for tobacco companies to look at ways they could invest in something that's not so harmful for the community," Roxon told reporters in Melbourne.
Cigarette companies also say the plain-packaging legislation will increase the sale of illegal tobacco. "Once the packs all look the same they will be very easy to copy," said McIntyre.
Fifteen thousand Australians die from smoking-related illnesses each year with the social cost of smoking to the Australian economy estimated to be more than A$30bn (£19bn) a year.
Anti-smoking groups have welcomed the legislation. "We believe that it will reduce smoking in younger people and the fact that tobacco companies have been using packs very effectively as one of the last forms of advertising is one reason why they're so upset about it," said Professor Ian Olver, chief executive officer of the Australian Cancer Council.
Fifteen per cent of adults in Australia smoke compared with 23% a decade ago. In Britain about 22% of the adult population smokes, according to Cancer Research UK.
Australia already has some of the toughest smoking regulations in the world. Cigarettes must be sold behind closed doors in retail outlets and advertising and sponsorship deals are banned. It is illegal to smoke in any public places including bars, restaurants or entertainment venues. Some local councils have banned smoking in parks and outdoor areas.


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Investors led by Icelandic group Baugur have confirmed a £326m ($635.1m) cash takeover of Britain's Big Food Group.
Baugur has been steadily making acquisitions in the UK
The group said it would sell on the Iceland supermarket chain to a separate entity owned by investors such as Icelandic lender Kaupthing Bank.
Big Food Group's remaining assets would include Booker cash-and-carry outlets and Woodward Foodservice.
Recent Baugur acquisitions include jewellery chain Goldsmiths and fashion chains Karen Millen and Mk One.
Baugur is Iceland's biggest retailer and has been steadily extending its presence on the UK High Street.
It holds stakes in department store group House of Fraser and supermarket chain Somerfield.
In the latest deal Big Food shareholders will get 95 pence a share in cash from the Baugur consortium.


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Build21 is launching at IoT Asia on March 21-22, 2018 to become Southeast Asia’s first end-to-end smart building solutions group.
Comprising of Aecus Asia Consulting, Ampotech and Tanand Technology; these companies are leveraging their expertise to offer end-to-end capabilities from validating solutions, to selecting the right combination of sensors and platform, to integrating with systems and processes.
“Getting well designed solutions at the right ROI is complex,” said Ms. Aileen Neoh, Aecus’ Founding Partner. “Having these solutions blend with existing systems and processes adds to the complexity. Our background in the build environment is a key strength to helping our clients overcome these challenges. The group operates like a robust think-tank and have developed some really innovative solutions, which has exceeded our expectations since we started this journey.”
Mr. Tan Kah Wooi, CEO of Tanand Technology, said: “Tanand’s experience in IoT deployment and our proven cloud-based platform gives clients the assurance of reliability and performance. We believe any building can be smart regardless of size and age, and IoT is a good enabler. Being brand agnostic allows us to be a one-stop shop and customise according to client and building needs.”
Build21 is the result of three passionate innovators meeting at IoT Asia in 2017. They realised that each shared similar problems and the answer lay in the three companies coming together. Build21 was conceived very quickly and will be launching their solutions at IoT Asia 2018.
Mr. William Temple, CEO of Ampotech, said “Ampotech is excited to be a founding member. We see a significant unmet market need for integrated smart building solutions that are easy to deploy. And we believe through this partnership, we will mutually create new opportunities that will help to enhance each of our solutions and services.”
To date, the group is already working on several key retail projects and are in the midst of preparing for a smart hotel project. They are currently in talks with other partners to bring different layers of innovation and further develop its offerings.
For more information, visit:
Founded in 2016, Aecus is a Singapore-based consulting firm providing facilities management advisory services across the Asia region. The company have advised on smart solutions for hotel, mall, retail outlet, luxury elderly apartment projects. Aecus is actively engaged with leading researchers to develop and bring new technology to smart buildings, smart cities, and the health and sport sector. AECUS is a partner to Ericsson’s IoT ecosystem and part of Singtel’s innovation lab.
Founded in 2014, Ampotech is a connected hardware company specializing in the collection and analysis of electricity usage data from the built environment. Its products and software provide real-time visibility into power and energy consumption of spaces and equipment at a facility, while offering a simple installation process and hassle-free wireless connectivity. The large-scale, high-resolution data Ampotech provides have been used to identify energy efficiency improvements, conduct remote asset monitoring, and obtain business insight into operational and activity patterns.
About Tanand Technology
Founded in 2013, Tanand Technology has deployed over 1,000 IoT sensors and devices to help businesses achieve more than 10,000 kW energy savings with improved productivity to date. Tanand’s core strength is in helping to transform legacy manufacturing processes and buildings through IoT implementation. Their open platform cloud-based Smart Manufacturing platform & BMS platform is an affordable solution that scales according to business and building needs whilst integrate-able to enhance existing legacy BMS/PLC SCADA system.
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The Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) has released new retail tariff guidelines in an effort to fight ‘anti-competitive pricing practices’. The directive prevents companies from charging on-net rates of less than 70% of the current UGX131 (USD0.05) per minute interconnection rate, giving a UGX92 a minute floor price. The directive also limits promotional tariffs to 90 consecutive days, with at least 90 days between each promotion. Fierce competition between Uganda’s cellcos has driven down call rates, but according to the UCC, the ‘price war’ has led to an overall loss of value to customers who are struggling to keep track of tariff rates and promotions, due to their variety and frequency of change. The new regulations are aimed at increasing stability in the market and attracting investors, although they are expected to cause an increase in call rates.
According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, wireless population penetration in Uganda is only 42% compared to Kenya’s 58.6% and Tanzania’s 48%. Quarterly growth in the wireless market ending in March 2011 slowed to 3.8%, down from 12.9% in the quarter ending March 2009.