text:
Electric automaker NIO Inc is selling more vehicles than ever before as China’s auto industry rebounds from the pandemic and subsequent production shutdowns in 2022. NIO reported record sales for the month of June, which was the highest monthly total since the automaker delivered its first vehicle, the ES8 SUV, in 2018.
Eric Walz2022-08-07 10:00 PT
Electric vehicle startup NIO Inc, which is emerging as one of Tesla’s biggest rivals in China, is reportedly looking to build a EV factory in the U.S., a local news outlet reported on Friday, citing new job listings posted by the automaker in China. The job description says that candidates for overseas manufacturing park planning specialists are required to have experience managing two or more complete master plan projects, at least one of which should be in the U.S.
Eric Walz2022-07-03 13:30 PT
U.S.-listed electric vehicle startup NIO Inc is emerging as one of China’s promising new electric vehicle startups. The company has reached deliveries of 200,000 electric vehicles. Reaching deliveries of 200,000 vehicles is a significant milestone for NIO after launching its first mass-market vehicle, the ES8 SUV, in 2018.
Eric Walz2022-06-22 16:15 PT
Electric vehicle startup NIO Inc is planning to launch its latest model soon named the ES7, which is a fully-electric SUV that will compete with Tesla’s Model Y and BMW’s X5L SUV that’s sold in China. Although NIO has yet to reveal the full specs of its latest electric vehicle, the details were recently leaked in a regulatory filing in China ahead of its pending launch.
FutureCar Staff 2022-06-19 15:30 PT
On Tuesday, electric vehicle startup NIO reported it delivered 5,291 vehicles during the month of November, its highest number ever. The record deliveries represent a 109.3% year-over-year growth. NIO said it's in the process of accelerating its production capacity this month to accommodate the growing demand for its electric vehicles.
Eric Walz2021-01-07 16:30 PT
Chinese electric vehicle startup and Tesla competitor NIO Inc. launched its latest battery pack which offers more power and a longer range. The new 100kWh battery pack has a NEDC range of 615 km (382 miles) and is available as a subscription for NIO vehicles.
Eric Walz2020-12-16 11:30 PT
China's electric vehicle maker and Tesla rival NIO is offering is 75 million American depositary shares (ADSs) with each one equal to one Class A ordinary share. The decision to present the share offering comes amid a resurgence in the electric vehicle industry led by Tesla.
FutureCar Staff 2020-10-04 12:25 PT
Chinese electric car startup Nio is partnering with Intel’s autonomous driving subsidiary Mobileye to develop self-driving vehicles for the consumer market in China and eventually to other overseas markets.
Eric Walz2019-12-12 10:05 PT
FutureCar Staff Sep 22, 2023 6:22 AM PT
FutureCar Staff Sep 22, 2023 6:21 AM PT
FutureCar Staff Sep 22, 2023 6:18 AM PT


text:
In response, the European Union hit the USA with tariffs on $3.2 billion worth of American products, including motorcycles.
Harley estimates the European tariff increase from 6 percent to 31 percent on motorcycles would add $2,200 to the cost of an average motorcycle exported from the U.S.to the EU.
Wisconsin-based Harley-Davidson has assembly plants in Australia, Brazil, India and Thailand.
Trump said he has fought hard for the company and was surprised by its plans, which he described as waving the "White Flag".
The company reports it sold about 40,000 motorcycles in the European Union market in 2017, and that "Europe is a critical market for Harley-Davidson". Most young people are too buried in student loans or the gig economy to shell out more than $20,000 for a part-time ride, so to prop up flagging popularity here at home, Harley-Davidson began trying to improve foreign sales. In the U.S., Harley-Davidson sold 147,972 motorcycles past year, according to company data.
Harley said ramping up production at its overseas global plants will require incremental investments and could take at least nine to 18 months.
"Unfortunately, this confirms my concerns and is a far too predictable outcome of policies that give companies like Harley-Davidson incentives to make their products elsewhere", Johnson said in a statement.
It will instead absorb a significant amount of the cost in the near term. It's likely that one or more of these plants will take on the production that leaves the US. Sales of the company's bikes have already been stung in recent years, with the initial bite of the recession followed by a general downturn in interest from Millennial riders. A year after Trump pulled the USA out of the TPP in January 2017, Harley announced it would close its factory in Kansas City and consolidate production in York, Pennsylvania, eliminating about 260 jobs. By comparison, it sold 161,658 motorcycles in the United States during the same period. It wasn't immediately known whether any other facilities would be consolidated.
In response, Trump blasted Harley-Davidson for using the tariffs as an "excuse" to move more of their manufacturing overseas.
Not only is this going to probably cost Americans jobs, but it's also going to put a real crimp in Harley's whole "Made in America" thing.
White House trade and manufacturing adviser Peter Navarro said on Monday the administration wants Harley to make more motorcycles in the United States.
The Trump administration's tariffs have tended to target raw materials like steel or aluminum, or building block materials like solar modules. "The best way to help American workers, consumers, and manufacturers is to open new markets for them, not to raise barriers to our own market".

domain: news


text:
Now you can buy electric vehicles without pre-fitted batteries and can also register them. The Ministry of Road Transport has sent a message to all states to allow this. This move of the government will reduce the cost incurred by the vehicle owners to purchase an electric vehicle and save about 40 percent in road tax (road tax) during the registration of such vehicles.
However, such vehicles will require the approval of testing agencies. Even batteries that can later be fitted for permanent use or under a swapping mechanism will need type approval from testing agencies.
Currently, battery costs account for about 30–40 percent of total vehicle costs. The objective of the Ministry of Road Transport behind the initiative to reduce the cost of batteries is to increase the penetration of electric vehicles as fewer people show interest in buying them due to the higher price of such vehicles. The government's move will also create a new business ecosystem of manufacturing and supplying standardized batteries, allowing people to buy or rent batteries at a cheaper price.
According to the report, a source says, "When you go to buy a diesel or petrol vehicle, you don't buy a petrol pump. Similarly, why do people need to buy in-built batteries, if this market And when do people even have the option to swap batteries? "
The ministry said that there is no need to give the make, type, or any other information of the battery for registration. However, batteries, regardless of whether they are regular batteries or swappable, are required to have their type-approved by testing agencies according to central motor vehicle regulations.
Industry sources say this move of the Ministry of Transport will create a huge opportunity for the battery swapping industry. A source said, "If a car owner can get a fully charged standardized battery for his electric car at a rent of Rs 500 to Rs 600 per week, then he does not need to buy a full battery. Life is also for 3-4 years. They can avoid upfront investment and this will make the business like electric cab financially viable. "


text:
This Monday, Apple held their World Wide Developers Conference, WWDC. This annual event is where Apple typically announces the next generation of their software and services. This year was no different, with Apple announcing Mac OS X El Capitan and iOS 9. As with every year, a lot of new features were announced for Apple platforms at the conference, but I’m going to go into detail on one of them: device search.
The ability to search through your device has existed on iOS devices for quite a while, but search is about to become a lot more powerful. In the past, you could swipe down on the home screen to access your search bar, that Apple calls “Spotlight”. Using this search bar, you can quickly launch apps, or search content on certain Apple apps, like text messages and contacts. In iOS 9, Apple is opening up the search functionality to every app developer. Any app can expose its content to Spotlight searches. For example, a retailer can allow the user to search through their store locations without opening their app, right through spotlight. Apple has even indicated that some search results can show up even if the user doesn’t have the app installed, which could help users discover new apps that might be useful to them. The extent of this ability hasn’t been fully described, however.
The new search features in iOS 9 may represent a shift in how users use their apps. In the past, to access information in an app, you would have to explicitly launch it to access anything. Now, apps can present their data to the user, even if they don’t remember that they had the app installed. After performing a search, the user can scroll through a list of search results from apps all over the device. Information will no longer as isolated as it was in the past.
The new search features will allow new kinds of apps to become useful as well. There will likely be a new interest in dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias, and other reference apps that can display their results in spotlight search. These apps may never need to be opened from the home screen, but they would be very useful for search results. Overall, search improvements will likely be one of the most substantial changes in iOS 9, and it will be interesting to see how apps will adapt to this new ability.


text:
The Brazilian Supreme Court will hear a case determining whether or not Apple can use the iPhone trademark in Brazil. The trademark was already owned by telecommunications firm IGB Eletronica.
The battle between the two companies has been going on for years. Even worse, in 2012 the Brazilian company created a lineup of Android smartphones called “iPhone.”
“Allowing a company to claim a trademark submitted in good faith by another one punishes creativity, distorts free competition and runs over Brazilian intellectual property authorities,” IGB’s lawyer Igor Mauler Santiago argues.
IGB filed its iPhone trademark back in 2000, long before Apple launched its own smartphone. The registration was ultimately granted in 2008 with retroactive effects. Apple argues that it should not have granted this trademark because there was already a competing product (Apple’s iPhone) on the world market. This is despite the fact that the trademark was filed earlier.
“To state that the circumstances of when the trademark is granted should prevail over those of when it was submitted requires the submitter to be no less than prophetical, and completely subverts the Brazilian intellectual property system”, IGB’s lawyers claim.
This is not the first time Apple has faced similar challenges. In Mexico, it had a standoff with iFone. It had another with Comware in Canada, and even one in the United States with Cisco Systems. In other cases, Apple has come to commercial agreements to acquire the iPhone brand name. It remains to be seen whether a similar thing will happen in this case.
Brazil has long been one of the priciest places to buy an iPhone. This is because the country applies a 60 percent flat import tax on most manufactured retail goods.


text:
Facebook just made a big step in instant messaging apps market. It just added free calling feature to it's Messenger app. This update brought free calls through Wi-Fi, a service that a few of other apps have it. You can also make calls on your data, but if you pass your contract limit, you will got to pay.With this new update Facebook Messenger joined WhatsApp, Viber and Skype league, other apps that have free calling features. Google Hangouts is still behind, as it doesn't have this service. It is possible that Google will make a huge step, as it wants to launch it's own wireless carrier service. It will be odd to have a wireless carrier ad don't have free calls feature !This new update also has chat groups,you can share media files and even create shortcuts of a conversation on your home screen. But something it's clear, the most important change is introducing free calls.
What's my model number?
There are several ways to locate your model number:
- Option 1
- On your device, go to Settings, then "About device" and scroll down to "Model number"
- Option 2
- Often times you can view the model number inside the device, by removing the battery
- Option 3
- Using Samsung's model/serial number location tool


text:
The mention of the word 'sprouts' in the ELLE office this morning didn't have quite the effect you might expect. Instead of wide-eyed revulsion, the whole team poured fourth their suggestions for the most delicious sprouts recipes. There were lardons and chestnuts and there was butter and cinnamon - you name it!
So, imagine our surprise when we found out there's another little vegetable that could persuade us to ditch Mr Sprout this festive season.
Vegetable company Staples Vegetables in Lincolnshire are growing what is now known as the 'kalette' – a hybrid of kale and brussel sprouts.
Commercial director of the company, Nigel Clare says: 'We think this will be a really popular choice for Christmas dinners this year.
'With Kalettes having a milder flavour, we are hoping it will be a hit for Christmas dinners as they are also so simple to cook,' he explained of the vegetable, currently being grown in the south west, south east Scotland, Lincolnshire and Aberdeenshire.
What has 2016 come to that we're now considering betraying our beloved sprout for a kalette?
Previously known as 'flower sprouts', bags of kalettes are now being sold in M&S, Lidl, Aldi and Morrisons and can be steamed or stir-friend (with generous spoonfuls of salt, butter and pancetta, we'd like to add).
Christmas dinner just got a whole lot more interesting.
For ideas on how to cook Kalettes, follow the Kalettes Facebook group here.


text:
BuyUCoin, one of the major cryptocurrency exchanges in India, has developed a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies in India. This framework, BuyUCoin claims, holds the support of all the crypto stakeholders within India.
New Sandbox Community Driven, BuyUCoin Says
It should be noted, however, that it’s unclear which stakeholders had a hand in developing this framework, or “sandbox” as they call it. This framework is set to be officially released on the 2nd of October, 2020.
BuyUCoin, which handles billion-dollar transactions and holds more than 350,000 users, has described the framework in question as a draft set of propositions, rules, and implementation methods driven by the community.
Fighting Against An Attempted Ban
This framework will be presented to the Government of India, and comes after the Indian Supreme Court had struck down the circular from the Reserve Bank of India. This circular had banned all banks and financial institutions from doing business with crypto companies at large.
Last week, the stakes were raised, however. Bloomberg made a report detailing how India’s Government is planning to introduce a new bill. This bill will ban the trade of cryptocurrencies, and is planned to be introduced during the country’s monsoon session.
Shivam Thakral stands as the co-founder and CEO of BuyUCoin, and gave a statement about the matter at large. He described this framework as the first milestone in what he called a long journey. This journey will see cryptocurrencies be accessible to the masses, said Thakral.
He went further, describing this sandbox draft as that was driven from the inputs of industry insiders and crypto experts. Thakral claimed that this will help the government make laws, but will also help budding entrepreneurs and startups be guided to enter this new, booming industry.
Many Voices Against Crypto Ban
Charles Bovaird, the Vice President of Quantum Economics, as well as a Senior Contributor at Forbes, praised this new sandbox. He made a statement about the matter, explaining that a crypto ban would have India fall behind other nations allowing for it. Through the process of lobbying Indian authorities, participants of the industry can try to implement a much-needed level of crypto regulation within the country, Bovaird said.
Crypto Kanoon stands as an Indian law firm focusing on blockchain, and has taken aim against this potential crypto ban, as well. Crypto Kanoon quickly compared it to the ban of derivatives trading the country had made back in 1953, highlighting the lasting damage it had done within the Indian finance industry.
We can learn a very important lesson from the mistake we committed in 1953.
Powered by: @zebpay
Now get 50% of trading fees paid by each person you refer to for 1 Yr.
— Crypto Kanoon (@cryptokanoon) September 23, 2020


text:
Although the salary hikes could see significant variations across sectors, pharmaceutical and automobile industries are likely to see the maximum increases, HR experts said.
“The expected hike is estimated to be 15-20 per cent. It should be better as economy is looking upwards,” HR firm Unison International’s Managing Director Udit Mittal said.
According to him, some multinational companies might also extend additional perks to their senior level executives.Latest projections by executive search firm MANCER Consulting showed that middle- and senior-level professionals in the country are likely to get a pay hike in the range of 10 to 20 per cent. Similar increases could also been with respect to bonuses.
MANCER Consulting CEO Satya D Sinha said executives especially in the pharmaceutical, automobile and realty sectors, are expected to see better appraisals next financial year.
While pharmaceutical industry is anticipated to get salary hike of 14-15 per cent, that in automobile segment is likely to 13-14 per cent. Real estate sector is projected to register 12-14 per cent increase in pay packets.
Executive search firm Spectrum Talent Management’s Director Vidur Gupta said sectors such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and consumer goods sectors – that are largely dependent on domestic economy – could see significant hikes.
“With a general election to be concluded by the end of May 2014, many are looking to the country’s next government to break India out of its economic doldrums. A stable government will definitely have a positive impact on the overall economic condition and hence there will be something good for employees as well,” he said.
Striking an optimistic note for the coming months, Sinha said services, mining, construction and infrastructure are expected to up their hiring activities as well as increase salaries.
“A hike of 2-4 per cent is expected in hiring in 2014. This is owing to positive growth in GDP and high expectations from Lok Saba Elections in 2014,” he noted.
Experts also opined that companies need to be careful while carrying out appraisals since there is need to retain performers and provide them with decent pay hikes.


text:
(CNN) - The space jacket worn by Buzz Aldrin while stepping on the moon has sold for a record-breaking $2.7 million.
The auction happened in New York Tuesday at Sotheby’s.
The in-flight coverall jacket is made of a fireproof, tightly-woven silica fiber called “Beta cloth” used in the production of Apollo spaceflight suits.
Other items sold included Apollo 11 flight plans, with a complete summary of the mission, which sold for $819,000.
Aldrin, who is now 92 years old, was the second person to ever set foot on the moon in 1969.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2022 CNN. All rights reserved.


text:
The paper’s personal finance editor said that the bank was right not to join the BBA judicial review of the point-of-sale PPI ban with unsecured personal loans.
A report from the Financial Ombudsman shows that Lloyds is responsible for the most complaints about personal loans and other practices.
Unsecured personal loans and credit cards will be the core products available at the company.
The watchdog wants lenders to improve the way they handle the insurance for credit cards and personal loans.
Consumer organisation Which? has said that many companies seem unfazed by the looming ban on point-of-sale PPI.
A new report says that secured loans can place a customer’s property at risk and are usually best avoided in favour of unsecured loans.
Anyone who thinks they were mis-sold PPI on their personal loans, credit cards or mortgages has more time to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman.
One analyst has said that the proposed action by the industry watchdog could stop borrowers having any form of insurance at all.
The financial watchdog revealed a 46 per cent increase in overall complaints regarding personal loans, mortgages and credit cards.
A provisional decision by the Competition Commission means that lenders will not be able to offer payment protection insurance at point-of-sale.


text:
🚀 Good morning! I’ve hit send slightly early today because right at 7:50am ET, or about 50 minutes after when you get this email, NASA launches its Perseverance Mars Rover, the one rover (and helicopter) that will we all hope makes a safe landing on 18 February 2021, at Jezero Crater, Mars. Coverage starts at 7:00am ET — right now! Watch it here.
After an hour delay, yesterday’s congressional subcommittee hearing stretched nearly six hours. Much has been said about too many members of the subcommittee wasting time with politically-motivated questioning ...during an antitrust hearing.
But enough committee members came prepared, with internal corporate emails and detail from interviews with smaller companies that said they were harmed by anti-competitive practices. And questions yielded some surprising answers from the tech CEOS.
Did we get any fundamental new revelations? Yes and no. Here are some of the big moments out of the five hours, 29 minutes, thanks to great reporting:
🔜 From motion blur to audio zoom, here’s what Google could soon bring to Pixels based on app teardown insights (Android Authority).
🤔 Report: Huawei eclipses Samsung as the world’s biggest smartphone maker (Android Authority).
🔊 Alexagate is a gloriously unnecessary tool to stop Amazon Echo from listening (Android Authority).
🆙 Google One will backup iOS or Android devices for free (The Verge).
🍎 Apple earnings tonight: What to watch for, including iPhone 12 launch (CNET). Mind you, a possible spoiler: Qualcomm results suggest the 5G iPhone will be slightly delayed: “Qualcomm is expecting “a partial impact from the delay of a global 5G flagship phone launch” (Engadget).
on-schedule projects underscore Intel's continuing failures to deliver (Ars Technica).
🛰 Airbus to build 'first interplanetary cargo ship' (BBC).
🔋 Sony plans to test its prototype Vision-S electric car on public roads. The surprise from CES might be more than a concept car (Engadget).
💫 Pluto’s dark side spills its secrets — including hints of a hidden ocean (Nature).
🔴 Mars’ elongated cloud has reappeared. Like clockwork! (Gizmodo).
👷♂ Stonehenge: Analysis of long-lost rock seems to show the largest rocks came from a forest 15 miles away; builders began work on the structure around 3,000 BC (ScienceMag).
📺 ELI5: Why have we settled on 16:9 as the standard aspect ratio? (r/explainlikeimfive)
Tomorrow, July 31, in 1971, a lunar rover was driven on the moon, during the Apollo 15 mission.
Crossing fingers for today's launch!
Tristan Rayner, Senior Editor.
©2020. DGiT. All rights reserved.


text:
Formula 1 boss Chase Carey has spoken about the difficulties in trying to keep both fans and sponsors happy when viewing the sport.
Formula 1 has transitioned from free-to-air to a subscription service, but some fans would be willing to pay for a dedicated F1 service provided by the new owners.
However, Carey has warned just how difficult it is to maintain a balance across the whole media spectrum.
“In terms of the television arena that we deal with, I guess the way to describe it is that there are three or even four potential arenas that we are engaged with,” Carey told Motorsport.com.
“Traditional free [to air], pay, digital and then our own probably more direct 'over the top' product. To some degree what you have is conflicting goals across them.
"Probably the economic premium paid gets higher as you go up the ladder, but the reach gets less.
“For us the goal is to maximise long-term growth, not to find a short-term pop. So I think we’re trying to balance what is the right mix of reach and direct economic value.
"Clearly there are impacts on other partners we have – for sponsors the fan engagement is obviously very important.
“So if you’re energising the sport I think we want to make sure we continue to position it for long-term growth that finds a balance between that reach and those economics as opposed to just where you can get the biggest buck?”
Carey ultimately believes Formula 1 will become more digital but the process will not a quick or easy one.
He added: “It’s more and more heading to various forms of digital platforms.
"I don’t think it will happen as fast as some people think – because some habits die hard, and there is a value in volume and choice.
“I think on the programming side there’s still value in reach. I think directionally it’s going there, but it will take time.
"I think there’s no question that there will be a lot more ways that content will continue to be offered to consumers that I think will benefit consumers on both ends of that.”


text:
I am happy to announce that Parthenon Publishing has expanded its relationship with TravelCenters of America LLC (TA). We have published TA’s customer magazine, Road King, for the past six years. During that time, Road King has won dozens of editorial and design awards. In addition to creating the publication … read more
Monthly Archives for March 2010
Between digital downloads, Netflix and DVD vending machines, some say Blockbuster is a dinosaur. That makes sense, since the Internet is taking over the universe. Consumers want to click or text — not drive, walk or reach for their landline (gasp) telephones. read more
As a visual learner, Fast Company's Infographic of the Day frequently catches my attention. Today's infographic was compiled by the BBC and takes a look at Internet traffic patterns by unique users in the U.S, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil and Australia. Where do you think people spend the most time online? read more
So how many followers do you have on Twitter? If you are like most users, you probably have a few followers you wish you could get rid of: spammers. As Twitter's popularity has grown, so has the sophistication of spammers. And, with that sophistication comes a whole new way for evildoers to phish for your Twitter account information or get you to click on a link to drive up their site's traffic. read more
TEDx Nashville is this weekend and we encourage you to attend if you are in town.
What is TEDx?
TED is a nonprofit that began in 1984 by hosting an annual conference focused on technology, entertainment and design, and since then has hosted speakers on topics as disparate as evolution and video games. TEDx Nashville’s conference will present videos and live speakers on health care topics such as art in health care, using mobile phones to dispense health advice and diabetes research.
And we are very proud sponsors of the local event. read more
So just how much do you love your iPhone? Would you consider yourself a casual user, a heavy user or even an iPhone addict?
Recently, Stanford University researchers polled 200 students to learn more about just how people (well, students) are using their iPhones. According to a write up LiveScience.com, iPhones are pretty "indispensable" for many students. While they do not state that students are actually "addicted" to their iPhones, they certainly imply a real dependency on the technology.
I am a print magazine person. I love getting lost in a well-written story, and though I now read as many blogs and news sites as print publications, I strongly defend print to those who tell me that the format is in its death throes.
Naturally, the magazine industry wants to fight the notion that it is a dinosaur fighting extinction in a new media age. So a group of powerful publishers came together on a multi-million dollar campaign to promote "The Power of Print," kicking off with a video on YouTube. Hmmm.
This past week, Parthenon watched a brief video from Derek Sivers speaking at a TED event in India. (Learn more about Parthenon's support of TED.) read more
One of our health care clients, AMSURG Corporation here in Nashville, recently launched StopColonCancerNow.com, a national awareness and prevention campaign. Throughout March — Colon Cancer Awareness Month — the company will be doing national media relations, local events and social media stuff to get the word out. read more
Yesterday, I had the privilege of hearing Jeff Jarvis, the author of the Buzzmachine blog and the book, What Would Google Do?, at the NATSO Show in Las Vegas. read more


text:
The new slimline PS3 and its price cut could boost sales of the console by 60 per cent in the US, NPD reports.
The firm made the statement to Information Week, but warned that price alone won’t see Sony narrow the gap between the PS3 and its rivals, citing the need for big game releases.
"The $299 price point is important to getting to a point where the next segment of price-conscious consumers can jump into the market and it most certainly will re-energize sales of the platform," said NPD analyst Anita Frazier.
We would expect to see in the range of a 40 per cent to 60 per cent unit sales increase when September sales are reported.
Content is still the key motivator of a hardware purchase decision. Other systems might too take a price cut, so there’s a lot playing into which system tops sales any particular month.”


text:
The Obama administration on Wednesday gave states more time to implement a key feature of the new employer health care marketplaces and gave small businesses more time to comply with some of the new coverage requirements in the law.
Under the Affordable Care Act, states are required to offer a health care exchange where small businesses can enroll in and pay for insurance plans, all online. Companies in states that declined to build their own portals would be able to access a similar network run by the federal government.
In both cases, business owners were also supposed to be able to choose either a single plan or give their workers a choice between several plans — an option that is often too cumbersome to manage for small businesses. Making that “employee-choice” feature available on the exchanges was meant to give employers more flexibility and better control over their health costs.
Already pushed back once, it may be another year before business owners in some states can take advantage of that option.
That’s because, on the federal small-business exchange, which is being used by most states, both that feature and the online enrollment functions were delayed before the marketplaces opened last year. Both components of the marketplaces were supposed to be ready for small businesses by the end of this year.
On Wednesday, though, the administration again delayed the requirement that states using the federal exchange offer the“employee choice” option, pushing the deadline back another year to fall of 2015. The feature will still be ready, officials say, but states will now have the option to opt out of offering that option to small businesses through the exchange.
The change is a “major letdown for small business owners and their employees,” John Arensmeyer, chief executive of advocacy group Small Business Majority and an ardent supporter of the health care law, said in a statement.
“These kinds of benefits have historically been reserved for large businesses and public employees, while small businesses often have to offer a ‘one-size fits all’ plan with added administrative hurdles,” Arensmeyer added, later saying that “the employee choice option is crucial to the success of the small business marketplaces.”
This is one of a larger set of changes the administration announced Wednesday — for instance, the White House also announced that it will allow individuals and small businesses with non-ACA compliant plans to keep their insurance for another two years.
Moreover, it is the latest in a long series of changes to the timeline of the small-business health care exchange, which President Obama last year said would give business owners a Web site where they could shop for coverage with the same ease as buying flights on sites such as Priceline and Expedia.
Instead, for the first year, small business owners who want to enroll in plans through the federal marketplace can browse through plans online but must send in a paper application to sign up for coverage. As of now, the online enrollment functions are still supposed to be ready by this fall.
States running their own exchanges haven’t been immune to the problems, either. Small businesses in Oregon, Maryland and California, for example, currently do not have access to an online exchange. And even in states where the marketplaces are up and running, few small businesses have signed up for new insurance plans.


text:
Recyclable mobile phone batteries a step closer with rust-busting invention
Mobile phone batteries with a lifetime up to three times longer than today’s technology could be a reality thanks to an innovation led by engineers at RMIT University.
Light-based tech could inspire Moon navigation and next-gen farming
Super-thin chips made from lithium niobate are set to overtake silicon chips in light-based technologies, according to world-leading scientists in the field, with potential applications ranging from remote ripening-fruit detection on Earth to navigation on the Moon.
Redefining practice-based research in Europe
RMIT’s game-changing PhD program that’s shifting the concept of industry embedded research in Europe recently returned to Barcelona for its biannual Practice Research Symposium Europe (PRS Europe).


text:
PPG Industries recently announced the creation of PPG Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. The new company, located in Shanghai, opened June 1 and will act as business headquarters for PPG in China.
“China continues to experience rapid growth, and PPG’s new country headquarters in Shanghai will help facilitate our business growth through the consolidation of China business and functional leaders together in the new location,” said Viktor Sekmakas, senior vice president of Industrial Coatings and president of PPG Asia/Pacific. “The Asia/Pacific region is critical for PPG’s global growth plans. In fact, sales in Asia/Pacific exceeded $2 billion in 2010 and continue to account for a greater share of PPG’s total sales.”
For more information, visitwww.ppg.com.


text:
Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show 2023
The 34th edition of the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show (SCIBS) has cemented its position as the Southern Hemisphere’s leading boating and marine showcase, boasting impressive attendance, exceptional sales and a vibrant, festival atmosphere. Over four action-packed days, SCIBS 2023 attracted 47,345 visitors who flocked from all over the globe to view thousands of marine products, and an impressive 740 vessel line-up, including an all-time record of 315 boats on water and over 100 Australian, Asia-Pacific and World premieres.
“The feedback we’re receiving from exhibitors and visitors is extraordinary, and the exceptional growth of the event supports that. SCIBS is recognised by the industry as a must-attend event on the international boat show calendar, providing an unparalleled opportunity to market and sell products whilst showcasing the boating lifestyle,” said SCIBS General Manager Johan Hasser. “The enthusiasm from exhibitors for the Show has been a driving force behind the ongoing investment in Sanctuary Cove by parent company Mulpha Australia, including the recent expansion of the marina to include an additional 28 berths and the upcoming development of another superyacht arm by the new year. The Show is very much a collaboration between everyone involved - us, our sponsors and partners and exhibitors. We’re passionate about ensuring an exceptional visitor experience and the best platform for exhibitors to showcase their products to an engaged audience. It’s proved to be a very successful strategy, with this year being our biggest and best in our 34-year history.”
Erica Rae of Horizon Yachts says SCIBS has generated over $40 million in sales just the first three days. “This has been the busiest Show we have had in the past five or six years,” Rae said. “It has been phenomenal; the number of enquiries we have had come through. The crowds have been extraordinary, it has been really very busy. The quality of leads has also been really strong. We don’t usually sell a lot of boats at the Show because we are custom builders, so it is usually a two-to-three-month process, but we have already sold three boats - an E88 Sports Yacht, and FD80 and an FD90 - just over the first three days, and we are expecting the coming months to see more sales generated from SCIBS. Even our biggest boat, we have three very solid leads on that boat. It has a purchase price in the tens of millions of dollars, so there are a very limited number of people in a position to make that purchase. The fact we have three very strong leads on that is a testament to the quality of the Show and the kind of audience it attracts.”
Greg Haines from Princess Yachts says his team believes SCIBS 2023 has produced some of the strongest leads of any boat show they have participated in. “My team advised me that this year has presented us with the highest quality leads we have ever had at the show, and some of the team went further to say they have received the best quality leads of any boat show we have attended. We are finding there is a lot of interest in the bigger boats - boats above 65 feet.”
Mark Elkington, CEO, Multihull Solutions and The Yacht Sales Co said SCIBS 2023 has achieved outstanding results for his companies. “Our ILIAD Catamarans team was inundated during the show as the new ILIAD 53S commanded attention and a number of orders were taken across the range. It was wonderful to welcome dozens of owners who are currently waiting on the arrival of their new yachts, and the entire team felt this was the best show we have experienced since 2018.”
With another successful event now under their belts, Hasser emphasised the economic impact of SCIBS 2023, highlighting its influence on the event, tourism, and marine sectors. The show continues to fuel marine sales, create employment opportunities, generate tourism revenue, and increase visitor nights in the region. The Mulpha Events team have already turned their focus to next year’s Show, with plans to make it even bigger and better.
The 35th Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show will be held from May 23-26, 2024. For more information visit sanctuarycoveboatshow.com.au


text:
July 27, 2016
Single purpose API
IBM has moved to bolster its mobile computing initiative via new extensions to its Mobile First Application Development Portfolio, while at the same time opening 18 IBM MobileFirst studio locations where IBM will help developers build mobile computing applications.
Target is on the data breach hot seat again, just two weeks after settling its massive 2013 data breach. This time, an API vulnerability tied to the Target app wishlist functionality led a security firm to easily retrieve personal information from app users. The API requires no authentication.


text:
The activity aims to drive reappraisal and spans TV, digital, social media and out of home (OOH), plus a competition offering consumers the chance to win their share of £15,000.
Choose Now, which focuses on living in the moment, while juggling multiple jobs, hobbies and passions at once, will be rolled out across key regions in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The upbeat TVC, launches on September 18th across Sky, Channel4 and ITV and has a cinematic look. The digital creative will be upweighted on YouTube, in a series of 6”, 10” and 30” videos.
The OOH displays will mirror the TVC creative, highlighting everyday people as hustling heroes on-the-go. Launching on September 21st, the OOH advertising will appear at 59 roadside sites in Great Britain, six sheet roadside sites, 48 digital, as well as 175 TFL bus supersides across London.
In addition to the TVC and OOH, the brand has tapped into the experiential space with nationwide sampling, gifting 140,000 first year students with Welcome Boxes boasting the full Energy range to drive flavour awareness. On top of this, the existing website will be relaunched, the entire Boost portfolio packaging has been refreshed, and independent retailers will be kitted out with brand new POS. Boost’s bold repositioning has been designed to further elevate the brand and drive incremental sales.
The product packaging refresh gave the brand a more premium feel, with revamped logos unique to each range, as well as an updated energising visual for both the cans and bottles.
What’s more, the company is launching an initiative aimed at providing ‘generation hustle’ funds to give their side businesses and hobbies a boost. The Choose Now Academy is launching in September/October and will give consumers the opportunity to win their share of £15,000. Living on Boost’s social media channels, the initiative will involve hopefuls pitching their ideas to Boost’s hustle panel made up of the brand’s campaign ambassadors. There will be one overall winner who will receive £10,000 worth of funding, and five runners-up who will receive £1,000.
Marketing director Adrian Hipkiss said: “Our marketing campaign this year is bigger and better than ever before, and we’re absolutely thrilled to see the new TVC campaign and OOH bring this new position to life. As we approach our 20th year, it was important to us that we took the brand to the next level with our biggest investment to-date, and we could not be more excited to share this with independent retailers and wholesalers.
“As a business that is committed to selling exceptional value products exclusively through independent retailers, this campaign was developed with the channel in mind to ensure we’re continuing to add value. The campaign is a real step-change for us and leverages our challenger credentials as a down-to-earth brand that champions every day, local people something that we hope will resonate with our audience and drive more people into stores.”
The Choose Now campaign and repositioning work undertaken by Boost, comes off the back of a successful start to 2020, with Boost now being the 3rd biggest stimulation energy drink, and fastest selling sports drink within the UK’s Independent Sector [IRI Marketplace Symbols & Independents 52 weeks unit sales to 12th July 2020].
“Our stimulation business is in 1.6% unit growth year on year,” said Hipkiss. “Our sport business is in 43% growth year on year, and our coffee business is really establishing well.”


text:
Buffalo farmer Steve Mitchell’s Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Award win carries extra weight with big clients.
Steve Mitchell is a fifth-generation farmer at the family’s Boglily Farm outside Kirkaldy with innovation at the heart of his thriving business.
He’s utterly convinced that if The Buffalo Farm stands still long enough they’ll go backwards, so he’s embracing digital to take the family farm to new heights.
“We’re always looking for the next opportunity,” he says, “Social media has become such a big thing - how you interact with your customers and get that brand awareness out there.”
In December, Steve took to Facebook with a plea for volunteers after one spirited buffalo calf, Bert, vaulted the fence and ran for the woods.
Read more: Buffalo farmer raises the steaks
The prodigal calf soon returned, but it was enough to put Steve off drinking alcohol on his own stag do should he have to take off and wrangle Bert back home.
The Boglily farm makes frequent use of social networking to promote deals, show snippets of everyday farming life and share special moments with their growing community.
Steve admits he couldn’t have imagined the business targetting “gym and slim” customers, but successfully promoting the health benefits of buffalo meat has helped the farm carve a lucrative niche in the Scottish food and drink industry.
The Buffalo Farm triumphed in the 2016 Meat category, but the Auchtertool farmer admits he felt privileged to even be nominated.
“It was a huge honour and it had a great impact on our business,” he says.
“I was just honoured to be shortlisted against established brands and names I’ve got huge respect for.
“When it comes to going and visiting bigger customers in particular, that credibility carries a lot of weight and has definitely opened up doors.”
The Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards
The Buffalo Farm impressed judges in 2016 with their buffalo fillet steak - a moment of validation for his team and credibility for the brand he has worked so tirelessly to build. Now it’s your turn.
The Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2018 are calling for entries from the cream of the crop of Scotland’s Food and Drink industry - those businesses and individuals who are leading the way with innovation, enterprise, and quality. For more information, or to enter, click here or watch the video above.


text:
By Angela Singleton
An independent report suggesting that organic farming has huge potential and could even be ‘mainstream agriculture in waiting’ has been welcomed by the Soil Association, the UK’s leading environmental charity campaigning for sustainable, organic farming and healthy food.
Peter Melchett, policy director for the Soil Association, said: “Organic farming does not have all the answers to the challenges of climate change and diet-related ill-health and there is still a lot of work to do to improve organic systems. But the report shows the positive impact that organic farming could have.”
The key findings include increased beef production by 68 per cent and lamb by 55 per cent; a fall in energy-intensive inputs: fertiliser inputs could be cut by 95 per cent and sprays by 98 per cent; and an estimated 73 per cent increase in farm employment.
The survey also argues that organic farming has many benefits over conventional farming practices – water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions would reduce, spray use would be cut by 98 per cent and fertilisers by 95 per cent. With adjustments, organic farming could yield as much produce as conventional farming.
The report – England and Wales under organic agriculture: how much food could be produced? – shows the positive impact that such farming could have. It was carried out by Philip Jones and Richard Crane at the University of Reading, and was funded by independent trust the HCD Memorial Fund, and the Soil Association.
While the survey acknowledges that organic farming aims to be an optimal output system rather than a high output system, it suggests that, as consumers, we need to consider what food we will eat in the future, and what farming will look like under these changed circumstances.
“In the face of the rising prices and scarcity of key fossil fuel and mineral inputs, and the need to cut greenhouse gas emissions 80 per cent by 2050, food and farming systems will have to go through revolutionary changes in the next few decades,” said Melchett.
He added: “We face a choice between non-organic farming turning oil and gas into food, growing crops with nitrogen taken from the air and used in fertiliser made with fossil fuels, or organic farming growing crops with nitrogen taken from the air using the power of the sun and plants that fix nitrogen naturally.”
The organic movement began 60 years ago and, according to the report, there are massive challenges for the food and farming sectors in the future.
Melchett said: “Over the next 20 years we are going to experience the most fundamental changes in food and farming since the industrial revolution. The worldwide crisis of diet-related ill-health will drive us to make the sort of changes recommended by the World Health Organization, reducing demand for meat, sugar, fats and dairy products, and increasing demand for cereals, potatoes and other root crops, fruit and vegetables. We also have to wean ourselves off over half-a-century’s dependence on oil and gas to provide the fertility we need to grow our food.”
The UK imports about 40 per cent of its food, including tea, coffee and spices, and fruit and vegetables that it is unable to grow. This figure also includes large quantities of grains and protein to be fed to livestock.
Melchett said: “We import 25 per cent of the food that could grow in this country and nearly half of the nitrogen fertiliser needed to grow non-organic crops. Apart from cutting all imports of nitrogen fertiliser, converting our farming to organic will not make us more self-sufficient unless our diet also changes substantially.”
It would take many years for UK farming to go fully organic. And if this were to happen, many things would need to change, particularly the nationÕs eating habits.
According to the report, consumers would buy most food seasonally and locally; they would eat fewer but better quality eggs and dairy products; there would be more grass-fed beef and lamb; more fruit and vegetables, and far fewer energy-intensive, grain-fed and industrially reared chickens and pigs.
Peter Melchett concluded: “The Soil Association hopes this report will prove a useful starting point for a debate about how we can all have healthy, good quality and enjoyable food without destroying the planet.”


text:
- Playtika poised to lead rush of gaming IPOs in 2021, fueled by mobile binge during pandemic CNBC
- Playtika Goes Public As Spotlight Turns To Gaming Companies Crunchbase News
- Gaming Firm Playtika’s IPO Exceeds Target to Raise $1.88 Billion Bloomberg
- Playtika, Mobile Gaming Company, Soars in Market Debut TheStreet
- Israeli-Based Playtika First in Pipeline of Mobile Gaming IPOs Cheddar
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Brought to you by Google News. Read the rest of the article here.


text:
The competition was fierce in the race to be last. Surprise - the car at the bottom of the heap wasn't from Detroit.
|In Zuckerberg's all-Chinese Q&A, says Facebook has '11 mobile users'|
|You can stash up to $18,000 in your 401(k) next year|
|Domino's Pizza is hot again|
|China's booming $1.5 billion pet care market|
|Oil will tumble to $70 says new 'bond king'|


text:
As we approach the date of the announcement of a new 4-inch iPhone is multiplied and an increasing number of rumors about the new product. So, if earlier, sources said that the device will debut under the name iPhone 5se, now they point to the more simple name of the gadget. In addition, a leading analyst of KGI Securities Ming-Chi Kuo reported about a more flexible pricing policy on the iPhone this year.
Upcoming 4-inch iPhone will be almost identical to the smartphone 2013 iPhone 5s. According to KGI Securities, the model will get a 12-megapixel camera, similar with iPhone 6s, with the cost of the device will not exceed $ 500. He estimates that the device will be priced in the range of from 400 to 500 dollars. In other words, it will be very cheap smartphone: the cost not of the new flagship iPhone 6, we recall, starts at $549.
After the launch of the iPhone SE the iPhone 5s price will drop by half to $250, says the analyst. The device will be able to compete successfully with some of the budget models, including the Samsung phones on the markets of developing countries.
According to Kuo, after the launch of the new 4-inch iPhone sale Apple compact models will increase by 131% and can make in 2016, 37 million units. And most of the sales have dramatically cheapened iPhone 5s, not the new model. Some customers will prefer a more affordable version of the flagship iPhone, but, in any case, the game is worth the candle, observes the analyst.
According to reports, a 4-inch smartphone Apple will be called iPhone SE. Two letters in the name the machines are an abbreviation of the phrase “special edition” (special version), and the exception from the name of the number “5” due to the reluctance of Apple to associate the device with some already released series of smartphones. The novelty will be positioned as a completely independent product.
The official presentation of the iPhone SE is expected on 15 March this year, and its sales will begin on March 18. Along with presented a new series of straps for the Apple Watch and next-gen 9.7-inch iPad. Insiders indicate that instead of the iPad Air 3, Apple can show a smaller version released late last year, the iPad Pro that will be compatible with a stylus Pencil and Apple will be reduced to support a detachable keyboard.
Simultaneously with the presentation of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro may be announced about the reduction of delivery volumes or even complete cessation of supplies iPad Air and iPad mini 2. Reduced iPad Pro will cost about the same as now is the iPad Air 2.


text:
Amazon released a huge PS5 restock today, featuring both the $400 all-digital version of the console and the $500 standard version of the console with a disc drive. Unlike previous PS5 restocks from Amazon though, this one gave priority to Amazon Prime subscribers. Now, just about everyone and their pet parakeet have an Amazon Prime subscription, so this doesn't limit the pool significantly, but it does filter out some potential buyers, and more importantly, it filters out bot accounts.
The combination of the restock size and this restriction ensured that the PS5 restock lasted a lot longer than previous PS5 restocks at Amazon. While the console quickly showed as "sold out," stock kept flickering, allowing those patiently refreshing and spamming "add to cart" to nab a console several minutes after the restock's release. In fact, PlayStation fans were reporting on Twitter that they were able to secure an order up to 10 minutes after the restock went live.
Over on Twitter, several PS5 restock watchers -- such as Jake Randall and Spiel Times and Matt Swider -- all relayed word that many of their followers were finally able to secure a console, some following the aforementioned tactic of staying patient even after the retailer says stock is "sold out."
That said, and as you would expect, many PlayStation fans walked away empty-handed. While Amazon increased the odds in the favor of many, the reality is the odds are still stacked against every single PlayStation fan. Even if you take scalpers and bots out of the equation, the competition for a PS5 is still enormous. And due to microchip shortages, stock remains limited. As long demand outweighs supply, it's going to be a nightmare buying a PS5, especially since restocks are limited to online, and will be for at least the rest of the year.
For more coverage on all things PlayStation -- including all of the latest on PS5 restocks -- click here or, alternatively, check out the relevant and the recent links listed right below:


text:
BDSI raises fears over EU ingredients origins laws placing ‘unsolvable problems’ on confectionery firms
Monday, November 28, 2022
Germany’s BDSI confectionery trade body has expressed major concerns over EU plans to require origin identification for all ingredients under proposed ‘Food information ordinance’ legislation being put forward, reports Neill Barston. Bastian Fassin, Chairman of the BDSI, believes that the sector would be badly hit, as it is already facing the prospect of key labour shortages this Christmas amid the ongoing energy crisis. He said: “The demands for a comprehensive, mandatory indication of source are completely impractical, as it would lead to an unimaginable bureaucratic effort and enormous costs, and result in no added value for the companies concerned or for consumers. Public surveys clearly show that when it comes to confectionery, the taste is in the foreground and not the question of which country the in flour used in a biscuit or the sugar in a candy.”Click here to connect to the source of this storyClick here for more News and Views
As I browse the web researching various topics concerning the EU and UK sugar markets, I've been bookmarking interesting weblinks. Some of these are news clippings, some are links to official documents, and some are interesting data sources.


text:
Airlines & Airports
How Easy Is It to Travel to Cuba?
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
We can now take commercial flights to Cuba, but how easy is it really to travel to the once-off-limits country.
Visitors are still not allowed to visit for purely touristic purposes such as a beach vacation, but family visits, government business, journalistic work, religious activities and educational activities are on the up and up, according to a recent article in The New York Times.
However, these days there is very little actual regulation of travel to Cuba and travelers may find that they are kind of on the honor system.
“It’s totally self-policing and is essentially based on trust,” said Christopher P. Baker, author of the “Moon Cuba” guidebook, who also leads motorcycle tours in the country, to the The New York Times.
“Whereas in the past, travelers had to obtain a license specifically for their purpose of travel from the Office of Foreign Assets Control, now those with plans that fall under the 12 categories are covered by a general license granted by clicking a box on an online form when you make air, cruise or tour arrangements,” said The Times.
With these changes, travelers can now qualify under “people-to-people” travel while visiting the country independently.
The Times noted that “under people-to-people guidelines, travelers must pursue a full-time schedule of ‘educational exchange activities intended to enhance contact with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba, or promote the Cuban people’s independence from Cuban authorities, and that will result in meaningful interaction between the traveler and individuals in Cuba,’ according to guidelines published by the Treasury Department.”
Tour operators and cruise lines are some of the easiest ways to get to the island nation, with new options such as Fathom by Carnival Cruise Line offering in-depth people-to-people programs.
Going on your own does require some forethought, however.
READ MORE: Why Are OTAs Not Selling Cuba?
“Travelers also need a tourist visa and health insurance that covers Cuba, which effectively requires buying local insurance, both of which are now handled by United States transportation providers,” reported The Times.
Many airlines bundle these necessities into flights or include them as surcharges, making these add-ons easy to obtain.
When it comes to information on lodging and other travel options within the country, read on here.
More by Janeen Christoff
Get Travel Deals and Travel News
Recent Travel Opinions
Cruise Line & Cruise Ship
Cruise Line & Cruise Ship


text:
Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., at the launch of Vitara Brezza car in Mumbai, in 2016.
Image: Danish Siddiqui / Reuters
It’s a tough act to stay at the top forever. Except, of course, if you are Maruti Suzuki in the world’s fourth-largest automobile market.
The Gurugram-headquartered company has made a habit of selling one out of every two cars in the country and has been doing that for over two decades now. In the last four years, Maruti Suzuki’s market share in India has hovered around 50 percent, even as Covid-19 wreaked havoc across the country.
Not that those fortunes are likely to significantly change anytime soon. The automaker holds a distinct advantage of understanding the Indian consumer, and, in the process, offering vehicles that are affordable, low on maintenance costs, and with superior fuel efficiency. It also boasts an impeccable sales and service network, apart from good resale value for its vehicles, all of which have contributed to the carmakers’ success.
In 2020-21, Maruti Suzuki
sold nearly 1.3 million units, worth more than the combined sales of Hyundai, Tata Motors, and Mahindra according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
Yet, over the past few months, it hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing for it, something that’s begun to reflect in the automakers’ market share according to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association in India. In November, Maruti Suzuki sold about 100,727 vehicles across the country, cornering a market share of 41.93 percent. In contrast, just a year ago, the company held a market share of 49.24 percent. In October, Maruti Suzuki had a 40.12 percent market share, down from 49.67 percent the year before.
In fact, over the course of the current financial year, which began in April, the company has struggled to push its market share well past 43 percent every month. Much of that, Maruti says, has to do with a global shortage of semiconductors, which has piled up orders as production has been hit hard. The automaker has a pending order book of over 250,000 vehicles. “We have had big cuts of production in August, September, October and partly in November as well due to the semiconductor chip shortage,” Shashank Srivastava
, senior executive director, marketing & sales told Forbes India
in an interview.
Semiconductors are critical components that are used in vehicles for numerous features, including navigation, infotainment, and traction control among others. Much of the global shortage had to do with the phenomenal demand for semiconductor chips from the electronics industry as people turned to their phones, televisions, and game consoles due to lockdowns
across the world. In addition, shutdown of factories, a trade war between US and China, had also added to the massive shortage globally, hampering productions at automakers globally.
But that may only be a part of the growing troubles at India’s largest automaker. There is a bigger dilemma at play for Maruti Suzuki, which has admittedly missed the bus in India’s booming SUV market, which is now dominated by its rivals—Hyundai Motors India and Tata Motors
“One reason for the current market share is because of the production shortfall,” Srivastava says. “We have a pending order of 263,000 vehicles. Second, in the SUV segment, which has really grown in the last few years, our market share is still quite low. In that segment, our market share is about 11.7 percent, whereas if you look at the market share in hatchbacks this year, it is 66 percent.”
Missing the bus
To put it in perspective, India’s SUV
market is one of the world’s fastest-growing markets, and the country is in the middle of an SUV wave. By Maruti Suzuki’s own assessment, the market now accounts for about 39 percent of all the car sales, which is only expected to grow to some 50 percent in the next few years. That means, one in every two-vehicle sold in the country will be an SUV.
During the July-September quarter, India’s SUV sales overtook that of hatchbacks and sedans for the first time, and Maruti Suzuki, with just two models out of some 43 SUVs in the country lags far behind in the segment. Among others, popular models in the category include Tata Harrier, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and MG Hector.
The SUV market in India comprises various categories such as small, mid-size, and large SUVs. The likes of Tata Punch, Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue, and Mahindra XUV 300 come under the small SUV segment even as manufacturers are busy creating newer segments within that category, such as mini, micro and compact SUV’s. The mid-size SUVs in the country include cars such as Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun, Tata Harrier, MG Hector, Mahindra XUV 700 among others while full-fledged SUVs comprises the likes of Toyota
Fortuner and Ford Endeavour.
“We are now at around 11.4 percent in the SUV market, and this happens to be the fastest-growing, giving the perception that Maruti is losing market share,” adds Srivastava. The company currently operates in the segment with the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, which was launched in 2016 with a diesel engine, and the S-Cross. By 2019, the company announced its intention to leave the diesel market in India, with the focus shifting entirely to petrol engines and CNG-based engines.
“The diesel segment used to be pretty large,” Srivastava says. “But it has come down from about 30 percent to 18 percent. We are not there and our market share in diesel is zero.”
Much of that decision was largely on the back of the rising cost of developing environmentally-friendly engines. The share of diesel vehicles in India’s passenger vehicle category is currently less than 17 percent, a massive fall from 2013-14 when diesel cars used to account for 60 percent of the overall sales.
But, at the same time, the SUV market is currently dominated by diesel powertrains, which account for about 57 percent of the market, although it is steadily coming down. “The bulk of the diesel market is actually mid-SUV, which is about 57 percent where you have the Creta, Seltos, and Harrier, where our market share is quite low because we have S-Cross which isn't doing so well.” While the company has a strong contender in the Brezza, which Maruti reckons accounts for some 20 percent of the entry-level SUV market, in the mid-SUV segment, the company currently only has a 3.9 percent market share.
“We have about 20 percent share in entry SUV market and about 4 percent in mid-SUV, giving an 11.4 percent market share in SUV’s,” Srivastava says. “But the positive is that, in this segment, the percentage of diesel used to be about 96 percent two years ago, and that has come down.”
Diesel engines account for about 1 percent in the hatchback segment with another 5 percent in the passenger vehicles, according to Maruti. Until 2014, diesel prices in India were subsidised largely to help farmers run their machines and for freight transport, which meant that diesel prices were nearly Rs 25 cheaper than petrol per litre. That meant that many customers, who travelled frequently, preferred diesel vehicles even though they were priced higher than petrol vehicles.
“If you look at the entry-level SUV, diesel percentage is just around 20 percent now,” Srivastava says. “Two years ago, it was 88 percent. That’s because the prices of gasoline and diesel are very close, and the all-India gap is just Rs 5. In some states, like Gujarat, Goa, Jharkhand, Pondicherry, Odissa, it’s equal. People who used to choose diesel because of running costs have moved away from diesel.”
That’s also why even with the Brezza, the company abandoned its successful diesel engine for a petrol one. Maruti had, in 2019, said the company wouldn’t sell diesel cars from April 2020. “The behaviour of the entry SUV segment indicates that if there is a strong petrol vehicle in mid-SUV, this equation can change,” Srivastava adds. That’s the hope that the automaker is currently working with.
Yet, there are likely to be consumers who might prefer diesel vehicles for their higher torque and power, something that’s a crucial factor among SUV buyers. “In the mid-SUV segment, there are some people whose criteria is not just the economics of running costs, but they want a higher torque,” Srivastava says. “Which might explain the slightly higher preference for diesel in the mid-SUV segment. That will be tested whenever a new good SUV with petrol comes in that segment. Diesel seems to have failed in all other segments even in entry SUV, but still seems to be working in the mid-SUV segment.”
Hyundai Motors, Tata Motors, and Mahindra are among players who haven’t abandoned their diesel powertrain options, especially since those engines return higher fuel efficiency and are equipped with better power and torque. In fact, over 60 percent of the sales of the popular Hyundai Creta continue to come from the diesel variant, while the same holds for the Tata Harrier.
But diesel powertrains aside, much of Maruti’s recent problems might have to also do with the company’s product strategy that has been left wanting. “They really missed the bus in the SUV category,” says Puneet Gupta, the director for automotive forecasting at market research firm IHS Markit. “It is the fastest-growing segment in the world and the competition has also been very aggressive in this space. They have clearly given away their share to them. Part of the reason is Suzuki’s focus in Japan on hatchbacks and sedans which had also affected their thinking.”
While a spokesperson for the company declined to speak about the company’s upcoming vehicles, reports suggest that Maruti Suzuki is planning as many as five new vehicles, all aimed at the SUV market. These include a challenger for Creta and a three-row premium SUV, among others. “But we need to see if the customers are willing to pay upwards of Rs 15 lakh for a Maruti vehicle,” adds Gupta of IHS.
“We will be very mindful, and we'll be aggressive in introducing new products,” Srivastava adds. “If you see this phenomenon of SUV, it is across the world. So it is not just a fad. If you see Latin America, China, the US, and Europe, the SUV market is roughly about 45 to 49 percent. So, it seems to plateau around that 45 percent to 48 percent range. Currently, it is at 39 percent in India. The expectation is the SUV market will grow before plateauing out.”
Much of the uptick in SUV sales in India has to do with the riding comfort, the design language, higher clearance, road presence, and even a status factor. “It's not really off-roading roading, but they have better usage of space,” adds Srivastava.
“As a market leader, Maruti Suzuki is defending a fairly large goal post and hence sometimes it is possible that leaders may need to strengthen and adjust their tactical positioning,” says Harshvardhan Sharma, head of auto retail practice at Nomura Research Institute. “However, given the expanse of their network, time to market with new product development capabilities, and rapid deployment history, Maruti Suzuki will be able to surely leverage its economy of scale advantage once they decide to enhance their product portfolio.”
For now, while the company isn’t losing sleep over the SUV market even though it knows it has some serious catching up to do if it wants to maintain its dominance.
“If you take the total passenger car market which is hatches and sedan, our market share is 61.3 percent. In the MPV market, it is 63.2. Maruti Suzuki has been always very aggressive in introducing new products and we keep monitoring consumer choices and preferences,” Srivastava says.
“The mid-SUV segment is an important market undeniably,” adds Sharma of Nomura. “There are many OEMs who have successfully launched new products here. However, let’s also bear in mind that although growth in hatchbacks and entry-level sedans might be slow but that’s on account of a huge base and hence it is difficult to register double-digit growth in that segment especially now since it’s a fairly crowded segment. Maruti Suzuki is an undisputed leader in that segment, they developed that segment from scratch.”
In addition, the company is also pinning its hopes on the CNG market. “Our market share is about 82 percent,” Srivastava says. During the first half of the current financial year, sales of CNG cars totalled some 101,412 units, in comparison to 51,448 units in the year-ago period, indicating a 97 percent growth. CNG-based vehicles provide cheaper running costs, especially since fossil fuel prices had been on the rise in the country. A shortage of refuelling options, meanwhile, has been a deterrent towards mass adoption of the vehicles. Maruti Suzuki’s models such as Alto, S-Presso, Celerio, Wagon R, Dzire, Ertiga, and Eeco have all been equipped with a CNG option.
Even there, the company’s sales were affected after the government decided to divert industrial cylinders for oxygen purposes at the peak of the second wave of Covid-19 in India. “We had closed our CNG units in April, May, and June,” Srivastava says. “But we are the market leaders, and we continue to grow there.”
Perhaps that’s why the company isn’t quite worried about the market share situation. In addition, it also reckons that the falling fortunes will likely correct itself, as it had seen over the past 20 years, having never been challenged for the top position even once. “When you look at a longer term, probably it will even out and we will even get to where we are,” Srivastava says. “If you look at market share, it has been 50 percent and above on four occasions and those four occasions were the last four years. So, the customer base is there.”
For now, the company has categorised its plans into four segments, on which it needs to act. A first, green segment is where it considers the segments to be entirely developed. The other area is blue, where the segment itself has not been created. “It's like a farm where no trees are there, and nobody knows how big that farm will become,” Srivastava says. “So, you can go and plant your trees and maybe it will become big and you can enjoy the benefits of market share later.” The company claims it is akin to the compact hatchback segment, where it deployed the Swift model, and became a runaway success.
The third area is the white area where the market has not fully developed, and the company has the potential to build it, for instance, like a cross-over market. Then comes the red area, where the segment has developed, the market is massive, and the company has no presence. “The farm is quite big, but unfortunately our crops are not working. That currently is the SUV area. The segment is pretty large—it's 39 percent now of the market. Last year was 32 percent,” Srivastava says. The segment currently has 43 models across the country, with Maruti’s options limited to just the S-Cross and the Brezza.
“We have those two out of 43, so obviously you need to strengthen the portfolio,” Srivastava says. “There is no doubt about it. In that sense, it is a worry. Because if we want to reach our objective of 50 percent market share in a segment as large as SUV, you need to have much better market share than 11.4.”
He also agrees that the company lost a massive opportunity by not foraying faster. “In the mid-SUV segment, the new models which have come, like the Seltos, Harrier, and Creta, also have that first-mover advantage. To that extent, you can say there is an opportunity lost. But again, there is no point in looking back at it.”
For now, however, Srivastava and Maruti Suzuki aren’t backing down. “We need to clinically examine it and methodically see areas we need to improve in,” Srivastava says. “We need to see how to expand our portfolio so that we can also hope to dominate this SUV segment as well. Without diesel, people expected that we will not have 50 percent of the market. But we did. So, it is possible.”
Yet, time is key, especially since many rivals have been moving at breakneck speed to launch new models or offering facelifts. “Last year, the SUV segment was only 32 percent of the market. But suppose, it becomes 50 percent—it becomes more and more an uphill task. So, you need to achieve a good market share in the SUV segment,” Srivastava says.
“SUV segment surely feels glamorous, but hatchback and Sedan are bread and butter and that’s where the volumes are,” says Sharma. “As urbanisation and income levels improve, there are going to be more first-time buyers in India than anywhere else in the world and a vast majority of them are going to start with entry-level products where Maruti Suzuki has a moat.”
Then, there is the possibility that Maruti might just be holding back as the company undergoes transformation as part of a global partnership between Suzuki and Toyota. In 2019, Toyota and Suzuki announced that the two companies had entered into a long-term partnership for promoting collaboration in new fields, including autonomous driving. In India, Toyota had begun badging its vehicles that are built on Maruti Suzuki’s platforms such as the Brezza and Baleno.
“They could be making a strong comeback next year,” says Gupta of IHS. “With all the restructuring underway, a lot of changes may not be visible to us and that means there could be hiccups in the short term.”
In addition, with Covid-19 creating a massive push towards personal mobility, Maruti could also be a big gainer in the domestic market. “A lot of households could be looking at a second vehicle and Maruti could gain as a result of that,” adds Gupta. “At the same time, competition is also becoming aggressive and many of Maruti’s products are at the end of their lifecycle. Similarly, their core advantage of dealer networks has also undergone changes with digitsation.”
Unlike many of their peers, meanwhile, Maruti hasn’t been going aggressive on its electric play.
For instance, Tata Motors
, which already sells the largest number of electric vehicles in India, has set up a subsidiary for its electric vehicle play and, in the process, became India’s most valuable EV company, after raising $1 billion from private equity major TPG Rise Climate. The deal values the yet-to-be operational subsidiary at over $9 billion and the capital infusion is expected around March.
Tata Motors will invest $2 billion into the subsidiary over the next five years. The new company, Tata Motors believes, will leverage all the existing investments and capabilities of the parent company in addition to channelising all the future investments into electric vehicles and dedicated battery vehicle platforms and technologies, among others. Over the next five years, the company will also create a portfolio of 10 EVs
while also partnering with Tata Power to create charging infrastructure to help with early adoption.
“This is a big opportunity to lead the charge in this space (EV) and go about creating 10 products, and also create the ecosystem around it so that the aspiration of driving growth in electrification does not suffer because of lack of ecosystem,” Shailesh Chandra, president of Tata Motors’ passenger vehicle segment, had told Forbes India.
Similarly, Mahindra had, in May, approved the merger of the EV subsidiary Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd (MEML) with the company to consolidate operations, development, sourcing, and manufacturing. It also set aside ₹3,000 crore for its EV plans, six of which will be launched by 2026.
“I think everybody realises that going forward, environment-friendly vehicles will be the requirement,” adds Srivastava. “It will be mandated by governments across the world. So, the question about electric vehicles becoming mainstream is not so much doubtful. Going forward, ICE vehicles will increasingly become more expensive because you require to meet higher, tighter emission norms like BS6.”
So, what’s Maruti’s plan when it comes to electric vehicles? “We have already announced that we will bring an electric vehicle before 2025,” says Srivastava. “However, the battery cost hasn't come down as much as expected. The battery cost, which was expected to be about $60 per kWh in 2021 is at $110.”
That means, the company has pinned its hope on hybrid vehicles, akin to what Suzuki has been attempting globally. “Even in Europe, hybrids are about 14 percent while EVs are about 5-6 percent,” Srivastava says. “For electric, the battery cost has to come down so that vehicle prices come down.”
And that decision to foray massively into electric play may also be a well-thought-out strategy. “Large OEMs would definitely not want to pivot to only one powertrain and hence one may see a balanced and well-diversified powertrain mix from large OEMs spread across hybrids, CNG, Hydrogen, and ICE,” says Sharma. “We are at the cusp of a tectonic change in the way mobility is perceived. OEMs fully understand this opportunity and hence many efforts ranging from powertrains, agile organisation, digitisation and revenue models are underway.”a
If there is one car manufacturer who knows the pulse of the Indian market, its Maruti Suzuki. But weathering out a globally changing automobile landscape, with some intense competition, may not come easy. But, then, Maruti has always found a way out of a bumpy ride.


text:
KOCH To Distribute Paroli Records For US Launch
(Port Washington, New York)--August 18, 2003—KOCH Entertainment Distribution, the leading independent distributor of music, video and DVD, announced today an exclusive distribution deal with Paroli Records, a full-service label based in Munich, Germany headed by musician and producer, Leslie Mandoki. Paroli has just launched its US headquarters in New York and plans to expand its product line to North America. Under this agreement, KOCH will distribute all catalog and forthcoming releases.
Paroli releases via KOCH Entertainment Distribution include ‘24 Hours a Night’ by singer/songwriter Masha on October 21st and ‘Soulmates’, a collaboration uniting legends in both rock and jazz-fusion performing original material, for release on November 11th. Musicians on ‘Soulmates’ include Ian Anderson, Jack Bruce, Al DiMeola, David Clayton-Thomas, Bobby Kimball, Chris Thompson, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Anthony Jackson, Bill Evans and more. A television special will be filmed and sold together as a DVD/CD package for release in early 2004. Paroli is anticipating between 15 and 20 releases for 2004 that will include pop, rock and special market projects from the US and Europe.
“Our goal is to mirror the success of our European label in America. Considering the strength of the Paroli product line, together with the expertise of KOCH Entertainment Distribution, we have an excellent chance of achieving this,” says Leslie Mandoki, CEO of Paroli Records.
Michael Rosenberg, President of KOCH Entertainment Distribution adds, “We are very excited to be working with Leslie Mandoki for the launch of Paroli Records in the US. Paroli has an excellent line up of releases and we look forward to their success in America.”
KOCH Entertainment is the leading and fastest-growing independent music company in the U.S. KOCH's operations encompass record and video labels, music publishing, as well as distribution companies in the U.S. and Canada. KOCH Entertainment is the market leader among independent labels and distributors in both the U.S. and Canada and its record labels had the largest number of Billboard charting albums among independents in 2002/2003.
For more information please contact James Scileppi at (516) 484-1000 Ext. 243 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
A restaurant has been branded sexist after launching a new steak just for ladies - who it says often can't handle a larger cut.
The 'ladies fillet steak' was launched in response to what the restaurant says was 'countless' requests for something smaller than a 10oz slab of meat.
Manhattan Bar & Grill on Fenwick Street in Liverpool has now launched an 8oz steak which is listed on the new menu as "one for the ladies".
Karl Hassan, Managing Director, told the Telegraph, the restaurant was simply catering to a demand from its clientele.
According to BirminghamLive, One social media user wrote: "There is no problem with the "lady steak"... I grew up going to a fish restaurant that had a ladies menu, I believe they still do. Its not sexist, its reality."
"I don’t eat meat but always have kids meals when I go out.... smaller portion," another said.
A third added: "I want a ladies portion!! If I eat a man sized portion I get fat. I don't need as much as my hubby."
Another said it was "offensive", while one wrote: "Just cut off what you can't eat and hand it to the man."
"I enjoy my meat more than many men, so personally I think it's a crazy idea," another wrote.
And another added: "Instead of calling it Ladies steak just show the sizes instead of keeping this sexualism going. It's a steak."


text:
It was earlier this year in July when Toyota officially unveiled the Fortuner facelift in Thailand. Now, the carmaker is ready to bring the updated version of the flagship SUV to our market. Toyota India will be launching the facelifted avatar of the Fortuner in India on January 6, 2021. The SUV was spotted on a couple of instances in the recent past undergoing testing on the Indian turf without camouflage suggesting the launch is imminent. The Japanese carmaker is also expected to introduce a Legender variant of the SUV alongside the regular Fortuner facelift.
The Fortuner facelift will sport a host of new updates on the exterior front. It will get revamped front fascia with a larger grille, sleek-looking LED projector headlamps with LED DRLs, sharper features, revamped front bumper, larger intakes, slightly smaller fog lamps, silver skid plate, and more. The SUV could get all-new multi-spoke alloy wheels and updated ORVMs, while the rest of the profile is expected to remain untouched. The rear section will see a new pair of LED taillights.
The interior of the new Toyota Fortuner facelift is likely to remain very similar to the existing model. However, we can expect some minor updates to enhance the overall appeal of the cabin. The SUV will come fitted with a bigger 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, LED ambient lighting, moderately updated instrument cluster, multi-functional steering wheel, and much more.
As for features, the SUV gets electrically adjustable front passenger seats, wireless phone charger, 9-speaker JBL audio system, 360-degree view camera view, seven airbags, Toyota's safety sense, collision prevention system, lane departure warning, radar-guided dynamic cruise control and a bunch of other features.
Also Read: Toyota Urban Cruiser Review
Mechanically, the Fortuner facelift will continue to draw power from the BS6 compliant petrol and diesel engines - 2.7-litre petrol and 2.8-litre diesel. While the former will make 164 bhp and 245 Nm of torque, the latter will produce 201 bhp and 500 Nm of power figures. Transmission choices will include a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed sequential automatic unit.


text:
WorldACD reports that the enduring downward slide of air cargo volumes continued last...
- ADVERTISEMENTSingapore Airlines has launched a new service to transport temperature-controlled pharmaceutical cargo.2018-09-21DHL Express Australia has introduced a Boeing 767-300F freighter aircraft for Trans-Tasman lane.2018-07-31Air freight volumes were up 6.8% in February, but protectionist risks remain.2018-04-06The ACCC has granted re-authorisation to the Qantas-Emirates alliance, subject to a condition.2018-03-23The ABF is encouraging the Australian community to report suspicious or illegal immigration,...2018-03-20
- ADVERTISEMENTdnata Australia has signed a long-term agreement with Adaptalift GSE.2018-02-23The ACCC will re-authorise the Qantas Emirates alliance as well as allowing Jetstar’s...2018-02-16The IATA’s full-year 2017 data for global air freight markets shows that demand,...2018-02-06The launch of daily Melbourne-Hong Kong services is designed to meet growing demand...2017-11-16Transport Intelligence’s latest survey reveals momentum towards premium delivery products.2017-09-14Export confidence abounds amid flourishing e-commerce sector and innovation drive.2017-08-09IATA has released data for global air freight markets showing demand grew by...2017-08-09Boeing projects a demand for more than 1.2 million pilots and technicians over...2017-07-27The second Boeing 747-8 Freighter, RC521, landed in Palmdale, California, while Boeing is...2012-01-17On Thursday afternoon, Boeing towed the first 747-8 Freighter out of the factory...2012-01-17DHL has opened a new 35 million-dollar airfreight facility at Melbourne airport.2012-01-17
Sign up with your business email address to keep up with the latest industry news from T&L. Newsletter sent every week.
Most ReadThe Australian Logistics Council (ALC) is disappointed that ...The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) has provid...A reduction in empty container park capacity, larger numbers...Shipping company CMA CGM has launched a cash offer to buy ou...Nick Deligiannis Balancing automation with human workers, t...A new order for an additional 1,000 three-wheeled electric d...
© 2019 Transport & Logistics News. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by WordPress. Designed by


text:
Apple’s ‘Spring Loaded’ Event Will Be Held On April 20
Apple has officially announced its next event “Spring Loaded” for April 20.The official confirmation came just hours after the company’s voice assistant revealed the date early when asked “When is the next Apple event?”
3.1 Million External Attacks On Cloud User Accounts In Q4 2020 – McAfee
In Q4, McAfee Labs observed an average of 648 threats per minute, an increase of 60 threats per minute (10%) over Q3. The two quarters also saw COVID-19-related cyber-attack detections increase by 240% in Q3 and 114% in Q4, while Powershell threats again surged 208% due to continued increases in Donoff malware activity.
Microsoft To Buy Speech-Recognition Firm Nuance For $16B: Report
Microsoft Corp is in advanced talks to buy artificial intelligence and speech technology company Nuance Communications Inc at about $16 billion.
Facebook Spent $23 Million On Mark Zuckerberg’s Security In 2020
Facebook spent more than $23 million to provide security for its CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2020.
Researchers Found Critical Vulnerability In Zoom, Rewarded $200,000
The vulnerability was discovered as part of a contest, Pwn2Own, organised by cybersecurity firm Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative (ZDI), a programme designed to reward security researchers for responsibly disclosing vulnerabilities.
MacBook, iPad Production Delayed Over Global Chip Shortage
Tech giant Apple has delayed the production of MacBook and iPad due to the global shortage of components, according to a new report from Nikkei Asia.
500 Million LinkedIn Account Leaked Online On A Popular Hacker Forum
Days after a massive Facebook data leaked, a thread actor is selling an archive containing data purportedly scraped from 500 million LinkedIn profiles on a popular hacker forum.
Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger And Instagram Recovered After Brief Outage
Facebook’s platforms including WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram were down for thousands of users on Thursday.
Facebook Isn’t Planning To Notify 533 Million Users Affected By Data Leak
The social media giant Facebook did not notify the more than 530 million users whose details were obtained through the misuse of a feature before 2019 and recently made public in a database.
How To Fix The 500 Internal Server Error In WordPress
Internal server error in WordPress is often caused by plugin or theme functions. Other possible causes of internal server error in WordPress that we know of are: corrupted .htaccess file and PHP memory limit.
Intel Launches 3rd Gen Xeon Scalable Processors
New 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors (code-named “Ice Lake”) are the foundation of Intel’s data center platform, enabling customers to capitalize on some of the most significant business opportunities today by leveraging the power of AI.
Facebook Says 530 Million Users’ Data ‘Scraped’ Before September 2019
The social media giant Facebook said on Tuesday that more than 530 million Facebook users’ data is obtained by scraping it from their platform prior to September 2019.
Have I Been Pwned Adds Search For Leaked Facebook Phone Number
On April 4th 2021, 533 million Facebook users’ phone number has been leaked on a popular hacker forum for free. The sold data included 533,313,128 Facebook users, with information such as a member’s mobile number, Facebook ID, name, gender, location, relationship status, occupation, date of birth, and…
Signal Is Testing A Payment Feature In The United Kingdom
Single is testing a new feature that enables you to send and receive privacy focused payments as easily as sending or receiving a message.
European Commissions Were Hit By Cyber-Attack Last Week
The European Commission and several other European Union organizations were hit by a cyberattack in March, according to a European Commission spokesperson.
WhatsApp To Allow Chat History Migration Between iOS And Android
Facebook-owned WhatsApp is reportedly testing the ability to easily migrate chat history between an iPhone and an Android device, as reported by WABetaInfo.
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.


text:
“Since the last EF-Supported Teams report, progress has been made across the board. From improved network conditions, to the coming Istanbul release and Eth1.x and Eth2 development, all areas core to the functionality and sustainability of Ethereum are advancing.“
“The governor of the Bank of France announced that the bank will start testing the digital euro project by the end of the first quarter 2020. The project aims to assert France’s sovereignty over private digital currency initiatives like Facebook’s stablecoin Libra.
The digital euro pilot will only target private financial sector players and won’t involve retail payments made by individuals. Villeroy reportedly noted that a digital currency for retail customers would ‘be subject to special vigilance.‘
I see the interest in rapidly advancing the issuance of at least one central bank digital currency in order to be the leading issuer globally and get the benefits associated with providing an exemplary central bank digital currency.“
“Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said that there is no public demand for a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the country. He concluded that at present there is no reason to issue a CBDC in Japan.
Nevertheless, the Bank of Japan has been conducting technical and legal research on this matter in order to stand ready when the need for CBDC 13 may arise in the future.
One strategy that the bank is adopting to promote such systems is increasing the number of cashless payment users and ensuring interoperability among multiple payment service providers.”
“Loeffler will take office on Jan. 1, 2020. Though Isakson’s term ends in January 2023, Loeffler will have to run for election next year if she intends to serve past January 2021. Kemp appointed Loeffler, a Republican, against the reported wishes of President Donald Trump.
While Loeffler said she was “pro-Trump,” and in favor of his border wall, the Second Amendment and against abortion and socialism, she did not address crypto or bitcoin in her introductory remarks.“
“The collaboration between the two firms will allow the exchange’s customers to buy over 2,000 different prepaid vouchers with Bitcoin. When Bitfinex users buy products from Bitrefill, the system put in place by the two firms instantly settles the payments over Lightning Network.
Bitfinex and Bitrefill utilize customized versions of Lightning to open large channels together, exceeding the default limits in place.”
“On Dec. 3 that 1,035,020 GUSD were burnt in a single operation. This number of tokens is equivalent to around 20% of what was the total GUSD circulating supply.
The Gemini dollar has seen an overall poor performance since its launch in late September last year. CoinMarketCap historical data shows that GUSD reported $3.3 million in trading volume on Dec.3, down from a peak of over $249.4 million reported on Feb. 20, 2019.”
“The former Morgan Stanley developers claim the platform is ten times faster than traditional crypto trading platforms, while offering 100x leverage to both retail and institutional investors in Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple (XRP) perpetual contracts.
In the near future, these contracts will reportedly also be backed by traditional financial products, such as stock indexes, interest rates, foreign exchange, agricultural commodities, and metals and energy.
We are the first exchange to truly bring Wall Street level sophistication to the worldwide crypto derivatives markets.“
“Circle, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Poloniex, says it could charge United States users fees and even confiscate users’ entire balances if they do not remove their funds.
There are two fees Poloniex US customers who do not withdraw their assets may be subject to: a monthly service fee while a user continues to have assets stored on the platform, and a one-time dormancy fee when an account becomes dormant per the terms of the applicable regulations. Unclaimed assets may be sent to state governments, consistent with applicable regulations.“


text:
Electric car for hire scheme to be launched in London
Electric cars that can be hired by the hour are to be introduced in London.
The project is being funded by a French company, the Bollore Group, who want to boost the number of charging points in London.
About 100 electric vehicles will be available within a year, the project developers said.
BBC London's Nick Beake spoke to Vincent Bollore, from the Bollore Group, and motoring journalist Alistair Weaver
13 Mar 2014
- From the section London