text:
If you believe the experts, brand loyalty is decreasing because of increased competition from the internet. What’s more, businesses are also losing the power to dictate the communications agenda as media channels and audiences fragment.
In fact, every New Zealand retailer is under threat from global mega brands such as eBay and Amazon, according to Eagle Technology retail sector account manager Doug Cockroft – because these mega brands have unlimited lines, lower prices and even free shipping.
The only way local businesses can defend their market, he says, “is by offering a superior customer experience through personalised marketing, in-store service and post-purchase service.”
So how can small- to medium-size retailers create a truly great customer experience and earn precious loyalty which doesn’t cost an arm and a leg?
For Mark McGeachen at Advance Retail Technologies, the initial decision comes down to ‘Retail 101’. Fundamentally, he says loyalty depends on your retail proposition and the customer experience you deliver. “What is it that you’re offering customers and do you offer it well enough for people to want to come back to you?”
Boost New Media CEO Nathan Donaldson says that knowing your customer is among the top five things that retailers need to embrace in order to benefit from their CRM system and gain loyalty. First and foremost, he says the CRM needs to link customers in the physical world to those in the virtual world. “Knowing what a customer buys across channels opens up many opportunities.”
Secondly, Nathan says your CRM should know when a customer interacts with your brand on and off line – and not just when they buy something. What would be the impact for your business if you could reach out to all the people who visited a store yesterday but didn’t buy? Or the people that have visited more than once a week but haven’t made a purchase this month?
Thirdly, are your customers recommending you online? How do they talk about your brand online? Having a view into their social connections can help produce better targeted communication and offers. Fourth, be relevant! Know your customer online and in the physical store. Build loyalty by making offers that make sense for them based on where they are and their history with you. Offer exclusive early access to your best customers. Your CRM needs to support identifying your best customers and their needs.
Last but not least, Nathan says loyalty programs should be used to drive connection between stores and online. Incentivise staff to ensure that customers are identified at POS. Reward customers with real value. Ask for permission to communicate and respect a customer’s right to opt out of communication. “I think that there’s a lot that can be done without spending a great deal of money. Simply getting email addresses at POS enables you to connect a person’s spending in store with their spending in your online store.”
For Stu Lees at Ramsys Retail Management it’s about “connecting the dots” between the online and offline retail worlds, and while many retailers have put that issue in the too-hard basket he says it’s “not as hard as a lot of them think”. In addition to having a good CRM system at the core of the business, Stu says there should be an e-commerce platform which integrates the online and in-store activities and associated data.
“That’s true omni-channel,” says Stu. It might cost $20,000 or more depending on the level of integration and sophistication, but he says the value of putting that data side-by-side could be immense to a lot of retailers.
POS software systems like Counter Intelligence and the associated e-Retailer web store offered by Kudos Solutions have built-in loyalty systems – and there’s also a reporting module called the The Interrogator which can analyse data on any aspect of the business. The information’s there and the ability to select it is there says Kudos managing director Bruce Hutchings. “It comes back to the retailer having the time and wherewithal to use that information.”
Which is why a new insight-based loyalty and rewards solution called ‘Collect’ might just be the ticket for small retailers. In collaboration with the cloud-based POS software provider, Vend, Collect leverages off POS data to create a highly personalised, relevant and real-time loyalty programme that costs from $150 to $200 a month, and that includes Vend POS plus Collect.
“It’s all available through the cloud on a subscription basis, so you don’t need to buy truckloads of hardware and upfront software and development costs” says co-founder & chief collector at Collect, Brent Spicer. By identifying customers at the point of sale, he says that retailers can unlock rewards and treats and provide the kind of instant gratification that “time poor” consumers are looking for.
“It’s a significantly better customer experience and people are more willing to join up because they don’t have to carry cards or download an app.”
Collect subscribers have a dashboard which Brent says provides “incredibly deep data” about customer behaviour – like the size of spend, time and frequency of visit and the products purchased – which can then be used to create very specific targeted offers and marketing campaigns direct to the customer. If you want to be more competitive in the retail space, Stu at Ramsys says e-commerce systems should send emails from store managers to customers who’ve signed up in their stores.
“That makes it very personal and it’s going to increase readership and it’s going to increase action. I categorically guarantee it.”
“Dynamic marketing” is also critical for Stu. Rather than mass marketing emails to 500,000 people, individuals should be targeted with personalised, timely and relevant offers – like a well-known pet shop chain that follows up purchases such as flea treatment with a discounted offer of premium pet food for the family dog.
“It’s about knowing who your customers are with as much information as possible and communicating with them.” Given the rapid adoption of mobile and online shopping, Doug says the retailer who engages best with this new mode of shopping “will earn a greater share of customer wallet than their competitors.”
And it goes without saying that there needs to be a seamless path to purchase in the ever-growing omni-channel era. But whether consumers connect by email or smartphone should be up to them, says Brent. “The power and the choice has to be in the hands of the consumer.”
Either way, he says it’s essential to be able to get to your customer “at the right place at the right time” because they’re getting bombarded with so much stuff. To that end ABnote has recently launched a Digital Card – which can take the form of a loyalty card, gift card or voucher – that can be stored on a mobile phone using a digital wallet. The cards contain a 2D barcode as a unique identifier which can then be scanned to retrieve rewards.
“The beauty of it is that it’s always in your phone” says ABnote Australasia Marketing Co-ordinator Isin Husnu. What’s more, using GPS technology, digital cards can be triggered by location and time so that a retailer could send an appropriate discount offer or push notification. All of which leads to the other crucial piece in the loyalty puzzle – the use of location or proximity-based marketing technology such as beacons.
According to Nathan at Boost New Media beacons are a “huge opportunity” for retailers and if the focus is simply on the cost of implementing these technologies, they will never move forward. “They should instead be asking what is the cost of not moving?” he says.
Not surprisingly, Collect and Vend are now incorporating beacons into their offering by teaming up with Swarm Mobile to effectively track a customer’s retail journey. The beacon will recognise those who have the Collect app on their smart phone and could, for instance, identify where people spent the most time in-store and allow retailers to target offers accordingly.
By integrating the POS, loyalty and proximity technology Brent says “a very small retailer can afford to do this sort of thing now.” However it’s not so much the beacon that’s important but the app it’s connecting with, says Mark at Advance Retail Technologies. He says the beacon “is an incredibly dumb device”, and while it has a role to play at a simple level of engagement, the real challenge concerns the quality of the app that consumers install on their smartphones.
Given that many apps are uninstalled within a few months, Mark says “it’s got to be compelling enough that people want to keep it installed and keep using it.”
Likewise with the use of social media. In his experience, Mark says retailers who try to monetise support on Facebook have discovered response rates have been very low because most people don’t want to spend any money.
Which comes back to the basic proposition that if the shopping experience isn’t something that makes people want to come back, “it doesn’t matter what channel you stick over the top, you’ve still got the same problem” says Mark.
This article first appeared in New Zealand Retail magazine.


text:
Not even the “Disney Bubble” can keep out the real world crisis of COVID-19, and the travel industry is only now beginning to feel the pinch from what might be an extended downturn.
The State Department issued an advisory for U.S. citizens to avoid cruises entirely, especially if you’re elderly or have underlying health problems.
According to a recent article in USA Today, it’s absolutely dire.
The travel and tourism industry has taken hit after hit since the coronavirus outbreak began in January. It’s still early for concrete data, but economists and industry executives fear 9/11- or recession-like repercussions. Travel demand plummeted, then and was slow to recover.
“Unfortunately, they’re on the front lines on the effect of this virus. They’re getting pummeled,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Analytics.
While Disney has done everything it can do to monitor the situation, this is a global crisis that may take a little while to really hit the Mouse House in the wallet… but it surely will.
Will Disney Close Walt Disney World or Disneyland?
The big question is whether or not Walt Disney World or Disneyland could be closed for weeks, or even months, due to fears over Coronavirus.
While that currently seems like an unlikely scenario, COVID-19 has forced the closure of some of Disney’s overseas theme parks, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility should Coronavirus spread throughout Florida and Southern California.
Airlines, Disney and Universal have so far been pretty accommodating when it comes to cancellations and re-booking vacations. So even if the parks should close temporarily, Guests will more than likely be compensated.
Disney Fans are Allowed to Be Concerned About Coronavirus.
And now on a more personal note, I would implore Disney fans to not mock people who have legitimate concerns about Coronavirus and the impact it may have on their vacation plans.
Just stop it.
We’re seeing a lot of this on Disney fan forums, as if Disney is buried under a layer of impenetrable Pixie Dust and the real world can’t touch them.
While we can debate as to how much of the hysteria is legitimate and how much is amplified by the media, the truth is that this is still a global crisis that is wrecking havoc with travel plans and the economy, and people are allowed to feel however they feel about it.
Consider the source when it comes to your Disney travel plans.
While Disney is doing everything in its power to minimize the impact of Coronavirus to its parks, resorts and cruise lines… many variables are simply outside of Mickey’s control.
Most Disney fan blogs, forums and YouTube channels are either owned by or sponsored by Disney authorized travel agencies, or have another connection to the Walt Disney Company.
Now, I’m not saying that these outlets are deliberately spreading erroneous information regarding Coronavirus and Disney travel plans, but also be aware that they don’t want you to pass on your travel plans because it’s simply not good for their own travel businesses.
There are some once reputable Disney fan outlets I used to frequent telling readers multiple times per week that now is the time to book that vacation or cruise… even if the government is literally telling people to do the opposite.
Again, I get it… the travel industry is hurting right now. But use your own judgment as to whether or not now is the right time for you and your family to take that trip.
If you’re not going to enjoy yourselves because you’re going to be on edge the whole time, then maybe now isn’t the right time for you.
And for many people, Coronavirus just isn’t a concern and they’re able to travel and not worry about it. And that’s fine, too.
This will eventually pass, and Disney will still be there whenever you’re ready.
[Source: USA Today]
Pirates & Princesses (PNP) is an independent, opinionated fan-powered news blog that covers Disney and Universal Theme Parks, Themed Entertainment and related Pop Culture from a consumer's point of view. Opinions expressed by our contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of PNP, its editors, affiliates, sponsors or advertisers. PNP is an unofficial news source and has no connection to The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal or any other company that we may cover.

domain: news


text:
Apple’s iPhone 7 is now on sale.
The new model has received mixed reviews over the missing headphone jack, including from Apple founder Steve Wozniak.
Apple says each iPhone 7 comes with wireless “Air Pods.”
U.S. regulators are issuing an official recall of rival Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 phone because of the risk that its batteries can explode or catch fire.
Samsung has already voluntarily recalled the devices, but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is stepping in with a formal recall.
Samsung says it has confirmed a few dozen instances of the problem, out of 2.5-million phones sold, and promises replacement devices.
(with files from the Canadian Press)


text:
As reported by CoinNess.com, London-listed financial technology company TechFinancials has committed to buying as much as 92 percent of diamonds exchange CEDEX.
Currently, the company is now further diversifying its investment into next-generation technology. The new company which TechFinancials focused on is named Footies. It is providing ticketing services for sports venues and teams. The deal between the firms entails the formation of a new company subsidiary called NewCo which will be focused on the development of the technology.
Click 'Read More' for details.


text:
While the importance of keeping passwords secure is not a new idea, nearly half of companies are still struggling to get a handle on the issue, according to the LastPass 2018 Global Password Security Report, released on Monday. The report found that password sharing is common in the workplace, with employees sharing an average of six passwords with their coworkers.
Using anonymized data from more than 43,000 organizations, the report determined each company’s security score and password strength score, according to a press release.
SEE: Password management policy (Tech Pro Research)
Even though publicity on the importance of password security has increased in the past year, the average password security score of organizations was found to be 52 out of 100. The report also found that the bigger the company, the lower the average security score, revealing that it’s harder for larger businesses to get a handle on password security for all employees.
One easy and increasingly popular security measure in companies is multi-factor authentication, said the release.
Some 45% of companies use multi-factor authentication, a jump from last year’s 24.5%, the report found. The technology sector is leading the movement towards multi-factor, with 31% of tech companies adopting the security measure.
The technology industry also scored the highest average security score, at 53 out of 100, according to the release. However, this isn’t all that much higher than other industries’ scores.
“Security professionals often fail to consider the value of the first factor of enterprise authentication–the password,” said Frank Dickson, research vice president of security products at IDC, in the press release. “Despite the sophisticated security measures enterprises are putting in place, something as fundamentally simple as a password is tripping them up.”
For more tips on how to create a secure password, click here.
The big takeaways for tech leaders:
- Nearly 50% of organizations cannot maintain control of password security, with the average security score for 43,000 companies being 52 out of 100. — LastPass, 2018
- Multi-factor authentication is becoming more popular, with 45% of companies using it in their workplaces. — LastPass, 2018


text:
Pokéworks coming to Brookfield in November
Wisconsin’s first Pokéworks is scheduled to open in Brookfield in November, the chain restaurant said.
Pokéworks, a fast-casual restaurant known for its Hawaiian-inspired poke burritos and bowls, will be located at 17000 W. Blue Mound Road.
Restaurants featuring poke, a dish typically built around raw fish like tuna, are growing in popularity in the U.S.
“Milwaukee is an ideal market to develop the Pokéworks concept in due to its strong demographics and urban setting, which represents vital elements key to our brand,” Kevin Hsu, co-founder of Pokéworks, said in a statement. “We are excited to be able to bring the first Pokéworks location to Wisconsin and are confident it will become a go-to spot for the community to enjoy healthy and delicious alternatives, while also feeling great about what they’re eating.”
Pokéworks was founded in 2015 in Irvine, California, with its first location in Midtown Manhattan. The company said it has more than 20 locations in the U.S. and about 100 under development.
Pokéworks adds to the list of first-to-Wisconsin stand-alone restaurants in Brookfield and Town of Brookfield in the last few years, such as Chick-fil-A, Portillo’s, Grimaldi’s and, just last week, Goddess and the Baker.


text:
First ever advanced EV charging system addresses enormous challenges faced by fleet, multifamily property owners
PURPL EV charging infrastructure can mean the difference between charging one EV for $18 or $476 a month
Atom Power announced the launch of an EV charging solution called PURPL, and according to their press release, it “charges vehicles directly from the circuit breaker and incorporates unique energy management technology to keep electricity costs low.”
Thanks to architects, soon you may be plugging your EV into a park bench, a brick façade or even a piece of public art.
Atom Power Hires Leading IoT Engineers to Enhance Features of Its Solid-State Digital Circuit Breakers
Atom Power, manufacturer of the world’s first and only UL listed solid-state digital circuit breaker, announced top IoT engineering hires that will enhance the security and connectivity of its technology which fully leverages available energy resources and provides intelligent energy management to power businesses, electric vehicles, multi-family properties and homes. Atom Power’s core purpose is to deliver infrastructure solutions that enable the electrification of everything.
Huntersville-based Atom Power Inc. has announced an order for 355 electric-vehicle charging stations based on its digital circuit-breaker technology to be installed at a 900-apartment cooperative in New York City.
ESD Global Selects Atom Power as Technology Vendor for Largest Single Contract, Multi-Family Electric Vehicle Charging Project in NYC
The project will help New York meet its goal of cutting carbon emissions and phasing out fossil fuel cars and trucks in 2034 by increasing access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
The continued push toward electrification creates a need for technologies that provide a way to integrate distributed energy resources (DERs) into the power grid, certainly at the residential level where electrification will likely have the greatest impact.
Looking to tap the burgeoning electric-vehicle charging market and planning to introduce its first residential product next year, Atom Power plans to open a 150,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the Charlotte region next year.
A new focus on the burgeoning electric-vehicle charging market is driving Atom Power’s push into manufacturing with a plant expected to open in the region next year.
As Atom Power ramps up production at its new 23,000-square-foot headquarters and production plant in Huntersville, the company is focusing squarely on the fast-growing electric vehicle charging market.
Startup Atom Power is dragging Edison-era electrical equipment into the 21st century.
EV charging stations are a huge business. Some reports expect the market will be worth as much as $103.6 billion by 2028. That means there are dozens of options when it comes to finding a partner to help develop a charging station infrastructure for your fleet. Below, we’ve rounded up as many OEMs that we could find that specialize in charging battery electric trucks.
Atom Power, maker of a product suite that includes a digital circuit breaker, a distribution panel and software, was co-founded in 2014 by Ryan Kennedy and Denis Kouroussis. Last spring, the company’s digital circuit breaker, Atom Switch, was an honorable mention for Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards. In 2020, Atom Power raised a $17.5 million Series B funding round.
First and only UL listed digital solid-state circuit breaker enters new markets to fill the need for reliability and load management in the new energy economy.
It’s a sandbox for the electrification world.
Custom-based modules made from SiC MOSFETs minimise the impact of short circuits and overloads
Atom Power’s latest digital circuit breaker has gained UL listing under UL 489I.
Atom Power, the US-based inventor of the first digital circuit breaker, has announced the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued two patents for its solid-state circuit protection technology.
Atom Power, inventor of the world’s first and only digital circuit breaker, today announced the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued two patents for its solid-state circuit protection technology.
The electricity system is evolving from analog to digital — and that’s great news for transitioning off of fossil fuels.
Atom Power, the US start-up behind the world’s first digital circuit breaker, has announced its SiC power modules, models SWXFT100CPM and SWXFT50CPM, are UL Recognised to UL 1557.
Industry trailblazer achieves UL Recognition to UL 1557 for proprietary SiC Power Modules
Arc flash sparked idea for Atom Power, says engineer-turned-CEO. His startup, Atom Power, has a digital circuit breaker now in pilot tests and a second generation based on a custom module coming this summer.
A first-ever digital circuit breaker was certified for commercial use this month, according to a new story in Popular Mechanics.
Atom Power is bringing circuit breakers into the 21st century, combining software and connectivity to create the first digital circuit breaker certified by Underwriters Laboratories, which sets industry safety standards for consumer products.
Popular Mechanics: How the World’s First Digital Circuit Breaker Could Completely Change Our Powered World
3,000 times faster than the fastest mechanical breaker, this innovation could radically alter how we manage power.
Solar Power World: Atom Power releases new UL-listed digital circuit breaker to intelligently manage DERs
Atom Power announced its innovative digital circuit breaker technology is now UL-listed. The company says this is the first time in the history of commercial power distribution that a digital solid-state circuit breaker has been listed by UL.
New digital circuit breakers that combine computing power with wireless connectivity may finally replace an 140-year-old electromechanical technology.


text:
The preliminary deal includes a $1 billion fine and $400 million in escrow in case of future violations. Further, the sources added that the Commerce Department plans to amend its 2017 settlement agreement and count the $361 million ZTE paid as a part of that.
In 2018, the government placed a seven-year US parts supply ban on ZTE, as it claimed the company had not yet disciplined 35 of its employees, which was a condition of the 2017 deal.
According to Reuters, ZTE has signed a preliminary agreement that will lift the ban on U.S. companies providing ZTE with goods.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross banned US companies from doing business with ZTE in April, after his agency learned that ZTE had not followed through on commitments made back in 2016.
The move eases a seven-year ban on ZTE buying American parts, which Commerce levied in April.
The US had previously blocked ZTE's access to US suppliers, saying the company had violated a sanctions settlement.
LeBron James Responds To President Trump’s Latest Move
A historic game, the kind he had in Game 1 , is required for Cleveland to even have a chance. "It's typical of him", James said. Love also missed one uncontested three point shot in the middle of the second period. "We need to find ways to get him shots".
ZTE could not be reached for comment by either Reuters or the Post.
ZTE's survival has been a topic of discussion in high-level US-China trade talks.
Mr Ross emphasised that the agreement was separate from trade negotiations between the USA and China.
The report says that ZTE has signed an agreement in principle drawn up by the United States, but it has not signed anything definitive.
Trump appeared to confirm that a deal had been reached in a tweet on May 25, but subsequent broader U.S. trade talks in Beijing on U.S. tariffs on aluminum and steel ended inconclusively with no mention of the ZTE matter. The U.S. threatened sanctions, but ZTE promised to change its practices and punish the executives responsible for its misconduct. At that time, the USA discovered documents that showed how ZTE established new entities to sell US technologies to Iran. "It would also allow unfettered site visits to verify that U.S. components are being used as claimed by the company". It has a small but rising share of the smartphone business in the US.


text:
This new electric Twingo is touted to cost less than €100 a month to own when it arrives in 2026.
While Volkswagen may claim that it is impossible for them to produce a sub-€20,000 (RM 102,000) EV, Renault’s recent reveal of its Twingo concept however seems to prove otherwise. That is as this all-electric supermini has been touted by its maker to cost apparently exactly that to purchase, when a production variant eventually arrives in 2026.
Set to be the entry-level EV model within the Renault lineup, the French automaker is further proud to promote for this new Twingo to be designed and manufactured in Europe, while still wearing a price tag that matches its affordable Chinese counterparts. And as to how exactly it plans to make this work, Renault Group De Meo has claimed for the hatchback to cost 50% less to produce than a new C-segment SUV, due to reduction in materials and an increased focus on a software-driven platform.
Continuing on the topic of reductions meanwhile, Renault is also promising for this new Twingo to offer impressive efficiency of 10 kW/100 km and 75%-lower CO2 emissions over its lifecycle than the ‘average European ICE car sold in 2023’. Exact powertrain details of this French electric supermini are unfortunately still withheld by the French automaker, but it is nevertheless rumoured for this tiny EV to share the same basic platform and front-drive layout as the soon-to-be-launched Renault 5.
Similar to the aforementioned Renault 5 too with this Twingo is for Renault to continue its trend of reverting to retro with the exterior design of its new EVs. The snail-like silhouette of this new supermini is after all just a modernised take on its first-gen namesake, with further old-school throwbacks coming in the form of its pod-style headlights and triple vent openings on its bonnet, that has since become a sort-of battery percentage readout.
This new Twingo even comes with its iconic half-moon door pulls, making a return after its unfortunate omission in its third and most recent iteration. Never before seen on this particular shape at least is a set of rear doors, with ingress and egress through them to be performed through handles that have been discreetly concealed in its C-pillars.
Renault Group’s CEO Luca de Meo states for the new Twingo to aspire in becoming a ‘game-changer’, much like its namesake first-iteration predecessor from 30 years ago. This affordable model is expected to assist Renault in accomplishing its goal of ‘democratising‘ EVs in Europe, with this tiny A-segment hatchback serving as an affordable all-electric option alongside the similarly recently-launched Citroen e-C3 and soon-to-be-revealed Fiat e-Panda.


text:
Most people are incredibly biased when it comes to Apple. I have always chalked it up to personal preferences and never gave it much thought until a very reputable news organisation published a story headlined “Apple increases tablet share to 95 per cent as Android slips” just a few days back.
How can Android ‘slip’ if there are hardly any tablets in the market so far? Most first-tier PC vendors are unlikely to start shipping their tablets until the first quarter of next year, according to a report by the DigiTimes.
You do not have to take my word for it. The article goes on to contradict itself while quoting the Strategy Analytics (a global research and consulting firm) report it is based on.
“Android’s market share will rise in the fourth quarter as devices using Google’s platform enter the market,” it reads.
The only two tablets – the Galaxy Tab and the Streak – that might have offered the iPad have some resistance have either not seen a global launch or are running severely antiquated versions of the Android, making a comparison with the iPad unjust.
Not to doubt that Apple’s tablets have taken over 95 per cent of the market. In fact, it was inevitable, since this is the product that made netbooks obsolete and showed that the tablet form factor is viable.
However, with mobile phones the story is slightly different. In the second quarter of 2010, the Android operating system (OS) easily overtook Apple’s iOS worldwide and RIM’s OS (Blackberry) in the US, according to a report released by Gartner.
Observers believe it was mainly because there were so many phones running it – an estimated 80 mobile phone models are running different versions of the Android.
When Apple came out with the iPad, it had AT&T backing it. They were sold at different outlets along with sims that allowed 3G connectivity. Currently first tier PC vendors, like HP and Lenovo, do not have such carrier contracts in place.
They will first need to negotiate with carriers because a tablet without 3G connectivity is generally useless, unless one is talking about markets like Pakistan where 3G is still not available. But the reason this article does not generally deal with Pakistan is because it is still too small a market to have a significant impact on global tablet trends.
Then there is also the problem of how they will distribute their products to customers who wish to buy them but without a carrier. They will need contracts with large retailers like BestBuy, Amazon and Ebay in order to ensure that their products are accessible to consumers. So the delay makes sense because Google has stated that the current versions of Android have not been optimised for tablets yet.
Although, timing is of the essence because Apple’s iPad may entrench itself in the market, it also gives time to PC makers to see what consumers really want from their tablets and cater to them accordingly.
But that still does not change the fact that there will always be people who will choose to sensationalise selected numbers in order to make Apple look good. And even if Android tablets do start taking over, they will revert to their older rationalisation of Apple catering to quality, not quantity.
Which was what Steve Jobs did when he said: “Microsoft won. The OS wars are over.” But he did not actually mean that he had lost, Jobs just went on to talk about BMW that catered to only five per cent of the world’s car market.
So it was Steve’s vision to cede quantity and stun the world with quality and innovation. And so far, few would deny that he has done that.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2010.
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ


text:
According to data found in Google’s annual 2016 security report, the number of potentially harmful applications (PHAs) effecting Google devices is still an inherent problem within the Android operating system.
The 2016 report states that 0.71% of Android devices have had a PHA installed in Q4 2016 versus less than 0.5% of devices during 2015. The newer results are only for one quarter but still show that security is a primary concern within the world’s leading operating system. If you’re thinking that PHA only includes applications found outside the Play Store, think again. Research by Virginia Tech University recently discovered that 23,495 of the most popular applications found in the Play Store have been ‘colluding’ data. This includes personal information such as Contacts and Geo-location. All of this can be achieved without the users permission.
Most of these problems lie with security updates, which happen because of device fragmentation. Having such an open-source OS has plenty of positives, but trying patch thousands of different devices quickly becomes a problem. Samsung has over ten handsets currently available, LG about the same. These are sold by hundreds of carriers across the world, who may or may not include their own software on the handset. They also typically use a modified OS, be it LG UX and TouchWiz for Samsung. That amounts to thousands of variations in code, which all needs to be taken into account when releasing a patch. Google has no control over this aside from informing manufacturers and developers of the issue at hand. It’s then up to those guys to sort out an update for their own hardware, as the underlying OS can vary quite widely. It’s no lie that those running a near-stock experience often release security updates faster. Many manufacturers prefer to test their own software in-house before rolling it out the public, leading to a longer rollout. When you throw a customised launcher into the mix, this gets even more complicated. Android Nougat is installed on less than three percent of the overall market, a truly terrible figure. Compare this to iOS 10, which is now on almost 80 percent of all Apple devices, and the answer is very clear. Fragmentation is the main issue to blame here.
Closer relationships with device manufacturers and chip developers in the last year has lead to a faster release date for critical security patches, though this has only really helped flagship handsets. Around half of the lower-tier devices still run on outdated software, putting them at serious risk. Even so, most handset manufactures only commit to flagship security updates for two years, which they consider to be the life-cycle of the product. Anyone owning a handset longer than this should expect a gradual lack of support. Google doesn’t have a solution for any of the above, despite trying for years to come up with an answer. Previously, the company even considered a plan to publicly name and shame mobile carriers and device makers who drag their feet with important updates… Not exactly a way to encourage people to adopt. Those wanting the latest critical updates on time have very little options aside from purchasing a Nexus or Pixel device, which Google has committed to providing monthly security updates for these handsets since 2015.


text:
Cammell gets hump in contract blow
Shipyard Cammell Laird has lost a crucial £51m ship conversion contract, jeopardising hundreds of jobs. The group, which has been in dispute with the cruise ship's Italian owner since late last year, is now considering legal action.
The shipbuilder and repairer said Costa Crociere, a unit of US group Carnival Corp, had terminated the contract. Cammell Laird said it was disappointed as it had been attempting to resolve the dispute amicably.
'Cammell Laird maintains its position that it has complied with its contractual obligations and, in the absence of a satisfactory resolution to the dispute, will take all necessary action to protect its commercial position, including recovery of cost and loss of profit associated with this project,' the company said in a statement.
The dispute arose last November when the liner, the Costa Classica, had been due to arrive for refitting at the docks in Merseyside, North West England but headed back to Genoa. Croce Crociere said it had delayed the delivery because work at the shipyard was behind schedule.
Previous reports have said 250 people were being made redundant due to the dispute and that another 700 jobs out of the company's 4,000 workforce were threatened.
Most watched Money videos
- Euro NCAP safety tests of new Porsche Taycan shown in clip
- What will 2020 hold for investors and the UK stock market?
- Durability of Tesla Model X examined in Euro NCAP clip
- Vauxhall launches fifth generation of top-selling Corsa hatchback
- Introducing the new Ford Puma with fuel-saving powertrain technology
- Urban Electric's new pop-up chargers rise from the pavement
- Door comes off Volkswagen Sharan during Euro NCAP safety tests
- How a biotech trust invests in the future of medicine
- Volkswagen unveils concept for robots to deliver chargers to cars
- Hyundai Uber concept flying taxi shown off in promo vid
- Blue Whale: We want companies that can grow whatever happens
- Wireless charging network will be installed in Britain from 2020


text:
Category Scan: Coronavirus Slows Down Global Construction Industry
The spread of the coronavirus is expected to have a strong negative effect on global construction, with the global construction growth slumping to 0.5 percent CAGR from 3.1 percent growth for 2020. The global construction industry will face disruptions for next 3-4 months from the pandemic as companies globally are being squeezed by the coronavirus outbreak, through labor market and supply chain disruptions, according to Beroe. The construction demand will weaken and steel production levels are likely to go down.
Construction work globally has tumbled as nationwide lockdowns to combat the Covid-19 pandemic kicked in, causing concerns that the companies would see profits being hurt and may even incur losses on some projects. Companies with worldwide supply chains may see tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers highly affected by disruptions related to the pandemic. The construction industry may experience constant supply issues surrounding construction equipment and materials from Asia. The concern for the construction sector is that most of it has already been facing monetary stress, shrinking orders and tight working capital.
The construction industry is currently experiencing a dull period which is expected to continue for the medium-long term. As a result of COVID-19, many companies in various trades have revised their scheduled capital expenses due to shrinkages in product demand (due to global quarantine measures), lesser commodity prices and, also substantial, uncertainties around supply logistics and the supply of materials. The consumption and production of materials like steel, cement, carpets, luxury vinyl tiles, etc. are expected to dip globally along with trade restrictions amongst countries.
The impact of COVID-19 is medium-high for construction materials as exports of steel, wood, plaster, aluminum, glazed partition systems, cement and cementitious products, paints, HVAC equipment, electrical equipment, and light fixtures from China are expected to be delayed. Cement prices fell in March globally after rising for two straight months as the novel coronavirus outbreak slowed down economic activity. A construction contract may allow for time extensions when contractors cannot obtain materials or there is a supply shortage as a result of an unforeseeable epidemic.
The spread of COVID-19 in China has led to a stoppage in the manufacture of LVT and rolled rubber which are shipped to the U.S. on a regular basis, causing supply chain disruptions.
Buyers of electrical materials in traditional markets such as the Middle East and North Africa, Europe and Southeast Asia are refraining from booking amid reduced local economic activity.
The project design phase has a high impact on managing project delays, where larger levels of cost and schedule controls should be provided, and considerations of altering material specifications, using products manufactured locally and ample in stock.
Suppliers are shifting from a traditional design-bid- build delivery method, to a construction management at risk (CMAR) delivery model to mitigate schedule challenges.
At the project construction phase short time worker policies are being incorporated for cost savings, where project labor agreements provide for competitive terms and better-quality work rules with local unions for high spend projects.
Suppliers are considering reconfiguration of project proposals to include extended, second, and third shifts or other tactics in the initial buyout, helping construction sites with minimum trade workers to better comply with ‘social distancing’ guidelines.
To mitigate the effects of COVID-19, owners and contractors should work together to implement public health and infection control improvements on the jobsite by providing masks, sanitizers, and consider workforce emergency planning scenarios, including during a period of diminished demand and activity. Most contractors can claim postponement of time of the completion date of the project as a result of interruption caused by the novel coronavirus. Companies with extensive international supply chains should contemplate the tax and transfer-pricing components of restructuring their supply chains by identifying alternate suppliers.
Related Insights:View All
Get more stories like this
Subscirbe for more news,updates and insights from Beroe


text:
With the surge of demand in technology, tech firms are responding by developing a number of advanced applications and platforms. While a majority of the startups may be struggling to keep up with this demand, a certain Indian company named Fancall Pvt. Ltd. is all set to mark the beginning of a revolution in the digital world. Their application, Fancall, is about to change how you engage with YouTubers.
The evolution of content creators and their followers has gone through a steady change throughout the last few decades. The distance between stars and their fans has been shrinking considerably Â from movie theatres to TV screens, and now from social media content to Facebook and YouTube live. What do you think is the next step in this evolution? Personal video calls. Yes, you read that right.
Fancall allows people to connect directly with their favourite YouTubers. When the founders of this startup were asked about the motto behind the app, they said, ÂWith this platform, we want to bridge the gap between YouTubers and their fans. It doesnÂt have to be any more complicated than that.Â The Fancall app comes with radical features which benefit both the creators and their audience. Engaging in one-on-one live video calls allows the development of a deeper connection between the creators and their fans.
Influencer marketing and social commerce are also becoming increasingly lucrative career paths. Research companies estimate the global market size of this sector could be $3,369 billion by 2028. Creators and businesses that are fairly new to this can face multiple issues including the involvement of third-party agencies as intermediaries. Fancall does away with this by allowing brands/businesses to connect directly with their preferred YouTubers. No third parties. Now they just have to converse personally with the creators face-to-face to crack the deal and elevate their businesses. This, according to the startup, will also allow small and medium scale businesses to benefit from this huge untapped marketing opportunity.
Following Google, YouTube is the biggest search engine that allows people to learn and showcase their talents to the world. Often, people subscribe to the creator’s channel to learn something new, during which, they post their doubts in the comments section. Sadly, most of them go unanswered. Replying to every comment is also a hassle for the creators. Fancall tackles this situation by bridging the communication gap between the two. Now, the viewers can simply Fancall them and get their doubts cleared.
In todayÂs world, collaboration plays a key role in increasing the engagement and value of the creatorsÂ content. With the help of Fancall, collaborating with your preferred creators becomes easier than ever. No more waiting for days to get a reply. With this application, one can collaborate without going through a layer of intermediaries, and face-to-face, at that. So bid adieu to the delayed responses, connect with your desired YouTubers at the tap of the button.
The Indian startup, Fancall Pvt. Ltd., brings in groundbreaking innovation with the Fancall application, which was born with a single purpose Â to bridge the communication gap between creators and their audience. This revolutionary platform is the worldÂs first and only platform in that does what it does, and is a boon to YouTubers as well as their fans and small businesses. The scheduling process, as well as the interface of the app, are a reflection of their firm belief in the KISS (keep it simple, silly) model. With the launch of the Fancall app, it might be safe to say that we are one step (or tap) closer to a digital revolution.


text:
HP has announced that the first ever webOS powered tablet, the TouchPad, will be hitting store shelves on both sides of the pond next month.
The computer giant has officially confirmed that the hotly awaited iPad 2 rival will finally land on July 1st in the US and in select European countries, including the UK, a few days later. However, the initial batch of the slate will only include the Wi-Fi only version, with the 3G and 4G models scheduled to arrive later in the year.
There’ll be two SKUs available at launch with 16GB and 32GB of storage retailing for £399 and £479 respectively. This means they would match the equivalent iPad 2 models exactly in pricing. Preorders will start on June 19th.
Alike and yet different
Like the iPad 2, the TouchPad will also offer a 9.7-inch display, although it’ll be thicker than Apple’s slate with dimensions closer to the original iPad.
However, the extra depth means there's room for a faster 1.2GHz Snapdragon dual core processor and twice the RAM at 1GB.
Elsewhere, there's a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video calls. But no rear-mounted snapper is onboard, which is a surprising exclusion.
Of course, the biggest difference is that it runs on the much-praised webOS operating system, created by Palm, which is now owned by HP since it was acquired last summer.
webOS, for those who don’t know, is a fully multitasking operating system that utilises a rather clever ‘card’ based metaphor to visually display running apps. It also features several unique features such as ‘Touch-to-Share’ which allows the TouchPad to communicate with upcoming webOS smartphones with a single touch, and takes voice and video calls directly on the device.
Another key USP of the TouchPad is that it will support both Adobe Flash and HTML5 with hardware acceleration, which should be a boon to users intent on experiencing both.
Stay tuned for more news and announcements regarding the TouchPad in the weeks to come.


text:
John Lewis has said pre-tax profits “before exceptional items” for the half-year to the end of July have been practically wiped out in a “challenging market”, blaming heavy competitor discounting and Brexit uncertainty.
The firm, which owns the iconic chain of British department stores and the Waitrose supermarket, said profits before tax and exceptional items – on fairly static revenue of £5.5 billion – slumped by 99.8 per cent to £1.2 million.
But demand for electricals at John Lewis and Partners – the new name of the department store chain following a rebrand this month – remained strong.
The firm said its electricals and home-technology (EHT) category outperformed the market, as a result of “particularly strong performance” in electricals, where sales were up almost eight per cent.
This was not sufficient to offset a decline in sales in other higher-margin categories and the Partnership reported an operating loss of £33.5m, down from an operating profit of £33m during the same period last year.
Sir Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said: “These are challenging times in retail.
“Our profits before exceptionals are in line with what we said they would be at our strategy update in June.
“We’re continuing to improve our offer for customers, while ensuring we have the financial strength to continue developing our business going forward. This is reflected in both brands continuing to grow sales and customer numbers, and our total net debts reducing.”
The firm blamed the profit slump on heavy discounting by competitors in what Sir Charlie called “the most promotional market we’ve seen in almost a decade”.
He said: “The pressure on gross margin has predominantly been from our commitment to maintain price competitiveness. This reflects our decision not to pass on to our customers all cost price inflation from a weaker exchange rate and from our Never Knowingly Undersold promise, where we have seen an unprecedented level of price matching as other retailers have discounted heavily.”
Sir Charlie said gross margin was also affected by a sales mix shift towards electronics rather than big-ticket items in the department’s store’s home category, where sales fell 4.2 per cent. This category includes its fitted kitchens and bathrooms service.
New shops and investment in cyber-security and data protection also hurt overall profits, but the firm said that it had reduced net debts by £700m to ensure a strong financial position “in order to invest in our strategy of differentiation at a rate of £400m to £500m per year”.
The John Lewis Partnership set out its new strategy in June, announcing plans to grow “rather than scale”, with a focus on product innovation and differentiation.
It said its budget House brand had been performing well since relaunching in July.
Sofie Willmott, senior retail analyst at GlobalData, said: “The retailer is wise to evolve its strategy to focus on its unique business model and strong service credentials to protect its position in the market, while also increasing the proportion of exclusive products and admirably still honouring its customer price promise that it is so well known for.”


text:
General Motors (GM) expects to spend nearly $300 million in Q1 2014 to repair vehicles affected by its recent recalls.
GM set aside the amount on Monday as it announced three separate recalls affecting nearly 1.5 million vehicles.
That follows the 1.6 million vehicles it called back last month over faulty ignition switches.
GM is facing an investigation over its handling of the recall over the faulty switches which can disable airbags.
The recall announced on Monday affects the following models:
- 1.18 million vehicles, including 2008 – 2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia, 2009 – 2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008 – 2010 Saturn Outlook, over problems with deployment of side airbags.
- 303,000 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana from the 2009 – 2014 model years with gross vehicle weights of 10,000 pounds or less as they do not comply with a head impact requirement for unrestrained occupants.
- 63,900 Cadillac XTS full-size sedan from the 2013 and 2014 model years to fix a problem that could lead to overheating, melting of plastic components and a possible engine compartment fire.
GM is under pressure over its handling of a recall earlier this year that involved faulty ignition switches which could turn off the engine and disable airbags.
[youtube NXrfTQe23Kc 650]


text:
Deloitte Digital, Australia
Fri, 05 Jun 2020 02:48:57 GMT
The Universal Automotive Authority (UAA) today announced that Suzuki are the best cars in the Universe, part of a new campaign developed by Deloitte Digital.
The UAA, founded and funded by Suzuki, is the official body tasked with evaluating, recognising and celebrating automotive excellence from across the universe.
Says Michael Pachota, chairman, Universal Automotive Authority: “As mankind expands his horizons and gets set to travel beyond the stars it is now that we can and must begin to answer some of the big questions like: who is the best in the universe? Especially for the automotive industry.”
The results of the findings were due to be announced at the first annual Universal Automotive Authority Awards, but due to the current climate the UAAA’s have been postponed. The Best Cars in the Universe award will, however, still stand.
Says Pachota: “It’s an incredible honour to give and also receive this accolade. A lot of our trophies go straight to the pool room, but this is too big of a deal, so we’ve decided to really lean into it.”
Says Daniel Mercuri, head of jury, Universal Automotive Authority and national marketing manager, Suzuki Automotive: “We didn’t want this to be another award that you slap on the end of the ad and hope for the best, so we’ve allowed this to steer our brand strategy, and brand film, for 2020.”
Says Matt Lawson, chief creative officer, Deloitte Digital: “It’s so great to see Suzuki taking a real leadership position and investing in setting up a worthwhile governing body like this. It once again proves their ambition to move the whole industry forward by recognising the best in automobiles. And of course, it’s still necessary to have a bit of fun with it in film, as even after this win, we believe we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously.”
View the campaign website here: https://www.suzuki.com.au/bestcarsintheuniverse
Whilst this year’s Best Cars in the Universe award is now closed, head to the UAA to find out how you can enter for Best Car in the Universe 2021.
Although the UAA is still in its infancy, there are already suggestions that it will be broadening its remit to judge Best Motorbikes on Earth and Best Outboard Motors in Water.
Genres: Storytelling, Scenic
Categories: Automotive, CarsDeloitte Digital, Australia, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 02:48:57 GMT


text:
Erle Robotics shared this video of a Raspberry Pi Zero drone in action on Youtube
This video shows a Linux drone made with the PXFmini (http://erlerobotics.com/blog/pxfmini/) autopilot shield for the Raspberry Pi Zero. The drone runs a customized Debian file system with real-time capabilities and the APM flight stack.
Welcome to drone day on the Adafruit blog. Every Monday we deliver the latest news, products and more from the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), quadcopter and drone communities. Drones can be used for video & photography (dronies), civil applications, policing, farming, firefighting, military and non-military security work, such as surveillance of pipelines. Previous posts can be found via the #drone tag and our drone / UAV categories.


text:
NewsFix CW 39
Original story here
HOUSTON – Folks upset with Walgreen’s about chemicals in its products are protesting at the corner of sad and toxic.
Not exactly, but in Houston protesters with the Texas Campaign for the Environment called for safer chemical policies outside the Walgreen’s at the corner of Westheimer and Weslayan.
“Independent chemical testing has shown that Walgreen’s products like school supplies and dog toys contain lead, and arsenic, formaldehyde, chemicals that we really shouldn’t be bringing into our homes with our children and pets,” said Melanie Scruggs.
Some dressed in hazmat suits and facemasks chanting their demands.
“These chemicals have got to go! Hey, hey, ho, ho! These chemicals have got to go,” they shouted from the sidewalk.
Walgreen’s does have a line of products called Ology, which is said to be free of harmful chemicals, and says they’re working with vendors to ensure the quality and safety of the products they offer for sale.
You know how the saying goes, what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.
Tags: producer responsibility
Categories: News Clipping


text:
It is a matter of fact that crossovers have received increasing favors from worldwide car enthusiasts during the past few years. Until now, the demand for this type of vehicle still doesn’t show any sign of reducing. As a result, the competition among crossover models is getting more intensive than ever with growing number of new or refreshed CUVs entering the motoring market from almost every car manufacturer.
A clear proof for this trend is the next-gen Toyota RAV4 2019 which was previously spotted testing in the wild wearing heavy camouflage. The RAV4 made its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2012 and received a nip and tuck in 2015. So, it's about time for a brand new RAV4. According to the spy photos, although the majority of the crossover’s exterior was under cover, its silhouette alone signals enough about an upcoming completely-redesigned Toyota RAV4.
>>> Read more: Next-gen Toyota RAV4 2019 spotted for the first time
The proposed Toyota RAV4 2019 seems to get an even bolder look than the current model
Looking at the rendering, the proposed RAV4 seems to get an even bolder look than the already-looking-good current model. In detail, the car's front fascia features a more upright grille with the headlights sweeping up towards front wheel arches. Meanwhile, the side pofile is further highlighted by specially-designed lines curving up from the side to the rear wheels and the tail lamps.
It is possible that the fresh Toyota RAV4 2019 could borrow some styling cues from the FT-AC concept which was introduced at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. However, there is unlikely that the RAV4 will feature rugged off-road capabilities. Since this has always been the best-selling vehicle of Toyota in the US market, it looks like the Japanese automaker won't want to disrupt the sales figures with a drastic revision. What can be expected from the rendering is that the next generation RAV4 could look completely different from the current offering.
Some spy shots of the next-gen RAV4:


text:
Brendan McDiarmid/ReutersThank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange on October 27, 2023. Reuters/Brendan McDiarmid
New York CNN –
The benchmark S&P 500 index closed in correction territory on Friday, ending a volatile week due to a weaker-than-expected earnings report and strong economic data.
The S&P 500 fell 0.5%, a decline of more than 10% from its recent July peak. The Dow fell 367 points, or 1.1%, after sliding more than 400 points at the trading session’s low. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.4%.
Shares of Amazon rose 6.8% on Friday after the e-commerce giant reported declining top and bottom lines in its latest quarter. It comes after tech stocks fell earlier this week on mixed earnings reports from Alphabet and Meta Platforms, sending the Nasdaq Composite on Wednesday to its worst day since February.
Still, a lack of earnings elsewhere helped accelerate the market selloff this week.
Chevron shares fell 6.7% after the company reported a sharp decline in third-quarter earnings. ExxonMobil shares fell 1.9% after it reported third-quarter earnings that dropped 54% from a year earlier.
Ford Motors shares fell 12.2% after it reported third-quarter earnings that fell short of Wall Street expectations and withdrew its full-year guidance due to uncertainty created by the United Auto Workers strike. The union reached an agreement with the automaker earlier this week.
JPMorgan Chase shares fell 3.6% after a filing revealed that CEO Jamie Dimon and his family plan to sell $141 million worth of stock over the next year.
For the week, the Dow fell 2.1%. The S&P 500 slipped 2.5% and the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.6%.
This week’s key data showed the US economy remains strong despite interest rates hitting their highest levels in 22 years, with investors already fearful the central bank will keep rates high for longer.
The Commerce Department reported Thursday that gross domestic product, a measure of all goods and services produced in the U.S. economy, grew at an annual rate of 4.9% during the third quarter. That measure, adjusted for inflation and seasonal fluctuations, was well above the second quarter’s 2.1% pace and economists’ expectation of a 4.3% rate.
Investors also digested the latest personal consumer spending price index, the Federal Reserve’s favorite inflation gauge. Excluding gas and food prices, the core PCE index rose 3.7% for the 12 months ended in September, its smallest year-on-year increase since May 2021. The index rose 0.3% on a monthly basis, up from the 0.1% rate seen in August. ,
According to the CME FedWatch tool, traders see a nearly 100% chance that the Fed will keep interest rates steady after its monetary policy meeting next week.
The latest consumer survey from the University of Michigan on Friday also showed that sentiment declined 6% this month, as Americans grew more concerned about the economic outlook.
The levels may change slightly as the stock settles after the trading day.


text:
New Riverwalk tenants unveiled
The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk unveiled its list of tenants Monday, less than a year before the redeveloped site is expected to open.
The long list of tenants includes Last Call Studio by Neiman Marcus, Coach Factory Store, Coach Men's Factory Store and Forever 21. A complete list of tenants can be viewed here.
"These exceptional retailers will create an unmatched shopping experience at The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk," said Mark Bulmash, Senior Vice President of Development for the Howard Hughes Corporation, the company developing the site. "Our team has been working side-by-side with the City of New Orleans to ensure that we exceed the expectations of local shoppers while continuing to drive tourists and revenue to the downtown area."
The redevelopment will expand the site by 50,000 square feet to a total of 250,000 square feet. Crews are currently working on demolition and construction at the site.
Riverwalk Marketplace opened in 1986. After a bit of a resurgence following Hurricane Katrina, traffic at the mall has fallen been below desired levels.
Developers hope to increase traffic significantly with the multimillion-dollar redevelopment. The Riverwalk is expected to reopen late spring/early summer of 2014.
Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox. Click here from your desktop computer to sign up; on our mobile website, use the drop down to the right to "Get Email Alerts."


text:
New offerings at garden club sale
As in past years, there will be no lack of advice on planting and landscaping at the annual Wilton Garden Club’s Mother’s Day Plant Sale. What is new is that this year the club will be able to accept credit cards with a minimum $20 purchase. And, The Care of Trees will provide free delivery for purchases of large trees and shrubs.
The annual fund-raiser takes place on Friday, May 10 from noon to 6:30 and Saturday, May 11, from 9 to noon, at the Wilton Town Green.
In addition to azaleas in bloom, the shrub/tree area will have for sale: Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ redbud, a native tree with an unrivaled display of deep rose-colored flowers in spring; Cotinus coggygria ‘Young Lady’ smokebush with big grayish-pink blooms from June to August; Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet Virginia Sweetspire,’ a shrub butterflies love for its fragrant white spring blooms and brilliant reddish-purple fall foliage; Hydrangea panticulata ‘Vanilla Strawberry’ with towers of vanilla-white blooms that turn pink and then strawberry red as they mature; Hydrangea panticulata ‘Limelight’ which blooms lime-tinted flowers; Philadelphus ‘Snowbelle’ Mock Orange with double-white fragrant blooms and a dense, rounded form; and a local favorite — Vaccinium corymbosum, ‘Northland’ highbush blueberry — one of the hardiest and most compact, yielding loads of fruit and tolerating even dry, acidic, poor soil.
In addition to the trees and shrubs, visitors will find attractive containers; hanging baskets; new varieties of vegetables, herbs, ornamental grasses and groundcovers; annuals, perennials (many deer-resistant), unusual wildflowers and rock garden plants; plus a garden tag sale and Mother’s Day gifts.
All purchases help the garden club beautify the town and support local organizations.


text:
15 March 2018
China’s Leather Industry Consolidates
This 21st edition of the All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) will take place at the New International Expo Centre in Pudong, Shanghai from 29 – 31 August 2018. The event covers a total exhibition area of 92,000 square metres and 8 halls of international and domestic tanneries, machinery and chemical suppliers.
The exhibitors will display the whole supply chain for the leather and footwear manufacturing industries with a wide array of leathers, components, chemicals and machinery. Many of the world’s leading chemical suppliers are present at ACLE and use it as a platform to launch new products and technological developments direct to their target market in China.
As in previous years there will be nearly 20 group pavilions from the leading leather making countries present at the August event, confirming the importance of ACLE as a key business platform to supply China with the raw hides, semi-finished leather that its industry requires to continue functioning as well as the speciality chemicals from the world’s leading producers. The whole supply chain for the leather making process can be seen at ACLE.
In the last four to five years there have been several negative factors that have impacted China’s leather sector. Short term there was the overall clean-up of polluting industries such as textile mills and tanneries which resulted in the closure of smaller tanneries in the northern Chinese province of Hebei but at the same time encouraged investment in waste treatment plants in larger facilities. Then came the overvaluation of leather whose price peaked at around US$110 in September 2014 for benchmark Texas steers which resulted in synthetics taking market share in footwear manufacturing. And thirdly, the emergence of Vietnam (due to lower labour costs) as a rival shoe exporter to China’s markets that has wrested market share in major destinations such as the United States.
However, bad news does not last forever and there are clear signs from the results of China’s leather sector in 2017, that the worst is now behind the industry and consolidation is taking place.
The latest China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) report indicates that the slide in the value of Chinese leather exports of all kinds appears to have been halted with total exports for 2017 valued at USD78.7 billion, increasing by 3.11%. Compare this performance to the 2016 figure when overall exports closed at US$76.4 billion, down by 11.3% on 2015.
Imports of leather and finished products reached US$9.8 billion, increasing by 10.7% indicating that there is growing demand for imported leather of all kinds for manufacturing as well as western manufactured finished products such as quality footwear and leather fashion handbags.
These CLIA figures corroborate the recent report from Bain & Co. on retail demand in the luxury sector by Chinese consumers. Such demand grew by a startling 20%+ in 2017 proving once again that the middle class China consumer with disposable income is still “alive and kicking”. Overall retail sales still continue increasing by 10%+ year-on-year far outstripping the performance in the USA or Europe
China needed to import 706,200 tons of semi-finished leather in 2017 worth US$1.46 billion which was a volume increase of 5.5% Finished leather imports for the same period were 116,800 tons with a value of US$2.1 billion but down in volume terms by 12%.
Leather import figures for China tanneries and finished product manufacture are still huge and illustrate the export opportunities available to western tanneries already working with or prospecting new Chinese customers. ACLE is the ideal business platform where to make contact and negotiate with the decision makers from China’s 550 leading tanneries and the footwear factories that manufactured 4.48 billion pairs of leather shoes in 2017 – which was only marginally down on the 2016 figure.
Economic Transition leading to Consolidation
As mentioned in last year’s press release, The Honorary Chairman of the CLIA, Su Chaoying, summed up the overall transition taking place in China’s economy as follows:. “the move from manufacturing and exports dominating the economy and a focus on the growth of consumer spending has resulted in a continued slowing of China’s GDP growth from 6.9% in 2015 to 6.8% in 2016. This year’s official target is 6.5%. Nevertheless, the growth engine is gradually shifting to more consumer-driven growth with a constant flow of people moving into the middle classes. Overall consumer spending continues to grow and is extremely buoyant at an annual rate of +10.9%.”
To the surprise of many observers and economists the actual GDP growth figure for China’s economy for 2017 came in at 6.9% – well above the forecast figure of 6.5% as mentioned by Mr Su Chaoying last year.
With GDP growth gradually being more and more consumer driven, factors such as the already mentioned rise of 20%+ in luxury purchases and the 28.88 million new vehicles sold in 2017, are simply not signs of an economy about to suffer a decline in GDP.
The trend for luxury sales is expected to remain buoyant going into this year whereas vehicle sales are set to consolidate which is hardly surprising when one considers that total vehicles sales in 2008 were just 12 million units compared to 28 million nine years later.
General Backdrop to this year’s ACLE
Macroeconomic factors continue to support a positive backdrop to this year’s ACLE. For example, the world’s major stock index are still trailing not far from the historical highs reached in January. The latest IMF global GDP growth forecast was revised up just two months ago from 3.7% to 3.9% for 2018 and 2019. The North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) looks as if it will be renegotiated rather than weakened by the withdrawal of the US and, last but not least, President Trump’s “America First” policy is being implemented.
The aforementioned policy has led the US to impose high import tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in order to protect US industry and the fear is that this could spark retaliatory measures from China leading to a trade war. Even the IMF has warned about the negative impact such unilateral measures might have on world trade. We await further developments in this context.
In terms of the leather industry and its consolidation in China we must not forget that China’s trained manpower, superior infrastructure and logistics still make it the main outsourcing destination for footwear and leather goods despite advances being made by low-wage economies in the ASEAN region.
China’s manufacturing capability cannot be replaced by the combined capacity of shoe making and leather goods manufacture of all its Asian competitors and will always have to import raw materials to feed its production lines and for this reason cannot be ignored by western suppliers.
The abundant supply of raw materials available is keeping leather prices under pressure (for example at the time of writing there are still 3.8 million hides sold but not yet shipped in US warehouses); cattle on feed in the US are also up 8% compared to last year and it is difficult to see demand increasing sufficiently to take up this backlog even in the medium term.
Nevertheless, the domination of supply side dynamics could lead to lower raw material price inputs which will help tannery margins. The missing ingredient required to give the whole industry a boost this year is demand from the footwear sector. Synthetics continue to be the preferred materials of designers especially as sneakers are enjoying massive sales worldwide but at some point, as the oil price rises, manufacturers of footwear will have to take into account their raw material costs and by extension protect their profit margins.
ACLE – Business and Information Platform in China
Aa a business platform and meeting place where opinions can be exchanged and information gathered, ACLE is the venue par excellence as the European leather sector gets back into gear after the traditional August vacation break.
ACLE is not the market but is a reflection of what is happening in terms of supply, demand and prices of leather and raw materials. It is an event that cannot be missed and is where companies doing business in China can make new contacts and consolidate business relationships with existing clients.
In this context APLF’s partner in organising ACLE, the CLIA, is marshalling a buyers recruitment campaign not only in China but also in the ASEAN countries that will also need to import manufacturing supplies. On a more detailed level, Business Matching Appointments will be set up between exhibitors and purchasing managers during ACLE to ensure that the right mix of buyers and sellers comes together.
Each year more than 23,000 buyers come to Shanghai from the major manufacturing provinces of China seeking products from the whole supply chain of the leather sector that can be seen at ACLE in its eight domestic and international exhibition halls, and as such remains as the leading event in the industry’s trade fair calendar.


text:
Maplin has secured £20m of credit to fund its expansion plans for 100 new stores and an enhanced online retail offer.
The electronics retailer has secured a new revolving credit facility from Lloyds Bank Wholesale Banking & Markets.
In addition to securing a new finance package from Lloyds Bank, Maplin has now repaid the original acquisition finance that funded the private equity-backed management buyout of the business in 2004.
The Rotherham-based retailer currently has 200 stores throughout the UK and aims to increase this number to 300 by 2015.
Maplin will also use the funding to invest in its e-commerce platforms and its website, which currently receives over 27 million visits a year.
Maplin said in July it is investing £1m per month into projects such as multichannel development and new stores under the leadership of retail veterans chairman John Lovering and chief executive John Cleland.
The management team are enacting an “accelerated investment plan”, which will impact short-term profitability, in order to better cater for changing customer needs and following a decline in earnings in 2011.
EBITDA tumbled to £29.9m from £40.8m year-on-year and sales edged down 1.6% to £205m, Retail Week revealed in July.
Maplin finance director Claire Webb said: “Earlier this year we announced plans to improve the business by investing in new stores and improving our online capabilities. The funding package we have agreed with Lloyds Bank will support these initiatives.
“In particular we have received very positive feedback from customers regarding their in-store experience. They like the fact our staff are knowledgeable and can provide them with the correct solution. By opening 100 new stores over the next three years we are ensuring that more customers can benefit from this service.”
David Hunt, relationship director at Lloyds Bank Wholesale Banking & Markets’ Sheffield, said: “Maplin is a good example of a mid-market business that is generating steady growth. These businesses are fundamental to the UK’s economic recovery and we are committed to working with them to help them achieve their business goals.”


text:
The Competition & Markets Authority has raised potential concerns over the acquisition of Farelogix by Sabre.
The government body launched an in-depth investigation into the US$360 million deal in September and has now suggested it could result in less innovation, higher fees and more limited choice of supplier for airlines.
As a result, UK passengers would be worse off, the CMA said.
The provisional finding state that the continued independence of Farelogix will likely motivate Sabre to innovate further, giving airlines more choices in connecting to travel agents that will allow them to sell tickets and extra products through travel agents in more innovative ways.
The expected innovations will further benefit passengers booking by providing them with more options to customise their travel experience.
Martin Coleman, chair of the CMA inquiry group, said: “This is ultimately about passengers and their ability to get good value and innovative services when flying.
“For this to happen it’s really important that airlines have a good choice of supplier for this type of software solution to make sure services are cutting edge.
“Farelogix is at the forefront of a technological change in this industry and we are currently concerned that the merger will see airlines and their UK passengers miss out on the benefits from the continued innovation.”
Among other products and services, Sabre and Farelogix supply software solutions which help airlines sell flights via travel agents including those that operate online.
They do this by providing IT services that assist airlines in managing retail offers including information about in-flight add-ons to tickets such as seats with extra leg room, Wi-Fi and meals.
Additionally, Sabre and Farelogix offer solutions to help airlines connect with passengers via travel agents.
In responding to passenger demand, airlines want passengers booking via travel agents to have more choice over their flight experience by being able to select, for example, specific meals or seats with extra leg room.
Farelogix has developed technology that allows airlines to offer this choice to passengers.
Sabre does not currently offer this new technology but is investing in developing it.
However, the CMA is concerned that if Sabre buys Farelogix it will not have the incentive to develop the technology itself and airlines, and ultimately their passengers, will lose out as the companies will not be competing with each other to provide a better product.
A Sabre spokesperson questioned the findings and said: “While we note the CMA’s provisional findings, we strongly believe that no action should be taken by the CMA in this case because the CMA lacks jurisdiction and the transaction is pro-competitive.
“We continue to believe that the deal, far from resulting in any lessening of competition, is resoundingly pro-competitive.
“This transaction will serve the interests of airlines, travel agents and ultimately consumers.
“By bringing our two businesses together, we will accelerate access to next-generation retailing, distribution, and fulfilment products and services that the market needs.”
The CMA is consulting on the provisional findings and views are invited by February 28th.
Its current view is that blocking the merger may be the only way of addressing these competition concerns.


text:
Some Bronco fans thought the Jeep Wrangler wasn’t the only vehicle Ford would take on with the new Bronco. Upon its return, Ford officials said Bronco would be a “family” of vehicles, leading to plenty of speculation about what that could mean.
Apparently, it no longer means a truck to compete with the Jeep Gladiator. The original Bronco from the late ’60s did come with a pickup option, but the new models will not, according to Automotive News. The publication cited two sources “knowledgeable about the decision.”
Ford typically doesn’t comment on future products, but spokesman Mike Levine told Automotive News “we continue to see strong demand for our full portfolio of rugged trucks and SUVs, including our Bronco-brand utilities and our best-selling Ford truck line-up.”
The plans reportedly called for a pickup model to arrive as a 2024 model, built at Wayne (MI) Truck Plant where the Bronco and Ford Ranger midsize pickup are currently produced. Ford officials never formally confirmed the existence of a pickup truck.
A family of vehicles
When the Bronco and Bronco Sport were introduced in July 2020, Ford officials noted there were plans for additional vehicles beyond the two- and four-door Bronco and Bronco Sport — a family. Details weren’t provided but there has been plenty of speculation about what it could mean.
At the time, officials suggested they would always sport Ford’s “Blue Oval” badge, but the automaker would push Bronco as its own unique brand. Mark Grueber, the Bronco marketing chief, told TheDetroitBureau.com back then one of its hallmarks will be that every vehicle will be equipped with all-wheel drive, something it believes will give Bronco a leg up on competitors like Jeep and Land Rover.
Naturally, fans were left to explore what that could mean in terms of actual products. Part of that including the now-dead pickup as well as a variety of performance variants, including the Warthog or Raptor (both names have bandied about for the same vehicle), which is akin to the Raptor line-up for the automaker’s F-Series pickups.
The company produced a Baja-style model, dubbed the Bronco Type R, that raced in Mexico. That version, if it comes to life, may be called the Wildtrack. Then, there’s the potential for an EV model. Ford’s massively invested in battery electrics to the tune of at least $22 billion. Further, Ford CEO Jim Farley added a little gas to that fire in May via Twitter.
When asked by a Tesla fan on Twitter about why there isn’t an electric version of more new products coming out, specifically the Bronco, Farley’s response was “Why do you think we dont?”
Former CEO Jim Hackett confirmed in 2018 that a Bronco hybrid was also coming.
A plug-in would allow Ford to take direct aim against Bronco’s key rival, the Jeep Wrangler. A PHEV model — the Wrangler 4xe — went on sale last month. It can run 21 miles in all-electric mode, according to the EPA, while Jeep noted the 4xe can operate for at least three hours on batteries alone while off-roading.
“I would be shocked” if Ford didn’t electrify the Bronco, Sam Abuelsamid, principal auto analyst for Guidehouse Insights in Chicago told TheDetroitBureau.com in May.


text:
For at least a ten years, privateness advocates dreamed of a universal, legally enforceable “do not track” placing. Now, at least in the most populous state in the US, that dream has develop into a reality. So why isn’t Apple—a enterprise that ever more works by using privateness as a offering point—helping its consumers consider benefit of it?
When California handed the California Purchaser Privateness Act (CCPA) in 2018, the legislation arrived with a large asterisk. In idea, the CCPA gives California inhabitants the appropriate to inform websites not to offer their private knowledge. In apply, working out that suitable usually means clicking as a result of an interminable number of privacy procedures and cookie notices, a person by 1, on each individual web site you go to. Only a masochist or a die-tricky privateness enthusiast would go to the difficulties of clicking by to the cookie configurations each time they’re wanting up a menu or shopping for a vacuum. Privateness will keep on being, for most persons, a right that exists only on paper until eventually there is a uncomplicated just one-click way to opt out of tracking throughout the total Net.
The great information is that this perfect is inching nearer and nearer to reality. Whilst the CCPA does not explicitly point out a global decide-out, the rules interpreting the legislation issued by the California attorney typical in 2020 specified that enterprises would have to honor just one, just as they do specific requests. The engineering for a universal decide-out did not in fact exist still, but past drop, a coalition of businesses, nonprofits, and publishers unveiled a technical specification for a world-wide privateness handle that can ship a CCPA-enforceable “do not track” sign at the browser or machine degree.
Right now, if you dwell in California, you can empower the world-wide privacy command by making use of a privateness browser like Brave or downloading a privacy extension, like DuckDuckGo or Privateness Badger, in whatsoever browser you already use. (Significantly, go do it. The full list of options is in this article.) After you do, you’ll automatically inform web pages you go to, “Do not offer my personalized information” devoid of possessing to click on anything—and, in contrast to with previous initiatives to develop a common opt-out, any decent-dimensions organization that does enterprise in California will be lawfully obligated to comply, which involves adding just a couple traces of code to their web site.
The state of CCPA enforcement continues to be murky since some enterprises item to the attorney general’s wide interpretation of the regulation. But California’s government has begun producing obvious that it intends to implement the global privateness regulate requirement. (The much more not long ago passed California Privacy Rights Act, which goes into total impact in 2023, makes this need more explicit.)
In mid-July, Digiday documented that Attorney Normal Rob Bonta’s business had “sent at the very least 10 and potentially more than 20 firms letters that phone on them to honor the GPC.” And an product appeared on a current list of CCPA enforcement steps on the lawyer general’s site noting that a enterprise experienced been pressured to get started honoring the sign.
Now, the terrible news. Although it is a lot less difficult to set up a privateness extension or browser than click on through a million privateness pages, the extensive the vast majority of individuals are continue to unlikely to do so. (It remains to be seen no matter if DuckDuckGo papering America’s highways and cities with billboards will inspire a new wave of privacy connoisseurs.)
This matters quite a little bit because online privateness rights are collective, not unique. The problems with pervasive monitoring is not merely that it can allow a person to accessibility your particular site info and use it to damage your lifetime, as a short while ago transpired to a Catholic priest whose commercially obtainable Grindr details disclosed a pattern of frequenting gay bars. Even if you individually decide out of monitoring, you are still living in a world formed by surveillance. Monitoring-centered marketing contributes to the decrease of top quality publications by consuming absent at the premium that advertisers shell out to arrive at their audiences. Less expensive to uncover individuals viewers on social media or even on base-feeding extremist information internet sites. It turbocharges the incentive to relentlessly optimize engagement on social media platforms. None of that will go absent right until a significant mass of men and women choose out of getting tracked throughout the board.
That is why 1 absence from the list of organizations supporting the world wide privateness handle is so conspicuous. Apple burnished its by now solid name on privateness previously this year by introducing App Monitoring Transparency, a placing that flips the privacy default on iOS units by forcing applications to get a user’s authorization prior to sharing their data. That is a genuinely large phase ahead for privateness, due to the fact the difference concerning staying opted out by default and opted in is enormous—and in truth, early studies recommend that most Iphone people are declining to give applications authorization to track them.
But Apple, in spite of its said (and heavily marketed) motivation to privacy, has not integrated the world wide privateness command into Safari, the most well-known mobile browser in the US and the second-most-well-liked desktop browser. Nor has it created it into iOS, which accounts for far more than 50 % of the US cell running process market. That suggests it is not executing as considerably as it could to protect tens of hundreds of thousands of customers from possessing their information offered and shared. The Application Tracking Transparency framework is significant, but it relies on Apple catching app developers who violate the policy. Safari’s tracking-avoidance feature, in the meantime, relies on a technical approach to blocking cookies and other trackers that can typically be circumvented.
“For yrs, providers have located approaches to circumvent specialized privateness protections. It is mainly an arms race,” suggests Ashkan Soltani, a privateness researcher who helped acquire the world wide privateness management. “Technical resources are not sufficient. You have to have to have the pressure of legislation guiding it.” Which is exactly where the global privateness management is crucially distinct from existing monitoring prevention. If a business disregards it, it is not just violating terms of services or evading some code—it’s breaking the regulation and pitfalls being slapped with important fines or penalties.
So considerably, on the other hand, none of the biggest browsers have included the function, preserving it from widespread adoption. This is not surprising in the circumstance of Google, which hasn’t additional it to Chrome or Android: The world’s greatest surveillance marketing business is not just recognized for caring considerably about consumer privacy. (Google declined to remark for this story.) A Mozilla spokesperson mentioned the business is “looking into the global privacy command and actively taking into consideration future measures in Firefox.” It is not crystal clear why Apple has not yet joined the get together or regardless of whether it designs to in the foreseeable future. The enterprise did not react to various requests for comment above the previous 7 days.
In the earlier, Apple has used computer software style and design and App Shop policies to safeguard buyers, stepping into the vacuum developed by the lack of detailed privacy legislation. Now, in California and any other states that follow its lead—Colorado, for case in point, will have to have businesses to honor the world privacy manage starting off in 2024—the regulation has eventually gotten in advance of the technology. The public will not start out observing the full advantages till the personal sector catches up. If even a privacy-centric company like Apple isn’t fascinated, even though, the hold out could possibly be for a longer time than you’d believe.
This tale initially appeared on wired.com.


text:
GM to invest $491M in Marion, Indiana, stamping plant to support EV production
General Motors will invest $491 million at the GM Marion Stamping plant in Marion, Indiana, to prepare it to make steel and aluminum stamped parts for future vehicles — including electric cars — made at various GM assembly plants.
The investment announced Thursday will be used to buy and install two new press lines, complete press and die upgrades, renovations and construct a 6,000-square-foot addition. The work on the facility starts in the next four months. GM employs about 750 people at the plant and "employment is expected to remain stable with the addition of this new work," the automaker said in a statement.
“While this investment prepares the facility for our all-electric future, it’s really an investment in our talented Marion team and will keep the plant working for many years to come,” Gerald Johnson, GM executive vice president of Global Manufacturing and Sustainability, said in the statement.
GM CEO Mary Barra has previously said the automaker intends to bring all current employees along in its transition to exclusively sell all-electric vehicles by 2035. GM will bring 30 new EVs to market in the next three years. GM has said it has a target to build 1 million EVs in North America by the end of 2025. It currently makes the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV at Orion Assembly in Orion Township and makes the 2023 GMC Hummer EV at Factory Zero, the plant that straddles Detroit and Hamtramck. Both plants will get more EVs to build in the future, including the 2024 Silverado EV pickup.
The UAW said the investment in Marion Stamping will create job security for Local 977 members who work there.
"GM is making this investment because of the hard work and dedication of our UAW Local 977 members in Marion," Ray Curry, UAW president and director of the General Motors and Gaming departments, said in a statement.
First opened in 1956, GM’s Marion Metal Center produces sheet metal parts for multiple GM assembly plants to support production of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles.


text:
“We are addressing social challenges and humanitarian crises through technology”
Assaf Shmuelevitz, CEO of Lev Kachol, explained how the company creates a positive social impact in an interview at the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ event hosted by Unistream
“We are using AI and IOT technologies which help us connect between organizations and volunteers, and between local and international organizations." said Assaf Shnuelevitz, CEO Lev Kachol, speaking in an interview with CTech at Unistream’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ event last week.
Shmuelevitz shared the company's mission, explaining that "Lev Kachol set as a common platform allows rapid and smart synchronization between needs and resources. Lev Kachol enables all sectors of society (technology/business and civil/public) to engage efficiently where needed, in order to collaborate in a crisis or to produce technological or operational solutions to address social challenges."
When asked what tips he has for Unistream’s entrepreneurial youth, Shmuelevitz stated: “It’s better to make your product good than wait for it to be perfect. I am a big fan of the agile model. I think in the Ukraine arena we saw this in the best way - it was better to release a version at the beginning and then receive feedback from the users and then change the product a bit. I call it “product fit.” In addition, always forecast the next gap and prepare to be relevant to address it.”
Unistream trains thousands of youth from the periphery from all sectors, and offers them a real and worthwhile opportunity to succeed in life, develop a meaningful career and integrate into the business world in the future. Together with a huge business community numbering 4,700 senior business executives, Unistream trainees establish start-up companies while still in high school, and turn an idea into a groundbreaking venture with the aim of making a difference in the world.
You can watch the full interview in the video above.


text:
Today Huawei is announcing the launch of its newest high-end tablet: The MatePad Pro 5G. The device isn’t exactly a new product as the company had launched the 4G version in China back in November, but it is now also launching in the western markets as 5G variant and we’ve had some hands-on experience with the new unit.
Huawei Launches Flagship MatePad Pro Tablet with Punch-Hole Display
Huawei is among a few manufacturers who still competes on the market of high-end tablets against Apple and Samsung. This week the company introduced its MatePad Pro, a high-end...25 by Anton Shilov on 11/26/2019