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Zenergy Power Completes Successful Operation Of First Commercial High-Temperature Superconductive (HTS) Induction Heater
Zenergy Power Inc., developer of commercial products based on high temperature superconductor (HTS) technology, announced the successful installation and implementation of what it claims is the world’s first commercial full scale HTS induction heater for Weseralu GmbH & Co. KG (Weseralu), an aluminum profile extrusion company, at its manufacturing facility in Minden, Germany.
The HTS induction heater is based on Zenergy’s proprietary technology and is specifically designed for heating large aluminium billets that can be manipulated when softened and shaped for numerous products in the automotive, aerospace and machine building industries.
The newly installed HTS induction heater is now fully operational at Weseralu and is said to offer compelling economic advantages over other technologies in the marketplace with respect to energy efficiency, operational simplicity and carbon emissions. According to the company, conventional induction heater technologies require over 1MW of power to operate at full capacity, while Zenergy’s HTS induction heater consumes a mere 450kW of power when functioning at full volume, representing a substantial 55% energy saving. Additionally, Zenergy states that its technology requires less maintenance than traditional induction heaters since it does not employ copper coils, which require multiple replacements during the lifetime of a unit. From an environmental viewpoint, the operation of a Zenergy HTS induction heater diminishes CO2 emissions by 300 tonnes each year – the equivalent of the emissions of 150 households.
"Zenergy’s HTS technology represents a quantum leap for our industry and I am delighted to be the first in the world to utilize this technology," remarked Mr, Hagemann, owner and Managing Director of Weseralu. "I am confident that it will prove advantageous on an economic and ecologic basis in comparison to any existing billet heating equipment. Additionally, the HTS induction heater offers Weseralu unprecedented temperature homogeneity in our aluminium billets during the heating process in contrast to conventional technology, which will afford the company even more meaningful financial benefits through the increased productivity it generates from the considerable electricity savings we expect to enjoy from the unit."
"The successful implementation of the world’s first full scale commercial HTS induction heater represents a landmark achievement for Zenergy and will enhance Weseralu’s reputation for delivering outstanding and high quality products to its customers," said Dr. Jens Muller, CEO of Zenergy. "We are delighted by the implicit industrial acceptance our technology has obtained thus far, and look forward to a long history of providing cutting-edge, environmentally efficient products to the market."


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The Biggest Loser from Russia Sanctions? Visa
Conventional wisdom says that sanctions against Russia are more palatable to the U.S. than Europe, because U.S. companies have less business to lose. The last part of that sentence is about to become untrue -- at least until the European Union starts punishing Russia's economy.
Two U.S. companies, Visa and Mastercard, will be the first to feel significant blowback from the sanctions. Their losses will exceed even the direct cost that U.S. sanctions to date -- excluding capital flight due to fears of possible future measures -- have inflicted on Russia's financial system.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed amendments to the national payment system law, which both Visa and Mastercard recently warned investors about in their earnings calls. The new law completely disrupts the business and technological models used by Visa and Mastercard in Russia, where they process about 90 percent of all card transactions.
If they want to continue working on the domestic market, Visa and Mastercard will need to keep transaction data within Russia's borders. The rather vaguely formulated law also tells them to cede "control" of their operations to the Russian central bank or other Russian entities, or else deposit collateral with the central bank to the tune of two days' processing volume. Oh, and there will be fines of up to 10 percent of the collateral deposit per day for unilaterally stopping service to a bank.
That last requirement is a direct response to U.S. sanctions against four Russian banks that belong to President Vladimir Putin's friends. The biggest, Bank Rossiya, is the country's 16th largest by assets. In terms of the size of their retail operations, the sanctioned banks are dwarfs: SMP Bank is only number 30 in private deposits, and the others have even smaller client bases. When the U.S. moved against the banks' owners, clients voted with their feet: Rossiya lost 5 percent of retail deposits in March, and SMP lost 13 percent, even though the sanctions against it came in April: Depositors understood which way the wind was blowing. There must have been further outflows in April, for which data are not yet available.
Still, for the Russian financial system and the U.S. payment networks that serve it, the four banks' problems were barely a hiccup. Visa and Mastercard say the banks accounted for less than 1 percent of their Russian business volumes, before getting cut off from the payment systems.
Russian legislators were, of course, inclined toward vengeance when they drafted their response. They also had valid practical considerations: Someone will need to process domestic payments, even if the entire Russian banking system is hit with U.S. sanctions. So the law Putin signed also decrees the creation of a national card processing system controlled by the central bank, a technological task that can probably be completed by the end of 2014. Several Russian operators have already developed much of the required software.
Visa and Mastercard need to decide whether they want to stay in the game and compete with the national system or just make deals with it for the processing of cross-border transactions, the way they do in China, where the local payment system, UnionPay, has a monopoly on local business, or in France with the Carte Bancaire system.
William Sheedy, Visa's executive vice president for corporate strategy, said on a recent earnings call that "the Russian market is huge business for us as a country, growing faster than any other country we have within the global franchise." Under the new law, however, the costs of continuing to provide full service may outweigh the benefits. According to the Russian central bank, the volume of card transactions in Russia reached 7.3 trillion rubles ($204 billion) in the 4th quarter of 2013. If the two U.S. companies processed 90 percent of that volume, about $2 billion per day, they would have to deposit $4 billion with the central bank between them. Their combined Russian revenue in 2013, at 0.1 percent of transaction volume, looks to have been about $724 million, although that may be a generous estimate: Mastercard says Russia accounts for 2 percent of its revenues, a mere $167 million in 2013.
Then there are the fines for ceasing service, which the card companies will be forced to do in accordance with U.S. law as sanctions are rolled out.
The payment companies are talking to the central bank to clarify their options. "A lot will depend on the dialogue with the Central Bank of Russia, which will establish the rules and the processes by which the legislation actually gets implemented on the ground," Mastercard chief executive Ajay Banga said on an earnings call on May 1. "What's foreign, what's domestic, how do you become more domestic, does on-soil with clearing authorization and settlement make you more domestic? Is it something else that makes you more domestic? Not clear."
Visa chief executive Charlie Scharf cannot believe Russia would go as far as to force the U.S. operators out. "If you just get down to reality for a second, we have 100 million cards in Russia today," he told analysts. "And it's not in anyone's best interest, inclusive of the Russians, to make those cards not available to their own citizens. And so that's why we are hopeful that as this situation unfolds that people understand things like that".
Russia, however, appears to be resigned to the loss of Visa and Mastercard as domestic payment processors, should they consider the costs of keeping that business too high under the new law. It is conceivable that the companies will soon only be able to process cross-border payments for their Russian cardholders. While these provide about 10 times the yield of domestic transactions, Banga says most of the company's Russian revenue comes from domestic payments.
The upshot is the potential loss of a large market for two major U.S. companies. There will also be a considerable cost for the Russian taxpayer, who will foot the bill for the creation of the national payment system, as well as inconvenience for Russian banks and their clients. Yet these will be one-off costs and in the longer term a national payment system is a potentially profitable venture. The Chinese experience inspires Putin's advisers: UnionPay, whose cards are accepted in 135 countries, is now bigger than Mastercard and second only to Visa in processing volume.
The U.S. government needs to think though the effectiveness of sanctions as diligently as European governments do. So far Visa and Mastercard stand to lose more than Ukraine is likely to gain.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg View's editorial board or Bloomberg LP, its owners and investors.
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text: This year upwards of 60,000 revelers (a.k.a. Burners) descended upon Nevada's Black Rock Desert for a week for the 27th year of the Burning Man festival. Those attendees need supplies to stay hydrated, pitch camp, decorate their cars, and construct the far-out art installations the event is famous for. Burners stock up at Home Depot. They come in droves to the stores in Reno and Carson City and Spanish Springs. Clint Echevarria, Home Depot's district manager for northern Nevada, has never been to the festival, but it's on his bucket list. "For two weeks out of the year," he says, "it's some of the most exciting times in the aisles."


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Here's why digital marketing is as lucrative a career as data science and machine learning
- Indian marketing professionals are getting more tech savvy with the evolution of digital technologies.
- In an interview with Business Insider, Mayank Kumar, Founder & MD of upGrad said that the requirement for 'experienced marketers' is getting replaced by the demand for 'data-driven marketers’ now.
- According to LinkedIn, digital marketing specialist is one of the top 15 emerging job roles in India — with Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi attracting most talent.
- As per the data shared by upGrad, average salary hike for a digital marketing stood at 42% while the highest package was recorded as ₹68 lakhs.
In an interview with Business Insider, Mayank Kumar, Founder & MD of upGrad told how digital literacy is becoming a buzzword in the ecosystem. “The requirement for experienced marketers is getting replaced by the demand for data-driven marketers.”
In fact, Kumar says that professionals with 10+ years of experience in traditional marketing or sales are feeling “the palpable need to upskill and do so, really fast.”
Those who are seeking to enhance their digital skills are enrolling in digital courses like data science and digital marketing. According to Kumar, data science, blockchain, full stack development, digital marketing and
As per LinkedIn, digital marketing specialist is one of the top 15 emerging job roles in India — with Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi attracting the most talent. However, it is no longer confined to traditional aspects of social media or content marketing. They would have to acquire skills with regards to Google Ads, Social Media Optimization,
Nearly doubled salaries
As per upGrad, learners with nearly eight years of experience, who took online courses on digital technologies saw a windfall. Their salaries nearly doubled after acquiring the skills. The average salary hike for a digital marketer stood at 42% while the highest package recorded was ₹68 lakhs.
They earn as much as data scientists and other techies who work for full stack development — which is one the best paying software roles.
“The top 20% of the transitioned learners graduated with an average hike of 177%, which is way above any industry benchmark. Those who were previously in profiles like software testing, software development, traditional marketing, sales and operations are now working with leading companies like HDFC Life, Facebook, IBM, Uber, Zomato, and Microsoft,” upGrad said in a statement.
“Two learners from digital marketing and data science programs have bagged ₹68 lakhs and a ₹72 lakhs job packages, respectively. The former transitioned from a renowned consumer-goods sector to now into one of the largest multinational footwear manufacturers whereas, the latter is now a part of a global finance leader after serving fruitful years in a top financial-software company,” Kumar told.
upGrad provides an industry connect for professionals who want to transition from their existing job roles.
“We started our in-house placement support team which provides holistic placement services like resume building, interview preparation support and salary negotiation tips. As of today, we have over 300 corporates hiring from upGrad’s talent pool and we plan to add 50 new companies every quarter.”
The online tutoring platform was also featured in LinkedIn’s list of top 25 startups in India.
This Indian startup gains as students from Tier 2 and 3 cities opt for online digital courses
AdvertisementThis is why engineering students are looking for ‘extra’ digital courses
Data scientists with 3 years experience can earn ₹20 lacs per annum
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Looking forward to it: The next iPod
By Mike Snider, USA TODAY
When: Who knows?
Why it could be an '06 sensation: Ever since portable gadget lovers connected with the original iPod, released in 2001, the love affair has blossomed with each release from Apple: the smaller Shuffle, the iPod Photo and the video version. Consumers have bought more than 30 million iPods. The next-generation iPod is expected to feature wireless connectivity, so that the unit can talk to your computer without connecting to a USB cable. "Imagine sitting your iPod down next to your PC, and it automatically syncing up," says Richard Doherty of The Envisioneering Group. And it might also receive and store satellite radio programming, he says.
The buildup: Apple typically doesn't hype its products, instead preferring to unveil them at surprise press events and gatherings such as MacWorld Expo, which starts Monday in San Francisco. But insiders know that Apple is hard at work, staying one step ahead of the competition.
Lasting impact: The love affair probably will last only until the next, even cooler iSomething comes along.


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Toshiba launched a new line of client solid-state drives that support the latest 3D NAND flash and nonvolatile memory express technologies and could see limited use in enterprise systems.
The XG5 SSD is the first to use Toshiba's 64-layer Bit Cost Scalable (BiCS) 3D flash, offering the potential for higher densities and lower costs, when the ongoing NAND shortage subsides in the future. The NAND flash shortage has slowed price declines for Toshiba SSDs and all other SSD manufacturers, as chipmakers have struggled with the transition from 2D NAND to 3D NAND in the face of rising demand.
Grant Van Patten, Toshiba's product line manager of client PC, data center and embedded devices, said the company expects the flash cost curve to resume its previous downward trajectory once the shortage eases. He said Toshiba plans to transition the vast majority of its solid-state drives (SSDs) to 3D NAND flash, but the qualification time takes longer for enterprise SSDs than for consumer SSDs.
Brian Kumagai, director of business development for Toshiba's memory business unit, said the tight NAND supply would likely stretch through the end of the year and possibly into early 2018. Toshiba has yet to reach optimal yields of 90% to 95% per wafer with the BiCS 3D NAND technology that it achieves with its 15-nanometer 2D NAND, Kumagai said.
"The race is on in terms of 3D now. Trying to compete with 2D is not an option," said David Floyer, Wikibon co-founder and CTO. "Samsung had the market to themselves for a time, and they don't anymore. Micron and Toshiba both have, or will have, the same type of technology."
Greg Wong, founder and principal analyst at Forward Insights, said higher yields correspond to lower manufacturing costs -- savings that "will hopefully be passed on to end users."
Toshiba TLC flash enables higher capabilities
The new Toshiba SSDs use triple-level cell (TLC) NAND flash to enable higher capabilities, and they support four-lane PCI Express (PCIe) Generation 3 and the 1.2.1 revision of the NVM Express (NVMe) specification to boost performance and lower latency. The SSDs offer capacity options of 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB in a single-sided 22 mm-by-80 mm M.2 form factor.
David Floyerco-founder and CTO, Wikibon
Floyer said naysayers used to say TLC NAND would never be reliable enough for enterprise use. But he said Toshiba's initial shipment of 64-layer TLC 3D NAND SSDs, stated commitment to higher density TLC 3D NAND for enterprise and consumer SSDs, and aggressive investment in new 3D NAND fabs show the technology is the way of the future for storage. Floyer said new server-based storage architectures could create the opportunity for new and different SSD form factors beyond the traditional 2.5-inch SSDs that are most common in the enterprise today because of their historic use with hard drives.
Van Patten said Toshiba would offer multiple enterprise form factors, including SAS and PCIe add-in cards, U.2 and M.2. He said the company would likely offer enterprise-class M.2 SSDs in a larger 22 mm-by-110 mm form factor.
The single-port XG5's primary target are laptops, notebooks and desktop portable computers, but Van Patten said Toshiba expects the XG5 SSDs to see enterprise use for booting servers, caching, logging and other supporting functions.
Van Patten said the XG5 NVMe-based PCIe Toshiba SSDs could also be used in all-flash or hybrid storage arrays that build in system-wide redundancy, enabling vendors to use client drives to reduce costs. He said, in addition to higher performance and lower latency, potential NVMe advantages include reduced power consumption and the ability to share memory.
But Van Patten acknowledged that, for mission-critical primary storage, traditional OEM customers favor dual-port, enterprise-class Toshiba SSDs that are rigorously tested and hot-swappable. Enterprise drives usually feature a low uncorrectable bit error rate and mean time to failure of 2 million to 2.5 million hours, as opposed to the 1.5 million hours with client SSDs such as the XG5 Series.
NVMe segments should address 'different portions of the market'
Van Patten said Toshiba also ships the value-focused, low-powered BG SSD Series that enterprises use primarily for server booting. The company began shipping the NVMe-based, two-lane PCIe BG2 Series with 48-layer BiCS technology last year, and the 22 mm-by-30 mm M.2 Toshiba SSDs are now available in products, he said.
"We think there need to be different segments of NVMe that address different portions of the market," Van Patten said. "There needs to be an NVMe product that's cost-optimized specifically to compete with SATA in terms of pricing. That's really where we see the value NVMe category having the largest impact over the next couple years on the client side."
Toshiba said the XG5 SSDs are faster than SATA SSDs and produced a maximum sequential read performance of 3,000 MB per second (MBps) and sequential write performance of 2,100 MBps, although speeds can vary based on the host device, applications and file size.
The XG5 SSD includes a single-level-cell flash cache designed to speed workloads with burst potential. The product roadmap includes self-encrypting drive models, which will expand the use cases to include business applications requiring security.
Toshiba began shipping the XG5 in May to PC OEMs and expects to gradually expand availability to additional OEMs for enterprise and embedded systems in the second half of the year. Plans also call for a retail version based on the same XG5 hardware for the PC enthusiast and gaming space.
The release of the XG5 SSD line takes place as Toshiba reportedly pursues the sale of its memory business to cover losses from its struggling U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric nuclear power subsidiary.
"The financial troubles within Toshiba do not stem from the memory business, so from our perspective, it's business as usual," Van Patten said.
Toshiba's semiconductor joint-venture partner, Western Digital, has claimed no transaction can take place without its consent. Several of WD's SanDisk subsidiaries file a request for arbitration with the ICC International Court of Arbitration, operated by the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce, related to three flash-memory joint ventures with Toshiba.
3D NAND flash has staying power, experts say
Enterprise flash storage predictions for 2017
High-capacity flash, NVMe among hot storage trends


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ABC News has put up a video of their one-on-one interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook. David Muir, ABC’s interviewer, and Cook discussed the new Mac Pro, Apple’s increasing focus on manufacturing within the U.S., and the government’s transparency. Craig Federighi and Bud Tribble made guest appearances in the video, but they were not taped while speaking.
In regards to the government, Cook was adamant that no “backdoor” exists on Apple’s servers. He also said that Apple will be pushing congress to be more transparent with data requests for users’ information.
The video ended with Muir and Cook talking about Steve Jobs:
Muir: Steve Jobs said to you, “I never want you to ask what I would have done, just do whats right.”
Cook: “By saying what he said, for me, it relieved I believe a huge burden that would have existed had he not said it. And so I think it was incredible for him to do that.”
If you ever needed a final nail in the coffin of the “what would Jobs have done” argument, this is it. Jobs wanted Cook to run Apple the way Cook would run Apple.
This video was just the latest of several I have seen that feature, somewhat candid, Apple executives. Jobs tended to be far more reclusive in regards to the media, but I find being able to see the faces that lead Apple and hear their thoughts is satisfying and reassuring.
—Sunday, 26 January 2014


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Who needs a scuzzy motel room when you can just go online for cheap and tawdry sex? "Never before has the dating world been so handy for married men and women looking for a fling," a University of Florida researcher told AScribe Newswire.
The researcher, Beatriz Avila Mileham, conducted in-depth online interviews with 76 men and 10 women who used online chat rooms (she found that women were reluctant to talk to her). Mileham predicted that "the Internet will soon become the most common form of infidelity, if it isn't already."
Some of the people she talked with go online and talk dirty for a quick sex fix, while others talk about personal problems and marital issues. Most said they loved their spouses but wanted an erotic thrill. Also, 83 percent of survey participants said that what they were doing wasn't cheating, Mileham said--but she pointed out that other research has shown that most spouses feel betrayed and hurt by online infidelity.
Her advice? Couples "need to talk about what role the Internet will play in their relationship."


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XPO Logistics is exploring options. The giant diversified logistics service provider issued a statement on January 15 that its “board of directors has authorized a review of strategic alternatives, including the possible sale or spin-off of one or more of XPO’s business units”. This appears to be a clear indication that the company will sell a major part of the business.
The motivation is clear. Bradley Jacobs, the company’s founder and CEO said that despite XPO being “the 7th best-performing stock of the last decade on the Fortune 500” and the share price having “increased more than ten-fold since our investment in 2011… we continue to trade at well below the sum of our parts and at a significant discount to our pure-play peers. That’s why we believe the best way to continue to maximize shareholder value is to explore our options”. Speaking on US television Bradly Jacobs commented that “as a diversified company the market is only giving us a multiple of eight or nine times (earnings)… if you look at what you would get if you sold off four of our business units, each one as a smaller pure-play would get a higher multiple”.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in the US later in the week, Mr Jacobs commented that there was no preconceived outcome for the review, rather all of the four constituent businesses would be examined for disposal; “We may not sell all four, we may sell none”. There is also no timetable for any sales.
The only business that XPO will not sell is its North American less-than-truckload operation. That leaves the trucking and contract logistics businesses in Europe, North American intermodal, forwarding and last-mile divisions. There have been some hints that a large company may have already expressed interest in buying some of these operations.
Bradley Jacobs is also quoted as saying that XPO may end-up being a “fast-growing, pure-play LTL company with a lot of liquidity.”
The move is not completely unexpected. Mr Jacobs has a record of buying and selling businesses at speed and of being focussed on value. XPO Logistics was created in just a few years almost from nothing through the acquisition of companies such as Con-Way and Norbert Dentressangle and has done surprisingly well.
The company has come under some pressure recently as a result of secondary issues such as its relationship with Amazon, however this was hardly an existential threat. Rather, Bradley Jacobs is likely to do what he has always done and look for the best value for his assets.
Source: Transport Intelligence, January 23, 2020
Author: Thomas Cullen


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Crawley Town Football Club have signed a player after a fan vote using NFTs.
The vote, which was directed by fans, offered 1000 season tickets and verified owners of approximately 8000 NFTs a say in the signing.
Those voting opted to offer trialist, Jayden Davis a contract.
Crawley Town then announced the signing of the 20 year old midfielder, they also secured Moe Shubbar and Ben Wells on contracts.
After penning a deal with the club, Davis said: “I am absolutely buzzing to have signed for Crawley. I think this is a really exciting time for everyone involved with the club, and I am over the moon to have officially signed after a good pre-season. I am looking forward to helping the team win in any way that I can.”
After Davis put pen to paper, team manager Kevin Betsy said: “I have known Jayden since he was 12 years old. He was recently released by Milwall, and I know that he has a lot of quality to bring to the side. He brings a lot of energy to the midfield area, and he will be pushing for places.”
Crawley Football Club was purchased by United States crypto and Web3 firm WAGMI United — We’re All Gonna Make It — for a reported $20 million in April.
The team play in the fourth tier of England's football leagues.
It is the latest digital promotion the club offered fans. owners WAGMI sold team jerseys which could only be purchased by NFTs, Adidas merchandise and exclusive physical and virtual events were also offered.
Adidas became the clubs official kit sponsor in late June.


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There’s a lot of buzz surrounding the social platform TikTok. With concerns about the safety and security of user data, and China’s influence on the app, some countries are considering a ban – if they haven’t already done so. While TikTok is a huge advertising stream for many companies, the future of TikTok remains uncertain. Read on to learn more about the current TikTok situation.
The situation with TikTok is an important one. It brings up issues surrounding internet safety, privacy, and the security of personal information. Here are some key points about the situation with TikTok that will help you get caught up if you haven’t been following the news.
- Many countries have banned TikTok, particularly on government-issued devices, as is the case here in Canada.
- Some are concerned about how the app might negatively impact teens and vulnerable underage users.
- The U.S.A. has brought up concerns about how the app uses the personal information and data it collects, as well as the possibility that China could glean critical government or national security information.
- President Biden has threatened a TikTok ban, especially if the company cannot prove there’s some separation between TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance.
- TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified in Congress over the specific concern that ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, shares or sells data to the Chinese Communist Party.
- TikTok’s CEO was unable to definitively say that TikTok wouldn’t sell its data to China nor that the company wouldn’t promote certain messages from the Chinese Communist Party.
Will They Ban TikTok?
Many countries have already banned the app, mostly on government-issued devices and/or for government employees. The countries that have banned TikTok in some form include:
- European Union
- New Zealand
- United Kingdom
- United States
Meanwhile, TikTok has stated that they do not share data with the Chinese government. But, based on the testimony from TikTok’s CEO, lawmakers and the countries with concerns are not convinced that their data and information are safe. The U.S.A. has requested that ByteDance sell off TikTok otherwise they will ban the app.
In an effort to appease the U.S., called “Project Texas,” TikTok offered to relocate all their U.S. user data to domestic servers. Still, government officials don’t know if this is enough. Outside of the U.S., lawmakers and other officials are also concerned about national security.
Though it does seem likely, the possibility of a TikTok ban remains uncertain at this point. Other organizations like Fight for the Future and the Center for Democracy and Technology, as well as many TikTok users, oppose a nationwide ban, saying that it goes against constitutional rights to freedom of expression. It’s clear that an attempt to ban TikTok on a national level would be politically very difficult.
Impact on Social Media Marketing
If TikTok was to be banned, what would be the impact on marketers and advertisers? Considering the fact that TikTok helps companies reach wide audiences, pulling back or halting ad spending on the platform could limit a company’s potential growth. The app also plays a role in organic marketing and viral moments.
Ultimately, advertising on TikTok can be fruitful but it’s a risk and it can send the wrong message, especially with tensions so high between China and the West. Many companies recognize the instability and security concerns of TikTok and are choosing to invest in more established platforms and limit their ad spending on TikTok.
Whatever the end result, this negative attention and uncertainty alone can be harmful to companies that advertise on the platform. Just the association could hurt their image. As such, we’ll likely see more businesses refrain from or put a stop to TikTok advertising completely as the situation evolves. Investing more in Facebook and Instagram advertising is certainly a more stable investment. In fact, about 80% of Canada’s population has Facebook, so it’s an ideal way to speak directly to Canadians. It’s also the best for getting website clicks while Instagram is excellent for improving brand awareness. Plus, you can sell your products directly through Instagram.
These platforms have been around for a long time, they’re stable and widely used. They’re a safe investment and provide a strong ROI. That’s why iDIG continues to market and advertise via these platforms, in addition to LinkedIn.
Grow your audience, increase engagement, and get more leads with social media marketing.
idig Marketing is a full-service digital agency that generates meaningful website traffic and drives high-value leads to your organization. By optimizing organic content with paid advertising our custom methodology is adapted to meet your requirements and exceed your objectives.


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Late last month, Japanese Prime Minister Abe visited Beijing. His visit nailed down multibillion-dollar trade deals and promises further to strengthen relations between the two Asian giants.
“From competition to coexistence, Japanese and Chinese bilateral relations have entered a new phase,” Abe declared. “With President Xi Jinping, I would like to carve out a new era for China and Japan.”
This was a marked contrast to Abe’s 2014 trip to China. On that occasion, recalls the Washington Post, “neither Abe nor Xi could muster the faintest hint of a smile, and they could hardly wait to finish their handshake for the photographers.”
What’s changed. Several things, one of which is U.S. trade policy.
One rationale for the TPP trade deal was that it would draw the U.S. closer to its Asians allies and freeze China out. When Trump scuttled the deal (as Hillary Clinton said she would do too), his supporters talked about accomplishing the TPP’s geo-political objective through bilateral trade deals. It hasn’t happened.
Was the TPP so unfavorable to the U.S. as to override geo-political considerations pertaining to China? Possibly. But its supporters weren’t wrong to warn of the adverse consequences of pulling out.
Withdrawal from the TPP was only the beginning of Japan’s worries about the Trump administration. The White House reportedly has been weighing tariffs of up to 25 percent on autos and car parts, and Trump has said that he plans to tell Japanese leaders “how much they have to pay” in order not to strain relations with the U.S.
Are Japan’s trade practices so unfair to America as to justify high tariffs on Japanese goods regardless of geo-political consideration pertaining to China. Again, possibly. But if the U.S. expects Japan to support our efforts to curtail China’s much more unfair practices — e.g., theft of intellectual property in an effort to become pre-eminent in high tech — it clearly can’t afford to drive Japan into China’s arms.
It’s a question of priorities, I think. We have grievances, I assume, against virtually all of our trading partners. But our grievances against China are of a different order of magnitude. Moreover, China is a threat to the U.S. in ways that Japan and our Western European allies are not.
Thus, taking the Chinese threat seriously may entail allowing our allies to nickel-and-dime us here and there in order to maintain the relationships we need to take on China.
This, I think, is the lesson of Abe’s visit to China. That lesson was driven home by Abe’s agreement to promote a Chinese-led regional trade deal called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. There’s even talk that China might try to join TPP. Such cooperation can’t be in America’s interest.
Every opportunity we turn down to cooperate with strong Asian nations like Japan is an opportunity for China. And China is more than skillful enough to exploit such opportunities. The Trump administration should think about creating fewer of them.


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Sales figures for Assassin's Creed II have been released: the game has sold over six million units since its launch in November 2009, 40 percent higher than its predecessor's numbers. This incredible feat is only emphasised by the fact it was released alongside Activision's powerhouse Modern Warfare 2 -- a huge catch for gamers.
Though the latter was thought to be the zenith of 2009 gaming, our review highlights how Assassin's Creed II trumped MW2 as the better sequel, despite the lack of an online component.
No doubt these figures have inspired the developers to build on the Assassin's Creed experience, with the third instalment due to launch in fiscal 2011. Ubisoft expects figures to reach nine million by the end of March.


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The Latest Group News
Dailymotion Advertising entrusts monetisation of its new audio format exclusively to Targetspot: an international agreementTargetspot, a world player in the high-growth area of digital audio, announces the signing of an exclusive agreement with Dailymotion Advertising for the commercialisation of its new audio roll advertising format, on four major markets.New team and new ambitions for ShoutcastShoutcast unveils its new strategy. New team, new products, dedicated support: an ambitious arsenal to rise to the new challenges of internet radio and podcasts.Targetspot and Digiseg team up to offer privacy-first, cookie- and tracking-free targeting capabilities to digital audio advertising.Targetspot, a global player in the fast-growing digital audio space, today announced its partnership with Digiseg, a cookie and ID free audience data provider based in Denmark.Laurence Henuzet is the new Operations Director at TargetspotTargetspot, a leading audio AdTech company, announces the appointment of Laurence Henuzet as Operations Director. Henuzet is a recognised expert in the world of digital advertising in Europe, with over 11 years of experience.Targetspot adds Radio MARCA’S digital audio inventory to its offerTargetspot has reached an agreement with sports broadcaster, Radio MARCA, for the commercialization of its streaming and podcast entities, both in Spanish and international markets.Targetspot reinforces its sales team in Belgium to support the strong growth of digital audio advertising campaignsThe audio industry is undergoing an unprecedented digital revolution with ultra-connected consumers who want access to the best audio content anywhere, anytime.Text-to-Speech: Strategic agreement signed between the ETX Studio news agency and TargetspotETX Studio, the news agency headed by Jérôme Doncieux, pioneer of audio augmentation with ETX Daily Up, and Targetspot, a subsidiary of the AudioValley announce the signing of a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening their respective positions at the heart of text to speech.Targetspot continues its expansion in Nordic countries with Bauer Media AudioFor the first time, Targetspot’s digital audio inventory is available for sale in four Nordic European countries, following an agreement signed with Bauer Media Audio covering Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.Targetspot connects digital radio stations with local advertisersTargetspot and the CI Media advertising agency, active in the South of France, have joined forces for an offering aimed at regional advertisers. Radio is a local medium. With digital, it opens up new opportunities for advertisers and publishers.


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Wendy’s to Suppliers: Report on Gestation-Crate-Free Pork Progress
Wendy’s says it now requires its suppliers to submit quarterly progress reports on the percentage of gestation-crate-free pork supplied to its fast-food locations.
In 2012, Wendy’s committed to eliminate the restrictive cages used to confine pregnant pigs from its American and Canadian supply chains.
On its website, Wendy’s says last year it met with pork industry representatives and outside experts to work toward its goal of sourcing only from gestation stall-free pork suppliers. The quarterly progress reports are part of this commitment.
Wendy’s also says “as a result of recent announcements by two suppliers who currently make up the majority of our raw materials (pork) business,” it’s confident it will meet this goal by the end of 2022. The restaurant doesn’t name the two pork suppliers.
Last month, Tyson Foods said it has asked its farmers to improve breeding pigs’ housing methods. Pork providers Smithfield Foods and Hormel have pledged to end the use of gestation crates at their company-owned facilities by 2017.
Energy Manager News
- Efficiency Project Complete in Meriden, CT
- BuildingIQ Makes 2 Moves
- Constellation Acquiring Retail Electricity, Natural Gas Businesses from ConEdison Solutions
- Peninsula Clean Energy Authority Chooses Direct Energy as Supplier
- Energy Efficiency is Growing on Farms
- DC Pushes Renewables
- Stockton Tabs Ygrene for PACE Financing
- ERC Price Benchmark Trends Week Ending: July 22, 2016


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There is no doubt that the COVID-19 situation will have dire economic consequences and impact our careers and jobs. Both fresh graduates and seasoned workers are worried about their future prospects.
Despite the rapidly growing damage to the economy, workers and people’s emotional well-being, surveys have shown popular support for the coronavirus lockdown. Patience is limited, however, and public sentiment could turn on a dime, particularly as the economic toll deepens. This week, everyone is talking about reopening the economy, from governors to President Trump.
I believe that America should be reopened in a careful manner to prevent a second wave of COVID-19 infection in the future. According to a report by American Enterprise Institute on steps to reopen America, at least 750,000 people a week should be tested. We should follow the decisions taken by health experts and then follow the reopening process.
The economy cannot remain shuttered indefinitely; the federal government cannot engage in endless cash expenditures on the basis of treasuries nobody is buying. The vast majority of those who will lose their jobs are not day traders but workers. Small companies are more likely to go under than large ones. The economy isn’t an abstraction. It’s the real lives of hundreds of millions of Americans, and costs to those Americans must be weighed in the balance.
Public policy is the craft of weighing risks and rewards, and policymakers do it every day. It’s just that, this time, the stakes are the highest they have ever been.
So when do we reopen and how? The biggest problem is that we lack the data to answer the question. How many lives will be lost if we take heavy social measures after how many weeks? Moderate social measures? What will be the concomitant economic gain or loss? How many additional ICU beds and ventilators will we need to make available in order to clear the flattened curve? Our goal should be to move from the Chinese model (total lockdown) to the South Korean/Singaporean model (heavy testing, contact investigations and social distancing). In order to accomplish that, we need to flatten the curve and stop the spread, allowing us to reset. How long will that take?
These questions are unanswerable at the moment, but we should reopen in a step-by- step process driven by data. We should prioritize manufacturing industries and healthcare. We should make sure that every American has access to healthcare facilities. We should provide them with N95 masks, ventilators and needed PPE, especially for our health care workers. The National Institute of Health (NIH) should also consider upgrading their research funding, especially towards infectious disease research, and should fund the projects without any major restrictions to support researchers in vaccine development studies and in many other clinical studies.
People might argue that we should go for a complete economic lockdown, but I disagree. I am not weighing out human lives for the sake of dollars. But everything should be gradual.
When reopening shops and shopping malls, the government should be concerned with opening shops of up to 400 square meters first and then follow opening shopping malls, larger retail businesses and finally restaurants and dine-in options. Also, if restaurants could utilize disposable menus it would be a great precaution to stop the spread of viruses. Restrictions could be eased first in places where the presence of the virus is weak, and rigorous testing and contact tracing should prevent a sudden explosion in infections.
We should reopen America by implementing effective containment strategies, activating and enhancing emergency response systems, dramatically increasing testing capacity and care for patients, readying hospitals, and developing life-saving medical interventions. It’s time to reopen - responsibly.


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Speaktoit Assistant is now on Windows Phone. It will be free for the first 10,000 downloads. After which, it will cost you USD0.99. For the uninitiated..
It is about time. Twitter has updated its app on Windows Phone with Notifications option. Twitter app on Windows Phone is one of less used app on Windows Phone..
Microsoft has been and is still going strong on luring more people to create apps for the devices. They have launched a “30toLaunch” website where you can..
Microsoft is going to host the Windows Phone Summit in San Francisco this 20th and 21st of June. What will Microsoft reveal in this summit? Based on the invite..
Good news, the Nokia Lumia 610 will be available in Singapore from 5th May in White, Black and Magenta and from 12 May 2012 in Cyan. The new Nokia Lumia 610..
- Contest: Bad Neighours Movie Tickets on Media Preview Day (Video) April 28, 2014
- He actually predicted about the fate of MH370 and MH17 accurately July 20, 2014
- Who is going to the SG Tech Show 2014 happening from 29th May? May 23, 2014
- Score Calculator and all you need to know about the new IPPT July 25, 2014
- Infographic: Rising Metro, reason why I give up Windows Phone May 30, 2014
- Apple announces 9th September as next iPhone event August 29, 2014
- ASUS introduces affordable ZenFone 5 LTE at Comex 2014 August 28, 2014
- Jabra announces Sport Pulse Wireless stereo earbuds with integrated heart rate monitor August 28, 2014
- Dropbox reduces price for 1 TB storage, adds more features August 27, 2014
- ASUS launches Transformer Book Flip with Star Products at Comex 2014 August 27, 2014
- Awang: It is unislamic to heed the warnings of " metaphy...
- joe computer: http://www.pcworld.com/video/39263/up-close-with-t...
- joe computer: sp3 extended warranty 1+2 according to my chat ses...
- Cookie: This guy is fake as hell....
- joe computer: tipoff: Lenovo has service center for mobile phone...


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- IHOP began in 1958 and has grown to more than 1,500 restaurants around the United States and in several other countries.
- The company reports that an average of 2.4 million customers visited IHOP restaurants weekly in 2011.
- IHOP was voted best coffee by Zagat in 2011.
Claim to fame: IHOP is famous for its more than 14 kinds of pancakes and the choice of syrups, like maple or strawberry, available at every table. "We are known for our syrups," said Mohammad Ashraf, owner of the Fullerton restaurant. You'll want to spend National Pancake Day at IHOP, where restaurants serve short stacks of buttermilk pancakes for charity. IHOP started National Pancake Day in 2006 and has raised more than $10 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other local charities.
Did you know? IHOP uses 214 million eggs for its breakfasts each year, and serves more than 700 million pancakes and 100 million cups of coffee annually.
- 2 found shot multiple times in Santa Ana, suspect at large
- A hero's farewell: Lifeguards gather in Huntington Beach to say goodbye to one of their o
- With more to sell, Lakers' free agency approach will be less Hollywood, more basketball
- Brexit could push mortgage rates to historic lows
- Health Care Agency issues warnings, beach closures for parts of Dana Point, Newport Beach


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€200 Million Investment Lanxess Inaugurates New Nd-BR plant in Singapore
Specialty chemicals company Lanxess officially has inaugurated its new neodymium butadiene rubber (Nd-BR) plant in Singapore. Located next to Lanxess’ existing butyl rubber plant on Jurong Island, the world-scale facility represents an investment of approximately €200 million.
Shanghai/China – With an annual production capacity of 140,000 metric tons, the plant has generated roughly 100 highly skilled jobs, which have largely been filled by local residents. Production will be ramped up gradually. The facility will produce Nd-BR for global markets, with an emphasis on the growing Asian markets.
“Together with our adjacent butyl rubber plant, the opening of this new butadiene rubber plant reinforces the strategic role of Singapore as our hub for synthetic rubber production for the Asian markets,” said Matthias Zachert, Chairman of the Board of Management of Lanxess.
The close proximity of Lanxess’ two synthetic rubber production sites on Jurong Island has enabled shared infrastructure and logistics, resulting in exceptionally lean and efficient operations.
A Global Production Network for High-performance Rubber
The new plant in Singapore is Lanxess’ first Nd-BR site in Asia, and joins the nine additional production facilities operated by the company’s Tire & Specialty Rubber (TSR) business unit in North and South America and Europe. In addition to Nd-BR, the business unit produces other varieties of butadiene rubber, including solution styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR) and several types of butyl rubber.
“This latest facility is the culmination of the best technologies and practices from our other production sites. Now, with our truly global production footprint, we are exceptionally well positioned to serve the tire industry and other customer industries worldwide,” said Jorge Nogueira, Head of the TSR business unit.
Nd-BR is the most advanced butadiene rubber. It serves a vital function in tire walls and treads, increasing fuel efficiency and enabling ‘green’ tires. It also reduces tire abrasion, which means it can be used to make cars safer as well as more economical. The use of Nd-BR makes it possible to produce tires that offer low rolling resistance and a high level of durability and safety.
A practical tire test carried out by Lanxess together with a global chemical logistics provider demonstrated that “green” tires can reduce the fuel consumption of trucks by 8.5 percent. Another test conducted jointly with RheinEnergie, a German energy provider, has shown that “green” tires can reduce the fuel consumption of passenger vehicles by as much as 7 percent in urban traffic.
In addition to its use in the manufacture of high-performance tires, Nd-BR also plays a part in improving the performance of golf balls, running shoes and conveyor belts.


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WWE is still reaching out in whatever way they can, making sure that their logo is seen all over. They already released a big NFL crossover title belt deal, and now it’s the NHL’s turn.
WWE is expanding its presence in the sports world by aiming to replicate the success it has enjoyed with the NFL and the Big 12 conference. Now, fans will soon have a chance to get even more custom WWE titles.
Recent reports from WrestleVotes indicate that WWE has now established an agreement with the NHL, allowing WWE to produce licensed NHL merchandise starting in the upcoming year. This arrangement potentially paves the way for similar agreements with other major leagues, such as the NBA and MLB.
On the heels of major success with the NFL in releasing commemorative championship titles of each team, I’m told the WWE & NHL have a deal in place for the same. Expect NHL championships titles to be available thru Fanatics sometime in the new year.
In August, WWE entered into a multi-year licensing deal with the NFL, resulting in WWE creating NFL-inspired legacy championship belts. These belts showcase the official colors and branding of all 32 NFL teams and are available for collectors on NFLShop.com, WWEShop.com, and Fanatics.com.
This groundbreaking deal marks the first-ever licensing agreement between WWE and the NFL. Subsequently, WWE secured another deal with the Big 12 conference in November.
What’s your take on this situation with WWE’s new title belt deal? Let us know what you think about this in the comments section!


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Liu Fenghai has made his fortune in the ivory trade. There was atime when he had 25 craftsmen working exclusively on elephant ivory at his factory in the northern city of Harbin.
He would buy the raw ivory and then have it turned into the pendants, paperweights and statues that once filled shelf after shelf in his shop, as well as the much larger, elaborately carved whole tusks proudly displayed on plinths of their own;
At the height of the market some of them could sell for many thousands of dollars.
Now, to the delight of conservationists everywhere, China is calling a halt to this lucrative end of a brutal and bloody trade.
Source BBC News.


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Here’s what it’s like when you let smart devices invade your home. Shoppers are expected to buy 862 million smart devices this year — things like speakers, security cameras, thermostats, light bulbs. But are they really making our lives any better? Rani Molla decided to find out by letting a dozen smart devices take over her apartment. As Molla writes, she was “armed with a healthy dose of cynicism” but also “intrigued” by these devices’ potential usefulness. She chronicles her mix of reactions — bemusement, excitement, and, at times, comical frustration as she integrates the items into her daily routine.
[Rani Molla / Recode]
[Want to get the Recode Daily in your inbox? Subscribe here.]
The fight for the bundle is the war for the future of TV. Since around 2012, the longtime “crucial piece of TV business architecture” — bundles of channels lumped together in cable TV subscriptions — have been on the decline. That’s because consumers are increasingly subscribing to an a la carte menu of digital streaming networks and one-off shows instead. That’s leaving major TV programmers like Disney and AMC Networks trying to “sell extra content to consumers on the internet, while keeping their core stuff locked inside a bundle.” But it’s a plan that might not work so long as this extra content is sold as an add-on instead of a replacement for expensive monthly packages. As Kafka writes, “interpreting TV distributors’ moves to bulk up their bundles isn’t a sign of strength for the bundle — it’s a sign of weakness,” as competition mounts — not just from companies like Netflix but tech giants like Amazon, Apple, and Google, which are “nibbling around the edges” of selling media subscriptions.
[Peter Kafka / Recode]
YouTube wants half of the trending videos on its site to come from its own creators rather than outside sources. In a quarterly letter from YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, the company announced that half of all videos on its trending tab would come from YouTubers, “with the remainder coming from music and traditional media.” As TechCrunch’s Jonathan Shieber writes, the move “is meant to help ease concerns the site’s biggest stars have” as many of these users have grown “worried that their footprint on the trending tab is shrinking as the company favors ‘safer’ content coming from other, more traditional, media like repurposed television clips, movie trailers, and music videos.” But it also raises questions about how the company will balance the desire to promote videos made by YouTubers with the responsibility to take down content that violates community guidelines such as the video of the recent Christchurch shooting.
[Jonathan Shieber / TechCrunch]
On the six-month anniversary of the Google walkout, employees launched a sit-in to protest alleged retaliation by management against workers. Hundreds of employees participated in the sit-in at Google’s offices around the world, including in New York and Cambridge, a source told Recode. Last week, two organizers of the Google walkout — Meredith Whittaker and Claire Stapleton — alleged that management had penalized them after they helped put together the historic protest against the company’s handling of sexual harassment claims. Earlier this week, several other Google employees shared stories of alleged retaliation in a public Medium post. The company has said they prohibit retaliation and denied charges in recent statements to the press.
[Colin Lecher / The Verge]
Top Stories from Recode
Facebook is sharing data to figure out how it messes with democracy. It’s part science — and part PR.
Apple is spending even more of its huge tax cut on Wall Street stock buybacks. Investors, not workers, are the big winners in the iPhone maker’s tax savings.
This is Cool
Air conditioners as planet saviors.
Recode and Vox have joined forces to uncover and explain how our digital world is changing — and changing us. Subscribe to Recode podcasts to hear Kara Swisher and Peter Kafka lead the tough conversations the technology industry needs today.


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Yahoo officially shut down the search engine Altavista on Tuesday, 18 years after the service first went live.
The firm announced late last month that it would be closing Altavista, prompting a mix of reactions from consumers, many of whom didn’t even realize that the pre-Google search engine was even still around. Visitors trying to get to the Altavista page Tuesday were redirected to Yahoo Search, which is the company’s official recommendation for meeting any searching needs that users may have.
It’s a sad day for many Web users, particularly those who have already seen Yahoo drop Web relics of the 90s such as Geocities and Delicious, which at least found a new home and lease on life with YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen in 2011.
When Yahoo announced its plans to close Altavisa, Search Engine Land’s Danny Sullivan eulogized the “Amazing Altavista,” saying that the product was never nurtured in the way it needed to be and that it deserved a better sendoff than it got — as the eighth in a list of 12 services slated for the chopping block.
“You deserved from Yahoo, itself one of the old-time brands of the Web, to have more attention paid to your role,” Sullivan said.
The decision to close those dozen services by the end of September comes as part of an ongoing effort by Yahoo and its chief executive Marissa Mayer to pour its efforts into building new products rather than trying to fix older ones that aren’t delivering. Since Mayer took the helm nearly a year ago, the company has decided to put around two dozen services out to pasture, each time saying that it was looking to sharpen its focus on delivering new products.
Meanwhile, Mayer has been on a shopping spree, including snapping up Tumblr for $1.1 billion. Already this month, Yahoo has announced the acquisition of the e-mail and messaging firm Xobni, the video service Qwiki and the fantasy sports app Bignoggins.
Sign up today to receive #thecircuit, a daily roundup of the latest tech policy news from Washington and how it is shaping business, entertainment and science.


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Asia-Pacific's software development market is steadily growing due to strict regulations and more business processes requiring applications. The growth in software or application performance management (APM) is expected to continue as companies that use enterprise tools depend on high-quality and reliable apps.
According to a study by global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, the APM market will hit $1.4 billion in 2020, a significant increase from earned revenues of $379.9 million in 2013. The key growth drivers are end users in the finance, banking, online retail and e-commerce, information technology (IT), and healthcare sectors.
Frost & Sullivan Information and Communication Technologies Research analyst Vu Anh Tien said companies who want to meet high customer expectations will invest in user-based, model-driven applications.
Tien added that some organizations already know the importance of going beyond infrastructure and network management to app management. The tech research analyst further said that an integrated approach toward APM and a convergence between network performance management and APM will be crucial to stay afloat in this rapidly changing market.


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We’re scrolling Instagram more than ever lately, and when our favorite local restaurants post gorgeous photos of their meals, we can’t help but shed a tear for simpler times. But, thanks to a partnership with Playa Vista-based food ordering platform ChowNow, at least we can instantly order what we’re seeing on screen for takeout or delivery.
The new project will allow participating restaurants to add “Order Food” buttons and stickers on their posts and stories, which will drive users directly to a cart on ChowNow–which makes the time between seeing a crave-inducing pic and actually picking up your meal shorter than ever.
And, while that frictionless experience might not be great for your impulse control, it could help restaurants stay afloat.
“One of the most critical things for a restaurant is to engage their customer base and let them know that they’re able to order food… and the number one channel restaurants are using to do that is Instagram,” ChowNow CEO Chris Webb told TechCrunch.
Unlike many other ordering platforms, ChowNow is not charging restaurants fees for each order placed. Instead, the company charges a single monthly fee of $99 to $149 for use of the full ordering and payment toolkit.
Birdie G’s and Tallula’s chef/owner Jeremy Fox is enthusiastic about adopting the now shoppable post feature for his restaurants.
“We’ve had to quickly pivot to delivery and takeout only, and this has been a huge challenge for independent restaurants across the country,” he stated in a press release announcing the feature. “With ChowNow seamlessly linking to our Instagram accounts—and not charging any commissions on orders—we’re able to promote all the new things we’re offering while ensuring that more dollars go directly back to our restaurants and beloved staff.”


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The National Asset Management Agency has confirmed the scale and identity of its first shopping centre portfolio to be offered for sale on the international market.
Joint agents Bannon and JLL have been appointed to handle the single lot sale of shopping centres at Blackpool in Cork, Balbriggan, Co Dublin and Clonmel, Co Tipperary, at a guide price of more than €130 million. At that valuation, the portfolio will show an initial yield of about 9.5 per cent.
Stephen Tennant of Grant Thornton is to oversee the sale of the Acorn Portfolio just as the real estate market is experiencing a tangible turnaround with overall returns at 7.2 per cent in the first three months of this year, marking the best performance since 2006.
The sale will be of interest to a range of private equity firms including Lone Star. Apollo, CarVal, Pimco and Kennedy Wilson as well as to the Irish REIT companies because of the opportunity to acquire a significant stake in the Irish retail market at strong initial yields and the potential for new lettings and rental growth.
The agents are expected to put a valuation of at least €75 million on the Blackpool shopping centre and Blackpool Retail Park which were funded by Bank of Ireland.
Millfield shopping centre in Balbriggan, developed three years ago by Calculation Developments at a cost of some €50 million is now likely to be valued at just over €40 million. Most of the funding came from the former Anglo Irish Bank but Nama is also understood to have provided financial assistance to allow it to open for business.
The third centre included in the sale, the Showgrounds in Clonmel, was developed by Paul O’Brien in 2009 at a cost of some €40 million – a long way from the its current value of about €15 million. Development funding was apparently provided by the former Anglo Irish Bank.
The three centres are
producing a rent roll of €13 million after allowing for rent abatements. About 75 per cent of the overall space of 62,705sq m (675,000sq ft) is let to institutional-type traders on leases which have an average of 11 years to run. The Blackpool centre also includes 6,038sq m (65,000sq ft) of offices.
Blackpool is owned by the Love family's Shipton Group which is a party to what is being described as a "consensual sale". The Blackpool centres are understood to have substantial debts.
Shipton is also involved in the Douglas Court shopping centre on the opposite side of Cork city which has been in receivership since July, 2012, because of significant debts with Bank of Scotland.
The Blackpool facility is the dominant shopping attraction in north Cork where it trades successfully, has virtually no vacant shops and is producing an overall rental income of €7 million. An additional €1 million comes from office tenants. Dunnes Stores owns its anchor store of 6,967sq m (75,000sq ft) and the additional 10,219sq (110,000sq ft) of shopping space is occupied by a range of tenants including New Look, Claire's Accessories, Peter Mark, Carphone Warehouse and Sam McCauley's Pharmacy.
Unusually, the Shipton Group got planning permission for "open use" in the retail park which meant that it has been able to rent 70 per cent of the overall space to Aldi, Woodies, Boots, Heatons, Maplin and Next Home. The popularity of the centre has been greatly helped by the availability of 1,100 free car parking spaces.
The six investors who funded the Millfield shopping centre in Balbriggan along with AIB were unfortunate to have had to open the complex in the middle of a slump. The centre includes Tesco's second largest outlet after Maynooth, a massive store extending to 9,615sq m (103,500sq ft) which is producing a rent of €2,345,000 under a lease with 16.9 years to run.
The overall retail area of 17,000sq m (almost 183,000sq ft) includes about 30 individual shops of which ab out a dozen are still vacant.
Tesco is reputed to have paid a premium of €11 million for the store to have been allowed influence the final configuration which permits them to trade out of two internal street mall levels.
The other traders include McDonald's, Carphone Warehouse, Gleeson Butchers, Boots and Specsavers. One of the great features of Millfield is its car park which has no fewer than 1,387 spaces. There are also a number of adjoining sites which could be used at some future date for a petrol filling station (for which planning was granted), cinema, bar or other leisure facility. Jim Hamilton of BDO was appointed receiver a month ago.
The third centre included in the sale, the Showgrounds in Clonmel, is producing €1.3 million – 11 per cent of the overall portfolio income – from a centre extending to 12,077sq m (130,000sq ft).
Marks & Spencer contributes rents of
€391,000; another anchor Argos pays €100,000 while the arrival last year of the third anchor TK Maxx has boosted the overall footfall by 11 per cent. TK Maxx has a rent-free arrangement until next July and from then onwards it will pay a percentage of its turnover – usually between 5 and 7 per cent – rather than the customary rent.
The other traders include Argos and Eason. The sale will also include a 12-acre development site with commercial zoning. Rod Nowlan of Bannon and John Moran of JLL said "the sale provides the first real opportunity to participate in the Irish retail growth story and at a scale that would appeal to investors".
Each of the three centres dominates its catchment area. “There is secure cash flow from excellent tenants combined with asset management and development opportunities to significantly enhance returns and drive performance in a recovering market.”


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“For individuals who glance at the design, we are fishing out of way more lakes,” he said. “Just last year i generated over ten mil the upper use prospects, and we expect to have about that level in the years ahead this year within the a market that’s coming down 29-also %,” he told you.
The brand new challenging landscape invariably reaches the big maker in the nation, Rocket Home loan. The firm got benefit of new refi growth perhaps much better than anyone, however, the executives discover they must wind up pick organization from inside the a huge way when you look at the 2022.
The company got just sixteen.2% away from orders regarding merge just last year, based on IMF data. nine billion into the instructions, upwards 42.7% 12 months-over-seasons. Skyrocket announced intends to end up being the No. step 1 merchandising pick financial, leaving out correspondent, in the united kingdom from the 2023.
Other loan providers is exploring low-institution money supply its representative people a much better attempt on serving homeowners
To get truth be told there, Jay Farner, Chief executive officer away from Rocket Businesses, told you its method comes with brand name good sense and you will prospecting; operational possibilities which get customers a verified acceptance, particularly an over night underwriting; in addition to “specialist network,” with agents, realtors, borrowing unions or any other economic company.
“There is drawn all of our tech, and you may we have put it in the possession of of all of the of those people who become there whenever somebody’s to find a home, plus they can be most of the publish their clients as a consequence of all of our Skyrocket program, leveraging technology plus the visitors sense we offer. That is exactly how we consistently grow off in this get business,” Farner advised HousingWire.
Experts state Rocket has some trick advantages on the purchase business. The firm, hence do most of its business by way of consumer direct shopping, is also the next-greatest member during the wholesale. For every single IMF analysis, they began about $113.5 million throughout the representative route within the 2021.
Additionally, it features size and technology to cope with battle, with assistance to send money easily. “Generally speaking, community averages have been in the 40 days, as well as their averages are merely lower than 20 days. Technology they filled out can assist her or him either take care of otherwise enhance their share of the market,” told you Kevin Heal, elder expert and you may fixed income strategist on Argus Research.
Beyond vanilla extract
When you look at the a far more aggressive environment, originators are changing up their product mix, offering reverse mortgage loans, domestic collateral money, and do-it-yourself finance. These items promote higher margins and you can a more stable origination regularity than the old-fashioned, vanilla extract 30-year-repaired rate mortgage.
Money of America (FoA) might have been eg active within the diversifying its products portfolio, mainly courtesy contrary mortgage loans, trader finance and you will commercial funds.
“They are going to feel a little while steadier inside their contribution so you’re able to income. What is going to end up being volatile is https://cashcentralpaydayloans.com/payday-loans-co/ antique mortgage loans,” Patti Plan, FoA’s President, informed HousingWire.
Last year, the business began $13.3 billion when you look at the buy loans, spanning forty five.5% of your blend. Its buy volume increased regarding the 35% over 2020. For the 2021, the business’s greatest creating part try industrial originations, increasing out of $855 billion so you can $1.seven million, upwards 107%. Contrary originations and additionally improved 57% season-over-seasons, so you’re able to $cuatro.26 mil.
Wholesale suppliers UWM and Homepoint, eg, is developing new items getting low-qualified financial individuals, including bank declaration money to possess self-operating individuals, and you will trader income finance.
Like any most useful originators, Homepoint did the majority of their team from inside the refis last year. It got its start $29.8 million inside get loans, and its own complete combine for the 2021 was just 30% purchase mortgage loans, for every single IMF investigation. Amazingly, the newest Ann Arbor-founded wholesaler was able to improve its get originations during the Q4 so you’re able to $eight.seven billion away from Q3’s $7.1 billion, that has been unusual among originators and might become a sign of nutrients ahead.


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A simple Get to know me section on Instagram or TikTok poses a serious security risk as it aligns with common security questions used…
About this content.
When it comes to reporting on the Internet of Things, you’ll often see publishers referring to the massive numbers surrounding this vast network of connected sensors embedded in everyday objects.
They will, for instance, talk about the 5-billion or so connected objects which Gartner estimates are currently in existence. They’ll probably also mention that number is set to grow to 25-billion by 2020 and that Mckinsey estimates that the IoT’s impact could be worth as much as $11.1 trillion a year by 2025.
But what real difference is the Internet of Things making to our lives right now? How is South Africa embracing IoT? And what opportunities are there for the local tech space when it comes to the Internet of Things?
In a bid to answer those questions, Memeburn interviewed Dr Riaan Conradie of revolutionary Stellenbosch-based startup HealthQ and Robyn Farah, founder of technology prototyping and consulting company Kat-O.
The IoT Focus is a series of articles appearing across the Burn Media sites. Brought to you by General Electric, the series explores what impact the Internet of Things is having on business, homes, startups, and other aspects of our everyday lives.


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During the decade in which Middletown's Main Street has burst to life, one storefront in the North End has remained shuttered. Patrons of La Boca, which closed in 1991, still trade stories of its renowned Mexican food and a bar where camaraderie was plentiful and elbowroom was in short supply.
Now there is the stirring of renovation. The owner of Players Pub and Grill in Cromwell has signed a five-year lease and plans to open a new Mexican restaurant at La Boca's spot. Wayne Tirkot expects to open the new restaurant, whose name he is not ready to reveal, by March 1.
This heir to La Boca will benefit from the afterglow of memories left by a restaurant that for 15 years was a sturdy redoubt of commercial optimism amid the then sagging fortunes of Middletown's downtown. As family-owned department stores such as Kabachnick's and Shapiro's closed, La Boca seemed to hold its own with a handful of other restaurants and stores that were scattered south down Main Street. But financial problems caught its owners and they were forced out of business.
Mr. Tirkot has picked a good time to start his restaurant. During the 10 years since La Boca closed, businesses -- particularly restaurants -- have made the downtown a bustling place. Mexican food will add to the United Nations of flavors available downtown.
Restaurant goers can already pick from Japanese, Thai, Middle Eastern, Italian and American food. With a multi-screen theater and bars with entertainment just down the street, the Mexican restaurant will add another attraction to the mix. The moving of the police station to Main Street has increased the feeling of safety downtown.
La Boca drew customers from Wesleyan University, Middletown and across the state. Mr. Tirkot's restaurant can expect many of them to reappear to give his tortillas a chance.


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March 18, 2019 at 5:00 am ET
Sen. Elizabeth Warren recently wrote that as president, she would “make big, structural changes to the tech sector to promote more competition” by breaking up American tech companies. Warren’s proposal notes that she wants to regulate Amazon and Google as “platform utilities.”
The concept by Warren to regulate tech companies goes beyond net neutrality proposals. It would have the government interfering in and taking control of the business operations of America’s crown jewel companies. It didn’t work in Venezuela, and it won’t work here. Her proposal even goes beyond the fuzzy European Union antitrust law, as it uses antitrust as regulation and burdens leading companies with unpredictable responsibilities.
The U.S. economy is strong because we are home to scores of companies that have greatly improved the lives of millions of people, whether it’s free, immediate access to information or providing greater economic opportunities. Our companies and our innovation is the envy of other nations.
This didn’t happen by magic: Our nation took calculated risks and passed thoughtful laws that have allowed innovation to flourish. Our laws encourage new businesses and don’t overregulate. The technology industry is the linchpin of the U.S. economy. The industry is responsible for more than 18 million U.S. jobs and represents 12 percent of U.S. GDP, according to an upcoming Consumer Technology Association economic impact study.
The misconception by policymakers that monopolies exist in today’s tech sector is dumbfounding – competition there is fierce. And three indicators challenge Warren’s assumption: our record levels of R&D investment, the thriving U.S. startup scene and the fact that Americans love their technology services – as well as view the tech industry more favorably than they do politicians. By hobbling these companies, we endanger the American economic miracle.
We caution any policymaker – especially one running for president looking to score cheap political points – to resist following the EU and others in unfairly targeting U.S. tech companies.
Europe isn’t exactly the beacon of innovation that we should follow. According to our research, International Innovation Scorecard, Europe has produced only 28 unicorns – companies valued at $1 billion – in a decade, while Americans have produced five times that amount.
And let’s not forget the lessons of the past.
Microsoft and IBM each floundered as our own government confounded their leadership with vague antitrust theories. In retrospect, the government was wrong as the technologies they created leapfrogged these so-called monopolists. While each company eventually recovered, the lesson we must remember is that the marketplace replaces bad players, especially in the internet space where financial barriers to entry are lower.
Today, our government has a shared opportunity to work with the tech industry to protect our nation, safeguard liberty and ensure our children’s economic future.
But Warren’s rhetoric doesn’t seem interested in building our future, especially for her home state. Her misguided proposal threatens 535,320 tech jobs that generate $73 million in GDP. Suggesting to break up tech companies is a losing proposition for her state residents, innovation, our economy and for users who would be deprived of services they rely on and enjoy.
Top-down rules restricting flexibility or creating new barriers to entrepreneurship and innovation will only bolster businesses in other nations. A definite winner here would be Chinese President Xi who is pouring billions into the race to catch our tech champions. He is probably overjoyed to hear that our political leaders are proposing a massive act of economic self-sabotage.
We need U.S. policymakers to promote, not attack American innovation and ingenuity. That means sticking to a framework of fair, free and open markets and working with U.S. tech companies to ensure consumers and competition are protected. Any proposal rooting against the American tech industry is not a winning presidential strategy.
Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,200 consumer technology companies, and a New York Times best-selling author. His views are his own.
Morning Consult welcomes op-ed submissions on policy, politics and business strategy in our coverage areas. Updated submission guidelines can be found here.


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Mouldy meat pies, ‘smelly’ ham sandwiches and dead bugs inside chocolate: Bakery faces huge fines over disgusting food safety breaches
- Jam and Sugar (JAS) Bakehouse owners fined $22,680 for 32 Food Act breaches
- Mouldy pies, sandwiches, cheesecakes, and tuna found on premises
- Food scraps built up on baking trays and there was a dead insect in chocolate
- Cafe appears to have gone out of business since disgusting practices uncovered
A dodgy cafe that left mouldy pies and sandwiches out for sale and let disgusting food scraps built up on baking trays have been fined for the food safety breaches.
Health inspectors found horrific food safety breaches at Jam and Sugar (JAS) Bakehouse in Adelaide after customers complained last year.
Owners Monipiseth Norodom and Thi Huong Tran Le were together fined $22,680 after pleading guilty to 32 breaches of the Food Act.


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The top mobile stories from the past 24 hours, served with cream and two sugars.
IDC: Apple passes LG to become world’s third largest phone vendor (via BGR)
Nokia and Samsung remained the top and No.2 vendors, respectively, though Nokia’s phone shipments slid 7.9% while shipments of Samsung handsets grew 17.6% compared to the same quarter in 2010.
Google Mobile Search Ad Requests More Than Doubled In 2011 (via TechCrunch)
Google’s mobile ad revenues are expected to more than double from an estimated $2.5 billion last year to $5.8 billion in 2012.
Infographic: Mobile ads show staggering growth, clicks up 711 percent (via GigaOM)
The infographic also contains some staggering growth numbers by region.
Facebook’s Mobile Monthly Active Users Grew 21% Over Past Four Months (via TechCrunch)
There are now 425 mobile monthly active users as of December 2011, out of Facebook’s total 825 million users
Path soups up photo features with iPhone app update (via GigaOM)
The key new part of the update is the addition of a new effect called “Depth” that brings what’s known as tilt-shift capabilities to Path’s photo taking feature.
Android Can No Longer Be Ignored, And The Crunchies Prove It (via TechCrunch)
In which one TechCrunch editor mistakes Android app availability with Android developer momentum.


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If you’re out of town and visitors to Yellowknife need somewhere to stay, that’s a match made in heaven.
So says Yellowknife city councillor Adrian Bell, who wants more residents to sign up for Airbnb – a website that lets you rent out your home.
“Really, it’s a bit of a timeshare with somebody’s private residence,” said Bell. “So a condo owner who may not be in town for the week puts their unit up on Airbnb and they rent it out, basically, to strangers.”
Bell argues sites like this can have a big impact on tourism – the more places there are to stay, the more convinced people may be to visit.
But only nine people are currently offering homes or cabins in the Yellowknife area on Airbnb.
“When you’ve only got nine listings in a city the size of Yellowknife, it’s pretty clear people aren’t aware of it and aren’t aware of the benefits,” Bell told Moose FM.
“We haven’t been promoting it as a city and we should maybe talk to people about doing this.
“It’s really the ultimate mortgage helper and it’s something anyone who owns a property can do.”
Currently, Yellowknife locations available on Airbnb range from $50 to $225 per night. Airbnb says its ‘hosts’ – or people renting out their homes – have tools which let them accept bookings “only if you’re 100% comfortable”.
“You’ve got to have some proper contracts in place and you have to make arrangements for damage deposits, cleaning fees, things like that,” said Bell.
“But the beauty of it is we don’t have to reinvent the wheel – this exists and it’s being very well-utilized in other cities.
“It’s quite simple, it’s just a matter of a little bit of work to get your listing up there, and being careful with the paperwork.”
Bell believes improving the city’s presences on sites like Airbnb and TripAdvisor is “incredibly important” for tourism growth.
“People who are travelling research their destination and, until recently, we just didn’t have much content,” he said.
“As it stands right now, if you look at ‘things to do’ on TripAdvisor, there are 17 things to do in our city. Now clearly, we have a lot more things to do than 17, but you have to actually input this stuff.
“We want to be able to show people that we’ve got a lot of stuff for them to do. It’s important that we have a robust internet presence.”


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The Export-Import Bank of Korea (www.koreaexim.go.kr, Chairman Choi JongKu, “Korea Eximbank”) announced on April 4 that it held an event to promote its Interbank Credit Facility program jointly with Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency ("KOTRA") at the headquarters of Banco Industrial, the biggest commercial bank in Guatemal ...
Success partner for your global takeoff
The missions of Korea Eximbank are providing financial supports for export and import
transactions to enhance Korea’s economic cooperation with foreign countries; promoting
economic cooperation between Korea and developing countries; and facilitating interchange
and cooperation between South and North Korea.
Area for Support
We provide various services needed for export and import transactions and overseas investment of Korean companies.


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New Delhi: Onetracker Technologies Pvt Limited (onetraker.com) from Guwahati, Assam was acquired by Get it Fast (www.getitfast.com.au), an innovative Australian last-mile delivery company. Onetracker provides a world-class enterprise technology platform for logistics and last-mile delivery companies. Onetracker is backed by Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) through its flagship startup initiative called 'NRL Ideation' to encourage local entrepreneurs from North East India and create a conducive atmosphere for startup businesses in this region. This support from NRL enabled Onetracker to successfully explore business opportunities in global markets and contributed immensely to the acquisition by Get it Fast.
Get It Fast offers innovative same-day delivery services to leading clients in the ANZ region. Get it Fast aims to offer faster, convenient and sustainable last-mile delivery experiences using leading technology and data analytics to power its operations. Get it Fast was an early adopter of Onetracker's technology platform.
This acquisition will allow Get it Fast to invest extensively in Onetracker's platform to build a world-class product ready for global markets.
Onetracker Technologies is in the process of setting up a development centre in Guwahati, Assam. This development center will soon welcome the first batch of engineers and team members working on exciting projects to create cutting-edge cloud-native technologies in the last mile space.
Disclaimer: This story is a press release and is being published without any editing by PSU Watch desk. Our editorial team has only changed the headline.
(PSU Watch– India's Business News centre that places the spotlight on PSUs, Bureaucracy, Defence and Public Policy is now on Google News. Click here to follow. Also, join PSU Watch Channel in your Telegram. You may also follow us on Twitter here and stay updated.)


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Great news: 9.5% of new cars sold in Australia in April 2023 were fitted with a plug. We are close to 10% penetration!
The growth appears to mainly be in PHEVs. That means all those Australians with solar on the roof can operate their cars for zero dollars, saving money, having fun, and being kind to the planet at the same time. We had to visit the Tesla showroom and service center this morning to get a new windscreen fitted — a rock hit it on the one-lane road on our way back from Gayndah. We were amazed at how busy they were. While we were there, we thought we might have a test drive in a Model Y — our next planned purchase — but they are booked out till this afternoon. Busy, busy, busy!
But let’s explore those Aussie market numbers. While European figures seem to be stuck in neutral, the Australian market is buying electric vehicles at a greater rate of knots. Quarter 1 2023 averaged around 8% penetration, and it looks like the second quarter will reach over 10%. There are several new models being released: the MG 4, the Cupra Born, the Ora Cat, and the Peugeot e-2008.
According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), out of the 82,137 vehicles delivered during April 2023, almost 8,000 were electric — including PHEVs and BEVs. The Australian automotive market increased 1.3% over the same period in 2022.
“Electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 8 per cent of sales in April. This is well up from 1.1 per cent compared with April 2022 … this number would have been larger had the industry not faced global supply challenges,” FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said.
“It is worth noting that five out of the top ten models sold in April offer some form of electrification.”
In the overall sales charts, the Tesla Model Y came in 4th behind the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, and Toyota RAV4. More Tesla Model Ys were sold than Hyundai i30s. The Tesla Model 3 ranked second in the passenger sedan market, just behind the i30. No wonder they were busy.
Electric vehicles delivered April 2023 (% of overall market):
- Tesla Model Y: 2,095 (3.0%)
- Tesla Model 3: 1,581 (1.6%)
- BYD Atto 3: 1,118 (1.5%)
- MG ZS EV: ? Unknown at this point
- Volvo C40 Recharge: 133 (0.15%)
- Polestar 2: 122
- Kia EV6: 118
- Hyundai Ioniq 6: 89
- BMW iX: 71
- Mercedes EQA: 71
As a flashback, these sorts of charts remind me of the numbers published charting the EV takeup in the US a few years ago. It appears that Volvo has increased its presence in the market and pushed the Polestar a little further down the chart. BYD and MG are battling it out for 3rd position behind Tesla. Later in the year, as both brands introduce more affordable models — the MG 4 (launched at Fully Charged Sydney) and the BYD Dolphin (yet to be launched) — I expect the competition to heat up even more. However, neither brand is in a position to challenge Tesla’s vastly superior lead.
Why so many big utes? We have a large technical and further education college near us that trains building, mechanical and carpentry apprentices. Their car park is full of large utes (light trucks) — Ford Rangers, Toyota Hiluxes, Mazda BT-50s, etc. I discussed this with my tax accountant and it appears that the larger utes get a much better tax break. An apprentice driving a large ute is able to write off all of their vehicle expenses against their tax. A smaller ute can only write off business use. So, the tax system is biased towards the larger, more polluting vehicles — distorting the market. I am told that New Zealand has now closed this loophole.
Two years ago, electric vehicles accounted for 0.8% of new car sales in Australia. We have come a long way and are rapidly accelerating. In Queensland, the state government has doubled the rebate for new purchases of electric cars from $3000 to $6000, and banks are offering green loans with lower interest rates for electric car loans. On the home front, one of my neighbors is anxiously awaiting the delivery of her bright red Atto 3 secured on a novated lease with the backing of the federal government’s tax relief incentives.
Research by the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland has shown that the new $6000 rebate will have a positive impact on EV prices. They expect that it may even bring price parity. A new Toyota Corolla Hybrid sells for AU$36,000. So, a BEV in the low AU$40,000’s with the state government rebate would achieve this.
RACQ cites the example of the MG ZS Excite EV and its petrol counterpart: “the MG ZST Excite 1.3L would both cost around $1,032 per month to own and operate over a five-year loan. A Tesla Model 3 would be cheaper than its closest petrol comparison, the Honda Accord Vti Turbo 1.5, costing $1,534 and $1,550 per month respectively.”
The Club’s General Manager of Advocacy, Joshua Cooney, said: “RACQ has made it very clear that we don’t want any Queenslander left behind as the world transitions to more sustainable modes of transport, and part of that means making electric cars more affordable.”
“We’re expecting a rapid uptake in electric cars in the coming years and governments must prioritise funding to expand our network of charging stations to ensure we can keep up with demand,” Mr Cooney said. “It’s evident Australians and Queenslanders are hungry for sustainable cars and we need to be doing as much as possible to make EVs more affordable and convenient. The quicker we can increase the number of cleaner vehicles on the new-car market, the faster they will become available on the second-hand market, and that’s where we will see the real improvement on affordability and uptake.”
“As well as making EVs cheaper, we also think there needs to be investment in greater education to bring Queenslanders along for the electric transformation ride,” Mr Cooney added.
Toyota led the overall auto market with 12,029 vehicle sales (approximately two thirds of these were HEVs), then in second was Mazda (6,926), then Kia (6,200), Hyundai (5,732), and Ford (5,047). Australia sources most of its cars from Japan, Thailand, and Korea. As you would expect, imports from China have increased by almost 70% in April.
I have registered my interest in test driving the Great Wall Motors Ora Cat, and yesterday morning the sales rep rang and told me that the vehicles are in the country. Management is waiting for all the demonstrators to be delivered to all dealers before allowing test drives — but it won’t be long! Hopefully, next week I will be behind the wheel of one of these beauties, and you will be reading about it soon after.
Viva la rEVolution!
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The maker of the Witcher games has overtaken Poland’s biggest bank.
Coronavirus could benefit Polish economy, says minister. But stock market has worst week in 12 years
Shares of six state-owned companies fell to their lowest ever prices
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