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A self-described “endless arcade,” Core feels like a 90s cyberpunk fever dream come to life. Half playable game library, half no-code game creator, all neon lights, the new platform is a surprisingly well-realized vision of this metaverse thing everyone sure seems to be talking about lately.
Billing itself as your “portal to the multiverse,” Core is primed to test the age-old proposition If you build it, they will come. Giant companies like Roblox and Facebook might have huge established platforms, but Core has laid some very compelling groundwork for creators and players alike.
Logging in, players are transported to Core’s central hub, a fitting cross between a theme park, a high-tech mall and a casino, with entertainment and shopping a few gravitationally unburdened strides away in every direction. Giant neon signs beckon, enticing players to hop into myriad user-generated virtual worlds. Swapping out clothing and in-game gear or inviting a friend to jump in with you takes only a few clicks, and just cruising around and people watching is plenty interesting.
If Core looks a lot like Fortnite, that’s not a coincidence. Core, made by Manticore Games, runs on Fortnite-maker Epic’s Unreal engine. And those ties are even deeper: Epic led a $15 million round of investment in the company last year and the platform is exclusively available through the Epic Games Store for PC. In March, Manticore raised $100 million more from a grab bag of major investors and took its creator platform live.
Core might not be a household name yet, but it’s already nailed one of the challenges that any metaverse aspirant has to crack. In my time playing around with Core, the experience of getting from one place to another was often so seamless I wound up in the wrong place by accident. Chalk this up to user error, but instantly being transported — to a Deadmau5 show, to an overgrown dystopian wasteland, to a isometric pirate game — after walking through various portals was one of the more seamless online multiplayer experiences I’ve had in more than a decade of those games.
Core looks great. That’s one strike against Roblox, one of the most successful companies building out a vision for the metaverse. Much like Fortnite, Core’s graphics are cartoony but not too cartoony. Roblox’s under-13 crowd is aging up — a factor that company is actively planning around — and those not-so-young players may soon be looking for a new virtual home with more mature vibes.
Any aspiring edgelord would be able to take themselves plenty seriously with Core’s wide selection of custom outfits and avatars. Or you could be a kitty.
Deadmau5, metaverse resident
Most of Core’s content is UGC, a.k.a. user-generated content, a new-ish name for an era-defining online phenomenon (don’t blame yourself if the acronym evokes mixed martial arts). But Manticore also has plenty of room to partner up with musicians and brands for elaborate themed in-game experiences.
This week, DJ and EDM festival perennial Deadmau5 launched his own, a sprawling, colorful series of experiences described as a “permanent residency in the metaverse.” Core is mostly home to user-made games, but it’s also a natural fit for entertainment and even education — the team noted that some users started hosting game development classes.
Unlike recent shows in other virtual worlds like Lil Nas X in Roblox or Ariana Grande in Fortnite, the Deadmau5-themed content will stay live after it debuts for anyone to explore. The team at Manticore likened this to how performers like Penn and Teller camp out in Las Vegas for ongoing shows, and the metaphor is very appropriate. But unlike Vegas, performers can be in two places at once: Deadmau5 also announced he’d participate in a music festival hosted on the Ethereum-based virtual platform Decentraland this week.
I watched the show with Deadmau5, né Joel Zimmerman, for an early sneak preview. He wore one of his signature giant animal helmets (I think a cat?) and cyborg angel wings, while I opted for an understated black hoodie, the little black dress of the metaverse.
“I think what drew me to it was the modularity of it all and how it gives more tools to creators,” Zimmerman told me, hopping around wildly in Core while reclining IRL in a gaming chair emblazoned with the Deadmau5 mouse.
Like we’ve come to expect from virtual concerts, the interactive performance is well-stocked with melting psychedelic visuals, mini games and a menacing Chain Chomp-esque mouse with turntable ears. Zimmerman and Core co-founders Frederic Descamps and Jordan Maynard who also ran around the show with me had seen it at least 10 times, but everyone still seemed to genuinely be having fun.
At some point I either fell into lava or got smashed on a conveyer belt by a massive metal fist while a Deadmau5-themed villain loomed nearby. “I think it’s the only interactive concert you can die in,” Maynard said. The show was visually a lot of fun, creatively interactive and ultimately a lot like concerts in Fortnite, which sets a high bar for this stuff.
The elaborate virtual experience, called Oberhasli, also showcases some unique worlds created by fans with no prior game dev experience, from an eerie jungle ruin to a spooky world full of floating space debris. The Core Deadmau5 performance kicks off on Friday at 3 PM PT. It’ll replay over the weekend and be available on demand afterward, for anyone else who’d like to be smashed into an EDM pancake.
Core for creators
Later on our call, held on Discord, the Core tour devolved into everyone running through a secret gate behind a destructible wall and world-hopping wildly through game genres, each remarkably polished for something that doesn’t require any code or game development experience. Moving from one game world to another took seconds even with a terrible Wi-Fi connection, including the time I ran through something that looked like World of Warcraft’s dark portal and wound up sailing an isometric pirate ship.
The WoW nod is probably not a coincidence. Descamps waxed nostalgic about the heyday of WoW machinima, narrative movies built through captured gameplay, like only a serious longtime player could. Descamps and Maynard also previously worked on Rift, another fantasy MMO that still commands a loyal following a decade on. (Maynard was employee No. 7.) Everyone is raving about the metaverse these days, but surprisingly few companies in the space trace their roots back to the seamless virtual gaming worlds that have brought people together for years.
To underline how easy it is to make stuff in Core, Maynard quick-built a first-person shooter for us to play, a drag-and-drop process that took maybe two minutes of dipping into Core’s huge library of original in-game assets that were created using its system. Grab a handful of 3D objects and pick a game mode from the template choices (battle royale, racing or dungeon crawler?) and you’re most of the way to a polished-looking playable game built in Core’s modular sandbox. Setting your game in a chilly snowscape or a barren desert is also as simple as dragging and dropping, lending the environments an expansive feel.
Gameplay aside, out of the box Core games look light years better than the UGC you’d run across in Roblox, though that platform’s users have never seemed to mind. The breadth of visual styles and game genres is also mind-boggling for anyone who’s bounced out of samey UGC on other platforms.
Core users who create content have a pretty good swath of monetization options, which Manticore calls “perks.” That includes offering in-game cosmetic items, but also charging for premium games, selling Fortnite-like battle passes or implementing a subscription model. The revenue split is 50/50, which looks generous next to the 25% that Roblox passes on to creators. And in Core, like in other modular game-making platforms, everyone is a creator — no development experience needed.
Core is PC-only for now, but Manticore plans to bring it to other platforms, including iOS, starting next year. Game creation will likely stay limited to PC, but the idea is that anyone could play Core games anywhere, a platform agnostic vision that certainly boosted Fortnite early on and Roblox more recently.
“[Game development] is kind of like baking: a very precise formula, technical, can take weeks to iterate,” Descamps said. But in Core, the technical stuff gets out of the way and a process that would normally drag on can happen in minutes, leaving the rest of the time for experimentation and play.
“What if you put a portal gun into Mario Kart?” Maynard asked, and I’m fairly certain we could have found out right then.


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Rwanda’s e-commerce has grown at a high rate over the years enhancing job creation and addition of monetary value in the state, at least according to Rwanda Development Board.
Q-NET a new online market recently launched in Rwanda marked a milestone for the state. Eusebe Muhira speaking at the official opening said Rwandans needed to tap into the platform to embrace ease as well as value addition of products and services with a wide range of products.
The online store will play as catchment for all product deliveries to all representatives throughout East Africa since with the government’s support they have a great opportunity to do business and provide job opportunities for the citizens considering its 15 years work experience.
“We choose to establish our first African office in Rwanda because the country offers business- friendly environment, sound infrastructure, and reliable IT platform. We are very impressed with the entrepreneurial spirit of the people here, and we see a bright future for QNET in Rwanda and East Africa,” said Krishna Kumar, regional Director for QNET Africa.
The global direct selling company at Kigali will serve as the regional headquarters for sub-Saharan Africa as well as customer care service centre, an import and distribution hub. The platform will also offer professional training for independent representatives.

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It’s the biggest lingerie show on the planet, and Bella Hadid has been posing up a storm backstage at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2017.
A-lister Bella has been waiting patiently backstage to be beautified by some of the industry’s leading hair and make-up artists, pouting for a cheeky picture in nothing more than her undergarments.
Hadid is without her sister Gigi this year, who pulled out of this year’s extravaganza at the last minute.
Bella, 21, is no stranger to the VSFS, famously walking in last year’s edition of the show in Paris.
The models are deep in preparation mode as they get ready to take to the catwalk for one of the most anticipated fashion events of the year, and there are some very well-known names taking part.
This year’s show will be taking place in Shanghai, China moving on from last year’s show in France.
Other top names walking in this year’s event include supermodel Karlie Kloss who is making her return as an angel, after hanging up her wings in 2015.
The blonde bombshell is set to make her comeback this year, adding to the high profile list of names that will be taking to the runway for the world famous show.
Other models will include Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldrigge, Devon Windsor and Romee Strijd.
With the show taking place in China, there have been widespread reports of models being denied visas and other logistical and bureaucratic loopholes for the Victoria’s Secret team to negotiate.
However, executive producer Ed Razek told People magazine that these rumours were ‘inaccurate.’
Check out all the behind the scenes action below:


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Samsung and Apple look to be on good terms. Samsung is planning to quadruple the shipment of its mobile processor chips to chief smartphone rival Apple. Apple was receiving about 5,000 application processor sheets per month from Samsung, this is to increase to 20,000 sheets. Fifty percent of Samsung’s application processors will be given to Apple, meaning Apple will receive more processors than Samsung’s own mobile division.
Speck launched three new products for the just released MacBook Air for those who want to protect it while keeping it looking light and sleek. All three products will be available for the MacBook Air 11” and 13”.
If you're wondering where your tax dollars are going, you can now rest assured that some of it has gone to a mobile app developer. The Internal Revenue Service is now offering an app named IRS2Go that will track your federal tax refund.
Details have come out for Disney’s new phone it plans to debut next month in Japan. The phone looks like a Sharp Galapagos 003SH powered by a Disney themed version of Froyo version 2.2 of Google’s Android.
The chart is self-explanatory. Social networking and online media dominate. See the whole chart after the break.
There have been many complaints about the fragility of iPhone 4's glass casing. So much so that the phenomenon is now termed "Glassgate." Earlier this week Donald LeBuhn, of Los Angeles, filed a class action lawsuit against Apple. He claims that the iPhone 4 is not as durable as Apple claims and that Apple continues to sell the product without warning customers of its defective glass housing.
Just kidding, there's infinite content inside a universe that parallels our own, of course, and George Lucas will keep mining Star Wars until the end of time (even beyond his God-given human life.) Today there's a collection of Star Wars memorabilia unlike (to our knowledge) anything those people at the Star Wars camp have ever offered before. This is "Star Wars: Frames," a high-end celebration of exactly 1,416 frames from the 6 live-action Star Wars films. Every single one of these frames has supposedly been hand-picked by George Lucas himself, and each set comes hand-signed by big L as well.
This concept from Econut takes the cake as being the most green gadget accessory. The concept case is made from coconut fibers and allows you to slip your iPad in, prop it up and use the built in keyboard with the device.
AT&T added 2.8 million new customers in the past quarter and became the largest carrier in the U.S. with 95.5 million subscribers, squeaking past Verizon’s 94.1 million. The question is how long can AT&T sustain its lead as Verizon’s much hyped iPhone is debuting in two weeks?
There is word over at MacRumors forums that Verizon has begun sending out information to their corporate customers containing some exclusive details about the upcoming iPhone launch. It seems that they will be offering the Verizon iPhones at a first come first serve basis to their existing customers on February 3rd, a week before the general public launch. Details from the email shown after the break.


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Published in Mobiles
Tuesday, 26 March 2019 19:49
Apple 7, 8, 10, Xs and Xr infringe Qualcomm patent
Judge recommends ban on some iPhones
ITC Judge MaryJoan McNamara has declared some verdicts. Apple is infringing one of three patents and she recommends a ban on iPhones manufactured in China being imported into the USA. This is a hardware patent 674 and it doesn’t look that there is a quick workaround.


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Now, there are even fewer excuses for not eating your fruits and vegetables!
A new greengrocers opened on Friday, 8th April 2011, in the location of the former betting shop, opposite the Parish Hall — it’s called ‘The Veg Patch‘.
Neville, the treasurer of the Whitchurch Festival committee, raised some of the initial capital to get this new venture started in a novel way: tickets were sold to friends and supporters for a chance at a prize. The draw will take place at an ‘official opening’ on Friday 15th April.
From the 13th of April, the Internet version of the shop will also be open, where you can order online!
The Veg Patch joins a growing number of Whitchurch places for greens shopping: There is the traditional country market on Fridays at the Gill Nethercott Centre, a market on Saturday mornings at the Parish Hall, national chains Tesco and Co-Op, and the online Whitchurch Eco-Shop (reopening soon under new management).
A list of shops is in our directory HERE.


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Decision to boost ferrying goods to Himalayan country from Visakhapatnam port
VISAKHAPATNAM: The decision to scrap 4.5% service tax on ocean freight for consignments transshipped from Visakhapatnam and Kolkata ports as the third country imports to Nepal will benefit the trading community of the Himalayan country.
Alternative EXIM port
The service tax imposed in June last year was withdrawn vide the Ministry of Finance TRU Circular No.204/2/2017 dated February 16 with immediate effect on goods intended for transshipment to any country outside India.
Trading community of Nepal has hailed the initiative after Nepal Commerce Minister Gauchan Thakali and others pleaded strongly with their counterparts in India that the imposition of service tax on cargo bound to their country would negate the letter and spirit of free trade agreement signed by them.
The contention of the traders as well as the Nepali authorities was that the collection of service tax by cargo handling agents in India would ultimately pass on to the importers making the ferrying of goods very expensive.
The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Nepal Freight Forwarders’ Association have been demanding several initiatives to make Visakhapatnam an alternative port to Kolkata for them.
Following problems faced for shipment of cargo from Kolkata Port, on a request by Nepal, the Ministry of Commerce declared Visakhapatnam Port as an alternative Exim port last year following which the Visakhapatnam Port has been trying to create the required ecosystem to facilitate movement of cargo.
Fertilizers, coal, project cargo and garments are expected to be moved from Visakhapatnam to Nepal via Birgunj. Several high-level delegations from Nepal frequented Visakhapatnam and inspected the facilities on rake availability with the railways and Container Corporation of India (CONCOR).
Visakha Container Terminal Private Ltd, a BOT operator of Visakhapatnam Port, has developed a 24×7 all-weather facility here with deep draft to handle large shipping lines including those belonging to Maersk.
Visakhapatnam Port Deputy Chairman P.L. Haranadh told that they were expecting trade to Nepal to pick up shortly with talks in progress to introduce a box train to Birgunj Inland Container Depot.
Government-owned Nepal Transit and Warehousing Company has also been offered land for building a warehouse after the Nepal Rastra Bank has already issued a notification for payments. A proposal to open the Nepal’s Consulate General Office in Visakhapatnam is also under consideration to facilitate speedy clearances instead of depending on the consul officials in New Delhi.


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Microsoft exec says Windows 10 Mobile is no longer a 'focus'
He's confirming that Windows for phones is basically on life support.
Intel adopts eSIM to support Microsoft's connected PC vision
So long, SIM cards. Hello, embedded mobile data.
Valve's mobile version of Steam finally hits Windows Phone
Apologies to your wallet.
The collapse of Microsoft and Nokia's mobile business
A 10-year fall from grace.
Instagram beta arrives for Windows 10 mobile devices
Apply some photo filters with your Lumia 950.
Microsoft bought a company that makes porting apps easier
Xamarin uses a common code base that makes cross-platform apps feel more like native experiences.
Microsoft's 5.7-inch Lumia 950 XL is liquid cooled and $649
Microsoft details the new Lumia 950 XL running Windows 10.
Nielsen: more than half of US teens now own smartphones
Yes, we know Android is holding steady at about 52 percent of US smartphone market share. What's i...
ComScore: Android tops 52 percent of US smartphone share, iPhone cracks the 33 percent mark
Both Apple and Google have reasons to break out the champagne in the wake of ComScore's latest mar...


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By Tilly Michell, Content Marketing Manager at Airwallex
There’s never been a better time to be an ecommerce business.
According to a survey by Reuters, 70% of British consumers now prefer buying online to shopping in-person, with more than half of respondents claiming their online spending had increased over the past two years.
But the UK is not the only place where ecommerce is flourishing, and savvy brands are looking beyond domestic shoppers towards burgeoning opportunities abroad. Between 2021 and 2027, the cross-border ecommerce market is projected to grow at an annual CAGR of 27%, reaching $4.8 billion by 2026.
The international popularity of Amazon, Etsy and eBay have made it easier than ever to access new audiences around the globe. Whilst fintechs like Airwallex are helping businesses eliminate the cost of collecting and sending money across borders. In this article, we’ll outline five ecommerce trends that will help you scale your business both at home and abroad in 2022.
Say goodbye to inauthentic influencer campaigns and hello to genuine customer-led brand advocacy. Ambassador marketing is a new trend in which businesses reward their loyal customers with perks when they promote their products online.
Unlike influencer marketing, ambassador marketing leverages real customer relationships, the idea being that ordinary people can have as much influence (if not more) on their small group of friends as celebrities do on their thousands of followers.
Thomas Adams, CEO of ambassador marketing platform Brandbassador, says: “The opportunity is for brands to get more involved with their customers and their fans on Instagram and Facebook. If you open the door for people to be a part of your brand, they’ll give it back to you ten times.”
Not only will AR adverts give your customers a unique and memorable experience, they can also help improve brand awareness by as much as 70%, according to research from marketing agency Poplar. AR has been around for a while, but businesses are only just tapping into its potential. Some great examples of AR advertising include Ikea’s Studio App, which allows users to virtually redesign their homes, and Khol, who teamed up with Snapchat in 2021 to create a virtual closet where customers could browse for outfits.
As well as being an attention-grabbing digital advertising gimmick, AR can bridge the gap between the online and in-person shopping experience. When L’Oreal launched a website feature which allowed users to try on makeup virtually before buying it, they tripled their online conversions.
Voice commerce is a growing market, particularly in the US where 42.7% of the population use a voice assistant such as Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. According to UnivDatos Market Insights, the global voice assistance commerce market is expected to grow by 77.7% between 2021 – 2027 to reach $1.3 trillion.
People use voice search in a different way to browser search, so it’s wise to approach voice search optimisation from a different angle to standard SEO.
- People tend to talk to their voice assistants in the same way they talk to a person, so it’s wise to use conversational language and long-tail keywords in your content marketing. For example, instead of the headline ‘Best bike helmets’ a bike shop could try, ‘What is the safest road cycling helmet for 2022?’
- For the same reason, you should focus your blog content around ‘why, what, where?’ questions.
- According to SEMrush, 70% of voice searches return a Rich Answer (such as a featured snippet) on Google. To increase your chances of being featured as a Rich Answer, include paragraphs within your content that answer specific questions within 29-41 words, with the main question wrapped in an H2 heading.
Why limit your brand to the UK, when you can reach millions of people around the world? If you’re planning to expand your business internationally in 2022, here are some tips for success.
- Create local landing pages for the different countries where you sell, but don’t rely on Google Translate. Instead, ask a content creator who is fluent in the language to translate your page. Tools like Wezen can help you project manage content creation across multiple geographies and languages.
- Allow your global customers to pay in their local currency, but don’t get caught out by exchange fees. Payment processors like PayPal, Shopify and Stripe tend to charge high fees for currency exchange.
You can avoid paying these fees by using a multi-currency account to collect, hold and transfer money in several currencies without forced conversions or high fees.
- Choose a logistics company that makes the international fulfilment process easier. Many brands choose Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), but there are also cheaper and greener options on the market, such as Huboo and Green Fulfilment.
Sustainability and social responsibility
Today’s customers don’t just want to buy stuff, they want to consume consciously from brands that match their core values.
Krissie Claire, the CoFounder of MindfulCommerce says: “One of the most important things that a brand can focus on at the moment is their stance on sustainability. The rise in conscious consumerism is huge and it’s so important for the planet.”
If you’d like to take a more ethical stance in 2022, you can try joining a carbon offset program such as Native Energy or 3Degrees. Or you could support a charity that means something to you and your customers.
Ethical initiatives will build trust and inspire loyalty within your customer base, whilst helping you give something back.
As consumers shift away from the high street, towards online shopping, ecommerce businesses should consider what they can offer their customers beyond convenience.
The challenge is to foster an online buying experience that holds some of the brand identity, customer care and sense of playfulness and fun that shoppers are used to experiencing in physical stores.
With the right tools in place, ecommerce brands can delight their customers, and build a loyal following that stretches across borders.
To read more about the trends that will help brands maximise sales and grow their revenue this year, download the full 2022 Ecommerce Trends ebook.


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Redmi K40 series is all set to launch in China in February. The Redmi K40 series will succeed the Redmi K30 series which had multiple smartphones powered by both Snapdragon and MediaTek SoCs. The Redmi K40 with Snapdragon 888 is tipped to launch in China with a price tag of under Rs 35,000.
A tweet from Ice Universe handle has revealed the pricing and launch timeline of the upcoming Redmi K40 series. The Redmi K40 with Snapdragon 888 chipset will cost only CNY 2,999 which is around Rs 34,000. Currently, the only other Snapdragon 888 powered device available in the market is the Xiaomi Mi 11 which starts at CNY 3,999 (Rs 45,300). With the price tag of CNY 2,999, the Redmi K40 will not only undercut the Xiaomi Mi 11, but it is also likely to undercut many other upcoming flagship phones such as Samsung Galaxy S21, Realme Race, and more.
Xiaomi is the price killer. Next month, it will release Redmi K40 with Snapdragon 888. The price is only 2999 yuan, equivalent to $463. pic.twitter.com/92kbl96IFuJanuary 11, 2021
Redmi K40: What we know so far
According to the previous report, the Redmi K40 was spotted on Chinese 3C certification site with model number M2006J10C. The site revealed the Redmi K40 could pack in 33W fast charger and also support for 5G connectivity. Apart from that, rumours also claim that the Redmi K40 will be similar to the Mi CC 10.
The device as said earlier, will pack in the newest silicon from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 888. This is an octa-core flagship chipset with a clock speed of 2.84GHz. It also brings up to a 25% uplift in overall CPU performance. On the gaming front, the Adreno 660 GPU brings up to 35% faster graphics rendering compared to the previous generation.
Apart from these details, there aren’t many details on the phones yet. We should hear more about the exact launch date as well as the specs in the coming days.
For context, the Redmi K30 series had multiple devices under its belt which includes Redmi K30, Redmi K30 Pro, Redmi K3S, Redmi K30i, Redmi K30 5G, K30 Ultra, K30 Racing Edition, and K30 Racing Edition. Among these, the Redmi K30 was launched as Poco X2 in India.


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21 Sep, 2020
Certain recent events have clearly shown us that even the biggest multinational corporations in the world still have much to learn when it comes to internal cyber security. You’d have thought that businesses that deal with millions of customers’ personal data would have very stringent internal cyber security controls to avoid any high-profile incidents, but you might just be quite surprised.
Cyber security as a whole is constantly on the move, with developments constantly popping up around the world as everyone looks to be at the cutting edge of what is already a cutting-edge field. On a very related note, businesses should, and usually do, keep all their employees up to date with the very latest guidelines. This of course goes for all employees, not just those who deal directly with data. We’ve witnessed only recently that even if a breach happens far away from any proprietary or sensitive data, that ‘chink in the armour’ can be used by cyber attackers to get their mucky fingers everywhere within a business’ network.
In order to avoid even the slightest possibility that an attack like this happens to the same business, or a similar organisation, it has to be accepted that more education on cyber security is the way forward. Businesses can no longer pretend to exist in a world where cyber attacks are not a common threat, and preparation for such attacks from all angles is an essential part of being a modern successful business. We do also hope that it is enough for businesses to learn from their peers’ mistakes, instead of having to wait for an attack on their own infrastructure before taking action.
Experts across the sector have been backing the idea for years, and it is a shame that it has taken recent high-profile attacks like this to jolt higher-ups into action, but in an industry where a successful attack costs on average £9.9 million to an organisation, it’s very much a case of ‘better late than never’.
As executives across all the major industries are slowly catching the memo, we have to ask, what more can be done by cyber security professionals to educate their peers? Is there more that we can do, or is the onus on executives in each sector?
What can be done?
It’s a bit of both in truth. Cyber security professionals have a professional and moral responsibility to educate their peers on the dangers of cyber attacks, and how they can prepare themselves for any possible turn of events.
On the other hand, it’s very much in the interest of higher-ups in other industries to ensure their staff are very well educated on cyber security and its importance. We’ve all seen what happens when staff aren’t educated, and no one wants their business to lose millions to a cyber attack.
Employers should be listening to their CISOs, taking on ideas that could improve their defence. CISOs need to be given more freedom to develop new strategies and systems to cater to their business’ specific needs. We’ve gone too long with cyber security being seen as a luxury rather than the necessity that it really is in the modern age of doing business.
No business is exempt from the threat of cyber attacks, and proper education of employees on the threats and methods of preparation is the absolute best way to prevent successful attacks.
Working together is one of the best ways to develop new ideas is to get all the smartest people in a field, put them in touch, and wait for sparks to fly. This isn’t any different with cyber security and think tanks and forums have seen great developments in the past. As networking has moved online due to the current circumstances, organisations have adapted and improved their methods to keep innovation going. The NCSC and World Economic Forum have been leading lights in the sector, publishing joint studies, guidance, and ensuring that the sector’s experts aren’t left to their own devices too much.
We’d love to see more businesses pick up the baton and drive their own innovation forward, listening to their CISOs, and educating all their employees…and we’ll keep pushing for it.


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Apple, as always, is set to launch new products as the Autumn begins. This time, just like every time, Apple has been driving rumor mills crazy with its impending launch of the iPhone 5S and probably the iPhone 5C too.
The iPhone 5S will, as per our expectations be a step ahead of the iPhone 5. Although nothing can be confirmed as of now, it is rumored to have an improved camera, a better processor and RAM. The Invites have been sent out with a conspicuous ‘This should brighten everyone’s day’, which might be an indication of a better screen with better brightness feature or a camera with a better brightness response. Also, the multicolored dots could be presumed to varied color range on the iPhone which we have been lusting after for so long. The iPhone 5C, if it does become a reality, might just be a cheaper phone which works similar to iPhone 5.
There have been also rumors about an iPad release, but nothing can be said on that as of now.
Apple is also rumored to renew its operating system – we might get to see the iOS 7 this – in fact, we most probably will, soon. Also, there are features such as iTunes Radio, which is something that Apple seems to have been working on for so long.
This has not been a great year for Apple and it definitely needs some fireworks to keep its battle with Samsung for market share.


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Google‘s Nexus 5 featuring the latest Android version Android Kit Kat 4.4 launched back in October but the phone isn’t available in India yet. Spotted by Androwin Google Plus user Anirudh Sriram posted a picture showing a banner featuring the Nexus 5 in an LG store located in Bangalore and will be available on Monday 18th of November.
The Nexus 5 is currently available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Korea. The phone will go on sale monday on the Google Play store for Rs 28,990 for the 16 GB version and Rs 32,990 for the 32 GB version but will cost Rs 1000 more if you purchase it from the LG store where the 16GB will be Rs 29.990 and the 32GB will be Rs 33.990.
Hey, I’m Rakshit. I live in the Bay Area in the United States, and have always been interested in technology since I was a young kid. I aspire to be a computer scientist in the future, but I spend my time in the present writing apps, studying programming, and learning new things.


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Full-throttle flavors from the Philippines and Thailand are winning over Chowhounds at Pig and Khao, the new collaboration of Chef Leah Cohen (Centro Vinoteca, TV’s Top Chef) and the team behind Fatty Crab and Fatty ‘Cue. In a recent discussion, foodwhisperer says Cohen’s take on sisig (pictured), a sizzling hash of pork head meat with liver, chile, and egg, is right on target, as is a green mango salad with grilled chicken, lemongrass, and herbs. Hounds also recommend quail adobo, crispy pata (fried pork leg with pickled green mango), whole fried fish in hot-and-sour broth, and spicy fried oyster with white pepper–calamansi sauce.
As CHOW’s John Birdsall observed, this two-month-old restaurant exemplifies a welcome trend: Asian restaurants that arrive fully liberated from the ethnic ghetto, with mainstream expectations (and media attention). Yet Pig and Khao remains true to its roots: foodwhisperer says the dishes from the Philippines, where the chef’s mother was born, have “the right taste”—in part because of details like Datu Puti vinegar, a staple in many Filipino households. Mom has even been spotted in the house, lending homey quality control to what comes out of the tiny open kitchen. “Basically,” foodwhisperer adds, “the place is awesome.”
Pig and Khao [Lower East Side]
68 Clinton Street (between Stanton and Rivington streets), Manhattan
Photo from Pig and Khao


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Spring styles kicked off a warm Saturday morning as more than 80 fashions were featured at the Mugs and Muffins event at the United Methodist Church. Hastings Rivertown Treasures retail manager Pamela Loicanno arranged more than 15 model volunteers to showcase the wide variety of stylish clothing available at the Hastings Family Service store. Executive director Chris Koop tells KDWA about the reason for the event and how it was received.
March is a critical month due to several factors and Koop gives us an update on the progress so far.
The Style show is part of the effort to raise food and funds as part of March Food Share Month. In another facet of the campaign, Koop tells us about the Pack the Pews at local churches that combines congregational support with the communities they care for.


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Following weeks of great speculation, dropping stock prices and an undercurrent by analysts that the earnings report by Apple might mark the start of the end for iPhones due to sales being weak, Apple’s results were released and they easily passed Wall Street expectations.
Tim Cook spoke to investors as the earnings for Apple’s second quarter were released on Tuesday saying that people chose the iPhone X more than any of the other iPhones during each week of the March quarter just as they have done following the launch of the smartphone during the December quarter.
He added that this was the first cycle where the top iPhone model had also been the lineups most popular.
Cook shared a great deal with Apple investors during his call, including the strong performance by Apple Services, which is home to Apple Music, the App Store and Apple Pay, a large increase in its subscriptions services as well as much larger than had been expected in China.
However, as is always the case, everyone was looking to the iPhone, and how sales grew, as the most reliable predictor of the overall health of the Cupertino, California based tech giant. For most investors, the numbers came in where they wanted them to.
Revenue at Apple was up 16% compared to the same quarter one year ago ending the three-month period at $61.1 billion. It represented revenue’s fastest growth in the last two years and beat estimates on Wall Street of $60.9 billion. Forecasts for revenue for its next quarter fell between $51.5 billion and $53.5 billion, which also beat estimates.
Apple during its second quarter sold 52.2 million iPhones which was an increase of 2.9% from the same period one year and just below the analyst’s predictions of 52.3 billion.
However, sales of iPhones were far ahead of many diminished predictions that have surfaced the past couple of weeks as data from suppliers made the rounds and worried investors. The per phone price of $728 was slightly below the analyst consensus that was $740.
Apple posted a record for its services revenue of just over $9.2 billion representing a growth rate of 31% year on year and easily beat analysts who were expecting $8.3 billion.
CEO Cook said that all component parts of the services segment the App Store, iCloud storage, Apple Pay and Apple Music posted record sales and a minimum of 25% growth.


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|Photo by Sergey Nivens via 123RF|
Equifax announced September 26 that Richard Smith, its Chief Executive, will be stepping down.
The announcement comes in the wake of the cyber hacking earlier this month in which 143 million Equifax customers’ personal information was breached.
Equifax has been under the gun ever since the breach. Federal lawmakers and consumers alike have hammered the company on its handling of the issue. Equifax is facing several federal investigations involving its handling of the hack and reports that executives sold an unusual amount of stock before the breach was publicly disclosed earlier in the month. The hackers gained access to Social Security numbers, birth dates, and home addresses for close to half of the citizens in the United States.
Board member Mark Feidler will step in as the nonexecutive chairman, and Paulino do Rego Barros Jr., who led the company's Asia Pacific division, will become the interim chief executive. according to a statement released Tuesday by Equifax.
Smith released a statement saying, “The cybersecurity incident has affected millions of consumers, and I have been completely dedicated to making this right.” he added, “At this critical juncture, I believe it is in the best interests of the company to have new leadership to move the company forward.”
The 57-year-old Smith was chairman and chief executive since 2005. He worked at GE for 22 years before that. Smith had a great run at Equifax as the company saw its stock prices rise 200 percent, while its market value ballooned from $3 billion to $20 billion. Smith was also behind helping expand the company’s business into 24 countries.
Diving into the numbers Smith received a compensation of $15 million if salary, stock, and changes in pension value are factored in. However, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Smith won’t receive any bonuses this year, although he will receive his pension of $18 million. While there are still some decisions to be made about some additional benefits to be given to Smith, these are being postponed until a sufficient and independent review is conducted by the board of directors. Equifax states that the board is creating a special committee that will further look into the breach.
Smith will remain as an unpaid adviser until they find a permanent replacement, according to the board.


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- Ford skeleton to deliver 15 new vehicles in China by 2015, partial of an beginning to benefit marketplace share in a worlds biggest automotive market. These products will strengthen Fords invasion in existent segments and expostulate enlargement in segments Ford is not competing in now
- Next-generation Ford Kuga to be built and sole in China
- Ford unveils latest new appetite technologies in Asia for a initial time during a 2011 Shanghai Auto Show including fuel-free, rechargeable plug-in hybrid and hybrid innovations
- Asian vaunt of a new judgment automobile a sleeker, some-more stylish and sportier Ford SUV of a destiny featuring pattern cues and facilities to be incorporated in a next-generation SUV to be launched in China
- Fords extended product lineup for a Shanghai uncover has something for everybody 17 models will be on display, including a 2011 Mondeo, a initial Ford nameplate
- More connected than ever: Fords industry-leading technologies, led by a new SYNC with MyFord Touch motorist bond record will be demonstrated during interactive uncover booths
SHANGHAI, China, Apr 19, 2011 Today during a 2011 Shanghai Auto Show, Ford Motor Company and a partners announced a devise to deliver 15 new vehicles to China by a center of a decade.
We are unapproachable and gay currently to announce a accelerated enlargement devise for China that will see 15 all-new One Ford vehicles launched here by 2015, pronounced Joe Hinrichs, president, Ford Asia Pacific and Africa, and authority and CEO, Ford China.
This devise reinforces a joining to offer a full operation of vehicles to new automobile buyers in China, a worlds biggest and many sparkling automobile market. The new nameplates will significantly strengthen Fords invasion in existent segments and expostulate new enlargement in others, Hinrichs explained.
The 15 new vehicles are partial of Fords skeleton to deliver 50 new products and powertrains to a Asia Pacific and Africa segment in a subsequent 4 years, Hinrichs added. With a initial of a 15 new vehicles being a all-new Ford Focus, we are also announcing currently that a next-generation Ford Kuga will be built here in China.
Along with a introduction of new vehicles, Ford skeleton to some-more than double a dealership outlets in China by mid-decade.
Ford shares a prophesy for a bright, intelligent and immature future
The Ford code stands for high-quality, green, protected and intelligent products. These qualities will be on arrangement during a 2011 Shanghai Auto Show when Ford unveils a latest new appetite technologies in Asia for a initial time.
Designed to give Asian drivers genuine fuel-saving alternatives in a future, a technologies will be showcased in a all-new Focus Electric, Fords initial entirely electric-powered newcomer car; Ford C-MAX Energi, a companys initial plug-in hybrid electric vehicle; and a new Ford Fusion Hybrid. This contingent of vehicles brilliantly illustrates a trendsetting technologies Ford is building to renovate a product operation for a high-tech, fuel-efficient future.
The Shanghai Auto Show is a superb height to showcase Fords latest products and technologies to a dealers and smashing customers, and this year we will betray a forms of energy-efficient vehicles and technologies that Ford has designed for a future, pronounced Hinrichs.
More Ford creation and leading-edge pattern will be seen in a Ford Vertrek judgment on display, that represents Fords unconventional prophesy of a sleek, sporty and stylish compress SUV.
With Chinas SUV marketplace in fast enlargement mode, we are vehement and anxious to move a Vertrek judgment to Shanghai in 2011. We pattern it will attract many uncover visitors, automobile bloggers and reporters comparison since many of a state-of-the-art pattern cues will be incorporated in Fords next-generation SUV that will be built and launched in China, Hinrichs added.
With 17 models on display, Fords product lineup is one of a broadest a association has ever assembled, underscoring a significance of a Chinese automobile market. Around 700,000 people are approaching to attend a Shanghai Auto Show that runs from Apr 21 to Apr 28. With a operation of new electric technologies, Ford is bringing a energy of choice to Asian consumers.
Showcasing new Ford vehicles, technologies and ideas
Fords newest indication to be introduced to a Chinese market, a 2011 Mondeo, is a initial nameplate in China versed with Fords fuel-efficient, award-winning EcoBoost engine. EcoBoost delivers some-more energy and torque with reduce emissions.
The all-new Ford Edge SUV is approaching to be another crowd-pleaser, appealing to a augmenting array of SUV drivers in China. Since a Jan launch, a Edge, with a 3.5-liter Ti-VCT V6 engine, has won a array of automotive awards and is in high demand.
Also on a mount creation a entrance in a new tone Blush is a Fiesta Sport+. The sporty compress facilities new front and back physique skirts.
Well-established nameplates like Ford Focus and S-MAX will also be prominently featured during a Shanghai Auto Show. Ford will showcase a industry-leading record facilities such as a sparkling new SYNC with MyFord Touch, a latest in high-tech motorist connectivity.
The Ford muster will deliver automobile uncover visitors to an array of interesting and educational interactive displays that prominence a high-quality, green, protected and intelligent impression of a companys products.
A 3D mini-theater, a Fiesta convene pushing simulator, a Driving Skills for Life video diversion and a Ford Edge in-car museum are some of a gorgeous exhibits Ford has in store for a throng during Shanghai.
Visitors to Fords 1,700-square-meter mount during a Shanghai New International Expo Centres Hall W2 will be released a pass that will be hammered after they knowledge any vaunt on display. Guests who have collected all a Ford stamps in their pass will be authorised to win sparkling prizes.
# # #
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a tellurian automotive attention personality formed in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles opposite 6 continents. With about 164,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, a companys automotive brands embody Ford and Lincoln. The companyprovides financial services by Ford Motor Credit Company.
Ford’s unconditionally owned subsidiaries, corner ventures and investment in China embody Ford Motor (China) Limited, Ford Motor Research Engineering (Nanjing) Co., Ltd., Ford Automotive Finance (China) Ltd., Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd., Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd. Nanjing Company, Changan Ford Mazda Engine Co., Ltd. and Jiangling Motors Co., Ltd.
For some-more information per Fords products, greatfully revisit www.fordmotorcompany.com and www.ford.com.cn


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Turkey's parliament late on Wednesday approved a stimulus package for the ailing emerging economy, including measures to support manufacturers, state-run news agency Anatolian reported.
The package will give Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government, which faces municipal elections in March, the power to reduce some corporate tax on investment, and also cut taxes on textiles and clothing manufacturers if they move their plants to certain cities.
Other measures include incentives to encourage people to scrap old cars, to boost sales of new vehicles among Turkey's auto manufacturing sector.
Turkey is facing a sharp economic slowdown after several years of stellar growth as the current global economic crisis hits domestic demand and bites into crucial European export markets.
Last Mod: 19 Şubat 2009, 17:07


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The Apple AirPods’ unique selling point is their wireless design, affording users unparalleled freedom. However, anxiety over losing the tiny in-ears prompted e-tailers Nordstrom and Amazon to sell ‘carrying straps’… facepalm.
Ahead of the Christmas gift-buying extravaganza, Nordstrom and Amazon have begun selling $60 Carrying Straps for the $150 AirPods, thus undoing all of the “revolutionary” research and development by Apple in one fell, low-tech swoop.
“Avoid losing your wireless AirPods by attaching them to this magnetic-locking leather strap and wearing around the neck when not in use,” the product description reads. Needless to say, the late capitalism-weary online commentariat wasted no time in deriding this egregious display of opulence, pointing out that traditional, wired Apple headphones cost a fraction of the price, both in cash and anxiety.
“AirPod culture is ridiculous. Materialism at its silliest,” wrote one Twitter user who’d clearly had enough. “We’ve ‘come full circle,” was the resounding consensus as commenters chortled and guffawed at the redundancy.
Some even suggested potential new accessories so that companies could innovate further.
Alex Jones is joined by Dr. E. Michael Jones to break down the collapse of Western civilization.
By the way, get DNA Force Plus 50% off and get a free bottle of Brain Force Plus now!


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The Ministry of Interior has affirmed that terrorists groups Saraya Al-Ashtar and Al-Mukhtar militias are based in Iran.In a statement today, the ministry said that the Iran Revolutionary Guard aids and abets both groups, whose operatives targeted Bahrain’s security and perpertrated terrorists crimes, which left casualties among citizens and residents.
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A one-stop-resource for all your Informational needs regarding companies you want to engage with. We are operating in BAHRAIN, since 2020 under CR Registry no. 149682_1 as a business accelerator.
BAHRAIN Business Gate is continually expanding and hosts over 500k business profiles.


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It’s rare to see giants collaborate, even more so to see two giant tech companies in Seattle join forces to advance and bring voice assistant to a mass market. Today Microsoft and Amazon announced that each of their voice assistants will be able to integrate and work with each other later this year.
Both press releases did not provide a specific date, but only targets later this year. We can speculation either making into the fall creators update with Windows 10 updates or just in time for the holiday season. Either way, this is an interesting collaboration and seems to point finger at Google Home and Apple’s Siri in the voice assistant arena.
As Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, commented on the joint force between Microsoft and Amazon
“reflects our belief that when people and technology work together, everybody wins:”
With this announcement, we can see that both party will benefit from an increased reach in overall user base. Each party will gain exclusive skills that previously only existed within their own eco-system. For example, with Cortana on Alexa, all office 365’s work calendar and email deep integration can be voice activated and controlled from an Amazon’s echo device. Same goes with Microsoft’s Windows 10 device can now call out for Alexa for seamless shopping experience.
The voice assistant ship is sailing faster than ever, some say this is the new UI for the future of human vs computer interaction. We will wait and see if collaboration between Microsoft and Amazon would trigger more competitions with Google and Apple or would that be the first of many chapter of partnership in voice assistant.


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The Chromecast with Google TV is about to plug one of the biggest gaps in its app library. Yes, Google has confirmed that Apple TV will become available on the streaming dongle in early 2021.
Chromecast with Google TV was announced back in September and represents a dramatic shift for the Chromecast brand. Until now, these hugely-popular devices were designed to be controlled entirely from a smartphone or tablet, with streaming services like Netflix and All 4 incorporating the Cast button into their iOS and Android apps to beam the episode or movie onto the big screen. The Chromecast itself didn’t have a menu system, or any apps of its own – it relied entirely on users having access to other gadgets. Tabs from a Google Chrome web browser could also be shown on the telly – a nifty trick when trying to boost productivity while working from home.
But with the arrival of Chromecast with Google TV, the HDMI dongle added a remote control and a rich menu with its own apps optimised for the big screen. Built on the existing Android TV software, Google TV brings a load of personalisation and recommendations to the table. Based on your viewing history, Google will recommend new shows and films that it thinks will appeal to your tastes. Rotten Tomatoes scores are also displayed on the main menu – helping you quickly assess whether a new movie is worth your time, or one to hastily swerve.
Since Chromecast with Google TV builds on Android TV, it launched with a pretty solid selection of streaming apps, including Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub, to name a few. However, there were a few notable holdouts, including All 4 and Apple TV. While the former includes a Cast button inside the iOS and Android app, so you can beam it to the Chromecast with Google TV as a workaround, Apple does not support this feature in its TV app – leaving users no choice but to wait for a new version of the app to be launched on the latest Chromecast hardware.
When it launches early next year, Apple TV will bring access to Apple TV+ original shows like The Morning Show, Defending Jacob, and Ted Lasso, as well as original movies like Boys State, Greyhound and The Banker. These exclusive original shows from Apple TV+ will also be integrated into Google TV’s aggregation system too, so they can be recommended based on your interests. TV+ costs £4.99 a month, although anyone who bought a new Apple device at the end of last year will have access to the service for free until February 2021. So, fingers crossed the new Chromecast app launches before then.
However, even if you’re not interested in the content available on Apple TV+, there’s still plenty of reasons to be looking forward to the arrival of the new app.
Apple TV offers access to previously purchased content from iTunes too, including any old digital copies of films or TV shows. And if there’s something that’s available at a cheaper price from Apple than the Google Play Store or Amazon Prime Video store, you’ll be able to buy and rent from within the Apple TV app too. Between all three stores coming to the Chromecast, you should always be able to find a title – or a price – that you’re looking for.
Any Apple TV channels that you’re already subscribed to will be available within the Apple TV app on Chromecast with Google TV too.
The announcement of Apple TV coming to Chromecast with Google TV follows Apple Music integration arriving on Google Nest and Google Nest Hub smart speakers for the first time.
Published at Mon, 21 Dec 2020 10:12:00 +0000


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Some People May Be Disappointed with Lack of VR Content
It’s pretty clear to anyone following virtual reality, that while it’s very cool and there are some awesome experiences available, there’s still not many VR games out yet. When people purchase their new VR headsets, they may be frustrated to realize that there aren’t that many games yet available. That will change over time and PlayStation VR (that’s coming this upcoming Fall) should have a part in adding lots of content.
VR Content Isn’t Being Created in Droves
If you just spent a bunch of money on a new VR headset, it makes sense that you would be frustrated to find out after that there aren’t lots of games to experience. Werner Herzog, a German film director, said to the New York Times, “We have a technology, but we don’t have any clear idea how to fill it with content.” Many developers are hesitant to create VR games as it costs too much money unless of course they’re a big company like Oculus for example. And the sales numbers at Oculus even supposedly aren’t that great yet which could also be a reason why they’re not creating lots of new VR content yet. Northway Games’ Sarah Northway, said, “might not recoup [their] dev costs if VR flopped or room-scale turned out to be a pipe dream.”
Companies Have Differing Views
Of course, there are differing views though. Fire Panda Studio (VR developer)’s Nick Pittom, said, “VR development is one of those places where, even with games out, even with actual products, it doesn’t actually make any money.” Even though it’s clear to many that virtual reality really is going to be huge, as of now, there’s not tons of money to be generated through VR games and that may also be a part of the reason that many of the gaming companies that have created VR projects are creating “experiential storytelling” as they’re able to receive investments from the film sector.
Most of the resurgence of virtual reality has come from the real desire to experience different worlds. The developer of Darknet (Oculus Rift game), E. McNeill, said, “There was definitely a ‘Summer of Love’ era, where everyone made grand gestures toward openness and love for the whole VR ecosystem.” He added, “It was never in much doubt whether big commercial games would arrive. The question was when, and just how cool it would be.”
Time will tell what’s going to happen, but most likely over time more headsets will be sold and more developers will create new VR games once the right number of people actually have VR headsets.


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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – The CVS Pharmacy Network is vaccinating Florida teachers under 50, avoiding a state mandate that continues to restrict coronavirus vaccination to older people.
The chain also started vaccinating nurseries and preschool teachers on Wednesday, though Florida Gov. Ron de Santis has not yet launched a vaccination program for them.CVS provides vaccinations in two dozen cities across the state.
CVS said it was in line with Biden’s administration guidelines published this week, which is broader for educators than Florida’s. For Florida teachers, vaccines are limited to teachers in classes 50 and older who work in kindergarten through grade 12. Federal guidelines allow daycare workers, preschool teachers, and educators in elementary, middle, and high schools. Get vaccinated without age restrictions.
“We are compliant with the revised Federal Retail Pharmacy Program guidelines by pre-appointment through educators and staff and 12 childcare workers in all 17 states where we currently offer the COVID-19 vaccine,” said the Rhode Island-based company. Said in order
The chain has been working with DeSantis to expand vaccine availability.Its executives held a press conference with the governor last week when the network announced its Latin-focused subsidiaries in Miami-Dade County, Navarro Discount Pharmacies and CVS y. Mas will offer a vaccine.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the federal retail pharmacy program will prioritize all school and child care workers this month in order from President Joe Biden on Tuesday. Other participating pharmacy chains in Florida include Publix, Walmart and Walgreens, but it is not clear if they will begin vaccinating younger educators.
The governor’s news agency declined to comment on CVS’s decision.


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eTel investing EUR50m in Poland
The Irish eTel which has been present in central Europe for some time providing internet and telecommunications services is now considering Poland and is talking to providers which would like a partner.
The company has already spoken to GTS concerning the sale of it's ISP arm Internet Partners, one of the largest providers in this country. GTS however called off any potential sale owing to the low price that would be obtained in current market conditions.
Michał Kostrzewa, MD of eTel Polska, insists that a new deal might not be worked out at a later date and that the company is still keeping an eye out for other purchases in this country.© ℗
Podpis: Alan Heath


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BERLIN, Dec 14 (Reuters) – Germany’s private sector expansion slowed to a four-year low in December, a survey showed on Friday, suggesting growth in Europe’s largest economy may be weak in the final quarter.
IHS Markit’s flash composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which tracks the manufacturing and services sectors that together account for more than two-thirds of the economy, fell to 52.2 from 52.3 in the previous month.
The index has dropped eight times in 2018, including in the final four months of the year, as the economy cools due to one-off effects like car registration bottlenecks as well as more lasting headwinds from trade frictions.
Markit economist Chris Williamson said he expected the economy to grow by 0.2 percent in the final quarter after a contraction in the July-September period.
He said that while the economy was not facing an immediate risk of recession, the outlook remains gloomy, especially as the possibility of Britain leaving the European Union next year without an agreement on future relations lurks on the horizon.
“The risk of a recession has increased, but we still don’t see this happening in our projections,” said Williamson.
Bottlenecks in new car registrations due to the introduction of stricter pollution standards, and a drought that caused disruptions to ferried deliveries of fuel and other raw materials have weighed on the German economy.
Clearing the vehicle registration bottlenecks and getting traffic on major waterways back to normal would provide a much-needed impetus for the economy, Williamson said.
(Reporting by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Hugh Lawson)


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Microsoft buyback, take 2
Firm switches tactics after few investors part with stock
Microsoft Corp. is switching tactics in its $40 billion stock buyback program after shareholders tendered only $3.8 billion worth of shares in response to its "Dutch auction" repurchase offer -- well below the $20 billion it was ready to spend.
The Redmond company now says it will add up to $16.2 billion to its long-term, traditional stock buyback program, almost doubling that plan's repurchase authorization to $36.2 billion over the next five years.
The lower-than-expected response to the Dutch auction may be a sign of optimism among investors, anticipating the stock will rise above the price Microsoft was offering.
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"It's a good thing -- it means shareholders think it's worth more," said Charles Di Bona, financial analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York.
Microsoft has been sitting on a huge pile of cash that it didn't think it needed immediately for things such as legal expenses and acquisitions. As of June 30, the end of its fiscal year, Microsoft had $34.16 billion in cash and short-term investments.
Under the Dutch auction, shareholders indicated how many shares they wanted to sell and at what price, within Microsoft's specified range of $22.50 to $24.75. The market price of the company's shares rose 8 percent, to $24.70, between the time the Dutch auction started July 21 and ended Thursday.
In trading Friday, the company's shares rose another 4.4 percent, to close at $25.79. As a result of the increase, the company would be able to buy back fewer shares with the available money in the open market than under its Dutch auction offer.
Because the company is buying back fewer shares than expected, the effect on Microsoft's earnings per share isn't expected to be as significant in the short run.
In a note to clients, Goldman Sachs analyst Rick Sherlund said he now believes the buyback could result in an additional 3 cents to 4 cents in earnings per share for the current fiscal year, down from his previous expectation of an extra 6 cents.
Under Microsoft's latest financial guidance, issued when it announced plans for the buyback, the company forecast earnings per share of $1.43 to $1.47 for the current fiscal year, ending June 30.
However, Sherlund wrote that shifting the $16.2 billion to the open market "will likely be a positive for the trading of Microsoft stock."
Microsoft announced on July 20 that it would seek to buy back $20 billion of shares, or about 8 percent of the outstanding stock, for $22.50 to $24.75. The company said Friday that shareholders tendered 155 million shares, or 1.5 percent of the company's stock, at $24.75.
In July, Microsoft also said it would spend another $20 billion on more traditional stock repurchases by June 2011, and that is the program it increased on Friday. It also said in July that it had completed a previously announced $30 billion stock repurchase program.


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Hyundai and Kia are recalling 571,00 SUVs and minivans due to a fire risk. The companies said that the tow hitch could catch on fire while the vehicle is parked and advised owners to park outside until the issue is fixed.
The companies said that water can seep into a circuit board and cause it to short-circuit even when the vehicle is off and parked.
The recalled vehicles include the 2019 to 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, the 2021 to 2023 Santa Fe Hybrid, the 2022 and 2023 Santa Fe Plug-in hybrid, the 2022 and 2023 Santa Cruz, and the 2022 and 2023 Kia Carnival minivan.
The two automakers have received one report of a fire and five reports of heat incidents. There have been no injuries linked to the issue.
The car companies have not developed a fix for the issue. Instead, owners can bring their vehicle to a dealer where technicians will remove the fuse and tow hitch computer module. Once they have a fix ready, the technicians will install a new fuse and wires with improved waterproof connectors.
You can check to see if your car is subject to a recall by going to nhtsa.gov/recalls and entering your 17-digit vehicle identification number.


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The Chevrolet Bolt EUV on display at the New York Auto Show on April 13, 2022.
Scott Mill | CNBC
DETROIT — After years of underwhelming performance and fire-induced recalls, the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt EV is finally gaining traction General Motors.
U.S. sales of the Chevrolet Bolt, the cheapest electric car in the U.S. after steep price cuts, rose more than 50% last year and the automaker says it will reach a record 70,000 units in 2023.
But GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said on Tuesday that rather than relying further on the car’s recent success and increased production, GM Chief Executive Mary Barra would stop production later this year. Hailed as the industry’s “true game changer” and “electric vehicle,” the car is for everyone. “
“We’ve made progress so far, and now it’s time to plan for the end of Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV production, which will happen by the end of the year,” Barra told investors on an earnings call.
Barra’s comments about the vehicle being axed were as swift as a butcher cutting the head off a chicken, but combined with the company’s plans to produce profitable electric vehicles in the coming years, it says a lot.
GM is on track to generate single-digit profits from its electric vehicle portfolio by 2025, when it aims to have production capacity of 1 million electric vehicles in North America.
To achieve those goals, GM needs the production capacity, margins and market positioning of its forthcoming next-generation electric vehicle. It doesn’t think it needs a Bolt.
For industry experts, the Bolt’s days are coming to an end. But the timing of the decision caught many experts off guard. GM is expected to produce the car for at least the next year.
“It was more sudden than I expected,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Detroit-based Cox Automotive. “I think it will go away at some point when the new batteries come out and they come in more body styles, but it strikes me as rather abrupt.”
2024 Sierra EV Denali Edition 1
Source: General Motors
The timing of the announcement coincides with GM’s need to notify suppliers of the shutdown and related developments, a company spokesman said. The company is spending $4 billion to revamp its Bolt plant in Orion, Michigan, where it makes GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado electric pickup trucks.
Retooling existing plants rather than building new ones is part of GM’s EV strategy, though it may do so in the future.other such as Ford and Hyundai announced new factories in addition to restructuring existing facilities.
GM said the reorganization would save time and money, and also give the company the flexibility to partially remodel factories and build different gas-powered models at the same time. But for the Orion plant, which makes the Bolt alone, this strategy doesn’t make sense because GM believes it needs the extra capacity. Plus, the Bolt won’t contribute to the company’s bottom line the way a factory that makes money-making gasoline-powered cars does.
Barra said on Tuesday that once Orion plants reopen next year, the company will have a combined annual capacity of 600,000 electric pickups, including a Detroit plant that has been slow to ramp up production of GMC’s Hummer EV.
“We need this capability because our trucks are exactly what customers expect, and we will demonstrate that work and EV range are not mutually exclusive terms for Chevrolet and GMC trucks,” Barra said Tuesday.
Profit tied to Ultium
GM has promised investors its next-generation electric vehicle based on a new architecture Known as Ultium, it will be profitable. This is a milestone that the Bolt model (including the larger “EUV” version) was never thought to reach.
To spark interest and make the Bolt more affordable, GM lowered the starting price by $6,300 for the 2022 model year. The Bolt EV starts at $26,595, followed by the Bolt EUV at $28,195.
“The Bolt is selling better than ever since the company cut prices. On the other hand, that probably means they’re losing more money than ever on the car,” said Guidehouse principal analyst Sam R. Abuelsamid (Sam Abuelsamid) said. opinion. “So, they don’t want it to last any longer. They’re losing money.”
U.S. President Joe Biden and General Motors CEO Mary Barra look at a Chevrolet Silverado electric vehicle during their tour of the 2022 North American International Auto Show at the Huntington Place Convention Center in Detroit, Michigan, September 14, 2022. -Biden is visiting auto shows to highlight electric vehicle manufacturing.
Mandel Yan | AFP | Getty Images
GM expects adjusted margins on its electric vehicle portfolio to be in the low to mid-single digits in 2025, excluding any positive impact from clean energy tax credits, such as those included in the Lower Inflation Act.
With those advantages in mind, the company said it expects its new electric vehicle portfolio to be as profitable as conventionally-engined cars and trucks by 2025 — many years earlier than many thought possible.
While those credits are likely to boost the Bolt’s margins as well, the car uses older battery technology purchased from LG, and GM is now focusing on expanding more cost-effective in-house battery production through its factories it operates as a factory. Joint venture with Korean company.
Ultium’s boost, combined with the cost efficiencies realized with the new EV pickup, means improved margins that the Bolt can’t, especially in the long run.
“As we scale up our electric vehicles, we will reduce our fixed costs and will continue to drive margin improvement,” Barra said on Tuesday.
Bolt will leave behind a mixed reputation. It was the first “affordable” long-range EV to hit the market, but it never lived up to its stated potential.
The Bolt brand name has also suffered after the company recalled all vehicles produced in 2020 and 2021 due to fire problems caused by a defect in the supplier’s manufacturer’s battery. At least 13 bolts spontaneously ignited due to this issue.
A 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV caught fire at a home in Cherokee County, Georgia on Sept. 13, 2021, according to the local fire department.
Cherokee County Fire Department
Still, GM is touting the Bolt EV as a proof of concept for its electric future. The vehicles have attracted new customers, with 75 percent of Bolt owners switching from non-GM to non-GM vehicles, the company said.
Now, the company will need a new entry-level EV, and it’s looking to the upcoming Equinox EV (starting at around $30,000) to fill the void.
“We think this is a great opportunity for us to really start mass adoption, and we have that expectation for price; volume that we want to achieve,” Scott Bell, Chevrolet’s global vice president, said in a media briefing last year. “This is a game changer for us and for the industry.”
Whether the Equinox EV, which will be built at a factory in Mexico, can actually be more of a “game changer” than the Bolt can be determined when the car goes on sale later this year.
Barra told CNBC’s Phil LeBeau last year that GM expects production of the Equinox EV to be faster than current EVs. The car should be close to full production by the first quarter of next year, she said.


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This Week - Fashionista’s woes continue, bank non-disclosure of medical records loss and the ABC board remains distracted.
Dolce & Gabbana's social media crisis compounds
Dolce & Gabbana stake in the Chinese markets continues to erode as the duo make an online video apology.
As reported last week, a poorly considered marketing campaign was the catalyst for a chain of negative events amid ongoing Chinese consumer backlash.
While the founders, Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce, have now made an online video apology, the elephant in the room, Stefano Gabbana’s racist comments on Instagram and claim that the account was hacked, were not addressed. To date the pair have offered nothing to substantiate the hacking claim.
The ad-hoc response by the company has resulted in numerous stores removing their brand stock from shelves and online stores, the resignation of high-profile celebrity brand ambassadors amid calls to boycott the brand. The most extreme was the report of a former fan of the brand setting fire to over US$20,000 worth of D&G products and posting it online.
Dolce & Gabbana appear to be relying on their online apology to get them out of hot water and have done little else to appease Chinese consumers that makes up one third of the company’s overall sales. This event highlights how an incident can quickly compound, and why a response must demonstrate sincerity plus a willingness to truly take responsibility rather just delivering a communications exercise.
Commonwealth Bank chooses not to disclose potential data breach of customers' medical data
In late July the Commonwealth Bank discovered a data breach that allowed access of an undisclosed number of customer’s sensitive medical records. Reportedly the information was made available to other arms of the bank, including to staff who decide whether to approve or decline loan applications.
The that the Commonwealth Bank is investigating the data breach that may have given its staff access to customers' sensitive medical information.
The issue was discovered as the bank prepared for the $3.8 billion sale of its insurance arm, CommInsure, to the AIA group. The bank says it has not found evidence any data was accessed from outside the insurance arm, but it is still investigating further.
While ASIC and APRA have been informed the bank has chosen not to inform affected customers. They are instead claiming that the incident does not constitute a notifiable incident under the ‘Notifiable Data Breaches scheme’.
While this may be true by the letter of the law, it can also be argued that such a breach, even if it did not form part of the lending decision-making criteria, is not in line with community expectations.
This allegation comes at a time when the bank's chief executive, Matt Comyn, and chairman, Catherine Livingstone, have come under fire by the Royal Commission over the bank's culture and several other scandals.
ABC Board consumed by the fallout of the Senate Inquiry
Since the September sacking of ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie and the resignation of the Chair Justin Milne (pictured during happier times), the ABC board has faced nothing but turmoil.
The troubles have ranged from a Four Corners expose where the findings were kept secret from the board until its airing, ongoing allegations of unfair dismissal, claims of board and government meddling in staffing, and questions around emails that look to be used as leverage by the beleaguered managing director.
This week a Senate Inquiry into the allegations of political interference in the ABC has not only shed light on the events in September but has likely continued to distract the board from their primary fiduciary duties of setting the direction, strategy and culture of the broadcaster.
Interestingly, one key outcome of the inquiry has been criticism of the current ABC Board (including from current board directors) that the group lacks the required media and public sector experience.
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Modesto's new Rite Aid at McHenry and Briggsmore avenues opens Thursday as the first business in the Village West Shopping Center. Then on Dec. 3, Qdoba Mexican Grill will open at the center's south end.
"It's absolutely beautiful, and we're very excited that all of us will be moving over there," said Deanna Lunt, who manages Rite Aid's current store at 2401 McHenry Ave.
That store will close for good at 6 tonight, and its 20-member staff will move all the prescriptions and remaining items to the new 1707 McHenry Ave. location, which opens at 8 a.m. Thursday.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will start at 9 a.m.
"That's the finest-looking Rite Aid building in America," said Carl Wesenberg, who developed Village West. The 17,340-square-foot drugstore architecturally complements the adjacent 12,043-square-foot shopping center.
For nearly five decades, the corner was home to a Foster Dairy Farms plant. Its ice cream production facility closed about six years ago, creating a vacancy at one of Modesto's busiest intersections.
Wesenberg, who is married to a member of the Foster family, formed a partnership with family and friends to buy the 2.5-acre parcel in 2005. The shopping center's construction cost more than $7 million and took longer than expected, but Wesenberg is proud of how it turned out.
Modesto's Architecture Plus Inc. designed the center, which has an elaborate fountain, trees and visually staggered storefronts enhanced with brick, stone and awnings.
"I just wanted to do the right thing at that intersection because it's good for the community," Wesenberg said. "Rite Aid, hopefully, will be brilliantly successful there."
The store has what Rite Aid calls its "Customer World" design, and it is the first of its kind in Modesto.
"Pharmacy is our core business, so we made it the focal point, or star, of the Customer World design," said Joe Fairman, Rite Aid's regional vice president. "Aisles are wide and clutter-free, and the design makes it easy for customers to find what they're shopping for."
The store offers drive-through pharmacy service, a Thrifty hand-dipped ice cream counter, a pharmacy waiting area with chairs and a TV, private patient consultation room, GNC vitamin area, digital photo processing center and cosmetics department.
The new Rite Aid is less than one-third the size of the current one. The old store, built in 1969 for Payless Drugs, is in the process of being sold by Rite Aid, but who's buying it has not been made public.
Like Rite Aid officials, the owners of the Qdoba Mexican Grill think the Briggsmore and McHenry intersection will be good for business.
"It's a great location with a beautiful building and courtyard, where we'll have outdoor seating near the fountain," said Kimberly Mohr, marketing coordinator for Qdoba. She said the Qdoba franchise in Modesto, Turlock and Atwater is owned by Brandon Graspointner of Turlock. His father, Dennis Graspointner, owns about 15 McDonald's restaurants in the Central Valley.
Wesenberg said Qdoba is a "very financially strong, locally owned franchise," which is why he agreed to the lease.
Rite Aid is not the only Modesto drugstore being replaced.
The old Longs Drug Store at 1625 McHenry was taken over by CVS Drugs last year, but it will close when the new CVS opens in March on the southeast corner of McHenry and Briggsmore.
CVS also is excited about moving its staff to that intersection. CVS spokesman Mike DeAngelis said his chain prefers building on busy corners because it provides easy access to the store and drive-through pharmacy.
Construction started this summer on the 13,000-square-foot CVS, which is where Mallard's Restaurant once stood.
Across the street, Wesenberg said he is being picky about who locates in Village West because he wants only well-capitalized, high-quality operators that will meet the shopping center's strict maintenance and neatness standards.
The 2,332-square-foot Qdoba Mexican restaurant is the only Village West lease signed so far.
Qdoba is accepting applications for 15 to 17 part-time, minimum-wage jobs, said Michael Garza, who will manage the new Modesto eatery. It will have indoor seating for 60 and outdoor seating for 25 to 30.
"Everything we make here is fresh. Nothing is pre-made," said Garza, 25, who currently manages Turlock's Qdoba, which opened in May. Atwater's Qdoba opened in November 2007.
Garza said the restaurants are known for their $5 burritos, which weigh close to 2 pounds.
Job applications for Qdoba can be completed at modesto.qdoba-ca.com.
Bee staff writer J.N. Sbranti can be reached at email@example.com or 578-2196.


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Texas Faces A Spike In The Coronavirus Cases At Meatpacking Plants
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
In Texas, they're trying to figure out how to reopen businesses safely. Today the state's governor, Greg Abbott, unveiled new plans, the latest steps in the state's gradual return to something that resembles normal. But today's announcement, as Mallory Falk from member station KERA reports, comes right after a spike in COVID-19 cases in the Texas panhandle.
MALLORY FALK, BYLINE: Tyler Nicholson stands in a large open warehouse filled with freshly sanitized workout equipment.
TYLER NICHOLSON: And then after class, they're going to sanitize it again.
FALK: Nicholson owns CrossFit 214, a boutique gym in East Dallas. He's welcoming fitness buffs back today after temporarily closing his doors on March 17. The gym can usually fit 140 people. But for now, Nicholson says, only 20 will be allowed in.
NICHOLSON: We could have more people in here, but we don't think it's the right thing to do. We think it would compromise people's comfort levels and, possibly, their safety.
FALK: Gov. Abbott has allowed businesses like Nicholson's to reopen gradually over the last two weeks. First came restaurants, malls and movie theaters. Next up - hair, nail and tanning salons; today gyms like CrossFit 214. Businesses can only operate at reduced capacities and must take other safety precautions. But the latest round of reopenings comes on the heels of sobering news. On Saturday, Texas saw a huge spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases - 1,801 new cases to be exact, the highest single-day number since the outbreak began. More than 700 were in Amarillo, where there's been a cluster of cases at meatpacking plants.
GINGER NELSON: We had been waiting for that jump in numbers.
FALK: Ginger Nelson is Amarillo's mayor. She says Gov. Abbott sent a surge response team to the region to test meatpacking workers.
NELSON: That jump was directly tied to extra testing.
FALK: It's hard to tell how much of the state's gradual reopening is affecting the spread of COVID-19. There's often a two-week lag before symptoms show up. But Texas has fallen short of Abbott's goal to reach 30,000 tests per day. Still, the Republican governor is giving the go-ahead to more businesses. At today's press conference, he said child care facilities can open immediately and bars can reopen at 25% capacity on Friday.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
GREG ABBOTT: From Day 1, our mission has been to use data and doctors to open Texas in a safe and responsible way that contains the spread of COVID-19.
FALK: Abbott did exempt Amarillo from the new timeline, as well as El Paso. Some local leaders there have said the border city isn't ready to reopen.
For NPR News, I'm Mallory Falk in El Paso. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Veterans looking to begin their own businesses will have an opportunity to develop their ideas into actionable business plans during Catapult Weekend, a free 3-day rapid business startup workshop in November sponsored by Goodwill Industries of San Antonio and in partnership with Geekdom.
The Catapult Weekend program consists of two cohorts: 5 p. m. Nov. 4-6 and Nov. 11-13 at the Geekdom Event Center on the 1st Floor/Street level of the Rand Building, 110 East Houston St. Each interactive weekend kicks off with a Digital Literacy Workshop at 6 p.m. Nov. 3 and Nov. 10 respectively. The Digital Literacy Workshop teaches design thinking, app and website wireframe development and lean startup. Veterans are encouraged to apply before the Sept. 30 deadline at www.catapultweekend.com. Both cohorts are limited to 50 people. Those who are accepted will be notified by mid-October.
“Catapult Weekend is an exciting and valuable program we have created in partnership with Geekdom to help our city’s veterans bring their business ideas to fruition,” said Steve Hussain, vice president of Workforce Development, Goodwill San Antonio.
Catapult Weekend will engage participants in a team-based environment where they will learn ideation, market validation, business model development, problem-solving, pitch development, presentation skills and actually pitch presentations to entrepreneurs and investors. While participants are encouraged to come prepared with business ideas, the workshops are also open to veterans who are still formulating ideas.
"I think veterans are uniquely qualified to start and run small businesses and tech businesses. Their proven leadership and perseverance is exactly what entrepreneurship is all about," said Nick Longo, co-founder of Geekdom. “Catapult places them on a path to small business ownership.”
Prior to the event, Goodwill and Geekdom will hold an open house for accepted applicants to learn about what to expect and how to prepare for the program in order to gain the maximum benefit. Candidates are required to bring a laptop or iPad/tablet, phone and materials to take notes.


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Electric vans already have a head start on electric pickup trucks. And there is good reason to expect that they will maintain their lead for the next two years, even as over half a dozen automakers and EV startups ready their truck models. Despite the recent focus on Mercedes-Benz and Rivian, which have been contracted to supply tens of thousands of battery electric vans to Amazon, there are far more EV van startups overseas without a U.S. footprint that we don't see, and one of them is London Electric Vehicle Company. Its electric van design could be called dual-purpose, for a reason.
LEVC started out in the EV field by developing a range-extended electric taxi for London, styled after the familiar, decades-old London cab design. And it didn't take much to convert the taxi cab to a utility van, one which the company plans to put into production by the end of the year promising a combined gas-electric range of over 300 miles, 58 of which are expected to be pure-electric. The EV maker has already opened orders for a right-hand drive version, with deliveries scheduled for the end of 2020, while the left-hand drive version is expected to hit the market in the first quarter of 2021.
Dubbed VN5, this electric panel van has a gross payload of 1,830 lbs and can accommodate two standard Euro pallets, which can be loaded either through the back or even the side door. The front of the VN5 shares its design the taxi model, which was launched back in 2018.
The VN5 is expected to feature the same battery capacity as the TX cab, which is 31 kWh. Designed for DC fast charging ability, the VN5 will be able to juice up in a matter of minutes if needed. The interior will feature a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system, while advanced driver assist aides will include automatic emergency braking. The company plans to offer the VN5 in three flavors: Business, City and Ultima, with a starting price landing at the equivalent of $59,000.
Will this price of entry be low enough to tempt commercial van users to switch to range-extended electrics, or will they stick with gas and diesel vans and wait until our battery-electric utopia arrives?
Mercedes and Volkswagen are already fielding battery electric vans, and aim to offer more in the coming years, seeking to make them competitive with panel vans with small diesel engines that are preferred all over Europe.
"VN5 sets new green mobility standards in the industry and establishes a new and highly desirable electric van segment," LEVC CEO Joerg Hofmann. "We've applied our extensive knowledge from the taxi world to create a high quality, hard-working van with zero emissions and long-distance capability. As well as offering favourable (favorable) operating benefits, VN5 fulfills the growing demand from both businesses and consumers for cleaner, more sustainable commercial vehicles."
Of course, a bigger question for businesses in need of city vans that will be covering well under 100 miles a day, as many vans of this type in cities like London and Berlin, is whether to buy a plug-in hybrid van or to buy a battery-electric one from the start.
Even in countries like the U.K., EV charging infrastructure could be better, so manufacturers know that many commercial van buyers aren't ready to switch to battery-electric vans just yet. LEVC's VN5 bypasses range anxiety entirely in case a driver needs to make a round trip greater than 60 miles, so there is a lot to like about a van that can rely entirely on its battery for short trips, but also be able to go on longer jaunts when needed.
Will range-extended PHEV vans be the stepping stone for commercial van users for the next decade, until the EV charging infrastructure and battery tech catches up? Unless you've got a set daily route that you never exceed, range-extended electric vans can seem like just the ticket for users in Europe who are open to ditching diesels. Now, all we need to do is wait for them to appear in the U.S. in large numbers.


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Tourism in Bali has certainly bounced back better than anticipated in 2022, but employers in the sector are struggling to find staff to support their business operations. Thousands of tourism workers lost their jobs overnight as the world went into lockdown, and now they are demanding better pay for their labor.
According to local hospitality business owners, potential employees demand up to 60% higher salaries than before the pandemic. Speaking to reporters, Made, who hosts an Airbnb in Bali, shared her struggle to hire a gardener. She explained that she advertised for two months after her regular gardener quit without working a notice period. She shared, “I advertised on Facebook five times, gradually increasing the salary until the fifth time when I found someone. By then I had increased the salary by 60 percent.”
The average salary for a Balinese tourism worker in 2019 was between IDR 2.5-3 million, now tourism employers looking for housekeeping staff, childminders, gardeners, and wait staff are seeing next to no applications coming in until the roles are advertised with a salary of IDR 5-6 million.
Freelance nanny, Ni Luh Putu Rustini, told a reporter that she is struggling to keep staff on board now that opportunities have opened up across the tourism sector in Bali and worldwide. She said, “During the pandemic, people would work for any money or just food. But now you have to offer 3.2 million rupiahs (USD 206) per month to even find someone to work and 5 to 6 million rupiahs (USD321-386) per month to keep them. It’s very easy to find a job now, so people are no longer satisfied with low salaries like before.”
@highlyconsciousman Our baby with nanny #balilife #balilifestyle #travelwithbaby #travel #traveltiktok #traveltiktok2021 #travelfamily #travelcouple #baliindonesia ♬ Sunny Day – Ted Fresco
There is logic to why tourism workers in Bali are demanding more; the cost of living increasing. Not only this, workers can see how the cost of tourism experiences and holiday rental property prices are also increasing and they want to be paid accordingly. The cost of rental properties in Bali’s cultural capital of Ubud skyrocketed last year, with many landlords upping prices to reflect the changing economic landscape.
In September 2022, villa owner Ketut Puri told reporters he had chosen to increase the rental costs of his home in Ubud to reflect rising demand and the influx of tourists he had seen in the months prior. He explained, ‘In the past, the rental price was only to cover maintenance costs. Such as paying for electricity, laundry, and routine cleaning’. Now he has priced his villas to generate a greater profit, though he did not share by how much.
The reality for many Balinese workers is that they can see that tourism businesses are in dire need of staff, so the ball is really in their court. Hundreds of tourism businesses are in need of staff, and local workers have lots more options available to them than they once did.
Many are turning to online work that offers high pay and more flexibility, and many have turned to online taxi-hailing apps that also offer higher pay and far more flexibility without the stress. Cruise ships are fast becoming the tourism sector of choice for many Balinese workers. Roles for ‘unskilled workers’ offer between USD 16,000-22000 as an entry salary with a generous package of benefits; food, board, and the chance to travel.
Despite the contention of online ride-hailing apps in Bali, many tourism workers have been able to double their take-home earnings by becoming drivers. Ida Bagus Nuyama is now a GoJek driver, having lost his job in housekeeping at the beginning of the pandemic. He told reporters, “Now I earn four million rupiah (USD 257) a month after paying for expenses, and it’s not hard work like at the villa. I just drive around and listen to music all day.”
In late 2022 Dr. Nyoman Diana, the Board Director of PT Crew Transfer International (CTI), shared how the opportunity to work on cruise ships is a favorable option for many workers. She said, ‘After the Covid-19 subsided, around 9,000 people joined on board [cruises staffed by CTI]. Because of the number of crew on a medium-sized cruise ship, it requires around 1,500 workers, and from that number, there is 30 to 35 percent of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI). This is a very good opportunity for the Balinese, especially the productive age group’.
It remains to be seen how the dynamic between businesses and workers will establish balance in 2023 as the tourism sector in Bali moves into a new economic landscape.
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