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As Tesla stock soars, electric-car startup Fisker Inc. announced Monday that it plans to become a publicly-listed company.
In order to go public, Fisker will merge with Spartan Energy Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition firm backed by private equity firm Apollo Global Management. The deal values the combined companies at $2.9 billion, Fisker said via press release.
The deal matches the approach of Nikola Motors, which went public last month through a reverse merger with VectoIQ, another publicly-traded special-purpose acquisition firm, noted CNBC.
The second car company started by designer Henrik Fisker, Fisker Inc. hasn't delivered any vehicles to customers. It plans to use the proceeds from a stock sale to fund continued development work on its Ocean electric SUV, which Fisker previously said would begin deliveries in 2022.
Henrik Fisker and the Fisker Ocean
Fisker Inc. is one of many startups looking to replicate the success of Tesla, both in terms of product and stock prices.
It’s been 10 years since Tesla’s initial public offering (IPO). The automaker’s shares were initially priced at $17, which analysts then called aggressive. Prior to Tesla’s IPO, Ford had been the last automaker to go public on the United States stock market.
It's quite a reversal of fates.
At that time, privately held Fisker Automotive—Henrik Fisker's original company—was thought to be in the better financial position. The company had secured a facility in Finland also used by Porsche, and Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Gore, and Colin Powell were at the top of the order list for its Karma plug-in hybrid.
Tesla soon was trading at a higher share price than some other major automakers, and Musk entered a long, antagonistic battle with short sellers—culminating in his 2018 announcement the company might go private.
Fisker Automotive declared bankruptcy in 2013, after Henrik Fisker had stepped down from leadership. The remains of the company were bought by Chinese auto-parts conglomerate Wanxiang, and reconstituted into Karma Automotive. The new company revived the Fisker Karma as the Karma Revero, and has discussed plans for additional models.
2012 Fisker Karma
2012 Fisker Karma
On Friday, Tesla surged past $1,500 a share. Not all electric automakers have done especially well on the stock market, though.
Shares of Chinese firm Nio aren't selling much above their initial price. Nikola shares haven’t fizzled, but they haven’t surged either. But that hasn’t stopped minor players like Mullen Technologies, a California-based firm marketing a Chinese-made electric sports car, from seeking IPO schemes.
Do you see going public as a good thing for EV makers now? Or was Tesla the exception?


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Fast food facts for your mind
Haven’t we all heard someone saying “Fast food is bad for you,” “When I saw how it is made, I couldn’t eat it anymore” and so on?
Nowadays, more and more people seem to choose healthier lifestyle, so it’s easy to say that fast food may seem on a fast decline. However, what many of you don’t realize, it’s quite the opposite. Statistics show otherwise – this industry is thriving and growing.
1) Annual Fast Food Revenue in the US is $110 Billion
I’m guessing that you ate some fast food this week, haven’t you?
2) 50 Million Americans Fast Food Every Day
That’s roughly 1 in 7 people everyday!
3) A Third of Children Eat Fast Food on a Daily Basis
34% of children between 2 and 19 years old. Studies show that newer generations emphasize an importance of eating “clean food”, but they still would choose fast food over a full service restaurant.
4) The Fast Food Consumption Rate Hasn’t Changed in 15 Years
Even though you might think that popularity of fast food is decreasing, this industry is far from declining. Its consumption rate hasn’t changed in 15 years. Many fast food chains have begun offering “healthier eating” options
5) A Fast Food Meal is 37% of Your Daily Calories
Fast food may be an option when you’re having to rush all day, but its nutritional content won’t provide you the energy you need for the whole day. On average, fast food gives you only 37% of your daily calorie intake. Also it will give you 42.6% of carb intake for the day, 33.6% of daily fat and 15.4% of daily protein.
6) McDonald’s Is Making Cleaner Food
2017 was the McDonald’s decided to stop serving chicken that was raised on human antibiotics. Though this is a huge step for McDonald’s – they’re still behind the times in this movement. Panera and Chipotle began their shift from antibiotics almost ten years ago.
In addition, McDonald’s has stopped serving buns with high fructose corn syrup and begun to limit the artificial preservatives in their food. It’s unsure as to whether these ingredient changes are driven by the FDA or a shift in consumer needs. Either way, they’re doing what it takes to stay competitive with both other fast food chains, and the quickly growing fast casual market.
7) The Average Menu Item Is 12% Lower Than It was in 2013
Surprisingly enough, the nutritional content of a fast food meal is actually lower than it was in 2012. In 2013, fast food restaurants decreased their menu item’s calories by 12% which is a 60 calorie average.
McDonald’s kick started this movement in 2013 by making yet another pledge to improve their menu in 20 of the largest market’s, which makes up 85% of their total sales. Though they announced that the menu changes would be finished by 2020, it’s apparent that they have already made a huge impact on improving the fast food industry.
8) McDonald’s Owns 35,000 Locations
McDonald’s has more locations than Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, and Arby’s combined?
9) McDonald’s Is More Recognized than the Christian Cross
To say that McDonald’s is a powerhouse is an understatement. Recent studies actually show that the McDonald’s arches is more globally recognizable than the Christian cross. 7,000 people were surveyed throughout six different countries, and 88% were able to identify the McDonald’s logo, whereas only 54% identified the Christian cross.
10) Children See 3-5 Fast Food Ads Per Day
It’s no surprise that McDonald’s arches are more recognizable than the Christian cross when kids are exposed to five fast food ads everyday. We can all sing the “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle on command, and can pick out the Wendy’s girl from a crowd. The mouthwatering commercials have more of an effect on children than you might think. The perceived food quality in commercials in combination with the affordable price can make anyone want to ditch their $10 salad for a Happy Meal.
As food trends quickly shift to healthier options, it appears that the fast food industry is keeping up the pace. This booming industry wins the hearts of 50 million Americans every day. The current generation of kids are growing up in a generation where fast food can be inexpensive and healthy. Having already seen improvements in the past 4 years, it’s exciting to see where the industry will be in upcoming years.

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"As a policy, we do not comment on rumors or unusual activity in our stock," the chief spokesman of Quaker Oats Co. tells all who ask about recurring reports that the Chicago food company is about to be bought.
Since June, Mr. Bottrell and his colleagues have issued that statement dozens of times as Quaker's stock advanced twice on two separate takeover rumors.
Nonetheless, the decade-plus of rumors has generated close to 500 stories in major U.S. newspapers, played havoc with Quaker's stock and distracted management from the job of running the company.
Yet those who follow Quaker have yet to uncover any evidence that it has even been formally approached about a takeover.
So, why can't the Quaker Man shake the speculation?
No. 1: The company has landed on Wall Street's short but stubborn list of favorite takeover candidates.
No. 2: There could be some truth to the rumors.
Companies that categorically deny rumors put the stories on the back burner, but responding with a "no comment" leaves room for the stories to grow, she said.
That could be part of the problem for Quaker.
It issued its standard no-response response twice in recent weeks, first in June to a rumor that food giant Nestle was a possible suitor and then in July to a similar rumor about food and tobacco company Philip Morris Cos. (Nestle's chairman denied interest; Philip Morris would not comment.)
The first rumor sent Quaker's stock up more than $7 to a new 52-week high of $78.50 before it plunged $8.25 on Nestle's denial. The second sent the stock up $2.75. Despite the turmoil, Quaker is sticking to policy.
Denials and silence from Quaker and its purported suitors aren't enough to stem takeover talk, though. Some aspects of Quaker's business and the way it is managed make the company vulnerable, eventually, to a takeover.
Among the reasons the story remains alive:
The food industry has been consolidating, with big companies buying smaller ones.
Quaker, with sales of about $5.9 billion and a market value of around $5 billion, is small enough to be picked off by a larger consumer products company, most analysts maintain.
Quaker's Gatorade, with sales of about $1.1 billion and dominance in the sports drink market, is a strong magnet.
Many of Quaker's other product lines-rice cakes, cereals, frozen waffles and pet food, among them-don't have the appeal of the company's biggest money maker. A buyer interested primarily in Gatorade could sell smaller brands to pay acquisition debts.
Ms. Gallagher is an associate editor with Crain's Chicago Business.


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The wholesale cost of owning a website with a .uk domain name is set to rise for the first time since 1999.
Official registry body Nominet is putting its prices up by 50% on all co.uk, org.uk and me.uk addresses in March next year.
The cost of a UK domain is set to increase from £2.50 per year to £3.75, a move that the group claims was necessary for it to "compete in a promotion-driven industry".
"We won't compromise on the quality of our service or dial back our efforts to counter cyber-threats head on," said Nominet CEO Russell Haworth.
"However, it's important to us that .uk domains represent value for money as well as quality, and the price we have set reflects that."
The average two-year .uk registration that's paid by customers will also increase from £6 to £9 next year, including VAT.


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Mobile web browsing on travel sites has increased by almost three quarters in the past six months and now accounts for an average of 17.4% of traffic.
Research entitled the 'Beginning of the End of the PC Era?' from web design and digital specialist Nucleus reveals the growth in traffic from mobile devices in January 2012 compared with August 2011 and shows luxury sites have the highest mobile penetration.
The studied carried out on 10 UK and international travel websites reveals some have witnessed a doubling in mobile web browsing over the six months with the top site generating 24.2% of its traffic from tablets and smartphones.
Apple devices dominate mobile browsing taking an average share of 85.6% of all mobile browsing devices and the figure increases for luxury brand websites.
Meanwhile, browsing using an Android device has dropped in the six months although there is evidence to show those devices are being used on mass market travel sites but iOS devices still do better.
Only the iPad has increased its share of the mobile web browsing market - up 12% in the past six months.
According to Nucleus the research demonstrates the need for brands to offer a good browsing experience for mobile phones and tablets and highlights the importance of optimising for touch, building in HTML 5 and using higher definition images.
Chief executive Peter Matthews says the research signals a clear move away from browsing on PCs almost exclusively just over a year ago.
He also points to forecast growth rates for the sale of tablet devices from 72 million now to 383m by 2017 according to an NPD study last month and the slowing rate of PC sales.
NB: Image via Shutterstock


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Luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover India today announced the opening of AMP Motors’ new retailer facility at Jaipur Marriott Hotel near the airport area of Jaipur. AMP Motors has developed a new retailer facility, which was inaugurated by Mr. Rohit Suri, President & Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India Ltd (JLRIL) and Mr. Gurmeet Singh Anand, Managing Director, AMP Group.
Located at one of the most rapidly upcoming areas of Jaipur, the new retailer facility is designed and equipped to provide the highest quality sales experience and can display 8 cars enabling the display of the Jaguar and Land Rover product portfolio.
Mr. Rohit Suri, President & Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India Ltd (JLRIL), said: “We are delighted to introduce our new showroom facility in Jaipur and are committed to easing accessibility for our customers to Jaguar and Land Rover products in the city. The opening of this ultra-modern showroom facility for our esteemed customers in an upcoming part of the city is in line with that objective.”
The customers can even book their cars by visiting the online booking platform at www.findmeacar.in and www.findmeasuv.in
Jaguar Land Rover Retailer Network in India
Jaguar Land Rover vehicles are available in India through 27 authorised outlets in Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kochi, Karnal, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Noida, Pune, Raipur, Vijayawada and Surat.


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Donald Trump shows off a Red Sox jersey presented to him during a ceremony welcoming the Boston Red Sox in Washington. Associated Press
A snarling warning from US President Donald Trump ahead of trade talks with China rattled stock markets on Tuesday, as brewing no-deal Brexit worries also roughed up the pound and Irish bonds again.
For the first time since the Great Recession a decade ago, the US Federal Reserve is poised to cut interest rates, shoring up America’s defenses as the global economy weakens.
European and US stocks climbed on Friday as investors kept a watch on developments at a G20 summit in Japan, where US President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are due to hold key trade talks.
A host of US consumer companies have warned that costs related to tariffs on goods imported from China would weigh on their results. The United States increased tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25% from 10% in May.
The Ministry of Community Development participated in the 13th Edition of Souq Okaz at Al Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as part of the UAE pavilion being supervised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, in cooperation with the UAE Embassy at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The exhibition continues till 31st August.
The long hard slog of study and revision, followed by nail-biting anticipation, is over for the current cohort of students across the UAE as its schools have recorded another successful year of IGCSE and GCSE results after a round of challenging examinations.
In a beautiful gesture, the Dubai Police’s Esaad Card Committee has gifted a Saudi child, Zayed, who was born in the Emirate of Sharjah, a special edition of the discount card.
Members of administrative, teaching and technical staffs of the state schools will start duty on Sunday (August 25). While students will begin the new school year (2019-2020) in all the public schools, as well as the private schools, kindergartens and adult education that follow the Ministry of Education’s curricula next week (September 1).


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Motorola is all set to launch its new Moto G7 series model anytime shortly, if we could trust many certification listings, like US FCC. There will be at least three telephones, with an additional rumor and leaks indicating even 4 – Moto G7, Moto G7 Power, Moto G7 Plus, and Moto G7 Play. The last one will be cheap and the least powerful what was just certified with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).
The Moto G7 Play with a model amount Moto XT1952-1 will have the newest Android 9 Pie update, and this is all the certification listing gives us. We presently saw the photos of the product in real pics at the FCC – which have USB-C, microSD tray audio jack, a hybrid dual SIM slot, a fingerprint reader on the back alongside with the Moto dimple, the battery is uncovered to be an ordinary 2,820mAh and a single exceptional camera on both angles.
If you worry extra When it comes internals, one of the photos from the FCC listing proves a Sd 632 SoC on board which would be a welcome bump more than the Snapdragon 430 in the existing Moto G6 Play, coupled with Adreno 506 GPU. However, according to few renders, the G7 series will feature the waterdrop notch design on the front, however from the FCC pics, the G7 Play is likely staying with a excellent rectangular screen without having any cutouts for digital cameras and sensors whatsoever


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What’s News Aug/Sept 2018July 12th, 2021 by Nathan Hobbs
Ply Gem, NCI to Merge, Form $2.6 Billion Company
Ply Gem and NCI Building Systems Inc., a manufacturer of exterior building products for commercial construction, will combine in a stock-for-stock merger to create a single company with an equity value of about $2.6 billion.
The company will operate under a new name that hasn’t been determined yet, and both Ply Gem and NCI will preserve their existing brands. The company will be headquartered in Cary, N.C., with a significant presence in Houston.
Under the terms of the agreement, NCI will issue 58.7 million shares to Ply Gem shareholders. When the transaction closes, NCI shareholders will own 53 percent of the company’s common equity, with Ply Gem share-holders owning 47 percent. The trans-action is generally expected to be tax-free to Ply Gem owners for U.S. federal income tax purposes. It’s expected to close in the fourth calendar quarter of 2018, subject to approval by NCI shareholders and customary regulatory approvals
The combined company is expected to generate revenue of approximately $4.5 billion. After three years, it expects cost-reduction initiatives and merger-related synergies to yield more than $150 million in annual cost savings. Standalone cost reduction initiatives are already underway at both NCI and Ply Gem.
NCI, headquartered in Houston, manufactures metal products for the commercial building industry. It has 5,300 employees at 38 manufacturing locations in North America.
Ply Gem manufactures and sells a variety of products for single- and multi-family homes, including doors and windows. The company employs approximately 11,600 people across 35 facilities in North America. Private investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice acquired Ply Gem in April 2018 and concurrently merged it with Atrium Windows & Doors.
DWM columnist Michael Collins, an investment banker and a partner in Building Industry Advisors who specializes in mergers and acquisitions in the door and window industry, said it was a blockbuster deal with big implications for the industry.
“The mega deal is the order of the day in building products right now,” he said. “A lot of highly successful companies are continuing to place large bets on the future success of the building and remodeling industries, and this deal is typical of that trend. There will be the normal process of sorting out customers, territories, products, brands and so on. For now, there is a bigger player in the neighborhood to watch as we head into what should be a very strong next few years.”
PGT Innovations to Buy Western Window Systems
PGT Innovations entered into an agreement to acquire Arizona-based Western Window Systems for $360 million. The transaction, which should wrap up in the third quarter of 2018, will create a combined company that’s expected to generate approximately $706 million to $732 million in net sales.
Following the close of the trans-action, Western Window Systems will become a wholly owned subsidiary of PGT Innovations. It will continue to operate and manufacture products as a separate brand within PGT Innovations. PGT Innovations will retain its headquarters in Florida, and the combined company will maintain manufacturing operations in Arizona.
PGT Innovations will finance the transaction through cash and $315 million of incremental debt.
“We are excited to add Western Window Systems to the PGT Innovations family of brands,” said Jeff Jackson, president and CEO of PGT Innovations.
PGT Innovations expects to achieve annual cost savings beginning in the first quarter of 2019, with approximately $8 million to $12 million realized by the end of 2019.
Western Window Systems, which has sales in 40 states, manufactures contemporary door and window systems. It expects net sales of approximately $126 million to $132 million and an annual growth rate of approximately 22 percent from 2015 through the end of 2018. The company says it ended the first six months of 2018 with a record backlog, and since January 1, 2017, it’s added 186 new dealers.
Cooper Standard to Acquire Lauren Manufacturing
Cooper Standard will acquire Lauren Manufacturing and Lauren Plastics. Terms were not disclosed.
According to the company, the acquisition expands the company’s sealing product line in building and construction; containers and enclosures; distribution and aftermarket; as well as in specialized products for the automotive and transportation markets.
GreenON Program Extended to October
Ontario premier Doug Ford, who canceled the Green Ontario (GreenON) window rebate program in June, agreed to extend it until the end of October so customers who recently purchased windows can get their orders filled.
Following his election in May, Ford pulled the province out of a cap-and-trade market that funded the GreenON program.
Originally, homeowners would get cash back if they submitted a rebate application by September 30, 2018 for work to be completed by August 31, 2018. Now, they’ll have until November 30 to submit rebate applications for work to be finished by October 31. Because replacement windows are custom-made, lead times can be anywhere from 15 to 20 weeks. That could have left a lot of customers in the lurch, especially with the crush of homeowners ordering upgrades because of the rebate.
Fenestration Canada issued a statement about the loss of GreenON.
“The abruptness of the cancellation will leave a lot of consumers high and dry,” the association said. “We urge the incoming government to review their position and extend the phase-out period at the very least the end of 2018. This will allow for those already in the queue for products and services to receive them. Windows are not off-the-shelf products, unlike other products available under the GreenOn rebate program. In the window manufacturing and installation industry, production lead times and certified crew scheduling is often much longer than the very short phase-out period that has been allotted.”
To view the laid-in version of this article in our digital edition, CLICK HERE.


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Arnault, who also has a 10 per cent stake in supermarket giant Carrefour, has distanced himself from the Dalai Lama after rumours were circulated that Arnault had given him financial support. He was forced to speak out following pro-Tibetan demonstrations that accompanied the Olympic torch relay.
Arnault told a French newspaper: “Even if it may be shocking to see what’s happening in Tibet, it’s equally shocking to see China being attacked. I refute categorically the allegations over backing the Dalai Lama.”
Consumers in France are being urged to boycott both Carrefour’s supermarkets and LVMH’s luxury brands, which include Fendi and Louis Vuitton.


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- Katie Holmes headed out in New York City Monday wearing a denim shirt, denim jeans, and bright yellow Bottega Veneta mules.
- The mules are a celebrity favorite, spotted on Rihanna and Kim Kardashian among others.
- Holmes finished the look with a brown leather tote and a black face mask.
As a staunch fan of double denim, I have no choice but to applaud any celebrity who champions the unjustly maligned look—and Katie Holmes is the latest example. As Vogue reports, Holmes headed out in New York City Monday in a very denim-centric ensemble, wearing a bleached blue denim shirt with rolled up sleeves and relaxed blue denim jeans, accessorizing with a brown leather tote and, naturally, a black face mask.
While much of her look was relaxed and casual, her choice of footwear stepped things up a notch, injecting a bold jolt of color into the outfit. Holmes wore a pair of bright yellow quilted leather mules by Bottega Veneta, one of 2020's most coveted styles. Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, and a host of other style icons have also worn Bottega's quilted mules, as Vogue notes. Shop the exact style below:
Holmes recently landed the November cover of Vogue Australia, and instead of sitting down for an interview, she contributed a diary-style article about her experience of the coronavirus pandemic. She wrote about spending lockdown with daughter Suri, reflecting, "To live for a moment in time without the pressure of results and instead appreciate the natural rhythms of mother and daughter was the most precious gift."
Holmes also shared her hopes for a changed world after the pandemic recedes. "My fingers are crossed that what began as shock will end in hope," she wrote. "And that our deepened empathy towards one another is what we will carry with us into 2021 and beyond."


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The Single Market is set for a 21st century update...
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has joined 15 other EU leaders in writing to European Council President Donald Tusk stressing the importance of the Union establishing a Single Digital Market (SDM).
This could cut transaction costs for business and make goods cheaper.
Speaking in the Dáil ahead of this week's European Council meeting, the Taoiseach said:
"In adapting our shared market rules to the digital realities of the early 21st century, we will either create the right economic environment here in Europe or accept that the most promising digital opportunities are beyond our grasp. The reality is that barriers to doing business digitally and across borders are now barriers to growth and jobs.
"That is why I am leading an initiative in advance of this week’s meeting and will be joined by 15 Member States in my letter to President Tusk reaffirming the importance of maintaining strong political momentum on the Digital Single Market."
He added that meeting the deadline of establishing the DSM in 2018 will require a "further stepping up of engagement with key dossiers in both Council and Parliament."
Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, and the UK also wrote to Mr Tusk.
The letter states: "We need to give clear political priority to creating the right conditions across Europe for innovation, investment and entrepreneurship, including by recognising the crucial role of fast-growing young firms in employment growth.
"More generally, the key challenge we face is pressing ahead with conviction to execute the DSM legislative programme: stretching our political ambition, agreeing concrete timelines, and delivering early and practical results, particularly for European consumers and SMEs."


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Jeff Bezos’ resignation letter arrived Tuesday at the speed of a package shipped by Amazon Prime.
But Bezos’s departure as CEO, 27 years after founding the company, doesn’t just spell the end of an era for Amazon, a company that went from being an online bookstore to one of the most innovative, powerful and ubiquitous firms in the world. .
His retirement is also the most visible symbol of a profound changing of the guard in Silicon Valley leadership, whereby a generation of charismatic founders you have left your businesses in the hands of trusted people who are expert tactical operators but not necessarily visionaries. They successors also face a number of challenges in the form of extensive scrutiny from governments that grew out of the style of their visionary bosses.
The transition in Silicon Valley has been underway for some time now. It started in 2000, when Bill Gates He left his position as CEO of Microsoft and his day-to-day role at the company eight years later. The founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, passed away in 2011, leaving the company in charge of then-COO Tim Cook. The founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, retired from their roles as CEO and President of Alphabet (the parent company) in 2019, handing over the reins to Sundar Pichai, who had been their henchman for 15 years. Both Pichai and Cook have sustained their companies’ earnings, but they are seen as less creative than their former bosses.
Now, with Bezos in search of other “passions”,Facebook will be the only company in today’s elite circle of tech giants run by the man who founded it.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is, in a sense, the last man standing. He is also the youngest founder and the one with the most scrutinized company by regulators.
“In the case of Larry and Sergey, they thought about the next 10 years and knew what was going to happen. It felt like they were bored. As for Bezos, he has been operating that machinery for 27 years, and he knows that others will continue to do so for another 10, “said technology analyst Benedict Evans in an interview. But for Zuckerberg, there are so many problems and so many questions that arise It is not known what will happen next. He will probably want to stay close. “
The generation of founders that built Silicon Valley’s most valuable companies today consisted of men who had their own vision and personality. But executives too They had similarities: they all shared unrelenting creativity and an ability to push the boundaries of what was possible in IT and services. They were also known for their ruthless competitiveness. They were friend-foes, they built app stores, devices, services and projects to compete with each other. Combined, these efforts made their businesses look more and more like each other over the years.
Bezos, who also owns the The Washington Post, used Amazon’s position in e-commerce to build two adjacent businesses – cloud service provider Amazon Web Services and Amazon’s third-party marketplace. which have become wildly successful but were not safe bets in the beginning.
The founders of Google expanded their idea of free access to information around the world, which they began pushing in 1998, to create Google Maps, Gmail and YouTube, and then made the transition to devices and cloud computing.
Zuckerberg turned his already massive social network in a mega social network after buying Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp Messenger in 2014. At the time, these moves were read as attempts to ensure Facebook’s viability as consumers switched to messaging and photo apps.
Jobs revolutionized computing when he introduced the iPhone, a product that transformed a cell phone into a computer with a separate operating system and a new keyboardless interface for the first time.
Microsoft created the Windows operating system and a suite of tools in the Office Suite They are still the face of desktop computing today.
“Jobs, Brin and Bezos created their companies and had the moral authority to take risks that a reasonable person would reject,” said Yukari Kane, author of Haunted Empire: Apple after Steve Jobs. “It would be difficult for a simple steward to get approval from the board, shareholders and even consumers to make the same kinds of decisions,” he said.
But the strategies of the founders, who turned their companies into gigantic businesses and led them to become some of the richest men in history, they have also caught the attention of governments around the world.
Regulators and politicians have questioned their growth and the data collection they have done, and its power over the smallest aspects of people’s lives. Google and Facebook face antitrust lawsuits that are historic in the United States, and Amazon must also grapple with monopoly allegations in the European Union. The United States Supreme Court has allowed customers to sue Apple for anti-competitive practices in its app store.
A key difference between Zuckerberg and the other founders is that he is a generation younger than his peers.. Bezos, 57, ran Amazon for 27 years before resigning. Brin and Page, both 47, left their positions at Google after more than two decades.
Zuckerberg is 36 and Facebook is only 16. His company was founded a decade after Amazon and six years after Google.
That means Zuckerberg may feel like he has more work to do, Evans said.
When Bezos and the founders of Google, Page and Brin, chose another path, they announced their retirement at a high point, when their companies’ business prospects looked firm and solid for years to come. Upon leaving office in 2019, Google’s founders had spent four years consolidating their empire into a parent company called Alphabet, which spun off its search and advertising divisions to make money from its “other bets”: projects. moonshot (a new mindset aimed at achieving radical solutions) in healthcare, Nest cameras connected to the grid and self-driving cars. YouTube was becoming a major ad revenue generator in its own right.
When Bezos said he would resign as CEO, Amazon had just reported its first quarter with revenue above $ 100 billion. In his resignation letter, Bezos said he believed “we are at our most creative moment right now,” suggesting that the company had reached a peak of success.
In the resignation letter co-written by Brin and Page, they also pointed out that Alphabet was in a comfortable and stable place. “If the company were a person, it would be a 21-year-old young adult and it would be time to leave the nest,” they wrote.
When Gates finally resigned from day-to-day operations in 2008, the company was in a mid-life crisis: It still made huge amounts of money from Windows, but was outmatched in emerging computing areas by younger rivals like Apple, Google, and Facebook. Gates was already the richest man in the world and he was tired of the antitrust lawsuits.
The founders also left their successors in charge of future and ongoing headaches from antitrust lawsuits, as evidenced by the fact that Pichai has been called upon to testify before Congress numerous times since the departure of his predecessors. Microsoft finally got rid in 2011 of the last of the agreements that it had to close with the justice in the framework of the cases opened against it. Amazon’s Andy Jassy will also have to deal with increased scrutiny over Amazon’s business practices and its treatment of workers, leading to the first major worker unionization campaign in the company’s history.
Zuckerberg’s social network remains one of the most profitable companies in the world, but it is also the most embattled among the tech giants.
Facebook has little public approval, a huge antitrust lawsuit in the United States, regulatory scrutiny around the world, and allegations that its platform is undermining democracy and riddled with disinformation.
And unlike Apple and Alphabet, Facebook hasn’t groomed a second-in-command to take over the company. Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, 51, has led the business side of the social network, but is not seen as a technique or an innovator. Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, a longtime close associate who is 38, is considered the most likely replacement should Zuckerberg leave, though he just recently rejoined the company after resigning in 2019.
Ben Oakley is the guy you can really trust when it comes to Mainstream News. Whether it is something happening at the Wall Street of New York City or inside the White House in Washington, D.C., no one can cover mainstream news like Ben. Get a daily dose of Trustworthy News by Ben Oakley, only at Globe Live Media.


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In an interview with the Irish Independent, Apple's CEO Tim Cook has again squashed rumours of a possible Mac / iPad hybrid device, saying that any possible hybrid device would compromise the user experience, a line he has been repeating since the launch of Windows 8.
We feel strongly that customers are not really looking for a converged Mac and iPad. Because what that would wind up doing, or what we’re worried would happen, is that neither experience would be as good as the customer wants. So we want to make the best tablet in the world and the best Mac in the world. And putting those two together would not achieve either. You’d begin to compromise in different ways.
This comes just a week after Cook had announced that the PC had outlived its usefulness, and that no one would ever want to buy one, despite the PC market doing considerably better than the massive drop in iPad sales over the last few quarters. Clearly Cook was referring only to Windows PCs, and not Mac PCs, which he thinks have a bright future even though they have not gained significant market share over the three decades of the brand.
The powerful A9X SoC, found in the new iPad Pro, has been approaching some low power Core-M series CPUs from Intel in a handful of mobile-focused tests, and this had the Tech world up in arms. For the first time, a mobile cpu with a non-x86 instruction set is providing real, modern computing power, and it has interesting possibilities, as long as app developers follow suit with software capable of using this new power.
Source: Irish Independent


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Indians spent more time on social media
The first social media used to be a time-consuming tool but now it is not so. Now people have started earning huge revenue through social media and Facebook is also promoting such people. If you remember, Facebook has added a video streaming feature with the TV icon in your app a few days ago, where the videos of all the pages you’ve liked are simultaneously displayed. Apart from this, you will also find trending videos there. Now the question is, how much are we earning when social media is giving us a chance of earning? Let’s know.
According to a recent report, Indian people spend about 70 percent of their time on social media, while on social media, Indians are sluggish. It has been said in the report that people in India use social media for Facebook, Whatsapp, Music and Entertainment, while on the American social media only spend 50 percent of the time, but despite spending less time, they have huge earnings.
It has been said in the report that the American people have earned 35,789 million dollars (Rs 2.4 lakh crore) in the year 2018 from social media. These earnings have come from advertising coming on social media.
Indians earn 10 times less than social media by social media. In the report of Statista, it was said that Indians have earned close to Rs 24 thousand in social media in 2018.
Indeed, the difference between India and America is that America spends most of its time on news, business and games, while Indian users spend full time on entertainment.
Facebook lost a million user in past years
The world’s largest social media site Facebook is now getting disillusioned with people. The latest evidence of this is the report which states that 15 million people in the last two years ie 1.5 crore people have said goodbye to Facebook. However, this figure is only of the US. In other words, 1.5 million users have left Facebook since the year 2017.
This information was given by American Market Research Company Edition Research in its new report. It has been said in the report that 12-34-year-old users in the US are turning their backs on Facebook, while the most interesting thing is that most users of Facebook are between the ages.
In his report, Edison said that in the last two years, Facebook has been circulated many times about privacy. In addition to the Cambridge analytics data scandal, there has been a case of sharing personal information of users with several third-party apps. Since then, users are running from Facebook. In the report, it has been said that one more where the number of young people on Facebook is declining, on the other hand, the number of elderly users is increasing.
There is an interesting fact from the report that people who are coming from Facebook and not anywhere else, are going to Facebook-owned photo-sharing app Instagram. Let us tell that the number of active users of Instagram is 400 million, which is 40 million and the total number of users is 1 billion.
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Many Android apps are sending user data to Facebook
There was a report last year that said that Facebook has personal information and mobile numbers of people who do not use Facebook, but it seems that Facebook has not taken that report seriously because Now a new report claims that there are many apps that are giving your personal information to Facebook.
The Verge Report says that the app serving Yelp and the language app that gives the service to Duolingo Facebook is giving information to Facebook, without the permission of the user. The report says that these apps are also offering money for data to India and American children.
In addition to these two apps, a bible app and a namaz app are also giving people information about this Facebook advertisement. In this way, through these apps, Facebook has access to the data of those people who do not even use Facebook.
With the help of these apps, information such as contact lists, call history, message and location of people is reaching Facebook, while Facebook has said on the report that whatever information it receives, is reaching under a rule. Let us know that Facebook has released its own feature or factor authentication on Tuesday, in which the users are being asked to log on to the new device for a mobile number.


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November 10, 2021
Can China’s Singles’ Day Go Green?
By Tang Damin
For e-commerce giants to reach sustainability, they first need to be transparent about their climate footprints.
November 13, 2017
What’s Behind Alibaba’s $25 Billion in Sales on Singles’ Day?
By Charlotte Gao
China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba Group generated a record 168.2 billion yuan in sales on Singles’ Day


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Humans are estimated to have first ventured out across the sea roughly 53,000 years ago, and since that first tentative paddle hit the water, we’ve progressed to develop one of…
A complete list of shipping integrations currently supported by SEDNA—with more on the way—including A3, Q88.com and Shipamax.
Learn about the technology that’s accelerating global trade in 2020 and how teams can use these technologies better, without becoming overloaded by data.
Building sustainable business practices is a key focus for companies in 2020. Learn how SEDNA can help organizations be more sustainable.
Adrian Challinor, Founder & Director of Osiris Consultants, shares the challenges facing logistics organizations today and dives into the limitations of blockchain.
The latest results show a change is happening in the shipping industry as more and more organizations choose SEDNA as their communication and collaboration platform. SEDNA’s business grew 605%, over the past year, as thousands of employees and hundreds of teams across organizations around the globe use the system to manage nearly 50,000 projects.
On June 19, 2018, a group of industry leaders came together to address the topic of "Time as a Commodity" and the digitization of shipping with industry executives from the US, UK, Singapore, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, and South Africa in attendance. Read about the key areas they’ve identified that help bring technology to organisations seeking greater efficiency and profits.


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'Tis the Season to Shop Online – and Save
Our survey reveals surprising online shopping trends for Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.
72% of Black Friday Shoppers Will Do Some or All of Their Shopping Online
Nov. 2014-AUSTIN, TX - More than one-third of Americans plan to shop online on Black Friday, according to a survey by IPSOS on behalf of Offers.com. Of those shopping on Black Friday, nearly three-quarters plan to shop online. Discounts always have driven holiday spending, but consumers are changing the game by turning to the Internet to shop and find the best deals.
The Christmas shopping season ramps up the saving game, and therefore, the spending game. According to the survey, nearly 90% of online shoppers will look for coupons and sales online before making a purchase this season.
“Consumers are looking for coupons and deals more than ever, and they’re finding the best offers online,” said Offers.com Vice President Howard Schaffer. “Our data confirms Cyber Monday will be the number one online shopping day, with Black Friday a close second and Thanksgiving growing by leaps and bounds.”
Black Friday Shopping Trends
Compared to Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, Black Friday remains the most popular shopping day in the United States, with 53% of the adult population saying they plan to shop this day.
- This year, 20% plan to shop primarily online on Black Friday.
- This year, 15% plan to shop primarily in stores, and an additional 18% plan to shop both online and in stores.
Thanksgiving Shopping Trends
Over the past few years, many stores have extended their holiday shopping hours into Thanksgiving , which favors the 49% of U.S. consumers who plan to shop that day. Despite this trend, more people plan to shop online than in-store on Thanksgiving.
- This year, 16% will shop primarily online on Thanksgiving.
- An additional 20% will shop both online and in stores, and 13% will shop primarily in stores.
Cyber Monday Shopping Trends
Compared to Thanksgiving and Black Friday, Cyber Monday is the most popular holiday for online shopping. Nearly half (47%) of Americans plan to shop online on Cyber Monday.
- Though 61% of people with children in the household plan to shop online, only 41% of those without children plan to shop online on Cyber Monday.
- Millennials will shop online more than any other age group on Cyber Monday. Nearly 60% of those aged 18 to 34 plan to shop online that day.
Mobile Shopping Trends
As more consumers turn to the Internet to fulfill their holiday shopping needs, mobile use is becoming more prominent. About 44% of U.S. consumers plan to use their mobile devices when holiday shopping.
- Millennials are leading this trend. Of those aged 18 to 34, 69% plan to use their phones when holiday shopping.
- Nearly one-third (30%) of Americans will use their mobile phones to look for coupons and deals when holiday shopping. This trumps the number of mobile users who say that they will use it for other activities, such as making purchases (19%), checking product reviews (22%), and comparing products at different stores (24%).
Offers.com is a leading online destination for consumers to save time and money. Each day we serve up the top coupon codes, product deals, and other offers from more than 6,000 stores and brands. Offers.com has about 50,000 of the best offers in 300 categories, including clothing, electronics, household goods, and credit cards. Offers are verified and updated daily by the Offers.com deal experts. The company, founded in 2009, is based in Austin, Texas.
About the Survey
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Offers.com from Oct. 13 to Oct. 14, 2014. For the survey, a national sample of 1,007 adults from Ipsos’ U.S. online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure the sample’s composition reflects that of the U.S. adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe.
Get New Black Friday Offers
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Top Black Friday Categories
- Baby & Toddler
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Downtown center caters to budding entrepreneurs
Nashville Business Journal
Oct 11, 2010
One year ago, the Nashville Entrepreneur Center was little more than a website and a mission: Connecting entrepreneurs with resources to help launch and grow their businesses. Today, Nashville’s “front door” for entrepreneurs has become home to seven local start-up companies. President and CEO MICHAEL BURCHAM, professor of the practice of management, is quoted.


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ROCHDALE Council has given its backing to the Observer's Shop Local campaign.
From now on, readers will notice RMBC's crest on our distinctive Shop Local 'bag' logo in the paper, after councillors agreed to support the campaign.
Wage slips for Rochdale Council employees will feature a message, urging staff to support the campaign
Councillor Greg Couzens, cabinet member for finance, said: "We're delighted to be backing the Observer's campaign to support local retailers during the recession - especially in the run up to Christmas.
We think it's really important our own staff act as ambassadors for the campaign so are asking them to spend some of their hard-earned pay where our economy needs it most.
"What better way to remind them to support their town centre than by putting the message at the front of their mind when they're already thinking about their money."


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FBS added new stunning stocks from the pharmaceutical sector - let's check how we can make profits with each.
American stocks stand still
On Tuesday, a three-day leap in American shares stalled because a dismal estimate from drugstore chain Walgreens Boots affected the pharma sector, while economic data did little to soothe surge worries.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was suppressed by a 12.2% dive in Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc right after the company reduced its 2019 profit surge estimate and posted a quarterly gain, which missed experts’ forecasts.
Moreover, the S&P consumer staples index dived by 0.7%, leading dives among 9 of the 11 key S&P sectors, which tumbled. CVS Health Corp decreased by 3%, while stocks of several drug wholesalers took a hit as well.
Data disclosed fresh orders for major American capital goods decreased in February, while shipments stood still.
Eventually, core capital goods orders decreased by 0.1%.
The data showed up on the heels of a poll disclosing a sudden rebound in China's manufacturing activity as well as better-than-anticipated American numbers that push the S&P 500 to six-month peaks on Monday.
ET, the Dow headed south by 0.41% being worth 26,151.50, while the S&P 500 decreased by 0.12% hitting 2,863.72.
Furthermore, the Nasdaq Composite rallied by 0.06% ending up with 7,833.80, backed by a 2.8% leap in Facebook Inc.
Notwithstanding coming under pressure, the S&P 500 is 2.4% away from a record closing maximum in late September, restrained by trade uncertainties, the Fed’s plans to conclude monetary policy tightening, the UK’s chaotic departure from the European bloc as well as fears about corporate profit surge.
Dow Inc managed to ascend by 4.7% in its stock market debut after the spin-off from DowDuPont.
Additionally, the S&P index demonstrated 31 fresh 52-week peaks and two new lows, while the Nasdaq came up with 44 new maximums as well as 33 new lows.
Tesla, Facebook and Microsoft have outperformed analysts’ forecasts and ramped up after earnings reports. How is it possible amid the coronavirus crisis?
Amazon's employees are unhappy with the virus protection in the company warehouses and will go for a nation-wide strike. Will that undermine the stock value?
Let’s look at main movements on the market.
Thursday ended with the EUR/USD being high above of local resistance of 1.10. What's the target now?
The Reserve Bank of Australia will make a statement and release the cash rate on Tuesday, June 2, at 8:30 MT time.


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With much riding on the new version of its marquee software, Microsoft opts for caution and says the Windows 10 rollout will come "in waves, slowly."
A core component in the rumored next iPhone will be a new Qualcomm-developed LTE chip that doubles its maximum potential Web-connectivity speeds, according to a new report.
With its compact design and glowing reviews, this dual-port charge may not last long. Plus: best deal to date on a Phantom quadcopter!
The latest update for iTunes brings it in line with iOS 8.4, adding Apple Music and Beats radio to Apple's media app.
In projectors designed for both the cinema and at home, lasers are starting to replace traditional lamps as the light source of choice. This is potentially awesome. Here's why.
Polarr opted not to build an app specifically for Apple's iOS software, instead going the less-traveled route of using more-universal Web technologies. That decision is now paying off with droves of downloads.
Alcatel, Huawei and ZTE are hoping that low prices for quality products will lure US consumers online.
Which has the most apps? Which has the coolest features? Which one is the best? The most popular streamers all have their merits, so we'll help you decide which box is right for you.
CNET highlights eight impressive smartphones that showed outstanding battery life in our labs' performance tests.
Take a peek at the possible future of flight on Mars with the Prandtl-m, a prototype aircraft scheduled for testing on Earth.


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Interview with Wang Ying-yu, Director of the Industrial Innovation Division, Board of Science and Technology, Executive Yuan, and Yang Yao-joe, Director of the Taiwan Instrument Research Institute, National Applied Research Laboratories
Taiwan boasts the most superb science and technology in the Western Pacific region. In the north is Hsinchu Science Park, the location of TSMC headquarters and the country's cutting-edge semiconductor industry. In the central region along the base of Dadu Mountain are precision machinery industry clusters formed by long-lasting companies. With government support, the machinery industry has quickly grown into a trillion-dollar (NTD) industry and continues to transform at an accelerated rate. It is now the lifeblood of Taiwan's economic development alongside the semiconductor industry, both of which have helped the country remain unshaken amidst the turbulent global economic and industrial changes caused by the pandemic.
The Smart Machinery Industrial Promotion Program approved by the Executive Yuan in 2016 has been a vital force in driving the upgrade of precision machinery to smart machinery. As the world entered the era of Industry 4.0, the Taiwanese government seized the opportunity to launch three strategies for the development of smart manufacturing—"Connecting the Country,” "Connecting to the Future," and "Connecting to the World"—in hopes of turning Taiwan into Asia’s hub for high-end manufacturing. Policies were rolled out to help small and medium-sized manufacturing supply chains integrate AI technology, while flexible manufacturing systems were created to help supply chains efficiently respond to customer needs and compete in the international market.
Innovative Planning turns Smart Machinery into a Trillion-Dollar Industry
In 2018, President Tsai Ing-wen traveled to Taichung to visit the Intelligent Manufacturing Pilot Production Site. During her visit, she remarked, "Among the industries in the 5+2 Industry Innovation Plan, smart machinery has made the quickest and most efficient progress and produced the most tangible results. It has become a trillion-dollar (NTD) industry in Taiwan." The Smart Machinery Industrial Promotion Program is what allowed Taiwan to adapt to global high-mix, low-volume production models and conform to trends in real-time big data analytics despite the impact of last year's China-US trade war and the COVID-19 pandemic on the global manufacturing industry. Taiwanese businesspeople were moved to return, while supply chains were re-organized. As a result, Taiwan has become an important global partner in alleviating labor shortage due in part to its automated equipment and robotic arm production.
There are presently dozens of smart machinery-related factories in Taiwan. Thanks to the integration of AI into traditional precision machinery, its high-end smart manufacturing industry is catching up with the advanced technology manufacturing industries of the United States, Germany, and Japan. In 2017, the yearly output value of Taiwan's machinery industry exceeded one trillion New Taiwan Dollars, making it the country's third trillion-dollar industry after semiconductors and panels.
The Executive Yuan Board of Science and Technology (BOST) plays a key role in the promotion of smart machinery and the development of policies and major projects. Wang Ying-yu, Director of the BOST Industrial Innovation Division, has been deeply involved in policy planning and implementation. He noted that the majority of Taiwan’s mechanical equipment, machine tool, and machinery industries are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that predominantly use traditional methods of manual record-keeping in production and management. In order to ease the precision machinery industry towards Industry 4.0, the government will merge robotics, IoT, and big data with traditional machine manufacturing industries through developments in the ICT industry. This will advance the digitization of precision machinery and usher in a new generation of modes in smart manufacturing.
As a national research institution, the Taiwan Instrument Research Institute of the National Applied Research Laboratories (or TIRI, NARLabs) has long been committed to the research and development of smart machinery technology and increasing the industry's practical value. Yang Yao-joe, Director of TIRI, NARLabs, pointed out that a crucial component of successfully digitizing precision machinery is the introduction of cyber-physical systems (CPS). Yang believes that CPS can bring factory manufacturing and market demand together. This would help factories manufacture products in line with market demand. TIRI, NARLabs and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) have jointly promoted projects related to smart machinery sensor modules, robot modules, internet networks, and controllers. It is hoped that equipping machines with perceptive and intelligent capabilities will expand the possibilities of smart manufacturing. Yang also commented, “The massive amount of data generated by integrating AI into all machines and applying IoT and CPS towards smart manufacturing will increase the risk and significance of information security issues (e.g., personal information and privacy). Therefore, as of last year, policies have been enacted to promote the development of security-related specifications for smart manufacturing sectors such as IT (Information Technology, includes computer rooms, offices) and OT (operational technology, includes machinery and equipment production plants). Such initiatives will help domestic SMEs with limited resources and manpower to gain an awareness of information security issues and create protective solutions.”
Crossing Over to Complete a New Smart Machinery Ecosystem
With the power of domestic ICT technology, the Taiwanese government has spearheaded efforts to transform the precision machinery industry into a smart machinery manufacturing industry. Traditional machinery equipment companies are increasingly able to provide overall solutions, giving them an advantage in competitive differentiation. This has fulfilled the government's goals to improve the digital capabilities of SMEs and to export entire plants and lines overseas. It has also realized their visions of industrializing smart machinery and integrating smart technology into industries, the results of which will speed up the completion of a comprehensive smart machine ecosystem in Taiwan.
Efforts to integrate AI into industrial manufacturing infrastructures are speeding up worldwide. Wang believes that Taiwan's recent move to introduce integration-related technology is no mere trend. Only by applying AI can supply chain management efficiency and response time to market needs be improved. In order to construct a new smart machinery ecosystem, the government has designated the digitization of traditional enterprises as its top priority. It has assisted traditional factories with upgrading dated machinery into internet-networked equipment and is expected to link 9,100 pieces of equipment within five years (2018-2022). Wang stated that this is essential to improving the digital capabilities of SMEs. Smart set-top boxes are currently replacing manual record-keeping. The introduction of internet-networking, visualization of production management, and application of smart technology are also being utilized to improve digitization. This will enable managers to view the status of factory production as well as analyze or troubleshoot issues in real time. The data accessibility provided by smart set-top boxes has improved production line efficiency in many companies.
Yang has analyzed that Taiwanese supply chains are composed of one continuous line. The detailed task of processing components often involves multiple procedures. Since they cannot be accommodated by standard procedures, workflow progress has become the focus of management. The government has responded by providing customized guidance in areas such as sensor installation in traditional mechanical equipment. Network transmissions and real-time data analysis are also being used to encourage the machinery industry to resolve their problems through digitization. Optimizing smart manufacturing, integrating AI into manufacturing equipment, and establishing AI detection and application service modules are the only means to ensure smooth, smart communication between machines and to promote cross-factory integration between upstream suppliers and downstream clients.
A Smart Machine Capital Built on Cross-Domain Industry-University-Academia Integration
In the past, the precision machinery factories by Dadu Mountain, Taichung were viewed as family-owned companies. In recent years, under the government's active promotion of smart machinery, these small and medium-sized manufacturing supply chains are shifting from precision machinery to smart machinery manufacturing. This process involves three stages: 1) the visualization of digital equipment/production line information to improve the digitization capabilities of SMEs; 2) the digital optimization of smart manufacturing capabilities to assist smart application upgrades in the manufacturing industry; 3) the digital transformation and creation of new manufacturing processes to build a benchmark enterprise in smart machinery.
Taichung is the only manufacturing hub in the world that can produce machine tools, auto parts, and aerospace satellite industrial parts in the same block. It is also the only city that boasts manufacturing centers with AI technology in production lines, software, robotic arms, and systems integration. The city has become a capital of smart machinery and an important means for Taiwan to compete at a global level.
The government has aided manufacturers to upgrade to smart manufacturing by subsidizing 230 companies in upstream, midstream, and downstream supply chains as well as 53 small and medium-sized manufacturing companies across 15 industries including machine tools, textiles, and automotive parts. MOST's Smart Machinery Industrial Promotion Program will aim to facilitate the upgrade and digital transformation of domestic industries. It will also strive to boost industry-university-academia collaboration by fostering long-term, cross-domain talent investment projects in fields such as power mechanical engineering, automation, controls, industrial engineering, and resource engineering.
Wang remarked that talent is the keystone to the continued promotion of smart manufacturing. 2017 marked the launch of the Intercollegiate and Interdisciplinary Smart Manufacturing Teaching Strategies Alliance. Its purpose was to integrate teaching resources across domestic universities and colleges and work with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to create course materials on smart manufacturing. The resulting Smart Manufacturing Interdisciplinary Curriculum featured jointly-developed common teaching materials on the subjects of IoT, sensors, big data, and operation management. To date, twenty schools in Taiwan have made use of these materials. Students in smart manufacturing-related fields are required to become proficient in basic mechanical knowledge and to gain practical skills in manufacturing and communication technology through industry-university internships. Wang stated, "The MOE has begun to promote industry-university collaboration in technical colleges such as science and technology universities. This has given students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the smart machinery industry and acquire in-demand knowledge and skills. Additionally, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has overseen the creation of industrial skill courses and utilized course certifications to streamline talent recruitment.”
Yang also believes that rooting talent cultivation in academia will be conducive to promoting smart manufacturing and emphasizing the importance of inter-ministerial collaboration. MOST’s Smart Machinery Industrial Promotion Program is one such collaboration between TIRI, the National Center for High-Performance Computing (NCHC), the Science & Technology Policy Research and Information Center (STPI), and the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI). Its aim is to digitize and introduce AI technology into the machinery industry. To-date, thirty academic R&D teams have been recruited for the program. In one case, TIRI assisted academics with constructing a sensor platform. NCHC next created series circuits to develop a demonstration platform where the TSRI and STPI would jointly introduce AI, IoT, big data, and other technology into smart machinery development. Meanwhile, academic-developed products were directly sent to the testing area. Industries were invited to participate in hopes of promoting the industrialization of R&D results. Yang commented that helping the industry resolve transformation-related issues is the government's top priority. The Smart Machinery Industrial Promotion Program is meant to promote projects and harness academic R&D in order to assist in the transition of traditional factories into smart manufacturing. An academic research achievement exhibition organized by MOST in May 2021 featured a technical service platform built through industry-university-academia collaboration and corporate value-added methods. This not only strengthened ties between technology R&D and industrial applications, but also provided a more complete, integrated outline of upstream, midstream, and downstream smart machinery technology.
Taiwan Strides Towards Becoming Asia's Hub for High-End Manufacturing
Amidst tremendous global changes arising from Industry 4.0, the transformation of precision machinery in Taiwan has yielded immediate and visible results. The country is home to complete machinery industry supply chains and is the world's fourth-largest exporter of machine tools. It has also produced superb achievements in the ICT industry. Between 2016 and 2020, the Taiwanese government invested NT$15 billion in the Smart Machinery Industry Promotion Program and continues to promote innovative technology such as cloud technology, AI, and IoT, as well as important R&D and talent cultivation initiatives.
The efforts of the government and industries came to fruition in 2017 when the smart machinery industry successfully became a trillion-dollar industry. In addition to organizing a smart manufacturing coaching group composed of 84 experts and 222 system integrator (SI) technical service machinery groups, 752 manufacturers have provided free consultations and technical services for the past two years. The government has also created benchmark enterprises to facilitate the participation of twenty manufacturers in six cases in the fields of aerospace, automobile and motorcycles, footwear, plumbing, and hand tools. Model shifts will be promoted over the next three years and are expected to bring nearly NT$10 billion in investments.
Building a new ecosystem for the smart machinery industry will involve accelerating upgrade of the precision machinery industry and improving infrastructure to accept overseas business orders. This will enable Taiwan's smart machinery industry to join the international supply chain and fulfill the country’s goal to become a global hub for smart machinery R&D and manufacturing. System integration and international sales and services will also be continuously fortified through smart manufacturing. Additionally, Taiwan will become a comprehensive solution provider in the field of terminal applications. By upgrading the software and hardware equipment of domestic industries, Taiwan can expand and enter the global smart manufacturing market (e.g., Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.) These efforts will lead Taiwan to become Asia's hub for high-end manufacturing.


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Tiger Sugar is a popular Taiwanese bubble tea store that has seen snaking queues in Taipei and Hong Kong.
And they will be coming to Singapore this November.
Instagrammable bubble tea
Tiger Sugar is known for its bubble milk tea streaked with brown syrup, giving it a unique stripey appearance that has been Instagrammed to no end:
In Taiwan, one cup can cost anywhere between NT$35-50 (approximately S$1.60 to S$2.20).
Flagship store in City Hall
According to the Tiger Sugar Singapore Facebook page, their very first flagship store here will be opening in the City Hall area:
Hiring has begun
Even before they announced the location of their first store in Singapore, Tiger Sugar had already put out a hiring call for service crew.
They are looking for someone who is "unafraid to learn", "strong at heart", and of course, "brave as a tiger".
This is their Facebook post:
Interested and brave applicants are invited to send their CV to [email protected]
Top photo from Tiger Sugar Singapore Facebook page.


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A new parts programme for vans is being launched this month by one of the UK's biggest motor factors, the Factoring Services Group.
It is aimed at helping both car and light commercial vehicle distributors to make the most of this growing sector.
Last year, UK van registrations hit a record high with sales of 303,755 units. The previous record volume was in 1989, when 298,836 light commercials were sold.
FSG says the new programme, which has been put together in the wake of changes to block exemption, will help independent aftermarket distributors make headway in a market traditionally dominated by vehicle manufacturers.
Carolyn Andrew, FSG's G-truck services manager, says the new light commercials programme is designed to complement their existing car and LCV parts programme providing added value to distributors and suppliers.
“We are sure that light commercial vehicles are set to become an important focal point for the aftermarket and, by being proactive, we can help ensure that Factoring Services Group distributors are well prepared,” says Andrew.
FSG has not ruled out bringing in new suppliers for specialist parts.


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One of the highlights from the Supreme Spring/Summer 2012 Collection has released today. Their camp cap has dropped in two colorways, featuring a floral all over pattern on the upper and a suede brim. The caps are now in stock at Supreme stores and in their online store.
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Dan Bartlett, Walmart’s EVP of Corporate Affairs, blasted Amazon during the afternoon Thursday, sharing an article on Twitter about Amazon paying nothing in federal taxes on more than $11 billion in profits it raked in during 2018. Bartlett wrote: “Hey retail competitors out there (you know who you are) how about paying your taxes?”
The jab was in response to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' letter to shareholders, where he challenged his competition to raise their minimum wage for workers.
"Today I challenge our top retail competitors (you know who you are!) to match our employee benefits and our $15 minimum wage. Do it! Better yet, go to $16 and throw the gauntlet back at us. It’s a kind of competition that will benefit everyone," Bezos wrote.
Walmart pays a minimum wage of $11 that it set in January of 2018 and Amazon recently hiked its minimum wage to $15 in November of 2018. However, inclusive of benefits, Walmart claims that its workers make $17.55 on average. Walmart has offered its workers perks like subsidizing education and loosening its dress code to allow staffers to wear jeans.
Amazon received a $129 million tax rebate from the government last year in addition to not paying any Federal taxes. The tax benefits were a result of the Republican tax cuts of 2017, carryforward losses from when the company was not profitable and credits for investments in R&D and stock-based employee compensation. Walmart, in contrast, paid $3.2 billion in Federal taxes in 2018.
Amazon had long been under fire from politicians like Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren prior to hiking its minimum wage last year. Early this morning, we documented Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' challenge to Walmart.
But we're not sure that this is an altruistic case of Bezos looking out for the everyday Walmart worker. As we said earlier today, we're sure Bezos would love its competitor to have even lower margins while he enjoys AWS' 30% profits - he's not the richest man in the world by complete accident.
However, what caught our eye most in Bezos' letter was the irony of his claim that "much of what we build at AWS is based on listening to customers", coming just a day after Bloomberg broke a story that Amazon employees were listening in on what customers were saying to their Alexa devices.
You can read Bezos' full letter to Amazon shareholders here.


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"People want to buy ethically and do their bit for climate change, but often don't realise that they can support developing countries and reduce carbon emissions. Recent research shows that flowers flown from Africa can use less energy overall than those produced in Europe because they're not grown in heated greenhouses. So, this Valentine's day, you can be a romantic, reduce your environmental impact and help make poverty history. This is about social justice and making it easier, not harder, for African people to make a decent living."
Mr Benn said: "Climate change is hugely important to the future of developed and developing countries but if we boycott goods flown from Africa we deny the poor the chance to grow; their chance to educate their children and stay healthy."
Florists disagree: "As a member of the government perhaps he also should be looking to support the UK's own cut flower production industry, which currently supplies about 10% of our domestic cut flower needs, but just 10 years ago was supplying over 20%, and 20 years ago was supplying 45% of the UK's cut flower requirements."
This is a challenge we will face over so many things in the coming years; do we buy Bangladeshi rice and support farmers there, or California rice which uses huge amounts of water and energy to grow? Are we putting South American farmers out of business when we shop local? Are the 70,000 Kenyan flower workers being helped by this or hurt? (this website calls them "Flowers of Evil") ::BBC


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PRIMARK is selling a pair of kids’ Trolls wellies – and shoppers are obsessed with them.
The budget high-street retailer unveiled the rainbow-coloured boots on Instagram yesterday.
Priced at £11, the waterproof shoes have a motif of an adorable cartoon character on the side, along with the catchphrase, “Rock ‘N Troll”.
A photograph of the colourful wellies has so far racked up more than 20,000 likes.
“Little one will definitely love these,” commented one excited customer, while another added: “Soooo cute!”
“Ahh! I wish these were available in adult sizes,” joked a shopper, as another agreed: “If only these were in adults sizes, I’d buy ‘em.”
But these aren’t the first wellies to make a splash.
In July, we revealed Primark is selling bright pink wellies – and they’re £87 cheaper than designer Hunters.
Earlier this year the label unveiled a pair of floral loafers that are very similar to an Alexander McQueen design.
The pumps retail at just £8 – £190 less than the designer shoes.
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Shoppers were also flocking to buy £8 sandals that were inspired by a Miu Miu pair – but £517 cheaper.
In May, we reported on the label’s bow-adorned sliders that are very similar to a sell-out Prada pair.
In June, the purse-friendly brand started selling gold-studded patent flats that are very similar to a £554 pair by Valentino.


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Audi has been caught testing a prototype for a redesigned Q5.
Expected in 2024 as a 2025 model, the new third-generation Q5 will be Audi’s last with internal-combustion power, as the automaker has confirmed that only electric vehicles will be launched beyond 2026.
The prototype was spotted testing alongside a redesigned A4 that will be launched later this year. Both vehicles are expected to ride an updated version of Volkswagen Group’s MLB Evo platform found in the current Q5 and A4, meaning longitudinal mounting of engines and standard front-wheel drive.
The new Q5 appears to be taking on a much more dramatic look than the somewhat conservatively styled current generation. However, the size looks to be about the same. The resulting design should be similar to the Q5 E-Tron that was launched last year in China.
2022 Audi Q5 E-Tron
Don’t look for a Q5 E-Tron in the U.S. Instead, we will be treated to a separate electric SUV dubbed the Q6 E-Tron. It’s also out testing and is due for a reveal later this year.
A redesigned Q5 Sportback should also be coming. Prototypes for the coupe-like variant should surface later this year.
Expect all powertrains in the new Q5 and Q5 Sportback to be electrified, either with mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid technology paired with inline-4 or V-6 engines. It isn’t clear whether diesel engines will be offered, though some might be in markets where the fuel is still popular.
Production of the Q5 for North America is currently handled at Audi’s plant in Mexico. This should also be the case for the new generation.


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Libellum Ltd, a Hong Kong-based information technology company has announced the launch of its new supplier verification, product certification and compliance system dubbed Libellum.
With Libellum, purchasing goods from China becomes a highly secure process via distributed ledger technology. The Libellum team has also formed partnerships with highly reputed third-party testing firms to give users the best at all times.
As the e-commerce world keeps growing with each passing day, so also are bad actors formulating new ways of selling fake products to people. Hence, the need for a highly functional verification system to help buyers get their goods from only genuine suppliers.
Libellum is looking to solve one of the most significant challenges in the import/export world by becoming the first platform to help buyers verify the credibility of suppliers from overseas.
With DLT, buyers will be able to view certificates of sellers and ascertain if they are legit and issued by a third party test laboratory or not.
Presently, Libellum is trying to ally with some of the biggest third-party testing laboratories in the world registered with the NDA. It has already gotten the support of one of Germany’s largest third-party testing labs.
The CEO of Libellum, Manuel Becvar has more than 20 years experience in the import/export industry and has networked with the world’s top 20 testing laboratories and a vast array of factories in Asia.
“This is very exciting for retailers, eCommerce sellers, regulatory bodies, authorities and importers around the world. It has been my mission to help buyers verify suppliers from China and Asia for many years,” said Becvar.
The Libellum MVP will go live by February 2019, and the complete platform will be launched by April/May 2019, after the integration of all third parties APIs and uploading of certificates must have been completed.
Libellum is organizing an early investor presale to help in raising funds for further development of the platform, as its CEO has already funded the concept phase.
Libellum is registered in Hong Kong by Manuel Becvar, an e-commerce giant, and entrepreneur. He has been living in China for 13 years.
Duncan Cassar is the co-founder and COO of the platform. He’s a blockchain enthusiast, social media, and Branding expert. Cassar is based in Switzerland and Serbia.
For more, visit https://www.libellum.io/
Email: [email protected]
The post Libellum Information Technology Firm Launches Blockchain-based Supplier Verification System appeared first on ZyCrypto.


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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is getting a fan remake in Unreal Engine, and the entire opening of the game – through the end of the first dungeon – is now fully playable. There’s a demo available for you to try, as well as a full 25-minute video showing everything from Navi’s flight through the forest to the battle with Gohma.
Documentaries, superheroes, giant monsters, tiny desktop windows: Here are our picks. ARS T...
Since technically 2018 is over, Anthem is just two months away from release. BioWare is holding livestream every now and then to hype up fans prior to release, as well as provide new gameplay footage for each Javelin and showcasing Anthem’s world.
Battlestate Games’ first-person shooter, Escape from Tarkov, finally reached version 0.11. The game’s latest update adds tons of content, including a new map, new weapons, new equipment, new consumables and much more.
We’ve seen developers ban players all the time for cheating in video games. There are even some interesting requirements made to get players accounts back after they cheated initially and that’s exactly the route Bethesda is going for Fallout 76. The latest installment to the Fallout franchise was not the biggest hit in the series, in fact, there were plenty of gamers online who were open to criticize the video game, but there is still a player base enjoying the title. With that said, Bethesda has already started to ban a wide number of players who they felt was cheating in the game.
The Konami name is not something that brings in the most joyous response from the gaming community. Years ago, the name was met with praise as it delivered some fantastic video games and franchises that sparked several installments. 2018 is wrapping up and while we are gearing up for the New Year which is already full of some fantastic video game titles expected to launch, we could see Konami make a big return. This speculation is starting to stir up online after a report from Gematsu but just what we can expect is up for debate.
Persona 5 is one of the biggest titles of 2017, and now with a new domain listing of a Persona 5 R, many fans are wondering what could that mean.
Bandai Namco has released a new trailer for their upcoming open-world One Piece title, One Piece: World Seeker.
The PlayStation Blog has announced and detailed the upcoming free games for PS Plus members for the month of January, 2019.
Analysis series began earlier in 2018, has grown as more publishers patch DRM out. ARS T...


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EExpert speakers from multiple categories and markets will highlight the diverse and dynamic opportunities for the global fresh produce industry in Asia at this year’s Asiafruit Congress.
Asiafruit Congress will go live on September 28-29, 2021 to showcase Asia’s huge market opportunity to the world and to kick off the countdown to the return of Asia Fruit Logistica to Hong Kong on September 7-9, 2022. .
Hosted live from Fruitnet’s offices in Melbourne and London for 48 hours, Asiafruit Congress offers live and on-demand content to make it easy for every fresh produce company to participate in their own time zone.
Leading figures from the fresh produce industry from around the world are lined up to speak at the event.
The market evolves with the Covid
During the opening session, “The challenge of change: Covid-19 and the future of the fresh produce sector in Asia”, Jan Doldersum, chain and retail manager at Rijk Zwaan, and founder of Frutacloud George liu lead a panel of experts to discuss the impact of the pandemic and trends that are expected to last.
The changing food retail landscape in Asia is also featured in a featured session. Winstone Chee, director of Altitude Fresh, shares his first-hand perspective on the main changes in China after Covid. Chee’s broad speech covers digital enhancements, growth in lower-tier cities, reinventing traditional formats, and increasing channel diversity. Most importantly, he explains what all of this means for fresh produce suppliers and how they can respond to the ever-changing channels.
Stone fruits, bananas and more
After two global headline sessions each day, Asiafruit Congress offers more region-specific content for audiences in Asia-Pacific / Americas and EMEA / Americas respectively.
An Asia-Pacific show from Melbourne features a session on varietal innovation in the stone fruit category. Sun World International Vice President of Licensing Garth Swinburn examines the latest trends in breeding. Asoex Marketing Director Charif Christian Carvajal He then describes the future of Chilean cherries in Asia and explains the exciting growth that the Latin American export powerhouse is experiencing for other stone fruit categories such as sugar plums. Francisco Herrera, Export Sales Director of MSC Chile, also discusses the logistics of shipping Chilean stone fruits to Asia and the impact of the global pandemic for the upcoming cherry season.
Bananas are big business in Asia, and a session broadcast from London hears from industry heavyweights on the latest changes in supply and consumption. Mohammed Abbas, Senior Vice President of Del Monte Fresh Produce for Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, describes megatrends in the region. Good farmer Owen Zhang and Managing Director of INI Farms Pankaj Khandelwal then analyze the dynamics of the banana markets in China and India respectively.
Other flagship sessions of the Asiafruit Congress focus on âprioritizing sustainabilityâ and âthe big consumer opportunityâ. The regional sessions highlight the emergence of Vietnam as a high-end market, digital marketing, market access solutions and tropical fruit trade in Asia, among other topics.
Asiafruit Business Forum offers a second track at Asiafruit Congress, with a range of expert presentations offering hands-on lessons on the latest advancements in technology, retail and marketing.
In addition to live broadcasts from Melbourne and London, content from the Asiafruit Congress is available on demand after the event on the easy to use online platform.
Register for the Asiafruit Congress for free on the asiafruitcongress.com website and visit the website for more speaker updates and program information.


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- The Fiscal
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CBO projects that interest rates will remain low throughout the decade.
The continued economic recovery, fueled by consumer spending, brought economic output back to its pre-pandemic level just a year after the worst economic contraction ever recorded.
The U.S. Federal Reserve has significantly ramped up its holdings of Treasury securities as part of a broader effort to counteract the economic impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Currently, the Federal Reserve holds more Treasury notes and bonds than ever before.
SNAP benefits supplement household incomes to help lift people out of poverty.
“NYC Small Biz: Open + Online,” a new initiative to help small businesses to participate in the growing digital economy, was launched today by the NYC Small Business Resource Network (SBRN), a unique public-private partnership among the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, the five borough Chambers of Commerce, NYC Department of Small Business Services and the Partnership for New York City.
The rising national debt carries substantial costs today and poses an even greater toll on America’s future.
While the United States does not currently have a nationwide free college program, a number of such initiatives have been proposed in the past few years.
Even if Congress raises the debt limit and avoids default, last-minute brinksmanship alone has the potential to create economic damage.
Spending on federal entitlement programs will more than double between 1991 and 2051.


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Nordic payments provider Nets has acquired a majority shareholding in Finland-based e-commerce payment service provider Paytrail.
Paytrail, established in 2007, currently holds 4,500 merchants and over 10,000 online stores and services within its network. Paytrail will lose none of its staff as part of the acquisition.
Its main service is its ability to be a collection payment services provider. Additionally, Paytrail offers a one click check-out solution, Paytrail Account.
Markus Laurio, chief executive of Paytrail, said: "We are thrilled to become part of Nets and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to combine our different strengths to create even better value for our customers. Nets’ operational scale and experience with providing safe and reliable payment services will be a valuable asset in the next stage of our growth journey and will enable us to reach even more merchants with our prevalent service for the benefit of both merchants and consumers."
Bo Nilsson, chief executive of Nets, added: "We are delighted to join forces with Paytrail. Merchant Solutions as a business area is a strategic growth priority for Nets. This acquisition demonstrates our dedication to this strategy and our commitment to invest in new, innovative services in order to shape the future of digital values."
This is the second acquisition of shares by Nets in recent weeks. In November, Nets purchased 957,000 shares, approximately 9.99% of shares, in DIBS Payment Services.


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Adding a PR category to the Cannes Lions creativity festival a few years ago has proven to be a potent showcase for the industry with CMO's and other key buyers of communications and PR services.
Now PR people are being asked to serve on juries in multiple categories of the competition, giving us an opportunity to shine a light on the PR potential of other marketing and engagement channels.
This hasn't been an accidental development.
Leading advocates for PR services such as ICCO, the UK PRCA and the US PR Council have been working closely with the Cannes organizers (and other competitions), with the strong support of major agencies like Ogilvy, MSL and us at Ketchum.
Trade associations and competitors can do some good things when they work together.
The juries have been announced for the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, with public relations professionals taking places in PR Lions, Glass Lions, Health & Wellness Lions and the new Lions Entertainment.