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Indage Vintners’ red wine is a decent offering; a pity one can’t say the same about the red on its balance sheet. Indage, India’s largest publicly listed wine company, hasn’t released its balance sheet for the year ending March 31, 2009, but media reports in September noted that Indage was collapsing under Rs. 450 crore of debt, due immediately. (A former employee who did not wish to be named estimates the debt at Rs. 500 crore.)
Ranjit Chougule, managing director and company promoter, did not answer several emails asking to confirm the amount and several efforts to contact him proved to be futile.
In June, Chougule admitted that sales volumes had fallen 60 percent since September 2008. Its stock price has crashed from Rs. 853 in November 2007 to Rs. 55 now. The company has stopped supplying to hotels. Salaries at the company have been delayed and on September 1 this year, 250 of the company’s 450 employees resigned en masse, underlining their disgust for a company that had not paid them since November 2008.
How did Indage Vintners, India’s first wine-making company in 1982, with more than 40 brands across the market’s price spectrum, get to this stage? The short answer: Badly timed global acquisitions.
It’s been a free fall for a company that in November 2006 was labelled an ‘overperformer’ with ‘exciting growth prospects’ by stock analysts. They quoted Indage’s market share as 70 percent. By 2008, Indage was exporting to 69 countries and had 56,000 acres of vineyards under cultivation, receiving 28 awards for its wines in that year alone. The company’s turnover was Rs. 100 crore ($25 million).
In 2007, the burgeoning Indage gobbled up UK wine agent, McKinley Vintners, and Australian alcohol company Tandou’s winemaking arm. The following year, it acquired the ill-fated Australian Loxton Winery in March in an all-cash transaction for 60 million Australian dollars (Rs. 225 crore), which it was unable to pay and had to settle a painful lawsuit. Indage followed Loxton up with the acquisition of UK’s Darlington Wines and the Australian winery Vinecrest in May, and made an offer for a Norfolk-based winery in November, the month it stopped paying employees salaries.
“They were issuing fresh shares and using them as the basis to buy properties and assets outside the country, and then leveraging with foreign currency loans. What were they doing?” asks Rajeev Samant, founder and CEO of Sula Wines, the company that now claims to be India’s biggest wine maker.
In 2007, Indage announced plans for 1,000 wine bars across the country, and then opened a wine resort and spa in Nashik, Maharashtra. Distributors say it flooded the market with buy-one get-one free deals. In Uttar Pradesh, Samant says, it shipped 20,000 cases when just 2,000 cases of wine are purchased in the state per year. Forbes India was unable to verify this figure.
The result: Unsold inventory in nearly every state in India, disputes with distributors and a great deal of wine left in poor storage turning to vinegar.
Indage relied heavily on foreign currency loans for foreign acquisitions. A former employee in senior management at Indage said that 40 percent of its current debt is in foreign currency. Indage’s public relations representative could not confirm the number, as she quit the organisation in late October. Chougule’s brother, Vikrant, who is CEO of hotels for Indage Group, said “We run separate businesses, so I cannot answer your questions.”
Seth Freeman, CEO, EM Capital Management, invested in Indage over the last year and a half. He says its stock price remained high because successful investors like Rakesh Jhunjhunwala believed in the company and had invested in it. Jhunjhunwala held 5 lakh shares, but has since sold them.
Freeman has not received the company’s most current financial report for 2009, nor is it available with the Bombay Stock Exchange. When Freeman asked for it, the company did not respond. “The fact that the company didn’t respond to my request as a shareholder is not a positive sign,” says Freeman.
Can Indage come back? The Chougule family recently pledged almost 98 percent of its 25.42 percent stake in the firm, proving it doesn’t think the show is over. On June 10, Indage announced its board had approved a plan to raise Rs. 2 billion ($42 million) via a rights issue. However, there has been no progress on that. A week later, it announced that four investors will own a 40.28 percent stake for Rs. 90.6 crore in the company if they decide to convert their 10.3 million preferential warrants into equity shares.
Venki Venkatraman, Indage importer in the US, says after a seven month dry spell, Indage is slowly starting to send him wine once again. The company signed a big deal to bottle Foster’s beer in January, which is bearing fruit now. Indage’s share price is also holding constant.
Perhaps most encouraging is the interest shown by Japanese giants Asahi Breweries, Sappori Breweries, and former marketer of beer brands like Sandpiper and Zingaro, Ravi Jain, who were reported as suitors for a major stake in the company in June.
However, no one has since moved forward. “Indage is the only public pure play winery, and the wine market should see 25 percent growth going forward. So they are quite attractive for a foreign investor,” says Freeman.
Steven Spurrier, wine appreciation expert, says what Indage needs to do is go back to the basics. This, incidently, is something that the company has never done before. “That is, listen to the consumer, do market research and make wines that have clear fruit and balance. Also, pay vast attention to how the wines are stored.”
Indage has tremendous brand equity. Every Indian wine-drinker knows how it tastes. Indage will hope they remember it when the company returns to form
(This story appears in the 20 November, 2009 issue of Forbes India. You can buy our tablet version from Magzter.com. To visit our Archives, click here.)


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COMPANY NEWS; AMERICAN HOME PRODUCTS BUYING GERMAN DRUG CONCERN
Published: August 6, 1992
Germany's Treuhand privatization agency said yesterday that it had sold an eastern German pharmaceutical company in Leipzig to a German subsidiary of the American Home Products Corporation. An agency statement said Leipziger Arzneimittelwerk G.m.b.H., with 1991 revenue of $31.1 million, had been sold to Wyeth-Pharma G.m.b.H. in Munster. The subsidiary of the American company will invest $16.25 million and has guaranteed the jobs of 200 of 235 workers.

domain: news


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Bourses in Europe were lower early Tuesday with global sentiment dampened by a gridlock in U.S. politics over health-care reform.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.4 percent lower with most sectors moving south. The falls were led by basic resources after miners dropped their guidance for iron ore production. Rio Tinto’s shares were down by 1 percent.
Technology stocks also fell in mid-morning deals after a mini-crash in Chinese tech stocks. The technology-heavy index ChiNext plunged 5.1 percent on Tuesday to close at its lowest since 2015 after renewed calls for stronger regulation.
Back in Europe, the focus was on earnings. Shares of Ericsson dropped 10 percent in mid-morning trade after the company reported operating losses above expectations and announced it’s speeding up cost-cutting measures. The Swedish firm hit the bottom of the benchmark.
The online retailer Zalando fell 7 percent after saying Tuesday that it expects sales growth of about 20 percent in the second quarter of this year, slightly below the 22 percent expected by Reuters estimates.
At the top of the European benchmark was spread-betting firm IG Group. Its shares were up by nearly 9 percent after reporting an increase in full-year pretax profit on a higher number of clients.
Royal Mail, British land at the top of the FTSE
Royal Mail was among the top performers of the FTSE 100, up by 3 percent. The British group announced an increase of 1 percent in revenue for the second quarter of the year despite uncertainty in the market.
British Land rose 3 percent after announcing plans to spend up to £300 million to buy back its shares in the current financial year.
The Swiss pharmaceutical Novartis confirmed its full-year guidance with net income at $2.87 billion in the second quarter of the year. The firm added that it sees potential for “several highly innovative products.” Its shares were up by 2 percent.
Inflation slows down; sterling drops
U.K. consumer prices rose 2.6 percent on the year in June from 2.9 percent in May, data from the Office for National Statistics showed. The drop in consumer prices was mainly due to lower oil prices. As a result, sterling moved lower against the dollar as expectations of a rate hike this year slowed down.
Later in the session, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs are due to report before the U.S. opening bell.


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December 22, 2016
By Liz Flora
From geopolitical disputes to debates over cultural appropriation, China tends to be a place where it’s easy for foreign brands to get embroiled in controversies no matter how hard they try to avoid it. That’s no different for the luxury industry, which saw its fair share of issues this year. Below is our list of 10 major controversies in China’s luxury industry over the course of 2016, in no particular order:
1. Lancôme’s canceled Denise Ho concert. Thanks to antagonism by the Global Times, what was supposed to be a lighthearted promotional pop concert sponsored by the French beauty brand turned into a flashpoint in the ongoing tensions between China and Hong Kong. After the state-run media outlet incited mainland netizens’ anger over the brand’s planned sponsorship of a concert by allegedly “pro-Hong Kong independence” singer Denise Ho, the brand learned it just couldn’t win after Hong Kong fans were angered about its subsequent cancellation.
2. Jack Ma’s statement that fake luxury goods are “better quality” and made in the “same factories” as real ones. In a speech to investors in June, Jack Ma incited luxury executives’ anger when he made his declaration about “fake” goods, which he later clarified in a Wall Street Journal op-ed to mean off-brand items. While Alibaba has been introducing new measures in order to show it’s fighting counterfeits, legal off-brand fakes appear to be fair game in the eyes of Ma.
3. The mutiny over Alibaba at the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition. In another controversy over fakes on Alibaba platforms stirred up this year, luxury brands revolted when the IACC admitted Alibaba in a special “general membership” category. After Gucci, Michael Kors, and Tiffany & Co. quit the group in protest, Alibaba’s membership was suspended.
4. A Daimler executive’s racist rant in Beijing. A People’s Daily report stating that a Daimler executive in Beijing shouted a racist remark and used pepper spray over a parking dispute resulted in the man being promptly relieved from his position. That didn’t keep the controversy from going viral online and sparking anger, however.
5. Victoria’s Secret’s mix of dragons with lingerie at its annual fashion show. In a possible attempt to reach Chinese consumers, the brand featured several outfits with China-inspired designs for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, but not all of China’s netizens were impressed.
6. The revelation of tensions in the 2015 Met Gala planning process. This one isn’t much of a “controversy” per se, but this year’s release of Met Gala documentary The First Monday in May showed the behind-the-scenes debates over the curation of the China-themed exhibition. Some moments got a bit heated, such as Anna Wintour’s annoyance at critical questions from Chinese media in Beijing and a scene where legendary director Wong Kar-wai warns curator Andrew Bolton against “insulting” China.
7. A ban from China for the actress Birkin handbags are named after. While Chinese buyers have been paying record prices for Birkin handbags at auction, 60s icon Jane Birkin has been using her namesake handbag to display political messages. When she wasn’t granted a visa to perform at a concert in Shanghai this summer, Chinese media mentioned her participation in 2008 Tibet protests in France and her use of the handbag to display a Tibetan flag.
8. China’s K-pop ban poses a problem for luxury brands. Long a source of major publicity for luxury brands in China, Korean pop stars have attracted investment from LVMH through its stake in Korean entertainment company YG Entertainment. But a recent reported ban on Korean TV shows on Chinese television and Korean pop stars entering China has the industry worried about the future.
9. Taiwan’s mainland tourist slump. Politics have been known to cause significant shifts in where mainland Chinese tourists decide to travel in Asia, and Taiwan learned that lesson the hard way this year. After cross-Strait relations soured following the presidential victory of Tsai Ing-wen, mainland visitor numbers plunged, with a 69 percent decrease during Golden Week.
10. Donald Trump’s China-related conflicts of interest. As Trump’s business interests around the world remain under scrutiny over conflict-of-interest issues, his China ties are receiving less scrutiny at the moment than links to Russia, but China plays no small role in his business. He’s personally bragged on the campaign trail about the multi-million-dollar luxury apartments he’s sold to elite Chinese buyers, while AFP reported that the Trump Hotel Collection negotiated a memorandum of understanding with China’s largest state-owned enterprise worth around $100 to $150 million. Meanwhile, Trump had “negotiations with other SOEs and at least one Chinese city government” that “continued at least through the opening months of Trump’s presidential campaign,” according to the report. In addition, state-owned bank ICBC’s contract for its lease at Trump Tower will be up for renegotiation during his presidency.
Liz Flora is Beijing, China-based editor in chief of Jing Daily, the leading digital publication on luxury consumer trends in China. Reach her at firstname.lastname@example.org. Reproduced with permission.


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Google introduced system level dark theme last year with the Android 10 release, but not all app developers have gotten on board — not even Google's own default keyboard app. Signs of a change came in an app teardown last week. Now, the latest beta update shows us that Gboard is testing new keyboard theme options that support automatic light/dark mode switching based on the current system theme.
Rolling out to select users in version 18.104.22.1680679808 of the Gboard beta are three new default themes: default light, default dark, and system auto. Selecting the "system auto" option presents a message saying that the appearance will follow system settings — no more blindingly bright typing in the dark! There are plenty of other tweaks including the addition of the Google Sans typeface.
Until now, Gboard would follow the system theme only if you had never customized the keyboard's look. Even something as basic as adding borders around the keys would stop the app from switching when nighttime rolled around. Thankfully, this upcoming update will fix these frustrations, but it's still kind of annoying that the stock Pixel keyboard had only been supporting a Pixel system feature via hacky workarounds.
You can join the Gboard beta program now, or keep an eye on APK Mirror for the APK to show up.


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Latest recombinant DNA Stories
Marketresearchreports.biz has announced the addition of a new research study on the global and China blood product industry titled China Blood Product Industry Report 2014-2017 to its offering.
Materials scientists are always attempting to develop new thermoplastics, polymer materials that can melt and be reformed without degradation, have been particularly focused on studying synthetic materials. But nature may hold the answer this time.
CSL Behring Continues Improving Patient Well-Being; Key Milestone Achieved in PROLONG-9FP, Company's Recombinant Factor IX Fusion Protein Development Program KING OF PRUSSIA,
ResearchMoz.us include new market research report " China Recombinant Protein Drug Industry, 2014-2017: Market Size, Shares, Growth, Analysis, Trends And Forecast" to its huge collection
DALLAS, November 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- RnRMarketResearch.com adds China Recombinant Protein Drug Industry Report, 2014-2017 market research that says during 2005-2013,
NEW YORK, Oct.
REHOVOT, Israel, September 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CollPlant (TASE: CLPT), a developer and manufacturer of human collagen-based medical products has announced that Dr.
Bacterial recombinant protein expression is now available as a service at Maine Biotechnology Services.
- A young chicken: also used as a pet name for children.


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Maxime Béland, former creative director of the Splinter Cell franchise, is reportedly set to leave Epic Games and return to Ubisoft after not even a year of working on Fortnite.
According to VGC, Béland is set to rejoin Ubisoft as part of the company’s plans to restructure its editorial team. He will reportedly act as the new vice-president of the editorial team, which will see him working on several titles within Ubisoft.
Béland had previously been with Ubisoft for 20 years, working on various titles within the company. He is perhaps most well known for his work as lead designer and creative director on Rainbow Six: Vegas and creative director on Splinter Cell: Conviction and Splinter Cell: Blacklist.
The reasoning behind Ubisoft’s restructuring is to help change up how Ubisoft’s production process works in the wake of some overwhelmingly negative responses to games such as Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Luckily, Ubisoft announced back in October that it was planning on ‘overhauling’ the game, so Ghost Recon Breakpoint should be at least getting a little better in the future.
The official MSPoweruser review for Ghost Recon Breakpoint was rather firmly against the game, giving it a rather generous 3/10 and calling it a “disgustingly predatory experience wrapped around an expansive world with the soul of a corporate PowerPoint.”
Last October, Ubisoft also announced delays of Rainbow Six Quarantine, Gods & Monsters, and Watch Dogs Legion after the “sharp downward revision” in expected revenues from Ghost Recon Breakpoint and The Division 2.
Yves Guillemot, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ubisoft, said that the delays were so Ubisoft could ensure that each game’s “respective innovations are perfectly implemented so as to deliver optimal experiences for players.”


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Company: Fantastic Sams
Campaign: Reality Dressing
PR agency: Fleishman-Hillard
Launch: August 2
Objective: Fantastic Sams is looking to broaden awareness of the salon franchise among its target demographic: women aged 25 to 54. Working with PR AOR Fleishman-Hillard, the company partnered with women's clothing catalog producer Spiegel for its annual “Reality Dressing” contest, where everyday women win a chance to be featured in an upcoming catalog.
“It gives us the opportunity to have this great brand association,” says Michelle Stevenson, SVP at Fleishman.
Idea: The partnership is in line with Fantastic Sams' overall messaging that beauty is affordable, explains Stevenson. Ruth Swanson, VP of marketing for the hair-care franchise, agrees, and adds that the contest, where one winner in her 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s is chosen, also highlights “beauty is in all ages.”
It is the first time Fantastic Sams has partnered with Spiegel, and Fleishman-Hillard is working with the internal PR team there. The campaign will focus on Facebook, Swanson adds, because it is “where we do a lot of interaction with our guests.”
Tools: The contest launches on August 2 on Fantastic Sams' Facebook page, and the company will also be doing traditional media relations, targeting websites for women's lifestyle outlets such as Glamour, Ladies' Home Journal, and More. Stevenson adds that Fantastic Sams will also draw on its recently launched blogger-ambassador program.
“We have nine bloggers who represent mommy bloggers, beauty bloggers, and money-saving bloggers, so they will be promoting the contest to all their readers as well,” she says. Spiegel also created fliers to be distributed in Fantastic Sams salons.
Measurement: In addition to media coverage, Fantastic Sams will focus on Facebook for measurement, keeping track of new fans, Stevenson says.
"We scan all our Facebook comments," Swanson adds. “We'll also be looking at the number of submissions that come in, as well as the voting.”


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A look at some of the major benefits of a Private Label Credit Card (PLCC) versus your standard VISA/MC/AMEX transactions.
With independent retailers asking a lot of questions about the implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), we turned to an employment attorney for help answering some of the most commonly asked ones.
Nationwide Marketing Group recently connected with Matthew Shay, president and CEO of NRF, to discuss their response to the coronavirus pandemic and more.
As the application process opens for the Paycheck Protection Program through the U.S. SBA, scammers hope to take advantage of unsuspecting small business owners. Here are some warning signs that the email you received is a fake.
The Paycheck Protection Program provides small businesses with funds to pay up to 8 weeks of payroll costs including benefits. Funds can also be used to pay interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities.
With millions of Americans suddenly having to adjust to working from home, here are four realistic things small business owners can do to help employees — and themselves — make the most of this situation.
With the CARES Act signed into law, small business owners will have access to some $377 billion in emergency grants, forgivable loans and more.
Nationwide Marketing Group has undertaken several advocacy initiatives on behalf of members at the state level. This blog contains templates and resources for members to participate in those efforts as well.
The latest coronavirus updates on areas where known restrictions are in place and information for state and local authorities are available.
The recently-passed Phase 2 Coronavirus relief bill centers around providing paid emergency leave for employees. Here’s what it means for independet retail.
Nationwide Marketing Group is actively collecting and updating this coronavirus live blog with the latest resources for independent retail business owners.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is spreading rapidly throughout the United States forcing local governments to make some difficult decisions on keeping schools and businesses open. Here’s what you can do to prepare your retail location in its response to this outbreak.
The High Point Market Authority announced plans to postpone its Sprine 2020 Market, scheduled for April 25-29, over concerns of the rapidly-evolving situation with COVID-19.
A look back at some of the key figures and data that came out of Nationwide Marketing Group’s February 2020 PrimeTime show in Houston.
With the rampant spreading of the coronavirus across the U.S., organizations and businesses from coast to coast have been forced to decide if they should delay their trade shows or canceling them altogether.
How Nationwide Marketing Group’s exclusive partnerships help independents create the perfect smart home retail experience.
With products that occupy nearly every room, the connected home category has upended consumers’ traditional expectations for delivery and installation.
In order to provide customers the trust they deserve when engaging with your store, you must attract and retain employees that can perform at a high level. Unfortunately, this is one of retails greatest challenges today.
Science has proven over and over again that shoppers are attracted to retail experiences that pull on their senses — and the outdoor category has a way of touching all five.
Used properly, a point of sale system can turn a struggling retailer’s business around in no time and help a more successful retailer thrive.
Wanting to create a shopping journey that would help customers find the mattress that’s best for them, Snooze Mattress Co. turned to the REVEAL Mattress Recommendation system by XSENSOR technology.
Audio America, a premium distributor of consumer electronics products, has acquired Consumer Electronics Distributors, Inc., an A/V and specialty electronics distributor.
The evolution of the Nationwide Marketing Group eXchange platform is the result of feedback from Members and the efforts of the NMG digital team to create a product that’s as efficient and effective as possible for our Members.
CES 2020 marked the fifth year in a row that I had the opportunity to attend North America’s largest trade show and one of the most influential consumer technology shows on the planet. The technology world — or at least a large chunk of it, anyway — descends upon Las...


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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The parent company of Smucker’s announced plans Thursday to spend $1.1 billion on a factory and warehouse near Birmingham that will produce frozen sandwiches.
The Ohio-based J.M. Smucker Co. said the plant, to be constructed in the McCalla area of Jefferson County, will create 750 jobs. Construction is expected to begin by January with production set to start in 2025.
The factory will make Uncrustables, frozen sandwiches that can be thawed and eaten, which chief executive Mark Smucker said is one of the company’s leading products. The brand has about $500 million in annual net sales, the company said.
The head of the regional chamber of commerce said the announcement was one of the largest in recent years in Jefferson County.
“It is a strategic move for Smucker to leverage Birmingham’s strong distribution and logistics network, central location in the Southeast and a shovel-ready site to seize an opportunity for one of its fastest-growing brands,” said Ron Kitchens, chief executive of the Birmingham Business Alliance, which worked with the state to recruit the company.


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The Microsoft co-founder estimates the disease will affect the developing world even longer.
An exclusive, gloves-off fin-terview with the shark who'll battle boxer Iron Mike during Discovery Channel's Shark Week.
The company unveiled its updated device that folds open from a phone into a tablet, with a 6.2-inch cover screen and a 7.6-inch interior display.
The Asus ROG Phone 3 is built for gaming and its performance simply blew us away.
We compare iPhone 11 phones with Apple's 2018's models to see what's different.
The Pixel 4A raises the bar for how good a budget phone's camera can be.
Samsung promised advanced health features for its newest smartwatch, like an FDA-cleared EKG and blood oxygen monitoring.
Commentary: With the iPhone SE 2020, Apple had a chance to bring a 4-inch iPhone back to market again. But it passed on that opportunity, and there's a reason for that.
I've gotten to know the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra better, but so many questions about the camera, battery life and stylus remain.


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December 21, 2020 (Investorideas.com Newswire) It's safe to say that 2020 has been a year unlike any other as the world continues to deal with the threat of Covid19. Many of us remain in lockdown and because of that the internet has never been more important.
Not only do we source our goods and services online more of us are also sourcing our entertainment due to social distancing - and as many parts of the hospitality industry remains closed with venues like cinemas, theatres and casinos continuing to have their doors locked to the public those industries like the gambling industry which has a high online presence is reporting increased traffic over these last few months.
Finding the Right Site
Of course, when times demand that more people go online to have, for instance, a bet or wager, we then find that there are an awful lot more online casino sites appearing on our pages on a daily basis, unfortunately, not all as good as each other.
Luckily, there are some great online casino sites that have stood the test of time gaining a good reputation for being fair and true. One of these sites is Fruity King which provides its players with only the most popular casino and slots games developed from some of the major players in the online casino software industry.
Fair and transparent Fruity King remains in pole position after landing on our screens back in 2015 making it the 'must go to' online site for all of your gaming needs.
Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investment involves risk and possible loss of investment. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Contact each company directly regarding content and press release questions.
More disclaimer info: http://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp This article is a third party guest post published content and not the content of Investorideas.com. Learn more about posting your articles at http://www.investorideas.com/Advertise/


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Ford Motor Co Announces a 5-Year Agreement With Stripe for In-Vehicle Payment Processing
【Summary】Ford Motor Company and payment processing company Stripe have signed a five-year agreement that will help scale the automaker’s e-commerce capabilities. The payment options using Stripe will be available for Ford and Lincoln customers. Stripe allows businesses to create a platform to facilitate purchases and payments between third-party buyers and sellers, so the vehicle itself becomes a mobile digital wallet.
In the near future, drivers of 5G internet connected vehicles will be able to pay for goods and services right from a vehicle infotainment screen instead of using credit or debit cards or smartphone apps to pay for such things as gas or a cup of coffee.
To better facilitate these types of in-vehicle transactions. Ford Motor Company and payment processing company Stripe have signed a five-year agreement that will help scale the automaker's e-commerce capabilities. The payment options using Stripe will be available for Ford and Lincoln customers.
Ford's partnership with Stripe will not only enable seamless digital and e-commerce experience for drivers of Ford vehicles, it will also offer dealers an improved way to accept payments from customers.
Stripe's payment processing technology is used by major tech corporations, including, Amazon, Uber, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce and Spotify.
"We have been working with Ford to reimagine our e-commerce payment infrastructure. Stripe's platform will help us deliver simpler, outstanding payment experiences in any channel customers choose and scale improvements faster," said Marion Harris, Ford Motor Credit Company CEO.
Ford and Stripe will work together to grow the online payments infrastructure serving customers and dealers in markets across North America and Europe. Stripe also will enable Ford Pro FinSimple solutions for commercial customers. FinSimple is Ford's bundled finance offerings for vehicles, and includes digital and physical services as well as EV charging solutions.
With products like Stripe Connect, Ford will be better able to scale its new service offerings which requires a reliable and secure e-commerce backbone, which many automakers are working to establish with a tech partner from outside of the auto industry.
Stripe Connect allows businesses to create a platform to facilitate purchases and payments between third-party buyers and sellers, so the vehicle itself becomes a mobile digital wallet.
Ford will use Connect to facilitate a customer's payments to a correct local Ford or Lincoln dealer.
"Stripe has developed strong expertise in user experiences that will help provide easy, intuitive and secure payment processes for our customers," said Harris.
As Ford expands its e-commerce offerings, Stripe's platform will be a key part of the automaker's technology stack.
For those Ford and Lincoln dealers offering digital payment services, the addition of Stripe's payment processing technology is expected to drive new efficiency into processing of e-commerce payments, including vehicle ordering, reservations, digital services and EV charging services, according to Ford.
"We're thrilled to be the payments engine under the hood powering the next stage of Ford's digital transformation," said Mike Clayville, chief revenue officer at Stripe. "During the pandemic, people got comfortable paying online for groceries, health care, even home haircut advice from barbers. Now, they expect to be able to buy anything and everything online. Ford is making e-commerce possible, too, and scaling that strategy with Stripe's help."
The rollout of Stripe technology in Ford vehicles is expected to begin in the second half of 2022, starting with North America.
EV Startup Faraday Future Moves its Headquarters to China
Lucid’s New ‘Stealth Look’ Appearance Package for the Electric Air Sedan Compliments its High Performance DNA
Toyota’s Redesigned Prius May Get More Drivers Behind the Wheel of a Hybrid Vehicle
Toyota to Collaborate With Texas-based Utility Provider Oncor to Accelerate a Vehicle-to-Grid EV Charging Ecosystem
Stellantis to Idle its Illinois Assembly Plant Indefinitely, Citing the High Costs of Electric Vehicles
Apple Delays its Long Rumored Electric ‘Apple Car’ Until 2026, According to Sources
The World’s First Level-4 Automated Parking Feature Developed by Mercedes-Benz and Bosch is Approved for Commercial Use
Hyundai Motor Group Signs MoU with SK On Co. to Secure Batteries for EVs Built in the U.S.
- Chipmaker AMD to Collaborate with ECARX on a Digital Cockpit, In-Vehicle Computing Platform for Next-Gen EVs
- Ford to Use Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries for the First Time as it Aims to Produce 600,000 EVs a Year in 2023, Sets Up Global Supply Chain
- The World’s Biggest Battery Producer CATL Signs MoU with EV Startup VinFast to Develop a ‘Skateboard’ Electric Vehicle Platform
- The NIO ET7 Will Come Standard With an Advanced Dolby Atmos-Powered Sound System Co-Developed With Audio Pioneer Dirac
- Ford Raises the Prices of the F-150 Lightning Electric Pickup Due to Rising Raw Material Costs
- Ford CFO Claims Inflation Has Erased Mustang Mach-E Profits
- BorgWarner to Supply its Integrated Drive Module to Hyundai for a New EV That Will Enter Production in 2024
- Ford Motor Co Selects its Plant in Spain to Build 'Breakthrough' EVs for the European Market on a Next-Gen Architecture
- Amazon Customers in Texas and California Will Begin Receiving Packages via Prime Air Drones Later This Year
- Lucid Group Hires Key Executives that Formerly Worked for Mercedes-Benz and Tesla as it Prepares for Global Expansion and Production Ramp Up


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As if mobile ordering weren’t dangerously easy already, yum! Brands restaurants will begin taking orders via text messages and social media following the acquisition of an Israeli tech company.
The fast food corporation, which runs Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and the lesser-known Habit Burger Grill, announced the purchase of Tictuk Technologies on Wednesday. The private technology firm focuses on conversational commerce and will give Yum! Brands leverage software systems to allow customers to order via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, SMS, QR codes and email, Yum said in a statement.
TACO BELL SPICY SAUCE PACKAGES, WHICH ARE GENERALLY FREE, ARE NOW A HOT PRODUCT ON EBAY
“The right technologies will allow us to better serve customers with the best offerings and delicious food in the way that is most convenient for them,” Chris Turner, Chief Financial Officer of Yum! Brands said in a press release. “We are excited about the opportunity Tictuk presents as their solution delivers high impact by enabling our brands to achieve a truly omnichannel presence and deliver frictionless ordering to customers with just a few clicks.”
2020 was a record year for the fast food corporation, which runs 50,000 restaurants in more than 150 countries. Last year, the company raised a whopping $ 17 billion in digital sales, marking a 45% increase over the previous year. Fast food sales have exploded during the coronavirus pandemic, as dining room seating in traditional restaurants is still heavily restricted and customers prefer low-touch self-service.
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AYum! Brands has already rolled out Tictuk’s ordering technology at approximately 900 Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC locations outside of the US, according to the statement.
Yum did not disclose exactly when the new technology would be available for consumer use in the United States.


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Google is going to launch the latest smartphone named ‘Pixel’.
Built in partnership with HTC, the Pixel certainly has several similarities of the One A9 about it. It’s rounded, with a flat back and it is built from a mixture of metal and glass accents. It’s nice, but it’s not gorgeous. Its simplicity wouldn’t thrill those who seek for the “wow”factors. It comes in three colours, each of which has a peculiar names: Very Silver, Quite Black and Really Blue.
Take a look at Pixel’s promotional video below:


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KNOXVILLE — Untaxed Internet sales will hit Tennessee harder than most states because of its heavy reliance on sales taxes, a University of Tennessee study says.
UT economists Bill Fox and Donald Bruce projected how much tax revenue states will lose from e-commerce, which is expanding rapidly but is difficult or unconstitutional to tax.
The study estimates Tennessee lost $34 million in tax revenue to e-commerce in 1999, and will lose $293 million in 2003. That would be 2.5 percent of the state’s total tax revenues and the second highest percentage loss in the nation, Fox said. Texas is projected highest at 2.6 percent.
“We estimate about $10.8 billion in additional tax revenue losses nationwide in 2003 from e-commerce,” Fox said. “Tennessee is clearly one of the hardest hit states in terms of lost revenues.
“The research suggests people in states with high sales tax rates are more likely to use the Internet as a tax evasion mechanism. Tennessee gets hit harder than almost any other state because our sales tax rate is high, and it is so important to our economy.”
About two-thirds of Tennessee’s projected loss is from business to business commerce, with the remainder from consumer sales, Fox said.
In addition to Internet sales, the UT study says Tennessee is impacted more than most states by other untaxed purchases, such as mail order or telephone sales.
Fox presented study results for Tennessee and other states this week at a meeting of the National Tax Association and the Institute for Professionals in Taxation in Sarasota, Fla.
Fox said e-commerce should be taxed the same as purchases from conventional “brick-and-mortar” businesses because unfair tax advantages can upset the economy.
“If Internet transactions are taking place only because of a tax advantage, then it distorts the economy,” Fox said.
“If taxes drive our purchasing decisions rather than real economic concerns such as quality, service and price, then we don’t use the nation’s resources in the best way and it ultimately hurts the economy.”


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Two-hour overtime allowed in clothing units for six months
MONIRA MUNNI |
April 29, 2021, 10:47 a.m.
The government allowed two hours of overtime for the country’s export-oriented ready-to-wear (RMG) sector for six months amid the coronavirus pandemic, sources said.
According to labor law, a worker in a garment factory works eight hours a day and 48 hours a week.
Factories are allowed to require workers to work two hours of overtime per day on condition that they pay double wages for the period of overtime.
Now, an export-oriented garment factory can require its workers to work two hours of overtime or a total of four hours a day, the sources explained.
On April 13, the Ministry of Labor and Employment issued a circular to this effect, exempting the clothing sector from the labor law provisions of Articles 100, 102 and 105 relating to working hours and overtime. .
“The conditional six-month waiver will come into effect on April 17,” according to the circular.
It stipulates that workers should be paid double for overtime compared to normal working hours and no worker would be required to work overtime more than four hours a day.
Weekly vacation must be granted and no overtime can be worked if workers are unwilling to do the same, the circular added.
The eight-point condition also included compliance with the Covid-19 health and safety directive issued by relevant government authorities.


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Mark Zuckerberg gushed about the iGrill on his Facebook page, causing a rush of visitors on the Avon company's website.
An Avon company found out the power of Facebook Sunday, especially when Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg decides to update his status.
The iGrill website crashed for two hours Sunday night after Zuckerberg posted about the company's iGrill app.
"I updated my grilling app, iGrill, today and it now has Facebook integration that lets you see what other people are grilling right now around the world. Awesome. I'm making Fred's steak," Zuckerberg posted around 10 p.m. ET Sunday.
The site was immediately inundated with visitors.
"We were caught totally off guard by Mark Zuckerberg's post and the immediate influx of traffic," Chris Allen, CEO of iDevices said. "We had quietly released this update for our users earlier this moth and were waiting for it to gain traction, but this obviously gives us a huge head start."
iDevices is located on Simsbury Road in Avon. The company's iGrill is a wireless cooking thermometer that uses a Bluetooth device to connect to an app on the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.
Allen said his company has not received any investment from Zuckerberg, though he would be open to working with the Facebook founder.
"We are excited to see how this unfolds," Allen said.


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The PYUSD, PayPal’s new dollar-backed stablecoin, has soared over 70% in the last 30 days, according to data from popular crypto information platform CoinMarketCap. The recent growth has catapulted its market cap to a little over $300 million, making it the 8th largest stablecoin on the market as of January 28, 2024, surging ahead of FRAX and USTC.
The rally came after a relatively unimpressive first few weeks for PYUSD that saw most crypto market players, especially those in the DeFi sector, avoid it. Somehow, the coin appears to be recovering so rapidly that its trading volume soared around 45% over the last 24 hours. The PYUSD is unlikely to compete against market players like the USDT or the USDC. Also, the new stablecoin is already performing above expectations, inching closer to Pax Dollar (USDP) by the hour.
The PYUSD Had a Slow Start
PayPal’s Ethereum-based stablecoin rolled out to mixed reactions from the cryptocurrency community. While some praised the initiative, many criticized its questionable design flaws, causing many neutral observers to (initially) ignore the stablecoin. PYUSD’s initial performance was underwhelming, a pretty surprising observation considering the size of the PayPal user base. Only a handful of wallets held over $3,000 in PYUSD tokens for over three weeks after launch. Additionally, the stablecoin barely cracked $10,000 in daily volume on most days.
Despite its lackluster performance, however, it is essential to note that the announcement correlated with a brief jump in PayPal stocks, probably due to investors overestimating the potential impact of the new stablecoin on the cryptocurrency market.
The Case Against PYUSD
PYUSD’s launch attracted criticism from the cryptocurrency community, primarily because it featured a mind-boggling level of centralization for a supposed crypto stablecoin. The stablecoin ran on an older version of the Solidity programming language that allows for the designation of an asset protector role that can freeze and unfreeze user accounts.
In simpler terms, PayPal technically built a backdoor to let them freeze, unfreeze, or even wipe user balances (at their discretion), negating the very idea of creating a stablecoin in the first place. Analysts have pointed to the regulatory uncertainty in the United States as a likely reason why PayPal used this design approach for its cryptocurrency. While PayPal would want regulatory approval from relevant regulators, no US regulatory agency would approve of a fully decentralized stablecoin with no controlling authority, hence the apparent backdoor.
The centralization argument is only one of the cases against PYUSD; many observers are also questioning the purpose of the stablecoin. With USDT, USDC, and DAI doing very well in the stablecoin markets, questioning the need for another stablecoin becomes more necessary by the day.
The Case in Support of the PYUSD
PayPal rolled out its stablecoin in August of last year, promising interoperability between its digital wallet and other external wallets compatible with Ethereum tokens. With the stablecoin launch, PayPal became the first conventional payment app to launch its stablecoin in the US market, marking a significant milestone.
The ability to instantly convert your PYUSD tokens to their equivalent dollar value right within the PayPal app is another convenient feature many non-crypto-savvy users would appreciate. Also, most observers believe having cryptocurrency available within the PayPal app introduces many otherwise disinterested users to the innovative payment technology, potentially winning more converts to cryptocurrency in the long run.
Ultimately, the PYUSD’s success lies in the non-technical crowd. A crypto jock after a stablecoin on a completely decentralized blockchain would probably prefer an alternative like USDT. However, the average Joe looking to hold a few bucks in crypto should not mind doing so through the stablecoin.
Is There Any Hope for the PYUSD?
While the reason for the PayPal stablecoin rally is unknown, the coin will likely become one of the biggest dollar-backed stablecoins on the market. A market capitalization of $300 million is a strong showing, and PayPal would be looking to capitalize on this organic growth to improve public perception of the PYUSD.
The centralization argument and stubborn crypto investors sticking to conventional stablecoins like USDT and USDC have not worked in favor of the PYUSD. We would have to wait and see what impact the ongoing rally will have on the stablecoin in the long run.


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Not everyone with a smartphone and a bank account is comfortable about banking on the move, though figures released by research firm comScore this week suggest more and more of us are discovering it works just fine.
According to comScore, 32.5 million Americans used their mobile device to access banking information during the quarter ending June 2011, which equals 13.9 percent of all mobile users in the US. That marks a 21 percent increase on the quarter ending December 2010, when 26.7 million used their mobiles for banking.
The figure of 13.9 percent may seem small to some, but over time, as financial institutions offer better mobile sites and apps, and reassure users that security for online banking is improving all the time, more and people are certain to give it a try.
The figures also revealed a big leap in the use of banking apps, with 12.7 million mobile owners using them during the quarter ending June 2011. That’s a significant 45 percent increase on the quarter ending December 2010.
comScore’s vice president for Marketing Solutions Sarah Lenart commented on the findings, saying: “The investments in mobile made by financial services institutions, along with the continued growth in smartphone adoption, have had a truly positive effect on the use of mobile financial services.”
She added: “New apps and mobile-enhanced sites have made it easier for customers to seek out financial information using mobile devices. With tablets and other web-enabled connected devices gaining popularity in addition to smartphones, financial service institutions are poised for additional growth in mobile access.”
As long as none of the major banks mess up in a major way regarding online security with its mobile sites and apps, and the more features those sites and apps can offer users, we’re bound to see a gradual increase in the coming years in those turning to their smartphone or tablet for banking information.
- The best iPhone apps (October 2021)
- The 100 best Android apps (October 2021)
- The best ad blocking apps for Android in 2021
- The best money-saving and investing apps for iOS and Android
- How to control your iOS app permissions


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Just over a year ago, the second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) passed into law. Together with the more far-reaching General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), PSD2 has been described as a huge leap forward for consumers in Europe, heralding a new age for banks and their customers. Banks’ willingness to embrace, and their capacity to effectively assimilate, the changes these regulations set in motion is expected to make or break many.
So, how will the banking industry change? Has it already changed? I sat down with Frans Labuschagne, country manager for UK and Ireland at Entersekt, to discuss PSD2 and how, and to what extent, it will alter the banking sector and the way you and I access our financial and payment services.
Read more here.


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Advocate Aurora Health and fitness explained it is rising its provider range targets in the coming years just after exceeding its 2020 aim.
The Milwaukee- and Downers Grove, Illinois-based mostly wellness system claimed it surpassed its focus on of shelling out with assorted sellers (which includes women of all ages-, minority-, LGBTQ- and veteran-owned businesses) as 6% of its full buying in 2020, for a whole of $197 million. Which is up from $127 million (4.1% of its whole expend) in 2018, and $157.5 million (5.4%) in 2019, according to a Range, Fairness and Inclusion impression report from the well being program.
Its aim for 2021 is 6.6% of its whole paying, in accordance to the report.
This 7 days, the health procedure was amid a dozen clinic and health and fitness techniques nationally to pledge to collectively maximize expending with minority- and females-owned small business enterprises (MWBEs) as effectively as regional and staff-owned enterprises by at the very least $1 billion over 5 a long time.
The institutions are users of the nationwide Healthcare Anchor Community, which encourages financial inclusion approaches amid health and fitness units. Collectively, that group spends a lot more than $75 billion each year.
“As one of the largest health units in the nation, Advocate Aurora Well being is targeted on getting tangible action to spur economic vitality and make favourable adjust,” Jim Skogsbergh, president and chief govt officer, claimed in a assertion. “Supporting minority and women-owned organizations through our community supply chain buying initiatives is an significant action to handle wellbeing inequities.”
The devices also fully commited to function with at least two of their large present distributors to “create choosing pipelines in the disinvested communities” they serve.
“We know career development and providing individuals accessibility to good paying work opportunities can help increase their health and fitness and perfectly-getting. We are constantly analyzing the most effective ways to meet up with the needs of the communities we serve and generate an inclusive natural environment to assist absolutely everyone are living effectively,” Skogsbergh reported.
An Advocate Aurora spokesperson claimed the overall health process is even now solidifying its five-calendar year determination similar to supplier range paying.
“We are becoming extremely intentional about how we shell out our pounds with area organizations and the suppliers we do organization with,” stated Cristy Garcia-Thomas, chief external affairs officer, in an emailed assertion. “We know our determination to shelling out with minority and gals-owned enterprises can have a favourable effect on our footprint and shut the inequities in the Milwaukee business enterprise landscape and outside of.”


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Streaming viewers for the tournament are expected to double in large countries.
This year’s FIFA World Cup will be more accessible than it has ever been, thanks in large part to the rise of streaming and digital platforms — allowing advertisers the opportunity to reach highly engaged audiences around the globe through data-driven channels.
New data from consumer research firm YouGov and The Trade Desk measured interest in the World Cup. This year, streaming viewers for sports are expected to increase in large countries, compared to 2018, or the last time the World Cup was held, according to the survey, which analyzed the preferences of roughly 8,300 people across the U.S., U.K., Germany, Italy, France, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in late June. Nineteen percent of those surveyed in the U.K., for instance, plan to stream the games this year, up from 12 percent in 2018.
The data underscores that traditional strategies in reaching highly engaged viewers through live sports have changed, as more people shift to streaming their favorite teams. All of this in turn provides opportunities for advertisers, Ross Benes, senior analyst at Insider Intelligence, tells The Current. “When a share of viewing shifts from linear TV to a streaming alternative, it gives advertisers the ability to show different ads to different people watching at the same time, and it allows advertisers to use more data to target their ads and get more thorough analysis after the campaign finishes.”
Benes emphasized that streaming sports is still growing, adding that linear ad buys provide more reach, but lack granularity. “For greater precision, advertisers should mix in ad buys with the streaming provider, allowing them to run [an addressable campaign] that emphasizes their intended target,” he says.
The World Cup is being held in Qatar this year. Due to the country’s scorching weather, the tournament will be held during winter for the first time in FIFA’s history, between November 21 and December 18. Games will also be played at night due to the hot climate, meaning viewers in New York can watch a 7 p.m. game in Qatar at noon their time.
By the numbers
Much has changed since the last World Cup kicked off in Russia four years ago. Back then, linear TV was the primary way most people watched the tournament. But the global pandemic and the rapid advance of streaming platforms have upended those behaviors. Nearly 66 million U.S. viewers plan to watch live sports through digital channels in 2022, up 19 percent year-over-year, with the World Cup serving as a major driver of this shift. In the U.S., for example, only 56 percent of those surveyed will watch the tournament via traditional, linear TV.
Meanwhile, the report found that that 59 percent of consumers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are most interested in this year’s tournament, followed by the UAE (58 percent); Germany (53 percent); Italy (52 percent); Spain (47 percent); the U.K. (40 percent); France (38 percent); and the U.S. (23 percent).
Aside from the host nation, people from Canada, England, France, Germany, India, Saudi Arabia, Spain, UAE, and the U.S. were among the countries that purchased the most tickets for the games. Nearly 2 million tickets have already been sold for this year’s tournament, according to FIFA.
And not surprisingly, interest for both the semifinals and championship matches are expected to be a massive draw for all countries included in the survey. All data was collected online and results were sampled and weighted to be representative of the general population in each country.


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Poundland have been forced to appoint a new chairman following Andrew Higginson‘s decision to move to troubled Morrisons.
Darren Shapland will take over the reigns at the discount store, which is in significantly better health than his predecessor‘s new retailer. Poundland has just undergone a successful £750m float on the stock market, opened its first branch in continental Europe and plans 60 new stores this year.
Higginson‘s departure comes fairly swiftly after the floatation, which was just four months ago, but with the process complete this shouldn‘t prove a great problem. Shapland, formerly senior independent director at Poundland, has been at the company for over six months and chief executive Jim McCarthy has suggested he will make ‘a seamless transition into the chairman‘s role‘.
Shore Capital analyst Clive Black admitted that “the change is an unwelcome surprise for Poundland” but described Shapland as “highly respected with extensive high level retail and financial experience”, concluding he is “a tremendous replacement”.
This wealth of experience began in a senior role at Burton Group/Arcadia before he became the CEO of Carpetright in 2011, only to make a shock exit in 2013. A 5 year stint as chief financial officer at Sainsburys, which he left in 2010, will have given him a great deal of know-how in the supermarket sector. He also holds current non-executive roles at Ladbrokes and Wolseley.
With Poundland suited to current trends on the British high-street, Shapland was understandably ‘delighted to be appointed chairman‘ and pledged to continue the development of the store.
Having only joined it February, Shapland‘s has shot up the ranks at the company, but it seems all agree, pound for pound, he was the best man for the job.


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London Fashion Week designer Roksanda Ilincic is set to launch a capsule shoe collection with Aldo Rise.
BY Bibby Sowray | 14 September 2012
British-based designer Roksanda Ilincic has joined Aldo Rise, the shoe brand's Fashion Week collaborations program which aims to ensure fashion designers have the ability to create and showcase the footwear they envision for their collections.
Roksanda joins Preen as one of the two fashion labels Aldo will support for the spring/summer 2013 season at London Fashion Week.
Collaborating Rise designers work intimately with Aldo to turn their visions into reality - whether it's behind-the-scenes to help produce and promote their fashion show or designing the perfect set of heels to strut a runway look. The capsule collection of footwear created will be available at Aldo stores from next week.
Designers who have previously been a part of the scheme include British fashion's current wonder boy J.W. Anderson and knitwear supremo Mark Fast.


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Saturday, 4th April 2020, Velenje
Hisense Gorenje extends production shutdown in all its factories in Europe for another week
The management of Hisense Gorenje has decided, in the light of the current situation due to the coronavirus epidemic across Europe, to extend the shutdown of all its European factories for another week, from 6 April to 10 April 2020.
Tuesday, 31st March 2020, Ljubljana
Fighting the coronavirus: Hisense Group with a big donation of medical and protective equipment to Slovenia
Today, a donation by the Hisense Group of medical protective equipment arrived from China to Slovenia, to the Roje civil defense warehouse. It is one of the major donations to Slovenia, in total Hisense donated 200,000 protective masks to our country, 2,000 sets of protective clothing and goggles for healthcare professionals, 2,000 pieces of surgical protective clothing and 500 respirators, and Hisense also donated a medical ventilator (artificial lung) and assisted in the purchase of an additional 46 medical ventilators for the country, which will arrive in Slovenia within the next two days.
Friday, 27th March 2020, Velenje
Fighting the coronavirus: In Hisense Gorenje we are helping with continued donations and education for businesses and individuals
In an effort to prevent the spreading of coronavirus, we have timely implemented strict health and safety measures in all Hisense Europe Group companies, and we have been successful at coronavirus prevention. We are sharing our experience with other companies, and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia highlighted Hisense Gorenje as an example of good practice of epidemic prevention in manufacturing companies. At the same time, we are donating protective and medical equipment to the institutions and businesses who need it most at this point. We also offered the Government of the Republic of Slovenia free use of our hotels and vehicles, should the situation regarding the spreading of coronavirus become so much worse that such support would be needed. In China we have already prepared a new large shipment of protective and medical equipment for transport to Slovenia, including 200,000 masks, 500 respirators and a ventilator (artificial lung machine) that Hisense will donate to Slovenia.
Friday, 20th March 2020, Velenje
Hisense Gorenje is stopping production for the next two weeks in all its factories across Europe
Hisense Gorenje management decided, considering the growing coronavirus epidemics across Europe, to shut down the production in all its European factories.
Saturday, 14th March 2020, Velenje, Slovenia
Fighting the coronavirus: Gorenje will donate healthcare protective equipment
Hisense Gorenje, in agreement with the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, donated 10,000 healthcare protective masks from its stock today, and in the coming days we will, with the support of the parent company Hisense in China, supply additional protective materials and equipment that is urgently needed in Slovenia and is currently lacking due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Tuesday, 11th February 2020, Paris, France
Gorenje Retro appliances on display in the Paris city center
A specialist home appliance and electronics retailer Boulanger, who is also our strategic partner in domestic appliances sales in France, displayed Gorenje’s popular Retro line of small and large domestic appliances in its storefront in the Paris city center, in the vicinity of the famous Paris opera house.
Friday, 10th January 2020, Las Vegas
At CES 2020, Hisense presents breakthrough innovations, highlighting their dedication to development of new technologies and confirms their status of technological leader
At CES 2020, Hisense is presenting their latest innovations in TV segment, smartphones, VIDAA intelligent platform, ConnectLife and many other breakthrough new products. The company that is ranking among leading global tecnological giants, has been awarded with several awards by independent user and consumer organizations.
Production AV studio
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Samsung has a couple of premium mid-range smartphones lined up for release soon, possibly next month. The Galaxy A34 5G and Galaxy A54 5G will top the company’s mid-range offerings this year, with the latter being a more premium model. Leaks about the duo have been coming for the past few months.
Android Headlines exclusively gave you early renders of the Galaxy A54 5G in December last year. A couple of months later, we are now getting a clearer look at both models thanks to fresh renders courtesy of WinFuture. The German publication has also shared key specs of the phones.
If you have been following earlier leaks about the Galaxy A34 5G and Galaxy A54 5G, you are probably already aware that Samsung is giving the mid-range duo the same rear design as its brand-new Galaxy S23 series flagships. The devices feature a triple camera setup on the back with each sensor protruding individually. There’s no camera housing here. The three sensors are aligned vertically, and the LED flash unit sits next to them. Both models get flat front and back panels, making them look even more like the Galaxy S23.
However, when you notice the display bezels, you can tell the difference. The Galaxy A34 5G and Galaxy A54 5G have thicker bezels than the new flagships. The former lacks a punch-hole selfie camera as well. Instead, Samsung is equipping it with a notched display.
The phone has a waterdrop-shaped notch at the center, which the company calls an Infinity-U display. The overall design loudly screams Samsung, which is a good thing for the company, It helps create a brand identity in the crowded smartphone market.
Galaxy A34 5G and Galaxy A54 5G rumored specs
There have been enough leaks about the Galaxy A34 5G and Galaxy A54 5G for us to get a fair idea of what to expect from Samsung’s new mid-range phones. For a quick roundup, the former features a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The latter gets a 6.4-inch panel of the same specs.
The devices are reportedly powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 900 and Samsung’s Exynos 1380 processors, respectively. The former will be available in 6GB/8GB RAM options and 128GB/256GB storage variants. The latter will have 8GB of RAM across the board, with 128GB/256GB of internal storage. Samsung may include a microSD card slot in both phones.
The Galaxy A54 5G is expected to feature a 50MP primary rear camera, paired with a 12MP ultrawide lens, a 5MP macro camera, and a 32MP selfie shooter. The Galaxy A34 5G, meanwhile, gets a 48MP primary shooter, 8MP ultrawide lens, 5MP macro camera, and 13MP selfie camera. Both should boast OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and support 4K video recording.
A 5,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging, NFC support, IP67 certification, and an under-display fingerprint scanner are other highlights of the upcoming mid-range duo. Samsung will likely unveil the phones within a few weeks.


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London's getting its mojo back! In undoubtedly the best news since lockdown, the Prime Minister has announced the reopening of the capital's restaurants, pubs and cinemas starting on July 4th. But when Super Saturday dawns there's only one place you'll want to be and that's the hallowed halls of the London Hat Museum. Book now to avoid disappointment!
While London's been locked away the good folk at the Hat Museum have been polishing their trilbies and fluffing their fedoras to make sure everything's ready for Saturday's stampede. The Helmet Gallery has been deep cleaned. The Millinery Hall has been fully sanitised. Best of all the Easter Bonnet exhibition that was supposed to have opened in late March has been left in situ and timed tickets are now available for purchase.
"We can't wait to show you our Easter collection," says Head Curator Marilyn Pettigrew, "because we don't want all the effort we put into assembling it to go to waste. Tickets are now available in half-hourly slots from 7am to 9pm to ensure that nobody misses out. Please book online because we desperately need the cashflow. Tickets are also available for our delayed Ascot Fascinators exhibition which will now open in September."
Better still, there's gin! Sunday July 5th sees the museum's first ever Raspberry Beret Spectacular, a bespoke celebration of all things juniper. London's most luxurious blends will be up for tasting, courtesy of Newman's Old Originals, in the majestic setting of the French Salon. One free drink is included in the ticket price of £35, as well as a selection of hat-shaped canapés and pesto toppers. Chapeau!
"We can't wait to welcome you to our Parisian gin soirée," says Event Coordinator Hugh Runacre. "We've worked out precisely how many people we can fit in at "one metre plus" spacing, where to put the plastic screens and how to ensure adequate ventilation. Best of all our waiting staff will be wearing protective helmets from the museum's collection, visors down, bringing our heritage archive to life. The new normal has never been so appealing."
Better still, the museum's audio handsets have not been deemed COVID-secure so the audio tour is now available via a downloadable phone app. Better still, the new one-way system leads past a selection of the finest exhibits rather than leaving you free to wander round at will. Better still the museum's gift shop has been fully restocked with an attractive range of stationery items and souvenirs left unsold for the last three months.
"We know the British public find shopping irresistible," says Lead Accountant Devi Kapur, "especially when they haven't been able to do any for months. All we ask is that they do some of that shopping here. Without immediate income the London Hat Museum faces an existential crisis, and the capital's cultural offering will be irreversibly depleted."
Expect to read something similar in hundreds of desperately upbeat press releases going forward.


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Video streaming giant, Netflix revealed that it would be rolling out its ad-supported plan on the 3rd of November. Called Basic with Ads, this ad-supported plan will cost just $6.99 a month in the US. This new price in the US is $3 lower than the current $9.99 a month Basic plan.
Netflix says that Basic with Ads will be available in 12 countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
The company had earlier mentioned in April 2022 that it was considering the ad-supported initiative in response to the loss of subscribers exacerbated by inflation, rampant password sharing, the war in Ukraine, and fierce competition
Netflix says that Basic with Ads offers all the features as Netflix’s Basic plan, with a few differences: Video quality up to 720p/HD; an average of 4 to 5 minutes of ads per hour. Also, some movies and TV shows won’t be available due to licensing restrictions and you would not have the ability to download titles.
At launch, ads will be 15 or 30 seconds in length and will play before and during shows and films. To help advertisers reach the right audience — and ensure the ads are more relevant for consumers — Netflix says it will offer broad targeting capabilities by country and genre (e.g. action, drama, romance, sci-fi). Advertisers will also be able to prevent their ads from appearing on content that might be inconsistent with their brand (e.g. sex, nudity or graphic violence).
In July 2022, we reported that Netflix partnered with Microsoft on the new ad-supported subscription plan.
Many of Netflix’s competitors are already offering cheaper, ad-supported plans. Hulu, HBO Max, NBCUniversal’s Peacock, and Paramount+ all have ad-supported plans and Disney last month announced it would introduce its ad-supported Disney+ plan late in 2022 in the U.S.


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Rice farmers seek 40% profit margin
The Sunday Nation June 8, 2014 1:00 am
Rice farmers yesterday proposed that the National Council for Peace and Order set a price for rice based on
the average production cost plus a 40 per cent profit margin so they can survive.
General Chatchai Sarikalya, deputy economic chief of the NCPO, yesterday chaired a discussion forum with the permanent secretary of the Commerce Ministry to listen to comments from the public sector and related stakeholders on how to assist rice growers.
Chatchai said eight rice farmer associations participated in the discussion and their proposals had been categorised into three key areas: reduce production costs, particularly the cost of fertilisers and insecticides; develop irrigation systems so farmers have thorough access to water sources; and improve rice quality.
“We will bring all ideas and comments gathered from the rice farmer associations, academics and related agencies to the head of NCPO next week [this week] to be further reviewed,” he said.
Vichian Phuanglamjiek, president of the Thai Rice Growers Association, said that the staging of the forum showed that all parties wanted to help farmers.
However, Vichian said rice growers still need the rice-pledging scheme as farmers throughout the Kingdom would benefit from it.
Currently, the rice price is only between Bt4,000 and Bt6,000 per tonne, meaning farmers sold rice at a loss given the average production cost was between Bt7,000 and Bt7,700 per tonne.
He said that if the NCPO or a new government wanted to abolish the rice-pledging scheme, measures should be implemented to allow farmers to stay in business. The price could be based on the average production cost plus 40 per cent profit.
This would be the equivalent of an average rice price of between Bt10,000 and Bt12,000 per tonne, allowing all farmers to survive.
Ravee Rungruang, chairman of the Western Rice Community, said that he had proposed the government sector give financial assistance to farmers – about Bt2,500 per rai – to boost production.
Ravee said a mechanism to control the amount of rice going into the market should be set up. A long-term farmer development plan should also be set up for the next five or eight years.
Vichian also proposed that the NCPO control the cost of land rental fees as a key measure to control the cost of rice production.
He said the NCPO or a new government should implement measures to control the fee at about Bt1,000 per rai per during the rice harvest season, as the fee had increased markedly over the past two years.
“The land rental fee is currently between Bt1,000 and Bt2,000 per rai compared to between Bt500 and Bt1,000 per rai a year ago,” he said.
Vichian said farmers had suffered from higher production costs during the past two years of the pledging scheme, with the cost Bt15, 000 per tonne of paddy rice. But despite pledging project ending, rental fees had not decreased.
For instance, a farmer would pay about Bt40,000 per round of rice plantation if they rented 20 rai.
Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president to the Thai Rice Exporters Association, agreed measures had to be introduced to reduce production costs.
He said costs here were high compared to some rival markets because of the high cost of agricultural equipment. The government needed to find sustainable measures to ensure low production costs and increased value to help farmers in the long run.
Similar Recent Posts by this Author:
- Poor Thai Jasmine Rice Farmers To Lose their Subsidy
- Asia Thailand – Rice Farmers threaten to join Anti – Government Protests
- Food- Retail Giants Start Milk Price War
- Cows and Farmers to the Slaughter
- Government Guaranteed Prices, Food & Trading Boards
- Milk Prices Slashed – The Food of Life – Costs Farmers more to produce in Winter.


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A federal labor official has recommended scrapping the results of an April vote against unionizing at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama and holding a new vote in its place, according to the union involved in the matter.
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union said that the hearing officer for the National Labor Relations Board determined that Amazon violated labor law in the April election, which saw workers reject the plan to unionize.
The NLRB did not immediately return The Post’s request for a copy of the hearing officer’s recommendation.
The union accused Amazon of waging “an intensive anti-union campaign” and said the e-commerce behemoth was “willing to use any and all tactics, illegal or otherwise, to stop workers from forming a union.”
“The question of whether or not to have a union is supposed to be the workers’ decision and not the employer’s,” RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum said in a statement. “Amazon’s behavior throughout the election process was despicable. Amazon cheated, they got caught, and they are being held accountable.”
The recommendation by the NLRB’s hearing officer is a key step toward potentially overturning the results of the April election.
The NLRB’s regional director will now review the evidence and could order a do-over of the election if the hearing officer’s recommendation is adopted.
In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson said “our employees had a chance to be heard during a noisy time when all types of voices were weighing into the national debate, and at the end of the day, they voted overwhelmingly in favor of a direct connection with their managers and the company.”
“Their voice should be heard above all else, and we plan to appeal to ensure that happens,” they added.
The April election, which caught national attention as it presented a potential foothold into one of the nation’s largest employers for labor organizers, saw Amazon handily defeat the unionization effort.
Only about 55 percent of the 6,000 employees at the warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., voted in the election, according to the NLRB, dealing a crushing blow to the union that had previously claimed it had secured 5,800 supporters.
Amazon needed just 1,608 votes, or a little more than half of the ballots cast, to defeat the union drive. It received 1,798, according to the National Labor Relations Board, which counted the votes.


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Designer News is where the design community meets.
over 7 years ago from Susan Lin, Product Designer @Treehouse
Yes! Flexbox is so awesome. This is a good place to start seeing what it can do: http://philipwalton.github.io/solved-by-flexbox/
I recently got to implement some sticky footers with Flexbox and it feels sooo good.
Where the design community meets.
Designer News is a large, global community of people working or interested in design and technology.
© 2022 Designer News Ltd.


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Those hoping to play Bioware's latest Anthem this year will have to wait. Today, EA confirmed the Wall Street Journal report that the game is not going to be released this year, but will aim for 2019.
EA doesn't call it a delay, but it was suppose to come out this Fall. Now, there will be a new Battlefield game released later this year.
The move might be better for the game as there's been a lot of negative feelings towards any property associated with EA. There's been a report of development issues with the game, but EA is denying the report.
Anthem was revealed to mixed reactions at E3 last year and with the huge backlash with EA's loot system in Battlefront 2, the anger from players towards how Destiny 2 is being handled, and the lackluster Mass Effect Andromeda produced from the studio, I'm sure Bioware's facing plenty of pressure to make sure the game's a huge success for them and their publisher.


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New Bing search engine powered by GPT-4 model, confirms Microsoft
An announcement of the next-generation GPT-4 AI language model has been recently made by OpenAI. However, it was revealed that Microsoft’s AI-powered Bing had already been using it.
“We are happy to confirm that the new Bing is running on GPT-4, customized for search,” according to a blog post from Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s head of consumer marketing. “If you’ve used the new Bing in preview at any time in the last six weeks, you’ve already had an early look at the power of OpenAI’s latest model.”
They were not just rumors
When Microsoft launched the new Bing, many rumors about it being powered by CPT-4 were floating around. Therefore, the confirmation did not come as a surprise. However, it was pretty interesting to witness that Microsoft had enough confidence in the model to staking the company’s reputation on it.
The AI-powered Bing Chatbot resolves your search queries with summarized answers in a more conversational way than a list of blue links. Previously, Microsoft claimed that a model called “Prometheus” powers the new Bing, but it wasn’t clear until now if it had the involvement of GPT-4.
The new Bing will benefit from the future improvements of the Open AI to “GPT-4 and beyond,” Mehdi says. The company is also getting lenient on the restrictions it implemented on the Bing AI Chatbot to keep a check on its strange behaviors. 15 turns per session would now be allowed to the users with a daily limit of 150 turns, as per Bing CVP Jordi Ribas.
Apart from the ability to process and respond to languages, Images as input are also accepted by the GPT-4. This feature is not publicly available yet and is still in preview. However, individuals witnessed the part in the OpenAI developer live stream.
Cut-off from the rest of the internet
Google's Bard AI and Microsoft envision Bing doing the same thing. They strive to serve as a pseudo gatekeeper to the rest of the information on the internet. Instead of directing users to other websites, the companies aim to build generative AI systems (Bing and Bard) that will automatically summarize and display the information without the requirement of leaving the branded search page.
March 14 has been a crucial day for AI news. Apart from the Bing confirmation and the official announcement of GPT-4, Google announced various AI features coming to Docs, Gmail, and more and opened up access to PaLM, its own AI language model.
America is rebuilding its crumbling infrastructure. Learn why now could be the perfect time to make smart roads a reality.


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Families stock up on children’s clothing for $1
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Families filled God’s Closet in Spartanburg on Sunday for their “Shop Day”.
“With school coming back and you have multiple kids, you have to buy the supplies and you also have to pay for everything. So I think it’s a blessing,” said Mom of 4 Briasia Maybin.
The Spartanburg chapter of the non-profit began in 2019 with a mission to support families.
“Not have to worry so much about getting their clothes for the children especially because children grow out of their clothes so often, so fast that they’re just constantly having to get new clothes. So, this just takes one thing off of their list that they have to buy especially with the rising prices right now,” explained Social Media Manager Summer Spears.
For one dollar each family gets 20 minutes to get as much kids clothing as you can into two bags.
1,500 families pre-registered with more coming as walk-ins.
Maybin, and her kids, were one of the families leaving with some clothes.
“I’m very big in the wintertime because you cannot get enough coats. So I got them a lot of coats and shoes,” she said.
Everything at God’s Closet, from the children’s clothing to shoes to bedding, is donated.
Those donations go right back to the community.
“Whenever we put out a statement, we need more clothes, the clothes come flooding in. The community definitely responds whenever they see the need for clothing. They come and they support us,” said Spears.
God’s Closet says they will probably have another Shop Day around Christmas time this year. Those events are open to everyone.
Copyright 2022 WHNS. All rights reserved.


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Last week at the Barcelona circuit all the SBK bikes took to the track for the only group test session, i.e. with all the teams, of the pre-season. Once again Jonathan Rea took home the honours, with the new Kawasaki beating off the competition from Ducati, Yamaha, Honda and BMW. The ZX10-RR in its new configuration has improved but the other manufacturers have certainly not been sitting idly, bringing numerous updates to the track to try to reduce the gap from Rea's bike and stop his domination in the category. Here are all the new technical features for 2021, in the GALLERY all the photos from worldSBK.com
Kawasaki - The new engine dominates, but not only that
Rea had been crying out for it and at the end of 2020 in the Jerez tests he was satisfied. The new ZX10-RR has a higher performing engine that allowed the British rider to get closer to the Ducatis in terms of top speed on the Barcelona straight.
In addition to the improvements in top speed and acceleration, the Japanese manufacturer provided the factory team with a new fairing and swingarm and some new parts on the rear of the bike. Lowes in Barcelona also tested some new winglets on the tank of the bike.
Ducati - Brakes and swingarm for Redding and Rinaldi
The Aruba team tested the new Brembo calipers and the new swingarm with Redding and Rinaldi. In the Motocorsa team with Axel Bassani the focus was on the new exhaust system while Tito Rabat and the Barni team mounted Ohlins suspension, just like those of the factory team.
Honda - Swingarm and seats, but the most important change is not visible
New swingarm also for Honda which also brought new seats for Leon Haslam and Alvaro Bautista. An updated engine was also fitted to the CBR and, although invisible, numerous advances have been made in terms of electronics.
BMW - New braking system
The new M 1000 RR from BMW is work in progress and in Barcelona there were a lot of new features. In addition to the new engine, BMW brought Sykes and van der Mark a new swingarm, winglets, a new brake system introduced by Nissin and a modified frame.
Yamaha - Fairings and brakes for Locatelli and Razgatlioglu
Razgatlioglu and Locatelli tested new fairings and Brembo brake calipers with also a new ventilation system. The engine of the R1 has also been updated. Gerloff and Nozane, on the other hand, tried the new fairing.


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The increase of 75 points for rates, decided by the European Central Bank, inevitably affects the pockets of households. According to Codacons estimates, for a 25-year variable rate loan of 250 thousand euros, an additional 90 euros per month will be paid
The effect that the increase in interest rates of 75 points, decided by the ECB, will bring on variable rate mortgages will not be painless for households. According to the estimates of the Codacons, for a loan of 150 thousand euros to 25 years, the monthly payment will go from 590 euros to 643 euros, that is 53 euros more per month, 636 euros per year. For a loan of 200 thousand euros always at 25 years, the association then estimates, the monthly payment will go from 787 euros to 858 euros, +71 euros per month and +852 euros per year. It is worse for those who have taken out heavier and longer-term loans: on a mortgage from 250 thousand euros to 30 years, the monthly payment rises from 847 euros to 937 euros, with an increase of 90 euros per month and a greater outlay equal to 1,080 euros on an annual basis.
“We had foreseen last August the sting on mortgages that would be triggered in the autumn, and unfortunately our fears have been confirmed. The increase in the cost of loans thus adds to the high bills and the price emergency, further aggravating the Italian families “, comments the president Carlo Rienzi.


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Over 10% of Kalyan Jewelers India’s shares were lost. In a significant trade at Rs 105 in the early trading session on Tuesday, block deals discuss the exchange of 2.74 percent equity. In the last five trading sessions, the stock has lost more than 8%.
Approx 2.8 crore shares (2.74% value) worth 312 crore hands have changed on a normal 108 for each offer on Tuesday, as indicated by a CNBC-TV18 report. The update could not be independently verified by Mint.
The consolidated profit after tax (PAT) of Kalyan Jewelers India increased by more than 10% in the 148 crores for the quarter that ended on December 31, 2022 (Q3 FY23). The net benefit of the jewelery retailer was 134.5 crore in the October-December quarter of the last monetary year.
The company’s consolidated revenue increased by 13% from 3,435 crore in the prior year to 3,884 crore in the current quarter. The company announced its intention to open 52 showrooms in 2023 during the recently concluded quarter.
“Despite the sustained rise in the price of gold, we are witnessing an uptick in revenue and footfalls across all markets, primarily driven by demand from the ongoing wedding season. Over the past three, we have put in a lot of time and effort as part of this strategy. constructing our internal resources took four months. “Before Akshaya Tritiya, we have massively hired around 900 personnel for over 20 showrooms, which is the highest ever in the history of the company and the highest ever employee growth in a single quarter,” executive director Ramesh Kalyanaraman of Kalyan Jewelers India stated in the earnings release.


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Funding will fuel Freespee’s accelerated profitable growth across Europe
Freespee, the software company that helps consumer brands better engage and convert online customers via a suite of enterprise cloud communications solutions, today announced a €9.5 million strategic investment from Verdane Capital IX.
The company expects revenue to grow by 80% in 2018 and is gearing up for continued profitable growth.
The investment will enable Freespee to accelerate the development of its unique solutions stack. The company is investing heavily in R&D, AI and product development to cope with market demand. The company will double its engineering team by the end of the year and will be hiring across its five European offices in engineering, data science, business development, customer success and marketing.
The company has recently signed deals with Fiat, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Club Med, E-on and eBay to name a few.
The investment was led by Verdane’s Partner Pål Malmros, who leads the fund’s B2B software arm and who will be joining Freespee’s Board of Directors alongside earlier investors Ventech, Inventure and Sunstone.
“We are delighted to welcome Verdane as strategic investor and I look forward to working with our fantastic team, the board and our great founders to drive excellence at Freespee during this period of hyper growth. An investor of Verdane’s calibre also puts us in a very strong strategic position as we explore future opportunities in new markets”, said Anne de Kerckhove, CEO of Freespee.
“I am very pleased to welcome Pål Malmros to the Board and to the investor group. We at Sunstone have had the privilege of working with Verdane previously and have no doubt that this investment represents yet another important step in the continued success of Freespee.” said Freespee’s Chairman, Jørgen Smidt, who is a Venture Partner with Sunstone.
“Freespee’s platform is delivering mission critical revenue impact for its clients by drastically increasing sales conversion. This, together with the team’s obsession with customer success, is what attracted us to the company. I’m looking forward to working with the Board and the team to help the company realise its huge potential”, said Pål Malmros from Verdane Capital.


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Do We Need a Digital Turnover Tax?
In March the European Commission announced a proposal for a “Digital Services Tax” (DST) to be levied on the turnover of “digital” businesses. Governments would impose a DST at a rate of 3 per cent on revenues from “digital services” on companies with revenue of at least €50 million in the EU and €750 million worldwide. Inspired by the Commission’s proposals, a number of countries around the world are proposing similar taxes on digital businesses whose operating models, they say, threaten their tax base and place bricks and mortar businesses at an unfair disadvantage. The UK has announced that it intends to implement a 2 per cent turnover tax on U.S. tech giants that it says will raise $1.9 billion. Similar proposals are now emerging from countries in the Asia-Pacific, including India and South Korea, and from countries in Central and South America.
Are digital taxes the right response to the particular business models of businesses that make use of digital platform? In an economy that is becoming more digital are digital businesses all that different?
Places at this event are limited. If you would like to attend then please contact: Paul MacDonnell


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We’re starting off this 3D Printing News Briefs edition with some good news from Xometry – this week, it announced the availability of Carbon DLS technology as one of its process options. Moving on, Markforged published a case study and Aeromet announced new properties for its A20X powder. Finally, HP has launched a design competition.
Xometry Offering Carbon DLS Technology
Just this week, custom on-demand manufacturing network Xometry announced that it will be offering Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology by Carbon as one of its available 3D printing process options, in addition to SLS, SLA, FDM, DMLS, PolyJet, and HP’s Multi Jet Fusion. Through its Instant Quoting Engine, Xometry customers can get quotes, design feedback, and lead times for production-grade parts 3D printed with Carbon’s DLS. You can learn more about how to get the most out of this technology, and the Xometry platform, during a live webinar on Wednesday, August 14, from 12 – 1 pm; each attended will be entered to win a pair of Adidas Futurecraft 4D shoes with 3D printed soles by Carbon.
“We are very excited to add Carbon’s cutting-edge DLS technology to Xometry’s capabilities. Our additive customers have been asking us for it due to its reputation for speed and quality,” stated Bill Cronin, Xometry’s Chief Revenue Officer.
Dunlop Uses Markforged 3D Printer to Save Money
UK manufacturing company Dunlop Systems and Components mostly makes air suspensions, which are utilized by trains and heavy machinery. The tooling team was having a bottleneck issue with making replacement parts, such as a fixture to hold parts in place during hydraulic crimping, and needed a solution that would save the company time and money. So Mark Statham, the company’s Production and Engineering Manager, went to a talk held by Markforged partner Mark 3D, and realized that he had found the solution. The company purchased the Markforged Onyx 3D printer, and has been using it to make replacement products like the crimping fixture, which was previously warping due to heat, as well as custom tooling for a beta electric vehicle. By using 3D printing to fabricate all tooling, the Dunlop team is seeing significantly reduced lead times, and estimates it will save a total of roughly £40,000 a year.
“Our department’s almost got bragging rights because we can now say that we don’t hold up any program,” Statham said in the Markforged case study on the relationship. “If you want something done, we can now print it within a couple of days. So we’re not holding anyone up.”
Aeromet Announces New Properties for A20X Alloy
UK foundry specialist Aeromet International is known for developing the world’s strongest commercially available aluminum casting alloy, A20X. Now, after the HighSAP research project, which Aeromet collaborated on with Rolls-Royce and Renishaw, the company announced that its patented alloy has achieved new record-breaking properties after surpassing the critical 500 MPa UTS mark. Heat-treated parts for the NATEP-backed project, which were 3D printed with A20X Powder, have achieved an Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) of 511 MPa, a Yield Strength of 440 MPa, and and Elongation of 13%, which solidifies its standing as one of the strongest aluminium AM powders commercially available.
“Since bringing the A20X alloy to market for additive manufacturing 5 years ago we have seen significant adoption for high-strength, design-critical applications,” stated Mike Bond, Director of Advanced Material Technology at Aeromet. “By working with Rolls-Royce, Renishaw and PSI we have optimised processing parameters that led to record-breaking results, opening up new design possibilities for aerospace and advanced engineering applications.”
HP Launches New 3D Printing Design Competition
Artificial intelligence, robotics, big data/analytics, and the Internet of Things will all have an important part to play in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but 3D printing could have one of the most important parts of all, which means that we need more designers who can use the technology in production applications. With that mindset, HP has launched a design competition that will focus on color use, functionality, and aesthetic appeal of 3D printed products.
“Color is opening up a world of new possibilities for 3D printing. It’s helping surgeons create models to prepare for surgery, allowing manufacturers to develop better parts, and enabling customization not previously possible,” the contest site states.
“How would you use color to elevate 3D printing? Show us by submitting your color design to our competition for a chance to win an HP ZBook 15 G5 Mobile Workstation.”
The deadline to enter is September 5th; the public can vote for their favorite, and the winner will be announced by October 15. Designs should focus on extended or new functional color ideas that “benefit the product’s consumer” and expand its function, and applicants should be able to explain why 3D printing is the best production choice for their idea. For more contest information, including general guidelines, how to enter, and the judging criteria, check out the contest page here.
Discuss these stories and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.
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