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The Associated Press
SANTA FE — Political finger-pointing has started over New Mexico losing out to Nevada as a site for Tesla Motors’ a battery factory.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gary King said Wednesday that the electric car maker didn’t select New Mexico because of “a failure of leadership” by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, his general election opponent.
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Merck, USP Team Up to Combat Counterfeit Drugs in Africa
The Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF) will partner with USP’s Center for Pharmaceutical Advancement and Training in Ghana to provide training. GPHF will also donate a mini-laboratory that can be used for rapid drug quality verification and counterfeit detection.
Roger Bate, an economist with the American Enterprise Institute, said Oct. 29 that at least five percent of products in the emerging world are unfit for patient use, whether they are falsified, substandard or degraded.
Early in October, Interpol seized almost 100 tons of counterfeit pharmaceuticals as part of a massive operation with coordinated raids and inspections occurring in Angola, Malawi, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia. The seized drugs, both branded and generic, are estimated to be worth approximately $3.5 million, Interpol said.
A February study conducted by USP, the Ghana Food and Drug Authority and USAID illustrates the problem. Researchers reviewed 303 samples of the childbirth drugs oxytocin and ergonovine distributed in Ghana and found that more than 90 percent failed active ingredient or sterility tests.
The FDA is also working to address counterfeit drugs in Africa. The agency plans to test its Counterfeit Detection Device, called CD-3, there to analyze products and their packaging and make sure they match authentic products.
No company wants their drug illegally copied and distributed. Defending Your Brand From Attack By Drug Counterfeiters and Illegal Diverters New Strategies for China and Worldwide will train you to keep an eye out for counterfeiters and prevent distribution of illegal copies of your products. Sign up today to enhance your understanding of how to prevent counterfeiting.

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text: Well, that was quick. Having launched his namesake label in 2010, Wes Gordon can already count Michelle Obama as a fan and was recently named a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. The 26-year-old designer's core clientele is a gala-going group of ladies who lunch, but today's Spring presentation, which also attracted downtown darlings including Annabelle Dexter-Jones and Garance Doré, proved that Gordon has his eye trained on a hipper crowd, too. The new lineup was inspired by mystical tarot cards (see: the hand-painted swan print) and was "a little tougher and more sinister—with a bite," as the designer put it. Compared to seasons past, Gordon decidedly ratcheted up the sex appeal here, with a corseted foil-leather trench, vampy Chantilly lace blouses, and ultra-slim tulle pants embellished with sparkly Swarovski elements. The killer stilettos (Gordon's third collaboration with Manolo Blahnik) featuring lace-up ankle straps deserve a shout-out, too, even though you couldn't help but sympathize with the pained look in the teetering models' eyes. Still, Gordon was careful to balance those sultrier pieces with more straightforward, sophisticated ones like a lipstick red bias-cut dress with a high neckline and asymmetrical hem. That should keep his Bergdorf base—out in full force this morning, and all wearing Gordon numbers—coming back for more.


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SOUTH KOREA: Hyundai agrees to hire temporary workers
Hyundai Motor has agreed to hire a further 2,000 temporary workers on a permanent basis from 2017, as the company looks to put an end to a key source of disagreement with its labour unions. Last year, the company had already agreed to award full-time contracts to 4,000 temporary workers in 2017.
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New CEO brings strong skill set to CFORTH
A true international Business Leader has joined CFORTH! Fredrik Staël von Holstein has today joined CFORTH as the company’s Chief Executive Officer.
CEO of nine companies
Fredrik is a high-level Swedish executive with a long and successful career from working in dynamic and fast-growing companies and industries. Specialized as a turn-around expert, Fredrik has been the CEO of no less than nine international corporations.
Moreover, he has worked in a wide range of industries, from education and travel, media, group buying, telemarketing, e-commerce, and online gambling. Fredrik now joins CFORTH after working 7 years in the online gaming industry in Malta, which is one of the world’s fastest growing, and most digitally advanced, dynamic and competitive industries.
Fredrik SvH comments:
It’s an absolute joy to join CFORTH! I am looking forward in helping to grow this company into a successful, international business, while always staying true to what I feel is the backbone of CFORTH: our corporate values, that are based on “Fairness”.
We have decided that Fairness is what customers will get by doing business with us and we will achieve “fairness” by always sticking to our moto of Transparency, Security and Value. It will be a pleasure to build this company and I’m excited and looking forward to the years ahead as I’m 100% certain that it’ll be a joy ride!
Here’s a look back at Fredrik’s exciting professional career!
Chief Executive Officer of Evoke Gaming Ltd
Between 2015-19, Fredrik was the CEO of Evoke Gaming Ltd, a company with 120 employees. Fredrik quickly turned Evoke into a data driven business with a focus on business intelligence, automation and CRM monetization. In only two years, Fredrik had taken Evoke from losses of € -10M to a break-even result and in 2018 he successfully sold the company to Mr Green, one of Europe’s most well-known and largest online casino operators. Since 2019 he has run his own Maltese management consultancy company.
Chief Marketing Officer of Mr Green
Prior to his role at Evoke, between 2014-15, Fredrik was the CMO of Mr Green. At Mr Green, which was quoted on Swedish NASDAQ, he was instrumental in improving the yearly sales growth by over 30%. The strong sales results were primarily achieved by massive improvements to the customer journey as well as the establishment of a VIP department – all falling under Fredrik’s area of responsibility.
Chief Executive Officer of Direct Printer Service
Between 2007-13, Fredrik ran a telemarketing business that sold office supplies throughout Europe from offices in three countries. During these years, and under Fredrik’s leadership, DPS delivered stable and continuous financial profits.
Chief Executive Officer of Metro
Between 2002-06, Fredrik was the CEO of the Metro newspaper in the Czech Republic/ Eastern Europe/ Spain and Portugal. While he launched Metro from scratch in Portugal, in Spain he turned a -5 million loss making operation around in only 2 years. Metro was, at the time, the world’s most read daily newspaper with almost 20 million readers world-wide.
Chief Operating Officer (acting CEO) of LetsBuyIt.com
Between 1998-2001, Fredrik was part of the Swedish .com revolution: as the COO (and acting CEO) of LetsBuyIt.com, he played an instrumental part in growing sales from € 0 to € 30 million in only 3 years. By the year 2000, LetsBuyIt was shipping 1 million parcels across the European Union. LetsBuyIt was the world’s first group buying company. At the end of the 1990ies, during the .com era, it was also one of Europe’s most famous internet companies.
Chief Executive Officer of Interactive Television
In 1996-98, Fredrik was the CEO of Interactive Television in Spain, a company he also turned around, going from losses to profitability in his second year. The company produced and commercialized the Teletext for the National TV channel Telecinco, and also for the Regional TV channel Telemadrid.
Country Product Manager of EF Language Travel
Fredrik started his career in 1993 with EF Education. Between 1993-96, he was the Country Product Manager for EF in Sweden and Mexico. EF Education is the world’s largest education company.
A true international profile joins CFORTH!
Fredrik has lived in 13 countries and stock-listed 2 companies. He speaks Swedish, English, German and Spanish and, as some of his fellow Swedes, he also understands Norwegian and Danish.


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Samsung Galaxy S11+ Leak Hints At Bodacious 5000 mAh Battery, Buttery 120Hz Display
MWC 2020 will be here before you know it, and at that event, many expect Samsung to go official with its new Galaxy S11 family. The line is expected to include the Galaxy S11+, Galaxy S11, Galaxy S11e smartphones. A new leak has surfaced, and this one drops hints about the battery and the screen the S11+ will use.
One of the leaks shares an image of a battery alleged to go inside the Galaxy S11+, as verified by the SafetyKorea South Korean certification database. The database page mentions the SM-G988 smartphone, which was previously linked to the Galaxy S11+. A photo of the battery surfaced as well with markings that indicate its typical capacity is 5,000 mAh, and the rated capacity is 4,885 mAh.
Samsung has recently marketed battery sizes based on the typical capacity while it used the rated capacity in the past. Assuming the leak is accurate, this will be the largest battery that Samsung has ever used inside a Galaxy S or Note device. Samsung has used larger batteries in other devices, such as its Galaxy M30 with a 6,000 mAh battery.
The big battery will be needed to give run time expected for a flagship device that is using a 6.9-inch AMOLED display. The display is rumored to have a 120Hz refresh rate. That high refresh rate has been hinted at by the OneUI 2.0 beta that was for the Galaxy Note 9, which supported configuration for 120Hz. The device is expected to support 60Hz refresh rate as well. Other rumors have suggested that the smartphone will support 5G and use a Snapdragon 865. A rumor from a few days ago indicates that the S11 will have a 108MP main camera with 5x zoom.


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China, like Europe, has one of the most electric vehicle consuming markets, so it’s no surprise that most manufacturers are trying to offer such a full range of battery models. Honda, which was one of the first to offer hybrid engines in its vehicles, is today among the manufacturers offering the lowest supply of electrified or 100% electric vehicles. But that is about to change.
In recent days, the Japanese manufacturer has announced that it will start marketing in China the rechargeable hybrid-powered CR-V, which will be the first model of its kind for the Asian country.
But the most important thing to appeal to Chinese drivers will be the introduction of e: concept. Regardless of the fact that the name of the SUV has to change for the version to be produced in series, this will be the first electric Honda to be produced in high volume.
It is not known what is the origin of the batteries that the e: concept will use, let alone the respective type or capacity. However, it has been announced that the new battery-powered SUV will use the latest driver assistance systems, as well as the latest Honda Sensing and Honda Connect.


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Hulu is trying to flex its muscles and prove it’s bulking up to be a top contender in the streaming TV ring.
The company has now surpassed 20 million U.S. subscribers, Hulu announced at its 2018 upfront event Tuesday in New York. The number, an 18% increase since the end of 2017, includes both Hulu’s live-TV package and standalone on-demand service.
In something of a coup in its battle with Netflix, Hulu announced a multiyear deal with DreamWorks Animation, giving it exclusive U.S. streaming rights for the studio’s library titles, new releases starting in 2019, and new original series to bow in 2020.
The pact is Hulu’s largest deal for kids and family programming to date. DWA has had a five-year relationship with Netflix, which had committed to spending $1.5 billion with the studio under their initial 2013 deal; however, the Hulu deal doesn’t mean the Netflix-DWA relationship is ending. Last month, DreamWorks Animation Television announced a “Fast & Furious” animated series is in the works for Netflix, as part of a extension of their deal to focus on animated adaptations of Universal Pictures film franchises.
Also on the content front, Hulu clinched an exclusive streaming deal for “The Good Doctor,” ABC’s breakout new primetime drama of the 2017-18 season. To no one’s surprise, Hulu renewed “The Handmaid’s Tale” for a third season, bringing back the buzzy, award-winning dystopian drama series. Hulu also announced series orders for “Four Weddings and a Funeral” from Mindy Kaling and “Ramy,” a Muslim-American comedy from Ramy Youssef and Jerrod Carmichael.
Unlike Netflix, Hulu has a story to sell to advertisers. Hulu said it will begin selling dynamically inserted ads in the Hulu With Live TV service starting later in the second quarter of 2018, coming a year after it launched the $40-per-month bundle. And it announced it will offer the industry’s first ad-supported downloadable content, slated to launch with the 2018-19 TV season.
True, Hulu’s 20 million subscribers are still less than half the domestic base of Netflix, which tallied 56.7 million U.S. streaming subs at the end of Q1. But Hulu believes its combo of live TV and streaming VOD gives it a unique position in the market.
“Hulu is the complete TV experience for consumers, offering both live and on-demand programming and more consumer choice than ever before,” CEO Randy Freer said at the event. Hulu’s upfront, part of the 2018 Digital Content NewFronts series, was held at the recently redubbed Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden after the streamer bought the naming rights in March.
In a new feature sure to delight some Hulu customers, the service later this month will let users to no longer show recommendations for content they aren’t interested in, head of experience Ben Smith announced. The example he used on stage: “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”
Over the past year, time spent watching Hulu has grown by more than 60%. The No. 1 show on Hulu last year, as the company previously revealed in December, was “South Park” — viewers watched 135 million hours of the irreverent animated comedy in 2017, chief marketing officer Kelly Campbell said. That’s been boosted by the “virtual” pay-TV service, which offers 50-plus channels including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC in most markets. In addition, Hulu said that 78% of viewing on the service takes place on internet-connected TVs.
Hulu’s DreamWorks Animation deal stands to be another carrot to lure new customers. Under the agreement, Hulu will become the exclusive U.S. streaming home to future theatrical releases from the studio beginning in 2019, including upcoming franchise films “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” “The Boss Baby 2” and “Trolls 2,” in the pay-one window (which historically has gone to premium cable networks). It will also expand Hulu’s film lineup in the coming years with a catalog of library films from the studio including “Shrek,” “Shrek 2” and “Shark Tale.”
Furthermore, Hulu will be the home to a slate of new, original series based on characters from DreamWorks Animation’s franchises and upcoming feature films. DreamWorks Animation Television will develop and produce the series, expected to hit Hulu beginning in 2020.
“The Good Doctor” comes to Hulu under a deal with Sony Pictures Television, joining Hulu’s lineup of exclusive licensed content. The agreement covers the full first season of the series, which is now streaming on Hulu. Future episodes will become available the day after broadcast on ABC. Last year, Hulu acquired exclusive SVOD rights to NBC’s “This Is Us,” the No. 1 new broadcast drama of the 2016-17 season.
ABC recently renewed “The Good Doctor” for a second season, after it became the network’s most-watched freshman series in 13 years. The show stars Freddie Highmore (“Bates Motel”) as Dr. Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome who joins the staff of a prestigious hospital.
Hulu also touted its slate of upcoming originals. Those include “Castle Rock,” Hulu’s second project from J.J. Abrams and Stephen King set to premiere on July 25; “Catch-22,” from George Clooney and starring Kyle Chandler; “The First,” from Beau Willimon and starring Sean Penn; and “Little Fires Everywhere,” from Reese Witherspoon and Kerri Washington. On Wednesday, it announced “Into the Dark” as the name of the previously announced horror anthology series from Blumhouse Television, with feature-length episodes to debut monthly starting in October.
At the event, Hulu brought out talent involved in its upcoming originals. Those included Mindy Kaling, who noted it was her fourth straight Hulu upfront, after previously appearing to pitch her sitcom “The Mindy Project,” which the streamer picked up for three seasons it was canceled at Fox.
Kaling said the 10-episode “Four Weddings and a Funeral” series will feature a diverse cast — Pakistani people, black people, and old people (but not “too many” old people), adding, “Don’t worry, there will be plenty of white people, too.” She also took shots at Netflix — “Hulu doesn’t just drown you with 12 episodes of a show all at once, and then an Adam Sandler movie every other week” — and Amazon, saying that Hulu “isn’t an add-on from the place you buy tampons and garden hoses.” The jokes drew laughs from the crowd, meant to convey Hulu’s posture as the scrappy underdog against the two much larger, global powerhouses.
In the advertising-specific portion of Hulu’s pitch, the company said it will introduce the dynamic ad-insertion capabilities for Hulu With Live TV across select cable networks in Q2 before rolling out to additional channels over the coming months.
Since launching the live TV package in May 2017, Hulu has steadily added local stations to now offer almost 600 across the U.S. But other than adding HBO and Cinemx as premium options, the Hulu With Live TV national lineup hasn’t made major changes. Hulu carries networks from its parent companies — Comcast/NBCUniversal, Disney, 21st Century Fox and Time Warner (Turner) — as well as CBS, A+E Networks, and Scripps.
Also at the upfront, Hulu announced that it has selected Nielsen’s Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) over-the-top video measurement service as its “currency of business” across the platform. Hulu’s advertisers can use DAR to measure, guarantee and report campaign audience delivery across all desktop, mobile and connected devices.
Meanwhile, Hulu’s forthcoming ad-supported download feature will let subscribers watch TV shows and movies on mobile devices — without needing an internet connection. For advertisers, it will represent a brand-new environment for targeting “engaged viewers who love the experience of watching television, wherever they may be,” said Peter Naylor, Hulu’s SVP of ad sales.
Finally, the company announced four new ad-metrics partnerships. Hulu will now offer attribution across the auto category with IHS Markit’s Polk Campaign Measurement Solutions and in the retail category with Nielsen Buyer Insights. Hulu also will deliver an expanded offering for consumer packaged goods brands with IRI’s attribution solution. Under a deal with Experian, Hulu’s advertisers will be able to cross-reference their customer data with Hulu’s first-party data to better track sales growth on the platform.
Correction: An earlier version of this article said Netflix was ending its relationship with DreamWorks Animation. In fact, the two companies extended their partnership last month, with a focus on animated series adapted from Universal Pictures film franchises.


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Sears Canada will likely continue selling off its store leases including those held as joint ventures, according to sources. It just sold off 8 more store leases for a total of about $315 million in the province of Quebec, though these particular Sears stores will be staying open for now. Each of these leases is a 50% joint venture interest that Sears Canada holds with The Westcliff Group of Companies. The purchaser of these leases is Montez Income Properties Corporation.
More interestingly, Sears Canada is seeking to liquidate real estate assets before its possible bankruptcy, according to another source. Page 73 of Sears Canada’s 2012 Annual Report provides a list of joint venture leases (see below). Of the 10 joint venture leases that Sears Canada had with Westcliff Group, only 8 have been sold, meaning that Sears could possibly sell two more. The company also has three joint venture leases with landlord Ivanhoe Cambridge, namely for Sears stores at Winnipeg’s Kildonan Place, Les Rivières Shopping Centre and Les Galeries de Hull. These three joint ventures are only 15-20% interests that our source thinks could be sold next.
A retail analyst further notes that Sears Canada’s dividend payouts point to an otherwise gloomy future for the retailer. Keith Howlett of Desjardins Securities mentioned to the Toronto Star that in the first half of 2013, Sears Canada generated a loss from its retailing operations before tax of $56.9 million, while its profit before tax from joint venture real estate investments was $5.8 million. Howlett expects Sears Canada to pay a special dividend to shareholders before the end of 2013, and he estimates it to be as high as $6/share given recent lease sell-backs.
We see these dividends as indicative of a company seeking to cash-out its real estate, rather than a company looking to reinvest profits in a turnaround.
We’ll continue to report on the winding-down of Sears Canada, as our source speculates that the company may no longer be in operation by the Spring of 2014.


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One year after opening its first location, Walmart Health plans to expand its services to operate 22 facilities by the end of 2021, according to a blog post written by Lori Flees, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Walmart U.S. Health and Wellness.
It expects to open seven new locations in Georgia by the end of the fiscal year and two more in the Chicago area this fall. Seven locations are expected to be built in Jacksonville, Florida, with at least one set to open in early 2021, Flees said. The company has also begun the process of expanding into the Orlando and Tampa markets.
Walmart Health's care centers will be built in communities in need of affordable, accessible preventative care, according to Flees.
To build the new locations, Walmart Health has partnered with BLOX, a maker of medical modules. Through the partnership, the location in Newnan, Georgia was built, which will serve as the prototype for future iterations.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT?
Walmart Health clinics offer primary and urgent care, counseling, dental, optometry and hearing services to those with or without insurance.
Prices at the flagship clinic range from $40 for an office visit to $60 for a new patient intake counseling visit. Adult teeth cleanings starting at $25.
With more than 3,500 Walmart Supercenters in the U.S., the company has the infrastructure, price structure and recognizable name to disrupt the primary care space.
Flees' blog post boasts of an increase in visits, saying more than 50% of appointments are booked by returning patients.
THE LARGER TREND
The first of its Walmart Health locations opened in Dallas, Georgia, last year, along with an online appointment booking platform. More recently, Walmart expanded its digital health foothold by acquiring CareZone's tech platform.
Walmart isn't alone in transforming from just a pharmacy retailer to a fully operating healthcare clinic. CVS' HealthHub announced plans to open another 1,500 locations by the end of 2021. Walgreens, in collaboration with VillageMD, announced its plan to open 500 to 700 full-service doctors' offices within its stores over the next five years.
ON THE RECORD
"Our experience this year has made two things clear: Walmart Health is having a real impact on increasing access to care in our communities, and there are more neighbors who need our help," Flees said in her post. "The past few months in particular have exposed the vulnerabilities of our healthcare system and left many without access to adequate health resources. We know our customers need us now more than ever, which is why we're announcing an expansion of Walmart Health today."
Email the writer: firstname.lastname@example.org


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Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume, has officially launched its services in Singapore. According to TechCrunch, the launch of the service comes just six months after the crypto exchange received an investment from Vertex, a VC firm that is backed by Singapore-based sovereign fund Temasek. Binance has notably been testing its services in Singapore since late 2018 and has been working with Singapore regulator, MAS.
Binance describes itself as a blockchain ecosystem comprised of Exchange, Labs, Launchpad, Info, Academy, Trust Wallet, and Blockchain Charity Foundation (BCF). The exchange also claims it is one of the fastest and most popular cryptocurrency exchange platforms in the world, capable of processing over 1.4 million orders per second. Binance also focuses on security, robustness, and execution speed, which attracts enthusiasts and professional traders alike.
“The Binance exchange provides access to hundreds of digital currency pairs, while maintaining security, liquidity and high-speed. The platform offers some of the lowest trading costs in the industry at 0.1% or even less through the use of Binance Coin. The exchange strives to give its users access to some of the latest blockchain/DLT technologies with new cryptocurrencies being listed all the time.”
TechCrunch also reported that Binance’s Singapore launch is the exchange’s third launch, with exchanges now available in Uganda and Jersey. The Singapore exchange allows customers to purchase Bitcoin only and at fixed prices.


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This latest figure is up 8% from the 37 million monthly active users Amazon announced in September.
Fire TV started life in 2014 as an inexpensive streaming stick, but the range has since been expanded to include the Fire TV Cube which promises hands-free TV control, Fire TV soundbars and full-blown TV sets.
Amazon’s statement also reinforces Fire TV’s lead ahead of Roku, which recorded 32.3 million monthly active device users in November.
Amazon will hope to see that figure increase significantly over the coming months and years, with it being previously reported that the company will look to expand Fire TV outside the UK and Germany.
The company at CES announced that its Fire TV soundbars will gain support for Dolby Atmos, HDMI switching, far-field microphones for Alexa and device control. At the show, Amazon also announced the expansion of its Fire TV Edition programme, with the scheme now being available to what it calls telecom operators, ‘certified solutions providers’ such as audio integrators and carmakers with BMW and Chrysler already signed up.


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Fraud experts have warned internet shoppers to be extra vigilant after three people were jailed for conning thousands of customers of the online auction site eBay.
Romanian couple Nicolae and Adriana Cretanu, of Leytonstone, east London, and George Titar, of Stratford, east London, stole more than GBP 250,000 over a 22-month period.
The fraudsters advertised items – ranging from motor vehicles, sporting events, binoculars, electrical items and parachute trousers – on eBay. But none of the goods existed.
Victims sent money via Western Union transfer to one of the trio’s 12 aliases and the fraudsters were then able to pick up the payment within minutes of it being sent. This was then transferred out of UK jurisdiction back to Romania.
Last week Nicolae Cretanu was sentenced to three-and-a-half years’ imprisonment while Adriana Cretanu and George Titar were jailed for two-and-a-half years each.
Detective Chief Superintendent Nigel Mawer, Head of the Economic and Specialist Crime Unit at the Metropolitan Police, said: ‘This is a significant operational success by the Economic and Specialist Crime Unit against an international organised criminal network using internet auction sites and money transfer to make significant profit by defrauding ordinary members of the public.
‘Do not use money transfer to send money to someone whose identity you do not know.’
Our advice is to use eBay’s official payment system, PayPal, and check the seller is a verified PayPal seller.


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Brits receive over 420,000 scam emails every hour, researchers have found.
According to a study by life assistance company CPP, 3.7 billion phishing emails were sent in the UK over the last 12 months. A quarter of people have fallen victim to online scams, with the average victim losing over £285.
The research found that one person every seven seconds falls victim to fraudsters, with fake bank emails being the most common method (55 per cent).
Over half of victims received false lottery or prize draw notifications, while half were targeted by foreign cons.
Cyber criminals are also increasingly targetting social networking sites. Nearly a fifth of Brits have received fake Facebook messages claiming to be from friends or family.
Nicole Sanders, identity fraud expert at CPP, said: "It seems that not a day goes by without a new case of online fraud hitting the headlines. But what’s concerning is that consumers are still falling victim.”
Reformed computer hacker Robert Schifreen added: "Staying safe online is easy if you follow some basic precautions. Never type your credit card number, password, or any other confidential information into a web site unless its address begins with https and your browser displays the ‘closed padlock’ symbol. These indicate that the site is safe and that your data is encrypted.
"Also, make sure your antivirus software subscription is up to date and that your computer is configured to automatically download protective software."


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The poll, carried out by the UK's food watchdog, the Food Standards Agency (FSA), reveals that despite growing pressure on food makers to help address the worrying rise in obesity, the UK consumer is still much more likely to blame individual parents for food choices rather than industry.
When asked to list responsibility for improving children's diets in order of importance, 88 per cent of consumers selected parents first, 43 per cent thought that schools were second most responsible, while food manufacturers came third (30 per cent) and broadcasters fourth (26 per cent).
The answers, from a sample of 2000 adults, did however show awareness of the need for help and assistance from schools, food manufacturers and government in order for parents to take action. But they appear to take little account of recent reports from lobby groups claiming a direct link between the advertising of sweets, snacks and other fatty foods to children and the deterioration in their health.
The FSA is holding a public debate in London tonight, 'Defusing the diet timebomb', to address the way foods are currently promoted and advertised to children. It follows peer-reviewed research published by the agency in September 2003 which found that food promotion to children has an effect on their food choices and behaviour.
A paper produced in November proposed a number of policy options, including sponsorship, advertising, labelling, endorsements, in-store activity and loyalty schemes to promote healthier foods for children, prompting several food associations to respond.
There has been a dramatic increase in obesity among British children in recent years and it is thought that one in 10 six-year-olds is currently obese. The poll findings underline the major opportunity for food and drink manufacturers to make healthier products for children, likely to be welcomed with open arms by the vast majority of parents.The Board of the Food Standards Agency will consider Agency policy and recommendations to Government on the way foods are promoted and advertised to children at its open Board meeting on 11 March.
The debate is being broadcast live on Sky Digital Channel 687 and live on the FSA website. Views and opinions discussed at the event will contribute towards shaping the proposals on policy options that will be considered by the Agency's Board in March.


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Clothes lines boom as we ditch tumble dryers
As a must- have mod con in the Seventies, it helped banish another element of those wash day blues.
Back to basics: We are falling out of love with the tumble dryer.
But the tumble dryer has never been a perfect solution. Aside from occasionally shrinking your favourite jumper, it was never particularly cheap to run - nor eco-friendly.
Which might explain why so many of us are turning back to the clothes line and peg.
Stores are reporting a 20% rise in sales of outside airers and washing pegs as families realise that ditching the tumble dryer is not only green, but bank balance friendly too.
B&Q says that each week it now sells more than 5,000 outdoor rotary airers, the modern day equivalent of the washing line, and 15,000 pegs.
According to the Energy Savings Trust an average of £60 can be saved on electricity bills every year by simply turning off the tumble dryer.
If the 60% of British households that use them decided to switch the dryer off, there would be a total saving of £720m.
It would also reduce carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to taking 960,000 cars off the roads.
But it seems that it's not that easy for us to step back in time.
Separate research found that one in five of us would be too embarrassed about hanging out our 'Bridget Jones' pants or control underwear in front of the neighbours.
More than two-fifths admit to having hidden underwear behind larger items when hanging it outside and many more women than men do this. The survey, carried out by Opinion Matters this year, also found that one in ten is too embarrassed to hang underwear outside at all.
That said there are always show-offs. It seems there are 11% who like to put their lingerie where it is most visible.
Nicola Wood, a buyer for outdoor drying at B&Q, said: 'Investing in a washing line is one simple step we can all make for a greener life.
'We have seen increasing sales on washing lines and pegs, but it seems that letting it all hang out turns some cheeks red.'
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Game releases seem to get more complicated every year: not only does BioWare and EA's Anthem have an awkward release schedule that's become the subject of criticism and memes from other developers, players, and the media, but many are forgetting that upcoming looter shooter competitor Tom Clancy's The Division 2's offerings are even more absurd.
In the past, online games such as these often use alpha and beta to let players test the game's servers and live services, and then there's a set release date for everyone, and sometimes a demo to let players try it out. But there is a growing trend in the industry with publishers trying something a little different. Capcom decided to launch a free demo of Resident Evil 2 that allowed gamers to try out 30 minutes of the game. That makes sense. EA, though, goes even further with their flagship releases and for Anthem, it caused confusion and negative buzz in how they handled the demo versus VIP demo, and how it's handling the game's release date.
Anthem players will get to play the game based on the console they own and the subscription service they may be paying for. For example, PC users with subscriptions to EA's expensive Origin Access Premier will get full access to Anthem on February 15. However, those players who purchased the Legion of Dawn Edition of the title won't get early access at all. The release schedule for Anthem is so confusing that EA posted a chart on Twitter attempting to explain it. This led to a variety of players posting memes poking fun at the complicated schedule, as well as complaining about its unnecessary complexity. Here's one:
Fellow publisher Ubisoft wants in on the action in confusing players with over-the-top offerings too. The company plans on doing something similar with the release of Tom Clancy's The Division 2. The title, which is currently available for pre-order, has six editions from which players can choose, ranging in price from $60 for just the game to $250 for the Phoenix Shield Collector's Edition.
Kotaku reports, though, that some of those editions come with added benefits. Although Ubisoft recently announced that all DLC for The Division 2 would be free to all players, those who buy the more expensive editions of the game get that DLC earlier than other players. Here we go again. Those paying the cash for the most costly three editions also get larger item stashes than players who pay for less expensive versions of the game. Pay to win? Sort of?
Many players feel that these kinds of promotions only serve to split the player base, giving those with more money an unfair advantage over those who can only afford the standard edition of the game. It also makes Ubisoft out to be slightly dishonest because The Division 2 DLC isn't technically free for those who want it at the same time as those who paid for more expensive editions of the game. It certainly feels like a money grab gone too far, especially considering that Ubisoft also hasn't completely ruled out offering loot boxes in the title.
This is precisely the kind of thing that makes players turn their backs on games released by big publishers such as Ubisoft and EA, and the backlash will only hurt those companies' titles going forward. What's even more frustrating is that these publishers aren't offering these details up front or early enough and players usually don't learn about these things until they have already purchased a title, leaving them confused about what they have paid for. The simple fact that there are buyers investing in games pre-release, getting less than others is insane. This will only erode the trust that players have in these publishers and hurt the entire industry in the long run.
That being said, our own Rob Keyes went hands-on with the game last week and had very positive things to say about the experience. It's too bad the launch is so convoluted.
Sources: EA, Ubisoft
- Anthem (2019 Video Game) release date:


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I'm here at Warehouse Row where Access America Transport's CEO made a huge announcement for the local economy earlier today.
AAT started as a two person company and now they work with 72 fortune five hundred companies.
With Chattanooga's history of shipping the Chattanooga Chamber President and CEO described this growth as a perfect fit.
Access America Transport is en route to becoming the type of company CEO Ted Alling envisions.
"When we first started I said I was going to be a 100 million dollar company and people thought I was nuts, but obviously we've far exceeded that. Now I say we're going to be a billion dollar company and all our people believe that," Alling says.
AAT announced the addition of 550 more jobs throughout the next five years.
450 of those jobs will be in Chattanooga, while nearby Knoxville will get a hundred more jobs...
AAT serves as a middleman between shipping companies and shipments.
Alling says the company helps make the most of the trips big trucks are already taking also lowers the carbon footprint by utilizing those empty miles.
Bill Hagerty, Tennessee's Commissioner of Economic Development, says the announcement is in keeping with Governor Bill Haslam's statewide goals.
"Today is typical of the kind of thing Governor Haslam is trying to achieve across the state," Hagerty says.
Chattanooga Chamber CEO Ron Harr described AAT as a perfect fit with the city.
Harr says "It's exactly the type of job that we're always looking for to bring to Chattanooga, and here it is coming from a company that's already here and growing and that makes it even more exciting."
And as for the requirements of potential employees, Alling jokes he prefers a "Ph.D." but not the kind you might expect.
"Poor, hungry, and driven. I kinda just look for people that are positive, that are a good fit with our culture. So we have this very upbeat, positive, enthusiastic workforce."
Access America Transport is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
Alling says they've never stopped hiring.


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The world-famous Sausage and Cider Festival is coming to Cheltenham Racecourse for the very first time this summer 2021.
On Friday 20 August 2021, friends and families can sample over 30 different craft ciders from around the world, with unique fruity flavours alongside the more traditional apple and pear.
Not to mention, there will be a great range of sausages and street food stands to feast upon, as well as craft beers and a gin bar.
The bravest of visitors can even take on the ultimate chilli eating challenge, participating in a six-round contest which concludes with the hottest chilli in the world!
While there’s also the chance for punters to prove themselves in the sausage eating competition – as attendees race to finish a one-metre-long sausage as fast as they can.
All accompanied by funfair games, live music and entertainment from local artists, DJs and tribute acts, bringing a party atmosphere to the foodie event.
By Zoe Gater


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|Chicago, IL – The American Marketing Association’s (AMA) Sport & Sponsorship-Linked Marketing Special Interest Group (SportSIG) has named Pascale Quester of the University of Adelaide and Ashley Stadler Blank of Xavier University its 2020 major award winners.
In addition, SportSIG’s “Paper of the Year” in Sport Marketing is “The color of support: The effect of sponsor-team visual congruence on sponsorship performance.” Published in the Journal of Marketing in 2019, the paper was authored by Conor M. Henderson, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business, Marc Mazodier, Professor of Marketing and Khalaf Al Habtoor Chair in Business Sciences at Zayed University, and Aparna Sundar, a faculty member with the University of Washington at Bothell’s School of Business.
Quester, Professor in Marketing at Adelaide Business School and Deputy Vice Chancellor and Vice President at the University of Adelaide, has been awarded the Distinguished Career Contributions to the Scientific Understanding of Sport Business Award. Quester has published nearly 150 refereed journal articles and more than 90 refereed conference proceeding papers, many with a focus on sponsorship effectiveness, management, and practices, and has co-authored three leading textbooks. Her work across sponsorship-linked marketing, consumer behavior, and relationship marketing has been cited nearly 7,000 times. She has been awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (the French Order of Merit) and earned the title of Distinguished Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy.
Stadler Blank, Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Williams College of Business at Xavier University, has been named winner of the 2020 “Emerging Scholar in Sport Marketing” award. Stadler Blank, who earned a Ph.D. in Marketing from the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University in 2016, has co-authored publications in several leading journals such as the International Journal of Research in Marketing, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, Management Science, Marketing Letters, Sport Management Review, and Sport Marketing Quarterly.
Published in the Journal of Marketing in 2019, the work of Henderson, Mazodier, and Sundar represented an innovative examination of the recent trend of brand marketers adopting a sponsored team’s colors when displaying their logo in sponsorship settings. To test the efficacy of such approaches, Henderson, Mazodier, and Sundar conducted a real-world investigation that incorporated data from 1,358 participants spanning three studies. The study’s findings revealed the importance of color beyond its connotative meaning, providing evidence that marketers should consider co-branding flexibility when communicating a brand’s support for a sponsored partner. The research also builds upon the literature on congruence in sponsorship, finding positive effects of visual congruence above and beyond conceptual or geographic congruence.
Panels of judges comprised of former SportSIG awardees chose winners in each category from the groups of nominees. Each award winner will be presented with a plaque and honored at a special pre-conference event prior to the 2020 AMA Summer Academic Conference in San Francisco in August.


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Coors Light to discontinue plastic six-pack rings globally this year
Coors Light will soon phase out plastic packaging rings worldwide and instead opt for “fully recyclable and sustainably sourced cardboard wrappers” on its six-packs of beer, parent company Molson Coors Beverage Company announced Tuesday.
As part of the transition, Molson Coors plans to invest $85 million to upgrade its packaging machinery so that all of its brands distributed in North America will be available in cardboard by 2025, the announcement stated.
“We believe that buying beer shouldn’t mean buying plastic,” Marcelo Pascoa, vice president of marketing for the Coors family of brands, said in a statement. “That’s why we’re taking a step toward making packaging even more sustainable, and with this achievement Coors Light will save 400,000 pounds of single-use plastic from becoming waste every year.”
If the beverage giant can transition all its brands in U.S., Canada, and Latin America by 2025, it expects to save 1.7 million pounds of plastic waste per year, the statement said.
The move builds upon previous efforts to achieve sustainability goals the company set in 2017, which include packaging exclusively in materials that are 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable. In 2021, Molson Coors discontinued plastic rings on all its major brands sold in the U.K. Additionally, the company introduced “more sustainable plastic rings” to its brands distributed in Canada. In Tuesday’s announcement, Molson Coors pledged to discontinue plastic in Canada altogether.
Molson Coors is just one beverage giant acting on commitments to sustainability. Last August, Anheuser-Busch began an $18 million upgrade at its Fort Collins facility to upgrade brewing and packaging operations in hopes of making them more efficient and reducing its overall environmental impact.
To celebrate the changes, Coors Light is erecting a pop-up “Plastic-Free Future Mart” in Brooklyn, N.Y., Wednesday through Sunday, March 6 for patrons 21 year old and up to visit.


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Nestlé’s US$130M over 5 years to create 2,000 jobs
Santo Domingo.- Nestlé vice president for Latin America LaurentFreixe on Thursday announced aninvestment of US$130 million over the next five years and a program to create2,000 jobs.
He said during the company’s 50 years in the country it hasspent US$100 million to expand plans and to improve production.
Freixe revealed that the company could buy local rawmaterials in the same way Nestle has done with the dairies during the past 60years.
"We use onions, garlic and other ingredients, but someof them we import. What we want is to promote local development to shorten thesupply chain and help develop domestic production," the executive said in aNational Palace a press conference after meeting with president Danilo Medina.
Moreover Nestle will join the government initiative tocreate jobs and contribute to educate youngsters. "We left the meetingwith a very positive feeling on the future alignment of agendas. We want toencourage youth employment. As a company, we can help empower young Dominicansand provide a bridge between education and the workplace."


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Tillie and Henderson: £10m Derry hotel and retail plan approved
Planning permission has been granted for a £10m hotel and retail development in Londonderry.
The 139 bedroom hotel will be developed on the former Tillie and Henderson shirt factory site at Abercorn Road, Tillie's Brae and Foyle Road.
Planning has been granted to Andras House Ltd.
The Tillie and Henderson site has been empty since the former factory, a listed building, was demolished after a fire in 2003.
An earlier development plan was rejected in 2005.
"This is great news for Derry," said environment minister Mark H Durkan.
"With the recent announcement by Lonely Planet that Northern Ireland is in the top 10 European travel destinations, this very significant hotel in the heart of the city will enhance choice for tourists, business travellers as well as local people.
"It occupies a pivotal location on one of the prime entrance points to the historic core from Craigavon Bridge and will, when complete, regenerate a site that has been derelict for a number of years.
"I am committed to the regeneration of Derry as the economic heart of the north west.
"Planning decisions on hotels, social housing, Ebrington, the Peace Bridge and the Science Park, show my firm commitment to help shape this historic city now and in to the future."
Director of Andras House, Rajesh Rana, said: "We are pleased that the Tillie and Henderson site has received planning approval after a protracted planning process.
"Andras House recognises the importance and history of this site to the city of Derry/Londonderry and it is a priority to our company to bring this site forward for development now that planning has been received."


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CEFRIO this week published the results of the study NETendances 2011, which addresses the use of computing devices, Internet, social media and online transactions by five generations of Quebecers with a focus on the most avid tech users: Generations X and Y.
As part of the Intracom conference that was recently launched by the Réseau Action TI in Montreal, the Centre francophone d’informatisation des organizations, a liaison and transfer organization in the field of information technology, has presented an overview of the use of ICT by five generations of Quebecers 18 and older in 2011. These data come from surveys conducted by Leger Marketing.
GENERATION Y (18 to 34)
There are 1,807,675 adults in Quebec born between 1977 and 1993, 96% use the Internet regularly (93.3%) or occasionally (2.7%). The average hours spent on Internet per week is 20 hours: 9.1 hours at home, 8.6 hours at work or school and 2.3 hours from a mobile phone. In 2010, adults of this generation had spent an average of 21.2 hours per week on the Internet.
According to the survey, 91.6% of Quebecers Generation Y in 2011 owned a computer, 74.9% a router, 67.3% a high definition TV, and 60.5% a smartpone.
The study notes that 47.2% had used the Internet as a primary source of information for news or current affairs in 2011, up 25% from 2009. Above all, the social networks that have been most privileged as a source of information by 18.2% of online Gen Y.
The study indicates by the CEFRIO that 93% of Internet users of Gen Y have viewed a form of content in social media at least once a month in 2011. 84.1% would have interacted with other Internet users, 79% would have managed a profile, 66.5% would have relayed the information and 64.6% would be created content. Generation Y not only was one that had the highest proportions of performers of these practices in social media among all generations, but they would have also had the highest average hours per week at 7.2.
In terms of online transactions, 67.9% of online Gen Y has bought at least one product or service in 2011. 52% of shoppers would be buying music, or movies, 50.2% of tickets for shows, movies and entertainment and 39.2% of travel, accommodation and holiday packages. This generation would be one that would have had the greatest proportion of online buyers of video games, toys and games among the five generations in the study, 35.8%.
36.8% of adults of this generation have made purchases online each month and have spent an average of $289.40 per month, or a lesser amount than the average online shoppers Quebec in 2011. Furthermore, 72.7% of Internet Generation Y has made online banking in 2011.
GENERATION X (35 to 44)
There are 1,045,325 Generation Xers in Quebec (born between 1967 and 1976). 94.6% use the Internet regularly (91%) or occasionally (3.6%). The average weekly hours devoted to the Internet is 14.7 hours: 8.2 at home, 5.3 at work or school and 1.2 hours from a mobile phone. In 2010, adults of this generation had spent an average of 18.5 hours per week on the Internet.
The survey indicates that 91% of Quebecers of Generation Y in 2011 owned a computer, 70.2% a router, 66.8% a mobile phone, and 9.1% an electronic tablet. 41.5% of Generation X Internet users have used the Internet as a primary source of information for news or current affairs in 2011, or 27.2% more than in in 2009. Websites that have been most privileged as a source of information among users of this generation, or by 24.4% of Internet users.
The study indicates that 70.7% of Internet users of Gen X have viewed a form of content in social media at least once a month in 2011. 59.7% would have interacted with other Internet users, 54.3% would have managed a profile, 39.2% would have relayed the information and 33.9% would be created content. Users of this generation would have spent 6.1 hours a week to social media.
In terms of online transactions, 78.7% of online Gen Y has bought at least one product or service in 2011. 53.6% of shoppers would have purchased tickets for shows, movies and entertainment, 47.7% of music or movies and 40.6% of clothes, shoes, jewelry and accessories.
35.2% of adults of this generation have made purchases every month and have spent an average of $376.60. Finally, 73.5% of online Gen Y has conducted online banking in 2011.


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In this week’s equity-based roundup, our focus is on Walmart Inc. Walmart Inc. offers shopping opportunities in both retail stores, as well as through e-commerce, and provides access to its other service offerings.
On Tuesday, November 15, 2022, the company released its Q3 results and also announced its intention to pay $3.1 billion as part of a nationwide opioid lawsuit settlement agreement over the impact of their pharmacies’ prescriptions of opioid painkillers.
The retail giant’s announcement follows similar proposals on November 2, from CVS Health and Walgreen Co, which said they would pay about $5 billion.
The deal, which is to be approved by 43 States, will provide “significant aid” to communities around the country as they fight against the opioid epidemic. Also, the settlement is expected to resolve the bulk of all potential opioid lawsuits, filed by state, local and tribal governments against Walmart.
Reaching the settlement, Walmart noted that it does not admit liability with the settlement. In a statement, Walmart said it “strongly disputes the allegations in these matters, and this settlement framework does not include any admission of liability.”
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On the same day, it announced the ‘opioid’ settlement, the retail giant raised investors’ spirit by beating earnings estimates and raising its full-year outlook. Revenue came in at $152.81 billion globally, significantly beating the expected $147.75 billion.
It posted a net loss of $1.8 billion, or 66 cents per share, down from a profit of $3.11 billion, or $1.11 per share, a year earlier.
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Full-year outlook: The company now expects consolidated net sales for the year to grow about 5.5% or 6.5%, excluding divestitures. And based on current exchange rates, the company expects a headwind of about $4.1 billion for the year.
It expects an adjusted operating income decline of 6.5% to 7.5% from prior guidance of a decline of 9% to 11%.
The CEO, MicMillon said on a call with investors, “it was a good quarter. We delivered strong results on the top line across our segments, and our value proposition is resonating with customers and members around the world. We see this in our grocery business in stores and online in key markets like the US and Mexico. Customers that came to us less frequently in the past are now shopping with us more often, including higher-income customers.”
The company also informed that the growth in the grocery business was fuelled by the rising traffic of higher-income households trading down in order to save a few dollars and lower-income households spending more on foods, leaving discretionary items.
Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said,
“Consumers are watching how they spend and trading down to cheaper items, such as hot dogs and beans.”
The discounter also affirmed that it has made progress with the industry-wide headache; a glut of excess inventory. Globally, its inventory was up 13% year-on-year in the third quarter. Just a year ago, Walmart, like its peers, struggled to keep shelves and warehouses full as inventory around the world was stuck in a supply chain traffic squeeze.
Perspective: While several retailers are yet to report their results this week, the results from the world’s largest retailer summarily show that inflation is really affecting the balance sheet of consumers and the bottom line of the retail giant.
Reading between the lines, it seems Walmart is in trouble. First, the ‘opioid’ settlement took a swipe at the company’s bottom line. Consolidated operating expenses as a percentage of net sales increased 144 basis points due to charges of $3.3 billion related to opioid legal settlements.
In its fiscal year outlook, Walmart said, it is bracing for a possible decline in its profit margin due to rising costs. Also, the downgrading of its adjusted operating income forecast to 7.5% from prior guidance of 11% further highlights this.
After the release of its first-quarter earnings, it became exceptionally clear that it did not meet investors’ expectations. Investors expected a $1.48 profit/share, but Walmart reported a $1.30 profit/share, and needless to say investors are not happy.
After the release of its first quarter result in July, the market reacted sharply to its announcement to cut its profit expectation as its shares fell more than 8% a day.
For years, Walmart was the competitor feared most, but new numbers show that the retailer has been falling behind in recent years. In Q3, profit was down by almost 156% compared to a year ago, which means the world’s largest retailer performed worse than last year. As the world’s largest retailer, even a 1% drop in earnings can be translated into billions in losses.
Even profit has turned out to be the least of Walmart’s problems. The retailers’ free cash flow for the nine months ended October 31, 2022, declined by $4.1 billion when compared to the same period in the prior year. The decline in free cash flow is due to the decline in operating cash flows by $0.6 billion, as well as an increase of $3.5 billion in capital expenditures.
Albeit, during the quarter, the company returned $4.5 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases and is committed to continuing to provide strong cash returns to shareholders while still appropriately investing in our business for the long term. According to a statement, the board has just approved a new $20 billion share repurchase authorization that we expect to utilize over the next several years. This is a good one for investors.


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An award-winning digital technology designed in Wales will soon be helping manufacturers in India to save money and improve productivity.
POET Systems Ltd., based in Bridgend, has joined forces with Improd Technologies in Bengaluru to launch its cloud-based software system, POET, into the Indian market.
The news comes as the UK Government launches negotiations to secure an ambitious trade deal with India, which is one of the world’s biggest and fastest-growing economies.
POET has been designed to boost productivity in manufacturing by using production data to prioritise and drive improvements. It has already helped manufacturers in the UK, including food manufacturer Burton’s Biscuits.
The city of Bengaluru, formerly known as Bangalore, is widely regarded as the ‘IT capital of India’, and is home to a wide range of heavy and light industries.
Improd will initially focus on four distinct manufacturing sectors – automotive, electronics, food processing, and healthcare.
It will deal with selling, installing and training people to use the POET platform, while ongoing tech support will be provided from the UK.
Laurence Wood, Director of POET Systems, said:
“India is an important and fast-growing market for UK businesses, which is why we are very excited to be launching our award-winning platform there.
“India is a manufacturing giant, but its competitiveness is being hampered by low productivity.
“We know POET can help the Indian manufacturing sector to reach its true potential.”
Chandan Singh, who runs Improd, said:
“In the age of digitisation, POET’s software platform has the potential to become the established digital productivity solution for India's manufacturing industry.
“I am excited to share this revolutionary technology with my contacts in Bangalore and beyond.”
POET Systems is currently taking part in two programmes for fast-growing firms – Innovate UK’s EDGE Scaleup Programme and the Welsh Government’s Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme.


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3D printing has become one of the most exciting and talked about technologies of 2013. The ability for the masses to make almost any object not only fuels imagination but challenges modern consumerism and its supply chain. While some enthusiasts continue to showcase the technology by producing toys, cars, and even guns in their garage, others look to 3D printing to manufacture the next generation of electronics, whether for mobile applications, medical devices, or wearable computing.
Regardless of the application, the challenge in manufacturing at the submicron scale is fabricating structures in a precise, rapid, and consistent fashion. Even though 3D printing is just getting started, the race for the fastest, most capable printer is already on.
Last year, a group of researchers at the Vienna University of Technology in Austria refined a 3D printing technique that allowed the construction of sophisticated structures (an F1 racecar and a cathedral) smaller than dust mites in about 4 minutes. Now, a company called Nanoscribe GmbH that emerged from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany has made a 3D printer called the Photonic Professional GT which can produce detailed structures on a similar scale but faster.
In fact, the technique was able to produce a spaceship (from the Wing Commander line of video games) from a CAD file that measures 125µm x 81µm x 26.8µm (on the order of the width of a human hair) in less than 50 seconds.
It really is an amazing feat that needs to be seen to be believed — remember: this video is in realtime!:
As if that the video isn’t awesome enough, this is not research phase production: it’s a commercially available printer, although you’d also need a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to actually see what you print.
For their fabrications, both Nanoscribe and the Austrian researchers utilize a two-photon lithographic printing technique using a laser and rotating mirrors. By directing the beam precisely, structures are built up layer by layer through polymerization. This fabrication method allows for highly precise structures to be formed with a resolution of 30nm with the right material, according to Technology Review.
Nanoscribe has developed this printer for applications in biotechnology, so many of the printed samples showcased are scaffolds for cells, as can be seen in the following gallery of SEM images of the printed structures.
Additionally, Nanoscribe produced a miniaturized version of the Empire State Building to get a sense of scale with a familiar object:
3D printer manufactures are clearly on the warpath to push the technology as far as it can go before the resolution of light becomes a barrier and speed thresholds are reached. Yet, the capabilities of current machines is impressive as is.
The challenge now will be to develop those applications which can truly benefit with 3D printed microfabrication. Biotech and nanotech researchers around the world are certainly anxious to get printers in the lab and utilize them for novel experiments. What companies can equally utilize these printers for the development of commercial products remains to be seen.
Regardless, Nanoscribe demonstrates that we are closing in on a time when precise, complex engineering at the submicron level is commonplace, and that opens the door to an entirely new world at the bottom.


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During PAC 2017 Raytheon Australia announced APC Technology as a supplier for the SEA 1654 AOR project.
The Australian Defence Business Review PAC Show Daily ran a story on day three of PACIFIC 2017 on APC Technology’s recent contract win with Raytheon Australia. With a drive to invest in local capability Raytheon Australia recognises the vital role that Australian industry plays in the development and execution of solutions for the ADF. The article examines how Raytheon Australia is engaging with Australian suppliers and the value they add. The company’s Australian supply chain includes 1,500 suppliers with 500 of those specialising in naval combat systems.
Raytheon Australia have worked with APC Technology on numerous projects including the delivery of bespoke products for the Hobart Communication and Information Systems (CIS). Raytheon commented, ” Throughout the project APC Technology’s strong collabrotive culture saw the delivery of successful project outcomes”. Such successes has led to the recent SEA 1654 AOR project being awarded to APC Technology.


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iPhone 12: Apple using cheaper battery to offset 5G costs
In October, Apple's CEO Tim Cook will take the stage to unveil the flagship iPhone 12 series. The devices are expected to bring some important updates over their predecessors, including support for 5G networks. But, if a new report is anything to go by, this shift to 5G could also see the Cupertino giant opt for cheaper battery technology. Here's more about it.
A few hours ago, prominent analyst Ming-Chi Kuo published a research report that suggests Apple's decision to include 5G on the new iPhones would increase the cost of production of the devices. He said the sub-6GHz 5G technology would add about $75 to $85 to the cost of the new Phone 12 unit, while millimeter wave technology would add another $125 to $135.
To offset the increased costs, Apple is looking to save on components by using less expensive ones, MacRumors reported. As part of this, Kuo mentioned, the company is using a simpler battery board design with fewer layers and active cell components squeezed into a smaller area. He believed that this one area would see the biggest cost-cutting from Apple.
As per Kuo's estimates, the newer battery board will be 40-50% cheaper than the one used in the iPhone 11. On top of that, he thinks, Apple will build on this design and introduce another board next year, which will reduce the cost of the component further by 30-40%. To note, Apple has not officially confirmed any of these changes.
While the battery will help Apple offset 5G costs, it will not be enough alone. To cut down most or all of the increase and prevent the final price from seeing a major rise, Apple could also cut cost on other things, like by not including a power adapter or EarPods. It is also said to be putting "higher bargaining pressure" on component suppliers.


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Medina Ice Festival
We would be remiss if we didn't give a shout-out to our hometown's annual ice festival.
Held on Medina, Ohio's, historic town square, the 17th Annual Medina Ice Festival will feature a full weekend of ice carving competition, shopping and visual entertainment.
Friday, Feb. 18
5 p.m. -- Carving Demonstrations
8 p.m. -- Fire and Ice Tower
Saturday, Feb. 19
1 to 4 p.m. -- Individual Carving Competition
4 to 9 p.m. -- Works of Ice Art on View
Sunday, Feb. 20
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. -- Carving Competition
3 p.m. -- Medina Gazette Ice Prince and Princess Crowning
Monday, Feb. 21
View the sculptures
Choose your favorite
Shop and Dine
Medina's Public Square is at 5 Public Square, Medina, Ohio 44256, 30 minutes west of Akron and 30 minutes south of Cleveland.


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Yudiz Solutions wins Game Developer of the Year at Gamexx 2022
September 27: Yudiz Solutions, a digital transformation and technology services company, won the awards in a glittering ceremony at The Pllazio Hotel in Gurugram on Wednesday, 21st September 2022. The company has been awarded the Game Developer of the Year at Gamexx 2022, an initiative by AdGully. It was also named the gold winner for best games in multiple categories. These include Pokerlion, which was awarded as the Best Casino Game, BFK Warzone, the Best Action Game, and IVOX, the Best Education Game.“The gaming industry has vast potential and is on the verge of extreme exploration. I believe Metaverse and Blockchain are the biggest contributors to this journey. Both will serve the most crucial ends of the gaming industry; Metaverse will elevate the user experience by bringing it closer to life-like. With its play-to-earn feature, Blockchain gaming will make the industry profitable. Every step we take towards digitalization will have a few essences of gamification. Games are the best way to combine art and technology; both are highly skilled areas of expertise.” said Chirag Leuva, Co-Founder and CEO of Yudiz Solutions.
Yudiz Solutions, which has a thriving presence in 2D/ 3D game development, AR/VR game and app development, Metaverse and Blockchain Development, came out with flying colours at the recently held Gamexx 2022, the biggest gathering of stakeholders from the gaming industry.
Gaming has taken the world by storm in the last few years. It is estimated at more than $200 billion, more than the movie and music industries combined, and it continues to grow tremendously.


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BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Mall of America sent out the invite and an estimated 135,000 of its best friends showed up for its big 20th birthday party celebration on Saturday.
Some of those attending share its birthday, like Angela Powell who drove all of the way from Chicago. She said, "When I was younger, much younger, I remember the Mall of America opening. It was just a big to do. It was on the news."
When she heard there was going to be a party today, on her birthday, she decided she had to and she brought her daughter for some school clothes shopping. She laughed and said she was going to, "Spend as much money as I can!"
Of course some birthday cake was on her list too. The Mall provided that by ordering one from Carlo's Bakery, home of the Cake Boss. There was enough for 2,000 people, some who had lined up for a couple hours for a taste.
There were also party favors, 20 different ones and 500 of each. The popped up in different corners of the mall, at various times and included free samples of Cinnabons, lottery tickets and gift certificates to Mall of America restaurants like Twin City Grill.
There was music from the 80's cover band, Pop Rocks, in the rotunda.
The Theatres at Mall of America were showing free movies from 1992 as well.
Dan Jasper with Mall of America said, "Over the past 20 years, we've welcomed over 800 million people into this building. We generate more than two billion a year in economic impact for Minnesota and we employ more than 13,000 people so it's amazing the impact the Mall has had on Minnesota and it continues to get stronger."
Jasper said, "Even though our name is Mall of America, we truly are Minnesota's mall so we invite every single Minnesotan to come down to celebrate with us today and in the coming weeks because this is a part of you as well."
Mall of America has been part of eight-year-old Emma Aune's birthday party for two years.
Her mom, Rochelle Aune said, "I didn't know it would be a party for the Mall of America. I forgot it coincided with my daughter's birthday."
Emma said, "I like to go on all the rides."
As many Minnesota families have done, the Aune's will celebrate at Nickelodeon Universe, this time alongside thousands of others wishing a very happy 20th birthday to the Mall.
Rochelle said, "It's like the red, white and blue of America. There's just so much to do, so much to see."
The party wrapped up with Beer Fest in the parking lot across the street from the mall. For an entry fee, ticket holders were able to sample 500 different kinds of beer.
Over the years there have been more than 7,000 events held at the Mall of America, today's birthday party, one of them.
(Copyright 2012 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)


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A new SDK will make spatialized audio an integral part of virtual reality
By Adi Robertson
Last year at CES, Oculus impressed us all with Crystal Cove, which would later become the second development kit of its Rift virtual reality headset. It’s not doing anything nearly that big at CES 2015; its last major headset iteration, Crescent Bay, waS unveiled last fall. But it is adding a new element that it only hinted at back then: spatialized audio, which does for sound what the Rift does for video.
Read the whole story here.


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High-end furniture manufacturer Alden Parkes is bringing back its “Showhouse in a Showroom” concept for the upcoming High Point Market, Oct 19 - 23. Six visionary interior designers from around the country will interpret Alden Parkes’ unique design sensibility in signature spaces in the Alden Parkes High Point showroom.
Award-winning designer Christiane Lemieux and leading floor covering manufacturer Momeni have announced a partnership on a line of rugs that will debut at the Fall Market, Oct. 19-23.
Twenty four new temporary exhibitors will be joining more than 300 tenants in the Suites at Market Square for the Fall High Point Market, Oct. 19 – 23.
Aiming to enhance buyers’ Market experience, The High Point Market Authority has announced its Keynote Series lineup for Fall Market, Oct. 19-23. The educational series will bring three keynote sessions to Market, featuring well-known actress and designer Diane Keaton, #1 best-selling author, motivational speaker, and Forbes Top 100 Digital Influencer Erik Qualman, and trained designer Evette Rios.
Consistently ranked one of the top interior design programs in the United States, The New York School of Interior Design has announced the opening of Pattern and Process: Selections from the Kravet Archive, on view Sept. 5 – Nov. 27, 2019 at the NYSID Gallery located at 170 East 70 Street, New York City.
Celebrating its 130th anniversary this year, Bernhardt will launch a new collaboration in conjunction with Hearst’s Luxury Design Collection (Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Town & Country, and Veranda) to showcase an emphasis on creativity with a new Designer in Residence program, a celebration of the art of interior design.
North Carolina-based Capel Rugs has announced a new air freight program for rugs imported from India that will deliver custom orders to retailers' doors or consumers' homes in as quickly as 2.5 months.


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Catch up with all the developments at Recognition PR
Graham's latest column for The Journal
This summer, as people take their holiday both the weather and the economy has appeared set fair, I’m not alone in believing the economy has now entered a sustained recovery, the Bank of England was confident enough to raise interest rates. Ten years ago I established two shadow Bank of England committees in both Yorkshire and the North East. They started by pushing for more easing and lower rates but in recent months the sentiment has hardened and raising interest rates has increasingly been seen as a tangible symbol of an economy that is in good health.
Of course, it is never universally good news. The bricks and mortar retail sector continues to supply a steady stream of headlines about high street blight, consumers continue to face rising energy bills and niche sectors, such as newspaper publishing, continue to be challenged by digital business models.
Over my summer holiday I have been reading an excellent biography of the reforming Republican US President Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt. The Bully Pulpit, describes the rise of the progressive movement in the USA, which believed the Government had a right to regulate in order to protect consumers and workers. At that time the regulation was aimed at anti-competitive trusts which had become monopolies in sectors such as railways, food, oil. It led to some of the world’s biggest businesses, such as Standard Oil, being broken up or prosecuted for anti-competitive behaviour.
Natural Conservatives, like me, are instinctively pro-business but our support is always inclined towards challengers and innovators rather than large corporations, which prefer the status quality once it is delivering a pipeline of profits.
A new acronym emerged recently, FAANG; Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google. It describes five businesses which have been changing the world. Facebook, Apple and Google have competed to be the first business valued at $1 trillion dollars, on 2nd August Apple took the top spot. The value of its shares has risen 50,000% since the company first listed in 1980. That dwarfs the 2,000% increase for the S&P 500 index over the same period. The same day that Apple broke its record, it emerged Amazon’s UK tax bill was out of all proportion to the size and scale of its operations in Britain.
No Conservative should want to support business models that dominate markets and exploit their size and scale to snuff out competition and innovation. That is why I support Newcastle’s NE1 BID, which has rightly called for a new way of taxing internet retailers at a time when High Street shops face business rates that are higher than any warehouse or distribution centre when compared square foot for square foot.
William Hague has recently called for businesses like Facebook and Twitter to be regulated so that part of them are be reclassified as publishers, not merely tech-platforms. Yes, technology offers new ways of transmitting news, the benefits of which should not be denied to the public. But when technology platforms hollow out the advertising revenues that formerly accrued to publishers and then deny that they are in the publishing businesses, something is surely wrong. After all, publishing is subject to the laws of the land, not in order to stop free speech, but to prevent libel and contempt of court.
Sometimes the global scale of large tech-businesses intimidates Governments, but influential countries and states can be a force for change. California has a smaller population than the UK but once it regulated certain new standards for cars, manufacturers were forced to adopt them throughout the world. Similarly, the City of New York then Scotland introduced the first indoor public smoking ban and Governments throughout Europe have followed.
The privatisation of our utilities also needs a regulatory review. What was right in the 1980s, as a means to smash up state monopolies and bring new investment into the market, now needs updating. Are the six big firms pricing like a herd, with all acting together once the first has moved? Are the poorest and elderly being deprived of fair deals because energy firms favour ‘online’ accounts? Why can I, as a business customer, choose my water supplier, but my domestic supply is stuck with Northumbrian Water? Mrs May is introducing a price cap on energy, it should not have been needed. Vigilant regulation and a more active market should have made it unnecessary.
Practical politicians shouldn’t put ideology before results. In Tees Valley, our Conservative Mayor, is proposing changes to the ownership of the formerly privatised airport because he recognised the public interest argument. He has no desire to run an airport but needs to take control to set right what is being seen by the public as a botched privatisation. If his plan comes off, there should be no need for the airport to be public forever, but the fact he is willing to take a decision against the grain of his party’s normal thinking is to his credit.
Roosevelt talked about a ‘Square Deal’ that balanced the needs of business, consumers, shareholders and workers. It was the right approach a hundred years ago and could keep the business weather outlook bright today.


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The Czech Republic is showing tentative signs of recovery after the most difficult year in its brief history. But what are the implications for construction costs? Miroslav Vasko of EC Harris reports
01 / The Czech economy
There is no doubt that the economy of the Czech Republic was severely hit by the global economic slowdown last year, and it remains in its deepest recession since the Velvet Revolution of 1989. The official figures from the Czech National Bank show that GDP shrank 3.8% in 2009, following record growth in 2008 of 6.3%. The outlook, however, has become more optimistic since then, as GDP is expected to increase 0.7% in 2010 and 2.2% in 2011.
The Czech economy relies heavily on its export market, which contributes 59% to GDP, and this continues to suffer from the decline in worldwide demand for capital and consumer goods. This has been exacerbated by the recent strength of the Czech koruna which has gone from 41 to the euro in 2007, to 29 at the end of last year and its continued strength relative to other currencies has made exports even tougher.
One major difference between the Czech Republic and some western economies, including that of the US, was that banks collapsed in the latter, resulting in government interventions. Governments around the world have amassed huge debts as a result of the structural support of their banks and instigation of stimulus programmes to revive economic growth.
In the US, this debt is currently 10.6% of GDP, in the UK it is 12.4%, in Germany it is about 8%.
The Czech government did not undertake any such programmes but a high budget deficit is expected for 2009, and this is estimated to have reached about 6.8% of GDP (192.4bn koruna, or £6.9bn), in comparison with a planned deficit of 1.5% of GDP (38.1bn koruna, or £1.4bn).
Despite the relative health of the Czech financial sector, the republic continues to endure a technical economic recession. Companies have been forced to reduce working hours and are finding that they have fewer and fewer opportunities to cut costs further. Unemployment is expected to continue to increase in 2010. The official average unemployment rate was 5% in 2008, but rose to 8.6% in 2009 and is expected to reach about 10% in 2010. This significant increase will likely further reduce consumer spending and will continue to affect economic recovery.
To aid recovery, the Czech National Bank cut its interest rates in December 2009 for the fourth time in the past 12 months and the rate now stands at a historic low of 1%.
This latest rate cut brought the interest rates in line with the European Central Bank main rate, which has remained at 1% for the past few months.
02 / Real estate
The strength of the Czech currency, alongside the ability to raise capital, has almost certainly contributed to the reduction of direct foreign investment. In 2009, the value of real estate transactions completed fell by more than 60%, with nearly 90% of them taking place in the last quarter of the year. In 2009 the value of transactions was £350m compared with about £900m in 2008 and £2.2bn in 2007. Forecasts for 2010 are now expected to be within the £350-550m range.
Office premises accounted for an 83% share of 2009 investment turnover. Industrial and retail transactions accounted for 13% and 4% of total volume. Prague remains the most attractive location, accounting for 94% of all investment turnover in 2009. In the residential sector the mortgage market also showed a significant decrease of 40% over the past year, confirming the fall in consumer demand for real estate.
03 / Sectors
At the end of 2009, the total area of offices in Prague was 2.7 million m2, of which 71% was newly finished and 29% refurbished. Class A accounted for 67% and class B, 33%. During 2009, 162,000m2 of new offices were put on the market compared with more than 300,000m2 in 2008, and only 33,700m2 is expected to be finished in 2010. Vacancy rates for offices went up to almost 12% at the end of 2009 and are predicted to increase to 14-15% during 2010; the current trend shows an increase in renegotiations of existing contracts with landlords. Office rents in Prague city centre are about £18-19/m2/month, falling to £13.50-16 in the inner city and £11-13 in the outer city. Prime yields in Prague were about 5.25% in 2007, 6.5% 2008 and 7% in 2009.
The residential and mortgage market is relatively healthy in the Czech Republic as it is based on local demand and currency and is therefore immune to currency fluctuation shocks. The effect of the global crisis has had only a minor impact on the residential market, primarily in the outflow of speculative investors. However, mortgages are not easy to obtain as the banks require at least 30% equity, and an apartment development must have sold at least 30% of the flats before a loan can be obtained.
The residential market in the Czech Republic is mainly the domain of the middle and upper middle classes, where the trend has been, in recent years, to improve their housing on their own account, without expecting help from the state. As a result, demand for new housing has not been as great as it could have been and the residential market has not developed significantly in the past 10 years.
In 2009 a total of 38,500 homes were completed, just 0.4% more than in 2008, which in turn was 8% down on the previous year. A total of 37,300 dwellings were started in 2009, 14.3% less than in 2008.
Although most retailers postponed their expansion plans in 2009, new entries to the Czech Republic were recorded – for example, Avex Baumarkt and KappAhl opened their first stores in the country. On the other hand, the Czech market experienced the closure of a modern shopping centre for the first time in summer 2009 when Prague’s Stodulky mall was closed, to be replaced by a single unit of the furniture chain Mobelix.
At the end of 2009, the total area of shopping centres in the Czech Republic was 2.6 million m2, of which some 858,000m2 were located in Prague. There are nearly 140 shopping centres across the whole of the Czech Republic. Currently, however, there are only around 60,000m2 of traditional shopping centres under construction.
On the up side, a number of retail parks are expected to come to the market in 2010. Despite the limited number of new shopping centres, a number of retailers have already announced their expansion plans for the upcoming year.
DM Drogerie Markt, Tesco, Kik, Euronics, Takko and Sportissimoand Kikaare are examples of retailers who are planning to expand in 2010. Decathlon is due to open its first store in Liberec. Shopping centre prime yields have risen from 5.5% in 2007 to 6.8% in 2008 and 7% in 2009.
The 2009 industrial market experienced a difficult year as it was affected by the global economic downturn. Whereas in the years 2006 to 2008 the average amount of space under construction in one quarter reached 549,000m2, in 2009 the average was only 83,000m2 and speculative development had almost disappeared – only 15% of space under construction at the end of 2009 was speculative development. However, signs of revival were witnessed in the second half of the year when demand for modern warehouse space picked up to exceed 100,000m2 and the vacancy rate started to fall by the end of the year.
At the end of 2009 industrial rents ranged from £2.50-4.50/m2/month, although there were wide regional differences. In terms of total leasing activity, the market in 2009 was dominated by three developers, which together held a 68% share of the market; ProLogis had 28% of market share (up 15% from 2008), followed by VGP with 20% share (a fall from 27%) and CTP with 20% (down from 22%).
In 2010 it is expected that developers will mainly focus on leasing their existing stock instead of constructing new schemes; it is expected that very limited new space will be built on a speculative basis.
Hotels and leisure
In 2008 several hotels opened, including luxury brands such as Sheraton and Kempinski. However, the global economic slowdown in 2009 caused a major turnaround and the hotel market is currently experiencing a slump of 15-30%.
In 2009 the average occupancy was 56% in Prague and 55% in the whole Czech Republic, down by about 20% compared with 2008. The average price for a room in 2009 was £84 a night in Prague and £72 in the rest of the Czech Republic. Hotel prime yields were 6.25% in 2007, 7.5% in 2008 and 8.25% in 2009.
04 / The construction market
The construction market has seen nearly 10 years of relatively stable growth, heavily boosted by foreign direct investment, private residential mortgages, public sector investment and EU funding, which have all grown sharply since 2002/03. Construction output has increased by 5-8% a year over a number of years, but the current situation is different. For the construction industry, 2009 was a difficult year, but for some 2010 could be even tougher. The construction market output actually increased in 2009 by 0.6%, largely owing to the completion of projects that were started in 2008; the current prediction for 2010 is that there will be a decrease of 1-2%. As the availability of capital for private investments is still restricted, analysts expect most construction projects this year to be financed by government or EU funds.
Material and labour costs
High commodities prices, exacerbated by higher import costs led to some spectacular increases in materials prices in 2008. This was led by the prices of bituminous and steel-related products, which rose by 20% in the first half of 2008. However, other materials also showed large increases including glass, processed wood and wooden elements, as well as ceramic sanitary fittings. The boom in commodities prices, however, came to an end in the second half of 2008 and since then we have seen a drop in the cost of materials used in the construction industry with, for example, rebar prices falling by about 40%.
Labour costs in the Czech Republic represent about 30% of construction costs, primarily because of the high social security contributions. This is still lower than in western countries (for example, they are about 40% in Germany). As unemployment continues to rise, there is evidence of labour rates falling, which is contributing to an overall decrease in construction prices.
As contractors and suppliers have responded to the impact of the recession, margins have been cut and commodities prices have fallen. In the private property sector especially, EC Harris expects investments to fall further during 2010. According to figures published by the Czech statistical office and based solely on government projects, construction costs actually rose 0.3% in 2009.
Nevertheless, EC Harris believes that average tender prices in the private sector are about 15-20% below their peaks of 2007/08. The EC Harris tender price index for the Czech property sector is as shown in the graph above.
05 / Looking to the future
The Czech Republic is due to go to the polls this month to elect a new government. As with all Czech governments formed after 2002, it looks likely at the time of writing that no single party will have a majority; as a result the government will continue to struggle to make the significant changes, such as the reform of the health and pension systems, which are needed to stimulate growth and gain control of government debt.
The global recession has reduced consumer price inflation from 6.3% in 2008 to 1% in 2009. It is expected by the Czech National Bank that in 2010 inflation will be 2.4%.
The outlook for the construction industry remains uncertain and construction prices can be expected to continue to fall owing to cuts in material and labour prices. However, market activity is expected to begin to increase before the end of 2010. Although it is unlikely to return to the boom of 2007-08, we can expect to see construction prices rise steadily from 2011.
The recovery of the construction industry is linked to the recovery of the economy as a whole and, since the country is small and export orientated, the recovery of the Czech economy will be consequent to the recovery in western countries, especially in Germany.


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CHICAGO – Nissan today revealed the new 2017 TITAN and TITAN XD King Cab models, completing the lineup of innovative new full-size pickups. The world debut announcement came during a media event at the Chicago Auto Show.
“The launch of the new King Cab body is the last step in a journey that began in December 2015 with the debut of the breakthrough TITAN XD, which continues to carve out a unique white space between competitors’ heavy-duty and half-ton trucks,” said Fred Diaz, division vice president and general manager, North America Trucks and Light Commercial Vehicles, Nissan North America, Inc. “Now, with the addition of a half-ton TITAN, our new Endurance® V8, three body configurations, three bed lengths and a range of grade levels and equipment packages, we’re covering nearly every segment in the personal and commercial full-size truck markets. Add to that the industry’s best 5-year/100,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and the TITAN family is even more compelling.”
Watch more Intelligent Mobility videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLki2k0CDxrPdxe4sP3mR1ofRO1dfD-X18 More details about our global website: http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/index.html
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The Nissan worldwide channel is our virtual showroom, showcasing our newest models, heritage vehicles, NISMO sports news and tech advancements. Subscribe to stay up-to-date on Innovation that Excites.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2015, the company sold more than 5.4 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 12.2 trillion yen. Nissan engineers, manufactures and markets the world’s best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan manages operations in six regions: ASEAN & Oceania; Africa, Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America and North America. Nissan has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999 and Mitsubishi Motors since 2016 under the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
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Governmental dysfunction concerning Fipronil contamination of eggs in Taiwan
In August-September of 2017, there was an outbreak of Fipronil contamination of chicken eggs in Taiwan. Inspection revealed that 47 out of 1,459 chicken and egg farms had high concentrations of Fipronil contamination from 5 ppb to 153 ppb.
Farmers have been using fake veterinarian pesticides as insecticides and veterinarian medicines of unknown origin.
The central government of the Democratic Progressive Party has ordered penalties for egg and chicken farms where Fipronil contamination has been found, but so far, none of the 47 have been fined. It is said that the local governments refuse to carry out the central government’s orders to penalize the egg and chicken farms.
Fipronil is an insecticide of the phenylpyrazole family of chemicals. It is a nerve toxin.


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Volkswagen of America’s CEO has suggested the successor to the Amarok – which will be based on the next-generation Ford Ranger platform – is unlikely to be offered in the United States.
In March 2019, VW confirmed it had signed a contract with Ford for the Blue Oval brand to develop and build a follow-up to the Amarok bakkie under a broader global alliance announced in January.
Speaking to Motor1.com at the 2019 New York International Auto Show, Scott Keogh said “there's no reason” to offer VW’s version of the Ranger in North America.
“If in this market there's a Ranger Ranger and [a] VW Ranger, there's no reason for that. You have to have a different point of view and a differentiation,” Keogh said, adding it was not the Wolfsburg-based firm’s style to partake in badge engineering.
Keogh went on to suggest a production version of the MQB-based double-cab Tarok concept – on display at the New York show to “gauge market reaction” – would likely be a better bet for the States.
“I think there’s an opportunity and I think [Volkswagen] can come in with an extremely smart price point,” he said. “I think you could put a vehicle like that in the marketplace in the mid-$20 000 [that's around R280 000, in SA money), with proper engine, proper everything.”
“We'd be capable of putting a whole assortment of engines into [an MQB-based bakkie]. We could get upwards of 250 or 300 horsepower [183 kW or 220 kW] if we wanted to do it.”
Ryan has spent most of his career in online media, writing about everything from sport to politics and other forms of crime. But his true passion – reignited by a 1971 Austin Mini Mk3 still tucked lifeless in a dark corner of his garage – is of the automotive variety.