text:
Ooredoo Lagging Behind as Telenor Subscribers Top 10 Million
Norwegian telecommunications operator Telenor has announced that its subscriber base in Burma is now more than 10 million, more than double the number claimed by competitor Ooredoo.
The two foreign companies now have a total of more than 14 million customers, underlining the massive growth in mobile phone use in the country, where only a year ago the state-owned Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) was the only provider of mobile phone and internet services.
The latest figures from each operator suggest that Telenor is pulling ahead in the race to reach new subscribers in Burma. Telenor and Ooredoo, a Qatari company, were the first two private companies to be awarded telecoms licenses in the country. The government is set to open up a tender for another license, but only local companies, or joint ventures involving a local firm, are being asked to apply.
In quarterly results published on July 22, Telenor Group said that its Burmese venture “continues to exceed our expectations” and had passed the 10 million subscriber mark in July.
“Customers’ strong demand for voice and data services keeps driving revenues and profitability,” Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO of Telenor Group, was quoted saying in a press release.
“During the quarter [April to June] we further expanded the network, reaching 213 of a total of 330 townships at the end of June. The speed of our network expansion is the key challenge in a nation where approximately 70 per cent of the population lives in rural areas.”
Ooredoo published its own results on Wednesday, saying that it had reached only 4.3 million mobile customers.
“The high quality of its 3G network contributed to almost doubling the number of customers in the first half of 2015,” it said.
The results also said that the company’s Burma venture was already in profit, but clearly the company is far behind its main rival, which is now closer to the incumbent provider than to its private rival in terms of subscribers.
MPT has teamed up with two Japanese firms to expand its services, and reportedly has some 11 million subscribers.
Yoma Strategic Reports ‘Record’ Sales in Tractor Business
Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd., the Singapore-listed company controlled by Burmese tycoon Serge Pun, has announced strong growth in sales in its new business selling tractors.
The company—which recently brought American fast food to the country with the opening of the first KFC restaurant in Rangoon—posted gross profits of US$7.28 million for the first quarter of the current financial year, from April to June.
The results were filed with the Singapore Exchange and disclosed in a press release July 27. They include the company’s real estate ventures, but not revenue for KFC, which only opened in late June.
Yoma Strategic acquired the rights to distribute agricultural equipment produced by Italian machinery group Case New Holland in February.
The company said the new venture “continued to record strong sales” in the first quarter. It said the business, primarily selling tractors, was responsible for lifting the group’s quarterly automotive revenue to more than $5 million, up from only about $145,000 a year before.
“Positive momentum from the Group’s non-real estate business is expected to continue in the next quarter driven by the Group’s consumer and automotive segments,” the group said in an analysis of the outlook for its businesses. “The Group’s opening of its first KFC outlet on 30 June 2015 has received strong consumer interest and positive media publicity.”
Burma Investment Vehicle Raises $20 Million
A London-listed company has raised almost $20 million for investments in Burma, according to an announcement.
Myanmar Investments International Ltd. raised the money in a new share issuance on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM).
The company first listed on the exchange in June 2013, as enthusiasm for the country’s economic prospects surged following re-engagement with Western countries. It announced at the time that it had raised $6.7 million on the first day of trading.
The company announced on July 21 that it had raised a further $19.9 million by issuing 17.3 million new shares, according to a report from Alliance News in London.
Myanmar Investments has already been involved in a micro finance project in Burma, but has not said what specific investments it will make with the new capital.
Alliance News reported that the company was “considering investments in the finance, telecommunications, manufacturing, healthcare and education sectors, including a potential securities joint venture with two partners to acquire all four types of securities [licenses] being issued ahead of the opening of the new Yangon stock exchange later in 2015…”
It also said Myanmar Investments may get involved in the rapidly growing telecommunications tower business in Burma.
“There continues to be a good flow of potential investment opportunities in a range of sectors in Myanmar,” the report quoted Maung Aung Htun, the companies managing director, as saying in a statement. “This is underpinned by a real need to upgrade infrastructure or provide products and services that are available in the rest of Asia. As a result Myanmar Investment will continue to raise capital to participate in these opportunities.”
London-listed Myanmar Investments has an office in Singapore, but is registered in the British Virgin Islands, an offshore jurisdiction.
Thai Company to Help Lay Fiber-Optic Cables in Rangoon
Thai broadband Internet company Benchachinda Group is part of a consortium that will lay fiber-optic cables in Rangoon, a report in Bangkok-based The Nation newspaper said.
The company, part of the business empire of Boonchai Bencharongkul—Thailand’s 25th richest man, according to Forbes—is the joint venture partner of Telenor in its Thai interest, DTAC.
The Nation reported on June 24 that the Thai group was partnering with an unnamed Burmese firm and four other companies—United Information Highway, ALT Telecom, United Distribution Solution and A&F Communication—to form a new venture called the Myanmar Information Highway Limited (MIH).
The report cited Benchachinda Group’s president, Vichai Bencharongkul, saying that MIH wants to become the “leading premier-broadband provider in Myanmar” by providing services “on par” with Thailand’s broadband standard.
“MIH will provide international-standard broadband services in Myanmar,” Vichai was quoted as saying. “At present, it has already won the right of way to lay down fibre-optic network from Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation. MIH will start the infrastructure installations in the authorised zones.”
ADB Helps Burma’s Customs Prepare for Asean Integration
With the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) set to begin a process of regional economic integration at the end of this year, Burma’s Customs Department is having to make rapid improvements to meet new regional standards.
The start of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) will see tariffs dropped, allow the free movement of skilled labor, and promises to create a “single window” for multinationals wanting to set up supply or distribution networks within the region.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a statement on July 27 that it was holding a three-day workshop with Burmese customs officials to support the development of an Authorized Economic Operators (AEOs) scheme. It said the new system “will simplify and expedite the release of imported and exported goods.”
“Through the workshop, customs officials will identify accreditation criteria and appropriate trade facilitation measures for AEOs in Myanmar, identify the most appropriate customs management structure for the AEO scheme, and develop a work plan to pave the way for a detailed AEO implementation plan,” the statement said.
“As Myanmar’s economy continues to expand and open to the world, it’s increasingly important for it to have strong customs measures in place to facilitate the free flow of goods,” the ADB’s director for regional cooperation and operations coordination in Southeast Asia, James Lynch, was quoted saying.
“By taking this important step, Myanmar Customs is ensuring adherence to the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint and the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, as well as ensuring the country is in line with important World Customs Organization’s international standards and the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement.”


text:
British coachbuilder Kahn Design has revealed another example of its imposing WB12 Vengeance based on the Aston Martin DB9. The latest example has a coat of paint that would make the Hulk green with envy.
A startup backed by Google co-founder Larry Page has revealed its first product, a personal aircraft that virtually anyone could learn to fly in an hour or two. In fact, you don't even need a pilot's license to fly one.
Mini's Clubman is about to undergo an update. One of the changes will be a new Union Jack-style graphic for the taillights.
You'll find these stories and more in today's car news, right here at Motor Authority.
Meet the Kahn Design Vengeance inspired by the Hulk
Kitty Hawk Flyer ready for production
2020 Mini Clubman spy shots
2018 Nissan Kicks first drive: the used-car alternative
Waymo eyes Europe, will likely partner with local firm
Scientists find affordable way to recapture CO2 and burn it
Porsche green lights coupe-like Cayenne
5 things to know about the 2018 Nissan Kicks
Daimler has 2 new electric trucks to counter the Tesla Semi
Best deals on hybrid, electric, fuel-efficient cars for June 2018

domain: news


text:
DULUTH – The Zeitgeist Arts Cafe in downtown Duluth is reopening its bar and allowing limited indoor dining after closing for several months due to the pandemic.
While not a full reopening, it's the first movement toward bringing customers back inside the nonprofit's restaurant space since it closed at the end of August.
Two pop-up restaurants are now operating in the Zeitgeist kitchen on Superior Street in downtown Duluth while the in-house restaurant at the arts and theater complex remains closed.
Gumbo Boi started serving Cajun and Creole dishes to go in October and offers pickup orders Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
HotBox Duluth is serving up "kids meals for adults" starting next week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Zeitgeist will start serving beer and wine and allowing socially distanced dining during Friday's Gumbo Boi pickup hours from 3 to 7 p.m. for now.
"Beer and wine will be available with curbside pickup orders, or folks can dine at a socially distanced table in the bar or atrium for the first time since August," Zeitgeist said in a news release this week. "New Orleans-inspired cocktails will be available for those who dine in-house."
Zeitgeist is one of the few area restaurants that had an extended closure due to the pandemic even as bars and eateries closed by the dozens in larger metro areas. Canal Park Brewing remains closed for the time being, and Mike's Western Cafe closed its doors in Lincoln Park last fall with the hopes of finding a new location eventually.
Brooks Johnson • 218-491-6496


text:
Muscle cars—you’d be hard pressed to come up with a segment for which electrification poses a greater challenge. After all, these slabs of America are all about intense emotions and V8s, so how you generate the first part with battery packs and electric motors? Well, two of Detroit’s Big Three have at least partially answered that question. However, unlike Dodge and Ford, Chevrolet has revealed next to nothing related to the future of the muscle car genre. So, at least for the time being, it’s up to digital proposals like this one to paint a 2024+ future for the iconic Camaro.
It’s already been a few years since rumors of the Camaro’s demise started floating around. And now only has GM steered clear of dismissing them, but the introduction of questionable styling updates and the lack of new derivatives for the 1967-born nameplate seem to only confirm the grim unofficial chat.
In fact, the only official details we can hang on to as far as the future of the Camaro is concerned comes from a teaser released back in 2020. The image, which you’ll find at the bottom of the gallery below, portrays an EV that appears to resemble the silhouette of the legendary model, albeit while seeming to pack more than two doors.
Of course, this has given birth to new rumors suggesting that the current sixth-generation Camaro, which has been in production since 2015, will be retired in 2023 and is set to be replaced by a battery-powered model.
Well, the CGI work sitting on our screens pictures such a Camaro EV, albeit while sticking to the two-door layout that has defined the muscle car over the decades.
Digital artist Marouane Bembli (aka The Sketch Monkey) builds on the 650 hp ZL1 Camaro, adopting futuristic elements from the 2024 Equinox EV, a compact crossover coming to the market in the fall of next year.
What about the real-life Camaro?
In the real world, though, anything is possible for the Camaro. The worst-case scenario involves a retirement, which could be temporary (remember the 2003-2008 gap between the Gen IV and the Gen V?).
As for the said EV transformation of the nameplate, models like the recently showcased 2024 Blazer EV electric crossover show that GM doesn’t always respect the legacy of a model (the K5 Blazer used to be a full-size SUV) as it did with the GMC Hummer EV. So a four- or five-door battery-electric model wearing the Camaro name can’t be ruled out.
However, we’d rather see Chevy picking a direct fight with Dodge, as the latter is set to unveil an all-electric muscle car concept, a coupe, this year, with the production model scheduled for 2024. Speaking of which, there are also rumors of internal combustion continuity for Dodge, even though Stellantis’ fresh twin-turbo 3.0L Tornado straight-six is said to replace the current raft of V8s, at least for most models.
There’s also the optimistic scenario. This would involve GM following a path like the one Ford took. So, while the Blue Oval used the Mustang name for the Mach E crossover, the carmaker is providing an internal combustion future—albeit a hybridized one—for the pony, with the seventh iteration of the ‘Stang (here are some leaked images of the next-gen Mustang) expected to debut next year as a 2024 model.
And, until GM decides to shed some light on the fate of the Camaro, you can check out the birth of this digital 2024 EV in the YouTube video below.


text:
Ahead of a key OECD health ministerial in January, 10 private-sector health policy experts, including USCIB Vice President Helen Medina, met in Paris last week for the BIAC (Business at OECD) Health Committee, took part in a key OECD meeting on “The Economics of Prevention,” and exchanged views on health and innovation policy with selected permanent delegations to the OECD.
With several governments contemplating heavy-handed labeling and marketing restrictions on foods they deem unhealthy, the industry experts sought to underscore how much industry has done to address the health impacts of its products as well as consumer lifestyle choices.
“The fact is, industry has made robust commitments on marketing and advertising, and has reformulated products in response to public concerns about health,” said Medina. “Our goal is to ensure that industry can continue to innovate and contribute to healthy diets while continuing to provide a range of choices for consumers.”
Other BIAC experts emphasized that industry is not afraid of regulation, but wants governments to support research and innovation policies, which would also help smaller companies. They asked OECD governments to consider ways to improve the base of evidence regarding effective disease prevention tools and other interventions. There is a need, they said, for nutritional data and for an integrative comprehensive approach to foster healthy choices, lifestyles and sustainable diets.
The group held bilateral meetings with OECD missions including the United States, Australia and the Czech Republic.


text:
Amidst the flurry of alarmist headlines and the chatter of an industry having a complicated discussion with itself, a critical piece of Delta-8 THC news managed to fly under nearly everyone’s radar: The Drug Enforcement Agency itself clarified in September that hemp-derived Delta-8 THC (∆8-THC) is not a controlled substance.
In a letter dated September 15th of this year from the the DEA’s Drug and Chemical Evaluation Section states that only cannabinoids extracted from non-compliant cannabis or synthesized from non-cannabis materials are controlled substances.
“Accordingly, cannabinoids extracted from the cannabis plant that have a ∆9-THC concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis meet the definition of “hemp” and thus are not controlled under the CSA.”
The letter also clarified a frequent point of confusion in discussions of Delta-8 (and the other 130+ hemp cannabinoids): namely, that the use of chemical synthesis to produce these natural compounds is not relevant to their control status. The term “synthesis,” which has varied meanings in scientific literature and no established meaning in the law, along with the DEA’s definition of “synthetic THCs” (a class of man-made THC analogs not found in the plant), have led many to think that Delta-8 was illegal because it is primarily produced from CBD through a process called chemical synthesis. The letter dispels that as an issue altogether by stating that, for the purposes of the Controlled Substances Act only “∆8-THC synthetically produced from non-cannabis materials is controlled under the CSA…”
Over at Delta8.co they have this take:
The significance of this clarification cannot be overstated. For over a year now the Delta 8 industry has operated in a perceived grey area due to confusion over an Interim Final Rule released by the DEA on August 20, 2020 saying synthetic compounds were illegal without ever fully defining the term “synthetic”. This release completely eliminates that grey area and shows that there are two forms of synthetic delta 8 with one being good (derived from hemp – legal) and one being bad (made from non-hemp materials – illegal).
The HIA has staked out the legal position that, because hemp cannabinoids were clearly legalized* by the 2018 Farm Bill (*technically, hemp was removed from the CSA and is federally “legal” pending some long-overdue regulations to hammer out interstate commerce and other pesky details), states should provide a path to market for these hemp products that is grounded in science and prioritizes public safety. As of November 1st, 18 states have opted to ban Delta-8 and four are actively considering doing so —reflecting a woeful lack of insight into the historical failures of prohibition and squandering the vast opportunity presented by the removal of hemp and its 130+ cannabinoids from the CSA. States choosing to revert to failed prohibitionist tactics are not only stifling innovation and entrepreneurship, they will perpetuate gray and black markets for cannabinoids that leave consumers at greater risk and undermine honest enterprise.
The day before the DEA issued this letter, September 14th, the HIA’s Executive Director said this in a Hemp Industry Daily editorial,
The HIA believes that we should never stop working to create the hemp industry we want, but we also need to contend with the hemp industry as it really is.
And the reality is that, while they have issued an interim rule and made statements relating to the subject, the DEA has not scheduled any hemp cannabinoids.
It’s not often you see an opinion publicly confirmed by the very government agency at issue so quickly, but in this case the DEA made it clear the very next day that Delta 8 is not a controlled substance.


text:
The Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA) has today announced the official launch of Hala’s taxi e-hailing service across all major areas in the Emirate.
The launch will see 500 cabs deployed, following an initial pilot phase
Available features for riders include knowing their ride’s ETA, fare estimate and route upfront, along with their driver’s details
Customers will also have a host of payment options available to them, including cash, card, or in app payments
The Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA) has today announced the official launch of Hala’s taxi e-hailing service across all major areas in the Emirate, in a joint-venture similar to the one Hala shares with the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
The launch follows a successful pilot phase of 50 taxis, where the average arrival time for a taxi to the customer has reached under 5 minutes – a number expected to reduce as the taxi fleet now increases to 500 taxis equipped with Careem technology, allowing them to be booked easily and from anywhere, at the touch of a button, an official press release detailed.
The service will follow the same fare pricing model as regular taxis, with no surge pricing during peak hours, Hala stated. Available features for riders include knowing their ride’s ETA, fare estimate and route upfront, along with their driver’s details. Customers will also have a host of payment options available to them, including cash, card, or in app payments. Riders will automatically collect Reward points for each trip which can be redeemed as ride credits or against partner offers.
As for the second phase of the roll out, Hala noted that each taxi driver has participated in intensive training, with an onboarding program to ensure a high competency with the booking technology, and ongoing training schedule in place for continued development.
“We believe in using technology to simplify movement, empowering our riders to travel easily wherever they may need to go. I am happy to see the beautiful progress we have been able to realise in the pilot phase of our launch, with an average customer trip rating of 4.7/5, achieved by working closely with our valued partners at RAKTA to implement a service of the highest quality,” Clemence Dutertre, CEO of Hala, said.
According to Zawya, “the app service for Hala taxis is only available for journeys that originate in the two emirates of Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah, but drivers are able to drop passengers off in other emirates.”
Careem officially launched in the Emirate this July, and has recently undergone massive layoffs following the ongoing fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
Ride-hailing is just one part of a five-year strategic plan by RAKTA that includes rolling out electric scooters, new bus stations and additional routes and Abra tours. As part of this plan, 300 electric scooters were deployed in Q1 2020, handled by e-mobility firms Circ and Arnab.


text:
Volatile stock markets have unleashed bargain hunters, but experts have warned DIY investors about falling into “value traps” that are ready to snare.
The S&P 500, an index that tracks the US stock market, has been flat over the past six months following a bumper decade, mainly due to its heavy reliance on speculative technology stocks. Share prices have buckled under the pressure of rising interest rates, which reduce the value of future profits.
Big drops across the market have sparked the attention of investors looking for a bargain. Meta, formerly known as Facebook, was the most popular stock for users of Freetrade, a broker, this week. Its share price has plunged more than 30pc in February after it reported weaker-than-expected profits.
Stephen Yiu, manager of the technology-focused Blue Whale Growth fund, said the largest US tech companies now looked like so-called value traps. These are stocks whose share prices look cheap, but the fundamentals are worse than they seem: the companies are cheap for a reason and primed to fall further.
“Valuations look enticing, but businesses are deteriorating,” he said. “Meta is one of these.”
Mr Yiu sold his stake in Meta in January, before the earnings report. “The share price is down, but the company’s fundamentals are getting worse. Its advertising business has suffered and there is increased competition from the likes of [video-focused social network] TikTok.”
In the UK, the market has rallied as global investors swap their penchant for new-fangled tech stocks for reliable profits. Value stocks, traditionally older industries such as banking, mining and oil and gas, are now beating their “growth” counterparts. The former dominate the FTSE 100, a benchmark of London’s largest companies. Such shares look more appealing when interest rates rise as they deliver profits in the present and pay dividends that grow with inflation.
Despite a 6pc rise in six months, the UK market was still housing value traps, fund managers warned.
While there was opportunity for DIY investors to make big gains on cheap shares, plenty were primed to fall, according to Alessandro Dicorrado, of the Ninety One UK Special Situations fund.
“Asos is one,” he said. “That is not to say it is worth zero, but it has less of a competitive advantage than we thought. There are so many multi-brand online retailers that do their own shipping, but the profit margins are very small. Plus there is more competition from China.” Shares in Asos have fallen 63pc in the past year.
Alex Wright, of Fidelity Special Situations, a value fund, warned that miners such as Rio Tinto, Anglo American and Antofagasta were traps.
“Most value fund managers own mining stocks because they look very cheap on a price-to-earnings basis,” he said, pointing to a metric that indicates how expensive a stock is relative to its profits. “But their earnings are very high because metal prices are, which won’t last forever. Profits will fall in 2022. This will end up damaging returns from the whole UK market because miners are such a big influence on the FTSE index. While these stocks look cheap at the moment, we don’t like the underlying investment case.”
However, Mr Dicorrado said housebuilders were cheap shares primed to grow, such as Taylor Wimpey. “Builders used to have a lot of debt eating into cash flow, but now they have much healthier balance sheets and more flexible regulation – they are good businesses that are not expensive.”
Retailer Marks and Spencer was Mr Wright’s bet. Shares had recovered 37pc in the past year but are still 39pc below where they traded five years ago. It is also cheaper than rivals on a price-to-earnings basis.
“The new managers have improved its clothing business,” he said. “It has grown significantly too because competitors such as Debenhams fell over during the pandemic. But the food business is the biggest driver because the market share is so low. There is significant scope for growth.”
Mr Wright also highlighted Kingfisher, which owns DIY retailer B&Q. “The new boss stopped a disastrous programme in which the company tried to make own-brand products,” he said. “It has had to deal with a lot of inflation in the product mix, but it has been able to pass this on to its customers, proving the strong pricing power.”
Derek Stuart, of the Artemis UK Special Situations fund, said some of London’s biggest companies were compelling opportunities, despite the number of traps around, such as oil giant BP.
“It has benefitted from rising oil prices, but it generates so much cash it is able to invest in the new era of energy, such as hydrogen and wind farms,” he said. “BP is central to the transition towards a greener future.”
He also tipped Imperial Brands, the tobacco giant. It has lost half of its market value in the past five years but the share price has grown 19pc since 2021.
George Godber, of the Polar Capital UK Value Opportunities fund, said British shares were still cheap across the board. “The London market has been cheap relative to other countries since Brexit. This is now a source of opportunity for DIY investors.”
In the US, Mr Yiu warned Paypal, the online payments giant, was a value trap. “There is uncertainty around the management team,” he said. “The chief executive, Dan Schulman, is now 64 and has been running the company for eight years. But the shares have returned less than the Nasdaq index, which tracks the country’s biggest technology companies. There is a chance that he will retire, or be forced into retirement, and we have not seen any succession planning.”
More positively, analysts at Jefferies, a broker, said sportswear brand Nike was a good and reasonably priced bet. The company had been unfairly punished, they said, with the share price down a fifth since November.
Investors were underestimating the positive impact of its new direct distribution plan, they said. “As supply chain issues wane and factories are open for longer, Nike will be able to increase the number of sneaker releases and get products out quicker,” the analysts added.


text:
Google IO 2017: What To Watch For And How
what to watch - google search, what can you watch on google chromecast, google what to watch, what watches work with google fit, what movies to watch on google drive, what's the hack to watch movies on google, what to watch on google play, what watches work with google pixel, what smart watches work with google fit, what is the watchlist on google play, google what to watch app, google watch 2019, google watchlist, google watch price, google watch pixel, google watch 2020, google watch history, google watch release, google watch review
Google I/O 2017 kicks off today, and while our own Stephen Hall, Abner Li, and Seth Weintraub will be in attendance to help bring everything.... Google IO 2017 kicks off Wednesday, May 17, with a 10am PT (1pm ET / 6pm GMT / 3am AEST May 18) keynote hosted by CEO Sundar Pichai.. Google kicked off it's three-day developer conference with a two-hour keynote which had a lot of news and updates to things like the Google.... Last week we heard the latest Windows plans from Microsoft at Build and now it's Google's turn. The company kicks off its annual Google I/O.... Google I/O 2017: What to expect ... A look back at Google I/O highlights ... Likewise, don't expect to see the next Pixel phones at I/O. Though the.... Google I/O is Google's annual developer conference held in San ... An update to google home and chromecast allow users to see visual.... May 17-19, 2017 Google I/O is an annual developer festival held at the outdoor Shoreline Amphitheatre. See you next year! Sign in to see the events and sessions you saved to your account across mobile and desktop. This year's festival built lots of excitement.. Google I/O 2017, the biggest developer event for Google, is kicking off today, on May 17th with a keynote by Google chief executive Sundar.... Mountain View, CA - May 17-19, 2017. ... Adding Complications to your Wear OS Watch Face. 55 min Updated Oct 4, 2018. Start ... Android Things Peripheral I/O.. Data saver in Chrome is enabled by default. And YouTube Go lets users download YouTube videos on Wi-Fi to watch later on-the-go. Google's ".... Google I/O 2017 is one week away (May 17-19th), and we'll be there. Google ... We'll also give you a look into what's next for AdMob. Be sure.... Google IO is an annual conference where news on all aspects of the Android ... Here's what to expect in 2017 and how to watch the Google IO.... Now that the Google I/O 2017 keynote has ended, we know what some ... of navigating first to the Netflix app to keep watching your last show,.... How to watch Google I/O 2017 live. The keynote and 150 talks are streaming this week. By Tess Townsend Updated May 17, 2017, 1:09pm.... Today we're running down what's coming to Google IO 2017, the company's annual software conference aimed at developers. This event takes.... Googles annual I/O developer conference starts on Wednesday, and the 2017 edition of the show should be full of news and announcements, just like every year before now. ... The next version of Googles mobile OS Android O will likely be revealed in full detail at the event.. Urban Airship solutions engineer Megan Barry and mobile engineering manager Ryan Lepinski catch some rays at day one of Google I/O 2017.... The Google I/O 2017 keynote address begins at 10 am Pacific (1 pm Eastern) on Wednesday, May 17, at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain.... Google I/O 2017 - All Sessions. Google Developers; 158 videos; 356,077 views; Last updated on Feb 27, 2018. Play all. Share. Loading... Save.... All guests who have purchased tickets to I/O 2020 will receive a full refund by March 13, 2020. If you don't see the credit on your statement by then, please reach...
AVS Video Editor 188.8.131.528 Crack 2020 With Keygen
IDM Crack 6.32 Build 6 Serial Key Final + Patch 2019 Free
Android Phone Wake Wake LockDetector
Classic BlackBerry gets Android revival
Express vpn activation code free
Battery Indicator Pro v2.8.0 [Patched] [Latest]
How to install Windows 10 on a Mac
Stopping Cycles of Addiction and Violence
Kenneth Che-Tew Eng Still Lives WithMommy!
UDEMY Courses 12 Feb 20 for Free


text:
Business Digest: Southwest to offer fewer flights between Austin and Dallas
Southwest to offer fewer flights between Austin and Dallas
Southwest Airlines will reduce the number of daily flights between Austin and Dallas Love Field later this year, the air carrier said this week.
The airline currently offers 12 flights a day, but will cut that number to 10 by November, spokeswoman Thais Conway told the American-Statesman.
The Austin-Dallas route is one of several nationwide that will see a reduction in frequency this year, Conway said, allowing Southwest to free up jets for several new routes it plans to add at Love Field.
“We’re looking at the economy and at customer demand,” Conway said.
The move comes as restrictions that had prevented Southwest from offering direct flights from Love Field to all but a handful of states are set to expire.
Southwest does have some good news for Central Texans, though. The airline plans to add nonstop service between Austin and Cancun starting Nov. 2, Conway said.
Gauge of leading indicators gains in April
WASHINGTON — A gauge designed to predict the economy’s future health posted a solid gain in April, further evidence of stronger growth after a severe winter dampened activity.
The Conference Board said Thursday that its index of leading indicators increased 0.4 percent in April following an upwardly revised 1 percent gain in March. The strength in April was led by improving housing and financial market conditions.
The overall economy grew at a barely discernible 0.1 percent rate in the January-March quarter but many analysts expect growth will bounce back to an annual rate over 3.5 percent in the current April-June quarter.
For April, five of the 10 forward-pointing indicators made positive contributions. The largest contribution came from the spread in interest rates followed by a big jump in building permits. The biggest negative factor was a drop in average weekly manufacturing hours.
Sears loss widens, sales remain soft
Sears Holdings signaled that it might close more stores than the 80 locations it is shuttering this year as the beleaguered retailer looks for ways to restore profitability and raise cash.
The news came as the Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based company, which operates Kmart as well as Sears stores, reported a wider first-quarter loss as sales declined 7 percent. The biggest drag was consumer electronics, a category that has been suffering because of price competition online.
Sears Holdings Corp., controlled by billionaire hedge fund investor Edward Lampert, has been cutting costs, reducing inventory and selling assets to return to profitability. Sears said last week that it was considering selling its Canadian operations. It recently spun off clothing business Lands’ End as a separate public company.
Best Buy posts profit on cost-cutting, tax benefit
Cost cuts helped consumer electronics retailer Best Buy record a stronger-than-expected profit in the first quarter, but sales continued to be weak as shoppers hold off for new product launches of smartphones and tablets expected in the fall.
Adjusted earnings beat expectations and shares rose more than 5 percent in morning trading.
But sales fell short of Wall Street estimates. And Best Buy said it expects revenue in stores open at least 14 months, a key retail metric known as same-store sales, will fall in both the second and third quarters.
Best Buy is grappling with a weak consumer electronics industry and competition from online stores, notably Amazon.com, and discounters like Wal-Mart.


text:
Persona 5 Blu-ray to be released this Summer
Atlus has announced it'll release a Persona 5 Blu-ray this Summer in Japan ahead of the game's release later this year.
However, it comes with a massive caveat. The Blu-ray will only come with first-run printed copies of Persona 4: Dancing All Night on PlayStation Vita: the game's website made the announcement. During its two-day Persona News Stream, Atlus announced this morning (February 5) it'd release Dancing All Night in Japan on June 25.
No word on if a similar thing is planned for the West, although Dancing All Night has been confirmed for a release in North America at least.
Persona 5 itself just got its first gameplay video release. It'll launch in Japan later this year on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. It'll soon follow in North America,


text:
Victory demo: crushing for founder's granddaughter
While the unceremonious demolition of the art-deco glass storefront of the old Victory Shoe Store on the Downtown Mall has angered city planners, preservationists, and fans of the classic storefront–and contributed to some spirited discussion on the function of the BAR, property rights, anonymous comment posting, and “unconsciously bourgeois pathology”–for Ethel Crowe, it’s been like losing a piece of her life.
“It has made me so sick, I can’t tell you what it has done to us,” says Crowe, whose Russian immigrant grandparents, Isaac and Freda Kobre, opened the store in 1921.
“I was born in that store,” says Crowe, “That’s all I ever knew. It has been crushing. I hope they can put it back the way it was. But it will never be the same.”
As Crowe reveals, her grandparents put a new store front on the building around 1947, modifying what was already there.
Crowe says her parents, Tillie (“Miss Tillie,” Crowe says people called her) and Bernie Miller, eventually took over the store and operated it until 1995, when Tillie passed away. Crowe says she managed to keep the store going for another year, but finally closed and gave all the shoes away to charity.
“We were there for 75 years, that’s a long time,” says Crowe, struggling for words to describe the loss.
Crowe said she’s already called the building’s owner, Joe Gieck, to ask why he demolished the store front; his explanation that the glass was cracked was not well-received by Crowe.
“I hope something is done,” she says. “Maybe a petition to have it restored.”


text:
Volvo Exec: Each Volvo Sold in U.S. Could Be Sold With Plug-In Hybrid Powertrain
April 18, 2014 1:33 PM
comment(s) - last by
It's using its Scalable Platform Architecture to do so
It looks like Volvo is getting serious about electrification, as an executive recently said that each Volvo sold in the U.S. could be optionally equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
, Dean Shaw -- VP Corporate Communications at Volvo Cars of North America -- said it's possible that all Volvos sold in the U.S. will have a plug-in hybrid version as well sometime soon. This includes cars like the XC90, V60 or S60.
Shaw went on to say that the Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA), which Volvo has been working on since at least 2011, will be key to this venture. SPA is a modulular platform set to underpin all of its models sized from about the S60 up, and offers significant improvements when it comes to protection.
"The solution, when we started from the ground up is to really utilize this new platform that we have," Shaw said. "We've got an optimized engine installation, we've built a central part of the vehicle down the transmission tunnel we can store batteries in and then we have the electric rear-axle drive - the next-generation, if you like, after the V60 - going into that car as well. The car in China [S60L PPHEV] is taking little components of that, taking the latest engine and adding it to the hardware that we've been proving and selling very successfully in Europe."
Volvo XC Concept Coupe [SOURCE: Autoblog]
Shaw said an array of Volvo models will be use the new platform, from the replacement for the S60, the XC60, the V60, and the XC90. He said it could underpin any model that Volvo sells in the U.S. today.
"Everything we sell in the US today will be replaced by cars on this new platform," Shaw said. "We've said up front that every car on that platform could have a plug-in hybrid. I can't see why you wouldn't do that."
One example is the XC90 plug-in hybrid, which will have a PHEV powertrain and is due in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2015.
Shaw made it clear that Volvo's PHEVs will likely aim for the high-end consumer market in the U.S., as the price tags are a bit steep on these vehicles.
"One of the challenges that people have had with hybrids and plug-in hybrids is you're adding a bunch of expensive hardware," Shaw said.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
4/21/2014 12:16:43 PM
That is a good sign. It means there is incentive to install more. Microsoft, for instance, is more than doubling their charging points.
"Let's face it, we're not changing the world. We're building a product that helps people buy more crap - and watch porn." -- Seagate CEO Bill Watkins
Kia Partners with Greenlots to Provide DC Fast Chargers for ’15 Soul EV
September 2, 2014, 11:48 AM
Volkswagen e-Golf Priced from $35,445, Offers Up to 90-Mile Range
August 25, 2014, 12:35 PM
Owner of "Decepticon" Maserati Ordered to Appear in Court This Thursday
August 25, 2014, 7:55 AM
Watch Out Valets, Corvette is Offering "Baby Monitor for Your Car"
August 19, 2014, 5:05 PM
GM Concedes That the Cadillac ELR Doesn’t Really Compete with the Tesla Model S
August 15, 2014, 5:42 PM
Ford Partners with DTE Energy to Deploy MI’s Largest Solar Installation
August 14, 2014, 10:57 AM
Most Popular Articles
Numerous Leaks Detail 4.7" iPhone 6 Processor, RAM, Cellular and NFC Capabilities
August 29, 2014, 10:37 PM
Windows 9: "Upgrade Now" Button Coming for Enterprise Updates, ARM Preview in H1 2015
August 26, 2014, 8:00 PM
L.A. Unified School District’s Apple iPad Contract Canceled Following Heavy Criticism
August 26, 2014, 12:37 PM
Apple Builds Not-So-Secret Secret 3-Story Tower for iPhone 6/iWatch Unveil
August 28, 2014, 3:41 PM
Netflix Accuses Comcast of Ripping Off Customers, Files to Block Merger
August 26, 2014, 5:49 PM
Latest Blog Posts
Space Terrorism is a Looming Threat For the United States
Apr 23, 2014, 7:47 PM
Facebook Aims to Provide Internet to "Every Person in the World" with Drones, Satellites
Apr 1, 2014, 10:20 AM
Retail Mobile Sites Experience Outages in Light of Simplexity's Bankruptcy
Mar 14, 2014, 8:48 AM
Tesla vs. BMW: Who Has the Safer EV?
Feb 1, 2014, 2:56 PM
Justice Leaks Details of Next HTC One Two Flagship Phone
Dec 5, 2013, 4:04 PM
More Blog Posts
Copyright 2014 DailyTech LLC. -
Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information


text:
Chocolate sold at a Christmas market that made customers ill was laced with hallucinogenic drugs, police have revealed.
Locals complained of feeling sick after eating chocolate in gold wrappers and sold in orange ‘Cali-Gold boxes’ last Saturday.
One 10-year-old boy was taken to hospital after the batch of chocolate had psilocin, found in magic mushrooms and THC.
A woman, 63, was arrested in connection with the case, she has since been bailed.
Chief Inspector Chris Sutcliffe said: ‘Forensic testing has been carried out of the chocolate recovered by police, with the majority showing no traces of drugs or anything out of the ordinary.
‘Quantities of the hallucinogenic drug Psilocin and THC – a substance found in cannabis – were discovered in a small number of the bars, however.
‘The small number of people who became unwell after eating the chocolate have all now fully recovered.
‘It is really important that anyone who still has any of this chocolate hands it into the police immediately so that it can be further analysed.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.org.
For more stories like this, check our news page.


text:
10 January 2022
Luton – Vauxhall’s family lifestyle vehicles Combo Life and Vivaro Life are to go exclusively electric as part of its drive to offer an electrified variant across its entire model line-up by 2024 and be fully electric by 2028.
Following on from the price reductions across all Corsa-e and Mokka-e models, Vauxhall has repositioned the pricing of its all-electric Combo-e Life and Vivaro-e Life Combi models in light of the recent changes to the Government’s Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG)
The following changes are effective immediately:
Previous OTR Price
Previous OTR w/PiCG1
New Price OTR
New Price OTR w/PiCG2
Paul Willcox, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “Vauxhall has set out a clear ambition to go electric only by 2028 and this is another step on that journey. We are focused on ensuring that the benefits of going electric are available, and affordable, to as many British motorists as possible.”
The UK market for electric vehicles was up by 74 per cent in 2021, to a record 19 per cent share of the overall UK car market, according to figures released this week by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
The Vauxhall electrified passenger car line-up will comprise of eight models within the coming months:
- New Grandland Plug-in Hybrid-e
- All-New Astra Plug-in Hybrid-e
- All-New Astra Sport Tourer Plug-in Hybrid-e (due 2022)
- All-New Astra-e (Due 2023)
- Combo-e Life
- Vivaro-e Life
With a 174 mile WLTP range from its 50kWh battery, Vauxhall’s Combo-e Life is a spacious and highly practical family lifestyle vehicle that is available in five-seat or seven-seat configurations. Later this year, Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant will become the first Stellantis plant to produce a solely battery-electric model including the Combo-e Life and Combo-e van, for both domestic and export markets.
With a 143-mile WLTP range, Vauxhall’s Vivaro-e Life Combi combines real-world versatility with an innovative all-electric drivetrain and can seat up to nine passengers. It is highly practical and suitable for large families or use as a people carrier, work transportation vehicle or taxi.
All existing customer orders for Combo Life and Vivaro Life will be honoured and a limited number of certain third party specialist conversions, such as Combo Life Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle, will continue. The revised pricing on Combo-e Life and Vivaro-e Life Combi is in lieu of previous customer offers.
Vauxhall will offer an electrified variant across its entire model line-up by 2024 and will have a fully electric vehicle range, of cars and vans, by 2028 – seven years ahead of the UK Government deadline. Vauxhall is the UK’s leading electric van manufacturer and offers an electric version of every van in its model line-up.


text:
Ecommerce titan Amazon’s acquisition of Full Meals, the upmarket grocery retailer chain, has come to an in depth and, true to its phrase, Amazon has significantly decreased devices all through its outlets.
After detailing which devices will be getting a reduction remaining week, prices in a number of cases appear to have dropped by a staggering 43%, in accordance with Bloomberg investigations. The deal – reportedly worth throughout the space of $13.7 billion – moreover sees Amazon Prime purchasers benefitting from distinctive reductions on a ramification of groceries.
Throughout the run as a lot because the deal’s denouement, Amazon encountered a slew of political and licensed obstacles. Among the seen received right here from Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge, who penned a letter to Lawyer Frequent Jeff Durations detailing her concern “about what this merger may indicate for African-American communities all through the nation already affected by a shortage of cheap healthful meals alternatives from grocers.” She advocated scrutiny “previous the normal antitrust overview course of that solely examines the aggressive have an effect on.” The letter was signed by an additional 11 members of Congress.
However, with the acquisition receiving the inexperienced light remaining Wednesday, Amazon closed the deal on Monday 28 August. In a press release, the company confirmed Amazon Prime would flip into Full Meals’ rewards program, together with members of the scheme being entitled to “explicit monetary financial savings and in retailer benefits”.
In case you’re looking out for concrete knowledge on what these monetary financial savings will entail, Amazon proffered a reasonably good notion. “Starting Monday,” the press launch disclosed, “Full Meals Market will provide lower prices on a selection of best-selling staples all through its outlets, with far more to come back again. Prospects will have the benefit of lower prices on merchandise like Full Commerce bananas, pure avocados, pure large brown eggs, pure responsibly-farmed salmon and tilapia, pure little one kale and little one lettuce, animal-welfare-rated 85% lean ground beef, creamy and crunchy almond butter, pure Gala and Fuji apples, pure rotisserie rooster, 365 Frequently Price pure butter, and far more.”
The deal marks Amazon’s largest transaction, outclassing the 2014 acquisition of on-line recreation streaming web site Twitch Interactive Inc for $970 million in cash.
It’s understood that Full Meals CEO John Mackey will maintain his place after the deal closes, subject to approval from shareholders and regulators.
“This partnership presents an opportunity to maximise value for Full Meals Market’s shareholders, whereas on the equivalent time extending our mission and bringing the easiest top quality, experience, consolation and innovation to our purchasers,” said Mackey.
“Hundreds and hundreds of people love Full Meals Market on account of they supply the easiest pure and pure meals, and they also make it fulfilling to eat healthful,” Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in an announcement.
Although Full Meals will maintain its determine, the deal will give Amazon entry to a sizeable neighborhood of bricks-and-mortar outlets throughout the US and internationally. This isn’t the first time Amazon has strayed previous its on-line market. For example, the retailer has made a present switch into building physical bookshops. It’s even provide you with somewhat sinister methods to forestall in-store purchasers researching opponents.
Amazon already has a longtime food-delivery arm, known as Amazon Latest – energetic throughout the US since 2007 – which dispatches a ramification of produce along with fruit, greens and meat. Throughout the UK, this entails quite a lot of partnerships with meals suppliers, the first one being grocery retailer chain Morrisons. Whereas Full Meals is an American company, the grocery retailer meals chain moreover has quite a lot of retailers throughout the UK.
Leave a Reply


text:
Metal Gear Solid Rising not until 2012
by Steven Williamson on 8 November 2010, 13:32
Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qa2w4
Add to My Vault:
Metal Gear Solid: Rising is set between the second and fourth games in the series and introduces a new "precision slicing" feature that was shown off at E3 this year, where the first trailer showcased Raiden chopping a watermelon in half with extreme precision, better than any greengrocer we've ever seen. The slice and dice mechanic would be perfect for PlayStation Move and Kinect implementation, but so far Konami hasn't announced the feature.
Now that the date has been pushed back, we'd expect that news to arrive at E3 2011.


text:
The days in which you would walk into a local car dealer, Barloworld and drive out with an Audi are numbered. This follows the confirmation by the global car dealer that it will no longer import and sell Audi cars amid growing global demand for electric vehicles.
Barloworld Chief Executive Officer Clement Matswagothata told this publication that even though they will continue to service and repair Audi cars which have been purchased from them, it should however be noted that they will not order new ones.
“What Audi has done globally is that they are now going electric, so the next couple of years we will not have manufacturing of Audi cars with combustion engine, petrol engines and diesel engines but from aftersales perspective we will continue servicing them, we will continue fixing them, we will continue repairing them and our technicians will continue attending Audi trainings,” said Matswagothata.
He highlighted that they currently have a limited brand new stock which they left in December adding that they will sell them and shut doors on Audi imports.
Matswagothata said as a result they have taken a decision as a business not to go into the electric space for a myriad reasons.
“We are not going to go into the electric space because if you look at Volvo cars for instance that is also part of our collections, Volvo has what we call hybrids which means it is part electric and part combustion engine, basically meaning that one can use petrol or electric but Audi is not going hybrid but rather going all out electric,” added Matswagothata.
He stated that even though they have taken a strategic decision not to sell electric Audi cars, they remain open to seeing what infrastructure will have in place.
He said there are no infrastructure in place in Botswana to allow electric car owners to move freely.
“It is currently a challenge to think that one can order electric cars and sell them because it will not make business sense unless there are infrastructure in place,”
“The strategic point of view now is to establish whether we agree to wait for 3 years, 4 years or 8 years until we have all the necessary infrastructure in place,” stated Matswagothata.
He said electric vehicles need heavy investment to insure that car owners receive assistance at the tip of their nail.
Matswagothata stated that there has been a significant shift in the car manufacturing space around the world adding that some countries have already started to buy into the philosophy.
In 2021 it was reported that Baylee Enterprises (Pty) Ltd, a private company headquartered in Botswana’s capital city Gaborone, was expected to start full production of electric cars in the same year.
The then Minister of Trade and Industry Peggy Serame said the company was currently importing electric motors and other parts needed to assemble the electric car in the southern African country.
“The company is planning to start full production by August 2021,” Serame made the announcement in parliament while answering a question from a fellow legislator who wanted an update on the development and production of electric cars.
According to Serame, the company has developed the prototype of the electric car and it is currently undergoing compliance process with relevant stakeholders including Botswana’s Department of Road, Transport and Safety.
Serame said the electric car will go a long way in ensuring that there will be less air pollution in Botswana. According to a Journal of Health and Pollution published in 2020, Botswana is ranked amongst the most polluted countries with serious air pollution, despite a population of just over two million people.


text:
Shipping freight rates for transporting containers from ports in Asia to Northern Europe jumped 21 percent to $1,455 per 20-foot container (TEU) in the week ended on Friday,
Leading U.S. carrier in the PacificMatson, Inc. reported net income of $18.1 million or $0.42 per diluted share for the quarter ended June 30, 2014, compared with $20.
Port of Redwood City reports 19% increase in cargo movement; highest since 2006 and third highest in modern history
Reflecting a significant increase in construction
The MOL President Koichi Muto explains his strategies in a letter to shareholders in the company’s Annual Report 2014 and reports an ordinary income of ¥54.9 billion and net income of ¥57.
On August 1, Hamburg Süd will open an office in Nanjing, China, to be headed by general manager Steven Pu. Hamburg Süd now operates from 20 locations in Greater China.
Container traffic through Kenya's biggest port grew by 12.8 percent in the first six months of the year after new cargo handling infrastructure was built to shorten the turnaround time for ships.
Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) said it needs 50 additional commercial employees for the container terminal Burchardkai (CTB). The company continues its
Drewry Maritime Research (DMR) says it has just published it's latest Container Census report, providing a wealth of information on the container equipment market.
Höegh LNG Partners LP ("Partnership"), a Marshall Islands limited partnership formed by Höegh LNG Holdings Ltd. ("Company"), announced today that it has commenced an initial public offering of 9,
The XtendFRESH atmosphere control system, which preserves quality and extends shipping distances for perishables shipped in refrigerated containers, is now available from Carrier Transicold.
Trelleborg’s marine operation has been awarded the contract to supply two MV1250 linked corner fender systems and nine MV750 side modular fenders to the port of Longyearbyen in Norway,
Greece-based Diana Containerships Inc., a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of containerships, has reported net income of $0.6 million for the second quarter of 2014,
Danaos Corporation ("Danaos") (NYSE: DAC), a leading international owner of containerships, today reported unaudited results for the period ended June 30, 2014.
First-half container traffic at leading French port Marseilles Fos totalled 583,287 teu – up 7% on the first six months last year - marked by a 10% increase at the deepsea Fos terminals.
Global container carrier Evergreen Line announced enhancements to its services to/from Dublin (Ireland) and Liverpool (Northwest England). From its hub in Rotterdam,
In a move to expand its presence in the European energy markets, Ferguson Group, specialists in the rental of DNV 2.7-1 / EN 12079 certified offshore containers,
The Georgia Ports Authority moved more than 29 million tons of cargo, 3 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) and more than 700,000 auto and machinery units in Fiscal Year 2014.
Diana Shipping Inc., a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of dry bulk vessels, has announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase
When it comes to port development, many governments now favour letting the market decide where expansion should take place, whereas most other transport infrastructure,
Port Metro Vancouver has re-opened its Clark Drive access gate to inbound container trucks destined for the Centerm container terminal. Inbound access had been


text:
America needs to hear about resurgence of manufacturing industry
Today is National Manufacturing Day, and I wish to dispel misperceptions of American manufacturing. Overseeing an association with nearly 800 manufacturers and over 30,000 manufacturing employees gives me a unique perspective on today's' manufacturing industry. The folks who are involved daily in the industry know that there are three big manufacturing myths -- that the U.S. manufacturing industry is in decline; that it is backbreaking work in a dark, dirty building; and that there is little future in a career in manufacturing.
Manufacturing in Illinois is strong and growing stronger
Manufacturing here has experienced a resurgence. As manufacturers have become leaner and more competitive globally, they have experienced tremendous growth.
Productivity (measured as "output per hour") in the manufacturing sector has increased by more than 2.5 times since 1987. Amazingly, U.S. manufactured goods exports have quadrupled over the past 25 years. Manufacturing in the U.S. has changed, becoming more precise and higher value thanks to improved technology and cloud-based manufacturing. Production is coming back to the U.S. Outsourcing has peaked, as companies realize the full cost of outsourcing including transportation, quality, reliability, duty, and delivery times.
Production worldwide is moving to the most productive location, and as that happens the highest-value, precision manufacturing is "reshoring" and coming back home. Last year, for the first time in decades, more manufacturing jobs came back to the U.S. than left.
Today's factories are cleaner than your kitchen
Factories are no longer dirty and dark, nor do they require backbreaking labor. While lower-precision, less-skilled manufacturing has moved to places like Mexico and China, the United States has become the destination for precision manufacturing. We are leading the way with performance and technological advances.
A day's work in factories could consist of instructing a machine to cut a precise edge or inputting an exact angle into a computer. Factories are extremely clean to meet strict standards for their clients in the pharmaceutical, defense and aerospace industries.
Manufacturing is a rewarding and stable career
The resurgence of manufacturing has left many of our members with new challenges. The most difficult challenge is finding qualified employees. As precision machining continues on the upswing, manufacturers are scrambling for skilled employees. Some companies have been forced to refuse new orders and delay expansion plans as a result. It is estimated that nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will be needed over the next decade, with 2 million of those jobs going unfilled due to the skills gap. Eighty percent of U.S. manufacturers recently reported a shortage of qualified applicants for highly paid, skilled production positions.
Pursuing a career in manufacturing can be rewarding and does not require a traditional four-year college degree. A science, technology, engineering, and math background combined with employer-sponsored training can lead to a great career. Jobs in manufacturing can pay over $100,000 a year. Today's manufacturing workers are making over 27 percent more than the average worker.
U.S. manufacturing today is growing and will continue to innovate and adapt. We are winning the international competition, jobs are coming home, and our communities are benefiting. But to secure the benefits of manufacturing for our region and country, we need to share the good news about the opportunities in manufacturing jobs.
Steve Rauschenberger is president of the Technology & Manufacturing Association, a Schaumburg-based agency that acts as a comprehensive resource for Midwest manufacturers.


text:
The demand for blockchain within businesses has grown rapidly over the last few years, meaning the opportunity to learn about the technology has experienced massive growth too.
There’s now a huge demand for professionals who know all about blockchain. Because of this, business schools, universities, and online learning platforms are rushing to launch their own courses on cryptocurrencies and blockchain.
Some of the courses being created allow dedicated people to grow from a blockchain newbie to a developer in a matter of weeks.
“This is moving much faster than people expected. Business schools will have no choice but to update curriculums,” states David Yermack, a professor of finance and business transformation at the New York University Stern School.
Yermack started teaching one of the first blockchain and cryptocurrency courses in the school’s curriculum back in 2014. Since then, the number of students on blockchain courses just keeps growing. With more than double the number of students than the previous year, this year they’ve had 230 students sign up for their blockchain courses. He also states: “We had to move to the biggest auditorium in the school, so we would not have any limits. The growth is exponential.”
US-based crypto exchange Coinbase has released a survey revealing that 42% of the world’s top 50 universities have included at least one crypto or blockchain course in their curriculum.
Coinbase adds “There are also plenty of options for people not currently enrolled at a university to learn more about crypto. Online learning sites like Udemy, Coursera, edX, and Udacity offer hundreds of courses, including general lessons in foundational cryptography and more specialised classes on blockchain and cryptocurrency.”
The growth of blockchain courses is also causing a rapid evolution of skills. In the US, Upwork.com reports that blockchain is the fastest growing skill recruiters are looking for.
“Blockchain topped the list as the fastest-growing skill in Q2 of 2018 out of more than 5,000 on Upwork.com for the second consecutive quarter,” the recruitment firm from California say on their website. “Its year-over-year growth has exceeded 2,000% for the past four quarters, and it experienced more than 3,500% year-over-year growth in Q2.”
For more information on the skills needed for a blockchain job, read here…
Glassdoor.com lists more than 2,700 blockchain-related jobs. Because of this, talent is needed to lead the way for the companies delving into blockchain. This can only happen if courses are developed and updated regularly. After all, blockchain technology is still growing.


text: We at the Wine Industry Network want to express our deepest sympathies to all of those that have been impacted by the devastating fires throughout Northern California. Many of our wine industry friends and colleagues have lost their homes or have had their businesses affected in a way that may take months or years to overcome. Our goal is to support and assist in the rebuilding of our local wine industry and to that end, the North Coast Wine Industry Trade Show and Conference on November 30, 2017 will be held as planned. More than 300 of our industry’s top suppliers will be on hand with special offers and we hope the event will provide a much-needed opportunity for the north coast wine community to gather together and reconnect. We will also be donating $20 of each paid registration to the @CAWineStrong Charity Fund, as well as $1 for each person that attends the show.


text:
CHICAGO, Nov. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Portillo’s (NASDAQ: PTLO), the fast-casual restaurant concept known for its menu of unrivaled Chicago street food, today announced that it has been named to QSR Magazine’s inaugural Best Brands to Work For list. Dedicated to restaurant operators, the new report recognizes the companies that are leading the industry as employers of choice. Portillo’s was also featured as the cover story of the November Best Brands to Work For print issue.
“This recognition is a testament to the strength of our people-first culture and the power behind living our values of Family, Greatness, Energy and Fun,” said Michael Osanloo, President & CEO of Portillo’s. “I’m incredibly proud of the entire Portillo’s team. They bring so much passion and excitement to work every day, and truly are the heart of Portillo’s.”
QSR Magazine recognized Portillo’s for its “secret-sauce” of having both a strong employee proposition and a culture built through decades of centralized growth. The company’s industry-leading turnover rate and internal promotion rate over 80%, as well as its employee benefits, training and development programs, and company culture and values were also contributing factors to Portillo’s continued success.
“Labor was on the mind of every restaurant operator well before COVID,” says Danny Klein, editorial director of QSR Magazine. “But like many topics, it was placed in the pressure cooker. Beyond brands scrambling to hire and keep workers, however, what the pandemic really did was reveal the mettle of the restaurants that led with a people-first approach. The chains certified as Best Brands to Work For in our inaugural report are setting a new standard for employee care and laying a blueprint for peers to follow in the years to come.”
The full ranking includes 25 restaurant brands, all of which were among a longer list of outside expert submissions that was reviewed by a panel of industry pundits. The full list of honorees is available at QSRMagazine.com.
The full story of Portillo’s culture-driven approach can be accessed HERE.
In 1963, Dick Portillo invested $1,100 into a small trailer to open the first Portillo’s hot dog stand, “The Dog House,” in Villa Park, IL. Now called Portillo’s, the business has grown to include more than 70 restaurants in 9 states, with plans to enter Texas this winter, and ships its best-selling menu items to fans in all 50 states. Portillo’s serves a menu of craveable items, including its iconic Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, char-grilled burgers, fresh salads and famous chocolate cake. The fast-casual restaurant concept has a distinct, energy-filled atmosphere designed to create a memorable experience.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/edce544f-ef72-45f0-a936-db506fa81539


text:
Google’s YouTube is opening up to much longer videos. Back in July, YouTube expanded the maximum upload time to 15 minutes, but today the video site announced a much longer length of time for select users.
“So go find that movie you wrote and filmed last year and share it with the world! Or upload your son’s championship high school basketball game or the insightful lecture you just gave on the emerging economics of green tech. As long as it’s your original content, it’s fair game regardless of length,” YouTube said in a blog post announcing the change.
Hollywood studios and others have sued YouTube over charges of copyright infringement leading the company to develop and deploy a number of copyright protection schemes. In today’s announcement, YouTube was careful to note that the longer video uploads will only be available to “selected users with a history of complying with the YouTube Community Guidelines and our copyright rules.”
Analyst Tim Bajarin said the expansion is a smart move by YouTube that opens up potentially new revenue streams.
“This could spur another growth in YouTube’s business model as longer videos mean more potential advertising opportunities,” Bajarin, principal analyst at Creative Strategies, told InternetNews.com. “There is also greater opportunity for more targeted ads, like a music store advertising on a guitar video.”
Google, which bought YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion, has refused to say whether the video sharing site is profitable, but has said it’s happy with the site’s progress. During an earnings call with analysts in October, Google said YouTube is monetizing more than 2 billion views each week, up 50 percent from a year earlier.
A bigger distraction in the enterprise?
Bajarin said the longer videos are a mixed blessing for IT. On the one hand, it gives companies an easier way to broadcast things like executive speeches, reports and training videos to employees. On the other hand, entertainment and other non-work-related videos can be a distraction and impact employee productivity.
“But that’s not just YouTube, that’s part of the broader issue of how to manage streaming media in general that can bring networks to a crawl and the guidelines companies choose to enforce about social media, video and things of that nature,” he said. “Of course the Cisco’s of the world love anything that encourages longer video and greater network traffic because that increases the demand for their routers and switches.”
YouTube credited advances to its Content ID system and other tools it provides copyright owners for enabling longer form videos. The company said over 1,000 partners use Content ID to manage their content on YouTube, including every major U.S. movie studio and music label.


text:
If you wear Prada handbags, Swatch watches, and necklaces from Tiffany, you might also consider buying the companies' shares. A recent Credit Suisse research note on desirable brands, rates seven such luxury stocks as "Outperform" based on improving fundamentals and emerging consumer trends globally. Three, in particular, have significant upside in the coming 12-months.
A survey conducted by the bank's research institute, in association with AC Nielsen, interviewed 16,000 consumers across nine emerging market countries, the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) along with Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. It found 50% of consumers planned to purchase Western brands over the next 12 months. The research noted that Prada's handbags were particularly desired by Russians while Rolex and Omega watches are a hot commodity in China.
So how do you profit on these findings? Among Credit Suisse's picks: In Europe, the Swiss bank likes luxury conglomerate Compagnie Financiere Richemont (ticker: CFR.Switzerland) and watchmaker Swatch (UHR.Switzerland). Analysts also like the jeweler Tiffany (TIF) in the U.S. The one Asian company that made the cut, Chow Tai Fook (1929.Hong Kong), is another jewelry retailer. All of these stocks are plays on the rising tide of wealth in emerging markets, but the picks may take a bit longer to play out based on Credit Suisse's 12-month target prices. Three other stock selections by Credit Suisse appear to be good plays in the near term.
Though the German-based sports apparel maker is not your standard symbol of affluence, Credit Suisse's first stock pick is Adidas (ADS.Germany). Analyst Rogerio Fujimori expects the firm to boost sales by 9% in the fourth quarter of 2014, helped by next year's World Cup in Brazil. He cites the wide gap in valuation to Nike, 26 times this year's consensus estimate versus 21 for Adidas. That gap is expected to close as Adidas' margin expansion potential is realized and as dividends are boosted, to a 40% payout ratio versus 35% in 2012. The current yield is 1.6%. In the long-term, Rogerio likes its credentials in sports performance, sports lifestyle, which is "winning in China," and its emerging market exposure, at 45% of sales. His target price is €97, implying a 15% upside.
Ralph Lauren (RL) is another stock that could pop by 15% in the coming 12-months, according to Credit Suisse's Christian Buss. Buss expects the U.S. clothier to continue its penetration of European and Asia-Pacific markets, matching other premium apparel brands. The result will be high single digit revenue growth, and, in the longer-term, margin expansion towards 20%, versus 16.6% now. Buss writes, this growth would warrant an earnings multiple comparable to its premium apparel peers of 19-20 times forward P/E, versus 17 times the current consensus. "With [Ralph Lauren's] brand repositioning well underway in China, we expect 2014 to prove an inflection point for emerging market demand," writes Buss.
Lastly, Prada (1913.Hong Kong) is Credit Suisse's top pick. With a 12-month price target of HK$82.00, the stock would be 35% higher than its recent price of HK$60.30. Analyst Karim Salamatian writes that Prada's revenue growth will continue to be driven by its well-entrenched market position in BRIC countries, relative to its peers. Prada's potential for growth is underappreciated, he says, so buying now should prove profitable. Salamatian writes:
"Acquiring Prada under HK$70 should prove prescient, opportunistic and rewarding because Prada has (1) the lowest 2014E PEG [P/E growth] multiple of all global luxury stocks; (2) the highest forecast sales and EPS growth for 2014; (3) a superior earnings revision trend to its peers; and (4) is expected to post positive same-store sales growth in 4QFY14."
Translation: The stock's upside could buy you or your loved one that Prada bag you've been eyeing.


text:
As per documents filed by the Gurgaon-based company with the Registrar of Documents, and accessed by Tofler, Nexus Venture Partners was issued 14,810 preference shares, valued at Rs 96.26 crore.
PayU India reported revenue of about $61 million for the financial year ended March 31, 2017 according to filings submitted by the company.
Flipkart will quote a final price after it completes a rigorous examination of Snapdeal’s books, which is expected to take 6-8 weeks, these people said.
Latest tranche is part of $130-million round that also saw participation of The Carlyle Group
SoftBank Group is likely to participate in deals worth $100 million, while Vision Fund is expected to be the lead investor in transactions of $500 million and above.
In January, Jasper had pumped in close to Rs 390 crore into Snapdeal, followed by a second top-up of Rs 30 crore in March.
The three-year-old B2B startup will use the proceeds from the Series-B round of funding to further expand its presence, with a particular focus on Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Without citing any specific reasons, Kola said she was unable to continue to be a part of Snapdeal board and requested to be discharged of her duties with "immediate effect".
The term sheet with Flipkart could be signed within this week and the due diligence for the deal would commence immediately thereafter.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma-led Paytm is in advanced stages of discussions to raise up to $1.9 billion in fresh funding from Japan’s Soft-Bank that could value it between $8 billion and $9 billion.
SoftBank is the largest private investor in India's startup ecosystem. The Masayoshi Son-led giant has pumped in over $2 billion here till date.
With the close of its maiden fund, Iron Pillar also brings on board two major investors, Sidbi & IIFL
The acquisition was made about three months after the Mumbai-based company raised $55 million in a fresh round of funding co-led by its existing backer Temasek and a US-based family office, whose name was not disclosed.
The Gurgaon-headquartered company will also issue 916,666 ordinary shares to Chinese travel operator Ctrip.com International at a price of $36 per share, mobilising additional proceeds of about $33 million.
The online marketplace has a significantly larger workforce that has been affected by the retrenchment, but it has declined to specify the exact number.
Primary stakeholders Snapdeal to meet today to thrash out the final details of its sale to rival ecomm firm Flipkart
The two investors are separately in talks to potentially participate in an estimated $25 million funding round for the Mumbai-headquartered Mswipe Technologies.
The two logistics majors are in separate discussions with Jasper Infotech to acquire outrightly or pick up a majority stake in the ecommerce company's in-house logistics arm.
Founded in 2009 by former Maruti Suzuki India managing director Khattar, Carnation Auto has mandated BMR Advisors to scout for fresh investors.
SoftBank has been pressing for a sale of its portfolio co at an estimated price of $1 bn, but has faced resistance from early investors Kalaari and Nexus Venture Partners.
The investment, which has been made in Munjal's personal capacity, is part of the Rs 2,000 crore corpus that the social venture capital firm is targeting for its new investment vehicle.
According to sources, the final offer for sale is likely to be finalised over the coming weeks, signalling that the transaction, which will mark the biggest acquisition in Indian ecommerce and reshape the country's online retail landscape, is entering its home stretch.
The deal is the third major strategic acquisition in India's startup ecosystem, after Naspers-backed global payment service provider PayU snapped up Mumbai-based payments technology company Citrus Pay for $130 million in September.
"Spending will be targeted towards adding more categories and building infrastructure. There will be discounts, no doubt, but it won't be like 2014," said Satish Meena, forecast analyst at Forrester Research.
Treebo, which counts Bertelsmann India Investments, SAIF Partners and Matrix Partners India among its backers, had listed more than 250 properties across both platforms.
Even as SoftBank, pushes for a sale of the online marketplace, Bahl has written to staff, reiterating that their well-being continues to be top priority.
Ashish Kashyap, president, MakeMyTrip, which owns and operates both brands, said that Goibibo will have about 3,000 listings at the time of launch, which is anticipated to be in May later this year.
According to sources, SoftBank is confident of getting Bahl and Bansal, to agree to the deal, but it is yet to get consent of Kalaari and Nexus.
According to the terms proposed by the Japanese media and telecom conglomerate, Snapdeal shareholders will get one share of Flipkart for every ten they own.
Jett is the latest representative of the Tokyo-based investor on the Jasper Board, following the appointment of Kabir Misra, managing partner of SoftBank Capital, last month.
The year-old startup will use the proceeds to further build its technology infrastructure, on-board talent and expand operations.
Lines are being drawn across the board, with Soft-Bank squaring off against two of Snapdeal’s early backers — Kalaari Capital and Nexus Venture Partners.
Fiscal year 2018 will mark the maturing of Indian providers of software as a service as they stamp their presence in global markets with multi-product suites.
I think one of the things we do better than anybody else is wrapping brands around content, says Shane Smith, CEO, Vice Media.
This is also the first major announcement by the Gurgaon-based company since receiving the necessary clearances from fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India in January for its acquisition of Ibibo.
Three startups — Hipcask, HipBar and The Bar Stock Exchange — offer urban consumers the liquor of their choice at the time of their choosing at affordable rates.
The decision to relinquish its sponsorship rights comes less than two years after the Bengaluru-based company acquired the same, and reportedly said it would spend over Rs 100 crore in the sponsorship, alliances and promotions during the tournament.
Khanna, a Snapdeal veteran was the product head at FreeCharge, before being elevated to the COO position.
The deal, which is likely to be the fourth transaction by Gaja Capital from its latest fund - the $240 million Gaja Capital III, marks a busy year for the Mumbai-headquartered private equity investor, which also had three of its companies making their public market debuts over the last 12 months.
ShopClues is likely to list on Nasdaq in first quarter of fiscal 2018-19.
NCDs are typically defined as unsecured bonds that cannot be converted to company equity or stock, and usually have higher interest rates than convertible debentures, which can be converted into stock.
"Jason will make pivotal contributions to both his leadership roles, and there are also strategic overlaps in his responsibilities at Snapdeal and FreeCharge," the company spokesperson said.
According to a press statement released on Tuesday, the company expects to rake in Rs 100 crore that will be generated by the company over the next three months, with ad revenue to be a growing contributor towards its goal of profitability.
The funding round was led by Qualcomm and Accel Partners, barely six weeks before the Beijing and Bengaluru-based company undergoes a $303-million reverse merger.
The latest capital infusion comes a little over two months after Jasper put in Rs 390 crore in the Bengaluru-based mobile wallet provider.
The startup, which also counts InfoEdge Chief Executive Hitesh Oberoi and former Wipro Chief Technology Officer IVK Vijaya Kumar as advisors, was also part of the Axilor Ventures Accelerator Program in Bangalore.
The latest financing follows the $75 million the three-year-old company raised in equity funding from global private equity firm Warburg Pincus in November.
Gurgaon-based Jasper was last valued at $6.5 billion when it raised $200 million in funding led by Canada’s Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan in February 2016.
While the trouble at Snapdeal has grabbed attention, others such as Craftsvilla, YepMe and Tolexo are among the startups that have fired staff.
Company spokesperson, in a written response, denied that it was shutting some of its offices, which sources said it was considering.
- No blogs yet have been written by the author, we’re sure the author will contribute one soon


text:
Patents may every so often get a nasty rap for how they are abused (and misused) by means of some companies for industrial benefit, but they also remain a marker of how a tech company is progressing with its R&D and pushing forward on innovation. For one measure of that strengthen, these days, IFI Claims, the patent analytics company, published its 2017 checklist of companies with essentially the most U.S. patents assigned for the 12 months.
on the right of the checklist, IBM has once again are available at number-one, a position it’s held for the past 25 years. It become assigned 9,043 U.S. patents in 2017, one thousand greater than it picked up in 2016, and round 3,300 greater than its next-closest assignee, Samsung Electronics.
Rounding out the top 10 record, were Canon, Intel Corp, LG Electronics Inc, Qualcomm Inc, Google, Microsoft, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Samsung screen.
IFI Claims notes that Samsung — the realm’s biggest cell phone maker in terms of volumes, and a tech behemoth past that — comes within one hundred fifty patents of IBM should you put all of their distinct entities collectively (in all it has three in the excellent 1000, which which you could see right here).
Of direction, it’s now not the case that patents directly correlate with an organization’s fortunes, because tech that’s at the innovative of innovation that’s winning patents can be far from ever seeing a industrial application.
And basically, one of the crucial world’s richest organizations and most ecocnomic tech business, Apple, didn’t make it into the top 10. Apple stayed level with last yr at quantity 11, profitable 2,229 patents. Amazon — one more tech juggernaut that has one of the most biggest mainstream brand consciousness these days for its leadership in areas like e-commerce, logistics, cloud functions and most these days voice-based AI improvements — jumped up one spot and is now at number 13, with 1,963 patents assigned.
The desirable 20 follows, with greater evaluation under that:
when it comes to applied sciences, the IFI Claims’ report also underscores that it is additionally not at all times the case that the subject matters getting probably the most buzz — or VC funding, or sales — in the wider world are the same as the exact technologies that are successful patents, or seeing essentially the most boom.
in keeping with the analysts, the appropriate tech in 2017 changed into e-cigarettes when it comes to patent increase, up forty five %. It turned into adopted with the aid of three-D printing (GE had essentially the most patents); after which a pair of technologies tied to artificial intelligence, machine researching and autonomous vehicles. IBM filed probably the most patents in every of these. other quick-growing areas protected aerial drones and meals tech.
When it involves essentially the most accepted categories, of patents filed, the conventional enviornment of “electrical digital statistics processing” noticed probably the most patents, with 48,935 assigned in all. This class covers both hardware and software and pertains to different ways that information will also be transferred. IBM also led in this class.
the total good-5 checklist, if you happen to feel about it, offers an honest adequate sketch of the tech panorama and what are the accepted areas of activity in terms of items these days, too.
The different four tech classes that noticed probably the most patents filed include “transmission of digital counsel, such as telegraphic verbal exchange”; semiconductors; wireless communications and pictorial communications (reminiscent of tv however additionally video and picture apps can be covered).
Enterprise – TechCrunch


text:
Instagram Link Previews Finally Return to Twitter
Almost a decade after they disappeared, Instagram previews have returned to Twitter.
Instagram took away the capability to view previews of posts on Twitter following its acquisition by Meta in 2012. Instagram and Twitter both posted about the change Wednesday, which is rolling out across Android, IOS, and web.
In a Twitter post, the company announced that you’ll now be able to share content from Instagram to Twitter and that a preview of your content will actually be available. This includes a preview of the photo in a Twitter Card.
They said it would never happen… Twitter Card previews start rolling out TODAY. 👀
Now, when you share an Instagram link on Twitter a preview of that post will appear. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/XSZRx9dzd1
— Instagram (@instagram) November 3, 2021
Twitter also highlighted the new feature on its Support account, saying: “If you want to share your latest Instagram post on the Twitter timeline too, you’re in luck: Now when you share a link to an IG post in a tweet, it’ll show up as a card with a preview of the photo.”
Until today, sharing an Instagram post to Twitter resulted in a URL with no context or preview as to what it was for. The only way to provide context to what was going on with your Instagram post was to add a photo or add some text into your Twitter post which effectively made it useless to post from Instagram in the first place.
The change follows Facebook’s announcement that it was shutting down its facial recognition system in light of public safety concerns as well as its rebrand under the name Meta.


text:
Receiving the Metric Cruiser of the Year award at the annual V-Twin Expo was a tremendous honor for the Star Roadliner in 2006. Which makes receiving it again in 2007 an even more incredible one. But that’s exactly what happened at the “8th Annual V-Twin Expo by Easy Riders” in Cincinnati, Ohio on Feb. 2-4, when V-Twin Motorcycles magazine presented Star Motorcycles with the 2007 Metric Cruiser of the Year award.
“V-Twin Motorcycles magazine is a premier cruiser publication that is very in tune with current cruiser trends in the market,” said Derek Brooks, Product Planning Manager for Star Motorcycles. “They look at all aspects of the products – from functional handling and engine performance to styling and ‘cool factor.’ Selecting the Roadliner twice in a row over all the other metric cruisers is a huge validation for the Roadliner’s engineering, styling and quality, and for Star Motorcycles’ vision for building metric cruisers.”
The Annual V-Twin Expo is described as the country’s top V-twin trade show, and attracts industry members from across the US and overseas. This year organizers awarded just six motorcycles honors, along with seven accessory awards and two personal awards. Kevin Foley, Media Relations Manager for Star and Yamaha street motorcycles, received the Roadliner’s award at an evening banquet.


text:
Reading Time: 1 minute
The Alliance for Gambling Reform has voiced its opposition to companies that allow Australians to bet on overseas lottery results.
Gibraltar-based Lottoland, which runs synthetic lotteries and allows Australian to bet on overseas results, is looking to expand in the country with a profit-sharing offer to 4,000 newsagents. However, the spokesman for the anti-gambling group Alliance for Gambling Reform, Tim Costello, has voiced the organisation’s strong opposition to said business model.
“They should simply take their bat and ball and go home”, Mr Costello said and argued Lottoland’s business shouldn’t be allowed to expand in Australia since the country has already gone “way past peak gambling” and “the last thing we need is Australia’s 4,000 newsagents promoting gambling on foreign lotteries,” he told Guardian Australia.
Lottoland’s plan is to give participating newsagents a commission of 20 per cent of the profits for every bet they refer to Lottoland. They would also be asked to advertise the company in-store with promotional materials such as posters and flags for betting on international lotteries.
Lottoland Australia CEO Luke Brill added that the offer would have a positive effect on newsagents and would fill a loss in revenue for them as customers went online. He explained that they would bet on the company’s offering of overseas lotteries and wouldn’t compete with Australian lotteries.
“The challenging times faced by many newsagents relates in part to technology and in part to the way Tatts continues to push the digital sale of its products on their own website, taking revenue away from the newsagents,” he added.
Source: European Gaming Industry News


text:
Find out the week’s top mobile stories from around the world. Stories this week include… Apple should face 6 mln euro fine, adviser to French privacy watchdog says, Australia court clears Google in data privacy case, Meta wants to bring the metaverse to Africans through their cell phones and much more…
PARIS, Dec 12 – Apple should face a 6 million euro ($6.3 million) fine for breach of privacy rules, the top adviser to French data protection authority’s sanction body recommended on Monday.
CNIL’s sanction body is free to ignore the rapporteur’s recommendations, but these typically carry a lot of weight regarding the watchdog’s final decision. The rapporteur, Francois Pellegrini, made his recommendation after an investigation by the authority, itself triggered by a complaint filed last year by lobby group France Digitale.
An Australian court rejected allegations by the telecoms regulator that Google misled customers about the expanded use of personal data, ordering the watchdog to pay the search giant’s legal cost.
Meta sees a huge metaverse business potential in Africa—$40 billion added to the continent’s GDP by 2031. This ambitious goal has one major caveat, “only if the metaverse were to be adopted and grow in a similar way as mobile technology.”
But the continent is grappling with challenges that if not addressed mean it will be the last to plug into the company’s immersive tech and not in the grand way that Meta hopes it will.
On Sunday, Elon Musk tweeted a vague warning: “the bots are in for a surprise tomorrow.” He didn’t say what the surprise was. But in the hours that followed, Twitter blocked traffic from roughly 30 mobile carriers around the world, effectively cutting off access to hundreds of thousands of accounts, primarily in the Asia-Pacific region, including vast swaths of Russia, Indonesia, India, and Malaysia.
The project was part of Elon Musk’s attempt to rid Twitter of spam. But rather than work to remove individual offenders, the company identified mobile networks associated with large spam networks in specific countries, and blocked users who relied on those networks from receiving SMS messages from Twitter, impacting people with two-factor authentication. Then it blocked traffic from those carriers completely.
The mobile games market is set to decline this year for the first time since the beginning of the smartphone era, as the once fast-growing sector is hit by rising advertising costs, a drop in consumer spending and the end of the coronavirus pandemic’s boost to player engagement. Mobile games have been around since Nokia’s Snake in the late 1990s but the arrival of Apple’s App Store in 2008 kick-started more than a decade of extraordinary growth, turning them into a $100bn market that now accounts for half of the gaming industry’s overall revenues.
Earlier this year, Transforma Insights undertook a survey of 1,100+ enterprises in the US and Europe, asking about their buying behaviour and vendor preferences cellular IoT connectivity. As part of that survey, we asked respondents which connectivity providers they were aware of, which they used, and which they would be interested in using in future. In this article, we explore the responses to those questions.
The big cellular network operators dominate the ratings in terms of awareness. Top of the pile overall was T-Mobile. This was somewhat surprising given that its IoT operations have been relatively limited compared to its peers AT&T and Verizon. The high awareness in Europe is also possibly a reflection of awareness for the overall T-Mobile brand.
Visa has pledged to invest $1 billion in Africa to accelerate digital transformation. The announcement was made during the U.S.-Africa Business Forum in Washington Wednesday (Dec. 14).
Visa will use the money to scale operations, deploy new technologies and deepen collaboration with its partners in the next five years. These include merchants, governments, financial institutions (FIs), FinTechs and mobile network operators, according to a corresponding press release. The inclusion of mobile network operators reflects the different role Visa plays in Africa’s payment ecosystem compared to the United States.
“The Sell Sider” is a column written by the sell side of the digital media community. Today’s column is written by Steve Roach, head of mobile app sales at Index Exchange.
On average, consumers are spending 4.8 hours per day on their smartphones, using up to 80 apps.
Despite massive consumption, however, brand marketers are still hesitant to lean into a mobile-first approach, particularly in programmatic. But with the mobile app economy predicted to grow to $156 billion by 2023, why the uncertainty?
Retail Insight Network
US-based retail giant Walmart has introduced Text to Shop, a mobile app designed to improve the shopping experience for its customers.
The new feature was developed by Walmart ’s incubator arm, Store No8, in partnership with its Global Tech team. A beta version of the tool was launched for testing at select markets in October last year.
Customers can use Text to Shop to create in-store shopping lists or shop online for items available on Walmart Pickup & Delivery , before scheduling collection at their nearest supercentre. The retailer said the shopping feature will initially roll out to select customers in the U.S. in early December, and will become broadly available to U.S. customers in the months that follow.