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On April 18 and 19, 2006, the Chicago Fed held a conference at its Detroit Branch to examine the ongoing structural changes in the U.S. auto industry. As suppliers play an increasingly central role in auto production, it has become crucial for carmakers to have a strong relationship with their supply base.
Over the past few decades, evolving carmaker-supplier relations have resulted in regional and international shifts in the location of production. Conference participants discussed recent trends in the relations between carmakers and their supply base, as well as prospects for the industry's continued concentration in the Midwest. This Chicago Fed Letter summarizes the major themes of the conference presentations and discussion.
Setting the stage
In his opening address, Michael H. Moskow, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, noted that the auto industry has been making front page news for some time as a confluence of structural and cyclical factors has created a "perfect storm" for many supplier companies in this industry. Such factors include the rising cost of inputs, the shrinking market share of the domestic auto manufacturers, and heightened import competition.
Auto supplier employment is about three and a half times as large as auto assembly employment, and much auto production and related parts production takes place in the industry's core states of Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario. Hence, this industry is of particular importance to the Midwest economy.
Uncertainty about the auto industry's future is foremost on the minds of many in the Midwest. Michigan alone- the state by far most concentrated in this industry-has lost over 22% of its auto industry jobs since 2001. Not surprisingly, its unemployment rate has ranked among the highest in the country since then.
Moskow set out a number of questions for the conference to address. He asked if there were any indications of a turnaround for the Big Three assembly companies. While the Big Three and many suppliers are affected by legacy costs and global competitive pressures, the industry is notorious for quick reversals of fortune and changes in its firms' relative positions. How important are the Big Three market share losses with respect to the Midwest's auto parts industry? For example, can Midwest auto parts companies help the Big Three rebuild and recover? If not, can they adapt to new customers and markets, and if so, are they likely to move or stay in the Midwest? How are auto parts companies restructuring to improve their prospects? In recent years, Midwest industries, such as steel and machinery, have experienced significant restructurings. How might the automotive parts industry change, and what might it look like afterward? Finally, what role will management-labor relations and working conditions play in a reconfigured auto parts industry?
The conference was organized around two major topical areas: the importance of carmaker-supplier relationships and the industry's changing geography.
Carmaker-supplier relations and networks
Neil De Koker, president of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association, an organization with nearly 400 member companies, said that suppliers have been taking on more responsibility in terms of value added as well as innovation and research and development (R&D). Suppliers now provide two-thirds of the value added in the production of a car. De Koker presented an industry in transition. He suggested 35% of suppliers are candidates for restructuring and another 35% for consolidation. De Koker also pointed to the traditional cost-based focus in carmaker-supplier relationships as not being conducive to harnessing opportunities for both suppliers and carmakers. While the domestic carmakers continue to be under tremendous pressure to look for immediate cost savings, De Koker suggested they need to move to a relationship model that emphasizes trust.
Martin Baily, senior advisor at McKinsey & Co., presented data on productivity growth in the auto sector between 1987 and 2002.1 His analysis demonstrated that the largest single factor in explaining productivity growth in this industry was attributable to process improvements at assembly plants, notably the adoption of lean manufacturing practices. He said it took the domestic carmakers between ten and 15 years to match the foreign producers' efficiency.2
Baily suggested that the auto supplier industry in the United States is currently shaped by two major trends. First, auto suppliers are in upheaval, with over a dozen of the 150 largest companies either currently in bankruptcy or carrying below-investment-grade debt ratings. This is driving the restructurings of supplier companies. Second, reflecting changing market shares among carmakers, European and Japanese companies dominate the list of large suppliers growing in North America. Baily pointed to significant differences between domestic and foreign carmakers in the way they structure their relations with suppliers. As one example of a more cooperative approach employed by foreign producers, he noted their common practice of sending their engineers to a supplier's facility to assess and, if needed, improve production operations.
Dennis Cuneo, senior vice president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, discussed Toyota's approach to supplier relationships. According to Cuneo, competition is taking place between supply chains. Designing, engineering, and manufacturing an automobile is a very complex undertaking that involves a large number of players. That is why the auto industry is built on relationships. Cuneo explained that Toyota has established a supplier relationship department to improve two-way communication between Toyota and its suppliers. Toyota views its suppliers as an extension of the assembly system. A more collaborative approach to working with suppliers can make a difference when already strained carmaker-supplier relationships are buffeted by rising costs of inputs, environmental concerns, consumer demands, and price pressures originating primarily in China.
Tony Brown, senior vice president, global purchasing, at Ford Motor Co., talked about Ford's recently implemented "Aligned Business Framework," in which the company has begun to build a core network of strategic, long-term suppliers. The program aims to reduce the number of Ford suppliers and build more collaborative relationships with those that remain. To date, Ford has named 32 companies to be part of this group of strategic suppliers.
Bo Andersson, vice president, global purchasing and supply chain, at General Motors Corp. (GM), illustrated in some detail the complexity of GM's global purchasing operations. GM does business with 3,200 suppliers worldwide, procuring on average 160,000 parts a day, resulting in a $85 billion global annual parts budget. The overarching goal of GM's purchasing operations is to buy the best quality parts at the best landed cost globally. However, the overwhelming majority of parts GM consumes in North America are bought within North America. In order to stay competitive, the company has set a goal of reducing its cost base by $7 billion in 2007. Andersson gave two examples of ongoing cost-reduction efforts. By reducing the number of suppliers of a molded engine rubber mount from two to one, the production of that part moved from Indiana to Mexico, resulting in a 13% cost savings. The supplier of a door hinge in GM's new full-size truck line reduced production costs significantly by simplifying the hinge design. That allowed the production process to change from a welded to a stamped hinge. In this case, the supplier, located in Ontario, kept the contract for the new model.
Keith Wandell, vice president and president, automotive group, at Johnson Controls, provided examples of innovation across Johnson Controls' automotive business lines of seating, batteries, and interiors. Johnson Controls, headquartered in Milwaukee, is one of the large tier 1 interior suppliers in North America (tier 1 suppliers interact directly with carmakers). The company has been very successful in growing its business with foreign assemblers. Wandell emphasized that innovation is key to his company's continued success and echoed Cuneo's point about the importance of collaboration.
Illustrating the differences that exist today in supplier relations within the auto sector, Jeff Jeffery, president and CEO of IRMCO, provided the perspective of a small lower-tier supplier company. IRMCO produces advanced lubricant technologies to address specific frictional forces experienced when working with higher strength steel. His company's business model focuses on R&D and technological improvements. Jeffery said that 90% of IRMCO's growth in domestic business has been with foreign producers operating in the U.S. In contrast, he said he currently has no approval for his company's product from either domestic carmakers or their suppliers. In doing business with tier 1 suppliers, which in turn supply foreign carmakers operating in the U.S., such as Honda or Toyota, Jeffery has found these carmakers to be good communicators, as well as open and flexible regarding new ideas.
Regional shifts and prospects for the Midwest auto industry
Thomas Klier, senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and James Rubenstein, professor at Miami University of Ohio, documented the movement of the auto industry to the South since 1980. The openings of several new assembly plants in the deep South during the 1990s, in particular, have put pressure on the Midwest-based supply base. Today's supply chains are characterized by a large share of an assembly plant's suppliers located within a day's drive. That essentially puts all of the deep South out of reach for Midwest-based suppliers. The challenges for the Midwest, then, are driven by the loss of market share by the domestic automakers and the subsequent rise of production facilities located in the South. According to Klier and Rubenstein, this development represents a structural change to the industry that is being felt most severely in Michigan, the most auto-intensive state in the country.
Dennis DesRosiers, president of Des- Rosiers Automotive Consultants, discussed the globalization of the auto industry. In the wake of foreign assemblers setting up plants in North America, a large number of foreign suppliers have followed. DesRosiers called this trend "global localization" and said that as a result, the share of parts sourced from U.S.-owned and U.S.-located suppliers within the U.S. market for auto parts fell from 68% in 1997 to 41% in 2005. During the same time, the share of parts sourced from overseas-owned but U.S.- located parts suppliers rose from 12% to 30%. DesRosiers also addressed the potential threat of auto parts being outsourced to China. He showed that while imports in car parts from China to the U.S. have been growing fast, they still account for a very small share of total parts imports.
Sean McAlinden, vice president of research and chief economist at the Center for Automotive Research, compared the relative strengths of the midwestern and southern production locations. Much has been written about the noticeably lower levels of unionization in the South. For example, the unionization rate in Alabama is 5.2% compared with Michigan's 16.6%. Lower manufacturing wages, energy, and land costs make the South attractive for new business locations as well. In addition, the population center of the U.S. keeps moving southward and with it the share of U.S. vehicle sales. Finally, many of the southern states have offered sizable incentives to attract new auto assembly plants. On the other hand, to a large extent, these incentives are designed to make up for the lack of industrial infrastructure. The Midwest's density of supplier plants, its supply of skilled workers, and its supporting services are unrivaled. Finally, McAlinden cited anecdotal evidence of tight labor markets in the South for manufacturing, especially skilled trades, engineering, and management.
Tim Leuliette, CEO of Metaldyne Corp., argued that twenty-first century globalization has created a global supply chain. As a result, the industry needs to follow a model of collaboration and cooperation in order to be successful. He illustrated his point with an example of an innovative labor agreement between Metaldyne, DaimlerChrysler, and the United Auto Workers (UAW). In 2001 DaimlerChrysler decided to sell one of its parts plants, located in New Castle, Indiana. Metaldyne was interested in the plant but knew it had to make some changes to make the plant competitive. The innovative agreement that was subsequently struck between the UAW and Metaldyne saw a substantial reduction in pay and benefits for workers, as well as the introduction of bestpractice work rules. The adjustment was not easy. Yet, as a result of the new agreement, the plant is profitable today. It has grown the business for its product, expanding its customer base to include Ford and Toyota. At the same time, it remains unionized and located in the Midwest. Leuliette pointed to collaborative relationships like this as the future of the industry.
Bob King, vice president and director of Competitive Shop/Independents, Parts and Suppliers Department, at the United Auto Workers, addressed the changing labor relations in the auto supplier industry. He stated the union's willingness to adopt flexible work rules and use binding arbitration to sort out disputes. King pointed out that it was very clear to the UAW leadership that it has to change its strategies to adapt to today's global realities. In that context, he endorsed the cooperation with Metaldyne at the former Chrysler parts plant in Indiana. He also pointed to Johnson Controls and its U.S.-based production of batteries as an example of successful cooperation between the UAW and management. However, King emphasized that rising U.S. health care costs, while hampering the competitiveness of individual companies, cannot be adequately addressed in company- or even industry-specific negotiations and called for a broadbased reform of U.S. health care policy.
Stephen Cooney, industry specialist at the Library of Congress's Congressional Research Service, focused on legacy cost issues and compared the current situation in the auto industry to what played out in the steel industry just a few years ago. Employment cutbacks in steel had been more severe than those currently being experienced by the auto sector. The cutbacks exacerbated the steel industry's legacy cost problem. Subsequently, in 2002 and 2003, the steel industry shed its pension and health care liabilities by way of significant corporate restructurings. He attributed the absence of a political solution for the steel industry's woes to the lack of a unified position of the steel industry on how to deal with its legacy cost issues. Cooney cautioned that Congress is currently under no obligation to cover any shortfall by the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, and he noted that the auto suppliers are currently far less visible to Congress than the automakers.
In his keynote address to the conference, Wilbur L. Ross, chairman and CEO of W. L. Ross & Co., said that the U.S. auto supplier industry is in a shambles. Almost half of the 50 largest North American companies lost money last year, at a time when demand for cars and light trucks was near its all-time record. Among the factors that are creating a perfect storm for this industry, Ross cited the continuing loss of market share by the domestic producers. He said he expected the Asian producers to continue to gain market share in the U.S., which will affect domestic suppliers more severely as their business tends to be more strongly affiliated with domestic producers.
Ross pointed out that in an environment of shrinking unit volume, it is extremely difficult for a manufacturing business to reduce unit costs. Yet supplier contracts usually call for annual price reductions, even in light of volatile raw material and energy costs, as well as rising health care and pension costs.
At the same time, carmakers have learned from the recent supplier bankruptcies that they are extremely dependent upon the continued solvency of their suppliers. In that context, he suggested the need for a new framework for carmaker- supplier relationships.
Despite this bleak outlook, Ross has invested a considerable amount of money in the auto supplier industry. The basis for his optimism, he said, is the fact that the auto supplier industry is very large, around $200 billion domestically and close to $500 billion globally. Furthermore, he sees opportunities for consolidation as the global industry is currently highly fragmented. And gradual movement toward global platforms among carmakers should provide opportunities for large, well-capitalized suppliers that can deliver consistent design and quality globally.
Materials presented at the conference are available at www.chicagofed.org/news_and_conferences/conferences_and_events/2006_auto.cfm.
Uncertainty about the auto industry's future is foremost on the minds of many in the Midwest. Michigan alone has lost over 22% of its auto industry jobs since 2001.
1 See McKinsey & Co., McKinsey Global Institute, 2005, Increasing Global Competition and Labor Productivity: Lessons from the U.S. Automotive Industry, report, New York, November.
2 For more details on this trend of domestic carmakers catching up with their foreign counterparts' production efficiency, see Harbour Consulting, 2006, The Harbour Report North America 2006, report, Troy, MI.
by Thomas H. Klier, senior economist, and James M. Rubenstein, professor, Miami University of Ohio…


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"I'm not the only one in our company who is convinced that a small roadster wouldn't be the worst thing for Volkswagen," the automaker's design chief, Walter de Silva, told AMS, according to CarScoops. "This is a vehicle that we particularly like, and we always have in mind."
Volkswagen showed the BlueSport concept (pictured above) at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, but the project was quickly put on hold, with earlier reports stating that there simply wasn't a business case for the car. Those reports were contradicted early last year, and it's good to hear that spokespeople within the company are still looking to move forward with the project.
The BlueSport concept debuted with a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, good for 177 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. According to Volkswagen, the BlueSport would hit 62 miles per hour in 6.6 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 140 mph, and able to hit fuel economy numbers as high as 54.7 miles per gallon. Of course, a small turbocharged gasoline engine could also work in this application, and CarScoops states that this sort of vehicle could also find homes within the Audi and Porsche brands, as well.

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“India unveils $35 computer for students,” says CNN.com. “India unveils prototype for $35 touch-screen computer,” reports BBC News. “India to provide $35 computing device to students,” says BusinessWeek.
Wow! That’s great! Too bad it will never exist. That this announcement is reported straight and without even a hint of skepticism is incomprehensible to me.
India’s human resource ministry announced this week a “breakthrough” solar-powered tablet computer that would cost only $35 in “early 2011.” Reports say the tablet was developed at various Indian universities. “We have made the breakthrough and are now ready to capture the market,” said Mamta Varma, a spokeswoman for the human-resource-development ministry.
In the first phase of the roll-out, a million tablets would be provided to university students. In later phases, the program would be expanded to primary and secondary students. Millions of students would be using these cheap tablets within a year.
Officials even hinted that in the future the price could drop to $10 per tablet.
The project appears to target a similar demographic and purpose as the “One Laptop per Child program, which is still struggling to bring the cost of its non-solar, non-touch screen computer down to its goal of $100.
What’s really going on
Because the mainstream media is too gullible, shameless and lazy to report this story with even the slightest hint of skepticism, let me spell out what is almost certainly going on here.
Indian politicians have discovered that announcing technological “breakthroughs” that leverage Indian engineering prowess to deliver computers to everybody helps get press and win votes. It’s a cheap gimmick that works because of the gullibility of the media.
While the press pays attention to the Big Announcement, hardly any media outlets notices later when nothing ever comes of it. Why? Because a headline with “$35 tablet” in it brings traffic, eyeballs and readers, whereas a headline with “media duped again” brings only shame. So they go for the glory, but omit the shame.
For example: In February of last year, the Indian government announced a $10 to $20 laptop called the “Shaksat. Like the $35 tablet, the Shaksat had 2GB of RAM, but details on other components were impossible to come by.
It was to be rolled out in six months, and was to be used by millions of students across India, transforming the Indian educational system and economy. So where is the Shaksat?
In 1999, a group of Indian scientists and engineers developed a low-cost computer for the poor called the “Simputer. It was a Linux-basedpen-and-touch tablet with text-to-speech capability. The Simputer was announced with great fanfare by the Indian government. The goal was to sell 50,000, but only 4,000 were ever sold.
Are you detecting a formula here? Pandering politicians hold up a prototype and proclaim a “breakthrough.” A new computer, developed by students and professors at India’s prestigious engineering universities, has “cracked the code” for low-cost computing for the masses.
Very soon these devices will be pushed out to Indian students, transforming the educational levels of the country and providing the tools for Indian technological leadership in the future.
Everybody wants to believe this story. But that doesn’t make it true.
Why the $35 Indian tablet will never exist
India itself doesn’t build touch screens. They would have to be imported from China or Taiwan. The current price for this component alone exceeds $35. Like touch-screens, most solar panels are also built in China. But even the cheapest ones powerful enough to charge a tablet battery are more expensive to manufacture than $35.
Plus you need to pay for the 2GB of RAM, the case, and the rest of the computer electronics. Even if you factor in Moore’s Law, and assume the absolute cheapest rock-bottom junk components, a solar touch-tablet with 2GB of RAM cannot be built anytime soon for less than $100.
More to the point, no country in the world can build a cheaper computer than China can. The entire tech sector in China is optimized for ultra low-cost manufacturing. All the engineering brilliance in India can’t change that.
Even if Moore’s Law unexpectedly accelerated, and India was miraculously able to build a $35 tablet next year, there would be 100 Chinese companies selling tablets for $20 and the Indian initiative would be pointless anyway.
This is largely what happened with the Simputer. By the time the consortium managed to get the device through the manufacturing process, the open market was producing devices that were far cheaper and better.
So in addition to this latest engineering “breakthrough” announced by the Indian government, they would also have to make a breakthrough in the ability of governments to produce cheaper computers than the open market, an event that has never before occurred — and probably never will.
The awful truth
The $35 tablet announcement was nothing more than shameless political opportunism. The world’s media were suckered (again) — hook, line and sinker.
The whole affair is a shameful, disgusting spectacle that represents everything that’s wrong with politics, the media, and public gullibility in the new idiocracy.
Cheap computers are nice. But what we really need is a little common sense.


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Keeping component pricing low by keeping several suppliers to provide a single hardware component is the approach that Apple has relied on for quite some time now and its growing list of suppliers can add on more name to it, according to the latest report.
Apple in Talks With State-Backed Yangtze Memory Technologies to Buy NAND Flash Chips From it for iPhone Models That Will Be Sold in China
According to Nikkei, the reported move that Apple has taken is going to be the first time that a U.S.-based company is going to start purchasing from a Chinese memory chipmaker. In addition to adding a huge boost to the local sector, Apple will be able to negotiate a better pricing for iPhone and iPad NAND flash memory.
It is unclear if the tech giant is being pressured to purchase these components from Chinese manufacturers. China has a habit of resorting to such tactics in a move that applies pressure on foreign technology companies that want to operate within the country. An industry executive states that Apple partnering with the firm means that it will be able to increase its smartphone growth in this region.
Apple is currently purchasing NAND flash memory chips for its iPhones from Toshiba of Japan, Western Digital of the U.S., SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics of South Korea. It is the world's biggest consumer of these chips, taking roughly 15 percent of overall global demand of 160 million GB in 2017, according to Sean Yang, an analyst at a Shanghai-based research company CINNO. Due to the pricing fluctuations of NAND flash memory, it will be seen as a key move for Apple if it brings the manufacturer on board.
According to industry watchers, NAND flash memory price is expected to increase in the future, thus increasing the price of the products it is going to be incorporated in. It is an essential and one of the most expensive pieces of components to be present in a tablet or smartphone, so adding more suppliers to the mix will always help Apple’s pricing of future devices.
Do you think Apple is going to be making the right move with this deal? Tell us down in the comments.
News Source: Nikkei


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Burger King's foray into gut-busting menu items no one asked for in the first place continues: GrubGrade reports a BK in Hermitage, Pennsylvania is offering traditional Whopper ingredients all wrapped up in a tortilla and named, of course, the Whopperrito.
Burger King is also testing testing Whopper Dogs in select markets, according to Fortune. The dish appears to meld the Whopper with a surprisingly popular new item on the chain's menu, grilled hot dogs, and is the latest in a slew of gimmicky foods like "angry" red buns and fried chicken in the shape of rings.
According to a photo taken at the Hermitage location, the Whopperrito appears to include flame-grilled beef, American cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, ketchup, pickles, and onions. Will BK unleash the fury of the Whopperito on the other 49 states? According to a BK spokesperson, "There are no plans to introduce the Whopperrito nationally." Whew.


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Terex Trucks launches Used Trucks website
Terex Trucks has partnered with Machinery Trader to develop a used trucks website which enables dealers to upload and advertise pre-owned trucks and construction equipment.
Features on the website include an equipment search function, a dealer locator and a tool to receive free shipping and financing quotes.
The new tool follows the recent launch of the truck manufacturer’s website.
Best Line Equipment becomes Morbark Tree Care Products
Morbark, a manufacturer of tree care, forestry, sawmill, and wood recycling equipment has signed a contract adding Best Line Equipment as the exclusive Morbark tree care products dealer for the Philadelphia area as well as Western Pennsylvania.
Best Line also becomes a Boxer Equipment distributor.
J.W. Speaker celebrates 80 years
J.W. Speaker, founded in July of 1935 by John W. Speaker, began as a manufacturer of automotive repair parts; including, radiator fronts, car mirrors, repair kits and automotive lighting.
In the early 1940’s J.W. Speaker developed the Heatab miniature stove and the “P38” GI can opener. Both were widely used during World War II and for several decades after by the U.S. military.
In 1960, J.W.’s son, Jack, lead the company to shift its focus to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) vehicle lighting. Since then, J.W. Speaker has evolved into a lighting manufacturer specializing in quality lighting products for OEMs and aftermarket customers around the world.
Today, J.W. Speaker is still a family-run business and is led by John’s grandsons, Tim and Jamie Speaker.
Surround Technologies and Advanced Flow Systems expand manufacturing capacity
Surround Technologies and its sister company Advanced Flow Systems, part of the AdvanTecGlobal Innovations, have added new equipment, staff and has also expanded manufacturing capacity to meet increasing customer demand in the areas of custom enclosures, pipe welding, and other industrial contract manufacturing projects.
The management team has successfully completed a plan to double manufacturing capacity.
New sales representatives join Southeastern Equipment
Southeastern announced the addition of two new sales representatives.
TJ Gleason has joined the company as sales representative at the Perrysburg, Ohio branch. His responsibilities include selling the equipment lines that the branch represents, which include Case, Kobelco, Etnyre, Bomag, Terex, Eager Beaver Trailers and Gradall.
Prior to joining Southeastern, Gleason worked as shop manager in his family’s construction business for more than eight years.
Chris Holter has joined the company as an outside sales representative at the Gallipolis, Ohio branch. His responsibility is selling the equipment lines that the branch represents, which include Case, Kobelco and Gradall.
Prior to joining Southeaster, Holter was a farm manager in West Virginia.
More than 100 students graduate from Peterbilt Technician Institute
The Peterbilt Technician Institute reached a milestone this month by graduating more than 100 students through the program and into service technician careers throughout the Peterbilt dealer network.
The graduating class this summer is from PTI’s location in Lisle, Illinois, and is the third group to graduate from there. PTI also trains students in Dallas. Between the two locations, PTI has graduated 10 classes of students.
Donaldson to acquire Industrias Partmo in Colombia
Donaldson Company has entered into an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the shares of Industrias Partmo. Partmo is a manufacturer of replacement air, lube and fuel filters in Colombia.
Rogers Brothers launches new website in celebration of 110th anniversary
Rogers Brothers announced the launch of its new website. The site was updated in celebration of the company’s 110th anniversary and is designed to help customers make well-informed decisions in the purchase of a trailer that will best meet their hauling needs.
Atlas Copco ranked Top Industrial Company
Atlas Copco was ranked 11th in the world and highest in the industrial sector by Newsweek Green Rankings.
Newsweek Green Rankings uses data from Bloomberg’s Professional Service which include sustainability information from over 5,000 public securities and CDP, an international nonprofit that helps companies measure, disclose, manage and share vital environmental information. Qualified companies are scored against eight key performance indicators based on the companies’ publically available data.
Earlier this year, Atlas Copco was recognized by the United Nations for its climate initiatives, including its goals to decrease carbon emissions, during the agency’s major conference on climate change. Atlas was also listed as one of the world’s most sustainable companies in the annual Global 100 index.
NRMCA restructures departments
The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association restructured its promotion, technical services, and sustainability departments. The National Resource Directors Division will be retitled as Local Paving. The Sustainability Division will be renamed the Structures Promotion and Sustainability Department.
Brian Killingsworth was named Senior Vice President/Division Head Local Paving. Killingsworth joined NRMCA in 2011 and has over 20 years of experience in the pavement engineering business.
NTEA announces new director of fleet relations
The Association for the Work Truck Industry appointed Christopher Lyon as director of fleet relations. He will replace Bob Johnson who has been with the company for more than 11 years.
Lyon was selected for this position based on his extensive industry knowledge and fleet experience. He previously served as national manager of fleet technical support for Verizon Communications.


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The Chinese press is reporting today that Apple will open its fourth flagship store in Beijing on Friday. The new store is located in China Central Place, in Beijing's Chaoyang district. It is the 10th Apple store to open on the mainland.
According to an advertisement on Apple's Chinese website on Tuesday, the company is going to provide customers with discounts for products including iPhone handsets and iPads. No further details on the promotion were released.
Chinese buyers can enjoy Apple's favorable marketing policies on the company's website, 10 flagship Apple stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Shenzhen, or through use of the Apple Store application, the advertisement said.
Apple launched similar promotions before the 2013 Chinese Spring Festival. It cut the prices of MacBook products by 700 yuan ($115.70) and lowered the price of iPad 4 by 300 yuan.


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Michael Foster and Susan Cooper made hundreds of thousands of pounds from cannabis factory at their Lincolnshire farmhouse, but despite using most of their proceeds to help a Kenyan village they visit regularly, they ended up in jail.
62-year-old Michael Foster and Susan Cooper, 63 were caught by the police when an officer chasing a burglar recognised the distinctive smell. It was described by Lincoln crown court as “the most unusual cannabis growing case of this type”.
The couple paid for life-saving surgery for a villager near Mombasa, Kenya, purchased computers for an eye hospital, and paid for schooling for children, the court heard.
Unfortunately, their philanthropic activity was funded by growing cannabis at their farmhouse in Little Sutton, which was raided by police in 2010.
While he sentenced them both for three years, Judge Sean Morris said they were a respectable couple of positive good character. He said: “You were growing it on a significant scale, jetting off to Kenya on it. I am sure you were doing good things in Kenya with your drugs money, whether that was to appease your conscience, I can only speculate.”


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Aurora retailers see signs of strong holiday shopping season
By David Sharos
Nov 21, 2018 at 2:50 PM
With the economy in an upswing, local shopping malls and area retailers said this week they are poised for a strong holiday shopping season.
Andrew Dunn, director of marketing and business development for Chicago Premium Outlets, noted that retail industry experts are projecting a 4.3-4.8 percent increase in sales over last year’s holiday season.
“There are predictions, nationally, about consumers spending $1.1 trillion dollars this year which would be a nice record, and last year, we topped our sales here at the mall from the previous year as well as exceeded our expectations,” Dunn said.
The numbers are a reversal from a decade ago, when the recession combined with a move to online shopping hurt retailers.
“Retailers came through a rough stretch a number of years ago with the recession and have since gotten a lot smarter about how to do business,” Dunn said. “They are offering higher quality products and bringing a lot of in-store experiences that are bringing people back to shopping centers. Customer service has improved and stores are more shopper friendly.”
Scott Samson, general manager for Aurora’s Fox Valley Mall, said the shopping center continues to draw from a large part of the area’s geography and that “we expect that we’ll see sale increases consistent with the economic projections.
“We’ve purchased both the Sears and Carson Pirie Scott buildings in order to control the real estate and our redevelopment strategy and we still have a lot of specialty shops where are our sales are up,” Samson said. “We know there is still the traditional excitement of shopping with friends and family and the unexpected surprise gifts people find as well as the activities and amenities we offer.”
Some experts have projected that as much as 60 percent of the purchases this year might be made using cell phone apps, which would eat at sales from brick-and-mortar stores. Dunn, however, argues the relationship between internet-based retailers and physical stores “is symbiotic.”
“I think today there are two options, and you can’t have one without the other,” Dunn said. “There has to be a physical touch point — all it takes is getting burned once with online shopping. It’s not an either-or.”
Local merchants at the Premium Outlet location like Trevor Zarko, who manages the Watch Station International, said he is expecting “a big turnout on Black Friday” based on previous traffic trends.
“We are expecting a big crowd and strong sales through the end of the year,” Zarko said.
Ray Higgins of Aurora says he plans to shell out more money this year on Christmas gifts because he knows he has to.
“My shopping is for my kids, and I’m definitely going to have to spend more now that they are getting older,” Higgins said. “Their sizes change as well as their attitude and personality. It’s been an evolution.
“I feel it’s going to be an upbeat year for a lot of people, but it also makes me sure I’m won’t have a third child after the two I have now,” Higgins said laughing. “The cost of their gifts keeps going up.”
Zey-Onna Wright of Aurora said she also plans to spend more this year in an effort “to be more generous and also give back to the needy.”
“There are more people on my list this year, and this, for me, is my favorite holiday,” Wright said. “I’m not on a budget and I guess I’m just going to buy things until the money runs out. I actually already started early and bought things last month.”
Shoppers at the Fox Valley Mall already found holiday decorations on display, and many said they too plan to go on a Christmas shopping splurge.
Oswego’s Jeremy Anderson, who was shopping Tuesday with his girlfriend Madisyn Temes of Yorkville, said this year “the love of my life” is driving his wallet.
“I plan to spend way more because I’m buying a lot of jewelry and nice things for the love of my life,” Anderson said. “I look forward to the holidays. I spent about $1,000 last year and it looks like I’ll at least double that. I feel like it’s been a good year.”


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Google’s September 2022 Core Update was announced on Twitter three days back.
The official announcement was posted by Google Search Central which immediately caught the attention of SEO masters.
Most importantly, this is the second update in September by Google after the Helpful Content update.
As per Google’s official list of ranking updates, this Core update could take around 2 weeks to complete rolling out.
Google’s September 2022 Core Update: All You Need to Know
This broad Google recent core update is launched on September 12 at 11.25 pm ET.
It is expected to bring major changes in the search engine results pages (SERPs) or search queries by targeting all types of content.
In fact, it’s a global update, meaning it will be impacting the content of all languages across all regions.
The purpose of this update is to reward content that has high value and provides insightful information to searchers.
Although frequent changes are made in ranking algorithms, this core update is more observable.
The reason is that the search community is assuming the Helpful content update to be an integral part of this core update. It could amplify the “Helpful content update”.
Well, there has been no confirmation of this matter yet from Google’s end.
Danny Sullivan, the founder of Search Engine Watch, has also tweeted in this context:
“Maybe the helpful content signal alone wasn’t enough to tip the scales and produce a change in someone’s particular situation, but when we do other updates (core, product reviews), it might add into that and be more significant….”
Will This Google’s Recent Core Update Hit Publishers and Bloggers?
Every update by Google is meant to improve search queries and enhance a searcher’s experience.
Similarly, this September core update is no exception. Hopefully, it will put a check on low-quality and unoriginal content.
Content that provides substantial information and insightful analysis will be rewarded and hence, will get better rankings.
Needless to say, Google keeps on adding ranking updates on a regular basis. Hence, webmasters need to keep an eye on Search Console changes constantly.
They advise on producing trustworthy content that is backed by clear evidence and reliable sources.
Further, Google also suggests what to do if someone’s content is negatively impacted by such updates.
If your site gets hit by this update, then you need to reconsider the content and see if there is any scope for improvement.
Moreover, Google has listed a series of questions for webmasters to validate the quality of the content.
One thing that is clear about Google’s September 2022 Core Update is that it is going to reward high-quality content. Simultaneously, it will demote low-quality content.
So, if you are worried about your website’s performance after this recent core update, then we can help you out.
Our digital marketing experts and professional writers always keep track of the latest Google update and changes in order to bring the best results.
Contact Webgen Technologies to boost your website’s performance in search engines.Views: 132


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On December 12, Nestle announced a stop in sales for its multivitamin chocolate drink MILO after demand for the product suddenly increased 7-fold.
Milo, a popular drink in Singapore, is one of several products produced by Nestle that involves a chocolate and malt powder being mixed with water or milk to create a vitamin-rich drink. The drink is typically targeted towards children, but due to the recent demand by adults as well, Nestle Japan has temporarily suspended the sale of 3 Milo products: Nestle MILO Original 240g, Nestle MILO Original 700g, and Nestle MILO Original Sticks.
The product is imported from Singapore which made it difficult for the Japan team to quickly adjust to the rise in demand. Originally, only the 240g pack of Milo was put on hold during the end of September, but when the product was relaunched on November 16, sales exploded beyond Nestle Japan’s expectations, forcing them to once again stop the sale of Milo.
The initial boom in sales was brought on by a few viral Tweets talking about the benefits of drinking Milo in the summer. One Twitter user claimed a myriad of positive effects including no longer becoming dizzy, staying awake during the day, not getting hungry, clearer skin, and even better mental stability. Since then, the product has been flying off the shelves. Many users became eager to test if the rumored effects of Milo were actually true. Despite being viewed as a normal drink in Singapore, it seems that word of mouth can go a long way in Japan.
Nestle has announced that sales for Milo will resume in March 2021.
Christian Dakin is an editor, designer, and video game director currently based out of Tokyo, Japan. Originally from a small town in Georgia, he studied in Japan for a year in college before returning again for work. Christian enjoys studying Japanese and the outdoors. In his off time, he is most likely to be found adventuring to a castle, belting it out in karaoke with friends, or in a gym somewhere.


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Carmakers can’t buy the semiconductors they need because home electronics are taking all the supply.
Beijing’s drive to free itself from reliance on imported semiconductors has lifted start-ups and big firms alike. Some have flamed out. But there has been progress.
The island’s biggest chip maker has been a coveted partner to both battling giants. But rising nationalism is making it harder to keep the middle ground.
The export controls follow a review in which the United States concluded that Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation may be supplying chips to the Chinese military.


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reported a first-quarter loss excluding items of $500,000, or 2 cents a share, below its year-ago equivalent profit of $3.2 million, or 9 cents a share, but a penny ahead of Wall Street's consensus loss view. Sales slipped in the latest three months to $125.9 million from $135.2 million in the same period a year earlier. Looking ahead, the New York-based apparel firm forecast earnings of 28 to 30 cents a share in the second quarter, and top-line revenue growth in the low single digits for the full year. The projection for the second quarter is ahead of the current analysts' estimate for a profit of 26 cents a share. The stock closed up 12 percent to $13.
Dot Hill Systems
said it expects a loss before items of 22 to 28 cents a share on revenue of $11 million to $11.2 million in the second quarter. Citing a current backlog of about $10.9 million, the company forecast continued sequential revenue growth for the remainder of this year and next year. For 2002, the storage networking firm forecast a loss before items of 75 cents to $1 per share for 2002. Dot Hill anticipates a return to profitability by the second quarter of 2003. Shares closed down 5 cents to $3.47.
Pacific Sunwear of California
said that it expects second-quarter earnings of 18 cents a share, 3 cents ahead of the average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial/First Call. The company said this outlook takes into account its sales results in June and assumes flat same-store sales for July. Total sales for the five weeks of June jumped 26.6 percent to $73.3 million from $57.9 million in the same period a year earlier. Same-store sales rose 10.5 percent for the period. The stock closed up $2.01 to $24.48.
reaffirmed its expectations for growth of 9 to 11 percent in earnings from operations for 2002. The company also said that it anticipates earnings from operations for the second quarter will be "above range." Analysts polled by Thomson Financial/First Call are currently looking for earnings of 43 cents a share in the June period. The stock closed up 73 cents to $62.90.
said it was "comfortable" with consensus loss expectations for its fiscal second quarter, adding that its store growth plans for 2002 were on track. The specialty retailer added that total sales for June were $33.1 million, up 19 percent over the same period a year ago. Comparable-store sales rose 3 percent. The stock closed up 41 cents to $17.56.
said it expects second-quarter revenue to be in the range of $116 million to $118 million, compared with $147 million during the second quarter of 2001. As for earnings per share, the company anticipates 6 cents to 7 cents, compared with 19 cents in the year-ago period. Currently, analysts polled by First Call expect a profit of 11 cents a share. Shares closed down 16 percent to $6.10.
Digital imaging company ScanSoft
stated that it expects to meet or exceed analysts' consensus revenue estimates of $24.6 million and earnings estimates of 4 cents a share, before amortization of acquisition-related intangibles, for the quarter ended June 30, 2002. Shares closed up 21 cents to $6.10.
said its preliminary results indicate that the second-quarter loss would be greater than expected, due to delays in the closing of several large software licensing deals. The company added revenue would be worse than previously expected. Shares plunged 50 percent to close at $3.27.


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New registrations decrease again in June, production and export increase
Production and exports confirm the trend of the previous month and increase sharply in June – but the market and production are still well below the pre-COVID19 level
In Germany, 224,600 passenger cars were newly registered in June. That is a good 18% less than in the same month last year. A total of 1.2mn new vehicles were registered in the first six months, 11% fewer than in the same period of the previous year. Compared to the pre-COVID19 year 2019, there is a sales deficit of 33% in the current year. The lack of primary and intermediate products, high raw material prices and general uncertainty due to the ongoing war in Ukraine continue to limit the market and production.
New electric vehicle registrations fell by 10% in June to a good 58,500 units. The decline was therefore less severe than that of the market as a whole. The share of electric cars in all new registrations was 26% in the past month. New registrations of purely battery-electric passenger cars (BEV) fell by 4%, while those of plug-in hybrids (PHEV) fell by 16%. A total of 306,400 electric cars have been registered since the beginning of the year, 2% fewer than in the same period of the previous year.
Domestic order intake fell again in June and was 15% below the same month last year. Since the beginning of the year, however, 4% more orders have been received than in the first six months of last year. Incoming orders from abroad developed negatively: German manufacturers booked 2% fewer orders in June than in the same month last year. In the first half of 2022, a total of 14% fewer orders were received from customers from abroad.
Passenger car production in Germany increased in June for the second month in a row. German manufacturers produced 302,500 cars (+19%). Since the beginning of the year, 1.7mn passenger cars have been produced in Germany, 3% less than in the first half of the previous year. However, the production level from before COVID19 is still far away: The production volume in June 2022 was 19% below that in June 2019 and the production volume in the current year is still 32% below the comparative value for 2019.
With 237,000 new vehicles exported, exports in June were 22% above the previous year's level. In the course of the year, however, exports were still below the level of the previous year with a minus of 5% and 1.3mn units.
|Juni 2022||Veränderung 22/21 in %||Januar–Juni 2022||Veränderung 22/21 in %|
|dt. Marken inkl. Konzernmarken||155.000||-16||848.100||-13|
|Elektro (BEV, PHEV, FCEV)||58.480||-10||306.400||-2|
|*) z. T. vorläufig|


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By Mark E. Battersby / Published October 2020
The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and recovery is expected to continue for months and potentially even years. As Congress and other government agencies attempt to
save different areas of the economy, every pressure cleaning business owner and manager should under-stand the many resources available to help with that recovery.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act lifted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) restriction that limited the deduction of business interest to 30 percent of adjusted taxable income to 50 percent—at least for 2019 and 2020. While there continues to be no limitation on deducting business interest for smaller pressure washing businesses, the CARES Act specifically earmarked funds for businesses and other eligible applicants, with a major portion coming from the Payroll Protection Program (PPP).
Overseen by the U.S. Small Busi-ness Administration (SBA), the PPP offered low-interest, government-backed loans from private lenders that could be used to help small businesses and professional practices retain workers and continue to pay their bills during the pandemic.
Best of all, compliance with the PPP meant that those low-interest loans could become “grants” and not have to be repaid. Unfortunately, although the SBA reportedly had funds remaining from a supplemental funding bill, applications for the program list an expiration date of October 31, 2020, suggesting a deadline.
Fortunately, the government’s coronavirus-related funding didn’t end there. Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) are a longstanding program offering low-interest loans directly by the SBA (rather than by a bank) of up to $2 million to small businesses that have suffered major issues related to a disaster. These loans can be repaid over a 30-year period and carry an interest rate that won’t exceed four percent, with no payment due the first year.
In response to the pandemic, Congress added a provision to the EIDL program offering an immediate advance of up to $10,000. Effectively a grant, this amount does not have to be repaid and is available within days of a successful application.
In addition to their low cost, SBA-guaranteed loans have long provided a way out of damaging financial situations. The SBA’s guaranteed lower interest rates and longer payback periods mean more money is available to the borrower for other business needs. While the actual terms depend on how the funds are to be used, several different SBA loan programs, each with their own advantages, restrictions, and limits, are offered in the following options:
Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), almost 1,000 strong, “help existing businesses remain competitive in a complex, ever-changing global marketplace.” SBDCs are hosted by universities and state economic development agencies and are funded, in part, through a partnership with the SBA. Less than half of an SBDC’s funding comes from the SBA, with the remaining portion coming from Congress, state funding, donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.
The Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program is providing up to $600 billion in loans to small and medium-sized businesses. Designed to help businesses and professional practices in need of funding until they have recovered from or adapted to the impact of the pandemic, the program offers five-year loan amounts ranging from $250,000 to $300 million.
Most state and local programs, both those aimed at attracting or retaining workers and recovery from the pandemic, offer tax breaks and/or small grants that do not have to be repaid. With many small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, many state and local governments are offering assistance in the form of low-interest loans and grants.
At least 24 states and the District of Columbia have financial aid programs, loans, grants, and funds designed specifically to help small businesses survive the pandemic. Keep in mind, though, that because demand continues to be so overwhelming, some funds targeted for business-related pandemic relief and recovery have run out of money faster than anticipated.
It is all too easy for pressure cleaning business owners and managers to overlook their bank
and how important that banking relationship can be, as many discovered when seeking PPP funding. Banks offer an array of programs to help customers affected by the pandemic.
Of course, bank loans continue to dominate financing for small and mid-size businesses in need of capital. After all, proper use of small business loans can consolidate debt, provide needed capital, and allow for expansion and aid in the recovery process. But don’t overlook banks funding from other financial institutions such as the following:
Financial institutions are increasing the digitized services they offer while the financial marketplace competes with alternative offerings. Business lending is becoming a big business, with hundreds of millions of dollars raised from unique “platforms” such as crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending, and marketplace lending.
So called “digital transactions” involve constantly evolving methods where financial technology (FinTech) companies collaborate with various sectors of the economy to take advantage of new lending and capital-raising opportunities.
In fact, FinTech is one of those areas that is predicted to see further strength and is expected to reach $22.6 billion by 2025. FinTech-related funding vehicles include the following platforms:
Every pressure cleaning business owner should be keeping a close eye on upcoming legislation and be prepared to take advantage of every new funding program. Congress is considering another bailout bill and the SBA is constantly upgrading and refining its programs, while banks and other financial institutions, whether online or brick-and-mortar, continue to offer assistance to their customers.


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Latest Articles Tagged "lyft"
The taxi owners claimed the city led them astray when selling them medallions before a major ride-sharing expansion.
Neither rideshare representatives nor city sources could say who would pay tens of thousands of rideshare drivers to transition to electric vehicles.
Uber and Lyft have allowed fuel surcharges elsewhere, but are not allowing them for New York City drivers, who were given an unrelated pay bump following a local 2018 mandate.
The raise comes to reflect the 5.3% rise in the Consumer Price Index.
The value of a yellow taxi medallion has plummeted from more than $1.2 million at its peak in 2014 to about $100,000 today.
The TLC has scheduled a hearing for primary day on plans to close a loophole that would have allowed the Revel Tesla Taxis.
The drivers for the apps had only qualified for federal unemployment initially because they were classifed as freelancers.
The northern expansion of Citi Bike is set to begin on May 4th, and will include more than 100 new stations by the end of July, according to a Lyft spokesperson.
There is a possibility it will be extended beyond that. "We'll see how it goes," de Blasio said.
Lyft, which owns Citi Bike, has also rolled out a new pricing scheme for the bikes.


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Customers who discover a Tweet from their favorite artist, expert, brand, or friend with an Amazon.com product link, can simply add “#AmazonWishList” to the reply on Twitter and the product is added to their Amazon Wish List.
How huge is Holiday 2014 going to be? Deloitte says overall holiday sales are expected to rise 4% to 4.5%, and digital interactions expected to influence 50% of retail store sales.
BCBGMAXAZRIA Group has partnered with Borderfree to expand its international ecommerce capabilities to shoppers in 100 countries, with free shipping to all countries with a minimum purchase.
ChannelAdvisor has released the holiday results of its “Multichannel E-Commerce Study,” which surveyed more than 200 online retailers in the U.S. and U.K. that averaged $3 million to $5 million in revenue in 2013. Here are four key findings that should help you adjust your planning in time for the holidays.
In the last decade the size of the African economy has more than tripled, with West Africa now the fastest growing region on the continent. A favorable macro-economic climate across West Africa means that growth is likely to accelerate above 7% in the next year.
FedEx expects to hire more than 50,000 seasonal workers for the peak holiday season, Mike Glenn, President and CEO of FedEx Services, said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call.
The same-day delivery sweepstakes certainly seems to be heating up as the summer nears the end. Just this past week, Foot Locker, Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s all announced plans this week to test or roll out same-day delivery.
Whole Foods Market to be first national Instacart partner to offer both delivery and convenient in-store pickup.
Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s to help launch Apple Pay; same-day delivery to be piloted in fall 2014; new POS technology and customer service enhancements in testing; new apps, web functionality and mobile wallet launched; RFID being expanded to fashion categories.
Cute and timely video produced by IKEA, and resurfaced the same week of Apple’s latest technology splash. The narrator discusses the benefits of IKEA’s new “Bookbook,” and its high-res images, expandable “screen size,” etc.
by Tim Parry
Posted 19 hours ago
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Children, teens, and young adults Even young children can use simple electronic devices and screen interfaces. Many of them learn to use them much faster
Snap Inc, the company behind Snapchat, has announced its 4th generation glasses. While previous generations included only first-person cameras, the 4th
Snap Inc has been making moves toward augmented reality technology lately. Not only has the company announced that its next-generation version of glasses
HUAWEI unveiled its first . The 550 m2 house includes a living room, kitchen, office, home gym, entertainment room and garage. Smart Home is a key component
Chinese company Xiaomi announced another new product for the modern smart home – a surveillance camera called MIJIA Smart Camera AI Exploration Edition
The already numerous arsenal of technical means for simulating tactile sensations in virtual reality has been enriched by an original novelty. The technology called “
Amazon, Apple and Google Smart Home Devices will be able to Work Together – the Companies Have Joined the Matter Alliance
The world’s leading tech giants, including Amazon, Apple and Google, have announced support for the Matter standard associated with smart home devices.
Virtuix is the company that created the Omni VR treadmill, launched a public fundraising campaign late last year to raise the necessary funds to release
The potential for the development of smart home technology is limited only by the imagination of the developers. Even now, wireless Smart Home devices easily manage the safety and everyday life of our daily life, and even monitor our health. In this magazine we will surprise you with innovative developments of leading brands and amazing findings of startup companies.
HUAWEI unveiled its first .
For ordinary people, closed gyms
Automated technology is becoming
In the past, an enthusiast named
The EnOcean wireless standard describes
Children, teens, and young adults
Disney World has closed many of
Chinese smart city technology could
Small and medium-sized enterprises
The Horror VR Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife Is Released on STEAMVR Devices. 10 Minutes of Gameplay
Wraith: The Oblivion –
Camera jammers Today, you can see
Snap Inc, the company behind Snapchat
Text editing is the analysis of a translation for semantic, spelling, and punctuation errors. Editing also involves checking the correctness of cited data, such as dates and citations used. If you are not confident in the correctness of spelling and punctuation in your text, and look where to edit my essay, we advise you to order proofreading at EssayEdge - service with 25 years of experience.


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We've been hearing quite a lot about Apple's iPhone 6s and its hardware, design and specifications over the past couple of days. While the earliest iPhone rumors started with Force Touch, now the momentum seems to be shifting towards its processor and hardware specifications. In fact, a report straight out of China claims that the next iPhone will be coming with an upgraded motherboard as well.
Leaked iPhone 6s Schematics Claim To Show SiP Architecture On Board
When it comes to the iPhone 6s duo's performance specifications, there's a lot to be talked about. We've been seeing a couple of benchmark postings of not only the Apple A9, but also of the iPhone 6s which show that Apple's once again managed to improve its upcoming SoC and flagship's performance specifications. But that's about performance. Today's leak focuses more on the hardware architecture of the upcoming devices and if its source is correct, then the iPhone 6s will indeed be a very interesting device indeed.
According to today's leak, Apple will indeed be going the SiP way with the iPhone 6s duo. If the information that accompanies the alleged schematics of the iPhone 6s' motherboard is correct, then Apple has chose to integrate the power and the baseband chips on the upcoming iPhone. Aside from this, Cupertino's also being said to have arranged the iPhone 6s' components in packages which should help in not only improved efficiency, but also in saving space as well. Storage options stay the same for the device with similar 16, 64 and 128 GB.
In fact, its being claimed that the Apple A9 occupies 15% lesser space that the Apple A8, which should help towards perhaps a slimmer iPhone this year. But with all the Force Touch contributing towards a width increase rumors that we've been hearing so far, that's highly unlikely to occur. Nevertheless, if Apple does manage to successfully execute SiP on the iPhone 6s then future iPhones will no doubt benefit from the upgrade. Stay tuned and let us know what you think in the comments section below.


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MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Emperador Distillers Inc., the biggest liquor company in the Philippines, announced a deal with technology firm Touch Solutions, Inc. that hints of a backdoor listing move.
Emperador’s parent firm, Alliance Global Group Inc., disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Thursday, August 29, that a deal has been reached with Touch Solutions on Wednesday.
It involves the transfer of the shares of Emperador into Touch. Alliance subscribed 15 billion new shares of Touch at par value. It will then transfer its shares in Emperador to Touch Solutions.
Touch Solution’s corporate name would be changed to Emperador Inc.
The Philippine Stock Exchange immediately suspended the trading of Touch Solutions’ shares, pending submission of additional information regarding the planned backdoor listing.
Under the PSE rules, a backdoor listing occurs when a listed company acquires or mergers or combines with an unlisted company, or when a listed company is acquired by merged or combined with an unlisted firm. These tend to result in a substantial change in the business, membership of directors or ownership structure of the company.
Tan and other Alliance Global and Emperador Distillers officials were elected new board of directors of Touch Solutions. Emperador Distillers president Winston Co. and Alliance Global president Kingson Sian were among them.
Emperador as global brand
Emperador is the liquor arm of tycoon Andrew Tan who controls conglomerate Alliance. The group, roup Inc., which has interests in liquor, real estate, resorts and gaming, and fast food restaurants, is grooming Emperador to become a global brand.
Emperador has been buying more vineyards and brandy stocks in Spain. Its unit Emperador International acquired a Spanish brandy company, Bodega San Bruno.
Emperador is the biggest brandy producer in the world by volume, but still sells almost all of its products in the Philippines. It sold over 31 million cases of brandy in 2012 and expects to sell the same amount this 2013. The company’s flagship liquor product is the mass-market Emperador Brandy. – Rappler.com


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The Apple Watch is to start shipping in April of this year according to the CEO, Tim Cook, who is himself wearing one currently.
Apple has always been rather hushed up regarding its new products that have not been released yet. Yet this time around, its CEO clearly told the public during Q1 2015 earnings call that the Apple Watch will be rolling out to consumers in April of 2015.
The watch is a gem of a device and will give other brands such as Pebble a run for their money. The low end version will probably sell for around $349. The Apple Watch comes in three versions and consists of five brands.
As for Tim Cook, he himself owns one and said very positively and enthusiastically that he loves operating it and cannot imagine life without this gadget in it. The whole venture got off the ground in September of last year.
And although rumors had it that March was the month when shipments would start relaying the gizmo to consumers, actually it has turned out to be April (and no this isn’t an April Fool’s joke).
Besides the fiscal year of 2015 being propitious for Apple, the Apple Watch is one among many products that will get launched soon. Also the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are the two smart phones that will wow the crowd of techno-freaks for sure.
And there are several other odds and ends of equipment that Apple has in its repertoire. As for the battery life of the Apple Watch, it unfortunately is not satisfactory at all. It merely lasts about 19 hours at maximum and that too on an approximate basis.
The prices of the various beautiful models this watch comes in are undecided too. Besides the $349 for a standard version, the rest of the various types of the watch have price tags that remain a mystery.
But it will be a mystery that will be history soon since the prices will eventually get revealed along with any flaws and foibles. The Apple Watch is part of the company’s agenda of revealing new products during the first four months of the year.
Don't Miss: iPhone 8: Everything You Need to Know
That is the way Apple divides the year…into three equal parts of four months each. Apple may have a surprise or two too that it will introduce at the last moment. But for now, in the words of its CEO, Tim Cook, every moment is a happy one with the Apple Watch strapped onto his wrist.


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Girls In Tech Showcases Women Founders In SF Pitch Competition
Kristina Tsvetanova says she found the motivation for her startup Blitab in 2014, when a blind colleague’s struggle to communicate via the Internet made her conscious of the barriers facing visually impaired people in a digital world.
Her search for solutions spurred her to move from her native Bulgaria to find greater resources in Vienna, where she began developing what is now a tablet computer that can display the text from any online source in a full page of Braille. The top screen of the “tactile tablet” is peppered with small holes, through which a liquid-like substance rises up to form the patterns of dots that make up each letter in Braille, which blind people read with their fingertips.
After a long period of development and testing, Tsvetanova and her Blitab co-founder, CTO Slavi Slavev, are ready to manufacture the tablet for sale at a price of $500 in developed countries. They’re also ready to raise money from investors for the first time, so now they’re here in—where else?—Silicon Valley.
Blitab is one of the 10 finalists in the AMPLIFY startup competition being held in San Francisco today by Girls In Tech, a global non-profit organization that trains women entrepreneurs and helps them rise to recognition among investors.
Each finalist will have seven minutes to pitch their business models and demonstrate a prototype or service to the judges and a crowd of venture capitalists, angel investors, journalists, and tech professionals, says Adriana Gascoigne, who founded Girls in Tech in 2007 to accelerate the movement of women into fields related to science and technology. The finalist will then answer the judges’ questions in a three-minute Q&A exchange. The winner will receive a $20,000 cash prize and as much as $30,000 worth of tech gear, other resources, and office space for a year.
All the finalists reap media exposure, one free year of Zendesk service, mentorships through Girls in Tech, and introductions to potential funders and business partners, Gascoigne says. Potential new employees for the startups may also surface at the one-day event. Members of Girls in Tech are always looking for “new and interesting opportunities,” she says.
The San Francisco-based organization now counts 100,000 members spread across 60 global chapters. Its U.S. branches are in Seattle, New York, Denver, Dallas, Milwaukee, WI; Austin, TX, and other cities. International chapters are located in India, Africa, Austrialia, and countries in Europe, among other outposts.
The finalists for the sixth annual AMPLIFY competition were chosen from among more than 362 applicants by outside judges, and many of them share a characteristic that is common among finalists from past years, Gascoigne says. Like Tsvetanova, they tend to aim toward achieving some social benefit, whether in health care, education, medicine, or software development, she says.
Blitab’s fellow finalists include PayBee, which makes it easier for people to donate online to their favorite charities; Project Vive, which created a speech generation device for people suffering from communication constraints such as impaired motor control; and DACA Time, an online platform where undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children can manage the process of applying for continued U.S. residency under the Obama-created Dreamers program (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.)
The same theme of social good runs through the mission of other AMPLIFY contenders this year: JustFix.nyc aims to help grassroots organizations help tenants at risk of displacement from their homes in New York City; WorkAround connects employers with refugees who can perform online work such as data entry and research; and biotech company OmniVis makes mobile test kits that can be used to detect cholera germs in water supplies, or rapidly diagnose infectious diseases.
The three remaining finalists aim to improve the e-commerce experience. Klasha sells fast fashion online to young people in emerging markets in Africa; WishYourPrice allows retailers to tailor their prices according to feedback from individual shoppers; and GlamTech uses artificial intelligence software and augmented reality technology to help retailers give customers personalized skin care recommendations.
The winner of the competition, and the recipient of a new Audience Choice award, will be announced this evening.
Photo Credit: Depositphotos


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Micromax previously confirmed that it will be adding three new smartphones namely Bharat 4, Bharat 3, Bharat 2 Plus in India soon. Now, the smartphones are found listed on company’s official website, revealing some key specifications.
According to the website, all the three smartphones run on Android Nougat and all of them will support 22 Indian languages. To start with Bharat 4, the smartphone comes loaded with a 5-inch HD display along with a 2.5D curved glass. The phone is powered by a quad-core processor, though the brand has revealed the model of the chipset. Further, the device will be backed by a 16GB of internal storage. On the camera front, the device sports a 5-megapixel rear and front cameras with LED flash. The battery and RAM configuration is not known at the moment.
Coming to Bharat 3, the phone sports a 4.5-inch FWVGA display and is powered by a quad-core MediaTek processor along with 1GB of RAM. The phone features 5-megapixel rear and front-facing cameras along with LED Flash. However, there is no mention of battery and internal storage.
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Moving to the Bharat 2 Plus, it is an upgrade to the popular Bharat 2 smartphone. The device features a 4-inch WVGA display and a quad-core processor. On the camera front, the device sports a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The brand previously revealed that the Bharat 2 Plus will come with a 1600mAh battery. Other than this, there is no information about the device.
Micromax says that Bharat series is the only Google-certified series of smartphones in the budget category in this price segment in the country. The company further adds that it intends to bring a better camera, battery and display options for the new smartphone users.


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69 per cent of onsumers in the UK will upgrade to a new laptop within two years if retailers guarantee them a rebate of 50 per cent on the origina; purchase price of the current model.
A new survey carried out by Censuswide for risk-managed sales promotion expert Opia, has found that by offering consumers future value, retailers would be more inclined to invest in a new laptop rather than just waiting on it to get worn out.
The figure goes up to 73 per cent for consumers in the US.
“Guaranteed future value (GFV) offers have huge potential to help retailers and manufacturers on both sides of the Atlantic bust out of ever-longer refresh cycles in the laptop market,” says Steve Gales, sales director at Opia.
“With more than 17 million units shipped in the US in the last quarter of 2015 and an estimated nine million UK consumers obtaining a laptop or notebook in the year, the revenue boost from customers upgrading more often could be colossal. The average US citizen, for example, spends $500 on a new laptop and if they do that every 2.5 years, instead of every five, retailers and manufacturers will see revenue rocket by more than $170 billion in a five year period.
“Many consumers are hanging on to laptops for five years or more, putting up with ever-poorer performance because they fear having to spend on a new device. Although there are slight differences between the two countries, the survey shows that GFV can remove that fear, encouraging consumers to make new purchases more regularly.”
The survey also reveals that 69 per cent of consumers across the UK and US view a new laptop as less expensive if the resale value is guaranteed to be 50 per cent of what they paid for it, provided they upgrade within two years.
“Since most respondents (59 per cent) in the two countries have previously taken up some form of promotional offer to buy a laptop, they are already open to suggestion if the offer is compelling. Retailers who don’t act fast to implement closed loop upgrade promotions are subjecting themselves to ever-longer refresh cycles and lower revenues.” says Gales.
The findings showed that in the US and UK, an average of 85 per cent of consumers wait more than three years before buying a new laptop. In the US, 69 per cent said they did not buy a new PC or laptop because new models were too expensive and are waiting for the right offers compared with 63 per cent in the UK.
“These survey results demonstrate clearly how retailers and manufacturers failing to use risk-backed GFV promotional mechanisms are doing themselves out of a significant amount of business. One final example from the survey reveals 35 per cent of US consumers and 30 per cent of UK consumers said a 50 per cent GFV offer could encourage them to buy a more expensive model when they come to upgrade”, concludes Gales.


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Google has introduced three new devices to the Pixel range – the 5, 4A and 4A 5G. This launch marks the first 5G-enabled Pixels.
Here’s a closer look at the devices:
Google says that the Pixel 4A 5G will start at $499. And both devices will be 5G2 compatible to make streaming videos, downloading content and playing games on Stadia or other platforms faster and smoother than ever.
Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 will be available in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Australia.
Google Maps is Testing New Traffic Light Feature
Google has confirmed that it is testing a new feature that’ll show Google Maps users the location of traffic lights. In a statement reported by The Verge, Google says “to help people stay better informed on the road, we’re testing a Google Maps feature on Android that shows the location of traffic lights in select cities across the US”.
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The Google Nexus 7 2 tablet could be unveiled during the next few days at the Computex technology show.
Analysts expect the company to unveil the device at the show, according to IBN Live. However, the publication did not make clear which analysts were reporting the news.
The show takes place from June 4 to June 8 in Taipei, Taiwan. The report should be taken with a grain of salt as IBN Live failed to be more specific about its sources.
A possible Nexus 7 successor was recently spotted in a Bluetooth SIG filing running Android 4.3, JellyBean.
The filing was dated for May 27 and the documentation does not clarify if it's a Nexus 7, as the device is listed plainly as a 7-inch tablet. It has similar features in comparison to the original version and goes by the model number ME370T.
This is actually the same model number of the first Nexus 7 which hints at a possible successor being in the works. The device in the filing is also running software version number JWR11, which appears to be an Android build. This is not a software version that is available on other Nexus devices. This same build has been in various server logs, according to Android Authority.
Android 4.3 was also seen running on a Nexus 4 at Thailand Mobile Expo. A user actually was able to film a video of the new camera interface.
The Nexus 7 2 could be released as early as July as parts for the device have already been rumored to have shipped.
A Taiwanese supplier of integrated circuitry for electronics known as Elan Microelectronics began shipping touchscreen controllers for the next generation Nexus 7 tab, according to an older report from DigiTimes.
Elan's revenues have increased in May and June thanks to these new Nexus 7 controllers. This information points to the device being manufactured in June in preparation for a July launch.


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Approximately 3,500 US companies, including Tesla Inc. TSLA.O, Ford Motor Co. FN, Target Corp. TGT.N, Walgreen Co. WBA.O and Home Depot HD.N. have sued the Trump administration in the past two weeks for imposing tariffs on more than $ 300 billion (£ 235.35 billion) of goods made in China.
The lawsuits filed with the US Commercial Court named US commercial agent Robert Lighthizer and the Customs and Border Protection Agency and question the so-called unlawful escalation of the US trade war with China by imposing a third and fourth round tariffs.
The legal challenges facing a wide variety of companies suggest that the Trump administration failed to introduce tariffs or comply with administrative procedures within a required 12 month period.
The companies are opposing the “unlimited and unlimited government trade war that is affecting billions of dollars in goods imported from the People’s Republic of China by US importers,” according to a lawsuit filed by auto parts maker Dana Corp. THEN.
The lawsuits challenge tariffs in two separate groups known as List 3 and List 4A. “List 3 contains 25% tariffs on imports of approximately $ 200 billion, while List 4A contains 7.5% tariffs on goods of $ 120 billion.
One lawsuit argues that the government cannot extend tariffs to other Chinese imports “for reasons unrelated to the unfair intellectual property policies and practices it originally investigated.”
Heavy truck maker Volvo Group North America is among the companies filing lawsuits VOLVb.ST, US auto parts dealer Pep Boys, clothing company Ralph Lauren, Sysco Corp. SYY.N, Guitar maker Gibson Brands, Lenovo 0992.HK US unit Dole Packaged Foods, a unit of Itochu Corp. 8001.T and golf equipment manufacturer Callaway Golf Co.
In Home Depot’s lawsuit, duties were imposed on bamboo floors, cordless drills, and many other Chinese-made products. Walgreen, a unit of the Walgreen Boots Alliance, said it pays higher tariffs on products like “seasonal novelties; Party, first aid and office supplies; and household items. “
The Lighthizer office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
On September 15, the World Trade Organization found that the United States was violating global trade rules by introducing billions of dollars in tariffs in Trump’s trade war with China.
The Trump administration says tariffs on Chinese goods are justified because China stole intellectual property and forced US companies to transfer technology to access China’s markets.
Reporting by David Shepardson; Adaptation by Tom Brown


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HOUSTON – Bookings for Carnival Cruise Line shot up 600 percent after announcing cruises would begin on August 1, according to Cruise Planners, a cruise booking company.
The spike is a 200% increase over the same time period last year.
TMZ reported the booking company noted people were “not a bit concerned about traveling at this time” because many said they were healthy and looking forward to life after lockdown.
A check of Carnival’s website shows a Western Caribbean cruise aboard the Carnival Dream is scheduled to set sail from Galveston as soon as August 8, with several subsequent cruises to depart through the month and into next year.
However, plans are just plans, as Carnival noted on social media, saying in part:
“Any resumption of cruise operations – whenever that may be – is fully dependent on our continued efforts in cooperation with federal, state, local and international government officials,” a news release said. “In our continued support of public health efforts, any return to service will also include whatever enhanced operational protocols and social gathering guidelines that are in place at the time of the resumption of cruise operations. We are committed to supporting all public health efforts to manage the COVID-19 situation and will continue to keep our guests, travel agent partners and other stakeholders informed.”
In a news release, Carnival said it is taking a “measured approach.”
“We are…focusing on the potential for sailing from a select number of homeports where we have more significant operations that are easily accessible by car for the majority of our guests,” a news release said. “We will use this additional time to continue to engage experts, government officials and stakeholders on additional protocols and procedures to protect the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we serve. We appreciate the understanding and support of our guests and travel agent partners and look forward to welcoming them on board as the environment for travel and tourism improves.”
What do you think about cruises starting up again? Would you take a cruise in August?


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WEST NEW YORK, N.J., April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Fastin, from Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, is by far the hottest-selling nutriceutical weight loss supplement on the market today. The folks at Fastin.org are so confident in the results achieved from a recent customer satisfaction survey that they are now offering a free trial on their web site http://www.fastin.org.
The rights to Fastin were previously owned by Smith Kline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, and most recently acquired Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals. Smith Kline Beecham developed phentermine HCL under the brand name Fastin up until 1998.
Fastin, from Hi-Tech, is a pharmaceutical-grade dietary supplement indicated for weight loss in extremely overweight individuals. Fastin has both immediate and delayed release profiles for appetite suppression, energy, and weight loss. Fastin's patent-pending formula contains B-methyl-phenethylamine, 37.5mg, and was developed with the help of Mark Wright, M.D., a bariatric physician.
Fastin is available only from a select group of retailers, but Fastin.org is the only site offering a free trial of the product. Frank Huerta, spokesperson for Fastin.org sales and marketing, released a statement saying, "We are pleased to offer Fastin to consumers on this trial basis and we're supremely confident that customers will continue to order the product because of the effectiveness. We've never offered something for free, but the folks at Hi-Tech have made a product that actually does what it's supposed to and we're excited to be working with them on this offer."
For additional information about the free Fastin promotion, call 1-877-807-2007 or visit http://www.fastin.org
This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.


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Covid highlights the need for urgent action on rural broadband
Image credit: Stevanovicigor/Dreamstime
The long-standing problem of poor connectivity has made it difficult for internet users in hard-to-reach areas to adapt to new ways of working during the Covid-19 pandemic. Government and ISPs need to work together to improve the situation.
2020 was a disruptive year for UK businesses. Following the Covid-19 outbreak, 20 per cent of the UK workforce was put on furlough, 55 per cent worked from home and, as of December 2020, more than three million people were unemployed.
While the pandemic boosted unemployment rates to unprecedented levels, it also led to a rise in entrepreneurship. In the week leading up to March 2021, 17,096 new businesses were registered in the UK - a significant increase from the 13,965 that were recorded in the same month of 2019.
If there’s one thing we have learned during a time of such uncertainty, it’s the importance of resilience and entrepreneurship. While we have seen examples of this play out across the country, those setting up new businesses or trying to grow existing ones, in rural areas in particular, have had to overcome additional challenges when it comes to broadband connectivity. In many cases, unreliable and slow broadband has proved a barrier to success.
Across the country, starting a business has empowered many people to take back control and provided hope, structure and an income during uncertain times. That said, for those in rural and hard-to-reach areas, the rise in entrepreneurship has simultaneously highlighted the deep digital divide between rural and urban communities.
For many in rural areas, a lack of broadband infrastructure has presented entrepreneurs with significant challenges when it comes to starting their fledgling business. In today’s world, where the majority of transactions take place over the internet and an online presence is essential for any brand, a reliable, high-speed broadband connection has never been more important.
Unfortunately, network providers have historically focused on developing infrastructure in densely populated areas where there are the most potential customers. As a result, the UK’s digital divide is at a critical level. As it stands today, a fifth of households in rural areas cannot get superfast broadband and many are still getting internet speeds as slow as 0.12Mbps. For those setting up or running businesses in rural areas, an unreliable broadband connection is a serious obstacle.
However, it’s not just emerging rural entrepreneurs that have felt the negative impact of slow broadband. For established rural businesses, this has been a hindrance to growth for far too long. Without a reliable connection, businesses are unable to efficiently manage their sales, customer service, social media, payments and much more.
Covid-19 has meant that many businesses have had to quickly upgrade their digital offerings to compensate for an absence of face-to-face interactions. For those unable to access high-speed broadband, the benefits of harnessing innovative enterprise technology to improve productivity and drive sales is not an option.
Even before the pandemic, rural businesses reported that slow internet speeds were a huge obstacle to further growth. A survey conducted by the National Farmers’ Union at the end of 2019 showed that 90 per cent of farmers believed high-speed broadband was essential for their business. A further 26 per cent reported that slow connectivity had been a barrier to further use of digital solutions. For too long, rural areas have been dealt a poor hand when it comes to digital connectivity and this needs to change.
To fully support this endeavour, we must work together to democratise access to connectivity and roll out high-quality, high-speed broadband in rural and hard-to-reach areas. For the most part, superfast broadband has been delivered by FTTC technology with speeds of 30Mbps. While this was sufficient for many households in the past, the surge in demand for data-led services such as videoconferencing and virtual meetings calls for better connectivity.
As businesses continue to evolve, broadband services must adapt alongside them. The roll-out of innovative technology such as the newer FTTP broadband is essential, as it offers the ability to support fast download speeds, large amounts of data and multiple users using the same network. Not just this, but having this infrastructure in place can also support further digitisation, for technologies such as 5G and cloud computing.
As it stands, the fastest UK street’s broadband is more than 5,000 times quicker than the slowest. To provide equal access to opportunities, ISPs and government alike need to work together and prioritise the roll-out of FTTP infrastructure in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
The past year has been challenging for so many across the country. For those that have had little or no access to broadband, it has been even more difficult. We believe that having high-quality internet is a human right, especially in challenging times such as these.
In order to help rural economies to thrive and to permanently lift them out of digital isolation, the roll-out of future-proof broadband technology is essential.
Red Peel is managing director and founder of Airband
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Dubai, UAE: This year’s Beautyworld Middle East, the region’s largest trade fair for beauty, fragrance, and wellbeing, will be distinguished by a strong international flavour, when the three-day event takes place from October 31 to November 2 at Dubai World Trade Centre.
Organised by Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the 26th edition of the show will include a heady mix of alluring products from some of the world’s most prominent fragrance houses. With over 180 companies representing everything from raw materials and fragrance compounds to finished fragrance and packaging, fragrance is one of the strongest segments at Beautyworld Middle East which has become one of the top three beauty trade exhibitions worldwide.
A key feature of the events fragrance sector, Quintessence is returning for the 2022 edition. Featuring a bouquet of handpicked brands, Quintessence is the only showcase of its kind in the region where niche brands and creators from around the world can present their latest offerings and be discovered by leading retailers and distributors from the regional beauty and fragrance industry. Some of the 25 curated brands and creators exhibiting this year include Bois 1920, Keiko Mecheri, Amarsi, Benigna Parfums, and La Bonte.
Launched last year to mark Beautyworld’s 25th anniversary, the Signature Scent competition is also returning this year. Inspired by the essence of the region, 16 of the top international fragrance houses are challenged to design and create their own interpretation of a bespoke signature scent for the show.
Visitors will be able to cast their vote in a blind sampling, with the winner crowned as the official scent for the 2023 edition of Beautyworld Middle East.
“The UAE has a global reputation for fragrances, as it is integral to local culture and traditions. With the continued growth of the sector, we have placed a special emphasis on the fragrance at this year’s event,” said Flyn Roberts, Show Director of Beautyworld Middle East.
According to Euromonitor International, Emiratis are amongst the biggest spenders per capita on a global level on premium fragrances. Retail sales value for all fragrance products rose by 12% in 2021 to US$626 million. The highest performing category was mass fragrances are the best performing category, with retail value sales increasing by 16% in current terms to US$95 million.
Top Fragrance Houses to Participate
Beautyworld’s recognition as a world leader in Fragrance events is cemented with a line-up of some of the most prestigious global brands participating at this year’s show, including Eurofragrance (Spain), CPL Aromas (UK), Firmenich (Switzerland), Symrise (Germany), V.Mane (France) Givaudan (Switzerland) and Robertet (France) to name a few.
Eurofragrance, who has been creating perfumes for nearly three decades, will be promoting its latest range of L’Âme du Bois. Commenting on this, Antoine de Riedmatten, Global Business Unit Director of Fine Fragrance and General Manager IMEA from Eurofragrance, said; “We have exhibited for many years at Beautyworld Middle East, and it is a special event for us since we’ve been in the region for over three decades. We look forward to this event as it enables us to come face-to-face with the people that matter the most – our loyal clients”.
Perfumer of The Year to be crowned at the Beautyworld Middle East Awards
The Beautyworld Awards will once again recognize the industry’s top performers in beauty, hair and fragrance with a lavish masquerade themed gala dinner at the Address Sky View on October 31st. This year the event includes 4 fragrance specific awards including the hotly contended Perfumer of the Year celebrating the most outstanding perfumer contributing to an introduction of a new fragrance in the GCC in the last two years.
The five finalists include Ana Gomez from Iberchem, Dalia Izem from Givaudan, Gael Montero from Givaudan and two representatives from Moellhausen: Michelle Moellhausen and Dominique Moellhausen. Tickets for the event can be purchased directly from the website.
“We celebrate the fragrance industry's outstanding creative achievements and provide a fantastic forum for interaction among the world's fragrance community. We are working towards making this year's event a bigger and better experience with the goal of inspiring the world to explore the creativity and passion of the fragrance industry,” said Flyn Roberts.


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Fifteen years ago, Get A Gun opened its door to customers in the Bakersfield, California area, but on December 20th the business will be closing for good; a victim to the state’s war on legal gun owners and firearm retailers.
In a post on Facebook, the store’s management says that California “has chosen to penalize Firearms dealers with fines for minor issues,” adding that the likelihood of an impending Biden/Harris administration also was a factor in the store’s closure.
Another issue for the gun shop? Not being able to keep up with the record-setting demand for guns and ammo from customers.
“With Remington Shut down and Mossberg being shut down that has cut their rate of production to nothing and we can’t get product because the restrictions placed on them by their state governments,” said Fire arm salesman, Utah Allen.