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The Beatles have found a digital format they like for licensing songs: a video game.
The legendary band that had rebuffed the modern era by not allowing its music to be sold as digital downloads at iTunes and other online music stores will feature its songs on a game from the makers of "Rock Band," firms involved in the deal said Thursday.
The Beatles join a host of other well-known names, including Aerosmith, Boston, David Bowie, the Grateful Dead and Kiss, that license songs to a booming category of video games that allow players to mimic rock stars.
The deal comes at a time when recorded music sales continue to plummet; they are down 16 percent so far this year, according to the NPD Group.
"Given the current music environment, with CDs under a lot of pressure and retail space for music sales shrinking, a lot of bands and labels are asking how they remonetize their catalog," said Russ Crupnick, an NPD Group analyst who tracks music sales. "You look around and see that video games are a good way to keep the brand alive."
The idea of musicians licensing songs for use in a video game might have once sounded crass and generated cries of "sellout." Now, artists and record labels seek new ways to replace revenue lost from declining CD sales, which is changing the music industry as they turn to ring tones, digital downloads, social networking sites and video games.
For example, Chicago's Smashing Pumpkins released a single, titled "G.L.O.W.," on the new game "Guitar Hero: World Tour," the latest incarnation in that popular series. And Oasis this month debuted its new album, "Dig Out Your Soul," on MySpace.
"We are looking at an industry that used to rely on one format to sell music, now it relies on dozens," Crupnick said. "There will continue to be a huge fragmentation on how people consume music. But from a consumer standpoint, that can be good -- I can get the songs I want on the devices I want at prices I can afford."
The move by the Beatles could signal a broader shift in strategy by Apple Corps, which was founded in 1968 to manage the band's catalog. Apple has declined to make the band's music available through legal Internet downloads.
The untitled game, which will be available for the 2009 holiday shopping season, will feature an unknown number of Beatles songs and will be based on the "Rock Band" series published by MTV Games and created by Harmonix Music Systems. The surviving members of the Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, are helping to develop the game.
"The project is a fun idea which broadens the appeal of the Beatles and their music," McCartney said in a statement. "I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out."
Few details were released about the game, including terms of the deal.
Although it's unclear how much the Beatles will earn, the deal will help the "Rock Band" franchise compete against the older "Guitar Hero" games. Through September in the U.S., all versions of "Guitar Hero" have sold 19.2 million copies, while "Rock Band" titles have totaled 4 million sales, NPD said.
The timing of the announcement has been questioned, since a version of "Guitar Hero," featuring 86 songs from such artists as The Eagles, Michael Jackson, The Doors and Van Halen, went on sale last week.
A spokeswoman for MTV said the Beatles deal was announced Thursday simply because "the deal got signed."
The Beatles aren't the only ones to get a "Rock Band" deal. Next week, Wal-Mart will be the exclusive retailer for a "track pack" of live songs for the "Rock Band" game from AC/DC. The 18 live songs, which include the hits "Back in Black" and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," were remastered for the game.
AC/DC already has a successful agreement with Wal-Mart. The band's new album, "Black Ice," was released exclusively at Wal-Mart on Oct. 20. "They sold 800,000 copies of the CD in the first week," Crupnick said, calling it a very healthy figure for the band.
Not every band has such marketing power.
"It's getting to be more challenging for second-tier and new artists to break through," Crupnick said. "You can't match the exposure you once had with radio and large music retailers."
Blue about earpieces? To read more of Eric Benderoff's takes on technology, go to chicagotribune.com/eric


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Google launches a patch to fix the vulnerability of Android
Finally, Google has released a patch that fixes the vulnerability of Android terminals produced by the bug known as Stagefright, giving the possibility to control the infected remotely through a simple MMS terminal.
The patch has come first for the Nexus, being the own smartphone of the company, but other models will receive Android update soon, coming this month to mobile and insured as the HTC One M7, One M8, One M9, the LG Electronics G2, G3, G4, and the Sony Xperia Z2, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z4 and Z3 Compact.
The company has confirmed that the percentage of terminals at risk from this virus or bug is very limited, but with the update you will not have any problem anymore. Besides this, the Android security chief, engineer Adrian Ludwig, explained to The Guardian what that means, from now on, “the Nexus devices receive regular security updates once a month as an addition to the usual updates platform. The terminals Nexus will continue to receive major updates for at least two years and security patches will be held for at least three years since its release or for 18 months if we talk about the last sale of the device, all via Google Store.”
After the updates of Google, Samsung did not want to be less and has also ensured that there will be new updates monthly for their devices. Through the official blog of the company, they explained that Koreans concerned about the safety of their users, and will influence a system of monthly improvements to act more efficiently and more and better protect the terminals. “With the problems of recent safety, we have been rethinking the approach for security updates to our devices in a more appropriate way. Since the software is constantly hacked in new ways, developing a process of rapid response to release patches security for our devices is critical to keep them safe,” said the statement of the blog’s executive vice president and chief development office and mobile research, Dong Jin Koh.
Samsung has also urged mobile operators to join with them to ensure that updates occur as soon as possible, not when they want, as at present. Google and Samsung take the initiative to protect the terminals with Android and it is clearly cause for joy. The most widely used mobile operating system in the world should not take so long to be updated when Stagefright cause a problem that can be part of such as millions of user data, when they are completely helpless. Hopefully other manufacturers also proceed to make security updates gradually, slowly but surely.

domain: news


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UTRUST, the cryptocurrency payment solution offering instant transactions, buyer protection, and crypto-to-cash settlements, have announced that its integrated UTK token is now listed on DigiFinex, one of the world’s leading digital assets trading platforms. This listing shows UTRUST adding to the list of trading platforms that have integrated UTK, including the likes of Huobi Pro and OKEx.
UTRUST Co-Founder and CEO, Nuno Correia, said: “This listing shows the increasing momentum of the UTK token and the UTRUST platform as a whole. We are dedicated to driving cryptocurrency adoption and opening up the payments industry and by offering UTK token holders another platform on which to trade their cryptocurrency, we hope to contribute to the wider ecosystem and promote the mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies.”
UTRUST is a leading cryptocurrency payment platform designed to modernise the finance and payments industry and solve the problems of traditional payment methods by offering instant transactions, buyer protection, and immediate crypto-to-cash settlements for the merchant. The native UTK token is designed as a utility for the UTRUST platform. It acts as a payment method for buyers to pay less as well as being integrated in the platform’s mediation and refund processes.
DigiFinex is a world-leading digital assets exchange currently ranked in the top 15 exchanges on CoinMarketCap and this listing will allow UTK token holders to trade against other cryptocurrencies including BTC and ETH. DigiFinex first opened up the UTK deposit service earlier this week and celebrated their latest listing with an air-drop of 700,000 UTK.
For more information, visit: www.utrust.com and www.digifinex.com
UTRUST is the leading cryptocurrency payment solution designed to modernize the finance and payments industry and solve the problems of traditional payment methods by offering instant transactions, buyer protection, and immediate crypto-to-cash settlements for the merchant. The Swiss-based startup was granted SRO approval to operate as a ‘financial intermediary’ under VQF, the self-regulatory organization approved by Switzerland’s independent financial-markets regulator, FINMA. The UTRUST platform went live in 2019 when football club S.L. Benfica came on board as the first merchant and the first major European football club to accept cryptocurrency.
DigiFinex is a world-leading digital assets exchange with subsidiary offices in China, HongKong, Japan, Malaysia and Korea. The founding team of DigiFinex are leaders from renowned tech companies such as Xunlei, Tencent, Baidu, with extensive experience in network technologies and Fintech development.
DigiFinex is committed to providing blockchain users safe, secure and convenient investment channels and has managed to establish itself as a trusted digital asset financial exchange among average consumers and investors in the global markets.


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Meatballs are coming to town: IKEA buys Topshop’s former Oxford Circus flagship store
November 8, 2021
3 min read
What's going on here?
The Swedish chain IKEA has bought and moved into Topshop’s former Oxford Street flagship store, signalling a big shift for retail.
What does this mean?
In an unprecedented move which restores faith in the UK’s dying high street, IKEA is set to pay £378m for the property at 214 Oxford Street. Arcadia, Topshop’s parent company, is being represented by law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and Reed Smith is acting for Ingka, IKEA’s largest owner. This move is a result of the vacuum left by the collapse of Sir Philip Green’s retail empire and IKEA’s shift in strategy towards a blend of inner and outer city stores. The Oxford Street store will follow IKEA’s smaller store format which is set to have a click-and-collect and click-and-deliver function, planning studios, and a selection of its home furnishing accessories.
IKEA has already opened inner city stores in Tokyo, Moscow, Madrid, New York and Paris. Krister Mattsson, the managing director of Ingka Investment, said that “this is a very good fit into our strategy” as it brings “IKEA closer to customers”. Although IKEA has had a dramatic surge in online sales post-COVID, it insists that it wants to stick with its brick and mortar roots. Consequently, the furniture giant will depart from the increasing trend to turn to e-commerce and focus more on accessibility, experience and opportunities for its customers.
What's the big picture effect?
Report written by Sofia Antipatis
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Lack of Vitamin D causes obesity, stunts growthDecember 11th, 2008 - 5:45 pm ICT by IANS
Toronto, Dec 11 (IANS) Insufficient vitamin D can stunt growth and foster obesity during puberty, according to a new study.Even in sun-drenched California, scientists from McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and University of Southern California found that vitamin D deficiency caused higher body mass and shorter stature in girls at the peak of their growing spurt.
While lack of vitamin D is common in adults and has been linked to osteoporosis, cancer and obesity, until this study, little was known about the consequences of insufficient vitamin D in young people.
The research team measured vitamin D in girls aged 16 to 22 using a simple blood test (25-hydroxy vitamin D). They also assessed body fat and height to determine how vitamin D deficiency could affect young women’s health.
“The high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in young people living in a sun-rich area was surprising,” said study co-author, Richard Kremer, co-director of the Musculoskeletal Axis of the MUHC.
“We found young women with vitamin D insufficiency were significantly heavier, with a higher body mass index and increased abdominal fat, than young women with normal levels.”
Researchers examined 90 Caucasian and Hispanic girls and discovered that young women with normal vitamin D levels were on average taller than peers deficient in vitamin D.
However, their investigation found no association between lack of vitamin D and bone strength, according to a MUHC release.
“Although vitamin D is now frequently measured in older adults, due to a higher level of awareness in this population, it is rarely measured in young people - especially healthy adolescents,” said Kremer.
These findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
- Vitamin D deficiency leads to obesity, stunts growth - Mar 08, 2010
- Lack of vitamin D stunts growth, causes weight gain in girls - Dec 11, 2008
- Low vitamin D levels linked to muscle fat, reduced strength - Mar 06, 2010
- Majority of obese teens are vitamin D deficient - Apr 28, 2011
- Lack of vitamin D leads to 'chubbier kids, faster weight gain' - Nov 09, 2010
- Oral steroids bring on vitamin D deficiency - Sep 30, 2011
- High vitamin D levels may not reduce frailty risk in older women - Dec 09, 2010
- Weight loss improves testosterone levels - Jun 05, 2011
- Obese adolescents benefit from high-dose vitamin D - Nov 02, 2011
- Diet patterns may keep brain from shrinking - Dec 29, 2011
- Vitamin D deficiency alters lung structure and function - Jan 29, 2011
- Vitamin D vital for cognitive function - Jun 26, 2010
- Elderly? Get some sunshine to prevent falls - May 05, 2011
- High Vitamin D levels 'may prevent age-related vision loss' - Apr 12, 2011
- Weight loss increases Vitamin D in obese women - May 26, 2011
Tags: body mass index, endocrinology and metabolism, hydroxy vitamin, journal of clinical endocrinology, journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, mcgill university health, mcgill university health centre, richard kremer, university health centre, vitamin d deficiency


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A Bristol travel company has collapsed due to amounts debts worth an
estimated £300,000 to £500,000.
Brilliant Weekends a company that specialises in stag and hen dos started up
six years ago and has blamed its downfall on sterling weakening against the
euro and the credit crunch the
Evening Post reported.
Richard Denny’s, the owner and managing director would not confirm how many
creditors were owed money and the company has not appointed any external
administrators or recovery specialists. Denny’s is currently struggling to find
other companies to take on the already booked packages.
Denny’s said: We are desperately sorry for the distress and inconvenience
that this will cause. I want to apologise sincerely to customers and staff and
assure them that we are doing our best to resolve the situation.’
Does Darwin's theory apply to taxation? Colin ponders...
The EC has been instructed to draft a European Union (EU) directive authorising an EU financial transaction tax, which would apply to ten of the EU’s 28 member states
Accountancy watchdog the FRC has dropped its investigation into the former chief financial officer of Tesco, nearly two years after the supermarket was engulfed in an accounting scandal
Colin imagines how Apple's logo might change in the wake of the EC's ruling over its Irish tax arrangements


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Synopsys Names Shankar Krishnamoorthy General Manager of the Digital Design Group
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) today announced that Shankar Krishnamoorthy has been promoted to GM of the Digital Design Group. Krishnamoorthy, who rejoined Synopsys in 2017, is an electronic design automation veteran with 25 years of experience bringing to market high-value, market-leading physical design and logic synthesis solutions. Most recently, he was senior vice president of the Digital Implementation group, where he led the development and delivery of Synopsys' game-changing innovations including Fusion Compiler™, RTL Architect, 3DIC Compiler and Synopsys TestMAX® solutions.
"Shankar has been instrumental in driving our digital design efforts over the past three years and widening our technology lead, resulting in significant customer momentum," said Sassine Ghazi, chief operating officer of Synopsys. "I look forward to working with him as he leads the group into our next phase of innovation and growth."
"The Synopsys Digital Design Group has been at the forefront of leading innovation in the EDA industry to enable our customers to achieve their power, performance and area ambitions in shrinking market windows," said Shankar Krishnamoorthy. "I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead this outstanding team and work in close partnership with our customers and partners to deliver differentiated products in their markets."
Prior to Synopsys, he worked as GM of IC Design Solutions and head of R&D for IC Implementation at Mentor Graphics, and was founder and CTO of Sierra Design Automation. He holds a master's degree in computer science from the University of Texas and a computer science degree from the Indian Institute of Technology.
Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) is the Silicon to Software™ partner for innovative companies developing the electronic products and software applications we rely on every day. As the world's 15th largest software company, Synopsys has a long history of being a global leader in electronic design automation (EDA) and semiconductor IP and is also growing its leadership in software security and quality solutions. Whether you're a system-on-chip (SoC) designer creating advanced semiconductors, or a software developer writing applications that require the highest security and quality, Synopsys has the solutions needed to deliver innovative, high-quality, secure products. Learn more at www.synopsys.com.
Lisa L. Ewbank
SOURCE Synopsys, Inc.


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Redefining the Emerging Market Multinationals
In 2017, nearly a third of the Fortune Global 500 companies were from E20* countries—the 20 largest emerging market economies. The rise of emerging market multinational corporations (eMNC) is reminiscent of the emergence of U.S. companies after World War II.
Their rise has been meteoric, as reflected in their participation in the Fortune Global 500, which has tripled in eight years—a remarkable feat considering that most Chinese companies were founded post-1950. There is no doubt that the rise of eMNCs overall is capable of upending the hitherto dominant position enjoyed by the G-7 multinationals.
Great Progress but a Long Way To Go
eMNCs have made their presence felt in more than just numbers. This year’s analysis confirms eMNC leadership in a number of the sectors observed in last year’s report. E20 firms now account for more than half of the top five firms across major industries such as banking, automobiles, crude oil production, engineering and construction, logistics, metals, mining, petroleum refining and telecom. This is a significant achievement given the recent emergence of these companies.
This year’s report also shows how high revenues are linked to international presence, and it builds on the conclusions of the previous year’s report on the significant international presence in the Fortune Global 500.
And yet, more remains before the achievements of eMNCs match those of their G-7 counterparts. As illustrated by the difference between the E20 and G-7 firms’ performance, eMNCs’ profit margins are still lower than those of their developed market counterparts in the G-7, even if, in a few specific industries such as banking, eMNCs’ results are superior or similar. The average eMNC return on assets is closer to that of their G-7 counterparts, though there are still relatively significant differences between industries and countries, for example, Chinese and U.S. firms.
Cheap Labor Helps
One could argue that eMNCs operate differently than Western multinationals, whose priority has been optimization of profits and value for shareholders. For eMNCs, easier access to key resources, such as cheap labor, counterbalances their need to maximize profits—or productivity—per employee as U.S. or European companies do. State-owned enterprises are still prevalent in EMs, albeit decreasingly, for which profits are not necessarily as important as they are for private and public companies.
All in all, eMNCs are on track to “catch up.” In addition to investing beyond their natural markets, including in advanced economies, and expanding strategically into service-based, consumer-related or other “new” industries, such as renewable energies, they are becoming the largest companies in the world.
Their increased involvement in global M&As is one illustration of their rise in power, along with their emergence among leading global brands.
Low Prices Are the Priority
eMNCs have traditionally been considered low-cost competitors relative to their G-7 counterparts. They have focused on efficiency and productivity. Over the years, multiple factors have driven the continued cost leadership of eMNCs.
As emerging market multinationals go global, they are competing with Western multinationals. We will soon learn who will win.
First, they usually have lower production costs compared to their counterparts in advanced economies, in many cases due to lower labor costs or the availability of natural resources. This may not entirely be true today for some emerging economies, such as China, where the cheap labor advantage—long considered the bedrock of manufacturing success—is slowly eroding.
Second, eMNCs follow a strategy in which they maximize revenues but achieve growth at the expense of gross margins.
And third, a majority of customers in emerging economies still have low purchasing power, and hence eMNCs tend to design products/services in the most cost-effective way. eMNCs’ focus on cost and price has proven fatal to many industry leaders who fail to resist the price competition. This is vividly illustrated in the case of textile and shoe manufacturing, among others, which have virtually disappeared in the U.S. and Europe.
Burnishing Their Brands
Today, however, there are some signs of change. A price comparison of several goods and services provided by advanced economy firms show that the price differential is shrinking. In some cases, for instance, cell phones, computers, or air conditioners, price ranges are similar.
Likewise, eMNC brands are also shifting their focus to branding.
These companies are progressively entering the world of global brands, as illustrated by Lenovo in laptops, Samsung and Huawei in smartphones, the Brazilian Havaianas/Alpargatas in flip-flops, to name a few. While in 2009, emerging market brands accounted for only 12 percent of the firms in the top 500 ranking of global brands by Brandirectory, this ratio rose to 19 percent in 2017.
In tandem with these changes, eMNCs have developed increased innovation capabilities, which have surpassed the imitation phase in a number of industries, such as air transport, telecommunications and information technology-related services, to name a few. Together, these shifts point to significant changes on the horizon, with eMNCs on their way to becoming serious contenders in global business.
Whether internationalization has a positive impact on the performance of eMNCs depends on how they conduct their internationalization process, including how they choose their target locations abroad. Emerging multinationals learned to compete with Western multinationals in their home markets. As they are becoming global, they are competing and learning globally. We will know in the near future who will win.
*E20 countries comprise China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Indonesia, Poland, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Russia, Turkey, Nigeria, Iran, Egypt, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Colombia and Chile.


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Originally posted on The Horizons Tracker.
It’s often said that we’re considerably more accommodating for those we like than those we don’t, but does the same apply to companies? That was the question posed by a recent study that looked at whether innovative companies tend to be given an easier ride when they mess up.
They conducted four studies to test how our perceptions influence our reactions to company behaviors.
“When you are looking at the marketing of products, a big part is the sensory aspects of the product’s packaging,” the authors say. “Even though we might think of it as trivial, it is actually influential in the way we inform our consumption decisions. It’s not just visual, it consists of other sensory cues such as touch.”
How exciting is your brand?
The findings revealed that we tend to give brands considerable benefit of the doubt if we view them as exciting. When we view them as sincere however, this benefit tends to evaporate.
If you’re wondering just what kind of brands have such personalities, the authors offered up Apple as an example of an exciting brand, whilst Nokia were regarded as a more sincere brand.
The findings build on previous work undertaken by the researchers with a number of fictitious brands. The findings from those initial studies were replicated in this analysis of real world brands, suggesting that they have legs.
“Our early studies used fictitious brands where consumers have no prior associations,” the authors say. “We only manipulated participants’ expectations of a brand’s personality. We identified samples as being from sincere or exciting brands by providing the characteristics of each brand.”
Across several studies the researchers found that people were considerably more forgiving when the brand was perceived as exciting.
“Marketers need to think about how sensory innovation aids the narrative of the brand,” the authors conclude. “If you are a sincere brand, sensory mismatch may not serve you, even if it is a novel introduction. Exciting brands, on the other hand, can exploit consumer perception by conjuring surprise through sensory mismatch.”
Article source: Why being an innovative brand means customers cut you some slack.


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In a deal worth roughly $460 million, Mattel has agreed to acquire the Canada-based toy company MEGA Brands, it was announced Friday.
Joining Tyra Banks, Kathy Ireland, Christie Brinkley and Kate Upton in celebrating 50 years of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue is the brand’s newest model - Barbie.
The editorial team of FamilyFun magazine has chosen their twenty favorite toys from this year’s New York Toy Fair.
Mattel and WWE have signed a multi-year extension of their global master toy licensing agreement through 2019.
Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products is commemorating the 25th anniversary of “The Simpsons” with a yearlong global celebration.
HIT Entertainment and Televisa have expanded their current broadcasting partnership.
A year in review and look ahead at the market Down Under. Editorial is provided by License! Global’s Australian content partner, The Bugg Report.
License! Global has the first look at the new toys and games that are on showcase at New York City’s annual American International Toy Fair.
From the skyrocketing success of digital-first properties to major shifts in the television landscape to big name brand acquisitions, here is the news that shaped 2013.
Retail dollar sales of toys experienced a decline of 1 percent when compared to 2012, according to 2013 year-end retail sales data compiled by The NPD Group.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products officially launched its Batman Classic Television Series licensing program.
Attendees at MIPJunior this weekend will have the opportunity to attend a licensing seminar featuring executives from Mattel and Nickelodeon.
Disney unveiled plans for the Cars: Fuel Your Fun U.K. retail and marketing campaign today at the U.K. Toy Fair in London
Mattel has teamed up with The Gurin Company to create a game show version of its popular card game Uno.
Acquisitions are changing the landscape as licensors chase growth and diversification.
Hit Entertainment has appointed Simba-Dickie as the new European master toy partner (excluding the U.K.) for its Fireman Sam brand.
Disney and Pixar are celebrating the U.K. launch of the new Silver Series Cars products with a tour of toy stores in the U.K.
As one of the world’s leading preschool entertainment licensors, HIT is taking its coveted portfolio of brands to new and different places.
Mattel’s Barbie is collaborating with the all-girl group Fifth Harmony for a new brand anthem and line of dolls.
Mattel and FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment have greenlit a second season of their action-comedy series “Max Steel.”
©2014 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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The designation is testimony to Dr. Sowlati’s significant scientific advancements within the field of wood science. For more than a decade, her primary area of research at UBC Forestry has been on forest-based biomass utilization and optimizing all aspects of its supply chain.
She readily admits today’s supply chain challenges, which include what the COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine and even transport staffing shortages have caused, will factor into ongoing research projects that already incorporate a complex myriad of challenges.
“Biomass supply chain issues encompass everything from high costs associated with delivering materials to bioconversion facilities to government carbon pricing policies which can vary from country to country and even region to region.”
Dr. Sowlati points out further that her research team’s focus also considers the sustainable aspects of biomass supply chain management.
“We look at the environmental and social impacts of supply chains and as such are factoring in sustainability into our multi-criteria decision-making recommendations,” she says. “We’re always trying to address multiple viewpoints on this subject. It all comes down to the realization that one solution does not fit all.”
Dr. Taraneh Sowlati’s Awards
In the fall, Dr. Sowlati received the 2021 Best Publication Award in Natural Resources from The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) Energy, Natural Resources & the Environment Section (ENRE). Dr. Sowlati’s winning publication, Impact of carbon pricing policies on the cost and emission of the biomass supply chain: Optimization models and a case study, looks at the impact of carbon pricing policies on the optimum solutions of case-independent biomass supply chain models.
In past years, she received the Canadian Operational Research Society (CORS) Service Award and this year she is the conference chair for the CORS/INFORMS international conference happening in Vancouver in June 2022.
Established in 1966, IAWS was created to promote and advance wood research, development, and innovation. The association is a non-profit assembly of wood scientists, recognizing all fields of wood science with their associated technological domains, and securing a worldwide representation.


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Hello Market, who have just announced their first funding round of $2.5M, is a C2C marketplace platform service that allows users to sell, buy, and exchange goods and services through mobile platforms (Android, iOS) as well as the web. According to Co-Founder Alber Hahn their goal now is to continue to apply, update, and expand upon the craigslist C2C commerce model, with a current focus on further expansion into Japan. The Hello Market apps can currently be found on the Korean Google Play store and the Korean Apple App Store and on the web.
$2.5M in the bag
Participating in the Series A round (the first investment the company has raised since founding in 2011) was a mix of strategic and financial investors from Korea. The total amount raised totals 3 billion won (just short of $3 million USD by current exchange rate standards). Leading the investment was
GS HomeShopping (GSHS), one of the largest TV home shopping companies in the world as well as the leading multimedia retailer in Korea. Also participating were 3 Korean Venture Capital firms:
Hanhwa Investment Corp, Daesung Private Equity Inc, and
Hanbit Investment Co Ltd.
Hello Market is comprised of a unique team of five co-founders. All had successful careers across diverse industries including Law, Consultancy, and Academia, and felt that they needed to fulfil a greater purpose. Hahn wanted to create something awesome, and to dramatically improve an existing market. The team launched Hello Market in Korea as an app for Android in September 2011, with the iOS launch coming just 1 month later. The website was then added a year later in September 2012. They aim to improve the selling experience in the C2C consumer marketplace, globally.
Hello Market has now been downloaded by approximately one million users and in just under three years over 4 million items have been registered on HelloMarket, with approximately 2.7 million of those items registered in the last year (May 2013 ~ now). The total value of registered items (GMV) is circa $130 million, with the total value of items sold currently standing at $43 million.
And additional service, HelloMarket Green Campus, was launched in january 2013 in cooperation with Keimyung University. A wider role-out of this service is planned in the near future.
Hello Market soft launched their mobile apps for the Japanese market in February 2013, the first company to launch a C2C marketplace on Google Play in Japan.
About the service
Hello Market is a location-based service, which allows users to see items displayed graphically on a map interface. The company believes that this feature enables users to engage in quick face-to-face transactions which is believed to be one of the company's features that has led to their rapid growth and high engagement. With a great depth of understanding of the need for a secure online payment (if users don't want to use the face-to-face cash option), the payments process is backed by extensive back-end filtering and fraud prevention monitoring.
While the company currently makes use on an escrow payment system, there are hopes that in the future a more personal, faster, and easier system can be implemented, perhaps through partnership with another payments processor.
The service also features in-app shipping and delivery services, which include the popular delivery service offered by Korean convenience stores, as well as a door-to-door option.
User experience is of paramount experience and Hello Market boasts a highly advanced, dedicated customer service solution.
Having raised funding Hello Market plans to improve, expand, and promote their service, primarily in the Japanese market. They believe that one of the key benefits of having launched and built the service in Korea is the opportunity to have experienced platform growth in an environment of rapid mobile adoption. The team now plans to take these lessons to Japan and eventually to other global markets. The investment will also be used to improve all facets of the service, with a focus on payment, delivery and shipping, as well as UI/UX.
Long term goals for the company include expanding the Hello Market service to other C2C verticals beyond goods, to include services, handmade items, pets, etc.
Hahn explained: "Our ultimate vision is that anyone will be able to buy, sell, and exchange anything, anywhere, anytime to anyone. We believe that HelloMarket has an important role to play in making this future a reality. We are excited to have received investment from four organizations that believe we will play a key role in re-shaping the future of online-to-offline commerce and logistics."
Comparisons with Ebay and Craigslist?
While Hahn agreed that there are comparisons between the three services (Ebay, Craigslist, Hello Market) he believes that his company is developing a new reality for C2C commerce. He highlighted that Ebay has now become dominated by 'pro-sellers', which has crowded out opportunities for C2C users for finding buyers. And while he praised Craigslist for being an incredible 'community-based market-place' he believes that sellers deserve a more advanced selling platform that brings C2C commerce into the 21st century. Comparing the UX & UI of Craigslist and Hello Market, it is clear that this is a primary ambition.
Local competition in Japan
Mercari, a similar service in Japan, recently raised $14 million in funding and revealed plans to expand to the US. Hahn believes that rather than looking at the case of Mercari as a threat, Hello Market should see this as further evidence that the business model and opportunities for growth have been proven. Also, he stressed that Hello market entered the Japanese market some time ago and as a result has a strong foothold. Hello Market's investment now allows them to concentrate much more on expansion into Japan and to consolidate their position there, before advancing into other Asian markets.
So far the company has not raised any revenue and immediate monetization is not one of the company's ambitions, though Hahn expects that an initial revenue model will be built in by the end of this year. Instead Hello Market aims to continue to concentrate on perfecting the seller experience. Hahn believes that if the user experience is awesome other opportunities for generating reveune will emerge. He cited the case of Evernote as an example of a company that provides its core service free, and monetizes by adding additional services that can be charged. For Hello Market this could include faster / cheaper delivery, or payment solutions.


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Ghana’s banking sector reforms has been listed as a key factor in low sales at the country’s largest producer and retailer of consumer goods, Unilever Ghana.
In an email seen by JoyNews, Unilever Ghana Limited disclosed, “many distributors finding it increasingly difficult trading.”
The email noted the “economic climate in Ghana has seen a slow-down especially in trading conditions particularly after the banking sector reforms which began in Q4 2018.”
The reforms began in August 2017 when the Bank of Ghana revoked the licences of two banks. A year later, five more banks collapsed.
The central bank moved to the microfinance sector in May 2019, revoking the licences of 386 companies which it said were insolvent.
It announced an end to the clean-up after it closed 23 savings and loans companies and finance houses in August 2019.
Unilever Ghana also noted the business is experiencing “a more subdued consumer demand”.
Thousands have lost their jobs in the banking sector reforms. At least 1,698 lost their jobs at five banks, government said in 2018.
Unilever said the subdued consumer demand together with the reforms has seen the company’s distributors posting “unusually high inventory levels.”
The company said it was bracing for a “considerably lower than planned” turnover in its outlook for the rest of 2019.
In reaction, Unilever Ghana Limited said it has decided to “reset the levels of stock held by distributors over the coming months.”
Unilever Ghana is the largest producer and retailer of consumer goods in Ghana. They are listed on the stock index of the Ghana Stock Exchange, the GSE All-Share Index. It formed on July 14, 1992 with a merger of UAC Ghana Limited and Lever Brothers Ghana Limited.


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Winner Selected by Industry VIPs
IRVINE, CA – October 14, 2019 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Nancy Gerloff and Mark Augustyn, creators of Mimi and Moto, cartoon monkeys that help introduce children to the joys of the motorcycle lifestyle through books and other products, won the 2019 Motorcycle Industry Council Gas Tank Competition.
Gerloff and Augustyn were among five finalists in the competition and mentorship program, which is open to individuals and groups, women and men ‒ anyone with a new powersport product or service idea. Selected entrants are paired with an industry mentor who offers coaching and advice on developing a business plan. Up to six finalists are chosen to pitch their ideas and exhibit at North America’s largest powersports trade and consumer show, AIMExpo presented by Nationwide.
Left to Right – Nicole Allen, mentor, Akrapovic; Paul Holden, Mary Ann Van, Gearhead Zone; Anya Violet, Atwyld; Eric Anderson, mentor, Vroom Network; Alexis Dudley, Flying Duchess; Tim Calhoun mentor; Scot Harden, mentor, Harden Offroad; Guillermo Cornejo, Riders Share; Frank Esposito, mentor; Nancy Gerloff and Mark Augustyn, Mimi and Moto.
Other finalists were:
- Guillermo Cornejo of Riders Share (second place). Riders Share is a peer-to-peer business that spans the U.S., offering customers a large choice of motorcycles to rent at competitive prices.
- Anya Violet of Atwyld (runner-up). Atwyld is a company that offers products for the modern woman rider. It was created to fill a void in the market between street fashion and motorcycle gear, Violet said.
- Alexis Dudley of Flying Duchess. Dudley said her company brings a fresh approach to women’s riding gear with style-driven and technically constructed pieces that are disruptive in design and refreshing in attitude.
- Roy Nolan of Gearhead Zone. Nolan is building an innovative launch platform, the Motorcycle Product Incubator, to help inventors develop, design and manufacture unique tools and powersports products.
Each entrant presented their idea and business plan to a panel of judges at an event attended by industry leaders and enthusiast and mainstream media. Judges included Bob Althoff, dealer, A.D. Farrow Co. Harley-Davidson Family of Dealerships and CEO of Dealernews Magazine; Andrew Leisner, senior vice president, managing director Bonnier Motorcycle Media; Kim Harrison, general manager, Coleman PowerSports; and Moira Zinn, owner of PowerTrip Industries.
“Congratulations to Nancy and Mark for their win,” said Tim Buche, MIC president and CEO. “I know it was difficult for the judges to pick a winner as all five entrants had such innovative ideas and solid business plans. Truthfully, we consider all participants to be winners, as the mentorship experience and AIMExpo exposure are truly at the heart of the competition.”
“The MIC is proud to support the growth and success of the powersports business sector through our Gas Tank Competition, and we are eager to see what’s next for Mimi and Moto and all participants,” Buche said.
“Winning the 2019 Gas Tank competition was a dream come true for us and made our experience at this year’s AIMExpo simply amazing,” Gerloff said. “In just four days at AIMExpo, the Mimi and Moto brand took a HUGE leap forward, and winning the Gas Tank competition is the reason why. Thanks again to the MIC for the opportunity. We’re excited to see where our brand goes from here, and excited to see what other success stories the Gas Tank program produces in the years to come.”
“The MIC launched its Gas Tank Mentoring Program to accelerate new businesses in the powersports industry,” said Cam Arnold of MIC Programs. “Mentoring is an essential component of Gas Tank. Entrepreneurs are paired with an industry mentor who helps them build a business plan and eight-minute pitch. Mentors not only inspire participants to think big, they actively support their professional development and networking opportunities.”
Applications for the 2020 program will be available at mic.org under the MIC Programs tab. Please contact Arnold at email@example.com with questions.
Key 2020 deadlines:
- January 31: Deadline for application and “elevator pitch” video
- February 28: Selected entrants will be matched with a mentor
- June 22: Entrants must submit a business plan to Gas Tank
- July 24: Up to six finalists will be chosen to attend AIMExpo at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, Oct.1-4. The finalist prize package includes travel and lodging expenses for one person, booth space at the show, and access to powersports media
- Oct.1-4: Finalists must be able to appear in person at AIMExpo to present their business plan to an industry panel. Pitches will be evaluated on monetary growth potential, overall strategic plan, strategic partners, scalability, innovation, impact and viability, and other criteria. A first place, second place, and runner up will be announced at AIMExpo.
About Motorcycle Industry Council
The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect, and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications, and media relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, development of data communications standards, and activities surrounding technical and regulatory issues. As a not-for-profit national industry association, the MIC seeks to support motorcyclists by representing manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and retailers of motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, ROVs, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts, accessories and related goods and services, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment companies, media companies and consultants.
The MIC is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with a government relations office in metropolitan Washington, D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization has been in operation since 1914. Visit the MIC at mic.org.
Source: Motorcycle Industry Council


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9stacks, online poker platform has announced the signing of cricketer Suresh Raina as its Brand Ambassador. The partnership will see the cricketer in the brand’s upcoming campaigns and promote 9stacks through various engagement activities.
Founded by Sudhir Kamath, Pratik Kumar & Rishab Mathur in 2017, 9stacks is an Indian online poker platform. The company states that they have 350,000 users.
Pratik Kumar, Co-founder, 9stacks says, “Suresh Raina is an inspiration to millions of Indians. His skill as a sportsperson is a result of years of practice, passion, understanding of the game and hard-work and this skill has made him win many matches for India and become the champion that he is”. Pratik further added “Poker is a mind sport, and like any other sport requires skill, hours of practice, studying, mathematics and strategy to master the game. We are delighted to associate with Suresh Raina who can be a true ambassador of the game and promote poker as a mind sport to a wider audience”.
Suresh Raina said, “During the lockdown, we all learned a lot of new things and I for one picked up playing poker online on 9stacks. It’s a fun game of skill that makes you think and apply numerous strategies to win. I looked at all other platforms in the market but I can confidently say that 9stacks stands out as the best platform amongst all. I am thoroughly excited now to associate with the 9stacks poker platform and look forward to working closely with the brand in the coming months”.
We have seen a good momentum in Indian online gaming industry in the recent times. More collaborations can be expected from the industry going forward.


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Has the meal-kit trend reached your kitchen yet? The foodosphere continues to debate the pros and cons, while the still-new industry records galloping growth. Clearly, a lot of home cooks were waiting for just this sort of thing.
Recently, Chef’d, notable in the category for its no-subscription model, tapped a talent familiar to O.C. diners. SOL Cocina and Solita chef-partner Deborah Schneider designed meals for the service reflecting her modern-Mexican expertise. In other words, exactly the kind of food everybody likes to eat. “I wanted the recipes to be simple to make, yet really flavorful,” says Schneider. “SOL’s Mexican food style is fresh and quick, so the recipes translated really well to Chef’d.” Desmadres lime-garlic chicken with arugula-tomato-avocado salad and arroz dorado, for instance (dinner for two, $29).
Schneider’s firmly on the pro side of the discussion. “I love the whole idea of meal kits, because I really enjoy taking on a cooking project and I assume most cooks do, as well,” she says. “It’s a great way for people to gain confidence cooking. Everything is included, and the directions are clear, with each step illustrated.” Schneider is no stranger to writing recipes non-professionals can replicate. “After writing six cookbooks, I’m fairly adept at simplifying and organizing restaurant recipes for the home cook,” she says. “I just wanted to make sure that the recipes deliver the full, flavorful SOL experience—which I believe we have accomplished.”
Take a look at Schneider’s Chef’d options here—since next-day delivery is available for the $10 shipping fee, there’s even time to get one in for Cinco de Mayo on Thursday. Covering O.C.’s other favorite cuisine, cookbook author Andrea Nguyen, who grew up in San Clemente, has created Chef’d kits that include dumplings and caramel-sauce shrimp, among other Viet specialties. Nguyen’s currently at work on a book about pho.


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Android fragmentation (Large chunk of users spread across different versions) is a major problem, one that seems to have no feasible solution. All the goodies Google wishes to bestow upon Android Fans, including security patches, are often delayed by an year or so. This also means, most consumers who plan on sticking with their current Android phones, won’t get to reap benefits of Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Also Read: Here is Why We Are Excited About Android 6.0 Marshmallow
But domestic manufacturers do promise updates?
Most domestic manufacturers provide updates only if the phones sell in large numbers, and in our experience, they break more than they fix. It isn’t entirely their fault either. With shorter launch cycle, and updates being arduous task by themselves – which often require follow up updates to fix things – manufacturers don’t have much incentive to put in any effort.
Even from user end point of view. All of you are better off with a KitKat update that works, rather than an update which has you running to the service center for a roll back. We have notices users clamoring on forums to roll back to previous version after an update.
Too bad Android One project didn’t stick
We have always had a soft corner for Android One project, which was one of the most efficient way to deliver speedy updates to budget Android users, without compromises. Manufactures made low cost phones under Google’s guidance, and the Mountain View giant itself would monitor the updates.
First generation Android One phones actually provided a damn good user experience, compared to other budget devices, though unfortunately, the competitors had more glittering spec sheets. There limited availability on online ecommerce stores didn’t help either. Ultimately, Android One project failed to garner much attention.
When we heard Google hadn’t given up just yet and was all set to launch next gen devices, we were definitely excited. Alas, Lava Pixel V1 wasn’t much to be excited about either and repeated the same mistakes.
Update 09-10-2015: Android Marshmallow update has started rolling on first gen Android One phones
Motorola backtracks too……
Motorola has released the tentative list of devices it will be updating to Marshmallow, and even the current gen Moto E (2015) isn’t on the list!
Motorola promised one update with Moto E 2nd Gen, and the device has already been upgraded to version 5.1 from version 5.0. Unfortunately, unlike last year, Motorola is apathetic towards putting more effort into this budget device, even when it’s less than a year old. Here are Moto phones which will be updated this year.
- 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd gen)
- 2015 Moto X Style (3rd gen)
- 2015 Moto X Play
- 2015 Moto G (3rd gen)
- 2014 Moto X Pure Edition in the US (2nd gen)
- 2014 Moto X in Latin America, Europe and Asia2 (2nd gen)
- 2014 Moto G and Moto G with 4G LTE2 (2nd gen)
- DROID Turbo
- 2014 Moto MAXX
- 2014 Moto Turbo
- Nexus 6
And the others…..?
Some online exclusive of 2015, from manufacturers like YU, Xiaomi and Lenovo sold in large numbers and are generally good with updates. So will they be updated to Android Marshmallow?
Well, Xiaomi has never been much interested in version updates, as they update features on MIUI ROM regularly. Since the UI is heavily customized, most users won’t notice much of a change either, even with version updates.
Yu is still struggling with Cyanogen OS 12.1 update rollout for Yuphoria, and thus, it won’t be wise of you to expect Marshmallow update any time soon. Besides, there are substantial rumors of partnership between Micromax and Cyanogen gone sour, which would certainly be a setback to the brand if true. Lenovo phones are good candidates for update too, but they have already received at-least one major version update. Will Lenovo invest in another? All said and done, only Lenovo K3 Note is a good contenders for marshmallow update, but don’t expect anything soon.
So, not many budget phones are going to be updated to Android Marshmallow. Since Google isn’t doing a major design overhaul this time around, the ‘craze’ shouldn’t be as high as it was for Lollipop update either. Moto G 2015 should get updated first when compared to other Android devices.


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U.S., Japan Blame Each Other as Trade Talks Collapse
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Moving swiftly after a breakdown in U.S.-Japan trade talks, President Clinton’s National Economic Council reached agreement today on undisclosed action to respond to Japan’s refusal to strike a deal.
U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor, emerging from a two-hour meeting, declined to discuss the agreement beyond stating that all members of the council were in accord on the recommendation being forwarded to the president.
``The NEC considered all the options available with regard to responding to this situation,″ Kantor said. ``We would expect an administration announcement will be forthcoming.″
He declined to give any timeline.
Each side is bitterly blaming the other for failure to reach a deal to expand sales of U.S.-made autos and parts in Japan. Clinton earlier had promised ``strong action″ in the event no agreement was reached.
``I think this government is ready to make a fairly rapid decision in this regard,″ Kantor said before leaving Canada, where he met with Japanese trade officials for five days.
In Tokyo, Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama expressed regret over the breakdown of talks. Japan did ``all it could do″ to settle the issue in line with international trade rules, Foreign Ministry officials quoted Murayama as saying.
The top official of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers’ Association praised Japan’s rejection of U.S. calls for so-called ``voluntary targets″ in the purchase of auto parts.
``It is impossible for us to make further concessions in the talks by formulating voluntary targets,″ said acting head Yoshifumi Tsuji, according to the Kyodo News Service.
Reflecting on the five days of talks, Kantor said, ``The Japanese government adopted a rigid ideological stance that appeared bent on failure, while we attempted to seek practical solutions to real problems.″
But Japanese Trade Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto put blame for the talks’ failure on the United States for refusing to budge from its insistence that any deal had to include so-called voluntary purchasing plans designed to boost sales of U.S.-made auto parts to Japanese factories operating in the United States and Japan. The Japanese have blasted the plans as managed trade that seeks to provide guaranteed market-share to U.S. manufacturers.
Administration sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said that officials have drawn up a list targeting more than $1 billion in Japanese imports for punitive tariffs, the largest such trade case in U.S. history.
Industry sources, also talking on condition their names not be used, said that the sanctions list was likely to focus on autos and auto parts with one option being a sharp boost in the tariff on Japanese luxury cars, autos that sell for more than $30,000. The tariff, or border tax, on all foreign cars is now 2.5 percent.
Trade negotiators from both countries had met for five days before finally concluding late Friday night that no deal could be reached. In addition to the purchasing plans, the United States was demanding agreement on the expansion of dealerships in Japan selling U.S. cars and relaxation of safety regulations that have served to block sales of U.S.-made parts to repair shops.
Hashimoto termed ``quite regrettable″ the failure of the two countries to strike a deal, adding, ``I cannot help but say we put all the cards on the table.″ He said Japan had made significant concessions on the dealership and replacement part issues.
Hashimoto again repeated Japan’s stance that if the United States publishes a sanctions list, Japan will immediately bring an unfair trading complaint against the United States.
However, he said that Japan would be willing to continue negotiating with the United States while the World Trade Organization considers its case and while the clock would be running on the U.S. sanctions, which presumably would be set to take effect in 30 days. In the past, Japan has indicated it would not negotiate under a threat of sanctions.
The U.S. auto and parts industries issued statements in support of the administration’s hardline bargaining stance.
``The key to opening Japan’s closed market has always been in Japan’s hands ... Once again Japan failed to open that door,″ said Robert J. Eaton, president of Chrysler Corp. ``We will support whatever further action the Clinton administration takes concerning Japan’s trade.″
The American Automobile Manufacturers Association, the trade group for the Big Three auto companies, said, ``after nearly two years of negotiations, we now know how far Japan is prepared to go to maintain its closed automotive market.″


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City centres are facing major challenges. As shopping areas are becoming increasingly dominated by large chains, more and more vacancies are emerging. The modern-day shopping experience takes place online. And retail isn’t the only victim – restaurants are also perishing. But digitalisation can help. City centres are being revitalised by new combinations of online and local retail, pop-up concepts are breathing new life into vacant premises, and digital networks are being created within the gastronomy sector. This networking is exemplified by the digital town of Ahaus, which has managed to enhance its appeal and start using vacant properties as showpieces.
I started off by training as a retail assistant in my hometown of Hameln at the age of 16. I then completed a work and study programme in business administration with Allianz Beratungs- und Vertriebs-AG in Mannheim. I last worked as a manager of various shopping centres for ECE Marketplaces GmbH. At the start of this year, I was appointed as a Digital Guide for Wirtschaftsförderung Münster GmbH, and I’m also responsible for making digitalisation more accessible in the towns of Borken and Coesfeld.


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Achievements of women in Sheffield and across the world were celebrated at a special event.
Sheffield’s own Women’s Hub hosted an event called Make It Happen at the Town Hall to celebrate International Women’s Day.
It featured activities such as question and answer sessions with inspiring women, information stalls and a fashion show.
Coun Julie Dore said: “International Women’s Day is an important event in that it serves as an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women across the world. However, it is also so much more than that. It is a day to reflect upon the struggles that women have faced in our fight for equality, and to remember that fight is far from over.”


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Complicated supply chains mean that consumers in Indonesian Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities often end up paying more for goods than their peers in larger cities, such as Jakarta. KitaBeli is on a mission to change that, with its own distribution network and direct-to-consumer social commerce app. Today, the startup announced that it has raised $20 million in new funding led by Glade Brook Capital Partners, along with participation from returning investors AC Ventures and GoVentures, and new backer InnoVen Capital.
TechCrunch covered KitaBeli’s latest raise, a $10 million Series A, in March 2021.
The funding will be used to expand to more small towns in Indonesia and add new product categories like beauty, personal care, and mother and baby products.
The startup claims to have grown more than 10x in six months and claims to be the largest direct-to-consumer social commerce platform in Indonesia. It now has more than 400 employees.
According to KitaBeli, Indonesia’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities represent a $100 billion market, with 200 million consumers contributing more than 50% of Indonesia’s gross domestic product. But they face more difficulty ordering online than their peers in Tier 1 cities like Jakarta. For example, long delivery times, higher prices due to complicated supply chains, and trust issues because customers don’t know who is selling a product.
To address this, KitaBeli has opened a warehouse in each city where it operates, enabling same-day and next-day deliveries. It sources its supplies directly from brands and principals, which allows savings to be made which can then be passed on to their customers. Finally, it addresses the issue of trust through the social commerce model, in which users bring together people from their social networks for group purchases.
Co-founder and CEO Prateek Chaturvedi told TechCrunch that when he left India (where his previous startup GetFocus was acquired by Mokapos), he was struck by the differences and similarities between e-commerce markets. Indian and Indonesian. For example, e-commerce in Tier 2 cities was underdeveloped compared to Tier 1 cities.
“Digging deeper, we found that users in these small towns are buying online for the first time, and they are facing trust issues with these faceless services and need help and guidance on using the app,” he said. As a result, KitaBeli experimented with social features in its app, such as having agents, called Mitras, in each neighborhood, referrals, and group purchases.
Fast-moving consumer goods were chosen as KitaBeli’s first category because they are frequently purchased. “Since we are direct to consumers, we want users to make a habit of buying with us,” Chaturvedi said.
To buy on KitaBeli, users open the app, place an order, and then receive incentives to share those purchases with their friends. KitaBeli shoppers use it to buy basic goods like rice, oil, sugar, milk and personal care items. Chaturvedi said that each user usually spends $5-10 per order, and each group is usually 5-25 people.
KitaBeli is able to expand its distribution network by opening small warehouses in each city instead of having large distribution centers. “Since we are primarily focused on FMCG, we are able to transform our inventory very quickly,” Chaturvedi said. “Our system works to minimize inventory days for each item. By reducing the amount of stock in the warehouse, we have also been able to reduce the space required, which lowers costs.”


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The reveal of Mega Man 11 earlier this week still has a lot of us shocked, mainly due to a lot of us having believed that Capcom actually gave up on arguably its biggest franchise for the longest time. So now the Blue Bomber does indeed have his eleventh side-scrolling game due out next year, but is Capcom truly devoted to making Mega Man 11 a success, even with the game being one of the year’s most surprising and biggest reveals? The news that the game will be receiving a full physical release alongside a digital one suggests so.
Confirmed during a podcast with Game Informer, this isn’t exactly a big shocker, given the physical releases for peers such as Shovel Knight and Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, but it’s still a welcome gesture that shows Capcom still has faith in a series that many gamers hold near and dear to their hearts. Details concerning the full extent of the physical release for Mega Man 11 or its price have yet to be revealed, but we’ll naturally learn more between now and the game’s planned Fall 2018 release, so stay tuned.


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PSA to launch all-electric versions of its compact van range from 2020
Peugeot Expert, Citroën Jumpy, Opel Vivaro and Vauxhall Vivaro will come in all‐electric versions from 2020.
In an increasingly urbanized environment, Groupe PSA’s new generation of compact vans has been designed around the EMP2 multi-energy platform to offer zero-CO2 mobility for individuals (passenger car versions) and freight (commercial vehicle versions), responding in particular to the development of e-commerce activities.
The new all-electric offering, in both LCVs and minivan and business van versions, will address a key challenge by allowing Groupe PSA to win new market share in these segments.
The all-electric versions of the four brands’ compact vans will be assembled at the Hordain plant in northern France and equipped with electric powertrains assembled at the Trémery plant in the country’s east.
The electric versions will offer two levels of travel range: 200 kilometers equipped with a 50 kWh battery and 300 kilometers equipped with a 75 kWh battery.


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TRAVEL ON THE CHEAP: Budget Travel Magazine's list of the top 10 budget destinations for 2009 includes Austin, Texas, where there are free cultural events such as the annual South By Southwest festival, Washington, which made the list because of the coming inauguration but also because so many of the museums and monuments are free to visit, and Hawaii, where a drop in visitors last year has led to discounts this year.
Abroad, Budget Travel recommends Mexico, Hungary and Iceland as places where the dollar goes further than it used to. Destinations getting ready for big events include Berlin, which marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall this year, and Vancouver, which will host the Winter Olympics in 2010. Finally, the magazine's list includes Cambodia for its affordable guesthouses and must-see temples, and Panama, for its eco-tourism and wildlife.
Details at www.budgettravel.com.
NEW PARTNERS IN INDIA: Jet Airways, India's leading international airline, and Emirates Airlines, a carrier with extensive services from India, have announced a partnership providing a reciprocal agreement for frequent fliers.
DON'T BELLY UP TO THE BAR WITHOUT YOUR WALLET: There are no free lunches in life, but one could always count on free beer at Anheuser-Busch theme parks. Until now.
The brewer has stopped giving free samples in hospitality centers at its SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego and its Busch Gardens parks in Tampa and Williamsburg, Va.
Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks spokesman Fred Jacobs says the free samples had a narrow appeal among park customers. The brewer plans to build more restaurants and other venues geared toward families with children. Customers can still buy beer at some of the parks' existing venues.
From Tribune news services and staff reports


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Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines, Huang Xilian, Tours FOTON PH
As part of the visit, the delegation, led by Huang Xilian, visited the assembly workshop to take a closer look at where FOTON’s world class vehicles were assembled.
Ambassador Huang said that the success of FOTON Philippines represented the frutful results of growing Sino-Philippine cooperation. Over the past six years, the investment from China in the Philippines has exceeded 160 billion peso in the Philippines, almost tripled compared to six years ago. He also pointed out that the cooperation between China and the Philippines had great potential and a bright prospect. The Chinese Embassy is willing to continue to encourage and support the Chinese enterprises to show their strengths and promote further economic, trade, and industrial cooperation between the two countries to advance China-Philippines relations to a new level.
The trip signaled the great importance which the ambassador gave to the Chinese companies operating in the Philippines including FOTON Motor.
As the first Chinese auto brand to rank among the top 10 in the Philippines, FOTON Motor has built assembly facilities since entering the market, which brought 700 jobs for local people. In addition, its service marketing network across the Philippines has helped create 5,000 jobs, fully utilizing the complementary expertise of industrial chain and supply chain. With the introduction of advanced technology and market exploration, FOTON has been successful in gaining the trust of both local and world-renowned logistics companies. In particular, its six-wheel trucks have ranked No.1 in sales for two years in a row and hold the dominant position in market competition.
To meet the diversified needs in the Philippine market, FOTON Motor has worked together with local medical, community, security and transportation sectors to deploy its vehicles to cold chain transportation, logistics and freight transportation, medical rescue, firefighting and passenger transportation. At the end of 2021, FOTON also offered a full-scenario solution to provide companies spanning from startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, to large multinational corporations with one-stop product portfolio involving mini trucks, medium trucks, and light and heavy trucks. All these efforts have contributed to enhancing the core competitiveness of the brand in the region and empowering the business of its local users.
Source : www.chinatrucks.com
Editor : Daisy
Views : 8979


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UPDATE 2-Giant diamond fails to sell at auction, trade interested
(Recasts; adds CEO interview, background)
By Nicole Mordant
June 29 (Reuters) - The biggest uncut diamond to be discovered in over a century failed to sell at a Sotheby's auction on Wednesday, but the chief executive of Lucara Diamond Corp, the company that found the gem, said there was interest from buyers in the diamond trade.
Bids for the 1,109-carat, tennis ball-sized stone topped out at $61 million - an amount that fell short of the undisclosed minimum reserve price.
Sotheby's had estimated that the diamond, found last November at Lucara's mine in Botswana, would sell for more than $70 million.
"The fact that the stone didn't sell, yes, it is disappointing but it doesn't change anything for Lucara as a company," Lucara CEO William Lamb said in a telephone interview from London.
"There is definitely demand for the stone. It is just demand from the people who we would normally sell the stone to," he said.
Shares in Vancouver-based Lucara ended down 14.5 percent at C$3.35 on the Toronto Stock Exchange after news of the failed sale.
"The result is a disappointing one, and potentially calls into question the sale method chosen," BMO analyst Edward Sterck said in a note to clients. Continued...


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Some of the world’s biggest brands have suspended operations in Russia to protest against the country’s invasion of Ukraine. But in an unexpected twist, those that work with franchisees do not have complete control over whether their stores in Russia actually shut down.
Montreal-based footwear retailer The Aldo Group Inc., for example, stopped shipping products to its Russian franchisee or providing any marketing or other financial support on March 2. But while the franchisee has ceased e-commerce operations, Aldo’s seven stores there remain open, and able to sell as long as they have stock.
“I’m furious about it,” said chief executive officer David Bensadoun. “The reality of a franchisee-distributor agreement is that you end up with an ability to cease operations as a franchisor, but it doesn’t mean at that same moment that you cease operations as a brand. And I find that very frustrating.”
Aldo is not the only company dealing with this issue. Several brands face the prospect of franchises going rogue.
Yum! Brands Inc. this week said it was close to an agreement with its Russian franchisee to close its 50 Pizza Hut locations in the country, but could only confirm that its corporate-owned KFC locations would close; that represents just 70 of its 1,000 restaurants there. McDonald’s Corp. announced that it would temporarily close in Russia, where, as of Dec. 31, 84 per cent of its locations were corporate-owned. But the company did not provide details on how it will enforce that decision with the 16 per cent that are franchised.
Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International Inc. pulled its corporate support for its more than 800 Burger King outlets in Russia, but some franchisees have kept locations open. In response to questions about the company’s ability to force them to close, RBI had no comment. The company approves suppliers and negotiates rates in each region for its international franchisees, and Burger King does have some local suppliers.
This raises a question: Could restaurants sling unauthorized burgers under familiar brands if they can secure their own ingredients? And what legal recourse would exist for Western companies to oppose such a move in a jurisdiction currently ostracized by much of the global community?
“There’s a limit to what we can do at the moment,” Mr. Bensadoun said, adding that agreements stipulate that franchisees can sell the company’s own products in Aldo-branded stores only. “… If the stores were corporate-owned and operated, they would have closed on March 2, and employees would be home earning a paycheque.”
Aldo, which has retail operations in 105 countries, moved more quickly than some of the bigger brands, including Amazon, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Uniqlo and the fast-food giants, which all announced their suspension of Russian operations this week. Just days after the attacks on Ukraine began, Mr. Bensadoun called a meeting with his executive team.
“When you look at more than two million refugees being displaced, and you look at the hate and the propaganda and the violence, it’s just completely contrary to what we’re trying to do as a company. It was a very easy decision,” he said.
There is a further complication for Aldo: The retailer is in creditor protection as it restructures. That process means that until a settlement is reached with creditors, it cannot cancel any existing contracts that create cash flow for the company. It can stop shipments, refuse to take new orders, and end support for marketing or operations in Russia, all of which it has done.
“I do feel that there’s an opportunity here for us to send a message to Russian consumers. It might be a very small piece of the puzzle, but if it can help, then I think it’s worthwhile,” Mr. Bensadoun said. “… We need to be careful not to overstate the impact that we can have. This is a very small something, but it’s something that we can do.”
Mr. Bensadoun has told his management team he does not expect Aldo will have business in Russia in the future. Without a negotiated peace in Ukraine, he added, he has no interest in resuming operations.
“Leave aside whether we’re going to have an influence, or if we might have a small impact on citizens asking questions about their leader,” he said. “How could we do business in a country that’s committing these acts?”
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Bella Hadid and sister Gigi Hadid are some of the most famous names in the modeling world. The sisters have managed to carve a niche for themselves over the years both as supermodels and inspiring fashion icons.
Born to the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” cast, Yolanda Hadid, the duo started modeling as teenagers. Almost a decade later, their faces are gracing the most reputable magazines and runways the world over.
Due to their jaw-dropping good looks, the sisters were subject to many plastic surgery rumors. Well, Bella just set those rumors straight. In a very candid interview with Vogue cover story, the 25-year-old talked about the surgery she had and those she didn’t. Bella also opened up to her health issues and how it felt like being constantly compared to her sister growing up. Here are all the details.
Bella Hadid Was Constantly Compared To Her Sister Gigi
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Supermodel Bella bared her soul in a recent interview with Vogue cover story. Via the fashion mag interview, she talked about things ranging from her plastic surgery rumors, health struggles to how being compared to her sister Gigi affected her.
The 25-year-old revealed that she was always seen as “the uglier sister” and not as cool and outgoing as her prettier blonde sister. “I was the uglier sister. I was the brunette. I wasn’t as cool as Gigi, not as outgoing,” Bella revealed. “That’s really what people said about me.”
She added, “And unfortunately, when you get told things so many times, you do just believe it. I always ask myself, how did a girl with incredible insecurities, anxiety, depression, body image issues, eating issues, who hates to be touched, who has intense social anxiety — what was I doing getting into this business?”
Her apparent aversion to the business didn’t deter her success. Bella confessed that she got very used to putting on “a very smiley face, or a very strong face” over the years. The model said because she felt she had something to prove, she never missed, canceled, or showed up late to a job. “No one can ever say that I don’t work my ass off.”
Bella Regrets Her Nose Job
In her Vogue interview, the supermodel revealed some aspects about her plastic surgery. Contrary to rumors, the only work she ever had done was on her nose when she was 14, which she regrets now. The Hadid sister said, “I wish I has kept the nose of my ancestors. I think I would have grown into it.”
Addressing other rumors about lip fillers or eye lifts, she said, “People think I fully f***led with my face because of one picture of me as a teenager looking puffy. I’m pretty sure you don’t look the same nor as you did at 13, right?”
Bella added that while she didn’t have an issue with the procedure, she’d never used fillers for her face. Instead, she got familiar with face tape and used it quite often. The 25-year-old said the prop was “the oldest trick in the book.”
Bella Had An Eating Disorder
With almost a decade in the modeling industry, Bella is firmly within the highest echelon of the industry despite her continuous struggle with a number of illnesses. Among them are Lyme disease, hypothyroidism, and depression. The model admitted that she depended on the continued use of Adderall as a teenager to help her focus.
A resulting effect was that her appetite dwindled to almost nothing, which ushered in an eating disorder. Bella revealed that she had a calorie counting app she consulted most of the time that was “like the devil to [her].
The 25-year-old described her ideal lunch around that period to be “three raspberries” and a “celery stick.” “I was just trying,” she admitted. “I realize now to feel in control of myself when I felt so out of control of everything else. I can barely look in the mirror to this day because of that period in my life.”
After “weeks of waking up in nearly suicidal despair,” Bella revealed that she went to Tennessee for treatment. She apparently canceled all her appointments at that time and didn’t participate in the September fashion week. The month off really helped her cope.
Bella Hadid Said The Industry Affected Several Other Models
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The supermodel didn’t only talk about the modeling industry’s effects on her. Via Vogue, she revealed that several tears girls came to her in the morning in between fittings for back to back shows, “completely destroyed.” She said their hair would be burned off, with barely any meal in them and “exhausted to the point where they’re shaking.”
Bella added that while models were “standing up about sample sizes,” now, she could barely fit in a Saint Laurent when she first got into the industry. The 25-year-old recalled when a stylist mentioned her weight because she was having difficulty getting in a dress.
“Looking back, I think, yeah, because a Saint Laurent sample size from the runway was just not a real size for anybody,” she said. “But then you think there’s something wrong with you, and no one around you is saying no, no, you’re fine, don’t worry, it’s a small size.”


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Apple has launched News, a Flipboard rival intended to bring speedier, cleaner reading to the iPad and iPhone. The new magazine reading app, announced at WWDC 2015, sees Apple wade head-first into territory currently occupied by Google and others with the app that will come bundled with iOS 9. Although any news site will be able to be loaded in the app, Apple has partnered with a number of high-profile publishers: The New York Times (with thirty free articles a day), ESPN, and Condé Nast properties like Vanity Fair, Vogue, and GQ.
The News interface is navigated by swipes as you might expect. Swiping left and right from the article view moves through different news articles, learning from what has been read in the past and then suggesting new pieces later.
News keeps track of over a million topics, which can either be left to auto-predict or tailored more manually by searching for particular areas of interest. Machine-learning algorithms dig through articles themselves to figure out relevance, and then topics can be favorited.
Meanwhile, bookmarks can be used to flag articles to read later. Apple says it won’t be keeping any personal information on reading.
Photo galleries can either be laid out as side-scrolling thumbnails across the page, or as a Photo Mosaic. There, images of various sizes are tiled to fill the page, tapped to open them full-screen.
News will launch in the US, UK, and Australia, before a broader release, as part of iOS 9.


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March 23, 2019
Ranked as the top additive manufacturing (AM) platform vendor, Stratasys scored highest in the overall category of implementation and topped four of the 12 ranking criteria, according to ABI Research. Stratasys was closely followed by 3D Systems, Desktop Metal and GE Additive in overall rankings. Newcomer Desktop Metal took the overall top spot in innovation.
The Additive Manufacturing Platform Ranking competitive assessment ranked 10 major vendors of the technology—3D Systems, Carbon, Desktop Metal, Digital Alloys, EOS, ExOne, GE Additive, HP, Renishaw and Stratasys—using ABI Research’s innovation/implementation criteria framework. Each vendor was analyzed based on a combination of AM technology process, material science, software, process and application adaptability, go-to-market strategy, revenue and bookings, availability, customer references, partnerships, cost and channel strategy.
To qualify as an additive manufacturing platform vendor, the company had to have a production additive manufacturing solution on the market, be targeting production AM as its main opportunity, or be working with promising metal alloy AM technologies and techniques that could, in ABI Research’s view, prove a fit for the production AM market. These platforms will produce more than US$360 billion worth of parts and end products each year and nearly US$2 trillion in sum by the end of the next decade.
Stratasys scored highest in implementation, followed by 3D Systems, EOS, Desktop Metal and GE Additive.
“Stratasys, 3D Systems, and EOS are the market incumbents—all have been involved in AM since their inception. 3D Systems went neck-and-neck with Stratasys in all categories, except partnerships, where it was edged out by Stratasys due to Stratasys’ investment in Desktop Metal, collaboration with companies like Siemens, and work with its own global manufacturing network, which companies like UPS use to automatically invoke AM rather than traditional manufacturing processes based on order volume requests,” explains Ryan Martin, principal analyst at ABI Research.
Desktop Metal was a surprise frontrunner among companies to more recently enter the AM arena, edging out incumbents like GE Additive and EOS on the powder-bed side and dusting ExOne and HP in performance on binder jetting.
“Desktop Metal was the technology category leader but could be challenged in the long run if GE Additive and others can cultivate a credible metal binder jetting solution. Others to watch are Carbon, which recently launched its L1 production system, and Digital Alloys, which has a savvy GTM strategy that aligns well with the strength of its Joule Printing technology,” Martin says.
“Desktop Metal took the top spot for innovation due to the applicability of its core technology and the capabilities of its production system relative to others in its category; Desktop Metal is the binder jetting technology category leader, and binder jetting as a technology blows PBF out of the water when it comes to the scale of true production applications. Carbon and GE Additive tied for second and were only 2.5% behind Desktop Metal. Digital Alloys was the surprise fast follower to the runner up position. Digital Alloys has a technology that could displace if not converge with the DED category (where companies like Sciaky play) due to the speed, quality, and affordability of Joule printing,” concludes Martin.
These findings are from ABI Research’s Additive Manufacturing Platforms competitive assessment report. This report is part of the company’s Industrial Solution.
Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.
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About the Author
DE’s editors contribute news and new product announcements to Digital Engineering.
Press releases may be sent to them via [email protected].


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Manufacturing will contract for the rest of the year because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Institute for Supply Management said today in a semi-annual economic forecast.
Revenue for the year for manufacturing is expected to decline by an average of 10.3 percent, the Tempe, Ariz.-based group said. Employment is forecast to fall by an average of 5.3 percent while capital investment is projected to contract by 19.1 percent, ISM said.
“Recovery will likely not occur until near the end of the year,” Timothy R. Fiore, chair of ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, said in a statement.
The forecast is based on a survey of purchasing and supply executives in 18 industries. It is the same group the institute surveys monthly in compiling its manufacturing index, known as the PMI. That index is viewed as a barometer where the manufacturing economy is heading.
In December, ISM had forecast that manufacturing revenue would expand by an average of 4.8 percent and that manufacturing would experience steady economic growth in 2020. But the coronavirus pandemic upended the economy.
COVID-19 caused states to issue stay-at-home orders to try to slow the spread of the virus. There have been 1.4 million confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States and almost 86,000 deaths as of early today, according to Johns Hopkins University.
There have been plant shutdowns in industries such as auto and aerospace. Manufacturers are restarting operations, including automakers such as General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and FCA US LLC.
ISM said only two sectors, apparel and food, beverage and tobacco expect revenue to rise this year. Representatives of 15 industries said revenue will decline. The latter group includes transportation equipment, miscellaneous manufacturing, primary metals, machinery and fabricated metal products.
Respondents reported their companies are operating at an average of 75.9 percent of capacity, a decline of 7.8 percentage points from December. Production capacity is forecast to decline by 3.6 percent this year.
The group’s manufacturing index in April fell at the fastest rate in 11 years, plunging to 41.5 percent from 49.1 percent in March. A PMI below 50 percent indicates economic contraction.
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Samsung Electronics has unveiled the cryptocurrency wallet for its just launched flagship phone, the Galaxy S10. The announcement was initially published in CoinDesk Korea on Sunday.
In addition to crypto wallet Galaxy S10 has four pre-installed decentralized apps (dapps): beauty community Cosmee, crypto gaming platform Enjin, crypto collectibles platform CryptoKitties, and CoinDuck payments service.
The wallet app can be downloaded only on Galaxy S10 phones from the Samsung Galaxy Store. The firm plans to expand the service to more devices and cryptocurrencies in the future.


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In addition, Oumph! The Chunk has been awarded Gold by the FreeFrom Eating Out Awards, in the category Food For Food Service.
‘Excited and honored’
“We are excited and honored to win two such prestigious awards”, Anna-Kajsa Lidell, Co-founder & Head of Progress Strategy at Food for Progress, the Swedish company behind plant-based success brand Oumph! said in a statement sent to Plant Based News.
“We are currently building collaborations with restaurants and food service companies in the UK and we believe these awards will help put Oumph! on the map.”
Food service industry
Oumph! products are starting to appear on an increasing number of menus across the UK, with Busaba Eathai, Hilton Hotels, and Sodexo food services serving them.
They are even more widely available in Sweden and other Nordic countries, where they are on the menu on multiple leading fast food, cafe and restaurant chains, including Max Burgers, O’Learys Sports bars, Wayne’s Coffee, Peppe’s Pizza and Pizza Hut.
“We aim to further build on this success in the UK. When more and more restaurants put the brand name Oumph! on their menus, it helps reassure the consumers that they are getting a high-quality plant protein product. It also highlights a product that has the potential to really ignite a change towards resource efficient, climate-friendly food consumption, due to its epic texture and taste”, said Anna-Kajsa Lidell.


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Private seed companies have made high-yielding rice and wheat seeds developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) available to more farmers than it could have on its own or through state seed corporations but it wishes they were honest in royalty payments.
IARI, also known as Pusa Institute, had released Pusa Basmati 1509 for planting in the 2013 monsoon or kharif season. It is a short duration variety which matures in 120 days, or 25 days earlier than Pusa Basmaii 1121, which was released for planting in 2003. This means fewer irrigations and less water. It yields 7-8 tonnes per hectare (ha) with aromatic grains that elongate to over 20 mm upon cooking.
Seed companies were told not to sell the seed early, but they could not resist demand from north-west India’s wheat farmers who wanted to squeeze in a rice crop before planting potato. It should have been harvested between the third week of October and the first week of November for “fantastic” basmati quality, says IARI’s Joint Director (Research) K V Prabhu. But potato farmers planted early and harvested it in September when temperature was high. The grain did not set in properly because the enzyme which synthesizes starch in heat-sensitive. Millers had paid high rates for the rice, but prices crashed the following year when the rice turned brittle upon aging, the percentage of broken grain was quite high and the aroma had faded. “I kept warning farmers in every programme, every mela, wherever I went in Punjab and Haryana,” Prabhu said. “I blame industry for being the big partner in killing this wonderful product for the country,” Prabhu said.
In 2003, IARI had released a common rice hybrid called (Pusa Rice Hybrid) PRH-10. It was the first hybrid to be commercialized by the public sector in India. Since it could not produce enough breeder seed to supply to licensees for multiplication, it engaged Indian Foundation Seed & Services Association (IFSA) of the Barwale Foundation. The foundation is named after the founders of Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (Mahyco), which in association with Monsanto has brought genetically-engineered Bt cotton to India. The arrangement worked well for about five years. IFSA diligently paid royalty for the female lines it sold to the licensees. But IARI did not track the amount of seed which the licensees sold and was cheated by them on royalties. Prabhu says IARI made the mistake of giving them both the parental lines which freed them of the need to return to IARI year after year. But the non-exclusive licensing arrangement created pricing pressure and farmers got seed at competitive rates, which expanded their access to it.
Another mistake which IARI did was to insist that licensees not sell the seed under their own brand names. All the packets were to be labelled PRH-10, licensed by IARI. With the result, some seed companies cut cost by not adhering to quality standards. The quality and the size of the harvest varied from farm to farm, but no action could be taken against seed companies because the licensees had either not given invoices or farmers had not retained them till harvest time.
“When JK Seeds wanted to brand it as JK RH10, we protested”, said Prabhu, “without realising the good thing they had gone. It was a learning experience.”
In 2011, IARI released the wheat variety HD 2967 which saw 1,300 quintals of seed being indented in the very first year. This was quite a high quantity by IARI standards. By the third year, the volume had risen to more than 3,000 quintals. In 2016, orders for 3,126 quintals were placed. Except for 97 quintals, the rest of the demand came from private seed companies in eastern India.
Rather than relying only on a few seed companies, IARI involved about 16,000 seed farmers as well. They were given 2 kg each of breeder seed with which to produce foundation seed. Because of personal attention they gave to the crop on their small plots, they were able to produce 500-600 kg of foundation seed from every kg of breeder seed, against the norm of 50-60 kg, Prabhu said. This is because the wheat variety has “fantastic tillering quality.” If plants are spaced right, they can give 35-50 tillers (secondary shoots), against 5-6 when planted densely on a large scale.
For HD 2967, IARI licensed 49 seed companies. Because of its reputation, the variety that followed, HD3086, secured 107 licensees in the very first year, followed by 102 more companies the following year. But many companies did not honour their royalty commitments, taking advantage of a separate indenting system involving the Department of Agriculture and the National Seed Association of India. There were exceptions like the multinational Syngenta and the Tata-owned Metahelix Life Sciences, Prabhu said. This year, IARI has proposed that DAC accepts indents only from licensees.
IARI says it is not fixated on royalty. It is just that royalty payments help ensure traceability and quality assurance. Royalty with honesty will work for the larger good of both farmers and seed companies in the long run, it says.
(Top photo of basmati rice at Borlaug Institute for South Asia, Ludhiana by Vivian Fernandes).


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Volvo Cars will become the first car manufacturer ever not to showcase at an automobile show. The Swedish car manufacturer has plans to showcase its vision on the stands instead of cars this year at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show. Cars have pretty much been the centrepiece at motor shows ever since the first time such a show was introduced. A car on a rotating stage or covered under a silk sheet is what spectators hope to see at auto shows.
Volvo, however, has a different approach to the show this year keeping in mind the drastic changes coming about in cars, the industry, and consumer interests as well. Volvo hopes to showcase these changes at Automoblity LA this year.
Volvo Cars says that consumers’ experience of a car brand is now “more important than chrome, leather or horsepower”. So, on the Volvo stand, visitors will look to the central space where they would expect to find a car, and instead see a simple yet surprising statement: ‘This Is Not A Car’.
“By calling the trade show Automobility LA, the organisers have recognised the disruption affecting our industry,” said Mårten Levenstam, responsible for product strategy at Volvo Cars. “We want to demonstrate that we got the memo and start a conversation about the future of automobility. So instead of bringing a concept car, we talk about the concept of a car. We will not win the ‘car of the show’ award this year, but we are comfortable with that. Because this is not a car show.”
The manufacturer will also show a number of interactive demonstrations of connectivity services, such as in-car delivery, car sharing, its vision for autonomous driving as displayed in the Volvo 360c concept and the car subscription service Care by Volvo.
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Thanks to ACMA allowing Optus early access to 700MHz spectrum in Canberra, Optus has managed to boost its ‘superfast 4G coverage’, ensuring Optus customers with compatible 4G phones can satisfy any need for ever faster 4G coverage and speed.
Apple is on course for a record quarter with its massive iPhone 6 sales, seeing rising sales in the US, Australia, China, the UK and 5 other economies but falling in Japan, with Android’s commanding lead dropping slightly in 5 of the 10 major economies and even Windows Phone growing in 3 economies but steady in Australia and falling in the others.
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