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Light fidelity (LiFi) technology transmits data through light, turns lamps into wireless Internet access points
Professor Harald Haas, CSO of pureLiFi and Professor of Mobile Communications at the University of Edinburgh, received the International Solid State Lighting Alliance (ISA) Award for Outstanding Achievement in Beijing, China this past November. The award, presented at the 13th International Forum on Solid State Lighting, relates to Professor Haas’s contribution to diversify the applications of solid state lighting (SSL) technology. According to the forum, “LiFi, which stands for ‘light fidelity’, is a technology that can transmit data through light and turn the lamps in every office, home, car or streetlight into wireless Internet access points. It offers higher speeds than traditional wireless technology, greater security and the potential to deliver unprecedented bandwidth and data density.” 2014 Nobel Prize for Physics winner and previous winner of the Outstanding Achievement, Professor Shuji Nakamura, presented Professor Haas with the award.
Professor Haas was recognized as the "father of LiFi" after introducing the technology to the world at a TED Global talk in 2011, where he demonstrated light fidelity for the first time and coined the term LiFi. The company he founded in 2012, pureLiFi, is at the forefront of the commercialization of LiFi technology, and in 2016 launched the world’s first LiFi dongle-“LiFi-X”-and integrated LiFi luminaire. A statement from the ISA jury presenting the award noted that “[Professor Haas] not only pioneered the novel concept of communication by lighting devices, but also publicized the technology earning him the recognition as the ‘father of LiFi’. The technique based upon SSL devices is penetrating the market of indoor ICT and certainly will have a great future in the era of Internet of Things. This is a considerable contribution to diversify the applications of SSL technology and open up new markets. His scientific-technical achievement certainly deserves to be awarded.”
Haas established the world’s first LiFi center in 2013, when the LiFi Research & Development Center opened at the University of Edinburgh. The center now leads cutting-edge R&D, including pioneering work into the use of solar panels as receivers, in a move which Haas says could help tackle Internet access problems in the developing world-the so-called "digital divide." Professor Haas said about the significance of receiving the commendation, “It has been such a great honor to receive this prestigious award, which I would like to devote to everyone who supported me on this 14-year journey. LiFi is like an undiscovered beach full of pebble stones-under each stone there is something new and exciting to discover, and what is really thrilling is that these discoveries can change our lives and create massive commercial opportunities.”
Anixter opening new flagship facility in Houston, TX
On October 7, 2016 Anixter International Inc. announced that it would be opening a customized Houston, TX flagship facility in Jersey Village, located near the city’s Beltway 8 and 290 interchange areas.
Scheduled to open in early 2017, the new 200,000 sq. ft. Anixter location will enable the company to stock a comprehensive product portfolio spanning across electrical, data and security solutions, and will showcase its full range of value-added services. In addition to the warehouse facility, a team of on-site sales and technical experts will be available to help customers with product, technology and solution questions covering electrical, electronic, data, enterprise and security applications.
The new location is also being designed to include a “Solutions Briefing Center”, where customers can receive hands-on product evaluation and training and engage with technical specialists for product and solution selection.
Chris Blakeslee, Anixter’s North American SVP-Electrical and Electronic Solutions (EES), commented, “Our new location in Houston will allow us to fully execute our value proposition for customers in the Houston market. Our range of products, covering every aspect of electrical, data, and security installations is the broadest in the industry, and will result in a true one-stop shopping experience. It also represents our continued enthusiasm and commitment to our suppliers and customers.”
“To collocate with our EES salespeople will create an environment that makes it easier to provide our customers with broader value and more relevant business solutions,” added Dirk Naylor, North American SVP-Network and Security Solutions, Anixter. “Hosting all of the resources for customer support in one location will make Anixter a more effective business partner in the Houston marketplace, and will allow our customers to better leverage our supply chain solutions and technical expertise,” added Naylor.
Anixter, which acquired the Houston-area locations of HD Supply-Power Solutions Division in October 2015, has also announced the appointment of a new senior business leader for the Houston market. Greg Roth, formerly regional vice president for Anixter’s EES business in central Florida, brings 25 years of electrical wholesale distribution experience. Roth will immediately assume the role of vice president of sales for the distributor’s Houston-area Electrical and Electronic Solutions’ business.
Panduit named best ‘Data Center Cabling Solution’ by NetworkWorld Asia’s Reader’s Choice awards
Panduit Corp. was recently honored to receive the Reader’s Choice Product Excellence Award from NetworkWorld Asia magazine and Networksasia.net for the company’s “Data Center Cabling Solutions.” The award was announced last October 29th in Singapore.
NetworkWorld’s Reader’s Choice Award is in its 12th year, and is based on votes received through NetworkWorld Asia magazine, as well as the Networks Asia, Security Asia, Storage Asia and Asia Cloud Forum websites. Award criteria included: reputation of vendor in the marketplace; features and unique selling proposition (USP) of the solution; widespread acceptance of technology and/or brand; users’ feedback on the solution/deployment; as well as platform durability, scalability and quality of service, as contributing factors.
“For over 60 years, Panduit has been recognized as a leading brand for our high quality, innovative and reliable infrastructure solutions which solve our customers’ real world challenges,” commented Thomas Poh, Panduit’s director of marketing for the APAC region (pictured, right). “This award is an endorsement from our customers of the kind of experience they have come to expect from Panduit. We are honored and will continue to work hard to maintain this trust.”
ZigBee-based occupancy sensor, smart outlet reference designs foretell IoT-connected smart homes
Silicon Labs has released wireless occupancy sensor and smart outlet reference designs for the home automation market, outlining IoT (Internet of Things) connected device solutions projected to help make homes safer, as well as more convenient and energy efficient.
The FCC and UL precertified reference designs include all of the hardware, firmware and software tools required to create feature-rich, futureproofed connected home products based on Silicon Labs’ robust ZigBee “Golden Unit” Home Automation (HA 1.2) software stack and multiprotocol Wireless Gecko system-on-chip (SoC) portfolio. Silicon Labs says the occupancy sensor and smart outlet reference designs will help home automation device makers and developers accelerate time-to-market and reduce system cost and complexity via best-in-class ZigBee mesh networking technology. By leveraging the turnkey reference designs, developers can quickly advance from design concept to final product with precertified wireless technology, open-source hardware design files and industry-standard software stacks, while also taking advantage of proven test setups and manufacturing methods.
“Successful home and building automation products must be standards-based, cost-effective, easy to deploy by end users, and designed to work in real-world environments and solve specific problems with minimal design complexity,” said Daniel Cooley, senior vice president and general manager of Silicon Labs’ IoT products. “We’re helping connected home developers achieve these market-critical objectives with precertified reference designs based on our breakthrough multiprotocol wireless and sensing technologies.”
The occupancy sensor reference design is a compact, precertified ZigBee HA 1.2 solution featuring a wirelessly connected passive infrared sensor along with ambient light and temperature/relative humidity sensors from Silicon Labs.
Occupancy sensors are key components for residential and commercial security systems, as well as other home/building automation systems that use occupancy detection to automate tasks such as turning lights off and on. The occupancy sensor’s small, battery-powered design (the size of two AAA batteries) is so energy efficient it can operate for up to five years before battery replacement. The sensor’s detection range extends up to 12 meters (nearly 40 feet) with a 90-degree viewing window.
The smart outlet reference design is a complete, precertified solution for a wirelessly controlled outlet plug that can be used to power and control a wide range of home and building automation products. Powered by an AC main-voltage line, the smart outlet communicates wirelessly to ZigBee mesh networks. The smart outlet design includes the following key features: built-in diagnostics and metering with a user-friendly web interface for wireless control and current/voltage monitoring, easily accessible from mobile devices; a wide AC voltage range (110-240 V) for global use along with a 15 A load current; integrated high-accuracy sensors for measuring ambient light and temperature/humidity; and compact design footprint of 6.5 cm x 6.5 cm x 4.0 cm.
Graybar appoints new Seattle district VP
Graybar, a North American distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products and a provider of related supply chain management and logistics services, has appointed Stephen Cray as its district vice president in Seattle, effective January 1, 2017.
Cray will replace Kirk Snure, who retired as district vice president after more than 31 years with the distributor. Graybar’s Seattle district is one of 13 operating districts for the employee-owned company, serving customers throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Hawaii. In total, the district includes 12 locations and more than 430 employees. Cray has 30 years of experience in the electrical industry and has been with Graybar for more than a decade. He currently serves as director, electrical sales in the company’s Southern California region, a position he has held since 2008.
“We thank Kirk Snure for his leadership, dedication and service to Graybar and wish him all the best in retirement,” said David Maxwell, Graybar’s regional vice president. “We also congratulate Steve Cray on his appointment to Seattle district vice president. He brings extensive experience to this assignment and we are confident in his ability to lead our business in this region. I look forward to working with him as he takes on this new role.”
Massive Ashburn, VA data center campus on 76.5 acre site to accommodate 6 buildings
RagingWire Data Centers, a U.S. data center provider, and its parent company NTT Communications (NTT Com), the ICT solutions and international communications business within the publicly traded NTT Group, announced that the company is investing $160 million to build the new Ashburn VA3 Data Center in the heart of the famed "Data Center Alley" in Ashburn, Virginia, widely cited as the top data center market in the world.
The Ashburn VA3 Data Center represents phase one of RagingWire’s massive Ashburn Data Center Campus development, which can accommodate six buildings on the 76.5-acre site. The VA3 Data Center with 245,000 square feet of space and 16 megawatts of power is scheduled to be available by the end of 2017. RagingWire and NTT Communications made the announcement of the new facility at the 2016 Gartner Data Center, Infrastructure, and Operations Management Conference, held in Las Vegas last December 5-8. Last year was RagingWire’s fifth as a sponsor of the Gartner conference.
According to a press release, “The VA3 Data Center will realize new levels of availability, flexibility and global reach. The facility features a new flexible electrical design that builds on RagingWire’s patented and award-winning 2N+2TM power delivery architecture to offer wholesale customers that purchase an entire vault the option of dedicated electrical solutions including N+1 and 2N. Vaults will be available in increments of two to four megawatts, and there will be space and power available for multi-rack cages that can grow over time. The campus will have three diverse fiber entrances, reliable and cost-effective utility power from Dominion Virginia Power, a high-security gated entrance and anti-climb perimeter fence, and world-class customer amenities including lounges, breakrooms, a game room, a gym, locker rooms and showers, conference rooms, and office space. VA3 will also offer extensive, carrier-neutral network connectivity services to other data centers and cloud providers.”
“The Ashburn VA3 Data Center raises the bar for data center colocation in the largest data center market in the world,” said George Macricostas, chairman, CEO and founder of RagingWire Data Centers. “VA3 offers mission-critical performance, flexible configurations for hyperscale cloud and enterprise deployments, exceptional customer amenities, and global integration with NTT Com’s growing portfolio of over 140 data centers around the world.”
The VA3 Data Center joins RagingWire’s VA1 and VA2 data centers, which also are in Ashburn. The company notes that the combination of VA1, VA2 and VA3 creates a data center footprint of more than a half million square feet of space and 44.4 megawatts of power, and includes on-site security officers and multi-layered security systems, highly efficient cooling and carrier-neutral telecommunications, and direct connectivity to top cloud providers and other data centers in Data Center Alley. On a wider scale, VA3 will grow RagingWire’s existing 1.2-million-square-foot U.S. data center platform, which includes CA1, CA2, and CA3 in Northern California and TX1 in Dallas, TX, as well as NTT Com’s global data center services platform operated under the Nexcenter brand.
Two-way ceiling speaker approved for plenum spaces
Extron Electronics recently introduced the SoundField XD model SF 26CT, a 6.5-inch two-way ceiling speaker that features an 8-inch-deep composite backcan for use in plenum-rated ceiling environments. The driver complement includes a 6.5-inch woofer coupled with a 0.75-inch ferrofluid-cooled dome tweeter.
“With the AV industry’s first UL 2043-listed composite speaker enclosure, the SF 26CT meets stringent UL requirements for smoke and heat release in plenum air spaces,” Extron said when introducing the speaker in January. “A magnetically attached grille with a thin-edged bezel gives the SF 26CT a refined appearance on the ceiling. The SF 26CT offers both direct 8-ohm and 70/100-volt operation with a behind-the-grille, six position power selector switch. With 70/100 volt taps at 8, 16, 32 and 64 watts, the SF 26CT can be used in applications where a high-power distributed speaker system is needed.”
Casey Hall, vice president of sales and marketing for Extron, commented, “The SF 26CT represents a new level of quality and innovation in speaker design. With excellent performance and features that simplify installation, the SF 26CT is ideal for use in applications that require both vocal clarity and musical accuracy.”
Extron says that SoundField XD speakers are designed with integrators in mind; they are constructed using a two-piece modular design with a separable backcan and baffle, which the company says simplifies installation in both single-trade and division-of-labor installations. “These speakers include a cable/conduit access plate that can be oriented as side mount, for low-clearance ceilings, or as top mount for blind-mounting into drywall ceilings,” Extron added. “Opti-Torque indicator rings provide a visual indication when the locking arm screws have been sufficiently tightened, preventing damage to the speaker caused by over-torqueing.” The speakers are sold in pairs.
Patented RF technology monitors wireless signals in the home for ‘camera-less’ security
At the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Cognitive Systems Corp., an RF technology specialist, announced the launch of Aura, an intelligent home security system that uses the company’s patented spectrum analytics technology to detect and monitor motion. The patented technology is used to monitor the disruption of wireless signals caused by movement in the home, without the use of cameras.
The simple, two-piece Aura system provides full coverage for the average home, even in rooms where people are typically unwilling to place cameras. Household members are notified on their smartphones of unauthorized motion that occurs anywhere in the residence. The Aura system can also recognize the presence of known household members, show motion patterns in the home, provide a timeline of activity, deliver tailored notifications to homeowners’ smartphones, and interact with other smart home systems.
“When we realized that our technology could understand motion by seeing how the patterns in wireless signals change in a home, we knew that we had something special,” said Taj Manku, cofounder of Cognitive Systems. “By using radio frequencies to detect motion, we provide a more dependable solution to consumers by eliminating most of the false detections that occur with traditional sensors. We thought about how people want to interact with their security system and provide convenient features like auto-arm and disarm. We’re excited to be launching Aura at CES, and looking forward to shipping by the end of February 2017.”
Aura is powered by a custom chipset from Cognitive Systems that monitors and analyzes wireless signal patterns that occur when movement takes place within a home, and alerts the user if unauthorized motion is detected. The company says its Aura system is more accurate than other motion detectors, because the system is not dependent on light and it understands the difference between human and non-human movement (e.g. a fan, shadows, drapes blowing, etc.). Aura will be launching with IFTTT integration so it can connect with other smart home systems as desired.
The Aura system is set-up and managed via a free app available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. The app allows homeowners to see three different views of motion for Live, 12 Hour and Weekly. Consumers can also use the app to see who is currently at home, a timeline of household activity, arm or disarm the system and more.
IEEE publishes 802.1Qbz bridged networks amendment
IEEE and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) recently announced the availability of the IEEE 802.1Qbz Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks-Bridges and Bridged Networks Amendment: Enhancements to Bridging of IEEE 802.11 Media. The new standard specifies protocols, procedures, and managed objects for IEEE 802.11 media to provide internal connections within bridged networks, as well as access to bridged networks.
According to the IEEE-SA, “A number of new products, including home entertainment systems and industrial control equipment, are enabled with both IEEE 802.11 wireless station capability and wired IEEE 802.3 Ethernet capability. IEEE 802.1Qbz meets a growing demand to incorporate IEEE 802.11 media at the same level as other media supported by bridges, both as a medium internal to the network and as a medium offering access to the network.”
IEEE 802.1Qbz is available for purchase at the IEEE Standards Store.
“IEEE 802.1Qbz demonstrates our commitment to stay abreast of industry needs and respond quickly to ensure technology standards continue to meet evolving networking challenges,” said Norm Finn, editor of IEEE 802.1Qbz. “Enabling IEEE 802.11 on par with other media within bridged networks offers greater and more flexible options for overcoming connectivity issues and ensuring the highest degree of reliability for devices operating on a network.”
Ideal Networks offers guidance on Tier-1 and Tier-2 fiber-optic testing
To help cable installers and maintenance technicians select the correct fiber-optic testing equipment for their deployments, Ideal Networks recently published a free technical white paper that offers guidance on the different tiers for certifying fiber-optic cabling.
“Unlike copper cabling, there are two tiers available when certifying fiber-optic cabling, and these dictate which type of tests must be performed, and therefore which testers should be used,” notes Dan Payerle, business unit manager for Ideal Networks. “To remove confusion around which type of test should be used - and whether performing Tier-2 certification also meets the requirements of Tier-1 certification - the new white paper clarifies the different requirements in detail, as well as looking at the advantages of different testers and how they work.”
Briefly, as explained by the company, Tier-1 certification is a measurement of the total insertion loss (or attenuation) of cabling from one end of the link to the other, and either uses an optical power meter and optical light source (PM/LS) or an optical loss test set (OLTS) for testing.
Tier-2 certification provides loss information about each component of the link and uses an OTDR (optical time domain reflectometer) to perform certification, providing a useful graphical representation of each connection, splice and cable segment in the link, and their performance.
When certification is required, the guide recommends that “it is good practice to perform a Tier-1 test, and optionally conduct a Tier-2 test. Although an OTDR can show the total link loss like an OLTS does, Tier-2 certification cannot replace Tier-1 certification, as there is a subtle distinction between the total link loss reported by the two devices.”
The white paper further advises, “An OLTS, such as the Ideal Networks OC I Tier-1 fiber cable certifier, measures the true optical loss of the link, which makes it the most accurate way to determine end-to-end loss of a link and a requirement for Tier-1 certification. However, an OTDR, like the OTDR II from Ideal Networks, characterizes the link under test and can offer additional advantages, such as advanced troubleshooting for faster repairs.”
“Ultimately the required testing is an agreement between the cabling contractor and their customer,” concludes Ideal’s Payerle. “However, in order to provide customer satisfaction, it is essential that fiber-optic installers understand the different tiers and therefore which certification reports will provide the necessary assurance.”
Corning receives Technology and Engineering Emmy Award
At the 68th Annual Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards, held in conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV, Corning Incorporated received an award for its 1970 invention of low-loss optical fiber. “The award honors breakthrough innovations that materially affected television engineering,” Corning said in an announcement after receiving the award. Corning received the award in the category of Pioneering Invention and Deployment of Fiber Optic Cable.
Corning’s executive vice president Clark Kinlin stated, “The ability to view high-quality video at any time of the day, from almost any place on a variety of connected and mobile devices, is commonplace today. But it would not be possible without the broad deployment of optical fiber. It’s impossible to imagine the television industry today without the virtually limitless bandwidth capability of optical fiber. It was born in Corning labs in 1970, and our scientists haven’t stopped improving it since.”
The company recalled that scientists Drs. Robert Maurer, Donald Keck and Peter Schultz developed the first low-loss optical fiber capable of maintaining the strength of laser light signals over significant distances. This breakthrough, Corning added, helped solve the problem network carriers faced at the time in handling the growing volume of information with the transmission limitations of copper lines.
Kinlin concluded, “As we envisioned in our ‘A Day Made of Glass’ videos, our portfolio of glass products both redefine the simplest of today’s activities and make new things possible. We’re grateful to be recognized by The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and, just as we’ve always done, we remain committed to bringing glass-related innovations to the continuously evolving communications and entertainment industries.”
Alternative to trigger-operated fiber endface cleaning tools
MicroCare Corporation introduced the Sticklers brand Cassette CleanClicker at the BICSI Winter Conference and Exhibition, which took place January 23-26. “The cassette cleaner is designed to be an economical alternative to more-expensive, trigger-operated cassette cleaners,” the company said. The Cassette CleanClicker uses a high-performance microwoven fabric for the cleaning ribbon, which has high absorbency for removing endface contamination, the company explained. “The woven material provides excellent dust-trap capabilities,” MicroCare added about its new fiber endface cleaning tool.
It can be used either as a dry wipe or as part of a wet/dry cleaning process, MicroCare noted. It cleans all female MPO connectors of any fiber count, as well as standard single and duplex fiber connector assemblies. “This makes it ideal for field installations, test labs, OEM equipment and cable assembly production, field installers and installation kits,” the company added.
MicroCare describes the Cassette CleanClicker endface cleaning tool as disposable in a translucent housing. The device is unique in that it features manual, user control of the cleaning ribbon. “This enables the operator to perform multiple cleanings on the same piece of ribbon, which reduces cleaning costs,” the company said. “The translucent plastic housing also makes it easy for the operator to visually judge the quantity of cleaning ribbon remaining in the cassette, avoiding unpleasant surprises out in the field.”
It also features a shutterless cleaning window. MicroCare declared, “Traditional, more-expensive cassette cleaners use a shutter mechanism in an ineffective attempt to protect the cleaning ribbon. These tools also require a complex, spring-loaded trigger mechanism to advance the cleaning ribbon and open the shutter to expose the cleaning ribbon. These features also make those tools more expensive so companies refill them, which adds even more costs and logistical worries. All of this over-engineered complexity is not necessary since it does not protect the cleaning ribbon from moisture or dust. The new Sticklers Cassette CleanClicker tool avoids all these problems and costs without sacrificing performance.”
Analyst: 145 cloud and colo companies account for 40 percent of global data center space
The top 145 cloud and colocation companies are now estimated to account for 40 percent of global data center space, measured in square footage, according to a new study by IHS Markit. “This is a remarkable figure given that Amazon’s AWS-the largest provider of Infrastructure-as-a-Service-set up its first data center just 10 years ago, in 2006,” the analyst organization said. “It was at this same time that Equinix-the top colocation provider-first purchased a data center campus in Ashburn, VA, a region that over half of the internet’s traffic now travels through,” the company added. “Cloud and colocation [colo] companies are growing and building data centers fast, and it’s changing the data center market in significant ways.”
In its analysis, IHS further noted that the domination of the data center market by so few companies “means there are a decreasing number of companies accounting for an increasing percentage of spend on data center infrastructure.” That reality comes with the following two significant consequences, the analyst explained.
- It creates volatility in the market for data center infrastructure suppliers. When just a few large companies account for such a great share of the market, builds and purchasing of equipment will ebb and flow more than what is historically typical.
- It means that these cloud and colo companies have an increasing ability to negotiate for lower prices. One lost sale to a major cloud or colo provider could make or break a data center infrastructure supplier’s revenue target for the year. Cloud and colo players know this and use it to their advantage when seeking best pricing.
Going forward, IHS forecasts that it expects cloud and colo companies to account for an even greater share of data center investments. Liz Cruz, associate director in the analyst organization’s cloud and data center research practice, commented, “I would not be surprised if, in just a few short years, we see cloud and colocation companies approaching the 60-percent mark in terms of ownership of data center square footage worldwide. The pace at which they are building, and at which regular enterprise users are outsourcing their own data center operations to those cloud and colo companies, is phenomenal, and there are no major roadblocks ahead. Sure, some enterprises may still choose to keep a few mission-critical applications in-house, but a growing adoption and acceptance of the cloud is leading to a hybrid approach to data center operation that allows for an increasing number of applications to be managed by cloud providers, which themselves are moving into colocations, causing the need for more colocation facilities to be built as well.”
Pentair, Radisys collaborate on open source rack hardware systems for carrier data centers
Last November, Pentair with its Schroff brand, and Radisys Corporation announced their joint development of open source rack-level hardware systems specifically designed to meet the next-generation requirements of the telecom industry. According to the companies, “the resulting open source hardware design leverages Open Compute Project (OCP) principles, with optimizations for telco central offices and service provider-oriented data centers.”
The joint design innovations are being contributed to OCP as the CG-OpenRack-19 specification.
A press release from the companies adds, “Communications service providers are transitioning their networks from traditional central offices to virtualized data centers in order to meet demand for real-time service delivery while saving capital and operating expense. This migration from purpose-built systems to software-based applications running on commercially available infrastructure is driving a broader ecosystem that is increasingly using open source software and open hardware solutions. The Radisys and Pentair collaboration has resulted in Radisys’s DCEngine product offering, which integrates Schroff’s ServCite open rack-scale hardware solution, enabling service providers with the infrastructure to deliver an agile software-driven approach to deploying new services quickly.”
“Radisys’s strategy is to enable the telecom industry to deploy software-centric networks that leverage open source hardware and software and we look to work with partners that share our vision,” said Brian Bronson, president and CEO, Radisys. “Pentair shares our commitment to agile hardware development and our teams worked closely together to provide Radisys’s customers with our new open rack-scale infrastructure systems rapidly. With our strategic collaboration with Pentair for our open hardware design, combined with our open software integration experience and professional service capabilities, we believe that Radisys is uniquely positioned to offer open rack-scale platform solutions for next-generation telecom data centers.”
“There is a robust open source ecosystem developing that will drive the future of next-gen networks, and Schroff is embracing this new model,” added Daniel Stirpe, vice president and general manager, Schroff. “Radisys is an agile and flexible partner, and our collaboration together highlights what a model partner relationship should look like with the resulting delivery of a new open source rack-level solution that meets the specific needs of communications service providers. We’re pleased to collaborate with Radisys to contribute this innovative technology to the open source community.”
In-building wireless specialist Zinwave appoints former Ericsson, Corning DAS expert as CTO
Zinwave, a provider of wideband distributed network solutions for in-building wireless systems, announced that it has named Slavko Djukic its chief technology officer (CTO). Djukic, an expert in DAS and small-cell systems, will lead the development and refinement of technologies to improve the cellular and wireless experience for Zinwave’s enterprise customers. “Zinwave already possesses a unique, highly differentiated technology platform that makes it the ideal solution for in-building wireless coverage for enterprise customers,” commented Djukic. “I look forward to driving our wideband DAS development into new territory as enterprises, building owners and mobile operators around the world look to expand in-building wireless services.”
Djukic comes to Zinwave with 18 years’ experience in indoor wireless technology development. He most recently served as Ericsson’s head of strategy and solutions for small cells, DAS, and WiFi. Prior to Ericsson, Djukic served in a global technical role for Corning, where he was responsible for expanding the company’s global indoor building solutions, acted as the primary technical interface for indoor wireless experts around the world, and acted as the technical lead in Corning’s acquisition of Mobile Access. Djukic also held a leadership role with Powerwave, where he built and led the technical indoor and outdoor DAS solutions organizations for North, Central and South America. He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alabama and his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado.
“Zinwave is wholly committed to delivering a superior wireless experience to our enterprise and public venue customers, and that means we must always stay several steps ahead of our competitors,” said Scott Willis, president and CEO at Zinwave. “Slavko is a visionary leader who combines deep technical knowledge with a broad understanding of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. We expect him to hit the ground running and to make a rapid and dramatic difference for Zinwave and our customers.”


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Forget about the University of Miami's "turnover chain", the Eagles have something better for their defense - the turnover ski mask.
This new idea appeared to have started in Week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys. It was quickly used by Malcolm Jenkins when the team forced that opening kickoff fumble that the refs said never happened.
When asked about the mask, safety Rodney McLeod said “It’s kind of been motivating the guys. It’s just a mentality we’ve been having. When we go out there, we put the mask on. We’re out there for business, and to take what’s ours.”
Before the Eagles introduced their ski mask prop, the defense only forced eight turnovers. Now in the past two games since implementing the ski mask, they have forced six turnovers. Clearly it has provided them a lot of motivation, which is exactly why McLoud wants fans to come to Sunday's game against the Texans sporting ski masks “we say it’s robbing season. It’s thievery. Hopefully the fans come out next week and wear the masks with us in the stands. That’d be cool."
Avonte Maddox isn't new to props for turnovers, as he sported a turnover chain of his own last year at Pitt. He is also on board with the ski mask movement making its way to the Linc.
If everyone listens and wears masks to the game, maybe the Texans will just forfeit the game from intimidation.

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Financial Daily Dose 10.14.2021 | Top Story: CPI Jumps More than 5%, Raising Fears of Stubborn Inflation
October 14, 2021
In unsurprising news to regular Daily Dose readers, consumer prices jumped 5.4% in September as compared to a year before, with “food, rent and furniture costs surging as a limited supply of housing and a shortage of goods tied to supply chain troubles combined to fuel rapid inflation.” The gain—which exceeded an already high August figure—suggests that U.S. inflation may be less transitory than originally hoped - NYTimes and WSJ and Bloomberg
The Biden Administration is taking executive action aimed at “untangl[ing] supply chains and clear[ing] disruptions that have threatened the holiday shopping season.” The efforts so far are focused on turning the bottlenecked Port of Los Angeles into a 24/7 operation - NYTimes and WSJ and Bloomberg and MarketWatch
Fed September meeting minutes that dropped yesterday show that the central bank has been mulling over the effects of both these stubbornly high inflation figures and supply-chain woes on its plans for easing the monetary support it’s been pumping into the economy for nearly 19 months - NYTimes and WSJ and Bloomberg
NHiTSA, the top U.S. federal auto safety regulator, has issued two letters to Tesla this week “raising questions about the company’s driver-assistance software systems and instructing the carmaker to provider fuller information.” Specifically, NHiTSA wants an explanation for why Tesla didn’t issue a recall last month when it “updated software called Autopilot to improve its ability to spot stopped emergency vehicles such as police cars and fire trucks” - NYTimes and WSJ
The good news? Facebook taking quick action in the wake of the whistleblower Frances Haugen’s revelations about the social media giant. The bad news? That action—restricting staff access to internal discussion boards—is aimed at preventing future Frances Haugens and not at addressing the internal rot she exposed - WSJ
Speaking of the ‘Book, big GDPR news out of Ireland this week, where the country’s Data Protection Commissioner has opined in a draft ruling that the company “does not need to get consent to process European users’ data if the users agree to terms of service.” The Commissioner did recommend that Facebook pay a $32 to $42 million fine for “not clearly communicating to its users that it was not asking for their consent as a legal basis for collecting their personal data under the GDPR,” but that figure pales in comparison to the potential penalty for a GDPR violation, prompting European privacy activist Max Schrems to pan the decision as against the intent of the EU law – Law360
Union workers at a dozen John Deere plants mostly in Iowa and Illinois are the latest group to hit the picket lines after the latest company contract offer didn’t do enough to increase wages or improve an “overly stingy” incentive program and denied a “traditional pension to new employees” - NYTimes and MarketWatch
A Harvard/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/NPR poll released this week delivered the sobering news that almost 20% of U.S. households lost all of their savings during the pandemic, with that figure rising to 30% for respondents making less than $50k/year - Bloomberg
October: not just for pumpkin spice anymore. Oh no. It’s all about the Szns - NYTimes
Stay safe, and get vaxxed,
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(AP) -- Shares advanced Tuesday in Europe after closing mostly higher in Asia, though Chinese shares skidded on renewed concerns over pandemic lockdowns.
Oil prices declined and U.S. futures were lower.
Germany's DAX rose 0.9% to 14,043.32 and the CAC 40 in Paris picked up 0.4% to 6,471.95. Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.6% to 7,423.93. The future for the S&P 500 slipped 0.3% while that for the Dow industrials gave up 0.4%.
An overnight rally on Wall Street carried over into world markets, but declines in Shanghai and Sydney suggest the concerns over China's economy are still having a potent effect.
Beijing is enforcing mass testing and closing down access to some neighborhoods as China's capital seeks to contain a new COVID-19 outbreak. That follows lockdowns in Shanghai and dozens of other cities that economists say might further crimp the world's second-largest economy, hindering global economic growth.
The latest wave of outbreaks came as the economy was slowing due to regulatory crackdowns on technology companies like Alibaba and efforts to bring down high levels of debt in the property sector.
Expectations that the economy, a big consumer of all commodities, might slow further have hit prices of nickel, copper, aluminum and zinc, which fell 3%-5% on Monday.
China's leaders have promised more support for the economy, and investors are watching for the outcome to a meeting of the ruling Communist Party's powerful Politburo, analysts said.
"It seems that threats to China's growth outlook thanks to its COVID-zero policy but begun by its regulatory clampdown and the property developer leverage train wreck, trump all as far as financial markets are concerned," Jeffrey Halley of Oanda said in a commentary.
The Shanghai Composite index fell 1.4% to 2886.43, giving up early gains. On Monday it slumped 5.1%.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng, which lost 3.7% on Monday, closed up 0.3% at 19,934.71.
The Kospi in Seoul gained 0.4% to 2,668.31 after the government reported the South Korean economy grew at a 3.1% annual pace in the first quarter of the year, up 0.7% from the previous quarter.
The economy is rebounding from the travails of the pandemic as the government lifts COVID restrictions since case numbers have abated after a wave of the omicron variant.
"This should drive a bounce back in downtrodden parts of the service sector. And a further drop in precautionary savings should provide an extra boost to consumption," Alex Holmes of Capital Economics said in a commentary. "With private consumption still well below pre-pandemic levels, there is plenty of scope for a rebound," he said.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.4% to 26,700.11. India's Sensex gained 1% to 57,149.41.
In Australia, which relies heavily on exports of resources to China, the S&P/ASX 200 dropped 2.1% to 7,318.00.
US. benchmark oil dropped 63 cents to $97.91 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It lost $3.53 to $98.54 on Monday.
Brent crude, the standard for pricing international oil, shed 47 cents to $101.69 per barrel.
The dollar slipped to 128.00 Japanese yen from 128.14 yen late Monday. The euro fell to $1.0688 from $1.0713.
On Monday, the S&P 500 climbed 0.6% after erasing an early 1.7% loss. The rally was led by stocks of internet-related companies, including Twitter, which jumped 5.7% after agreeing to let Tesla CEO and tweeter extraordinaire Elon Musk buy it.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.7%, while the Nasdaq composite rallied 1.3%.
Wall Street is in the midst of one of the most important stretches of the earnings season. Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and the parent company of Google are all on deck to report this week. Since they're among the biggest companies by market value, their movements hold the most sway over the S&P 500.
Worries are also high that the U.S. economy might slow sharply or even fall into a recession because of the big interest-rate increases the Fed is expected to push through.
Besides their bottom-line profit numbers, investors are also looking for a better sense of how big companies in the technology, industrial and retail sectors are handling rising inflation and supply chain issues.
Inflation remains a key concern for investors. Investors are worried about whether the Fed will be able to hike rates enough to quell inflation but not so much as to cause a recession. The chair of the Federal Reserve has indicated the central bank may hike short-term interest rates by double the usual amount at upcoming meetings, starting next week. The Fed has already raised its key overnight rate once, the first such increase since 2018.
Wall Street will get some key economic data this week. The Conference Board will release its measure of consumer confidence for April on Tuesday. The Commerce Department will release its first-quarter gross domestic product report on Thursday.


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The landmark vehicle was a 1.4 litre Micra SE.
The milestone was well timed, as the plant is celebrating its 20th year in the UK in 2004.
In that time, more than 3.6 million cars have rolled off the Wearside production line. And last year the plant achieved a record production volume of 332,000 Micras, Almeras and Primeras.
Colin Dodge, managing director of Nissan Motor UK says: “Reaching the million mark for the UK market represents a real achievement on behalf of the workforce.
“Twenty years ago a lot of people doubted Nissan’s ability to successfully locate here, so it’s satisfying to have achieved this production milestone, particularly in our anniversary year.”


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NEW YORK (
) -- Spot gold prices have gained traction again, following a dollar-rally spurred by better-than-expected jobs data.
Spot gold prices rose $3.20, or 0.3% to $1135.70 an ounce, after an initial sell-off that was prompted by a rise in the U.S. dollar.
Spot gold prices were recovering from early losses in part due to increased investor appetite for the yellow metal as the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.7%.
Silver prices also firmed up in the spot market as the major U.S indices advanced. Spot silver prices increased 22 cents, or 1.3% to $17.40 an ounce.
Spot platinum prices on the other hand lost 2 cents, or 0.1% to $1,575 an ounce.
Meanwhile, palladium prices rose 17 cents, or 3.7% to $475 an ounce. Kitco analyst Jon Nadler says market analysts at Germany's Heraeus report that "UBS is saying that emerging market sale of autos are now running nearly double the pace of sales in the US, Euro Zone and Japan since 2008."
Mining stocks were largely up.
jumped 6.7% to $13.80, and
North American Palladium
rose 5% to $4.40.
popped 3.4% to $15.60.
jumped 3.3% to $31.50, and
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold
added 2.5% at $80.80.
-- Reported by Andrea Tse in New York
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Manage episode 230773254 series 1414200
Each year s tour of the LS&S booth offers a massive information dump on the new and incredible products making their public debut. Jason Neeland, Senior Account Manager for LS&S, brings J.J. along on a closer look at a few of the newest offerings. The pair discuss a high tech pill bottle called the I Remember, the FDK Arm Blood Pressure Unit, an Atomic Talking Keychain, a new Adjustable Liquid Level Indicator, the newly revised Ti 30XS Talking Scientific Calculator and you will just have to investigate what exactly is the mysterious U.F.O. hovering over CSUN. But that s not all, to find out what else is available, visit the LS&S website
CSUN 2019 coverage is Brought to you by AFB AccessWorld.
For the latest news and accessibility information on mainstream and access technology, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offerings, access technology book reviews, and mobile apps, and how they can enhance entertainment, education and employment, log on to AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's free, monthly, online technology magazine. Visit www.afb.org/aw.
316 episodes available. A new episode about every 2 days averaging 21 mins duration .


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LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Discount retail chain Poundland Group PLC Uk:plnd said Friday it has signed a conditional sale and purchase agreement to acquire competitor 99p Stores for an enterprise value of £55 million ($84.3 million). The deal calls for a cash consideration of £47.5 million, and for new Poundland shares to be issued with a value of £7.5 million. It covers the 251 stores and the warehouse and distribution center owned by 99p Stores. The acquisition is conditional on the approval of the Competition & Markets Authority, Poundland noted, with the process expected to take about two months to carry out. Poundland shares rose 7.5% at the open on Friday after the news.
Poundland makes conditional agreement to buy 99p Stores
Elon Musk may get to be a trillionaire, but it won't be because of Tesla, Morgan Stanley says.
Karen Friar is bureau chief for MarketWatch in London. You can follow her on Twitter @Karen_Friar.


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Credit Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
Most Americans have heard that they should drink eight glasses of water a day to stay hydrated, but there is surprisingly little data to support this advice.
But now, a new “beverage hydration index” provides evidence-based suggestions for how to most efficiently hydrate. The index was developed from a British study published in December that tracked how long 13 common beverages remain in the body after being consumed.
“In the last 25 years, we’ve done many studies on rehydration after exercise,” said Ronald J. Maughan, a hydration expert from Loughborough University, and lead author of the study. “We thought it was time to look at hydration in typical consumers who aren’t exercising.”
The hydration index is modeled after the well-known glycemic index, which measures how the body responds to the carbohydrate content of different foods. (The glycemic index is used to help individuals keep their glucose-insulin response under control.) The guiding principle behind the new hydration index is that some fluids last longer in your body than others, providing more hydration. After all, if you drink a cup of water and then immediately excrete half that amount in your urine, you haven’t added eight ounces to your water supply, but only four.
The British study determined the hydration index of 13 common beverages by having the participants, 72 males in their mid-20s, drink a liter of water as the standard beverage. The amount of water still remaining in subjects’ bodies two hours later — that is, not voided in urine — was assigned a score of 1.0. All other beverages were evaluated in a similar manner, and then scored in comparison to water. A score higher than 1.0 indicated that more of the beverage remained in the body as compared to water, while a score lower than 1.0 indicated a higher excretion rate than water.
The results showed that four beverages — oral rehydration solution, like Pedialyte; fat-free milk; whole milk and orange juice — had a significantly higher hydration index than water. The first three had hydration index scores around 1.5, with orange juice doing slightly better than water at 1.1. Oral rehydration solutions are specifically formulated to combat serious dehydration such as that resulting from chronic diarrhea.
“It’s a very clever, even brilliant study,” said Lawrence Armstrong, a hydration expert at the University of Connecticut and immediate past president of the American College of Sports Medicine. “It assumes that water is the optimal rehydration fluid, which is biologically correct, and then compares other fluids to water.”
Why is milk so efficient at rehydration? “Normally when you drink, it signals the kidneys to get rid of the extra water by producing more urine,” Dr. Maughan said. “However, when beverages contain nutrients and electrolytes like sodium and potassium, as milk does, the stomach empties more slowly with a less dramatic effect on the kidneys.”
Perhaps surprisingly, drinks containing moderate amounts of caffeine and alcohol or high levels of sugar had hydration indexes no different from water. In other words, coffee and beer are not dehydrating, despite common beliefs to the contrary, and regular soda can hydrate you just as well as water.
“It’s true that caffeine is a diuretic, but not at the concentration found in most coffee drinks,” Dr. Maughan said. “When we are thirsty, drinking normal tea, coffee or cola helps to rehydrate us. The exceptions are very strong coffee drinks or strong alcoholic drinks like distilled spirits.”
The hydration index could prove useful when making decisions about what beverages to consume and when. For example, if you’re going on a long drive and won’t have access to fluids (or to bathrooms), you’d be smarter to drink milk with its high hydration index rather than water or iced coffee. But don’t forget that milk has many more calories than water, so don’t overdo it, either.
While severe dehydration is rare except in heavy exercise, extreme environments and disease, studies have shown that heat and dehydration can contribute to increased mortality rates during hot weather. “Mortality increases sharply during heat waves, mostly because people don’t drink enough to compensate for their increased fluid losses,” Dr. Maughan said.
Dr. Armstrong noted that in hot weather, it’s important to monitor your hydration status throughout the day. He suggested paying attention to your thirst, and drinking when necessary. Also, if your urine color is a dark yellow, it’s time for a refreshing drink.


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The Ultimate Desert Challenge (UDC), one of India’s biggest motorsport competitions, is all geared to launch its X-Factor edition in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, from August 18 to 20, 2023. The flagship IP event of Maxperience, UDC celebrates its 8 years of legacy with this edition.
Prominent brands that have joined hands with UDC include Hero MotoCorp as title sponsor, CEAT Tyres as the tyre partner and powered by Polaris. The event will also be joined by the Hero Motorsports Rally team, among other key guests.
Conducted in the Desert Endurance format, the 3-day event will span over a total distance of over 200 kms in the sandy dunes of Rajasthan. While UDC invites riders from both amateur and professional ends of the spectrum, the difficulty level for the competition has been set to ‘hard’. Ensuring the safety of the participants and everyone else involved, the event is sanctioned by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the primary governing body for motorsports in India.
Arvind Balan, Co-Founder & CEO, Maxperience said, “Having been a part of UDC in some capacity or other, since the very start, it is very much a passion project for me. Moreover, coming back for the first time after the pandemic, the team is all the more amped up for UDC 2023. For the first time, we have moved away from Bikaner, but the alluring city of Jaisalmer promises even greater and more awe-inspiring experience. And we are excited to be sharing it with the participants, partners and everyone else.”
Expressing his thoughts on the event, Rohit Jha, Head - Rides & Community, Hero MotoCorp said, “It is always a pleasure partnering up with UDC & Maxperience! The Ultimate Desert Challenge perfectly combines the power of offroad vehicles in a competition framework. We are also excited to be showcasing our adventure bike, Hero Xpulse 200 4V 2023 Edition, at the event.”
First held in 2014 by the Dune Adventure Sports Club, the Ultimate Desert Challenge is a high-endurance desert offroading competition that strives to give both experienced and aspiring offroaders an equal chance to win.
There is no end to fancy accessories for your car, be it for the interiors or the exterior. Can you imagine, you can also change your car key to a real fancy one? Keydroid India, the pioneering brand ...
Axalta Coating Systems, a leading global coatings company, announced its 2024 Global Automotive Colour of the Year – Starry Night. The latest edition marks the 10th year Axalta has introduced its auto...
Greencore Electronics, a trailblazer in advanced automotive solutions, has unveiled a car vacuum cleaner and puncture repair kit which are fully made in India.


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These articles and posts resulted in the release of our December 2015 Closed Sales Release. We’ll continue to update this post as more articles come in.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Strong month ends strong year for Mass. home sales
Strong year for Mass. home sales, up 14 percent over 2014
Sentinel & Enterprise
Worcester County home sales rise in 2015


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The CBC’s Beirut correspondent, Nahlah Ayed, participated in an online chat in a new CBC forum about media related issues. Dubbed "CBC Inside Media", this brand new CBC blog was designed to expand CBC.c?s coverage of the news media.
Ms. Ayed discussed the "path to peace" in Lebanon and the troubles and impediments in covering the region as a journalist.
Here’s a choice quote: "as journalists, it?s difficult to make accurate judgments on the voracity of statements made by various groups, claiming to be in the majority, for example, or claiming to be the largest sect.?
See the full Q and A here.


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TOP Tankers has taken delivery of the M/T Errorless, a 147,048 DWT tanker, built in 1994 by Harland & Wolff Heavy Industries Ltd, of the United Kingdom. The vessel has been financed with the Company's cash reserves and secured bank debt. The M/T Errorless is the third of four Suezmax deliveries for the fourth quarter of 2005, with the remaining vessel expected by the beginning of December 2005. The Errorless has been chartered for a spot voyage at a TCE rate of approximately $70,000 per day.
TOP Tankers Inc. took delivery of M/T Stormless, a 150,038 DWT double-hull Suezmax tanker, built in 1993 by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd of Japan. The M/T Stormless is the first of four Suezmax deliveries expected in the fourth quarter of 2005 and has been financed with the Company's cash reserves and secured bank credit lines. The vessel will be deployed in the spot market, which currently averages approximately $60,000 per day.
DryShips Inc. has taken delivery of m.v. Hille Oldendorff a 2005 built, 55,566 deadweight ton, or dwt, handymax drybulk carrier which it acquired recently. m.v. "Hille Oldendorff" comes with a bareboat charter at $19,745 per day, net of commissions, until March 2007.
U.K. based software house Marine Software Limited has delivered Marine Purchasing Systems for Windows to Midocean ( IOM ) Ltd, for the Saint Roch, Rosa Delmas and the Ursula Delmas. Midocean manages these vessels on behalf of the Delmas group. This delivery comes after successful evaluation of an initial test ship to ensure that Midocean’s demanding purchasing requirements were met. This brings the total delivered to four out of the seventeen managed.
Star Bulk Carriers Corp. announced that it has taken delivery of the M/V Star Kappa (ex E Duckling), a Supramax vessel of 52,055 dwt built in 2001 in Japan. Star Kappa is an addition to the initial fleet, was acquired for USD 72 million and is the third vessel to be delivered to the Company following the completion of the Redomiciliation Merger. Star Kappa has a Time Charter employment contract at a gross daily rate of USD 47,800 with earliest expiration date of September 23, 2010.
Greatship’s subsidiary takes delivery of a mobile offshore self elevating drilling rig, Le Tourneau Super 116(E) – ‘Greatdrill Chaaya’. Greatship Global Energy Services Pte. Ltd., a Singapore incorporated subsidiary of Greatship (India) Limited (GIL), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited has taken delivery of a mobile offshore self elevating drilling rig
Diana Shipping Inc. has taken delivery today of a newbuilding Panamax dry bulk carrier, the Coronis, from Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., Shanghai China. The Coronis is a Panamax dry bulk carrier of 74,381 dwt. With the delivery of the Coronis, Diana Shipping has increased its fleet to thirteen vessels (twelve Panamax dry bulk carriers and one Capesize dry bulk carrier). With the delivery of this vessel the Diana Shipping fleet will have a combined carrying capacity of
TBS International Limited announced that it has taken delivery of its the M.V. Arapaho Belle, formerly the M.V. Elsa Oldendorff, an acquisition that it had announced in July 2007. The M.V. Arapaho Belle is a 1998 built, 24,021 dwt handysize bulk carrier the Company agreed to acquire charter free for $29m. With the delivery of the M.V. Arapaho Belle, TBS' current fleet consists of 36 multipurpose, handymax and handysize vessels
TBS International Limited has taken delivery of the M.V. Mohave Maiden, formerly known as the M.V. Diasozousa, an acquisition it had announced in October 2007. The M.V. Mohave Maiden is a 1984 built, 28,074 dwt handysize bulk carrier that the Company agreed to acquire charter free for $26.0 million. With this delivery, TBS' currently fleet consists 40 multipurpose tweendecker, handymax and handysize vessels. TBS expects to take delivery of two multipurpose tweendeckers (the M.V
Multraship takes delivery of Multrasalvor 3 built by Damen Shipyards for work offshore UK. Multraship continues to invest in its diverse fleet of towage and salvage vessels to help provide the highest levels of responsive service to the international shipping industry. The company has taken delivery of Multrasalvor 3, a new Multi-Cat 2409 from Damen which is a bigger and better version of their old Multrasalvor, which has now been sold.
Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the 14th Fast Response Cutter (FRC), Heriberto Hernandez, to the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The 154-foot patrol craft Heriberto Hernandez is the 14th vessel in the Coast Guard's Sentinel-class FRC program
One of the largest Italian tug owners, Fratelli Neri S.p.A, ordered its first Damen tug, an ASD 3212, on 21 July 2015. The vessel will be the first ASD tug in the Mediterranean region with a Damen Render Recovery Escort winch. The family-owned
Global shipping and energy services firm, Craig Group, has launched its first F-Class vessel, the Grampian Fortress. The IMT 958 multi-role emergency response and rescue vessel (ERRV) was christened in the Balenciaga Shipyard in Northern Spain this week.
The U.S. Navy’s new DDG 121 and DDG 122 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers will be powered by eight LM2500 marine gas turbines supplied by GE Marine, who also received a five-year extension on its requirements contract for the DDG 51 program.
China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has taken delivery of Asia’s first tugboat Hai Yang Shi You 525, designed to operate solely on liquefied natural gas as ship’s fuel. Hai Yang Shi You 525, the first of two tugs built by the Zhenjiang shipyard for CNOOC
North Star Shipping has reinforced its fleet of next generation vessels after taking delivery of its new ERRV, the Grampian Devotion, in Aberdeen. The latest vessel represents the eighth and final D-class IMT-950 Emergency Response and Rescue vessels (ERRVs) that the company has had
Scorpio Tankers has purchased an MR product tanker, currently under construction at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, for around $37mln and a LR2 product tanker, currently under construction at Daehan Shipbuilding, for around $58.5mln. MR product tanker is scheduled for delivery in September
The Ledcor Group of Companies announced that it has taken delivery of six new cargo barges to serve clients in southwest B.C. Ledcor said its marine division has grown significantly since its inception in 2012 and is on target to double its fleet size by 2016
The CMA CGM Group upgrades its fleet calling North Brazil, French Guyana and the Caribbean; takes delivery of the CMA CGM Cayenne, the first vessel of the Guyanamax three-vessel series Container shippers the CMA CGM Group announce that the CMA CGM Cayenne
Star Bulk Carriers Corp. announced that on July 15, 2015 it took delivery of M/V Goliath and M/V Maharaj, two 209,000 dwt Newcastlemax bulk carriers built by Nantong COSCO KHI-Ship Engineering Co. In addition, on July 22, 2015 Star Bulk took delivery of M/V Star Aquarius, a 61
Dorian LPG Ltd. an owner and operator of modern Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGC), reported today that it took delivery of the ECO VLGC Continental from Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries. Continental is Dorian LPG's seventh newbuilding delivery and will be operated in the Helios LPG Pool
Shipping group CMA CGM has taken delivery of the newbuild box ship CMA CGM Vasco de Gama [sic] on July 27. Built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), the 18,000 TEUs vessel is, with its 399 meters length and 54 meters width, is the largest ship in the CMA CGM fleet and the largest
NewLead Holdings Ltd.announced today a review of the commercial competency of one of its bitumen tanker vessels, the MT Sofia since the vessel was delivered to NewLead's fleet. The Sofia is a 2008-built bitumen tanker vessel of 2
Abu Dhabi Petroleum Ports Operating Company (IRSHAD), a part of the ADNOC Group of Companies, has taken delivery of a Damen Shoalbuster 2308, named Al Marfa 1. During a ceremony at Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld, the Netherlands, the company received the new vessel 3 weeks ahead of schedule
India has deferred taking deliveries of at least 20 shiploads of expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its main supplier Qatar and wants a rate cut matching the 60 per cent fall in international rates, as global gas prices slumped, reports Reuters.


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The Greater Chennai Corporation on Thursday demolished shops that encroached upon the Mada Streets around Kapaleeshwarar temple in Mylapore.
“Each of the streets are originally 30-foot wide, but encroachments have turned them narrow. With so many shops on the streets, it was difficult to drive even a two-wheeler freely on the street. Most of the demolished shops have been functioning here for more than 15 years,” the engineer said.
Shop owners opposed the move and demanded time to shift their shops but the officials removed the encroachments using earth movers claiming that the shops were causing inconvenience to devotees visiting the temple.
Despite opposition, the officials carried out the drive successfully with the help of the police. They, however, left out some shops whose owners have litigations pending in the High Court against the Chennai Corporation.
Meanwhile, on November 19, the civic body had evicted two temples that were encroaching the pedestrian pavement on Anna Main Road in KK Nagar.
Meanwhile, a senior Chennai Corporation official said that demolition drives would continue in the city to remove encroachments from pavements. “Once the vending zones are demarcated, no shops will be allowed to function on pavements,” he added.


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Days after buying Schmalbach-Lubeca AG's plastic container and closures operations, Amcor Ltd. has created a global PET business unit and launched its headquarters at Schmalbach's former office in Michigan.
The move signals a shift in how Melbourne, Australia-based Amcor manages its PET container operation, which is now the world's largest. Previously Amcor had a series of regional units on several continents. Under the new approach, all regionally based division managers will report to William Long, former head of Schmalbach-Lubeca Plastic Containers USA Inc. and now President of Amcor PET Technologies.
``In the role of a global group, we'll be better able to identify and share best practices for customer relationships and service,'' Long said. ``The size of our customer base, and the fact that many key customers are located in the [United States], made sense for us to create this in Manchester.''
The size of the 125,000-square-foot former Schmalbach facility, compared to Amcor's North American PET's smaller base in Mississauga, Ontario, was a deciding factor to starting the business unit in Michigan, Long said.
Schmalbach's North American PET division recorded 2001 sales of about $700 million, Long said. Amcor's PET container operations, part of its Amcor Twinpak-North America Inc. unit, had sales of about $450 million annually, he said.
The company's operations in the Toronto area, including the Mississauga offices, will remain open, Long said. Only a few Amcor executives will shift to the Michigan facility, which employs about 150.
Amcor, based in Melbourne, Australia, now is evaluating its combined operations after completing the transaction to purchase the plastics business of Ratingen, Germany-based Schmalbach. The sale, for A$2.92 billion (US$1.57 billion), closed July 2.
Meantime, Amcor has purchased the minority share of a joint venture in Brazil that it had with plastics packaging company Injepet Embalagens Ltda. Amcor now will solely operate PET container plants in Jundiaí and Manaus, Brazil, that had been part of the venture, Long said.
The company has other PET container facilities in many other Latin American countries.
Amcor also is starting the transition process in its closures operations. Both Amcor and Schmalbach were partners in joint ventures to make closures before the purchase, said Jim Allen, president and chief executive officer of Amcor Closures.
Amcor has a partnership with Bericap Group Inc. of Dijon, France, to make injection molded closures in North America. Schmalbach was part of a venture with Silgan Holdings Inc. of Stamford, Conn., called White Cap LLC, that makes both metal and plastic closures.
Both ventures will continue and will operate from different locations, said Allen, who will manage a business with sales of more than $500 million annually.
``We grew large overnight in closures,'' Allen said. ``The businesses are quite complementary. Amcor was not in the metal closures business in North America nor in Europe before this, and our core products are different from that of White Cap.''
Amcor's product focus has been on water and soft drink bottles and industrial products using Bericap technology, while White Cap made closures for such areas as hot-fill isotonic juices and a variety of food jars.
``So far the integration of facilities has been textbook,'' Allen said. ``We know there will be some bumps along the way, but everyone has realized what must be done to bring this together.''


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The American Mold Builders Association released its 2021 Shop Rate Report — a first-time deep dive into the charges for engineering, mold making and specialty services.
AMBA's report also covers current and anticipated capacities, company demographics and sales information.
Representatives from 83 U.S. mold manufacturers in 21 states, primarily in the Midwest, responded to the call for data to provide an overview of services that are so important to plastics processors.
Mold costs typically range from $25,000 for prototype tooling to $500,000 or more for complex tooling for high cavitation.
Of the charge rates studied, the two services that drew the highest rates on average are mold flow simulation and mold sampling at $96 an hour and $99 an hour, respectively.
Polishing averaged the lowest rate of $78 an hour, just ahead of surface grinding at $79 an hour.
The publication of AMBA's 2021 Shop Rate Report couldn't be more relevant for the industry than at this moment, according to Rachael Pfenninger, AMBA's director of strategic execution.
"As U.S. mold manufacturers struggle more than ever with foreign competition and the ever-growing skills gap and labor shortage, finding other ways to compete is becoming more and more critical," she said in an email. "It's exciting that, with the help of our Benchmarking Committee, we've been able to not only publish never-before-gathered data that will help AMBA members maintain a competitive advantage, but in just a few years we'll have access to valuable industry trends as we track this data biennially."
AMBA plans to conduct the survey every two years.
In 2021, most respondents — 89 percent — identified new mold and die builds as their primary source of revenue. More than half — 58 percent — reported their average gross margin was 14 percent or less while the remaining respondents were split between the following ranges: 15-19 percent, 20-24 percent and 25 percent or more.
Seventy-eight percent of the survey takers primarily serve the automotive industry followed by the medical/optical/dental industry at 58 percent and the consumer products industry at 49 percent. Three-quarters of respondents report primarily building plastic injection molds. Nearly half indicated that the average size of their molds are built for the 250- to 499-ton press range.
On average, mold manufacturers reported a current utilization rate of 74 percent.
Companies in the $5 million to $9.9 million sales range reported the most positive outlook. Indianapolis-based AMBA says anticipated capacity is expected to rise an average of 5 percent through the end of the year to 81 percent.
Companies in the $1 million to $2.49 million expect to remain at a capacity utilization of 69 percent.
Respondents also provided insight into whether they offered commission on mold sales to their sales staff. The survey indicates that a majority of mold manufacturers (74 percent) don't offer commission on mold sales to their sales staff.
However, Pfenninger said it is worth noting that the 21 percent of respondents who do distribute commissions reported a higher-than-average capacity utilization of 81 percent.
The full 2021 report provides additional information on more than 20 individual charge rates, charge rate breakdowns by annual sales revenue and the top three primary industries served. The report costs $149 for AMBA members and $1,499 for nonmember survey takers.
"Because of the proprietary nature of the information, nonmembers who didn't participate will not be able to purchase the final report," Pfenninger said.


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View: Government should lift the conventional veil of secrecy in Budget-making
Publishing a pre-Budget document will improve transparency and help evaluate measures better.
Shares of sugar companies surge due to export sops, rise in ethanol use
The government late last month approved an export subsidy for up to 6...
Automobile manufacturers experience muted export growth
Automobiles, comprising motor vehicles/cars , two/three wheelers and auto parts and c...
Engineering Export Promotion Council seeks alternative to interest subvention scheme
The Union government has been providing interest subvention to the extent of three to five per cent on bank credit, EEPC India Chairman Ravi Sehgal said here on Saturday.
Finance Minister announces new tax refund scheme, easy credit to boost exports
The proposed Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Product (RoDTEP) scheme will come into force from January 1, 2020.
India exporting bulletproof jackets of international standard to over 100 nations: BIS
A top BIS official said that India is the fourth country after the US, UK and Germany to have its own national standard on bulletproof jacket which provides 360-degree protection.
Stimulus measures to push equities higher, says experts
Apart from the macro-data point, Indian rupee's movement will also have a bearing on the equities.
Government to soon release norms for offering forex credit to exporters at affordable rates
The programme, more importantly, will make foreign exchange credit available to exporters at competitive rates, Piyush Goyal said.
India must bring back 19-20% export growth to reach $5 trillion economy: Piyush Goyal
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal Thursday said India must try to bring back the 19-20 per cent export growth to be able to reach the 5 t...
D-Street experts say exports, housing sops for long term, won’t help in short term
The FM said the ECGC would expand the scope of export credit insurance scheme.
Rupee volatility, rising cost of borrowing and pending GST refunds major issues faced by exporters: EEPC India
The EEPC India chairman said the Union Commerce and Industry Minister Mr Piyush Goyal is proactively engaged with the exporting community to deal with the challenging global situation.
India must get back to 19-20% export growth: Piyush Goyal
This translates into a trillion-dollar of exports over the next five years, a goal that would test the ability of the government to push exports in difficult global economic conditions.
Govt announces Rs 20,000 crore stress fund for real estate, sops for exporters: Key Highlights
In the last few weeks, government has announced a slew of measures to revive economy.
Four more Indigo planes with Pratt & Whitney engines face glitches
Indigo said two of the reported cases were routine maintenance issues and the planes are back into operations.
ET View: Third dose of growth boosters: good but not good enough
The export sops announced are welcome. But they would take time to kick in and boost exports.
Copyright © 2019 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service


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Card Factory returns to positive like-for-like for growth in H1
Source - SMW
Greeting cards retailer Card Factory returned to positive like-for-like growth in the first half of the year even as weaker footfall kept a lid on growth in the second quarter during the season of Father's Day.
Fr the six months ended 31 July 2019, total group sales grew 5.5%, above the 3.2% growth seen a year earlier, and like-for-like sales increased by 1.2% following a 0.7% decline a year earlier.
The turnaround comes on the back of a 'strong' first quarter, driven by sales in its Valentine's Day and Mother's Day seasonal ranges, the company said.
Card Factory like-for-like sales was up 1.5%, compared with a 0.2% decline a year earlier, a robust sales performance in a challenging consumer environment.
The company reiterated that it expected to return surplus cash to shareholders towards the end of fiscal 2020.
In the first half, the company opened 26 net new UK stores, bringing the total UK estate to 991 stores, with a further seven stores in the Republic of Ireland.
'We remain on track to deliver approximately 50 net new stores in the current financial year,' it added.
Looking ahead, the company said it anticipated profits for the full year to be broadly in line with its previous expectations as it continued to make good progress on its turnaround programme.
'We have made good progress with our ongoing business efficiency programme targeted at mitigating structural cost pressures and there are further opportunities ahead,' the company said. 'However, Card Factory has incurred some additional costs related to the storage of increased stock levels, which includes preparation for the potential impact of Brexit.'


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Nick Verykios has revealed plans to vacate his role as managing director of Arrow ECS ANZ, following more than 15 years running the distributor.
Dell Technologies has honoured leading partners across Asia Pacific and Japan, following a year of growth through the channel.
Dell EMC has rolled out a fresh round of channel changes capable of providing partners with access to the vendor’s entire technology portfolio.
Dell Technologies and Microsoft have unveiled an expanded in-market partnership with VMware acting as an anchor point across cloud and digital technologies.
- Dell is creating a channel built on cross-sell
- Security spending set for 20 per cent boost, but where’s the money going?
- ‘Misleading’ Spark slapped with $675K consumer fine
- Female leaders assume positions of tech power in NZ
- Mystery buyer eyes Wellington's Snapper transport card
- Air NZ up, up and away with 3D printing trial
- Microsoft throws in the towel on Windows 10 1809
- Microsoft to release Windows 10 1903 in May, marks third straight delayed upgrade
- More change at the top as Spark appoints new customer director
- Kiwi MSP Base 2 crosses the Tasman with Australia CEO
- $34B NZ unicorns fertilise a growing innovation ecosystem
- Microsoft Kaizala gets global launch, will integrate with Teams
Securing the cloud amid a vanishing perimeter in NZ
Bumper channel crowd kicks off first After Hours of 2019
Partners turn out in force as IBM outlines Kiwi channel priorities
Tech industry comes out in force as Lancom turns 30
The making of an MSSP: a blueprint for growth in NZ
Reseller News Platinum Club celebrates leading partners in 2018
While individual buyers might pick the device for its looks, the S8 will rely on the latest Knox 2.8 security and management.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ are two stunning devices for consumers, but business users and IT departments will find a lot to love about the new smartphones, too.
You won’t find many public references by Apple to its Mobility Partner Program, an expanding effort by the company to unite with software developers/integrators to boost sales of iPhones and iPads to businesses. But the veil of secrecy surrounding the program is thinning.
Apple can no longer ignore cries of help from its enterprise customers. Call them marriages of necessity, but Apple is striking corporate deals that make it more friendly to CIOs. We look at five of those partnerships.
Although Apple has recently implied that its iPad Pro tablet could replace a PC, the nascent ad campaign does not signal a change in strategy.
Windows 10 will be supported until Oct. 14, 2025 — unless your computer has a Clover Trail CPU. Then you’re out of luck.
The company is in the midst of a great transition, and current indications are that it is going well.
With the arrival this week of the iPad Pro, Apple launches a salvo in the hybrid, 2-in-1 wars. It's clearly a great tablet, but will it replace a laptop?
Its Live Photos and 3D Touch are especially delightful.


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South and Central America seen as primary competition
By Summit Voice
SUMMIT COUNTY —Pent-up demand, growing consumer confidence and a strong U.S. dollar may help fuel a resurgence of U.S. tourists traveling to Europe, according to a report from the World Tourism Organization.
Despite updated projections that the U.S. economy will only grow by about 1.7 percent next year, international tourism officials said outbound U.S. tourism to Europe is expected to return to pre-2008 levels by 2014. (more…)


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Honda Civic Hybrid Batteries Failing Early? Owner Complaints Piling UpBy John O'Dell August 15, 2010
Automaker's Fix May Reduce MPG; California Air Quality Regulators and NHTSA Involved; Honda Says Problem Not Systemic
"Every summer I have IMA battery problems with my '07 Civic Hybrid. (Live ... where summer highs are typically 95-100) Symptom is sudden discharge of IMA battery as indicated by white bars on the dash. (Actually sometimes I see a sudden charging of the battery...goes from 50% to 90% in matter of seconds!) Car can then hardly accelerate w/o assist. Car seldom has more than half a charge." - a recent posting on the Edmunds' CarSpace Honda Civic forum.
By John O'Dell, Senior Editor
(NOTE: Updated 12:05 pm on 8/15/10 to include Honda comments.)
Owners of 2006 and later Honda Civic Hybrids are finding that the batteries that power the cars' Integrated Motor Assist electric drive system aren't always living their expected lifespan and there are concerns that a fix Honda is providing to prolong battery life can reduce the hybrids' fuel economy.
Honda recently mailed letters to more than 100,000 owners of ''06-'08 Civic Hybrids in the U.S. and Canada acknowledging that their cars' batteries could deteriorate and fail prematurely and that the automaker has developed a software fix to correct the problem.
Green Car Advisor has been monitoring the situation and preparing a report as increasing numbers of owners complain about the battery issue on the Edmunds.com CarSpace social network, but the Los Angeles Times broke the story this morning with a report that California air quality regulators quietly met with Honda on the issue last week.
Officials of the powerful California Air Resources Board are concerned that a battery management system software fix Honda has engineered to increase battery life also reduces fuel economy and might increase the cars' tailpipe emissions, potentially violating state clean air standards.
Because the new software has just come out (the letters were mailed July 30) there's apparently no real-world data yet on the impact on fuel economy or emissions.
We called several Honda spokespeople for comment this morning but it's Sunday and we haven't heard back - we'll post it as soon as we do.
A spokeswoman for American Honda Motor Co. said this morning that the company is offering to upgrade battery management software at no charge for owners of 2006, 2007 and 2008 Honda Civic Hybrids to bring them up to the standards used in '09 and later models. The upgrade, said spokeswoman Christina Ra, will ensure that the cars get "maximum overall battery performance and life."
The new software limits the amount of time the electric motor kicks in - prolonging battery life but reducing the amount of assist the Honda IMA electric-drive system provides the car's small four-cylinder gasoline motor.
California air quality regulators are concerned that the new programming can increase fuel consumption and emissions as the gas engine is forced to work harder.
Ra said, however that Honda is confident that the updated cars will not be in violation of California emissions rules and that while fuel economy could be affected in certain instances - she didn't offer specifics - Honda doesn't anticipate "any change to overall fuel economy" because of the software upgrade.
Many of the complaints we've noted are from Civic Hybrid owners living in states with hot summer temperatures - heat does reduce battery performance. And while the nearly 450 postings about Honda IMA problems on CarSpace represents a significant amount of discussion, Honda's sold more than 100,000 of the 2006 through 2008 model year Civic Hybrids.
The automaker does not believe that the number of complaints logged by regulators and by its own customer service people indicates a systemic battery problem with the '06-'08 hybrids, Ra said.
"Everyone is still figuring out how to achieve optimum battery reliability and durability and all batery capacity reduces over time," she said. "This new software is a response to that."
In addition to reprogramming battery management software, Honda in some cases is swapping disgruntled hybrid owners' nickel-metal hydride battery packs batteries for new ones.
A CARB official told the newspaper that Honda has replaced more than 4 percent of all 2006-2008 Honda Civic Hybrid batteries, crossing over the limit at which the state should have been notified.
We previously had checked National Highway Traffic Safety Agency records and could not find a meaningful number of complaints filed with the agency. A NHTSA spokesman told the Times that it it has received no reports of accidents linked to Honda civic battery problems but did say that it has received a number of complaints about the batteries losing power and is talking with Honda about the situation.
Ra said Honda is confident that the battery software update will not create an unsafe operating condition with any car.
Owner previous complaints center on three issues - the inability of the Civic Hybrid's battery pack to maintain a proper charge; a resulting sudden loss of power that could lead to safety problems on high-speed highways; and the loss of fuel economy reported by some who already have had their car's battery management software updated with earlier patches.
And while Honda is now upgrading software for free, some complain that dealers and corporate customer relations people refused to acknowledge in the past that the problem they complained of existed and that many dealers were charging large sums for previous repairs and software updates:
"By the time I got home the IMA and check engine light came back on. Car is charging and running fine. Found 2 places that will repair my IMA battery for anywhere from apx $800 - $1250 which is far better than the $2700 the dealer wants. One will even give a loaner battery." - July 22 posting on CarSpace.
Even the new fix may no longer seen by some formerly loyal Civic Hybrid owners as a good thing.
One California owner wrote this cynical note to other Civic Hybrid owners on CarSpace late last month:
"Lots of luck to you, same problem here, loved the car for the first 2 years (Honda Civic hybrid 06), got the runaround last year with Honda reps, Consumer Affairs, etc, the Honda rep is assuring me that it is "performing as designed" bottom line is that they have a faulty product, thus the software update for the assist battery, that now shuts it down before it gets hot enough to destroy the battery, saving them some money while it lasts long enough for the warranty to run out. Thank goodness, our Ca summer has been mild, reduces the frustration of trying to accelerate!"


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The latest from Tony Gomez’s tenure at La Flor Dominicana is scheduled to begin shipping this week. Earlier today, La Flor Dominicana took deliver of Capitulo II, the second cigar blended by Tony Gomez, the son of company founders Litto and Ines Gomez.
The 6 1/2 x 58 chisel-shaped cigar is a follow-up to the popular Chapter One that was released last year. It’s priced at $10.70 per cigar and will once again come in boxes of 10. According to Jon Carney, vp of sales for LFD, production is said to be around 100,000 cigars.
Brooks Whittington reviewed the cigar here.


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March 12, 2014, 4:00 AM PDT
Menlo Ventures has led a $12 million investment in Rover.com, a Seattle-based company whose online market matches pet owners with dog sitters. Existing investors, including Madrona Venture Group and pet-store chain Petco, also participated.
Android Wear Gets Limited iPhone Support
By Ina Fried
Netflix Ends Epix Deal: No More Paramount, MGM, Lionsgate
By Peter Kafka
Time to Revisit Fiorina’s Business Record Before HP? Yes.
By Arik Hesseldahl
Minecraft Billionaire Markus Persson Hates Being Rich
CEO John Chen Says BlackBerry Devices Need More Apps


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Michael Jordan made a lot of money in his NBA career however his signature brand Nike shoes have made him a lot more money and that was just in 2014. According to an infographic by Lisa Overton that appeared on PBS.org, “Jordan made more money selling sneakers ($100 million) than he did during his entire 15-year career ($94 million)” in 2014, making him the “highest-paid retired athlete in the world last year.”
The line of Nike Air Jordans includes some of the most iconic products in the world, and the attachment to its namesake has remained relevant long after Jordan retired. Given its wild popularity in 2014, it seems likely to remain relevant for many years to come.
For more information click here
Text “LIGHT” To 37890 for your chance at ticket giveaways and news before anyone else!…Standard Messaging Rates Apply


text: The OFF WHITE x Air Jordan 1 will release online on the Nike SNEAKRS App, the Western Europe equivalent of the Nike SNKRS App. This follow-up to Virgil Jordan 11 Abloh’s original collaboration on the Air Jordan 1 will be exclusive to Europe and will be available in both men’s and women’s sizing. Currently, no information regarding Cheap Jordans the women’s size is available, but Nike has officially announced the release for March 3rd, 2018 at 08:00 GMT via their App. Additionally, we’ve compiled a store Jordans Shoes list of other retailers that will release the shoes, so be sure to check back to that often for the latest updates. The rollout of Don C‘s Cheap Jordans 2018 Jordan Legacy 312 is in full swing, with both the “Ghost Green” and “Storm Blue” colorways releasing this weekend. However, the collaboration doesn’t stop there, as there’s Jordans For Sale three more pairs set to release later this summer. The shoe itself is already a loving homage to Nike and Jordan archival models, as it boasts design kevin durant warriors jersey features from the Jordan 1, Jordan 3, and Air Alpha Force Low. However, the three upcoming colorways take the old-school inspiration even further by utilizing classic archival http://www.jordan11shoesforsale.com Nike color palates.One pair is inspired by the Air Command Force-made iconic by Woody Harrelson in White Men Can’t Jump. One draws from the Air Tech Challenge Jordan Retro 11 2, a classic Nike Tennis silhouette New Jordans that also inspired parts of the Nike Yeezy 2. Lastly, another is inspired by the “Medicine Ball” Air Trainer 3. All three of these new Legacy 312 colorways are slated to release August 11th, so enjoy another look at the trifecta while you wait, and be sure to Jordan Shoes let us know what your favorite colorway from the pack is too.


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Cloud storage and stream-back provider StreamNation has acquired PictureLife, a New York-based startup specializing in online photo storage, for an undisclosed amount.
StreamNation CEO Jonathan Benayassa announced the deal in an email to subscribers and media Thursday morning.
The idea behind StreamNation is to go beyond cloud-based, file-sharing offerings like Dropbox, from which users must download photo and video files before viewing them, and enable users to stream video and other media files directly from remote storage. It also allows users to share their files easily with friends; the company recently added a feature that enables users to automatically add content from other accounts--Facebook (NASDAQ: FB), Dropbox, Lightroom and Picasa among them--to their StreamNation account.
StreamNation already has a photo-storage element on its service, Shutter. Benayassa said that there are no short-term plans to change or remove Shutter, but the company is thinking about "next steps" for both services.
Meantime, integrating PictureLife into the company's service will take a bit of time. "We host our own servers while PictureLife is on Amazon cloud," Benayassa said in the announcement, explaining that the company's first priority is to merge the two platforms. After that it will deploy a single sign-in process for both accounts before completely integrating PictureLife into its infrastructure.
Like Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iCloud, StreamNation users get a limited amount of storage space for free (20 GB currently), and can pay for more storage capacity. PictureLife works in a similar manner.
Smaller online media providers like StreamNation have their work cut out for them, which partly explains the company's decision to add a second photo storage provider to its offerings. StreamNation services are similar to those provided by UltraViolet, the "digital locker" initiative launched in 2011 by a coalition of media and entertainment companies including Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA). That effort, to provide licensed digital content in a DRM-friendly environment, has sputtered along so far, crossing the 20 million user account mark in December and working with 13 content suppliers and 17 retail partners worldwide.
With both consumers and major media companies still less-than-thrilled with UltraViolet--for different reasons--there's room for niche companies like StreamNation to meet consumer demand for more convenient ways to share their content.
Further, competitors are starting to step into the segment: For example, a new startup called Wavelength takes advantage of UltraViolet's sharing arrangement--account holders can share their content with up to six family members--and enables them to share that content with anyone they choose. Wavelength's service is currently free.
There's an element of risk involved in StreamNation's sharing capabilities; after all, users are allowing their copy of a movie or TV show to be streamed by designated friends and family, something Hollywood industries would rather control. However, in its first year of existence, the industry has not gone after StreamNation to the degree that, say, broadcasters pursued linear TV-streaming service Aereo for copyright infringement.
- see this letter from StreamNation
UltraViolet finally hits 20M user account mark
Looking for content in all the wrong places: OTT executives puzzle out discovery
Lowenstein's View: Rethinking business models for mobile and content
Rumor mill: Amazon in talks to join Ultraviolet, threatening Apple's online content lead


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Australian Energy Council CEO Sarah McNamara says the energy sector is “heavily scrutinised” as the ACCC investigates soaring power prices.
“The ACCC already investigates the industry on an ongoing basis,” she told Sky News Australia.
She said the ACCC releases reports on the state of the markets twice per year, with a report released yesterday being the “May iteration of that regular reporting that the ACCC does”.
“The truth is, we’re a very highly regulated and heavily scrutinised sector and that’s a positive thing,” she said.
“It means that we can provide assurance to our customers that retailers and generators are doing the right thing.
“The unfortunate fact of the matter is costs are higher and that means the cost of delivering electricity to Australian homes and businesses is also rising.”Read MoreThe Australian