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The Microsoft-Nokia (Mokia) alliance is almost certain to fly, mobile experts believe, with a better choice for consumers and brands alike, while making life difficult for business favourite BlackBerry. Nokia remains the world's largest handset manufacturer, but its market share has been slipping for some time. Microsoft's Windows Phone remains a bit-player in the smartphone market.
But this is likely to change as Nokia's chief executive Stephen Elop signed a historic deal with Microsoft last week, the two companies making a strategic alliance to compete more effectively with their respective rivals – for Nokia the other handset manufacturers and for Microsoft Google's Android platform. For both — Apple.


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Farmers Department Store workers who are members of FIRST Union flooded through the doors of Silverdale Mall today and marched through the building to the surprise and delight of shoppers.
Recent weeks have seen a rash of strikes as Farmers Department Store workers strike for a living wage in line with competitor companies such as K Mart, Bunnings and even Mitre 10. “This action has been escalating” said FIRST Union Secretary, Tali Williams “and it will continue until Farmers Department Store call us and present us with a fair deal. “until then we fight”
“We want a living wage” said Linda Kamariera who has worked at Farmers Department store for 23 years. “Bunnings and K Mart have recognised the value of their employees. We want Farmers Department store to recognise us.”
Her colleague Judi Dixon agreed.
“We love our jobs and customers are important to us but we
are asking for the living wage so that our workmates can
afford to live. I know a colleague who had to take out a
loan to buy her kids Christmas presents. It’s just not
“And we know they can afford it. We are outside the Silverdale mall which Farmers owns, along with other developments, yet they are a low pay employer with a high turnover rate to match it.”

domain: news


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When Microsoft bought Nokia, which made reaching an agreement that no manufacturer or the company could use the name Nokia until 31 December 2015. After that period agreed, all we have remained expectantly before the announced return of Nokia to world of mobile telephony, but so far has not yet released any smartphone.
Last year Nokia made a first move by launching the Nokia N1, a tablet with mid-range made clear its intentions to bet on Android operating system. Since then we have been waiting the next step, the launch of a mobile, and although in recent weeks has been leaking a certain Nokia D1C still not clear or if it will be a mobile or whether it will be released this year or next.
The official return of Nokia mobile and tablets with Android operating system was definitely official this May, when the new Finnish company Oy HMD Global announced it had acquired the exclusive use of the Nokia brand for ten years. The CEO of this company is Arto Nummela, former head of devices for Asia, Middle East and Africa, Microsoft Mobile, and also has names like Florian Seiche, Vice President of Sales and marketing of Microsoft Mobile in Europe and former Nokia and HTC.
Nokia D1C, several leaks and some doubts
When we touchdown Nokia N1 us it was a bittersweet taste, because although the tablet was not bad it was far from being what the brand became a few years ago. Hence, since we have been waiting for a new mobile, which last year was said to come in 2016. In fact there were rumors about a hypothetical Nokia C1, at the end of 2015, but today have not yet materialized.
What has come are several leaks about a new device, a Nokia D1C that has already been walking for several benchmarks in recent days. In the registered specifications we could see that the device would equip a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (Octa-Core 64 – bit 1.4 GHz) and 3GB of RAM, all with Android 7.0 Nougat.
You may also like to read another article on YellowTube: Lumia 650 analysis of the appearances and cheat
However, a final filtration GFXBench that we met today alienates us from the smartphone concept to catalog this device as a tablet. Namely a full HD 13.8 – inch screen with Adreno 505 GPU, 16 and 32 GB of internal storage and the same Qualcomm processor with 3GB of RAM that had been talking so far.
The most amazing thing is the size filtration. 13.8 inches seems to us a little too much for a conventional tablet, which leaves the door open to other formats like a convertible. The device would also have SIM card slot and front and rear chambers 15 and 7 megapixels.
But in the event that these leaks are true, which the Nokia D1C all though being a tablet would not take that too were about to see the expected first mobile of the new Nokia. However, there are rumors that suggest that the company is preparing three or four devices, one east, two others that come with Snapdragon SoC 820 and a possible fourth smartphone or tablet.
Therefore all doors remain open, and it only would we know one last thing: When will present Nokia its device / s? The rumors we have been listening for months have always targeted this year, something that is perfectly seeing all possible leaks begin to appear. But looking at the dates on which we are not surprised to be left for CES or Mobile World Congress next year.


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Friends and Neighbors,
As the Legislature wraps up the third week of session I'm reminded of the old saying, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” Between Gov. Inslee and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, we've heard a lot of proposals this week to raise your taxes to increase government spending. But, as is typical in Olympia these days, there's far too little talk about improving the economy and getting people back to work. Here's my take on the week's events:
Gov: Raise taxes by $200,000,000
Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday proposed a $200 million tax hike. He claims it would be to pay for teacher cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) and school materials – even though the Legislature last year boosted K-12 funding by $1.5 billion.
Far too often I've seen budget writers move education money to social services, then come back and demand more from taxpayers. We need to review and revise past and current spending, and prioritize education – not raise taxes.
The governor wants to repeal seven different tax exemptions:
- Vehicle trade-ins valued at more than $10,000 – which would cost you more money the next time you buy a replacement automobile.
- Interstate transportation – would increase the cost of goods you buy.
- Recycled fuel used on-site in manufacturing – which could add to the retail price of gasoline.
- Nonresidents (sales tax) – would hurt retailers who depend on out-of-state shoppers.
- Bottled water – would tax you for making a healthy choice.
- Janitorial services – would add costs to employers, especially small businesses.
- Prescription drugs (business tax) – would add to the cost of your prescription medications (aren't they already expensive enough?!)
None of this is new. These tax increases have all been proposed before – some of them numerous times. In fact, in 2010 Washington voters overwhelmingly repealed the sales tax on bottled water (and carbonated beverages) that the Legislature and governor had imposed.
Raising these taxes wasn't a good idea then, and it's not a good idea now. Our economy is still too fragile and we have too many people still out of work more than five years after the recession started.
We need to keep the focus on jobs
This week the House debated a bill to impose mandatory paid “sick and safe” leave on all employers with five or more employees. If this bill were to become law, I believe it would have a devastating effect on job-creators, especially small business owners. You can watch my floor speech here.
As I mentioned in that speech, we still have 37,000 people unemployed five years after the recession started. If you consider population growth, we would realistically have to add 100,000 jobs in order to get back to our pre-recession employment levels. So the last thing we should be doing is punishing job-creators. We should do everything in our power to support them and enable them to rehire laid-off workers.
Thank you for your time. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, comments or concerns. Go Seahawks!


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Dedicated Android partner, Motorola Mobility, have been acquired by Google today in an announcement that was music to my ears. Google Inc. and Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc have entered into a definitive agreement under which Google will acquire Motorola Mobility for $40.00 per share in cash, or a total of about $12.5 billion, a premium of 63% to the closing price of Motorola Mobility shares on Friday, August 12, 2011.
Google CEO, Larry Page has a few things to say about the acquisition:
Motorola Mobility's total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.
Sanjay Jha, CEO of Motorola Mobility says:
This transaction offers significant value for Motorola Mobility's stockholders and provides compelling new opportunities for our employees, customers, and partners around the world. We have shared a productive partnership with Google to advance the Android platform, and now through this combination we will be able to do even more to innovate and deliver outstanding mobility solutions across our mobile devices and home businesses.
Whilst Andy Rubin, Senior Vice President of Mobile at Google chimes in with:
We expect that this combination will enable us to break new ground for the Android ecosystem. However, our vision for Android is unchanged and Google remains firmly committed to Android as an open platform and a vibrant open source community. We will continue to work with all of our valued Android partners to develop and distribute innovative Android-powered devices.
- > NEXT STORY: Microsoft discontinue glossy Xbox 360s, have gone Matte and can't go back
- < PREVIOUS STORY: Rochard, a PSN-exclusive side-scrolling platformer


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Cheating husbands and spouses maybe acquiring their unique merely desserts as debatable dating internet site Ashley Madison, which uses the marketing slogan “Life is quick. Need an affair,” is the latest brand name are push inside hacking spotlight after an a€?unprovoked and unlawful intrusiona€? into its programs.
The Avid existence Media (ALM) possessed organization, which produces cheating and turned into renowned following its attention-getting, and somewhat crass, advertisement jingle a€?i am trying to find someone other than my personal wifea€?, was actually last night generated alert to an effort by an unauthorised celebration trying to get access to the methods.
The bungle ways buyer info got reached plus its believe the hackers could have acquired information like people’ key sexual dreams and matching bank card transactions.
The hackers, just who also known as on their own The effects teams, stated that they had were able to steal the true names and address of web site’s users, such as those people that got formerly paid a charge to erase their unique account.
While many group question the Ashley Madison site’s moral waiting, it’s consumers however have earned privacy they certainly were guaranteed and also the site’s problem to produce that is a life threatening issue.
Scores of consumers directed
An on-line letter, considered from the hackers, which AdNews found online, said: a€?we’re the effect Team. There is hacked them totally, overpowering their own whole office and manufacturing domain names and a great deal of programs, as well as over the last few years have taken all visitors records databases, complete resource signal repositories, economic reports, paperwork, and email, once we prove here. And it also ended up being smooth. For a company whoever biggest hope was secrecy, its as if you did not even decide to try, like you planning you’d never pissed individuals off.a€?
The letter proceeded to state that despite a few of ALM’s internet specifically guaranteeing “removal of site consumption history and yourself identifiable information through the site”, that just isn’t true and promises it offers all registers. It even goes on to incorporate tackles and fancy connected with pages.
a€?Too detrimental to those people. They’re cheating dirtbags and are entitled to no these discernment,” the hackers stated. Too harmful to ALM, your promised secrecy but did not create. Offering the entire set of profiles within our DB deposits, therefore we’ll release them eventually if Ashley Madison stays on the web.”
Using more than 37 million members, generally through the people and Canada, it added that a substantial portion of population got a€?about to have a really terrible day, including a lot of wealthy and strong peoplea€?.
Entirely PR crisis form, ALM verified there have been an “intrusion” but http://www.besthookupwebsites.org/atheist-dating have not disclosed the full extent of what data got jeopardized.
a€?We apologise because of this unprovoked and criminal invasion into all of our customersa€™ ideas. We now have constantly met with the privacy your customersa€™ details most important inside our minds, and also have got stringent security measures set up, including working together with respected they sellers worldwide,a€? the company mentioned.
They said it absolutely was able to protected their internet sites, close the unauthorised access details and exhausted it is currently working with police organizations, which have been examining the a€?criminal acta€?.
a€?Any and all sorts of activities in charge of this work of cybera€“terrorism will be held responsible,a€? an ALM representative added.
It said that contrary to current news states, and considering accusations published on the web by a “cyber criminal”, the paid-delete option available from AshleyMadison do actually pull all information related to a membera€™s profile and marketing and sales communications task.
a€?The procedure requires a hard-delete of an asking for usera€™s visibility, like the elimination of uploaded images and all communications delivered to different system usersa€™ mail cartons. This program was created as a result of specific affiliate needs just for this type of something, and created predicated on their unique feedback,a€? an ALM spokesman said.
The firm had been not able to tell AdNews the degree of brand name problems and just what their subsequent steps comprise to safeguard their already dubious brand a€“ it really is advertisement had been the most reported about in Australia last year.
Brand support shot
PR pros, who didn’t wish to be known as, mentioned this will be a brand’s worst horror and is a€?chaosa€? for a brand name. She stated the days of ALM’s brand loyalty could be better and undoubtedly recorded.
a€?It’s far even worse than a grocery store or merchandising data breach as it is not only a dating website, but because it promotes additional martial affairs, this has extremely really serious effects and wide-ranging and life-shattering effects if personal users are unearthed,a€? people stated.
a€?we’ve got a crisis implementation techniques, nevertheless when it comes to a data violation you will find in fact only a great deal we could perform whilst hangs on exterior communities a€“ for example. IT and top administration to truly get a grip on they. If it taken place inside my team we’d wanted an external IT team that we use in the future in immediately as men we’ve cannot to explore this type of sophisticated hacking programs and would not be capable rectify this independently.
a€?Our job PR-side would be to sooth and guarantee as most useful we could and permit anyone realize that we’ve a handle upon it. ALM have inked two PR changes on its web site up until now, which in my mind is no place close adequate.a€?
An ALM spokesman extra that customersa€™ privacy had been regarding the a€?utmost concerna€? and as such, is now offer the full-delete choice free to any associate, in light with the information a€“ it might just be a touch too late.
a€?Our staff of forensics specialist and protection workers, in addition to police force, are continuing to investigate this incident and we will still give news because they come to be available.a€? a spokesman put.a€?
Only finally thirty days a zombie-themed Ashley Madison ad which a€?depicts relationships as deada€?, drew the ire associated with the marketing expectations agency (ASB) for its unacceptable depiction of assault.
It advertising demonstrates a zombie woman going right through the lady typical, boring life. At some point she retains a baseball bat over the woman sleeping mate until she notices a television advertisement for Ashley Madison, in which she is after that found, converted to regular, with all the presumption she’s got got an affair.
The advert gotten a number of grievances for its depiction of violence and remedy for intercourse. As a result on latest perseverance Ashley Madison eliminated the scene revealing the woman keeping the baseball bat, but is going to continue working the current advertisement.


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Just days after the Al-Yousuf Group bought $475,000 of Zap's convertible debt, the president of that group, Eqbal Al Yousuf, was named chairman of Zap. This is not the first time Zap and Al-Yousuf came together: last November, the group (based in the United Arab Emirates) bought $5 million worth of ZAP shares and Eqbal Al-Yousuf has been on ZAP's Board of Directors since December. Al-Yousuf will become Zap's chairman on June 2. According to Zawya, Zap is the only non-UAE company the Al-Yousuf Gr
There's some interesting financial activity going these days in the electric vehicle realm and it wouldn't be surprising to see some consolidation happen soon. In the past year Phoenix Motorcars and Zap have trailed only the Tesla Roadster and Chevy Volt in attention for battery-propelled vehicles. Unfortunately for both companies (and Tesla) revenues have not been in proportion to press coverage and as we all know building a complete vehicle is not a trivial challenge.


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December: Single Biggest Month In PlayStation 3 History
We know the PlayStation 3 had its best holiday season ever - 3.8 million units sold worldwide, a 76% year-over-year increase - but Sony has more to add, saying December was one very big month in more ways then one.
According to the latest batch of statistics sent from Sony, December 2009 was the "single highest selling month for PS3 hardware and software since it launch in the US;" a total of a 90% leap in hardware sales and a 60% rise in software sales. Not surprisingly, the biggest titles of the month were Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, God of War Collection and LittleBigPlanet Game of the Year Edition. Of that aforementioned 3.8 million number, 1.7 million were sold in North America, and the PlayStation Network also enjoyed its single highest revenue month as well. Perhaps fittingly, the most activity on the Network was found on Christmas Day. Currently, there are now over 670 games available on the PSN and according to recent estimates, there are about 38 million registered Network accounts, which is a pretty damn impressive number for just over three years. Lastly, the top downloads of December were revealed; Final Fantasy VIII topped the list with PixelJunk Shooter, Final Fantasy VII, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and Resident Evil 2 rounding out the top 5. Yes, December was a momentous, landmark month for the PS3 and they remind us to look forward into 2010, when they expect to gain even more ground on the competition.
Exclusive software really is starting to make its mark this generation, and in looking at the first quarter of 2010, one would have to think that Sony's machine once again has the advantage.
1/13/2010 9:24:21 PM Ben Dutka


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Monday 16th January 2017
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The independent directors of Hellaby Holdings now support a takeover bid by ASX-listed auto parts firm Bapcor after the offer was declared unconditional.
Bapcor wants Hellaby for its automotive business and plans to sell its equipment, resources and footwear businesses. The deal will give it a foothold in the New Zealand market, where car sales have been hitting record levels over the last three years due to a rapid increase in population and fast growing economy. On Friday Bapcor declared the $3.60-per-share offer unconditional, after it secured more than 50 percent of the shares, and extended the closing date to Feb. 7. As of this morning, it owned 56 percent of Hellaby.
Hellaby's independent directors had previously opposed the takeover, arguing the offer undervalued the business and should come with a further 18 cent per share dividend. Today, Hellaby chairman Steve Smith said that while the directors still think the offer potentially undervalues the company, Bapcor gaining a majority shareholding "adds significant risk to any future delivery of additional value to current shareholders" so the board has changed its recommendation.
"Shareholders who retain their Hellaby shares will be in a minority position with little influence, in a company with a majority shareholder, which has a different strategy to that set by Hellaby’s current board," the directors said. "Bapcor has also advised that it plans to appoint a majority of its nominees to the Hellaby board. The new Hellaby board will then be able to re-set strategy, including the potential divestment of existing businesses and change Hellaby’s capital management, including dividend and borrowing policies."
The directors said shareholders might not have another opportunity to sell their shares for the same or more after the offer closes, as there will likely be a reduction in liquidity and the share price after the offer closes.
"The independent directors advise that Hellaby shareholders should act promptly to ensure acceptances are received before the end of the offer period
Hellaby shares last traded at $3.57 and have gained 23 percent in the past 12 months.
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Food shortage is next, inflation to go to 'the moon,' gold will rebound - Todd Horwitz
(Kitco News) - "We are probably going to have a food shortage next year based on what's going on with Russia and Ukraine, because those two countries supply 30% of the wheat crop," predicted Todd 'Bubba' Horwitz, Chief Market Strategist at BubbaTrading.com. "Mother nature is not cooperating in the United States, following Australia and Brazil both having bad planting seasons. Inflation is going to the moon; we are only in the early stages of it."
Horwitz discussed inflation and the gold market with David Lin, Anchor at Kitco News.
"We already have supply chain issues, so retailers are having a big problem making money, because they are not getting enough goods to sell," Horwitz stated.
Horwitz explained that food and energy are our number one expenses barring an emergency or if we need something replaced in our homes. "If you have food and energy prices going to Pluto, people must decide how much they can drive versus how much they can eat. We are paying so much more at the pump," Horowitz emphasized. "Oil was $30 a barrel after the election, but now it's about $100 a barrel."
"All these prices are going much higher, especially anything that has to do with wheat, soybeans or corn, because those prices are also exploding," Horwitz continued.
Speaking about a possible food shortage next year, Horwitz noted, "If mother nature doesn't cooperate, and so far, she is not, there's going to be a food shortage. It may not affect Canada or the United States, because those countries will be able to pay more for food. But it will impact many of the poorer countries. You can bet there will be a war in Egypt, because they need Russian wheat for the bread they consume."
Regarding why gold is not acting as a hedge against stock market declines and inflation now, Horwitz stressed "Gold is never a hedge against equities. That is a misnomer. Gold is a hard asset, it's a hard asset commodity that is under some pressure here. Remember where gold just was. It was under $1,800 an ounce. It's now up almost to $1,900, and it's close to $2,000," he explained.
Horwitz said he has a bullish outlook on gold prices. "I think gold will find a bottom, and it will do what it always does. It will rise in time. We cannot look at markets from second to second based on what they are benchmarked against, or what's going to drive them. Right now, you have a little bit of panic going on and everyone is selling."
"I think gold will reach new highs this year. I also expect to see silver make a nice run. I don't think silver is going to reach new highs of $50 an ounce, but I do think silver will go above $30," Horwitz added.
In this inflationary macro environment, Horwitz pointed out that people are looking for places to invest their money. "I am a big believer in buying gold. I think you must be able to buy what you can afford, then store it or take delivery," he said. "I think paper gold (paper certificates used in place of physical gold) is what caused a lot of these bigger swings. There's not enough gold in the world to cover all the paper that's out there. I would never own paper gold if I was looking for a long-term protective investment."
For more on the gold market and inflation, please watch the full video above.
Follow David Lin on Twitter: @davidlin_TV
Follow Kitco News on Twitter: @KitcoNewsNOW


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UBERDOC, Inc. Teams Up with Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC to Expand Access to Direct-Pay Prescriptions
The UBERDOC and Cost Plus Drugs relationship provides consumers and employers greater access and transparency to prescriptions by engaging through doctors at the point of care.
Boston, MA — January 24, 2023
UBERDOC, Inc., a digital healthcare platform that connects patients to top doctors for transparent prices, announced today it is teaming with Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC (Cost Plus Drugs) to offer consumers and businesses better access to affordable, cash pay medications through UBERDOC’s nationwide network of 4,000 doctors.
UBERDOC allows care seekers with any or no insurance to quickly book doctor’s appointments for a guaranteed price, without network restrictions or referrals. The platform currently hosts over 4,000 doctors that cover 50+ specialties from primary care to pediatric oncology, with over 20,000 available appointments every week. By using UBERDOC, the average care seeker is seen by a doctor 4 weeks faster and saves 20% on their out-of-pocket costs.
Cost Plus Drugs, launched in 2022 by its entrepreneurial namesake, is disrupting the pharmaceutical industry with transparent drug pricing and minimal markups and fees. The company charges consumers only 15% more than it pays to buy a drug from the manufacturer, along with a $3 per-prescription dispensing fee, and shipping.
Like Cost Plus Drugs, UBERDOC is disrupting the traditional healthcare system, by removing restrictions and hidden prices, through a transparent model that never requires a referral. Through its relationship with Cost Plus Drugs, UBERDOC is able to extend patient cost savings for their members beyond the visit with their doctor.
UBERDOC CEO and Founder Dr. Paula Muto views this as a critical synergy for delivering transparent, affordable care.
– Dr. Paula Muto – UBERDOC CEO & Founder
This alignment of mission makes the collaboration between Cost Plus Drugs and UBERDOC a valuable opportunity for the patients and doctors who need it most.
The collaboration between UBERDOC and Cost Plus Drugs puts a new tool in the hands of doctors who are increasingly asked to support patients’ financial needs, in addition to providing healthcare. Over 100 Million Americans currently struggle to afford healthcare and only 7% feel the healthcare they get is worth the cost. This relationship allows doctors to share affordable prices directly with patients, regardless of their insurance plan or status. UBERDOC’s network of doctors sees traditional insurance, Medicare, and uninsured patients, giving them the ability to offer Cost Plus Drugs’ prices to everyone regardless of their insurance status.
“We are excited to work with UBERDOC to bring lower prescription drug prices to consumers. Cost Plus Drugs and UBERDOC share a common goal of providing consumers with the lowest possible price for their prescription medication. With Cost Plus Drugs, consumers can be confident they are getting a fair price and the convenience of medication mailed directly to their homes.”
– Alex Oshmyansky – CEO of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug
Contact: Brianna Socci, COO, email@example.com
About Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company


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An attendee tries a pair of Nreal mixed-reality glasses on the MWC Shanghai exhibition in Shanghai, China, on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021.
Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Photographs
GUANGZHOU, China — Chinese language augmented actuality (AR) glasses maker Nreal has raised $100 million to fund worldwide enlargement and develop new merchandise.
Augmented actuality refers to expertise that permits digital pictures to be imposed over the true world and it is an space that the world’s largest expertise firms are investing in.
The funding spherical values Nreal at $700 million, an individual with direct information of the matter instructed CNBC. The individual was not approved to talk publicly in regards to the valuation.
Nreal declined to touch upon the valuation.
Chi Xu, CEO of Nreal, instructed CNBC that the corporate plans to spend the cash on analysis and growth in addition to increasing its footprint globally.
“China is certainly an enormous market, and (we plan) to enter that market subsequent 12 months, and likewise the U.S .and perhaps extra international locations as nicely,” Xu mentioned.
Nreal has not launched its AR glasses in China but, however its flagship product — the Nreal Gentle — has been retailing in a handful of markets together with South Korea, Japan and Spain.
Nreal Gentle is a pair of light-weight glasses which connects to a smartphone. Customers can then expertise so-called combined actuality apps, the place digital pictures are superimposed over the true world.
The beginning-up’s backers embrace numerous main traders together with Nio Capital, the funding arm of electrical carmaker Nio in addition to enterprise firm Sequoia Capital China.
Xu known as Nio Capital a strategic investor and sees a possible for the 2 firms to work collectively.
“Having AR and EV (electrical autos) collectively, that may be very fascinating going ahead … there’s one thing I could be certain (of) is there’s going to be increasingly more EVs on the streets. Individuals will spend extra time of their vehicles, so a mixture of AR and the automotive, that can unleash a number of different potentialities.”
Xu mentioned that Nreal will introduce a brand new product subsequent week and could not give too many particulars forward of its launch.
Nonetheless, the CEO mentioned the brand new glasses can have a “full new design,” and can be lighter, extra snug and cheaper than the present Nreal Gentle mannequin.
“This product with a cheaper price level, this may be a lot simpler to penetrate these different markets, like China … and elsewhere,” Xu mentioned.
The brand new glasses will nonetheless plug right into a telephone and Xu hopes the brand new options will encourage individuals to make use of it every day.
International tech giants are getting enthusiastic about augmented actuality.
Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner has known as AR the “next big thing” and the iPhone maker is reportedly engaged on a headset. Facebook, Microsoft, Google and different expertise firms are all investing in augmented actuality too.
Xu mentioned he welcomes the competitors from these titans. “I feel one of the best product will win,” he mentioned.
Nreal has its personal working system known as Nebula that runs on its headsets. Like Apple with iOS on iPhones, builders could make apps for Nebula which individuals can then use through Nreal headsets.
Having compelling apps on AR headsets can be key to their success and Nreal is attempting to lure builders onto Nebula. The corporate presently has 8,000 builders on the platform.
Apple’s mannequin depends on it taking sometimes a 15% to 30% minimize of product sales from purchases in apps distributed by way of its App Retailer. That is the way it generates a few of its providers income.
However that mannequin has come beneath fireplace. Builders weren’t allowed to cost customers immediately for in-app purchases. As a substitute, they needed to undergo Apple’s in-app funds system. Then Apple would take a minimize.
Epic Video games, the developer of hit sport “Fortnite,” introduced a authorized problem towards Apple in August final 12 months. This month, a judge issued an injunction that mentioned Apple cannot prohibit builders from offering hyperlinks or different communication directing customers away from Apple in-app buying.
“We now have been seeing a number of adjustments with Apple’s enterprise mannequin. With the newest lawsuit between Apple and Epic, persons are going to rethink this enterprise mannequin,” Xu mentioned.
“We should always provide a extra pleasant enterprise mannequin to builders.”
The CEO mentioned that may imply decreasing the commissions that an app retailer run by Nreal can take. It might additionally imply offering extra providers to builders, similar to advertising and serving to them to enhance their merchandise.
Xu known as it a “win-win state of affairs.”
Whereas Nreal is specializing in increasing merchandise and international locations, Xu told CNBC in a July interview that the corporate is seeking to go public inside 5 years.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/23/chinese-ar-glasses-firm-nreal-raises-100-million-in-new-funding.html | Chinese language AR glasses agency Nreal raises $100 million in new funding


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The Troy-based Suburban Collection announced today its acquisition of two dealerships — BMW of Ann Arbor and Mercedes-Benz of Ann Arbor — from Charlotte, N.C.-based Sonic Automotive. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Combined, the two new dealerships will add 75 employees to the Suburban Collection, bringing the automotive group’s overall employee count to more than 2,000 professionals.
“These stores presented an ideal opportunity for the Suburban Collection to not only widen our footprint in Ann Arbor, but also to bring additional marquee brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz to our portfolio,” says David T. Fischer, chairman and CEO of the Suburban Collection.
The company’s other Ann Arbor locations include Suburban Chevrolet Cadillac, Suburban Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, and Suburban Alfa Romeo and Fiat.
The announcement comes two weeks after the Suburban Collection’s acquisition of Don Massey Cadillac in Plymouth and Cadillac of Lansing — both from Sonic Automotive.
Suburban BMW of Ann Arbor and Suburban Mercedes-Benz of Ann Arbor are at 501 Auto Mall Dr. and 570 Auto Mall Dr., respectively.
Overall, the Suburban Collection, has nearly 50 dealerships in Michigan, Florida, and California, operates auto repair and collision centers, and runs GM-authorized accessory distributors and installers in Michigan, Florida, and Chicago. It also manages a fleet of historical vehicles for GM. Richard Fischer founded the company in Troy in 1948.


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Top: Pawn Manager Angel Wallace displays the stack of NRA memberships generated through the Taurus promotion, along with a Taurus PT 1911 and Judge Public Defender.
On the surface, it would appear that Larry’s Pistol and Pawn shop in northern Alabama deals strictly in Taurus pistols. While Larry’s indeed sells many other top brands of firearms, the fact that more than 1,000 new Taurus guns flew off the shelves between August 21 and Sept. 26, 2015, is a testament that the store is also selling the future of the Second Amendment.
You see, with each Taurus pistol sold, the buyer walks away with a free one-year NRA membership. “A good number of buyers were prompted to buy Taurus handguns because of the free NRA memberships,” said store owner Larry Barnett, who overheard many of the buyers admit that they had always intended to join NRA, but now they had another good reason.
Among the most popular of the Taurus guns sold during the 30-day event were the Millennium G2 semi-automatics, .45-410 Judge revolvers, Model 85 revolvers and Model 738 .380 semi-automatics—guns that tend to be popular with new shooters, first-time buyers, and those looking for affordable concealed-carry pistols.
Barnett is as passionate about defending the Second Amendment as he is on following through on his beliefs. In operation for more than 40 years with hopes of seeing at least 40 more, the wave of attacks on gun ownership has brought out the fighter in Barnett. So he decided to send support to those at the frontlines of the Second Amendment fight, the National Rifle Association.
“The NRA is a major force in the support of the Second Amendment that never muffles its voice or pulls back when the fights gets tough,” Barnett said. “The NRA protects that thin line that gives Second Amendment rights a functioning place in an atmosphere where some folks actively want it repealed.”
Barnett added that recruiting new members is an important element in the protection of Americans’ basic Right to Keep and Bear Arms, so shortly after a Huntsville Friends of NRA meeting in August, with the support of more than 400 Friends of NRA, Larry teamed up with Taurus USA to generate as many new NRA memberships as possible.
“The NRA is on the leading edge of protecting our rights and freedoms under the Second Amendment,” said Taurus Director of Marketing Tim Brandt. “Without their tireless efforts, all of our customers who use our firearms to protect themselves and their families everyday would be limited in their ability to do so.”
Taurus will continue to offer a free NRA membership with the purchase of a Taurus firearm throughout 2016. “We feel very strongly about this program,” said Brandt.
Larry’s Pistol and Pawn is a two-store operation, with its original Huntsville-based shop a staple in the community since 1973. Customers come again and again to buy, sell and trade new or used firearms, firearm accessories and ammunition. Patrons also never forget to use the “Ammo Dump,” the pawn shop’s first-class indoor shooting facility within the Huntsville location. A second store recently opened in neighboring Madison. For more, visit Larry’s Pistol and Pawn. For more on Taurus firearms, visit taurususa.com.


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Hannan named to board of SFI
Georgia-Pacific CEO and president Jim Hannan has been elected to the independent Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) board of directors.
"I have great respect and appreciation for the work SFI does to promote responsible forest management and sustainable forestry," said Hannan. "All of us who depend on the future of our forests need to continue to work together to achieve our shared goals, and I am pleased to play a role in that crucial process."
SFI’s governance represents environmental, social and economic sectors equally to meet the many needs of forests and communities. SFI’s 18-member board includes representatives of public and private landowners, manufacturers of forest products, conservation groups, academia, aboriginal interests, community organizations, labor and government officials.
NLBMDA chief O’Brien to speak at ProDealer Industry Summit
Among the five speakers scheduled to present at the 2013 ProDealer Industry Summit is Michael O’Brien, CAE, who is president and CEO of the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Assocation (NLBMDA).
At the helm of the association, O’Brien is in charge of the day-to-day as well as various strategic initiatives. He oversees lobbying, grassroots and political action campaigns for the organization, as well as operative functions such as membership services, public relations, federation relations, industry relations and financial management.
The ProDealer Industry Summit, which is hosted jointly by HCN and the NLBMDA, will take place in Nashville, Tenn., this Oct. 23-25 and will provide educational and networking opportunities for dealers, distributors, wholesalers and manufacturers.
Scotts to acquire Tomcat rodent control business
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company has agreed to acquire Bell Laboratories’s Tomcat consumer rodent control business.
"Consumer rodent control is an attractive and growing category in which a vast number of our consumers already participate," said Barry Sanders, Scotts Miracle-Gro president and COO. "While our limited line of Ortho Home Defense rodent control products have brought innovation to the category since 2009, the addition of the Tomcat consumer business allows us to significantly expand our global commercial footprint. With a strong consumer brand and full line of rodent control products we are better able to serve both our consumers and our retail partners."
Scotts will assume ownership of the Tomcat brand and will enter into a long-term partnership with the company to promote rodent control technologies to consumers. The terms of the transaction are as of yet undisclosed.
"This transaction is consistent with the strategic direction we have articulated," said Jim Hagedorn, chairman and CEO of Scotts Miracle-Gro. "It is complementary to our existing controls business and fills a gap in our current product offering."
The acquisition is expected to be accretive to Scotts Miracle-Gro’s operating margin beginning in the 2014 fiscal year.
Tomcat products are currently sold in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.


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WASHINGTON — Want to know what the 2012 presidential campaign will look like? Tune in Friday as President Barack Obama travels to Toledo, Ohio, to visit a Chrysler plant.
With Chrysler's recent announcement that it's repaying a federal loan six years ahead of schedule, Obama is going to brag about how his controversial policies saved the U.S. auto industry from collapse and with it hundreds of thousands of jobs, if not the entire economy.
He'll go armed with plenty of bragging points — a rebounding U.S. auto industry hiring back 115,000 workers, factories adding shifts in such states as Indiana, Kansas, Michigan and Ohio, and a vast network of suppliers across the industrial Midwest who stayed in business. Even sales to China are increasing.
And since the visit has all trappings of a campaign commercial, don't be surprised if footage ends up in an actual ad later. This is going to be one of the top issues in the campaign, played out in key battleground states.
Obama will be running straight at one of the Republicans' chief complaints about him — his vast federal spending and the federal bailout and takeover of two huge auto companies at the height of the Great Recession. They called it government run amok, socialism, even fascism, when he did it. Now he'll call it a success, as he tries to frame a fundamental debate about the role of government heading into next year's elections for control of the White House and Congress.
"A lot of people said you're throwing good money after bad; you'll never get out; these companies are not savable," said Ron Bloom, the assistant to the president for manufacturing policy.
"But I think the president demonstrated both great political courage as well as great faith in the men and women who work at these companies and their stakeholders, and so far at least I think we're seeing very good signs of progress."
No stranger to bailing out the auto industry — Chrysler itself was saved by federal loan guarantees in 1979 — the U.S. auto industry by 2008 was losing 120,000 jobs a month and was on the ropes.
President George W. Bush dispatched a quick $17.4 billion in loans. The automakers sought more help shortly after Obama took office. After demanding structural changes and cost savings, Obama lent more money, forced Chrysler into a partnership with Fiat, and essentially took control of General Motors.
Republicans and conservatives ripped Obama.
"The leading edge of the Obama administration's war on capitalism," said Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas.
"It's the road toward socialism," said Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala.
"We have tried the concept of fascism in a sense here, with the government owning, operating and advising the means of production in the case of the United Auto Workers, General Motors, Chrysler," said conservative icon Rush Limbaugh.
The debate will carry into the contest for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
Former Gov. Mitt Romney, who launched his campaign on Thursday, also opposed Obama's federal takeover. "The last thing America needs is to have one of our major car companies, actually two, for that matter, being run by the government," he said in 2009.
Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, a rival candidate, also opposed the federal role. "This is sadly reminiscent of the kinds of things we would expect from South America some decades ago. We're seeing the nationalization of the auto industry," he said at the time.
Conservatives insist that conventional bankruptcy would have forced the needed changes and saved the auto industry without Uncle Sam getting involved. Obama on Friday likely will assert anew that he never wanted to take such a bold step into the private sector, but that frozen credit markets left no private-sector alternative to save the industry.
Either way, the results show a rebound at Chrysler, GM and Ford — which didn't seek federal help but endorsed it to keep the industry's vast network of suppliers running.
Results highlights since GM and Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy in 2009:
- 115,000 new jobs at the so-called Detroit Three
Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the auto bailout wasn't the two struggling carmakers but the supply chain that provides parts and materials for them and the rest of the industry.
"Trying to differentiate between who won, or who gained the most, it's tough, because it really had a very positive effect on many parts of the supply chain, all the way down to people who work in restaurants around the manufacturers, people who work in dealerships, the waitress who never stepped foot in the plant but worked nearby," said Rebecca Lindland, an automotive industry analyst for researcher IHS Global Insight.
Overlaying the entire story is the political map, with auto plants and suppliers spread throughout the Midwest, many in critical swing election states such as Ohio, and auto dealers in every community in the country.
Obama will meet Friday, for example, with owners of small businesses from around Toledo who would have suffered had the plant closed.
White House aides pointed to the success of a Chrysler transmission plant in Kokomo, Ind., where the jobless rate has dropped from 20.1 percent in 2009 to 9.3 percent in April. Indiana is a state that Obama won away from the Republicans in 2008, and one he hopes to win again in 2012.
(Kevin G. Hall contributed to this story.)
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For more McClatchy politics coverage visit Planet Washington


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Greene King sales growth defies the economic gloom
PUBS and brewing group Greene King continued to defy the economic slowdown over the Christmas and New Year period, new figures showed today.
The Bury St Edmunds-based company said like-for-like sales at Greene King Retail, its directly managed pubs and restaurants division, were up 8.2% over the last seven weeks, with food sales 11.1% ahead on a like-for-like basis.
Average earnings per pub within Pub Partners, its tenanted and leased pub estate, were 5.9% ahead while in its Brewing & Brands division, own-brewed volumes for its core beer brands were 7.4% up on the same period a year earlier.
Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand said: “This was another strong performance driven by the strength of our business and our continued commitment to providing unrivalled value, service and quality to our customers.
“It is clear that even in these difficult times, customers still look for enjoyment and some respite from the financial pressures they are facing.
“Across the UK, the pub becomes the real heart of the community during Christmas. Supported by better weather conditions than in the previous year, we saw record Christmas bookings and our like-for-like sales in Christmas week were up 17%.
“Food sales were �1.7m on Christmas Day alone, and we sold 365,000 Christmas meals in December, another record for Greene King.”
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Greene King said that, for the first 37 weeks of its financial year to date, up to January 15, like-for-like sales from the retail division were up 4.7%, with food showing like-for-like growth of 6.3%.
The group’s three major acquisitions of 2011, Cloverleaf, Realpubs and the Capital Pub Company, had all traded “very well” over Christmas, and further progress had been made under its retail expansion strategy with the addition of a further six sites.
“We continue to expect that full year margins in Greene King Retail will be in line with the previous financial year,” it said.
Pub Partners also continued to perform well, it said, with like-for-like earnings growth per pub of 3.4% in the first 36 weeks of the financial year. Although total like-for-like earnings were 0.4% down, the division’s core estate was in growth for the year so far. A further 21 non-core pubs had been disposed of since the half-year stage.
The Brewing & Brands business was now showing year-to-date volume growth of 2.9%, compared with an overall 6.1% decline in the UK ale market in the five months to November, with Old Speckled Hen, the UK’s number one premium ale brand, among those showing particularly strong growth.
“Overall, our profit, cashflow and balance sheet remain in line with our expectations,” Greene King added.
“Although we expect another difficult environment for the UK consumer in 2012, we remain confident that we will continue to deliver growth and value to our shareholders, driven by the strength of business, our retail expansion strategy and our focus on offering unrivalled value, service and quality to our customers.”


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The company’s stock closed up 22 percent after quarterly results improved more than analysts expected.
The company also said Friday that it’s working with other retailers to implement higher standards for workers in Bangladesh factories.
Reconnecting with the customer “won’t happen overnight,” but CEO Mike Ullman projected confidence Thursday.
The University of Texas Co-op will be the first college bookstore in Texas to install the RadioShack-branded shelves stocked with hot items like headphones and accessories from Beats by Dr. Dre.
The seats of four directors may be shaky, if big shareholders follow analysts’ advice at Friday’s annual meeting.
Its stock price has been climbing since last week amid Mother’s Day discounts and reports of shopper traffic picking up.
The deadly clothing factory building collapse in Bangladesh put a spotlight on the sobering fact that people in poor countries often risk their lives in unsafe factories to make the clothes Westerners covet.
Arhaus Furniture and Fixtures Living will move into the mall space vacated by Barneys New York.
Returning CEO Myron “Mike” Ullman’s first step was to stabilize Penney’s finances. Now he’s facing bigger challenges.
TPG Capital and Warburg Pincus LLC are exploring a sale or public offering of Neiman Marcus Group Inc. eight years after acquiring the luxury retailer.
The warehouse expects to begin hiring this summer to fill more than 200 jobs, allowing the chain to rev up its expansion.
CEO Gary Winterhalter told analysts he would let them know when women stopped caring about gray hair.
Appeals court denies Macy’s request to temporarily bar J.C. Penney Co. from selling some goods designed by Martha Stewart Living.
Properties long on the retailer’s books secured a $1.75 billion loan to complete its store transformations.
The five-year loan will be secured with real estate and an interest in substantially all other assets of the company and certain subsidiaries.
Penney declined to comment, calling reports that Goldman Sachs had arranged a $1.75 billion financing package “hearsay.”
Departing chief talent officer Dan Walker and chief operating officer Michael Kramer were among the first to be hired by Johnson.
Lincoln Property Co. has quietly updated its plans for the huge makeover of Dallas' Turtle Creek Village complex.
Joe Magnacca says he is focusing on “gaps and opportunities” to turn the Fort Worth-based electronics retailer around.
The Plano-based rent-to-own company’s U.S. stores faced “macro headwinds” such as higher payroll taxes, its CEO said.
Some of Penney’s assets have been on its books for decades. The easiest real estate holdings have already been sold in the last few months.
New CEO Mike Ullman has wasted no time making sure the retailer can cover expenses and pay for its new home shops.
Many thought Ron Johnson would get a couple more quarters to prove his strategy. But sales didn’t materialize, and the retailer was burning cash.
On Friday, a judge will rule on Penney’s ongoing dispute with Macy’s over Martha Stewart home merchandise.
The Stock reaches a 12-year low after Ron Johnson’s ouster and the return of CEO Myron “Mike” Ullman.
Ullman said his initial read is that “we have a lot of work to do,” but he didn't get specific.
Johnson joined Penney from Apple Inc. in 2011 with a mandate to transform the store. Johnson's personal currency devalued significantly last week.
Nonetheless, Americans are finding relief in falling gasoline prices and cheaper borrowing costs, which will prevent a slump, analysts say.
Ron Johnson gave Allen Questrom a glimpse of the retailer’s shops-within-stores strategy, part of its massive makeover.
Retailers step up offers, train employees and develop online pricing tools as spring blossoms into a season of new phones.
It’s believed to be the first to study e-commerce and its impact on consumers and markets.
Last year, Dr Pepper Snapple Group saw sales volume slip by 0.5 percent, compared with a 2.5 percent fall for PepsiCo and 1 percent for Coca-Cola.
The brainchild of a 34-year-old Dallas native, Reviver is like Febreze for clothes, except it is a dry, Post-it-size clothing wipe.
Tom Shull, the CEO of the Dallas-based Army & Air Force Exchange Service, is the first retailer to hold the job.
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NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART NISSAN 3S CENTRE OPENS IN NAY PYI TAW with the Introduction of The All-New Nissan Terra
February 2019 – Edaran Tan Chong Motor (Myanmar) Co., Ltd. (“ETCMM”), Distributor of Nissan vehicles and a wholly owned subsidiary of Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad (Malaysia); achieved another milestone today, as it announced its latest network expansion into Nay Pyi Taw through its latest dealer appointment, Shin Thant Tat Sar (NPT) Co., Ltd. (“STTS”).U Myo Zaw, Chairman of Shin Thant Tit Sar mentioned in his welcome speech, “We are proud to be part of an established Nissan Dealers Family and very proud to open the very first Nissan 3S Showroom in Nay Pyi Taw to cater to the local market demands”.
At the recent state-of-the-art New Nissan ‘3S’ Centre Opening Ceremony, Mr. Wong Seap Hong, Managing Director of Edaran Tan Chong Motor Myanmar said in his speech, “The new full-fledged Nissan ‘3S’ Showroom, which stands-for Sales, Service and Spare-parts will be the first Nissan showroom in Nay Pyi Taw by STTS to offer full customer service facilities ranging from Sales to Aftersales services.”
Mr. Wong further adds, “in conjunction with the opening ceremony, Nissan is also introducing the fully imported from Thailand All-New Nissan TERRA which is all-capable, all-practical, and reliable for everyday use while also giving our customers the ability to switch from normal daily life to becoming adventurous”.
Tan Chong Motor Myanmar currently has a dealer network of six Sales and Aftersales outlets throughout the nation to meet the increasing number of Nissan vehicles in the country, and with more network expansion in plans.


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In this article we catch up with Trewin Restorick from Eating Better alliance partner Hubbub. We wanted to find out the impact of ‘Meat Your Match,’ which was launched in March 2018, it challenged a group of men to halve the amount of meat in their diets by exploring more plant-based protein sources.
Veg Cities launched in June 2018, following pilots in Cardiff, Birmingham and Brighton & Hove. There are now 15 Veg Cities, we asked Project Co-ordinator and Eating Better Trustee – Sofia Parente to tell us more, this is what she had to say.
Take a look at how the Eating Better alliance is making a real impact to create a fair, green, healthy future.
In the UK we love sandwiches, they are a hugely popular lunch-time option. But a new study has found our choices have a staggering carbon footprint. What can be done?
Christmas is a time for celebration, with family, friends and great food. Give your festive food a makeover with our Eating Better tips for enjoying a more sustainable celebration.
44% of British people are willing or already committed to cutting down or cutting out meat. Our new report showcases food companies that are leading the way in delivering healthier, more sustainable food options for their customers.
We need to eat less meat and more fruit and veg, yet how easy is this for a family on a day out? The OutToLunchUK survey has found that 3 out of 4 children’s lunch meals at top family attractions don't include any veg or salad. Visitor attractions need to do a lot more to show children that healthy, sustainable food can be a treat too.
Being green is, apparently, a feminine thing. How then do we engage men to think about the meat on their plates? Eating Better is setting a challenge for this year's Do It Day to hash some fresh ideas with help from the marketing world.
What's behind our food choices? Eating Better's collaborators Hubbub have set out to explore our Protein Pressures and the triggers that can help up us eat less meat.
If we want to feed a growing population without straining natural resources, we have to change the way we eat. Daniel Vennard of the World Resources Institute introduces their Better Buying Lab, a new initiative to help shift consumer behavior toward more sustainable, plant-based foods when they shop and dine out.
New research forecasts that a significant proportion of the population is likely to be actively moderating its meat consumption over the next decade. Martin Thomas assesses the trends, opportunities and challenges that will impact on our shifting food culture.


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The growth of new cross-border businesses has made it more critical than ever for financial institutions (FIs) and businesses to streamline business-to-business (B2B) payments. As digital technology makes it easier to start and run global businesses, FIs are beginning to recognize the urgency of offering corporate clients more mobile and digital ways to pay their business partners.
Many financial institutions and enterprises are in a rush to meet this growing demand – especially among middle-market and enterprise customers – and they are aware that the payments ecosystem is in dire need of modernization. Despite their best efforts to limit customer payments and cash management frictions, only 30% of FIs say they have been very successful in doing so.
This is just one of the discoveries discovered in The Innovation Gap: Meeting the Challenge of Enterprise Payments Modernizationa PYMNTS collaboration with FIS. This report examines the biggest challenges FIs and businesses face in facilitating frictionless B2B payments. It also provides actionable insights on how FIs and businesses could identify innovation gaps in their modernization strategies and whether partnering with appropriate technology solution partners could help.
Other key findings from the report include:
• FIs have made efforts to meet the ever-increasing needs of their corporate clients for fast, secure and transparent B2B transactions over the past year. Sixty percent of FIs think B2B digital payments solutions are “very” or “extremely” important, 90% of those serving large enterprises and 83% of mid-market businesses say so. As a result, 64% of FIs say they are “very” or “extremely” ready to adopt new technologies to facilitate the consumerization of B2B payments, while 88% of those serving large enterprises and 78% of midsize companies say the same. . .
• Businesses are like consumers in that they are increasingly demanding simplified and secure payment methods better suited to their needs. Seventy-nine percent of FIs are currently working to find solutions that will provide their clients with a single view of cash for real-time cash flow management. As the lack of dedicated supplier portals is another major payment issue for corporate customers, 65% of FIs are actively seeking solutions for this or planning to do so.
• Willingness to partner with FinTechs on payment digitization is seen by FIs as a key feature needed to address B2B payment friction issues. Thirty-one percent of FIs say this feature is very useful, while 14% think it’s the most useful. Knowing about new B2B payment solutions and having an up-to-date technology infrastructure are also considered useful characteristics for 32% and 28% of FIs, respectively.
To learn more about how FIs are working to streamline B2B payments for their corporate clients, To download The report.


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INDIA: Delhi Metro Rail Corp launched an experimental freight service on the Airport Express Line on March 1, making use of the secure luggage van on AEL trains to carry non-perishable and e-commerce goods.
DMRC said this is the first time an Indian metro has been used for freight transport. The 24 min journey time between the New Delhi and IGI Airport stations would be faster than by road, and the project could help to improve air quality by reducing the number of vehicles on the roads.
The trial is to be undertaken in partnership with a specialist freight forwarding agency and will run for three months. It aims to assess the potential freight volumes on the route, ahead of a possible tender for the provision of a longer-term service.


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Nationalism answer to horsemeat labelling problem
Fears of horsemeat labelled as beef continue to hit Europe with products from a number of countries being attacked, cialis especially Romania and Poland.
For the German retailer the Rewe Group the answer is simple. Resort to nationalism. It has announced that henceforth it will only use German beef for its private label products at Rewe and Penny.
This of course assumes that such products are available at the prices dictated by the hard discounter. And if they are not, viagra will the customers be worried anyway?
Ikea is having a bit of a problem with it too. It has withdrawn its signature menu item, meatballs, from stores across several markets in Europe after Czech food inspectors found horsemeat traces in a batch of the product, labelled as made exclusively with beef and pork.
Meanwhile, the German Der Spiegel has reported that the Polish agricultural minister as saying on Monday in Brussels that the industry in his country is as “clean as a whistle”.
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The company will develop its facility on a 25-acre site in the Clinton I-75 Industrial Park on Frank Diggs Drive, according to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. Initial plans call for a 200,000-square-foot building.
With its investment, Confluence Solar will qualify for statutory incentive programs such as FastTrack job training assistance, FastTrack infrastructure development, the Tennessee Jobs tax credit and the Super Jobs tax credit, among others.
"Two years ago, we set upon a strategy to make Tennessee a significant player in the solar industry," Gov. Phil Bredesen said. "Since then, weve seen more than $2 billion in capital investment, more than a thousand jobs created, and, with the development of the solar farm and existing solar companies located in West Tennessee, we have truly created a statewide solar footprint. The announcement by Confluence Solar is further proof that Tennessee is recognized as a leader in renewable energy and that a new economic engine is emerging in our state."
The facility will produce mono-crystal silicon ingots for photovoltaic solar power generation. The companys HiCz brand products are designed to increase the efficiency of solar cells by 15% or more, according to the company.


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Teupen spider lifts for MBS Tracked Access
Teupen spider lifts
Tracked platform hire specialist, MBS Tracked Access has purchased three 'new generation' Teupen Leo SpiderliftsTM from platform distributor, Ranger Equipment.
They purchased two 'facelift' Leo 23GT tracked spiders (23m w/h) and a 'facelift' Leo18GT (17.9m w/h) to update and expand its fleet of Teupen machines.
The deal with Ranger, Teupen's exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland, included the trade-in of MBS's current 23m Leos.
The new Leo18GT will fill a gap between MBS's 23m machines and 14.9m w/h Leo15GT.
MBS Tracked Access, which was established in 2006, now runs five Leos - the largest being a Leo30T (30m w/h).
The machines are mainly hired 'with operator' for shopping centre and facilities maintenance work.
They are also used by parent company, MBS Grounds Maintenance , for tree surgery and building maintenance.
MBS managing director, Martyn Bass, said: 'We have replaced our 23m Leos every two years to keep up with Teupen innovation.
It means the machines remain within warranty and we are offering customers the cutting edge in tracked platform performance and user simplicity which is where Teupen excels'.
In trading up to the latest Leo23GT models, MBS has taken advantage of the new option of Teupen's innovative hydraulic track height adjustment.
"It's much simpler and quicker," said Mr Bass.
'The system is straightforward to demonstrate to hire customers and for them to use.
We have noticed the difference it makes to our contract maintenance work, as well.
The ease of adjusting track height to drive along kerbs and sloping ground is a big advantage in manoeuvring around site for arborist work, gutter cleaning, roof slate repairs, and so on'.
Quicker boom and drive functions, when running off electric or diesel power, have also boosted job efficiency using the 'facelift' Leos.
Mr Bass said: 'Teupen have addressed small issues such as improving the boom support and outrigger stowing position for transit'.
New 25m Leo Spiderlift, with big 25m outreach will be showcased on the Ranger Equipment stand at Vertikal Days, UK and Ireland's only dedicated access and lifting event.
With hire companies being ready to invest again in access fleets, Ranger Equipment is demonstrating the return-on-investment on owning its premium engineered platform brands at Vertikal Days.
Ranger Equipment has introduced a reduced weight trailer for Teupen's Leo13GT 12.7m working height tracked spiderlift.
Ranger Equipments financial arm is offering a 0 per cent finance opportunity for purchases on the Leo 13GT spiderlift recently launched by Teupen.
Ranger Equipment supplies the Global Series of 12m/14m working height articulated booms from Aichi.


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Fashion Satisfaction! Mick Jagger is by girlfriend L'Wren Scott's side as she launches new fashion collaboration at star-studded party
They say a Rolling Stone gathers no moss and that's certainly true for Mick Jagger who at age 70 is still very much at the centre of both the music and fashion world.
On Tuesday night at the very rock'n'roll Chateau Marmont Hotel Mick was right by the side of his American girlfriend L'Wren Scott to help launch her new collection for Banana Republic.
Also attending the event were Mad Men actresses and bombshells Christina Hendricks and Jessica Pare, both wearing outfits from the Banana Republic L'Wren Scott Collection.
Fashion satisfaction! Mick Jagger and fashion designer girlfriend L'Wren Scott arrive at the Banana Republic L'Wren Scott Collection launch party at the Chateau Marmont
The event was hosted by Vanity Fair magazine with the magazine's West Coast editor, Krista Smith, co-hosting alongside L'Wren.
Krista later tweeted after the event tagging it as 'midweek chic' which seemed an apt description of a classy, chic but also very cool launch event.
Having two of the world's top actresses in Christina and Jessica show up to offer their support for your clothes and model your wares also added a cachet and PR for L'Wren
Chic, sleek and cool: Vanity Fair's West Coast editor Krista Smith (left) joined Mick and L'Wren at the event co-hosting the night
L'Wren Scott has previously said her new clothing collection for Banana Republic is so 'figure-flattering' on its own that it doesn’t require shapewear.
The 46-year-old, six-foot-three-inch stylist and designer told The Sunday Times 'you don't need to wear Spanx if you buy my clothes. The dress, the trousers, the pencil skirt, they should do the work'.
She did admit a little ground work might also come in handy, adding: 'Believe me, I’m in the gym every day to keep my stomach flat. We’re hard on ourselves as women, so if I can help somebody out, I will.'
It is the first time L'Wren, whose own high-end fashion brand is much-loved by A-list figures including Michelle Obama and Nicole Kidman, has partnered with a mainstream fashion retailer.
Power couple! While L'Wren launches her new range, Mick has been launching a new Rolling Stones tour of Oz
While her red carpet dresses average at $1,500, the designer’s affordable collection for Banana Republic includes figure-hugging party dresses, fitted blazers and colorful printed trousers ranging in price from $39 to $165.
She told WWD that her familiarity with the brand helped her make the decision to collaborate with them.
'Banana Republic is somewhere I used to shop and something I grew up with,' she said, adding she is 'impressed' with the sheer speed with which the brand manages to create high-quality pieces.
While the brand typically specializes in preppy casualwear, Ms Scott has managed to add her high fashion vision to the new line. The range hits stores on December 5.
Very much in love! Mick and L'Wren are the picture of a devoted couple, even after 12 years together
As for boyfriend of 12 years, Mick, he and his Rolling Stones buddies have just announced they will tour Australia for the first time in seven years next March.
Aussie Rolling Stones fans will no doubt be delighted to hear that former member Mick Taylor has been announced as a 'special guest' for the series of shows.
The band, who celebrated their 50th anniversary this year, show no signs of slowing down and it's likely the Australian dates are just a foreshadow of further dates around the globe for 2014.
Off to Oz! Mick has just announced that he and the Rolling Stones will be touring Australia in early 2014
'This summer was really good for us,' Mick explained. 'I feel really happy and I
had a really fantastic time in the last year. It was a great ending at
Glastonbury [festival] and Hyde Park [in London]. We were blown away.
I'd love to do it again.'
Bandmate Keith Richards is letting any moss rest on the Rolling Stones either with plans for a 60th anniversary tour mulling in his mind.
All these zeros that keep zooming by ... 30, 40, 50 years,' he says, 'I don't really see any reason why there shouldn't be a 60th. Either that or we croak [die] on the job.'
Midweek chic! (From left) Christina Hendricks, Mick, L'Wren Scott and Jessica Pare give good launch
Great Scott! Christina and Jessica are big fans of L'Wren's clothes and wear them well and with real panache
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Program Analysis/Critique: Stand.earth Lululemon Campaign
Lululemon has recently drawn heat from a Stand.earth campaign targeting the athletic apparel company’s reliance on coal-powered electricity in several Asian factories. On the surface, this seems like a valiant campaign against a polluting, emissions-belching fossil fuel. Who would want to wear a pair of #Coalsweats? No doubt: coal must be replaced by renewables around the globe, and fast, if we are to avoid dangerous climate change. That said, this campaign may actually impede the apparel industry’s transformation toward sustainable practices.
Stand.earth seized media attention by urging people to tweet at Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald, asking him to move the company away from coal and other harmful fossil fuels. The hope was that with enough noise and potential reputational harm, Lululemon would redouble efforts to make its supply chain more sustainable. Makes sense in theory.
In practice, the campaign harms Lululemon’s brand while asking it to change a part of the system over which it has no leverage. Neither Lululemon, nor any other apparel company, has sway over how Vietnam, Cambodia, and China produce their electricity. Plus, the factories in question are neither owned nor operated by Lululemon (Lululemon’s suppliers contract with the factory, as is normal for apparel companies with long supply chains).
Lululemon does have power over its owned and operated facilities—and here it is committed to using 100% renewable electricity by 2021. The company has made several other commitments to climate and energy goals, including science-based emissions reduction targets and increased engagement with manufacturing partners for energy efficiency. Of course Lululemon can and should keep doing more to mitigate its environmental impacts, but this is a company that is leading the sustainability charge in an industry of fast fashion and waste.
Targeting specific companies in this way tarnishes their brands. That’s a great outcome if the company in question was a sustainability laggard. And many of Stand.earth’s campaigns target the laggards or actions where there is leverage. But quite often campaigns target sustainability leaders because they are the ones who (1) make commitments, and (2) are transparent about their supply chains. Without transparency, NGOs couldn’t even find out about factories like the ones targeted in this campaign.
Targeting sustainability leaders when they don’t have leverage disincentivizes any company from sticking its neck out, from making commitments or being transparent. Lululemon is not the problem.
Let’s focus our efforts on the bad actors, or where companies and governments have leverage. Like this Stand.Earth Campaign on old growth forests.
Written by Colton Stevens of the CoSphere team.


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At MWC today, MobileIron announced a partnership with Lenovo to use its EMM platform with select Lenovo PCs. With this partnership, organizations buying Lenovo devices can purchase MobileIron’s security and management platform at the same time as Lenovo PCs and tablets. Lenovo, MobileIron, and its reseller partners will provide expert services to deploy across the global enterprise.
“We’re finding innovative ways to meet our customers’ needs as they transition from legacy devices to new form factors. The introduction of Windows 10 allows customers to move to Cloud-based, agent-less provisioning of PCs for the enterprise,” said Jerry Paradise, Lenovo’s Executive Director of Global Enterprise PC and Think Business Management. “We’re working with MobileIron to give our enterprise customers a secure, agile platform as they build out and update their infrastructure.”
“Modern enterprise computing means moving to modern operating systems like Windows 10, Android, and iOS, and using enterprise mobility management (EMM) to secure all your devices from mobile to desktops,” said Barry Mainz, President and CEO, MobileIron. “As the market leader in PC sales, Lenovo is leading that transition on the hardware front and this partnership with MobileIron adds the critical security layer that companies need for modern operating systems. Customers can now get both their hardware and their software from the same trusted company.”
Learn more about it here.


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Focusing on What Matters
It’s hard not to be a little discouraged each night when you watch the evening news. The laundry list of problems facing the markets can seem quite daunting: Fed tightening, slowing growth, dysfunction in Washington, D.C, tariffs, etc. We believe that these are real issues that certainly need to be addressed. When it comes down to it, we tend to be more focused on what business owners and consumers are doing with their money that makes our economy work. When there is confidence in the economy, companies invest in equipment, hire new people and spend money. Confidence tends to feed on itself in both a positive and negative direction.
Consumer Confidence Dips
The Conference Board surveys consumers on a monthly basis to gain information on consumer attitudes and buying intentions. Consumer confidence has been steadily gaining ground since the financial crisis of 2008, hitting 20-year highs in November of last year. Since then, we’ve had a sharp selloff and rebound in equity markets as well as a government shutdown. These two events seem to have taken a toll on people’s psyche. While still at relatively high levels, this economic indicator bears watching because it tends to fall consistently prior to recession. According to our research partner, Strategas, consumer confidence peaks about 13 months on average before the start of a recession.
Small Businesses Drive Our Economy
For all the headlines that multinational corporations make, it’s the small businesses that really fuel our economy. According to the Small Business Administration, companies with less than 500 people account for 99.7 percent of all businesses in the U.S. and over 40 percent of the private workforce. They also generate 66 percent of new jobs annually. The Small Business Confidence Index was at an all-time high back in October of last year, but has fallen the last couple of months. Much like the consumer confidence index, small business confidence remains near all-time highs, but without a doubt, recent weakness is important to monitor.
Source: National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB)
Week in Review and Our Takeaways
Confidence levels remain near all-time highs, but recent weakness bears watching
Stocks finished the week on a positive note, up about a half-of-a-percent


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Google has acquired gaming and game peripheral developer Green Throttle Games, in a move prompting speculation a games-oriented set-top box for television may be under development.
Google confirmed the acquisition to PandoDaily, although declining to reveal the purchase price or details of the deal.
PandoDaily reports two of the three Green Throttle founders – Matt Crowley and Karl Townsend – are to join the Google team under the terms of the deal.
Third founder Charles Huang retains the rights to the Green Throttle business, Google reportedly confirmed, despite the business having closed down in November, and Huang having launched a new endeavour.
Citing sources familiar with the situation, Pando said the acquisition suggests Google’s rumoured set-top box for television – which rumours suggest may be unveiled in the first half of 2014 – will have a strong games focus.
The sources said the acquisition of Green Throttle was made with a view to developing an enhanced controller for the set-top box with advanced bluetooth capabilities, with Green Throttle having created and launched an Android bluetooth games controller for the Kindle Fire HD tablet, which allowed the tablet to be used as a gaming console.
The Wall Street Journal reported in July Google was working on an Android powered set-top box which incorporates the company’s videoconferencing technology, as well as motion sensor technology.


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Lingering oil prices equal start-up boom
Start-up investor expects tech breakthroughs due to oil price slump and weak economy
BECO Capital, a regional venture capital firm, predicts entrepreneurship and VC activity in the Arab region to soar if the global and regional economies continue to slow down.
According to BECO, the economic slowdown, such as the slumping oil prices and budget deficits, is enabling technology companies to boom globally as well as regionally.
Dany Farha, chief executive officer of BECO Capital said: "There is no better time to be a tech entrepreneur in the region than now. During these difficult economic conditions, there is a silver lining. It is when economic conditions are challenging that consumers and enterprises look for the most efficient and innovative solutions, and these are provided by technology companies. There is no better time to fund SMEs and entrepreneurs than in a downturn."
He adds: "Higher unemployment in a slower economy triggers a positive cycle of young pioneering professionals who create their own jobs by starting their own small ventures. It is the reason we witness a rise of new entrepreneurs in France and Spain, where both countries are enduring the industrialised world's highest unemployment rates."
The GCC governments are trying to replace oil-reliant economies through economic diversification policies, in order to reduce oil dependence. The UAE, in particular, has seen a lower oil price impact as its successful decade-long diversification strategies are coming to fruition. The non-oil private sector continues to show strong growth. This will further encourage governments to support the SMEs sector, and thus the start-up and entrepreneurship environment.
"Regional tech start-ups will thrive over the next couple of years, in an attempt to drive a much-needed higher productivity and efficiency across various industries. Take for example the last recession when Airbnb, Uber and other global unicorns were founded. These companies monetised the need of people in the post-crisis economy. Many disruptive technologies were founded in the ‘New Economy era of the late '90s'.
"I expect many tech breakthroughs to emerge in the next few years," he added.


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State Fair Sporkies contest heats up
The Wisconsin State Fair has quite the reputation for unique and unusual foods, and this year the selection has risen to another level with the fair's Fourth Annual Food Competition, The Sporkies.
Eight finalists have been selected from 26 entries, and a panel of local celebrity judges — with some help from the fairgoers — will choose the recipients of four Golden Spork Awards during this year's Wisconsin State Fair, presented by U.S. Cellular®, which will take place Thursday, Aug. 4 – Sunday, Aug. 14.
The eight pre-selected finalists will showcase their creations in front of the crowd and compete for first, second and third place. Judging will begin at11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 10 at the Bank Mutual Amphitheater.
Competing for the coveted award this year is: Chili-Mac Bottom Pizza by Brew City; Deep-Fried Ol' Fashioned by Water Street Brewery; Elvis Chicken and Waffle Sandwich by Slim's Lakefront Brew Pub and Eatery; Fiesta Cookie Dough by Cookie Dough Fondue; Klement's Famous Racing Sausage Corn Dog by Bavarian Haus; Mountain Man Bloody Mary Burger by Exotic Meat Grill; Root Beer Float Cake by Sprecher Root Beer Everything;and Thanksgiving Day Burrito by Mexican Grill
Emmy-nominated 'Wisconsin Foodie' host Kyle Cherek will again emcee and moderate the panel of celebrity judges, who will taste, deliberate and eventually choose the first, second and third place winners of Golden Spork trophies. The Sporkies celebrity judges will include Super Bowl Champion LeRoy Butler, Milwaukee radio veteran Steve Palec and Happy Days stars Donny Most and Anson Williams.
One lucky fairgoer will once again have the opportunity this year to sit alongside the celebrity panel and taste-test the final creations as a guest judge. Interested foodies will be able to enter the contest starting July 12 via Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #Sporkies2016. Entries must be completed by Aug. 3. More details are available at WiStateFair.com.
Fair guests are encouraged to participate in the judging during the fair by sampling all of The Sporkies entries and voting for their favorites to award a fourth Golden Spork Trophy for the Fairgoers' Fave. Voting can be done on Facebook via a voting app, on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #FairgoersFave, or at the Guest Services Pavilion presented by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, located on Central Avenue near Central Park and the Exposition Center.
Judging for the #FairgoersFave will be open from Thursday, Aug. 4 – Tuesday, Aug. 9, and the entry with the most votes will also be awarded a Golden Spork Trophy during the final judging on Aug. 10.
A 13-foot spork trophy will be displayed at Sporkies finalist location and all vendors who entered will feature a poster at their fair location(s); all food items entered will also be available for purchase during the 2016 Wisconsin State Fair.


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Smartphones: Apple Ahead Of SamsungMay 17, 2023
Whoever can make acquiring smartphones more affordable will win the sales game.
Premium moves up the mobile food chain if the consumer palate is any indicator.
In this mobile device mosh pit where value has edged out volume and mass has lost its charm, premium clearly means business.
Analysts expect premium smartphone sales to largely propel growth as shipments of entry-level devices hit the skids.
The Indian smartphone market exited 2022 with 144 million shipments — the lowest since 2019 — declining 10 per cent year-on-year (YoY), reveals data from the International Data Corporation, a market intelligence platform.
This primarily rode on the coat-tails of a 54 per cent YoY decline in the entry-level segment, also known as the mass segment (sub-$150), which shrank to 46 per cent of the market.
As shipments declined overall, the premium segment swelled in 2022.
“The mid-premium and premium price segments of $300-$500 and $500-plus grew by 20 per cent and 55 per cent respectively, while the sub-$300 declined 15 per cent YoY,” says Upasana Joshi, principal analyst-mobile phones, IDC Asia-Pacific.
“The market (for) above $300 (smartphones) is now 16 per cent, compared with 11 per cent a year ago,” she adds.
Analysts ascribe growth in the premium segment to the rising average selling price (ASP) of smartphones. ASP stood at a record $224 last year, rising 18 per cent YoY.
“Over the past few years, the (smartphone) market has predominantly been driven by the upgrade segment. The premium range, especially mid-premium, is emerging as one of the preferred avenues to enter this segment,” says Faisal Kawoosa, founder and chief analyst, Techarc, a research firm.
“The market has somewhat stagnated in terms of volume at 150-155 million units. However, the premium segment is offering growth in terms of value,” he adds.
Launches in the premium segment have gone up, compared to the entry-level or mid-level smartphones.
“Due to lower margins, fewer vendors are keen on launching devices in these segments, compromised for key feature sets with low demand,” says Joshi.
For that reason, companies are focused on the premium segment: they’d rather sell fewer units and earn higher revenue.
Moreover, the availability of easier purchase options like equated monthly instalments (EMIs), cashbacks, and trade-ins have contributed to this paradigm shift.
Apple is on top of the leaderboard, in terms of overall shipment and market share, ahead of Samsung and Oppo — of which OnePlus is a subsidiary.
The Cupertino-headquartered company led in the over-$500 category last year, with a 60 per cent share. In a first, its iPhone 13 became the third-most shipped handset in 2022.
The US firm has been on an incremental path towards cutting a bigger piece of the smartphone pie. Although operational in the country for 25 years, the company has only recently begun to expand its retail footprint in India.
The recent launch of its two retail stores — one in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex and the second in New Delhi’s Saket — although not likely to have a big impact on overall sales, indicates the company’s ambitions in the Indian market.
The firm’s premium smartphone shipments ballooned from 1 million in 2018 — when it was behind Samsung and Oppo — to reach 4.7 million in 2021, before touching 6.3 million in 2022, according to data from IDC.
In contrast, Samsung’s shipments stood at 2.2 million, while Oppo’s were 1.2 million last year — both commanding a 21 per cent and 12 per cent market share, respectively.
“Many Android brands will try to capture a bigger slice of the premium pie. However, Apple is currently in pole position to grab a much larger base,” says Prachir Singh, senior analyst, Counterpoint Research, a technology market research firm.
Although Apple does not offer any discounts, it has introduced financing options, such as no-cost EMIs, to increase brand reach.
“There will be competition, but Apple is in the lead with its brand image and financing options,” he adds.
To compete with Apple’s brand image, its rivals need to re-strategise. Brands must make their products more aspirational and offer differentiation, say analysts.
Apple’s arch rival Samsung already has an edge in the foldable smartphone category. Of the 144 million shipments in 2022, nearly half a million devices had the foldable form factor — either flip or fold devices, mostly via Samsung.
This year, newcomers like Vivo are also expected to launch a foldable line-up.
China’s Tecno, known for its entry-level offerings, has already taken a plunge with its Phantom V Fold. The device was launched earlier this month at a hefty price tag of Rs 77,777.
Analysts say that proper pricing for foldables will be tricky. The challenges, however, do not end there.
“Foldable smartphones are an interesting as well as a refreshing new form factor. But the sense I am getting from consumers that are using one is that the excitement of using a fold phone is diminishing,” says Kawoosa.
“We are expecting foldables to remain an ultra-niche consumer segment. We are not expecting India to sell more than 375,000 units in 2023,” he adds.
Furthermore, analysts maintain that this new form factor alone cannot give a fillip to the premium market. The premium segment, they say, will expand but cannot be the only growth driver for the smartphone market.
A majority of the market still lies in the sub-$300 category, which is anticipated to remain flat or decline, in 2023.
According to Singh, customers looking to purchase premium smartphones are still price-conscious.
Whoever can make acquiring smartphones more affordable will win the sales game, he says.
“Although volumes for premium smartphones have been on the rise recently, volumes are still low. This segment is a value driver but there is still time for it to become a volume driver,” he observes.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
Source: Read Full Article


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MINSK, 6 May (BelTA) - Belarus plans to start supplying beef to China, BelTA learned from Alexei Bogdanov, the head of the main division for foreign economic affairs at the Agriculture and Food Ministry.
“China would like us to launch the beef deliveries in the shortest time possible. The agreement was reached during a visit of the Belarusian delegation headed by Agriculture and Food Minister Leonid Zayats to Shanghai for the international food expo SIAL 2016,” he noted.
“Chinese companies from Hong Kong have already concluded several contracts for the delivery of by-products with the Belarusian meat-packing plants who participated in the exhibition. We are working to get Belarus certified to supply beef and poultry to mainland China. This will help increase exports of meat and meat products manifold,” Alexei Bogdanov noted.
By participating in SIAL 2016 Belarus seeks to increase the volume and expand the lineup of agricultural exports. “In addition, we wanted to showcase Belarusian meat products to Chinese consumers, develop contacts with government bodies and Chinese companies importing cattle meat and poultry,” Alexei Bogdanov noted.
The delegation of the Agriculture and Food Ministry also held a number of meetings with the departments of agriculture and commerce of the People's Government of Shanghai, and with the heads of the agricultural ministries of Russia and Poland.
SIAL China is one of the world's largest food expos. It has been held in Shanghai since 2000. The expo showcases foods, non-alcohol and alcohol beverages, hospitality industry products and services, cutting-edge technologies and special equipment for food and packaging enterprises.
Belarus is represented by twelve enterprises: meat and dairy, bakery, beverages and confectionery. In 2015 the enterprises affiliated with the Agriculture and Food Ministry exported $8.4 million worth of goods to China, including 425 tonnes of whey and 111 tonnes of ultra-pasteurized milk.