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Wal-Mart Says Retailer Is Investigating Possible Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Issues in Mexico
Responding to a New York Times report earlier this week about a claimed pattern of bribe-paying by a Mexican subsidiary, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it has been looking into the alleged incidents discussed by the newspaper as part of an internal investigation of potential Foreign Corrupt Practices Act issues that has been ongoing for over a year.
The company declined to discuss the matter in detail. However, an expert said the Times story could create new FCPA problems for Wal-Mart by reporting that the alleged payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to open 19 stores in Mexico was a way of doing business for the retail giant, recounts Reuters. Another Times article, published earlier this year, didn’t provide as many details.
“I think the Times story, if it is true, changes the perception of the Wal-Mart matter from being about facilitating payments to something larger than that,” Danforth Newcomb of Shearman & Sterling told the news agency. He is an attorney who defends FCPA cases.
ABAJournal.com: “Potential Cover-up Liability in Wal-Mart FCPA Case Could Dwarf Mexican Bribery Claims, Experts Say”
ABAJournal.com: “NY Times Says It Pursued Internal Probe Dropped by Wal-Mart, Describes Claimed Bribes in Mexico”


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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- ESPN Plus, the sports cable giant's new standalone streaming service, will cost $4.99 when it launches in the spring.
Disney CEO Bob Iger made the announcement during an interview Tuesday on CNBC. He said the plus service will be integrated with a totally redesigned ESPN app that will also have customizable scores and highlights and, for cable subscribers, live streams of ESPN's over-the-air networks.
"ESPN Plus will include an array of live programming, live sports events that is not available on the current channels and that's by the thousands," Iger said.
By the thousands? You might be asking, how is that even possible?
It's very well likely the network is planning to populate ESPN Plus with content from the 22 regional sports channels that Disney is acquiring from Fox. That means you could potentially cut the cord on your cable bill and live stream Indians, Cavaliers or even out-of-market games at a low cost per month.
Besides live sporting events, ESPN Plus will carry other programming such as the network's award-winning "30 for 30" series of documentaries.
Disney CEO Bob Iger says a new ESPN app will launch in the spring and "ESPN Plus" streaming service will cost $4.99. pic.twitter.com/nIMzPh9H5n-- CNBC (@CNBC) February 6, 2018

domain: news


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South Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia are extending the shutdown at their U.S. plants for another week as semiconductor shortages continue to weigh on the industry.
Hyundai began cutting production at its sedan and SUV plant in Alabama earlier this week. Full production is expected to resume on 30 August. The company had a similar cut in production last week.
Kia is cutting one of three shifts at its sedan and compact truck plant in Georgia from Aug.30 to Sept.3. Production is expected to fully resume after Labor Day, September 7th.
This is the latest report on production losses in the North American auto industry. AutoForecast Solutions this week raised its estimate of the cutback in auto production in North America to over 2 million units.
Recall that forecasts Boston Consulting Group (BCG), in 2021 due to a shortage of semiconductors in the world will be produced by nine million cars less than available capacity and demand.


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Hotels and tourist attractions across Derbyshire say that they are booking up fast ahead of what some of them say could be their “best summer yet”.
As England’s coronavirus lockdown continues to be eased, uncertainty remains about whether people will be able to go on holidays abroad this year – with a Government review on international travel due to report on April 12.
Businesses across the county are saying that they are now seeing the effects of this uncertainty, as momentum builds around a summer of staycations.
Roger Weston, the owner of The Cables bed and breakfast in Matlock Bath, said: “There is going to be a knock-on effect from the uncertainty around international travel because around 20 percent of our business comes from abroad.
“But I think that the domestic demand is going to more than compensate for that and overall I’m almost certain that we’re going to have our best summer yet.
“I think everybody is in a similar situation at the moment because everybody will be desperate to get away for a break, but they’re not going to want to run the risk of quarantining at either end if they go abroad.
“It’s a very fluid situation at the moment and I think that people will be mostly staying in this country for the next three or four months.
“We’re in a great location to be able to take advantage of that in Matlock Bath because we’ve got the scenic views of the Peak District, and then we’ve got nearby attractions like Chatsworth House and Gulliver’s Kingdom as well.
“All of the weekends for May and half of June are already booked up and so we are really starting to see that momentum build up now.”
The Government’s roadmap out of the coronavirus lockdown says that bed and breakfasts and hotels won’t be able to open until May 17 at the earliest – but that self-catering accommodation could open from April 12.
Self-catering accommodation is the focus of Tissington Hall in Ashbourne whose owner, Sir Richard Fitzherbert, said: “We’ve got four cottages and two apartments and they’re all beginning to fill up nicely as we speak.
“One of the places that people can stay in is our gardener’s cottage, which used to be home to the gardener of the estate, and that’s full until the end of October.
“We’re also making further investments by converting a barn that’s been dis-used and un-loved for the last 20 years into an eco-friendly holiday spot.
“Overall weekends are pretty full for the next couple of months, but we’ve still got plenty of availability, particularly during the weekdays.
“That’s going to be good for all the other businesses associated with the area as well such as the cafes, independent shops and pubs which have all been having a really hard time over the last few months.
“The weddings side of our business has been the most affected by the lockdown and those waters have been very tricky to negotiate because weddings that were booked in for 2020 have been moved to this year, but a lot of our clients came from abroad and those are people who can’t travel here and so we have lost them.
“For the accommodation side of the business the council’s local restriction grants have been a godsend, but ultimately we’d prefer getting back to welcoming people rather than taking hand-outs because that’s what we do here.”
One of the most popular tourist attractions for families in Derbyshire is the nearby Alton Towers theme park and resort, which is also reporting a growing demand ahead of the summer period.
Francis Jackson, operations director, said: “In line with current regulations, we’re delighted to be able to offer some of our self-contained accommodation for families to enjoy from April 12th, including our stargazing pods, woodland lodges and our luxury tree houses.
“We are already seeing demand which is a really positive sign in terms of UK staycations and the industry in general.”
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Attractions at Alton Towers this summer will include a new "Gangsta Granny" ride based on the best-selling children’s book by David Walliams.
Francis said: “From May 17th, under current guidelines, our remaining hotels will open ahead of the summer holidays which is going to be really key for both us as a business and our guests who like to spend more than one day exploring everything the resort has to offer.
“Summer is always a busy time for us here at Alton Towers Resort and we expect this summer to be no different, so we are using this time to re-instate our robust health, safety and hygiene measures across all our accommodation and wider resort to provide a memorable and safe experience.”


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Innovation was on the menu at the 2023 IFMA Presidents Conference. International-inspired fusion dishes, a growing need for interconnected and actionable data, and emerging store formats and points of sale are all impacting the food-away-from-home ecosystem in major ways, and IFMA and industry stakeholders are evolving to meet these changes. Innovation in International Flavors Leading to Fusion Cuisine
Innovation in International Flavors Leading to Fusion Cuisine During the conference, IFMA hosted an event called “The Taste of Food-Away-From-Home Innovation” which featured several interesting combinations of international flavors and more typical restaurant fare. Hosted at Copper Canyon, a meeting space designed like an authentic country mining town, the event allowed food manufacturers to showcase many interesting and delicious options. Pumpkin spice even made the menu as Hormel Foods shared ham biscuits made with Cure 81 pumpkin spice ham. Ventura Foods had Korean smokehouse short rib sliders available to sample. The product combined Korean flavors in an accessible, bar-friendly format. Meanwhile, Wayne Sanderson Farms shared gochujang honey-glazed thigh meat rangoons with pickled ramps and Korean BBQ power, once again showcasing the growing importance of international flavors for foodservice operators. At the IFMA Awards Reception, Frito-Lay debuted a packaging innovation that allows its Tostitos and Doritos to be turned into a carry-along taco bowl – servers simply rip open a wide-mouth bag of either chip before adding taco meats and toppings for a portable taco bowl perfect for music festivals, boardwalks, or other foodservice opportunities where diners are out and about. Restaurant Operators Adjust to New Normal with Updated Formats
Restaurant Operators Adjust to New Normal with Updated Formats Valerie Gong, a managing director and partner with Boston Consulting Group, shared that off-premise foodservice consumption has grown quickly since the pandemic; she also noted that although growth may slow, it appeared that volume was here to stay. “Across the customer journey, we’re going see more AI, self-ordering kiosks, and drive-thrus; we’re going to see more robotics and automation, including things like fully autonomous kitchens. And we’re going see a more digital experience for the customer, all enabled through a connected digital and tech ecosystem,” she said. To this end, many QSR brands are working to install multiple drive-thru lanes, leverage mobile ordering systems, cut down on in-store seating, and devise ways to leverage loyalty program data to better meet consumer needs. These themes were also explored in a presentation from Mastercard’s Chris Ritter. He noted between 50% and 70% of QSR sales are made via the drive-thru lane, and pointed to Taco Bell’s two-story concept in Minnesota as an example of how established companies are working to better meet consumer needs. Maeve Webster, president of Menu Matters, noted that 43% of Gen Z survey respondents said they were cooking at home rather than dining out due to higher prices, and that formats like pop-up restaurants at breweries are gaining popularity with this cohort. Empowering Business Through E-Commerce and Reliable Data
Empowering Business Through E-Commerce and Reliable Data Anyone who has attended a conference knows 7:00 a.m. sessions aren’t always the most lively or well-attended, but the “It’s All In The Data” session, featuring leaders from Hormel Foodservice, DOT Foods, and GS1 US, broke away from that norm. During the session, industry stakeholders discussed pain points in data transfer when it comes to hosting items on foodservice e-commerce sites. The robust discussion stressed the importance the industry places on e-commerce today. In a separate session dubbed “Technology and the Changing Go-to-Market,” Southwestern Traders president Terry Walsh noted that by partnering with Cut+Dry to enable an e-commerce platform, his organization had seen a 25% boost in sales, with 90% of that increase coming from existing customers. Innovation in the Association Space
Innovation in the Association Space IFMA leads the way by evolving in the association space, as well. The organization unveiled its Level Up 2027 plan to be more inclusive of all parts of the FAFH ecosystem and to better connect all stakeholders therein. “This isn’t just about words or a book that we’re going to put away – it’s more values empower our ability to level up to meet you where your businesses are today. And we mean to make sure we keep helping them evolve. And that’s the most important part of your evolution,” said IFMA CEO Phil Kafarakis. To this end, for the first time in 70 years the association is expanding its ranks beyond just foodservice manufacturers to include other stakeholders, including operators, distributors, and service providers. “Our new membership structure is going to help you because it’s in a new sea of change, in the spirit of transformation and inclusion. The IFMA of 2024 and beyond is going to be dedicated to your diverse needs and address our industry challenges in a new way. By bringing the food-away-from-home ecosystem together, we can create opportunities for different segments to work collaboratively on solutions that are critical in our industry,” Kafarakis added.


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Food health and quality are clearly under pressure. Consumers are fearful for food in the future. Ashwin Prasad, previous category manager of bakery products at Tesco, affirms the importance of quality for consumers. In the following video he shares his insights and explains how he deals with the health and quality expectations of consumers.
The Taste Tomorrow research shows apprehensions about quality and health in the future:
- More than a quarter of consumers around the world expect food to be of lesser quality in the future.
- However, Asia-Pasific is optimistic, more than 35% thinks food will be more qualitative.
- The health expectations are more balanced. One third of the global consumers think food will be healthier, one third thinks it stays equal and one third expects food will be less healthy.


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The fall 2010 book sale runs through Sunday the 26th of September.
Update September 27: Well the book sale has ended but organizers are pretty happy with the results, saying that preliminary sales totals put the figure near $25,000 raised.
While it's below their record of $30,000 from a couple years ago they say they're pretty happy given the economy.
Update September 24: The book lover's fun has begun. If you have yet to make it down, there's a bunch of photos below of what to expect.
If you're looking to stock up your book collection or just get a good read (or maybe get a CD or DVD,) your chance has come this weekend at the fall Friends of the Beaufort County Library book sale.
The sale runs for three days from Friday, September 24, to Sunday, September 26, at the Waterfront Park.
Things will get started Friday with a members-only preview from 10 a.m. to noon (anyone can join at the gate for only $10) and opens to the public from noon to 6. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
At 4 on Sunday non-profits are encouraged to come with boxes to take any leftovers for free as at 4:30 all leftover go the Goodwill. All proceeds go to the Beaufort County Public Library system. If you'd like to donate something bring it to the foyer or desk at the downtown Beaufort library on Scott Street.
There are two tables of DVDs, CDs, and recorded books.
Don't see anything today? Come back tomorrow, many books have yet to be unloaded.
Be a fan of the library and grab a fan while you're there.


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GM impresses CES 2011 with Electric Networked Vehicles
Using a driving course set up outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center, GM demonstrated the autonomous driving capabilities of EN-V, including a feature that would allow the vehicles to park themselves and automatically return to the user when summoned from a smartphone application.
According to the media.gm.com news release, EN-V is GM’s vision of the future of urban personal mobility. Three different EN-V designs represent distinct characteristics that emphasize the enjoyable nature of future transportation: Jiao (Pride), Miao (Magic) and Xiao (Laugh).
For the record, six EN-Vs can fit into a standard American parking space while one self-balancing, two-wheeled EN-V provides interior space for two passengers. Using its sophisticated sensing technology, EN-V can detect obstacles in its path, including pedestrians or other vehicles, and automatically come to a stop.
The closest competition to the concept vehicles is the Smart For Two, for which the EN-V is half the length.
Following CES, the EN-V vehicles will be on static display at North American International Auto Show in Detroit; and TorqueNews reporters will be there to cover and tweet directly from the floor during press week.
Detroit Auto Show live tweets to power auto media


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Reports from South America indicate a robust harvest that will start in just a few weeks. A wild card is the trade tensions between the US and China. Soybean prices are likely to remain low for those allowed to purchase US grain without a tariff while higher prices will prevail in China.
With the Chinese 25% tariff in place, the production and trade of soybeans is shifting. Production will increase in South America and decrease in the US. US farmers will shift some production from soybeans to corn thereby reducing the price of corn. After a period of unusually low soybean prices over the next year, soybean prices are likely to rise worldwide.
Despite the current beneficial grain price climate for most grain users, low prices will not last. Trade wars reduce efficiency and end up increasing prices in the long run, not only for those behind a tariff wall but for all grain users. In addition, grain prices appear to be at the bottom of a long-term cycle. The next move is therefore more likely to be up. Corn may move up in this crop year even as soybean continue to fall. However, by 2019-2020 it can be expected that both corn and soybean prices will be rising at the beginning of a long-term cycle upward in grain and commodity prices.
The December, the USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report projects a lower US and world ending corn stock in 2019. Falling world stocks normally signal the end of a period of low prices. However, the beginning of the next bull market may be delayed because of a possible slowdown in the world economy and the effects of the trade war. With farmers in the US shifting from soybeans to corn next year, corn prices may increase slowly, if at all, this crop year and next.
The USDA numbers for world ending corn stock for the last several years changed significantly after adjustments were made to the numbers from China. Hopefully, the adjusted numbers from China are now accurate since China is so important in the world ending stock numbers.
Ending stocks of soybeans are rising not falling. The December USDA WASDE report shows that both US and world soybean stocks are rising. Soybean meal prices rose last crop year due to the drought in Argentina and then plummeted because of the trade war between China and the US, combined with clearly abundant supplies worldwide.
With increased demand from China for South American soybeans this crop year and good weather, production will increase rapidly in that part of the world. US production is likely to fall in 2019-2020 as farmers shift from soybeans to corn. Soybean meal prices probably reached their lowest point with the harvest low this fall. However, prices will rise slowly from this point as soybeans, like corn, enter into a new long-term cycle of rising prices.
US ending stocks rose an unusual amount due to the trade war with China. The effect of that increase is already reflected in the market price. Yet to be determined are the trade politics of 2019. China may purchase some US soybeans next year.
US Chicken Industry
The domestic supply of meat in the US rose by 2.5 billion pounds in 2018, an amount that exceeded demand. A billion pounds of that was additional chicken production. The result for the chicken industry was a substantial drop in prices. After years of profitable production, the chicken industry is now operating at a loss that will continue at least through the winter and could last all next year.
Chicken production rose 2.6% in 2018 and the USDA expects production to rise by 1.5% next year. Given the recent severe price drop, the USDA estimate may be too high for next year. Production may not rise at all next year. How could that be possible since six new plants are expected to open next year? The answer to that puzzle is there may be at least one plant closed for every new plant opened. There are some aging processing plants in the US that are ripe for retirement.
A clue to future supply can be found in the number of chicks being placed by the industry. The recent numbers clearly show that the industry has tapped the brakes on production. Current numbers of chicks placed are lower than year earlier numbers.
Falling grain prices this year helped the chicken industry but not enough to counteract the effects of an oversupply of chicken and increased competition from red meat. Total per capita red meat consumption has recently been rising faster than poultry consumption. This is logical given three factors:
- low grain prices help poor feed converting animals;
- rising median income;
- the time lag for increased red meat production.
As all of these factors reverse in the coming years, poultry consumption will, if history is a guide, once again outperform red meat consumption. “Outperform” may mean staying the same while red meat consumption falls.
The US meat industry as a whole may be reaching market saturation. Consumption reached 220 pounds in 2006 and is now expected to exceed 220 pounds once again in 2019. That may be too much to sell profitably.
With a preliminary agreement on a new trade deal in North America, US chicken leg quarter exports to that country appear safe for the moment. Mexico is the number one destination for US chicken exports buying nearly one billion pounds of leg quarters per year.
The seasonal peak for skinless boneless breast (SBB) came early his year and was disappointing. Now SBB has fallen to just 80 cents per pound (Northeast Price). The issue appears to be too much SBB and red meat combined with a surprising lack of food service demand. The price has dropped so much recently that it has fallen below the world price.
For decades, US SBB was much, higher than world prices, sometimes double world prices; now it is lower. Such a price for SBB combined with unusually low prices for leg quarters results in heavy losses for the US chicken industry.
World Chicken Growth Rate
World economic growth and per capita income were both rising recently. Along with that increase in world growth, world chicken production increased as well. However, it is becoming more likely that world economic growth will decline in the next few years. Declining world economic growth would eventually restrict the ability of the world chicken industry to grow.
The long-term world chicken production growth appears to be 2%. The USDA expects world growth to slightly exceed 2% in 2019. However, if the world economy falters and/or grain prices increase, the growth rate could decline somewhat in 2020.


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EconomyNext – Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings said net profit rose 28 percent to 4.33 billion rupees in the third quarter ending December 31, 2014 from a year ago with gains in container handling, insurance and consumer foods and retail offsetting a downturn in hotels.
It reported a capital gain of 593 million rupees from the sale of the group’s stake in Access Engineering and a 77 percent increase in net finance income to 2.2 billion rupees as finance costs fell 47 percent.
A stock exchange filing said JKH sales for the quarter rose nine percent to 25.47 billion rupees from the year before.
Diluted earnings per share for the quarter rose to 4.26 rupees from 3.41 rupees.
In the first nine months profit rose 30 percent to 9.13 billion rupees from the year before with revenue up seven percent to 68.92 billion rupees.
JKH Chairman Susantha Ratnayake said pre-tax profits of the group’s transportation business rose 35 percent to 727 million rupees from the previous year.
The increase in profitability was mainly attributable to the performance of South Asia Gateway Terminals, where overall volumes and domestic throughput increased over the same period of the last financial year.
"The contraction in margins arising out of an increasingly competitive operating environment negatively impacted the performance of the bunkering business," Ratnayake said.
The leisure industry group pre-tax profit fell nine percent to 1.40 billion rupees in the third quarter from the year before despite the island’s tourist arrivals rising almost 20 percent to 1.53 million in 2014.
"The economic volatility in Russia and the continuing unrest in Ukraine had a significant negative impact on the occupancies of both the Maldivian and Sri Lankan resorts in the peak booking periods of November and December," Ratnayake said.
"The performance of the Sri Lankan resorts was further impacted by the timing of the presidential election which was held in January 2015."
But the Sri Lankan resorts increased profitability, aided by the growth in tourist arrivals from key external markets such as China, United Kingdom and the Middle East, as well as a "healthy" contribution from local tourists, Ratnayake said.


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Missed Starbucks Philippines’ contest in Facebook earlier.
Starbucks Philippines earlier held its first contest in Facebook. 20 fans who have correctly named the new 3 promotional Full-Leaf Tea Lattes and 1 Full-Leaf Tea won a tumbler each.
Let’s just wait for the next contest.
Be a fan of Starbucks Philippines in Facebook here.


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Japan's health ministry says the maker of the "Beni-koji" fermented rice health supplement has confirmed the presence of "puberulic acid", an unintended substance, in its products. The products made by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical are reportedly linked to five deaths and dozens of hospitalizations. But the ministry says it is not certain whether the substance is the cause.
The company disclosed the finding at a panel of experts meeting held by the health ministry on Thursday.
The firm said the "puberulic acid", which can be produced from blue mold, was confirmed present in a batch of the products that caused health complaints.
More than 100 people who took the supplement have been hospitalized, and nearly 700 others are consulting doctors, or plan to do so.
The company earlier admitted that the batches of Benikoji CholesteHelp, manufactured between last April through December, could contain an "unintended substance."
Ministry officials say the acid is reported to have antimalarial properties. But they say it is not known how much of its consumption could harm people's health, or how it damages kidneys. They also say it is unknown how the unintended substance was mixed into the product.
The ministry will have the National Institute of Health Sciences analyze samples from the past three years to examine toxicity levels, while looking into the possibility that other substances may be contained in them.


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It is expected that the new recruits will hail mainly from old MG Rover staff that used to work at the plant. They will join a 40-strong team of designer engineers already based at Longbridge. Sarah Xuyan, from Nanjing, told AM: “We have already started to recruit people.”
The news will come as a welcome relief to some of the 1,850 workers that are still without jobs following the close of the factory last summer.
Production at the factory, which is due to start by April 2007, is expected to focus on the MGTF sports model. The majority of Nanjing’s manufacturing will continue to be carried out in China.


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When it comes to drone deliveries, U.S. companies are the first ones that come to mind. Now, Malaysia looks to commence the trial of drone deliveries in Cyberjaya by the end of this month. So, if you are in Cyberjaya and waiting for food you might just find it hovering above you!
A local Malaysian drone company Average Drone has announced that it will be starting a three-month trial of drone food delivery. The service will first start in Cyberjaya, the most technologically advanced town in Malaysia, and will be limited to a 2km radius. Cyberjaya is located in Sepang District, Selangor.
It will take 12 minutes for the food to be delivered once an order is placed, said Hamdee Hamdan, the chief executive officer of Average Drone Sdn Bhd, which has been involved in the drone industry since 2014. The company will collaborate with Futurise which is managed by Cyberview, a subsidiary firm under the Finance Ministry.
Hamdee said the current plan was to have the food delivery service over a three-month trial period. As of now, foodies can only order up to seven types of food like: Rice, noodles, burgers, sandwiches, local cakes, and fruits.
“This is only a test run and after three months we will see how it goes and add on more dishes on the menu,” said Hamdee when met by Bernama at the expo MyDroneX Monday.
Hamdee said the company is also developing a food delivery app called Express Food for this service which is in the final stages of development adding that delivery charges would cost RM2.50 per trip.
“It’s not so much about the price, it is all also about the time frame since many want quick delivery. We have developed the drone so that it could be flown in the rain, but not in situations when there is heavy rain,” he said.
Hamdee said that the six-propeller drones aptly named ‘Express Food’ and manufactured by the company, were able to accommodate a weight of up to 800gm.
“If the response is good and the trial project a success, our plan is to then modify each drone to accommodate a weight of up three kilogrammes,” he further said.
Average Drone is not the first company to bring drones and food delivery together. Just last week, Uber announced that Uber Eats will start testing food delivery via drones in San Diego, California. As of now people at Cyberjaya can’t wait to get some Nasi Lemak from the skies!
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Verizon's latest push to get you to switch from your current carrier revolves directly around high-def, as it's offering new customers a HD DVR or HD Home Media DVR for a full year should they sign up before October 4th. According to Shawn Strickland, vice president of video solutions for Verizon, FiOS TV
is "delivered over the network that's built for HD," and it's doing its best to ensure that everyone out there knows it. So, do any of you other providers care to match this, or will the leapfrog game end here?
[Image courtesy of PCMag


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Sonic Boom arrives 2014.
Today, SEGA confirmed that their blue mascot will be receiving a brand new show come Fall of 2014.
This show, titled Sonic Boom (working title) will feature the popular blue hedgehog and his pal Tails. It will be a character-driven comedy that “leaves a trail of robot wreckage in its smoldering wake”.
The show focuses on the duo’s search for adventure, and their (seemingly) never-ending battle with the evil Dr. Eggman. Many of you may be pleased to learn that Knuckles and Amy Rose, two fan favourites, will also be in the show, as well as a “rogue’s gallery of enemies – some familiar to Sonic fans and some brand-new”.
What wacky adventures do you think Sonic and his pals will get in come 2014?


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On April 25, India recorded over 353,000 cases of new infection, the highest daily rate since the pandemic began, putting its total cases at 17.3 million, making the South Asian country, the epicenter of the deadly virus.
The second wave, whose impact has pushed the death numbers to more than 195,000, has riled up global sympathy for India, as hospitals and crematoriums run out of space.
The United States, France, Singapore, the United Kingdom and China are coming to the aid of India.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation as “beyond heartbreaking”, and said the World Health Organization is sending extra staff and supplies there to help fight the pandemic.
“WHO is doing everything we can, providing critical equipment and supplies, including thousands of oxygen concentrators, prefabricated mobile field hospitals and laboratory supplies,” Tedros told a briefing on Monday.
But as the ugly face of the pandemic wrecks human lives, it also stares sternly at the economic prospects of the country.
India has accelerated its quest for a digital economy recently. The goal is to create $1 trillion digital economy by 2025, about 80% increase from its current value.
To set the ball rolling towards the goal, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched ‘Digital India’ that its masterplan involves a scope of institutional changes, geared toward more liberal economic practices that will entice the big names in the tech industry.
Since 2020, there has been increase in the number of big tech companies embracing India. Google doled out $4.5 billion for a 7.73% stake in Reliance Jio following its $10 billion investment in India’s digital infrastructure, a part of Google’s India’s mission. Qualcomms made $97 million investment in Jio and Facebook, $5.7 billion for a 9.99% stakes in the conglomerate. Amazon is another Silicon Valley big name to take the Indian route. In January 2020, the founder of the ecommerce giant, Jeff Bezos, announced $1 billion investment to help digitize small and medium businesses. It has been followed by other deals including partnership with Airtel to offer affordable streaming service to Indians.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk also said the electric vehicle company will find its way to India soon.
India has a booming telecom industry of over 500 million subscribers that presents a digital economic goldmine to both the country and investors. Covid-19 pandemic exposed the country to more digital opportunities as activities moved online at the peak of the plague.
However, the surge in Covid-19 cases has presented obstacles to digital growth and its future prospects as other traditional businesses originally in the digital masterplan are likely going to be shut out. The government has reintroduced restrictions that affect many states and sectors driving the economy. Transport services have been mainly shut down, all public and private offices closed, factories, hospitality and most other businesses have been halted. Some economists said that there is already Covid-induced job loss of 40 million people and counting (MRD report) in the country, mostly in the unorganized sectors.
With the cases still rising, many more sectors are likely going to be impacted sooner or later, and the economic impact will undermine the whole ‘digital India’ masterplan as focus will shift to economic recovery.
Lexicology predicts that a lot of traditional businesses are likely to go out of business in the coming months and e-commerce and online businesses will gain further market share as a lot more people in India are learning and using online platforms to order groceries, eatables, and almost all household items.
While traditional businesses will be forced to go online to stay afloat, there is concern that poor digital infrastructure in India will hamper their efficiency and growth. And also, many other conventional entities, although they are in the digital economy masterplan, will be left out as more time is needed to incorporate them into the digital life.
Purchasing power and confidence of the consumer are projected to hit an all-time low. Tax collections will also drop and a global economic recession seems to be in the offing which will severely affect the Indian economy and recovery from this crisis could take over a year or two. This means the 2025 one trillion dollars digital economy dream will have to wait, and no one knows when it will come true.


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Chennai, Nov 14 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has urged leading industrialists to invest in his state and participate in the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit, to be held in Gandhinagar on January 12-13.
Modi said Gujarat had a business friendly environment. A stable government promoting policies and mechanisms of confidence building."
"We provide hassle-free environment for business which start right from effective handholding and setting up of projects. Transactions cost are low, labour problem is almost zero and power cuts are nil. That is the reason why many national and multinational companies have made Gujarat their base," he said.
In 2008 Gujarat captured the entrepreneurs' attention when Tata Motors decided to shift its plant to manufacture Nano, the world's cheapest car, from West Bengal to Gujarat.
Gujarat, one of India's most industrialized states, is the hub of petrochemicals industry, accounting for 30 percent of petrochemicals and half of chemicals and pharmaceuticals business in the country.
With the longest coastline of 1,600 kms, Gujarat accounts for almost 21 percent share in the export basket of India. It ranks on top in marine production, fisheries and ports, besides textiles manufacturing.
The state produces India's 90 percent soda ash, 70 percent salt and 20 percent caustic soda. (ANI)


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Mi Notebook Pro 15 (2020) will be launched on June 12, first glimpse revealed
Xiaomi's Weibo post does not reveal any key specifications related to the upcoming laptop. However, Xiaomi has indicated that the new Mi Notebook Pro 15 (2020) will be much better than the existing Mi Notebook Pro 15 Enhanced Edition. In the shared poster, slim bezels of Mi Notebook 15 (2020) are seen, while thick bezels have been given at the top and bottom of the laptop's screen, just like the old Mi Notebook 15 Enhanced Edition. More details related to the new laptop will be revealed during the launch event on June 12.
Mi Notebook Pro 15 Enhanced Edition has a 15.6-inch full-HD display with 100 percent sRGB high color gamut. This laptop is equipped with 10th generation Intel Core i7-10510U processor. It comes with 16 GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce MX250 GPU and up to 1 TB storage. At the same time, this laptop has a full size backlit keyboard with 60 watt battery. For connectivity, Mi Notebook Enhanced Edition has HDMI, USB Type-C port and 3.5mm audio jack.
Meanwhile, Xiaomi is going to launch its first laptop Mi Notebook in India on Thursday. This laptop will be launched not only in India but globally. On this day, Mi Notebook Horizon Edition will also be introduced along with Mi Notebook, the picture of whose box has been revealed online. India's Mi Notebook model will be equipped with 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor and will have a battery life of up to 12 hours.
For the latest tech news, smartphone reviews and exclusive offers on popular mobiles, download the Ocean of Gadgets Android app and follow us on Google News.
Check out the latest news from the Consumer Electronics Show on hindi.gadgets 360 and our CES 2024 page
#Notebook #Pro #launched #June #glimpse #revealed


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They say that in Texas, everything is bigger and so far, NAILBA 29 is definitely backing it up. Located at the beautiful (and enormous!) Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Dallas, this year's show has started off with a bang.
While walking around the show floor today, I've heard numerous attendees say that this year's meeting feels bigger and more energetic than in recent years. While a tone of caution persists due to variables such as the economy, government regulation and ongoing vacillations in LI sales, there is also a real sense of energy and enthusiasm. You can tell that these people love what they do and are looking for new ways to be successful.
This afternoon, I attended a breakout session focusing on non-traditional channels and distribution sources like wirehouses, banks, financial advisors and CPAS that are being utilized by BGAs.
Later this evening, I'm looking forward to attending a session titled "Harvesting Your Book: Creating Revenue With Contracts You Already Have!"
If there's one key theme I've noticed so far, it's adaptability. There's no doubt that the industry is in the midst of great change, but as far as I can tell, people are embracing new ideas and seeking fresh opportunities.This appears to be an industry that is doing it's best to move forward.


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Release date: 5/6/2020
Variscite is pleased to inform about the Yocto Sumo release v1.2 for the VAR-SOM-MX8M-NANO System on Module.
Yocto Sumo (based on official NXP release L4.14.98-2.3.1).
- Linux kernel:
Variscite imx_4.14.98_2.3.0_var01 release (based on official NXP release imx_4.14.98_2.3.1, which is based on Linux 4.14.98).
Variscite imx_v2018.03_4.14.98_2.3.0_var01 release (based on official NXP release imx_v2018.03_4.14.98_2.3.1, which is based on U-Boot v2018.03).
Noteworthy updates since release v1.1:
- Added device trees with Cortex-M7 support


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- China CRE markets to be hardest hit with negative impacts expected to ripple through all sectors with retail, leisure and hotel to bear the brunt
- Declines in visitor numbers from China to impact tourism and retail markets across Asia Pacific
- Expectations are for economic impact to be constrained to 1H 2020
- Longer term fundamentals for the Asia Pacific CRE space remain intact
China’s commercial real estate markets will be the most disrupted in Asia Pacific by the COVID-19 outbreak, although, in the short-term, tourism and retail markets across the region will feel a serious impact from reduced visitor numbers from the mainland, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s Potential Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Commercial Real Estate in Asia-Pacific report.
Expectations are that the economic impact from the COVID-19 outbreak will be limited to the first half of 2020 and the longer-term fundamentals for Asia Pacific commercial real estate markets are considered to remain intact.
In mainland China, in the short-term the retail and hospitality sectors will be hardest hit, but office demand will also be restrained. Rising vacancy is likely to bring rental rates under pressure until business confidence and activity is restored. Industrial is more of a mixed bag, with export-oriented facilities seeing greater time and costs for entry-exit inspection as well as product quarantines.
Beyond the short-term hit on tourism and retail, impacts for countries across the region will be more nuanced, reflecting their individual economic ties to China.
James Shepherd, Head of Research, Asia Pacific, stated: “In China the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak is clearly visible, and the cost of containment via mitigation measures is slowing economic activity and productivity nationwide. Across Asia Pacific, tourism and retail markets are at risk of serious damage in the short-term, with inbound tourists and students from mainland China facing travel restrictions. We can expect to see investment activity in the retail and hospitality sectors to slow across the region until the outbreak eases. However, longer-term we do not see major restructuring given the recent reweighting of international real estate investment capital to Asia Pacific markets.”
The COVID-19 outbreak is a blow to South Korea’s economy, with disruption to supply chains, reduced export activity and weakened consumer sentiment creating near-term impact on growth prospects. As a result, expectations for GDP growth for 2020 have been downgraded from 2.0% to 1.8% (Oxford Economics).
The bricks-and-mortar retail market has been hit hard, with reduced footfall at malls as people refrain from going out and growing alternative consumption through online channels. Consequently, concerns are mounting over vacancy in the offline retail sector. As well, some department stores and large discount stores, visited by confirmed carriers of the coronavirus, have been mandated to close temporarily. Duty-free stores in particular are expected to see a sharp drop in sales, due to a significant decline in footfall of visitors from China, who account for a large portion of duty-free sales
Hospitality and tourism industries are also under direct fire. Hotel reservations are plummeting due to guest cancellations and a general unwillingness to venture out. Currently, the cancellation rate at major hotels in Seoul is reportedly close to 15%. But a bigger concern is the sharp drop in future reservations. In particular, Jeju Island, which has seen a number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus, has been hit with a series of domestic tourist cancellations, with reservations by Koreans in Seogwipo plunging 30% y-o-y in the February-March period.
In terms of the investment market, REITs, considered a leading safe asset, could be negatively impacted if portfolio properties are mandated to undergo quarantine. The Korean stock market is also reacting in line with other global markets to COVID-19.
The Korea Economic Research Institute has forecast that if COVID-19 proliferates in the same way as the MERS epidemic in 2015, then the number of foreigners visiting Korea will drop by 1.65 million and tourism revenue will lose 4.6 trillion won.
Job seekers in at-risk industries are declining significantly: by 45,500 in wholesale and retail services, 15,800 in lodging services and 15,000 in restaurants and bars. However, If COVID-19 remains in circulation for nine months, as in the SARS epidemic, and tourism revenue drops more than 17.2% then then the number of job-seekers in the tourism industry is estimated to reach 55,600.
Philip Jin, Head of Research, Cushman & Wakefield Korea, add: “Concerns are mounting for offline retailers in the face of reduced footfall, as well as the office market.”
Key takeaways from Potential Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Commercial Real Estate in Asia Pacific:
- Economists are reaching a consensus that global GDP growth will fall by approximately 0.2-0.3 percentage points in 2020, with the greater impact on China ranging from approximately 0.4 percentage points to 1 percentage point.
- Domestic consumption in China, through retail and travel, is expected to be hardest hit.
- Wider Asia Pacific effects are likely to be seen through reduced regional tourism flows and supply chain disruption from mainland Chinese suppliers.
- The Chinese government’s strong response in addressing the spread of COVID-19, its recent RMB 1.7 trillion (approx. US$242.8 billion) injection into the economy and other possible future measures supports mid to long term market confidence.
- China domestic retail expenditure, especially on travel, luxury retail, leisure and restaurants, will weaken in the short term, but e-commerce may receive a boost.
- Potential CRE impacts include:
- Reduced leasing and investment transaction activity in China for at least Q1 2020, although we expect property investment activity to recover in the medium-term;
- Immediate negative impact on short-term leasing and co-working activity;
- Prompt action by corporates is demonstrating strengthened business continuity planning (BCP) since SARS, the success of which may accelerate a move to more flexible working arrangements over the longer term;
- Lower outbound tourist numbers will negatively impact tourist expenditure and hotel occupancy across much of Asia Pacific;
- Hampered industrial production due to shutdowns and quarantine in mainland China and supply of components to global markets; and
- Potential benefits to logistics sector on the back of increased e-commerce.
Click HERE to view the full report.


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£32m of fraud prevented in first half of 2021
More than £32m of fraud has been prevented by the finance industry and the police through the Banking Protocol scheme in the first half of 2021, new UK Finance figures have revealed. This figure is up 65% compared to the same period last year and brings the total amount of fraud prevented to £174m since the scheme was introduced in 2016. Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters of authorised fraud and scam complaints handled by the Financial Ombudsman are now won by customers - with banks forced to pay out more than £130m in the past three years. But campaigners say banks should now stop fighting blameless victims and instead focus on improving security to prevent fraud in the first place. Martyn James, of complaints website Resolver, says: “The banks should not be tying up the Ombudsman's time with these cases, nor leaving customers in limbo when they know full well they will be upheld.”
Brussels to issue ‘Covid green bonds’ as part of pandemic recovery effort
The European Commission will issue the first of an expected €250bn of EU green bonds in October, making the EU the largest green bond issuer in the world.
Toyota to spend $13.6bn on battery development in effort to win electric battle
Toyota is to spend 1.5trn yen (£10bn) on developing electric car batteries and manufacturing plants over the next decade. The company also said it remained on track to develop next generation solid-state batteries by 2025.
Hyundai targets hydrogen fuel cells in all commercial vehicles by 2028
Hyundai Motor Group is ramping up its shift from petrol engines to batteries and hydrogen power with a commitment to power all its commercial vehicle models with fuel cell systems by 2028.
Apple Car executive defects to Ford in blow to automotive ambitions
Apple executive Doug Field has been hired by Ford to lead development of the automaker’s next generation of tech-enabled vehicles. The FT says this could spell the end of the Apple Car project.
BA warns it could sell Gatwick slots if deal with unions collapses
British Airways could sell its landing slots for short-haul flights from Gatwick unless unions agree to a new lower-cost subsidiary at the airport, the airline has warned. CEO Sean Doyle said that BA wanted to set up a unit with a “competitive cost platform” but if negotiations with unions failed, it would be unable to compete at the Crawley airport, where it has lost money for decades.
Vistry says keeping up with demand is ‘bloody hard work’
FTSE 250 builder Vistry said on Tuesday that half-year results show a swing to a statutory pre-tax profit of £156.2m, compared to a loss of £12.2m in the same period last year. But supply chain issues meant it was “bloody hard work” getting materials on site, COO Graham Prothero said. With a shortage of skilled labourers adding to construction woes, CEO George Fitzgerald said: “House prices and the shortage of affordable housing in the country are only going to go one way because we’re just not going to be able to meet demand.”
Dividend raid a fresh threat to the City
Economists and business leaders have warned that Boris Johnson’s £600m tax raid on dividends risks damaging the City of London, deterring investors and punishing entrepreneurs. The tax on dividend income will rise from 7.5% to 8.75% next April, alongside the hikes in NICs. The Telegraph suggests the dividend tax burden will encourage companies to list abroad rather than floating in Britain, as well as potentially depressing share prices by making stocks a less attractive source of income for savers. Lord Myners, a former City minister under Gordon Brown, said: "I would have expected this from a Labour government, but never a Tory one."
Remote working leaves traders taking fewer risks
Traders are taking fewer risks when working from home, according to TP Icap, which pointed to anecdotal evidence indicating they were shying away from complicated transactions involving multiple parties, because of worries that a poor internet connection at home could interrupt audit trails that record deals. “You’re at risk in anything that’s high velocity of there being a breakdown,” Robin Stewart, TP Icap’s finance chief, said. “You could misreport it because your internet might go down.”
Cinven set to acquire True Potential
Cinven is close to wrapping up a takeover of True Potential, a wealth management platform which works with a fifth of Britain's army of financial advisers. City sources said the takeover was likely to value the business at anywhere between £1.6bn and £2bn. Last year, True Potential reported turnover of £185m and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of £74m, up 59% on the previous year.
Zurich Insurance joins corporate squeeze on air travel to cut emissions
Zurich has promised to cut emissions generated from flights for employees to 70% below pre-pandemic levels. The insurer said it will hold fewer internal meetings involving travel and continue using video conference technology.
LEISURE & HOSPITALITY
Online betting group 888 in talks to buy William Hill’s European assets
Online gambling company 888 Holdings has confirmed it is in talks with Caesars Entertainment to acquire William Hill’s European operations after outbidding Apollo Global Management with an estimated bid of more than £2bn.
Make UK: New tax “ill-timed and illogical”
Stephen Phipson, the boss of manufacturing trade group Make UK, said the new social care tax's introduction was “ill-timed as well as illogical.” He said that “firms need capital to reset”, and told the BBC: “After witnessing large scale redundancies at the height of the pandemic and the plug being pulled on the furlough scheme, government should be putting in place measures to protect jobs and incentivise recruitment.”
TransDigm pulls out of bid for Meggitt as it paves way for US rival
US aircraft parts maker TransDigm has withdrawn its bid for UK aerospace and defence group Meggitt, paving the way for US rival Parker Hannifin to seal its agreed £6.3bn takeover of the group.
MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
Deutsche Telekom deepens bet on US market with SoftBank deal
Deutsche Telekom has sold its Dutch unit T-Mobile Netherlands to Apax and Warburg Pincus for €5.1bn. Meanwhile, Softbank Group said on Tuesday it had agreed a share swap deal with Deutsche Telekom that will see the Japanese group unload a large portion of fixed price options it holds in T-Mobile US in exchange for Deutsche Telekom shares.
UK watchdog warns Sony music deal could hurt artists
The Competition and Markets Authority has raised concerns over Sony’s $430m acquisition of AWAL, the independent record label, warning it could lead to “worse terms for artists and less innovation in the music sector”.
Mortgage price war helps lift average UK house price
New figures from Halifax indicate that a combination of ultra-low interest rates, pent-up demand and a rebounding jobs market saw the price of a typical home rise 0.7% month-on-month in August to £262,954. It means the average price of a UK home is 7.1% higher now than the £245,602 recorded in August 2020. Mark Harris, chief executive of mortgage broker SPF Private Clients, said: “Property prices are rising due to lack of stock, while cheap borrowing rates give borrowers confidence to go after the property of their dreams in the race for space.”
DS Smith set to deliver record profits
DS Smith chief executive Miles Roberts has indicated that the company expects to power on to record profits this year, due to the huge growth in online shopping and home deliveries. He said that strong customer relationships with the likes of the Amazon delivery company and with the chocolate producer Cadbury for its display boxes, were “resulting in excellent volume growth”. He said that DS Smith has been able to pass on rising production costs through higher prices which means that trading remains in line with its expectations. City analysts forecast that the company’s pre-tax profits in the year to next April would put on more than a fifth or nearly £100m on top of the £437m it made in the prior Covid-hit year.
New tax is a drag on jobs and growth
Suren Thiru, head of economics at the British Chambers of Commerce, said the new 1.25% national insurance contribution introduced by Boris Johnson would be a “drag anchor on jobs growth at an absolutely crucial time”. “Firms have been hammered by 18 months of Covid-related restrictions and have built up huge debt burdens,” he said. “This rise will impact the wider economic recovery by landing significant costs on firms when they are already facing a raft of new cost pressures and dampen the entrepreneurial spirit needed to drive the recovery. Elsewhere, Lord Bilimoria, President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said that although there is “genuine consensus” that social care reforms and greater investment are long overdue, businesses “are already set to be hit by a substantial rise in corporation tax in 2023.” He went on to say that the dividend tax would dampen investment which “plays a critical role in supporting businesses and enabling growth across the whole economy”.
Inflation could force rates rise next year
Michael Saunders, an external member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee, said yesterday that if the economy continues to recover and inflation shows signs of being more persistent then interest rates may need to rise in the next year or so. Saunders reiterated his view that continuing with the planned £895bn bond-buying programme under QE risked increasing medium-term inflation expectations.


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Dr. Asim Tewari, G.K. Devarajulu Chair Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT-Bombay
International Seminar on Forming Technology 2020 unveils latest trends in Metal Forming
At the International Seminar on Forming Technology (ISFT 2020), organized by the Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers ‘Association (IMTMA) on 22 January 2020 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru, coinciding with IMTEX FORMING 2020 & Tooltech 2020, R&D, innovations, trends and best practices in manufacturing were the key highlights.
The seminar was attended by over 300 delegates from various segments of the manufacturing industry such as automobile, aerospace, defense, railway establishments, consumer durables, general engineering, and so on, to explore the rapid technology changes in the forming market.
Speakers introduced the latest developments in metal forming technology, such as Laser Technology, Future of Bending Automation, Innovative CMT Processes, Next Generation Stamping Technology, High Strength Aluminum Manufacturing Solutions, Aerospace Additive Applications, to name a few.
Welcoming the delegates to ISFT 2020, IMTMA President Mr Indradev Babu said, “The response to this seminar clearly indicates the importance of manufacturing technology development. The involvement of visitors helps us to build such a platform to share the emerging trends in this technology arena.’
At the inaugural session, Dr. Asim Tewari, G.K. Devarajulu Chair Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT-Bombay, presented his keynote address on “Aggressive Light weighting through the Use of Composites,” said: “Every light-weighting effort has mass-decompounding effects when adopted in the early vehicle development process.
With India embarking on a new phase in manufacturing on a new phase in manufacturing, ISFT 2020 was an important event for metal forming manufacturers to focus on technology and adding depth in their manufacturing process. For delegates attending the seminar, it was also an opportunity to visit IMTEX FORMING 2020 and get a first-hand view of the latest technologies in metal forming on display from reputed companies across the globe.
IMTMA is the apex body and single point of contact for machine tool industry in India. IMTMA plays a crucial role in the growth and development of metalworking industry in the country. IMTMA’s initiatives range from policy advocacy, export promotion, trade fairs, mega events, training, seminars, technology missions, publications, etc. IMTMA formed in 1946 has a membership of over 450 members and represents 90% of the organized machine tool and allied equipment manufacturers in the country.
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Copyright © 2015. Divya Media Publications Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved


text: Tencent Holdings , China’s gaming, social media, and entertainment king, has launched a new video platform that rewards users for watching videos, in a move to expand its presence among China’s vast elderly and rural populations. Pianduoduo, which literally means “lots of videos” in Chinese, was recently launched across application stores in China. A check on Wednesday showed that the app has been download over 20,000 times on Huawei ’s app store. Offering entire seasons of popular classic TV series ad-free, including mythical action-adventure Journey to West , imperial court drama My Fair Princess , and historical spy thriller Sparrow , Pianduoduo gives users digital coins in exchange for watching. Capped at 3,600 coins per day, for a total monetary value of 0.2 yuan, users can earn 60 coins for every minute they watch. The app, with a very simple design and layout, does not explicitly state the cap until the user reaches the maximum earnings for the day. Tencent did not immediately reply to a request for comment. “If [users] can get paid for watching something they‘d probably watch anyway, it will have widespread appeal,” said Mark Tanner, managing director of Shanghai-based consultancy China Skinny. “But if it isn‘t [sticky], the viewers will leave the minute the cash stops.” Paying users is an increasingly common tactic among China’s internet companies to quickly grow their user base, especially those who are less tech-savvy and have more free time like the elderly and rural. “This is a proven tactic of tech companies to attract new customers, especially elderly or those from rural areas,” said independent internet industry commentator Zhang Dingding. “But these customers have lower loyalty and weaker purchasing power, so the vast number of users do not lead to strong commercial abilities.” Reactions on social media were muted. Those that did post about the new app were mostly sceptical. “Does it mean ‘lots of lies?’”, one user asked on social media platform Weibo, a pun on homophones ‘lie’ and ‘video’ in Mandarin Chinese. “Paying users cash is a familiar gimmick,” said another user. “Will [the app] start charging membership fees after two months?” The launch of Pianduoduo highlights China’s Big Tech increasing focus on underserved markets in the quest for new growth as well as Tencent’s efforts to catch up in video. China’s most recent national census data shows that the country’s elderly population aged 60 or older grew 18.7 per cent from 2010. More than 100 million Chinese consumers aged above 50 use the mobile internet, spending an average of 136 hours a month on their smart devices, QuestMobile said in a July survey. Home to around 1 billion people, so-called “sinking markets”, lower-tier cities and remote rural areas , represent growing pools of untapped spending as mobile internet penetration continues to rise. Amid rising competition from upstarts like Kuaishou and Douyin , the Chinese version of TikTok, Tencent is putting more attention on its video offerings. Earlier this year, Tencent Video, the company’s on-demand streaming service, and short video app Weishi, were combined into one platform. The company’s social network super app, WeChat, also plans to focus more on video , its creator said in January. “Video expression will be a major theme for the next 10 years of content generation,” Alan Zhang told the audience at WeChat’s 2021 annual developer conference.


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Gig Harbor Surf Shop is Paying it Forward
DaddyO's Board Room, is giving skateboards away.
Jon Coulombe has been stoking area kids (and parents) with "clothes that don't suck" and affordable skateboards since he opened DaddyO's Board Room last summer.
Coulombe, a laid back surfer dude, said his Uptown Gig Harbor-based business is doing great; and now's the perfect time to ramp up, and give back to the community he loves.
He said that he has always been a good karma kind of guy that goes out of his way to help folks ? especially children.
With the summer rush of skaters upgrading to new skateboards, Coulombe has accumulated a large stack of old decks and components. He recently came up with an idea of "paying it forward" to other kids that can't afford a new ride.
Coulombe said the concept of sharing is not new, but he just decided to push the envelope on the scope and reach of his giving.
He plans to refurbish and donate used skateboards to FISH for the holidays.
When area kids come in and get a new skateboard deck, if they want, they can "pay it forward" by giving us their old decks, so some kid that can't afford one, can get a skateboard for Christmas.
"We've been asking if they want to donate their old skateboard for the cause. For kids that have been donating their decks, we've been giving them free hardware. That means that when they buy a new deck, they get free nuts and bolts and stuff to help them fix up their new board. For example, if they get new wheels, we give them shock bearings," he said with a big-kid grin.
Coulombe has been working with manufacturers and suppliers like Independent, NHS, and Plan B, that are helping him with free or discounted hardware to put the gift boards together.
"We're pulling the old grip tape off, we're putting new bearings, nuts, and bolts on them, repainting them, and putting everything back together, and then giving them to FISH.
"They said that one of their biggest needs, is for teens. So, we know this is going to be golden for everyone," he said.
"What a treat this is going to be," said Joan Treadwell, FISH volunteer coordinator. "Every year we do a toy drive for the community, and always run out of stuff for the 12-16 year olds. This is going to be such a Godsend for area kids."
Between now and Christmas, Daddy O's Board Room also will be putting on free concerts to help support their cause.
Coulombe's son Mitch Diaz, 15, and his band, Paper Cut, just did an Uptown Gig Harbor show to support the Pierce County Humane Society and Tacoma Youth Symphony, and are planning "Pay it Forward" benefits.
"Skateboarding has always been a fun thing to do with friends and family, and I love giving other kids the opportunity to experience that for themselves," Diaz said.
Coulombe said that those interested can drop off their old gear at his shop (next to Galaxy Theatre) before Dec. 19 or bring their boards to their local church.
"I don't care how we get them, just as long as we get them. I'm working on going and talking to each church between now and the middle of November, and just asking the pastors for five minutes of their time to talk to the congregation about the program," he added.
Coulombe said that he is looking for paint and old helmets too.
"If you find any helmets that your kids aren't using or are grown out of, you can bring those as well. That way we can give as many skateboarders helmets as possible, so they can skate safe," he said.
For information, call (253) 857-1009.


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The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has threatened to take significant enforcement action against some of Australia’s major banks and lenders after an ASIC review found that the design and sale of consumer credit insurance (CCI) “has consistently failed consumers.”
The corporate watchdog said CCI products sold with credit cards and by lenders were of “extremely poor value for money” and “caused consumers harm.”
Findings showed that consumers received only 11 cents in claims for every dollar paid for CCI sold with credit cards and just 19 cents for those sold by lenders. They had also been incorrectly charged for CCI, were subjected to unfair sales practices, were given non-compliant personal advice to buy unsuitable policies, and were even sold CCI even though they were ineligible to claim under their policy.
“We are deeply troubled by the findings in our report, and the stories they tell of unfair practices occurring within Australia’s largest and most well-known financial institutions,” said Sean Hughes, ASIC commissioner. “Lenders and insurers have had more than enough time to improve sales practices and provide better value for consumers. An inevitable consequence of these widespread failings and mis-selling practices will involve ASIC taking significant enforcement action against some of the entities named in our report.”
ASIC said it will also continue its remediation program and will consider banning the unsolicited outbound sale of CCI by telephone after consultations with stakeholders.
“If we do not see early, significant, and sustained improvement in the design and sale of consumer credit insurance, our next steps may involve the deployment of our new product intervention power where we see a risk of significant consumer detriment,” Hughes said. “We also will not hesitate to pursue civil penalties where there has been a failure by any lender or insurer to act efficiently, honestly and fairly. All options are on the table.”
Included in the review were Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank, Suncorp-Metway, Westpac Banking Corporation, and six other lenders.


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ADX18 has a brand-new venue sure to be enjoyed by business and dental professionals alike. Purpose built for exhibitions the venue is sure to give new life to Australia’s premier dental exhibition. ADX 18 will be held from 23-25 March 2018 at the International Convention Centre, Sydney, Darling Harbour and we look forward to seeing you there.
The Australian Dental Industry Association (ADIA) is pleased to release the prospectus for the ADX18 Sydney dental exhibition, Australia’s premier dental event. This event is all about maximising sales for ADIA member businesses and, more than ever, this is our focus when delivering this exhibition. You can download the prospectus from our ADX website at www.adx.org.au


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|By Marketwired .||
|May 27, 2014 08:01 AM EDT||
MOSCOW, RUSSIA and LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwired) -- 05/27/14 -- Dream Industries raises $3 million Series A funding from retail giant Ulmart for the development of its subscription-based social reading service Bookmate. The funding will be used to accelerate the global expansion of Bookmate; starting with Turkey, Scandinavia and Latin America in 2014, as well as further content acquisition to support expansion plans. Funding for Bookmate comes as part of $6.5 million funding package from Ulmart to Dream Industries, with the balance of the raise allocated to other Dream Industries projects.
Bookmate is a social reading service based on a subscription model available across all mobile, tablet and online platforms. Bookmate is the market leader with 1.5 million active monthly users in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other Russian speaking markets, and conversion rate of 7% to paid subscribers. Currently Bookmate's library has over 400,000 books and partners with over 300 publishers globally. Bookmate has launched in Turkey and will be available throughout Scandinavia and Latin America by the end of 2014. While the eBook market is established in the US and UK, in other markets, eBook consumption is just starting to gain traction and Bookmate is positioned to harness this rapid growth.
Bookmate connects publishers and authors with new markets and monetization channels by partnering with Mobile Network Operators (MNO's), Device Manufacturers, online retailers and local government.
Bookmate creates a new economy for eBooks. It has pioneered subscription-based reading in some of the most challenging market conditions, proving that a vibrant, socially orientated reading service can engage readers and deliver revenues to publishers. Bookmate's team has successfully reshaped the habits of users from the model of eBook 'ownership' to having access to a broad catalogue of books for a flat subscription rate. Bookmate has strong social features for expression and engagement enabling readers to discover, follow, recommend, interact with one another and find a Book mate. In contrast to Amazon, Google Books or iBooks; Bookmate is an open platform that facilitates the relationship between publishers and their audience. Via the Bookmate Publisher Dashboard, publishers have access to user behavior analytics and promotion tools for direct marketing allowing them to 'own' their relationship with their readers and gain insight into the readers' journey.
Bookmate and Ulmart:
Ulmart is the leading e-retailer in Russia with reported sales of $1.2 billion in 2013. Following the investment participation of Ulmart in Dream Industries, the companies will launch a joint digital content service on the Ulmart platform which will mark the first move for Ulmart beyond the sale of consumer electronics. From June 2014, Bookmate's innovative eBooks service will be rolled out across Ulmart's customer base.
"Bookmate is optimized for post-piracy markets where the Pay-Per-Download model does not work. Not all markets are the same and for most non-US markets, readers want unlimited access to books combined with strong social and discovery features available on whichever mobile phone they use. This can only be achieved via subscription. Subscription also enables us to integrate a range of new revenue channels. Bookmate has pioneered this model in Russia and is leveraging its experience as it launches in new markets," says co-founder of Bookmate Simon Dunlop. "This investment will enable us to accelerate growth and convert some of the bigger deals we have been working on."
Launched in 2010 as a personal eBook cloud library, Bookmate is now an eBook subscription service with advanced social functionality, available across all mobile and tablet platforms. Bookmate has a library of over 400,000 books and partnerships with over 300 publishers. Globally, Bookmate has 1.5 million users monthly. Bookmate won the 2014 Publishing for Digital Minds Innovation Award at the London Book Fair - International Book Awards. Bookmate is a US company with development team in Moscow and Sales and Marketing teams in the increasing number of territories. For more information visit www.Bookmate.com.
A completely new computing platform is on the horizon. They’re called Microservers by some, ARM Servers by others, and sometimes even ARM-based Servers. No matter what you call them, Microservers will have a huge impact on the data center and on server computing in general. Although few people are familiar with Microservers today, their impact will be felt very soon. This is a new category of computing platform that is available today and is predicted to have triple-digit growth rates for some ...
Oct. 22, 2016 11:00 PM EDT Reads: 33,928
November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Penta Security is a leading vendor for data security solutions, including its encryption solution, D’Amo. By using FPE technology, D’Amo allows for the implementation of encryption technology to sensitive data fields without modification to schema in the database environment. With businesses having their data become increasingly more complicated in their mission-critical applications (such as ERP, CRM, HRM), continued ...
Oct. 22, 2016 10:30 PM EDT Reads: 911
SYS-CON Events announced today that Cloudbric, a leading website security provider, will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Cloudbric is an elite full service website protection solution specifically designed for IT novices, entrepreneurs, and small and medium businesses. First launched in 2015, Cloudbric is based on the enterprise level Web Application Firewall by Penta Security Sys...
Oct. 22, 2016 10:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,045
SYS-CON Events announced today that SoftNet Solutions will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. SoftNet Solutions specializes in Enterprise Solutions for Hadoop and Big Data. It offers customers the most open, robust, and value-conscious portfolio of solutions, services, and tools for the shortest route to success with Big Data. The unique differentiator is the ability to architect and ...
Oct. 22, 2016 10:15 PM EDT Reads: 642
Most people haven’t heard the word, “gamification,” even though they probably, and perhaps unwittingly, participate in it every day. Gamification is “the process of adding games or game-like elements to something (as a task) so as to encourage participation.” Further, gamification is about bringing game mechanics – rules, constructs, processes, and methods – into the real world in an effort to engage people. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Robert Endo, owner and engagement manager of Intrepid D...
Oct. 22, 2016 09:30 PM EDT Reads: 9,653
WebRTC adoption has generated a wave of creative uses of communications and collaboration through websites, sales apps, customer care and business applications. As WebRTC has become more mainstream it has evolved to use cases beyond the original peer-to-peer case, which has led to a repeating requirement for interoperability with existing infrastructures. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Graham Holt, Executive Vice President of Daitan Group, will cover implementation examples that have enabled ea...
Oct. 22, 2016 09:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,252
SYS-CON Events announced today that Enzu will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Enzu’s mission is to be the leading provider of enterprise cloud solutions worldwide. Enzu enables online businesses to use its IT infrastructure to their competitive advantage. By offering a suite of proven hosting and management services, Enzu wants companies to focus on the core of their online busine...
Oct. 22, 2016 09:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,253
In the next forty months – just over three years – businesses will undergo extraordinary changes. The exponential growth of digitization and machine learning will see a step function change in how businesses create value, satisfy customers, and outperform their competition. In the next forty months companies will take the actions that will see them get to the next level of the game called Capitalism. Or they won’t – game over. The winners of today and tomorrow think differently, follow different...
Oct. 22, 2016 08:45 PM EDT Reads: 854
SYS-CON Events announced today that Roundee / LinearHub will exhibit at the WebRTC Summit at @ThingsExpo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. LinearHub provides Roundee Service, a smart platform for enterprise video conferencing with enhanced features such as automatic recording and transcription service. Slack users can integrate Roundee to their team via Slack’s App Directory, and '/roundee' command lets your video conference ...
Oct. 22, 2016 08:45 PM EDT Reads: 2,005
Enterprise IT has been in the era of Hybrid Cloud for some time now. But it seems most conversations about Hybrid are focused on integrating AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google ECM into existing on-premises systems. Where is all the Private Cloud? What do technology providers need to do to make their offerings more compelling? How should enterprise IT executives and buyers define their focus, needs, and roadmap, and communicate that clearly to the providers?
Oct. 22, 2016 08:45 PM EDT Reads: 2,470
SYS-CON Events announced today that Sheng Liang to Keynote at SYS-CON's 19th Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1-3, 2016 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California.
Oct. 22, 2016 08:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,675
More and more brands have jumped on the IoT bandwagon. We have an excess of wearables – activity trackers, smartwatches, smart glasses and sneakers, and more that track seemingly endless datapoints. However, most consumers have no idea what “IoT” means. Creating more wearables that track data shouldn't be the aim of brands; delivering meaningful, tangible relevance to their users should be. We're in a period in which the IoT pendulum is still swinging. Initially, it swung toward "smart for smar...
Oct. 22, 2016 08:15 PM EDT Reads: 691
DevOps is being widely accepted (if not fully adopted) as essential in enterprise IT. But as Enterprise DevOps gains maturity, expands scope, and increases velocity, the need for data-driven decisions across teams becomes more acute. DevOps teams in any modern business must wrangle the ‘digital exhaust’ from the delivery toolchain, "pervasive" and "cognitive" computing, APIs and services, mobile devices and applications, the Internet of Things, and now even blockchain. In this power panel at @...
Oct. 22, 2016 07:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,823
"Matrix is an ambitious open standard and implementation that's set up to break down the fragmentation problems that exist in IP messaging and VoIP communication," explained John Woolf, Technical Evangelist at Matrix, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @ThingsExpo, held Nov 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Oct. 22, 2016 06:00 PM EDT Reads: 8,971
In past @ThingsExpo presentations, Joseph di Paolantonio has explored how various Internet of Things (IoT) and data management and analytics (DMA) solution spaces will come together as sensor analytics ecosystems. This year, in his session at @ThingsExpo, Joseph di Paolantonio from DataArchon, will be adding the numerous Transportation areas, from autonomous vehicles to “Uber for containers.” While IoT data in any one area of Transportation will have a huge impact in that area, combining sensor...
Oct. 22, 2016 05:30 PM EDT Reads: 495
Established in 1998, Calsoft is a leading software product engineering Services Company specializing in Storage, Networking, Virtualization and Cloud business verticals. Calsoft provides End-to-End Product Development, Quality Assurance Sustenance, Solution Engineering and Professional Services expertise to assist customers in achieving their product development and business goals. The company's deep domain knowledge of Storage, Virtualization, Networking and Cloud verticals helps in delivering ...
Oct. 22, 2016 05:30 PM EDT Reads: 977
SYS-CON Events announced today that 910Telecom will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Housed in the classic Denver Gas & Electric Building, 910 15th St., 910Telecom is a carrier-neutral telecom hotel located in the heart of Denver. Adjacent to CenturyLink, AT&T, and Denver Main, 910Telecom offers connectivity to all major carriers, Internet service providers, Internet backbones and ...
Oct. 22, 2016 04:00 PM EDT Reads: 3,589
In his general session at 18th Cloud Expo, Lee Atchison, Principal Cloud Architect and Advocate at New Relic, discussed cloud as a ‘better data center’ and how it adds new capacity (faster) and improves application availability (redundancy). The cloud is a ‘Dynamic Tool for Dynamic Apps’ and resource allocation is an integral part of your application architecture, so use only the resources you need and allocate /de-allocate resources on the fly.
Oct. 22, 2016 04:00 PM EDT Reads: 3,668
In the next five to ten years, millions, if not billions of things will become smarter. This smartness goes beyond connected things in our homes like the fridge, thermostat and fancy lighting, and into heavily regulated industries including aerospace, pharmaceutical/medical devices and energy. “Smartness” will embed itself within individual products that are part of our daily lives. We will engage with smart products - learning from them, informing them, and communicating with them. Smart produc...
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In his keynote at 19th Cloud Expo, Sheng Liang, co-founder and CEO of Rancher Labs, will discuss the technological advances and new business opportunities created by the rapid adoption of containers. With the success of Amazon Web Services (AWS) and various open source technologies used to build private clouds, cloud computing has become an essential component of IT strategy. However, users continue to face challenges in implementing clouds, as older technologies evolve and newer ones like Docke...
Oct. 22, 2016 03:30 PM EDT Reads: 2,248


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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- It's what investors want to hear.
That observation made by Heath Terry, interactive entertainment analyst at CSFB, may be applied to most all comments made by executives of the presenting companies at his investment bank's conference held in Phoenix.
Executives from Electronic Arts ERTS and Activision ATVI, -4.89% a leading video game maker, are presenting Wednesday. "Clearly, the holiday season is very much on track," Terry wrote. "Excluding Xbox sales from the overall software market data, U.S. sales for video games were up more than 30 percent over last week, indicating the holiday ramp is well under way," he wrote. With those data points, how could the companies give anything less than positive news, he suggested.
Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon.com AMZN, -1.61% is giving a keynote speech at the CSFB conference after the close of trading. Shares of Amazon.com rose 1 percent to $11.59 in regular trading.
Akamai AKAM, +0.59% CEO George Comrades reaffirmed his company's commitment and progress to keep on the fully funded business plan. Akamai, whose products accelerate the performance of the Web, on Wednesday also announced that it expects revenue in the current quarter to come in between $34 million and $36 million. Normalized earnings per share are expected to be a loss of 38 to 40 cents. Shares of Akamai traded as high as $6.75, but fell to $5.95 by the close.
Check Point Software CHKP, +0.70% a company that prides itself in securing the Internet, rose in the early going. In recent trading, shares traded at $37.43, down 5 percent. Its president is on the agenda to present in the morning session. Tibco Software TIBX Chairman and CEO Vivek Ranadive is on the calendar to present late Wednesday. Tibco shares rose in the early going, but fell into the red in recent trading.
Credit Suisse First Boston said it's selling its online-trading unit to Bank of Montreal for $520 million.
CSFBdirect will be integrated with Harris InvestorLine to create Harris Direct Investing. The company's headquarters will remain in Jersey City, New Jersey. See full story.
ExciteAtHome creditors are seeking to shut down the high-speed service for 4.1 million subscribers. Representatives for both ExciteAtHome and the bondholders will appear this Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Francisco. Will At Home subscribers switch to DSL if the high-speed cable service is shut off? Write to firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Operating since 1782, Sworders has been ‘recycling’ fine art and antiques from one owner to another for generations and, with an eco-friendly approach to business at the core of Sworders’ ethos, the company operates in purpose built environmentally-friendly auction rooms. Completed in 2008, the space was the largest straw bale building in Europe, and was officially opened by HRH Princess Michael of Kent. Shortly after opening its doors, Sworders was awarded a Sustainability Award by the RICS in 2009.
Guy Schooling, Chairman at Sworders, comments: “As auctioneers, we see ourselves as part of the recycling industry because we pass items from people who no longer require them to new owners who will treasure them. Built in such an environmentally-friendly manner, our flagship auction rooms reflect the eco-friendly nature of our business too, and we are proud to be celebrating 10 years here. From the big initiatives to the small – over the last decade we have made a considerable positive environmental impact.”
Sworders Directors worked together on the concept for the building and the late Robert Ward Booth, an architect and Director at Sworders at the time, proposed the eco-building design. It was Guy Schooling’s wife, Pam, who suggested constructing with straw bale walls after seeing this method used on Grand Designs. For this part of the project, Sworders worked with Amazonails, pioneers of straw bale construction. The building’s timber frame was sourced from managed sustainable forests in Scandinavia and filled with the tight-packed straw bales, which are compressed and held together by the building’s sustainable cedar-shingle roof.
Schooling continues: “Straw is an excellent material for construction – as well as providing great insulation, straw bales don’t need to be fired like bricks, and don’t require cement, meaning the environmental impact is reduced. On top of this, the innovative design of our auction rooms means that, for the past decade we have operated in an eco-friendly way – and will continue to do so for many years to come. We harvest rainwater from our cedar-shingle roof to flush the lavatories, and most of our hot water and heating is provided by a biofuel wood chip boiler and solar panels.”
To celebrate a decade of positive environmental impact in the area, on Tuesday 19 June Sworders will host a prestigious 10th anniversary auction profiling fine furniture, British and European paintings, silver, clocks and works of art. Many people involved with the build of Sworders’ auction rooms will be in attendance.


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Fonterra in multimillion-dollar cheese expansion in Eltham
A multimillion-dollar expansion of Fonterra's cheese factory in Eltham will help the dairy giant keep up with global demand.
The $32 million expansion of its slice-on-slice cheese operation would deliver "increased capacity and improved processes to meet global demand," Fonterra director of food service Rene Dedoncker said.
"This investment in slice-on-slice cheese is in response to fast-growing demand throughout Australasia, Asia and the Middle East.
"Our food service business has grown 9 per cent in volume over the past three years and the profitability of food service has increased 11 per cent in the same period."
"Slice-on-slice" cheese is used in products like hamburgers and sandwiches.
The move has been welcomed by Whanganui MP Chester Borrows.
"With 550 people working at the Eltham cheese plant, it's a vital part of the region's economy," Borrows said.
"It's fantastic that Fonterra has the confidence in the future of the Eltham plant to make such a large investment in it. A workplace like this isn't just a collection of pipes and machines - it's a community of people whose diligence and attitude can make all the difference between success and failure."
Borrows said it was the "perfect example" of when a "Government gets its economic settings right."
"What starts as responsible spending, growth-friendly policies and free trade deals at the New Zealand level turns into spending in our South Taranaki communities, and dollars in the pockets of our South Taranaki farmers."
Eltham operations manager Allan Muggeridge said no extra jobs would be created.
"Once complete, the expanded site will be operated by the existing resources at the site," he said.
Construction to expand the plant's cheese processing lines is expected to start early next year.
The announcement comes as construction of a $30 million dry distribution centre at Fonterra's Whareroa site begins to take shape.
That expansion was part of a drive to simplify its supply chain and reduce costs.
Construction of that site is expected to be completed by August this year.
Taranaki Daily News


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Healthcare Stocks In Consideration- MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD), Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT), Covidien plc (NYSE:COV)
Some anticipated that MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) [Trend Analysis] faced the severe risk of striking out on winning authorization for Afrezza. As an alternative, those forecasts swung and missed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in recent times approved the inhaled insulin. MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) after opening at $9.93 hit its intraday high price of $10.10 moreover then finished at $10.07 by shares raised 1.82%. The stock has a 52-week high price of $3.80 and its 52-week low price was $11.48.
Why Investors Show Confidence on (NASDAQ:MNKD)
Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) [Trend Analysis] reported that it has reached on an contract with New Zealand-based Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd. for the development of a projected dairy farm hub in China. The alliance, pending regulatory authorization in China, will influence Fonterra’s expertise in dairy nutrition and farming in China. The partnership is a step forward in Abbott Labs’ strategic decision to invest in China in the long term. Abbott Labs anticipates to invest $400M in its China operations in 2014.
Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) surged 0.68%, closing the day at $41.30, after wavering among $40.98 and $41.36 during the trading session. Its net profit margin in lasted declared quarter was 6.46% as compared to 10.91% in previous year in same year. The stock has a 52-week high price of $41.96 and its 52-week low price was $32.70.
Can Investors Buy NYSE:ABT Following Unexpected Rally? Find Free Trend Analysis Here
Covidien plc (NYSE:COV) [Trend Analysis] recently declared annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 27, 2013, as well as in Covidien’s Form 10-Q for the first quarter ended December 27, 2013 and second three months ended March 28, 2014, Covidien currently is involved in litigation in various courts against manufacturers of pelvic mesh products alleging personal injuries resulting from the implantation of those products. Covidien plc (NYSE:COV) after opening at $91.00 hit its intraday high price of $91.49 moreover then finished at $91.37 by shares raised 0.41%.
In Eye of Expert, How Investor Trade COV After Current News? Get Free Trend Analysis
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