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the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Oct 2, 2017
For more than two decades, Disney’s annual profit has skyrocketed, but at the same time the company paid close to nothing in taxes to cities where it was located, while securing many subsidies from them, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Look at Anaheim, California, for example. In 2015, the City of Anaheim approved an agreement to exclude Disney from any entertainment tax for 45 years. This tax of only $1 per ticket could have generated more than one billion dollars for Anaheim during the term of the agreement. Instead, Disney got it. Last year, the city granted Disney a tax rebate worth 267 million dollars for a luxury hotel the company plans to build. Disney’s parking garage, built and paid by the City of Anaheim, generates more than 35 million in annual revenue, but Anaheim gets only $1 a year for the lease.
In 2016, Disney reported a profit of close to 9.4 billion dollars.
When the city officials declare that their cities are bankrupt, they are lying. The money the cities need is in the coffers of the companies.


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London-based startup and major food delivery player Deliveroo just launched an intriguing new initiative: It's now providing kitchen space for its restaurant partners in an effort to serve more customers, reports TechCrunch.
Called RooBox, the intention of the off-site kitchens is to "[bring] restaurant brands to areas of London that have a large residential population but are currently underserved in terms of available restaurants via the Deliveroo app." Deliveroo specializes in delivery from "premium" restaurants that wouldn't typically offer takeout, including at least one Michelin-starred restaurant.
The company only delivers food within a 2 kilometer (1.25 mile) radius of each restaurant to ensure it arrives hot and fresh, but that means depending on where a customer lives, their options can be limited or even nonexistent. By providing restaurants with equipped kitchens in areas of London that aren't rife with restaurants — or at least, not the kind of restaurants Deliveroo partners with — the company can expand its customer base.
Each RooBox is only being used by one restaurant; those currently taking advantage of the program include a burger restaurant and a sushi bar.
Thanks to hungry investors, Deliveroo's certainly got plenty of cash to fund this venture: It's raised just shy of $200 million in all. The company recently expanded its services to Dublin, Paris, and Berlin, and also intends to expand into the Middle East and Asia.

domain: news


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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. May 3, 2019: Here are the marijuana headlines making news globally, in the Caribbean and Latin America for the week-ending May 3, 2019:
An analyst at Jefferies has forecast the global marijuana market to reach $50 billion in annual sales by 2029.
Two Billionaires are sending a plane load of hemp seed to the Eastern Caribbean as part of a 400 million investment.
The first-ever U.S.-focused marijuana ETF is trading in Canada under the ticker symbol “HMUS.”
Portland-based Cura Cannabis sold this week for more than $1 billion.
Charles R. Broderick is giving Harvard and MIT$9 million to study the effects of marijuana.
The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. will open a second Jamaican marijuana store on May 4, 2019 in Montego Bay.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has unveiled a plan toward full legalization of marijuana in the District.
To celebrate her fourth child, Kim Kardashian threw a CBD-themed party over the weekend.
And three marijuana stocks to consider this week are: HEXO Corp. , Tilray and OrganiGram.


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- Deepcrawl’s enterprise-scale SaaS platform for technical SEO and website intelligence leverages best-in-class serverless architecture design in its latest crawler to drastically enhance website crawling speeds
- Roll-out of the enhanced crawler is underway for new and existing Deepcrawl users
These crawl speeds were reached in field testing on enterprise-scale websites and offer a major time-saving boon for teams working on large sites that frequently house hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of pages. The enhanced crawler allows for unprecedented scalability on a platform that already serves many of the world’s largest brands, opening the door to new efficiencies in website analysis. Roll-out of the new crawler has begun, with all users expected to have access to the enhanced platform by September 2022.
Crawling software is a foundational aspect of SEO and website intelligence platforms. It traverses a website’s pages to collate the raw data required for sophisticated website analytics and serves as the first step in understanding and optimizing a website’s technical health and search performance. Earlier crawling technology could take several days to finish crawling an enterprise-size website – by comparison, Deepcrawl’s enhanced crawler can crawl a million pages in just one hour.
Increased flexibility in data collection is also built into this latest crawler release. The information that can be captured in website crawls has been expanded beyond traditional technical SEO metrics, paving the way for new built-in metrics and reporting options within the Deepcrawl platform. Presently, users have access to 250+ built-in reports as well as the ability to design custom extractions that collect data on any specified website element. The added flexibility in data collection allows for new use cases to be developed via Deepcrawl’s crawler, with a recently released GraphQL API providing an easy implementation for developers.
Deepcrawl’s latest advancements in crawling technology allow for tailor-made website intelligence at unparalleled speeds. The enhanced crawler makes it easier than ever for businesses to make effective decisions about their online presence”
– Ali Habibzadeh, Chief Technology Officer at Deepcrawl.


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Alright, so now we know the time frame in which the Nokia N9 will be launched in Malaysia. Yesterday, Nokia Malaysia reps who are in the know revealed that the Nokia N9 will be launched with a telco and that got us wondering as to who this telco could be. So we looked back into our archives to see the history of Nokia launches with telcos in Malaysia to see if we could discern a pattern.
Maxis got exclusive rights to the Nokia N8 at launch. When the E7 came, Maxis was first out of the blocks with a registration of interest but as at launch, the E7 came to Maxis and Celcom at roughly the same time.
So what makes us think that Maxis will be the telco to launch the Nokia N9? It’s based on one simple fact. Maxis is the most prolific operator when it comes to introducing new devices into the market. In addition to this, we’ve gathered some interesting information about what’s going down at Maxis. The operator is indeed gearing up for a bevy of device launches for the remainder of this year and it’s not impossible that the Nokia N9 is going to make the list as well.
Of course all this is not concrete and for all you know, we could be completely wrong because a lot can change from now till September but if what we have seen in the past few months is anything to go by, Maxis is the telco to look out for if you’re interested in the N9.
Watch this space.
We’re not kidding. Just take a look at the picture. DiGi’s offering a HTC Sensation with “3D screen for better gaming” and a HTC Incredible S that offers “the best HD viewing experience for your viewing pleasure”.
Somebody call the product guy and get this sorted out please. A lot of people are confused.
In the meantime, head on over to after the jump to check out the DiGi/HTC Hari Raya promo.
Nokia has just made public a countdown page for the launch of the Nokia N9. So it’s official official, in just 49 days Nokia will release what is possibly its best phone is recent memory. Yes we said it. The Nokia N9 is a splendid piece of kit in virtually all aspects. Except for the fact that the future of MeeGo is an uncertain one and based on our experience with the phone last night, it is such a waste if Nokia choose not to pursue this platform further.
Back to the story. The page is in Swedish and is probably more reflective of the launch date for Sweden and perhaps Europe but based on our conversations with Nokia reps from last night’s Nokia N9 preview, its a safe bet that you can expect the MeeGo device to be launched in Malaysia around the same time. Counting 49 days ahead from today, the launch date is on September 23, we don’t expect the Malaysian launch to be earlier than that.
Some local online pundits are saying that the Nokia N9 launch will happen in a couple of weeks, this is 50% accurate. There will be a media launch for the device in a couple of weeks but the device will only hit store shelves about a fortnight after the media launch. What is definitive is the Nokia N9 launch will happen in September.
Take it from us, if you’re a Nokia fan, you will want to wait for this phone. If you’re not a Nokia fan, do Nokia a favour and just give the a N9 try.


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Electric cars and vans will be cheaper to produce than conventional fossil-fueled vehicles by 2027, and stricter emissions regulations could put them in pole position to dominate all new car sales by the middle. of the next decade, according to research.
By 2026, larger vehicles such as electric sedans and SUVs will be as cheap to produce as gasoline and diesel models, according to BloombergNEF forecasts, with smaller cars hitting the threshold the following year.
Electric vehicles reaching price parity with the internal combustion engine are seen as a key step in the world’s transition from burning to fossil fuels.
The fall in the production cost of batteries for electric vehicles, combined with dedicated production lines at factories of car brands, will make them cheaper to buy, on average, in the next six years than conventional cars, even before any subsidy. government, BloombergNEF found.
The current average tax-free retail price of a mid-size electric car is € 33,300 (£ 28,914), compared to € 18,600 for a gasoline-powered car, according to the study. In 2026, both are expected to cost around € 19,000.
By 2030, the same electric car is expected to cost € 16,300 before taxes, while the gasoline car will cost € 19,900.
The report’s timeline for cost parity is more conservative than other forecasts, including that from investment bank UBS, which predicted electric cars will cost the same by 2024.
However, forecasters agree that the cost of new batteries will continue to decline in the years to come.
The new study, commissioned by Transport & Environment, a Brussels-based non-profit organization that advocates for cleaner transport in Europe, predicts that the prices of new batteries will drop 58% between 2020 and 2030 to stand at 58. dollars per kilowatt hour.
Reducing battery costs to less than $ 100 per kWh is seen as an important step towards greater adoption of fully electric vehicles and would largely remove the financial appeal of hybrid electric vehicles, which combine a battery with a motor. conventional.
Sales of electric vehicles have exploded in 2020, especially in the EU and China, but environmental activists are calling on governments to introduce stricter emissions regulations to encourage more consumers to make the switch.
The UK government plans to ban the sale of new fossil-fueled vehicles from 2030, while European companies have called on the EU to set 2035 as the deadline for the sale of new combustion-engine vehicles in the block .
Julia Poliscanova, senior director of T&E for vehicles and emobility, said stricter CO2 targets are needed to accelerate the switch to electric.
“With the right policies, battery-powered electric cars and vans can reach 100% of sales by 2035 in Western, Southern and even Eastern Europe. The EU can set an end date of 2035 with the confidence that the market is ready. New polluting vehicles should not be sold for longer than necessary, ”she said.
The high cost of batteries, which represent between a quarter and two-fifths of the cost of an electric vehicle, has previously led the world’s largest automakers to hesitate to abandon production of their profitable fossil-fuel models.
Reducing costs is seen as key to making EVs more attractive to consumers, especially when combined with increased range – the distance a vehicle can travel before needing to be recharged and an improved charging network. .
“Once you’ve covered over 200 miles per range and have a really good charging infrastructure, it becomes obvious. We saw it in Norway, ”said David Bailey, professor of business economics at the University of Birmingham.
However, he believes the UK government needs to improve the charging network: “We are lagging behind other northern European countries, and we certainly need a much faster deployment of infrastructure. charging, at home, in the street and quickly. “


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It’s unbelievable, but real that currently 2.1 billion human beings global very own a smartphone and use it about over 200 instances a day, engaging with distinct types of apps. It’s top notch how cellular apps have captured every issue of our lives.
Google commenced the AMP challenge almost a year back. Recently Google additionally introduced that there will be a separate search index for mobile web. This definitely modifications the cell internet tendencies – particularly from an search engine optimization perspective. Google Amp supported internet apps will load tons faster on cellular gadgets and decrease leap rates in giant numbers. It will additionally advantage publishers with extended ad visibility and more visitors.
The AR and VR magic
Augmented fact and virtual fact apps are going to be the new fashion in the mobile apps world. Mobile apps developers for Android and iPhones have already been working on virtual reality apps that server the amusement industry. Although it’s no longer predicted that VR will catch on so soon, AR is already making it huge in the mobile apps world.
Artificial talent is real
There is going to be a extensive expand in the funding in the artificial intelligence in the close to future. Through the use of advanced analytics, cognitive interfaces into complicated systems, and desktop gaining knowledge of techs, AI will be capable to supply access to powerful insights in to the companies that has never been available before.
Cloud driven cell apps
Cloud pushed applied sciences are influencing how the cellular purposes are developed and used. Cloud computing today has strongly routed itself in the world of cellular apps. It makes mobile apps more handy from somewhere and each time – without putting a lot of load on the phone reminiscence or space due to the fact these apps immediately fetch their inputs from the cloud.
Enterprise apps and micro apps
The top aim of agency cellular application is to help you restructure and streamline your enterprise processes. A micro app on the different hand is centered to suffice only a specific role. These both sorts of apps are indispensable for the success of businesses in present day world.
Security is of utmost situation in this quite linked world. According to a study through Gartner, nearly 75% of the apps do now not even omit the primary security tests. This consists of a range of elements such as login methods, access to exterior storage etc. It can be effortless for hackers to take advantage of this, if security is no longer given a ideal thought for the duration of the development phases itself.
As more and more customers pass from net to mobile, the commerce tendencies are moving from the net to the mobile domain. Even cellular repayments are making matters quite convenient for customers.


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Microsoft lately seems to have done some kind of 180 in brand appearance. All of a sudden its releasing products for free and it's software is becoming open source. Even their new tech seems fun and exciting.
Now it is showing a glimpse of the future with some of its concepts. Everything from virtual blackboards to underwater augmented reality.
Its visions like this from Microsoft or Google that are starting to make the future look less like an inevitable apocalypse and more like the futuristic scenes depicted in science fiction.
COLLABORATE IN BETTER WAYS, BOTH IN-PERSON AND REMOTELY


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RAYMORE, Mo. — Whataburger is getting ready to open its next Kansas City-area location.
The Texas-based fast food chain plans to open a new restaurant in Raymore, Missouri. It’s located at 1921 W. Foxwood Drive, just off Interstate 49 and 171st Street.
The new Whataburger takes over the site of a former Golden Corral near Lowe’s, Sam’s Club and Walmart. There are also several other franchise restaurants in the area.
A spokesperson for the city of Raymore said Whataburger has a target opening date of Monday, Sept. 19 for the new location. At this point, that date is just a target, not finalized.
When it opens, this will be the sixth Whataburger location in the Kansas City area. Restaurants have already opened in Overland Park and Kansas City, Kansas; and Lee’s Summit, Independence and Blue Springs, Missouri.
Whataburger is also planning another corporate-owned location at 95th Street and Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park, set to open this fall.
Earlier this summer, crews also broke ground on a location in the Northland near Highway 169 and Barry Road. It’s also expected to open later this year.
The Northland and KCK locations are owned by KMO Burger, which Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has investor in. KMO Burger said it plans to open 30 Whataburger restaurants in the next 7 years.
Here are other KMO locations expected to open in 2022 and 2023:
- 11300 Nall Ave., Overland Park, Kansas (2022)
- 7791 W. 159th St., Overland Park, Kansas (2022)
- I-435 and Bannister Road, Kansas City, Missouri (2022)
- 14123 W. 135th St., Olathe, Kansas (2023)
- Highway 45 and Highway 9, Parkville, Missouri (2023)
- Highway 152 and N. Booth Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri (2023)
- 8851 N. Ambassador Drive, Kansas City, Missouri (2023)
When all these sites are complete, the Kansas City area will have over a dozen Whataburger locations. The company has said it plans to hire hundreds of people to work at the new locations.
📲 Download the FOX4 News app to stay updated on the go.
📧 Sign up for FOX4 email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.
💻 Find today’s top stories on fox4kc.com for Kansas City and all of Kansas and Missouri.


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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Aug-16
A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 70 per cent of Australians aged 14+ (or 14.1 million people) are intending to take some kind of holiday in the next 12 months, down from 72 per cent in the March 2016 quarter. The proportion of the population planning a domestic holiday has fallen from 57 per cent to 56 per cent in the same period, while overseas intention fell from 11 per cent to 10 per cent between the March and June quarters. Roy Morgan Research’s Norman Morris notes that while the current decline in overseas holiday intention is evident among most age groups, it has actually risen slightly since the March quarter among 25-34 year-olds (from 11 per cent to 14 per cent) and the 65+ age bracket (9 per cent to 10 per cent).
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED


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- 56% of American adults are now smartphone owners according to a Pew Internet Study. 91% of the adult population now owns some kind of cell phone.
- BlackBerry Messenger for iPhone and Android will available on June 27 for iOS 6 and Android 4.0+.
- Apple is reportedly partnering with Brightstar for an iPhone trade-in program, where customers will isntantly get trade-in value for their old iPhones.
- AT&T will change it's GoPhone plans to on June 20 to only allow certain data packages. The $25 a month plan will only be able to opt for 50MB of datae for $5.00.
- Sony has scheduled an event on June 25 in Germany which some think may be a pure Google Xperia Z or new phablet the Sony Togari.
- In the not true rumor department, first Apple was accused of intentionally throttling data on iPads and iPhone with code approved by carriers(now deleted), which was latter debunked
- In Los Angeles. Mayor-elect Garcetti was there to kick off the AT&T Los Angeles National Day of Civic Hacking, Hackathon, over the weekend. AT&T and event partners awarded more than $25,000 in cash prizes. The top overall apps were:
1st Place – HackForJobs – Challenges the typical process of "searching" for a job and brings jobs to you.
2nd Place – Fruit.ly – The website and app allows users the ability to connect with neighbors and exchange fruits through a peer-to-peer network.
3rd Place – Boyle Heights Connect – Helps people communicate with the hospitals, schools and government organizations in Boyle Heights.


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Augmented reality (AR) is the up and coming thing in mobile computing, as it gets easier for AI and deep learning systems to be embedded in your smartphones and devices. Like Samsung’s ambitious Bixby AI, it will only be a matter of time before manufacturers and developers get this right. This newly developed app – Glass – is a step in the right direction.
The rationale and process of the Glass app is simple as it is ambitious – point your device’s camera at an object or picture, and the app will tell you what it is. At the heart of it, this is something that all AR apps want to be able to do – to recognize objects via the camera. Bixby wants to do this, and so does Google Lens, although the first one is the we have now in the Samsung Galaxy S8.
Glass might be one of many apps trying to do this, but the difference is that Glass is here and now. You can use it – and after a fashion it will do what it says it will do. The app is still in open beta, so expect that there will be some missed information here. But it should get better.
You can download Glass via the Play Store as an open beta app. Alternatively, you can read up on the developer’s interaction with users at the official XDA thread.


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US-based ResMed and New Zealand-based Fisher & Paykel Healthcare have reached an agreement to settle all patent infringement litigations across all regions worldwide.
The companies have been in dispute over patent infringement since 2016 in multiple countries, including the US, New Zealand and Australia.
Their recent litigation involved a claim filed by ResMed against Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, seeking a ban on import and sale of Fisher & Paykel’s Simplus full face, Eson nasal and Eson 2 nasal masks in the US.
Due to the settlement, no further infringement proceedings will be conducted against ResMed products such as AirSense flow generators, AirFit P10, Swift LT and Swift FX masks and ClimateLine heated tubes.
This also applies to Fisher & Paykel Healthcare products, including Simplus, Eson and Eson 2 masks
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare CEO Lewis Gradon said: “We are pleased to bring these disputes to a close and we appreciate the support of our customers and shareholders throughout the process.
“The intellectual property we have generated through our investment in R&D over the past 50 years has enabled us to positively impact the lives of many millions of patients.”
Under the terms of the latest agreement, all ongoing proceedings will be dismissed. The settlement does not involve any payment or admission of liability by either party.
Each company will bear its own attorney fees and costs incurred in the global proceedings.
ResMed CEO Mick Farrell said: “This agreement supports the best interests of ResMed, and all of our stakeholders, including patients, providers, physicians, and shareholders.
“We will defend our intellectual property wherever necessary to ensure that our mask, device and software customers receive the innovative solutions they deserve.”
Both ResMed and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare develop medical devices to help in respiratory care.
The settlement between the two firms is effective immediately, and both companies have requested the withdrawal of the pending cases.
Additional reporting by Charlotte Edwards.


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437 news items tagged LG Display
Apple reportedly to adopt LTPO display technology for new iPhonesFriday 9 April 2021
Apple reportedly will adopt LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) backplane technology for OLED displays in its premium iPhones to be launched later in 2021, according to industry...
Global panel makers ramping up output for notebook applicationsMonday 15 March 2021
Global LCD panel makers are setting higher shipment targets for notebook applications in 2021, expecting current robust panel demand from the notebook sector will persist at least...
LCD panel prices to rise over 10% in 1Q21Wednesday 27 January 2021
LCD panel prices are poised to rise another 10% on average to hit a four-year high in first-quarter 2021, having been raised by 15-20% in the previous quarter, according to industry...
LG Display focuses on OLED at CES 2021Friday 22 January 2021
LG Display (LGD) showcased OLED TV panels of varying sizes at the online CES 2021, a bid to maintain its market leadership in OLED technology.
Samsung Display to keep rolling out LCD panels in 2021Wednesday 30 December 2020
Samsung Display has decided to push back the deadline for withdrawing from the LCD panel market, bringing in more uncertainties to the supply and price outlook for the coming year.
Global LCD panel shipment forecast, 2021 and beyondTuesday 29 December 2020
Global large-size LCD panel shipments will fall at a CAGR of -0.3% 2020 through 2025, while shipments of small-to-medium-size panels will be at 0.14%.
Samsung, LGD ramping up OLED panels for small- to medium-size applications, Digitimes Research saysFriday 18 December 2020
Combined sales of OLED panels by Samsung Display and LG Display (LGD) for small- to medium-size applications are expected to reach KRW9.6 trillion (US$9.4 billion) in the fourth quarter...
Taiwan large-size LCD panels – 3Q 2020Wednesday 2 December 2020
Taiwan shipped a total of 71.58 million large-size LCD panels in the third quarter of 2020, up 11.2% sequentially and 20.7% on year.
AUO returns to profit in 3Q20Friday 30 October 2020
AU Optronics (AUO) managed to rake in net profits of NT$2.89 billion (US$101.02 million) in the third quarter of 2020, ending a streak of six consecutive quarterly losses, with its...
China to account for 70% of global LCD panel production capacityTuesday 27 October 2020
China's panel makers will account for 70% of global LCD panel production capacity soon, up from roughly 60% currently, according to industry sources.
LGD reportedly pushes back planned closure of 7.5G LCD fabThursday 8 October 2020
LG Display (LGD) reportedly has decided to push back the date of closing its 7.5G LCD fab to probably the end of 2021 instead of September 2020 as planned, due to a recent upsurge...
Taiwan large-size LCD panels – 2Q 2020Thursday 13 August 2020
Taiwan's large-size LCD panel shipments, after experiencing five straight quarters of on-year declines, grew 35% sequentially and 10.8% on year to come to 64.38 million in the second...
China to see growing OLED TV competitionMonday 20 July 2020
Xiaomi has recently launched its first OLED TV under its Master series with the set featuring a 65-inch 4K panel and priced at CNY12,999 (US$1,868). The Xiaomi product is expected...
Supply and demand of TV panels to remain healthy in 2021Friday 17 July 2020
The TV panel market is poised to see a relatively healthy development due to an improvement in supply and demand resulting from Korean makers' departure from LCD TV applications,...
Chinese makers gaining dominance in panel industryThursday 16 July 2020
China's panel makers are now in a better position in influencing the course of the LCD sector's development and pricing trends, thanks to the Korean counterparts Samsung Display and...
Initial 5G iPhone shipments reportedly not to feature BOE OLED panelsMonday 29 June 2020
BOE Technology will not be in the supplier list for the first batch of panel shipments for Apple's 2020 iPhone lineup as the Chinese maker has failed to secure Apple's validation...
Samsung Display, LG Display remain top-2 panel makers in 1Q20, says Digitimes ResearchThursday 4 June 2020
Samsung Display and LG Display remained the global top-two panel makers in the first quarter of 2020 in terms of sales value, although the Korean makers have begun to scale down their...
Glass substrate landscape changing in line with reductions in Korea LCD fabsTuesday 26 May 2020
The global landscape for the supply of display glass substrates is changing along with the moves by Samsung Display and LG Display to gradually withdraw from the LCD panel market.
Taiwan large-size LCD panels – 1Q 2020Monday 25 May 2020
Taiwan's large-size LCD panel shipments totaled 47.69 million units in the first quarter of 2020, down 19.3% sequentially and 12.3% on year.
Taiwan large-size LCD panels – 4Q 2019Friday 6 March 2020
Taiwan's large-size LCD panel shipments went down slightly on quarter, but more than 5% on year to arrive at 59.12 million units in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Foldable screens, new network support highlighted at CES 2020Thursday 16 January 2020
At CES 2020, many brand vendors showcased devices with support to the latest network standards such as Wi-Fi 6 and 5G, and emerging technologies such as foldable screen, but a lack...
Downsizing at LGD positive for balancing LCD panel supplyFriday 10 January 2020
The supply and demand for LCD TV panels is poised for an improvement in 2020 and 2021 as the scope of downsizing on LCD panel output by LG Display (LGD) this year will be higher than...
BOE, CSOT to stop investing in LCD panel segmentWednesday 4 December 2019
BOE Technology and China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) have both disclosed plans to stop their investments in LCD display technology development and capacity expansion.
Taiwan large-size LCD panels – 3Q 2019Tuesday 26 November 2019
Taiwan's large-size LCD panel shipments rose 2.1% sequentially in the third quarter of 2019.
Some flat panel makers in Korea, Taiwan to slash capex for 2019Monday 4 November 2019
Some flat panel makers in Korea and Taiwan, notably LG Display, AU Optronics (AUO) and Innolux, are cutting their capex for 2019 as they seek to improve their bottom lines in the...


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Astro's e-sports and gaming entertainment network, eGG Network, has partnered with e-sports event producer PGL and content distribution platform Imba TV to launch "The Kuala Lumpur Major".
According to eGG Network, this is the first major status tournament for the Dota Pro Circuit 2018/2019 season. The Kuala Lumpur Major, which will be held from 16 to 18 November at Axiata Arena, is supported by the Ministry of Youth & Sports and National Sports Council of Malaysia. The event's partners include Secretlab, Thermaltake, Astro, ERA, Hitz, and GoXuan. Meanwhile, its list of sponsors comprise U Mobile, HyperX, KFC, and Acer Predator. The tournament will see 16 international professional teams battling it out for a total prize pool of US$1 million.
In a statement to A+M, Lee Choong Khay, chief of sports, Astro said the event strives to stimulate the growth of the e-sports industry, which in return will amplify the growth of Astro’s investments in e-sports. The event will also align with eGG Network’s aspirations to grow the e-sports industry, and to ultimately make Malaysia an e-sports hub. Furthermore, Astro hopes this event to be a regional e-sports case study, and to have more non-endemic brands grow to invest in e-sports.
Lee added that the main pillar of its promotional efforts will be driven with a global community campaign via social media platforms. Regionally, Astro will leverage on its partner’s networks while locally the company will run on-air promotions via Astro media platforms, and OOH campaigns. Astro are also expecting to see its sponsors and partners leveraging on “The Kuala Lumpur Major” to execute its own promotional campaigns.
“eGG Network wants to develop a vibrant esports ecosystem for gamers in Malaysia and the region. Our talent and production team will work alongside PGL and Imba TV to bring the best live e-sports viewing experience at Axiata Arena as well as coverage on eGG Network’s social platforms,” Lee said.
Meanwhile, YB Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Malaysia Youth and Sports Minister, said Malaysia has the potential to be the region's e-sports hub because of of the passion its youths have for e-sports. He added that the number of e-sports enthusiasts in Southeast Asia are expected to double to 19.8 million in 2019, from 9.5 million in 2016.
"Therefore, holding an international tournament such as 'The Kuala Lumpur Major' is significant as it provides opportunities for our e-sports industry to be on par with the global best," he said. He added that the Ministry looks forward to closer cooperation with e-sports organisations to accelerate the development of e-sports in Malaysia. Syed Saddiq said this is crucial as e-sports would become a competitive sport at the 2022 Asian Games.
According to the “Global Games Market Report” by Newzoo, Malaysia is ranked 21st in the world in terms of e-commerce game revenue, which is estimated to be US$654 million.
E-sports: Can Malaysia cultivate the right culture to be seen as a hub?
PM Najib sees revenue generating potential in e-sports
Marrying e-sports and music: How Hyperplay sought to create new content for sponsors
Singtel and Razer launch regional e-sports games, eye digital content growth
E-sports: A game changer for the marketing industry?
(Photo courtesy: 123RF)


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LAS VEGAS – It’s said so often now that it has almost become cliché but the rise of the connected home, more commonly known today as the smart home, has forever altered the landscape of the alarm industry. For most dealers, long gone are the days of installing simple burg and fire panels, replaced instead by a new wave of technology that enables people to interact with their homes in ways that were once thought impossible. In fact, Utah-based NorthStar Home, which claimed the top spot in this year’s SD&I Fast50 rankings, has become one of the fastest growing residential security companies in the nation by leveraging connected home offerings and services.
Consumers today have an expectation that the systems they install in their homes can be remotely managed with a smartphone or tablet and also have the ability to easily interface with other devices and appliances within their residence. At the core of this technology revolution, security remains one of the cornerstones upon which the larger smart home industry has been built. However, while the industry continues to ride the wave of largely positive consumer attitudes towards connected home technology, significantly challenges remain.
SecurityInfoWatch.com (SIW) caught up with several smart home technology vendors at this year’s ISC West show to get their take on what the future holds for the technology itself and for the security industry as a whole.
SIW: We know how important it has become for alarm dealers to be able to provide smart/connected home products as a part of their offering to consumers, but what’s the next evolution in terms of further enhancing that engagement between people and their security systems?
Avi Rosenthal, vice president of security and control products, Nortek Security & Control: Presently, we live in a world of home control; however, the next evolution will come when we live in a world of home automation. While it’s true the advent of the smart home connected to a panel led to a boom in the industry, currently, there are not a lot of solutions out there that offer intelligent decision making based on the data connected systems are collecting.
To put it differently, we’re living in the world of the app. Through the app, the homeowner is able to turn devices or features on or off or receive notifications when something specific happens but the house does not “think” for itself. As the cost of devices and sensors go down, the amount of information we can capture about our living environment goes up. As we learn more about what’s going on in the home, we’ll start to see systems and solutions that can make those types of decisions on behalf of the house so in a way, the next evolution in terms of engagement between people and their security systems will turn out to be a decrease in engagement.
Rich Bira, managing director, Fibaro: As smart home technology continues to grow in popularity, consumers will begin to demand a more varied lineup of solutions to choose from based on their individual preferences, budget and home layout. We have already seen the industry starting to shift from control via a smartphone or tablet app only to things like voice integration and gesture control. We are always thinking of new ways to help our customers interact with their smart home in intuitive ways.
Alexi Erchak, CEO and co-founder, BeON Home: Preventative home security, as opposed to reactive, resonates with consumers and is part of the evolution of home security. Traditional home security systems only respond after the fact. For many consumers, the feeling of safety comes from knowing that their security system is designed to prevent break-ins. With smart home technology, a home security system can stop crimes before they happen and create a greater sense of safety and security.
The Internet of Things ecosystem has only enhanced growth and opportunities for security dealers and installers. As more consumers adopt smart home technologies, doors open for home security pros to be at the front of mainstream adoptions as companies serve as trusted experts. It is also a way to form new revenue-generating relationships by offering consumers more than traditional 24/7 home monitoring systems. Adding smart home technologies not only makes for a more savvy security dealer, but it also contributes to the bottom line. By being the neighborhood home security expert and also the trusted smart home expert, dealers can earn more per client than with monitored security alone.
David Box, director of marketing, Icontrol One: There are two separate markets for security and home automation- those who want to do it themselves (DIY), and those who want someone else to do it for them (Do-It-For-Me). In our “2015 State of the Smart Home Report,” nearly three out of four respondents (74 percent) said they would like at least some help with the installation and set-up of their smart home devices – and 52 percent said they would like someone to do all of the installation and set-up for them. As dealers position themselves as the experts, they can approach this DIFM market and become their go-to resource for connected technology. As this relationship builds, consumers will become more engaged with their system and be open to adopting additional technology.
SIW: Despite the impact that smart home solutions have had on the security market, most industry estimates still put penetration rates for home security systems anywhere between 20 and 25 percent. When do you believe the excitement around the smart home will actually translate to increased adoption of security systems?
Rosenthal: Through our own research and efforts of keeping a pulse on the industry, we’re actually seeing a penetration rate of security systems closer to 30 and 35 percent. Security has been consistently identified as one of the driving factors behind home control/automation adoption rates during the past few years and a feature that homeowners want out of their smart home system.
Bira: We believe that as more connected security products hit the market and are simple, easy to use and have the lifestyle benefits that consumers are looking for, security dealers and installers will be able to take advantage of that demand. Consumers aren’t necessarily interested in all of the advanced technical features that manufacturers taut. They are looking for products and solutions that can make their lives easier and are simple to install.
Home security dealers and installers need to be a source of knowledge for their customers and share benefits of new products as they launch. We also believe that manufacturers need to stay flexible in terms of their offerings and adapt their products to new groups of people that may not be looking for a whole-home solution. There are an emerging percentage of consumers who are more interested in DIY or affordable home security solutions. Manufacturers and dealers can both take advantage when they cast a wider net of products that attract new customers.
Erchak: When consumers think of smart home, they think of simplifying the things they do on a daily basis, and many of those actions, such as locking the doors, automating lights and checking in on the family, fit nicely into the home security space. In fact, a report done by analysts at ABI Research predicted that 15 million American households will invest in smart home security within the next five years — much of this in the form of proactive smart home products. Monitored security can be an important component of home safety, especially in a true emergency. However, with overburdened public safety services, homeowners often look for a proactive approach to keeping their families safe.
Home automation and home security go hand-in-hand. Smart home devices simplify the homeowner’s life and perform tasks so the residents don’t have to, but can offer greater benefits such as energy savings and increased security. Smart security systems will increase in adoption as they become simpler and a task that consumers don’t have to worry about. Adding features that enhance a customer’s everyday life is a key factor of driving adoption of monitored security. Many established played in the home security space are leveraging DIY security solutions that combine flexibility of no-contract monitoring and DIY installation to help drive adoption higher.
Box: Security is the key to driving smart home adoption. Our smart home report found that 90 percent of consumers believe security is the top reason to purchase and use a smart home system, with 21 percent of respondents stating they prefer to shop for this technology at a security or alarm company. This presents a huge opportunity for independent dealers if they are able to communicate the benefits of smart home technology as it relates to security.
SIW: What do you see on the horizon in terms of the evolution of smart home technology itself? We see more devices being brought online and becoming part of the connected home it seems like daily, but where does it go from here and what role will security play in it?
Rosenthal: The next step for smart home technology lies in bridging the gap between home control and home automation. As the cost of sensors goes down, so too does the overall cost of the system. If the cost of the sensors and smart home systems go down, the number of sensors we can install go up and thus, the amount we can learn about what’s happening in the home. With access to more data from more sensors we can start to make more intelligent decisions automatically. We’re at a point now where sensors are capable of monitoring multiple factors like temperature, light, humidity, motion; an increase in the number of sensors increases the number of data points we have access to which all combine to allow the system to make smart decisions for the homeowner. It’s important to note that the leap from home control to home automation does not mean the security dealer goes away. Security dealers play a huge part in the configuration and maintenance of these systems and as a result, the more complex home security systems become, the more homeowners are going to need their dealer.
Bira: We believe that there will be an evolution from individual, stand-alone smart products in the home to more whole-home ecosystems of connected devices that work together. Therefore, sensors are becoming more advanced and creating a new level of intelligence for home technology.
Erchak: New home automation technologies are making it easy and achievable for a broad segment of consumers to add security systems to their homes. There are many new technologies that consumers can add that are affordable, easy to install and don’t require a hub or additional installation fees. IoT technology is being added to home security systems that allow consumers to move beyond needing to constantly interact with your home. Systems are doing more on their own, learning behaviors and preferences and adjusting automatically based on personalization.
Box: Consumers want devices that make their lives easier, while keeping their homes safe. So the evolution won’t be the creation of the “next big thing,” but rather communicating the benefits smart home technology currently provides and making the devices simple for consumers to use, understand and manage. The entrance of outside established companies – like Google and Apple – are helping drive this awareness, but incorporating the element of security still presents an opportunity for independent dealers. Consumers are looking for value adds to their security system and smart home technology provides additional safety features and a personalized experience. Dealers who can provide these adds will see a more satisfied, engaged customer.


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Microsoft unveiled its latest slate of Surface computers, with the Surface Pro 8 appearing to be a direct competitor to Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Here's how Microsoft's new productivity tablet stacks up against Apple's long-standing offering.
Representatives from Apple and other big tech companies plus car manufacturers such as Ford and GM are scheduled to attend a virtual White House meeting about the chip shortage, and impact of the coronavirus Delta variant.
On Wednesday, Microsoft showed off its new lineup of Surface computers — the Surface Laptop Studio starting at $1,599, the updated Surface Pro 8 starting at $1,099, and the Surface Duo 2 starting at $1,499.
As Apple introduces its updated designs of MacBook Pro to the world, some other notebook producers are arguably moving in Apple-like ways. Here's how the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro compares to the Dell XPS 17.
Apple's comparisons between the new MacBook Pro models and other high-performance notebooks used the MSI GP66 Leopard for some of its comparisons. Here's how MSI's notebook and the 14-inch MacBook Pro compare across a broader selection of features.
Google launched its new Pixel 6 lineup on Tuesday, with its smartphone range now sporting its own Tensor processor. Here's how the search giant's latest compares against Apple's iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro.
After months of public and developer beta testing, macOS Monterey is now widely available for download as a free update for many Mac users. We've been testing it for quite some time, and these are our favorite features of Apple's newest release.
Microsoft last week announced plans to increase commercial pricing for its flagship Microsoft 365 productivity suite, with the company calling it the first "substantive" pricing update since the package launched in 2011.
Virtualization specialist Parallels on Thursday confirmed plans to bring the recently released Windows 11 to Mac, though it is unclear when compatibility with the new Microsoft operating system will land.
A hacking group believed to be responsible for the SolarWinds breaches used access to Microsoft's support tools via a compromised customer service agent's computer, a breach that enabled the hackers to perform further hacks against Microsoft's customers.
Your hearing is an important sense that needs to be preserved, but the high use of earphones combined with loud volumes could cause you harm. Here's how to enable Apple's Reduce Loud Sounds feature in iOS 15.


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This week, Rice critiqued a new Sasol television advert.
He gave it a “hero” rating.
The ad harks back to the well-loved “Little Boy/AmaGlugGlug” ad of 1990.
For more detail listen to the interview in the audio below.
Watch the old Sasol ad:
Watch the new Sasol ad:
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Branding and advertising expert Andy Rice critiques the DA’s new ad which the party launched on Monday.
Airlines that live in glass houses should not throw stones. Bruce Whitfield interviews branding and advertising expert Andy Rice.
Does it work? Chicken Licken tries again with a new TV advert after the advertising regulator banned its “Legend of Big John”.
Branding and advertising expert Andy Rice slams Vodacom and MTN’s "playground fight over who has the better network".
The Money Show’s Bruce Whitfield interviews branding and advertising expert Andy Rice about Merc's stirring new ad.
Bruce Whitfield asks branding and advertising expert Andy Rice about a peculiar study that has creatives reaching for the tequila.
Should you keep them "forever"? Tax expert Chris Sloane on the requirement to keep tax records available for inspection by Sars.
CEO at Eunomix Claude Baissac says even though SA is ranked above these countries, its decline over the years is 'astounding'.
Brent Lindeque took to social media earlier this month with a lengthy account of his experience at a Tyger Wheel & Tyre branch.
British singer, Sam Smith's fans in Cape Town where left disappointed after his concert was cut short due to voice strain.
Eusebius McKaiser speaks to Kurt Darren about forgetting the South African anthem's lyrics.
Mayco member for corporate services Sharon Cottle explains the Traffic Fines Roadshow at the Cape Town Civic Centre this week.


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If paying for college in interest-free installments seems like an appealing alternative to traditional student loans, the government’s consumer watchdog has a warning: Read the fine print carefully.
- Many colleges now offer "tuition payment plans" as an interest-free alternative to student loans, but they come with many risks for students, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says.
- Some colleges will withhold transcripts, cut off meal plans, or kick people out of classes if they fall behind on payments.
- Like similar buy-now-pay-later plans, tuition repayment plans can carry heavy fees for late and missed payments.
“Tuition payment plans,” an increasingly popular way to pay for college, come with some significant risks for students, The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned in a report Thursday. Similar to buy-now-pay-later plans for consumer purchases, tuition payment plans offered by colleges allow borrowers to repay in interest-free installments. Like those plans, however, missing a payment or being late can lead to severe penalties.
“Tuition payment plans offered by schools may look like a good option, but this report shows student borrowers can end up paying high fees, be forced to sign away their legal rights, or even have their transcript withheld by their school,” CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a statement. “Colleges and universities should take a hard look at their repayment plans and avoid subjecting borrowers to high fees or coercive debt collection practices.”
The vast majority of colleges now offer tuition payment plans, with 98% of Title-IV institutions offering one and up to 3.9 million students using one each term, the CFPB estimated.
Many of the programs came with a litany of fees and legal tripwires, the CFPB said. Those included enrollment fees averaging $37 and as high as $250, as well as late fees averaging $46, with one school charging $300 for the first late payment.
Some schools were also aggressive about collecting debts, withholding transcripts, kicking students out of classes, and removing them from meal plans if they fell behind on their payments.
The regulator’s report echoed findings last year by a consumer group, which highlighted tuition repayment plans as a form of “shadow student debt.” Colleges, often non-accredited or low-quality programs, were offering courses on outdoor survival, reiki, and wigmaking among other things, paid for with non-traditional financing, the Student Borrower Protection Center said in a 2022 report.
It’s possible to get into financial trouble with traditional student loans, especially when borrowers are unable to keep up with interest payments. However, borrowers with federally-backed loans have options not available to BNPL users, including income-driven repayment plans, forbearance, and other protections.


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A standard-sized package of Oreos costs $6.66 at the Kenyon College Bookstore but only costs $2.98 at the Walmart in Mount Vernon. This discrepancy in price leads some to do their grocery shopping off campus, including President Sean Decatur, who said he shops for groceries at the Mount Vernon Kroger.
Although the brands that each store sells differ, Walmart alternatives are substantially cheaper than those at the Bookstore and the Village Market, whose prices, for the most part, only differ by a few cents.
“Oreos are an extreme example, as we are far more competitive pricing-wise on most of the items we sell,” said Angus MacDonell, the general manager of the Bookstore, in an email to the Collegian.
The price of Oreos is one of several instances in which the Market and the Bookstore charge over one hundred percent more than nearby Mount Vernon stores for the same items, making it hard to compete with those stores.
“I think they realize that the fact that they are close to everyone means they can charge pretty much whatever they want,” Nathan Geesing ’21 said.
MacDonell said Walmart’s competitive edge comes from the fact that they can purchase wholesale from producers directly. The Bookstore and the Market do not have the capacity to do this.
As such, at the Bookstore all health and hygiene products and most food products are purchased from third-party distributors rather than producers.
MacDonell also said that the Bookstore’s prices are determined in part by the need to not be a financial drain on the College. If the Bookstore charged the same as Walmart, it runs the risk of losing money.
Oreos are not the only item for which stores in Gambier charge more. Speed Stick deodorant, for example, can be bought in packs of two for $3.76 at Walmart while a single stick runs for $4.15 at the Market. An Oral-B toothbrush runs for $1.50 at Walmart, while the Bookstore charges $2.54 for one of comparable quality. The Bookstore charges $4.01 for 264 sheets of 2-ply toilet paper while a four-pack of Walmart’s more expensive version is only $2.00.
A box of 14 sanitary napkins at Walmart is $3.97 while that same quantity costs $5.79 at the Market.
A single Clif Bar runs for $1.99 at the Market, while Walmart sells six for $5.87.
MacDonell assured the Collegian that although the Bookstore’s prices are higher compared to Walmart’s, it does its best to stock things as cheaply as it can.
“We regularly evaluate what our distributors charge us,” he said, “and change sources if we are able to get better pricing from another provider that we can then pass on to our customers.”
Chloe Hannah-Drullard ’20 expressed cynicism towards the Bookstore and the Market’s pricing.
“I want to give the Bookstore the benefit of the doubt,” Hannah-Drullard said, “but the vast majority of my mind says that’s bulls—t, and I can name 75 million reasons why we can have less expensive Oreos on this campus.”


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Onfido, Au10tix tout many millions saved with biometrics and fraud prevention tools
Both Onfido and Au10tix have revealed the estimated economic impact of their biometric and digital ID solutions on customers, in terms of return on investment (ROI) and fraud prevention losses.
Onfido recently released a commissioned study by Forrester Consulting focusing on the total economic impact of Onfido on its clients’ businesses.
The document claims several consistent benefits that clients experience consistently when using Onfido’s selfie biometrics. These include a 30 percent decrease in time spent onboarding, a 20 percent increase in fraud detection, and a 5 percent increase in customer onboarding.
To calculate these figures, Forrester Consulting interviewed five of Onfido’s biggest clients, then applied the benefits the firms mentioned to a composite organization to illustrate the ROI of specific benefits.
The report also suggests an estimated ROI of up to 261 percent and a net present value (NPV) of $9.86 million in less than six months from the moment firms started using Onfido.
Au10tix claims $700M in fraud-related losses blocked
According to new data from the company, Au10tix has helped its customers save up to $700 million in fraud-related losses since the start of 2021.
The digital ID-focussed firm also reported an increase of identities verified by approximately 144-percent in the first six months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.
According to the company’s announcement, these figures are the result of several new biometrics partnerships Au10tix entered into in the last few months.
In addition, the release of Au10tix’s new flagship solutions, Instinct, last year and Secure.Me in March 2021 have also contributed to improving the firm’s fraud prevention offering with a knock-on improvement for its clients.
Au10tix has also been recently featured in the 2021 FinTech Global’s annual list, AIFinTech100.


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Maya Distribution, LLC -- based in South Salt Lake City, Utah -- has issued a voluntary recall of its Dragon Kratom labeled bottles and sealed packages of encapsulated and raw powder product. The company says these kratom products may have been contaminated with salmonella.
Salmonella is an organism that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever. However, symptoms such as arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract infections can develop in more serious cases; the condition can even be fatal to young children, the elderly, or those with weakened immune systems.
The company says the following products are subject to recall:
What to do
Maya initiated the recall after being notified by the FDA of a positive test for salmonella. It says that it has since located the source of the contaminated product and ceased its production and distribution.
The affected products were sold to retailers in Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming, Kansas, Illinois, Idaho, Iowa, and Michigan. The FDA says that one illness related to the recall has been reported thus far, and it urges consumers not to consume affected products.
Consumers can return affected products to Maya Distribution or to the place of purchase for a full refund.
For more information, you can contact Maya Distribution via email at email@example.com or via phone at (801) 410-4309 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. MST.


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Infinix unveiled its Hot 10 series featuring the Hot 10 Play and the Hot 10S in India earlier this year. The Hong Kong-based smartphone manufacturer is now set to launch the Infinix Hot 11S in country soon. The phone’s key specifications and pricing details have been revealed.
Expected Infinix Hot 11S Specifications and Features
The company has already confirmed that the smartphone will be powered by the Helio G88, which also fuels the recently unveiled Redmi 10 Prime handset. It has also revealed that the phone will launch by mid-September. It is likely that the company will start teasing the arrival of the Hot 11S by the beginning of September.
The Hot 11S will be easy on the pocketbook. It will be unveiled as the much-awaited Infinix Hot 10S successor.
The other specifications of the Hot 11S are yet to be confirmed. It is likely that the handset may inherit some of the specs from the Hot 10S. Hence, Infinix may offer a 90Hz refresh rate display on the Hot 11S. It may come with an improved 48-megapixel triple camera system. It may inherit the 6,000mAh battery and 18W fast charging support from the Hot 10S.
Infinix Hot 11S Specifications Price and Launch Date
The company is expected to launch the Infinix Hot 11S smartphone sometime in mid-September. However, details about the final launch date are still scarce. Furthermore, since it is a budget offering, the handset is expected to go fo INR 9,999 (about $136) for the 4GB RAM+64GB ROM model. Even the larger 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant will be available for only INR 10,999, which converts roughly to about $150.
Well, we advise our readers to digest the pricing leak with a grain of salt.


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Apple Computer is refining a strategy for connecting cell phones and other portable devices to its Macintosh systems in an effort to boost sales. But a rival endeavor from Microsoft, expected to...
The Galaxy Note7: A refined culmination of Samsung's past
...of Android flagships, Yahootastrophe, and Microsoft vs. cancer
Microsoft acknowledges new Surface Pro 3 battery issues
surface pro 3
Xiaomi Mi VR Play: Unboxing and first impressions
xiaomi mi vr play
Honor 8, a $399 phone that aims to disrupt high priced tradition
Apple iPhone 7 Plus: Unboxing and first impressions
Microsoft on Monday said it has revamped its MSN Internet offerings to include features such as real-time traffic and travel alerts as the software giant goes head-to-head with rival AOL Time Warner. ...


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WH Group get necessary approvals from meat products regulators
Updated: 2014-09-23 05:00
By ZHONG NAN(China Daily)
Two subsidiaries of Henan Shuanghui Investment and Development Co have gained access to the Russian market, after its parent company — WH Group Ltd, the world's largest pork producer — acquired US pork producer Smithfield Foods Inc and bought a stake in Campofrio Food Group SA of Spain, the largest pan-European packaged meat products company, last year.
The two Heilongjiang-based companies — Wangkui Shuanghui Beidahuang Food Co and Heilongjiang Baoquanling Shuanghui Food Industry Co — got the official nod after their production facilities and products were examined and assessed by officials from Russia's meat products watchdog, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, in August, Shuanghui Development said on its website.
To widen its import market for meat, the Russian government agreed to import meat products from five Chinese suppliers by the end of August, indicating the nation has taken a flexible strategy to balance the supply and demand relationship, while the US and its European allies are trying to squeeze the country's trade space in the world market.
In the meantime, other Chinese meat suppliers such as Shandong-based Delisi Group and Shandong Jinluo Group are competing to get the rest of the mandate to export meat products to Russia.
Tian Zhihong, a professor of international trade of agricultural products at China Agricultural University in Beijing, said Russia's decision to choose the two subsidiaries of Shuanghui Development makes sense as Heilongjiang borders Russia and has a well-developed agricultural industry.
In addition, it also offers advantages like shortened logistics timing and cooler climate conditions that make it easier to supply meat products to Russia.
Russia's Far East region used to rely heavily on meat supplies from the US and Canada. The change in meat suppliers comes after Moscow imposed a one-year ban in August on a number of agricultural products, including meat, fish, poultry, fruit, vegetables, wine and dairy products from the US, other member nations of the European Union, Norway, Canada and Australia in retaliation for the economic sanctions imposed against it by the West.
China is the world's biggest pork producer and has a well-developed pork processing industry. However, the trade volumes of China's pork products are not that significant. China imported 580,000 metric tons of pork products and sold 73,000 metric tons of pork to foreign markets in 2013.
Li Guoxiang, deputy director of the Rural Development Institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said: "Another concern for Russia is the cases of African swine fever that have been detected in several European countries such as Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Ukraine, which causes fever with high mortality rates in pigs and directly contaminates meat and related products."
China has not exported pork products to Russia before, and its exports have mostly been small shipments to nations like Belarus, Armenia and Moldova.
According to Li, though China's initial pork export volume will not be huge, it will be a meaningful start to expand the nation's global presence.
"WH Group, the parent company of Shuanghui Development, is proficient in producing sausages, ham and pork luncheon meat, especially after it acquired US pork producer Smithfield Foods Inc in 2013. These products are extremely popular in Russia and can help further diversify export channels for Chinese meat products in the new market," said Li.
The Luohe-based WH Group recorded sales of more than $20 billion in 2013, data from the company showed.


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In a typical Wisconsin winter, you tend to see a slow down in the market. But this year, it’s very different. Buyers are in high demand and the competition to find a home is fierce.
Winter time is a great season for buyers. Typically, there are less buyers in the, making those that are serious about shopping for a home, more opportunity. Rates right now, are very low. If you’re waiting for spring time, you don’t know what rates are going to do. Take advantage of these ridiculously low rates while they last. Rates are being held down in large part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that may not last. When rates go up, buyer’s buying power goes down. If you’re thinking about buying, now is the time.


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Not willing to be outdone by competing automakers, Hyundai announced a major investment in the United States. The latest amount signifies an increase in past investments from both Hyundai and Kia. Between 2017 and 2021, South Korea’s largest automaker plans to investment a whopping $3 billion in production facilities.
The $3 billion over the five-year period signifies a major vote of confidence in the United States market. The automaker invested just $2.1 billion between 2012 and 2016.
So, where will Hyundai’s $3 billion investment in the United States go?
Hyundai is considering building a new factory here in the United States to act as a production facility for the new Genesis luxury brand. The production facility could also produce an SUV exclusive to the United States. A new facility would provide hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs for local workers.
Part of the investment will also go toward maintaining and improving existing United States facilities. The investment will fund autonomous driving, greener vehicles, and new models.
By comparison, General Motors, the largest automaker in the United States, will invest just $1 billion in the coming years.
We at Wright Hyundai are pumped to see such an incredible automaker strengthening its production in the United States!


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Wall Street: Thursday close
INVESTORS appeared to develop immunity to the twin scourges of 'accounting Anthrax' and 'Enronitis' to push the markets to a strong close for the second straight day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, up 144 points on Wednesday due in part to a statement from the US central bank that it saw signs of a turn in the economy, powered ahead another 157.14 points or 1.61% to 9,920.00.
The Nasdaq Index, which on Wednesday clawed back 1% of Tuesday's 2.5% drop, regained another 20.62 points or 1.08% to 1,934.06. Still, the scoreboard for the month of January read: Dow down 1.5%, Nasdaq off 1.2%.
Analysts said the latest rally was due in part to relief that no additional big name companies had been tripped up by the accounting horrors which had doomed bankrupt energy trader Enron. Conglomerate Tyco, hammered earlier in the week on accounting concerns, managed to close out the day up 45 cents or 1.3% to $35.30 after that company launched a determined counter offensive to reassure investors.
And a timely jump in profits for consumer products giant Procter & Gamble helped. P&G's shares surged $3.36 or 4.3% to $81.65. Barbie dollmaker Mattel firmed 34 cents or 1.8% to $18.99 as its results came in higher than expected. Walt Disney added another dollop of good news after the close of trading when it reported profits ahead of expectations despite what chief executive Michael Eisner described as 'challenging times.' Disney shares, which closed the regular session down 39 cents or 1.8% to $21.01, leapt 4.2% in extended hours trading.
But the strength did not extend to cosmetics and perfume. Elizabeth Arden, maker of Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds line of fragrances, tumbled $3.94 or 28% to $10.06 after it said it would cut 100 jobs or 10% of its workforce in a tough operating environment. And Estee Lauder, which numbers Clinique among its brand names, slumped $1.34 or 4% to $32.26 on a 29% drop in quarterly profits.
Intel led the tech rally on upgrades from Merrill Lynch and Prudential Securities. Intel shares climbed $1.18 or 3.5% to $35.04. Software maker Oracle did its best to jog the rally along by re-affirming its drastically lowered profit projections. Oracle shares rose 61 cents or 3.7% to $17.23.
Analysts were active with endorsements of companies they follow. Broker Merrill Lynch rose $1.32 cents or 2.7% to $50.50 on kind words from Bear Stearns. Battered computer maker Gateway added seven cents or 1.4% to $5.15 on positive note from Prudential Securities.
McLeodUSA, with debts of $3bn., became the latest telco to file for bankruptcy protection. Its shares, at $21 within the last year, were flat at 18 cents on the expected news. Rival Global Crossing tipped into bankruptcy earlier in the week.
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text: Where do you usually find out about a new book to read, a new song to listen for or even a game to play? I think most of us would say we find new things through our friends and social interactions. LivingSocial, a DC-based startup created by the Ruby on Rails development shop Hungry Machine, is looking to help with similar social recommendations. Started as a Facebook application, LivingSocial offers a handful of vertical recommendation sites (books, food, music, movies, beer, and games). Leveraging the Facebook social graph LivingSocial claims to have 6.4 million beta users, who have collectively reviewed nearly 80 million items since February.


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Branded as a hardcover action-RPG sci-fi shooter, Immortal: Unchained sounds like a pretty heady blend of genres and inspirations. You might be wondering how all of this can tie together, and those on PC will soon have an opportunity to find out, as a closed alpha test is set to run on PC between 8th and 12th March. The game is then planned for release later this year on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
The alpha will feature the first two locations from the game, letting people try out the brutal combat and tactical gunplay. You’ll have to register for access at ImmortalTheGame.com, with idea that players will then give feedback to the dev team at Toadman interactive so they can refine the game further.
Robin Flodin, CEO of Toadman Interactive said, “We’re thrilled to offer PC players the first opportunity to go hands-on with Immortal: Unchained next month. We’re taking player feedback incredibly seriously, and we hope that by putting the game into the hands of hardcore action-RPG fans now, we’ll be able to gather feedback that helps us create an even better title in time for launch, and a game that fans of the genre will truly want to play.”
Source: press release, Immortal


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Velo News, Inside Tri sold to Competitor Group
Written by: Dan Empfield
Date: Mon Feb 11 2008
This acquisition solves Triathlete Magazine's problem of having Inside Triathlon compete head-to-head for ad dollars, and clears the deck for CGI's Senior VP of print publications, John Duke, to sell specialty annuals (such as Road to Kona and Tour de France annuals) without its historic rival also bidding. ICI's CEO, Felix Magowan, underscored this by referencing CGI's president, Peter Englehart, and his "solid relationship with people at Amaury Sport Organization (the parent company of the Tour de France)."
Englehart assured that the current acquisition will not require a relocation. "We are not interested in tampering with what has made the company successful," Englehart told ICI employees. "We want to build on what you've already accomplished. Shifting the base of operations of a well-established company, with a lot of talent would not make sense."
An important part of Falconhead Capital's strategy, according to comments by its chairman and CEO David Moross to Slowtwitch last month, is to offer bundled marketing solutions to flagship advertising partners. The requirement for this is CGI's ownership of the participation experience, which it's well on the way to owning based on its deal with Elite Racing (Rock and Roll Marathons, Country Music Marathon, the Carlsbad 5000), as well as the Muddy Buddy Series it acquired through its deal with Competitor Magazine. Also, CGI must own the virtual and the print experience, and today's announcement helps exhibit its resolve to do that.
That established, CGI now owns most of the relevant cycling and triathon media but none of those sports' events, and it owns running's events but not its media. Are there more acquisitions to come? Falconhead Capital declined to comment on any future acquisitions.
Today's deal comes as a bit of a surprise, since negotiations were declared dead by Magowan eight weeks ago. Obviously not. What brought about the change of heart? "It really started in the spring of last year," Magowan said in a prepared statement. "We were surprised, for example, when cricInfo.com was sold to ESPN for $100 million." Magowan said that the recent sales of cyclingnews.com and cycling.tv soon also triggered interest in his company.
The pace and extent of these acquisitions appears to have swayed Magowan, who frankly admitted that his organization was, "too undercapitalized to take advantage of all the growth opportunities available to us on the web, in print, books, events and mail order."
Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI), that growing aggregation of premier endurance brands powered by private equity, will temporarily shrink by one brand. 10.14.08
John Duke, the man who brought Triathlete magazine from the near-dead to a dominating position in the marketplace, is out after 14 years. Former Runners World exec Andy Hersam is now in charge of Competitor Group's magazines, including IT and Triathlete. 1.07.10
Q&A with Andy Hersam The former Runners World Media Group Publisher is taking the reins of the Competitor Group print titles – including Triathlete and Inside Triathlon – from long term publisher John Duke. 1.07.10
Triathletes in the USA will soon be able to choose from 3 different printed triathlon magazines. H3 Publications has hired Jay Prasuhn and John Segesta and will launch the new TRI magazine in late April 1.11.10
By now many of you have heard of a new organization, announced Monday, called Triathlon America. There's always a backstory. A group of us met at the Harvard Club in New York City last December and... 10.19.10
WTC and Competitor Group are back in the acquisition mode, and if the first six weeks of 2012 is a sing of things to come, marquis events of all distances, all around the world, may be acquisition targets. 2.23.12
The sale of Triathlete and Competitor Magazines, as well as Elite Racing, owner of many of North America's largest footraces, appears imminent. Both magazines are part of a blockbuster deal that places top caliber endurance events and media under the same ownership. 12.19.07
A deal's danger of "blowing up" increases exponentially as the parties prepare to sign. Nevertheless, we handicap and analyze. 12.20.07


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Methane has rocketed up the climate agenda in recent years. Getting to grips with this potent but short-lived greenhouse gas – which has 80 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide over a 20 year period – is critical if we are to keep global heating below 1.5C.
Livestock farming – animal manure and burping ruminants (cows, sheep and goats) – already accounts for 32% of methane emissions and global demand for milk and meat is expected to increase. While governments have been loath to step in and require the industry to cut emissions, there has been growing pressure from consumers and investors for action.
The industry has responded with a range of innovations which it says will cut methane emissions while allowing them to continue growing their business as usual. The question is, do they work?
Feed supplements – which reduce the amount of methane that cattle, sheep and goats burp into the atmosphere – have attracted a lot of media attention.
A number of studies have looked at the effect of adding additives such as seaweed, garlic and citrus extract, nitrate-rich foods and synthetic additives, to animal feed and found that the methane offset potential varies considerably – even among studies of the same supplement.
One of the most promising feed additives is red seaweed which has been approved for use in Sweden, and is being considered in the UK and US. Trials have shown methane emission reductions of up to 98% when as little as 0.2% of the diet is supplemented with dried seaweed powder. Another leading additive is a synthetic supplement – marketed under Bovaer -which has received regulatory approval in Brazil, Chile and soon the EU. Its methane reduction potential averages about 30%. Garlic and citrus extract supplements, marketed under the name Mootral, also show reductions of up to 30% in a handful of trials. The lack of strong data has not prevented the company selling voluntary carbon credits – or cow credits – to the airline industry.
The big problem for all the feed additives is that they have largely been tested in feedlots where livestock consumption is tightly controlled. In the real world, where the majority of animals spend the most of their time in pastures, effectively administering supplements is much more challenging and emission reductions far more variable. This is a particular problem for Bovaer which degrades rapidly in the animal stomach and needs to be supplied constantly in order for it to work – potentially making it impractical for use with animals raised outside feedlots.
Moreover, vast quantities of feed additives would be required to deliver reductions at the global level. Harvesting wild seaweed to supplement the diets of the world’s billions of livestock is unsustainable, so new aquaculture techniques will need to be developed to produce it in the quantities needed.
There are also possible health concerns. The main active ingredient in red seaweed is a compound called bromoform that is a probable human carcinogen. However, concerning levels of bromoform have not been detected in the tissue or milk of cows fed red seaweed.
There may be a role for food additives to play in reducing the livestock sector’s methane emissions. However, variable trial results, the lack of supplements that can realistically be used safely at scale and by a wide range of farmers in a short time period, mean additives are not the silver bullet solution some media reports would suggest.
Currently the most effective and reliable way of cutting emissions are measures aimed at shifting diets – particularly in countries where the overconsumption of meat and dairy is a public health issue. The question is whether this is an approach politicians are willing to take.
Read more on the science behind feed additives.


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Inclusive Spaces - Big Bazaar, Thakur Mall makes shopping easy for the blind
Shopping is not fun for everyone. And shopping in a mall can be even more confusing. Look at it from the perspective of a disabled person, and the picture is even more chaotic. Few malls in India have Braille signage, or sign language interpreters.
Mall shopping becomes less chaotic
Future Retail Limited, the firm which hosts value format Big Bazaar, is determined to change that. They are looking at introducing accessible shopping across a few stores in India. In October, Big Bazaar launched a special 'listening session' in 105 stores where people with disabilities were invited to experience the new features and give their feedback. Based on their inputs, changes are gradually being made.
One such Big Bazaar store in Thakur Mall, Kandivili, in Mumbai is the focus of our next photo story in the Inclusive Spaces series. Dinesh Saraiya, who is blind, and his wife Monika, a wheelchair user, sent us their pictures while they were shopping at this particular mall.
Shopping assistants, priority counter, trained staff
From an escort who guided them from the entrance to shopping assistants, they were helped at every stage. The assistant are trained on how to communicate with the disabled and have a basic understanding about every disability. Big Bazaar is training its staff across various touch points to be sensitive to the needs of the disabled.For instance, the Saraiyas were even helped out with a vehicle to go back home.
All Big Bazaar stores have a dedicated priority counter for easy billing. There is trained staff at all key touch points from security to cashier to customer desk. There is even an Accessibility Champion in every store to handle questions.
Some of the features Big Bazaar has in the pipeline are tactile maps in the key stores, accessible changing rooms for wheelchair users, and unisex washrooms.
To watch the other stories in the Inclusive Spaces series, click:
Ability On Wheels New Delhi
Children's Parks Bengaluru
DAG Modern New Delhi
Watch in Sign Language
- The wheelchair has given me wings to fly! - My Take by Dr Divya Singh
December 11, 2018
- Fact check by disability advocacy group on voting day in Rajasthan throws up gaps in accessible election promises
December 10, 2018
- Disability rights leader Satendra Singh challenges move to close probe into harassment faced during train travel
December 9, 2018
Read more on Newz Hook
- Get-hooked December 8, 2018 21 disabilities under RPWD 2016 - Intellectual Disability
- Get-hooked December 10, 2018 Understanding Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
- Get-hooked December 8, 2018 Deaf people are gathering at Delhi's Jantar Mantar for a common cause
- Get-hooked December 8, 2018 Some tips for dating when you have a disability
- Headlines December 8, 2018 Singer Mika Singh detained& released in Dubai over sexual harassment allegations
- Headlines December 8, 2018 Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje accuses opposition leader of body-shaming
- Headlines December 11, 2018 Farmer sells 2,000-kg onion for 6/-, sends money to top politician
- Get-hooked December 9, 2018 Stay healthy & fit in a wheelchair. Here's how
- Headlines December 11, 2018 RBI Governor Urjit Patel resigns
- Get-hooked December 14, 2018 Miracle on Wheels is transforming lives of thousands of wheelchair users in India
Ask your question about any issue related to disability, this is your space to find the answer.
Want to feature your inspiring story or share an event with the disabled community? Write to:
Newz Hook - Accessible News


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It may be because of the recession or despite it - experts appear to be divided on this issue - but everyone agrees 2009 has been a blockbuster year so far at the box office.
Consider the numbers: As of Sunday, gross receipts from Canadian and U.S. theatres were about 8.1 per cent ahead of the same period in 2008, according to Box Office Mojo, a California-based tracking service of film revenue. Attendance is also up, but not by as much.
"That's a tremendous increase," says Brandon Gray, Box Office Mojo's president, "and it's on pace to be a record year in terms of gross."
North America may be in a recession, but the box-office gross for this year is so far 10 per cent higher than the same period in 2007, 15.5 per cent more than 2006 and 21.8 per cent higher than 2005.
Why are the numbers so high this year? "Movies do remain one of the cheapest events out there, which is why they continue to do well in spite of the recession," Mr. Gray says.
But he attributes this year's success mainly to the quality of movies themselves. "The slate, overall, has been stronger this year than recent years."
Other analysts aren't quite as sure that the reason box office sales are strong has to do with quality.
Jeff Bock, analyst for Los Angles-based box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations, scoffs at the quality, citing Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Gran Torino and Taken - three movies that grossed about $150-million (U.S.) each this year.
"These are run-of-the-mill films for their genres - there is nothing exceptional in any way about any of these films. So for these films to do that type of business, it really points more to the economy than the quality of the films."
Mr. Bock, however, does give credit to Hollywood for having one of the strongest release schedules in years - positioning bigger films throughout the year rather than piling them all on during the summer. "Doing that keeps people excited about going to the movies."
So how can investors best play a strong box office? Tuna Amobi, the New York-based senior research equity analyst at Standard and Poor's, says investors need to consider more than just the box office. Studios have two big challenges: parlaying these high box-office numbers into DVD sales - "where most of the back-end profits are made" - and making sure they do well at the international box office.
In the case of the latter, Mr. Amobi says this year's global numbers "seem on track to be setting a new record as well."
The problem is with DVD sales. According to data released earlier this month by the Digital Entertainment Group, a U.S. industry trade organization, sales of DVDs fell 13.5 per cent in the first half of 2009. Consumers were choosing to rent instead, with rental revenue increasing 8 per cent in the same period.
Mr. Amobi also pointed out that most studios are owned by conglomerates, so investors have to consider the other components of the conglomerate's holdings. For instance, he cites Time Warner Inc., which owns Hollywood's largest studio, Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. has had a very good year, with a 20.5-per-cent market share of box office totalling almost $1.3-billion as of Sunday, according to Box Office Mojo.
But Standard & Poor's has a "hold" rating on Time Warner, mostly because of its weak publishing holdings and AOL, which Mr. Amobi calls "a drag on its results."
The same goes for Viacom, even though its studio, Paramount, makes up 30 to 35 per cent of the company's results and is also doing well this year. Mr. Amobi says Standard and Poor's hold on Viacom stems from the fact that its distribution deal with DreamWorks is ending, and its MTV television holding is struggling.
Mr. Amobi is excited about DreamWorks Animation, a company that's pure studio. DreamWorks Animation, he says, makes two films a year, and they are always good ones. "Our 'buy' recommendation reflects the films they make, and the anticipation of them."
Standard and Poor's also has a buy on The Walt Disney Company, even though its studio "has been somewhat lacklustre in the past 12 to 18 months," Mr. Amobi says. The company has very solid cable stations that are doing well despite the recession, and theme parks "that are expected to improve as the economy improves this year."
Toronto-based analyst Ben Mogil of Thomas Weisel Partners also likes DreamWorks Animation, which he rates as "overweight." Part of the reason for that rating is that the children's high-end animation market is holding up better, especially in DVDs.
"The concern that people have had over the last year has been the DVD business has been very tough, and that's true, but it's held up a lot better for the children's animated stuff than in other genres."
DVD sales are also an issue for Lions Gate International Corp., which Mr. Mogil rates as "market weight." The studio has been hurt, he says, because its smaller performing titles are having trouble getting the space they used to at such mass merchants as Wal-Mart.
It's an issue that the Digital Entertainment Group raised in its July report - while box-office blockbusters are selling well as DVDs, sales of smaller titles are soft and the problem is compounded by the fact that large stores are devoting less space to DVDs and more to video games and other products.
Mr. Mogil says that Lions Gate also has had strong third-party financing that has run its course and is not getting renewed. Financing, he adds, is becoming an issue for many studios, who were "big users" of hedge fund and private equity money in 2005 to 2007.
"That money is obviously gone, so you'll see everyone doing fewer movies starting next year."
Mr. Mogil also covers North American exhibitors, the theatres that actually show the films. He has designated Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund, Canada's only publicly traded exhibitor, as "overweight."
"Its business is doing well. It's gained over the last couple of years some market share." In the United States, he rates as "market weight" Regal Entertainment Group, the largest theatre chain, saying it is benefiting from this year's robust box office.
"Regal is 20 per cent of the U.S. box office. If the U.S. box office is up, Regal has to be."
He rates Cinemark Holdings Inc., the No. 3 theatre circuit in the United States, as "overweight."
Mr. Mogil, who doesn't believe the movie business is recession-proof, instead calls it "recession-resilient." "That means as long as there are good films out there, because it's a relatively cheap way to get out, people will come," he said. "They'll come to good films in a bad economy but they won't go to bad films in a good economy."Report Typo/Error


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Prices of fresh vegetables rose by 24% year-on-year in April as consumers filled up to prepare for potential home orders. Pictured here is a delivery driver for Alibaba’s Hema Fresh supermarket in Beijing on May 10, 2022.
Jade Gao | Afp | Getty pictures
BEIJING ̵[ads1]1; China’s consumer and producer prices rose more than expected in April, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics published on Wednesday.
The consumer price index rose by 2.1% last month from a year ago, strengthened by an increase in energy and fresh vegetables. The reading topped expectations for a 1.8% increase in a Reuters poll.
April’s figures were also the highest since November’s pressure of 2.3% and well above the 18-month average of 0.9% consumer price inflation. China’s official CPI target for 2022 is “around 3%”.
“The main driver was a rise in food prices due to rising transportation costs and demand from tighter Covid restrictions,” Goldman Sachs analysts said in a report Wednesday.
“In year-over-year terms, we expect CPI inflation to rise and PPI inflation to fall on the bottom,” the report said. “Sequential CPI inflation may moderate in the short term as inflationary pressures from food prices may ease with the improved Covid situation in China.”
Since March, mainland China has tightened travel restrictions and imposed orders to stay at home in many parts of the cities to limit the country’s worst Covid outbreak since early 2020. Controls have prevented many factories from producing at full capacity or moving goods between suppliers and customers.
Prices of fresh vegetables rose by 24% from year to year in April, while prices of fresh fruit increased by 14.1% during that time. Pork prices, a major contributor to China’s CPI, showed a relatively rare increase of 1.5% from the previous month for a more moderate fall of 33.3% from year to year.
Fuel prices for transport rose by 28.4% from the previous year, reflecting recent increases in oil and commodity prices.
Weak consumer demand
However, China’s rising consumer price index does not mean that locals are facing the same pressure as Americans.
US consumer prices have risen the most since the early 1980s, even when food and energy were removed. The April figure, which comes later on Wednesday, is estimated to stay close to the decade-high increase of 8.5% seen in March.
In China, excluding food and energy prices, the consumer price index rose by 0.9% in April from a year ago.
In the longer term, analysts warn that general consumer demand in China remains depressed due to uncertainty about future revenues.
Some companies have even cut prices to attract buyers.
The Caixin Services PMI for April – a monthly sentiment survey – found that companies cut prices at the fastest pace since May 2020, “with a number of firms lowering their fees to attract new business amid subdued demand,” it said in a release.
A similar survey among manufacturers found that despite a sharp increase in production costs, sales prices increased only modestly as companies tried to remain competitive and attract new businesses.
Factory costs are still high
In April, China’s producer price index moderated for the fourth month in a row, rising 8% year-on-year. It was still above Reuters’ forecast for a 7.7 percent increase.
Within PPI, purchase prices rose much faster than so-called factory door prices – the price of goods sold from factories for further production or sale to distributors.
This is an indication that cost pressures are unevenly distributed across industries, said Bruce Pang, head of macro and strategy research at China Renaissance.
He said this means that different companies will face different types of impact on their profit margins.
There is an “urgent need” for monetary and fiscal policy to provide targeted support to companies severely affected by the pandemic, Pang said in Chinese, translated by CNBC.
China’s central bank and other governments have announced a number of measures to support growth in recent weeks, although the extent of these measures has generally disappointed markets.
“Covid shutdowns have eroded the effectiveness of policy easing, dampening demand more than supply,” Morgan Stanley chief economist Robin Xing and a team said in a note Tuesday.
At the end of April, the company cut its GDP target for China to 4.2% based on expectations that Covid controls will disrupt supply chains for longer. This is down from the previous forecast of 4.6 per cent.


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Dubbed the Smart TXTBKS campaign, condensed textbooks and workbooks used by students into 160-character messages that were then inserted in Smart SIM cards and distributed to several public schools in the Philippines.
Samsung Electronics Co unveiled the second generation of its popular Galaxy Note phone-cum-tablet at Europe’s biggest electronics show in Berlin on Wednesday and set high hopes for its success.
Sony Corp released an upgraded version of its Android tablet on Wednesday, branding its rival to Apple Inc’s iPad and Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy as “Xperia” in a bid to unify its mobile devices under one name.
Samsung Electronics became the first handset maker to announce a smartphone using Microsoft’s latest mobile software, making its surprise, hurried announcement just days before the highly anticipated launch of Nokia’s version.
In a follow-up speech delivered Wednesday, Sotto stood up against his online critics, saying the attacks are part of a demolition job that seeks to discredit him for going against the proposed RH Bill.
Samsung Electronics Co unveils the second generation of its popular Galaxy Note phone-cum-tablet at Europe’s biggest electronics show in Berlin later on Wednesday, as the South Korean firm comes under pressure to innovate after losing a U.S. patent battle with Apple Inc.
Telecom provider Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is expanding its ultra-fast home Internet service to other posh villages in Metro Manila, the company announced Tuesday.
The database of an Asia-Pacific blog advertising network with bases in the Philippines has been “compromised,” with leaked information being used for spamming users, a high-ranking executive revealed Tuesday.
Metro Manila commuters can now find your way around Metro Manila through trains with the help of Google Maps, which recently integrated transit lines in the Philippines in its “Directions” tool.
Shops in the small central French city of Puy-en-Velay are about to launch a shared Internet site to compete with regional big box retailers, the town hall announced on Tuesday.
South Korea’s Samsung Electronics vowed on Tuesday to take “all necessary measures” to keep its products on US store shelves, in response to Apple’s request for a ban on sales of some smartphones.
China-based electronics brand Lenovo remains an Android handset maker despite Apple’s patent victory in a US court last week, saying Google’s patents will stave off any future infringement cases.
The U.S. will take a look at the rules governing which electronic devices travelers can use during flights to help airlines decide if they should allow wider use of the gadgets, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday.
Standard-essential patents aren’t providing as much leverage in the smart-device wars as Google may have hoped when it paid $12.5 billion to acquire Motorola Mobility.
Apple Inc is seeking speedy bans on the sale of eight Samsung Electronics phones, moving swiftly to translate its resounding court victory over its arch-foe into a tangible business benefit.
Yahoo Inc named veteran executive Kathy Savitt its chief marketing officer on Monday in the latest move by new CEO Marissa Mayer to overhaul her top leadership team.
Computer security firms are urging PC users to disable Java software in their browsers, saying the widely installed, free software from Oracle Corp opens machines to hacker attacks and there is no way to defend against them.


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Caterpillar's first-quarter earnings climbed 5 percent and the construction equipment maker raised its 2014 forecast. But the company also says a mining equipment sales slump is still hurting results.
The Peoria, Ill., company says it now expects 2014 earnings of $6.10 per share excluding restructuring costs. That's up from its previous forecast for $5.85 per share.
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