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40 under 40
Before “internet of things” was a household phrase, Netronix was building its own tools and a network of companies to make our world smarter, faster and better connected.
When Dr. Vasileios Nasis left his native Greece to attend Drexel in 2000, his plans were simple: earn an undergraduate degree and get a job. Instead, he went on to earn his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in electrical and computer engineering, teach at Drexel and start a company that employs some of his former Drexel students.
“I’m a Drexel product, 100 percent,” he says. “An engineer, but a practical engineer: the guy who rolls up his sleeves, the guy who spends time in the lab, the guy who goes and meets with clients.”
Most of those meetings are with current and potential customers of Netronix, the company he launched in 2008 to help bring the “internet of things” technology revolution to the masses.
The internet of things, often shorthanded as IoT, refers to the trend toward networking an ever-expanding universe of household objects and everyday equipment capable of collecting, transmitting and receiving data. The “things” include buses that transmit their locations to transit systems to provide real-time route information; home thermostats remotely controlled by electric utilities to conserve power; and manufacturing equipment that alerts factory operators when it needs maintenance.
Information technology consulting firm Gartner Inc. estimates there are 8.4 billion “connected things” in use this year and predicts there will be 12.9 billion by 2020.
Netronix makes it easier for other companies to use or offer IoT products and services. Its IoT platform includes hardware that can be connected to existing devices or built inside new devices to make them part of the IoT; a cloud platform for controlling data flow to and from IoT devices; and software for developing IoT applications. Current customers include SAP, 3M, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force, as well as numerous companies that provide remote monitoring services in the environmental and health sectors.
One of the latter, Airthinx, provides continuous air-quality monitoring in indoor spaces such as buildings and aircraft. Dr. Nasis helped it get off the ground with funding from Netronix Ventures, which he created to back companies that use Netronix’s technology. He believes those companies, which along with Netronix now comprise the Netronix Group, will show how easily Netronix’s technology can enable entrepreneurs to turn their ideas for using the IoT into profitable businesses.
“He definitely has the charisma to be a successful entrepreneur and it’s clear that his team is just really passionate about the product and where Netronix is going,” says Shintaro Kaido, director of startup services for Drexel Ventures, the University’s tech-commercialization business accelerator.
Dr. Nasis thinks the Netronix Group can spawn 100 companies over the next decade. Most, he believes, will be based in Philadelphia, laying the groundwork for a local business hub centered around the IoT technology.
“I have the support of Drexel and the support of John Fry and I think that we’ll make history,” he says. — Peter Key
Peter Key, Drexel Magazine


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Officials on Wednesday used a dilapidated Fort Snelling barracks as a backdrop to outline their $50 million to $55 million plans to reuse it and eight other buildings for a charter school.
A series of open houses will be held in June to present potential alignments for a proposed high-speed rail line between Minneapolis and Rochester.
An unusual $6 million interchange due to be built in Bloomington later this year could become a key link between the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Mall of America and nearby developments. Or it could send surprised drivers into a tailspin.
The company, which is going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, said it’s relocating from Memphis, Tenn., to vacant space leased by Delta Airlines at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
The St. Paul City Council on Wednesday unanimously called for a fresh study of transit options between Lowertown’s Union Depot and Bloomington.
Electronic pulltabs are currently predicted to take in about $16 million for fiscal year 2013.
Pinnacle Airlines may have delayed filing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan. But a recent court filing suggests an announcement may come soon about whether the company’s Memphis headquarters and hundreds of jobs will move to the Twin Cities.
Three parties responded to a query a Metropolitan Airports Commission asking whether developers were interested in building a small hotel across from the entry to Lindbergh Terminal.
Twin Cities airport planners may have a short-term fix as they wait to meet their long-term hotel needs.
A 3M Co. executive described how the company eliminated large amounts of solvents and water once required to make adhesive tape. The Jefferson Lines CEO highlighted how changes to the company’s fleet saved gas, and the founder of French Meadow Bakery & Café recalled how organic ingredients were so hard to get she had to travel to farms to buy directly from producers.

domain: news


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Another week, another gloomy assessment of the PC market. Gartner on Monday released new research showing that “worldwide PC shipments totaled 90.3 million units in the fourth quarter of 2012, a 4.9 percent decline from the fourth quarter of 2011.” The reason that PC sales have fallen, says Gartner, is that consumers are using tablets as their primary content consumption devices and are only using PCs for productivity. In other words, consumers feel much less impetus to replace their PCs if they have tablets they can use for basic functions such as reading the news and watching videos.
“We increasingly suspect that most individuals will shift consumption activity to a personal tablet, and perform creative and administrative tasks on a shared PC,” said Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa. “There will be some individuals who retain both, but we believe they will be exception and not the norm. Therefore, we hypothesize that buyers will not replace secondary PCs in the household, instead allowing them to age out and shifting consumption to a tablet.”
Gartner also found that “the launch of Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows 8 did not have a significant impact on PC shipments in the fourth quarter,” although the firm expects that Windows 8 PC sales will improve as OEMs release top-tier touch screen computers throughout 2013.
As far as individual vendors go, Gartner found that HP (HPQ) retained its top spot in the PC market with a 15.5% share despite seeing its overall sales drop by 0.5% year-over-year. Lenovo came in second with a 13.6% share and was the only major PC vendor to see its total sales significantly grow from the previous year. On the down side, Dell (DELL) saw its PC sales shrink by 20.9% year-over-year while Acer’s (2353) sales declined by more than 11%.


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The Hut Group secures £600m credit facility for more acquisitions
The owner of beauty brands including Illamasqua, Glossybox and Espa, has secured a loan from a host of banks to continue its expansion drive through acquisitions.
The Hut Group has bagged £600 million from banks including Barclays and HSBC, it announced on Friday – a loan that will be invested in more warehouses, its delivery network and more beauty acquisitions.
The announcement follows the purchase of specialist eye cosmetics brand Eyeko earlier this month, joining a fast growing portfolio of beauty and wellbeing businesses at the group.
Matthew Moulding, founder and chief executive of The Hut Group, commented: “We are delighted with the continued backing shown by our banking syndicate. This increase in our credit facilities through to 2021 is another important and powerful addition for the group and its business model, as we continue to deliver on our ambitions and drive forward our international growth.”
The company will also continue to invest in its own brands, particularly its beauty portfolio, which also includes brands such as Mio Skincare, Mama Mio, Grow Gorgeous and Lookfantastic.com.
The facility loan was provided by Barclays, HSBC, Santander, RBS, Citibank, Lloyds, Bank of Ireland, JP Morgan, Silicon Valley Bank and Aimco.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Today’s top tech news, Aug 15: Y Combinator is now in China; Singapore’s Alpha7 secured US$5.2M
Also, Hong Kong’s Animoca secured US$1M funding, LINE welcome TRON (TRX) into BITBOX, and more
Y Combinator is heading to China with a startup program – [TechCrunch]
U.S. accelerator Y Combinator is expanding to China and announced the hiring of former COO of Baidu’s AI research division Qi Lu. Lu will develop a startup program in China with his new title as YC China’s CEO and Head of Research, according to a report by TechCrunch.
As reported by TechCruch, YC President Sam Altman said that the startup program will be based in Beijing. The official timeframe is still not disclosed but the recruitment has started for Chinese startups .
With China’s growing startup ecosystem — which competes is head-to-head with the US, YC’s move to expand to China is timely.
“YC’s strength has always been its special founder community and to add a lot more Chinese founders seems to be valuable to everyone, especially to be able to operating network across U.S. and China,” explained Altman.
Hong Kong’s mobile games developer Animoca raised US$1M from Sun Hung Kai & Co. Limited to further AI and blockchain-based products – [press release]
Hong Kong’s mobile games developer for smartphones, Animoca Brands Corporation Limited, has secured a AUD$1.5 million (US$ 1 million) investments from Sun Hung Kai & Co. Limited, a Hong Kong based investment firm. It also received money from its current strategic partner, the blockchain fitness company Lympo.
Animoca plans to use the capital raised to research and develop novel products based on blockchain and artificial intelligence.
Sun Hung Kai has entered into a subscription agreement with Animoca to acquire 14,285,714 fully paid ordinary shares of Animoca Brands at a price of AUD$0.07 (US$0.05) per share for a total sum of AUD$1 million (US$722,ooo).
Sun Hung Kai will have a 1:1, attaching 12-month loyalty option exercisable after 90 days at a price of AUD$0.09 (US$0.065) per share, conditional on placement shares being held for 90 days with the loyalty option subjected to Animoca Brands shareholder approval.
Also Read: Blockchain tech lets indie app developers break monopolies and find financial freedom
LINE’s cryptocurrency exchange BITBOX added the blockchain platform TRON (TRX) – [press release]
LINE Corporation officially announced today the addition of TRON (TRX) to its new cryptocurrency exchange BITBOX. This makes TRX the first coin project to pass BITBOX open-listing committee’s review.
With TRON now available for trading on BITBOX, LINE plans to airdrop 9 million TRON coins to BITBOX’s users on August 22, 2018 during a promotional event. LINE now opens BITBOX to more applications from other coin projects as a user-centered exchange with efficient and secure cryptocurrency services.
“With TRON’s dedication to building the infrastructure for a truly decentralized internet and its recent partnership with BitTorrent, BITBOX stands a chance to connect with the world’s fastest-growing blockchain project and to offer our users the best cryptocurrency experience,” said Youngsu Ko, CEO of LINE Tech Plus, LINE’s Singapore-based subsidiary that operates BITBOX.
Singapore’s Alpha7 secured US$5.2M and set eyes to international expansion – [e27]
Alpha7, Singapore-based cloud company announced today that it has raised a total of US$5.2 million in private funding. In a statement reported by e27, the cloud company will focus on growing its users and is looking for investors to support their regional expansion plan to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Alpha7 was founded in 2014 by CEO Lynette Seah and described its service as a “COO-as-a-service.” Its 2017’s digital dashboard A7 IoB (A7 Internet of Business) enables business owners to view their business data (on marketing, sales, operations, finance and HR) in just one place. It claimed to have 500 users online.
Also Read: Google to invest US$350M to build third data centre in Singapore to expand cloud platform capabilities
Indonesia-based Cicil has raised a total of US$5 million to help struggling university students financially [e27]
Cicil, the installment financing platform for Indonesian university students, announced today that it has secured a Series A funding round led by East Ventures and Vertex Ventures that has brought their total funding to over US$5 million.
The funding will help Cicil to provide financial help to students to cover their tuition fees or other school amenities such as laptops online using only smartphone. It will also be used to accelerating their expansion plan.
Since 2016, this Google Launchpad startup claimed to have seen growth across 10 provinces and 29 cities in Indonesia, with more than 100 universities have introduced Cicil to their students.
In a press statement, Vertex Ventures Managing Partner Joo Hock Chua mentioned that the startup has “huge opportunities” to expand beyond Indonesia.
The post Today’s top tech news, Aug 15: Y Combinator is now in China; Singapore’s Alpha7 secured US$5.2M appeared first on e27.


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It seems that mobile carrier Verizon has some big plans when it comes to branded products. The company wants to install branded apps across subscriber home screens. This could potentially result in millions of downloads.
Verizon to install branded apps
Based on interviews with agency executives, Advertising Age reports that the deals would carry a hefty price tag of between $1-2 for each device. In terms of ad dollars – that’s huge. But perhaps Verizon can afford to hike up the rate given that it is one of the most expensive carriers in the US.
Apparently, Verizon began courting marketers for Android phone app installations in late 2015. Like most bloatware, the carrier proposes that branded apps be downloaded only to new devices when consumers activate their phones for the very first time.
Advertising Age was unable to confirm if anyone has actually shown interest in the offer. However, it shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Verizon currently has 75m smartphone subscribers and actives around 10m new phones per quarter, with Android phones dominating the market share at over 50% of the US market. The company has also pre-installed Amazon’s Appstore as well as Kindle apps across its phones and that’s certainly not done for free.
Agency executives certainly seem to think it’s a unique opportunity, potentially enabling brands to see fast spikes in app downloads.
The downside? Well, there’s no guarantee subscribers are actually going to use pre-installed apps. Some may just delete them. It also doesn’t allow much room for targeting since brands won’t know who buys a phone.
“If you want to get a lot of downloads, verified, in a short period of time, it’s great because it’s baked right into the phone. It’s a low threshold, low cost way to gain scale, but if you don’t have a follow up strategy for engagement then you’ll probably have a lot of waste.”
However, it remains to be seen if consumers can get on board with bloatware, which is traditionally widely disliked by them as it clogs up their phone space.
In the meantime, carriers are trying frantically to figure out new revenue streams.


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LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Nestle ch:001205604 NSRGY, +0.16% said Thursday that it expects to achieve "very strong" organic growth for the first quarter of 2008. Organic growth for the year will be close to that achieved in 2007 and clearly above the long-term target of between 5% and 6%. The group said it had been forced to raise its prices to absorb higher commodity prices, which accounts for some of the growth. At the same time Nestle said a successful early Easter season and the extra day in February helped growth.
Nestle sees 2008 organic growth above long-term target


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In New York City, federal and city authorities announced last Wednesday that they were cracking down on synthetic marijuana, also known as Spice or K2, after raiding some 90 bodegas that sold the powerful drug.
The raid resulted in charges against 10 defendants that were part of an international trafficking ring, and authorities said more arrests are forthcoming.
The ring produced industrial quantities of K2 in the Bronx using controlled precursor chemicals illegally imported from China. The defendants mixed the chemicals with solvents and flavoring additives, an indictment unsealed in Federal District Court in Manhattan revealed.
Prosecutors say it is the start of a massive crackdown on K2 and those who sell it to vulnerable teens and homeless people.
“Today’s collective action is just the start of a response, one that will not end until this poison in a packet no longer endangers our community,” Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said at a news conference.
Mr. Bharara called K2 a “public health crisis that had reached epic proportions.” He blamed not only the traffickers, but the owners of New York corner stores whom he said had targeted teenagers and the poor with low-cost narcotics.
“We will, if appropriate, arrest store owners who openly peddle poison,” Mr. Bharara said. He offered a warning: “Don’t take any chances and do a public service: Stop selling Spice now.”
At least 6 of the bodegas raided were on 125th Street, where a chunk of the homeless population gathers to smoke K2, leaving many of them immobile.
Three of the men indicted in New York City were described as the principals in the trafficking ring’s manufacturing activities. Others coordinated the distribution and transportation of K2 to retail outlets, while the 10th defendant was a retail seller of the dangerous drugs. Each could face 20 years in prison if found guilty.
Melissa Mark-Viverito, the City Council speaker, says she would introduce a law to extend the ban on synthetic marijuana and other chemicals that produce a similar effect, even if those chemicals are not already banned by law.
Senator Charles Schumer is also calling on the federal government to curb the flow of K2, which can also be purchased online using a credit card.
“These drugs are more dangerous and can have worse side effects than marijuana,” Sen. Schumer said.
According to Sen. Schumer, bogus pot is readily available on Chinese websites.
He is urging the Drug Enforcement Agency to set up a separate unit to identify sites that sell K2 and then ban credit card companies from doing business with them.
“By simply telling the credit card companies not to deal with these sites, we can shut them down.
When you buy a synthetic drug, you give a credit card number. You can go on your iPhone right now and pull up some of these websites. They say ‘We take Visa. Visa would no longer take them. None of the credit card companies would take them. We could strangle them,” Schumer said.
Sen. Schumer added, speaking at a news conference at his Manhattan office:
“These drugs are more dangerous and can have worse side effects than marijuana — and they’re becoming even more popular than marijuana because they are so available. An all-too-high percentage of these illegal drugs are available on the Internet. They’re available to bodegas that want to sell them directly to people. They’re available to street gangs, you can just go online and buy them. And they’re available to drug rings that buy the precursor chemicals and then make them into drugs and sell them on the streets.”
Sen. Schumer also wants the DEA to publish any new information on new brands of synthetic marijuana found online.
The New York City mayor’s office says there have been more than 3,000 synthetic marijuana-related emergency department visits so far this year.
 CBS New York
 AM New York
Photo credit: Jim Smith/WCBS 880


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Fresh from Mobile World Congress 2012, check out new apps and devices designed to make your car time more productive, enjoyable, and safe.
3 of 12
The Cobra Tag key fob has a button to sound an alert on a user's phone if it goes missing. The companion app can similarly find the key fob with an alert and also can display last known location information.
Building A Mobile Business MindsetAmong 688 respondents, 46% have deployed mobile apps, with an additional 24% planning to in the next year. Soon all apps will look like mobile apps – and it's past time for those with no plans to get cracking.


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WASHINGTON (AP) - Volkswagen of America is recalling 13,500 vehicles to fixproblems with a dual-clutch transmission that could lead to awarning on the dashboard.
The recall affects 2009 model year and a limited number of2010 Jetta, Jetta SportsWagen, GTI and Eos vehicles built betweenSeptember 2008 and August 2009.
Volkswagen says some of the vehicles could have a faultytemperature sensor in the transmission, which could lead to thewarning lamp lighting up on the dashboard.
They said in rare cases, the transmission could shift intoneutral.
Volkswagen officials say there have been no crashes orinjuries reported.
Owners will have their vehicles inspected and repaired ifnecessary.
Customers can call (800) 444-8982 for more information.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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April 21, 2020 (MLN): Ministry of Commerce has operationalized Gwadar Port for Afghan Transit Trade under APTTA 2010. Shipments of Sugar, Fertiliser & Wheat will be transported in sealed trucks to Afghanistan. In this regard, 16000 MT of DAP and WFP cargo of 500,000 MT Wheat for Afghanistan will arrive next month.
Moreover, ships from China will also be offloaded at Gwadar.
Advisor to PM for Commerce and Investment has announced on his twitter account this fulfills the long-standing request of the business community & the shipping industry, paving the way for generating business opportunities & employment both in Gwadar & along highways.
This move will kickstart port operations at Gwadar port which will also create and adopt eco-friendly initiatives to reduce energy usage and avoid costly oil spillovers for another big seaport of Pakistan.
Copyright Mettis Link News


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Navi Mumbai: Vashi RTO saw zero vehicle registrations this Gudi Padwa
The Maharashtrian New Year is considered an auspicious occasion to make important purchases like a car or bike; but dealers in Navi Mumbai say vehicle sales were down by nearly 25 per cent during the festive period this year
Gudi Padwa, the Maharashtrian New Year, is considered an auspicious time to make important purchases for the family. However, regional transport offices (RTOs) across Navi Mumbai were in for disappointment this year, as the turnout for vehicle registration was much lower than last year.
According to the deputy regional transport officer at Vashi RTO, the number of new registrations was much lower than expected. File pic for representation
In the last five days, including Gudi Padwa on Saturday, just 702 vehicles both two- and four-wheelers were registered at the Vashi RTO against 775 last year. What’s more, not a single new vehicle was registered on Saturday in Vashi this year, while 55 vehicles had been registered on the auspicious day last year.
“The number of vehicles registered was less this year. We usually keep the RTO office open on Gudi Padwa, but no one turned up for registration. The market has been sluggish this year, and we have been unable to achieve our revenue target,” said Sanjay Dhaygude, deputy regional transport officer (Vashi).
Car dealers in Navi Mumbai told mid-day that automobile sales were down by 20-25 per cent during the festive season this year. “The market is moving slowly and the number of people coming to book vehicles on Gudi Padwa was much lower than expected,” said Rajesh Shah, director of Bhavna Automobile in Nerul.
mid-day had reported (‘Vashi RTO to miss revenue target, officials blame LBT’, January 13) that the Vashi RTO would not meet its revenue target of Rs 237 crore for the 2014-15 fiscal year. RTO officials had said that the Local Body Tax applicable for vehicle registration in Vashi was discouraging people from registering their vehicle there.
A major chunk of the revenue in the Vashi RTO comes from new registrations, and till now, it has managed to collect only about Rs 150 crore.


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Days after Sony's Ken Kutaragihinted his plans for PlayStation 4, an unnamed "Sony insider" has reportedly claimed that a new PlayStation could be available next year.
The report on Smarthouse.com suggests that the insider has tipped the new PlayStation to include the same chipset as the current PS3, but will boast other hardware modifications in the "drive bay" and "attachment areas."
The report refers to the mystery machine as the PS4, but if it does exist, it sounds more like a reworked PS3 to us - like the slim-line PS2.
Kutaragi has already hinted: "As a matter of course, I have the vision of PlayStation 4, 5 and 6, which will merge into the network."
Best start saving now, then.
May 3, 2007


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- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
New retail center coming to Lee Vista
- Anjali Fluker, Senior Staff Writer
A local development firm is working on plans for a new commercial project in the Lee Vista area near Orlando International Airport.
Orlando-based Famlee Investment Co. wants city of Orlando approval to develop a 12-acre site it owns on the northwest corner of South Semoran and Lee Vista boulevards into a six-lot commercial development. It would feature four eateries, one automotive service station and a future hotel.
Sources said the estimated $10 million-plus project would create about 100 construction jobs and 200 permanent jobs, not including the hotel parcel, which wouldn’t be built for another three to five years.
Famlee Investments has finalized ground leases with a convenience store/gas station and a fast-food restaurant for two of the six pads, but project manager Shawn Barrow declined to name the tenants. Sources said the sites are promised to Chick-fil-A restaurant and Wawa, a fuel-and-convenience operator.
The project — LeeVista Westside — got recommended approval from the city’s Municipal Planning Board on Aug. 16 and will go before the city council for approval on Sept. 12.
Barrow said Famlee Investments plans to spend about $1.5 million-
$2 million of its own money to build internal roads and prepare each pad for the tenants, who likely will begin construction on their sites in early 2012. Each tenant would select its own contractor.
Orlando Rock & Sealing Corp. is the site contractor, Baldwin Park-based DRMP Inc. is the engineer, Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. in Orlando handled the traffic engineering, and Benchmark Surveying was the surveyor.
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One of the biggest issues around electric vehicles has been around infrastructure and the need to increase the amount of charging stations available. Tesco’s is set to help solve this issue with a new partnership powered by Pod Point.
Over the next three years, 2,400 EV charging bays will be rolled out across 600 Tesco stores across the UK. The Pod Points will be based predominantly within the car parks of both Tesco Extra and Superstores.
Customers with EV vehicles like the e-Golf and e-Up, for example, will be able to choose from using a 7kW fast charger for free or alternatively use a rapid 50kW charger for a small cost.
2019 is a big year for Volkswagen in the electric vehicles arena with the ID range starting to roll out along with various model being converted to the electric option. It’s the first step in VW’s pledge to sell one million electric cars a year by 2025. In order to keep all those cars running, infrastructure will be just as important as the innovative cars themselves.
Geraldine Ingham, Head of Marketing at Volkswagen UK, said
“This incredibly exciting partnership with Tesco, powered by Pod Point, underlines the scale and ambition of our own electric car programme in the UK
Working with these partners to provide such an extensive network of EV chargers should leave no one in any doubt about the Volkswagen brand’s wholehearted commitment to an electric future”
With the Volkswagen electric vehicles range increasing yearly, the need for access to EV networks will become increasingly important to its customers. Improved access being offered by one of the UK’s largest supermarkets will certainly make existing EV owners happier at having more options. The new partnership will also help ensure that previous concerns for potential EV customers such as the driving range and charging facilities will no longer be a concern.
Jason Tarry, Tesco’s CEO for the UK and Republic of Ireland, adds:
“We want to be the leading electric vehicle energy provider and to support our customers with more sustainable solutions. Our EV network provides a sustainable choice for our customers and charging while they shop is another little help to make their lives easier.”
If you want to have a look at some of Volkswagens plans for electric vehicles in 2019, including the I.D. Buzz concept, have a look at our blog on electric cars.
However, if you are interested in the current range of electric vehicles and hybrids that includes the e-Up! e-Golf, Passat GTE and the Golf GTE, our sales team would be more than happy to help. They can provide all the latest information on our electric cars and hybrids, answer any questions, arrange a test drive and also advise you on the latest offers.
Simply give them a call or pop into your local dealer today!


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A plan to open up BART stations to everything from Dunkin’ Donuts to Ghirardelli Chocolate outlets has gone off the rails, with the firm that was behind the idea now suing the transit agency for alleged breach of contract and claiming tens of millions in damages.
“The lawsuit clearly demonstrates that BART was an unreliable partner and did not participate in good faith, nor did it make its internal decisions in a timely manner,” said Evette Davis, spokeswoman for TransMart, the company that promised to attract a range of franchise outlets for BART’s 43 stations.
BART has a different view: “Our position is that TransMart failed to comply with its contractual obligations,” said agency spokesman Jim Allison.
It all started back in 2008 when BART received an unsolicited bid from San Francisco housing developer Alexis Wong, whose political connections had landed her appointments to various state boards and commissions over the years. She told BART she could fill the stations with businesses, creating boatloads of cash for the agency.
TransMart, the company Wong formed to undertake the effort, landed the deal on an 8-1 vote of the BART Board of Directors in 2011. Three years later, about the only thing the firm had to show for its efforts were a couple of pop-up Blinq stores at the Embarcadero and Montgomery stations. The stores — aimed mostly at promoting Wong’s online business, selling everything from clothing to electronics — have since closed.
BART eventually let TransMart’s contract expire, saying the firm had failed to meet a deadline to deliver at least nine retail stores to stations by August 2016.
“It was in everyone’s best interest, we felt, to end the relationship,” Allison said.
Now TransMart has sued in Alameda County Superior Court, claiming BART failed to act in good faith on a deal that Wong’s lawyers say was worth as much as $95 million to the company.
The suit alleges that BART held up the firm’s store designs, “drastically cut” the amount of space it was promised and acted “inappropriately” in rejecting TransMart’s financial plans.
“These guys dragged their feet,” Darius Ogloza, an attorney for TransMart, told us. “Or alternatively, they lost interest and just decided to kill this thing.”
San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@ sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross


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Phoenix unveils 'X' logo
by Casey Newton and Sadie Jo Smokey - Oct. 20, 2008 04:01 PM
The Arizona Republic
A lime green 'X' marks the spot in a new marketing campaign designed to brand downtown Phoenix as a global destination.
A new logo for downtown shows the words "downtown Phoenix" at an angle, with a bold 'X' at the end breaking through an orange circle.
The Downtown Phoenix Partnership said the four-color logo will likely be accompanied by an all-purpose marketing slogan, "X marks the spot," to promote downtown destinations.
"I think it's brilliant," said Dale Jensen, a general partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks. "There are a million things you can do with that X."
The partnership and its consultant spent more than a year putting together a new logo for downtown, which will eventually replace "Copper Square" as the brand for downtown.
"It was driven by a realization that we were seeing a lot more opportunities downtown," said Dave Roderique, president and CEO of the partnership. "Things are changing very rapidly."
The new logo was unveiled Monday at a meeting of the partnership's board. Later this year, the partnership will launch a full-scale marketing campaign.
"At first I didn't like it, but I focused on the 'X' which made me pay attention to it," said MaryAnn Guerra, president of TGen Accelerators. "X marks the spot for anything you want to do."
The campaign aims to brand the 90-square block area as "Arizona's Urban Heart," a place with a "vibrant maverick spirit" and "captivating experiences."
"We see downtown Phoenix as the most urban experience that Arizona has to offer," said Eric Kingsbury, director of marketing strategy for SHR, which designed the logo.
Officials say the introduction of a new logo signals that Phoenix has matured from a young downtown into a "grown-up, action-packed city."
The campaign will be in place by February, when the NBA All-Star Game comes to town.
Well this doesn't have specifically to do with Modernism (especially not the MidCentury kind), but since it does relate to Phoenix development I thought I'd post it.
Personally, as a big supporter of Downtown, I'm embarrassed by this logo. It doesn't reflect Phoenix in anyway that I can tell. Its color scheme is irrelevant to the desert, and its obnoxious (lime green and reddish orange? ick!). Over emphasizing the letter X seems like a silly played out thing from the 90s (i.e. "X Games" or being "X treme") and doesn't reflect what I think we all want downtown to be, cool, sleek, modern and professional. 44 Monroe and One Central Park East, or the light rail trains, all represent a direction for a visual look that I think is where Phoenix should be headed, this logo doesn't represent that at all. It looks like its 10-20 years behind, which is usually how our downtown 'leaders' are, so maybe it does reflect Phoenix after all.
Maybe I'm over reacting about a logo, and I am glad they got rid of the confusing "Copper Square" name, but this logo is awful. I'm really going to cringe when I see it 30 feet tall on the sides of buildings downtown.


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DMA WARNS THAT NEEDED POSTAL REFORM LEGISLATION IS THREATENED BY WELL-FINANCED LOBBYING MUSCLE: UPS Should Consider the Survival of Its Own Customers
NEW YORK – June 12, 2002 – The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) today again urged Congress and the Administration to give the United States Postal Service (USPS) the mechanisms it needs to compete and remain viable in the 21st century.
The DMA believes, as it had indicated publicly in a recent Roll Call ad, that these goals can best be achieved by moving the legislative process forward and taking committee action on a draft bill circulated by Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) in the fall of 2001. The draft, which has support on both sides of the aisle, is the result of industry and labor efforts to reform the 32-year-old law that hampers the Postal Service from competing in today's communications and delivery marketplace.
While language in a more recent draft that incorporates changes proposed by Chairman Dan Burton (R-IN), Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) has raised some concerns, it also warrants consideration. The deliberative process should be allowed to run its course and not be short-circuited by well-financed opponents of the Postal Service who prefer the status quo.
It has been reported that United Parcel Service (UPS) has marshaled its lobbying muscle to deny the bill a House floor vote – thereby stifling debate on this critical issue. According to The DMA, UPS's reported efforts to thwart postal reform raise grave concerns about the future of postal reform and the apparent lack of representation given to the nine million Americans who count on an effective Postal Service for their livelihoods.
"UPS appears not to have the best interest of its customers at heart," said H. Robert Wientzen, president & CEO, The DMA. "It seems clear that they seek to ensure the further decline of the Postal Service."
Wientzen noted that the current broken Postal Service pricing system allows UPS the advantage of having direct input on what the Postal Service, one of its major competitors, can charge for delivery.
"What other American company has the advantage of being able to set the prices of its competitors," asked Wientzen.
"It is up to Congress to ensure that there is competition in the parcel delivery industry," he said.
For example, earlier this year, UPS announced that it would double its $5 penalty for customers who forget to put their account number on delivery slips and will tack a 25-cent handling fee for certain specially-printed return labels.
"Worst hit by these extra fees will be Internet retailers and catalog companies, who continue to establish themselves as a backbone of the recovering American economy," Wientzen said. "Such reckless fees are a direct hit on the consumer, who must bear the brunt of these higher shipping costs as a last resort for remote retailers trying to remain profitable."
"An efficient and effective Postal Service would be a boon to UPS's own bottom line," said Wientzen.
"If Congress established a more viable Postal Service by re-examining the Postal Service's antiquated laws, UPS would stand to benefit because it delivers 80 percent of goods sold at a distance," Wientzen said.
"After all, the more cost effective it is for companies to find customers by direct mail, the more sales volume UPS will see in its package delivery business. We wish UPS would consider this point of view," Wientzen concluded.
Mr. Wientzen is available for print and broadcast interviews.
The DMA is the leading and largest trade association for businesses interested in interactive and database marketing, with nearly 5,000 member companies from the United States and 53 other nations. Founded in 1917, its members include direct marketers from every business segment as well as the nonprofit and electronic marketing sectors. Included are catalogers, Internet retailers and service providers, financial services providers, book and magazine publishers, book and music clubs, retail stores, industrial manufacturers and a host of other vertical segments, including the service industries that support them. According to a DMA-commissioned study, direct and interactive marketing sales in the United States will exceed $1.7 trillion in 2000, including $110 billion in catalog sales and $24 billion in sales generated by the Internet. The DMA's Web Site iswww.the-dma.org and its consumer Web site is www.shopthenet.org.


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Botnets to steal $11.6 billion from advertising budgets in 2014
Billions of dollars in advertising budgets could be wasted in 2014 due to the proliferation of botnets, according to new survey findings from Solve Media.
The amount of wasted advertising dollars is expected to rise 22% from 2013, according to Solve Media, totaling a whopping $11.6 billion. Almost 6 in 10 (59%) of the 7,500 agency media buyers responding to the survey said bot traffic negatively affects online campaign performance and 41% said it leads to inefficiencies and steals advertising budgets.
Solve Media CEO, Ari Jacoby, believes the problem will get worse before it gets better but he was encouraged by a 125% year-on-year increase in the number of online publishers that plan to implement anti-bot solutions in 2014 (34%).
"We were very surprised by these results," Jacoby said. "It indicates that the community is not only taking notice, but it's beginning to take action."
According to Solve Media's Q3 2013 report, more than half (51%) of all Internet traffic in the U.S. was fraudulent, a rise of 8% on Q2 2013 and the first time that Solve's figures have exceeded 50% and the amount of traffic generated by humans.
Proving that audiences are human is a vital criteria for marketers investing budgets in attracting real eyeballs. As Jacoby previously commented, "a bot can't buy your products or read your articles".
A warning to advertisers, ad networks and publishers has recently been issued by media security platform MdotLabs regarding an impression fraud threat from the Athena botnet.
Image via Shutterstock
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Last February 22, 2016 launched its newly innovated Samsung galaxy s7 edge and s7. This Samsung smart phones as I quote “it brings life, Samsung galaxy is ideal of going beyond its limits in terms of experience, creativity, and performance by challenging consumers to rethink what a phone can do”.
This new Samsung galaxy s7 edge and s7 has improved its new system in a more possible way. Its features have been upgraded to its excellent use. Dust proof and waterproof, with IP 68 certification ensures that it can survive extreme conditions.
Its camera has a DLSR–like lens which has a faster auto focus. It uses a dual photodiode technology for a better graphics in producing great photos. It also has a better F1.7 aperture which allows photos to be taken even in low-light conditions.
When it comes to the battery life, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge has 3600mAH, while the Samsung Galaxy S7 3000mAH which also supports ultra fast charging and built in wireless fast charging. Its phone memory has a base of 32 GB up to 200 GB.
Samsung says it’s the best! Yet, they still continue to develop more life changing smart phones. Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Samsung Galaxy S7 will be out in the market on March 19,2016 nationwide.


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Hot off the heels of their announcement of the launch of HavenAsia in the Philippines last week, Haven have announced their appointment as the new Consumer Products Licensing Agent of Viacom International Media Networks’ MTV and Nickelodeon properties in the Philippines.
“Haven was born on iconic brands such as Ren & Stimpy and Rugrats 23 years ago, and we’re over the moon that their incredible portfolio of brands will provide the anchor for the newly established HavenAsia office” said Tom Punch, President, HavenAsia. “The teams at Nickelodeon and MTV have become firm friends in Australia, as well as colleagues, and we are super excited to be driving the growth of their stand-out portfolio of brands next in the Philippines. We couldn’t wish for a better start – PAW Patrol is the hottest preschool brand in the world right now, with Blaze and the Monster Machines, and Shimmer and Shine also shaping up to be winners in the toy aisle. We’ve got the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles not only for boys, but covering all demographics. SpongeBob SquarePants is popular with all ages while Dora the Explorer continues to entertain the young ones!”
Tom continued, “The MTV and Nickelodeon brands allow HavenAsia to be a one stop shop for retailers, licensees & promotional partners alike, and this combined with a crack on-ground team, will turn both brands into major forces in consumer products in the Philippines, something we plan to do very quickly!”
“We’re delighted to extend our strategic alliance with Haven into the Philippines, who comes with over two decades of industry experience and expertise. Combined with MTV and Nickelodeon’s broad product portfolio, we are confident they will help accelerate our brands’ retail presence and business in the Philippines, while extending the connection beyond the screens with our fans,” said Claire O’Connor, Vice President of Consumer Products and Retail Marketing, Asia Pacific.
For more information, please contact Tom Punch on +61 2 9357 9833 or email@example.com


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Thanks to tougher testing and new technology our cars are now safer. It seems the auto manufacturers have been paying attention to the crash data studies and have begun to build cars that meet or exceed the crash safety standards for occupants. Newer cars are providing a greater level of safety in crashes and also providing new enhanced collision technology which up till now has not existed. The National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) identifies those vehicles that are equipped with this new technology on their website safe Car.gov.
These new crash avoidance technologies come in the following forms:
– Electronic Stability Control (ESC); Senses when your vehicle is starting to lose control and helps you maintain control during extreme maneuvers. Automatically applies the brake to one or more of the wheels to turn your vehicle to the appropriate direction.
– Forward Collision Warning (FCW); Alerts you when your vehicle is getting too close to another vehicle, allowing you to brake or steer, which can help avoid a crash.
– Lane Departure Warning (LDW); Senses and monitors lane markings. It warns you when your vehicle is unintentionally drifting to another lane, or leaving the road altogether, potentially allowing you to steer back into your lane.
Starting with 2011 models, NHTSA introduced tougher testing along with much more stringent rating criteria for their 5-Star Safety rating system. It also recommends those vehicles that provide crash avoidance technologies. Because of the more stringent tests, ratings for 2011 and newer vehicles should not be compared to ratings for 1990-2010 models. The new test now incorporates a smaller dummy size to replicate a woman or teenager. NHTSA says its tests will also collect more data from extra sensors that are placed on the crash test dummies.
The Overall Vehicle 5 Star Score is based on how well a vehicle protects the occupants during frontal, side crash safety and rollover resistance. It has also added a new test, a side pole test, which simulates a crash involving stationary objects, like a tree or telephone pole. The score is simple, 5 stars means the car received the highest rating while1 star the lowest.
When it comes to being safe in our vehicles there are some simple and low tech options that should not be overlooked.
– Proper Tire Pressure; Underinflated and over inflated tires are the leading cause of tire failure. Check your tires pressure once a month. Replace worn tires and make note of irregular wear, this could be a sign of wheel misalignment.


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Sony used to be one of the quickest manufacturers around when it came to releasing major Android updates, but the company has definitely slowed down in recent years. Sony didn't start rolling out Android 10 until December of last year, and now its Android 11 schedule is starting off on the same foot.
Android 11 is now rolling out to the Xperia 1 II (Mark 2) in Taiwan, with a global release expected shortly. The update clocks in at 933.9MB, and includes all the expected features like improved media controls, new emoji, temporary permissions, and a built-in screen recorder. Sony has also added a few of its own features, including a 'BatteryCare' setting that limits the maximum charge to 80 or 90%, 5G support for dual-SIM dual-standby, and 4K HDR 120fps slow-motion recording in the Cinema Pro app (previously limited to 60fps).
This lines up with Sony's original update schedule, which aimed to bring Android 11 to the Xperia 1 2 in December. The Xperia 5 II and 10 II are next in line, both of which should receive Android 11 in late January. Last year's Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 should get their updates starting in February. Sony has no plans to bring Android 11 to the Xperia L4, which was released this year, nor any of its mid-tier XZ/XZ2-branded devices.
- Marco Kao


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PETA has branded Lady Gaga and Rihanna as "freaks" after the two pop megastars were spotted wearing clothing and accessories made from animal products.
Rihanna was criticized by the animal rights organization after she took to the streets of London on Thursday wearing a pair of thigh-high snakeskin boots, according to the Daily Express.
"Rihanna may not have a clue that snakes killed for boots are often nailed to a tree and skinned alive. Of course, they can't go on Oprah to cry about it," said a PETA spokesperson, referring to the singer's recent appearance on Oprah Winfrey's talk show.


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Ather Energy, India’s first intelligent electric scooter manufacturer, inaugurated its Experience Centre – Ather Space, in Park Street, Kolkata. The Ather Space will retail the newly launched Ather 450X Gen 3, one of India’s quickest and smartest scooters, alongside the Ather 450 Plus Gen 3. This will be Ather Energy’s second Experience Centre in the state after Siliguri.
Ather Energy, over the years, has revolutionised the E2W segment in the country and showcased how electric scooters can surpass their ICE counterparts in every aspect. Ather 450 series truly made EVs aspirational and exciting for the Indian market with its innovation, reliability, and dependability. Buoyed by strong demand for EV scooters in the country, Ather Energy has surged ahead, registering over 25% quarter-on-quarter growth over the past year. The first EC in Kolkata is aimed at catering to the growing demand for Ather scooters in the state.
The Experience Centre in Park Street inaugurated in association with Steller Automobiles Private Limited will allow customers to purchase and test ride the Ather 450X and 450 Plus from a convenient location in the city. The new Experience Centre provides a unique ownership experience along with service and support for owners. It will offer customers an opportunity to learn about every aspect of the vehicle and provide a complete overview of the various parts with a stripped-bare unit on display. People in the city can also book test ride slots on Ather Energy’s website before visiting the Experience Centre.
Speaking on the occasion Mr Ravneet Singh Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy, said, “We have been trying to enter this market for a very long time but were awaiting the right partner, right location, and a right time. We are entering the market at the most auspicious time of the year and couldn’t be more glad about the timing. Our scooters have been receiving phenomenal responses from across the country and also Siliguri, where we opened last year. Now with the launch of Gen 3 with a bigger battery and improved performance, we witnessed a surge in queries regarding our vehicles from the people of the state. We are confident that people will appreciate our scooters’ engineering and performance. West Bengal is a crucial market for us and we have some exciting plans for the state as we expand across multiple cities.”
“We at Steller Automobiles Private Limited are delighted to be a part of the Ather family as we believe in an electric and intelligent future. Ather came into the EV space with reliability, power, and a consumer-friendly approach, along with a start-up story that motivated entrepreneurs like me to try and get involved in the business and make a difference. Over the past couple of years, Ather has grown exponentially, and we anticipate similar momentum in Kolkata too. We are all geared up to welcome customers looking to own the new Ather 450X”, said Mr Shloke Sen, Managing Director, Stellar Automobiles Pvt Ltd.


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Animal has teamed up with its longtime athlete Dan Green for a huge giveaway involving his upcoming powerlifting competition Boss Of Bosses 6. The hardcore legacy company is giving away an awesome all-expenses-paid trip to the event in California held on Friday the 30th of August and Saturday the 31st.
The one lucky winner of Animal’s Boss Of Bosses giveaway will also get to compete in the event and meet the man himself, Dan “The Boss” Green. The company is, of course, throwing in a whole bunch of product as well including a variety of Animal supplements and a ton of clothing.
To get yourself in the draw Animal wants you to post an Instagram video sharing what it would mean for you to compete in Boss Of Bosses. The brand also wants you to tag its page @animalpak and use the hashtag #BOB6VIP. You have until the end of this month to post your video to be in with a chance to win.


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Last month, news broke that the YouTube iOS app — which had been pre-loaded on all iPhones since their launch — would be taken off the mobile device with the launch of iOS6. And at the time we noted that YouTube would be coming out with a replacement soon — and when it did, the app would have ads and a lot more content. Well, that time is now.
YouTube just announced that it has launched a new official version of its iPhone app on the Apple App Store. The name of the game here is monetization: YouTube and its partners want to get paid for the videos that run through its app, something they weren’t able to do through the Apple-built app that came pre-installed with previous versions of iOS. For the first time in a native iOS experience, YouTube will show pre-roll adds ahead of its mobile videos. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that with more monetization comes more content. Thanks to mobile ad capabilities baked into its own app, YouTube will unlock tens of thousands of music videos from VEVO and others that were not viewable on the old app.
In addition to more content, the new app improves the discovery experience, especially for YouTube fans who are well tapped in to the video site. By swiping your finger to the right, viewers will be able to check out a new YouTube channel guide, which will highlight all of their subscribed channels, giving them easier access to the content they care about most. It’ll also let them flip through related videos, comments, and more videos — even while they’re watching one on their iPhone. The new app also has an improved search experience, with autofill to give users suggestions while they enter search terms.
In addition to better discoverability, the new app also adds more ways for its users to share interesting videos with their friends and followers on the social networks. That includes connections to share with Google+, Facebook, and Twitter. Users can also send videos to friends via text message or through email.
For a time, users who download YouTube’s official iPhone app could have both the new version and Apple’s app on their phone at the same time — at least, until they upgrade to iOS6, which should be available sometime shortly after Apple’s big iPhone 5 event this Wednesday. In the meantime, any YouTube links will deep-link into the old app. Which isn’t ideal, but hey — real YouTube fans will likely use the company’s official app anyway.
Users with an iPad will be able to scale the app up, but it’s not optimized for the Apple tablet. And the whole thing works with Apple’s AirPlay, letting users also stream videos from the app over to the biggest screen in the house through the Apple TV.
The new iPhone app is just one more step toward increased monetization throughout a wide range of profiles. YouTube has rolled out new apps for Google TV, Xbox Live, and PlayStation 3. It also rolled out skippable ads on mobile devices, and the iPhone will be one of those mobile devices supporting that technology.


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The Government’s Transport Minister, Robert Goodwill, has been involved in talks with Amazon to bring UAV drone deliveries to the UK.
Speaking this morning at the SMMT’s Connected event, Goodwill said, “I had some people from Amazon come to see me the other day. They want to replace van deliveries with drone deliveries, and they can’t do trials in the US because they’re over-regulated.”
“My favourite word is de-regulation.”
Goodwill’s comments echo those made this Tuesday by Paul Misener, Amazon’s VP of global public policy, at a US Senate subcommittee. He said, “While the FAA was considering our applications for testing, we innovated so rapidly that the [drone] approved last week by the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) has become obsolete. We don’t test it anymore. We’ve moved on to more advanced designs that we already are testing abroad."
Drones have come under scrutiny because of their implications for privacy and safety, and governing bodies around the globe are still ironing out regulatory details. Just last month, the House of Lords introduced a register for drone pilots, and the FAA in the US has only recently authorised the testing of drones for commercial purposes.
Amazon is yet to confirm when a commercial drone delivery service will be in operation, stating, "We will deploy when and where we have the regulatory support needed to realize our vision." The Prime Air service is intended to provide deliveries within 30 minutes after purchase.
On the subject of autonomous and connected transport, the Transport Minister said the UK is eager to create an environment ripe for innovation and investment from home and abroad.
“While people in America France and Germany were building their motor cars, the UK was held back by government regulation, and it wasn’t until the red flag act was repealed in 1896 that we got ourselves into gear. We don’t want to repeat those mistakes.
“Wherever you are in the world and you want to innovate and you want to invest in this sort of technology, come to the UK because we’re here to help you. We don’t want to be left behind this time - we want to give you the green light, not a red flag.”
The Transport Minister’s comments formed part of a press conference and talk regarding the UK’s suitability to autonomous and connected car development and adoption. SMMT-commissioned research by KPMG suggests that connected and autonomous vehicles will help generate 320,000 jobs, a £51bn boost to the UK economy and 25,000 fewer accidents per year by 2030. And these are net figures: KPMG's John Leech claims they take into account the job losses associated with robots in roles such as delivery driving.
The reported benefits are expected to result from a boost of the UK manufacturing and increased productivity based on the flexibility autonomous vehicles will provide. Self-driving cars could also increase the efficiency of the transport infrastructure.
The road ahead isn't exactly smooth, however: industry-standard connectivity allowing cars to communicate with the road network and one another will need to be settled before automated dreams become possible, as well as issues surrounding the 'stupid' cars that will inhabit our highways for the next three decades.
Apple’s car is more than a rumour
In a seemingly off-the-cuff remark during his talk at the SMMT event, Jaguar Land Rover’s Group Engineering Director Dr Wolfgang Ziebart appeared to confirm that Apple it is making its own car like Google. “Well, Apple didn’t announce it, but it is happening,” he said, and went on to mention that the company hadn’t denied the project.
Dr Ziebart may well have insider knowledge - he was previously chairman of the board at Infineon Technologies AG, the German semiconductor company responsible for making the baseband chipsets of early iPhone and iPad models. His comment follows last month’s Business Insider reports that Apple has been recruiting from the likes of Tesla for an automotive project.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is working on an electric, minivan-like vehicle. The ’Titan’ project is reportedly being headed up by Apple vice president and ex-Ford executive Steve Zadesky, and the vehicle designed by Marc Newsom. The WSJ says the car will not be autonomous, but a conflicting report from Reuters suggests that it actually will be a self-driving vehicle.
The SMMT - the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders - supports the interests of the UK motor industry at home and abroad, hosting the Connected event to explore issues surrounding the burgeoning smart car market.


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Bullet proof clothing customized to Indian tastes
Bullet Proof Nehru Vest
With increasing levels of terrorist threats, the demand for bullet proof clothing and armored cars is increasing in India amongst mainly the VIP's and politicians of the country. It is just over a year since a Colombian based manufacturer of bullet proof clothing set up shop in India and it is being inundated with orders.
Discrete Inners, a Delhi based company is the exclusive distributor in India of the Colombia based, Miguel Caballero (MC), which boasts of a clientele, which include cult-figures like Mr Barrack Obama and many other well-known personalities.
Miguel Caballero has customized and Indianised the bullet proof clothing to be worn, either as a Nehru jacket, kurta or safari suits, which are the preferred clothing of politicians in India and these can set them back by Rs 200,000-300,000.
Seventeen years after Miguel Caballero opened shop; his firm has expanded to 16 countries and reportedly sold about US $6.4 million worth of bullet-resistant garments for civilian use in 2008, accounting for 40% of its revenue.
Fibre2fashion spoke exclusively to Mr Rohit Nath, Managing Director of Discrete Inners who said that, he feels that the market for these kinds of hi-tech textiles is all set to grow in India, with the kind of tension in India and its neighbourhood.
He also added by saying that, these are patented technologies and are specialty inners that can be placed inside any garment to make it bulletproof. The defense forces and VIP's are their major clientele for these products which are tailor made to fit each individual comfortably and protect them at the same time.
Click here to view range of bullet proof fashion clothing.
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India


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Canada Metal (Pacific) Ltd., headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, has announced plans to open a facility in Virginia Beach. It will be the company’s first manufacturing plant in the United States. In addition to the Vancouver facility, the company also has a manufacturing plant in Ningbo, China.
The company manufactures and markets marine and industrial products and is the world’s largest producer of diecast marine anodes, some of which are used for offshore oil pipelines. The company also manufactures and markets the Octopus line of marine autopilot drive systems.
Canada Metal (Pacific) Ltd. looked at several locations in the Hampton Roads region before making its decision to locate at 2572 Horse Pasture Road in Virginia Beach. The company will lease 14,300 square feet of manufacturing space with the potential to expand up to 39,000 square feet.
“Virginia Beach has added another international manufacturer to our expanding global business community,” said Warren D. Harris, director of Economic Development. “This company aligns perfectly with our aggressive growth in advanced manufacturing. We are increasingly finding that international companies understand the benefits of locating here with an abundance of highly skilled workers and easy access to international markets through the Ports of Virginia.”
“CMP conducted a very comprehensive investigation as to where to establish their U.S. operation,” said Vice President of Business Development Jim Stuart. “Virginia Beach came out head and shoulders above all other locations due to its highly skilled labor force, excellent logistics and most importantly having a culture that personifies our desire to be fully integrated within the community in which we conduct our business.”
Virginia Beach was recently named the Top 7 Big City Leading the U.S. Manufacturing Revival by Forbes.
The company will create 70 new jobs over the next 36 months with average annual salaries of $36,000 excluding benefits. Additionally, Capital Metal (Pacific) Ltd. plans to invest more than $3 million in capital improvements.
The Virginia Beach Economic Development Authority has awarded the company an Economic Development Investment Program grant in the amount of $110,000 based on the number of jobs created and the capital investment.
The mission of the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development is to attract and retain national and international businesses to stimulate capital investment and create jobs. Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia with a population of 440,000, and it is the 37th largest in the United States. It is recognized as one of the Best Run Cities in America by 24/7 Wall St. The Department of Economic Development received re-accreditation through the International Economic Development Council in 2012 and is one of only 29 economic development organizations in the world to have this recognition. It is listed among the Top Five Overall Mid-sized American Cities of the Future, Top 10 for Economic Potential and Top Five for Infrastructure by fDi Magazine. CNNMoney.com ranked Virginia Beach as the Easiest Place to Start a Business and the 2nd Most Business-Friendly City in the country. For more information, visit www.yesvirginiabeach.com.
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A new data protection regulation went live in May 2018 – and, yes, it does affect you.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a pan-EU standard that replaces the UK’s existing Data Protection Act 1998. Experts say it will remain in place even after Brexit, though details could be amended once it passes into UK law.
Even so, companies continuing to trade with EU member states will have been expected to comply with the regulation, in a reflection of its aspiration to serve as a single standard that applies across borders.
That means UK businesses should now be working on GDPR. Failure to comply could lead to a fine of €20 million, or 4pc of turnover.
“The GDPR is a big deal for UK-based companies,” says Just Recruitment director and former technology consultant Peter Foy. “The financial cost of non-compliance is eye-watering, and the reputational cost of a data breach is similarly sizeable."
“There is no excuse not to be working hard on GDPR compliance. A company’s ongoing success could depend on it, for all sorts of reasons.”
To help organisations struggling to understand the GDPR, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has established a helpline. By calling 0303 123 1113, small businesses can speak to ICO experts, who will guide them through the process of becoming compliant with the regulation.
Alternatively, the ICO website has a number of downloadable guides and resources that explain the GDPR, and help organisations comply. It also features interactive surveys to help users assess their data protection processes and make any changes required by the GDPR.
“There is a lot of high-quality free advice available from the government and the EU concerning the GDPR,” states Mr Foy. “For companies that are struggling to get on top of this business-critical issue, these are welcome resources.”
© Copyright Just Recruitment 2018
|Sector:||Engineering and Manufacturing
|Salary:||Discussed on application|
Our client is seeking an experienced Quality Assurance Manager to join them on a permanent, full-time basis. This opportunity offers stability, longevity and professional development.
Reporting directly to the MD, the Quality Assurance Manager will be responsible for:
|Salary:||£22,000 per annum|
Just Recruitment is delighted to be supporting a well-regarded organisation at the forefront of its sector that is looking to add a Customer Service Administrator to its team, due to growth – based on the outskirts of Halstead.
The main purpose of the role is to service current and prospective customers by receiving and processing orders, enquiries and general information in a timely and courteous manner.
Key tasks include:
Key requirements for the role:
Previous experience requirements:
Offering free parking and an excellent working environment, this is a great opportunity to join a growing team.
Working Monday to Friday 37.5 hours per week - offering a competitive salary and company benefits.


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第二届中澳乳品未来技术联合研讨会 — 奶酪技术研讨会成功召开
时间: 2018-10-20 作者: 浏览次数: 17
On October 18, 2018, the Cheese Technology Symposium was successfully held in the COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute and came to a successful conclusion. The symposium was hosted by Soochow University, and co-organized by COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute, Australia Monash University, National Institute for Agricultural Research - France, and Mengniu Dairy. More than 100 experts from universities, research institutions and business circles in Australia, China, France and many other countries attended the symposium and jointly discussed and showcased the advanced processing level and innovative technology capabilities of the dairy industry, especially those related to cheese, to jointly develop high-value and high-tech applications and lead the new dairy market.
The symposium was officially opened in the morning of October 18. Hao Xiaoming, Dean of the COFCONutrition and Health Research Institute, and Joanna Bunting, Technology Counselor of Australian Embassy in China, respectively delivered opening speeches. Cai Jianing, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China, asked Academician Chen Xiaodong to convey his congratulations on the convening of the symposium.
In the first half of the symposium, the Chinese and Australian responsible persons from the Australia-China Dairy Joint Research Center respectively introduced their research progresses, followed by the academic reports on cheese technology respectively made by Professor Romain, Professor Gwenael and Professor Didier from National Institute for Agricultural Research – France (INRA), and the China-Australia Science and Technology “Government-Enterprise-Research Institute” Cooperation Roundtable Forum. In the second half of the symposium, COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute, Mengniu Dairy, Arla, Bega Cheese, DuPont and Fonterra discussed the current market condition and development prospects of cheese products. During the cheese exhibition and wine tasting sessions, the attendees tasted different types of cheese products exhibited by the dairy companies, and the Wine Australia provided wine and champagne for the tasting activity.
On October 19, more than 20 Australian representatives respectively visited the Mengniu Dairy Hohhot and Helingeer Phase 6 R&D and manufacturing bases, and Mengniu Tongzhou manufacturing base.
The Australia-China Diary Joint Research Center was established in 2016 with the joint approval of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China and Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Australia, to further strengthen the cooperation and exchange between China and Australia on dairy products. In the past two years after its establishment, the China-Australia Dairy Joint Center has become a connection bridge between dairy research institutes in both countries, conducting market and consumer research, developing new functional products, developing new processing technologies, and vigorously advocating high-quality dairy culture. In the project evaluation conducted by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China in September 2018, the Australia-China Diary Joint Research Center was rated as “Excellent”.


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Candace Matthews, Chief Reputation Officer at Amway, is responsible for overseeing Amway’s global reputation strategy and corporate social responsibility. She’s also the executive sponsor of Amway’s Diversity & Inclusion employee networks. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the importance of building a direct selling brand that emphasizes community and inclusion.
Rudy is the craftsman behind multiple highly successful direct selling companies including Symmetry and Xyngular and was instrumental in the acquisition and rebranding of PUREhaven in 2016.
When Larry Thompson started in direct sales more than 53+ years ago he worked in construction. Years later, he was once referenced by The Wall Street Journal as the Architect of Wealth Building.
Rick Goings is Chairman Emeritus of Tupperware Brands. During his successful career, he was an outspoken advocate of redefining business as something that served not only shareholders, but all stakeholders, including customers and employees.
Stan Fredrick is the definition of entrepreneur. He co-founded Colony House and Colesce Couture, and is owner of Wine Shop at Home and founding partner of Blue Ostrich Winery & Vineyard.
Jerry Brassfield is the Founder and Chairman of NeoLife International. He started his career in direct selling at the age of 19, and within eight years grew his net worth to $5 million dollars, an especially hefty sum for 1963.
The Legends series is hosted by John Fleming, one of the inaugural Direct Selling Legends Honorees. John’s successful career includes starting as a distributor, becoming an executive and officer at Avon Products, and former Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Direct Selling News for 10 years.
Executive Insights is a new interview series created for busy direct selling executives, hosted by direct selling executives. This debut interview brings together two billion-dollar company executives talking about disruption, the New Normal, what keeps Ryan up at night, and so much more.
The DSN Podcast host and Contributing Editor, John Fleming, will share his thoughts on the new CCR program and talk with guest, Stuart MacMillan, President of MONAT Global.


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Box’s new data-management feature probably won’t bail you out if you’re still scrambling to figure out what to do about tomorrow’s GDPR deadline, but it will give administrators more flexibility in storing data around the world.
Users of Box Zones, which were designed to help satisfy local data-residency requirements imposed by certain countries, can now designate any one of seven global regions in which to store their data and manage all that data from any of those starting points, Box announced Thursday. Box built its business with data centers based in the U.S., and with help from partners added Zones as a way of giving users data storage options outside the U.S., but users were limited to two regions: the U.S. and one other.
Now users of Box Zones will be able to store their data in multiple regions in Europe and Asia, as well as Canada and the U.S. One of the beauties of using a cloud service is that it usually doesn’t matter where your data is stored around the world, but data protection laws have been coming into fashion in some areas after unease about the U.S. government’s access to U.S.-based cloud services grew following the revelations exposed by Edward Snowden in 2013.
Global data laws are top of mind this week as Friday’s deadline to comply with Europe’s General Data Protection Act looms. The new multiple-zone feature for Box Zones goes live today, and while it could help companies comply with certain parts of the new law, there’s a lot more that companies have to do in order to comply.


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Consumer technology startup Creo forays into smartphone market with Mark 1
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Consumers now turn to ‘healthier’ bread alternatives
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Researchers develop novel technology for customised tablets
The medication will only need to be taken once a day and the drug will be slowly released throughout the day at different rates.
How to lodge a consumer complaint online
If you have any grievances about the quality of a brand, product or service, you can file a consumer complaint and seek redress.
Automakers, technology companies decide to make deals, not war
From the automakers, the Silicon Valley mobility companies obtain fresh capital, access to auto industry engineers who know how cars work and discounts on vehicles for their drivers.
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Consumer, health stocks lift Wall Street ahead of Janet Yellen's speech
Wall Street was higher in late morning trading on Friday, with the S&P 500 on track for its largest weekly gain since March.
HDFC among world's top 10 consumer financial services firms
Ranked 7th, HDFC is the only Indian company in top-ten in this category, where others include Capital One, Visa and MasterCard.
Technology can be the big disruptor and innovator in education
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Buy Godrej Consumer, target Rs 222: Kunal Saraogi
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Buy Godrej Consumer, target Rs 1600: Mandar Jamsandekar
Buy Godrej Consumer with a target of Rs 1600 and a stop loss of Rs 1425
Telecom companies take cover under new technology to mask call drops
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India offers agri equipment, technology to Myanmar
India's Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman acknowledged Myanmar's achievement in organic and sustainable agriculture.
Buy Godrej Consumer, target Rs 1440: Mitesh Thacker
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Mobile imaging technology can change the face of banking
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Bahrain wants India to mentor its financial technology & gaming startups
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70 Indians arrested in Nepal over consuming alcohol, says police
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Daimler to invests 3 billion euro in clean diesel technology
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Buy KPIT Technologies, target Rs 180: CK Narayan
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Hit by strike, GSK Consumer suspends ops at Punjab plant
The company added that it took the step "in the interest of safety and security of its employees and to protect the assets of the factory".
Consumer discretionary stocks and financials top buys of mutual funds
Recent IPOs in the midcap space like Equitas Holdings, Ujjivan Financial Services and Thyrocare Technologies also attracted fund managers’ attention.
Consumers dismayed by SC ruling on call drop penalty
Consumer Voice, one of the consumer groups that participated in the call drop compensation consultation process, said the decision was not in the interest of consumers.
China stocks close up on consumer, healthcare bets
The CSI300 index of the largest listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen rose 0.5 percent to 3,082.81, points, while the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.2 percent to 2,837.04.
Telcos need not compensate consumers for call drops: SC
In a big relief for telecom companies and setback for consumers, the SC struck down call drop penalty move by Trai, calling it arbitrary and unconstitutional.
NASA selects eight technology proposals for investment
Selected proposals have the potential to transform future missions, and improve current approaches to building and operating aerospace systems, NASA said.
India's growing consumer market may steal China's thunder: Beijing media
Before this much-anticipated tour of India by Tim Cook, some major Apple suppliers such as Foxconn had also announced plans to expand their business in India.
Technology helps game, enhances spectator experience: Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar today said he backs the use of technology even though he was the first batsman to be given out by the third umpire after TV replays.
Consumer interest paramount, says TRAI on call drops issue
Speaking to ET Now after the Supreme Court struck down its order imposing penalty on telcos for call drops, Trai Chairman R S Sharma said that protecting consumer interest is one of the mandates of the regulator. He added that Trai is currently reviewing the SC order.
Consumer technology startup Creo raises $3 million from Sequoia India, others
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Are we ready for chatbots, the next technology wave?
Launched in March, the chatbot named Tay soon started getting slammed on Twitter with offensive remarks and soon had to be removed.
Buy GSK Consumer with a target at Rs 6960: JM Financial
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GSK Consumer Healthcare falls as Q4 profit declines 8%
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French firm Thales to provide latest safety technology to Indian Railways
Indian Railways intends to implement Train Protection Warning System (TPWS) on a total of approximately 7,900 km of main lines across the country.
Home appliances, LED bulbs key focus area, says Crompton Greaves Consumer Electrical Ltd
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Chetan Maini joins board of Lithium Urban Technologies
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Indian consumers most confident in world in Q1 of 2016: Nielsen
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Etihad launches a VR video starring Nicole Kidman to immerse consumers in airline's story
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Sales of consumer appliances surging, both online and offline
However, a rise in domestic manufacturing is expected to keep price increases for appliances under check due to savings on import duties and transportation.
Thyrocare Technologies soars 48% on street debut
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BSNL to rope in technology partners for 4G rollout
The company in February registered the highest growth rate in providing new wireless connections, beating all private operators.


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The Microsoft and Green Bay Packers-backed VC firm recruited more corporate backers and now has $95m in assets under management.
TitletownTech, the corporate venturing unit co-founded by software company Microsoft and American football franchise Green Bay Packers, has closed its second fund with capital from 27 new and existing investors, according to a release.
Manufacturing group Kohler, construction firm The Boldt Company and automation equipment maker Faith Technologies also contributed to the close, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported.
The CVC started to raise money for a second fund over a year ago and originally sought $80m, according to a securities filing. The first fund closed at $25m in 2019 with backing from several corporates.
The unit typically invests in pre-revenue to series A companies across areas such as sports, media and entertainment, agriculture, water and the environment, digital health, supply chain technology and advanced manufacturing. Its usual ticket size is between $200,000 and $2m with a focus on the US state of Wisconsin, though it has a wider reach in the US and Canada.
“Through TitletownTech, we’ve learned that entrepreneurship is a team sport, which is why we’re pleased to continue supporting entrepreneurs and inspiring others to embrace innovation,” said Green Bay Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy in the release. “We think TitletownTech has the potential to be one of the most impactful things we do for the organisation, community and beyond.”
TitletownTech has backed early-stage companies such as Synthetaic, a Wisconsin-based startup developing AI that creates computer vision models without the need for human-labelled datasets.
In May it invested in Renaissant, a Wisconsin-based supply chain company that provides data software that expedites the flow of trucks and trailers in and out of warehouse and distribution centres.
In the same month it announced an investment in Croux, a platform that connects jobseekers with flexible work opportunities in the service sector.


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A number of changes across the dealership were required, he said. Gaudin Ford enabled electronic signatures so customers didn’t need to visit the store to place an order. The dealership hired a website vendor to create a page allowing customers to order a vehicle without having to leave the website.
Gilligan said success with the new process would not have been possible without buy-in from employees. Gaudin Ford introduced a pay plan that offers a bonus to sales employees for each order taken. That’s in addition to the regular commission they earn on the sale of a vehicle when a customer takes delivery, sometimes months later. The goal of the incentive is to prevent employees from prioritizing customers who can close a deal the same day with a vehicle in stock, Gilligan said.
One of the most critical changes has been giving dealership employees visibility into every order placed.
Gaudin Ford reworked its new-vehicle inventory manager position and moved its Internet manager into the new role, giving her oversight into the retail ordering process, Gilligan said. She created spreadsheets that track customer information and the status of an order, then shared them with sales employees so they could communicate updates to their customers. This holds sales representatives accountable to stay in touch with their customers, he added.
Ford has taken notice. The automaker says Gaudin Ford stands out in its 59-store Phoenix region, which covers Arizona, New Mexico and southern Nevada.
“Gaudin Ford was one of the first in the region to adopt a comprehensive strategy around retail orders, has originated a number of best practices and consistently ranks ‘near’ the top of the region in retail order metrics, including verified retail orders submitted and sales (volume and percentage) resulting from retail orders,” Ford spokeswoman Cathleen O’Hare told Automotive News via email.
Gaudin Ford had to change customer mindsets about the ordering process, as many Americans are used to selecting a vehicle from hundreds on a dealership lot at any given time, Gilligan said. One approach has been to send marketing messaging about ordering custom vehicles.
Dealership employees explain to customers that if they can wait to install some accessories, such as a certain trailer hitch or bedliner, they can get their keys faster, he said. They talk to lease customers about ordering their next vehicle nine months ahead of when they are scheduled to turn in their current one. They pitch build-to-order if a customer can’t find what he or she wants on the lot.
“This has absolutely transformed the way we do business,” Gilligan said.


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Late in September we reported on a datamine that suggested Sonic the Hedgehog would be appearing in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD. Now, it’s been confirmed, alongside a bunch of new costumes for the current crew.
Sonic has his classic design from Sonic Generations and instead of bananas he collects rings, naturally. You’ll have to unlock him by playing the game though!
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD launches on October 29th.
We’ve recorded five minutes of footage featuring Sonic in Monkey Ball. You can check it out below:
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BlackBerry 10 to be released in U.S. by mid-March
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- Staff Memphis Business Journal
If you were hoping to scoop up BlackBerry’s new Z10 phone, then you’ll have to wait until mid-March, USA Today reports.
BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins told the Associated Press he is disappointed in the mid-March U.S. release date, but that the company is working with its carriers to speed up the process, according to the report.
However, the BlackBerry 10 has been in high demand in the United Kingdom, even selling out at some stores, Dallas Business Journal reports.
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Craft and design retailer Kilkenny Design has launched a virtual reality store that enables customers to browse inside the shop from their own homes.
The retailer maintains that the project is the first of its kind in the Irish market.
The initiative was launched on the back of a spike in online traffic to the kilkennyshop.com website since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Emer McCarthy of Kilkenny Design commented: “Covid has changed how we shop, and, in response we have established a really strong omni-channel presence. Our virtual store gives our customers a new way of connecting to our in-store retail experience anytime they want and from anywhere they like.”
The design and layout of the virtual store is inspired by retailer's Nassau Street location.
Customers can view the virtual store using desktop or mobile browsers where they can access product details and make purchases. Alternatively they can use a VR headset such as Oculus or Google Cardboard to browse the shop in 3D but without the ability to access product information or make purchases.
McCarthy said that while research on the virtual store had begun pre-Covid, the pandemic accelerated the move towards offering an alternative to bricks-and-mortar retail.
“We will be watching carefully in the months ahead, keeping a close eye on the analytics and using the data to learn and inform how we move forward with our wider e-commerce strategy,” McCarthy added.


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Disney’s third-quarter numbers, for the three months to 27 June, showed growth in both sales and profits but it also warned over the future growth of subscriber numbers in its media networks business, which includes the sports network ESPN and ABC (KOSDAQ: FED642.KQ – news) .
Profits rose 11% to a record quarterly figure of $2.48bn (£1.6bn) while revenues climbed 5% to $13.1bn (£8.4bn) during the period.
The company said its movie studio boosted earnings once again, with the debut of Avengers: Age of Ultron proving the continued strength of the Marvel superhero brand despite it achieving slightly weaker box office sales than earlier releases.
Disney said its parks and resorts business was hurt by weakness in the euro, which damaged revenue at Disneyland Paris – recently subjected to an EU pricing probe.
It also cited higher operating costs at the Paris park and at Disneyland in California alongside lower customer numbers at its Hong Kong resort.
Operating profits for the division still rose 9% to $922m (£593m) but revenue missed the expectations of analysts – apparently contributing to the share sell-off.
Sales of consumer products, including Star Wars and Frozen merchandise, rose 27% on a year earlier.
The company’s shares, which had risen almost 30% over the year to date, lost 6.5% of their value in late trading following the release of the results and Disney’s conference call with analysts.


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Your smartphone will soon charge up five times more quickly thanks to a new ‘miracle material’ called graphene.
The South Korean tech firm Samsung has used a substance called graphene to create a ‘ball’ which boosts the capacity of a traditional lithium-ion battery by 45 percent and makes it charge up much more quickly
The graphene ball can be placed inside an old-school battery to improve its function dramatically.
Currently, lithium-ion batteries take more than an hour and a half to recharge, but this could be sliced to less than 18 minutes
The tech firm hopes its invention will also be used in electric cars, which requires batteries than can charge quickly, last a long time and not suffer performance loss as they age.
However, you probably won’t see it in the Galaxy S9 or any upcoming smartphones, because it’s only in the experimental stage of its development.
‘Fast charging capability is considered critical to the successful adoption of all-electric vehicles by the public,’ Samsung wrote in a complex document describing its discovery
The South Korean tech giant has a rather tortured history with lithium-ion batteries.
Last year, it was forced to recall its Galaxy Note 7 mobiles after several of the devices caught fire.
It blamed the incidents on problems with the gadget’s battery.
Graphene is a substance which consists of a single layer of carbon atoms. It is the strongest material ever tested.
Its existence was theorized for decades, but scientists were only able to produce it recently.
British scientists recently used graphene to create a sieve capable of making seawater drinkable, potentially bringing clean water to millions of people.
A team from the University of Manchester, where boffins won a Nobel Prize in 2010 after ‘discovering graphene’, used the material to filter out salts from water to make it safe to drink.
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