text:
- Platform OnMarket has completed for DC Power Co the world’s biggest equity crowdfunding by number of investors.
- Solar energy retailer DC Power Co raised $2.5 million from more than 15,000 investors.
- The startup wants to tap into the almost 2 million solar households in Australia and a potential 6 million by 2050.
Solar energy retailer DC Power Co has raised $2.5 million from more than 15,000 investors, making it the world’s most popular equity crowdfunding offer.
The raising over a month to April 15 was run by OnMarket, one of seven authorised platforms in Australia to conduct equity crowdfunding.
OnMarket managing director Rosie Kennedy says Australia’s $15 billion retail electricity market is undergoing significant change with the increasing popularity and accessibility of renewable sources.
“DC Power Co. is the world’s biggest equity crowdfunding deal by number of investors,” she said.
“In an amazing display of how equity crowdfunding works, over 15,000 Australians have invested and become shareholders in DC Power Co.”
Here’s how the raising compared to other major equity crowdfunding:
DC Power Co was founded six months ago by social entrepreneur Nic Frances Gilley, Flexicar founder Monique Conheady, investment banker Emma Jenkin and solar expert Nick Brass.
The company is promising better deals and savings for the nation’s 1.7 million solar panel households, a number forecast to grow to six million by 2050.
DC Power Co is in the process of raising a further $10 million through private investment.
The Crowd-sourced Funding Act 2017 allows companies with less than $25 million in gross assets to raise up to $5 million a year via equity crowdfunding.
Retail investors were able to bid between $50 to $10,000 into DC Power Co.
Co-founder Nic Frances Gilley says he sees renewable energy as the way of the future, both as a business model and as an environmentally responsive solution.
“The beauty of accessing the crowd is that our new investors will now become our endorsers, our influencers and our advocates,” he says.
DC Power Co is the second equity crowdfunding offer completed by OnMarket. Revvies, a caffeine energy strip maker, raised $250,000 in March.
Digital bank startup Xinja raised, via platform Equitise, more than $2 million from Australia’s first equity crowdfunding offer.


text:
May 05, 2006
Mark Angelino, President, Business Solutions, Sprint Nextel, Participating at Baird 2006 Growth Stock Conference
James Fisher, 703-433-8677
Kurt Fawkes, 800-259-3755
Reston, Va. — 05/05/2006
Mark Angelino, president, business solutions, for Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S), will participate at the Baird 2006 Growth Stock Conference in Chicago on Thursday, May 11 , speaking at 11:15 a.m. CDT.
The conference takes place at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. A live audio webcast of this session may be accessed via Sprint's Web site on May 11 at www.sprint.com/investors. The replay of the remarks will begin three hours after the actual presentation time and will be available until Aug. 11, 2006.

domain: news


text:
The Institute for Entrepreneurship at the University of Liechtenstein is strengthening its focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. The aim is to find direct solutions for the challenges faced by the economic centre of Liechtenstein.
The Institute for Entrepreneurship is now under the direction of Professor Sascha Kraus, holder of the chair of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship. According to the current ranking from the German business magazine Handelsblatt, he is among the top research scientists in his field. Focusing on the key themes of entrepreneurship and innovation, the institute plans to look more intensively at the economic centre of Liechtenstein. This is in keeping with the institutes original aim of promoting entrepreneurial thinking and trading, and facilitates its further development in terms of the innovative capacities of people, businesses and regions.
According to Sascha Kraus, business models must develop further while being continuously questioned. He added that this applied both to the country and to the institute. The realignment focuses on the fields of knowledge and technology transfer, research and further education.


text:
The Emirate of Sharjah will be the ‘Guest of Honour’ at the Seoul International Book Fair 2023 as half of enlargement into the fields of cultural diplomacy and commerce that champions Sharjah’s visionary cultural mission launched and led by HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.
As the visitor of honour, Sharjah will showcase a vibrant cultural programme with seminars and discussions; heritage arts and crafts of the UAE; and Emirati songs, reveals, and a spread of different artwork varieties highlighting Arabic tradition. The delegation from the emirate can even embrace a group of extremely distinguished Emirati writers, publishers, and artists.
Commenting on the achievement, Chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) Ahmed Al-Ameri says, “Not a yr passes by with out Sharjah recording a brand new milestone in its cultural mission launched by HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, that introduces international cultures to our wealthy historical past and shines on our contributions to human tradition via arts, science, and philosophy.”
He added that the ‘Guest of Honour’ standing conferred by the Seoul International Book Fair 2023 is a celebration of the achievements of the UAE in reinforcing the function of information as a key consider nationwide development and prosperity. “It can also be a celebration of each Arab author and writer who has contributed in increasing our cultural identification at native, regional, and worldwide ranges,” explains Al-Ameri.
Launched in 1954 and upgraded to a world e book honest in 1995, the Seoul International Book Fair is one of the perfect recognized e book festivals in Asia bringing collectively a various gathering of writers, publishers, artists, students, editors, and readers with the aim of sharing information and data. The worldwide e book honest offers South Korea, a nation globally acknowledged for his or her scientific developments and world-class infrastructure, with a perfect platform to spotlight its contributions to the publishing trade and promote the openness and multicultural values which might be deeply rooted in South Korean tradition.


text:
Boutique Brisbane barbershop The Electric Chair (TEC) proves industry heavy weights no longer dominate the age old tradition of barbering, opening its third location in Morningside on Saturday 22 September.
Already having two stores in Brisbane’s CBD and Everton Park, the modern barbershop chain is owned and founded by 25-year-old Adrian Messina who insists coiffed cuts, sleek styles and the rise of male grooming is now a young man’s game. Adrian, who is also the Head Barber, says his youthful perspective on a historical craft has enabled him to quickly establish himself as one of Brisbane’s best barbers. “Male grooming has gotten this fresh wave of popularity because young guys like me are coming in and making grooming cool for everyone,” said Adrian.
TEC boasts up to two hour wait times for its walk-in only style of service, something Adrian puts up to his amazing qualified staff and premium experience. “I had to open this Morningside location because we have 13 barbers and two locations and it still wasn’t enough… we are struggling with having too many customers and too long wait times,” said Adrian. “We make visiting The Electric Chair a fully immersive experience from décor, to the music, our services and industry standard products, our barbers and merchandise and this has built an insanely loyal customer base.”
Adrian further adds that the Australian barbering industry has turned into something more than just haircuts, with a strong pop-culture being grown right here in Brisbane. “There’s this exciting scene that comes with apparel, merchandise, hair product ranges, soaps, fragrances, accessories… men looking after their looks isn’t girly, it’s distinctly masculine. Nowadays people ride or die with their barbers, so it’s epic to see men really coming into their own in the beauty and grooming industry in such a unique way.”
To celebrate the opening of their new store The Electric Chair will be offering 50 per cent of all services, free drinks, free goodie bags, free The Electric Chair Barbershop merchandise and prize give-aways on Saturday 29 September.
Readers also enjoyed our story on Chroma Hair Studio.


text:
The Olde Town Market re-opens this Sunday, just in time for Cup Match in St George’s next week.
Bermuda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) Officer Ray Lambert said the street market area “will be transformed into all things Cup Match to make sure that locals and tourists alike can represent their teams in style.”
“We started this tradition with a Cup Match market two years ago and it was hugely successful,” he said. “We recognize that by coordinating markets around major events creates a great opportunity for our local vendors as well as customers to capitalize on an increase in numbers due to the excitement that builds around the event.”
The Cup Match Market will be open from 2pm to 6pm on Water Street on Sunday, July 30th, featuring a range of vendors including food, clothing, and specialty item vendors. A BEDC spokeswoman noted that “the Market would not be Cup Match themed without Crown & Anchor, so attendees will have the chance to play and win chips that they can cash in for discounts around the town and with the vendors”.
Mr Lambert added: “This is a fun, family friendly event and usually has a great turnout with a good range of vendors. We are still accepting applications, so interested vendors should contact BEDC to sign up.”
The Market also creates an opportunity for local businesses in St George’s as well. “Whenever we host events in the Towne, we see an increase in the numbers of people. This bodes well for business owners because they have increased opportunities to make more sales,” Mr Lambert said.
“We are looking forward to this year’s market especially since the Cup is being hosted in the East End.”
For more information or to obtain an application to vend, call 292-5570 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.
- The Bermuda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) is Bermuda’s premier source of free confidential business advice for entrepreneurs. The mission is to serve Bermuda’s local business community with the highest degree of professionalism by providing authoritative business advice; counsel and loan guarantee support. Bermuda Business Starts Here! For more information visit www.bedc.bm.


text:
Many St. Louisans are left shaking their heads over new numbers from Anheuser Busch InBev. A Belgian business magazine reports executive pay for the 13 member board has almost doubled in the past year. The increase doesn't sit will with St. Louisans still angry over layoffs at the brewery.
Political activist Ed Martin says the InBev conglomerate that took over Anheuser Busch already had a reputation in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. “No one should be surprised, because back last year, year and a half ago, what we were saying is if you go forward with this, you're going to have a slash-and-burn company. It's going to cut, cut, cut to the bone.”
InBev slashed expenses, laid-off a thousand workers, and decreed it would now take ninety days to pay any bills.
Martin, who founded the “Save A-B” Campaign, says he's not surprised that all of the cost-cutting increased the company's profit by 28-percent.
The cuts and layoffs that caused the profit increase also raised payouts for the 13 members of the A-B InBev board.
[…] But friends and fans of this site may already know that Anheuser-Busch went through these same motions in 2008 when they first publicly rebuffed the idea that they would let themselves be taken over by Belgian-owned company InBev and even launched an American Family Values campaign. But in the end, money beat values and they sold to a foreign company. Consumer satisfaction for AB products dropped, and AB InBev doubled the board’s salaries and laid off 1,000 workers. […]


text:
The IPA has revived its outreach programme with China, as part of the DIT/AA wider initiative to promote export and inward investment outside of Europe in the run-up to Brexit, and to encourage Chinese brands to look to UK agency expertise to help take their businesses global.
In parallel with the China Congress presided over by President Xi last week, the ad sector in China held the China International Advertising Festival, attended by the IPA’s Former President and Chairman of MullenLowe London Tom Knox and the IPA’s Director of Marketing Strategy Janet Hull OBE.
The event launched on Friday 20th October with a ’Belt and Road’ Conference looking at China’s links to other country markets, with a review of opportunities for advertising collaboration. Tom Knox represented UK sector interests, with an analysis of UK strength as a creative, digital and media hub from which to internationalise Chinese brands.
On Saturday 21st October, the IPA, supported by the UK Government Department of International Trade (DIT), took centre stage at the Festival’s main International Creative Forum, alongside technology giants Tencent and Baidu. This included keynote platforms on ‘100 Years of British Advertising’ to mark the IPA’s Centenary; and ‘5 Golden Rules of Advertising Effectiveness’ to promote the IPA Knowledge Bank, Qualifications and Effectiveness Programme.
The IPA were also showcasing a Centenary exhibition in the adjacent exhibition hall.
On Tuesday 24th October, Janet Hull, Executive Director of IPA EffWeek, hosted a consultative round table with agencies and allies in China, at Ogilvy’s Shanghai offices on WPP Campus; to launch the 2018 Effectiveness Awards and attract participation in our global R&D programme.
Says Tom Knox, Former IPA President and Chair Mullen Lowe London: “As China develops its Belt and Road strategy, we would like to collaborate with China to develop a strategy for China brands to go global. The UK is a gateway to the rest of the world when it comes to branding. We know how great global brands are built through a combination of quality products and services at the right price, supported by long-term, brand-building advertising. We invite China brands to use the UK as a springboard for international growth.”
Says Janet Hull OBE, Director of Marketing Strategy, IPA: “What was most striking about the trip was the optimism and confidence of the China nation. There was a real sense of belief that ‘China’s time had come’ and an ambition to realise its potential to take the global lead as a tech-savvy enterprise nation.”


text:
Over the last 27 years Aluminium Curtain Tracks Stockport Ltd, or simply ACT as they have come to be known, has been supplying the trade with… yes… aluminium curtain tracks. Whether or not you’ve worked with ACT in the past, you’re probably aware of their products, including the somewhat famous ACT41 – a manual curtain track that has become synonymous with quality and value.
After making the decision to retire and close down the business, Martin Reed wanted to find a new supplier for ACT’s customers to avoid disruption to their supply chains and ultimately their businesses. And that’s where we come in.
We are excited to announce that we have taken on ACT’s customers, brands, stock, and manufacturing equipment and will be ready to continue Martin’s work by offering ACT41 and other systems when we return from the Christmas break on Thursday 4th January.
Here is a copy of ACT’s announcement that has been distributed to existing customers:


text:
Adnec expands into events ticketing
Abu Dhabi, March 30, 2010
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec) announced that it will sell tickets for public events through a state-of-the-art ticketing operation accessible to over 35,000 travel agents.
“Adnec's objective is to create a compelling and varied year-round, programme of entertainment events that will attract audiences of all ages and cultural backgrounds, both from within and from outside the GCC region,” said Simon Horgan, Adnec Group CEO.
The Adnec ticketing operation will use some of the most advanced ticket selling software ever developed. The system is capable of selling up to 100,000 tickets per hour and can be accessed by 35,800 travel agents and tour operators in the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
These travel agents will be able to package tickets for events in Abu Dhabi at the point of sale, to in-bound travellers, thus providing significant benefits to Abu Dhabi’s tourism industry.
Construction work is well underway on a ticket retail outlet at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Also, a website for online ticketing will be launched shortly, said Horgan.-TradeArabia News Service
More Miscellaneous Stories
- Gulf Air backs UN 'MY World' survey
- South Korean group in $1.1bn Iraq jet deal
- Northrop Grumman inks Saudi training deal
- RJ, Jordan Society sign strategic deal
- 125 exhibitors for Sharjah halal expo
- SRB to oversee UK firm’s shari’a compliance drive
- SMEs conference opens in Bahrain
- Nasa finds evidence of freshwater lake in Mars
- Diamond to launch UK café brand in UAE
- Mideast super-rich's wealth surges to $354bn


text:
Samsung has officially relaunched the Samsung Galaxy Fold after sales has stopped earlier this year due to issues with its construction.
Nothing has changed with its design. Samsung made improvements on its screen and the hinge that makes the possible to fold. The company added a rubber protection on the folding mechanism to protect it from dust to enter. The supposed “screen protector” that was peeled off by tech reviewers during the its early review days caused screen blackouts. This time, the screen protection can’t be peeled off already. Lastly, Samsung added 5G support to the Galaxy Fold.
Samsung Galaxy Fold specs:
- Octa Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor
- Adreno 640 graphics
- 12GB RAM
- 512GB internal storage, no microSD expansion
- 7.3-inch Super AMOLED display (1536 x 2152 pixels
- Cover display – 4.6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED display
- Triple Rear Cameras
- 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55″, 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
- 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6″, 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom
- 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide)
- Selfie Cameras
- 10 MP, f/2.2, PDAF
- 8 MP, f/1.9, depth sensor
- Cover camera: 10 MP, f/2.2
- 4G/LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, Side Mounted Fingerprint Scanner
- GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
- Sensors – accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
- 4,380 mAh battery with 15W fast charge
- Android 9.0 Pie with Samsung One UI
The Samsung Galaxy Fold will be available in South Korea tomorrow. No mention about the price though markets like Singapore, France, Germany, United Kingdom and US will have the Galaxy Fold soon.
Stay tuned! For more info and latest tech news, kindly follow us on our social media sites:


text:
Chris and Rose of Bax Botanics, an über-cool Wetherby-based creator of some of the world’s finest non-alcoholic spirits, approached Just In Time PR in the summer of 2020. They had a super-duper product but needed to get the Bax Botanics brand out there, all the more so in the run-up to Christmas; at the same time, they were wary of committing to a conventional PR agency that would cost a heap of cash and potentially leave them with a serious financial hangover.
So the Rhizome Lite model ticked all the boxes. Since August of 2020, Chris and Rose have bought around six days of our time and for that we have landed them some MEGA hits in their target media: among countless other outlets, they’ve been featured on the BBC, in Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Vogue, Tatler and the Daily Telegraph — and the result has been a huge amount of traffic, brand awareness, sales and SEO value.
All in all, they’re as happy as Larry (but not Larry Hagman, who played JR in hit 80s soap, Dallas, and drank like a fish). As for the future, with more and more people drinking less and getting off the pop altogether, we plan to help grow the Bax Botanics brand to be as big as the Brewdog. We’ll drink to that (in a manner of speaking)!
Crimson Black Capital, run by investment supremos, Ayush Ansal and Pratham Sawhney, is a Mayfair- and Mumbai-based hedge fund that applies machine learning to achieve enhanced quantitative investment performance. In slightly plainer English, the guys use artificial intelligence to make lots of money with the minimum risk possible for their clients, who are typically institutional investors.
Ayush signed up to Just In Time PR in January 2020 with one simple goal: to get his new hedge fund’s name all over the big media. He came to the right place because we’ve generated over 1500 pieces of media coverage for Crimson during the past 12 months, largely as a result of commenting on breaking macro-economic and financial market stories. It’s been a media firework show like none other on earth, with hits in key target media including The Financial Times, City AM, Evening Standard and Forbes (the list goes on, and on, and on).
We’ve also had Ayush featured in HedgeWeek, the leading trade read by everyone in the hedge fund world. Crimson Black Capital is still a relatively young hedge fund but Just In Time PR has ensured they have oodles of credibility and awareness due to the sheer volume of media coverage.
Object Astra is a fantastic new platform that uses dead clever algorithms and artificial intelligence to link people who have a business idea with those who have the skills they need to bring it to life, in exchange for equity in the business.
Christiaan Trahms had been thinking about launching Object Astra for some time and when the pandemic struck and lots of people found themselves out of jobs and looking to create new businesses, he fast-tracked its launch.
Christiaan contacted Just In Time PR and bought a day of our time to create a press release and secure a hit in a major national media outlet — something that would drive traffic to his site and get him loads of users.
We quickly created the press release in December and gave it to the Mail Online, along with a case study, as an exclusive. The Mail Online is the biggest news website on the planet and they wrote a huge piece on Object Astra, which went live a week or so before Christmas. Loads of traffic, masses of eyeballs. Job done.
George Franks, the co-founder of south-west London high-end estate agent, Radstock Property, was introduced to Just In Time PR in November 2020 by a Rhizome Media client. He was looking for exposure for his new company in the big national (and above all London) media and wanted a PR company that could work some magic.
George bought a day of our time through Rhizome Lite to kick the proverbial PR tyres. To start with, we focused on issuing reactive comment around breaking house price data and other property stories. You can imagine what happened next.
It's still early days but we continue to land George and Radstock Property hits aplenty in his target media. And the flexibility of Just In Time PR means he can easily put things on hold should the property market suffer this year due to the pandemic.
Business in the Community is a well-established charity that works nationwide to encourage big blue chips to practice responsibility and ensure the fair treatment of employees, their supply chain, sustainability and the environment.
Their internal comms team approached us in August 2019 with a hunger for greater media exposure and were attracted by our payment-on-results model. We started with reactive comment around the global climate strikes in the Autumn of 2019 and immediately landed them big hits in the national media, including the Daily Mail and The Herald in Scotland.
When Government data emerged on ageing in the UK workforce, we proceeded to land Business in the Community a great hit in The Financial Times and (get this) on the front page of The Times (we have proof if you need it!). To say they were blown away is an understatement.
When the pandemic struck, Business in the Community launched the 'National Business Response Network', which encouraged big businesses to help those most in need. At that point they asked us to draft a launch press release and so we switched to Rhizome Lite, where companies buy days of our time. We very quickly secured coverage for them in The Scotsman and countless other national newspapers. Another happy Just In Time PR client who we continue to work with in 2021.
Beyond is a funeral comparison service that is aiming to change the national conversation around death (bet you didn't see that one coming). Just In Time PR was approached to promote Beyond’s unique model while also helping to amplify its (delightfully controversial) position on the funeral sector to national, consumer and trade press.
The company’s pool of expertise and its willingness to speak out in blunt terms about the sky-high costs charged by established funeral chains has helped us to secure hundreds of column inches in the national media since we started PRing them in late 2018. Check out this hit in the Daily Mail. Oh, and this corker on the BBC website.
We continue to work with Beyond on an ad hoc basis, as and when they need our help to comment around a particular story. For example, in March 2020, when they opened their first high street shop, we secured them a great piece of coverage in The Times. We're here whenever they need us and this informal approach works perfectly for us all.


text:
Celebrate the 21st Dine Out Vancouver Festival
Vancouver, BC – Destination Vancouver invites diners to celebrate the 21st Annual Dine Out Vancouver Festival from January 20th to February 5th. Taste the world across the city at more than 350 restaurants with delectable multi-course meals and unique culinary experiences. During a normally slow time of the year, the festival has become a popular time for Vancouverites to get out and support their local community’s restaurants.
Celebrate the flavours, innovation, and the globally recognized names of Vancouver’s restaurant industry with set menus offered at three price ranges: $20-$34, $35-$50, or $54-$64.
“We are excited to bring back Dine Out Vancouver, a festival that brings together chefs, restaurants, wineries, craft breweries and suppliers for a month of experiences for culinary enthusiasts that highlight the best flavours of the city” said Royce Chwin, President & CEO, Destination Vancouver.
The annual festival will also feature special events and Downtown Vancouver hotel offers. The Vancouver World Chef Exchange will take place at a selection of Vancouver’s newly awarded MICHELIN Star restaurants, where they will host culinary luminaries from different destinations for a one-of-a-kind dinner. During each event, the visiting and local chefs will team up to produce an unforgettable multi-course meal, taking inspiration from their respective menus, their own influences, and seasonal Pacific Northwest ingredients.
For a more casual Dine Out Vancouver experience, Street Food City will take place outside the Vancouver Art Gallery from January 21st to the 29th where the public can find delicious eats from a collection of the city’s favourite food trucks.
Make Dine Out a weekend getaway and get a $75 gift card per night when you book one or two nights at a participating Downtown Vancouver hotel.
Key Dine Out Vancouver Festival Dates:
Event tickets on sale now
January 11, 2023 – Restaurants revealed and reservations open
January 20, 2023 – Dine Out Vancouver Festival begins
January 21, 2023 – Street Food City
For details on the range of events, participating restaurants and hotel offers, visit www.dineoutvancouver.com
For more information, contact:
Destination Vancouver – External Relations Specialist
About Destination Vancouver
Destination Vancouver is the official destination marketing and management organization for the spectacular city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and represents more than 800 members in the city’s visitor economy. Destination Vancouver’s mandate is to support Vancouver's tourism industry in developing compelling experiences and offerings for the city’s visitors and promoting Vancouver to target Canadian, US, and international markets. www.destinationvancouver.com


text:
Building a slide deck, pitch, or presentation? Here are the big takeaways:
- 3GPP approved universal 5G standards Wednesday, and will finalize the vote in Sept. 2018.
- Several leading networking companies said the decision allows them to begin full-scale trials to prep for commercial 5G deployment.
Several telecom companies will begin full-scale 5G trials after their international governing body approved non-standalone 5G NR standards Wednesday.
Networking giants globally were waiting for 3GPP, which oversees seven telecom standards organizations, to identify specs for the next level of connectivity. With its initial approval of the requirements, they’re able to move forward with larger tests.
The specs came about six months earlier than anticipated, according to our sister site ZDNet, allowing companies to potentially accelerate 5G commercial deployment. This means that companies, and eventually consumers, could be able to take advantage of improved connectivity sooner than expected.
SEE: Network security policy (Tech Pro Research)
In a joint press release, several telecom companies outlined their next steps, with many saying they’re shooting for commercial 5G deployment by 2019. Samsung said it plans to expedite its creation of 5G devices and chipsets.
For businesses, 5G could help emerging technology deploy faster and stronger. The boundaries of mobile may expand, Internet of Things (IoT) devices could grow, and mission-critical services will be easier to deploy. Professionals will have better connectivity, leading to more remote work or easier work in rural or emerging markets.
For consumers, commercial deployment could speed up connections, allowing easier use of new mobile-friendly tech like augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR).
5G deployment could create $533 billion in US gross domestic product (GDP) and $1.2 trillion in consumer benefits by 2024, according to American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research.
The standards will face a final vote at 3GPP’s September 2018 meeting in Australia.


text:
The government is announced that it’s considering implementing a rule that would mean all newly-built homes have to come with EV chargers.
With the number of electric cars on Britain’s roads constantly increasing, there is a need for infrastructure to improve so it can cope with more EVs, as most car charging takes place at home, rather than on the public network.
If this rule is brought into action, England could be the first country in the world to include electric charging points with all new-build homes.
Stay up to date on the latest car news. Subscribe to our newsletter >
The government yesterday announced it was opening a public consultation looking into the matter.
Transport secretary Chris Grayling said: “With record levels of ultra-low emission vehicles on our roads, it is clear there is an appetite for cleaner, greener transport.
“Home charging provides the most convenient and low-cost option for consumers – you can simply plug your car in to charge overnight as you would a mobile phone.”
Currently there are nearly 100,000 domestic charge points across the UK, with owners of electric cars eligible for a grant of up to £500 to put towards a home charger.
Elsewhere, the government announced it wanted to see all new public fast chargers accepting debit or credit card payment, which is one the current criticisms of the infrastructure in place at the moment.
‘Smart’ charging is also on the agenda, which is where electric cars would charge at different times of the day, so to not overload the system and encourage off-peak charging.


text:
Asian food topic page
10:56 am on Friday April 4, 2014
You have been to Xiao Bao Biscuit, right?
5:17 am on Friday July 19, 2013
Hey guys, not sure what is available, does anyone know of a good Asian grocery store in the area I can buy organic brown rice in bulk?
11:32 am on Tuesday July 16, 2013
A new food truck with a quirky name is ready to hit the streets of Charleston. Fat Ninja is ready to roll out a blend of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese cuisines.
5:55 am on Tuesday March 26, 2013
If you've not yet read up on Phuong Vietnamese Restaurant, the spot that opened in the old Raul's Mexican Grill in North Charleston has been earning a lot of praise. General vibe on this spot is: not as good as what you might find in California, but...
4:08 am on Thursday February 21, 2013
O-Ku is hosting a "Noodle and Beer" dinner, bringing in guest chef Brian Riley of Noodlecat from Cleveland, Ohio, to help introduce Charleston to the deliciousness that are fresh noodles. It's slated for Tuesday, February 26, at 7:30 p.m. and will...


text:
New Poll Shows 70% of Brits Think E-Bikes Will Help Reduce Carbon Emissions More Quickly than EVs
Research prepared by #BikeIsBest and the University of Westminster's Active Travel Academy shows the general attitude in the UK towards e-bikes as well as a huge variety of their benefits, including the reduction of carbon emissions in comparison to electric vehicles (EVs).
The full report is available to download by clicking here.
A poll of adults conducted by YouGov, suggests a broad support for e-bikes as a means of reducing carbon, even amongst those who are not currently considering purchasing an e-bike. According to the YouGov poll, one fifth of adults who did not currently or previously own an e-bike were considering purchasing an e-bike in the future, while 67% of participants stated cost was the biggest obstacle preventing them from making a purchase.
With simple policy improvements to address the cost factor as well as improved infrastructure, e-bikes have the ability to transform the way we live.
As part of a rapid evidence assessment, the #BikeIsBest and Active Travel Academy report highlighted the benefits of e-bikes:
- According to research by Philips et al., “e-bikes are substantially lower emitters of carbon across their lifecycle when compared to both fossil-fuel and electric cars.”
While e-bikes perform the same as battery electric vehicles in producing 0kg Scope 1 per km, research by Fyhri et al, states that they have substantially lower Scope 2 carbon emissions than electric vehicles due to their lower electrical power requirements. Additionally, when considering their full lifecycle emissions, including manufacture, maintenance and disposal activities, e-bikes are substantially lower emitters of carbon in comparison to both fossil fuel and electric cars. According to the report prepared by #BikeIsBest and the Active Travel Academy, achieving widespread use of e-bikes as well as conventional bikes could replace three million car trips to work, and 10% of carbon emissions from commuting.
- As stated in the transportation research by Castro et al., “E-bike users and users of conventional bicycles have comparable overall levels of physical activity, because e-bike users take longer trips.”
The health benefits of e-bikes are similar to those of conventional bicycles. The physical activity required to ride e-bikes is less than that of bicycles; thanks to electrical assistance, riders can sustain a moderate cycling speed at a comfortable level of exertion across a range of otherwise challenging riding situations. Adding to this, e-bikes emit less particulate pollution than electric cars, and thus have a positive impact on local air pollution.
- “Enabling more people to commute to work using e-bikes would increase life-expectancy and reduce absenteeism, with a potential health economic benefit of £2.2 billion per year,” according to the #BikeIsBest report.
E-bikes present potential economic benefits besides those associated with improved health and reduced carbon. According to the #BikeIsBest and the Active Travel Academy report, in 2019, road congestion imposed an average of 115 hours of lost time to the average UK driver. This congestion is largely due to the lack of road space, which could be freed up if more space-efficient solutions were adopted, such as e-bikes. This not only applies to cars, but also, according to research by Verlinghieri et al., the use of (e)-cargo bikes could counteract even more congestion by replacing LGVs.
Widening cycle use
- According to the #BikeIsBest report, “because of their potential to reduce the physical exertion of cycling and therefore overcome barriers of fitness, topography, and proximity of housing to employment and other activities, users of e-bikes can encompass a wider diversity of age, gender, physical fitness and economic demographics than conventional bicycles.”
E-bikes make it easy and practical for more people to make a wider range of trips by bike. A Swiss study found that middle-income groups were just as likely to use a conventional bike as an e-bike, both high- and low-income groups were more likely to use an e-bike (Rérat, 2021). This suggests that whilst e-bikes may appeal to higher earners as an additional transport option, they are also used by those on lower incomes as an alternative to more expensive transport options. As stated in research by Philips et al., e-bikes have been identified as a means to alleviate the economic vulnerability to increased motoring costs for those living in areas in the UK of high car dependency and low income. Adding to this, the research also suggests that e-bikes could appeal more to people of different ages and genders - as opposed to the predominantly male appeal of conventional bicycles.
Given the higher purchase cost of an e-bike compared to a conventional bicycle, it’s not surprising that price is currently the most common barrier to uptake. A number of studies have identified the value of government policies in overcoming this barrier by assisting potential users in covering the price difference. Whilst there is no national subsidy for e-bikes in the UK, there is for electric cars and motorbikes, despite these vehicles delivering lower health and carbon reduction benefits than e-bikes.
The findings presented in the #BikeIsBest and the Active Travel Academy report illustrate the value of increasing adoption of e-bikes as a mode of transport, particularly in terms of improved health, reduced carbon emissions and improved access to cycling. The report demonstrates how a number of policy choices could enable these benefits to be realised in the UK.
Scott Purchas, Campaigns Consultant at #BikeIsBest, said: "The future is electric but not in the way people might think. All of the focus for subsidies has been for electric cars, but this new report demonstrates the substantial benefits of electric bikes and how essential they are for rapidly decarbonising transport, improving our health and cleaning up the air at the same time."
He added: "We are lagging behind countries in Europe who have used subsidies to accelerate the shift to e-bikes. Given rising living costs, this report shows that an e-bike subsidy would have a very positive impact across a range of backgrounds, as well as reducing congestion even for people who don't cycle."
The full report is available to download by clicking here.
Join the campaign
Hundreds of thousands of people already enjoy riding their bikes, we are inviting you to join them. Make a pledge to give cycling a go, or offer your support to others, so more people can discover why #BikeIsBest.
I PLEDGE TO INVITE THREE FRIENDS TO JOIN #BIKEISBEST
I PLEDGE TO RIDE MY BIKE TWICE A WEEK
I PLEDGE TO FIND A BIKE AND RIDE IT


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Sign Up for the Louisville Business First Afternoon Edition Newsletter
Send this story to a friend
Target: Data breach could affect 40 million accounts
Target Corp. confirmed early Thursday that it suffered a potentially massive theft of customers' credit- and debit-card data, with as many as 40 million customer accounts being compromised over the past month.
The data breach didn't occur online, but instead in the Minneapolis-based retailer's nearly 1,800 U.S. stores - possibly with malware installed on the card-swipe readers at cash registers, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The data gained from such thefts can include credit card numbers and expiration dates. Such information is often sold in bulk to groups who produce fake credit cards and use them to buy gift cards, which are later converted to cash.
Target issued a statement overnight that said that the breach ran from Nov. 27 to Dec. 15. The company said it is cooperating with enforcement and financial institutions, as well as with a third-party forensics firm. It asks customers who suspect unauthorized activity to call (866) 852-8680.
The Secret Service is also investigating the incident, a spokesman said.
Minneapolis-based Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) has seven stores in Louisville and two in Southern Indiana.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
- Most popular
- Thunder Over Louisville marks silver anniversary in explosive way
- Louisville businessman to host national reality show
- Finally, a business story about hair bands
- RecoverCare announces merger
- Law firm has a blast at Thunder party
- U of L's new Adidas deal worth an estimated $39 million over five year
- Humana promotes executives
- All Coldwater Creek stores to close
- Former Kentucky university athletic director sentenced to prison
- Experiencing the Barnstable Brown Gala was a night to remember


text:
So who’s the greenest of them all? If perception is reality, then AdvertisingAge has the answer. This report illustrates who’s done the best job of being — check that — appearing to be the greenest companies around.
Burt’s Bees and Whole Foods lead the 2010 ImagePower Green Brands Survey’s list of top 10 U.S. brands perceived to be the greenest, with Aveeno and Microsoft joining the list this year. The fifth annual study also found that in the U.S., people are more concerned about the economy than the environment, while in developing countries, such as Brazil and India, the environment takes precedence.
Making the top 10 brands list in the U.S. after Burt’s Bees and Whole Foods were, in order, Tom’s of Maine, Trader Joe’s, Google, Aveeno, S.C. Johnson, Publix, Microsoft and Ikea.
The survey, released this week, was done by WPP companies Cohn & Wolfe, Landor Associates and Penn Schoen Berland in partnership with Esty Environmental Partners, a corporate environmental strategy consultant. They did online interviews from Feb. 27 to March 24 with 9,022 people in the U.S., Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, U.K. and, for the first time, Australia.
The survey found that more than 60% of consumers around the world said they want to buy from environmentally responsible companies. In the U.S., though, 35% of those surveyed said they plan to spend more on green products, down 4% from 2009. That reflects the U.S.’ focus on economic worries. "Almost 80% of the [U.S.] consumers said they were more concerned about the economy that the environment. That’s the highest of any other country," says Russ Meyer, chief strategy officer for Landor, San Francisco.
In developing countries, however, the split goes the other way. Of those surveyed in Brazil, for example, 72% were concerned about the environment while 25% cited the economy. "India’s got a split like that, too—59% and 32%," Meyer says. "It’s interesting to see. There’s a bit of a Western bias that the West is further advanced in thinking about sustainability. India, China—those economies are already on their way to mending, and not so in Europe and the Americas."


text:
Final Cozy Games sites to go
Since last May, many bingo sites that players knew as Cozy Games sites suddenly began closing down. This came as a shock to many of their members as well as other operators and experts working in the online gaming industry.
Although Cozy was rebranded as Electraworks when it was bought by GVC Holdings towards the end of 2017, many players still refer to the operator’s brands by its original name.
At first, the takeover resulted in five major Cozy sites shutting, namely Snappy, Comfy, Gone, Harrys, and Think Bingo.
Just a couple of months later, another 20 big-name brands followed suit, including Wowingo, Time, Sweet Home, Reem, Scrummy, Lucky Diner, Nugget, Now, Igloo, Epic, Hunnie, Dublin People, Buttercup, Champers, Dandy, Budget, Biscuit, Bobs, Bingog, Flame, Chimp, Boogie, and Aunty Acid.
Alongside the bingo brands that we’ve just mentioned, GVC Holdings also chose to shut many of its Cozy casinos such as Mambo Slots, Pocket Fortune, and Grimms.
Recently, it’s been announced that almost all of the bingo brands that still sit on the Cozy/Electraworks software platform will also be closing their doors for good. As far as we’re aware, the closures will occur by late July 2020.
The latest decision will affect Bubblegum, Mummies, Lucky Puppy, New Look, Velvet, and Booty Bingo. However, no announcement has been made as yet about the remaining brands which are Wow, Swanky, Little Miss, Game Village, Girly, and Gravy Train Bingo, as well as Bingo Magix.
However, all is not lost for fans of some of these much-loved brands. For example, Booty Bingo, Velvet Bingo, Mummies Bingo, New Look Bingo, Bubblegum Bingo and Lucky Puppy Bingo now run by United Commissions, will all be migrating to the Dragonfish bingo network in the near future. This would also indicate that they could return stronger than ever before with updated themes, a new games library, and new networked games and promotions.
The four remaining GVC-owned Electraworks brands, Foxy Bingo, Cheeky Bingo, Ladbrokes and Coral, have only recently moved to the Electraworks software platform where they will remain for the indefinite future and benefit from any enhancements made to it.
A brief history of Cozy Games
Cozy Games was founded in 2005 by a small team of online gaming experts. Its aim was to deliver state-of-the-art bingo software that could support networks throughout the UK and Europe.
The company’s online bingo platform quickly became known as one of the most innovative of its kind, and within its first 15 years of operation, Cozy Games became home to more than 50 bingo and casino sites. The only downside was that many players found the terms and conditions surrounding withdrawal and bonuses restrictive and off-putting.
Despite, or possibly due to its success, Cozy was taken over by the owner of Coral and Gala (GVC Holdings) in 2017, causing many of the white-label brands that had used its software to close. However, most of the most popular sites were migrated to GVC’s bespoke software solution, Electraworks.
United closes some of its Jumpman Gaming brands
As Stride Gaming and United Commissions were themselves only recently acquired by the Rank family, there is still some housekeeping being done behind the scenes. Therefore, the decision has been made to shut down many of the Jumpman Gaming brands that were inherited, including Bingzino, Bite Size Bingo, Diva Wins, Hula Spins, Destiny Spins, Mighty Riches, Madam Riches, Pots of Slots, Stereo Spins, So Many Slots, Wonder Spins, and Stargaze Bingo. We can’t help but wonder if this is also due to their restrictive terms and conditions not being very player-friendly.
Many players will have encountered United Bingo network sites, even if they didn’t realise it at the time, as the company owns many of the most famous names in the online bingo industry, including Sugar, Moon, Polo, and Robin Hood Bingo.
What Jumpman Gaming sites will still be open?
Although Jumpman Gaming looks set to lose some of its biggest stars when the United sites on its networks close, it will still operate scores of other brands across the 15 Network and Jumpman Slots Network.
The operator, which was established in 2010, has continued to innovate its online casino and bingo offerings and has become known for its exclusive Mega Wheel/Mega Reel welcome bonus.
As far as we’re aware, names like Dove Bingo, Fairground Slots, Elf Bingo, Amazon Slots, and Express Wins will continue to serve players. And, in case anyone’s in any doubt about the stability of the operator, Jumpman has just completed a brand-new signing in the form of Mirror Bingo as part of an agreement with Reach PLC.
In addition, earlier this year, Jumpman joined forces with Pragmatic Play to introduce an exciting new range of bingo games that replaced the old Jumpman Gaming bingo games.
The Pragmatic Play bingo suite, which offers 90-ball, 80-ball, 75-ball, and Bingo Millions games, has proved so popular that it’s also been brought onboard by Bede Gaming and Nektan.
So, the online bingo space is contracting again. It takes a strong brand to weather the storms that regulators and taxes cause.


text:
Melbourne-based fintech Timelio will be acquiring the invoice finance business of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank.Write comment (0 Comments)
An Aussie fintech has announced the appointment of a former executive of global payments giant Venmo as its new CFO.Write comment (0 Comments)
Promoted by TSA Group
The traditional debt collection model needs a makeover. The big opportunity facing lenders is to bring customer centricity into the way they collect, and build a model that reflects the experiences consumer are having in 2021, in other parts of their lives.
The bank announced the acquisition as part of its half-year results announcement on Monday, and says the purchase will accelerate its digital strategy.Write comment (0 Comments)
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s payments platform will acquire Australia’s original buy now, pay later success story for almost $40 billion.Write comment (0 Comments)


text:
WASHINGTON (CN) - Dairy industry groups have asked the Food and Drug Administration to be able to put artificial sweeteners in milk, and not change the label, claiming that it is so consumers can "more easily identify its overall nutritional value".
Read Courthouse News' Environmental Law Review.
The Food and Drug Administration is asking for data related to those sweeteners.
The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) filed a petition in 2009 requesting that the FDA amend its standard of identity for milk.
The petition asked the agency to allow the use of "any safe and suitable" sweetener for milk and asked to amend the standards of identity for 17 other milk and cream products.
Those products include sweetened condensed milk, whipping cream, yogurt and eggnog, which the groups say should be allowed to have "safe and suitable" sweeteners.
The groups request that the FDA "allow optional characterizing flavoring ingredients used in milk (e.g. chocolate flavoring added to milk) to be sweetened with any safe and suitable sweetener - including non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame."
FDA regulations currently only allow milk products to contain "nutritive sweeteners" (those with calories) which the agency generally recognizes as safe.
The groups say the amendments "would promote more healthful eating practices and reduce childhood obesity by providing for lower-calorie flavored milk products."
"They state that lower-calorie flavored milk would particularly benefit school children who, according to IDFA and NMPF, are more inclined to drink flavored milk than unflavored milk at school," the FDA wrote in its notice.
The groups also say they would help with programs that aim to improve nutrition in school meals and argue that the proposed amendments would promote "honesty and fair dealing in the marketplace," the FDA wrote.
The agency published a notice of the petition on Wednesday requesting comments, data, and information about the proposed amendment to the identity of milk products. The comments are due by May 21.
Read the Top 8
Sign up for the Top 8, a roundup of the day's top stories delivered directly to your inbox Monday through Friday.


text:
Looking back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes Galaxy S24 Ultra release date, Samsung’s Instagram love, Pixel 8 Pro screen issues, Sunbird’s sunset, Redmagic 9 Pro launch, Honor’s IPO and Google’s latest user interface update.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of some of the many things that have been happening around Android over the past week (and you can find the weekly Apple news roundup here).
Galaxy S24 launch date leaked
The next “Galaxy Unpacked” event should see Samsung launch the Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra. Instead of the pre-MWC Samsung has used in previous years, the latest leaked schedule suggests Samsung is going for an earlier option:
“A new report from Korean publication The Elec (via SamMobile) claims that Samsung’s next flagship will be announced on January 17, 2024, with the device lineup available for pre-order the next day. The Galaxy Unpacked event will also be held in San Jose, California.. . The report says that the idea behind an earlier launch date is to improve sales in the first half of next year. Unsurprisingly, Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra at the launch event.”
Instagram and Samsung
Samsung will likely have locked down the hardware for the Galaxy S24 family, but the software will be worked on leading up to (and through) launch. Details of the changes are coming out now, and one of the curious ones will be the addition of Instagram – a third-party app – to the lock screen:
“The lock screen addition is a small detail to come out, but it helps to understand the company’s upcoming approach. Samsung’s One UI software has limited apps that can only appear on the lock screen for system apps, with only one or two exceptions. Joining that list is Instagram a big decision for the South Korean company.”
Problems with new Pixel displays
Google has addressed concerns over “ripples” that have appeared in some Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones. Components sitting under the screen apparently press against the back of the display units, resulting in distortion that can be seen in certain lighting conditions. According to a Google spokesperson, this should not affect the phone’s use:
“Pixel 8 phones have a new screen. When the screen is off, not in use, and under specific lighting conditions, some users may see impressions from components of the device that look like small bumps. There is no functional impact on Pixel 8 performance or durability .”
The sun sets on Sunbird
Last week saw a flurry of interest in Sunbird, a messaging app and protocol that allowed Android users to interact with Apple’s iMessage service through virtual servers that emulate Mac devices. Smartphone maker Nothing Tech was set to use Sunbird in its new messaging app; subsequently, it has blocked downloads and paused the use of the app. This week, the service was shut down following a rising tide of security concerns surrounding the service:
“Good afternoon everyone. We are investigating the security issues raised over the past 24 hours. Out of an abundance of caution and to protect your confidential information, we are temporarily shutting down Sunbird media. We will keep you updated. Thank you and our sincere apologies for the inconvenience.”
In an apparent coincidence, Apple announced that it would support the RCS common standard for messaging interoperability in the future.
Faster, stronger and flatter, all for the game
With the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 system on chip, the latest gaming smartphone from Nubia – the Redmagic 9 Pro – has been confirmed. It offers increased cooling, active cooling and a new R2 co-processor. But it’s the promise of a flat back that will catch the attention of many:
“The cameras hiding under this glass consist of dual 50MP main/ultra-wide lens cameras, with a tiny 2MP macro lens thrown in next to them. On the other, equally flat side, the 9 Pro and Pro Plus have a 6.8-inch FHD+ screen with almost the exact same specs as that of the 8S Pro – except this ‘5th generation’ UDC panel features Q9+ technology from BOE for a maximum brightness boosted to 1,600 nits.”
Honor is preparing its IPO
Chinese smartphone maker Honor has seen fantastic growth since it was spun off from Huawei. It is now preparing to go public to continue growing in a number of key markets, including China and Europe:
“To meet new strategic goals, HONOR will continue to optimize its shareholder structure, attract diversified capital and enter the capital market through an IPO. When the company starts the IPO process, the composition of the board will gradually be adjusted, in accordance with the standards of a listed company, to encompass greater diversity to meet relevant governance and regulatory requirements.”
Google continues to refresh the UI paradigm on Android smartphones, with its new Messages app including new features, such as the new profile page design and the chat bar at the bottom of the screen:
“All of these recent changes to Google Messages clearly show that Google is working very hard to get people to use Google Messages as an instant messaging platform with the power of RCS. These UI changes are currently hidden behind flags and may be shown to beta testers when any time soon.”
Android Circuit collects the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course read the sister column in the Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit is here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check my web page.
#Android #Circuit #Galaxy #Unpacked #Dates #Redmagic #Pro #Launch #Pixel #Pro #Problems


text:
In January 2019, the Consumer Electronics Show kicked off in Las Vegas, Nevada. And it seems mechanical engineering, propped up by artificial intelligence, is the talk of the town.
Mercedes-Benz rolled their latest marvel of mechanical engineering out on the floor, touting some impressive artificially intelligent add-ons. The car’s name is the 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 Coupe, and the AI software is called MBUX (Mercedes-Benz user experience).
The company’s presentation kicked off calling the CLA ‘The most bling-bling gadget’ at the expo. You can even talk to the car by calling out the words, “Hey Mercedes,” and follow it up with a command you want the car to perform – like rolling up the windows. It also has hand gesture recognition.
There are also semi-autonomous features that help the car drive; further propelling the car industry into a self-driving future. Moving to an artificially intelligent car, empowered by software, is a watershed moment for automobile engineering – it shows that car companies are becoming far more multifaceted.
It also signals an interdisciplinary move in the automobile industry, bringing many engineering industries into one. But, the Head of Group R&D at Mercedes-Benz, Ola Kallenius, says the company itself is also changing the way it operates as a company. Speaking at CES 2019, he said:
“Speaking of the future, we show very clearly where the technologies of our company are heading. Our vehicles are now platforms of digital progress and we operate as a software company with more flexibility and adaptiveness, with agility to do developments and customer requirements [faster]. Our goal is to build trailblazing mobile devices that enhance our customers’ lives.”
The car can also integrate with wearables. The smartwatch informs the car how its driver is feeling. Consequently, the car can then offer massages and hotter or cooler seats. Using the heart rate monitor will also fill the car in on how stressed the driver is. The MBUX system was designed in conjunction with Nvidia. This further highlights how engineering industries that may have previously existed independently, now regularly collaborate to create new products in the future.
Humanoid robots seemed to attract the most journalistic cynicism at the CES event this year. Purportedly the robots at the 2019 expo were a little disappointing; lacking the expected sophistication or improvement when compared with the 2018 expo. It seems that consumer robots are still a bit too clunky to be considered ready-for-market.
The online publication, The Verge, believes that the delivery robots were the most impressive and with the most future-proof uses – namely, delivering items or food to the consumer.
Pudutech had a robot rolling around the CES floor named the HOLABOT. It is equipped with AI speech and face recognition functionality and is specifically designed to deliver food to a customer inside a restaurant. Pudutech is the company looking to be the leader in delivery robots and self-driving low-speed robots. And their multi-robot deployment system will help – it enables one hundred HOLABOTs to work at the same time.
The robots that were highly regarded at CES 2019 may indicate which ones will see huge corporate and consumer uptake (the first cousins of robots like the Roomba vacuum cleaner).
Eisenstein, Paul A. “Mercedes’ New CLA Coupe Loaded with High-Tech Extras in Clear Pitch to Millennial Luxury Buyers.” CNBC, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/01/09/mercedes-cla-coupe-loaded-with-high-tech-extras-to-lure-millennials.html.
Vincent, James. “The Five Types of Robots You Meet at CES.” The Verge, The Verge, 9 Jan. 2019, www.theverge.com/2019/1/9/18175168/ces-2019-robots-best-worst-delivery-butler-tablet.


text:
SiFive’s mission is to democratize access to silicon
SiFive Inc., the leading provider of processor cores, accelerators, and SoCs built on RISC-V, has announced a Series F round of funding worth $175 million, bringing its total valuation to $2.5 billion.
SiFive’s mission since its founding in 2015 has been to democratize access to silicon by providing open-source semiconductor designs optimized for a wide range of applications. This approach to silicon design is transforming the semiconductor industry and this latest funding round underscores investors’ confidence in SiFive’s mission and current products.
Overview of SiFive
SiFive is a fabless semiconductor design company that provides production-ready chip deployment platforms. Founded in 2015, their mission is to democratize access to silicon and enable more innovation by simplifying the process of creating custom silicon architectures and IP.
SiFive leverages the open source RISC-V instruction set architecture invented at the University of California, Berkeley. This architecture provides a platform for other companies to create custom semiconductor designs without building their chip designs from scratch. The SiFive portfolio includes:
- High performance SoC platforms.
- Low power embedded SoC solutions.
- Cores Customizable IPs that make it easier to tailor custom silicon technology as per customer needs.
SiFive has secured major investments in the past few years, enabling it to rapidly expand its offerings and build its global presence. In 2021, SiFive announced a Series F round of $175 million funding at an estimated $2.5 billion valuation, which will help drive the company’s ambitions for driving more innovation in silicon technology. SiFive’s current distribution spans 130 countries and over 100 partners including Qualcomm Technologies Inc., Google LLC, Nanoradio AB, IKECHIP Corporation, eGlobaledge Corporation.
SiFive is on a mission to democratize access to silicon, which is why they recently announced a Series F round of $175 million at a $2.5 billion valuation.
Their mission is focused on making it easier for anyone to develop and deploy custom silicon, enabling rapid innovation and portability.
In this article, we will explore SiFive’s mission in further detail and discuss its impact on the industry.
Democratizing access to silicon
At SiFive, we believe that every individual, regardless of financial resources or technical experience, should have access to vertically integrated, custom silicon. We are on a mission to democratize access to silicon and create a new era of personalized computing that empowers individuals with unprecedented customization and control.
By offering the world’s first commercial open source RISC-V-based platform for accelerating the development of innovative products and devices, SiFive gives developers worldwide the freedom and flexibility to build customized silicon IP. From creating the industry’s first customizable RISC-V SoC platforms from their IP blocks to building truly differentiated devices that leverage real-time sensing and deep learning algorithms with AI acceleration, developers now have greater control over product design than ever before.
The SiFive approach reduces the barriers inherent in traditional chip design processes by providing developers with access to industry leading tooling and full documentation and support through an extensive user community. In addition, with an integrated end-to-end design flow for designing custom RTL blocks using OpenRoad Automated Design Environment (ADE), developers can quickly implement their designs into full chips — faster than traditional IC designs. And by employing a mixed protocol architecture of RISC-V cores, designers can take advantage of heterogeneous system architectures designed at SMIC in China or elsewhere — without needing expensive configuration tools or tapeout processes from distant fabs — reducing time to market even further.
SiFive has opened up a whole new world for innovators everywhere; transforming hardware creation from time consuming guesswork into a highly interactive process that combines exploration and evaluation within a single environment. The impact of SiFive’s work has just begun: driving transformational improvements in computing technologies ranging from smart homes to embedded systems and creating new opportunities that were unimaginable just ten years ago. So it’s no wonder we continue disrupting this space – our mission is catalyzing progress while creating opportunity on a global scale – one chip at a time!
Providing innovative solutions
SiFive is determined to revolutionize the semiconductor industry with the world’s first open-source hardware platform, based on the RISC-V ISA. SiFive is committed to providing innovative solutions that simplify and streamline the development of advanced microprocessors, helping customers achieve their goals faster and more efficiently. SiFive’s mission to democratize access to silicon will make it easier for customers to prototype and rapidly develop custom silicon at a fraction of the traditional time and cost.
Through its new pilot program, SiFive promises to cut costs and development times in half through its highly complex platform: Freedom Fabric IP (FFIP). This results in substantial customer savings; FFIP enables custom IP such as libraries, processors, accelerators and interconnects suitable for many applications. By leveraging this technology, SiFive can offer competitive advantages over traditional solution providers by offering products in weeks instead of years.
SiFive also makes sure its open source model allows designers real freedom of choice; to choose from a vast selection from numerous sources or design their proprietary solutions with licensing terms that fit their needs. Therefore, customers can select optimal or specialized IP at no additional cost compared to buying them individually as standalone systems or components. In today’s ultra-competitive landscape, these outstanding benefits are invaluable tools for expanding product markets and increasing business performance — all while keeping price optimal so everyone can benefit from the advantages of advanced silicon technology.
SiFive’s Recent Announcement
SiFive, a leader in open-source semiconductor solutions, recently announced the completion of its $175M Series F round at a $2.5 billion valuation. This marks a major milestone for SiFive in its mission to democratize access to silicon and advance the development of a more diverse and inclusive semiconductor industry.
This funding will help accelerate the deployment of SiFive’s platform and support the development of new solutions. But, first, let’s take a closer look at the details of this announcement.
SiFive Announces $175M Series F at $2.5B Valuation
SiFive Inc., the leading provider of commercial RISC-V processor IP and silicon solutions, has announced that it has raised a $175 million Series F round of venture capital at a $2.5 billion valuation. Moneytime Ventures led the round with additional participation from existing investors including SK hynix, Sutter Hill Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures LLC, Chengwei Capital, Spark Capital and Osage University Partners (OUP). SiFive achieved unicorn status in January 2020 with the closing of its earlier Series E round.
The new funding will fuel the expansion of SiFive’s full stack offerings from modern core IP to an end-to-end software development platform that includes development tools, silicon IP, computer platforms and cloud software solutions. This fortification underscores SiFive’s mission to democratize access to Silicon and disrupt legacy semi-conductor approaches to maximize innovation for its customer base worldwide.
In particular moneytime investments will help expand the company’s already comprehensive portfolio of customizable core IP including U54-MC Coreplex multi-core RISC-V SoCs and other AI related products form SDN physical optimization through hardware acceleration to machine intelligence with its embedded vision Pro series of machine learning processors. It also plans develop chips ranging from wearables to autonomous vehicles at wafer scale production volumes and low development costs.
The investment also further supports the growth of the fast growing Ready RTL program which has grown 400% year over year in 2020 by providing customers access to ready made cores while slashing traditional custom chip design cycles down drastically all while still allowing vendors unparalleled control on how their hardware is tailored for their application use cases and edge node requirements optimally reducing design timeframes significantly from major silicon foundries like TSMC sure small manufacturers like GlobalFoundries too now also have real access real world competitive silicon impact technologies cutting out design teams producing blueprints for turnkey ASIC solutions but manifesting into rapid chip designs rapidly becoming much more accessible medium size some companies than ever before had seen them before not just bodyable for but effectively usable immediately upon delivery reducing product time overviews drastically safely venturing enter markets ripe for disruptive innovation within shorter windows even faster brought pushed back hours erasing boundaries from acute customization mainstream efficiency measures ensuring both immediate and delayed success operations.
Investors and their roles
SiFive, the leading provider of commercial RISC-V processor IP and silicon solutions, recently announced a $175M Series F investment round at a $2.5B valuation. Koch Disruptive Technologies led the round with participation from existing and new investors. This new round of financing brings SiFive’s total funding to date to over $300 million, which will be used to support SiFive’s mission to democratize access to silicon by delivering products and services that simplify the process of designing a custom SoC (System on Chip) for customers across all verticals.
The Series F investment provides capital resources and various customer collaborations with strategic product partnerships. The investor lineup is a broad collection of venture capital firms, private equity investors and large strategic players such as SK Hynix and HPE Growth Capital focused on developing long-term relationships based on mutual trust and collaboration to help reach SiFive’s goals.
The key drivers behind this investment round are the continued growth in RISC-V processor solutions and many opportunities ahead in furthering customer engagements, developing customer platforms and launching new products. Investors understand both the current market trends and future potential of RISC-V solutions driving the need for their investments at this stage.
Investors are integral in providing corporate funding for business operations, expansion strategies, scaling initiatives or acquisition plans. Through these investments they not only provide capital resources but also bring important industry knowledge, expertise, experience or strategic partnerships needed for accelerating company growth initiatives during different stages of development cycle – starting from early stage startups through more mature scaleups looking for high growth opportunities – ultimately enabling companies to reach their full potential quickly.
Impact of the Announcement
In early February 2021, SiFive, the leading provider of commercial RISC-V processor IP, announced its $175 million series F funding round, valuing the company at $2.5 billion. This news has generated substantial attention in the tech industry, raising several questions about how this funding round will impact the company, its products, and the field of custom chip design.
This article will discuss the wider implications of the series F investment and how it will shape the future of SiFive and the custom chip landscape.
Increased access to advanced technology
The announcement of SiFive’s Series F financing round at a valuation of $2.5B paves the way for a future where everyone will have access to advanced technology. The funding was used to bring their technologies – ranging from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) to embedded systems and cybersecurity – closer to everyday users.
SiFive’s mission is to make silicon and leading-edge tech more accessible and easier to use, allowing developers everywhere to push the boundaries of what’s possible. This funding round positions SiFive to provide incredible new tools that allow companies of all sizes, including smaller businesses and startups, to innovate faster while keeping costs low.
SiFive also has partnerships with many fortune 500 companies such as Google, Microsoft, Lenovo and Qualcomm to bring advanced services closer together. This is also a great example of how Silicon Valley continues as a leader in bringing new innovative technologies closer together to increase access for more people worldwide. The impact of this news will be felt across many sectors, providing benefits for everything from digital entertainment services, healthcare tech and banking services.
By democratizing access to silicon through cutting-edge programmes like its Deep RTL Compiler (DRTC), SiFive is helping unlock opportunities previously limited by traditional development costs or time constraints due to their advanced skill levels needed for development projects like this one.
Expansion of SiFive’s capabilities
The announcement of an additional $175M series F funding, elevating SiFive’s total investment to nearly $400M and a $2.5B valuation, is sure to impact the company’s capabilities. With this influx of capital, SiFive will push deeper into its mission of democratizing access to silicon and enabling everyone to dream big.
This additional funding will enable SiFive to further build out their full platform offering. This includes new capabilities like cloud tools, accelerators (AI and edge), customizable IP blocks and verification services, and devices like their RISC-V Processors and FPGAs for the AI and edge market. These could bring added value for their customers, specifically in electronics design prototyping and development which can speed time-to-market cycles through shorter design teams or small companies that do not have large electronics talent pools available on staff.
Moreover, with this funding announcement we may likely see the launch of more SiFive hardware offerings to help solve customer problems while providing them with tools required for systems development in other areas like data centers or internet-of-things products. The company typically has dedicated teams working on each core product line which would augment existing customer offerings from companies such as Intel whose focus typically lies in mass production semiconductor chips for PC markets using traditional x86 based instruction sets.
Overall, it seems like SiFive is ready for the next step in their mission of democratizing access to silicon; leveraging all aspects of technology from fabrication processes through engineering skills can help increase access from customers across households and businesses who need special chips tailored more precisely.
SiFive’s mission is to democratize access to silicon, and the company has achieved that with their latest announcement of a $175M Series F at a $2.5B valuation. This has been a hard-earned success culminating in years of hard work and dedication.
The funding will help SiFive further its mission of democratizing access to silicon, thus opening up opportunities for many more people.
In conclusion, we can see that SiFive has achieved its mission of democratizing access to silicon with this announcement.
Summary of SiFive’s mission and recent announcement
SiFive Inc. is a venture-backed startup founded in 2015 with the mission of democratizing access to silicon. At the heart of their mission is their unique platform for technology and startups to design, build and produce custom chips — all at a fraction of the cost and time traditionally associated with SoC design. SiFive’s unique combination of software-automated chip design and integration enables customers to bring products fully customized for their desired specifications — quickly and cost-effectively — to market.
In early April 2021, SiFive announced an additional $175 million in funding in a Series F financing round, led by existing investor SoftBank Group’s Vision Fund 2 (SFVF2). The financing brings SiFive’s total amount raised since founding to $511M across 11 strategic financings. With this investment, SiFive now has a valuation of $2.5B and will be using the funding for continued operations and driving chip designs to new markets, such as automotive, secure AI/ML chipsets, medical applications and more. With this financing round secured, SiFive can continue its mission toward democratizing access to silicon and paving the way forward for further technological progress within these industries.


text:
Seasonal Easing In Rural Property Market
24 MAY, 2002
Rural property statistics for April 2002, released today by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand, indicate that rural property activity is beginning to slow, with the Institute expecting sales to be relatively subdued from now until Spring.
The national sales volume for April was 253, compared to the March sales volume of 355 and the April 2001 volume of 315.
The national median sale price for April was $720,000 compared to March at $815,000, and the April 2001 median of $765,000.
Rural spokesperson for the Institute, Mr Murray Cleland said today that the latest figures were in line with the expectations of most rural commentators.
He said, “After steady growth in the rural economy throughout 2001, the Institute anticipated a slight easing in sales and values in the rural property during 2002 as the market stabilised. It is this trend that is evidenced by the April statistics, in tandem with the seasonal slowdown in sales traditionally experienced throughout Winter.”
“This seasonal effect also tends to have an impact on the national median sale price, as higher value properties, such as dairy farms, are not put on the market during Winter. With far fewer million-dollar-plus transactions being recorded, the median price does tend to ease.”
The national median price for April in the lifestyle block market firmed on year-to-year and month-to-month comparison, while the national sales volume eased from last month and improved on April last year. There were 658 transactions at a median sales price of $230,000 during April, compared to 711 sales in March at $227,500 and 514 in April 2001 at $212,000.
The national median sale price for all farms has eased by 5.89 per cent from April 2001. The individual sectors that eased were arable property, down by 53.80 per cent; forestry property, falling by 50 per cent; grazing property, easing by 14.7 per cent and dairy property, decreasing by 13.30 per cent.
The sectors that experienced an improvement in median price from April 2001 were finishing property, up by 25.36 per cent; horticultural property, increasing by 8.26 per cent and special property, rising by 78.84 per cent.
The demand for dairy properties eased on both year-to-year and month-to-month comparison, with 48 properties changing hands during April, compared to 73 in March and 85 in April 2001.
The April 2002 median sale price for dairy properties of $1,300,500 was down on both the $1,500,000 recorded in April 2001, and the $1,700,000 recorded in March 2002.
The national arable property median sale price was down on both month-to-month and year-to-year comparison, from $1,665,000 in April 2001 and $865,000 in March to $769,350 in the latest period, while sales stayed stable at eight transactions for March 2002, April 2001 and 2002.
Horticultural property sales eased on year-to-year and month-to-month comparison, with 22 sales in April compared to 49 sales in March 2002 and 30 sales in April 2001. The median price rose from both last year and last month, from $475,000 in both April 2001and March 2002, to $514,250 in the latest period.
Finishing property sales eased on both year-to-year and month-to-month comparison, with 42 sales in April 2002 and 76 in March 2002,compared to 69 sales in April 2001. The median price also eased from last month but firmed from last year with $680,000 in April 2001 and $865,000 in March 2002, compared to $852,500 April 2002.
One hundred and twenty three grazing properties sold in April, down from the 135 sales in March but up on the 112 sales recorded in April 2001. The median sale price was down from last year and last month, easing to $412,000 in April 2002 from the $480,000 recorded in April 2001 and the $597,500 recorded in March 2002.
Thirty-one farm sales were recorded in Northland in April, eleven more than March and twelve more than the nineteen sales recorded in April 2001. Fourteen grazing, two finishing, five horticultural, one forestry, one special and ten dairy properties made up the total. The median farm price was $500,000, compared with $342,500 in March and $700,000 in April 2001.
A total of 50 lifestyle block sales were recorded for April, compared to 55 in March and 42 sold in April 2001. The median lifestyle block price was $125,000, down on both March’s $140,000 and the $205,000 recorded in April 2001.
Nineteen farms sold in the Auckland region in April, six more than March 2001 and equivalent to sales in April 2001. Sales comprised one arable, two dairy, two finishing, two horticultural, one special and eleven grazing properties. The median farm price was $475,000, consistent with March and compared $880,000 in April 2001.
Sales of lifestyle blocks rose on both a month-to-month and year-to-year comparison with 152 sales recorded, compared with 151 in March and 117 in April 2001. The median lifestyle block price was $327,500, compared with $340,000 in March and $315,000 in April 2001.
The 43 farms sold in the Waikato were six less than March and 21 less than the sales recorded for April 2001. The sales comprised twenty grazing, 18 dairy, two arable, and three finishing properties. The median farm price was $1,200,000, compared with $1,320,000 in March and $1,000,000 in April 2001.
Seventy-six lifestyle blocks sold during April, compared to 66 in April 2001, and 57 in March 2001. The median lifestyle block price was $246,250, compared with $236,500 in March and $225,000 in April last year.
Nineteen farms were sold, nineteen less than both the sales in March 2002 and April last year. Ten horticultural, one dairy, two special finishing, and six grazing properties made up the total. The median farm price was $698,000, compared with $735,000 in March and $1,100,000 in April 2001.
Fifty-two lifestyle blocks were sold, six more than March and four less than April 2001. The median lifestyle block price was $265,000 for April, more than both the $247,500 recorded for March and the $212,500 in April 2001.
Four properties changed hands in Gisborne during April, four less than March 2002 and three less than in April of last year. The median farm price was $494,368, compared with $436,250 in March and $900,000 twelve months ago.
Two lifestyle blocks changed hands in the region, one less than March and four less than the same month last year. The median lifestyle block price was $180,000, compared with $35,000 in March and $280,750 for the same month last year.
Ten farm settlements took place during April, five less than in March and one more than in April last year. Six grazing, two finishing, one special and one horticultural property comprised the total. The median farm price was $1,100,000, compared with $690,000 in March and $290,000 in April 2001.
Lifestyle block sales fell to 25 in April from 42 in March and compared to 18 sales in April last year. The median lifestyle block price was $195,000, compared with $208,100 in March 2002 and $163,500 last April.
Nine farms changed hands in Taranaki, compared with sixteen in March and fifteen in April 2001. Five grazing and four dairy properties comprised the total farm sales. The median farm price was $1,050,000, compared with $603,750 in March and $750,000 in April 2001.
Twenty-two lifestyle blocks changed hands in the region, four more than March and eight more than the sales for April 2001. The lifestyle block median price was $282,500, compared with $205,000 last month and $185,050 last April.
Farm sales fell from last month - from 26 for March to 21 in April 2002, and compared to 30 sales in April 2001. Twelve grazing, four dairy, four finishing properties and one horticultural property comprised the total. The median farm price was $735,000, compared with $1,057,500 in March and $516,000 in April 2001.
The 56 Lifestyle block sales in April are consistent with the sales for March 2002 and compared to the 38 sales recorded in April 2001. The median lifestyle block price was $167,500, compared with $161,500 in March and $155,750 in April 2001.
Nine properties, consisting of two finishing, three forestry, one special and three grazing properties changed hands in the Wellington region during April, compared to seven farm transactions in April last year and six in March 2002. The median farm price was $280,000, compared with $472,500 in March and $1,275,000 in April 2001.
A total of 42 lifestyle blocks changed hands, sixteen more than the 26 recorded in March 2002 and five more than the 37 for April 2001. The median lifestyle block price fell to $198,500 compared to the March figure of $199,500 but rose on the $165,000 recorded in April 2001.
Farm sales fell in the Nelson/Marlborough region with eleven sales for April, eighteen for March, and fourteen sales recorded in April 2001. Ten grazing and one horticultural property made up the farm sales in the region. The median farm price was $380,000, compared with $444,000 in March and $557,500 in April 2001.
Thirty-two lifestyle blocks sold and the median price was $302,500, compared with $265,000 in March when 47 were sold and $172,500 in April last year when 30 blocks changed hands.
The five transactions that took place on the West Coast during April was one less than the sales for March and equivalent to the sales in April 2001.
Ten lifestyle blocks sold in the region, five more than in both March 2002 and April 2001.
A total of 28 farms changed hands in April, compared with 41 in March and 26 in April last year. There were four arable, one dairy, fifteen grazing, one horticultural and seven finishing properties sold. The median farm price was $767,500, compared with $616,200 in March and $1,100,000 in April 2001.
Lifestyle block sales fell on a month-to-month basis, with 86 changing hands for April, compared to 120 in March but rose on the 73 sales recorded in April 2001. The median lifestyle block price for the region was $186,000 compared to $201,750 in March and $230,000 in April last year.
Twelve farms were sold in Otago comprising nine grazing and three finishing properties. This compared with 27 sales in April last year and 36 in March. The median farm price was $282,500, compared with $639,000 in March and $510,000 in April 2001.
Thirty-one lifestyle blocks changed hands in the region, compared to 44 sales for March and 25 sales in April 2001. The median lifestyle block price was $230,000, up on both March’s $217,500 and the $143,000 recorded in April 2001.
The median farm price in Southland was $821,575 compared with $1,164,700 in March and $764,000 in April 2001.Thirty-two farms changed hands compared to 65 in March and 54 in April last year. There were seventeen finishing, nine grazing, one arable and five dairy properties sold.
Lifestyle block sales fell from 32
for March 2002 to 22 sales for April 2002, equivalent with
sales for April 2001. The median lifestyle block price was
$122,500, down on March’s $126,750 and up on the $118,500
recorded in April