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Local residents mourn Steve Jobs
John Williams said when he heard Wednesday night that Apple Chairman Steve Jobs had died, he felt as if he had lost a friend he’d never met.
“We’re kind of a Mac family, so Jobs and Apple have had an impact on our life,” said Williams of North Canton. “We felt we had met him in his products.”
Williams was among several area residents in the Apple section of the Best Buy at the Strip who shared thoughts Thursday about Jobs, who died at 56 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Jobs, Apple’s co-founder and former chief executive officer, was revered by consumers and the technology industry for his work in launching Apple’s hit products including the Apple II computer, the Macintosh computer, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad tablet.
Having the ability to determine what consumers desired before they knew they desired it, Jobs insisted every product Apple shipped be elegant, uncluttered, relevant and easy to use.
If not for his influence, computers might not look and work as they do today. Web browsing on a mobile phone might not be as easy as it is today on iPhones and Android phones. Carrying an entire music collection on an MP3 player or a smartphone might never have become popular. And today’s tablets might not be in millions of homes.
Williams, the former head pastor of the local Evangelical Friends Church, said he and his family had several Apple products: iMac computers, MacBook laptops, an iPhone and an iPad.
“They’re enjoyable to use,” he said. “They work for you rather than you working for them.”
Williams said he had sent many Macs to Evangelical Friends Church ministries and schools around the world. He was at Best Buy on Thursday helping Arun Massey, a member of an Evangelical Friends church in India, shop for a MacBook laptop.
Mike Wagner, 34, of Wadsworth, said his employer, Pets Marketing Insurance of Canton, has 22 iPhone 4s that his co-workers use for video conferencing and taking pictures of white boards.
Although he knew Jobs was in poor health, Wagner didn’t think his death would be so soon.
“He was an innovator,” Wagner said “Eventually, there might be somebody with the same vision .... but definitely (it’s going to be) a while before anyone fills his shoes.”
Stark State College student Nick Sattler, 20, of Doylestown, was at Best Buy checking out Apple’s ultraportable MacBook Air. While he doesn’t have an iPhone, Sattler believes Motorola would not have been inspired to make his Droid X phone if the iPhone had never been released.
“There’s a lot of things they took from the iPhone,” Sattler said. “Without iPhone, Android wouldn’t be pushing to get a little edge.”
Megan Lindenbaum, 31, of Canton, who owns an iPad, says many of her co-workers at a North Canton information technology firm are “Apple fanatics” and are “upset” about Jobs’ death.
She said Jobs’ contribution to improving her life was releasing the iPad, which replaced her home computer.
“Look at those tablets,” she said, pointing to the non-Apple tablet computers at Best Buy. “Those tablets never existed before the iPad came out.”
Jeff Hach, 55, of Jackson Township, was browsing the Web on one of the iPad 2s at Best Buy. The local hotel manager indicated he was impressed with Jobs’ blunt management style and ability to focus on real issues.
“(Jobs) was such a visionary, and he really had uncompromising standards,” Hach said. “He really showed Americans are still capable as producing as much as anybody in the world. ... unfortunately, we are losers in his death because I think he had that much more to give.”


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The US-India Business Council (USIBC) also stressed yesterday that there is a need for a separate regulatory framework for medical devices.
The business body that led a three-day Medical Device Trade Mission to New Delhi and Gandhinagar from July 21 said there are opportunities for collaboration to attract investment and talent to the sector.
The Indian medical device industry is currently valued at $4.4 billion, the fourth largest in Asia and the sector has the potential to grow to USD seven billion by 2016 with a growth rate of 10 15 per cent annually, it said.
Citing the NDA government's focus on 'Make in India', the USIBC delegation said India had strong potential in developing innovative industries in the medical devices sector.
"Through this series of fruitful discussions, we have identified opportunities to continue collaborating with the Government of India in support of its priorities to attract investment and talent to the medical device sector," said Maulik Nanavaty, Senior Vice President and President for Neuromodulation at Boston Scientific.
"India has made considerable strides in developing innovative industries across a number of sectors and maintains strong potential to do the same in medical devices," Nanavaty, who chaired the delegation, said.
He cited India's engineering talent, experience in IT innovation and the Modi government's 'Make in India' focus to underscore the importance for the government and industry to work toward creating the proper ecosystem for medical device innovation.
The delegation expressed its commitment to addressing India's most pressing public health challenges and called for further dialogue with the government on issues related to ease of doing business, disease management and the implementation of training programs for medical device regulators.
The delegation encouraged the government to pass legislation that would provide specific regulations for medical devices, which are currently treated as pharmaceuticals under India's Drug & Cosmetics Act.
"This will expedite the ongoing creation of research and development and product innovation that medical device companies offer India, leading to faster growth of medical device manufacturing in the country. The time is opportune to fulfil the government's mandate of Make in India and Innovate in India," Nanavaty added.
USIBC Director and Legal Policy Council Amy Hariani said the medical device industry, which forms a critical segment of the healthcare industry, is going through rapid transformation in India and is projected to grow at a higher rate as health insurance becomes more widely available and the country's consumers continue to demand better healthcare services.
Tuesday, 28 Nov, 2023
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New York Fashion Week is ending today. Dry your tears, kick up your feet (because they're tired!), and create a countdown until next February's exciting new, exciting collections. Namely, we're referring to one.
Along with four other finalists for the Made for Peroni Young Designer Awards, Chris Gelinas presented his structured, feminine spring '14 collection to a group of esteemed judges, including Jenné Lombardo, Zanna Roberts Rassi, Coco Rocha, Nicole Fasolino, and last season Made For Peroni winner Nolan Bellavance. And, at the award ceremony on Tuesday evening, NY-based Gelinas secured a $40,000 prize to be used toward the creation and production of his collection, CG, that is now set to present at Made Fashion Week in a few months.
Even if you're not familiar with his work yet, odds are, you will be. Click ahead to preview the designs in Gelinas' new collection — including a pair of amazing sheer, loose-fit trousers and a new, relaxed, graphic-printed take on evening wear.


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CARS.COM — After years without any significant new features or styling updates, the grandmother of the minivan class was not aging well. But for 2017 the Chrysler Town & Country is reborn as the Pacifica, and the new vehicle’s styling and features will wow families, likely catching the eye of even the most minivan-averse.
Related: More 2016 Detroit Auto Show Coverage
The new Pacifica debuted at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit wearing the sleek curves and stylish face of the redesigned Chrysler 200, and packing loads of features — and a few surprises — like a segment-first hybrid powertrain.
The Chrysler Town & Country came in last at the Cars.com Ultimate Minivan Challenge for its weak powertrain, lack of composure on the road and ancient multimedia system. With its new-for-2017 replacement, Chrysler promises more room, comfortable seating and plenty of innovative features tailored to families. Check out our top five favorites:


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To the Editor:
Fall is a beautiful time in Central New York and there is no better way to spend a fall day with friends and family than going to your closest apple orchard to pick apples for apple pie, enjoy some apple cider and candy apples or just take in the scenery. Fall is also the time of the year where you will find local apple festivals all across the county and we encourage you to visit them all!
We often forget how lucky we are to be surrounded by so much local agriculture, but when we make the extra effort to think local, visit local and buy local we have an enormous impact on our local economy. That is why the Onondaga County Agricultural Council was established earlier this year. The council is working to raise awareness and help ensure that our local farms continue their success.
One way we will raise awareness is through our ''Crop of the Month'' program. Each month will be dedicated to a certain crop, and this month we would like to highlight our local apple growers. While the unusual weather this spring undoubtedly affected many in the agriculture industry, the members of the Onondaga County Agriculture Council would like to assure people that the local apple crop is strong and plentiful this year. Take a fall drive to southern Onondaga County and you will get a glimpse of the plentiful apple crop in our county. Easier yet, walk through your local grocery store and see all of the apples grown right here. Onondaga County has plenty of apples for everyone.
If you have any questions or comments about the Onondaga County Agriculture Council, we welcome your feedback at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Joanie Mahoney, County Executive
Dave Knapp, County Legislator & Co-Chair
Paul Nojaim, Co-Chair
Kay Hilsberg, Co-Chair
To the Editor:


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BNPS.co.uk (01202) 558833.
Pic: Zachary Culpin/BNPS
A classic E-Type Jaguar a mechanic bought 43 years ago from a dentist for £1,500 is now tipped to sell for £75,000.
Mike Lucas set his heart on the legendary British sports car after seeing the late Jimmy Hill drive one while manager of Coventry City.
The 'beautiful' 1962 E-type Series I coupe was found to be a 'jumble of 1,000 parts' when Mike answered an advert for it in...more »


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Bicycles are shipped en mass worldwide in colossal cardboard boxes, carefully protected and packed with non-recyclable materials such as zip ties, bubble wrap, cassette protectors and other bits of fodder destined for the landfill. Although small in scale on an individual basis, when you consider the sheer volume of the global supply, those tiny bits of plastic quickly add up and contribute to a much larger environmental issue.
Last year, Trek Bicycles took a considerable step forward in overhauling bike packaging and Bontrager's small accessory products by removing as many plastic parts as possible. Along with Specialized, Trek joined praNa's radical new campaign, the Responsible Packaging Movement, which ask brands from all industries to join them in "eliminating excess packaging waste from our supply chains in a responsible, long-lasting way."
Since overhauling how they packaged bicycles last year, Trek has reportedly saved a massive 433,600 pounds (19.6 tonnes) of plastic from bike boxes and Bontrager accessory packaging. To achieve this staggering amount, Trek reduced 22 non-recyclable pieces to just 12, and they're not stopping there. Their goal is to make all bike boxes from Trek, Electra, and Diamant 100% recyclable and all packaging plastic-free by 2024, so they're off to a pretty good start.
"Paper and cardboard were already present in older packaging iterations but are now our first-choice materials in Trek's packaging," Chris van der Linden, Trek product designer, said. "Furthermore, consumer-facing packaging has completely eliminated plastic laminates from their cardboard packaging, which makes recycling our packaging even easier for customers."
As Trek enter their second year of sustainable reform, they're now focusing on removing zip ties and foam from their packaging altogether.


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The COVID-19 virus is testing not only human strength, but the transport sector, because although supply chains are not infected, they suffer from the contagion that is experienced worldwide and that wreaks havoc on the economy due to that nonessential industries have slowed or suspended operations, bringing changes in transportation and logistics, that face the challenge of preventing disease while seeking a cure for their affected users.
“In this crisis, the supply chain continues to operate, shipping companies, railways, motor transport. We are the best industry because every day we dedicate ourselves to solving problems and this is another one that I do not doubt we will solve ”, indicates Diego Anchustegui, Commercial Director of Transport EASO.
Among the industries that reduced or stopped their outstanding operations were the automotive and auto parts, construction, electronics and household appliances, which has decreased the demand for freight services, according to Leonardo Gómez, Director General of the National Association of Private Transportation.
Similarly, industries such as tourism, since there is no operation in hotels, all the items needed as food, cleaning, and beverage products go down, "and then the operation of generating products and storage decreased. the flow is not taking place, ”says Enrique González, National President of the National Chamber of Freight Transportation.
With the estimates made by motor transport entrepreneurs by the sectors they work in, the consumption-related situation will fall by 6% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same cycle of the previous year, a situation that is not considered as negative due to current economic conditions. In contrast, the automotive operation is estimated between 40 and 60% less than the previous year.


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StreetEasy’s Premier Agent advertising feature has landed in the crosshairs of the city’s Department of Consumer Affairs.
In a letter to StreetEasy and its parent company, Zillow Group, the department’s general counsel Daniel Tiger said the site’s “Contact Agent” box was misleading to buyers looking for more information about a listing.
“Consumers may believe they are contacting the agent who listed a property for sale, when they are actually contacting a different agent,” Tiger wrote in the July 31 letter, a copy of which was reviewed by The Real Deal.
To avoid confusion, Tiger urged StreetEasy to add “explicit language” to its website and mobile apps to make clear that they may be contacted by a buy-side agent instead of the exclusive sales agent.
The move by the department, which licenses businesses and enforces consumer-protection laws, came at the request of state Sen. Jeff Klein, who urged the agency to intercede.
“It is now the responsibility of Zillow to take DCA’s suggestions seriously by adjusting their web listings accordingly,” Klein said in a statement. The Real Estate Board of New York has said that Premier Agent causes a “maelstrom of consumer confusion.”
In a statement, StreetEasy’s general manager Susan Daimler said the company is talking with the department, has done “extensive testing” to ensure the agent contact box is clear for consumers, and will continue to do so.
“The box we currently have is very well-understood, and in fact a large percentage of buyers proactively choose to contact the listing agent,” Daimler added.
In 2016, Premier Agent was a cash cow for Zillow, generating over $600 million in advertising revenue, by far the company’s greatest source of income. According to a recent Deutsche Bank analysis, its rollout in New York could pull in up to $86 million in ad revenue over the next two years.
In March, REBNY wrote to the Department of State, claiming the program violated a rule that prohibits advertising a property that’s another broker’s exclusive. StreetEasy challenged that assertion and said Premier Agent is in no way illegal.
More recently, StreetEasy and the city’s top residential brokerages have fought over the portal’s decision not to accept a syndicated feed of listings from the Real Estate Board of New York. Brokers say there is no good reason for StreetEasy to reject the feed, which Realtor.com and Homes.com have agreed to take.


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OKI, a leading Japanese manufacturer, has announced the launch of its Bitcoin Teller Machine, to be deployed in China and India, but not in Japan.
Founded in 1881, Oki Electric Industry is a Japanese electronics company that manufactured Japan’s first telephone which launched the same year. Now present in over 120 countries, the company specializes in the manufacture of info-telecom equipment, printers, and mechatronic solutions (including ATMs).OKI to deploy 150,000 Bitcoin Cash Recyclers in South and Southeast Asian countries.Click To Tweet
R-G8, Bitcoin ATM and Cash Recycler
OKI is the first company in the world to start developing cash recycling ATMs (1982). Since then, the company has launched seven generations of cash recycling ATMs, four models among which are for retail markets.
Earlier this month, OKI launched the eighth generation, the Recycler G8, the first line of Bitcoin ATM-recyclers to further expand its mechatronics business overseas.
Over the next five years, the company plans to deploy no less than 150,000 units of RG8 in emerging markets where there are big opportunities for growth, in South and Southeast Asia, mainly targeting the Chinese and Indian booming markets of cryptocurrencies.
“The very large volume of cash circulating in emerging markets,” said OKI in the press release, “has generated demand for increased efficiency in teller operations at financial institutions.”
Users can link their Bitcoin e-wallets to the BTC-ATM and withdraw cash on their local currencies depending on the price of Bitcoin. In the future, these cash-recyclers would enable payment of invoices sent via smartphone and other features as well according to the country in which they are installed.
OKI’s Big Fintech Plans for Asia, Except Japan
The company hasn’t revealed where it intends to install the new cash recyclers, but usually, as it is the case with previous models, RG8 machines would be installed in busy areas with high foot traffic, such as airports and commercial centers.
The company has integrated use of AI, as the system allows for the integration of future services related to FinTech using these new, IoT-related technologies. Cash recycling ATMs help customers to efficiently manage their finances with the automated system of deposits, withdrawals, conversions to and from cryptocurrencies, and management of accounts.
OKI, which already operates RG7 cash recyclers in Japan, has no plans for Bitcoin cash recyclers in the Japanese market, as the demand for Bitcoin among Japanese customers and financial institutions is still timid compared to other countries in Asia and the world.


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- 1 min read
Doceree launches opti-channel marketing for pharma sector
The company is aiming to improve overall business outcomes of pharma brands on digital...
With this, it aims to accelerate adoption of digital mediums in an industry which is relatively slow in embracing innovative digital technologies.
Pharma brands can now showcase a single message to physicians on multi channels – display email and SMS, pronouncing greatly the impact of digital messaging campaigns, it said in a press statement.
Harshit Jain, founder and global chief executive officer, Doceree, said, “While there is considerable openness among brands now towards the medium, there is still a lot that needs to be achieved to incline pharma towards innovative digital technologies. We are developing capabilities that would make digital a crucial marketing component for the pharma industry. It is thus important that we enable pharma brands to gain access to physicians’ touch points across effective digital channels."
Preetha Vasanji, managing director, India, Doceree, said, “Pharma industry is huge in terms of market and size, and India is a significant market. It is absolutely exciting to come up with products that are the need of the hour. We introduced a programmatic marketing category in India and would continue to evolve the ecosystem for pharma brands and digital sites to drive optimisation across the landscape.”


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Here’s A Shocking List Of Stores Closing in 2020!
In 2019, a significant number of retailers made the decision to close stores, with more than 9,000 locations reportedly shutting down throughout the year.
For 2020, it’s also expected that there will be another round of store closures with some of these closures having already been announced by retailers. Here’s a look at many of the stores that shoppers will have to say goodbye to in 2020 as they close down during the year.
Bed Bath & Beyond
Struggling home goods retailer Bed Bath & Beyond will close up to 60 stores in 2020. A total of 40 of the locations will be shuttered by March 2020, with the other 20 locations making up buybuy Baby, and Cost Plus World Market stores, MoneyWise said. The retailer reportedly had more than 1,500 stores in the U.S. and Canada under all its brands as of August 2019.
Chico’s has announced that it will be closing up to 250 stores in 2020. But this does not mark the end for the retailer that has more than 1,200 locations in the U.S. and Canada. The company has partnered up with Amazon, ShopRunner, and QVC to continue to service its customers with its sophisticated clothing, accessories and intimate apparel, the news outlet said.
Christopher & Banks
Christopher & Banks will also close up to 40 stores by the end of next year, after a reported loss of $8.8 million in 2018. Despite the decrease in brick-and-mortar sales, the retailer saw its online sales increase by almost 11%, causing it to realign its focus to e-commerce orders.
Even CVS has not been able to escape the retail apocalypse as it too will close 22 stores next year. The drugstore and pharmacy retailer closed more stores in 2019 and still will have about 9,900 locations remaining. However, the company is shifting its focus to health services, reportedly offering 1,100 health clinic locations to date.
Gap will also be closing stores in 2020 as it has announced that up to 230 locations will be closed throughout the next year. The company said that it will further shrink its portfolio with smaller-sized stores after seeing its sales decline 5% after the 2018 holiday season, the news outlet said.
Likes its Sears counterpart, Kmart has not been immune to store closure as it has announced that 45 locations will close in 2020. Kmart felt the effects of Sears 2018 bankruptcy after merging with the company in 2004 and has seen many of its stores close for good over the years. After the closures at Sears and Kmart occur next year, only 182 stores will remain under its new owner Transformco, the news outlet said.
Lord & Taylor ( <— If they ever close the one in Novi at Twelve Oaks Mall, my mom’s gonna be FURIOUSSS!!! 🙁 -Tracy )
Lord & Taylor will close two more stores in 2020 after closing its flagship store in New York City in 2019. The stores impacted by the closures include a location in Virginia at Tysons Corner Center and In New York at Palisades Center, according to MoneyWise. Lord & Taylor was also recently purchased by Le Tote.
Macy’s will close one additional store in 2020 at its downtown Seattle location. The store was downsized over the years from eight stories to two and will meet its demise finally in February.
New York & Co.
Another retailer to fall by the wayside is New York & Co. – owned by parent company RTW Retailwinds. The company is closing 27 stores in 2020, including 19 New York & Company locations, four Fashion to Figure stores, and four New York & Co. outlets. The retailer saw its sales dip after a disappointing Thanksgiving holiday shopping season, the news outlet said.
Office supply retailer Office Depot said it will close up to 90 stores by 2021 as it focuses its attention on business-to-business services. The company closed 55 locations in 2018 and the closures will include its OfficeMax stores as well.
Pier 1 Imports
Another retailer that is struggling to gain a foothold in 2020 is Pier 1 Imports. The company announced that it will close at least four stores next year after closing 70 locations in 2019. Pier 1 Imports did say that another 70 stores could be closed going forward as it continues to review its store portfolio. The company still has about 950 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Arts and crafts retailer A.C. Moore announced that it was closing more than 145 locations in 2020 with up to 40 locations turned into Michaels stores – another arts and crafts retailer. The closures are expected early in the year. The decision to close the locations was made after the company said it became too difficult “to operate and compete on a national level.”
Sears is undergoing a series of closures with the as many as 51 stores being closed within the next year. Sears filed bankruptcy in October 2018, emerging from Chapter 11 the next year. Yet, the retailer continues to struggle and said it will shut dozens of stores by February.


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Dragon Models to make 1/9 scale Terminator Genisys action figures
Dragon Models, a Hong Kong based manufacturer probably most known for making 1/9th scale pre-painted model kits, has announced they have acquired the license to make 1/9 scale Terminator Genisys action figures.
At 1/9th scale, that would put the figures right around the 8-inch range. This isn’t going to be the first time that Dragon Models has made action figures. In the past they have made military sixth scale figures for 9 years, spanning from 2003-2012.
Dragon Models hasn’t quite announced any details besides the license. Stay tuned for more information as made available.


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Xbox division's new boss is the guy who reportedly wanted to sell it off
Former Nokia executive Stephen Elop to replace Julie Larson-Green as head of Devices and Studios division.
Former Nokia executive Stephen Elop will take over control of Microsoft's Devices and Studios division--the business unit that includes Xbox and Surface--Microsoft confirmed to GameSpot sister site CNET after an internal memo leaked to GeekWire yesterday.
Interestingly, and perhaps ironically, a Bloomberg report from November said Elop would consider selling off the Xbox unit if he was named the next Microsoft CEO. He was not, as that position was filled last month by Satya Nadella, who is a "good supporter" of Xbox.
The report stated that if Elop got the job as CEO, he would be ready to sell or close major Microsoft business units--including Xbox--if he determined they are not critical to the company's strategic outlook. It's unclear if Elop--when he becomes the new Xbox division boss--would have the power to complete such a deal.
Microsoft has been urged by some high-profile investors to sell off the Xbox business unit. These investors, including Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen's investment group Vulcan Capital, say that though Xbox has been successful, it's also detracting from Microsoft's core competencies.
Elop will replace outgoing Devices and Studios leader Julie Larson-Green, who moved into the role--replacing Don Mattrick who left for Zynga--just seven months ago. Larson-Green will transition to a new role at Microsoft where she will lead the "My Life & Work" team at the company's Applications and Services group.
"I want to thank each and every one of you for welcoming me and supporting me as the leader of Devices & Studios over the past 7 months. I'm very proud of what we have accomplished during such a short timeframe," Larson-Green said. "We launched Xbox One, Surface 2 & Pro 2, blockbuster games like Forza and Ryse, a brand new Xbox Music and Video service, PPI, and some amazing unannounced innovations just to name a few…"
"You are all in great hands with Stephen and already we've shared a lot with him and his LT from Nokia regarding all of the fantastic people, teams and products in DnS," she added. "I also know many of you are looking forward to welcoming the Nokia team and working more closely with them."
Elop joined Microsoft when the company purchased the handset maker's mobile business for $7.2 billion in September. Larson-Green will remain leader of the Devices and Studios division in the interim until the Nokia deal officially closes.
Yesterday, Microsoft announced the first official price cut for the Xbox One, cutting the price from £430 to £400 in the United Kingdom only effective on Friday. The company also revealed a special $500 Titanfall bundle that includes a copy of the game.
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Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email firstname.lastname@example.org


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By Marie Mannes
Nov 9 (Reuters) – EQT’s enterprise capital fund stated on Wednesday it had raised 1.1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) because it seeks to extend investments in tech startups subsequent yr while firm valuations are low resulting from weak markets and hovering inflation.
The Swedish fund, which initially invested in Finnish start-up Wolt earlier than it was purchased by U.S. supply agency DoorDash, stated it deliberate on utilizing the cash to assist early-stage tech startups in Europe and North America.
Ted Persson, companion in EQT Ventures, instructed Reuters the fund had slowed its funding tempo early within the yr however deliberate to ramp it up in 2023.
He stated the fund would be capable to make investments much more in firms as valuations have been at the moment low resulting from market situations, including there may be a rise in startups from some enterprising workers laid off from their jobs.
On account of the unsure geopolitical scenario coupled with hovering inflation and vitality prices, enterprise capital funding has slowed down since its increase in 2021.
Along with diminished funding, high-flying startups have seen billions shaved off their valuations, together with Swedish Klarna which in July was pressured to lift capital in a spherical that minimize its valuation by over 80%. ($1 = 0.9925 euros) (Reporting by Marie Mannes, Enhancing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)


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Bay Area Businesses on a Shut-Down amid hiking Coronavirus fears in US
The world is at a hiatus due to covid-19, and the businesses are also not unaffected as it was announced that seven Bay Area counties would be under a new shelter-in-place order. This move was made to tackle the spread of the coronavirus among US citizens.
This move came after US President Donald Trump released a long list of guidelines that must be followed by the United States citizens to avoid any more damage due to the covid-19 pandemic. The announcement directed the officials to take into consideration a prolonged shut-down of businesses to prevent any further spread.
After this move, many are left to wonder what businesses will still be open, and when will the markets open again? The orders consist of a series of business that has been considered to be essential businesses. The orders are specific about the list of “essential’’ businesses that may still be operating over the course of the next few weeks, while others stay closed.
It is essential to point out that the said list has considered business other than the usual – Utilities, Health Care Facilities, and grocery businesses to be crucial and was allowed to stay open throughout the period of stress. Few of these other businesses were – Legal services, Newspapers, Hardware stores, and plumbers.
Large tech companies like Google and Apple have received an allowance to continue performing some activities, but the primary chunk workforce is forced to work from their home only. Coronavirus has been proving itself very dangerous in the United States as the total no. of deaths in the United States due to the virus has touched the 100 mark.
The testing facilities in the United States have also been majorly criticized for being inefficient in conducting the coronavirus tests.
Here’s the full list of businesses that will continue functioning over the next few weeks:
- Healthcare foundations and offices (clinics, utility PG&E)
- Grocers, produce stands, food banks, departmental stores, and different retailers dealing in foods, farms, farmers’ markers — including those that likewise sell items besides food
- Food cultivators organizations (cultivating, fishing)
- Businesses or associations offering social types of assistance, shelter to the needy and injured
- Newspapers, TV, radio and other media
- Gas stations and auto-related organizations, including fix shops
- Banks and monetary organizations
- Hardware stores
- Plumbers, circuit repairers, and other specialist organizations that keep organizations running
- Shipping and mailing organizations
- Educational organizations — like schools — distance learning
- Laundry administrations (laundromats, drycleaning organizations)
- Restaurants for conveyance and take-out
- Businesses that supply individuals with things required to work from home or organizations that provide essential organizations with vital supplies
- Companies that transport goods and supplies straightforwardly to homes
- Airlines, taxicabs, and private transportation administrations
- Home-based and private consideration for seniors, grown-ups, and kids
- Legal and bookkeeping administrations that keep businesses in consistence
- Childcare offices, with specific stipulations, as just having gatherings of 12 children together at once.


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Gionee Elife E8 coming to india in june
Guess we shall have to wait for June to know if Gionee Elife E8 is indeed the best in its price segment. We would also like to remind you that Gionee’s E series is its camera-focused series. So, we are hoping that this Chinese maker would be looking at enhancing the camera experience of its forthcoming smartphone.
As of now, we don’t have any details on what could be the probable specs for this smartphone. However, we do know that Elife E8 will be the flagship smartphone of Gionee and will cost more than what Elife S7 costs.
At the same event, Gionee has mentioned that it will be launching 12 new smartphones in India this year.
Gionee had launched the ELIFE E7 in December 2013. The specifications of the Elife E7 include 5.5-inch LTPS Ultra Bright display, 2.2GHz Quad- core Processor Cortex-A7 Main CPU, 16.0 MP AF+8.0 MP AF camera, Android OS V4.2. It comes in two variants, one has 16 GB internal storage with 2GB RAM. While the one with 32GB of internal storage comes with 3GB of RAM. It has a 2,500mAh battery


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6309 Monarch Park Place, Suite 203
Niwot, CO 80503, USA
Phone (303) 443-5060
Toll free (888) 742-5060
Sandvik, Stockholm, Sweden, completed its previously announced acquisition of French metrology software company Metrologic Group from Astorg Partners. As of July 4, 2018, Metrologic Group will be reported as part of the Sandvik Machining Solutions business.
Sandvik paid EUR 360 million (US$421 million), on a cash and debt-free basis, for the business. In fiscal year 2017, Metrologic Group generated revenues of EUR 43.3 million (US$50.7 million).


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A year ago, Nest Labs Inc. was a tiny but well-pedigreed challenger to Honeywell International Inc.'s giant-sized presence in the thermostat business, which is based in Minnesota. Now Nest has a giant on its side, too.
Google Inc. on Monday announced it was paying $3.2 billion to buy Palo Alto, Calif.-based Nest, the Silicon Valley Business Journal reports.
The deal has all sorts of implications for the Mountain View, Calif.-based Google, which could be positioning itself in the growing business of smart appliances. Nest's thermostat can be tweaked by the user remotely and "learns" its owners' behavior.
But closer to home, the big question is how the deal could play out in Nest's ongoing patent feud with Honeywell, whose home-automation business is based in Golden Valley. Honeywell said it came up with the ideas that Nest is using first (though it didn't roll out some of them until after Nest launched). Nest was already pretty well funded and had a lot of sympathy among the tech crowd, but it can afford even more lawyers now.
In the meantime, Honeywell has tried to step up its own innovating, such as a thermostat that can recognize voice commands.
Mark Reilly manages daily and weekly coverage at the Business Journal newsroom.


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Zhai Huqu: Making technical preparations for transgenic technology is very necessary for nation
HARBIN - The Chinese consume millions of tons of genetically modified (GM) soybean oil every year without fuss despite the fact that attitudes toward GM food remain as divergent in the nation as they are in the rest of the world.
China needs to step up agricultural innovation, including development of its own GM varieties, in response to climate change and to reduce reliance on foreign technologies, top agricultural experts and scientists told China Business Weekly last week.
The genetic modification of food involves the insertion of genes from one variety of a crop to another in order to transfer certain desired characteristics such as insect-resistance or drought tolerance.
The technology is controversial. Critics say it is inherently risky to mess with nature. Supporters say it will prevent food shortages.
GM crops can provide solutions to various problems facing the ecosystem such as limited land and water resources, scientists say.
"Making technical preparations for transgenic technology is very necessary for China," said Zhai Huqu, president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
However, the government has yet to approve use of the technology, Zhai said.
Last year, China issued bio-safety certificates to two strains of pest-resistant GM rice and corn. The strains still need about three to five years of registration and production trials before commercialization.
"Apart from transgenic soybean oil there should not be any GM crops on the market," Zhai said.
China has been a net importer of soybeans since the mid-1990s. Imported soybeans from the United States and Argentina are mainly genetically modified.
China consumes about 10 million tons of soybean oil and about 40 million tons of soybean meal per year in processed food and animal feedstuff, industry analysts said.
More than 80 percent of the total is imported GM soybean oil or made from imported GM soybeans.
Approval has not been given for the import of GM crop seeds.
International companies such as Monsanto, which have already sold seeds of GM cotton and conventional crops in China, have started exploring the potential GM market in China.
The majority of US and Argentina corn producers have adopted GM technologies, said Kevin Eblen, Monsanto's regional leader in North Asia and president of Monsanto China.
"We are working to get those approvals in China," he said.
To make its seeds more adaptable to China's situation, the company set up a research and development center in China last December and carried out joint research with several Chinese institutes.
"We are here in China to try to find the best products for China's soil type, climate and environmental conditions," said Eblen.
He declined to reveal Monsanto's revenue or market share in China. The published annual global revenue of the company is roughly $11 billion.
China is the number one growth opportunity for Monsanto in the long term, he said.
"China for us today is still a relatively small piece of our overall business but, obviously, with the size of agriculture here, particularly in crops that we are involved in, such as corn, vegetables and cotton, there are opportunities for our business here," he said.
Companies including Monsanto have developed crops with high drought tolerance.
Chinese agricultural research institutes should catch up and develop their own anti-drought crops to reduce possible reliance on foreign technologies, said scientists.
"Currently we only deal with disasters such as droughts or floods passively when they occur, which isn't a long-term solution," said Wang Ren, director of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.
As climate change is bringing more uncertainties, it's urgent for China to move quickly to develop its own anti-drought varieties, both conventional and GM products, he said.
To ensure China's food security, the key is to enhance its agricultural technology level in all aspects, Wang said.
"GM is a potential technology, but its development must be well under the nation's transgenic safety and quality assessment system. All things should be assessed under the framework," he warned.
The nation needs to carefully study what kind of products will be needed in the next 15 years when investing in agricultural technologies, said Fan Shenggen, director-general of the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute.
Factors such as climate change and alterations to water resources need to be taken into consideration when designing the plans, he said.
Environmental groups such as Greenpeace have long expressed concerns about the spread of GM food. Disputes over GM food are most intense in Japan and Europe.
In February, the Indian government reserved a decision to allow Monsanto to sell its GM eggplant crop in India. The decision to commercialize the eggplant sparked concerns that the market might be monopolized and the product could threaten the health of humans.
Fan said GM technology provides a new choice. It's good for increasing the income of farmers and reducing costs to consumers. However, at the same time, new technologies always have risks.
Scientists should provide statistics and reports about any impact on health and the environment. It must be the farmers and consumers who make the final decision whether or not to plant or consume GM food, said experts.
Fan urged the government to take environmental protection into consideration in transgenic technology development from the very beginning.
Anton Mangstl, director of the Office of Knowledge Exchanges, Research and Extension of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States, said GM technology was one direction for agriculture.
"If the technology can be used in a wise way, I personally believe GM technology in the long term can be a contribution to agricultural food security," he said.
The high level tolerance of some GM plants can address various problems that the ecosystem is facing from such things as drought and insects, said 2004 World Food Prize Laureate Monty Jones, executive director of Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa.
"So far there are no major problems to health. I agree there might be problems that have yet to be identified, but the risks are very, very low," he said.
People for and against GM food should stop fighting and come together, do surveys from time to time, every year or every two years, look at the potential and the benefit and the risks, if there are any, so they are able to advise the community, he added.
"When you don't know something, how do you judge it? You can't and shouldn't stop science, but choices should be made by society. We can control it," said Ajit Maru of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research.
About 40 percent of the food in the world is wasted in various ways, either in losses or not eaten. The globe is not short of food in that sense, but short of being able to use food effectively, he added.


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Lisk launched three weeks ago, just a couple days before The DAO concluded its ICO and the Bitcoin price started moving after a long period of dormancy. Unsurprisingly, its launch was quiet, but it has become one of the top coins in terms of market capitalization (worth over $40 million at time of writing)
What is Lisk?
Lisk currently has every decentralized application to run on its own sidechain, linked to the Lisk blockchain. The Lisk main chain is secured using a delegated proof-of-stake protocol, in which the network elects nodes that will confirm transactions.
The use of sidechains will allow Lisk to scale in ways Bitcoin currently can’t. The team can make changes to the main blockchain while the sidechains continue operating on their own.
With the sidechains, our mainchain stays extremely lean and efficient because it doesn’t get polluted with all the dapp data – CEO Max Kordek in an interview with Cointelegraph.
This flexibility comes with some initial caveats. It leaves the security responsibilities to the sidechains, who need to convince enough nodes to run it. For smaller Dapps, this number might be small and could even be just the developer team’s own nodes. Lisk has drawn a distinction between decentralized and trustless–you still need to trust the developers to some degree. This may not be an issue, given how much consumers today trust developers, and if users of Dapps are trusting the code, they might be more likely to trust the sidechain’s security even more if the developers are securing it.
Lisk: more entrepreneurs, more ideas
Earlier this year, Lisk ran a contest for the Dapps that people were excited about building and in May, they announced three winners, who show a preview of what might be possible using Lisk’s protocol.
- Dust aims to develop a decentralized reputation system
- Discovr registers art on a blockchain, reducing forgery and increasing discoverability for artists.
- Criterion provides registers ownership and proof-of-existence on a blockchain, enabling things like an immutable land registry.
Lisk: looking forward
Lisk is riding momentum. Its ICO raised over $6 million (at a time when Bitcoin’s price hovered just above $400). It was listed on Microsoft’s Azure marketplace even before it launched. It just added some high-profile advisors who think it has the potential to grow like Ethereum. They are opening an office in Berlin. They’ve announced they will soon release an updated whitepaper.


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Apple Inc. has a moonshot-style project underway that dates back to the Steve Jobs era: noninvasive and continuous blood glucose monitoring.
The goal of this secret endeavour — dubbed E5 — is to measure how much glucose is in someone’s body without needing to prick the skin for blood. After hitting major milestones recently, the company now believes it could eventually bring glucose monitoring to market.
Apple’s glucose monitoring system could ultimately find its way into the company’s smartwatch line.
If perfected, such a breakthrough would be a boon to diabetics and help cement Apple as a powerhouse in health care. Adding the monitoring system to Apple Watch, the ultimate goal, would make that device an essential item for millions of diabetics around the world.
Roughly 1 in 10 Americans have diabetes, and they typically rely on a device that pokes the skin for a blood sample. There are also patches from Dexcom Inc. and Abbott Laboratories that are inserted into the skin but need to be replaced about every two weeks.
Apple is taking a different approach, using a chip technology known as silicon photonics and a measurement process called optical absorption spectroscopy. The system uses lasers to emit specific wavelengths of light into an area below the skin where there is interstitial fluid — substances that leak out of capillaries — that can be absorbed by glucose.


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This Air Jordan classic will be the subject of everyone's affection this Christmas.
Unless you're a sneakerhead who has been living under a rock for the last 25 years, you definitely know about the Air Jordan 11 "Bred." It's one of the most iconic shoes Michael Jordan ever played in and to this day, sneakerheads are still trying to get their hands on the sneaker. Luckily for everyone in the sneaker community, the shoe is returning this December and will reportedly be a General Release which means it won't be very hard to cop.
Over the past few months, there have been plenty of teasers for the shoe but perhaps none are better than these new images from @kickwhoshow on Instagram. There are some in-depth images here as well as some on-foot photos which show just how clean the entire pair is. The majority of the upper is covered in black patent leather while hits of red appear on the Jumpman logo and the outsole. The number 23 is placed on the back heel which has sneakerheads anticipating the release even more.
If you're looking to cop these, they will be dropping on Saturday, December 14th for $220 USD. It may be your last chance for a while to acquire what's a classic in the Jordan Brand arsenal.


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Cloud Gaming Handhelds Are on the Way, but Who Are They For?
Do these seem a bit redundant to you?
Slowly but surely, cloud gaming has been working to create a place for itself in the last few years. Granted, it’s in a bit of an odd situation right now, with Google’s recent announcement that it will shut down its ambitious Stadia game-streaming service early next year. But while there are many reasons why Stadia failed, the concept and viability of cloud gaming was not one of them. As games become bigger and take up more space on your console or PC’s internal storage, the ability to launch and stream one of those blockbuster games instantly, on just about any screen with a WiFi connection, becomes more and more appealing. And even without Stadia, Xbox’s Cloud Gaming, Sony’s PS Now, Nvidia’s GeForce Now, and Amazon’s Luna are all still standing and making strides forward, with tens of millions of registered users between them.
There’s certainly a future for cloud gaming, which is why we’re seeing the first devices in a wave of dedicated cloud gaming-specific handhelds about to arrive. The first is Logitech’s $349.99 G Cloud, which launches on October 18. The big question, though, is who exactly are they for?
The G Cloud is an interesting device with a 7-inch screen and dimensions slightly larger than a Nintendo Switch, but it also feels a bit redundant: why do we need a dedicated piece of hardware that mostly just runs games off of cloud services (it can also play Android games locally) when one of the biggest selling points of that technology is that you can use your existing laptop, smart TV, tablet, or smartphone (perhaps with a controller add-on like the Backbone One) to play without buying a console for between $250 and $550?
“G CLOUD shifts the gaming landscape by putting the best of cloud gaming, including advanced graphics and libraries of blockbuster games, in players’ hands, freeing them to play what they want, where they want,” Derek Perez, the head of communications at Logitech told IGN. “If you are a cloud gaming subscriber or considering cloud gaming, and you want to be able to 'retreat' to your own space to play your favorite games for long periods of time, G Cloud gives you that relaxing, immersive experience,” Perez said. (It should be noted that the G Cloud requires a WiFi connection and does not have cellular 5G for playing elsewhere.)
Logitech claims a 12-hour battery life - impressive for any portable gaming device.
So even though smartphones seem like the most convenient way to use cloud gaming on the go, the counterargument is that you may not want to drain your phone battery playing games, especially if you do not have a charger or battery pack handy. Logitech claims a 12-hour battery life for the G Cloud, which does sound impressive for any portable gaming device – by comparison, the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck will only give you a couple of hours of life while playing intensive games. Logitech also says the G Cloud won’t get hot to the touch after a long session, which is something that can’t be said for the Steam Deck (despite its fan, which the G Cloud doesn’t have) or most phones.
But even those arguments feel weak in the face of a $350 price for a single-purpose handheld (or even at its promotional $300 price) when smartphones can do everything the G Cloud can do and so much more – without having to carry both a phone and a separate handheld wherever you go. If draining your phone’s battery is an issue, purchasing a roughly $30 power bank is a much more economical option than a $350 handheld, and controller attachments like the Razer Kishi and the Backbone One (available for $100) offer a port that allows you to charge your phone while you’re playing. Granted, a phone with peripherals not as elegant as a sleek device built for this specific purpose, but it gets the same job done for a lot less money. That leaves only the G Cloud’s seven-inch 1080p screen as an advantage that your phone can’t be easily augmented to match.
I asked if Logitech views handhelds like the $399 Steam Deck as competition for the G Cloud. “At this moment, we don't believe that there is a device that this compares with,” Perez told me. “Each device on the market today has their place in the market. This is an option for gamers who are cloud gaming subscribers or considering cloud gaming.” That may be true for now, though Razer recently teased that it is working on a dedicated cloud gaming handheld, with more information to be shared at RazerCon on October 8.
But to answer the question of who these devices are specifically for, it would seem that they’re meant to appeal to a particular (and likely small) group of people. It’s for those who want to play high-end games on a comfortable handheld for long periods of time without plugging in to charge but also don’t mind staying within range of fast WiFi. $350 might be a steep price, but if you want to go all-in on a cloud gaming future rather than buying a new $250-$550 Xbox or PlayStation console, then it might not be a bad investment. Still, that’s probably going to be a small slice of the pie chart of gamers out there in the near future, at least, and even someone who enjoys the benefits of cloud gaming doesn’t necessarily need a dedicated device for that purpose.
Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.


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Novak Djokovic Used A.I. to Train for Wimbledon
A supply chain management company applied its tech to tennis. It worked.
Just watching was a feat of endurance. The 2019 men’s final at Wimbledon lasted four hours and 57 minutes, making it the longest on record at the All England Club. Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic seemed to be perfectly matched, until they weren’t. In the end, Djokovic prevailed, and fans were left to debate what allowed the Serbian great to finally notch the win.
They would probably be surprised to learn that some of Djokovic’s advantage could have come from artificial intelligence, which he incorporated in his game for the first time during this year’s Wimbledon.
It all started with a tennis-loving father-son team whose careers are rooted firmly in the more quotidian world of supply chain management. Ed Frazelle and his son Andrew are the owners of Atlanta-based RightChain, an advanced supply chain optimization, planning, and analytics software company. Most of RightChain’s clients — which include Fortune 500 giants like Colgate, Caterpillar, Ford, Baxter, and Coca-Cola — want to find the most efficient way to move product from manufacturing to the customer’s hands.
A.I. for tennis like that developed by RightChain provides an extremely detailed view of how players and their opponents approach the game.
But the Frazelles wondered if the same concepts that work for supply chain management could be applied to tennis. “When you get down to it,” says Ed, “the game of tennis is all about getting the ball from point A to point B.”
His logic, it turns out, was on point.
A perfect match
Ed first learned of tennis analytics when he took some tennis clinics run by a colleague of Djokovic’s strategy analyst Craig O’Shannessy. “We got to chatting about data analytics and its role in tennis today,” says Frazelle. “I reached out to Craig to see if we could potentially help him take that to the next level.”
O’Shannessy runs a match analysis company called Brain Game Tennis and has been working with Djokovic, among other pros, since…


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Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) December 15, 2015
This December, Ahi Mahi Fish Grill located at 2805 N Scottsdale Rd #103 Scottsdale, AZ 85257, introduced new promotions including a Fish Fry Friday, Taco Sunday and a new everyday senior discount of 10%. This is in addition to the already standing discount of 20% off for first responders and military.
Every Sunday, guests can enjoy $5 fish tacos and a soft drink all day long. The popular grilled fish tacos include fresh cole slaw, avocado, pico de gallo and a beverage. Every Friday, between 3pm and 7pm guests can tempt their tastebuds on the new Fish Fry Friday which includes: freshly fried white fish, crisp French fries and housemade coleslaw for only $5.99.
“We are excited to announce our new promotions to the community and ongoing discount for military and first responders”, said Hengky Huang, co-owner of Ahi Mahi Fish Grill.
A full menu including appetizers, entrees, sides, desserts and kids meals will be offered. Hours will 11 AM – 10 PM Monday - Sunday. For more information visit: http://www.ahimahifishgrill.com.
About Ahi Mahi
Ahi Mahi Fish Grill concept was born out of the desire of five restaurateurs wanting to bring a much needed health-conscious California seafood restaurant with a South East Asian flair to its customers. Health conscious fish lovers can sit down and relax in a laid back atmosphere all while enjoying the fusion of East Asian flavors and the fresh fish experience normally found outside of a quick serve restaurant.
Phoenix Marketing Associates


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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Indian citizens to hold wedding celebrations within the country, emphasizing the economic and cultural benefits of doing so. This appeal aligns with the government’s ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative, which encourages the support of local products and industries. PM Modi expressed his concern about the trend of “big families” organizing weddings overseas, which leads to the outflow of the country’s funds.
In his monthly radio broadcast ‘Mann Ki Baat’, PM Modi highlighted that hosting weddings in India can significantly contribute to the nation’s economy by keeping finances within its borders and providing opportunities for local people to offer various services. He stressed the importance of selecting products made in India for wedding shopping.
Some trade organizations have estimated that the business generated during this wedding season could be around ₹ 5 lakh crore. PM Modi also remarked that such domestic celebrations are not only about economics but also about fostering a sense of national pride and contributing to nation-building. He noted that when the general populace participates actively in nation-building, it drives the country’s progress forward. This sentiment resonates with the success of other national initiatives like ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ and the push for increased digital payments, which exemplify how citizen-led efforts can lead to significant changes and advancements.


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Lego released the results of its first Lego Ideas, crowdsourced ideas for new products that received 10,000 supporters between January and May this year, from 2015 on Friday. However, Lego was unable to back any of the projects.
After an idea is backed by 10,000 supporters, the project then goes into Lego Review and the company decides if the project is worthy or able to go into production.
"Usually we happily announce project(s) will become the next Lego Ideas product(s), but unfortunately this time we're not able to do so," the company wrote in a blog post on its website on Friday.
Lego did not go into specifics as to why each project didn't make it past the review process, however, it stated that this was the first time that this has ever happened.
"This has never happened before and we’re very disappointed to pass on this news, especially because we know the huge amount of effort each member put into creating the models and campaigning for their projects."
Thirteen projects reached the necessary 10,000 votes sending them into the Lego Review portion of the selection process, including The Golden Girls, Disney's Frozen, the International Space Station, the Titanic and a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Although the company refused to specify why each project was rejected, it did include a number of reasons, such as agreements with companies who own the intellectual property rights, projects that are too similar to other projects the Lego Group already has or has plans for and ensuring a "safe and good building experience for all Lego builders."
As you could imagine, the Lego community was not pleased.
— Joshua Stephen (@FlashGordon800) November 2, 2015
HOW DO WE LIVE IN THE TIMELINE WHERE THE BIG BANG THEORY LEGO SET GOT MADE AND THE GOLDEN GIRLS ONE DIDNT
— Rei_ (@Random_Factor) October 30, 2015
The results for the second 2015 Lego Review is expected to come in early 2016.
[H/T:The Daily Dot]


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“The American Medical Association supports an FDA proposal to fill the gap in federal regulations on purchasing, labeling, packaging, and advertising of electronic cigarettes,” said incoming AMA President Robert M. Wah, M.D. “The new policy will guide the AMA’s future efforts to strongly encourage the proposed FDA regulation as a notable and important step to improve public health and deter the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors.”
In addition to minimum purchase age restrictions, the new AMA policy supports the following product requirements for electronic cigarettes and nicotine delivery systems:
- Disclosures regarding the design, content, and emissions;
- Child-proof and tamper-proof packaging and design;
- Enhanced product labeling;
- Restrictions related to flavors that appeal to minors; and
- Prohibition of unsupported marketing claims as a tobacco cessation tool.
The AMA also strongly encourages further development of strategies to prevent the marketing of electronic cigarettes and nicotine delivery systems to minors and stem the negative health effects of nicotine on minors.
“Improving the health of the nation is AMA’s top priority and we will continue to advocate for policies that help reduce the burden of preventable diseases like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, which can both be linked to smoking,” Dr. Wah said.
About the AMA
The American Medical Association is the premier national organization dedicated to empowering the nation’s physicians to continually provide safer, higher quality, and more efficient care to patients and communities. For more than 165 years the AMA has been unwavering in its commitment to using its unique position and knowledge to shape a healthier future for America.


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Fresh paint and digitally-printed signage is the Murray Bridge council's latest fix for empty shops in the city's main street.
The council will offer grants of up to $5000 to property owners who commit to repainting their buildings, replacing old signage or fixing up the front of their shops.
It will also spend $12,000 on decals which would "promote key community messages", perhaps including the current Make It Yours campaign, in vacant shop windows.
The grants will target commercial properties in Bridge, Sixth, Seventh and other streets in the central business district, though a draft version of the guidelines presented to councillors suggested they could be made available to anyone in the district.
Property owners will have to match any grants dollar for dollar - a point Councillor Wayne Thorley was emphatic about at the council's meeting on Monday night.
"Council is being generous in trying to smarten up the main street, but I still think there's a need for some obligation," he said.
Preference will also be given to applicants who pledge to use local suppliers for any work, at the suggestion of Cr Tyson Matthews.
"At the end of the day, this is basically free money," he said.
"I want to see the region benefit."
Members of the public had complained that Bridge Street gave visitors a poor impression of the city, the council's development and regulation manager said in a report to councillors.
Obsolete signage, poor paintwork and empty shops were among the points raised with the council.
The grant scheme replaces a previous plan to encourage pop-up shops to move into the empty spaces, based on consultation with property managers, real estate agents and other councils who all said it wouldn't work.
Property owners are due to be formally notified about the project next week, and grants handed out in December.


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The revenues from iOS product sales will reach $980 billion by middle of this year. In addition to hardware Apple also books iOS services revenues (including content) which have totaled more than $100 billion to date. This means that iOS will have generated over $1 trillion in revenues for Apple sometime this year.
Dediu notes that in its first ten years, the iPhone has sold at least 1.2 billion units and enabled an empire that includes the iPod touch, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Combined total unit sales reach about 1.75 billion units over 10 years and could top 2 billion by the end of next year.
Additionally, developers who are building apps for iOS have been paid $60 billion and the rate of payments has now reach $20 billion/yr.
More details in the full report linked below...


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Inside Search – A New Blog Launched By Google
Today Google has announced the launch of one of their new blogs insidesearch.blogspot.com, in the quest to help us searchers find the answers to what we are looking for on the web.
Google states " The thirst for knowledge is as old as humanity", everyday millions of queries are searched, we are always looking to seek new knowledge, find answers to missing links, and carry out important researches and surveys. With the technology of the internet now, all this can be done within minutes online.
Inside Search will be focused more on search aspect of the web, giving regular updates to Googles algorithms and features, along with news and stories from their search engineers.
A blog totally focused on Search (Googles Key Product & Service) is a great insight for all SEOs, Marketers, and online businesses, as it shows the importance of ranking organically in search results, and also gives an overview to how Google and their engineers work with search.
You can find the total list of Google Blogs on their blog directory link here:


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Aeon will be consolidating the naming of all of its Jusco, Saty, and Aeon starting March 1st 2011. Despite the tough economic times in Japan, Aeon has grown into one of Japan’s largest retailers.
92 Saty stores and 294 Jusco stores under the Aeon umbrella will be known as Aeon stores. Many shops have already changed the name on their storefront while others will finalize it on the first.
The Jusco name goes back to 1974, while the first Saty opened in 1984. Saty’s can trace its roots back to Nichii shops which opened in 1963.


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The HomestarRunner.com Web site.
A 'spongmonkey' from the Rathergood Web site.
Offbeat Internet animation is making its way into mainstream popular culture. We look at the increasing popularity of Net animation, from Web-only weekly programs with cult followings to ads seen by millions on national television.
NPR's Neal Conan talks with the Houston Chronicle online news editor Dwight Silverman, who calls the medium "viral entertainment" and explains that -- as many parents can attest -- the popularity of the animations is often driven by children trading links to animation Web sites by e-mail and instant messaging.
Hear audio samples of some of the most popular animations on today's show.
Dwight Silverman, online news editor, Houston Chronicle


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The way retail works has changed a lot since the popularization of online commerce. Many customers are now interested in differentiating themselves through the purchase of customized goods, allowing many small producers to find a niche in the market. If you interested in learning more about the major styles of retail in today’s commercial world continue on to the article.
Read the full article here:
Pre-Tail, E-Tail, to Retail: The New Commerce Pipeline


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MD, Head of Privacy and Cybersecurity, Armanino LLP
September 23, 2021 8:00PM (BST)
Why Most CCPA Cases Will Fail: Five Hurdles Plaintiffs Must Clear
SAVE YOUR SPACE
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is a landmark U.S. privacy law with many laudable features. But the law’s private right of action is not among its strongest provisions. The CCPA’s private right of action only grants consumers who have suffered very specific data breaches a limited right to sue. However, this has not stopped law firms trying to force through legal challenges against businesses that have violated irrelevant parts of the CCPA.
We are very happy to announce that Data Privacy leader, Reena Shah will speak at PrivSec Global, this month.
Founder/President of Metaverse Law Corporation
Senior Legal Counsel, River Island
Principal Lead & Privacy Counsel, ResMed
Data Protection Officer, Best Companies Ltd.
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It seems like everyone wants a piece of the OLED TV business. Rumors initially suggested that Samsung was moving into OLED TVs, and now it looks like TCL is working on OLED sets of its own.
A recent tidbit from a European press conference with TCL Europe has set off speculation that not only is TV manufacturer TCL working on its own OLED technology, but that we might see the first TCL OLED TVs as early as 2023.
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- Latest: Sony WH-1000XM4 is getting a new all-white model
The rumor comes from a seemingly offhand comment made during a TCL Europe press conference, as reported by What Hi-Fi and Tech Radar. While this roughly tracks with other public statements from the company and open information about investments by the Chinese consumer-electronics maker, it's the first time we've heard anyone putting a date on when we might begin to see the first TCL OLED models.
To find out more about TCL's plans regarding OLED TVs, we spoke to Aaron Dew, director of product development at TCL North America.
Is TCL preparing to make its own OLED TVs?
From the start, Dew was not comfortable making any firm statements about when we might see an OLED TV from TCL. However, he was more than willing to help us learn more about the present state of TCL's OLED development.
"As you saw in the news, the comments from Europe this week," said Dew, "we definitely are investing in self-emissive technologies [like OLED] and we do see a future opportunity for that technology."
This is largely in reference to sizable investments by TCL in Japanese company JOLED, which is developing a new ink-jet printing process that promises to be cheaper than LG's white OLED (WOLED) technology and make OLED TVs easier to manufacture.
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According to a JOLED press release last year, TCL bought a 10% stake in the company. Other reports indicate that TCL has invested 20 billion yen ($187 million) into the OLED maker to jointly develop the new OLED technology.
All of this conversation is complicated by the fact that TCL's panel manufacturer, subsidiary China Star Optoelectronics Technology — often referred to as simply TCL CSOT — is in a separate part of the larger TCL corporate family than TCL North America or TCL Europe.
As a result, details about technical developments and upcoming manufacturing capabilities might not be well-known elsewhere in the company. Yet there was no denying that TCL is looking at adding OLED sets to its roster of TVs and is working hard to develop OLED manufacturing capability.
"We are evaluating future display technologies," said Dew. "We are investing in those future display technologies, and so we think there will be a time for that."
Where does OLED fit into TCL's plans?
But an OLED model joining TCL's other smart TVs would be a big shift for the manufacturer, which has largely focused on creating high-quality yet value-priced TVs. OLED technology may be the top dog in terms of picture quality and contrast, but it's also (for now) a premium product, and makes up a minority of sets in the TV world.
"If you just take a big step back," said Dew, "there's two kinds of TVs in the world today: There's self-emissive OLED TVs and there's LED LCD TVs. And the way the market looks, it's over 97% LED LCD TVs and less than 3% self-emissive white OLED in the world today."
Any OLED development will run parallel to the existing technologies that TCL is already using and working to improve. Aaron Dew specifically cited mini-LED backlight as the main focus for current TCL TVs, which makes a lot of sense.
TCL introduced the smaller-backlight technology back in 2019. Only in 2021 did competitors begin to adopt similar mini-LED tech in their own TVs, such as the Samsung Neo QLED line and the LG QNED with Mini-LED, in an attempt to catch up with excellent models like the TCL 6-Series Roku TV (R635).
"That's our focus," said Dew, "in terms of any sort of new TV technology," speaking of that balance between value and performance.
"We were the first to introduce mini LED back in 2019," he added. "We're continuing to roll that out and you'll see that on more of our TVs, and we'll have more to talk about later on this year."
When will we see the first TCL OLED sets?
But what about the bigger question of when those OLED TVs will arrive? TCL Europe has said that OLED models could show up as early as 2023, but Dew isn't ready to give any firm dates.
"I'm not ready to talk about when we'll productize that," he said in response to our questions.
That said, he was more than happy to point out that this sort of investment into R&D was a big part of TCL's success in the last few years.
"That's what helped to get us to a top-two position here in the U.S. in terms of TV market share," said Dew. "Largely, we produce everything in-house that we distribute and sell to customers. That gives us great power in terms of bringing new technology faster."
"And we continue to invest and you see those new investments around things like ink-jet printing of OLED materials, which is a little ways off, but you see that continued investment."
Given some recent rumors about Samsung buying OLED panels from rival Korean manufacturer LG, I also asked if we might ever see a TCL OLED TV that used a panel made by another company.
"No," Dew said flatly. "We certainly don't have any plans to do anything like that, and we don't do that today."
Whatever the future holds for OLED TVs coming from TCL, we can be pretty sure that TCL will continue to maintain control over its manufacturing and won't be turning to outside sources to provide parts.
Brian Westover is currently Lead Analyst, PCs and Hardware at PCMag. Until recently, however, he was Senior Editor at Tom's Guide, where he led the site's TV coverage for several years, reviewing scores of sets and writing about everything from 8K to HDR to HDMI 2.1. He also put his computing knowledge to good use by reviewing many PCs and Mac devices, and also led our router and home networking coverage. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he wrote for TopTenReviews and PCMag.


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Ted Baker investor backs company amid harassment claims
Ted Baker’s under-fire management has received the backing of a top 10 investor amid a harassment scandal involving the retailer’s chief executive.
The major shareholder, which declined to be named, told the Press Association that it remains “supportive of the management team”. “Ted Baker is a well-established global brand,” the investor said.
“The share price does not reflect the value of that or the investment that management has put into it. We remain supportive of the management team and will continue to monitor any new information.”
Shares fell to a five-year low this week after a petition emerged over the weekend calling on the fashion brand to “end harassment”, and accusing its founder Ray Kelvin of enforcing a “hugging” culture.
Ted Baker denied that hugging was “insisted upon”. An external investigation is to probe the claims, while a committee of non-executive directors has been appointed to oversee the firm’s response.
The company’s stock recovered slightly on Wednesday after two successive days of decline, boosted by an endorsement from broker Liberum.
“While recent news flow is unhelpful, we believe the impact on the group’s brand strength and longer-term growth prospects is likely to be minimal,” analysts said.
“Trading conditions have been subdued, but Ted’s positioning as a global lifestyle brand leaves it far better placed than most.”
But HSBC cut its rating on the stock, citing “uncertainty over leadership” and “limited visibility as to when this will be resolved”.
Shares in the company were 2.7% higher at 1,450p on Wednesday (5 December) lunchtime.
Words: Press Association


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Indian GDP growth expected to be 8.8-9% in FY22: Care Ratings
The country's economy had contracted by 7.3 per cent in fiscal 2020-21.
The agency said the outlook for the Indian economy on almost all counts in FY22 would look seemingly better than FY21 on account of the negative base effect.
Services sector will not be able to reach its potential even at 8.2 per cent growth as the second lockdown has affected sectors like hotels and restaurants, tourism, retail malls and entertainment in particular, it said.
While a lot has been done on the supply side by both the RBI and the government, the malaise is on the demand side which has been a problem even before the pandemic, Care Ratings pointed out.
A critical factor this time will be the spending pattern of the rural households, the report said, adding that the monsoon forecast is good and ideally a stable Kharif harvest should bode well for rural incomes.
There could be some pent up demand which surfaces this time too from urban India, but it may just about maintain the level of last year and not really be a breakthrough.
"Higher consumption should stimulate investments. The crux will be an investment which has a multiplier effect on demand and investment," it said.
The report also said the fiscal deficit for FY22 is projected between Rs 17.38 lakh crore to Rs 17.68 lakh crore.


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Today’s Research Reports on Stocks to Watch: Baozun and Baidu
Chinese stock Baozun was one of the biggest gainers in Thursday’s trading session after the company reported strong first quarter results. Shares of Baidu were modestly in the red, falling from some gains it saw earlier this week over Trump’s tweet supporting China’s ZTE Corp. The company reported its own first quarter earnings at the end of last month which beat on both the top and bottom line.
RDI Initiates Coverage on:
Baozun Inc. shares closed up almost 19% on Thursday on significant trading volume of roughly 14.3 million shares. The Chinese e-commerce solutions company soared to a new high of $53.90 during intra-day trading after reporting better than expected first quarter results. The company said that revenue hit $146.9 million, a 14.5% increase YOY. It was way past the company’s last guidance of a range of $136.3 million and $141 million. Adjusted net income was $0.09 a share, beating the $0.01 a share that analysts had been expecting. Baozun Chairman and CEO Vincent Qiu said it was an "outstanding quarter." He said, "We are firmly focused on becoming the leading brand e-commerce business partner and technology development and solutions services provider. We plan to continue investing in innovation to further strengthen our industry leading position and create greater value for shareholders." Looking ahead the company is expecting revenue in the range of $166.4 million and $172.7 million. Analysts are calling for $164.9 million.
Access RDI’s Baozun Inc. Research Report at:
Baidu, Inc. shares closed down a modest 1.55% on Thursday with roughly 2.6 million shares traded. The Chinese multinational technology company saw gains earlier in the week after U.S. President Donald Trump had tweeted support in China’s smartphone company ZTE Corp, which had been banned from buying components from the U.S. Shares also saw big gains last month after selling off in March. The company reported first quarter earnings at the end of last month which revealed adjusted earnings of $2.60 a share. This was a 139% increase YOY. Analysts had been waiting for $1.73 share. Sales in the first quarter hit $3.3 billion, a growth of 31% YOY and also beating the $3.1 billion that analysts were waiting for.
Access RDI’s Baidu, Inc. Research Report at:
Our Actionable Research on Baozun Inc. (NASDAQ: BZUN) and Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) can be downloaded free of charge at Research Driven Investing.
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The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences has partnered with the International Trade Center on a key project that represents an expansion of the Africa Online Marketplaces Explorer. A sneak peak of the preliminary results and a comparison with the African online marketplaces landscape was presented by Professor Jesse Weltevreden during the 2022 UNCTAD eCommerce Week event on 28 April, titled ‘Marketplace activity in Africa and South America: what new data shows’.
An engaging discussion followed Professor Weltevreden’s presentation with key stakeholders in the regions, including Laura Naliaka of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Diego Chacon of Novica, and Nanno Mulder of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) .
Africa Marketplaces Explorer is an informative tool for virtually all stakeholders in the digital ecosystem, including (but not limited to) merchants, logistics providers, policymakers, NGOs, and academia. While the session was predominantly a discussion of the tool’s updated results, moderator James Howe of the International Trade Center succinctly put into context the current situation and upcoming future of marketplaces globally. The value of understanding the marketplace landscape in both Africa and Latin America, both with developing digital habitats, became more obvious when he explained: ‘Marketplace will become more and more dominant. We know in global terms that about 22% currently of all retail sales are made through [online] marketplaces. […] NASDAQ has predicted that by 2040, 95% of all purchases will be made through ecommerce platforms in one form or another.’
Following the session, Sara Lone, Lead Research Analyst at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, had the opportunity to discuss the results of the tool and the new data presented with esteemed panellist Laura Naliaka, UNECA.
Sara Lone (SL): You mentioned in the discussion that only 30% of Africans engaged in online shopping in 2020, much lower than in Europe and North America. What are the main factors or challenges contributing to this lower adoption of online shopping amongst African consumers?
Laura Naliaka (LN): The uptake of ecommerce in Africa is constrained by factors such as limited internet penetration coupled with high data costs, limited access to financial systems (both bank or mobile money accounts), and logistical challenges. This is reflected by the region’s dismal performance in the UNCTAD B2C E-Commerce Index. There are however some countries that have made progress with regards to addressing some of these challenges, and this has positively impacted the uptake of ecommerce. For instance, South Africa is one of the leading ecommerce markets in Africa – and one of the reasons for this is its high internet connectivity, as approximately seven in ten inhabitants in the country use internet.
SL: What’s your dream or ideal figure for the share of Africans shopping and selling online?
LN: Ideally, as many Africans as possible should be able to both sell and buy products online. Indeed, ecommerce was instrumental in helping many businesses to stay afloat and consumers to access various products during the peak periods of the pandemic, when most countries had implemented lockdown measures.
It is important to point out that informal cross-border trade is prevalent in Africa, with recent estimates from a study by UNECA suggesting that it accounts for between 30 and 72% of formal trade between neighboring countries. The activities of these traders slowed down to almost a halt during the pandemic, as they were unable to leverage on ecommerce due to reasons such as digital illiteracy, in addition to the other common factors such as access to accounts, internet connectivity, and so on . In essence, this shows that we can’t ignore certain segments of our populace when it comes to ecommerce – hence there is need to work towards ensuring that almost all Africans can be able to participate in online shopping and selling activities. Investment in the necessary infrastructure will be instrumental in boosting the growth of ecommerce in Africa.
SL: Drawing your attention to this image above from Professor Weltevreden’s presentation at the session – did this comparison of marketplace web traffic in LATAM and Africa resonate with you?
LN: I anticipated that marketplace web traffic would be higher in LATAM compared to Africa, but the magnitude is what was really astonishing. At the same time, the figures demonstrated the potential and possibility of the growth and development of Africa’s ecommerce, as both Africa and LATAM are classified as developing regions.
SL: After seeing this and the other insightful data from the preliminary results, how has your mindset changed (or for that matter remained steadfast) regarding Africa’s digital economy?
LN: I am optimism about the growth of Africa’s digital economy, especially since attention is shifting to the region as ecommerce markets in other parts of the mature world and also get saturated. In fact, a report by WTO shows that although the level of ecommerce in Africa is low, its growth is higher compared to other regions. More specifically, between 2014 and 2017, online payments or purchases in Africa grew by 240.4%, compared to 97.6% in Asia, 42.2% in Europe, and 69.2% in America. I presume that the current figures are actually much higher.
SL: There are quite a few folks that don’t know about the AfCFTA and whether it will have an impact on domestic and/or global trade. Could you expand on what the AfCFTA is, where the negotiations are at, and what the discussion is around Africa’s digital economy and the future of the AfCFTA in relation to Africa’s opportunities in the global digital economy?
LN: The Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was signed in 2018 by 44 African Union Member States in Kigali, Rwanda. To date, 54 AU Member States have signed the Agreement. The main objectives of the AfCFTA are to create a single, liberalised, market for goods and services the African continent, facilitate the movement of people and capital, across the foundation for a continental customs union, and deepen economic integration across the continent.
Negotiations for various protocols under the AfCFTA are currently underway. Phase I of the negotiations cover Trade in Goods and Trade in Services, while the issues to be covered under Phase II negotiations include investments, competition, and intellectual property rights. Moreover, in February 2020, the African Union Heads of State and Government Assembly decided that ecommerce (now referred to as digital trade) would be included in the AfCFTA – and negotiations on this protocol are to start in the course of 2022.
The AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol is expected to cover a breadth of issues ranging from data governance, cross-border data flows and data localisation, electronic trade facilitation (this encompasses electronic authentication) to e-commerce taxation. More importantly, the Digital Trade Protocol presents a unique opportunity for African countries to collectively establish common positions on digital trade and harmonise digital economy policy and regulatory gaps. This is particularly important as there are differences in the development and status of data governance frameworks across African countries.
The Digital Trade Protocol, together with other protocols being negotiated under the AfCFTA, will be instrumental in addressing issues that constrain the uptake and growth of ecommerce in Africa. It is also a chance to address emerging ecommerce issues, including those under the fourth industrial revolution. This is likely to increase the attractiveness of the continent, and the various African countries will also be able to harness the various opportunities available in the digital economy landscape.
I should mention that negotiations on this protocol are really timely and pertinent as African countries at the World Trade Organization (WTO) have taken different positions on digital-trade issues – on one hand, the African Group is opposed to the introduction of new multilateral rules on ecommerce rules, but on the other hand, six African countries are part of the Joint Statement Initiative ecommerce negotiations.
If you would like to hear more from Laura Naliaka, as well as the other esteemed panellists, you can access the UNCTAD eCommerce Week video HERE.
To access the updated Africa Marketplaces Explorer tool, please visit this page.
If you would like to be informed when the LATAM Marketplaces Explorer tool is launched, please leave your contact details HERE.
About Sara Lone
Sara Lone is a Lead Research Analyst for the CMI focusing on ecommerce, digitalisation, sustainability, and diversity. Within the Digital Commerce Research Group, Sara works with international stakeholders to measure and analyze ecommerce in both developed and developing digital markets, generating insights for SMEs, trade and development organisations, and policymakers.
About Jesse Weltevreden
Dr Jesse Weltevreden is professor of Digital Commerce at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS). Jesse is director of the Center for Market Insights of the School of Marketing at AUAS. He is also the chairman of the Retail Innovation Platform, a network of universities in Belgium and the Netherlands that conduct research on retail innovation. His research interests include cross-border ecommerce, online platforms, data-driven marketing, emerging retail technologies, and the mobility effects of online shopping.
About Nahid Harboul
Nahid is a junior researcher in ecommerce at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.
About The Center for Market Insights
The Center for Market Insights is the innovative research center of the School of Marketing at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Our experts carry out challenging research projects for top companies and trade associations in the field of digital commerce and marketing analytics.


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Shoes To Address Arthritis Of The Knee
New research has determined that wearing “biomechanical footwear” can ease pain due to knee arthritis. The shoes were tested for six months by 110 participants with painful knee arthritis in a study at Boston University School of Medicine, the University of Toronto and the University of Bern in Switzerland. Another 110 participants diagnosed with knee arthritis wore “control” shoes. After the six months, the participants wearing the biomechanical shoes had more significant decreases in pain scores than their peers in the control group. According to study co-author David Felson, MD, MPH, professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, the footwear probably works by reeducating and reconditioning muscles in the legs. The researchers said the shoes also may help people with hip and back pain.
David Felson et al, “Effect of Biomechanical Footwear on Knee Pain in People With Knee Osteoarthritis: The BIOTOK Randomized Clinical Trial,” JAMA
More news from this week’s bulletin:
- High Fat Meals & Thinking
- Aerobic Exercise & Seniors’ Brains
- This week’s recipe: Watermelon & Heirloom Tomato Salad. So simple – so delicious!
Looking for more Dr. Weil Newsletters?


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People prefer reading short texts more and more these days. They have even coined an expression for that: TL,DR, or Too Long, Didn’t Read. This may have been the case if you saw why everyone should take Foxconn’s plans to sell an electric car platform seriously. That article contains all the reasons for that, which made it long. Some may have missed crucial aspects of the whole thing, such as Foxconn – also known as Hon Hai – using mega castings.
If you already read that first text, this one will become just a reminder. Feel free to skip it if you already have the whole picture.
The first person to bring that up at the Hon Hai Tech Day (HHTD) 2020 was Zuo Zisheng. Hon Hai introduced its vice president as an engineer with over 35 years of experience in the automotive industry.
In his presentation, he mentioned that the company was able to reduce 7 parts for the front suspension body to a single one for the MIH Open Platform. That part is the strut tower, as the image above shows. He also said the new open-source electric architecture had made 27 rear longitudinal rail components become only one part.
It was Jerry Hsiao (Xiao Caiyou) – Hon Hai’s Chief Product Officer (CPO) – who clarified what the strategy to get there was. Just like Tesla, Foxconn has a massive die-cast machine that currently produces BMW battery cases. It deals with a 4,200-ton clamping force, while Tesla currently uses a 5,500-ton IDRA die-cast machine.
That’s not the only similarity the Taiwanese company presented to its American competitor. Hsiao said Foxconn works with a special alloy with high ductility, corrosion resistance, excellent cast formability, high strength, and no need for heat treatment.
If you remember Elon Musk’s presentation at the Tesla Battery Day, he has highlighted the same aspects for Tesla’s alloy, which means another company also achieved that. The question now is which automaker Foxconn will help with these improvements.


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Jordan Brand is set to debut the Air Jordan 11 Retro “Gamma” on Saturday, December 21st and the following week they will debut the “Gamma” Air Jordan 12 Retro.
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Here are some new detailed photos of the upcoming Air Jordan 12 Retro “Gamma” that features a Black nubuck upper with hints of Red finished with Gamma Blue accents. Check out the photos below and look for these at select Jordan Brand accounts this December 26th.
Air Jordan 12 Retro
Black/Gym Red-Gamma Blue
December 26th, 2013