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In August, China’s internet population surpassed 800 million for the first time according to official government statistics. So what are all those people up to? Well, here’s an at-a-glance guide.
Not familiar with some of those names? Here’s a quick who’s who:
Huya is one of the country’s biggest game streaming platforms and listed on the New York Stock Exchange back in May.
Dating app TanTan is regularly referred to as “China’s Tinder”. Here’s what it’s like to use it in Beijing.
WeChat, probably one of the best known on this list, is Tencent’s marauding chat-and-so-much-more app. Find out more about what the app is so hard to kick here.
“Beautification” app Meitu has been at the forefront of trying to help Chinese users get the perfect selfie, with a whole editing suite dedicated to changing the skin tone, erasing blemishes, and adding cutesy animal ears and noses to any photo. They also have a video equivalent.

 A Quick Guide to China’s Competing Short Video Apps

 Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent have all launched Vine-like short video apps in recent months, joining the relatively established offerings of Kuaishou and Douyin

 Article Sep 19, 2018

Alibaba’s payment app Alipay and its ubiquity is one of the reasons behind all those breathless “cashless China” articles that pop up on a regular basis.
Group-purchasing, “social ecommerce” app Pinduoduo caused numerous headlines this summer thanks to a major IPO and accusations that it was propagating an image of China as the knock-off center of the world.
Zhihu is a user-driven Chinese-language question and answer site, much like Quora.
You may have seen Meituan in the news recently, thanks to the company’s Hong Kong IPO. The app has a sprawling range of functions, from food delivery to discount ticket buying. Here’s a complete guide to the “super-app”.

 Meituan: The “One-Stop Super App” That’s Hungry for Expansion

 Article Jul 04, 2018

Another Chinese company that’s been in the headlines of late, though for not-so-positive reasons, Didi is a ride-hailing app, frequently referred to as “China’s Uber”.
Tencent Video is pretty self-explanatory; this is the Chinese internet giant’s video streaming arm.
Gaming and media company — and pig farmer?! — NetEase runs a popular music-streaming service under its brand’s main name.
And finally on our wheel of Chinese internet firms, is Sina Weibo, the micro-blogging platform whose most obvious Western reference point is Twitter.
Infographic: Thana Gu; Research: Alyssa Perez and Sebastian Lau.
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December 31, 2019 held significance for Tesla, as it marked the end of another quarter. The day determined if the company could follow its momentum from Q3 2019 and turn in another profit. It also marked the final day when the $1875 federal tax credit could be applied. Yet, perhaps more importantly, the end of 2019 marked the day when Tesla potentially gained thousands upon thousands of new supporters and future influencers.
On New Year’s Eve, numerous dedicated Tesla owners decided to help out the electric car maker in its push to deliver as many cars as possible. Some provided orientations to new owners about the basic features and functions of their new electric vehicles. Others provided pointers about configuring their Teslas. Just like the past year, Tesla’s end-of-year deliveries were powered, at least to some degree, by regular owners who just happen to be passionate about their vehicles.
In Fremont, for example, large groups of people gathered on New Year’s Eve to take delivery of their cars. Unfortunately, the DMV caused a delay with issuing out license numbers, creating a backlog for many would-be owners. As the wait times turned to hours, Tesla owner-volunteers stepped up. Tesla Raj, a Model 3 owner who started a YouTube channel about his ownership experience, described how owner-volunteers contributed.
“We helped by pulling groups of people from the showroom to do orientations where we covered the car inside and out. This helped ease the stress and pain in the wait… Lots were very pleased that we were volunteering, and they were interested in who we are and why we were doing it. We had a member following customers to their car for 1-on-1 training, and I was in the lobby gathering groups of people for a walkthrough-orientation. They loved it. They felt a sense of the Tesla community and what we stand for,” Raj said.
True to his tweets, Tesla CEO Elon Musk also dropped by the Fremont site to help deliver cars to new owners. His mom, Maye, also paid a visit to the delivery center. Amidst all the waiting that resulted mostly from the DMV delay, Musk’s presence helped boost the morale of the Tesla employees. It also eased the patience of many owners looking to receive their cars. Arash Malek, a Model 3 owner-videographer who also volunteered his time on New Year’s Eve, described the atmosphere after the CEO’s arrival.
“Before Elon came, people were getting really frustrated. Some people had been waiting all day. But soon as Elon arrived, you could feel the energy change. I heard an employee behind me say, ‘This is why we love working for Tesla.’ It was pretty awesome and inspiring to see the CEO eager to help deliver cars. Raj and I along with other members of the (Tesla Owners) club were giving future Model 3 owners full tutorials on how to use their cars. Everyone was genuinely soo excited! I had some people ask me why am I volunteering to help on New Years’ Eve. I told them that if it was any other car company, I wouldn’t, but the Tesla community is so awesome that I felt honored to be able to help the mission,” Malek said.
Tesla would go on to deliver cars to new customers until the final moments of 2019, and reports from the community on social media suggested that deliveries happened even after midnight. Some have mentioned that their deliveries were pushed to the next few days as well. Yet, despite these challenges and tests of patience, the Tesla community did grow significantly on the 31st of December, and a lot of it was due to the thousands of volunteers who dedicated their time to help out newcomers to the Tesla community. Thousands, after all, saw a glimpse of the Tesla community and how it functioned, and that’s really what matters the most.
Seeing such a close-knit community of owners-enthusiasts and a driven CEO who spends a holiday with his employees is a pretty unique experience. Very few companies in the world have experienced something similar. The latest iPhones from Apple may invite long lines of waiting customers, but rarely does one see a longtime iOS user volunteering their time to help new owners with their devices. This is even more notable with other car brands. When was the last time avid Ford or GM enthusiasts volunteered at a dealership to help hand over cars? Such events would be difficult to recall.
From the Tesla volunteer-powered delivery push to Elon Musk’s contribution to the year-end deliveries, there is a good chance that a couple dozen of new owners in Fremont were inspired enough to be passionate community members themselves. Perhaps some would start their own Tesla-themed YouTube channels. Maybe some with start Tesla aftermarket businesses. Perhaps some will love their car enough to the point where they recommend Tesla to their close friends and family members. This is pretty much how the Tesla community has grown over the years. It’s just happening now at a far quicker rate, with the adoption of higher-volume vehicles like the Model 3.

domain: news


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APC Chieftain, Mumuni, Celebrates Tinubu at 71
PDP NWC Reverses Suspension of Fayose, Shema, Anyim, Others
CBN: Our Interventions will Boost Nigeria’s Participation in AfCFTA
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that its interventions in the real sector of the Nigerian economy were targeted at boosting Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) agreement.
This was disclosed yesterday by the Deputy Governor of the CBN for Economic Policy, Dr. Kingsley Obiora during the “Town-Hall Meeting with Financial Sector Stakeholders in Respect of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) Agreement,” which was organised by the CBN.
Obiora said: “The CBN has been implementing various development finance programmes aimed at stimulating the real sector activities and diversifying the economy particularly in the agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare and other non-oil sectors. The interventions include the Anchor Borrowers Programme, the Real Sector Support Facility, Export Stimulation Scheme and the Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme.
“These examples are indications of the central bank’s involvement and commitment to growing our domestic industries and boosting international competitiveness, particularly in preparation for the AfCFTA.”
He pointed out that Nigeria’s government assent to the AfCFTA agreement has made it an imperative for stakeholders in the country’s economy to harmonise various sartorial strategies for the effective maximisation of the opportunities that could be derived from implementing the agreement.
He said: “We believe that the financial sector has the potential to accrue substantial benefits from the AfCFTA in view of the intermediary role of finance in facilitating growth and engendering sustainable growth.
“The critical advantage of the AfCFTA to the Nigerian financial sector would be the removal of barriers for the expansion of financial institutions and services. This advancement will foster the provision of financial service in the continental market at a reduced cost.”
Obiora noted that as a key regulatory agency in the financial sector, the CBN is playing a leading role in engendering risk mitigation methods that would protect the Nigerian financial system from potentially damaging trade policies and position the sector for the benefits associated with the AfCFTA.
Similarly, the Director of Banking Supervision Department of the CBN, Mr. Mustapha Haruna, remarked that the apex bank saw the AfCFTA as a vista of opportunities for Nigerian banking sector, which has a crucial role to play in the successful implementation of the AfCFTA agreement.
Haruna said: “Nigerian banks are well positioned to take advantage of the AfCFTA. But they need to be well capitalised to be able to finance big ticket transactions. They also need to scale up in terms of their payment infrastructure to be able to reach out to Pan-African market. In addition, they should operate at the highest standard of their businesses to gain the confidence that will attract patronages to them.”
He said that the AfCFTA would provide opportunity for the Other Financial Institutions (OFIs) to provide more credits to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that are engaged in the production of goods and services for export.
He said that this would provide opportunities for the OFIs to grant more credits that would grow their finances and earn them more income.
“Capitalisation will make them (Nigerian OFIs) competitive to explore opportunities provided by the AfCFTA. They should adopt the IFRS and apply good business practices,” he said


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Uber Technologies Inc. is doing some end-of-year restructuring under its new chief operating officer. The Wall Street Journal reported today that the ride-hailing company has signed an agreement to sell its Xchange Leasing subsidiary to Fair.com, the startup behind the digital auto marketplace of the same name. The anonymous insiders who leaked the acquisition didn’t share the value of the transaction. Uber originally launched Xchange Leasing about three years ago to make veh
The Chinese government is using car-sharing – short-term car rental, usually charged by the hour – to stimulate the new energy vehicle (NEV) market and increase individual mobility efficiency. In June 2017, the central government released draft guidance for the car-sharing industry, outlining some supporting policies. The guidance specified certain requirements for car-sharing businesses, defined their role in urban mobility, and offered high-level support measures, such as p
Carmakers are launching rental services even as peer-to-peer car lending platforms gain traction Once every teenagers’ dream was to have their own car. Now they have an app for that. Volvo, Cadillac and Porsche are among brands that have launched subscription deals this year, as the industry dips its toe in the water of a world of selling services rather than cars. As car ownership begins to wane in some major cities, manufacturers are experimenting with ways of providing tra
Headquartered in Tokyo, it will look at new customer needs Toyota Motor Corporation on Thursday made known its intent to merge its wholly-owned subsidiary, Toyota Fleet Leasing Co, with another second-tier arm, Toyota Tokyo Rental & Leasing Co. The new entity, Toyota Mobility Service Co, will become a reality on April 1, 2018. Apart from aiming to strengthen the existing corporate automobile leasing and rental car businesses, Toyota intends to plan and provide new mobility se
A fleet of 500 all-electric Renault Zoe will be arriving in Madrid this month in a car-share scheme to cut pollution in the city. This new car-sharing scheme covers a wide area of the Spanish capital, with vehicles provided to customers in the right place at the right time via an efficient smartphone application. Madrid reportedly has the “highest rate of daily car-sharing in Europe” due to the city’s size, population, traffic problems and air pollution issues. The scheme aro
The service, named e-share mobi, will start in 15 January 2018, and will initially feature the all-new electric Nissan Leaf and the Nissan Note e-Power. YOKOHAMA: Nissan is planning to introduce a car-sharing service in Japan enabling users to experience the company’s advanced technologies in vehicle electrification and intelligence, as part of its Nissan Intelligent Mobility initiative.
The service, named e-share mobi, will begin in 15 January 2018, and will initially feat
John Zimmer, President, Lyft Interview Investors are sinking more money into ride-hailing services company Lyft as the startup captures more market share from rival Uber and pursues autonomous driving. The startup announced Tuesday its recent round of funding has increased from $1 billion of new capital to $1.5 billion. The additional $500 million in financing included participation from new investors Fidelity Management & Research Company and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
Hyundai Motor is expanding its car-sharing venture to tap into the promising industry, by announcing a collaboration with a local ride sharing startup Luxi on Tuesday.
Hyundai Motor has invested some 5 billion won ($4.6 million) in Luxi this August and plans to work together on developing carpooling algorithm and platform in search for new business opportunities. The project is undertaken by the firm’s future research and development project called Project Ioniq.
Car2go is adding Mercedes-Benz CLAs to its New York fleet. The Daimler-owned car-sharing service is pushing to capitalize on its fastest growing North American market. Car2go is the world's largest car-sharing service by both members and vehicles. In a push to capitalize on its fastest growing North American market, Daimler-owned car-sharing service car2go just added Mercedes-Benz CLAs to its New York City fleet. Twenty new CLAs are joining car2go's tiny 550 smart fourtwo veh
Today, the BMW Group, in partnership with EVCARD, a Shanghai-based electric car-sharing company under Global Car-Sharing & Rental Co. Ltd., launches its car-sharing service in Chengdu under the co-brand “ReachNow Powered By EVCARD”. The mobility service based in the capital city of Southwest China’s Sichuan province will offer station-based premium electric car-sharing. The debut of ReachNow in Asia marks the BMW Group’s first mobility service offering in the Chinese market,


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The South Korean conglomerate Samsung has enjoyed massive global sales for almost a decade. However, the ongoing global pandemic has taken a toll on its sales, and for the first time in 9 years, the company will end the year with less than 300 million smartphones shipped.
According to a recent report by a South Korean publication, the smartphone manufacturer will close the year with an estimated 270 million units shipped. Even though the report does not detail the possible causes of the decline in sales, it is pretty clear what caused it.
The company closed its third quarter of 2020 with 189 million units shipped, which, according to the current situation of the world, is an appreciable figure. However, the fact that its sales have declined is a blow for Samsung, and the company has set a goal of eclipsing 307 million units in 2021. The conglomerate plans on achieving this by expanding its mid-range and low-end 5G smartphone lineup. Moreover, the company expects to ship at least 50 million flagship phones next year.
Reportedly, out of the proposed 307 million units, about 93 percent will be smartphones, while the remaining 7 percent, which translates into 20 million, will be from the company’s feature phones stable.


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Biotech In The Third World: A Hostage Of Eco-Propaganda
The United Nations' recent intervention in the great debate over genetically-modified foods has provided a welcome boost to the embattled advocates of the technology.
Just a few weeks before the UN Development Program came out touting the benefits of GM crops for the developing world, biotech supporters had been pounding out the same message at an industry gathering in San Diego, California.
But where UN officials argued that Western-generated fears about biotech should not prevent the developing world from capitalizing on the technology, industry advocates say that this opposition has already put a crimp in research funding and closed borders to exported GMO products.
Environmental groups like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, they charged, are standing in the way of scientific advances which could help meet the food needs of 1.3 billion people who live on less than one dollar a day.
"It's what's putting the brakes on further development of the technology in developing countries," said C. S. Prakash, director of the Center for Plant Biotechnology Research at Tuskegee University in Alabama.
The groups are part of "a protest industry," whose main product is "fear," added Prakash, a speaker at BIO 2001 in June in San Diego.
Those fears have turned consumers in the West, notably in Europe, against foods which contain even the slightest trace of GMOs making some nations reluctant to allow the cultivation of GMO crops for fear of jeopardizing their export markets.
Thailand, the world's number one rice-exporting nation, banned commercial cultivation of GMO crops in 1999, but that was because of the uncertainty over the safety of GMO foods, Thai officials insist -- not worries about losing their lucrative export markets. The UN's Development Program went so far as to say that GMO crops could be a useful tool in dealing with the malnutrition that affects 800 million people worldwide, in a report issued July 9.
The debate about GMOs should not be driven by conservationists in the rich countries alone, it warned.
The GMO lobby, however, claims that is precisely what has happened in spite of a lack of any hard scientific evidence demonstrating that foods containing GMOs are dangerous to humans, according to the GMO lobby.
"There are 44 million hectares of GM crops under cultivation, up to 10,000 field trials of GM crops are carried out every year and yet there is no scientific evidence to show GMO products present a threat to humans," said Florence Wambugo, head of ISAAA, Cornell University's agri-biotech research center.
"All we have is hearsay."
GMO critics respond that the onus to prove these foods are safe lies with the producers and the Monsanto's of this world, not consumers.
"Where are the long-term studies on the impact of GM crops on human health or the environment?" queried Greenpeace spokesman Craig Culp.
"There is no mandatory labeling of foods containing GM products, so there is no way to identify the effect of those GMOs on humans."
GMO critics also worry about the manufacturers of GM seeds monopolizing the market in these agricultural inputs.
But scientists such as Prakash point out that public-sector institutions in countries such as the Philippines and Kenya are working on high-yield rice, virus-resistant sweet potato and more nutritious strains of cassava -- crops that are staples in developing countries.
Genetically-enhanced crops that are easier to cultivate
(insect and pesticide-resistant), deliver higher yields and are less perishable,
are an obvious way to boost local and regional agriculture in order to
meet local food needs, he said.


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4/03/2009-According to a USA Today article, the
contamination of pistachios at Calif.-based Setton Pistachio may have
occurred when contaminated raw nuts got mixed with roasted nuts during
processing. Kraft spokeswoman Laurie Guzzinati said her company’s auditors
“observed employee practices where raw and roasted nuts were not adequately
segregated and that could explain the sporadic contamination.” Roasting is
supposed to kill the bacteria; however if it is done wrong if could be re-contaminated.
The Food and Drug
Administration learned about the Salmonella
when Kraft Foods Inc. notified the agency that routine product tested had
detected the bacteria in roasted pistachios. Setton is now voluntarily
recalling more two million lbs of its roasted pistachios, and has shut down
the plant. The plant’s products were shipped to 36 wholesalers, but it is
unclear what those wholesalers did with the product—whether they were
repackaged for consumers or whether they were sold to manufacturers.


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The restaurant's chef, pastry chef and owner have taken over the business on Princess Street
WILMINGTON -- Expect Coastal Cupcakes to start evolving in coming months now that a team from manna has purchased the property just two doors down.
Manna's executive pastry chef Rebecca Alvarado-Paredes, executive chef Jameson Chavez and manna owner Billy Mellon partnered to take over the space last month and named Alvarado-Paredes head baker. While manna has always created its own desserts and baked goods, Alvarado-Paredes said this will create new opportunities to sell pastries as standalone items.
While the retail space is still going by the name Coastal Cupcakes, former owner Kristen Spetrino will be focusing on her icing company, Topsee Tulip. Alvarado-Paredes said the name will eventually change, but the branding will likely mesh with both manna and their event space Bourgie Nights next door.
"We are definitely going to be adding a bigger assortment of pastries, adding macaroons, cookies and really anything you can think of," said Alvarado-Paredes who has worked at manna for the last five years. "I really want this to be a place where people can get a fresh cake, which is hard to get at the grocery store."
She also plans on bringing in more unique and less traditional flavors to cupcakes. Last week a customer requested Southern-style cupcakes. Alvarado-Paredes created some sweet potato cupcakes with a toasted marshmallow topping. She will be using teas, violets and other herbs as flavors for icings this fall and she is most excited about creating seasonal pies and breads.
Alvarado-Paredes and Chavez are already in the new space selling cupcakes and items such as homemade dog treats.
Reporter Ashley Morris can be reached at 910-343-2096 or Ashley.Morris@starnewsonline.com.


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We’re thrilled to be featured in Event Industry News this week, the leading place to go for event professionals to network, seek advice and source the latest most innovative products in the events industry sector.
Read All About It!
The write-up in Event Industry News looks at how our products are offering the solution to events worldwide. Queue-busting, driving sales and sampling activity are all at the core of what our products do (including our infamous Thirst Packs – also known as beer backpacks).
The article talks about several companies we have worked with, including Coca-Cola, Evian and Somerset House, and how our products have been the driving factor in their promotions. Taking a direct quote from our Marketing Manager:
‘Our products tick a number of different boxes. Customers are demanding a better level of service at events, so asking them to queue for ages is not allowing an event to deliver the best experience. Organisers are also looking for new ways to offer branding and sponsorship opportunities to partners, whilst at the same time seeking to drive incremental sales. By deploying mobile systems such as ours, we’re fulfilling these criteria and creating something that has proved to be a real talking point among customers.‘
Delivering The Best Experience
We’re really proud of all our products and the innovative work we have done over the last 10 years in the mobile vending industry. We’re always working on ‘the next big thing’ to bring new and effective sales and sampling solutions to our customers.
That said, we really enjoy working on bespoke projects, so if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, we’re the innovators you’ve been looking for!
TAKE THE PLUNGE…
Contact us now to discuss how Thirst Solution can be the solution to satisfying your consumers – we’re already excited to work with you!
LET’S GET SOCIAL:


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Anyone that has been watching Finland over the last few years knows that what started as one big disaster is turning into many opportunities that promise a bright future for this Nordic country.
At its peak in 2007, Nokia had a market capitalization of $250 billion. That was before the iPhone and Android phones took the lions-share of the smartphone market away from Nokia's disappointing smartphone line-up. Before its deal with Microsoft was announced, Nokia's stock price was trading somewhere between $3 and $4 per share - giving it a market value between 2 and 3% of its 2007 value. Nokia's decline and subsequent sale of its handset business to Microsoft has had a more serious negative impact on Finland's economy than many originally thought. As reported in the UK edition of Wired Magazine,
"By 2000, Nokia accounted for a mindboggling 4 per cent of Finnish GDP, 70 per cent of Helsinki's stock exchange market capital, 43 per cent of corporate R&D, 21 per cent of total exports and 14 per cent of corporate tax revenues."
Even successes from Neste (oil refining), Wärtsilä (power systems), Kone (maker of elevators and escalators), Rovio (creator of Angry Birds, which recently announced its own layoffs), Supercell (creator of Clash of Clans), and many others have not been enough to counteract the negative impact Nokia's decline has had on the Finnish economy and its world-wide footprint.
The even greater positive
Nature has a way of taking disasters and turning them into successes. Roughly 66 million years ago, a comet or asteroid struck the Earth and killed the dinosaurs and 75% of all living species. This catastrophic event cleared the way for the evolution of mammals, and enabled humans to thrive on a planet where they would be dinosaur hors d'oeuvres.
Finns are fond of nature, and perhaps that's the reason something similar is happening in Finland. Mika Bostrom Vice President of Smarkets is quoted as saying in BBC news that...
"I am willing to say that the Elopcalypse (what many call the huge layoffs and selling of Nokia's handset business to Microsoft under then CEO Stephen Elop) was the best thing to happen to Finnish ICT."
Thriving and growing tech ecosystem
Highly skilled and trained former Nokia employees are starting companies, conferences, venture organizations, and all the bits and pieces needed to create a thriving entrepreneurial tech sector in Finland. Patrik Sallner, former Nokia director of insight and foresight, said in Techworld,
"The good thing about Nokia's demise right now is there's a lot of experienced managers available... Leaders of publicly listed companies and startups in Finland have their background in Nokia."
Recognizing the availability of tech talent, companies from Silicon Valley and Asia are setting up R&D facilities in Finland.
Slush, a combination of rain and snow, is characteristic of Finnish weather in November. Peter Vesterbacka, chief marketing officer of Rovio - the maker of video game Angry Birds, adopted the name for a high-tech start-up Conference he initiated. In just a few years, this conference has grown from its humble beginnings to a sold out global event with 15,000 attendees, 1,700 startups, 800 VC investors, and 630 journalists from all over the world. It is indicative of the high-tech start-up culture that has propagated in Finland after Nokia laid-off thousands of employees and sold its mobile phone business to Microsoft.
- Top of the world education. Finland frequently tops the world in education. Finnish students are ranked among the top three in the world.
- Advanced technology infrastructure. It has turned into europe's leading information society, second only to the USA in the use of information technology, and it has the world's highest number of mobile phones and Internet nodes per capita.
- Impressive universities and research centers. Finland has numerous universities and research Centers of Excellence. Aalto University, which includes the former Helsinki University of Technology, has become one of the top technical educational institutions in the world.
- Supportive Government. Finnish Parliament has a Committee of the Future, Sitra is the Finnish Innovation Fund, and Tekes (the National Technology Agency of Finland) finances R&D and innovation.
- Leading in R&D. It is leading nation in R&D expenditures as a percentage of GDP.
- Easy to communicate. The official business language is English.
- Western-style government. It is a western parliamentary democracy led by a President.
- In all the right clubs. Its international affiliations include membership in the EU, UN, WTO, OECD, IMF, World Bank, EBRD, AsDB, AfDB, IDB, the Nordic Council, ESA, CERN, and EUREKA.
- Bridge between East and West. Finland has the location, expertise, and long-standing history of bridging the gulf between businesses in the East and West.
- Advanced financial infrastructure. It has the world's most developed electronic banking system.
- High-performing stock market. Finland's stock market frequently outperforms many of the world's capital markets.
- Uses the Euro. Finland's monetary unit is the Euro - one of the world's four hard currencies.
- Industrial leader. It is a world leader in forest products, pulp, paper, board technology, and shipbuilding.
- Lower tax rates. Finland has the lowest corporate and capital tax rates of any EU country.
- Safety. It is a safe and virtual risk-free environment.
- Most wired and wireless. With its sophisticated digital and fiber optic voice and data processing networks, Wired Magazine has called Finland "the most wired and wireless country in the world."
- Lowest corruption. Finland is tied with Denmark for having the least corruption in the world.
For high-tech start-ups that want to get a foothold in an EU country, Finland is a great choice.
The Finns have Sisu
In addition to its advanced infrastructure, Finland's history is one of overcoming adversity from foreign domination, weather, famine, and other adverse conditions. Necessity is the mother of invention, and the Finns have had to be innovative to survive and thrive. Sisu is the word that Finns use to describe their combination of stoic determination, bravery, guts, resilience, perseverance and hardiness to overcome this adversity. It has become part of their national character and culture. It is an important characteristic for competing in a very competitive world.
Make no mistake... Nokia is not dead
While too many equate Nokia with mobile phones (the part of the company acquired by Microsoft), there is another very successful business-to-business part of the organization that continues to thrive - Nokia Networks. In fact, it recently acquired Alcatel-Lucent for $16.6 billion - making the combined company, which is called Nokia Corporation, the second largest mobile equipment manufacturer in the world behind Swedish giant Ericsson.
Not all is perfect
While the above paints a very rosy picture of the tech start-up scene, the real world is far from perfect. For Finnish-grown tech start-ups, the missing piece is marketing. To overcome Finland's "best kept secret" syndrome, Finnish organizations need to focus on effective marketing. Rather than produce flashy brochures that bury the benefits in the body copy (those are the ones I have seen), these benefits need to be highlighted in headlines. If Finns have difficulty overcoming their cultural inclination to be self-effacing, they should employ non-Finns to tell the world for them. I have said this before, and I am repeating it now because I'd like my Finnish friends to be less worried about their economy and more focused on continuing to provide the many great things Finland has to offer.
Things work in Finland
Who needs perfection? Most people and companies need products, infrastructures, and societies that work. In Finland, things not only work, they work really well. Kiitos, and have a great Holiday.


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â€¨â€¨How important is intellectual property in the digital age? Not very, if the business strategies of industry luminaries like PayPal's Elon Musk and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg are any indication.
Musk, the multi-talented entrepreneur behind PayPal, and more recently Tesla cars and SpaceX, has made it clear he considers Tesla's impressive lead in battery and electric engine technology to be of secondary importance. So much so that he made Tesla's digital platform openly available to outside parties — a move that stunned other car manufacturers.
The creator of Facebook, for his part, has openly published the results of his company's research for years. Zuckerberg has said on numerous occasions that to become profitable, research and development should be shared as widely as possible. The same goes for the large number of digital companies that provide open access to the fruits of their research.â€¨â€¨
The question here is whether we're entering a new era in which the rules have been dramatically changed and the company strategies of the 20th century are no longer comparatively effective. Several clues seem to suggest that is the case.â€¨â€¨
Compared to their elders, the GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon) firms file very few patents. Apple, the world's most valuable company, is only the 15th largest patent source in the United States. As for the most active patent producers — pharmaceutical companies in particular — many think that the age of great discoveries is now behind them.â€¨
â€¨These days innovation can come from pretty much anywhere. This is perhaps how we should start seeing the world: as a universe of open innovation, where generic knowledge is accessible to all and where disruptive thinking is the quintessence of the innovation process — a playing field that is highly favorable to entrepreneurship and startups.
â€¨â€¨But if the entry hurdle in the path to innovation is now significantly lower, how can companies of this new era keep their competitors at bay, especially when they're more numerous than before?â€¨â€¨
The answer, it seems, is to be found in two concepts: the crowd, as the capacity to constantly exchange with multiple communities appears to be the only way to preempt the next step before the competition; and Big Data, which enables real access to all of the future iterations of the crowd.
The future for many of the economic players in our societies could depend on this. For hotels, it could provide a better understanding and anticipation of clients' needs. The same goes for plane and car manufacturers, while for pharmaceutical companies, this could mean selling medical protocols on top of molecules, and so on.
â€¨â€¨In reality, the difference between companies of the digital age doesn't come from their ability to innovate but rather in the way they use innovation. These companies have understood that the best way to protect an invention is not to patent it, but to use it well and make constant improvements.
â€¨â€¨And what better way to understand how innovations are used than through data analysis? This is how the people at Tesla know how people use their cars, what's not working well, what people appreciate. Potentially, the whole experience between the consumer and the car can be analyzed.â€¨
â€¨The same thing goes for Facebook. By observing how its social network platform or its Oculus headsets are used, Mark Zuckerberg's company has at its disposal a worldwide R&D lab. Facebook offers a brilliant example of how those who hold Big Data position themselves to make constant innovations. And that's what this is really all about.
â€¨â€¨From an anthropological point of view, this is without a doubt one of the most remarkable aspects of this change of eras. It's no longer the "innovation stock" that matters, but how it is used and its constant improvement, its flow. As Ginni Rometty, CEO of IBM, recently put it, "There's no more effort to innovate, innovation is becoming a continual state and those who haven't grasped this will disappear."
*Gilles Babinet is France's Digital Champion at the European Commission.


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Rod and Kim Eshleman say they are not prepared to sell chips in a wholesale manner
Mrs. Gibble's owners selling chips at restaurant and candy store
Aindee Eshleman makes potato chips at her parents' restaurant, Mrs. Gibble's, on U.S. 11 north of Greencastle, Pa.
Posted: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 12:00 am
Like many fans of Gibble’s potato chips, the family that started the popular snack line was devastated to learn a new owner of the company planned to end production earlier this year.
“I was like, ‘What potato chips are we going to eat at home with sandwiches?’” recalled Kim Eshleman, whose husband grew up running around the production plant.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013 12:00 am.


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In June 2018, 139 taxi medallions will be made available to the public at a New York City bankruptcy auction. According to auctioneers, at least 20 of the medallions will be sold.
A valid medallion is required to operate a taxi in New York City. Currently, there are 13,587 taxi medallions in use in cabs throughout the city. Although the iconic yellow taxi cabs are still a popular way for New Yorkers and tourists to get around, many drivers are being pushed out of the market by Uber and other rideshare companies. These taxi drivers are often filing for bankruptcy as a way to recover financially.
How a Bankruptcy Auction Works
When a struggling business owner files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the goal is to eliminate as much of his or her business debt as possible. This nearly always involves selling business assets, and this is exactly what happens at a bankruptcy auction.
Bankruptcy auctions are operated by the court system. By auctioning business assets, indebted business owners have the opportunity to get as much money as possible for their assets, since the auction setting creates a competitive atmosphere in which any interested parties can bid on the assets.
Pressure on Taxi Companies from Uber and Other Rideshare Platforms
Times are changing in New York City and in other cities throughout the United States and the rest of the world. When rideshare companies like Lyft and Uber move into a market, they put pressure on the existing taxi services in that market. In nearly all cases, rideshare companies operate much less expensively than traditional taxi services, making it possible for them to offer fare prices that taxi companies simply cannot compete with. This drives taxi driver earnings down and in many cases, it drives them out of business.
In 2013, the average New York taxi driver earned about $45,000 per year. As of 2018, the estimated average annual wage for taxi drivers is $29,000. Taxi medallion prices are dropping, too. In 2013, a medallion could cost more than one million dollars. Today, they cost between $160,000 and $225,000.
Today, there are about 60,000 Uber drivers active on New York City streets at any given time. On average, they earn between $30,000 and $34,000 per year. According to Uber, the majority of NYC uber rides occur in Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
Work with an Experienced Itasca Bankruptcy Lawyer
Taxi drivers are independent business owners, and when a business struggles financially to the point that its owner cannot recover from debt while turning a profit, sometimes the owner’s only option is to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. If you think your business is heading in this direction, contact an experienced bankruptcy lawyer to set up a legal consultation where you can learn more about the bankruptcy process, your rights, and your options as a prospective filer. Contact our team at Newland & Newland, LLP today to get started with us. We serve clients in the Arlington Heights, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Libertyville, Mundelein, Buffalo Grove, Schaumburg, Elk Grove, and Itasca areas.
(image courtesy of John Cobb)


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The pressing need for a cashless payment platform for matatu fares is emerging in the form of contact-tracing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 16, 2020, the NTSA sought tech companies to install mobile and web applications for the nearly 2 00,000 matatus in the country.
Now it looks like the plan is coming into fruition. Safaricom is among a group of lenders and IT companies licensed to offer cashless payments in Public Service Vehicles (PSVs). This is setting the stage for the ban on the use of cash in matatus and begin the use of services like M-Pesa.
Cashless Payment in a Matatu
In a notice, National Safety and Transport Authority (NTSA) said the licensed 29 companies will offer a platform for cashless fare payment service.
Other top firms that will offer the cashless fare system are
- Craft Silicon (makers of Little Taxi App)
- Cellullant (a pan-African payments gateway firm)
- KCB Bank Kenya
How it will work
The digital fare collection system will have the capability to contact trace passengers in the fight against the coronavirus disease.
Once the system is in place, all passengers will pay their fares via mobile money platforms. This will give the government access to your identities and personal contact information. All of which they need to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The digital payment system requires passengers to get cards or use mobile money for payment of fares in a matatu.


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April 6, 2018
G-III Apparel has tapped Macy’s to serve as the exclusive U.S. retailer for the DKNY women’s apparel and accessories brand.
Under the terms of the agreement, DKNY women’s apparel, handbags and shoes, as well as women’s and men’s outerwear and swimwear, will be available at Macy’s locations throughout the U.S. and online at Macys.com. The agreement also includes plans for increased and enhanced DKNY shop-in-shops in Macy’s stores.
Both companies will also together on brand extensions and exclusive products that build on the principles of the New York-based brand.
“We want to create partnerships that offer our customers products and experiences that they can find only at Macy’s, and DKNY is a fashion-first brand we know our customers love,” says Jeff Gennette, president and chief executive officer, Macy’s. “By offering exclusive access in key categories, we are confident that DKNY will quickly become one of our top brands. Their remarkable global recognition combined with our expansive footprint make Macy’s and DKNY a perfect partnership.”
Additionally, G-III will continue to operate the freestanding global DKNY stores and DKNY.com. It will also maintain the brand’s agreements with international licensing and distribution partners outside of the U.S.
Products outside of the exclusive categories as well as products distributed by DKNY’s various licensees under other categories will continue to be sold to a range of department stores, including Macy’s.
“We believe that Macy’s is the ideal partner as we implement our strategy for DKNY to be the premier brand in the world for women’s apparel and accessories,” says Morris Goldfarb, chairman and chief executive officer, G-III. "We have worked well with Macy’s in the past with respect to our portfolio of brands and we are confident that this partnership with Macy’s will help DKNY flourish and capture market share.”
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Crypto industry leaders and law experts debated the privacy implications of central bank digital currencies (CBDC) during the ‘Money Re-Imagined’ panel as part of Consensus:Distributed on May 11.
Lawrence Summers, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary and former chief economist of the World Bank, argued that the current fiat monetary system exhibits issues of too much privacy, advancing that a CBDC should seek to facilitate greater oversight capabilities.
Current monetary system has ‘too much privacy’
Summers argued that supporting the anonymous movement of multi-million dollar sums of money should not be an objective of financial policy:
“Of all of the important freedoms, the ability to possess, transfer and do business with multi-million dollar sums of money seems to me to be one of the least important freedoms governments should be preserving. […] The case for central bank digital currencies is around equalizing the playing field between smaller and larger players, and making it more difficult for anonymous forms of finance to flourish.”
Lawmakers are responsible for privacy issues
Caitlin Long, a proponent of Wyoming’s regulatory embrace of blockchain and the founder and chief executive of Avanti Bank & Trust — a forthcoming bank that will provide services to firms operating with crypto, asserted that the separate issues of privacy and anonymity are often conflated in the debate surrounding virtual currencies.
Long also argued that the financial sector is burdened with regulations mandating the compromise of individuals’ private information, asserting that many financial institutions are forced to comply with legislation that they do not agree with.
Digital Dollar unlocks ‘nuanced’ privacy capabilities
Christopher Giancarlo, the director of the Digital Dollar Project and former chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), asserted that a state-issued virtual currency affords opportunities to code nuanced privacy balanced individual rights with the oversight needs of government.
“Getting the privacy balance right” must be a “design imperative” for any digitized fiat currency, argued Giancarlo.
Giancarlo argued that the objective of a digital dollar should be the creation of a currency that is the preferred unit of money among the public by choice, stressing that the design for any digital dollar initiative must be informed through vigorous public debate.
Privacy concerns manifest disparately across cultures
Sheila Warren, the head of blockchain and data policy at the World Economic Forum, offered a nuanced account of the privacy issues surrounding the digitization of fiat currencies — highlighting the importance of different countries’ socio-political particularities.
Warren emphasized the unique and diverse cultural, economic and political contexts in which digital currencies will emerge, arguing that the discourse surrounding privacy concerns differs significantly across different societies.
CBDC and private digital currencies to converge
Dante Disparte, the vice-chairman of the Libra Association, argued that a plurality of private and digital currencies will best serve the public, allowing individuals to choose to use whichever protocols best serve their needs.
Disparte added that the objective of digital currency initiatives should be greater ‘optionality’, describing the current lack of monetary options as creating the vulnerabilities that led to the current economic crisis.


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Here we are in 2015 with another MWC announcement at our back and the Microsoft Build Conference just over our horizon. With promises of a unified ecosystem, universal apps, a much more refined Windows experience and significant movement on mobile, one can’t help but feel a sense of deja vu.
Yet, Microsoft is looking to re-write it’s story for Windows and it’s future going forward, again, with a pretty convincing pitch that ‘Windows is for Do-er’s’. Now with the announcements of the Lumia 640 and 604XL, it seems that pitch continues.
The last time this storm of circumstances enveloped us, we were given (for better or for worse) a brand new start screen, half hearted and misguided attempts at two-in-ones, tablets with no apps, and a mobile phone platform too different to even be tried by most.
Perhaps worse than any of those missteps, were the messaging behind each one. There was no story, no real explanation for the changes, the promises, or the presumed benefits of the new future Microsoft and it’s partners were pitching. Customers were bombarded with synchronized dancing numbers to sell a tablet that was supposed to be selling the merits of Office (you know that product you use normally seated).
Other brilliant stories involved “the phone to save us from our phones”, as if people wanted to stop looking at their new shiny toys. We were also given the music laden efforts of the new IE fully equipped with dubstep and flashy colors, and the overused Macklemore rift, to sell the new Outlook.com experience.
Microsoft slowly and painfully began to finally pivot its marketing, but in the process, left some people scratching their heads. On one hand, Microsoft was toning down it’s efforts on Windows (as it was backtracking on the flashy new start screen) and offering the “Honestly” campaign. Yet, customers were sent to the comedy club with the Apple vs. Samsung fanboy brawls that did more for selling the features of the Galaxy’s and iPhones, than for Windows Phone.
All in all, Microsoft’s marketing efforts have been a scatter brained mess of mixed messages and ill-fated ideas. Each product of Microsoft had it’s own siloed campaign and left customers trying to put the pieces together themselves.
It looks like Microsoft is finally starting to finally pitch an entire story these days with their Windows is for do-er’s campaign.
Instead of seemingly desperate ads chasing the moving trends of customers, Microsoft looks to be selling the same message Windows has been effectively doing for the past 30 plus years. While it’s not the sexy or heart tugging message of Apple or the moonshot ideas of Google, it’s a message 1.5 billion people are familiar with.
“But then again, Do-er’s aren’t unique, anyone can be one. All you have to do, is do.” The Lumia 640 and 640XL are now simply a part of the message we hope continues.


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In a paper appearing in a CDC publication, Deborah Cohen, MD, MPH, and Lila Rabinovich, MPhil, argue that current methods attempting to curb obesity aren't working, largely because policies give too much credit to consumers—the assumption is that they're able to make rational choices about what they eat, so the focus is on education instead of regulation.
Since immoderate consumption of food and alcohol both can lead to serious health problems, they say, it's not unreasonable to regulate them the same way.
They go on to discuss five ways alcohol is currently regulated that could also be applied to the regulation of junk food, including restricting the number of outlets that can sell it within a certain area, specifying where in stores it can be placed, and subjecting the unhealthy items to higher taxes.
If these regulations were somehow put into effect, the intersection near our office that boasts two burger chains, a taco chain, a pizza chain, and a convenience store best known for selling frozen sugar-water would become a ghost town. More


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PS4 beats Xbox One to become UK’s fastest ever selling console
Sony's console sold more than a million consoles during its US launch, and has now beaten records in the UK
Monday 02 December 2013
Sony has duplicated their successful launch of the PS4 in North America by becoming the UK’s fastest ever selling console.
The PS4’s sales figures have beaten both the PS3’s, the Xbox 360’s, and the previous record holder – Sony’s PSP. This handheld console managed to sell 185,000 units in the same time period during its 2005 release.
Most importantly for Sony though, the PS4 outsold the Xbox One, clearing more than 250,000 units within the first 48 hours of launch and easily beating the Xbox One’s sales of 150,000 consoles in the same time period.
Industry news-site MCV reported the figures, also noting that this means both Microsoft and Sony’s consoles have sold more in two days than Nintendo’s Wii U has sold in a year since its launch in November 2012.
However, in the US the Xbox One may be taking the lead, becoming the best-selling console during the country’s annual Black Friday sales event. Analysts InfoScout reported that both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One outsold the PS3 and PS4, with Microsoft’s consoles collecting 61% of console sales on the day in comparison with Sony’s 30 per cent.
InfoScout also noted though that this may be due to limited availability for the PS4 in the US, as well as retail giant Walmart’s decision to discount the Xbox 360 to just $99.
In terms of games sold, Call of Duty: Ghosts seems to be convincing audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. InfoScout’s data showed the latest instalment in the CoD franchise easily outpacing the competition (though didn’t give specific numbers) whilst the UK’s all-platform top 10 also put Ghosts in the number one spot.
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Mumbai: Tata Motors, the country’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, will shut down one of its factories for three days this week, in the latest closure of a vehicle plant and another sign of slowing growth in the country.
India’s economic growth slumped to its lowest level in nine years in the first three months of 2012, with the country’s manufacturing output -- a key driver of commercial vehicle demand -- shrinking by 0.3%.
Tata will suspend production at its Jamshedpur factory, where it makes trucks and truck parts, from 28-30 June, a company spokesman said. The closure is in order “to align production with demand,” the spokesman added.
Tata has already closed its Pune plant for three days this month, while top carmaker Maruti Suzuki and Toyota Motor’s Indian unit have chosen to temporarily reduce production in recent weeks on falling demand.
The country’s car sales grew just 2.2% in the fiscal year that ended in March, due to high interest rates and rising fuel prices.


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Sony plans to release further HD remakes of PS2 games for PS3, Shuhei Yoshida, president of SCE's Worldwide Studios, has confirmed.
Speaking to IGN at E3 earlier this month Yoshida said: "Santa Monica Studios had the brilliant idea to upgrade and improve God of War for PS3 with the God of War Collection that we released last year.
"There were a lot of positive reactions from consumers in doing that, and now we get a lot of suggestions for types of packs they'd like to see."
He added: "So we are looking to continue to do these HD conversions."
At E3 Sony announced The Sly Collection, which updates all three PS2 Sly Cooper games to high definition in one Blu-ray package. The set is scheduled for release in November. Missing from E3 was the heavily rumoured Ico and Shadow of the Colossus HD remake, with the Tokyo Game Show now the likely venue for such an announcement.


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$50bn wiped off the US tech titans as Wall Street investors fret over series of underwhelming results
Americas's tech giants were last night on course to lose more than $50billion in value as Wall Street investors fretted over a series of under-whelming results.
The 'FAANG' stocks – Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google – all slumped into the red after US markets opened.
It followed a bombshell profit warning from Facebook on Wednesday, which saw a record $120billion wiped off its value in a single session.
Tech trouble: The 'FAANG' stocks – Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google – all slumped into the red after US markets opened
Amazon's second quarter revenues the next day also missed analyst expectations, while Twitter on Friday reported a drop in users.
Yesterday investors dumped tech stocks. Netflix fell 5.3 per cent, Facebook by 3.8 per cent, Google and Amazon by around 2 per cent and Apple 0.6 per cent.
Twitter fell more than 7 per cent.
Collectively the companies were on course to lose more than $50billion in value.
With Apple due to report third quarter results today, brokers said further bad news could push the firms into even bigger losses.
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Training college Unique has copped penalties of $4.165 million for breaches of consumer regulations - including enrolling consumers in VET FEE-HELP funded courses - and luring some consumers with the offer of free laptops to derive revenues from the Commonwealth, to their detriment.
Passengers on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry service between Devonport and Melbourne now have access to high-speed Internet, with a partnership by the ferry operators with Australian satellite internet provider, IPSTAR Broadband.
Australia Post is using an intelligence solutions platform from Snow Software to optimise IT operations, gain insight into its technology ecosystem and manage application sprawl.
self evident fallacious arguments indeed
A new report from Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA), the peak body representing the interests of more than 47,000 eating[…]
The problem with Broadcast Australia BAI Communications Australia is that their FM transmitters appear built to a cost, particularly in[…]
Hardly. It’s self evident.
fallacious arguments detected


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Do you want some tips to stay safe on the job site?
Equipment World has created an entire section devoted to safety.
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Avataar has raised $3 Mn in funding from angel investors in the USA and India in December last year.
Avataar provides digital marketing and businesses with its 3D, augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Tiwari will lead on-ground teams in San Francisco and Delhi and will be responsible for leading the expansion of the company’s global business footprint and its customer growth strategy. The company also said that he will focus on global business development and enterprise sales, market activation and platform brand- building.
Tiwari has previously worked at F&B Asia and Hindustan Unilever. He was also a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group in the United States.
Speaking about the hire, Sravanth Aluru, chief executive, Avataar said, “Mayank unique combination of commercial and leadership acumen, growth track record scaling PE owned businesses, as well as a CMO’s perspective to Avataar.”
On his appointment, Tiwari said, “I am very excited to take charge of leading our global growth surge, especially as CMOs can no longer ignore the mounting evidence of immersive 3D/AR driving higher engagement and conversion outcomes than 2D videos and static advertising.”
Tiwari holds an MBA in finance and strategy from The Wharton School and a B.Tech. degree in Computer Science from SGSITS Indore.
- Front page
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Workers across the automobile hubs in Gurgaon-Manesar, Chennai, Pune and Sanand are working longer hours and even on weekends, as carmakers Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Tata Motors and Mahindra build up inventory.DGGI Raises ₹55,000-cr Tax Demand from eGaming Cos
The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) has sent out a dozen pre-showcause notices to online real money gaming (RMG) companies over goods and services tax dues of about ₹55,000 crore, said people with knowledge of the matter.
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HTC’s Media Link HD was briefly mentioned during this year’s MWC, and it looks like it might be hitting the stores in the near future. According to reports, the media streaming accessory recently got certified at the offices of the FCC, and it should be in stores this April. For those of you not in the know, the Media Link HD basically gives your regular HDTV DLNA capabilities, so you can stream content to your TV from your phone/tablet wirelessly.
Content includes 1080p HD video, games, photos and music. No prices have been announced, but Expansys currently has it for pre-order at $120 – which is probably a tad too expensive for a device like this. I guess we’ll find out more when it goes on sale next month.
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Located in the northern part of India, Punjab is one of the major agro-producing states of the country. Fertile land, abundant water availability and favorable climatic conditions, provide the local farmers ideal conditions for crop production and making use of these factors, the state contributes significantly in the country’s food production.
A leading economist after the release of the latest export data said, “The future of the South African agriculture sector is bright, with the potential for more exports, job creation and economic growth.”
Ukraine’s Grain Exports Stand At 5.5 million metric tonnes In January
After covid-19 disrupted lives and hampered trade and commerce for good couple of years, people had high hopes from the year 2022. With the waning impact of Covid, wide scale rollout of vaccines and mass immunization, people expected the year to support recovery in every aspect. However, the year proved to be a disappointment for everyone in general and for people related with agro export and import business in particular.
Tur dal, often known as pigeon peas, is a member of the legume family and has a lot of fiber and proteins. The pigeon pea plant has dried and split peas (seeds) which make tur dal. It is a staple food for Indian vegetarian families and an essential component of Indian cuisines.
Located in South Asia, India is the 2nd largest wheat producer and consumer in the world, ranking behind China.
India’s Wheat Export Restrictions
The Government of India (GOI) banned the exports of wheat in May ’22 and further restricted wheat flour shipments from July 22. However, the government still permitted a few shipments in order to meet the food security requirements of countries around the world.
With waning impact of covid-19, people had high hopes from the year 2022. Almost all expected the year to support recovery after the covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc and disrupted lives in the last couple of years. However, the year drifted far away from people’s pre-conceived notions.
Government of India had imposed restrictions on sugar exports effective from June 1 to control prices and maintain adequacy of sugar in domestic market. Now GOI has approved export of 1.2 MT extra sugar this season as high production next season is expected. This season 10 MT sugar has already been exported and this new quota is additional. Thus total sugar outflows will be 11 MT this season making it highest ever. This new quota is a recent approval of group of ministers.
Tradologie.com is very pleased that Mahant Overseas has accepted our offer and are joining our team.
Your experience and vision will be a great asset to our association. And we know that the team is looking forward to working with your organization.
Tradologie.com is honored to welcome its new associate Optimal enterprises. Together we intend to expand horizons globally. A well-renowned brand because of its good market reach internationally plans to capture diverse marketers with Tradologie.com
MK International is currently conquering the onion, rice and wheat market internationally. With significant experience with supply chain management and global trade, the company endeavors to bring regional authentic produce on a global platform. The company was formed in a small town to live the entrepreneurial spirit and the journey today has brought them on a global level.


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SRINAGAR: Nissan Group of India strengthened its presence in Kashmir with the inauguration of its new retail outlet, H K Nissan, here.
The dealership was inaugurated by Arun Malhotra, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India Private Limited.
Nissan now has a network of 201 “sales touch-points” in 148 cities for both Nissan and Datsun vehicles.
“Establishing an extensive, quality-focused retail network is central to Nissan’s long-term growth in India and the company has a commitment to operate 300 sales and service touch points by the end of the 2016 financial year,” the company said in a release issued here.
“In this financial year, Nissan has already opened 18 outlets in metropolitan as well as non-metro cities. In the last two months, Nissan opened showrooms in Trichy, Tirupati, Sikar, Nasik, and Mumbai,” it said.
With network expansion, Nissan said it is moving closer to the customer.
The company is also placing a huge focus on the customer experience at the dealerships, it said, adding the brand is ranked 3rd in the recent J D Power Asia Pacific-India Sales Satisfaction Index this year.
Speaking at the occasion, Malhotra said, “I am delighted to inaugurate H K Nissan’s new dealership at Srinagar. Together with our dealer partner, we seek to provide our customers with best-in-class products and services, and look forward to a long-standing, successful association”.
“Nissan’s strategy for continued and significant growth in India is underpinned by our commitment to providing customers with a superior ownership experience. This is backed by our continuous expansion of dealership outlets nationwide and our target of setting up 300 dealerships across the country by the end of fiscal year 2016,” he said.
H K Nissan will cater to the expanding customer base in the region. It is led by Zahoor Ahmed Mir, an experienced industrialist.
“We at H K Nissan are proud to be associated with such a successful global brand. As an authorised dealer of Nissan in Srinagar, H K Nissan will provide excellent sales and after sales service to the existing and prospective customers in the region,” he said on the occasion.


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INDA Announces 2010 Visionary Award Finalists
The Cary, N.C.-based Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA) has announced the five
finalists for the 2010 Visionary Award. The award, now in its ninth year, is presented annually to
a new consumer product that features nonwoven fabrics.
The finalists are: Dial Corp. for its Purex® Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheets; Advanced Cleaning Technologies LLC for the Ultimate Cloth®; Rockline Industries Inc. for its Regenerated Cotton Wipe; Procter & Gamble for its Infinity feminine hygiene pad; and Superior Felt and Filtration LLC/Wein Products Inc. for the Fitseal™ disposable respirator mask.
"Even in the challenging business climate of the past 12 months, consumer products' companies have invested in the development of new products and these five finalists of the Visionary Award are proof of the success of these efforts," said Michael Jacobsen, INDA Visionary Award chairman. "They represent the most significant advances in incorporating nonwovens technology into consumer products and they are being recognized not only for their technical attributes, but for their novel use of nonwoven fabrics as well."
Each finalist will make a presentation during INDA's Vision 2010 Consumer products conference to be held in New Orleans, Jan. 20-22, 2010. Conference attendees will vote on the winner.
October 20, 2009


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According to data from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), about 4,595 tons of meat and meat products have been recalled in the first quarter of this year. Twenty-one recalls have been recorded thus far, with the largest being 5.7 million pounds of beef and veal that came in two stages.
Huntington Meat Packing, a Montebello California based company, first recalled 864,000 pounds of beef in January due to possible contamination with E. Coli O157:H7. In February, the company expanded the recall to include an additional 4.9 million pounds of beef and veal. This recall was expanded due to the FSIS’ belief that the output of these products during the time period of January 4th and 12th was made in unsanitary conditions.
In second place for the largest of these 21 recalls is Windsor Foods, which recalled 1.7 million pounds of ready-to-eat chicken quesadillas and beef taquitos. The reason for this recall was the HVP (hydrolyzed vegetable protein) contained in these foods, which was contaminated with Salmonella. The HVP was produced by Nevada’s Basic Food Flavors.
The remaining recall for the first quarter involving over a million pounds of food was by Rhode Island based Daniele International Inc., which has been in the news a great deal recently. In the beginning, there were questions as to whether the foods Daniele recalled were tainted due to contaminated black pepper or red pepper. The company recalled products on three different occasions with the total weight of these products reaching 1.4 million pounds.
Salmonella contamination has proven to be the biggest problem so far this year, and has been responsible for more meat and meat products being recalled than any other pathogen during the quarter, whether directly or through the HVP recall. Approximately 3.22 million pounds of these recalled foods can be attributed to Salmonella food poisoning contamination.
It’s plain to see that Salmonella and E. Coli are a real problem in the United States, and are often responsible for foodborne illnesses. While symptoms in healthy individuals are usually only mild, some people may be at higher risk of serious complications. These include young children, the elderly, pregnant women and individuals with compromised immune systems.
If you are injured by contaminated food, consider consulting with a food poisoning attorney.


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BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese international trade promotion agency said it would offer force majeure certificates to companies struggling to cope with the impact of the new coronavirus epidemic on their business with overseas partners.
The move by the China Council for The Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), officially accredited with Beijing’s Commerce Ministry, was announced late on Thursday and comes with the death toll in the country from the virus topping 200. The number of cases confirmed worldwide has risen rapidly in what the World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency.
“Some Chinese companies have suffered severe impacts on goods and logistics and may not be able to fulfil their contracts amid the coronavirus,” the CCPIT said in a statement.
It didn’t identify any companies affected, and didn’t disclose whether it had received any requests for force majeure certificates, which can absolve parties of liability for contracts that can’t be fulfilled due to extraordinary circumstances beyond their control.
The CCPIT said companies that can provide legitimate documents, including proof of delays or cancellation of transportation, exports contracts and customs declaration, to it online system would be granted force majeure certificates. The agency says on its website that its certification is recognized and accepted overseas.
The outbreak in the world’s second-largest economy has roiled global commodity markets, raising fears of weaker demand and disrupting raw material supply chains. A Chinese government economist has forecast the country’s economic growth may drop to 5%, or even lower, from 6.1% in 2019.
China has extended the Lunar New Year holiday to at least Feb.2. But some regions, such as oil refining hub of Shandong province and automakers clustered Chongqing city, have asked companies not to resume operations before Feb. 10, in a bid to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Reporting by Muyu Xu and Tony Munroe; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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A few months ago, Meizu M3S was announced and later on, everyone was expecting this phone to arrived in India, but it got delayed and today, finally Meizu M3S is launched in India. Well, the smartphone is going to be available in two different variants depending on the features the users can select the one which matches their requirement. The Meizu M3S is a good looking smartphone and it is going to give a tough competition to the other phones as well.
Meizu M3S Specs:
The smartphone is coming with a 5-inch HD display which supports a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. The smartphone is also coming with he 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass display. It was announced in June and it is coming in India now. The Meizu M3S is running on Android 5.1 Lollipop, which needs to be upgraded and at this moment, we are not sure whether the smartphone will receive the future software updates or not.
The handset is coming with a 13-Megapixel camera on the back side of this device, The users can also find a 5-Megapixel camera at the front of this handset. The Meizu M3S is coming with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. This model is priced at Rs. 7,999 and the other model which is priced at Rs. 9,499 is coming with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.
Commenting on the launch of Meizu m3s, Meizu India PR Manager said, “m3s generated quite a buzz among our target audience and since the dynamics of Indian market is similar to any other successful market in the world, it encouraged us to rollout this stunning device here as well. Undoubtedly, we at Meizu always tend to introduce our best in class products here on priority. We firmly believe the level of acceptability M3S would get from Indian consumer will bolster our future growth plans.
The Meizu M3S is going to be a Snaodeal exclusive and the company is holding an event tomorrow in New Delhi to showcase this device.


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Vivo Y81 4GB RAM Reviews, Prices & Specifications
Vivo Y81 Reviews, Prices & Specifications
Vivo has launched a new variant of the Vivo Y81 smartphone in India. Last week, a report had already claimed that the 4GB RAM variant of the smartphone was launched in the country. The smartphone previously had a 3GB RAM variant in the market. The company has now officially announced the availability of the new 4GB RAM model and some ‘festive season’ offers. Vivo has revealed a number of deals on both the variants of Vivo Y81, alongside select smartphones in the Y-Series. Ahead of the upcoming festival season, the Vivo Y81, Vivo Y71i, and Vivo Y83 Pro will be available with cashback offers, no cost EMI options, and more.
Price & Storage
The price in India of the 4GB RAM variant of Vivo Y81 has been fixed as Rs. 13,490. For comparison, the 3GB variant of the smartphone was launched in India at Rs. 12,999 . Although, it later received a price cut that brought down the price to Rs. 11,990. Notably, the latest Y81 (4GB) is available via Vivo India e-store, Paytm Mall, and also across all the offline channels across India. The smartphone comes with 32GB of inbuilt storage, expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB).
The Vivo Y81 is equipped with a 13-megapixel rear camera sensor with f/2.2 aperture and LED flash. It includes features such as HDR, Pro mode, portrait, bokeh mode, AI face beauty, slow motion, time lapse, panorama, Doc mode, PDAF, filters, palm capture, voice control, and live photo. Additionally, it comes with a 5-megapixel selfie sensor with the same aperture and a front screen flash. The selfie camera also features HDR, face beauty, group selfie, filters, palm capture, voice control, portrait, and bokeh mode.
The Vivo Y81 supports a dual-SIM (Nano). This smartphone will run through Android 8.1 Oreo with FunTouch OS 4.0 on top. It sports a 6.22-inch HD+ (720×1520 pixels) IPS display with a 19:9 aspect ratio and Gorilla Glass protection. Under the hood, the smartphone packs an octa-core MediaTek MT6762 processor clocked at 2.0GHz, paired with an IMG GE8320 graphics, up to 4GB RAM.
The Vivo Y81 is fuelled with a 3,260mAh battery. Connectivity options in the smartphone include 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, single-band Wi-Fi 802.11 (2.4GHz), GPS, Micro-USB, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Sensors include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, e-compass, fingerprint, and virtual gyroscope. In terms of dimensions, the handset measures 155.06×75.0x7.77mm and weigh 146.5 grams.
Vivo Y-Series offers
Coming to the Vivo offers, buyers of the Vivo Y81, Vivo Y71i, and Vivo Y83 Pro can avail a number of offers on purchase via both offline and online channels. They will get a 5 percent cash back on HDFC Bank credit and debit card and EMI transactions, as well as, on consumer loans. They will also get a cashback coupon worth Rs. 1,000 on Paytm. Meanwhile, Jio subscribers can avail benefits of up to Rs. 4,050. Interestingly, Buyers will get Jio vouchers worth Rs. 1,950, Jio Platinum Device Security access for device theft and malware protection, and partner coupons for Myntra, Paytm, and Swiggy worth Rs. 2,100. Finally, no-cost EMI options will also be available on the select Vivo Y-Series smartphones starting at Rs. 916 per month.


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& Mahindra has unveiled its new visual identity including a brand-new logo
that will differentiate its SUV portfolio. The all-new visual identity is in
tune with the company’s focus to be makers of sophisticated and authentic SUVs.
new identity will be communicated through a digital and television campaign.
Acclaimed actor Naseeruddin Shah and celebrated music composers Ehsaan-Loy have
breathed life into this campaign, by lending their powerful voice and
soul-stirring music to the brand film.
complete brand identity was designed by the Mahindra Design Team and embodies
the willingness to change to suit a new world order.
by the brand statement ‘Explore the Impossible’, the new logo reflects the
ambition and the ability to take new challenges, head on. The new visual
identity will be seen throughout the SUV product portfolio, across 1300
customer (Sales) and service touchpoints and 823 cities by 2022. The ‘Road
Ahead’ logo will be retained for the commercial vehicle products and the farm
Nakra, CEO, Automotive Division, M&M Ltd. said, “It’s not only a new logo
but a representation of the rejuvenated spirit at Mahindra. What better
platform than the new XUV700 to showcase it to the world. The visual overhaul
of our identity will be carried in a phased manner across our SUV name plates,
and across virtual and physical touch-points where our customers interact with
Bose, EVP and Chief Design Officer, M&M Ltd. said, “The idea behind visual
identity change is to express that liberating feeling, that you can go where
you want, when you want – in complete style, control and security, taking your
world with you. It brings a fresh dynamism as an exciting new era unfolds. The
2M’s within the logo symbolize an expansive and exciting future which is based
on a solid heritage.”
Celebrating its 120th Anniversary, Royal Enfield announced the launch of a new range of limited edition helmets earlier this week. The limited range will consist of hand painted helmets designed by ar...
Sony India has introduced the new XAV-AX8100 in-car media receiver, offering new utility features, powerful sound and smart features.
ExxonMobil Lubricants Pvt Ltd launched its upgraded Mobil Super Moto range of engine oils to make it easier for people to maintain their two-wheelers in top condition. The launch comes at a time when...
In an exclusive interview, Uday Narang, Chairman, Anglian Omega Group & Omega Seiki Mobility
talks about his company plans to enter the two and four wheeler electric vehicle space.
Motown India speaks to Woosuk Leem, Managing Director, AS Parts Division, Mobis India to get more details about the Hyundai Mobility Membership App and its advantages.
Vishal Mathur, Senior Vice President, LMD Truck Business – VECV elaborates upon VECV’s Light & Medium Duty (LMD) business in India, the company’s product offering and the several advantages offered by...


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*The images seen here are from Louis Vuitton's spring 2021 menswear show in Tokyo, Japan, on September 2, 2020. To read coverage of that event,click here. The review below corresponds to Virgil Abloh's initial showing of the spring 2021 collection on August 6, 2020 in Shanghai, China.
“Really, it’s like documenting me and my motley crew of friends,” Virgil Abloh said on a call from Chicago yesterday, ahead of the men’s Louis Vuitton show that took place on a dock in Shanghai today. Abloh was discussing the many-stranded thought processes woven into the material and symbolism, and the all-Black collaborators—animators, musicians, and the stylist Ibrahim Kamara—whom he brought in during quarantine, his response to what he described as “these tumultuous times…this year of reckoning.”
The event was an actual live old-normal “experiential” spectacular, held in front of local guests who were sitting in rows just as audiences always used to before April, not wearing masks. Models were also locally cast. “Gatherings are safe over there,” he noted. Yet neither the creative director, now at home in America, nor anyone from L.V.’s Paris headquarters had traveled to China. Only the clothes crossed continents. And this is where Abloh took up the story line, which began within the animation Zoooom With Friends, a video populated with cartoon animal “stowaways” who’d jumped aboard L.V. shipping containers. They were last seen in July, floating away on a barge along the Seine at the end of the wildly popular YouTube project he’d commissioned from the Black animation director Reggie Know in L.A.
Today the barge had docked, and the models were livestreamed walking from real shipping containers stacked on the Shanghai port, and a connected pontoon floating in the river. “Three or four weeks ago, Ibrahim Kamara and I styled and packed everything in Paris and sent it off as you see it.” There was an opening parade of men in turquoise overalls and matching bandana face masks holding aloft clouds and seagulls. Giant inflatables of the L.V. cartoon creatures lounged on the red-painted sea containers. And so proceeded the collection that stylistically circled back to reconfirm the spirit of everything Abloh has done at the house since spring 2019—beginning with classic-modern suiting and ending with the fractured tailoring and Magritte-like blue sky and cloud prints from last fall—but then springboarded it forward into what he described as “hypnovisualism”: affirmation of the Black imagination.


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Women with normal faces but brightly coloured bodies have been spotted all over Colombo and the adjoining cities.
These women seem to be normal, except that from their neck down they’re painted in bright greens, blues, reds, etc., leading people to wonder what the meaning behind this could be.
Further perplexing is the fact that the women have been spotted in normal clothes going about their daily business, alone, not in groups. Other than the colour of their skin, there seems to be nothing unnatural about their behaviour, leading some to wonder if this is just a new fashion trend, an exaggeration of body art perhaps?
Or perhaps this is a form of protest? Perhaps their bright skin colour signifies a protest about unity despite race, or the bright red signifies anti-violence? However, if this were true, wouldn’t they meet in groups? Wouldn’t they be more vocal about their cause?
It seems all we can do now is speculate, while we wait for this mystery to reveal itself.


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|Nike gave workers a week off to de-stress
Nike gave its office workers a week-long holiday to de-stress. The sportswear company closed its offices so workers could "enjoy additional time off to rest and recover". Nike wanted workers to "take the time to unwind, de-stress and spend time with…loved ones." Nike's store workers worked as usual.


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Since 2011, Deb Ann’s Fabrics in Hillsboro has been the place to go for quilters and fabric artists in the county. Offering a wide selection in fabric, as well as sewing machines and notions, the shop was also a place for quilters of all levels to learn new patterns and hone their skills.
After 10 years of operation, owner Debbie Walker is ready to retire and pass the torch to another quilter in the county, Julie Gibson, of Marlinton.
Renaming the shop Sunflower Fabrics, Gibson plans to continue offering the same products and services Walker did.
“We have all kinds of cotton fabric,” she said. “We do have a few other fabrics, like upholstery fabric, but that’s not really what I lean toward. It’s more of the quilting cottons. We have threads and sewing machine needs, and pretty much anything you need for quilting.”
Gibson, who works at State Farm Insurance in Marlinton, said she never saw herself owning her own fabric store, but when the opportunity presented itself, she decided to take the chance.
“If I had to start from scratch, I would have never done it,” she said, of owning a shop. “I’ve sewn my whole life, and I’ve quilted probably sixteen, seventeen years. I like to quilt, and I’ve always liked working with fabrics and things.
“I’m planning to retire in the next year or so, and I thought, ‘Well, that would be a nice project to have.’ It just turned out to be a good time to do it.”
At this time, Walker is helping Gibson with the shop and will continue to offer classes there.
“She has helped me so much,” Gibson said.
Once she retires and is at the shop full-time, Gibson said she hopes to start projects for the community, including block-of-the-month and other small quilting projects.
She has also considered adding other crafting supplies.
“I might branch out into some embroidery floss and that sort of thing – maybe yarns and knitting needles,” she said. “There’s not a lot of places close by where you can get needlework and craft supplies.”
Gibson has only had the shop since March 19, but is already meeting individuals she never knew quilted before seeing them in the shop.
“It’s nice,” she said, “meeting people that I didn’t realize are quilters. I’m glad we do have a lot of interest in that sort of thing. I mostly know those in Marlinton. I’ve met people that live in the upper end of the county and in Hillsboro. It’s nice to meet a whole different group of people.”
Gibson will host an open house, Saturday, May 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunflower Fabrics is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.


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Get Alerts »
Giant sand Christmas tree lights up West Palm Beach
A duck with a birth defect is getting a new foot thanks to a creative animal lover who designed the new foot using 3-D printing technology.
Script / info to follow.
More than 20 members of the U.S. House, mostly Democrats, and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz will travel to South Africa to honor and commemorate former South African president and anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela.


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AMD is working on what it refers to as Zen+ and Zen follow-on CPUs: new generations of CPUs all set to arrive within the next three to five years, each aimed at satisfying high-end customers.
The news was announced by AMD CEO Lisa Su at the 19th Annual Technology, Media & Telecom Conference this week. While the company has previously indicated there would be more to come from Zen, it was all very vague and lacking a concrete timeline as we have now.
The idea is to keep Zen going until a new microarchitecture is introduced. Seeing a long-term roadmap is no doubt a welcome sight for AMD users, particularly given the short-term plans that came with Piledriver.
Zen is planned for launch by the end of 2016, with full availability commencing in 2017.
- > NEXT STORY: Ubisoft releases live action 'Silent Night' trailer for The Division
- < PREVIOUS STORY: Epic Games investigating issue with Squad and AMD CPUs


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Here's what you need to know about the new Owl Fine Foods
For decades, Owl Fine Foods was the hub of Alexandria's Garden District.
A local entrepreneur thinks it can be again.
John Callis recently completed the purchase of the former Owl building at 1121 Chester St. He plans on turning it into a bistro-style restaurant and specialty food and wine shop.
"Everybody has their niche," said Callis, who has bought and renovated several houses in and around the Garden District. "For this place, I think it's the community. The neighborhood is going to give it a unique feel."
Started by Jesse Joseph "Jay" Mertens in the early 1930s, Owl Fine Foods was the type of local market many neighborhoods had throughout much of the last century but few have now — the kind of place where neighborhood kids stopped for treats after school and nearby residents had a tab for their groceries.
The store closed in the early 1990s, but Callis plans to be true to its spirit in many ways, including by retaining the name and making it a neighborhood institution.
"For the seven years I've been working and volunteering in this neighborhood, this has been the topic," said Heather Matlock, president of the Garden District Neighborhood Foundation. "Finding someone to take some pride in this building and bring something great here. I'm so happy that the pieces finally came together."
FROM THE PAST:Supporters trying to save former Owl grocery store
The bistro should seat between 45 and 50 people, Callis said, including an outdoor patio area and a coffee counter.
The type of food will depend on the vision of the chef Callis hires, but he sees a menu that makes use of local ingredients and changes often, with "some staples developed over time."
Owl Fine Foods will also offer "grab-and-go" prepared options, such as sandwiches, and "take-and-bake" meals that can be easily prepared at home.
The retail section will center on a robust selection of wines, but will also include gourmet food items, such as cheeses, charcuterie, breads, spices and oils.
Callis thinks the renovations can be complete and the new business ready to open in about 10 months.
"When it's done, this is going to look as nice as anything you find in New Orleans," he said.


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Our favourite chocolate brand Cadbury has just officially launched its latest flavour, the Kopi-C!
It's available at all major hypermarts and supermarkets nationwide so go buy it NOW cause it's Limited Edition!
Cadbury's Kopi-C is being sold now for RM8.50 - and it'll only be available up to end of September 2018...
Btw, there's a little special gift in the box... *hint..it's from Datuk Lat!*
For more info on the Cadbury Dairy Milk's latest Kopi C flavour, check out:


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Thirdverse, the virtual reality game developer behind “Swords of Gargantua,” has raised $8.5 million in Series A funding. The round was led by JAFCO, with participation from Presence Capital, Sisu Ventures, Incubate Fund and KDDI.
Based in Tokyo, Thirdverse was started four years ago as Yomuneco, but relaunched as Thirdverse in June to align with its corporate mission of creating a “Third Place inside the Metaverse,” where “each person has choices in his or her own hands and can live whatever life he or she wants to.” The company is currently focused on multiplayer virtual reality games, but its ultimate goal is to combine virtual reality with blockchain technology to create “VR worlds” where people can create online communities.
The concept has taken on a new relevancy, as COVID-19 related stay-at-home orders prompted organizations to bring gatherings, including conferences, concerts and even their offices, online.
Users have also spent more time playing online games during the pandemic, with titles that have a social element, like “Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” proving especially popular.
Thirdverse is currently preparing to release other virtual reality games, including “Frostpoint VR: Proving Grounds,” a multi-player shooter game that will be available later this year for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive VR and Valve Index headsets.
In a statement, Sisu Ventures and Presence Capital founding partner Paul Bragiel said, “In the rapidly growing VR gaming landscape, Thirdverse stands out as having strong leadership, deep relationships and a big vision to become the category leader in this market.”


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Investment in the logistics sector reached a record high in Asia Pacific in 2020, with four of the region’s markets ranking in the top 10 biggest logistics markets globally in the year. The e-commerce revolution was already well underway before 2020, and the Covid-19 pandemic served to reinforce investor appetites for warehouses even further.
Deal activity totaled $13.5 billion in 2020, according to preliminary Real Capital Analytics data, just eclipsing investment levels in 2018 and 2019. South Korea and Australia notched record years for investment in distribution facilities, while China and Japan both had their second most active years. Together, these four markets accounted for 96% of all logistics deal volume in APAC in 2020.
The logistics sector is still in expansion mode in most of the Asia Pacific region, with China and South Korea two of the fastest growing markets in the world. From 2015 to 2020, logistics investment grew at an annualized rate of 66% and 51%, respectively. The rapid development of prime warehouse facilities has underpinned this trajectory, with developers such as GLP, ESR, and Goodman racing to build sheds to keep up with the burgeoning investor appetite for the asset class.
In Japan, the region’s most mature market, 2020 logistics investment was just shy of the $6 billion in deals recorded in 2019. Trades of supersized logistics facilities are gaining traction: the acquisition of the 2.8 million sqft Logiport Kawasaki Bay in Yokohama was the biggest distribution facility traded in Japan across all of RCA history.
In Australia, deal activity for most sectors was muted last year, with office, retail, and hotel investment all plummeting by over a half. Not so for the logistics sector, which grew to become the 10th largest market of this type globally.
To learn more about the data behind this article and what Real Capital Analytics has to offer, visit https://www.rcanalytics.com/.
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