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Just days before ‘dieselgate’ Suzuki spent £2.4 billion buying VW’s shareholding back, after the judgement went the Japanese company’s way.
That reversal of VW’s global expansion was very minor compared with what happened over the following fortnight. The mighty German company is now completely on the back foot, and facing years of massively expensive fines and litigation.
In fact, so bad is VW’s potential situation, that one betting company is offering odds of 20 to 1 that VW Group will not be trading by the end of 2016.
While the situation is probably not quite that bad, the open-ended nature of VW’s potential liabilities means that its share price will be depressed for years, borrowing costs will rise, and the company’s huge research and development budget will have to be radically trimmed.
And that’s on top of the costs of the recall work and owner compensation. The manufacturing and fitting of around 11 million engine ECUs is the bare minimum needed. Hardware modifications would add another whole level of cost and complexity.
Officially, VW has set aside around £5bn for the ‘dieselgate' costs but analysts are betting on the final bill being around £18bn - a sum that could be enough to pay for the next 10 generations of the Golf.
In circumstances as dire as these, a company like VW would be at risk of being bought up by hostile bidders and then broken up. Luckily for VW Group, the vast majority of the company is owned by ‘close family’.
After buying 1.5% of VW from Suzuki, the founding Porsche and Piech clan - via its Porsche SE holding company - own just over 52% of VW. Another 20% is owned by the German state of Lower Saxony. Neither of these shareholders is going to sell up, so VW is safe from a hostile takeover.
What’s more likely is that VW Group might have to consider breaking itself up, partly to raise cash and partly to help bolster its share price.
Firstly, Porsche and Audi are by far the big profit engines in the group, so those brands are going nowhere. In 2014 Porsche made £2bn profit from 204,000 cars and Audi £3.75bn from 1.8m cars. In contrast, VW made around £2bn from its massive 6.1m sales.
The commercial truck division is the outlier for VW. Both Scania and Man make money (the former, £700m and the latter, £282m). Right now, they are good news for VW’s financial performance but, if the company’s financial situation deteriorates, these two brands could be put up for sale to help pay for the longer term costs of dieselgate.
Elsewhere, Skoda makes a good margin (£600m in 2014), but it is so integrated into the Group through the use of the MQB architecture, there’s zero chance of it being sold off.
SEAT looks vulnerable because it has struggled to turn a profit for some years and its volumes remain lowish at 394,000 in 2014. Its low-cost Spanish factories are useful to the group (SEAT already builds Audi Q3s) so a further slowdown in SEAT investment looks highly likely.
The newly formed Porsche-Bentley-Bugatti brand group could also see Bentley investment slowed and Bugatti’s promised new mega-car looks likely to be halted altogether.
The Audi-Lamborghini-Ducati brand group could also see investment radically slowed in Lamborghini. The Italian maker builds three distinct models but sales last year were a modest 2650. Will the Urus be a high-profile victim of the cuts?
But the real cost saving will be at the oversized and bloated VW brand. VW sold 6.1m cars in 2014, but turned a margin of just 2.5%. The real cost cutting will have to come here, where margins should be around the same 7% Skoda achieved.
VW’s powerful unions won’t like it, but jobs will be cut and wilder investments - such as the next Phaeton - cut back because the company needs to plough on with its global investment in the all-new MQB factories. This is very costly, but necessary to ensure the economies of scale promised by the mega platform.
VW is in a mess, but not so much a mess that a fire sale is imminent. But the days of VW’s wild innovation are over for the next few years and new models will have to be solidly profitable.
But if VW ends up being hit financially very hard, as BP was in the wake of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, selling some of the family sliver might be unavoidable.
Read more on the Volkswagen emissions scandal:
Six things the firm could cut
Bugatti under threat as boss warns of 'painful' cuts
VW to recall affected cars in January
Blog - navel gazing at Volkswagen
Blog - Keeping up with pollution laws is not always easy for car makers


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If you're looking to buy a used iPhone, iPad or iPod touch device, Apple is now offering an online tool to let you first check if it's been locked down by the previous owner, which could indicate that it was actually stolen or lost.
Apple has recommended to users of its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones to reinstall iOS 8 after an update Wednesday led to complaints of lost cellular service and functionality on the Touch ID fingerprint identity sensor.
Box foresees a significant jump in usage of its iPad and iPhone app resulting from one of the new extensions Apple will launch with the new iOS 8.
While SAP has made a big push into mobile software and device management with the acquisition of Sybase and a series of apps, it hasn't made overt moves into the devices market. But this could change down the road, judging from a recently published p...
Microsoft has considered making development boards for Windows Phone or Windows RT in addition to the x86 boards it already makes, but the company isn't saying if it would ever release such products.
Apple has done well to insulate its iOS mobile operating system from many security issues, but a forthcoming demonstration shows it's far from perfect.
BlackBerry's focus on strong security as a key differentiator for its devices does not mean that they're completely free of flaws. The company released security updates Tuesday for both the OS running on its smartphones and for its enterprise server ...
Vulnerabilities found in remote management software that carriers insist be installed on smart phones and other mobile-enabled devices they sell are likely to put many devices at risk of compromise for some time to come.
Windows Phone is getting better voice and chat features thanks to upgraded applications from Facebook and Viber -- and that's key if Microsoft wants its OS to gain share.
Microsoft's voice-activated digital assistant Cortana is coming to China in a beta version nicknamed "Xiao Na", as part of several new functions packed into a Windows Phone 8.1 update.
An open-source project has released the first free application for the iPhone that scrambles voice calls, which would thwart government surveillance or eavesdropping by hackers.
Now that BlackBerry has fallen significantly behind Apple and Google in the race to offer features and third-party apps for its smartphones, the company is concentrating on providing devices that, it claims, have the strongest available security -- t...
Businesses wanting the security of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 without the complexity of managing it onsite can now buy it as a hosted service from six BlackBerry partners.
Apple users accessing Gmail on mobile devices could be at risk of having their data intercepted, a mobile security company said Thursday.
Mocana's Atlas platform is intended to make it easier for users to access enterprise apps from their smartphones without compromising security.
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Material | November 07, 2006
Arlon inaugurates plant in Suzhou
Laminate maker Arlon has inaugurated its new facility in Suzhou, China.
Globally present PCB laminate maker Arlon with its new company “Arlon Material Technologies Co., Ltd." in Suzhou China will now complement its American plants with the new China plant. Products made at Arlon Material Technologies in Suzhou will include both Arlon thermosetting and thermoplastic (PTFE) circuit board materials and will serve a broad base of markets including PWB's for high performance, high temperature, microwave and RF applications.


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An upscale new restaurant from the former executive chef of two-Michelin starred Jungsik starts serving a prix-fixe menu of wood-fired Korean dishes this Friday.
Update, November 21, 2019, 5 p.m.: Jua’s opening has been delayed “due to a city permit issue,” according to the restaurant. A new opening date hasn’t yet been announced.
Chef Hoyoung Kim’s first solo restaurant Jua is a partnership with Hand Hospitality, the hit-making Korean restaurant group behind Her Name is Han and Take 31. But the menu at Jua is all Kim’s, with his fine dining chops used to interpret simple classic Korean flavors.
Located in Flatiron at 36 East 22nd Street (between Broadway and Park Avenue South) Jua serves a six-course menu ($95) that begins with a raw mackerel course and builds toward a duck course. The restaurant dry-ages Long Island ducks for two weeks, then smokes them over cherry wood from upstate New York, finally slow-roasting them for an hour and serving them with persimmon.
A particular highlight for Kim is a mid-meal course of jjajangmyeon, a Korean-style Chinese noodle dish in black bean sauce. A ubiquitous celebration meal in Korea — “We eat it on special occasions, graduations” — it hasn’t found the same purchase on U.S. menus as some other Korean dishes. To endear Jua’s jjajangmyeon to luxury diners, Kim’s version comes laden with truffles.
The firm Two Point Zero designed Jua’s 1,700-square-foot, 42-seat restaurant space, which Kim calls “homey.” Small, with rustic and vintage touches, it’s intended to “make the restaurant feel like a really nice cabin,” Kim says.
A seven-seat bar offers an a la carte menu, with more dishes like galbi (ribs) with rice cakes and steamed buns with shrimp. Jungsik pastry chef Eunji Lee consulted on desserts, and general manager/beverage director Jaehoon No plans to serve wine by the glass, bottle, and in pairings (pending liquor license approval). Beer, sake, and soju will also be available.
“Unlike Jungsik, we’re definitely going into the natural wine side, which will work with the smoky character [of some dishes],” says No.
Over eight years at Jungsik, first at a location in Seoul and then in NYC, chef Kim worked his way from line cook to executive chef, developing dishes like a signature braised octopus with gochujang aioli along the way.
To open his first restaurant, he sought the help of Hand Hospitality, a partner that’s consulting on logistics. Hand owner Kihyun Lee says the partnership model at Jua follows similar endeavors at Atoboy and Atomix, well-received collaborations with chef Junghyun ‘JP’ Park. “It is a win-win situation,” says Lee.


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For Immediate Release August 31, 2007
Activists Tamper With Anti-Septic Product Savlon
Huntingdon Life Sciences Customer Novartis Is Targeted
United Kingdom: In an anonymous communique received by the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, the Animal Rights Militia claims to have tampered with more than 250 tubes of Savlon anti-septic in the United Kingdom in retaliation for its maker’s role in supporting animal testing. Novartis is a known customer of notorious contract animal testing company Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), Europe’s largest such company. The Animal Rights Militia did not say how they had been damaged but it recently claimed to have injected bleach into products in France.
Thousands of tubes and bottles of the product have been pulled off store shelves as retailers scramble to protect their reputations and profits. Last night Novartis said that it was contacting all the retailers it supplies, believed to include Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s. Up to 200,000 tubes and bottles of the antiseptic are sold in the UK every week. and are stocked by all major supermarkets.
A spokesman for Huntingdon Life Sciences called the latest tactic a “distressing” new development. The withdrawal of Savlon comes three months after animal rights militants in Britain and on the Continent were arrested in the largest police operation of its kind, following a two-year investigation into a network alleged to have waged a campaign against organizations and individuals involved with animal testing.
Huntingdon Life Sciences has been exposed in five consecutive undercover investigations abusing animals, violating animal welfare regulations and killing 500 dogs, primates and other animals every day testing such products as oven cleaners and pesticides. Before losing their NYSE listing two years ago, the company had lost their listing on the London Stock Exchange, after a sustained campaign by activists who exposed atrocities occurring inside HLS facilities.
The communique reads in part:
“We don’t want to kill living beings like Novartis but the side effects and the inevitable hospital stay will give people an idea of what Novartis pays for inside Huntingdon Life Sciences. The message is clear and uncompromising Vasella, you must stop killing animals inside Huntingdon Life Sciences or this will only be the beginning of our campaign. ”
Novartis has been targeted in numerous European countries by activists aware of the company’s involvement with animal cruelty.


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Pinterest filed for an initial public offering on Friday afternoon, joining the frenzy of large technological IPOs in 2019 and offering a window on its finances.
The 9-year old platform, on which users "pin" and organize images as they surf the web, shop and browse the "digital tables" of others users, said Friday in a statement from the SEC more than 250 million monthly active users. In the United States, 80% of women with children between the ages of 18 and 64 use Pinterest, according to Comscore. Pinterest will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the code "PINS".
The San Francisco-based company generated more than $ 755 million in revenue in 2018, an increase of 60% over the previous year, and recorded a net loss of $ 63 million in 2018, compared to a net loss of $ 130 million in 2017.
Pinterest's main argument for potential shareholders is its value as a means of advertising on which users often search for a product. .
"To inspire your home, your style or your journey often means that you are actively looking for products and services to buy," reads the file. "Billions of searches are done on Pinterest every month. In the United States, more people use Pinterest to search or buy products on social networks, according to a Cowen and Company survey. "
Earlier this month, Pinterest published a number of e-commerce products to make the site attractive to brands seeking to advertise and sell their products These moves place Pinterest in direct competition with Instagram, which also introduced more buying features and this week launched a beta release allowing customers to buy the products of certain brands in within the application.
Pinterest stated that while it was still in its early stages of monetizing the platform, it had identified more growth opportunities for advertisers, including building more products to improve performance measurement and diversifying its advertiser base. Interest wrote that "almost all" of its revenues comes from advertising on the site and that a "substantial part" of its revenues comes from a small group of advertisers, many of whom are consumer and retail goods. brands. Pinterest hopes to increase its presence in the media and entertainment sectors, travel, automotive, technology and financial services, he added.
As usual in the filing of an IPO, Pinterest pointed to a number of factors that could hinder its success. One of the reasons is that although the company is popular among women in the United States, the company said it could still grow among male and international users. Data privacy policies and changes to the web browser's web tracking capabilities could also negatively impact the company's business, as well as unexpected changes from other large technology companies, including Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google –
Bloomberg reported in February that the company was seeking a valuation of at least $ 12 billion after the confidential filing of a report. IPO. The shares could be listed on the New York Stock Exchange as early as April according to Wall Street Journal
Earlier this year, Lyft and Uber launched the IPO process. Earlier in the day, the Zoom Internet video conferencing system also called for an initial public offering of savings.


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According to an interview with Christian Bland of The Black Angels, the band’s new album will first hit shelves on Record Store Day 2017. He states the first edition will be a “black light version special…with a glowing disc.” It will then get a colored pressing, with exclusive cover after the RSD run.
The Black Angels new record is hitting the shelves on Record Store Day 2017, so all y’all be sure to pick up a copy. There’ll be a black light version special for RSD with a glowing disc, and the first pressing (which is different than the black light RSD version) will have a limited edition cover that every other pressing thereafter won’t have. It’s 11 songs about life and death.
Record Store Day 2017 will be held on April 22.


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On November 11, celebrated as Singles Day in China, young Chinese shoppers spent around a record 35 billion yuan (approx. $5.7 billion) online. This is the highest one-day sale which has been recorded by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., China's largest e-commerce company.
The company broke its previous highest one-day sales by more than 83 percent this time.
Singles Day was invented by Chinese students of 1990s. They thought that the date (11-11) reminded of a Chinese phrase "bare branches -- for bachelors and spinsters," a twist on Valentine's Day that allows lovelorn singles to indulge in some retail therapy.
In the same vein as Black Friday/Cyber Monday, e-commerce portals in China offer hard-to-refuse deals that target the nation's singles, as well as price-sensitive buyers. The result is not surprising. Bargain hunters and singles flood online shopping sites the most on Singles Day and it has come to be marked as China's busiest shopping day.
"The spectacular growth rate shows the potential for online shopping," said Ronald Wan, chief China adviser at Asian Capital Holdings Ltd. The company has about $100 million of assets under management. "This will boost momentum for Alibaba, give its potential investors confidence and prompt traditional retailers to think hard how to cope with challenges from e-commerce."
Online shopping portal Alibaba managed to attract 400 million unique visitors on Monday alone. The number is double than what the same day in 2012 witnessed.
Though sales of other online retailers are yet to be announced, experts believe that the total online transaction of country's top 10 operators is going to cross 80 billion yuan.
Shoppers' favorite remained mobile phones but some of them were also interested in insurance policies, sweaters and underwear. One online seller even managed to sell 13,000 cars by afternoon on November 11.
The two major e-commerce platforms in China, Taobao and Tmall are owned by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. The total revenue of the company was calculated to be $1.73 billion in the latest quarter.


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New self-cleaning glass could help prevent fogging and glareApr 30, 3:50 pm
Washington, Apr 30 (ANI): Researchers have come up with a new self-cleaning glass that is able to resist fogging and glare effects. Such technology could lead to smudge-free touch screens for smartphones and tablets, or even cleaner, nonreflective windows for car drivers.The new glass eliminates reflections and repels water droplets like "tiny rubber balls" bouncing off the ground, according to MIT News. Its secret recipe consists of tiny surface features that resemble nanoscale cones - 1,000 times to 100,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. If made inexpensively enough, the glass could end up in cameras, smartphones , televisions, solar panels, car windshields or even building windows."For the first time, as far as I am aware, this paper learns a lesson in manufacturing efficiency from nature by making an optimized anti-reflective and anti- fogging device," said Andrew Parker, a senior visiting research fellow at Oxford University's Green Templeton College in the U.K. (Parker was not involved in MIT's work).The researchers' nanocones appear fragile - inspired by natural surfaces such as lotus leaves - but calculations show they can resist everything from raindrops in a strong downpour to wind-driven pollen, or even poking by curious humans. Such self-cleaning could give a huge boost to solar power alone - many solar panels can lose 40 percent of their energy efficiency within six months because of accumulated dust and dirt. Solar panels protected by the new glass could also avoid problems related to normal glass reflecting away useful sunlight.The work is detailed in a paper published in the journal ACS Nano. (ANI)
Kenyan senator's Mandela photoshop gamble busted Dec 11, 2:19 pm
Melbourne, Dec. 11 (ANI): Kenyan politician Mike Sonko's photoshop gamble has been busted with mixed reactions pouring in on social networks for his attempt to morph heavyweight boxing champion Muhammed Ali who was pictured with Nelson Mandela.Full Story »
Now, get 'spill-resistant' keyboard cover for your latest Apple iPad Air Dec 11, 2:00 pm
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'Grinning' Obama's selfie at Mandela memorial goes viral Dec 11, 1:37 pm
Johannesburg, Dec. 11 (ANI): President Barack Obama's selfie at Nelson Mandela's memorial service has gone viral on social media sites, with many questioning whether the moment of delight was appropriate for the occasion.Full Story »
Microsoft issues Surface patches, OS updates Dec 11, 1:37 pm
Washington, Dec. 11 (ANI): Microsoft has reportedly issued a fresh round of patches to its Surface line of tablets along with a final set of Patch Tuesday fixes.Full Story »
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Earlier this month, I told you about the App Store release of Contra: Evolution, the official iOS game based on Konami’s Contra. As it turned out, though, it was a premature release, offering as it did the version built for the Chinese App Store, on which the game was originally launched in January. As a result, it was promptly pulled from the App Store.
But all’s well that ends well, as the game has been fully optimized and translated for Western audiences, and it has been scheduled to be officially relaunched on Thursday, June 27.
Contra: Evolution is the first fully licensed mobile version of Konami’s classic run-and-gun shoot ‘em up game. It’s developed and published by CocoaChina/Chukong in collaboration with Konami.
“We’ve worked with Konami to replicate the original Contra game as closely as possible, and are extremely happy with the result,” said CocoaChina/Chukong CEO Haozhi Chen. “Contra Evolution feels, sounds, and plays just like the original — Contra veterans and new players alike will not be disappointed.”
As mentioned, Contra: Evolution is set to be officially relaunched in the App Store on Thursday, June 27. It will be available in two differently priced editions: Contra: Evolution for iPhone will cost $0.99, while Contra: Evolution HD for iPad will cost $2.99.


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Show Your Support: Did you know that the hundreds of articles written on Phoronix each month are mostly authored by one individual? Phoronix.com doesn't have a whole news room with unlimited resources and relies upon people reading our content without blocking ads and alternatively by people subscribing to Phoronix Premium for our ad-free service with other extra features.
NVIDIA Will Support Newly-Dropped GPUs On Linux Through 2019
While NVIDIA will be dropping support soon for GeForce 8 through GeForce 300 series graphics hardware from their mainline graphics driver, they are committing to supporting these older graphics processors for another five years. The support will include new Linux kernel and X.Org Server updates along with critical bug-fixes.
NVIDIA is already maintaining their earlier legacy driver for NV4x through G7x GPUs through the end of 2017 while the G8x through GT2xx support is now committed to the end of 2019. This is really great news and can be found posted on NVIDIA.com and the Linux commitment was confirmed to me by NVIDIA's Hardy Doelfel.
The GeForce 8 series was first introduced in 2006 so this will represent thirteen years that NVIDIA is supporting their binary-only Linux graphics driver for this hardware support. The GeForce 300 series, which is the newest hardware that's being dropped, was introduced in the 2009~2010 time-frame.
It's wonderful seeing NVIDIA willing to maintain their proprietary Linux graphics driver support so long with new Linux kernel and X.Org Server releases -- meaning the driver will continue to work with new Linux distribution releases -- while AMD doesn't maintain their Linux legacy drivers and barely do release notes all in the name of trying to reduce engineering costs. The Radeon HD 4000 series graphics hardware that was introduced in 2008 is no longer receiving updates with the AMD Catalyst Legacy driver but is left to just the open-source Linux Radeon driver.


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Here’s what happens when people visit Whirlpool Corp.’s Insperience Studio in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood: They bring their chores with them. One man brought a bag of trash to crunch in the compactor. A family brought dough and baked bread. Jan Walters, manager of Insperience, a soft-sell showcase for Whirlpool- and KitchenAid-brand products, sees such odd behavior as a good sign. Her company wants to change the way you buy your next washing machine. If that means having you bring in a load of dirty laundry to do at their place . . . well, come on in. You won’t need quarters.
Whirlpool opened Insperience last November to address one of its key distribution problems: the “sea of white.” “Customers go into a store, and they see row upon row of white boxes,” says David Provost, director of purchase experience. “They get confused, because everything looks alike. When they talk to a salesperson, they feel as if they end up buying what the salesperson got the best commission on or what was overstocked.”
Insperience is Whirlpool’s attempt to part the sea of white — a place where consumers, interior designers, and home builders can learn about the company’s products without feeling pressured. It’s also a boot camp for salespeople and a laboratory to help the company’s product developers understand how consumers interact with appliances.
Visitors enter Insperience Studio through the Hearth Room, where they meet with one of four on-staff “selection consultants” to discuss what they’re looking for. Most people spend about 90 minutes going through the series of kitchen, patio, and laundry-room “vignettes” at Insperience.
All of the appliances are hooked up, which means that a selection consultant can demonstrate, for instance, how easy it is to program the Polara Refrigerated Range, which can keep a tuna casserole cool until 6 PM, then begin cooking it. Insperience also regularly hosts holiday parties and children’s birthday parties that center around activities such as baking cookies.
From the beginning, the team that created Insperience knew that it would need a solid business case behind it. Whirlpool, after all, is a company that is “used to justifying every nickel’s worth of metal that goes into a washer,” explains Scott Phillips, the Whirlpool exec who came up with the idea for Insperience. Phillips developed a list of metrics that Whirlpool is using to gauge Insperience’s payback. Such measures include foot traffic, Whirlpool’s market share in Atlanta, the number of new builders that Whirlpool wins as a result of visits to Insperience, and sales figures at retailers whose salespeople are trained at Insperience. Selection consultants also follow up with consumers who have visited Insperience to see whether they need any more information — and find out which appliances they decided to buy.
How those metrics look in November, the first anniversary of Insperience’s opening, will likely determine whether it is viewed as a temporary experiment or a lasting institution. “We’re fighting every day to show that this is a great investment for Whirlpool,” Provost says. “There’s a lot of pressure. But we’ve got big visions of transforming retail, and we think this is the way to get started.”


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Big changes will soon hit the bookstore – but you may not even notice. The Student Center location is under new management by Matthews Medical and Scientific Books, a retail company that operates health science bookstores.
“The GHSU Bookstore was limited in the options it could provide for students, faculty and staff,” said Dale Hartenburg, Director of Student & Auxiliary Services. “Matthews offers us the ability to extend services on several different platforms.”
Beginning with the fall semester, the bookstore will carry used books as they become available and will offer a book buy-back program. The company will implement an online bookstore website, which should roll out this month. The secure site will be customized for the GHSU campus and offer books, academic and medical supplies, clothing, gifts and more. In addition, Matthews will investigate a book rental program and e-book sales.
“These are services which students have requested at GHSU, and are in line with campus bookstores nationwide,” Hartenburg said.
Some aspects of bookstore operations will change. Employees of the bookstore will become Matthews employees as of Feb. 1. The bookstore now accepts GHSU P-Cards. However, Inter-Department Requests (IDR’s) are no longer accepted.
Matthews currently manages more than 29 academic health center bookstores across the country, including the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the State University of New York at Stony Brook and the St. Louis University Health and Science Center.
GHSU and Matthews have a long history together. Prior to the changeover, Matthews had been the bookstore’s largest distributor since the 1970s, and the bookstore had used the company’s inventory control software since 1987.


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It is Wednesday, my dudes. This is Matt Weinberger, filling in once more for Jordan Erb. This may be a contrarian position, but Wednesday is my favorite day of the week — it's when new comic books come out (well, DC started releasing them on Tuesdays in recent years, but still).
It's my pleasure to introduce to you Insider's list of 100 People Transforming Business in 2022 — our annual celebration of the people who are bucking trends and upending convention across industries. This year's list includes some of tech's biggest movers and shakers, including BeReal CEO Alexis Barreyat, YouTube chief business officer Mary Ellen Coe, and key union organizer Jessica Gonzalez. Check out the full list here.
On a more somber note, Amazon has begun layoffs that could affect as many as 10,000 employees, Insider's Katherine Long reports. Those cuts are said to be focused in the devices, retail, and human-resources divisions of the company.
There's much to discuss, so let's dive in.
1. 100 People Transforming Business. Every year, Insider spotlights the 100 people who made the biggest dent in the world of business. While the list goes well beyond the realm of technology, several top industry figures made this year's list.
- Honorees included the CEO of BeReal, YouTube's chief business officer, and even key tech labor organizer Jessica Gonzalez.
- In a tough year that saw economic conditions sour across the board, these leaders stood out as representative of broader trends sweeping the world of tech.
- Insider's Katie Malone writes that this year's crop of Transformers in the field of Emerging Tech reflects a growing trend towards prioritizing transparency and productivity when it comes to everything from remote work to personal fitness.
In other news:
2. Layoffs hit Amazon. The sweeping layoffs at the online retail giant, first reported on earlier this week, finally started in earnest on Tuesday. As many as 10,000 jobs could be cut in what may prove to be Amazon's largest layoff to date. For more on Amazon:
- Insider's Eugene Kim and Katherine Long report that employees are unhappy with the lack of communication from higher-ups about the job cuts.
- Katherine reports that employees are sharing tips with each other on how to deal with the anxiety around the layoffs, especially by filling out an unofficial "Freak-out Incident Response Form," or FIRF.
- Earlier this week, Eugene reported that Amazon's Grand Challenge lab — responsible for the company's most cutting-edge work — is getting downsized, in a major sign of CEO Andy Jassy's commitment to cost-cutting.
3. Twitter insiders worry that a crash is incoming. Under Elon Musk, Twitter's user count is up, and its headcount is way down. People close to the company tell Insider's Kali Hays and Lara O'Reilly that they worry it's a recipe for the service to go down in a major way, sooner rather than later. Read more about their concerns. Oh, and Twitter workers have started calling Musk by a new nickname, Elmo.
4. Microsoft pledges to hold senior execs accountable. Earlier this year, Insider's Ashley Stewart reported that Microsoft had a history of turning a blind eye to allegations of misconduct against senior leaders who were deemed critical to the mission. On Tuesday, Microsoft pledged to do better in holding its top execs accountable.
5. Recurrent Ventures hits turbulence. Insider's Steven Perlberg writes that Recurrent Ventures, which raised $300 million last year, is going through some tough times. The owner of media brands including Popular Science and The Drive is disorganized and struggling to sell ads, Insiders say. Read more here.
6. Wall Street takes aim at Alphabet. TCI, a major investor in Google's parent company Alphabet, sent a letter on Tuesday urging Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai to cut costs. Specifically, they worry that Alphabet has too many employees who are getting paid too much, and that the company burns too much cash on so-called moonshots.
7. Google employees are worried that layoffs are coming for them next. Parent Alphabet is one of the few Big Tech companies not to have done layoffs this year, but staff fear Google may use more aggressive performance reviews to quietly reduce headcount.
8. Lucid is trying to undercut Tesla. Lucid Motors, an electric-vehicle startup, is aiming to undercut the Tesla Model S with its new Air Pure, hitting the streets before year's end. It boasts a slightly longer range than the Model S — and at $92,900, it's $12,000 cheaper.
Odds and Ends:
9. Taylor takes her toll on Ticketmaster. On Tuesday, Swifties across the country were dismayed to find that Ticketmaster was struggling to keep up with the demand for tickets to Taylor Swift's upcoming "Eras" tour. Needless to say, people aren't happy.
10. For gamers, Black Friday starts now. As as inveterate deal-hunter, I love Black Friday shopping season. And if you know where to look, there are already deals to be found. Here's Insider's rundown of the best Black Friday gaming deals available now.
What we're watching today:
- Chip giant Nvidia and networking titan Cisco both report earnings after the closing bell on Wednesday.


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Online sales increased by approximately 19% year-over-year, representing 5.6% of total revenue. One of the reasons for the bump in online sales is the enhancements to the supply chain the retailer continues to implement.
For example, the Home Depot has begun rolling out its dynamic ETA feature for online purchases that allows Home Depot to provide its customers with faster and more accurate delivery dates for digital orders.
"In the past, we issued a generic delivery window estimate, which allowed for extra time or cushion for the delivery commitment to customers," said Craig Menear, CEO and chairman, Home Depot said on a recent earnings call with analysts. "As we’ve begun to implement the dynamic ETA, our promised delivery date to customers is earlier and more accurately estimated. As a result, we're seeing an increased conversion in customer satisfaction."
In addition to its dynamic ETA feature, the Home Depot is rolling out its Sync feature to its DCs to supercharge is supply chain efforts.
"We continue to see opportunity to improve our in-stock, our inventory productivity, our logistics costs," said Mark Holifield, EVP, supply chain and product development. "Sync is the biggest initiative we’ve going in that. Sync is currently in two thirds of our RDCs, 12 of our 18 RDCs, and we're handling about 60% of the cost of goods sold, the dollar volume that goes through there on the Sync initiative. From that we're seeing mainly improved transportation costs and smoother demand flow and we are working with our suppliers to continue to improve those benefits for all in the supply chain. So we will continue along that path until — but we're not in a hurry. It's still early days and it's a multiyear initiative."
While its digital channels continue to show impressive growth, the vast majority of Home Depot's sales are still conducted in-store and the retailer is investing to enhance the in-store experience. A pillar of an engaging shopper experience is having the right products in stock and ready for purchase. In the omnichannel world retailers have the ability to sell their entire inventory both in-store and out, but some products just lend themselves better to the in-store environment, a lesson Home Depot learned first-hand when it removed many of its patio sets from its in-store assortment.
"In our ongoing effort to update and refresh our assortments, we continually leverage our merchandising tools to fine tune our online and in store assortments," said Ted Decker, EVP, merchandising. "One specific example of this is with our patio offering. We found that many customers want to come into our stores to purchase and pick up their patio sets. We altered our assortment and put certain patio sets back into the store. This strategic move was well-received by our customers, leading to record sales and sell-through in our stores."
As store assortments continue to be redesigned to align with customers shopping habits, Home Depot's digital channels, especially its mobile offerings, are being fine-tuned. Over 50% of the retailer's digital traffic comes from smartphones and tablets, highlighting the importance of an engaging, interconnected experience.
"We are enhancing the functionality in mobile with features like larger and clear product images, live mobile chat, and a simplified checkout experience," Decker said. "As evidence of the success of our interconnected strategy, approximately 42% of our online orders are now leveraging our store footprint for fulfillment and nearly 90% of our online product returns are processed through the convenience of our stores."


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Surge In Vaginal Mesh Lawsuits Indicative Of Flawed FDA Approval Process
Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports on an October 20, 2011 Bloomberg News article, which chronicled how Johnson & Johnson’s vaginal mesh implants received market approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) by claiming it was “substantially similar” to a now-recalled vaginal mesh product made by a different medical device manufacturer.* Bloomberg News highlighted the flaws in the expedited FDA 510(K) process, focusing on how the defective vaginal mesh implants have caused serious and life-threatening injuries to women who received them. Currently, there are more than 600 vaginal mesh lawsuits pending against Johnson & Johnson and other manufacturers. Moreover, the FDA estimates that almost 300,000 women received vaginal mesh implants in 2010. Therefore, the number of vaginal mesh lawsuits is likely to grow.
Closely Scrutinizing The FDA 510(K) Approval Process
In the report, Bloomberg News traced the history of vaginal mesh implants that are currently available on the market. Using the expedited FDA 510(K) process, Johnson & Johnson received clearance for their vaginal mesh implants based on their similarity to Boston Scientific Corporation’s ProteGen vaginal mesh implants, which had previously received FDA market approval. Vaginal mesh implants are used to treat urinary incontinence, or pelvic organ prolapse, a condition in which the internal organs slump into the vagina. Complications from vaginal mesh implants can cause discomfort, painful intercourse, scarring and erosion of vaginal tissue. Due to the serious nature of these complications, ProteGen vaginal mesh implants were subsequently recalled and pulled from the market after the manufacturer received numerous safety complaints. However, all other vaginal mesh products produced by other manufacturers were allowed to remain on the market. In fact, the FDA continued to approve vaginal mesh implants through the fast-track 510(K) process even after the ProteGen recall. Recently, the FDA’s approval process has been the subject of increased media attention, which prompted the agency to hold advisory meetings and issue warnings.** However, vaginal mesh implants have not been recalled, nor has the 510(K) process been reformed.
FDA Recommends Patients Should Consider Alternatives To Vaginal Mesh
On July 13, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) issued a transvaginal mesh warning advising patients and doctors to consider alternative treatments to vaginal mesh. In 2008, the FDA issued its first communication regarding the dangers associated with vaginal mesh, and has since continued to review the safety of the devices. Since that time, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has provided a wealth of consumer information concerning vaginal mesh on its website, www.consumerinjurylawyers.com. If you or a loved one underwent a surgical procedure and have been implanted with vaginal mesh, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and other injuries.
For more information about filing a vaginal mesh lawsuit, contact an attorney at Bernstein Liebhard LLP at (877) 779-1414 or at firstname.lastname@example.org.
About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993, including those who have been harmed by dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and consumer products. The firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the “Plaintiffs’ Hot List,” recognizing the top plaintiffs’ firms in the country for the past nine consecutive years. Only two firms in the country have been selected for the Hot List nine years in a row.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2010 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.
Contact Information Felecia L. Stern, Esq. email@example.com (877) 779-1414


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The two eminences of American music are collaborating on the premiere of Mr. Glasss new work, based on Bowies 1979 album Lodger. The world's richest man, Amazon founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie Bezos are divorcing after 25 years of marriage. Fred Katayama reports. Apple Inc won the dismissal on Thursday of a lawsuit accusing it of defrauding consumers by selling MacBook laptop computers that contained "logic boards" it knew were defective, and which routinely failed within two years. Many women do it, but it is important to understand the risks of pubic hair removal before you do. Some venture capitalists are rooting for a market dip to calm Silicon Valleys overheated start-up scene.
Ma Chunyan's hands appear to hold Vincent Van Gogh's swirling dreamscape vision of the night sky, the painter's iconic work "The Starry Night". After two years of pining, Democrats finally have the gavels and subpoenas they need to investigate President Trump and his administration. Blockbuster findings? Dont expect them anytime soon.
In a statement posted on his Twitter account, Mr. Bezos, the Amazon founder and richest man in the world, and Ms. Bezos, a novelist, said they would remain cherished friends. Dean Elgar has captained South Africa before, against England at Lord's in 2017 when skipper Faf du Plessis returned home for the birth of his child. The Proteas have already won the series. U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, spiked last year after falling for the previous three, as cold weather spurred natural gas demand for heating and as the economy pushed planes and trucks to guzzle fuel, an estimate released on Tuesday showed. Its rare that Jamie gets comeuppance. But this weeks family feud serves him a heaping portion. Visionary stylist or one-trick pony? With Network on Broadway and All About Eve on the horizon, the multimedia-mad stage director is ready for his close-up. The turret-shaped lounge sits atop the Williamsburg Hotel in Brooklyn.
Swedish gaming company Cherry AB said on Tuesday that a consortium led by British private equity firm Bridgepoint has made a takeover offer of 9.19 billion Swedish crowns ($1 billion) in cash.
Britain's Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, visits the Royal London Hospital to mark the 30th anniversary of its helicopter ambulance service, and flies one of the aircraft to the event. Rough cut (no reporter narration).


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I'm absolutely stoked! — Basic Trailers AusTRAILER Day Giveaway Winner
Kurt, 28 and a former carpenter, proudly towed away a brand new 8x5 tandem axle tipper trailer with cage worth $8,000, saying, “Couldn’t believe I’d won, to be honest, it was absolutely awesome!”
The response to the giveaway was huge, and we received more than 1,000 entries from people across Adelaide and South Australia eager to get their hands on a high quality, locally designed and built trailer made from 100% Australian steel.
Like our thousands of satisfied customers across SA, what Kurt was looking forward to most was the durability and versatility you get with a trailer from Basic Trailers. “I'll use it for when I go firewood cutting,” Kurt told us, “or take it camping. It'll be great for carrying dirt bikes, and dump runs, too. Bit of everything really.”
Thank you to our loyal Basic Trailer customers
Basic Trailers is a family owned and operated South Australian business, and we are proud of our growing reputation for producing high quality trailers using Australian steel right here in Adelaide.
“Over the past four years, we've built up a really loyal customer base and a huge following on social media,” said Sam, owner of Basic Trailers. “We wanted to give something back to say thanks to everyone who supports us, and as we proudly only use 100% Australian steel in our trailers, Australia Day was the perfect opportunity to do that.”
The AusTRAILER Day Giveaway also attracted widespread media attention, including coverage on SAFM, Fresh 92.7 and Triple M.
“We just wanted to say thanks a lot to everyone who entered the competition, and for all the great feedback you give us on social media. Keep supporting Australian made!” added Sam.
Congratulations to Kurt and we are sure you're going to get plenty of mileage out of your new tipper trailer for many years to come.
Basic Trailers 8x5 tandem axle tipper trailer with cage
We don't want to make anyone too jealous, but the tipper trailer Kurt towed away from our Pooraka workshop has some pretty impressive specs:
AXLE/S: 45MM SOLID 1045 – SL 1400KG RATED EACH
SUSP: 7 LEAF ROCKER ROLLER – 3000KG RATED
COUPLING: 50MM BALL OVERRIDE
HYD. CYL: MULTISTAGE 5000KG
POWER UNIT: 12V 1.5KW 1.6CC
BATTERY: 12V 80AH DEEP CYCLE
LIGHTS: MULTI-VOLT LED LIGHTS
JOCKEY: 8” SOLID WHEEL
CAGE: 900MM HIGH CAGE 8X5
WHEELS: 15X7 235/AT FORD
EXTRAS: DOUBLE SWING TAILGATE, CAGE INSERTSINCLUDES TUBE INSERTS & SKID RAILS


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The unofficial Lord of Woollahra is plating up the (unofficial) ‘Most Expensive Pie in the World’.
Chosen largely for the quality of its own signature meat pie, the Lord Dudley has been chosen by international bargain website Groupon to celebrate its 2-millionth customer in Australia.
Never to be seen in a pie warmer or on a tuckshop menu, each pie comprises:
- two cuts of premium wagyu
- two whole Western Australian rock lobsters
- organic heirloom vegetables, cooked in butter, with porcini mushrooms and black truffle
- two bottles Penfords Grange ($1000 each) in the sauce
- genuine gold leaf sprinkled over the top
PubTIC spoke with the Lord of the Pies about the pie, which is priced at the RRP of the sum of its ingredients … a heart-stopping $12,000.
“[Groupon] approached us about doing the promotion, and we thought it would be a good bit of publicity, so we agreed,” said Honor Couche, who took over operations mid-2014, with her sisters Kate and Claire.
The women are the daughters of long-time owner James Couche, who briefly had the popular Eastern Suburbs hotel on the market around a year ago.
“We didn’t want him to sell it,” furthers Honor.
“We’ve kind of taken it and run with it. We haven’t changed too much other than a new chef and a new menu.”
The self-confessed pub child admits they didn’t actually have a pie the price of a small car in mind for the original replacement menu.
To date no-one has been hungry enough to order the pie, which is around 30 centimetres in diameter and feeds six people. But Groupon is offering a deal – as is their way – for a customer to win the opportunity to taste the Aussie feast.


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Retailers to cap 10,000 staff bonuses
Some of the biggest retailers have cut the rates of commission paid to more than 10,000 shop floor staff, sparking concerns of a pay cut by stealth.
Carphone Warehouse: say commission cuts are a move to improve customer service
The Carphone Warehouse, MFI and B&Q say the move is to improve customer service.
Basic pay has been increased, but bonus targets have been raised and in some cases a cap has been put on commission payments.
Lower-earning staff have welcomed the move, which could increase their pay by thousands of pounds a year, but middle and high earners may struggle to achieve their previous income.
Shop workers' union Usdaw has complained that the new MFI contracts would have a 'significantly detrimental effect' on its 300 members at the chain. About 3,000 staff are affected.
The Carphone Warehouse's decision involves 7,000 store staff, while B&Q's move affects 600 staff in kitchen and bathroom departments.
Customer service expert Dennis Reid at Retail Performance Specialists said: 'The best sales people can earn £50,000 a year and they will be wondering why they are going home with £30,000 or £35,000 when people who make up the numbers are effectively getting a pay rise,' he said.
In 2003, the Competition Commission criticised Comet and Currys staff who used pushy sales methods when selling higher priced products and extended warranties to improve their commission.
The Carphone Warehouse spokeswoman said it was considering alternative ways to reward higher achievers.
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Be prepared to buy new headphones or be stuck in dongle hell.
Fitbit Alta is not only the most customizable option in the company's lineup, it's the most fashion-forward fitness tracker we've seen to date.
Tesla buyers, be careful what you write about the company -- if you're deemed "rude," you just might get banned from buying a Tesla car.
Zagg, the smartphone accessory company has agreed to buy Mophie for $100 million, both companies confirmed Tuesday.
UL safety organization announces hoverboard testing program, which could mean safer hoverboards all around.
Virtual reality is hot, but some of the biggest players in tech are betting huge on augmented reality tech the public hasn't even seen.


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January 25, 2012 – (HOSTSEARCH.COM) – GlobalSign
, one of the longest established Certification Authorities (CA) and specialists in Digital Certificate security, today announced the appointment of a new Business Development Director for EMEA. Paul van Brouwershaven, former CTO of Networking4all, brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to further accelerate GlobalSign’s expansion in Europe.
Working in the online security and hosting industries for over ten years, Paul van Brouwershaven is passionate about the Internet business. From developing recognized, trusted web applications to extensive research into online security, Paul has not only developed a solid customer base for the companies he has worked for, but also gained personal international recognition. A trusted spokesperson to the media within the SSL world, moving to GlobalSign will allow him to apply his industry knowledge to a new challenge.
As customers are increasingly looking for reliable and competitive alternatives to incumbent providers, GlobalSign has shown considerable growth in the SSL market over the past few years in terms of the number of certificates issued, with a staggering growth in 2011 of over 100% in Europe and 40% worldwide, according to Netcraft statistics. With the appointment of a new Business Development Director for EMEA, GlobalSign anticipates it will reinforce its position as a leading online security provider, not only in the SSL business, but also in its digital signature solutions for secure authentication, document signing and email security.
"We are delighted to have Paul van Brouwershaven join our team here at GlobalSign," said Paul Tourret, Managing Director, GlobalSign EMEA. "We worked closely with Paul as CTO of Networking4all and his high-level expertise in SSL and Digital Certificates, combined with experience in business development, will be of great value to the company in strengthening strategic partnerships and exploring new areas of growth”.
Speaking about his new role, Paul van Brouwershaven said, “I am delighted to join the business. GlobalSign is a leader in its field with a fantastic reputation and I look forward to introducing GlobalSign’s new revolutionary technologies, such as OneClickSSL for fully automated SSL activation, into some new and exciting markets.”
About GMO GlobalSign
Established in 1996 and as a WebTrust accredited public certificate authority, GlobalSign offers publicly trusted SSL Certificates, EV SSL, Managed SSL Services, S/MIME email security and Code Signing for use on all platforms including mobile devices. Its Trusted Root solution uses the widely embedded GlobalSign Root CA certificates to provide immediate PKI trust for Microsoft Certificate Services and internal PKI, eliminating the costs of using untrusted Root Certificates. Its partnership with Adobe to provide Certified Document Services (CDS) enables secure digitally signed PDF documents, certified transcripts and e-invoices. These core Digital Certificate solutions allow its thousands of authenticated customers to conduct secure online transactions, data transfer, distribution of tamper-proof code, and protection of online identities for secure email and access control. The company has a history of innovation within the online security industry and has offices in the US, UK, Belgium, Japan, and China.


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Revenue of $3 million; Gross Profit of 43.6%; Cash & Restricted Cash of $6.6 million
SuperCom (NASDAQ: SPCB), a global provider of secured solutions for the e-Government, IoT, and Cybersecurity sectors, today reported results for the three months ended March 31, 2022.
First Quarter Ended March 31, 2022, Financial Highlights (Compared to the First Quarter of 2021)
- Revenue increased to $3.05 million from $3.03 million last year.
- Additional progress was achieved on replacing revenue decline from the legacy business with new revenues from the IoT business.
- Gross margin of 43.3% compared to 55.3%, reflecting also transitional costs associated with deployment of new IOT projects ahead of recurring revenue streams.
- Research and Development expense of $0.86 million compared to $0.66 million.
- Sales and Marketing expenses of $0.7 million compared to $0.37 million, reflecting support in the Company’s new proactive growth strategy.
- EBITDA of -$0.3 million compared to $0.6 million, reflecting an increase of investment in R&D by 30% and an increase of 90% in sales and marketing.
- Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash increased to $6.6 million compared to $4.6 million at the end of 2021.
- Working Capital increased to $23.4 million from $20.5 million at the end of 2021.
- Non-GAAP EPS of -$0.04.
Recent Business Highlights:
- Won and launched Croatia’s first full-scale electronic monitoring project in the country and will deploy SuperCom’s PureSecurity Electronic Monitoring Suite. The project was formally awarded earlier this year through a formal bid process by Croatia’s Ministry of Justice and Administration.
- Raised $4.65 million in gross proceeds in a registered direct offering with a single accredited institutional investor, providing additional capital to execute the Company’s business plan.
- Secured a new governmental electronic monitoring contract in Wyoming. The contracting agency is an Adult and Juvenile Probation Agency and plans to use SuperCom’s PureTrack GPS smartphone products to monitor their caseload for location compliance.
- Secured a new governmental electronic monitoring contract in Idaho. The contracting agency is a Juvenile Probation Office and will use SuperCom’s PureTrack GPS smartphone products to monitor their caseload for location compliance.
- Secured a new electronic monitoring contract in Texas for the PureTrack GPS tracking platform.
- Won and launched new projects in California, USA valued at up to over $5 million over five years to provide various programming and rehabilitation services.
- Through a competitive national RFP process, won a $3.6 million national electronic monitoring project in Finland and scored highly by offering SuperCom’s proprietary PureSecurity Electronic Monitoring Suite
- The Company announced that its cyber security division, Safend, plans to release a new version of its proven, robust and scalable cybersecurity software technology, with enhanced protection from cyber-attacks.
- Supercom’s cyber security division, Safend, was selected by government security agency and cyber security enterprises to grow their cyber security protection programs.
- Strengthened the Company’s global sales division, recruiting a new VP of sales and sales managers with industry expertise and shifting from passive bidding to an active outreach sales strategy.
- Strengthened the Company’s R&D division, recruiting a new VP of R&D and experienced engineers, product managers, quality assurance, and support personnel to serve the growing government customer needs for leading state-of-the-art technology.
“We are content with our achievements thus far in 2022. With new revenues from projects in our IoT business, we were able to offset revenue declines from the legacy business and keep revenue levels steady. In parallel, we enhanced our operational infrastructure, progressed with advanced technology leadership, and strengthened our workforce to support future growth. In addition, we honed our business plan and raised the needed financial resources to support it even during a time of volatility and uncertainty in the capital markets,” commented Ordan Trabelsi, President and CEO of SuperCom.
“Entering 2022, we continued to execute our strategy to expand our footprint and positioning in the public safety market. In Europe, we won and launched Croatia’s first full-scale electronic monitoring project in the country, adding Croatia to a long line of European countries selecting our proprietary technology. We won and launched new projects in the USA as well, both in California, where we have established a presence, and in three new US states, Texas, Idaho, and Wyoming, for the PureTrack GPS tracking platform serving adults and juveniles,” continued Ordan.
“We see an uplift in RFP activity with an expected over $200 million in upcoming project bid opportunities in the next 18 months, driven by correctional institutions looking for alternative solutions for the challenges associated with criminal justice and public safety. Meanwhile, our proprietary technology continues to score high on competitive tenders allowing us to displace incumbent vendors in different countries worldwide. Our electronic monitoring solutions address the challenges related to prison overcrowding, provide substantial cost savings, and aid in the reduction of recidivism among offenders promoting public safety in communities,” continued Ordan.
“We believe our investments in research and development, as well as in sales and marketing, are paying off as we are seeing continued interest in our unique IoT products and solutions, which we expect will drive continued growth in the long-term. While the sales cycles for these contract wins can be long, the resulting business typically lasts for years, providing steady recurring revenue streams. We anticipate additional new projects wins as we continue growing our pipeline and successfully converting opportunities to long-term recurring revenue streams,” Ordan concluded.
Visit AITechPark for cutting-edge Tech Trends around AI, ML, Cybersecurity, along with AITech News, and timely updates from industry professionals!


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Competition will offer lucky winners trip to the stratosphere
Time Out Dubai staff
UAE nationals will soon have the chance to explore space, thanks to competition by Virgin Galactic and Aabar Investments. One winner will be given a seat on board Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo when it begins commercial flights into space, sitting alongside passengers who have paid more than Dhs900,000 for the privilege. While the details of the competition are still being finalised, we know the winner will be taken more than 90km above Earth. The long-delayed first lift-off is expected to take place later this year.


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Mobile Payments Today interviewed Hannes Van Rensburg, chief commercial officer for Clickatell’s on the subject of chat commerce. Hannes shares his thoughts regarding this unique type of commerce and what it could mean to the mobile payments industry moving forward.
Mobile Payments Today spoke to Clickatell’s Hannes Van Rensburg, chief commercial officer for the company regarding “chat commerce” a strategic and innovative way to enhance a customer’s experience through active engagement and offer a more “human” and seamless experience to online shopping.
How did this unique process start and how can it benefit retailers as well as the mobile payments industry moving forward?
“Chat commerce happened pretty much as a result of the prevalence of smartphones, the growth of chat apps, and the advancement of other technologies, such as automation, and open APIs, that enable consumers to interact and transact (i.e., make purchases) via chat apps. In that sense, it was a natural evolution,” Hannes Van Rensburg said in an interview with Mobile Payments Today.
Van Rensburg explained that out the rise of on-demand business models (e.g., Uber, Airbnb) has led lots of consumers to expect more convenience and immediacy in the way they are served with goods and services. Also, consumers want to engage with brands on the every-day chat platforms they already use. “Companies are trying to respond by building their own apps, improving websites, and launching web chat. However, U.S. app users spend 90% of their time in the top five apps, one of which includes WhatsApp. Brands need to go where customers are spending time, (i.e., on chat), or they will lose market share to digital-only disruptors,” said Van Rensburg.
Go where the customers are
Communicating via chat has become the preferred way that consumers interact digitally (compared to telephone, web or mobile apps.). This has led to chat fatigue, where consumers are getting more and more exhausted to download applications, remember passwords and finding the right information, Van Rensburg said.
But isn’t chat commerce like using social media? Apparently yes, and no according to Rensburg.
“Chat commerce enables brands to connect, interact, and transact with their customers the same way their customers do with friends and family – i.e., through chat,” said Van Rensburg. “Chat commerce is interactive – it’s not just a blast that goes from the brand to a broad audience. With chat commerce, brands communicate personalized information with customers who can then, right there in the app, interact and make purchases.”
While it’s primarily happening outside the U.S. at this point, there is a rise of ‘chat banking’ through WhatsApp.
“Customers initiate a chat through their preferred app. Automated menus guide the customers through common banking tasks, such as paying bills, transferring funds, finding branches, and viewing a full or mini statement,” said Van Rensburg.
“Most interactions are 100% automated, but customers also have a live chat option,” said Van Rensburg. “Customers can get 24/7 digital engagement with their banks in a mobile-first experience within the same app they use to connect with friends and family.”
According to Van Rensburg, a similar scenario is playing out in retail. Consumers use chat commerce to buy and return retail goods, or receive a chat from their utility and pay the bill, right there, with one click and not have to log into an account on a website. Chat commerce and mobile messaging affords on-the-go, on-demand convenience.
And what about Apple and Google? Have they moved into this sector? According to Van Rensburg, the answer is yes, but the two heavy hitters are cautiously testing the waters.
“Both have stepped up business chat. Apple Business Chat, which brings businesses into Apple’s Messages app, enables businesses to connect with customers on their preferred channel,” said Van Rensburg. “Google Business Message is further evidence that customers are craving the convenience of chat in channels they’re already using. It allows businesses to communicate with customers using live agents or bots.”
According to Van Rensburg, there is a reason that chat commerce is focused on retail, financial services/banking/payments and insurance sectors: it has to do with security.
“These sectors are all transaction heavy, a task perfect for chat commerce,” said Van Rensburg. “In retail, consumers can browse and buy via their favorite chat app—and then track orders and deal with returns if need be, all from the same app. These industries require high levels of security and confidentiality, areas in which Clickatell excel.
“Chat banking, meanwhile, offers a new way to reach and retain mobile-first consumers, especially younger ones who’re quick to pick up digital payment technologies. Insurance lags other industries in adoption of digital channels, but we see a lot of potential there. Chat commerce provides a quick path to opening a thriving digital channel,” Van Rensburg said.
How secure is chat banking and chat commerce?
With all this engagement through digital channels is there a way that this process could backfire and instead of reaching out to the customer, is it possible they would see it as invasive?
“It’s an interesting thought, but, properly managed, we don’t see it as major concern for most people. In almost every study, consumers choose chat as their preferred method of communication (e.g., text, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp) and expect a high degree of convenience in the way they are served with goods and services,” said Van Rensburg.
Unlike other channels, according to Van Rensburg, chat is both convenient and pervasive. A telephone call just goes away if unanswered and an email goes into an inbox and customers have to log on and taken action. With chat commerce, an offer is pushed to the customer directly. It can stay there and the customer can respond easily whenever it’s convenient, without pressure.
Slow start in US
Looking at the commerce landscape, why hasn’t chat commerce taken off in the U.S. as opposed to other countries?
“Chat commerce exploded in popularity in nations wherein people tended to have mobile phones as their primary, and possibly only, telecommunications device – e.g., ‘mobile-first’ users,” said Van Rensburg. “For example, let’s look at chat banking in Africa. It took off in there because business leaders prioritize mobile-first digital experiences. That’s because so many customers are mobile only.
“While, obviously, there is now near total market penetration by mobile devices in the U.S., America is not a ‘mobile first’ nation. It has a working app economy so, at the outset, chat commerce wasn’t quite as intuitive for most organizations, let alone consumers. That said, consumers are now tiring of a different app for everything. Many spend a lot of time in chat. As a result, we believe chat commerce in the U.S. will start first in customer service, replacing long waits on hold and slow websites. Then, it’ll move to other commerce, such as chat banking,” said Van Rensburg.


text: Local music lovers can see a great show and help feed families this holiday season at the Hollerday Yuletide Food Drive. It's Friday, Dec. 15 at Headliners. Music starts at 9 p.m. featuring the Quiet Hollers, local hip-hop group Shadowpact, and also Sun Seeker. Tickets are $10, with $1 from every online sale going straight to Dare to Care Food Banks. Fans are also encouraged to bring non perishable food items to the concert for collection.


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Germany’s plans to legalise cannabis for recreational use have been revised following discussions with EU officials. The proposal to allow the drug to be sold across the country in licensed specialist shops has now been scaled back to a set number of pilot areas for the next five years.
Adults will still be allowed to grow up to three cannabis plants for personal use and possess up to 25g penalty-free, but will only be able to obtain the drug from licensed shops as part of a regional pilot project, health minister Karl Lauterbach announced. Germany’s government had agreed this after talks with the EU Commission, he said, although the aim remained to control quality, curb the black market, prevent the sale of contaminated drugs and ensure the ‘best possible protection for minors and health for consumers’.
Cultivation in non-profit associations or ‘cannabis clubs’ will also be allowed nationwide, provided membership is limited to a maximum of 500 people who are over 18 and resident in Germany. While there will be a general ban on advertising for the associations, ‘factual information is acceptable’. Specialist shops will then be established on a regional and time-limited model to allow the effects of a commercial supply chain on health, the black market and youth protection to be evaluated. Germany previously legalised cannabis for medical use in 2017.
The restrictive approach to cannabis in Germany had failed, added justice minister Marco Buschmann. ‘The prohibition of cannabis criminalises countless people, pushes them into criminal structures and ties up immense resources at the law enforcement agencies. It’s time for a new approach that allows more personal responsibility, pushes back the black market and relieves the police and prosecutors.’
The non-commercial supply models of home growing and not-for-profit associations avoided the ‘risks of over commercialisation’, said Transform, as well as the emergence of ‘Big Alcohol/Tobacco’-style monopolies and potential for ‘corporate capture’ of the policy making process. ‘On the other hand the absence of a regulated retail market inevitably means legal availability will be restricted and slower than it might have been – in turn meaning that the illegal market (and associated problems) will take longer to be eroded.’
Canada became the first G7 country to legalise and regulate recreational cannabis in 2018, with adults able to legally buy and possess up to 30g of the drug (www.drinkanddrugsnews.com/cannabis-becomes-legal-in-canada). The move has proved highly divisive, however, with critics claiming that the price and quality of the legal and taxed drug has meant its impact on the black market has been limited.


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According to analysts at the American marketing research firm IDC, touchscreen laptop sales will slump this year.
This could become the bane of Microsoft especially as it tries to gain market share with Windows 8 which was specifically crafted for touchscreen users. The user experience in Windows 8 is awkward and cumbersome without touch.
In an exclusive interview with ComputerWorld, Bob O’Donnell, an IDC analyst, weighed in:
We forecast that 17% to 18% of all notebooks would have touch this year, but that now looks to be too high, to be honest.
IDC now proposes that between 10% and 15% of laptops will ship with touch this year.
Part of the decline is because consumers aren’t willing to spend the higher cost for a touchscreen especially when they can do everything they want from a traditional non-touch computer. Touch on a laptop is more like a novelty and doesn’t offer many practical benefits. People who want touch buy tablets not laptops. In fact, PC shipments have been down by 14% year over year. The atrophy of the PC market is exacerbated by the continual declining price of tablets. As tablets become more affordable more people will buy tablets and as less buy tablets even less will see a need for the traditional PC.
The traditional PC is dead. Does Microsoft realizes this or are they still trying to resuscitate a product in a dying industry?


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First National Bank announced it is replacing South Africa’s old miniature cash machines with 960 new Slimline ATMs, reported All Africa. FNB stated it wants to provide digital banking services to remote locations where the number of customer transactions do not call for conventional ATMs.
The new Slimline ATMs will be installed countrywide and include a large touch screen with a camera and a card reader for EMV Chip & PIN bankcards with a numeric keypad.
“These machines represent a mutually beneficial relationship for the retailer, bank and customer,” said Aziz Cassim, head of self-service channels at FNB. While our now-retired mini-ATMs offered typical kiosk banking or voucher banking, Slimline approximates online banking with PIN and image verification. We fully expect transaction volumes to escalate sharply over previous volumes on our Mini ATMs.”


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August 9, 2021
Vecna Robotics, the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) and workflow orchestration company, announced a partnership with Alta Material Handling (Alta MH). This partnership allows Alta MH to offer high-capacity AMRs to customers looking to purchase robotic material handling vehicles. Through this collaboration, more companies will be able to integrate automated pallet movement into their distribution, warehousing and manufacturing operations. Alta MH is now able to offer the only pallet-handling AMRs equipped with obstacle avoidance, path planning and independent pallet pick-up.
Today, less than 1% of the millions of material handling vehicles in the U.S. are automated. With over 1.8 billion pallets in daily circulation and an ongoing shortage of industrial workers, the need for robotic material handling vehicles is apparent. Together, Alta Material Handling and Vecna Robotics will meet customer demand by automating the high frequency pallet handling that takes place in distribution centers, warehouses and manufacturing facilities across the country.
Alta MH established an “Emerging Technology” group in January of 2020 in response to the industry’s rapid adoption of autonomous mobile robots, artificial intelligence, IOT and lithium and hydrogen power sources. This innovative approach is blind to specific solutions and takes a holistic approach to assessing technology. Alta’s methodical evaluation of current market offerings led to a partnership with Vecna Robotics, marking a powerful addition to the Alta MH portfolio.
Joe Bollman, manager of Alta Robotics at AMH, explains the factors that make Vecna Robotics the best candidate for this expansion. “We’re excited for the potential of this partnership, particularly as we see demand for AMRs grow among our customer base as they learn more about the difference between AGVs and AMRs,” said Bollman, “Customers are asking for features like the ability to reroute in real-time and navigate freely around obstacles – a more viable, safe and flexible option for many. In today’s world, autonomous robotic material handling solutions are a crucial component to helping organizations keep pace with the demands of the industry and offset labor shortages. Expanding our offerings with Vecna Robotics’ solutions aligns with Alta’s focus on serving our customers with the most innovative and best-in-class materials handling equipment on the market.”
Alta MH will spec, sell and service Vecna Robotics’ full range of automated pallet transfer vehicles, which includes self-driving forklifts, pallet trucks and tow trucks. The AMRs work seamlessly alongside both other materials handling vehicles and human workers to improve efficiency and throughput.
“We’re eager to kick off this partnership with Alta Material Handling, as the company has a deep knowledge of customer needs and an innovative outlook,” said Matthew Cherewka, director of business development and strategy at Vecna Robotics. “With Alta’s extensive reach and long-held reputation for quality products and service, we are pleased to work alongside them to expand their offerings and deploy our solutions nationwide.”
Vecna Robotics’ AMRs use Pivotal™, an intelligent software that orchestrates the routes of both robots and humans to ensure that the right resource is in the right place at the right time. This solution is able to analyze an organization’s operations in real time and can dynamically adjust workflows for maximum efficiency.
Alta Material Handling will be conducting live demonstrations of Vecna Robotics’ AMRs at the Innovate 21 Expo on October 14, 2021 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. For more information, follow Vecna Robotics on LinkedIn or get in touch here.


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An Update from Michigan
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
a. Tesla reached an agreement with the state of Michigan
b. Tesla is now allowed to open service operations in the state
c. Tesla can also now expand sales presence in Michigan
We appreciate the support and advocacy efforts of Tesla customers all over Michigan. As you've heard, Tesla reached an agreement with the state of Michigan to open service operations and expand our sales presence to include discussion of pricing, financing, trade-ins, delivery, and configuration of vehicles.
Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, and our goal in Michigan is to make the customer experience for our vehicle owners as seamless as possible. Thank you again for assisting us with these efforts.
It’s time enable fair billing for public EV chargingENABLE kWh-BILLING FOR EV CHARGING Public EV charging operators currently bill EV drivers on a time-basis (per-minute or
Support Tesla’s Proposal for a Supercharger in Jasper, ABIf you support a Supercharger to be built on municipal lands in Jasper, please record your video above or share a comment below.
News from Washington State: SB 5811 and the ZEV StandardWHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Earlier this year, Washington Senators passed a bill making important changes to the clean car program
News from British Columbia: ZEV Standard UpdateWHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Last year, the British Columbia government passed — with all party support — the Zero Emissions Vehicles
Welcome to the Tesla Engagement PlatformAN INTRODUCTION Engage Tesla is a new platform for both Tesla's public policy team and Tesla Owner's Clubs. Its goal is to


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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has requested Tesla CEO Elon Musk consider establishing a Tesla factory in Türkiye, according to the country’s communications directorate
Musk reportedly acknowledged that several Turkish suppliers are already collaborating with Tesla and that Türkiye is a leading contender for their next factory.
Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Erdoğan and Musk were speaking during a meeting at Turkish House, a skyscraper near the United Nations in New York. Erdoğan is in the U.S. to attend the 78th session of the U.N. General Assembly.
Erdoğan also said during the meeting that Türkiye was open to cooperation on artificial intelligence and Starlink, the satellite internet venture of Musk’s SpaceX, the communications directorate said.
It cited Musk as saying SpaceX wished to work with Turkish authorities to obtain the necessary license to offer Starlink satellite services in Türkiye.
It also said Erdoğan invited Musk to attend the Turkish aerospace and technology festival Teknofest in Izmir at the end of September and cited Musk as saying he would gladly attend.
Musk is also set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in California on Monday. Musk posted on social media platform X that their talks would focus on artificial intelligence technology.
Tesla in August expressed an interest in building a factory in India that would produce a low-cost electric vehicle.
Tesla currently has six factories and is building a seventh in Mexico in northern Nuevo Leon state, part of the automaker’s push to expand its global footprint.
Musk said in May that Tesla would probably pick a location for a new factory by the end of this year.
Tesla shares are up 123% so far this year and the automaker on Saturday said it had produced its 5 millionth car.
In addition to running Tesla, Musk also bought X, formerly known as Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022.
By Breaking News Turkey with Reuters


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Co-op Group wounded by UK grocery price war
The UK’s cut-throat discount grocery battle has wounded another retailer, this time Co-op Group.
The company’s first half results show a reduction in food business profit by £45 million to £63 million, year-on-year.
“Co-op’s results highlight one of the key challenges of the food sector: the need to invest in reducing prices,” commented Zoe Mills, an analyst with Verdict Retail.
“This strategy by Co-op has had a dire effect on its operating profit… In spite of this, the Co-op has a lot to be happy about, as despite the tricky food market, it has increased like-for-like sales, notably at its convenience stores, a relative success given the hardship that other grocers have faced.”
The ongoing expansion of market share led by German discounters Aldi and Lidl have hit the UK’s biggest four supermarket retailers hard with sales, market share and profit all declining, or at best stagnant over recent reporting seasons.
Mills says that during the past few months, the Co-op has refreshed its branding and strengthened its ties to both its members and local communities. It expects to see the rebuilding of the Co-op brand to continue well into 2017 and possibly 2018.
“While it must rebuild its brand image if it hopes to be successful in the future, this is likely to continue to squeeze short to mid-term profits, perhaps a risky strategy given the volatility of the food sector.”
And things aren’t likely to improve any time soon, says Mills.
“Looking ahead, Co-op still faces stiff competition from the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury’s for convenience market share. However, with these grocers also occupied with turning around their bigger stores, Co-op’s smaller store format, and convenience-led strategy, means it has less worries in this regard.”
But its other focuses include improving the quality of its own-brand produce – which could become a more important unique selling point, says Mills, “especially as value becomes more of an expectation in store choice for consumers rather than a differentiator”.


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Developer Bethesda says there are no plans to release the latest DLC for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on PlayStation 3 or PC.
Via a post on his Twitter page, Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing at Bethesda, Pete Hines, cites there is no current plans to release Skyrim: Dawnguard on PlayStation 3 or PC;
“We have not announced Dawnguard for any other platform, nor given a timeline for any such news. If we have news, I promise I’d tell you”.
While Xbox 360 users have been enjoying the spoils of the first Skyrim expansion, PC and PlayStation 3 gamers have been left out in the cold.
Since Dawnguard was released in early June Bethesda have been closed lipped on the expansions PlayStation 3 and PC release, and given Hines’ tweet fans will need to wait just a little longer.
We’ll keep an eye out and let you guys know when to expect it


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India, long accused of blocking an international trade treaty, may give a little to make the deal possible, according to reports today.
After being in deep freeze for over three months, a treaty is finally in sight with the US and the European Union showing signs of accepting India's demand for providing flexibility to developing countries in fixing minimum support prices for farm products.
In return, India will sign the stalled international treaty on easier customs rules once an agreement on the contentious food security issue is reached at the World Trade Organization (WTO).
"India, the US and the EU are close to some understanding and based on this understanding they will work for a final solution at the WTO," according to a Times of India report citing an unnamed source.
Senior commerce department officials are engaged in consultations in Geneva. There are indications that the developed countries will agree not to challenge any breach in food subsidy caps till the calculation formula is reworked.
Global trade talks have been deadlocked after India refused to agree to a trade facilitation agreement to usher in easier rules for goods to flow through ports and airports unless its concerns on food security were addressed.
Based on current rules, several developing countries are close to breaching the cap of 10 per cent value of production, and face the threat of punitive action at WTO.
India has argued that the calculation of the cap is flawed as it is based on outdated prices and has demanded that formula be reworked.


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4G World Expands to Asia
Largest Independent Event Focusing on Entire 4G Ecosystem Will Address World's Leading Regional Market
Feb 28, 2012
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- UBM TechWeb today announced plans to extend its popular 4G World Conference and Expo to Singapore. 4G World comes to serve the APAC region, which today represents nearly half of all mobile users globally. The inaugural event will be held May 21 through 23, 2012 at the Grand Hyatt Singapore. For more information visit http://asia.4gworld.com
"A recent Pyramid Research report indicates that LTE subscriptions in Asia-Pacific will top all other regions by 2014," said Berge Ayvazian, Program Chairman of 4G World and Senior 4G Consulting at Heavy Reading. "We're launching 4G World Asia as an open industry forum for the entire 4G ecosystem to facilitate an exchange of innovation and expertise focused on the Asia market."
"4G World Asia is part of the acquisition of the 4G World Conference and Expo brand by UBM earlier this month," said Joe Braue, EVP/Group Director of Light Reading which will be co-producing the event with the TechWeb Events Network. "We'll be able to optimize UBM's worldwide expo and conference infrastructure to ensure its success."
4G World Asia's program and ancillary special events will provide a unique reality check for stakeholders in the global 4G community. Ayvazian will be leading discussions that will examine the unique opportunities and challenges associated with the intense growth and market demands of this region. 4G World Asia will feature executive keynotes, in-depth technology tracks, special focus summits and industry-recognized training programs that encompass critical aspects of 4G business and technology, including:
- Technology and investment priorities for 4G
- Game changing 4G business models
- Migration, deployment and launch strategies
- Asia Pacific region opportunities and case studies
- 4G value creation and service strategies
- Radio access and core network innovations
- Capacity and coverage optimization
- Backhaul technology solutions
- Machine-to-machine (M2M) communications
- Mobile cloud applications delivery
- Smartphones, tablets and cloud-connected devices
- Mobile transactions and commerce
The two-day conference program, pre-conference summit, and training sessions are expected to attract hundreds of industry experts, media partners and sponsors.
About UBM TechWeb
UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology. Through its three core businesses - media solutions, marketing services and paid content - UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands and media applications in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs and IT managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software Developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively engage in UBM TechWeb's communities and information resources monthly. UBM TechWeb brands include: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and Enterprise Connect; award-winning online resources such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Network Computing; and market-leading magazines InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology, and Advanced Trading. UBM TechWeb is a UBM plc company, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.
About 4G World 2012
4G World™ continues to be the world's largest independent conference and expo event covering the global technology and applications ecosystem for next-generation mobile broadband networks. The 4G World 2012 four-day conference program will include updates on the latest innovations in wireless business and technology from more than 200 speakers and industry leader keynotes.
SOURCE UBM TechWeb
For further information: Media and Marketing, Kathleen Mitchell, Senior Director, Marketing, +1-508-416-1183, email@example.com, or Sales and Sponsorship, John Sellazzo, VP, Sales, firstname.lastname@example.org


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SOMERSET – A public hearing on a proposed tax break for Mayer Bros. Apple Products’ planned expansion at its Somerset plant has been scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Oct. 6 in Somerset Town Hall, 8700 Haight Road.
The Niagara County Industrial Development Agency will hold the mandatory hearing before voting on the company’s request for a 15-year reduction of property taxes on the $3.15 million expansion. The company also is seeking an exemption from paying sales tax on building materials and equipment used in the 40,000-square-foot addition to the Lake Road plant.
The company plans to add 26 jobs to its current 81-person work force at Somerset, adding two shifts to a new production line that makes fruit juice ingredients for flavored teas and store-brand drinks at several retail chains. The IDA board is expected to vote Oct. 12 on the tax abatement, which would save Mayer Bros. an estimated $307,000.


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Amazon announces the opening of a logistics center in Alcalá de Henares
This will be its second in the Madrid Region and represent the creation of 500 permanent jobs in the coming three years
The online shopping habit is becoming entrenched in Spain, and one of the companies that is reaping the most benefits from this new situation is Amazon. In order to meet this growing demand, the US company will continue extending its logistics centers in Spain. After the recent announcement of the creation of a last generation robotic center in Dos Hermanas (Seville), it has now issued a press release on the opening of what will be its second logistics center in the Madrid Region.
The new logistics center will be in Alcalá de Henares and will open in early autumn. Specifically, it will be located on the El Encín industrial estate, 30 km from the capital and 27 km from the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez airport. Its main purpose will be for storage and for the preparation of orders, and it will support the company's operations in Spain and Europe.
This new opening will bring the number of Amazon's logistics centers in Spain to seven, in addition to two urban logistics centers in Madrid and Barcelona for same-day deliveries, two distribution centers and 12 logistics stations. In total, including the two software development centers, the online retail commerce giant will have invested 2.9 billion euros in Spain between 2011 and 2018.
The launch of the new logistics center in the Henares corridor will add over 500 permanent employees to the workforce of 7,000 it already has in Spain. The hiring process for some areas has already begun, such as operations managers, engineers, human resources and IT teams.
Commitment to Spain
According to Stefano Perego, vice-president for Customer Fulfillment for Amazon in Europe: “This center is clear evidence of our commitment to Spain, and will create over 500 permanent jobs in the first three years to help us to reach even more customers all over the country. We continue investing strongly in Spain, employing thousands of people with talent who receive competitive wages and a generous benefits package”.
For his part, Javier Rodríguez Palacios, mayor of Alcalá de Henares, describes the news as “ very positive for our city, even more so at a time like the present”. He also highlights the boost to direct and indirect jobs that it will bring.


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A research team from the University of California, San Francisco has found that drinking sugary, carbonated drinks may age you just as much as smoking.
We have known that consumption of sugary fizzy drinks increases risk and chance of obesity, but this new research reveals that it has a profound impact on the ageing process.
As we get older, our toleromes get shorter – it is just the way things go. Toleromes are tiny structures that protect our DNA and as these begin to get shorter, we find ourselves at higher risk of disease. What this study has found is that consumption of soft drink of two or more cans per day sees the toleromes shorten to those one would expect from someone around 4.6 years older than them.
Shortened toleromes increase the risk of getting age related diseases like Alzheimer’s, heart disease and diabetes significantly – and drinking too much fizzy drink will definitely do this to you.
Professor Elissa Epel, from the University of California at San Francisco, said, “Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened sodas might influence disease development, not only by straining the body’s metabolic control of sugars, but also through accelerated cellular ageing of tissues. This is the first demonstration that soda is associated with telomere shortness. This finding held regardless of age, race, income and education level.”
It is a universal problem, and no one can avoid it unless you start swapping sweet drinks for water.
Do you drink too much soft drink? How many glasses do you have every week? Tell us in the comments below…