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Geoquip announces launch of ATEX Approved 4inch Borehole Submersible Pump
Friday, October 09, 2009
Geoquip Water Solutions, specialist suppliers to the water industry, have announced the launch of ATEX approved 4" borehole submersible pumps with immediate availability. Previously, 'explosion proof' pumps were limited to drainer pumps with their relatively low heads. The ATEX approved 4" borehole submersible pumps have a wide range of heads available and can be use in a variety of applications.
Mike Deed, Managing Director of Geoquip said: "This is exciting news for the pump industry. The launch of these pumps will make a significant difference to anyone working in the landfill, mining or petrochemical industry, offering operators the opportunity to comply with the approved code of practice when considering the purchase of new pumps."
For further information please contact Mike Deed on 01473 462046 or emial email@example.com


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The more one talks to the people behind the 14th largest dealer group in the nation and this year’s F&I Dealer of the Year, the more one understands why The Suburban Collection celebrated 60 years in business last year. It’s all about the X’s and O’s.
While recognizing the challenges ahead, Gary Allgeier, finance director for the Troy, Mich.-based dealer group, said the only thing the group is focused on is controlling what it can control.
“I sat through several dealer meetings with manufacturers at the NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) convention and my takeaway was no one is going to plow the field for us,” he said. “We need to figure out our own destiny. And instead of relaxing the bar this year, we’re actually raising the standards so our processes get better.”
It’s that type of mindset that allowed the dealer group to celebrate its 60-year anniversary in November with the best year for sales, financial services, body shop, service, and parts. “There isn’t a department that didn’t hit a record,” said Allgeier.
Branding F&I the Suburban Way
The Suburban Collection started out as a single Oldsmobile dealership in Birmingham, Mich. Today, it has 30 brands and 43 locations throughout Michigan and south Florida, and touts the No. 1 Saturn and Volvo stores in the world.
And while the economic environment last year claimed dealers at an unprecedented pace, The Suburban Collection achieved same-store sales for all of 2008. Amazingly, it did this when leasing, which represented 70 percent of the dealership’s deals, fell out of favor.
The key was the dealer group’s ability to develop a cross-selling approach to accommodate all needs. If a new lease can’t be supported by the customer’s current brand, the dealer group is able to offer comparable vehicles from its other stores. According to Allgeier, it was the first time stores across the dealer group worked so closely to put deals together.
“We really work hard at branding the finance and lease contracts we originate to the point where lenders understand the customer and collateral are properly represented,” Allgeier said. “In fact, our relationships have gotten even stronger in the current economy. And we continue to ask for additional programs to differentiate ourselves in the market, and they’ve responded.”
And with 50,000 active leases and pools of customers coming back into the market all of the time, Allgeier said the dealer group worked hard to find products that not only resonated with customers, but with lenders as well. The key, said Allgeier, was communicating the value proposition and the financial stability of its providers to the 50 lenders and 18 lease sources with which it works.
“We do in excess of 55 percent leasing if you aggregate all of our franchises, so we’re still in the leasing game,” said Allgeier. “But the biggest thing we did was tailor-make products that better fit customers whether they’re leasing or buying.”
The two products it identified were appearance protection and wheel-and-tire coverage, which the dealer group added to its product presentations two and a half years ago. And in that time, the dealership went from zero to 15,000 coverages sold last year.
It’s that kind of foresight and business acumen that has impressed the dealer group’s business partners. “Chase values its long-time relationship with The Suburban Collection,” said Mary Kay Bean, a spokeswoman for Chase, which now operates as the financing arm for Mazda, Subaru and Saturn. “It’s a top-notch organization, and we work well together to support each other’s business interests.”
Leveraging Technology for Compliance
Testimonials like the one from Chase’s Bean isn’t surprising considering the work The Suburban Collection puts into getting things right. “Lenders only have so much capital, so much origination pools they are able to operate on,” said Allgeier. “I’ve had some lenders even tell me specifically that they are not going to do business with people that aren’t doing business the right way, and we don’t ever expect that to be us.”
At The Suburban Collection, new hires know from day one how important compliance is. In fact, the compliance discussion starts during the interview process. And when checking references, the dealer group will even query lenders about potential new hires to make sure they have a good history with lenders.
To further ensure compliance, the dealership employed Wilson Technologies to automate all human resources activities, as well as the 40 requirements for new-hire orientation.
Allgeier even helped develop a 101-page compliance manual with gvo3 & Associates. The compliance strategies provider also helped the dealership roll out a comprehensive compliance program. It also conducts internal audits of deals put together by the group’s F&I managers. Allgeier and his team also conduct their own audits.
Additionally, The Suburban Collection instituted an internal tracking system that allows management to see how certain processes impact performance. As Allgeier said, compliance and performance go hand in hand.
“We built the tracking internally to be able to reflect the result of certain activities. So if the desk manager left a $10 payment range, what was the result for front-end and finance profit?” said Allgeier.
“We do all of this because we know the financial services offices will be driven around making sure we operate in a consistent and compliant environment. It’s not only the right way to do business; it’s the only way to do business.”
It’s this business outlook that has grabbed the attention of many in the automotive business. “Our partners at The Suburban Collection have taken deliberate steps to leverage technology, to increase productivity, and to drive the group’s profitability,” said Rick Von Pusch, senior vice president of sales, marketing and international for DealerTrack. “They have identified and implemented steps to increase transparency and compliance within the F&I and sales process, all while enhancing their customer experience.”
Taking a Granular Approach
Allgeier predicts that the increasingly litigious environment will continue, but said the dealer group is ready for whatever is thrown its way. The key, he said, is taking a granular approach to business.
“While the mantra for companies has been to ‘go global,’ I credit much of our success to ‘going granular,’” Allgeier explains. “We consistently inspect our sales processes through Internet, phone and walk-in shoppers. We are constantly working on refining our financial services presentations through ‘Hot Seat’ training.”
Controlling what it can control remains an effective strategy for The Suburban Collection. And although headquartered in a state with the highest unemployment rate, Allgeier said he expects per vehicle retail (PVR) and new-car sales to be up in 2009.
“The way our business is run has more of an impact than the market,” said Allgeier. “We don’t get the process right every time and we know we can do better, so we expect even better sales to come.”
Allgeier’s take on the challenges ahead are music to Chairman and CEO David Fischer’s ears. “The part that makes my job easier is getting to work with people like Gary, and seeing this business grow. And it grows because of the 1,500 or so people we have,” he said during the magazine’s F&I Dealer of the Year ceremony at the NADA Convention in January. “The second piece of it is, it’s war out there. You look at what we went through last year with the Congressional hearings. One automaker executive even said to me, ‘Our expectations are so low, we might actually achieve them this year.’“
When you think of where we’ve been, where we want to get to … we started with one Oldsmobile dealership and now we’re talking to Chinese companies. It’s different. It’s unbelievable. But I really believe we have the right people for the job.”
Dealership Name - The Suburban Collection
Years in Business - 60 years
F&I Employees - 45 full-time producers
Annual Revenue - $1.2 billion
Technology Providers - ADP, DealerTrack, EDS, Infinit Net, Reynolds and Reynolds, and Wilson Technologies
Compliance Training: gvo3& Associates

domain: news


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When Mario’s 35th anniversary draws to a close next week, online services for Super mario maker on Wii U they also end, which means that players will no longer be able to load their own courses.
As you may recall, the Super Mario Maker Bookmark website was shut down on March 31 as well. Instead, Nintendo appears to have disconnected the web service ahead of schedule.
Super Mario Maker fan and Nintendo Life reader Nintendo_Thumb notes how the “website went down 4 days earlier” and has been down since at least March 26. The website says the “service is currently unavailable” and now shows a 503 error.
So if you were hoping to visit the site one last time before it was canceled, it seems like might be out of luck. Here is the full list of affected Super Mario Maker services:
Services Ending (Super Mario Maker – Wii U)
- The ability to load courses in Super Mario Maker for Wii U
- Super Mario Maker Bookmark website
Due to this, the following functions within the software’s Course World will also not be available:
- Update the ranking of the courses I like
- Looking for your marked courses
And just to make it clear Super Mario Maker 2 Will no it will be affected in some way by this, and will continue to function normally after this date. Are you sad to see the end of the original Super Mario Maker? Tell us below.


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One of the biggest rice mills in Nigeria, Tiamin Rice, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) for rice export to Egypt.
The MOU, which will be operational for two years, was signed on Tuesday at the company’s 600-metric tonne per hour capacity mill in Bauchi State.
In a statement, the Deputy Managing Director of Tiamin, Aliyu Ibrahim, said the MoU bordered on farming and cultivation of superior quality rice by RIFAN and supplying it to Tiamin to process and package with state-of-the-art milling technology for sales locally and internationally, with particular priority to Egypt.
He said, “RIFAN and TIAMIN share a common agenda in the area of rice farming and milling in order to have a sustainable supply chain management of rice under a partnership that seeks to produce (farm), mill and package processed rice of the highest quality for export and local trading and marketing.”
With a combined capacity of 920 tonnes per hour from its two mills in Kano and Bauchi states, Tiamin is the largest producer of rice in Nigeria.
The company also has a 10,000-hectare rice farm in Udubo, Bauchi State, where large-scale wet and dry season farming is taking place with state-of-the-art agricultural machinery.
Through JAIZ Bank, the company has benefited from six different development finance interventions of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the tune of over N20bn and has successfully repaid four of the funds.
Tiamin Rice is also the first corporate entity to access the Private Sector-Lead Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (P-AADS) funds of the CBN.


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Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma called fighting over trade senseless and decried once again a widening conflict between the United States and China.
China’s richest person - who warned just last month that a trade war could last two decades - argued it was pointless to target goods because the Asian nation was on its way to becoming a major buyer of foreign products. Indeed, it is services - such as those on the internet - powering job growth, not old-school manufacturing, the outgoing Alibaba Group chairman told a business forum on Monday.
Mr Ma, whose online commerce empire is China’s largest corporation, has been a vocal opponent of tit-for-tat tariffs imposed on hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of US-Chinese goods. US President Donald Trump is now exerting pressure on the Asian country to wind back its $423 billion trade surplus with the world. While the American president has floated the possibility of a deal when he meets his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in coming weeks. The two countries remain far apart on everything from market access to government support for state-run enterprises.
“Trade war is the most stupid thing in this world,” Mr Ma said at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. Mr Jinping, who addressed attendees in the morning, is touting the forum as a major showcase of the country’s purchasing power.
Mr Ma’s comments come as Alibaba is on the verge of kicking off its most important annual shopping event Singles’ Day on November 11, an online bargains extravaganza that often has a heavy foreign commerce component.
China's tech firms may be down but they are certainly not out
Alibaba's gargantuan data trove proves spicy for Mars
Exclusive: Alibaba Cloud seeks more Middle East deals with eye on Expo 2020
Europe's largest tech company eyes $1bn in revenues from the Middle East by 2020
While Alibaba gets most of its revenue from domestic commerce, Mr Ma and his fellow executives have championed China as a destination for foreign-made products - American or otherwise. The company hosts major brands like Nike and Urban Outfitters on websites such as Tmall Global that showcase international merchandise for local consumers.
“It is the greatest challenge for China” to transform itself into an importing nation, Mr Ma said. But that is also “the greatest opportunity for the world".
In October, Mr Ma told World Trade Organisation delegates that the Geneva-based body has come under threat from Mr Trump’s efforts to recast the international trading system in a way that he says will be more balanced toward the US. The American president has this year targeted allies and adversaries alike, threatening tariffs on all of China’s exports, proposing levies on European car-makers and saying he could leave the WTO, which he has described as “unfair".
Mr Ma, who is planning on retiring next year, has also said the global business community is opposed to the trade war. Roche chairman Christoph Franz was among those who echoed Mr Ma’s comments earlier this week.
“Swiss wealth is entirely created by open borders and trade, and that can serve as a lighthouse to other countries,” Mr Franz told the same forum.


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After spending big on a new console and 4K set, paying $60 a pop for a bunch of brand new games is a tough sell for many of us. Thankfully, there are plenty of affordable games that natively support the high-res goodness of the Xbox One X.
Square Enix is taking independent development very seriously these days. Thanks to the Square Enix Collective, numerous indie devs have been able to ship incredible games, and reach an entirely new audience. This week, you can get a taste of some of the best games from this initiative with the Humble Square Enix Collective Bundle.
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BlackBerry shares jumped more than 6% on Wednesday after an analyst at Morgan Stanley upgraded the company from underweight to overweight. BlackBerry shares have more than doubled in the past six months, and have gained nearly 25% since dropping below $13 in early March.
Source: BlackBerry Price Chart, data by YCharts
Despite BlackBerry's recent gains, I believe that the stock has significant additional upside. Analysts are still too pessimistic about the company, which continues to weigh on the stock price. However, the new BB10 devices should quickly return BlackBerry to profitability by boosting revenue and gross margin.
Margin concerns linger
While Morgan Stanley upgraded BlackBerry on Wednesday morning, analyst Ehud Gelblum still valued its smartphone business at zero. His $22 price target was based on the value of the services business and the "terminal value" of the company. He points out that BlackBerry probably experienced negative gross margins for its smartphone business in recent quarters, but expects gross margins to rebound to 20% long term, just enough to offset R&D and marketing costs. In other words, Gelblum's upgrade simply hinges on BlackBerry's smartphone business not losing money. This equivocal opinion is reflected in Gelblum's estimate that BlackBerry will produce EPS of just $0.23 this year, on revenue of $13.92 billion.
While Gelblum's analysis seems very conservative, many other analysts are far more bearish. Vocal BlackBerry critic James Faucette of Pacific Crest reiterated his negative view on Wednesday. He argues that BlackBerry will not even be able to sell 3 million high-end phones per quarter and will have to discount its high-end models, leading to lower gross margins. Thus, he expects the device business to continue to burn cash, overwhelming the profit generated by BlackBerry's service business.
Sales will be fine
Apple's iPhone has certainly eroded BlackBerry's traditional enterprise customer base over the past few years, particularly in the U.S. Samsung is also trying to gain share among business customers by adding security features to its Galaxy phones in an attempt to overcome Android's reputation for security flaws. However, as I have argued previously, BlackBerry has nearly 20 million users in the U.S., U.K., and Canada alone. Clearly, these individuals are very loyal to the brand. They likely would have otherwise switched to the iPhone or a Google Android phone already.
These loyal BlackBerry fans have already begun upgrading to the new Z10 phone, where it is available. However, many of them are probably waiting for the Q10 model, which features a physical QWERTY keyboard. After all, the latter is the primary factor differentiating BlackBerry from other smartphone vendors, and is arguably the biggest barrier preventing many users from switching to the iPhone.
With a captive market of 20 million to 30 million high-end BlackBerry users (across all countries), BlackBerry should have no trouble selling more than 3 million high-end smartphones per quarter after production fully ramps up. In fact, I expect BlackBerry to sell at least 5 million BB10 devices per quarter beginning in Q2, at which point the Z10 and Q10 will be available in most major markets and enterprise rollouts will have begun.
Margins could surprise on the upside
BlackBerry is unlikely to achieve the iPhone's gross margin profile. Historically, this has exceeded 50%. However, high-end BlackBerry devices should still generate gross margins of 30% to 40%. While Gelblum projects an average selling price of $450 for the Z10 and Q10 devices, this seems overly pessimistic. The iPhone 5 -- which sells for the same subsidized price as the Z10 at American carriers -- is thought to have a wholesale ASP of as much as $600. BlackBerry is offering an unsubsidized price of $599, which probably means that the wholesale ASP for the Z10 is around $500.
Based on a production cost of $300 to $350 (in line with Gelblum's estimate and slightly higher than the iPhone 5's production cost due to Apple's superior economies of scale), BlackBerry's gross margin would be 30% to 40%, or $150 to $200 per device. I expect a similar margin profile for the upcoming Q10 phones. Based on my estimate of 20 million high-end device sales in FY14, BB10 device sales alone would generate $3 to $4 billion of gross margin in the coming year. By contrast, BlackBerry's operating expenses totaled just over $1.1 billion last quarter ($4.5 billion annualized ). This would leave its high-margin service revenue of roughly $1 billion per quarter as almost pure profit.
Even bullish analysts seem to be underrating BlackBerry's prospects for returning to profitability this year. Twenty million smartphones represent a small percentage of the high-end smartphone market (ASP >$400) -- perhaps 5% to 6%. BlackBerry would not have to lure a large proportion of iPhone or Android users to hit that sales target, in light of the likely upgrade demand from current high-end BlackBerry users. If BlackBerry can sell 20 million high-end smartphones this year (Z10 and Q10 sales combined), that should provide sufficient economies of scale to drive gross margin to the 30%-40% range. This could create significant upside to the analyst community's modest profit expectations, helping BlackBerry shares continue to rally.
As one of the most dominant Internet companies ever, Google has made a habit of driving strong returns for its shareholders. However, like many other web companies, it's also struggling to adapt to an increasingly mobile world. Despite gaining an enviable lead with its Android operating system, the market isn't sold. That's why it's more important than ever to understand each piece of Google's sprawling empire. In The Motley Fool's new premium research report on Google, we break down the risks and potential rewards for Google investors. Simply click here now to unlock your copy of this invaluable resource.
The article Analysts Are Still Too Pessimistic About BlackBerry's Profitability originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of Apple and BlackBerry, and has the following options on BlackBerry: long Jan. 2014 $13 calls. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Apple and Google. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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ShareWatch: Fitzwilliam aims high for Getmobile
Published: 14 August 2005
FINANCIER Pierce Casey is pinning his hopes on Germans discovering the gift of the gab now that his Fitzwilliam Capital is in the process of acquiring Getmobile, a Munich-based online and direct seller of subscription-based mobile phone contracts.
At 88%, mobile phone penetration levels in Germany are well behind the European average of 97%. About 18% of the 72m people in the country with mobile phones switch mobile phone operators each year. Having raised €63m through a placement of 72.5m shares during the week, Fitzwilliam saw its stock surge by 13% since its debut on Dublin’s IEX market on Wednesday.
Fitzwilliam, which has been listed on London’s AIM for the past year, is planning to change its name to Getmobile once the ink has dried on the deal.
Documents prepared for the Irish listing show that six-year-old Getmobile’s operating profit soared to €4m last year from €100,000 in 2003 as


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You can now count on three things in life: death, taxes - and food deals on Tax Day. Check out these deals on April 15, perhaps for a post-snack run from the post office or H&R Block:
Taco del Mar (1120 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento) will offer a free taco on April 15. Here's the catch you have to visit www.tacodelmar.com and sign up to receive a coupon.
If you have a hankering for something besides Mexican food, P.F. Chang's will be offering a 15 percent dining discount on April 15. No forms to fill out for this one, which most of us can appreciate this week. Here's the fine print: the discount does not include alcoholic beverages. For more info.: www.pfchangs.com.


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With lockdown levels easing, the international travel ban is lifting on 1 October 2020. South Africa’s Airports Company says they are ready for business. And three international airports open for travel.
Three international airports opening for business
Unsurprisingly, the three major airports will be opening. Effectively, from 1 October, Cape Town International, OR Tambo and Durban’s King Shaka International can accept international flights. And, Mpumi Mpofu, CEO of Airports Company South Africa (Acsa), is hopeful tourism can recover. Notably, Acsa understands it may take five years to recover from COVID-19.
Currently, travel in Africa is permitted. However, other countries require a listing based on situational analysis. Presumably, any analysis will be based on COVID-19 statistics. Additionally, statistics will vary with second wave infection levels. Arguably, this is vague enough to discourage air bookings for some time.
Flights are COVID-19 safe
Previously, Minister of transport Mbalula mentioned air travel is safe. Technically, air filters in aeroplanes remove viruses as efficiently as sanitisers. Moreover, the air circulates from above the head to under the seat and not rotationally. Apparently, the plane is safe, and the danger is an asymptomatic passenger passing on the virus on arrival.
The tourism industry is ready
Meanwhile, the tourism industry is COVID-19 ready. Furthermore, current pricing is reasonable. Additionally, South African’s are hoping they will stay that way as too many destinations are too expensive for SAR earners.
Local flights currently cost-effective
Clearly, jump-starting the tourism industry is not a quick fix. Meanwhile, local tourists begin to take advantage of comparatively cheap internal flights. Interestingly, COVID-19 is freeing data-based industries from offices. Seemingly, a growing number of locals are fortunate enough to take advantage of cheaper flights. After all, a change of scene is as good as a holiday. Undoubtedly, the idea of a week’s work with a sea view is attractive to any Gauteng resident. And, why not?


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A 4,000-passenger ship sets sail this summer, with a 5,000-passenger liner expected in 2019.
JUNEAU, Alaska — The first “mega” cruise ship will begin visiting Alaska this summer, departing from Seattle.
- Cruising the land of the midnight sun, Scotland to Scandinavia
- 'Mega' ships to cruise from Seattle to Alaska
- New 'world's largest' ship focuses on family
- Rounding Cape Horn on a South America cruise
- Can cruise lines protect excursion patrons?
- The scramble for the best Wi-Fi at sea
- Coming soon: not your typical cruise ships
The 4,000-passenger Norwegian Bliss starts making port calls in June. The “megaships” are part of a trend that’s sending more tourists to Alaska by sea.
The ships will carry up to twice as many passengers as some current ships in Alaska. The 5,000-passenger Ovation of the Seas begins sailing to Alaska in 2019.
“I believe people will notice the size difference in these ships, particularly the Ovation of the Seas,” said John Binkley, president of Cruise Lines International Association’s Alaska branch. “That is significantly bigger than the ships that people would normally be seeing throughout Alaska.”
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The Bliss will sail weeklong round-trips out of Seattle, stopping in Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. It will also sail to Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm Fjord. The Ovation will be based in Seattle, too.
The Bliss is owned by Norwegian Cruise Line, which will send two smaller ships to Alaska this summer. The Ovation is owned by Royal Caribbean International.
Travel expert Chris Gray Faust said the Bliss has the largest go-cart racetrack on the seas, among other attractions.
The Ovation of the Seas advertises skydiving and surf simulators, as well as robotic bartenders.


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The U.S. economy grew at a sluggish 2.2 percent pace in the final quarter of last year, much slower than initially thought as businesses tightened their belts amid fallout from the troubled housing and automotive industries.
The fresh reading on gross domestic product, released Wednesday by the Commerce Department, showed the economy in a considerably weaker state than the government first estimated, when it said the expansion in the last three months of 2006 was at a 3.5 percent pace, reports AP.
The new GDP figure for the October-to-December quarter was a tad slower than the 2.3 percent growth rate economists were forecasting and clearly less sunny than that original estimate. The GDP, which measures the value of all goods and services produced within the United States, is the best overall barometer of economic health.
The head of Russian Technologies, Sergei Chemezov, clarified the fate of anti-aircraft guided missiles that Russia was supposed to deliver to China
The Basmanny Court of Moscow arrested Michael Calvey, the founder of Baring Vostok investment fund, on allegations of embezzling 2.5 billion rubles from Vostochny Bank. Calvey will be held in custody until April 13


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01 July 2013
At least 92% of adults in the UK use a mobile phone and as the figure for users with smartphone devices is expected to pass the 50% mark any day now, finding good uses for data pooled from our phones, looks like a smart move.
Avoiding the pitfalls of subjective weather reporting, London-based OpenSignal were inspired by the increasing number of high-tech sensors in our smartphones to measure air pressure, humidity and the Earth’s magnetic field to envisage phones as mobile weather stations.
They have launched an online service, dubbed WeatherSignal, that crowd-sources meteorological data from android smartphones and maps it online, so we can potentially find out what the weather is actually doing right now in our local park.
Part of a big process
Building on their previous app, which collects mass data on mobile phone coverage around the world using battery temperature data, the logical next step was developing the algorithm to average out battery temperature readings and turn them into readings of ambient temperature. The algorithm works when it’s averaged over an area of a large crowd of users. It has to be part of the bigger process. Samuel Johnston at OpenSignal explains ‘It is helping to show what the weather is like for everybody. So if we have 100 users for London, we can gather the temperature accurately for London. It’s an averaging mechanism, so for each individual phone it may not be accurate.’
One of the pages in the app is a world map so you can search for any location and get readings in real-time about the weather. Johnston says, ‘we are building this big crowd source map so if we don’t have any users we don’t have any data so for now it’s all about building up the number of users we have and working out what we can do with this information. We are trying to improve the app and build up as big a database as we can.’
The concept of crowd-sourcing data has been around for a while. What’s exciting about this, according to Johnston, is that people don’t actually have to do anything. They are very excited about this idea of passive crowd-sourcing. And the more people who use the app the better it will work for everyone.
Learn English Science Actitvities
Why not do a language activity based on this cubed story, Crowd-sourced weather mapping?


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The Net – MySpace launched its beta of MySpace Fashion back in January and already has close to 50,000 members. With partnerships including Nylon Magazine and Instyle.com, MySpace Fashion consists of a featured designer section, featured events and a box of syndicated news from its partner, InStyle.com.
Not only is MySpace dabbling in fashion on the designer side, but last week, the ever growing online community partnered with Ford Models’ Supermodels of the World Search. MySpace will house clips of behind-the-scenes footage from the search.
This is good news for the female members of MySpace who take pictures of themselves making sure their cleavage looks hot. They now have a chance to see what it’s really like to be a model, and can now check out clothes on MySpace Fashion so they can finally dress themselves for their next default pic.


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Genting Singapore has announced a 15% year-on-year increase in revenue to SG$675.1 million and a 3% rise in profit to SG$217.2 million in the three months to 31 December 2018.
The positive results came on the back of a major upsurge in VIP where rolling chip volume increased by 36% year-on-year and 25% sequentially to SG$9.4 billion, helping Resorts World Sentosa increase its market share versus Marina Bay Sands by four percentage points to 41%.
Gaming revenue as a whole grew 17%, smashing consensus, with Adjusted EBITDA up 27% to SG$358.9 million.
“The ongoing strategy to focus on affluent regional business proved to be effective as the mass and premium mass business continued to deliver encouraging results,” Genting Singapore said in its 1Q18 earnings release.
“The Lunar New Year period saw bustling VIP rolling volume, notwithstanding a calibrated credit risk model. At the same time, non-gaming business recorded a 10% jump in revenue with daily average visitation exceeding 18,000 across the attractions. Hotel occupancy still achieved a high occupancy rate of 94%.
“Excluding the once-off gain of SG$96.3 million on disposal of the Group’s investment in Korea (Genting Singapore sold its full stake in Jeju Shinhwa World to Landing International) from the same quarter last year, the year-on-year growth in net profit after taxation would have been a jump of 91%.”
Genting Singapore also reiterated its Japan ambitions, stating that it is “actively preparing” to begin the bidding process.
“We are pleased that the IR Implementation Bill has been submitted to the Japan Diet for debate on 27 April and debate on this bill will commence within the appropriate time frame this year,” the company said.
“The progress for the establishment of IRs in Japan has been very encouraging. We are excited at this opportunity to be a partner for the development of the tourism industry in Japan. In this regard, we are actively preparing for the ensuing bidding exercise by the respective government authorities.”


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Around 3,36,229 passenger cars were sold in the Indian market in October 2022. The sales increased by over 29% when compared to October last year and the industry dropped by 5.2% in comparison to September 2022. It also crossed the 3 Lakh dispatch figure for the seventh month in this calendar year!
Diwali & Dusshera were celebrated in the country last month and the volumes resonated the same. The dispatches for Grand Vitara and Hyryder were in full swing and both models combined sold over 11.4k units. The Passenger Car industry continues to be in green which is a positive sign.
However; we anticipate November 2022 to be a lean month citing the end of festivities and no new launches in the month. The OEMs would also go slow on despatches in Nov'22 to avoid piling up of stocks at the year-end at the dealerships.
Maruti Suzuki reported YoY growth of 28.8% and Maruti's Market Share remains at just near 42%.
Hyundai crossed 48k despatches and was able to maintain its Market Share.
Tata Motors reported wholesales of 45,220 units in October 2022 and recorded Market Share of 13.4%
M&M reported YoY growth of 60.9% and strengthened its position in the fourth spot. The launch of Scorpio-N has further strengthened Mahindra's position.
Do note that Citroen has superseded Jeep's volumes in October 2022!
Market Share Graph for October 2022 –


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Slim candybar form factor? Check. Round, click wheel-like navigation? Check. Squinty-eyed color display? Check. Yup, looks like we got ourselves another iPod nano wannabe. The NF-810 from Nexx is clearly borrowing some of its styling cues from Apple, but it’s got a slight leg up on its hugely popular counterpart. The NF-810 is capable of […]
Hans Zimmer’s music makes a dog’s stunt feel more dramatic.
There are dozens of lawyers out there getting rich just from helping electronics companies sue each other over patent infringements. The latest target is Apple. Creative Technologies of Singapore has asked the International Trade Commission in the U.S. to halt all sales of iPods. Creative claims that the iPod infringes on a patent filed for […]


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The new flagship Apple iPhone is now in the market and people are eager to get hold of the new design and specs.
Apple has been a leading tech giant for more than forty years and its flagship, the iPhone, has been invading complete markets with a huge increase in customers every year to come.
Apple iPhone XS Max
Apple has entered the phablet (combination of phone and tablet) market through its newest model iPhone XS Max. With its sleek glass body design and powerful specs with exciting new features, iPhone XS Max is sure to capture the eyes of every iPhone lover in the world.
Apple iPhone XS
The predecessor to XS Max, the iPhone XS has all the features that its successor has, but with a size smaller than the range of a phablet. With the same processing power and the high-quality dual camera, the iPhone XS is a pure satisfaction to those needing a pocket-sized feature-loaded smartphone.
Apple iPhone XR
With the rise in iPhone users and the demand to bring it close to a good budget, apple has released a budget iPhone XR for the iPhone lovers having a budget. There’s only a little difference between the iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR.
To compare the details, the following specs have been taken from apple.com
For more details on pricing,
Technology Times Web team handles all matters relevant to website posting and management.


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The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company will open the new Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya hotel in Tel Aviv, Israel, in late 2013, which will be the first urban resort as well as the brand’s first property in the country.
The private island sanctuary of North Island Lodge, located in the Seychelles, is the most expensive hotel in the world. That is the main takeaway of a new survey from Luxury-Hotels.com.
LVMH Hotel Management has acquired Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France on St. Barthélemy Island in the French West Indies.
Plans for the first Peninsula hotel in London have moved a step forward with the formation of a new partnership to develop a site overlooking Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace.
This summer luxury hotel brand Shangri-La will open the doors to its latest property, erected in the birthplace of Chinese philosopher Confucius.
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts launched a Nightly Refresh Program, offering rotating free amenities, including organic bars with natural organic oats, essential oil blends, Astor chocolates and wine samples.
Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives has launched a new private jet service to brings guests directly to the resort in luxury.
To coincide with the highly anticipated birth of a royal baby this summer, the Grosvenor House in London has converted one of its suites into a luxurious baby nursery.
Guests booking a room at Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai, are in for a treat this July as the hotel is selling ten rooms for Dh10, valid for bookings on July 10 only.
A 19th century Russian palace and St. Petersburg landmark has been restored as a luxury hotel bearing the Four Seasons brand name.
Le Royal Monceau is the latest top-end Paris hotel to receive the prestigious Palace rating — one step higher than five stars — from the French government.
A luxury safari camping experience that overlooks the floodplains of Botswana has snagged the lofty title of world’s best hotel by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine.
The Plaza Athenee hotel near the Champs-Elysees in Paris, one of the top hotels in the French capital, said Wednesday it is to close for seven months starting from October for large-scale renovations.
Westin Hotels is recruiting experienced runners to serve as experts and trainers for guests participating in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon events.
A sprawling, palatial hotel and residence signed by luxury label Versace is set to open its doors next summer in the heart of Dubai.
Luxury hotel brand Trump Hotel Collection has unveiled its comprehensive TRUMP Wellness triad of programs designed to support each guest’s healthy lifestyle.
A futuristic-looking luxury hotel made up of spaceship-like discs that recalls Star Trek’s Enterprise is set to be built partially underwater in the Maldives.
Riyadh’s Four Seasons luxury hotel has launched its first women’s-only floor that provides a secure and feminine atmosphere for the hotel’s female guests.
Luxury hotel the Burj Al Arab in Dubai has been named the best hotel in the world by readers of a travel magazine distributed by The Daily Telegraph.
The 24-carat gold iPads, designed specifically for Burj Al Arab and engraved with the hotel’s logo, will be offered to every guest upon check-in.


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t is very apparent that are weight is something that is a very important factor in our lives, whether it is us worrying about being overweight or if we just want to loose weight. A recent shock study that took place suggested that by the time we reach 2050 nearly half of us Britons will be shockingly over weight and obese. In 2007 a review from the government had suggested that by 2050 obesity would have affected over half of adults and cost the economy a staggering £50billion a year. But a report by the National Obesity Forum said that these predictions were “optimistic” and actually underestimated the true likelihood of the problem. The forum also stated that “the government is focusing too much on prevention” rather than helping those who are obese to loose weight.
The obesity epidemic may even be worse than we predicted due to more people gaining weight as they get older. A report into this finding suggests junk food is a main issue and cause of this. More than 26% of adults on average are now obese compared to in the 1980’s, as then there was only 8% of adults who were actually overweight.
Our weight is always going to be a big issue for most, as our population is continuously growing, along with prices of food, billing and housing has gone up significantly also and most people are now struggling to afford even the simplest of luxuries, which has lead to us going for cheaper options and lots of people live simply off microwave meals and takeaways as these are cheaper than most healthy foods which is defiantly having an impact on our weight as healthy food tends to cost more.
A major cause of “obesity” in children is also the fact we have so many gadgets and technology for our children these days that they are far more interested in browsing online sites and playing games compared to several years ago when children tended to be more active and take part in outdoor activities now they would rather stay at home and socialise with friends via the internet, which leads to them now spending more time on their own and most likely never sit at a table for dinner with family anymore as they have these devices in their rooms, this is a real eye opener into how much we have developed with technology in this day and it is shocking to see how much we rely on the internet now, So along with most children growing up in doors now using the internet and gaming consoles they are also developing bad sleeping patterns and bad eating habits due to the distractions of the internet.
Along with children using the devices more and more adults seem to be getting addicted also, so this affects how they eat also, as when it comes to dinner time/lunch time etc,as more and more peoples interest is now involving such things as the internet, online browsing and video gaming, people are tending to not bother to sit down with families and make proper meals, so this has a significant effect on our generations weight as we are now distracted with online browsing which makes us sit around more and avoid doing physical activities and causes all of these rising health problems and tremendous weight gain.


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MINOT, N.D. — America’s anti-trust policies are a curious thing.
They consistently allow acquisitive mega-corporations to become even more mega. Facebook bought Instagram. Google bought YouTube. Disney seemingly owns every valuable intellectual property under the sun, from Marvel’s galaxy of superheroes to the stormtroopers and Jedi knights of Star Wars, and Amazon is on pace to own what’s left.
But they also prohibit smaller companies, like the one I work for, from banding together to negotiate content deals with a company like Twitter.
Social media companies like Twitter, Facebook, Google, et. al., do not generally produce content. They profit from other people’s content shared willingly, and sometimes unwillingly, on their various platforms. This has been fantastic for the tech titans, who enjoy mountains of profit and far less fantastic for those who produce the content.
The internet revolution drained profits away from traditional media companies using the very content those companies produce. It’s a hell of a thing.


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American Express Co. has become the fourth owner-member of EMVCo LLC, the international organization that maintains the global EMV antifraud standard found on chip payment cards around the world. AmEx joins MasterCard Worldwide, Visa Inc. and Japan's JCB International as owners of the organization. Since EMVCo was founded in 1999, financial institutions around the world, especially those in Europe and Asia, have issued at least 730 million EMV-compliant cards and have helped deploy some 9.9 million EMV terminals, an EMVCo spokesperson tells CardLine sister publication CardLine Global. EMV migration efforts, which are most advanced in such countries as the United Kingdom, France and Malaysia, recently have come to Canada, Mexico, Brazil and other parts of the Americas, with the notable exception of the United States. AmEx joined the group to play a closer role in the evolution of the EMV standard, including its move to include contactless cards, an AmEx spokesperson tells CardLine Global. AmEx's membership will help encourage interoperable payment systems around the world and help the card company's merchants and issuers use the standard, the spokesperson says. AmEx has issued EMV cards in the United Kingdom, the spokesperson says. AmEx bought a 25% stake in EMVCo, but neither the AmEx spokesperson nor EMVCo would disclose the amount. Despite having no direct role in EMVCo's activities for the past decade, AmEx does not believe it has missed out on chances to help guide the direction of the technology, the AmEx spokesperson says. AmEx's decision to buy a stake in EMVCo. represents a "natural progression" for one of the world's largest issuers, Adil Moussa, an analyst at United States-based Aite Group, tells CardLine Global. "It also shows a greater collaboration among the players [in the card market] that need to get closer together to fight different attacks from fraudsters," he adds. Demand for EMV cards will continue to grow, Moussa says, perhaps even in the United States as fraudsters mount more-sophisticated attacks against card-payment systems. Issuers in the United States, though, have shown no strong signs of wanting to adopt the EMV standard, though some observers speculate that could change if fraud moves from EMV countries such as Canada and Mexico into the U.S.


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Massachusetts gas prices up 6 cents per gallon
BOSTON — The cost of a gallon of gas in Massachusetts has jumped another 6 cents.
AAA Northeast says Monday that self-serve, regular is up to an average of $2.72 per gallon.
Although the in-state price is 9 cents higher than it was a month ago, it is still 8 cents per gallon lower than the national average and 92 cents lower than the Massachusetts price a year ago.
AAA found self-serve, regular selling for as low as $2.52 per gallon and as high as $2.95.


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This week: Dangerous food additives face more scrutiny by the FDA; New York City passes Sweet Truth Act expansion; the potential of obesity drugs to improve the quality of Americans’ health; and examining the link between dollar stores and public health.
Food safety, health, and nutrition news this week
Media coverage of Red No. 3, the carcinogenic food dye found in many holiday candies and other processed foods, has increased dramatically since California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the state’s Food Safety Act into law, banning the ingredient (along with brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, and propylparaben) in the state. Even Jimmy Kimmel is paying attention (though we felt compelled to issue a clarification to the substance of his joke about crossing state lines to buy Skittles: Skittles will remain unaffected by AB 418).
Last year, CSPI petitioned the FDA to ban Red 3 from foods; the additive was shown to cause thyroid cancer in rats back in 1990, just before it was banned for use in topical drugs and cosmetics. Now it seems the pressure is mounting for the agency to actually act on this critical food safety issue. Similar bills are moving through the Senate and Assembly in New York, and, as Kathleen Doheny writes for WebMD, “Advocates for phasing out Red Dye No. 3 and other harmful additives hope these state-based developments will spur the FDA to finally take similar action and respond to a petition requesting the ban of Red Dye No. 3.”
Read more at WebMD: Will California's Ban on Red Dye No. 3 Prompt More Action?
Brominated vegetable oil, one of the four ingredients California recently banned, is now under renewed scrutiny by the FDA, which proposed revoking the ingredient’s authorization for use in food this week. The agency is expected to publish the proposed rule today. BVO, as it’s sometimes listed on ingredients panels, is an emulsifier for flavorings used in some citrus-flavored beverages, like Sun Drop and several store brand sodas. (MTN DEW contained BVO for decades, but it has now been replaced.) The ingredient is banned in the European Union, India, and Japan because studies from 1970 forward have shown it to cause thyroid cancer in rats. BVO leaves residues in body fat and the fat in brain, liver, and other organs.
Read more at USA Today: FDA proposes ban on soda additive called brominated vegetable oil: What we know
Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are so effective that the food industry, clothing brands, and even airlines speculate that they might reduce future profits. But more than 40 percent of American adults are obese, exacerbating rates of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and even the severity of COVID-19 infection. CSPI Executive Director and President Dr. Peter Lurie, writing with Joshua Sharfstein, believes these drugs could be part of a broad effort to improve Americans’ health—if they’re made accessible to the millions who need and can’t afford the drugs, which cost in excess of $1,000 per month and are not generally covered by insurance, and if that access isn’t granted at the expense of other efforts to improve public health, like reducing sodium and added sugars in foods, improved labeling, and healthier school meals and snacks.
Read more at Washington Post: The obesity drugs craze is overlooking one big, open question
Dollar stores are not immediately recognized as an integral part of the American food supply, but a report released this week by CSPI’s Healthy Retail team reveals that Dollar General and other similar retailers have a significant impact on the food purchases made in lower-income communities.
Shoppers who purchase food at dollar stores are generally happy to have the option, but would also love to see more healthy options, like fresh produce and dairy and fewer ultra-processed foods, in stock. One way to expand those healthy food options? More dollar stores could participate in WIC: “Increase demand for healthy perishable items, including by increased marketing or prominent placement of healthy items, offering discounts on fruits and vegetables purchased with SNAP benefits and working with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children at dollar stores,” advises CSPI Senior Policy Scientist Sara John.
Read more at Nutrition Insight: CSPI survey reveals consumers keenly interested in nutritious options at dollar stores
Read more at CSPI: Survey: Shoppers want healthier food options at dollar stores
New York City will see new rules around menu items that are high in added sugars, thanks to an expansion of the Sweet Truth Act. The New York City Council passed the expansion to the 2021 bill this week, and now requires chain restaurants to add warning labels to menu items that contain 50 grams (about 12 teaspoons) or more of added sugars—the maximum recommended intake for adults who consume about 2,000 calories per day. Nearly any size sugar-sweetened fountain soda, including some kids’ sizes, would see a warning label.
According to a poll commissioned by CSPI in 2021, roughly 85 percent of New York City residents (and 78 percent of residents statewide) support added sugars warnings on chain restaurant menus. Support is bipartisan, with 66 percent of registered New York State Republicans in favor of added sugar warnings on chain menus. “I think this is going to be a good nudge for [the FDA] to get their act together so they can publicly do something on added sugars,” said DeAnna Nara, senior policy associate at CSPI.
Read more at Food Fix: The Big Apple puts added sugars on notice
You’ve gotta hand it to ad execs. They can turn a sugary snack into a source of “wholesome” energy or “real fruit.” Or reinvent processed meat as “healthy protein.” Or spin salt-laden refined grains as “real meals.” Here’s how not to fall for what they’re pushing.
Read more at NutritionAction: Misleading food ads abound. Here are 7 of the latest
We’re hiring! CSPI helped lead the effort for passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, a landmark law that got soda and most junk food out of schools and ensures that school meals provide more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and less salt and saturated fat. Since then, we have been working to defend science-based school nutrition requirements, ensure schools have the tools they need to provide healthy, delicious meals, and ensure school meal standards remain aligned with the most up-to-date expert recommendations. Now, we are accepting applications for a Policy Associate position, as well as three spring internships. CSPI is also open to pitches from freelance writers and journalists.
Learn more: CSPI Job Opportunities
Pitch us: Write for CSPI


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Lifestyle changes push a rise in malignant skin cancers, says the Office of National Statistics
There has been a large increase in ‘lifestyle’ related cancer, according to latest figure from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The biggest rise has been in the incidence of malignant skin cancers, with cases rising 38% among women and a staggering 56% in men.
Nick Ormiston-Smith, statistical information manger at Cancer Research UK, said that the figures showed how poor lifestyle choices were creating health problems for people in later life. "Forty per cent of cancers can be attributed to lifestyle factors”, he says.
The ONS report concluded that these increases are due to changes in exposure to solar UV rays as a result of altered patterns of lifestyle, such as recreational sunbathing. Dr Raj Mallipeddi, a consultant dermatologist and skin cancer specialist at St Thomas' Hospital in London says, "We are seeing younger people with skin cancer, and a significant factor is the desire to appear tanned … Unfortunately wanting to look good tends to override any concern about skin cancer."
Another reason for this is due to many people using out of date sun cream. The lack of knowledge among consumers about out of date sun cream means even the most vigilant could still be at risk of sun damage. Professional Beauty reported last month that most sun creams lose their ability to block UV 12 months after purchase. A survey by online beauty retailer Escentual.com revealed that an astounding 74.3% of people going abroad on a beach holiday would use sun cream that is over a year old.
According to the ONS, non-melanoma skin cancers are also widely under-registered. A study completed by the Habia skills academy (HSA) as part of its Skin Cancer Awareness campaign found that 80% of respondents infrequently or never check their skin for signs of cancer. What’s more, 69% said they had no idea what to look for, and 50% admitted to being reluctant to visit a doctor with their skin complaint, for fear of embarrassment or wasting their doctor’s time.
Skin cancer is the fastest growing type of cancer in the UK, especially among young people, and while public awareness has increased there still remains a worrying level of confusion about the causes. To help clients recognise the potential risks and causes of skin cancers, HSA's Skin Cancer Awareness (SCA) campaign has aimed to encourage beauty professionals to play their part in identifying the early symptoms of skin cancer through their role in working closely with clients. This is not to say they should be doing the job of a GP, but to educate clients of the causes and early signs of skin cancer may prevent these figures from increasing in the future.
Environ stockist, Purity Boutique Spa in Exeter is one spa that has taken the lead from Habia by launching the Skin Angels campaign. The campaign, set to advice clients of the importance of skincare, has taken to the streets with samples of Environ’s RAD Antioxidant sunscreen. The therapists worked to promote good sun care practices by visiting schools and local Devon beaches. Spa owner Mariam Badavi says: “We are passionate about helping our clients to look their best. There is so much you can do to improve your appearance and get healthy skin from the inside out.”


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Flutter 1.5 Bridges the Gap, Adding Support for Web, Embedded, and Desktop
It was just a year ago that Google first announced the Flutter Beta at MWC. Since then, Flutter has grown by leaps and bounds to quickly become arguably the best framework for multi-platform coding across iOS and Android. This year at Google I/O 2019 they are taking it beyond mobile with the launch of Flutter 1.5. It is now possible to develop one application for everything from your Raspberry Pi, to your Google Pixel 3a, to your Pixelbook, all the way up to your custom built PC.
It has frankly been a bit shocking how positive the response to Flutter has been. It certainly is not the first framework to attempt to enable cross-platform development, but Google seems to have struck just the right balance, and the developer community seems to love it. From being the fastest growing skill for software engineers on LinkedIn, to being used by major companies such as the Ebay, Square, New York Times, and Alibaba, to being used extensively by local independent developers who want to be able to maintain apps across multiple platforms, Flutter seems to be popping up everywhere.
Now with Flutter 1.5, those small indie devs can take their cross-platform dreams one step further. Just a couple of months ago Google started working on bringing Flutter beyond mobile, and even they were surprised with how quickly it was progressing. It wasn’t long before word reached the New York Times that Flutter was working on bringing support to the web, desktop, and embedded devices, and the New York Times Crossword jumped on the opportunity. They used an early pre-release build of Flutter’s web support to bring their KenKen game out of the age of Flash and into modern responsive design. While it isn’t quite ready for final launch yet, a sneak peek of the new version of KenKen running on the first technical preview of Flutter for the web is available to try at Google I/O this year on iOS, Android, web, and ChromeOS.
And yes, that is running locally on ChromeOS, not just through the web browser. Flutter 1.5 allows you to compile for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS, which means that on ChromeOS you can do your development, testing, and publishing for mobile, web, and desktop all on one device with the help of Android Studio or Visual Studio Code without needing a mobile emulator. We’ve been talking for years about how Google needs to bring together Android app support and Android development support onto their laptop platform, and it seems that this is finally coming to pass with Flutter 1.5 and Android Studio 3.5 on ChromeOS.
Let’s not forget embedded devices. While Google is publishing documentation for running Flutter applications on Raspberry Pis and other embedded devices, it is already in use on one of the most widely distributed embedded device platforms on the market. Google Assistant on the Google Smart Display platform already uses Flutter to power some features, and they’re working on expanding it every day, with the eventual goal of having a full Flutter stack on every Google Home Hub, every Lenovo Smart Display, and every other Assistant powered display.
Of course, those aren’t the only updates in Flutter 1.5. The latest release also brings support for Dart 2.3 with add extensive UI-as-code functionality, an in-app payment library which will make monetizing Flutter based apps substantially easier, and hundreds of other improvements. These constant improvements to Flutter allow for exciting new projects such as the ML Kit Custom Image Classifier, a Firebase and Flutter based application that makes it easy to create classification models for machine learning.
And if you’re interested in getting into Flutter, now is a perfect time, as Google is partnering with one of the top mobile development training course designers to offer an easy pathway in. The App Brewery’s Udemy Flutter course will be available for just $10 for a limited time thanks to Google’s sponsorship.
Check out the Getting Started Guide to start designing apps with Flutter today!


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According to a latest news and Business Insider’s report, Apple Inc is all set to release 5 Inchs iPhone 6 in the market next summer. The Launching of this new iPhone 6 will create a sudden increase in the sales of Apple iPhone, as the iPhone lovers or users are waiting for the launch of iPhone 6 in 2014. According to a renowned analyst Piper Jaffary, the Apple is unveiling its new blockbuster iPhone that will be iPhone 6 in the next summer. The new Smartphone will come with a large display screen of almost 5 Inches.
According to Another Analyst Ming Chi Kuo’s research, the investors are very much curious about the new iPhone 6 with 5 inches display screen, and the Apple is all set to release the new iPhone 6 in 2014. Whereas the price of new iPhone 6 is concerned, it may be approximately $640. After the release of this new iPhone 6, the demand of iPhone 5C or 5S will go on decreasing point, and iPhone 6 will be roaming in the markets. The releasing date of iPhone 6 is not yet confirmed by the company.
As per the analyst, the company is also going to release a new iWatch and a television set, which will keep the stock price afloat. The investors are investing a lot in the Apple Inc due to a huge number of gadgets, which are going to become popular in the market. It seems that the Apple Inc will do a huge business in the electronics market, and the investors will get a big profit share this year.
Apple iPhone 6 is going to be released in Summer 2014, which is not so far. The iPhone users are waiting for the release of new iPhone, as they could set the pre-orders for the new smartphone. It seems that the gadget will not only become popular in USA and U.K. but also in the China, Pakistan, India and several other countries, as a lot of Apple users are using the Apple Smartphones or mobiles in several countries.


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Turkey’s Borsa Istanbul Stock Exchange (BIST) has developed a blockchain-powered customer database, Daily Sabah reported September 6. Founded in 2013, BIST is the result of the merger of the Istanbul Stock Exchange, the Istanbul Gold Exchange, and the Turkish Derivatives Exchange (TurkDex). Per the exchange’s annual report for 2017, it has 399 listed companies, a market capitalization of around $133 billion, and $1 trillion of total traded value.
The recent development will synchronize the customer databases of Borsa Istanbul, Istanbul Clearing, Settlement and Custody Bank (Takasbank), and the Central Securities Depository of Turkey (MKK).
The new platform, which is “designed under the Know Your Customer concept (KYC),” will manage the addition of new customers, manage documents, and edit information. “If required, the application can be used in other projects too,” BIST reportedly said.
In the beginning of August, Turkey established the country’s first university-level blockchain center, aiming to close the blockchain expertise gap and ensure wide deployment of the technology. The center’s director Bora Erdamar said then that Turkey may have a chance to become a leading country in blockchain technology.
While in recent months Turkey has demonstrated a proactive approach to blockchain adoption, even considering the development of a national digital currency, lawmakers of the state Directorate of Religious Affairs have previously said that Bitcoin (BTC) was “not compatible” with Islam.
Despite the government’s position, cryptocurrency exchanges in Turkey reportedly enjoy the support of most banks, making it easier for new traders to start buying and selling cryptocurrencies.
Interest in cryptocurrency has grown in the country following a nosedive of the national currency, the Turkish lira. In mid-August, local exchanges saw trade volumes spike by as much as 150 percent, as traders tried to protect their fiat savings from devaluation by pouring it into Bitcoin.


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(EDS: UPDATING WITH QUOTES OF CM, MINISTER) Puducherry, May 23 (PTI) Liquor business would resume in Puducherry and Karaikal regions from Monday as Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi has approved levy of special excise duty on all categories of liquor in the regions.
The Chief Minister V Narayanasamy told reporters here on Sunday that the liquor shops would resume business on May 25 as Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi has given nod to fix COVID-19 special excise duty on all liquor products.
He said Bedi has been insisting that the price of the liquor products here should be on par with the price prevailing in neighbouring Tamilnadu.
He pointed out that the gazette notification for the COVID-19 tax has been brought out.
Narayanasamy said the resumption of liquor business would trigger reactivating of several other allied activities, including tourism, in the Union Territory.
PWD and Excise Minister A Namassivayam told PTI the price of liquor here was fixed on par with that in neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
'If our pricing is less than Tamilnadu's, it will possibly open the floodgates for customers to rush to Puducherry from neighbouring states and it will be a risky scenario particularly in the current context of the pandemic,' he said.
Shops that had been facingaction for alleged illegal sale of liquor during lockdown would not reopen, a spokesman of the liquor merchants said.
'Revenue from excise is crucial for the payment of salaries to government staff, implement welfare schemes and funding various projects. The flow of revenue had dried up since the last two months because of the lockdown...' he said quoting the Chief Minister.
Earlier, Bedi approved the special coronavirus fee due to outbreak of the infection by way of special excise duty on maximum retail prices of all categories of liquor in Puducherry and Karaikal regions, a press release from the Lieutenant Governor's office said on Saturday night.
The file relating to the levy of the special excise duty was forwarded to her for approval by the cabinet with its decision on the levy of the special duty.
Bedi's approval of the duty clears the decks for the re-opening of liquor shops in the regions. The actual quantum of levy of the special fee could not be known immediately.
Excise is the major source of revenue to the territorial Administration. The levy of special duty is to mop up revenue to the government.
The issue had been a bone of contention between Bedi and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy stepping up his tirade against her.
The Chief Minister had alleged that Bedi was preventing through several unacceptable and objectionable ways the flow of revenue to the fund-starved territorial administration.
In his daily press briefings so far, the Chief Minister had been saying that 'the police department has been instigated by Bedi to file cases against liquor merchants on flimsy grounds.' 'The police have no right to intervene in the working of the excise department and hence by misusing their authority they were unnecessary dislocating the working of the liquor business by taking action against the merchants,' he had said.
It is known to all that the licencees authorised to import liquor from other places or those selling the product within the Union Territory remit the excise duty before doing their business. The duty thus paid in keeping with Excise rules by the merchants ultimately comes to the state Exchequer, he had said.
The Chief Minister had said during the current lockdown the merchants were put to unnecessary hardship allegedly by the overstepping attitude of the police. He accused the police of dancing to the tune of the Lieutenant Governor by filing false cases against liquor dealers on the basis of complaints given by those indulging in blackmarket activities. PTI COR NVG NVG


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The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, has said government’s agenda to transform the economy through agriculture, would focus on placing great importance on the cassava value chain.
This, he said, was because cassava has great impact on the lives of the rural people, as well as having great potential for industrialization.
“Currently, government is considering a policy for high quality cassava flour for use in the food industry,” Mr Kwetey said, adding that “Government will continue to work with our local and international partners in addressing the challenges facing the cassava value chain”.
He was addressing about 150 participants at the opening of a three-day international conference and exhibition on cassava utilization and marketing, which opened in Accra.
The conference being organized by the Ghana Cassava Centre of Excellence (GCCE) in collaboration with the ministries of Food and Agriculture and Trade and Industry, is on the theme: “Cassava: An Economic Transformational Tool for Food Security and Poverty Alleviation”.
Mr Kwetey, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Ketu South Constituency, said Cassava was a major transformational crop, which could be a major game-changer in the national development agenda.
“Other countries such as Nigeria, Brazil and Thailand have developed the cassava value chain, which has impacted positively on the livelihood of the small-holder farmers and transformed their lives.
“Ghana currently is the third leading cassava producer in Africa and the sixth in the world,” he said, adding that irrespective of this feat cassava continues to be a crop that is despised and less respected in our economy.
Mr Kwetey said government had put together a cross sectoral team to develop a policy for it, which would go a long way to help open up the market for the poor small-holder farmers.
“We are seeing the participation of local and foreign firms using cassava and its derivatives in their production activities. We have had meetings with them and happy to say the Ministry is an active member of the cassava platform, which is made up of private and public sector institutions promoting the cassava value chain,” he said.
Dr Ekwow Spio-Gabrah, the Minister for Trade and Industry said cassava, which had in the past not received a lot of respect, now holds the potential for transforming the economy.
He said more than 45 per cent of the cassava goes to waste due to post harvest losses and if the right mechanisms were put in place “ this crop would sooner than later compete with Cocoa as the foreign income earners for Ghana”.
He said out of cassava items such as flour for bread, starch for industrial output, glucose and sweeteners for the confectioneries, and the chips could be used for animal feed with yet other parts for the brewing of beer.
Dr Spio-Gabarah said the focus now is to produce yields that would meet international standards, promising that government would facilitate the export processes.
Mr William Agyei, Executive Director of the Ghana Cassava Centre of Excellence, said Ghana continues to import lots of ethanol and starch for the pharmaceutical industry, “which could be procured cheaply in Ghana if proper attention is paid to the cassava value chain, which has become the income earners for some Asian and South American economies”.
Professor Emmanuel Victor Doku, who chaired the opening of the conference, said where cassava has gotten to in the world it is no longer the lowest commodity and Ghanaians need to realize that and give the product its status. GNA


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A big Step Towards Standardization of EV Battery-ChargingOctober 20, 2021 2022-01-04 4:56
A big Step Towards Standardization of EV Battery-Charging
The ongoing process of setting up EV charging stations across the country is saddled with a major issue – the lack of any standardisation for chargers or their batteries. Thankfully enough, it is going of be resolved to a large extent with the setting up of a consortium by four major auto players.
As the sale of electric vehicles (EVs) has started gaining momentum, particularly post-pandemic, there is an increased focus on strengthening charging infrastructure. All-round efforts are being made to set up more and more charging stations across the country. But a major problem coming in the way is the absence of any standardization for EV chargers or their batteries. As a result of that, setting up of a decent EV charging infrastructure is becoming not only difficult, but also costly, since different EVs require different types of chargers. The foremost requirement, therefore, is of having standardization for both batteries as well as EV Supply Equipment (EVSE) specifications.
As a first step towards solving this issue, Italian scooter-maker Piaggio announced on September 6 that it had set up a consortium with Honda Motor Co., KTM AG and Yamaha Motor Co. to encourage the use of swappable batteries for electric motorcycles and light electric vehicles. The consortium will help these automotive manufacturers to develop common technical specifications for battery-swapping systems. Further, it will also benefit them in working with different Government agencies to bring about a standardisation in EV battery specifications based on common technology.
- The foremost requirement, therefore, is of having standardization for both batteries as well as EV Supply Equipment (EVSE) specifications.
- The consortium will help these automotive manufacturers to develop common technical specifications for battery-swapping systems.
- These companies also plan to develop and promote common specifications as a standard within various international markets.
The battery-swapping technology requires standardisation of EV battery specifications in respect of dimension and voltage. The battery-swapping stations are very costly to set up and operate as these require constant electricity to charge the discharged battery and be ready for swapping. EV batteries with different specifications require different amounts of electricity and time to get fully recharged and this can prove to be a nightmare for those operating the battery-swapping station. In this consortium, all the EV manufacturers will use batteries of the same specifications and that would make battery-swapping operations a lot easier.
Before the announcement of the consortium, these four multinational players had signed a Letter of Intent on March 1 this year. These companies also plan to develop and promote the consortium’s common specifications as a standard within European, American and other international markets. The ultimate aim would be to expand the consortium’s common specifications to a global level. The low-voltage electric scooters market is bound to gain tremendously with the setting up of this consortium.
Despite the Government’s FAME-II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) initiative to set up a state-of-the-art EV charging infrastructure in the country, there is still low awareness about the issues it entails. With this consortium, it will now be easier to set up a decent EV charging infrastructure with common battery specifications and that too, with cheaper investment.


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A new listing has been spotted on a gaming retailer website that indicates that Metro Redux is coming to the Nintendo Switch.
For those that don't know, Metro Redux is a definitive edition collection of two Metro titles and was originally released back in 2014 for the PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The two Metro titles are Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light, the collection also came with all the attached DLC content as well as some graphical improvements.
The website that has listed the title is GamingReplay, and according to their listing Metro Redux will be coming to the Nintendo Switch for 44.99 pounds, or $55. There has been no official announcement for Metro coming over to the handheld console, but the listing contains the box art for the title which suggests that it could certainly happen.
Until the official announcement I'd keep all bets off the table, mostly due to the fact that the box art image seen above could of been created by the retailers themselves. I will be sure to update you if any official announcement is made.
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Its been over two decades since the Bronco was discontinued. The legendary vehicle is set for return as 2020 Ford Bronco. Plenty of rumors are whispering about this model. And it is happening for a couple of years now. It is hard to separate true and false reports since there is no official information. The only 100% true is that the SUV is coming in 2020.
Besides that, we have several other certain things. Place of production, platform, the way of development, are set. Now, fans and enthusiasts have to wait patiently for other pieces of this puzzle. Less than a year remain to the next NAIAS in Detroit. Will Ford miss to bring the 2020 Bronco back right in the center of the car world? You can bet it is not going to happen.
2020 Ford Bronco – This is Official Info
The North American International Auto Show in Detroit is the world largest automotive happening. There, every company is looking for attention. However, thinks said there are taken seriously. One of them, from 2017, is that Bronco will be brought back in 2020. When it comes to a Blue Oval chief, then we can carve it in the stone.
But, what else we know about 2020 Ford Bronco? Dimensions are unknown, but SUV will belong to a mid-size class. It will be smaller than Expedition. Bronco will be a US-maid product. Furthermore, the crossover will share a lot with the brand-new Ranger truck that also made a return to North America.
First Look and First Official Teaser of 2020 Bronco
It is almost here. Ford presented the new Bronco. But unfortunately, the cover remained on the crossover. On the other hand, in March 2018, bosses also unveiled future plans, not only for this SUV. But, the 2020 Ford Bronco is more interesting than all-electric Mach 1 and the redesigned Explorer. We couldn’t hear or imagine it before, but Bronco could get a hybrid drivetrain. Also, numerous theories are already there, and it will be hard to find true details before the official arrival.
2020 Ford Bronco Concept
Being a mid-size crossover flamed many rumors about 2020 Ford Bronco. Most of them connected this SUV with Ford Everest, built mostly for the Australian market. It has sense since 2020 Bronco is taking a spot of Ford Explorer SUV. The second one left the segment and became a 7-seat crossover.
The new 2020 Ford Bronco will get a 4-door layout. We used to see it with two doors. Nevertheless, it might be popular during 80’s and 90’s, but modern crossovers have 4 door design. However, some classic things will be brought back, such as boxy look and removable top. In its history, every Bronco came with this kind of roof, and there are no doubts Ford would think about breaking the tradition.
Ford Bronco Interior
The cabin, besides the removable top, will come with plenty of features. MyFord is definitely part of the offer, with its best apps and services. Besides a 4-door layout, we can’t guess too much. The 2020 Ford Bronco will use technologies implemented on other crossovers, but will still get unique accessories and parts that will make new Bronco very special.
2020 Ford Bronco Engine, Specs, V8 or V6?
While we can conclude something about design and look of the 2020 Ford Bronco, drivetrain lineup is a total mystery. However, in many reports and gossips, we found that V-8 is very unlikely to happen again. Instead, Ford will install a V-6. Currently, a 3.5-liter EcoBoost unit with a turbocharger can deliver 450 horses and 435 lb-ft of torque. That should be enough for the crossover.
The Latest Updates Say – It Will be Hybrid!
Yes, we already mentioned. The 2020 Ford Bronco is going to get a hybrid version as the part of the big plan from the Blue Oval company. In next couple of years, we will see more and more hybrid and all-electric vehicles from this carmaker. Ford is going strong into electrification and invests big money. But, we couldn’t expect to see legendary SUV with such powertrain. Surely, with the hybrid drivetrain, it will kill Bronco’s off-road capabilities and towing capacity. On the other hand, the SUV would become eventually more street-oriented vehicle, with excellent fuel economy for city ride.
Ford Bronco Raptor
A wish of all Bronco fans is hard to happen. At this moment, engineers are focused on the base 2020 Ford Bronco, while its performance-oriented off-road version will have to wait. If the new SUV meet the goals, we are sure that Ford will launch Bronco Raptor SVT soon after the base model achieves good market results.
So much interest leads to many questions asked about 2020 Ford Bronco. While some fans are patiently waiting for official details, some of them are eager to find out as much as possible before the release. If a 3.5-liter engine happens, then bronco will be on par with Expedition with towing capacity. Its bigger brother can tow up to 9,200 pounds, making it more potent than some trucks.
2020 Ford Bronco More News About the Crossover
Similarities between 2020 Ford Bronco and Everest SUV will be evident. However, Bronco is not going to be the US edition of the model for the Australian market. It would be complete nonsense and a big disappoint. However, off-road capabilities and durability are making Ford Everest a perfect matrix for all we want from new Bronco. Being an ordinary SUV is not in plans of its developers.
So far, there are no spy pictures of the 2020 Ford Bronco. This could make us suspicious about the crossover, but it is still early to see it, even the test mules. Furthermore, we don’t know how it will look exactly. So, engines could have a try-out in some other tested vehicle, while the shell is definitely not ready for tests yet.
2020 Ford Bronco Release Date
The 2020 Ford Bronco is going to have a debut at next Auto Show in Detroit. This is a safe bet. The crossover is very important to the Blue Oval company and it is hard to imagine launching it elsewhere. NAIAS is center of the automotive world. Also, in 2017 at the same show, we found out that 2020 Bronco is coming back. It would be a huge surprise not seeing SUV’s premiere there.
With a return of the 2020 Ford Bronco, the company needs to allocate production of other vehicles. The plan is to build Bronco in Wayne, Michigan. Ranger truck is also heading to the same plant. Ford plans to allocate production of Focus and C-max to other factories to make a room for new arrivals.
How Much Will the 2020 Ford Bronco Cost?
This is another mystery. The answer to this question is not going to be official anytime soon. Even after the premiere at next year Auto Show in Detroit, we won’t find out pricing details. However, since the 2020 Ford Bronco is taking place of Explorer, it should be expensive as its bigger sibling. That means we could see the new SUV around $30,000.
However, since it is fresh, the price could go up for a couple of thousand dollars. Also, we can compare it to Ford Everest. This Australian crossover costs from 42,000 AUD, which is around $33,000. Whatsoever, it is all up to bosses in the company which price will set for the 2020 Ford Bronco.


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File-swapping Netco Grokster, eager for some legitimacy in the face of impending entertainment-industry lawsuits, will offer new software to let copyright holders do targeted marketing over the…
Just how much do consumers love their digital video recorders? How about enough to sue the entertainment industry for the right to continue using them to digitally record television shows on a…
Dallas-based music Netco Streamwaves has inked a nonexclusive licensing pact with Universal Music Group.
Intertainer has partnered with Italian-based new-media conglom Freedomland to create an Internet-based video-on-demand system for Netizens throughout Europe.
Hollywood's studios, the computer biz and TV makers have forged a fragile anti-piracy alliance that advocates maintain could ultimately save free over-the-air TV.
Shares of AOL Time Warner dipped nearly 5% Tuesday after Lehman Bros. analyst Holly Becker lowered her ad revenue estimates for embattled America Online.
IFilm has sold online script service ScriptShark.comto Hollywood Media. ScriptShark is now sharing resources with entertainment industry databases Baseline and FilmTracker out of the duo's Santa…
The Writers Guild of America West has placed its script registration service online as an alternative to the usual practices of mailing or walking in a script.
Warner Bros. is postponing the DVD/video release of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" in the Czech Republic, even though they are out in…
Barry Diller's USA Interactive made a $4.5 billion offer Monday to acquire the shares it doesn't already own of subsids Expedia, Ticketmaster and Hotels.com.


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The Minecraft looks like the chicken with the golden eggs, as it is currently one of the most lucrative games that exist! This is why Microsoft executives have spent the most insignificant amount 2.5 billion dollars to acquire its developer, Mojang.
As it is known, Minicraft offers innumerable creative possibilities to gamers working with him, but all this time there was something that ... was missing, and this is no more than a story!
However, very soon this will no longer be a problem for the successful game, as Mojang in cooperation with Telltale Games announced today that they have already started working on creating a version of Minecraft in episodic form, which will have a story! This game will be called Minicraft: Story Mode and according to Telltale Games developers, it will offer one entirely fresh and authentic experience from the Minecraft world, which will be inspired by the enormous community of the popular game. At the same time, this unique Minecraft will tell a story, which will be determined by choices of the player.
Telltale's name being "warranty", Surely the Minicraft: Story Mode (which will be a standalone game and not an expansion) will surely be of great interest and will hide many surprises for fans of the popular world. Minicraft: Story Mode is scheduled to make its appearance sometime in 2015 for consoles, PCs and mobile devices.


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China: we say no to market economy status
The Financial Times has today reported that the US government is pressing the European Commission not to grant China ‘Market Economy Status’ (MES), which under WTO rules would allow far more undercutting by Chinese exports into the EU. The UK government is on the record as a supporter of granting MES to China, but the TUC has repeatedly opposed the measure, as has the European Trade Union Confederation.
There must be a suspicion that the Conservative Government’s support for giving MES to China is in return for China’s support for government infrastructure plans. It certainly isn’t a reward for China’s trade record with the UK. Despite Chancellor George Osborne’s hope that the UK’s recovery will be sustained by increased exports to China, my colleague Geoff Tily has recorded how the UK’s export performance to China has faltered this year.
The TUC and ETUC position is backed by the Italian government, and Labour MEP David Martin – the trade spokesperson for the European Parliament’s Socialists and Democrats Group – tweeted today that
“It’s unfair on European producers to grant China MES until it functions as such.”
Granting China MES might cement George Osborne’s attempts to subsidise his infrastructure policies, but it would be yet another body blow to European manufacturing, as Chinese companies would be able to use the absence of free trade unions and free collective bargaining, state subsidies and currency manipulation to ‘dump’ surplus products on Europe – as they already have done to devastating effect on the UK steel industry.
We will campaign against the EU granting MES to China, and with support from European manufacturers and other EU governments, this is a campaign we can win. If it was left to the UK government, we’d already have lost.


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Benzinga Cannabis Hour: MassRoots CEO, Dosist CMO Discuss Social Media In Cannabis
With the cannabis industry expanding exponentially, cannabis marketing experts have their hands full.
Isaac Dietrich, chairman and CEO of MassRoots, Inc. (OTCQX:MSRT), is one of those seasoned cannabis professionals.
He was one of the guests in the Benzinga Cannabis Hour, co-hosted by Elliot Lane and Patrick Lane.
MassRoots is pawing its way toward becoming the leading marijuana media platform, allowing cannabis businesses and brands to reach cannabis consumers via social networks.
The application initially became available through iOS App Store in 2013, only to get pulled up from the app list in late 2014, due to the discord with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)'s guidelines, which forbade "apps that encourage excessive consumption of alcohol or illegal substances."
A few months later, the tech giant reversed its policy and brought back the social network into the App Store.
Dietrich explained that the app's audience and following made Apple change its decision after realizing "how passionate our [MassRoots'] followers are."
Following a restructuring aimed at creating a company that isn't "reliant on financings and dilution and diluting our shareholders in order to continue to operate,” Dietrich thinks that all that is needed to take it to the next level is "a very large reach" and "large audience." And the platform already has both, he added.
However, selling the brand is not how the company is seeking to monetize its audience.
"We don't want to sell out our voice in order to survive and get money," he said.
"We want to monetize our platform the right way, and that's by continuing to deliver authentic content, speak the truth, and build up an audience of brands and clients that feel the same way."
A Greatest Comeback Story – Herbfluence
Since its launch, MassRoots has secured over $30 million in financing. In December, it opted to purchase Herbfluence's technology platform, which will allow it to track the best influencers for its clients' advertising campaigns.
Herbfluence is a "kind of the microphone that brands will have to reach consumers." Dietrich said. Being responsible with messaging and following regulations paves a path to success.
Even though many within the cannabis industry are opposed to the "stoner image," these are often the "heaviest consumers," Dietrich argues. They "walk in and spend hundreds of dollars every single week," he commented, talking about the types of influencers they are seeking.
"At the end of the day, it's about making money and delivering consumers to our clients,” he added. It’s about customers who are spending the money regularly and consistently.
In February, the company revealed it's considering the re-launch of its mobile applications, on the heels of raising $446,000 via the sale of its Series X Preferred Stock.
Education Before Product
Anne-Marie Dacyshyn, chief marketing officer at cannabinoid company dosist, says social media has been a big part of the brand's growth.
The foundations of the marketing strategy she has been leading at dosist for over two years are consistency, education, and being product-led. As a company that introduces cannabis to people through a dose–controlled experience and targeted formulas, dosist emphasizes education.
In its approach, the company opted to go "old school." It turned to traditional marketing, using cannabis as a platform, instead of narrowing its marketing within a set of boundaries. Informing people through a conversation, without real products being offered live on social media, was a winning combination for dosist.
"We're only going to normalize this when we can speak to it; where people feel comfortable; where they're already getting their information," Dacyshyn explained.
The company's goal was to make it a "real product forum and just keep putting out a product and messaging so that you start to make that link to consumers," to help them recognize the product they've been educated about, she added.
Going forward, the company will focus its marketing efforts on bringing more humanity to its products by emphasizing user experiences and testimonials.
Dacyshyn also pointed out that doing co-marketing with the retailers and investing in their social platforms would do wonders for greater acceptance of cannabis.
"We're partners in this, and we both want to win," she said. It's essential to think about "not just our own channels."
© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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On The Ground
TechnoServe Coalition for Smallholder Sourcing
The TechnoServe Coalition for Smallholder Sourcing is dedicated to generating evidence on innovations in smallholder sourcing that improve outcomes for farmers and companies, as well as promoting broad-based adoption of effective innovations.
The Coffee Initiative worked with local farmers in East Africa to improve agronomy and business practices, establish new coffee cooperatives and strengthen existing ones, and help cooperatives create business plans and access financing for wet mills.
East Africa Dairy Development
Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented in partnership with Heifer International, the East Africa Dairy Development (EADD) program is designed to boost the milk yields and incomes of small-scale farmers so they can lift their families and communities out of poverty.
Strengthening Rural Youth Development through Enterprise
TechnoServe is partnering with The MasterCard Foundation to help rural young women and men in East Africa transition to economic independence. The Strengthening Rural Youth Development through Enterprise (STRYDE) program delivers a comprehensive package of services including skills training, business development and mentoring to young people ages 18 to 30 in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
Technical Assistance Facility
TechnoServe serves as the manager of the Technical Assistance Facility (TAF), which supports the African Agriculture Fund, a private equity fund, to address food security challenges across Africa. TAF provides technical assistance to small and growing businesses (SGBs) invested in by the African Agriculture Fund, and improves linkages between enterprises and smallholder outgrowers.
Connected Farmer Alliance
The Connected Farmer Alliance (CFA) is a public-private partnership that seeks to promote commercially sustainable mobile agriculture solutions and increase productivity and revenues for 500,000 smallholder farmers across Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. The program also aims to increase revenues for agribusinesses and agricultural value chain service providers.
March 23, 2017
Cashew farming communities in northern Mozambique are seeing firsthand the important contributions that women can make when they are empowered to make a difference.
March 21, 2017
In communities like Kubacha, Nigeria, Sunlight Water Centers are providing access to clean, safe water and freeing up thousands of hours of productive time for women and girls.
March 16, 2017
Meet Sulura, a woman who transitioned from selling maize flour to owning her own restaurant. Now she wants to share the secrets of her success with other women entrepreneurs.
Empowering Young Women; Top Rating from Charity Navigator; New Sustainer ProgramRead Article
Meet Our New CEO; Spotlight on West African Cocoa; Mobile Tools for FarmersRead Article


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Spekko Celebrity Cook Off Winner Megan Daniels
Megan Daniels is just in her early twenties, but this young chef has already made waves in the food industry.
Her most recent appointment was as food editor of the food and fashion digital magazine www.hungup.co.za. Another big feather in her chef’s hat, is that she won the most recent Spekko Rice celebrity cook-off against amongst other, Sarie food editor Herman Lensing.
Find Megan’s winning recipe Here