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French tyre manufacturer Michelin has signed a letter of commitment for maritime transport with Neoline, a compatriot shipowner offering carbon-free shipping services.
Neoline’s decarbonized shipping service relies on clean and renewable wind energy as the main propulsion for its 136-metre-long RoRo cargo ships with 4,200 square metres of sails.
The innovative solution has the potential to reduce up to 90 per cent of CO2 emissions related to transatlantic maritime freight transport.
As informed, the transport commitment signed by Michelin concerns the transport by sailing cargo ships of tires loaded in containers from Halifax (Canada) to Saint-Nazaire – Montoir de Bretagne (France) on the pilot line opened by Neoline, which will also serve the archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, as well as Baltimore (USA).
Back in 2019, Neoline selected the Loire-based company Neopolia S.A.S. for the construction of its first two sailing cargo ships. The company has now confirmed it is working with its partners on the different options available to start the construction of the first vessels as soon as possible.
Neoline plans to open its transatlantic line with the first operating vessel in 2023. With the arrival of the second vessel, scheduled a year later, Michelin will gradually entrust Neoline with at least 50% of the group’s containers transported on this line.
Like the group’s sites, which are committed to the ambitious goal of zero CO2 emissions by 2050, Michelin intends to test new solutions to decarbonize its logistics operations.
“This initiative and this new partnership promote innovation in the field of carbon-free transport. This first step in carbon-free shipping is fully in line with the CSR strategy of Michelin’s operations. It will contribute to achieving the objective of reducing CO2 emissions from logistics by 15% in absolute terms between 2018 and 2030,” Pierre-Martin Huet, Michelin Group Supply Chain Director, commented.
“This first commitment concerns Eastbound flow (from the Americas to Europe) and comes in addition to an already well-filled order book in Westbound direction (from Europe to the Americas),” Jean Zanuttini, President of Neoline, said.
“With our sailing cargo ships, we are developing a mode of transport that is more environmentally friendly, adapted to the current economic and logistical reality of shippers and not dependent on fossil fuels.”
Source: Offshore Energy


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March 23, 2015 |
They say first computer hacker was born the second computer was born.Computer hacking was once the realm of curious teenagers. In essence , they were only trying to "hack" the system to see how it worked. However, it's now the arena of spies, professional thieves and soldiers of fortune. Today, it's all about the money. The days of mere curiosity are over. Here is the long and short of it.
February 8, 2008 |
Both paintings were stolen on Wednesday evening after closing time at the Seedamm-Kulturzentrum in the small town of Pfaeffikon, near Zurich. The thieves set off a security alarm as they left the building. Police are investigating whether the burglars locked themselves in the building before it closed, a report in The Daily Telegraph said. The two oil paintings -- Tete de Cheval and Verre et Pichet -- were on loan from a museum in Germany,...
November 14, 2007 |
NEW DELHI: The Indian retail industry suffered a total loss of staggering Rs 9,691 cr due to shoplifting and waste in 2007. As the Indian retail sector booms with international retail giants gearing up for their Indian market foray, a study found that the average shrinkage rate(stock loss from crime or waste expressed as a percentage of retail sales) for India is 2.90 per cent of sales. The first edition of the 'Global Theft Barometer'...
February 2, 2002 |
sonepat: thieves broke into the office of bharat sanchar nigam at gohana town, some 35 km from here on friday night, and took away rs 90,000 kept there for paying staff salary, police said on saturday. the amount was brought in the office only last evening for disbursement of staff salary. the thieves broke open the locks of the office and took away the iron safe after breaking the wall. later, they broke open the safe and took away the cash, police said. the empty iron safe was recovered from the rear...
October 6, 2013 |
NEW YORK: These thieves are going to have a grand pumpkin pie feast on Halloween! Some enterprising thieves have stolen about 600 pumpkins from a Long Island farm , with the loot worth a whopping $4,200. The pumpkins were stolen from Rottkamp's Fox Hollow Farm on Long Island, New York, last weekend. It is not yet known how the thieves got onto the property in Calverton, or how they managed to steal and take away 600 pumpkins without being seen. The 250-acre...

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>> India's move to yank 80% of its bank notes out of circulation. Maybe a massive headache for millions, but for digital payment providers, it could be the opportunity of a lifetime, as merchants and consumers look for a way around the cash crunch. Companies like PayTM and mobiquick now hiring thousands of new workers to fan out across the country, and sell people on the idea of a mobile wallet.
Reuters Devidutta Tripathy explains how it works.>> They are going to modules like this possibly signing them up. The company that actually are trying to make it very simple. You can just point your smartphone towards this these food, and at the click of the button you can make the payment.
The merchant also gets the money instantly. So it's very simple actually.>> Paytm has nearly doubled the number of small merchants signed up to it's services to one and a half million in the last few weeks alone. Smaller rival MobiKwik has also seen big success.>> People are now willing to adopt digital payments because the government has incentivized them.
In many ways this is the best marketing campaign any mobile company would ever want.>> But signing people up is the easy part. The question is our small shopkeepers are actually using the service.>> We're not educated enough to know how to use this apps. A lot of this don't even have smartphones.
>> Many merchants also still prefer cash because it's harder for the taxman to trace, and paper money are still the only option for millions who don't have bank accounts or access to the internet. So even while mobile wallet signs pop up across the country, some experts warn that as soon as the cash crunch eases it could be back to business as usual.


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Central Park’s joint venture partners, Frasers Property Australia and Sekisui House celebrated the hugely successful 4 year arts initiative, FraserStudios, on Sydney’s Kensington Street on Thursday 21 June.
June 27th, 2012
The event marked the culmination of an initiative to make creative use of disused heritage warehouses in Kensington Street which are part of the Central Park precinct currently under construction on Broadway.
In 2008 the 3 warehouses were transformed into an arts space, providing free studios and rehearsal areas to Sydney’s art community.
At the 4 year celebration, guests enjoyed tours of the artists’ studios and were given the opportunity to talk to 2 of the artists, Aaron Anderson and Yvette Hamilton, who had taken part in the initiative.
More than 200 guests attended and enjoyed beverages by Cake pop-up bar and delicious catering by local Chippendale restaurant, Mission.
Photography: Dig It Photography
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
The new terminal interiors at the Hamilton Kirikiriroa Airport celebrate the beauty to be found in transition and a connection to the local identity of New Zealand.
Australia’s leading producer of solid-engineered oak flooring has recently launched a new suite of innovative resources to support creativity and ambition in the architecture and design community.
For Living Edge, B-Corp certification was the next appropriate step in a long journey focused on building a truly sustainable and socially responsible business. In 2023 they achieved certification at their first pass, giving customers a new level of environmental assurance and the company an important milestone to celebrate across two decades of staff-led, sector-leading sustainability practices.
What was once a disruption is now an opportunity for new, nimble, adaptable approaches to workplace design.
The films are rolling, the shops are open, the food and drinks are being hacked and served; Multiplex is in full swing. Experience the reliably cool eccentricity of Tom Dixon.
European style and efficiency come together in Hera’s range of LED lighting solutions.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Explore the captivating realm of molo, the world-renowned design studio led by Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen. molo’s acclaimed soft collection celebrates a unique fusion of art, design, and architecture and – crucially – sustainability.
From third spaces to connections with the urban realm, Alison Huynh shares her vision for healthy hospital design.
The DIA has made an urgent call to arms to interior designers, proposing that the profession urgently needs to be considered for licensing under the NSW Building Bill 2023 to allow interior designers to practice in their full capacity.


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H.E. Buamim: We are looking to bolster trade ties between GCC countries and Latin America, and to find new ways to develop business and find solutions for the challenges inhibiting the economies of both our regions
Kuwait: The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) conducted a study to explore investment opportunities for GCC countries in Latin America and create a roadmap for bilateral relations between the two regions.
The study comes in the lead-up to the Global Business Forum (GBF) on Latin America, which the Chamber is preparing to host on November 9 and 10 at Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai. The research identified the most promising sectors for cooperation between the two regions. These included agricultural and food products, aviation services, logistics, manufacturing, banking and finance, trade, and investment.
His Excellency Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chamber, said: “This study identifies opportunities within key strategic sectors, as well as the prominent economic traits for the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and their Latin American counterparts.”
H.E. added: “This year’s Forum welcomes high-profile decision makers, entrepreneurs, and creatives, which presents an ideal setting for exchanging ideas and insights and creating new avenues for cooperation between the two regions. We are also looking to bolster trade ties between GCC countries and Latin America, and to find new ways to develop business and find solutions for the challenges inhibiting the economies of both our regions.”
The study underlines the importance of developing the aviation sector to include direct flights to and from Latin America, seeing as the Gulf occupies a central geographical position, which enables it to be a hub connecting Latin America to major destinations such as China and Japan, all while shortening the duration and the journey, the number of stops, and the cost.
As far as the agricultural and food product sector is concerned, the study reveals that GCC countries depend heavily on the import of such materials, whereby imported food products make up 80 per cent of local food consumption. GCC countries, in fact, all ranked within the 22 to 30 most vulnerable countries in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Global Food Security Index 2016.
GCC countries depend heavily on the countries of Latin America to import key food products, such as dairy products; grains; natural honey; products made from fruits, vegetables, and nuts; coffee and tea, among other products. This encourages both regions to strengthen their bonds through investments in arable land and food-manufacturing facilities.
Elsewhere, GCC investments in the industrial sector in Latin America are growing, as the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) – part of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) – collaborates with a number of petrochemical plants in Latin America. Meanwhile, opportunities abound for Latin American countries to establish production facilities in the GCC; this makes it easier to process products closer to their destinations in Europe and Asia.
At present, there are as many as 200 commercial treaties – including an agreement to prevent double taxation – between the GCC and Latin America; these treaties seek to facilitate the flow of capital and investments between the two regions.
The report reveals that commercial activity between the two regions has seen notable growth in recent years, buoyed by Latin America’s demand for energy, on the one hand, and the GCC’s demand for food products, on the other. Nonetheless, the GCC-Latin America trade ties are not confined to these commodities, they also include metal, vehicles, and machinery.
Brazil stands out as the GCC’s top trade partner in Latin America; the South American country accounted for as much as 77 per cent of the GCC’s imports from Latin America in 2015, the study reveals, which amounted to $11 billion. Meanwhile, Brazil received 65 per cent of the region exports to Latin America, which amounted to $5.6 billion. What is more, GCC countries rely almost exclusively on Brazil to import metals, while products ranging from machinery to wood products come from elsewhere in the Latin American region.
Argentina and Mexico are the GCC’s top trade partners after Brazil; Argentina provides Gulf countries with grains, iron, and steel, while Mexico provides vehicles and electrical devices. On the flip side, oil, liquefied natural gas, and fertilisers make up the bulk of GCC exports to Latin America.
As oil prices continue on their downward trajectory when compared with previous years, GCC investors look to diversify and balance their portfolios by exploring new markets in Latin America, and attracting more foreign investments into the GCC region.


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Latest Nose Stories
Rudolph the red nose reindeer has been heralded as a Christmas classic for decades, but why is his nose so red?
The FDA is warning that some types of eye drops and nasal decongestant sprays could be seriously harmful to children if swallowed.
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A technique called the "mother's kiss" for removing foreign objects from the nasal passages of young children appears to be a safe and effective approach.
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Turbo Sleep is the worlds' first nasal spray sleep aid that uses all natural ingredients to promote calmness and reduce anxiety instantly without the side effects of medications such as sleeping
Sue Ismiel, founder of global hair removal brand Nad’s just launched another world-first hair removal product, Nad’s Nose Wax.
The nose is the organ that extends outward in the middle of the face between the eyes and mouth. Formation and Orientation The shape and look of the nose is dependent on the ethmoid bone and the nasal septum which is the cartilage that separates the two nostrils. The evolutionary hypotheses of nose development in humans propose that noses are alterations of the angles of the skull because of bipedalism. Because of the change in diet that has come with modern time and the change of...
- The act of lurking; skulking about; hiding; keeping from sight.


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FOSHAN, China, Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ —
On December 6-8, the much anticipated 2017 Fortune Global Forum will be held in China again. The fortune 500 companies that have made the list will be under scrutiny of the whole world. The Midea Group has set itself apart, not only as the partner of the Forum, but also as one of a few Chinese private enterprises that have made the list two years in a row, and the only household appliance manufacturer on the list from China.
Midea has made the list of Global Fortune 500 Companies twice now. While earning the title of “one of the world’s most profitable companies”, Midea is no penny pincher when it comes to spending its hard-earned cash. Recently, the renowned consulting firm Strategy &, a subsidiary of PwC has published The 2017 Global Innovation 1000 Study, which has Investigated trends at the world’s 1,000 largest corporate R&D spenders. Midea ranks 165 in this study. The core competitiveness of a technology company is a function of its R&D capabilities. Midea has spent over $900 million in the past year alone, in the effort to transform the company to become more technology-oriented. Midea has stated that it aspires to become a world-leading technologies group in consumer appliances, HVAC systems, robotics and automation systems, and smart supply chain (logistics). It is apparent that Midea has put their money where their mouth is.
What exactly has Midea spent that $900 million on, and what opportunities does Midea hope to capture with the heavy spending? That is worth exploring.
Midea’s global R&D network has revealed its global ambition. So far, Midea has established over 20 R&D centers in worldwide locations including China, US, Japan, Italy, Germany, Austria, etc. Last year alone has witnessed the opening of new R&D centers in Louisville, KY in the US, Emerging Technology Center in Silicon Valley, and Innovation Center Europe (RDICE), which were clear indications of Midea’s commitment to the trend in its globalized R&D efforts aligned with its localized product offerings for international markets. The R&D initiatives throughout Midea’s global network have indicated that Midea’s ambition has gone way beyond its home turf in the household appliance market. Midea has allocated its R&D resources to cutting-edge technologies in the areas of AI, microchips, sensors, and smart robots. It is positioning itself as a pioneer and industry leader in future-oriented disruptive technologies.
Mr. Paul Fang, Chairman & CEO of Midea Group has said, “Midea may have had many strategies. However, there is but one core strategy, which is ‘technology innovation, and technology driven’. In the past, we have hoped to achieve economies of scale to compete with lower cost for bigger market share. Now this model is totally dated.” This manufacturing giant is trying to regain its dominance through innovations, proprietary technologies, patents and technology know-hows. Midea has invested heavily in the core areas of Human-Machine-Interaction, so that it can seize more opportunities and capitalize in the areas of intelligent manufacturing and smart home.
R&D programs eventually all come down to talents. Midea has invested extremely generously in its talent pool. Last year, Midea has offered a one-million-yuan salary package in a global search to recruit talents holding PhD degrees. The story has made headlines. Statistics has indicated that Midea has attracted top experts from Germany, US, Japan, South Korean and Singapore, as well as top research talents from renowned universities and research institutes all over the world. There are over 10,000 staff working in Midea’s R&D programs, among whom about 10% of the research personnel focuses on the development of cutting-edge technologies. In addition to its own army of researchers, Midea also has help from the outside. It has high-level strategic partnerships with over 100 world-renowned universities and research institutions to recruit talents. Midea has also invested generously to precipitate the integration of cutting-edge technologies for more breakthroughs.
It is no small feat to translate cutting-edge research results from the labs to commercially viable products for different user scenarios. Midea is not alone when planning the grand future. In the past year, Midea has signed strategic agreements with many industry leaders. The following are a few examples: a full strategic partnership with Huawei in the area of smart home; a multi-layer strategic agreement with Guangzhou Phar. Holdings in the areas of robot technology, medical devices, healthcare data application, smart supply chain, healthcare investment, and intelligent manufacturing; a multi-area and multi-layer partnership with Country Garden in the areas of city-industry integration projects, smart town projects, smart home appliances, smart home system and overseas projects. Meanwhile, Midea has also worked extensively with Clivet, KUKA, and Servotronix, which are now part of Midea Group, to share technologies and leverage each other’s advantages to achieve synergy.
The $900 million seems to have been very well spent in the past year. Midea would not have been able to make the World’s Top 500 list, had it not been committed to and driven by technological innovations. Continued investments in technology and R&D will further strengthen Midea’s core competitiveness and make its global success sustainable. We just cannot help wondering and looking forward to how Midea will use innovations and disruptive technologies to capitalize future opportunities.
View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/midea-making-the-list-of-global-fortune-500-companies-again-with-900-million-rd-investment-300563653.html
At the recently concluded Red Dot Awards, Midea won in multiple categories for outstanding product designs. More information about the wins can be found on the Red Dot Awards website.
Guangdong, China, 7 August 2017 – Midea (Midea Group Co Ltd, SZSE 000333), the world’s largest home appliance company and #1 major appliances producer, has risen to #450 on on the global Fortune 500 list, up from #481 last year when the company became the first company from the Chinese household appliances industry to enter the list.
Midea achieved operating revenue of RMB 159.8 (USD 24) billion in 2016, a year-on-year increase of 16 percent, and net profit of RMB 15.9 (USD 2.4) billion.
“Also during the last 12 months Midea continued to advance its strategy of pivoting towards an efficiency-driven, global operation producing more advanced and innovative products in the home appliances industry. We are also switching from traditional product exportation from China to operating locally in key markets,” said Andy Gu, Vice President at Midea Group.
Midea had a strong year of important M&As including the recently acquired Toshiba home appliance business, German industrial robotics group Kuka AG, Israel-based Servotronix, and Italian air-conditioning manufacturer Clivet.
Midea’s focus has also been on optimizing its product structure with a greater focus on customer-centricity. Midea’s latest smart home appliances cover air treatment, refrigeration, laundry, large cooking and small kitchen appliances, water appliances, floor care and lighting.
The company has taken significant steps toward becoming a global leader in home appliances, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, robotics and industrial automation systems due to its increased investment in research and development. In the past five years, Midea has invested RMB 20 (USD 3) billion into R&D, including the establishment of 17 research centers in eight countries. More than 10,000 employees are now directly involved in R&D and the company now has more than 26,000 authorized patents. Last year alone, the group applied for 13,546 patents and 5,562 invention patents.
Singapore, October 26 2017 – Mr Shah Rizal Abdul Razak and his wife were devastated when a fire destroyed the belongings in their four-room flat in Woodlands on Sept 22.
Today, Midea Singapore donated more than $5,000 worth of its state-of-the art smart home appliances to the couple after reading about their plight in media reports. Leading the donated items is system 3 air conditioner, which can cool three rooms and is worth more than $2,600. The next big-ticket item for the couple is a two-door refrigerator that costs $798. The other appliances are a washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, an intelligent rice cooker, and two stand fans.
A vacuum cleaner was also given to their neighbour, Ms Maslindah Sain, who has been appealing to the public to help them tide over their crisis.
Finance Director of Midea Singapore, Mr Davis Weng, said, “We decided to help Mr Rizal refurnish his home after reading about their neighbours calling for the public to help them rebuild their lives. So, we are donating these modern essential items to help them move on with their lives after the unfortunate incident. We hope our contributions would also enhance their lifestyle and offer them conveniences with the innovative solutions of our products, from the rice cooker to the refrigerator. Doing our bit to make lives better for the less fortunate is part of our corporate social responsibility efforts as we build our presence in Singapore.”
A grateful Mr Rizal (age 34), a civil servant, was surprised by Midea’s generous contribution when he received the items for his home at Block 886B Woodlands Drive 50 today. The flat is still undergoing renovations and he looks forward to unpacking the Midea items.
He believes the fire was started after his e-scooter battery exploded. He and his wife, Haryati Ali, were traumatized after losing most of their belongings in the fire which also killed two of their four cats.
Since then, neighbours had come together and donated cash and furniture to the couple as contractors rushed to renovate the damaged flat that was their home for three years.


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- With its business hit by COVID-19 related challenges, Energetica has filed for insolvency proceedings
- The company had no access to the Chinese market from where it sources raw materials, during the pandemic related global shutdown
- In September 2021, its incoming orders dropped significantly, leading to a liquidity crunch
- The management wants to continue its operations with a restructuring plan
Austrian solar module manufacturer Energetica Industries GmbH has filed a request with the Regional Court of Klagenfurt to start insolvency proceedings. The company is unable to meet its current payment obligations, which is blamed on disruptions caused by COVID-19.
Since the module maker procures all its raw materials as glass, cells and frames from China, the complete shutdown of the supply chain due to the pandemic meant Energetica’s production dipped. In addition, it wasn’t able to timely conduct adjustments and optimization work on machines as Chinese technicians couldn’t be brought in to check.
There was a ‘massive drop’ in orders in September 2021, due to which its liquidity situation has become quite tense, reads a letter addressed to Energetica’s creditors by AKV Europa, a creditor rights protection association.
AKV Europa said the company’s liabilities amount to approximately €24.9 million ($28 million) and that around 230 creditors and 112 employees are affected by the bankruptcy. Energetica, however, wants to continue its operations with a restructuring plan.
Founded in 2004, Energetica was one of the largest European solar module maker with a dominant position in Austria.
In February 2021, the company launched what it called the ‘1st’ European gapless PV module with 42 5W output and 21.4% efficiency (see Energetica Touts Gapless Technology For Solar Modules).
Even as the world moves on, COVID-19 related disruptions are not yet over. For the solar industry, supply chain challenges have toughened with process material shortages, high module prices and increased freight charges. Both analysts and industry professionals have reported solar projects to be delayed as the market gets into a wait-and-watch mode.
European module manufacturers are disadvantaged to their Chinese competitors as they have to pay higher prices for imported glass from China, which are burdened with import duties while complete module imports are not impacted. Implemented to protect the small European solar glass industry, this duty is making life even more difficult for European panel makers who are much smaller than their Chinese counterparts and thus profit less from economies of scale.


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NEW YORK, NY (February 2, 2022) – FanCrate today announced the release of their second premium collectibles box. This comes after the huge success of their first drop that was officially sold out as of last Friday.
“Our ACE Universe of fans have responded to our ultra-premium brand of offerings,” said Stephen Shamus, ACE Universe President. “Due to the incredible response, we have now curated a special Drop #2, and fans can expect even more from FanCrate in the coming months! Thanks again for all our valued fan support!”
Drop #2 of FanCrate, also titled Baseballs & Buybacks, will feature one authenticated hand-signed baseball and one Superstar Relic or Autographed Relic. Fans can expect signed baseballs from some of today’s biggest stars as well as legendary players such as Albert Pujols, Fernando Tatís Jr., Mark McGwire and more!
Those wanting to increase the value of their collection can pre-order Drop #2 today for $165. For more information and to purchase, visit fancrate.com.
More premium collectible boxes are on the way in 2022. Follow FanCrate on social media at @shopfancrate to stay up to date on new releases.
FanCrate is a new premium box experience featuring a variety of uniquely curated collectibles including sports cards, autographed jerseys and baseballs, comic books and more. Learn more about FanCrate and shop online now at fancrate.com.


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A police cyber crime expert will be heading up a seminar forearming businesses ahead of major changes to data protection laws.
DCI Vanessa Smith, head of Yorkshire and Humber Cyber Crime Unit, will be speaking at GDPR: What Every Business Needs to Know – an informative event being organised by Sheffield data and confidential waste management specialists Russell Richardson on September 21.
The 39 year-old family firm, based in Attercliffe, is responding to the increasing concerns of its customers – thousands of SMEs across Yorkshire and the UK – ahead of the new General Data Protection Regulation laws to be introduced to the UK in May 2018.
“Everyone is talking about GDPR, but many do not know what impact it will have on their business or what they need to do to be ready,” said Emma Moorhouse, Russell Richardson’s
“We are getting scores of questions. We know some of the answers but this is an extremely complex issue with major compliance implications for everyone – from sole traders to multinational corporates.”
DCI Smith’s presentation at the free event will draw on her expertise and experience in dealing with real cases of cyber crime and give tips to enable businesses to become cybersecure.
Kelham Island-based data protection consultant Matt Bruce, of Bruce and Butler, will be explaining the regulation changes and Russell Richardson’s specialists will be answering
questions on physical data security, storage and destruction.
Russell Richardson’s confidential shredding, archiving and recycling service includes a fleet of mobile shredding trucks and collection vehicles which operate daily throughout
the UK, and the Sheffield City Region’s only shredding plant, which deals with up to 200 tonnes of waste paper and commercially sensitive, branded, counterfeit or faulty products every week at the rate of seven tonnes an hour.
The company also operates a Secure Document Archiving centre for companies needing to store confidential data for up to 100 years. Demand is expected to soar in the lead up to the introduction of GDPR.
Clients include the head office of the Formula One Grand Prix team, numerous police forces, motor giants and famous British fashion designers.
Staged at The Quadrant business centre off the Parkway, the seminar commences with networking at 9am and runs until 11.30am.


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Homegrown cab aggregator Ola has raised $100 million (Rs 670 crore) in the latest round of funding. Investors in the latest round of funding comes from Falcon Edge Capital and Ratan Tata’s UC-RNT capital, a joint venture between Tata and and the University of California Investments, according to documents filed with the Registrar of Companies on May 2.
Continue reading “Ola secures Rs. 670 crore in funding from Falcon Edge, Ratan Tata”
GOQii, the homegrown virtual fitness coaching platform has received an undisclosed amount of funding from Ratan N. Tata.
Continue reading “Ratan Tata invests undisclosed sum in GOQii”
Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of the holding company of India’s Tata conglomerate, has picked up an undisclosed amount of stake in online taxi-hailing company Ola.
Continue reading “Ratan Tata invests in Ola”
Ratan Tata, chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons has acquired a stake in Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi. The amount of the funding in Xiaomi is undisclosed.
Continue reading “Ratan Tata buys stake in Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi”


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Last April, 3DPrint.com reported that China intends to install at least one 3D printer in each of its 400,000 elementary schools. There are several companies ready to take advantage of this opportunity for 3D printing in education, not only in Asia. One of the better positioned could be Weistek, which is about to launch its STEM-ready, kid-friendly MiniToy 3D printer on Kickstarter, at a price as low as $249.
Founded in May 2011 in Shenzhen, Weistek Co is a leading researcher and manufacturer of consumer (desktop) 3D printers, 3D printing filament and software. The company has a R&D team of 20 engineers, which owns 2 approved patents in China and 10 others which are pending. Most of the production takes plane in a 4.000 square meter facility located at the International Low Carbon City of Shenzhen, built in 2013 in order to meet the expanding needs of the market.
A 3D Printing Curriculum
Building on the experience of its IdeaWerk 3D printer, Weistek is launching the MiniToy’s crowd-funding campaign on May 10, aiming to become the world’s first truly kid-friendly and education-ready 3D printer. In doing so, the company is trying to break into a segment – that of 3D printing for kids – that many have tried to enter before, but have generally failed to produce the ideal product so far.
In order to best its predecessors, Weistek is offering an ultra-low price point of $249 (with a $200 discount off the regular price, available to those who sign up for the pre-Kickstarter newsletter) and designed the MiniToy with all mechanical and heated parts hidden away, to prevent accidental burns or injuries.
Full STEAM Ahead for Innovation in China
Even more importantly, the MiniToy comes with a series of increased accessibility options such as the MiniToy’s mobile app. The custom software hosts an array of hands-on activities categorized into Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) subjects, making it easy for teachers to provide more interactive content to their lessons.
These features earned the MiniToy the recognition of the electronics industry and placed it among “The Most Promising Electronic Gadgets” at the recent 2016 Global Sources Electronics Show, which closed on April 30 in Hong Kong. The products which received the award were selected as those that best represent the shift of China from the world’s factory to a hub for innovation, a shift that necessarily begins in the classroom.
Before the Kickstarter campaign officially launches, teachers can enter to win a free MiniToy through the “Teachers LOVE MiniToy” contest, which runs from May 1 to May 21. To enter, go to the MiniToy website and register for their newsletter, then head over the MiniToy Facebook page to post your video response to the prompt: “If you had a 3D printer in your classroom, tell us how you would use it to teach a simple or complex concept.” Videos should be no more than two minutes long, and should include your name, location, the subject you teach, and the ages of your students. Multiple submissions are allowed, and winners will be announced on May 24.
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We’re starting with research in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, as a research team based out of China developed a new approach for 3D printing hydrogel-based electronics. Also, researchers in...


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And most of it’s going to Google.
We take monthly look at search engine rankings here on Search Engine Watch, but that only accounts for the number of queries each search engine is experiencing. What really matters is how much is being spent on search ads.
Thank goodness for SEMPO‘s annual survey. They released the results today and the news is solid as ever for Google but crappy for Yahoo! and Bing.
97% of companies are advertising on Google. But only 50% plan to spend on Yahoo! in 2009 – down from 68% in 2009 and 86% in 2008. Meanwhile, planned spend on Bing came in at 44% which is down from the 54% who said they used Live Search last year. With the two companies merging their search efforts together, this does not bode well for their future.
It’s not about price. Google ad costs have become more expensive according to more than half of advertisers (56%) and agencies (62%). Just a third see an increase in ad costs at Yahoo! (32%) and Bing (29%).
Companies are planning to increase their spends on SEO (43%) and paid (37%) in 2010. While organic is about 2 points lower than last year, paid search spend is a whopping 22% higher. This is huge news for Google, since the spend is targeted there.
Touching on organic again for just a moment, companies are seeing changes due to personalization of search. 31% of companies say personalization is “highly significant” while 44% say it is plain ol’ “significant.” That’s 75% of companies saying personalization is affecting their SEO. That’s a big deal.
Last but not least, if you felt kinda sad for Yahoo! and Bing earlier, then you’re really gonna need a tissue for the print publishing industry. Budgets are being re-allocated in order to fund that aforementioned increase in search spend, and print ads are getting the shaft.
49% of companies plan to shift dollars from print to search marketing. 39% are shifting from direct mail and 24% are shifting from conferences and exhibitions. Last but not least, 23% will shift from display ads.
That last one makes no sense at all since data strongly shows that a combined search/display ad campaign performs better than either one alone.
So there you have it. What do you think of these results? On par with what your company is experiencing? Share your thoughts on the survey by leaving a comment below.


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South Korean internet giant
The companies said they are paying Boshmark $17.90 per share in cash. Poshmark priced its initial public offering at $42 in January 2021 and shares more than doubled on their first day. The The stock fell Monday ended at $15.57.
The transaction values Boschmark at about $1.6 billion, including about $580 million in cash reserves, Naver said. According to FactSet, Poshmark’s peak market capitalization was $7.3 billion when it hit the day it went public.
Poshmark looks and behaves like Instagram, encouraging sellers to give and receive comments and “likes” and allowing users to follow their favorite sellers. similar
Sellers photograph their own items and sell them directly. Poshmark charges fees for selling on its marketplace, but does not hold any inventory.
Given the Covid-19 pandemic An incentive for online shopping, Boshmark’s losses have widened and its revenue growth has slowed this year. After reaching $90.9 million in revenue in the March quarter, Poshmark forecast revenue for the June quarter fell to $89.1 million and will come in between $85 million and $87 million in the September quarter.
Naver is South Korea’s largest internet portal and serves as a bigger search engine than Google domestically. It offers mobile payments and online shopping. Outside of Korea, Naver is behind the messaging app Line and is a major operator of webtoons, or digital comics read on online and mobile platforms. In 2021, the South Korean company acquired Toronto-based storytelling platform Wattpad for $600 million.
The Poshmark transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023, the companies said. The Redwood City, Calif., company will become Naver’s exclusive U.S. subsidiary. Boshmark’s founder and chief executive Manish Chandra and his team will continue to lead the company.
Founded in 2011, Poshmark bills itself as a way to marry sustainable commerce with social media and claims it has more than 80 million registered users. The number of active buyers who bought on the site in the last 12 months was about 8 million last quarter, the company said. It is Facing competition from
Real real Inc.,
Facebook Marketplace and other marketplaces allow people to buy or sell used items.
The combination will help Boshmark expand in Korea and other parts of Asia, the companies said. Boschmark currently offers its app to users in the US, Canada, Australia and India. This will give Naver a big foothold in the US market.
Naver expects the deal to provide both companies with total savings of $30 million. Naver’s chief financial officer, Kim Nam-sun, said in a conference call that Poshmark expects gains from cutting unnecessary costs and gaining access to Naver’s direct-to-commerce solutions and other technologies.
Shares of Naver fell nearly 9% on Tuesday following news of the Poshmark acquisition.
At a press conference in Seoul, Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon downplayed the stock’s decline. The purchase was made at a very reasonable price, and he expressed confidence that the so-called customer-to-customer marketplace in which Poshmark operates will continue to grow in the coming years.
With the acquisition, Naver expects Boschmark to improve its marketing campaigns and pursue partnerships with the South Korean company’s own offerings. For example, HYBE Co., the back agency of boy band BTS. Ms. Choi cited Weverse, an online marketplace for selling K-pop, in collaboration with
“We will continue to pursue new projects and study better ways to create service integration between the two companies,” said Ms. Choi.
Write to Jeong Sohn at [email protected]
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
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Authorities have arrested a Tangipahoa Parish gold buyer accused of failing to properly report purchases at his stores in Hammond and Amite.
Sheriff’s deputies say 62-year-old John W. Davis, owner of Gold Buyer LLC, was booked Tuesday on more than 30 counts related to improper record keeping of secondhand metal purchases.
Davis is free on $41,000 bond.
State law requires purchasers of secondhand property, including metals such as gold, silver, copper and brass, to keep a detailed book of the purchases and to take photos of the items purchased.
State law also prevents cash purchases for copper or precious metals. Only checks are allowed for those kinds of buys.
Authorities say Davis was failing to follow those laws.
It was unclear whether he has an attorney.
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Canada’s economy is growing by 2% every year in this decade. Experts expect economic growth of 3.5% from 2020. According to the latest studies, Canadians are very tech-savvy people. Canada loves technology and the most recent technological advancement.
Experts believe that technological allowance gave them unmatched economic growth in the last few years. What other countries can learn from Canada? Let’s break down Canada’s officials’ decisions about the latest technologies.
The cryptocurrency was welcomed in Canada four years ago
Unlike other countries where Cryptocurrencies were blocked or blacklisted, Canada’s authorities decided to meet new-age payments with open hands. It’s almost impossible to control Crypto transactions as there is no middleman between two persons.
No Banks or governments can track the exact amount of crypto transactions. Experts from banks believed that the crypto rush could be problematic on a big scale – they were wrong. Canada welcomed Bitcoin and Ripple back in 2015.
Unlike Russia, where Bitcoin was named as a property, Canadians were allowed to use CryptoCrypto for any online transaction. Every business operator has the right to use Bitcoin payments along with other online transactions (Visa, MasterCard, etc.)
The gaming industry delivers billions every year to the Canadian economy
The video games industry has filled the Canadian economy with 4.5 billion dollars. It’s another historic year for video game developers. Canada is very popular in this field, as many popular companies are based in-country.
Along with the video games industry, gambling is growing. We see a new trend – new online casino platforms.
Canada has allowed online presence in many casino venues.
The country decided to make Canadians’ lives better as they will feel comfortable at home after a tiring job.
Technological development will enable people to make decisions with ease. Experts believe that Canadian casino operators will deliver more than 20 billion Canadian dollars in 2020.
It’s not as big as Las Vegas or Macau, but country authorities hope to top those resorts soon.
Being first on the market
Canada is the first country to allow technological advancements to the advantage of the country. Officials are always first to react to new achievements. The same scenario was with the Bitcoin era. At first, everyone was in fear because of the uncontrolled system.
Bitcoin is the most uncontrollable system from every part – banks, government, middle-man, etc. Canada, China, and Australia were the first to step up and allow payments and transactions into the CryptoCrypto.
That’s the courage driving the Canadian economy higher every year.


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I’m really interested to see where this is going. I use the iPad Pro a lot on a daily basis (not as a laptop replacement, unfortunately) and I’d love to have a good database on console quality games on iOS as well.
Several people involved in the project’s development say Apple is spending several million dollars each on most of the more than 100 games that have been selected to launch on Arcade, with its total budget likely to exceed $500m. The games service is expected to launch later this year.
A lot of people said that if Apple wants to be a real gaming platform, they need to pay for the games the way that consoles pay for exclusives these days.
Also, it’s obvious there’s a really big opportunity for revenues in “console type” gaming even for a company with revenues as big as Apple’s.
Apple has not said how much it will charge subscribers for Arcade or TV+, but analysts at HSBC have estimated that Apple Arcade revenues will grow from $370m in 2020 to $2.7bn by 2022 and $4.5bn by 2024, by which time HSBC predicts it will have 29m users paying $12.99 each month.
The full article, titled “Apple spends hundreds of millions on Arcade video game service“, is available on FT.com. If you don’t have a subscription to read it, just search for the title on Google and go from there.


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Build Calcs, Derbyshire
Build Calcs is replacing the structural engineering industry with software by producing automated online steel beam calculation reports.
Automotive tech developer drives off with £3m funding
Mercia Technologies and IP Group plc have backed an automotive…
BizzleIt integrates technology with traditional high street and online businesses.…


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The announcement comes in the wake of Bank of America's decision to charge those who make purchases with their debit card a $5 monthly fee--a decision that has not gone without fervent objection.
"Bank of America has not only its name to protect, but also its profits, and all that money people across the country trust us keep safe," a bank spokesman said in a press conference today. "Not losing our customers' deposits means we have to take a lot of chances, and those chances need to be funded somehow. Think of it in terms of hiding your money under a mattress to keep it safe. If you don't light that mattress on fire, you'll never know if your cash is flame retardant, and we need debit card holders to buy us the matches and kerosene."
Opponents to the new law include many Bank of America debit card holders, owner's of Subway sandwich shops, some Asian prostitutes, and various other people who see five dollars as a particularly important sum of money.
In addition to debit card fees, Bank of America's upcoming changes will further fan the flaming mattress retardation. The bank will begin selling $10 bills for $15 dollars and intends to charge an admission fee to enter any one of their 5,800 locations.
The spokesman, who stifled several giggles while defending the policies, explained that their importance lies in their ability to stabilize monetary market fucktuations. It is generally believed he was supposed to say "fluctuations."
"In selling ten dollar bills at a 50% markup, we will be able to not only boost revenue, but also the morale that is often diminished along with monetary inflation. Consumers will be better prepared for their money being worth less as the years progress," he said.
As for the admissions fees, Bank of America hopes they will encourage people to conduct more banking electronically. In doing so, the bank urges people to use their debit cards more often, and makes bank tellers, whose salaries are a burden to us all, effectively obsolete.
"These new measures are truly measures of fairness," the spokesman explained. "Holding onto everyone's money so that they don't lose it is a complicated, nuanced process, and we intend for these new policies to make that process as rapacious as possible."


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TEDDY BEARS AND childrens' books aren't typically things one would expect to see at a corrugated box plant. But that's what can be found at Archbold Container Corp. (ACC).
Archbold Container Corp.'s fulfillment business has "gone through the roof," says Mike Sikora, sales and marketing manager. In a tight labor market, the company employs retirees and temps to staff the department.
The Archbold, Ohio-based sheet plant recently received an order from a book publishing company which requires that 52,000 teddy bears and 52,000 books be packaged in point-of-purchase (POP) displays. By packing these items in the corrugated trays, which ACC will produce, the company has turned a $15,000 order into a $53,000 order.
ACC's fulfillment business has gone through the roof, according to the company's sales and marketing manager Mike Sikora. To accommodate the expanding business, ACC has added another building; is in the process of hiring a full-time supervisor; and is considering permanent staffing for a department that typically uses temporary workers and retirees.
The customer, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based publisher, was not interested in packing out the order in-house. So it shipped its books to ACC; the teddy bears came from China.
"When the order leaves your facility, it can go to our end customer's three regional warehouses and we don't have to touch it," the customer told Sikora. "You have the production facilities, the assembly facilities, the packing facilities, and the shipping wherewithal to get the order out."
Companies Deliver More Than Boxes
The value of the trays by themselves was only a fraction of the overall order value, Sikora says. "This seems to be a pretty good example of what is available out there on the fulfillment side."
Fulfillment - in which a plant makes the container or display, packs the customer's product, and ships it to a retailer or distribution facility - is a growing source of revenue for box plants. Of the 560 member companies of the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC), 160 offer fulfillment, also called contract packaging.
As companies recognize that they may need to provide more than boxes to be competitive, diversifying their businesses by offering fulfillment and ancillary products is becoming a growing trend.
"If you're just going to be selling boxes, then you're limiting yourself," says Steve Young, executive vice president of the AICC. "Many box plants are becoming diversified to add more value for the customer. It is a natural result of members thinking more of themselves as packaging solutions providers rather than just box companies."
A Competitive Edge
Fulfillment, though growing in popularity, is not new.
Landaal Packaging Systems, Flint, Mich., has been in this business since the 1960s. The sheet plant packaged vehicle parts for General Motors (GM), which were sent to Vietnam. Then after the war, Landaal developed a relationship with GM's Service Parts Division and grew the fulfillment department throughout the 1970s.
"We make boxes and internal packaging partitions out of corrugated, so (fulfillment) was a perfect extension of our business," says Steve Landaal, executive vice president. "There were many competitors at the time who didn't have sheet plants, so we were at a competitive advantage."
Another company that has been in fulfillment for years is Louisville, Ky.-based Packaging Unlimited, which has provided contract packaging since the day it opened in 1975, says founder and Chief Executive Officer Bob Hanekamp. The company's product mix is half corrugated boxes and half contract packaging, he says.
Packaging Unlimited is not really a box company, Hanekamp explains. It provides much more. Its five locations offer fulfillment, but additional services at one or more of the facilities include a printing die business, a cutting die business, package manufacturing, trade bindery, corrugated and wooden boxes, foam fabrication, and thermo-forming plastic such as blister packs and clamshells.
"We sell to a lot of people inside and outside of the corrugated box industry," says Hanekamp. "We're kind of like a one-stop shop."
Changing with the Times
"It's very important for our industry to understand that our customers' needs go beyond us just supplying them boxes," says Jim McDonald, owner of McDonald Packaging, Santa Ana, Calif. "The old days of selling boxes is not the case anymore. Customers need so much more than that."
McDonald Packaging is a sheet plant whose core business is in manufacturing large boxes.
"We've found that our customers' needs involve just-in-time delivery, combined units, and deliveries of exact quantities," McDonald says. "But a lot of them also have requirements for fabricated foam and wood crating. So we've gone beyond being a big-box plant and we have a complete division that is devoted to wood crating."
The wood crating division was started in 1995 in order to broaden the company's product line. McDonald Packaging makes the crates, and packs the product either at its own facility or at the customer's. McDonald Packaging also will build and ship the crates, sub-assembled, to the customer, who then completes the packing process.
In addition to added revenue, McDonald says customers who were previously buying only corrugated now turn to his company for allied products as well. "That includes peripheral items such as tapes, bubble pack, stretch wrap, and a variety of other things," he says.
Landaal Packaging Systems' Commercial Division supplies ancillary products as well to small and medium sized companies. "A lot of packaging suppliers will sell only in big quantities," says Landaal. "We fill a niche for those companies that don't want to buy pallet loads or even case loads. Some companies just don't need that much. We'll sell them a roll of tape.
"Our company's theme is 'Design to Delivery,' which means we want to offer the customer a full range of packaging services, products and supplies," he adds.
That means not always dealing in corrugated board. "We also do plastic corrugated and plastic returnables," Landaal says. "We've developed relationships with companies that produce these products. We determine what's the best packaging for the customer. It depends on what's best for his distribution system."
One-third of Landaal's customers take advantage of these extra services.
The Foam Factor
Romanow Container, a sheet plant in Westwood, Mass., which produces mainly one- and two-color printed boxes, got into the foam business nearly three years ago when it purchased Perry Packaging in Maynard, Mass.
"Getting into the foam business has been a big diversification for us," says Ted Romanow, president. "Perry did three things that we did not do: foam fabrication; converted triplewall boxes; and large boxes, which we did not have equipment to do before. We'll manufacture the corrugated box, set it up, insert the foam, and ship it to the customer. So it's a real value-added service that a lot of hi-tech and telecommunications companies are looking for."
Of the 560 AICC member companies, 103 offer foam polystyrene.
Foam fabrication is not a business that ACC has promoted, however, its eight-year-old department has grown tremendously, thanks to the World Wide Web.
"I think the exciting thing is that people are finding us through our web page," says Sikora. "Half of the inquiries we're getting from the web site are for foam."
They are not only corrugated box buyers, either. They are people looking for large sheets of foam to be used for insulating mobile homes, and molded foam pieces used for baby car seats, for example. Another customer - a food company - orders up to 900,000 foam coolers.
The foam business started out of necessity. ACC's largest customer, Sauder Woodworking, a manufacturer of ready-to-assemble furniture, needed foam to fill the voids within its boxes so the product didn't slide around. "They may have already been using foam, but (as owner of ACC) they decided we would begin making it here," Sikora says.
From there, ACC began slicing and dicing it into geometrical shapes and contours to be sold to various industries.
"There are a limited number of people who do their own block and shape molding of foam, much less within a corrugated company," Sikora says. "The foam business is definitely a very integral, vibrant part of this company.
"I wish I could tell you that we made this big strategic decision (to grow the foam business)," Sikora says. "We didn't do that; it just kind of evolved."
ACC's foam sales account for 20 percent of its overall business. The division has had a 20 to 25 percent growth this year.
The Cost of Diversity
Depending on the degree of diversification a box company wants to make, the monetary investment could range from insignificant to tremendous.
According to Landaal, the investment in diversifying the product mix could take less than $50,000. "You need conveyors, work tables, staple guns, glue guns. That's about it."
For ACC, on the other hand, its foam business required a tremendous monetary investment for equipment. Even for fulfillment, the company had to buy conveyors, stitching and gluing machines, a shrink wrapper, and banders.
Depending on the cost involved, for some companies, extending their product lines won't make sense.
"Like anything," says Landaal, "you have to put a business plan together to see if it makes sense in your marketplace."


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Despite being the first to bring a hybrid production supercar to market with its i8 model in 2014, BMW has been rather slow when it comes to rolling out electrified versions of its mainstay coupe and sedan models. For 2021, however, the Bavarian luxury brand looks to reestablish dominance amongst its fellow European manufacturers with the debut of its all-new fully-electric i4 sedan.
In addition to maintaining the design language of BMW’s petrol-powered models — including the presence of the brand’s iconic kidney grille arrangement — the i4 will also afford the high-performance driving capabilities of BMW’s gas-engined rides, with the finely-tuned suspension, and near-perfect weight distribution, an output of 500hp, four-second 0-60mph times, and an estimated range of up to 300 miles — putting the i4 on par with other leading luxury EVs like the Tesla Model 3. BMW will be producing four different model variants of the new i4, all of which are scheduled for a release in 2022. For more information, you can check out the i4’s page on BMW’s website linked below.


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Packaging giant Bunzi hikes dividend after profits boost
British packaging giant Bunzl hiked its dividend for shareholders yesterday as it posted a posted a forecast-busting boost in its profits.
The firm, which supplies supermarkets, hospitals and hotels with non-food products ranging from toilet rolls to cleaning products and carrier bags, reported a 6 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £323.9million.
Building up: Bunzl posted a six per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £323.9million
Revenue jumped 5 per cent to £5.4billion with the FTSE 100 firm raising its dividend for the year by 7 per cent to 28.2p per share. Bunzl has increased its dividend every year since 1992.
Performance was boosted by its £272million spend on 13 acquisitions last year, which has added more than £500million to its annual revenues.
Biggest deals include the purchase of Visca, which makes safety equipment such as high visibility jackets. This has taken Bunzl into four new territories, Peru, Columbia, Argentina and Chile.
Chief executive Michael Roney said: ‘While the macroeconomic outlook remains challenging, particularly in Europe, we believe that our strong market position, growing and resilient customer base and the promising pipeline of opportunities ... will provide the group with a good platform for further growth.’
Shares nudged up 4p to 1225p.
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Samsung Electronics Co. is facing growing consumer confusion and anger as the world’s biggest smartphone maker grapples with a recall of its newest devices following reports of exploding batteries.
The South Korean technology company said early this month that it is recalling 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 large-screen smartphones in 10 countries and other markets where the device had been shipped, citing faulty batteries that have led to some exploding while charging. Some 11 days later, the South Korean company had yet to set a specific timeline in important markets such as the U.S. and Canada on when consumers can get a replacement phone.
The company is also grappling with the issue of whether it will have enough supply of the new phones and components to replace millions of handsets that have reached consumers in such a short time frame.
Samsung’s decision to recall the phones from consumers in different countries through different exchange programs has proved to be a bigger-than-expected challenge, and harder than a simultaneous global recall, people familiar with matter said.
Popular on WSJ.com:


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Linking your Oppo or OnePlus phone with a Windows PC is going to become a lot easier soon thanks to official Phone Link support. This was announced at the Oppo Developers Conference that took place over the past few days.
Previously restricted to specific Samsung and Honor devices, along with the Surface Duo, this feature is now expanding its compatibility. Microsoft has confirmed that certain devices from the OnePlus, Oppo Find, Oppo Reno, and Realme series will now be included in the supported devices.
Phone Link can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. Once downloaded and set up, it can be used to control your smartphone from a Windows PC and view and respond to messages. navigate through apps, transfer files between the two devices with a simple drag and drop, and more.
Phone Link on Android needs to be synced with the Link to Windows application on the Windows PC for pairing. Once both applications are installed, connecting the devices becomes a straightforward process. It works with Windows 10 and 11 computers.
It’s worth noting that only Oppo devices running Color OS 14, which is the latest software release from Oppo are currently compatible with Phone Link. However, this will expand to include OxygenOS 14 and Realme UI 5.0 phones once the independent brands OnePlus and Realme launch their flagship devices.
In short, only the latest flagships from the three Chinese OEMs will work with Phone Link initially. It will gradually become available on older and cheaper phones such as ColorOS 14, OxygenOS 14, and Realme UI 5.0 roll out to more devices in the future.
What’s interesting is that Vivo also comes under the same umbrella of companies as OnePlus and Oppo as part of BBK Electronics, but was not included in the announcement. There is a chance that Vivo phones will also get Phone Link support in the future, but there is no confirmation for now.


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As most of the UK finds themselves unable to fill up their vehicle with petrol, the number of drivers enquiring into electric cars has dramatically increased, say electric champion, Fleet Evolution.
Over the past week, petrol stations across the UK have been low—or completely out of—fuel, resulting in long queues and increased panic buying from worried Brits. This issue has been caused by a worrying shortage of HGV drivers delivering petrol as recent Brexit changes forced them out of the UK.
Amidst these shortages, interest in electric cars has been higher than ever, with record numbers of drivers looking for alternative vehicles that don’t require petrol to run.
Fleet Evolution, a provider of electric car salary sacrifice schemes says, “Typically we get around 100 companies a month enquire into our schemes, but this week we’ve had over 100 so far. This 300% spike in enquiries is definitely down to the petrol shortages we’ve been experiencing in the UK.”
They continue, “There are of course potential problems as cars are also experiencing supply issues, but many companies have anticipated this and put measures in place to cause minimal disruption to customers.
Electric cars are an environmentally friendly and convenient alternative to traditional petrol cars. Rather than filling up at the petrol station, electric cars just need to be charged, which can be done from one of the many charging points across the UK or at home. On average, refilling 200 miles in an electric car will cost the driver around £5, which makes the all-electric move an incredibly cost-effective option.
With Fleet Evolution’s salary sacrifice schemes, customers can exchange a small portion of their gross salary in return for a fully maintained electric car. Employees benefit from having a company vehicle at a fraction of the price, with all additional costs—excluding charging costs—covered. The schemes work like existing cycle to work initiatives that encourage people to make more eco-friendly travel choices and provide a host of benefits for both employees and employers.
To find out more about Fleet Evolution’s electric car salary sacrifice scheme, visit: https://www.fleetevolution.com/


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One of the soccer world's most popular teams will integrate EA Sports into its stadium.
Electronic Arts and F.C. Barcelona have signed a three-year partnership that will make EA Sports the exclusive and official video game partner of one of the most popular and storied soccer clubs in the world.
“Joining a world class soccer club like Barcelona as an Official Club Partner is a fantastic opportunity for EA Sports and our fans,” said Matt Bilbey, Senior Vice President and Group General Manager, EA Sports. “We will create a deeper connection with their passionate, global fan base, and use our games as a platform to engage supporters all around the world for years to come.”
Jordi Moix, board member in charge of the Economic and Strategic Area at F.C. Barcelona said, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with EA Sports, one of the world's leading sports and entertainment brands, and to create a stronger relationship between our global fan bases. We encourage everyone to try out the game, get a feel for being under the skin of our players and emulating their actions on the pitch; without a doubt those who try it will enjoy it."


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With nurses, doctors and other health care professionals working every day in the thick of the fight against COVID-19, 1818 Farms decided to give them a little pampering.
On Tuesday, April 14, this small Mooresville farm will join with the community to recognize these men and women for their commitment and hard work. It will award its Health Care Hero Gift Box to 10 medical professionals.
Decorated with a bright red ribbon, the keepsake boxes are filled with a selection of 1818 Farms’ all-natural, handmade beauty products designed to give these workers comfort and an extra lift after a long day on the job. Five men and five women will receive these gifts.
“Over the past few weeks, we have watched health care professionals work tirelessly during the pandemic. Each day they go to work, they are putting their lives in danger to help those in need,” said Natasha McCrary, owner and operator of 1818 Farms. “We can’t imagine the stress that the workers and their families are feeling. 1818 Farms wanted to show our appreciation for their dedication and commitment to their jobs by giving away 10 of our Health Care Hero Gift Boxes. We wanted the health care workers to know we are thankful for them.”
Started in 2012, this family business is a working farm with sheep, pigs, hens, cats, Great Pyrenees dogs, a goat and a huge garden with more than 10,000 flowers of all varieties. It also hosts dinners, workshops and other events year-round.
But perhaps 1818 Farms has become most known for its line of handcrafted bath and beauty products, ranging from unscented shea crème, bath soaps, essential oil roll-ons, face serums and lip balm. The products can be found online as well as in 450 stores in 45 states.
Anyone can nominate a health care hero to receive one of these boxes. Simply nominate that individual by tagging him or her in the comments section in the 1818 Farms post on Instagram. The family invites you to share that person’s story, although it is not a requirement to win. 1818 Farms will announce the winners in its Instagram post on April 14.
McCrary hopes these boxes will show, in some small measure, 1818 Farms’ gratitude to these health care workers.
“Our hope is that those who receive a Health Care Hero Gift Box will take time to care for themselves,” McCrary said. “We want them to know that their daily sacrifices are not going unnoticed. Our small farm, along with the rest of the country, is watching and we are grateful for them.”
(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)


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AMMAN, JORDAN – EQS Newswire – 14 September 2023 – Digital advertising and performance marketing company, DigiZag (www.DigiZag.com), secured a 7-figure “Series A” funding from the SME Investment Fund managed by Al-Arabi Investment Group as part of its expansion strategy, which aims to increase DigiZag’s market presence and digital advancement in the GCC region.
Established in 2015, the Jordanian company, DigiZag offers cutting-edge technology-enabled solutions in the field of performance-based marketing with a business model that focuses on payment based on achieved results. With its advanced platform, DigiZag provides companies and institutions with the opportunity to boost their revenues and increase sales through targeted customer acquisition marketing campaigns that minimize marketing spending and eliminate any associated risks.
With access to DigiZag’s easy-to-use tools, customers can effectively predict and measure the return on their advertising spend, receive real-time performance tracking indicators, grow their brand, and expand target reach by using a network of marketers and expert influencers from across the Arab world.
Saif Atout, the Founder and CEO of DigiZag, expressed his excitement toward the Series A and the company’s future prospects, emphasizing that the “funding will play a pivotal role in expanding the presence of the DigiZag brand and team within the targeted countries. At the current moment, our primary objective is to elevate the standards of digital marketing in the MENA region, focusing on its development and enhancement.” Atout further reiterated DigiZag’s commitment to serving an increased customer base, assisting new regional companies in attaining their marketing objectives, and excelling in the realm of performance marketing.
Furthermore, Raad Fakhoury, Co-Founder and COO of DigiZag, stressed the importance of this milestone, saying, “This partnership will provide us with increased financial flexibility, allowing us to invest in innovative digital solutions to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Additionally, it will enable us to expand our range of services by introducing new offerings to simplify the performance-based marketing process of our suppliers, which has always been DigiZag’s priority since its inception.”
For his part, Jameel Anz, Managing Director of the SME Investment Fund, commented, “We look forward to partnering with DigiZag. Together, we will expedite the company’s regional expansion, establish strong institutional foundations, and cultivate a proficient and specialized team, elevating its position as a prominent player in the digital marketing field across the Middle East and North Africa markets.”
It is noteworthy that DigiZag has achieved consistent annual growth, with a range of 25 to 30%, over the past three years—attributed to their successful collaboration with over 300 customers and the invaluable support of over 3,000 marketers from various Arab countries.


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by Anton Shilov
07/22/2012 | 03:57 PM
Intel intends to release a new Thunderbolt controller for personal computers with double speed compared to the existing one. In addition, Intel will release a new TB chip in 2013.
The speediest Thunderbolt controller code-named Falcon Ridge will support speeds up to 20Gb/s as well as DisplayPort v1.1a and DisplayPort v1.2 Redriver. The latter technologies will also be supported by the Redwood Ridge controllers due in 2013, reports DigiTimes web-site. Given the fact that now Intel reportedly charges $20 per TB controller, the new ones should be more affordable.
The new - Falcon Ridge - Thunderbolt chip clearly improves speed by implementing PCI Express 3.0 technology outside the PC. From what has been told, it is obvious that it will continue to use copper cables.
What is interesting, is what comes next? Optical cables outside a client-class PC, which will at some point condition optical interconnects within computers? We will live and see!
Intel did not comment on the news-story.


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In a conference call with investors, Coca-Cola Company Chairman and CEO James Quincey said: “We need to do a better job nurturing and growing smaller, more enduring propositions and exiting some zombie brands, not just zombie SKUs.”
He explained that of the company’s 400 master brands, more than half are single-country brands with little to no scale.
“The total combined revenue of those brands is approximately 2% of our total. They're growing slower than the company average, but each one still requires resources and investment.”
Coca-Cola recently axed its US fruit juice, smoothie and food bar brand Odwalla. Such moves, according to the CEO, give the company the flexibility to support its investments in its ‘rising star’ international brands such as Minute Maid and Topo Chico.
‘Weeding out the brands that don’t work’
Coca-Cola will continue to categorise its brands in three ways: ‘leaders’ are its biggest; ‘challengers’ are close to becoming leaders. ‘Explorers’ are the brands aiming to disrupt markets.
“Success criteria for explorer is very fast growth and starting to gain a core of very engaged and loyal consumers, making waves in the category although small,” elaborated Quincey. “For challengers, it is being able to gain enough market share that over time we believe they can get to leadership – where there is both scale and more favourable margins.”
But he explained that the negative effects on the company’s results owing to the pandemic meant it would now “prune down” some of the explorer brands.
“If we're going to emerge stronger, we need to get the business back to the right level of investment to drive the top line growth.”
Though he noted "it would probably be a sign of weakness to have no smaller brands in the portfolio because it would mean we're not nurturing the future", he added: “We have not been as assertive enough and directive enough at weeding out the explorers that have not worked and are unlikely to work so that we can redirect the resources on to the explorers and the challengers that have the most opportunity into the future.”
“What we want to see is a steady pipeline of progression of creating ever stronger brands. We have got to launch a series of explorers to get there knowing most of them won’t make it. But we have not been assertive enough and directive enough at weeding out the explorers that have not worked so we can redirect resources onto explorers and challengers that have the most opportunity.”
Coca-Cola said it will also be slimming down its innovation efforts and establishing a more disciplined innovation framework as it moves forward post-COVID, with the global economy estimated to recover in three years.
While innovation has been ‘a considerable growth driver for the Coke system’, many launches ‘failed to escape the tail and struggled to grow’ revealed Quincey.
“We believe the best way forward is to be more choiceful and target bigger, more scalable bets and be disciplined in our experimentation.”
With consumers prioritizing health, safety and hygiene even more, Quincey identified a ‘runway for innovation’ in functional benefits and contactless solutions.
“We'll prioritize innovation centers on products, packaging and equipment,” he said.
Earlier this month, for example, Coca-Cola announced a European roll-out of an update to its Freestyle machine, originally launched in 2009, that allows customers to choose and pour drinks via smartphone - making it a touchless soda fountain.
Quincey added: “We're confident in the industry [and] in our ability to emerge stronger.”


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An Indian street food stall based in a Lancashire market has doubled in size.
Chacha’s, formerly known as MoMoz, is owned by Salman and Masroor who have now expanded their original unit in the adjacent stall in Market Hall, Preston.
MoMoz opened in 2018, as a stand in the new market hall. The new section of the stand will be dedicated to a vegetarian menu, with vegan and gluten-free options. The original stand will now contain a wider range of curries, appetizers and new items such as shawarma wraps.
Salman Ahmed and Masroor Ahmad, owners of Chacha’s (Uncles) said: “We are very excited about the future of Chacha’s within Preston Markets, the new space allows us to offer a greater range of food, we look forward to see what people think of our new layout and our new menu.
“We will continue to sell popular samosas, bhajis and curries with vegan and gluten-free options and have now added delicious shawarma wraps to the menu.”
Adrian Robinson, Acting Director of Client Services, said: “Congratulations to the Salman and Masroor brothers on completing their expansion plans. It’s great to see a merchant able to grow their business and succeed in the Preston Markets.
“MoMoz has been popular with Market Hall visitors since it opened in 2018 and I’m sure this initiative will see its popularity grow even further.”
“It’s thanks to the people of Preston, who continue to support their local market, that hard-working traders like Chacha’s have an opportunity like this.”


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Do not forget about the last few slots for the Quant Elite membership. This means you get immediate 10+ years archive plus 3 another years on what I do in the future. See the many benefits here.
It amazes that the US government tried to make it sound like the majority of crypto currency/Bitcoin transaction are illicit. It amazes with this type of MIT study from MIT and IBM shows it could be as low as 2%. If that amount of transaction is in line with cash, maybe the USA government needs to ban their dollar as well.
The group’s study detailed how researchers at the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab used machine learning software to analyze 203,769 bitcoin node transactions worth roughly $6 billion in total. The research explored whether artificial intelligence could assist current anti-money laundering (AML) procedures.
Only 2 percent of the 200,000 bitcoin transactions in the data set were deemed illicit as part of Eliptic’s initial work. While 21 percent were identified as lawful, the vast majority of the transactions, roughly 77 percent, remained unclassified. (To date, there have been an estimated 440 million bitcoin transactions since the network’s launch in 2009.)
To be clear, the 2 percent comes from an Elliptic data set that was previously not public and the figure was merely affirmed by the MIT researchers’ analysis. The data point is in line with a study from competing analytics firm Chainalysis, which estimated just 1 percent of bitcoin transactions in 2019 were known to be associated with illicit activity.
Thanks BryanNOTE I now post my TRADING ALERTS into my personal FACEBOOK ACCOUNT and TWITTER. Don't worry as I don't post stupid cat videos or what I eat!


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A Linlithgow food service operator is the latest to switch to selling direct to consumers after its regular outlets dried up.
Campbells Prime Meats is still making deliveries to the NHS, hub schools and social care settings but its core business was delivering to high-end restaurants, and that has come to an abrupt end.
Since turning to focus on internet sales, the company has seen a growth of more than 400% in orders, which they deliver using a fleet of 60 vans. They are also using couriers to deliver across the UK.
Campbells operations director Iain Brown said the company had a responsibility to provide a service to as many people as possible.
“We are deeply saddened for our regular clients as so many of their businesses have been forced to close due to the impact of coronavirus and we hope they will be able to fully recover from these testing times soon,” he said.
“That said, we must also adapt ourselves as a business so we can continue to provide as many people as possible with the reassurance we can support them.”
Campbells has skilled butchers on site and uses beef, lamb and pork, all produced on Scottish farms and assured by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).
The firm says staff are adhering to extra hygiene measures set out by government to help minimise spread of Covid-19, and contactless deliveries are being used.
Read full article Share on twitter


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FIFA 17 Mobile major update brings enhanced gameplay, attack mode polishing, more
FIFA fans rejoice, as EA has just released a major update for their mobile game that made it to Android, iOS and Windows 10 Mobile about two weeks ago.
The new update might have been introduced on the Android and iOS platforms first, but Windows Phone players will be able to enjoy the new features and improvements beginning this week.
The first and most important new change included in the update is the enhanced gameplay featuring better crossing speed and accuracy, as well as lobbed pass targeting and chip shot control. These tweaks have been in the works since the game made it to market, so hopefully they'll provide that sense of reality that fans of sports simulation games are looking for.
The Attack Mode received some polishing as well, including balancing tactics and increased deep and wide free kicks. EA also announced that it has improved difficulty levels in Attack Mode, Seasons, and skill games.
On the graphics side, the developers confirmed they have added some visual enhancements in skill game zones and maps, Plans slots, and in Attack Mode and Live Events. Also, some camera adjustments for a wider pitch view have been implemented too.
The official changelog also mentions the update revises stats in Player Items and brings an improed tutorial flow. Last but not least, language support has been extended to Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese.
If you haven't yet tried EA's FIFA 17 Mobile, now would be a good time to give it a chance. It won't cost you a dime, unless you plan on spending on in-game items.
source: App Store, Google Play, Windows Store
Things that are NOT allowed:


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The logos of these popular brands were transformed into female versions to honor women. In an encouraging act, many big brands have come with an idea to support the International Women’s day.
Creative Equals, in particular, aims to support women and promote diversity in various creative industries.
The organisation changed some of the iconic brands logo with female versions to highlight the issues concerning the unbalanced branding in the media.
Creative equals hope that these logo changes would bring out the issues of gender equality. Founder and CEO Ali Hanan said that they are not targeting any brands. Instead, they want to show examples so as to get people celebrating International Women’s Day.
Below are some of the examples of how popular brands would look if they were females:


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Gateway quits online sales
- 29 July, 2008 22:00
Gateway will no longer be selling computers directly to its customers.
The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Acer Inc., will no longer sell PCs online through its Web site. Customers will have to buy them through retail channels, like Best Buy, Circuit City and Costco.
"We are shifting Gateway's distribution method to better align with Acer's successful global strategy, which was built upon an indirect model," said Mark Hill, a general manager at Acer Group U.S. in a statement. "As the only top-tier PC company without a competing U.S. direct sales force, our commitment to the channel is unparalleled in the industry."
Dan Olds, an analyst at the Gabriel Consulting Group, said the move could be a positive and a negative for Gateway's consumers.
As Gateway competes head-to-head against other vendors for space on the shelves of major retailers, the company may be pushed to lower its prices to compete for market and mind share, Olds added. However, consumers may no longer be able to special order special configurations like they would have from a vendor selling directly,
Acer announced almost a year ago that it was going to acquire Gateway Inc. in a deal worth US$710 million. J.T. Wang, Acer's chairman, called the move the biggest acquisition in Acer's 30-year history.
Olds noted that Acer's PCs are aimed mainly at business users, while Gateway is going after consumers. "It's a decent strategy that might pay off," he added.
Acer has been holding steady in the number three spot on analysts' lists of the top PC makers. Research from iSuppli Corp. announced last month that Acer, which shipped 6.8 million units? in the first quarter, came behind only Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc. Acer had a market share of 9.7%.


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Where: Marina Bay Sands, Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Basement 2, Halls D and E
When: Aug 14, noon to 1am; Aug 15, 11am to 1am; Aug 16, 11am to 9pm
Price: $28 (three-day pass, includes admission to the After Party on Aug 14 and 15), food prices start from $3
Info: Call 6688-8826 or go to marinabaysands.com/ epicurean-market
A farmers' market offering inseason produce flown in from the United States and Canada will be one of the main draws at the Epicurean Market, the annual gastronomic festival organised by Marina Bay Sands (MBS).
Now in its third year, the festival will be held from Aug 14 to 16.
Gourmands can buy about 40 vegetables and fruits, including cherries, peaches, plums, onions, corn, heirloom tomatoes and artichokes in the market, which is styled after rustic ones in California.
This is the first time that MBS is curating the produce list in the farmers' market. Supermarket chain Cold Storage and food purveyor Fresh Trust managed the event's grocery section in previous years.
This year, the integrated resort's executive chef Christopher Christie, 53, is working directly with farms in British Columbia and Los Angeles to supply the produce.
He says: "We are taking advantage of the end of summer season over in Canada and California, when the produce is in peak condition."
Celebrity chef Daniel Boulud, whose db Bistro & Oyster Bar is at MBS, will set up a pop-up booth, Epicerie Boulud, at the farmers' market.
The booth, an offshoot of his popular gourmet shop in New York, will sell its signature house-made charcuterie, breads and pastries. Visitors can buy more than 10 types of cured meats, including Jambon Persille (jellied ham with parsley), Pate Campagne (pork terrine), beef cheek and pistachio terrine and foie gras torchon. They are priced at $8 a portion. Those with a sweet tooth can go for pastries such as eclairs, rum babas and tarts, also priced at $8 each. All the products at the booth will be made here.
Other products at the farmers' market include cheeses brought in by local cheese retailer The Cheese Artisans, which will showcase VSOP Gouda from the Netherlands, which has been aged for two years, and Gorgonzola Dolce, which can be paired with acacia white truffle honey.
Other products on sale include seafood such as Kumamoto and Shigoku oysters shipped from Seattle, dim sum and premium meats. These products are from wholesalers who supply ingredients to MBS' celebrity restaurants.
Also new this year is the After Party. The market grounds will be transformed into a pulsating night spot, complete with dance tracks by DJ Deepak from Ce La Vi in MBS. The party will stretch from 9pm to 1am. Revellers can sip cocktails and tuck into light bites such as tarte flambee.
Chef Christie says: "Last year, we had a crowd which stayed on after the market closed, so we decided to come up with the After Party, which will add another dimension to the event and shift its atmosphere to an evening setting."
A highlight of the Epicurean Market has been sneak peeks of soon-to-open establishments in MBS.
Chef Tetsuya Wakuda, 56, of Japanese fine-dining restaurant Waku Ghin will set up a pastry booth selling 12 types of cakes and pastries. These include a caramel puff and cheese mousse cake.
He is opening a cake counter in MBS' Rise Lounge, offering about 10 "light and simple pastries made with seasonal ingredients" next month, in response to requests from diners. Usually, the pastries and cakes are available only as part of the degustation meals at his restaurant.
Participating in the Epicurean Market for the first time is Spago, the iconic Californian restaurant by chef Wolfgang Puck. The restaurant will give visitors a taste of the Californian cuisine that diners can expect when the restaurant opens a Singapore outpost later this year.
Its booth will serve dishes such as handmade agnolotti, spicy tuna tartare and Silver Queen sweet corn served with mascarpone, parmesan cheese and summer truffles.
Tasting portions at these booths cost between $3 and $25.
The event attracted more than 10,000 visitors last year and MBS expects the same number to turn up this year.
Besides shopping and eating, visitors can also learn more about food and drinks through more than 35 masterclasses.
One of them is led by Australian whisky expert Sean Baxter, who will talk about a range of Singleton whiskies by Glen Ord Distillery in Scotland, including the Master's Casks 40-year-old, the oldest and rarest single-malt whisky in the distillery's 170 year history. Tickets are priced at $88 each.
Other classes include a Japanese cuisine class by chef Hide Yamamoto and a pastry-making course by pastry chef Michael Hadobas of steakhouse Cut by Wolfgang Puck, who will teach participants how to whip up eclairs and cream puffs.
This article was first published on August 2, 2015.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.


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En Masse Entertainment has announced that the closed beta for third-person shooter Zombies Monsters Robots will begin May 27.
The closed beta will feature six maps and eight gameplay modes from Zombies Monsters Robots, including boss fights. Developed by Yingpei Games (formerly known as Epic Games China), Zombies Monsters Robots has foes blasting almost everything in sight, including dinosaurs and ancient pharaohs.
IGN enjoyed its time with the game earlier this year, pointing out the PC game's similarities to the Zombies mode in the Call of Duty franchise as well as the Gears of War series. Zombies Monsters Robots is set to be free-to-play when it fully launches this summer.


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Health-care companies claim they are not threatened by Amazon's potential foray into the space. A recent lawsuit suggests otherwise.Technologyread more
It wasn't supposed to be this way: The 2017 tax cut and aggressive moves toward deregulation were supposed to pull the U.S. economy out of its glacial move higher.Economyread more
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell below 2% for the first time since November 2016 on Wednesday.Bondsread more
Slack pursued an unusual direct listing, meaning it did not have banks underwrite the offering.CNBC Disruptor 50read more
President Trump says Iran may not have intentionally downed an unmanned U.S. surveillance drone.Politicsread more
Slack's public market debut on Thursday will generate billions for venture firm Accel and healthy returns for Andreessen Horowitz and Social Capital.Technologyread more
The road to the Fed's policy pivot to lower interest rates began in early May, with a tweet from President Trump on trade.Market Insiderread more
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Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said in a statement that lawyers for the Trump administration blocked Hicks from answering questions 155 times during the Wednesday hearing.Politicsread more
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CNBC analysis using Kensho found that Disney, Verizon and Home Depot were some of the best performing Dow stocks in declining-rate environments.Investingread more
Peugeot SA Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said on Wednesday that by 2025 "the PSA Group will be 100 percent electrified," and said the French automaker will use the know-how of former Opel engineers acquired from General Motors to design vehicles for the U.S. market that would compete in GM's home market.
Tavares, speaking to the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit, said 80 percent of the French automaker's vehicles will have the capability to navigate themselves under limited conditions by 2030, and 10 percent will have "level four and level 5" autonomy.
Auto industry executives use the term electrified to describe fully electric vehicles, and vehicles that use hybrid systems that combine battery systems and petroleum-fueled engines.
Peugeot exited the U.S. market more than 20 years ago. Tavares, the former Renault-Nissan executive who took over the company in 2014, has outlined plans to slowly re-enter the U.S. market, starting with ride services.
Last year, Tavares acquired GM's European Opel operation after GM decided to divest the money-losing operation.
Tavares on Wednesday outlined a three-step process for re-establishing Peugeot in the U.S. market, the world's second largest.
Peugeot already is beginning to offer ride services in the United States through its Free2Move brand, using other companies' cars. Next, Tavares said, will come ride services using Peugeot cars. The third step will be to start offering Peugeot vehicles designed with Opel engineers who worked designing vehicles for GM that were sold in the United States.
Opel engineers can "ensure the future products for this market will be fully U.S. compliant" not just from a regulatory standpoint, but also with consumer tastes, Tavares said.


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It is reported that the desktop version of Ivy Bridge-E will still come with a 6-core 12 threads design, while the server chips will be raised to 12 core 24 threads design. Specifically, they should arrive in the market in October to November period. Although there may be still a 10 more months before the official release, engineering samples have already surfaced on eBay, for sale at 250USD.
The seller claims that the processor will still be compatible with current LGA2011 motherboards. However, we are uncertain if the chip is a Ivy Bridge-EP or a Haswell-EP chip.
The processor number has been blurred and only the Intel Q-Spec code of QDF1 can bee seen. The seller explains that the chip can be installed on a X79 motherboard, but it ill not boot, probably because of a BIOS incompatibility.
Since the chip has yet to be operational on any motherboard, more specific specifications of the processor has yet to be leaked. The online bids have reached 255USD and is expected to increase significantly.