text:
Nubia today confirmed the launch date of the Nubia Red Magic Mars, the successor to the Nubia Red Magic gaming smartphone launched this year in March. A new Pacific Rim-themed poster in company’s official Weibo account reveals it will be unveiled on November 28 along with confirming the “Mars” name. The launch event will take place at Shanghai VSPN E-Sports Center. The company started a crowdfunding campaign for the smartphone on Chinese e-commerce website JD.com last week.
Though not much of Nubia’s second gaming smartphone is known but it was official teased with 10GB of RAM along with “4D Shock” haptic feedback. It is also rumoured to feature shoulder buttons, giving a gamepad like experience.
The device also appeared in benchmarking sites like GeekBench and AnTuTu with model number ‘NX619J’ where it was seen running on the top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, an upgrade from the original Red Magic’s SD 835 chipset. On the Master Lu benchmarking website, it scored an impressive score of 361,730.
On AnTuTu, it recorded a score of 319,781,beating the likes of newly unveiled Nubia X (3,11,781) and the Kirin 980 powered Mate 20 Pro (311,840), which is the best performance by an Android smartphone in October.
The GeekBench spec sheet shows the device running on 6GB RAM while the one over AnTuTu shows 8GB RAM. The Nubia Red Magic Mars is yet to be tested with the top variant with 10GB RAM. The display will have the same resolution as the Red Magic: FHD+(2160 x 1080 pixels) with an wide-screen, notch free 4D gaming experience. It will run on the latest Android 9.0 Pie. It will have 7.1 channel along with 3D sound and a RGB LED panel at rear end. There are some speculations about other features like dual cooling solution (liquid + air) reducing the temperature by 13.2 degrees and price tag of CNY 3,888 (Rs 40,000 approx).


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Ink Block signs Whole Foods at former Herald site in So. End
Send this story to a friend
Whole Foods Market (NYSE: WFM) is set to anchor the proposed Ink Block project at the former Boston Herald site in Boston’s South End.
The 50,000-square-foot store would be the chain’s largest in Boston. Ink Block will feature retail and restaurant space on the ground floor with 471 luxury apartments.
The planned Whole Foods will include outdoor sidewalk café seating on Harrison Avenue, a wine store, gelato bar, as well as prepared foods and a selection of natural and organic foods. When completed in 2014, the store will be the first full-size grocery store in the South End.
“This is a huge milestone for the neighborhood, and I am proud to welcome Whole Foods to the South End,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino, in a statement. “The city of Boston has been actively working to attract a quality grocery store to this area so that we can continue to offer more and more options for fresh, healthy, and delicious food in all of our neighborhoods.”
Six months ago, at a public meeting in the South End, Sherry Clancy of National Development, the project’s developer, said she had discussions with Whole Foods about locating at the project but they could not agree to terms. Hardy did not immediately comment on the reversal.
The city has approved construction of four buildings totaling more than 500,000 square feet. In addition to Whole Foods, National Development plans a mix of restaurants and urban retailers. The 6-acre site was the home of the Boston Herald until February. The building is being used as the base for filming of the 20th Century Fox film “Heat” starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. Construction of Ink Block is scheduled to begin in early 2013.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
Work For: ChannelAdvisor ChannelAdvisor | Morrisville, NC
Sales Representative ChannelAdvisor | Morrisville, NC
Audience Development Sales Professional Boston Business Journal | Boston, MA
Risk and Compliance Manager MassHousing | Boston, MA
Marketing Manager, Merchandise Visibility Checkpoint Systems | Waltham, MA
- Most popular
- Project Tiger update: It's Baxter
- Here are over 2,000 restaurant violations in Cambridge since Jan. 1
- Arthur T. Demoulas is back at the helm of Market Basket
- Suffolk University announces abrupt departure of President James
- ALS biotech says ice bucket challenge will pay for a clinical trial
- Here's the newest addition to WBZ-TV's news anchor team
- Here are five key factors that ensured a Demoulas Super Markets deal
- Market Basket deal seems more likely, but not until late today
- Former Entercom boss Jason Wolfe lands a new radio gig in the Boston
- Lynn public schools cut ties with Gordon College
Stay up-to-date with the latest real estate news from Boston every day.

domain: news


text:
Go Behind The Scenes and See Where Our Local Ingredients Come From
Dante Chef Nick Strawhecker was recently featured in an Omaha World-Herald article about about Lone Tree Foods. Lone Tree is a local group that represents a number of local farmers and works with them to provide area restaurants and grocery stores with staples from milk, meat and cheese to fresh fruit and vegetables.
At Dante, we are passionate about supporting local and sustainable agricultural practices and area farmers, food artisans and producers. Our Farm to Fork efforts with companies such as Lone Tree Foods influence our menu everyday and we are grateful for the high quality local ingredients we have access to. We hope you’ll enjoy reading the full article (below) and taking a peek behind the scenes to learn more about the food you enjoy at Dante and where it comes from!
Lone Tree food hub fosters connection between farmers and restaurants
By Sarah Baker Hansen / World-Herald staff writer • The Omaha World-Herald
UNADILLA, Neb. — It’s midmorning at Orchard Hill Creamery, which means it’s time for 9-year-old Alexander Chisholm to feed the calves.
The blond boy reaches through the slats of a metal gate, and the Jersey and Jersey-Normandy calves, in hues of chocolate, spotted tan and chestnut brown, trot toward him, their deep, round eyes unblinking and curious.
There’s Floyd, Honey and Nutmeg, Alexander tells me. There’s Pumpkin and Cupcake. The calves busily slurp away at the oversize bottles tucked in Alexander’s elbows.
It’s just another day at this small farm outside Lincoln, one of more than 30 that work with a local food hub, Lone Tree Foods, to deliver milk, cheese and ice cream to area restaurants, including west Omaha’s Dante Ristorante.
In its first year of business, Lone Tree has gone from representing 11 local farms to close to 40. It connects those small farms to chefs and grocery stores and delivers fresh produce, meat, cheese and other items.
That list of farmers continues to grow as more restaurants broaden their focus on local ingredients because more customers demand it, chefs and farmers say.
Dante’s chef and owner, Nick Strawhecker, has been working with Lone Tree — and serving Orchard Hill’s milk — for about a year. He has a weekly phone call with Erin Schoenberg, Lone Tree’s sales manager, to run through what ingredients the food hub will deliver to his kitchen each week.
Unlike the many farmers Strawhecker works with outside of Lone Tree, he’d never met the owner of Orchard Hill Creamery. He’d never visited The Edible Source, which provides Dante with mixed greens and celery, or the Abie Vegetable People, who stock his kitchen with kale.
“I’m super proud to be serving their stuff,” Strawhecker said. “I wanted to see their places and meet the people.”
So he asked Schoenberg to set up a farm field trip to visit the farms and meet the farmers who grow what his diners eat. She agreed, and they invited me to ride along and visit four farms sending all sorts of local food throughout Nebraska thanks to Lone Tree: Orchard Hill near Unadilla; The Edible Source in Lincoln; Abie Vegetable People in Abie; and Schoenberg’s own operation, The Darlin Reds, in Lincoln.
At Orchard Hill, Laura and Andy Chisholm raise cows on 160 acres of land. They sell cheese, milk, yogurt and ice cream; just this fall they launched a cheese-of-the-month club. Strawhecker and other chefs — including Paul Urban, co-owner and chef at Block 16 — like the Chisholms’ milk because it’s close to half and half in its texture and is rich with flavor.
Laura Chisholm took us on a stroll around the property, where we spotted cats, dogs, chickens and one very portly hog. The cows are tame, and as we walked through the Chisholms’ pasture, they strolled toward us and let us touch their wet noses and broad backs. Each of the 32 cows has a name — “whoever finds the calf names the calf,” Laura Chisholm said.
Andy Chisholm, originally from Bath, England, milks the cows each morning beginning at 8 a.m. and wraps up around 11. “Some cows take three minutes,” he said, “and some take 25.”
The couple have five children; all have been home-schooled, including their oldest, who is now 22. They help on the farm between lessons.
Laura Chisholm started making cheese in 2011, and the family moved to its current location in 2012. The Chisholms finished building the on-site creamery in 2013.
Now their small country store sells a variety of hard and soft cheese, homemade yogurt, milk and ice cream. Laura Chisholm began by making cheese for her family, and then taught herself to make ricotta and cream cheese. Eventually she got more adventurous, creating a sweet blueberry and yogurt compote, a mild blue cheese and a fromage blanc.
French cheeses, she says, are her true passion.
“Most creameries have four or five cheese, and that’s it,” she said. “I’m just not cut from that cloth. I’m always looking for something new.”
After the farm field trip, Strawhecker asked Laura Chisholm to make him burrata, an Italian cow’s milk cheese, which she’s still working on.
“I felt comfortable to ask her to give it a go after we visited,” he said.
That kind of connection between farmer and chef is what Lone Tree Foods hopes to foster.
Lone Tree is farmer-owned and -operated. The three owners, who are also producers and sell products through the hub, are Ben Gotschall of Davey Road Ranch; Mark Roh of Abie Vegetable People; and Justin Jones of Jones Produce, which is in Crete.
The three started the business because they saw the need for local food in grocery stores and restaurants, and they were part of a discussion among other farmers about how to make that happen. The company is now a farmer-owned, for-profit LLC.
Customers shop through Lone Tree’s website, which provides descriptions and photographs of the food the hub will have each week. Among the products Lone Tree regularly stocks and delivers to restaurants are beef, bison, chicken, turkey, lamb, grains, dried and fresh mushrooms, milk, cheese and a vast variety of produce.
Farmers don’t pay to join Lone Tree. Instead, the service charges its buyers a small fee.
Before Schoenberg started working for Lone Tree this past January, farmers like the Chisholms had to make their own deliveries to Lone Tree customers. Schoenberg and her husband, Chris, now pick up product at centralized locations and do the deliveries to Lincoln and Omaha on a weekly basis.
“Now the restaurants see one person through the door making deliveries each week versus a bunch of people,” Schoenberg said. That’s easier on the farmers, too.
Iowa has many businesses similar to Lone Tree, and Nebraska has two others: Tomato Tomato, a west Omaha business that sells directly to customers and through an indoor farmers market, and the Nebraska Food Cooperative, a co-op that delivers to locations around Nebraska, including Tomato Tomato.
Strawhecker said he wastes very little of what he gets from Lone Tree farmers.
“We find a use for everything,” he said. “And everything has a better shelf life when it’s picked to order and not on a truck from California.”
Urban, who co-owns Block 16, gets all his beef through Lone Tree — from Davey Road Ranch, a small operation in Raymond.
Without Lone Tree, he said he probably wouldn’t work with Davey Road or many of the other small farms that supply the restaurant with produce, dairy products and vegetables.
“I would give Lone Tree a lot of credit for that,” he said.
Roh, one of Lone Tree’s founders, said times have changed for small farmers in Nebraska.
“It’s been in people’s heads that you can’t grow vegetables in Nebraska,” he said, “but you can. We’re growing amazing, flavorful stuff.”
The harder part for many farmers, he said, is making the connections to sell the crops.
“No one has a contract,” he said. “It’s more of a relationship game.”
That’s where Lone Tree becomes essential, Schoenberg said. As long as local chefs and customers are after their crops, there’s work to be done.
“It’s all driven by shoppers and diners and chefs,” she said. “Everyone wants more local.”
Article and Images: Copyright ©2015 Omaha World-Herald. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald. To purchase rights to republish this article, please contact The World-Herald Store.


text:
PC Dark Souls players have had a rough go of it recently, as the servers for all three games in the series have been down for months due to a nasty exploit.
In a recent communication with PC Gamer, FromSoftware confirmed that it will bring the PC servers for the games back from the dead. However, the company did not provide any sort of specific timetable for such a resurrection.
"We are currently in the process of restoring the online servers for the Dark Souls series on PC," FromSoftware told PC Gamer in part. "We plan to restore online service for each game progressively, bringing back servers for Dark Souls 3 once we complete the necessary work to correct the problem."
Open secret — This mess all started when Souls series fans discovered a vulnerability in the game's online code which could allow hackers to gain control of an unsuspecting player's PC. Initially, FromSoftware and Bandai Namco didn't do much about the exploit, which led at least one hacker to use the RCE (remote code execution) exploit on a Dark Souls 3 streamer in an apparent attempt to draw attention to it.
While the community succeeded in getting FromSoftware to acknowledge the problem — which was convenient, because Elden Ring was likely to suffer from the same vulnerability — it's had the nasty side effect of killing the entire series' online servers for months on PC. The "progressive" language in this quote seems to imply that the games will be restored according to their playerbase rather than the order that they came out. That's fine with me, because Dark Souls 3 is the best one anyway.
Fans find a way — Prior to this announcement, the restoration of the servers was very much an open question. Let's not forget that the servers for the original Demon's Souls were taken down years ago now. Luckily, you can connect to a fan-run dedicated server with a little bit of configuration.


text:
Grupo Argos sells Compas share
Grupo Argos has announced that it has sold its 50% share in port operator Compañía de Puertos Asociados (Compas) to an investment fund managed by Goldman Sachs for around $136m, Reuters has reported.
The Colombian conglomerate, which has large investments in the cement and energy industries, sold its share to the finance company’s West Street Infrastructure Partners III for 407bn pesos, which is 2.5 times the amount it invested in the business in 2012.
The same day, Grupo Argos reported that its Q2 net profit fell 41.6% to $72.1 million (215.4 billion pesos) from the previous year.
Compas mainly moves coal and cement through its ports in Colombia, which have a total capacity of over 13 million metric tonnes.
In 2016, the port operator had an income of 165bn pesos.


text:
Cypress Semiconductor (CY) pitches itself these days as a maker of chips for two broad segments: automotive and the Internet of Things (IoT). At its recent analyst day, the company outlined its ambition to grow revenue at a sustained 7% to 9% rate, driven by strong growth in those two aforementioned markets but being partially offset by a decline in its so-called "legacy" product lines.
While the long-term strategy seems credible and the stock not particularly expensive, no investment is without risk. To that end, here are three potential risks to Cypress' business that prospective and current investors should be mindful of.
What if automotive growth isn't as fast as expected?
At its analyst day, Cypress laid out a compelling case for why its automotive revenues will continue to grow in the coming years. The company is well-positioned to provide components that will be critical to the cars of tomorrow, including wireless and wired connectivity, as well as chips to handle some processing functions like its micro-controller chips. Cypress is also a key supplier of NOR flash memory, which the company says is critical to advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).
These opportunities are, in aggregate, exciting, and Cypress' product portfolio and bigger-picture strategy appear to be quite sound.
In a nutshell, Cypress is betting that, as cars become smarter and more complex, it'll benefit from the increasing demand for chips to enable that transformation. For example, Cypress indicated that the amount of dollar content that it could sell into a typical ADAS in 2018 was $21, but that content will grow to $45 by 2023. Cypress is also banking on cars increasingly requiring wireless and even wired connectivity -- something that it can enable with its portfolio of products.
While all of this sounds great, there are risks. What if ADAS isn't adopted as quickly as many are hoping? What if the company's estimates are off regarding the dollar content increases that it'll enjoy in future cars?
Make no mistake: The long-term trends really seem to favor Cypress, and I think the opportunities here are real and Cypress' read on the situation is credible. But as with anything in investing, there's always risk that things don't play out as hoped.
Check out the latest earnings call transcript for Cypress Semiconductor.
Will IoT growth be as rapid as Cypress hopes?
According to Cypress' analyst day materials, the company expects its revenue from IoT to grow more quickly than revenue from any other segment. And by 2023, the company's expectation is that its IoT revenue will be significantly larger than its automotive revenue.
Again, it's not hard to see that Cypress is making a compelling case here. Devices are becoming increasingly smart and connected and Cypress' technology can certainly enable that functionality. The company is also pitching a smart-platform approach that incorporates integrated chips, software, and even services to make them relatively sticky.
However, there are risks again. What if the market doesn't grow as quickly as Cypress expects? Additionally, Cypress seems to be banking on continued share gains against the competition. At its analyst day, it said it outgrew the overall 32-bit micro-controller market by a factor of five and that this is "continuing." While I'm confident that the company wouldn't make that statement without visibility into its future prospects, there's still a chance that those continued share gains (or at the very least, the rapid pace of those gains) might not pan out.
IoT is hugely important to Cypress today and it's a segment that the company is betting big on for the future. If that opportunity isn't as lucrative as expected or it materializes more slowly than hoped for, it could be a risk to Cypress' long-term business performance and, ultimately, the stock.
What if the legacy business declines faster than expected?
Cypress' long-term financial model calls for 7%-9% compound annual revenue growth, driven by compound annual revenue growth rates of 12%-14% in its IoT business, 8%-12% in its automotive business, and negative growth of 2%-4% in its so-called legacy business. The latter segment still makes up a significant chunk of the company's overall revenue today, although it's smaller than either IoT or automotive.
A potential risk to Cypress' long-term model is that this legacy business could decline faster than the company expects. If that's the case, even if Cypress hits its long-term growth targets in both IoT and automotive, those faster-than-feared declines could prove a drag on the company's overall growth rate.
On the bright side, the fact that this segment is in decline means that with each passing year, it becomes less influential on the overall business. Moreover, even in the case where this segment does deteriorate more rapidly than expected, investors might be willing to overlook that as long as the company's core growth segments are still delivering.
No investment is without risk, and Cypress is certainly no exception. While I really like the opportunities ahead of the company and think it will do well in capitalizing on them, things sometimes might not go as planned. The markets that Cypress participates in might not grow as quickly -- or in the case of its legacy business, decline as slowly -- as the company expects, or the company might not be able to gain share at the pace that it hopes to. If those risks materialize, the stock could face a setback.
Investors who are interested in Cypress should keep a close eye on the company's financial results as they come out each quarter and make sure that things are playing out as expected.


text:
24.11.2010: Photo caption: Shaun Harper, Director of Consulting and Training at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management.
The Hotel Show to host careers afternoon with Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management
Photo caption: Shaun Harper, Director of Consulting and Training at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management.
The Hotel Show to host careers afternoon with Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management to help develop and place potential hospitality talent
With 244 hotels, containing 55,000 hotel rooms in the pipeline, the UAE will create 120,000 new jobs by 2011, providing hotel management and recruitment specialists with a challenge, but more significantly generating genuine career opportunities for UAE nationals and expatriates alike.
“The industry average for employees required to run a hotel vary greatly from less than one to more than three staff pre hotel room, therefore with 244 hotels due to come online, 120,000 is perhaps a conservative estimate” said Frederique Maurell, Director of The Hotel Show.
To recognise these issues The Hotel show 2011, which takes place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 17-19 May, has created a ‘careers afternoon’ in collaboration with The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM) to provide advice to aspiring hoteliers either embarking on a career in hospitality or those looking for career direction and vocational training.
“The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management will be exhibiting throughout the show, showcasing their range of hospitality management courses to human resource directors, training managers and other industry professionals,” added Maurell
“We have organised a ‘careers afternoon’ which will take place on the last day of the show. Graduating students from EAHM have been invited to visit The Hotel Show providing them with an opportunity to meet their future suppliers and colleagues. In addition those interested in a career in hospitality and hoteliers seeking careers advice are also welcome,” she said.
The EAHM part of the Jumeirah Group, is a institution of higher education in the Middle East that offers internationally accredited and industry recognised degree-level courses focusing on hospitality education. It also runs a number of preparatory training programmes sponsored by DTCM and TANMIA that are aimed at encouraging UAE nationals to take up a career in hospitality. As a result UAE nationals are now working across a diverse range of roles such as front office, HR, administration, security and food and beverage.
“Training is an integral part of the hospitality industry. A highly trained, well motivated workforce enhances operational efficiency as well as providing staff with additional skill sets” said Shaun Harper, Director of Consulting and Training at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management.
“Development provides a very tangible return on investment. Training costs should not be viewed as an expense, rather an investment with, potentially, an immediate payback. It is this common synergy that bought The Hotel Show and the EAHM together, to highlight the wealth of training, programs and educational opportunities for the benefit of all hospitality industry stakeholders,” he added.
“Many industry- focused colleges are seeing a substantial rise in local and overseas applicants, highlighting the growing interest from young people. They should try to undertake internships and placements in quality driven hotels. An excellent start in this profession tends to lead to an excellent career,” said Harper.
The Hotel Show 2011 is split into four sectors; Interiors & Design; Security & Technology; The Resort Experience; and Operating Equipment & Supplies, each accommodating a number of new subsectors, including green energy supplies, front of house reservation systems and light catering equipment.
The Hotel Show 2011 will also bring leading industry figures together for the Seven Star Conference, as well as discussing health and beauty trends at the Middle East Spa Summit.
For more information about The Hotel Show visit www.thehotelshow.com
Nathalie Visele,Shamal Marketing Communications Dubai also photo
Big 5 PMV opens in Dubai as research highlights scale of industry’s resilience
HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai with Louisa Theobald, Group Director, Stream weiter >>
Government export agency uses CityBuild Abu Dhabi as platform to boost supplier link to UAE, GCC construction industry From left to right, Dato’ Dzulkifli, Senior Trade Commissioner, MATRADE, weiter >>
Foresight Group spotlights unique oil additive product at Big 5 PMV and says construction industry looks to Dubai for recovery boost
A major Abu Dhabi group of companies launching ground-breaking technology to protect engine components into Gulf m weiter >>
Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek receives official environmental certification from sustainability specialist Farnek Avireal after AED1.25 million investment
The Radisson Blu Hotel, Deira Creek, Dubai. weiter >>
New structure to accommodate extended business sessions, as largest travel event in Middle East announces 2011 datesArabian Travel Market, the leading travel exhibition in the Middle East, has unveiled a new format to its four-day event, by introducing an additional day of business, while still maintaining a dedicated session for consumers. weiter >>
Energy-saving bulbs, timers and sensors can cut electricity bills by 80% and reduce CO2 emissions says organiser of the Lighting at Middle East Electricity show With utility bills for commercial buildings throughout the UAE rising by over 50% in the last two years many companies are installing energy-saving bulbs, timers and sensors that can cut electricity co weiter >>
Improved financing turns fortunes around as Hashemite Kingdom witnesses first positive growth since the economic crisis began in 2008Improved home financing and developers securing bank finance has allowed weiter >>
Attractive summer specials on offer for holiday-makers travelling to Europe, USA and Australia
Hertz Saudi Arabia is offering great car rental discounts to holiday-makers and business travellers this summer.Holiday-makers in Saudi Arabi weiter >>
Chef Green invites Jeddah’s residents and visitors to take a bite of heaven at the outstanding first-of-its-kind Pacific Rim food festival
Rosewood Corniche invites Jeddah’s residents and visitors for a wonderful journey to delight i weiter >>
Sales prices level out says Asteco report, but tenants benefit from 4-8% rent reductions as more residential property comes to the market The price of apartments, villas and commercial properties remained stable in Dubai in the second quarter of this year, compared to the previous three months with minimal reductions in villas across just two areas of th weiter >>
Increase in stock forces slight price reduction over past three months across apartments and villas, while sales remain subdued, says Asteco Q2 reportAn increase in residential stock has turned Qatar into a tenants’ market, forcing apartment rents down almost 4% during the second quarter this year, but the market is showing signs of stabilising compared to the weiter >>
Major international manufacturers to launch new products and drive innovation at Big 5 PMV
Fibo intercon will launch updated versions of their mobile batching plants B1200 and M2200 at the Big 5 PMV from 22-25 November weiter >>
– regional transportation network to be in place by 2020 GCC infrastructure projects now worth US$119.6 billionAccording to a recent study by research company Business Monitor International (BMI), the GCC countries will invest over US$119.6 billion in infrastructure projects over the next ten years, of which rail projects account for over 90% weiter >>
ATCUAE President helped drive plan to combine Cross Country Rally World Cup and Baja series
Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the creation of a bigger and stronger FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup will help drive the Abu Dhabi Desert Cha weiter >>
Club brings three-part travel document application process under one roof in Dubai
UAE travellers planning road trips have been given a boost ahead of the summer holiday period with the launch of a fast track system to deliver the necessary travel documents.The Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE has brought a three-part application process fo weiter >>
Hotel scores winner as unique TV experience “transports” football fans into thick of the action
caption - The Juice Lounge at Rosewood Corniche is co-sponsored by LG and Dunhill throughout the FIFA World Cup, kitted out with one of the wo weiter >>
Mohammed Ben Sulayem – getting Total PR support for his increasingly influential role with the FIA
Total Communications has resumed its long standing working relationship with Mohammed Ben Sulayem and the Automobile and Touring Club weiter >>
Fourth edition of Big 5 PMV to draw top manufacturers and suppliers looking to capitalise on Middle East construction growth
The fourth edition of the Big 5 PMV, from 22-25 November 2010 in Dubai, will feature a new live demonstration area. weiter >>
Global downturn is no deterrent for decision makers as they check out the Middle East’s premier hospitality exhibitionThe Hotel Show 2010, a reliable platform to reach out to regional hospitality buyers.Exhibitors at The weiter >>
Jeddah hotel named best in Kingdom for leisure and business
From left, Shamel Droubi and Hans-Peter Lietske from Rosewood Corniche and David Falcon, Senior Vice President of the World Travel Awards. Rosewood Corniche won Saudi Arabia’s weiter >>
One of the UAE’s oldest educational establishments, Sharjah English School, celebrated its first Graduation Class recently. 11 students completing their A Level studies were feted at a school ceremony and an evening function. Though Sharjah English w weiter >>
Saudi Arabia’s leading hotel celebrates world class football, Offers guests world class luxury
Rosewood Corniche, elected Saudi Arabia’s Leading Hotel at the World Travel Awards 2010 for the second year in a row, will be offering spe weiter >>
Industry associations tackle real issues facing hospitality professionals in the Middle East – guest loyalty key to bottom line performance Picture caption: Members of the Emirates Culinary Guild meet at The Hotel Show 2010 weiter >>
Hat-trick for popular venue at the first Middle East Spa Awards
Bliss Spa at the W Hotel Doha has cleaned up in the three categories it was short-listed for at the inaugural Middle East Spa Awards, held today at The Hotel weiter >>
Financial turmoil in Eurozone, UK debt crisis, China realty bubble, and lingering US economic woes to put pressure on GCC hotel rates, say organisers of The Hotel Show
Khalid bin Sulayem opens T weiter >>
Country participation from more than 35 countries at The Hotel show, as burgeoning regional hospitality industry bucks recession hit tourism trends in Europe Companies from more than 35 overseas nations have underlined the strength of the Middle weiter >>
Regional hospitality industry continues to spend heavily on hotels during 2010 despite turbulent global economy, say organisers of The Hotel ShowAccording to a new study, cash expenditure in the GCC hospitality industry is set to reach more than $1.17 billion weiter >>
Awards ceremony to recognise excellence in treatments and amenitiesPicture caption: SensAsia Urban Spa nominated in the Spa Marketing categoryWith an increasing number of tourists and residents looking to relax, unwind weiter >>
€400 billion plan sees chain of Arabian Gulf solar plants linked in supergrid with Europe, say organisers of region’s biggest international industry trade showA map of Desertec’s plan shows a chain of solar power plants thro weiter >>
China HomLife expo creates new Silk Road to Middle East market
Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade at the China Homlife Show’s official opening ceremony at Airport Expo Duba weiter >>
From UAE to US, ECCO International provides first insight into social media in 24 countries, highlighting major differences, similarities in trendsECCO International, the global network of independent PR agencies, has compiled an extensive overview of the social media market and trends in 24 countries, including the major European economies, the USA, as well as Indi weiter >>
Sindbad frequent flyers to benefit from more air miles and car rental discounts
Michel Taride President, Hertz International and Executive Vice President Hertz Corporation and Abdulrazaq Alraisi, Genera weiter >>
BSi awards presented by British Consul General His Excellency Guy Warrington Caption: From left, Dr Ahmed El Tigani Abdel Rahim, General Manager of Al Rawabi, Rashid Ahmed Bin Rasheed, Chairman of Al Rawabi and weiter >>
CEO of new management company First & Foremost wants contracts between owners and operators to better reflect the changing tourism landscapeMore flexible contracts that allow owners to break deals with non-performing operators are vital to keep the hospitality industry thriving, according to a leading figure in the UAE’s hospitality sector. weiter >>
First operational ownership scheme in UAE offers investors in Oceana Suites on Palm Jumeirah 8 per cent return on investment annually
Photo caption: Inside an Oceana apartment.First and Foremost, th weiter >>
First & Foremost launches into Middle East with focus on family entertainment and sustainable development – brand offers real inbound tourism growth The region’s first family resort concept is being launched in Dubai in collaboration with one of Europe’s most successful family hotel concepts.New hotel management company First & weiter >>
Dubai-based owners of five-star London hotel, launches ladies only Duchess Rooms targeting female business and leisure guests from regionDukes Hotel, a five-star property with a country house feel in the heart of London’s St James’ weiter >>
Utility companies face demand and consumption doubling, even tripling in 20 years, say organisers of region’s biggest international industry trade showThe coming two decades are expected to see the weiter >>
World’s largest general use car rental brand to reinforce its presence in MEA region, ready for market revivalGina Costa, the newly appointed Commercial Director for Hertz Middle East and Africa. weiter >>


text:
With the imminent arrival of the March licence plate change, motor manufacturers have had to keep their products at the forefront of consumers' minds.
Over recent years, factors such as an over-capacity of vehicles and a growing consumer perception of a levelling out of competence within the industry have forced car firms to invest more heavily in ads to boost market share and achieve standout.
Radio budgets have been further boosted by the twice-a-year registration change, which has meant car manufacturers have had to develop a year-round advertising presence.
Marques such as Ford, Renault and Toyota are now radio regulars, capitalising on the medium's uniquely close listener relationships.
RAB figures show that among people who have bought cars over the past four years, there are more heavy commercial radio listeners than heavy ITV viewers or mid-market newspaper readers. Reaching them while they drive helps advertisers benefit from extra relevance and low advertising avoidance.
In joint fourth place with 35% recall, Ford is this month's best-performing motor brand, with radio playing a key role in its '2004 Drive For Value' campaign.
The February work, using the overall 'Designed for living, engineered to last' theme, promoted special offers on the Fiesta, Fusion and Mondeo models, with an ad featuring an auction in which bids are going down, rather than up.
Renault, in joint ninth place, used radio for tactical offers on its Megane and Scenic models, and to talk about its recent What Car? safety award.
Volvo, too, chose radio to spell out a competitive advantage, with a dealer-personalised campaign for the new S40, using the line 'Centre of attention' to highlight the car's unique central console.
Several years ago, Toyota became the first advertiser to qualify for the RAB's Creative Multiplier incentive, and it now maintains a consistent radio presence, focusing intensively on one model at a time and targeting specific audience profiles.
The company's most recent work, through the Guy Robertson Partnership, continues to promote the new-look Corolla as part of its multimedia 'A car to be proud of' campaign, which aims to attract younger drivers.
Similarly, Fiat is capitalising on its models' brand personalities by extending existing campaigns onto radio, with its February Punto work using the line 'Even more spirito' to promote a 0% finance deal.
Like many of its competitors, Fiat bought an end-of-the-week radio package to hit the prime weekend test-drive period. A wise strategy, it would seem, given that TGI data shows five million weekly commercial radio listeners have bought a car within the past five years.
Q: Which of the following radio commercials do you remember hearing
Prev Advertiser Agency/Media buyer %
1 (-) Specsavers In-house/Carat 46
2 (2) T-Mobile Saatchi & Saatchi/Universal McCann 41
3 (-) Nescafe McCann-Erickson/MindShare 40
4= (6) Sainsbury's Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO/PHD 35
4= (8=) Ford Ogilvy & Mather/MindShare 35
6 (-) Tesco Lowe/Initiative Media 32
7 (-) Lunn Poly DDB London/Media Planning Group 26
8 (15=) Dixons M&C Saatchi/Walker Media 24
9= (-) COI Police M&C Saatchi/OMD UK 23
9= (18=) Camelot Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO/OMD UK 23
9= (18=) Renault Publicis/Carat 23
12 (-) Nationwide Radioville/Mediaedge:cia 22
13 (11) Toyota Guy Robertson Partnership/ 21
14= (-) Batchelors Delaney Lund Knox Warren/ 17
Cup a Soup ZenithOptimedia
14= (-) Rover Cogent/ZenithOptimedia 17
14= (-) Volkswagen DDB London/MediaCom 17
17= (-) Fiat Leo Burnett/Starcom MediaVest 15
17= (-) Volvo The JJ Group/The JJ Group 15
19 (-) UKTV Karmarama, Mother/PHD 14
20 (-) Prudential WCRS/PHD 13
Radiowatch research was conducted from March 5 to 7 by NOP Research
Group (020 7890 9000) as part of a weekly telephone omnibus survey among
437 commercial radio listeners. The brands for Radiowatch are determined
by the top radio sales groups, which each put together a monthly list of
their 25 biggest brand advertisers. To listen to the featured
advertisements and for further information, go to RAB OnLine


text:
Did you miss a session from GamesBeat Summit Next 2022? All sessions are now available for viewing in our on-demand library. Click here to start watching.
VentureBeat announced its Mobile Advertising Index today, a listing of the top 10 companies helping marketers trying to reach mobile users.
The Mobile Advertising Index is based on research that includes several hundred survey responses from real users of mobile advertising products. The Index was announced first this morning at our MobileBeat 2013 conference.
VentureBeat kicked off the initiative four weeks ago, upon realizing that brands and marketers were confused by the significant number of mobile advertising networks and platforms. With all of the action going in mobile, we hoped to sort through the noise created by the 50-plus competitors in the industry.
Last month, we published our initial draft “top 10,” which we designed to provoke debate. At the outset, we’ve said this is a qualitative effort. It is not perfect, nor scientific, but we think it’s valuable nonetheless because, well, there’s nothing better out there. We based that initial draft on input from industry experts. However, today we’re publishing the results of our deeper investigation, including the data we collected from the several hundred people who responded to our user survey.
Here are the companies that make up the Index:
- Google AdMob
- Millennial Media
Notably, the Index today adds three new products to our initial list: AdColony, Burstly, and Facebook. These three received a tremendous response from their user bases, and much of the feedback was positive. On the other hand, the Index drops three other companies: Apple, Euclid, and Amobee. These three received almost no feedback from their user bases. We were surprised by the lack of enthusiasm for Apple. We expected a company with Apple’s clout would have inspired more excitement by now with its iAd product. So far, its efforts have been lackluster. It’s not just regular users who aren’t responding. Even experts we polled suggested Apple has along way to go: “What are they doing?” was the question we heard from more than one expert.
While iAd has underwhelmed, we were positively surprised by the action we’re seeing on the Facebook platform, which we reported about here.
We’ll be talking in more depth about the future of mobile advertising tomorrow, during the second day of MobileBeat.
VentureBeat’s Mobile Advertising Index report is the first of its kind in the technology sector, analyzing real user experience with products to help other developers, brands, and marketers make what we hope are more informed buying decisions.
In our survey, we asked real users to provide us with information on the products they use, down to a very detailed level. VentureBeat received input on nearly 50 different products around the world.
VentureBeat plans to continue to take reader feedback on any and all products and to provide revised results in a timely basis to its readership. We’ll also be working on trending some of the key data to determine how developers are using these technologies over time.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


text:
Please contact Sales at: (212) 520-2765 or email [email protected]
Latest From EMcision Ltd.
Medtech Insight recorded 17 merger or acquisition deals in March, a rise from the nine deals recorded last month and in the same period last year. It was a busy month for Boston Scientific, which racked up two acquisitions, paying $460m for urology device maker NxThera and an undisclosed price for endoscopy firm EMcision.
Complete list of all 91 FDA device-related warning letters released by the agency last year. The upshot: 73 domestic and 18 foreign manufacturers were sent letters.
Twelve FDA close-out letters were released in September.
Anybattery Inc. sold replacement batteries without premarket approval or clearance from FDA; EMcision used electronic signatures to approve numerous procedures despite not having electronic signature systems; and more. Three warning letters were listed by FDA this week.
Surgical Equipment & Devices
- Minimally or Less Invasive
- Surgical Equipment & Devices
- Other Names / Subsidiaries
- EMcision International Inc.
All set! This article has been sent to firstname.lastname@example.org.
All fields are required. For multiple recipients, separate email addresses with a semicolon.


text:
BTS stans can soon find their next music video premiere in the latest season of Fortnite, with the KPop band
PlayStation has issued a public apology for its shortage of PS5 units as stores continue to grey the console out
In this week’s Pixels and Ink podcast, the crew sits down to discuss Sony’s PS5 Digital Showcase. Jordan, Cole, and
In one of the most unexpected gaming announcements of the year, Microsoft revealed that they have purchased ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda.
Let’s-a Go! Super Mario celebrates his 35th anniversary with Super Mario 3D All Stars; a three-game collection of the best platformers featuring the lovable plumber!
I just can’t stop playing Super Mario 3D All-Stars. The joy of movement, the sharp controls, and the endlessly imaginative worlds keep bringing me back, even after all these years.
Mortal Shell is a small-scope Soulslike that serves as a tight, lean, but short experience.
The September Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner showcase started strong with a surprise reveal very few saw coming–two new Monster Hunter games heading to the Nintendo Switch: Monster Hunter Rise, and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin.
Subscribe to get the latest from gaming, movies, culture and tech right to your inbox


text:
If you haven’t heard of the enormous Takata airbag recall that has affected car brands in Australia for more than a year, you must have been living under a rock: Honda, among other brands that installed potentially defective airbags in their cars for many years, have used social media, text messaging, letter mail-outs and even door-knocking to get owners of affected vehicles back to dealerships for the free – and critical – repair.
And the repair really is critical. The heart of the Takata issue is that the airbag inflators – the parts that make the airbag expand after a crash – can fail over time. If this happens, in the event of a crash, instead of the airbag inflating as normal, the inflators may instead propel metal fragments towards the driver and passengers, hard enough to puncture the roof with a strong chance of death resulting.
There has already been one death in Australia caused by a Takata airbag inflator, fitted in a 2007 Honda CR-V. Globally, there have been at least 19 confirmed deaths due to the defective Takata airbags. Owners of Honda cars can check whether their vehicle is fitted with defective airbags and needs a repair through this link.
Many Honda owners have listened to the increasingly urgent messaging around the recall. The scale of the problem for Honda Australia is enormous – there are over 436,000 Honda cars on our roads that were fitted with Takata airbags. Almost 400,000 of these have now been fixed, but there are still 44,719 Hondas out there that remain not fixed and still fitted with potentially deadly airbags.
In an effort to get this final 10% of Honda owners into dealerships for the free fix, the brand has turned to a name-and-shame strategy. A list of the 10 post codes with the worst rates of repair turnout. All ten areas are in Sydney or Melbourne, with south-western Sydney the worst of the lost. The 10 post codes with the most Hondas that are NOT fixed are 2166, 2170, 2200, 2144, 3021, 2145, 2176, 3029, 2165, and 3030.
The list of suburbs is at the bottom of the list. If you live in one of them and drive any Honda – or if you know somebody who has a Honda, no matter where they live – ask them if they’ve checked if their car is included in the recall. “It doesn’t matter how old your Honda is. All Honda owners should check their vehicle and if it’s part of the Takata recall, then make arrangements to have the airbags replaced,” said Stephen Collins, director of Honda Australia.
Despite the scale of Honda’s messaging, in the Cabramatta area of Sydney, there are still more than 850 Hondas with potentially defective airbags that have not been fixed. In Melbourne’s Albanville area, there are 551 unfixed Hondas. In the western Melbourne suburbs around Werribee, non-fixed Hondas number more than 950.
Mr Collins attributed several factors to why these areas have such a high number of unrepaired Hondas. “Among them would be the age of the car, the vehicle not being known to our database and ultimately…where English is not the first language in the household.”
Almost all of the unrepaired vehicles are not serviced at Honda dealerships. Among owners who service their car with Honda, 99% have had the potentially deadly airbags replaced already. The vast majority of the remaining vehicles that need to be fixed are serviced with third parties, leading to difficulties in locating current information about the owners.
Honda have a dedicated call centre (1800 785 216, in Australia) dealing only with repairs for defective airbags with the ability to provide service in 160 languages; 10 languages on Honda’s website provide more detail on the repairs.
Honda airbag repair hotline: 1800 785 216
Check whether your Honda needs to be fixed: honda.com.au/recall
The top 10 post codes in Australia for UNREPAIRED Hondas with potentially defective airbag inflators
Car news, 22 Apr ’24: updated Porsche Cayenne GTS priced for Australia, Mercedes-AMG adds hybrid-electric thrust to GT coupe, and more
Car news, 19 Apr ’24: Next Tesla Model 3 Performance info leaked ahead of reveal, Mazda debuts CX-80 luxury SUV, and more
Car news, 18 Apr ’24: Audi teases facelifted RS E-tron GT Performance flagship, updated Mercedes-Benz EQA and EQB go on sale
About Chasing cars
Chasing Cars reviews are 100% independent.
Because we are powered by Budget Direct Insurance, we don’t receive advertising or sales revenue from car manufacturers.
We’re truly independent – giving you Australia’s best car reviews.
Car news, 18 Mar 24: Honda and Nissan could co-op with EVs and autonomy, Skoda reveals its cut-priced electric Epiq SUV, and more


text:
Christmas in Auckland's city centre set to delight
Christmas celebrations are underway in Auckland’s city centre, with visitors to the heart of the city in for a treat with a packed event schedule and the streets adorned with new festive decorations from this week.
Heart of the City on Monday unveiled new illuminated decorations by Angus Muir Design along Queen Street and lighting on the Farmers building, which will be lit from 8pm each day, along with decorations and new banner flags.
To complement the city centre’s festive look and feel is a jam-packed schedule of events and displays that will enhance the Christmas magic.
Commercial Bay features a contemporary Christmas installation, and Smith & Caughey’s have a new pop up Christmas shop; there will be new Christmas markets while the Farmers Santa Parade and Handell’s Messiah at the Town Hall will both add to the Christmas spirit. Mid-December also marks the start of the America’s Cup celebrations in the city centre.
“The heart of the city is alive with festive atmosphere, and there’s plenty more to look forward to in the lead up to Christmas,” says Viv Beck, Heart of the City Chief Executive. “From larger-than-life baubles and decorations to Smith and Caughey’s stunning Christmas Windows, there is something to delight everyone.”
The city centre is the ideal location for Christmas shopping, with distinct shopping precincts, including Queen Street, Commercial Bay, the High Street District and Britomart, and gifting options to suit every budget, gifter, and recipient.
“Shopping in the city centre is better than ever, with plenty of new shops to explore and gifts to suit all styles and budgets,” says Ms. Beck.
Amongst the merry atmosphere, one notable Christmas stalwart will be missing from the city centre streets this year, after Heart of the City last year announced the city’s iconic giant Santa would be retired after nearly six decades of service.
“Last Christmas we made the difficult decision to retire Auckland’s iconic giant Santa, who has been a big part of festivities in the city over the years,” says Viv Beck. “While we’ll certainly miss Santa during Christmas 2020, we have some happy news to announce very soon about his future.”
“What we can reveal now is that we’ve found the perfect new retirement home for Santa, and he’ll be making the journey there from the 18th November – so keep your eyes peeled and you might just spot him on the move!”
Heart of the City also has plans underway to unveil something new for Christmas next year.
“We’re also planning an extra special reveal for Christmas 2021, which we had hoped would be ready sooner, but unfortunately COVID-19 interrupted delivery for this year.”
“Despite this, Christmas in the city centre is looking festive and we look forward to welcoming visitors for Christmas 2020,” concludes Ms Beck.
Events scheduled over the festive season include:
- The Abba Show, 16 November – 16 December (Aotea Centre, KTK Theatre)
- APO for Kids: Christmas with Suzy Cato, 28 November (Town Hall)
- Santa Parade, 29 November (Aotea Square and Queen St)
- The Sleeping Beauty, 3-6 December, Royal NZ Ballet, (Aotea Centre, KTK Theatre)
- AIX in the city – Summer Party, at Le Chef, 4 December
- Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery, 5 Dec -9 May 2020
- The Christmas Cup, 17 – 20 December
New attractions Aucklanders and visitors can look forward to include:
- All Blacks Experience opening 2 December
- Weta Workshop Unleashed, opening 15 December
- Spark 5G Race Zone
- AC36 Race Village


text:
New Model Y electric vehicles are picked up by a truck from the Tesla Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg plant of the US electric car manufacturer Tesla. According to Tesla, it currently employs more than 7,000 people at its Grünheide plant.
Patrick Pleul | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
shares of Tesla fell 14% on Tuesday, a day after the electric carmaker reported fourth-quarter production and delivery figures for 2022 vehicles.
Deliveries are the closest approximation to Tesla’s published sales. The company reported 405,278 total shipments for the quarter and 1.31 million total shipments for the year. Those numbers represented a record for the Elon Musk-led automaker and 40% growth. in deliveries year over year, but they fell short of analysts’ expectations.
According to consensus analyst estimates compiled by FactSet on December 12, 2022, Wall Street expected Tesla to report around 427,000 deliveries for the final quarter of the year. Estimates updated in December and included in the FactSet consensus ranged from 409,000 to 433,000.
These more recent estimates were in line with a company-compiled consensus shared by Martin Viecha, Tesla’s vice president of investor relations.
Some Wall Street analysts believe Tesla’s missing shipments are causing problems for the electric vehicle maker, but others see a buying opportunity for the company in 2023.
Baird analyst Ben Kallo, who recently named Tesla the top pick for 2023, maintained an outperform rating and said he will remain a buyer of the stock ahead of the company’s earnings report, which is scheduled for January. 25
“Fourth-quarter deliveries missed consensus but beat our estimates,” he said in a note Tuesday. “Importantly, production increased ~20% quarter-on-quarter, which we expect to continue into 2023 as gigafactories in Berlin and Austin continue to ramp up.”
Analysts at Goldman Sachs said they view the delivery report as “incrementally negative” and view Tesla as a company “well positioned for long-term growth.” Goldman reiterated its buy rating on the stock in a note Monday, saying vehicle affordability will be a “key driver of growth” in a challenging macroeconomic environment.
“We believe the key debates from here will be whether vehicle deliveries can be accelerated again, margins and the Tesla brand,” the analysts said.
Tesla stock suffered an extreme year-long sell-off in 2022, prompting CEO Musk to tell employees in late December not to “worry too much about the stock market frenzy.”
Musk has partially attributed Tesla’s falling share price to rising interest rates. However, critics point to his rocky $44 billion Twitter acquisition as a bigger culprit for the slide.
Morgan Stanley analysts said they think the company’s share price weakness is a “window to buy.”
“Between a deteriorating macroeconomic backdrop, record-high unaffordability and increasing competition, there are hurdles for all auto companies to overcome in the coming year,” they said in a note Tuesday. “However, with this in mind, we believe TSLA has the potential to extend its lead in the EV race as it leverages its cost and scale advantages to differentiate itself from the competition.”
— CNBC’s Lora Kolodny and Michael Bloom contributed to this report.


text:
Auto Sales Increase Bodes Well for Sirius
Looks like Sirius XM’s run of good luck will continue well into the new year. New-vehicle retail sales data from J.D. Power and Associates suggests an increase in consumer demand for new cars. And for Sirius that means continued subscriber growth–perhaps even significant subscriber growth.
The company’s satellite radio service is pre-installed in about 60 percent of cars sold in the United States, and historically its take rate has been upward of 44 percent. So when J.D Power says that light-vehicle sales for January will hit 794,500 units, 14 percent higher than January 2010, that’s good news for Sirius. Even better is this: The research firm is raising its retail sales forecast for the entire year. Not by much–just to 10.5 million units from 10.4 million units.
But the trend is upward, and J.D. Power and Associates’ Jeff Schuster says there’s room for even more upside. “Optimism is increasing for the auto industry following a stronger outlook for the economy,” he explained. “GDP growth is expected to be in the 3 percent to 3.2 percent range for 2011. As the macro drivers continue to improve and credit availability increases, further upside potential remains.”
In other words, 2011 is shaping up to be a good year for Sirius XM.


text:
The electric car industry is going from strength to strength, with new EV registrations reaching record highs in December last year. The 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show demonstrated a range of EV prototypes, from the Seat Cupra Tavascan, to the Volkswagen ID 3. In this article, we take an in-depth look at what’s next for the electric car industry in 2020 and beyond.
History of the Electric Car
The idea of an electric car was first created by innovators from the United States, Hungary, and the Netherlands in the 19th century. Thomas Edison, instrumental in pioneering electrical activity, worked on developing advanced batteries for vehicles, creating the first hybrid car. After the price drop of oil in 1920, the popularity of electric vehicles plummeted, with petrol and diesel models becoming the norm for the automotive industry.
How Electric Cars Have Improved
Since then, electric cars have undoubtedly improved. Currently, there are over 255,000 electric cars on the UK’s roads. The number of charging points have increased to 29,017, over five times more than there were in 2011.
Although the age veracar trip in the UK is 15 miles, there is a shared concern of electric cars breaking down or running out of charge. Many years ago, this concern may have been sustained, but today’s electric cars have a full charge with the capacity of 200 miles — Autocar reported that the UK has more rapid charging points than petrol stations, which can charge your car to 80% power in 30 minutes.
It’s safe to say that the popularity of electric cars shows no signs of slowing down. The UK government has planned to ban the sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2040, as well as planning to have at least half of vehicles to be hybrid or electric by 2030 to cut down on emissions.
A number of companies are preparing for this change through EV charger installations. Electric connection company Northern Powergrid, is preparing for the surge in electric vehicles and demand for more rapid charging points, with an introduction of new charging points across 11 of its own sites to encourage employees. “We have to get hands on and lead by example,” said the company’s Head of Policy Development, Jim Cardwell. “Although colleagues frequently have to take our vehicles to places where there is no electricity, there is huge internal appetite to decarbonise as much of our fleet as possible, as soon as is practical.”
Northern Powergrid is also involved in innovating electric vehicle projects created to assist the UK transport system reduce carbon emissions. A £9.8 million collaborative project declared by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) involving Nissan, will ensure the implementation of 1,000 V2G charging points. This will also include research into using electric vehicle batteries to support energy networks and customers interested in connecting their vehicles to the network.
Nissan’s EV Manager, Ed Jones, said: “We’ve always known that Nissan’s EV technology can be used for so much more than just getting people from A-to-B and we’re delighted to be sharing our expertise to help create more sustainable energy networks in the UK. Through the integration of Nissan EVs, we can find new solutions that will help shape a society whose energy use is sustainable, efficient and affordable.”
Projects like this are helping drive us to a future of electric cars and their accessible charging points. Currently, there are three types: rapid, fast, and slow. It’s clear that there are going to be huge advancements in the electric vehicle industry, with companies embracing the change and customers accepting the models.


text:
If you thought that yesterday's rumor about a CDMA iPhone on Verizon Wireless was interesting then you'll love this one even more.
Two sources speaking to BusinessWeek have divulged that Apple is planning to launch not one, but two new devices with Verizon. The first is being called an "iPhone lite" (availability TDB) and the other is mini-tablet that could arrive as soon as this summer, alongside iPhone OS 3.0.
One device is a smaller, less expensive calling device described by a person who has seen it as an "iPhone lite." The other is a media pad that would let users listen to music, view photos, and watch high-definition videos, the person says. It would place calls over a Wi-Fi connection. One of these devices may be introduced as early as this summer, one person says.
iPhone lite? meh. But I'm all about a mini-tablet. Apple could single single-handedly own the netbook market if they sold these for $300. But it will cost more like $399 or $499, knowing Apple.
Does either one interest you?


text:
In about four months’ time, there may have been irrevocable changes made to our economy, job market and wealth inequality. In its reaction to the virus outbreak, the government—whether intended or not—set up winners and losers. Certain online giants, like Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Zoom, Facebook and Netflix, were able to conduct business as usual, whereas others labeled nonessential were forced to shut down or significantly curtail their operations. The fallout includes 51 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits and marquee corporations, such as J.C. Penney, Hertz, Neiman Marcus, Pier 1, Brooks Brothers and J. Crew, filing for bankruptcy protection.
CEOs, executives and large shareholders of the “winners” made fortunes—on top of their existing fortunes. Most families don't even possess an emergency fund of three months’ savings to get them through tough times. It's been reported that people are unable to make their rent and mortgage payments, risking eviction. The extra $600 per week unemployment supplement, which recipients heavily depend upon, is set to expire July 31.
On Monday, when millions of unemployed Americans poured their cups of coffee and started searching for jobs online, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos saw his net worth grow by $13 billion. You’re not reading this wrong. Yes, it's the largest intraday jump in net worth, according to Bloomberg.
The Guardian wrote that at the height of the pandemic, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg (his net worth ballooned by about $15 billion in 2020), Warren Buffett and Larry Ellison collectively witnessed their already incredible wealth increase by $101.7 billion between March 18 and June 17.
Tesla cofounder Elon Musk goes on Joe Rogan’s podcast, drinks some whiskey, tokes on weed and professes that he doesn’t care about his “material possessions.” Musk told Rogan that his homes, planes and cars can “wear you down.” The regular-guy schtick falls flat, as he finagled a contract that has awarded him billions of dollars. Musk’s net worth has tripled over the last seven months. He’s now worth about $75 billion. Musk, as reported by Reuters, “qualified on Tuesday for a payout worth an unprecedented $2.1 billion, his second jackpot since May from the electric car maker following its massive stock surge.”
Becoming wealthy and a multibillionaire is great. It's the American way. The United States is one of the few places in the world where you can start out with nothing or immigrate from another country and become highly successful and rich. People, like Bezos, Musk, the founders of Google and Apple (as well as similar titans of industry), often offer valuable services and products that benefit consumers and make our lives easier and more productive. It's not the wealth in itself that’s troubling. The fear is that a small group of people are now controlling the lion's share of wealth, power, political connections and control, while the vast majority of the population is either just getting by or hanging on by their fingernails.
Vice reported, “Since the beginning of the pandemic, income inequality has continued to rise: while the super wealthy make even more money, a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that, ‘Households in the poorest fifth—as measured by their pre-crisis income—have been hit hardest in terms of earnings, with a fall in their median household earnings of around 15%.’”
This isn't a new phenomenon and we’ve seen this play out in the past. CNN says, “We've seen this happen before, in the recovery from the 2008 economic meltdown—which, for most Americans, was never complete. Indeed, most U.S. households went into this pandemic with a lingering economic hangover from the 2008 crash. Only the top 20% of U.S. households had fully recovered the wealth they had prior to the Great Recession.” It was a different story for the uber-rich and “the wealthiest 400 billionaires in the United States—had fully recovered their wealth within three years. Within a decade, their wealth had increased over 80%.”
This lopsided economy may be the incendiary spark that, in part, created the anger, resentment and frustration, which led to the riots, looting and mayhem we saw last month and continue to witness in places, like Portland, Oregon. Maybe it's not a coincidence that we’ve all seen the emergence of “Karens” and the male equivalents, who are filled with uncontrollable hate and spew rage-fueled rants that can be viewed daily on Twitter.
The pandemic led to the creation of a new underclass of workers. These are the overlooked folks who stock shelves at Amazon, shop for our food in supermarkets, deliver packages, drive Ubers, take care of elderly residents at nursing homes and engage in an array of other gig-economy and lower-wage work. Those essential jobs place these people in dire situations, which substantially increase their health risks. Usually these are dead-end, no-growth roles that they remain stuck in.
If this trend continues, America could become a medieval, feudalistic country. We’ll have an elite oligarchy running things, supported by a coterie of top lawyers, accountants and managers. At the bottom of the pyramid will be the working class conducting all of the dirty jobs for low pay, at the cost of personal health risks.
This doesn’t mean we need to take the wealth away. Our elected leaders need to formulate smart strategies to ensure that the other 99% of Americans will have a forward path toward leading a successful life for themselves and their children.


text:
Yoda in Mickey Mouse Company and the Star Wars Saga Continues
The news of the Walt Disney Company’s recent acquisition of Lucasfilm Ltd has fans of the Star Wars saga in high spirits with Disney announcing the revival of the franchise with a trilogy that will hit the screen in three short years, according to the Huffington Post.
Media scholar and critic Zaki Hasan wrote in the Huffington Post that this acquisition is one of the best things to happen to the Star Wars brand as it would “let it breathe, building on the foundation that Lucas built while benefitting from the creative input of other voices.”
Like Us on Facebook
Interestingly, George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilms, too, feel that the Star Wars brand has a future beyond him.
"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next," said Lucas said in a statement. "It's now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I've always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I'm confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney's reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products."
The Star Wars franchise, which has flourished for more than 35 years, has earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date. Officials at Disney believe that the franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content with global appeal.
"Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas," Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement. "This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney's unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value."
The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney buying Pixar in 2006 and Marvel in 2009, where Disney has stayed away from interfering in each company’s creative process.
Rick Marshall, a journalist and blogger who writes about the comic book and movie industries, told the Boston.com that he was skeptical when Disney bought Marvel. But he noted that Disney didn’t taint the Marvel’s originality by getting too involved.
‘‘I was the first one to say there’s going to be a Goofy-Wolverine crossover,’’ Marshall told the Boston.com. ‘‘We haven’t seen that .... Disney was able to step away.’’


text:
Ford Motors Extends Mechanical Support To Mumbai & East India Customers Whose Cars Were Affected By Torrential Rains
The Auto Manufacturer is offering 50 percent discount on damaged parts and labor chargeby Riju Ganguly, on
There is some big news for the Ford vehicle owners living in Mumbai and East India. After the devastating rains in Mumbai, Ford Motors has decided to extend their helping hand to those customers whose cars were damaged by the rains, subsequent floods and water logging.
Ford has decided to bare 50 percent of their customer’s liability in replacement of auto parts for which they claimed insurance. To ensure smooth flow of work Surveyors from insurance companies have been stationed at the Ford service centres to make sure that the insurance claims are processed swiftly. To further help their customers Ford is also extending additional benefits as well which includes free engine oil replacement on all affected Ford vehicles, 50% discount on anti-rust coating on the underbody and a 50% discount on labor charges for replacement of those parts not covered under insurance claims.
Additionally all the service centers will remain open and operational until extra hours to continue with the maintenance and repair work. Ford is also helping those customers by offering 20 percent discount on booking self-driving cars from Zoom car in case the cars take more than 24 hours to complete.
Ford Customers can also seek for Ford Road Side Assistance at 1800-209-7400 or 1800-103-7400 and Ford Customer Relationship Centre at 1800-419-2500 or 1800-425-2500 for all other queries.


text:
HS2 Ltd has kicked off a four-day event that will showcase GBP 12 billion (EUR 13.48 billion) HS2 contract opportunities that businesses from across the UK can find out how to prepare and start bidding for.
The event will give businesses, across hundreds of sectors, a crucial insight into how they can become part of HS2’s rapidly growing supply chain, which already includes over 2,000 businesses.
The company responsible for the implementation of Britain’s new high speed railway says that over 2,000 people registered to attend the virtual event to find out more about the estimated 400,000 supply chain opportunities that will emerge, and how they can get ‘HS2 ready’. 78% of registrations are from SMEs, spanning a range of business specialisms including logistics, electrical engineering, fencing and accommodation providers.
“This event will unlock billions of pounds worth of new contract opportunities on HS2, providing thousands of businesses and their employees with guaranteed incomes, and helping the country’s economic recovery in these uncertain times,” Mark Thurston, the CEO of HS2 Ltd said.
The four-day programme is being delivered in partnership with HS2’s four main works construction partners (Balfour Beatty Vinci (BBV)); Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial, BAM Nutall (EKFB)); Align and Skanska Costain Strabag) and two stations contractors (Balfour Beatty/Vinci/Systra and Mace/Dragados), who between them will unlock thousands of individual work packages which range in size and value between GBP 5,000 (EUR 5,600) and GBP 200 million (EUR 224.7 million).
The potential contracts represent a huge boost for British businesses seeking security and growth amidst the economic uncertainty arising from the Coronavirus pandemic. The HS2 contract opportunities include the delivery of HS2’s Phase One programme between London and Birmingham, involving the work on the tunnels, viaducts and station foundations along the 140-mile (225 km) route.
HS2 Ltd has so far awarded 98% of its current contracts to UK-based businesses, 70% of which have gone to SMEs, and it aims to continue that positive trend through direct engagement with suppliers and local business during the Meet the Contractor event.
In September the formal HS2 construction has been launched. This year, tenders have been launched for HS2 power supply systems, electrification, signalling and control systems as well as for the track systems.


text:
Silicon Graphics announced on Wednesday the resignation of Chairman and CEO Edward McCracken and the potential for up to 1,000 layoffs. Additionally, SGI will take a restructuring charge of $50 million for the quarter.
"I've decided that now is the right time for the company and for me personally to make a change," said McCracken. "When I joined Silicon Graphics in 1984, it was a 100-person graphics company with great people and ambitious objectives. Today we are the world's leader not only in graphics but in the entire high-performance computing market. I've been proud to be associated with the talented and innovative people of Silicon Graphics, and I'm looking forward to continuing in a strategic role with the company. I'm very confident that Silicon Graphics will continue to grow under new leadership, and I'm committed to making the transition successful."
SGI hits a sales peak in 1995 but has seen their marketshare fall dramatically recently


text:
Microsoft Azure Outage Explanation Doesn't Soothe
Microsoft leader's post mortem on Azure cloud outage cites a human error factor, but leaves other questions unanswered. Does this remind you of how Amazon played its earlier lightning strike incident?
Top Considerations For Cloud EHR Buyers
Cloud computing offers a speed ramp into the electronic health record highway. But don't overlook critical questions about security, performance, say legal experts at HIMSS.
Windows 8 Beta: 8 Insights For IT
Microsoft Windows 8 Consumer Preview, now available for download, gives valuable information to enterprise IT pros preparing for the final version.
Microsoft Azure Suffers Outage
Microsoft Azure cloud services dashboard shows access problem in three regions; most users back online within eight hours.
Timeline For Facebook Pages Takes Getting Used To
Businesses that use Facebook for marketing and to connect to customers may learn to love Timeline for Facebook Pages. But designers and developers of custom tabs will have to scramble to adjust over the next 30 days.
The Big Data Challenge: Social Data Meets Corporate Data
With the rise of social media sites, companies are getting hit with a blizzard of unstructured data, and must now find cost-effective ways to integrate and analyze the collective pool of big data to generate granular business insights.
Skills Shortage? Quit Whining
If "people are our most important resource," why do most employers expect this precious asset to show up gift wrapped?
3 IT Trends At World-Class Banks
To optimize global opportunities, banks must strive for standardization, tackle customer experience from the top down, and move beyond traditional IT outsourcing.
Know Your Tribe, Be Your Tribe
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in initiating major company changes is to expect that everyone's reaction will be even remotely like yours.


text:
The last 12 months have seen retailers adopt a host of new cross-channel shopping technologies, making it easier than ever for customers to buy from a mobile or tablet device both at home and when out shopping.
Through the adoption of in-store crossover functions such as click and collect, retailers are now able to combine online, offline and mobile approaches in order to provide customers with a truly omni-channel approach. For example, according to a benchmark survey from IBM, on Thanksgiving in the U.S. 40% of all sales were completed on mobile devices. On Black Friday, 35.3% of sales were on mobile. A similar survey from the National Retail Federation found that on Thanksgiving weekend in 2015 more people shopped online than in stores.
As our latest research has shown, this convergence between online and offline commerce has become a vital part of the mobile shopping experience, with 50% of UK consumers placing “while out shopping” in their top three locations for browsing a mobile device.
As a result, brands should be looking to approach their customers on both a physical and a digital level – making the most of both platforms in order to generate a more complete user experience. The only question is can they actually achieve it?
Who is doing it right?
That is the question that we set out to answer through our annual mobile benchmark study. For the past five years we have been watching and analysing the behaviour and performance of UK brands, cataloguing their evolution in our annual commerce report.
This year we set out to take a global approach, expanding our research to include 100 retailer brands across the US, Benelux, the Nordics and Australia. By using these international comparisons alongside independent research into 5,000 consumers across these regions, we have been able to identify how customer expectations are being met around the globe. We also identify the very best omni-channel retailers worldwide.
So, which brands rose to the challenge in 2015? Here are the top five for each region:
The two most frequent consumer complaints
While all of these winners displayed both a strong mobile offering and a wider commitment to omni-channel marketing, generally speaking there was still a long way to go. As our research revealed, many consumers still feel that their expectations are not being met by the existing mobile shopping experiences on offer.
Across the globe, our respondents complained that many retailers’ sites and mobile apps were slow and difficult to navigate – two of the most commonly cited consumer frustrations from last year’s report.
These frustrations were also reflected in medium-to-low scores through the benchmarking activity on the quality of the retailers’ mobile experiences. While the average score for UK retailers has improved since 2014, it remains at only 57%. For US retailers the average was 50%, followed by 35% for the Nordics, 34% in Australia and 26% in Benelux.
While this leaves significant room for improvement across all regions, organisations should see this as an opportunity to update their offering and, ultimately, improve their ability to meet customer demands. The opportunity exists, and the technology is already here; it’s simply a case of marketers choosing to embrace it – or risk falling behind.


text:
Elon Musk recently announced that Tesla would be creating cars that could drive themselves, and that they would be on sale within the next three years. That means by 2016 you could let your Tesla pilot itself down the road while you quickly check your email. Stuck in traffic? Let your car handle the stop and start while you browse some articles.
Musk has in the past pointed out that the technology was too expensive, so this is a bit of a turn around for the CEO. But once he announces that something is a goal, Musk tends to have a track record of follow through. No one expected him to revolutionize the car industry with all-electric vehicles, or put people in space or create a solar installation revolution. But with Tesla, SpaceX and SolarCity, Musk has become one of the major industrial revolutionaries.
But why focus on this technology, other than the cool factor? And how can Tesla pull it off? Here are three reasons it makes sense and will probably happen.
High-end luxury vehicles are already heading down this path
Manufacturers like Mercedes are already including auto-pilot like technologies in their cars that are already for sale. Mercedes’s lane assist technology will prevent someone who’s fallen asleep at the wheel from driving across the line. You can’t quite take your hands off while on the highway and let it take you places, but it’s an evolutionary step closer to that.
Adaptive cruise control, also in many high-end cars, can slow down before you come up on the bumper of a car behind you. Once you set it, you don’t have to keep messing with it because of cars moving slower up ahead. Brakes can pre-prime when they detect stopping cars ahead. Some cars even initiate braking maneuvers to save lives.
Other cars are able to park themselves. As luxury cars are coming with abilities that were once considered futuristic, the Tesla will work to keep a step ahead. Or at least even. Mercedes won’t be staying still on lane assist technology. You can bet Tesla will be innovating as well to attract its luxury buyers. And it’s luxury cars that have the high margins that allow them to insert high-end technology on the leading edge. Unlike other EV manufacturers, Tesla has the margins to be able to play with a technology like this.
Tesla is as much a tech company as a car company
Tesla isn’t just competing with auto manufacturers, even though that is the battle many focus on. Tesla is at heart a technology company that makes hardware no other technology company makes: cars. Tesla doesn’t just have Ford to keep an eye on, Tesla is eyeing what the folks at Google are doing as well. Don’t forget, Elon Musk made his money from his time spent at Paypal.
The insight that allowed the Tesla Roadster to become a reality was that laptop batteries, thousands of them, could serve as a power system for an electric car. It was an insight missing at other car makers that came because Tesla has Silicon Valley in its veins as much as anything. And if Google is working on automated driving, Tesla will be motivated to match the technology.
Because Tesla Model S has the highest safety score of any car ever tested
When the Tesla Model S was tested it blew the safety score records off the charts. It even broke equipment trying to test its limits. It’s fast become a point of pride for the folks at Tesla, and they’re leveraging it much like the folks at Volvo used it to promote their own vehicles.
Future technology for helping safety means helping humans get out of the decision loop. There’s only so much you can do for the car once it’s hitting something. Helping it avoid hitting things is far more effective and not hurting the people inside. Just as automated braking technology and better swerving help is being built into cars, more advanced driving technology, autopiloting, will all help Tesla become a safer car.
There are many reasons for Tesla to look toward automated driving as something that will help it distinguish itself in the market. The fact that Elon Musk is now claiming it’s coming means the race toward automated driving is picking up. And Tesla looks to be jockeying for the lead.


text:
When we heard the news that there would be a distinct lack of a Kardashian Christmas Card in our lives this year, our holiday spirit was crushed as much as it was that year we forgot to buy any mulled wine.
Bit awkward, no?
In new reports for InTouch, it’s claimed that 37-year-old Kanye West is “largely to blame” for a lack of Kardashian festivities in our lives this year because he wanted a card with wife Kim, 34, and daughter north.
Cute. But STILL. We’ll miss the Kardashian Khristmas Kard like we’d miss opening our Xmas stockings whilst watching Home Alone.
An insider told the magazine: “‘He wants to have his own card with Kim and North.”
You could still do that Kanye, and just have the rest of the Kardashian Klan lurking in the background? No? Rightio.
The source added that the problem of Kris and Bruce Jenner’s split, and Bruce’s ever-changing appearance also hindered the card efforts.
They explained: “It’s awkward if he’s in it and awkward if he’s not.
“There will probably never be a Kardashian family Christmas card again of all of them.”
NO SORRY WHAT NO THANK YOU ACTUALLY.
Their Christmas card is as much as a tradition in our lives as it is in theirs, so to get rid of it forever would basically be illegal we think.
We reckon we’d even be happy if every family member took a photo holding a mince pie in their own time, and then photoshopped all the photos together.
Honestly, we’ll even do it for you guys. FOR FREE.
Kim previously told Glamour magazine that the Kardashian-Jenner’s busy schedules were to blame for the card-shaped holes in our lives, revealing: “We’re a little confused this year because we ran out of time, I think this is the first year that we’re not doing our card.”
“We’re kind of sad, we just couldn’t get it together.”
We’re sad too Kimmy. She also hinted that there were perhaps some family members who weren’t willing to get involved.
She added: “And where is everyone? Y’know, this one doesn’t want to be in it, this one does want to be in it, so who knows.”
Just PLEASE don’t ditch the cards forever. They’re competition for our favourite part of Christmas.
No, SERIOUSLY. STAY WITH US.
[Kim Kardashian Confirms There's No Kardashian Christmas Card This Year]
[Katie Price Criticises Kim Kardashian's Nude Photos. NO REALLY]


text:
Willow Smith Is Bringing Positive Energy To The New Onitsuka Tiger Campaign
A portion of sales from the collection will go towards the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Following the release of her album The Anxiety with Tyler Cole in March, Willow Smith has a new fashion gig as brand ambassador Onitsuka Tiger. She stars in the Japanese label's Fall 2020 campaign, released on Wednesday, and a portion of the sales from the collection will go towards the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
"In this campaign, we expressed Willow's natural beauty and strength, as well as her love for the Earth, which oozed from the bottom of her soul," said Andrea Pompilio, the Creative Director of Onitsuka Tiger, in an official statement.
Smith, who shot the campaign off in a desert somewhere prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, is no stranger to the fashion world. She's garnered a modeling contract, magazine covers, front row seats at runway shows, and, at the age of 15, was named a Chanel ambassadress in 2016.
"I immediately connected with Onitsuka Tiger's vision for their new campaign," said Smith in an official statement. "I loved that we were able to align both of our energies and create something that promotes a positive existence in this world. I’m excited for the future of the brand."
Well, the world could use some positive existence right now. Even if that's coming through a fashion campaign.
Check out photos from the Onitsuka Tiger campaign, starring Smith, below.


text:
Airbnb delighted to have engaged tourism minister over proposed bill
Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom met with Airbnb SA country manager Velma Corcoran and other representatives of the online accommodation platform last week, in the context of the current call for public comment on the Tourism Amendment Bill, published on April 15.
The bill aims to address, among other issues, the regulatory vacuum on short-term rentals by defining short-term home rentals as “the renting or leasing on a temporary basis, for reward, of a dwelling or a part thereof, to a visitor”.
“For South Africa to reach its ambitious tourism goals that are key to economic development and job creation for all citizens, it’s vital that guests to the country have a wide selection of accommodation and experience options - including home sharing, which allows guests to stay in different areas, as well as with local hosts who are ambassadors to their country,” Corcoran said.
She added that Airbnb hosts had added a significant amount to the economy, generating R8.7billion between June 2017 and May last year.
“To continue this trend and to not disadvantage any citizen of South Africa, Airbnb supports fair and proportional rules that are evidence-based, benefit local people, and distinguish between professional and non- professional activity taking into account local conditions.
“For example, rules based on the level of activity as opposed to the platform where the accommodation is listed, with a clear distinction between traditional hospitality providers and occasional home sharers.”
Hanekom said he welcomed the spirit of the discussion and co-operation from Airbnb, and further appreciated their commitment to contribute constructively to the legislative review processes, in support of the country’s tourism development growth objectives.
“We welcome Airbnb and other game-changing innovations that are opening up new markets for destinations, offering travellers affordable holidays, and allowing smaller industry players to thrive. Many of these are able to flourish through the ease of use of shared-economy platforms,” said Hanekom.
Director-general for the department Victor Tharage said: “The Amendment Draft Bill in its current form proposes that the minister be empowered to determine such thresholds.
“We urge our stakeholders to submit their comments, to enable us to strengthen the bill in order to serve the interest of inclusive tourism growth in South Africa.”


text:
A local gelato maker’s plan to share its Jackson Ward storefront with a new hard seltzer brewer got a greenlight from the city on Monday.
Stoplight Gelato Cafe at 405 Brook Road got a recommendation from the Richmond Planning Commission to allow Richmond Seltzer Co. to install a small-batch brewing operation in its shop.
The idea requires an amendment to an existing special-use permit for Stoplight’s space.
Richmond Seltzer Co. was founded last year as national popularity of alcohol-infused seltzer skyrocketed. Founders Iain Gordon and Vanessa Gleiser spent the last year searching for a space and testing recipes.
The fledgling business connected with Stoplight, which was founded by Barbara Given in 2017. Mike Wilbert and Caitlin Kilcoin purchased the business from Given in 2019, but the café has been closed ever since the pandemic reached Richmond in spring 2020.
Wilbert, who wasn’t available for comment by press time, wrote in the special-use permit amendment application that Stoplight can no longer support expenses or break even by itself.
“Therefore, in order to cover the costs of operating an in-person and to-go food and beverage establishment, Stoplight is pursuing a partnership with a new concept to help increase business demand and share the cost,” Wilbert wrote.
With Richmond Seltzer Co. joining the cafe, Wilbert wrote that Stoplight would be able to reopen. Richmond Seltzer Co. would have a tasting counter at the front of the house and put its production area in a garage and storage area at the rear of the building, which Wilbert owns.
Wilbert wrote that Stoplight and Richmond Seltzer Co. hope to be an example of growth and creativity while navigating pandemic life.
“Existing businesses must adapt and realize we can no longer ‘go on our own.’ Stoplight and (Richmond Seltzer Co.) view this partnership as a win for all parties: the neighborhood benefits from the re-opening of a community-focused cafe rather than a closed business, and two small businesses operate with a higher likelihood of success,” he wrote.
The planning commission also recommended approval of a special-use permit at 3700 Monument Ave., where International Mission Board and Ohio’s Silver Hills Development are planning a 263-unit apartment complex.
Both the Stoplight and IMB ordinances are slated to be heard by the City Council at its June 14 meeting. Both items are on the council’s consent agenda, which contains matters that are considered routine and non-controversial.


text:
By Eric Lam
Hong Kong’s retail environment showed further signs of improvement in November, although the recovery may have been short-lived as the city was hit with a fresh wave of virus infections and imposed new restrictions late in the month.
The provisional value of total retail sales in November 2020 was HK$28.7 billion ($3.7 billion), down by 4% compared with the same month in 2019. That was better than the median forecast of -7.4% in a Bloomberg survey of economists and an improvement from a revised -8.7% in October. Sales by volume fell 4.7%, according to the government statement.
The economy showed some signs of improvement in the second half of 2020 alongside recoveries across the region as China’s rebound fueled demand. However, that’s been dampened by fresh waves of infections since November, with the city re-imposing social distancing restrictions including shuttering bars and nightclubs to help curb the outbreaks.
Restrictions were tightened further in December ahead of the critical year-end shopping season, with restaurants forced to halt in-person dining after 6 p.m. On Monday the government also pushed back the re-opening of classrooms for more than a month as part of measures to stamp out the spread of the virus.
“As inbound tourism remains at a standstill, and the fourth wave of the local epidemic has weighed on local consumption sentiment since the latter part of November, the business environment of the retail trade will remain challenging in the near term,” the government said in the statement.
The brightening picture in November was due largely to a 22% jump in the value of sales of electrical and other consumer durable goods from a year ago, according to the government statement. Sales of commodities in supermarkets, motor vehicles and parts, and furniture also rose, the data showed.
The government allocated additional support to businesses hurt by the shutdowns and Financial Secretary Paul Chan said in a blog post Sunday that the economy will probably return to growth in 2021 as the recovery strengthens in the second half of the year.


text:
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is expected to showcase three new iPhones on Wednesday, including its biggest and most expensive model yet, as the company seeks to widen the product's appeal amid slowing sales. Most of the buzz is swirling around a rumored iPhone with a screen that's bigger than the one on last year's dramatically designed model , the iPhone X.
As with the iPhone X, this larger phone would have a screen that runs from edge to edge, in an effort to maximize the display without making the phone too awkward to hold. The screen would need no backlight, so black would appear as truly black rather than simply dark.
If the speculation pans out, the even-bigger iPhone would represent Apple's attempt to feed consumers' appetite for increasingly bigger screens as they rely on smartphones to watch and record video, as well as take photos wherever they are. The iPhone X also got rid of the home button to make room for more screen and introduced facial-recognition technology to unlock the device.It was the first mass-market smartphone to demand a $1,000 starting price.
Although the iPhone X didn't fulfill analysts' lofty sales expectations, it fared well enough for Apple to up the ante with the bigger model, whose price Apple is expected to unveil Wednesday.
Apple also is expected to release an iPhone with minor updates to last year's $1,000 model and another version made of cheaper materials, including one with a traditional, backlit screen. Even so, the cheaper iPhone is still expected to sell for $650 to $750. The cheaper phone also is expected to lose the home button. Price cuts for older models, with the home button, are also likely.
Names for the new devices aren't known. The company may also announce a new smartwatch. Apple didn't comment ahead of Wednesday's event, which is being held at its Cupertino, California, headquarters.
By making more expensive iPhones, Apple has been able to boost its profits despite waning demand as people upgrade phones less frequently. IPhones fetched an average price of $724 during the April-June period, a nearly 20 percent increase from a year earlier.
Worldwide smartphone sales grew just two percent during that period, according to the research firm Gartner, Inc. During the second quarter, which is typically slow for Apple, China's Huawei Technologies surpassed Apple as the second-largest seller of smartphones, based on Gartner's calculations. Samsung remained in the lead.