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February 16, 2023
E-commerce negotiations enter final lap, Kyrgyz Republic joins initiative
Participants in the negotiations on e-commerce intensified efforts to seek convergence on various topics during their 13-16 February meetings, aiming to wrap up talks by the end of 2023. The co-convenors of the negotiations — Australia, Japan and Singapore — welcomed the Kyrgyz Republic as a new participant, bringing the total number of WTO members participating in the e-commerce initiative to 88.
All copyrights for this article are reserved to WTO news


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Europa Road has launched a new customs product to preserve transit times and the flow of goods between the UK and Europe after the Brexit transition period comes to an end on 31st December.
The Leeds branch of Europa Road, a division of the UK’s leading independent logistics provider, Europa… Read More
Leading international exhibition logistics firm Europa Showfreight has appointed a new Operations Manager to spearhead the… Read More
Europa Road pilot apprenticeship programme Europa Road is celebrating after two employees passed their driving apprenticeships… Read More
Europa Worldwide Group, has announced its annual financial results for year ending 31st December 2018, showcasing… Read More
Europa Worldwide Group recognises duo with double promotion Both based at Europa’s Dartford head office, Vanita… Read More

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SuperGaming, a party hub for casual gamers, has raised around INR 9 crore in seed funding from Dream Incubator, AET Fund and Better Capital, an early-stage investor. The money will be used to build the company’s social platform, partner with other popular games, and team expansion
Mumbai-based online education platform Lido Learning has raised USD 3 Million in its Series A round led by Ronnie Screwvala, chairman of another edtech startup Upgrad and other investors in the round included Medlife CEO Ananth Narayanan, MD JK Tyres Vikrampati Singhania, CEO Shaadi.com Anupam Mittal and MD of Patni Wealth Advisors Arihant Patni, among others.
Venture capital firm 100X VC has announced the launch of its formal corporate venture capital (CVC) programme, where it will be on-boarding Indian corporates as their investment partners.
Pune-based Windrose Capital said it has marked the initial close of its debut fund that seeks to invest up to USD 30 million in early-stage startups in India and the fund has already invested in “multiple startups” housed in financial services, healthcare logistics and artificial intelligence (AI)-based data insights sectors.
Digital payments firm Paytm plans to invest INR 500 crore in early stage startups that build complementary technologies augmenting the digital ecosystem and the company will focus on artificial intelligence-based technology and big data solutions for new innovations that can generate large scale employment


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Shares of Enersys (NYSE:ENS) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the six brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have issued a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $85.00.
ENS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Zacks Investment Research cut Enersys from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Oppenheimer Holdings, Inc. restated a “buy” rating on shares of Enersys in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. ValuEngine upgraded Enersys from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 2nd. Finally, BidaskClub cut Enersys from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 12th.
WARNING: “Analysts Set Enersys (ENS) Target Price at $85.00” was first reported by BBNS and is owned by of BBNS. If you are accessing this report on another site, it was illegally stolen and reposted in violation of United States and international copyright and trademark legislation. The legal version of this report can be viewed at https://baseballnewssource.com/markets/enersys-ens-receives-consensus-recommendation-of-hold-from-brokerages-updated-updated-updated/1180502.html.
In related news, insider Holger P. Aschke sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total value of $243,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 28,928 shares in the company, valued at $2,343,168. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Kerry M. Kane sold 4,413 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.16, for a total value of $362,572.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 17,210 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,413,973.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 7,676 shares of company stock worth $627,462 in the last 90 days. 1.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in Enersys by 17,956.9% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,444,522 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $350,852,000 after buying an additional 4,419,908 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Enersys by 9.4% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,710,902 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $292,939,000 after buying an additional 318,032 shares during the period. Boston Partners raised its stake in Enersys by 47.8% in the second quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,676,099 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $193,884,000 after buying an additional 866,056 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its stake in Enersys by 3.5% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,432,212 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $113,059,000 after buying an additional 48,515 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in Enersys by 2.4% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 927,653 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $73,229,000 after buying an additional 21,932 shares during the period. 95.84% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Shares of Enersys (NYSE ENS) traded up 0.16% during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $72.89. 242,950 shares of the company’s stock traded hands. Enersys has a 52-week low of $62.86 and a 52-week high of $84.74. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $73.16 and a 200-day moving average of $77.37. The stock has a market cap of $3.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.02 and a beta of 1.65.
Enersys (NYSE:ENS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 30th. The industrial products company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.28. Enersys had a return on equity of 19.57% and a net margin of 6.77%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Enersys will post $4.96 EPS for the current year.
EnerSys is a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of industrial batteries. The Company manufactures, markets and distributes related products, such as chargers, power equipment, outdoor cabinet enclosures and battery accessories, and provides related after-market and customer-support services for industrial batteries.
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Verve, a specialist in location-based marketing, is the latest to prove that private ad tech firms can still throw some weight around.
The New York-based group announced a $30 million debt financing package from long-standing investor Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). It speaks for a strong few years for Verve, which boasts 50% annual growth since 2012.
Verve provides a platform for advertisers to target roaming mobile users, and the investment comes just after Facebook encroached on the same space, announcing new capabilities for its advertisers to target users with options for local retail outlets.
App marketing group Fiksu was recently shouldered into an acquisition of its own. CEO Micah Adler claimed that too much competition was coming from its fellow ad tech firms in light of Google and Facebook taking “eighty-five cents of every new advertising dollar”.
Set for growth
Despite the impact of big firms wading in on the ad tech scene, their success doesn’t seem to have deterred Verve from striking huge deals.
In March, the group opened in the UK, with its European partners demonstrating strong performance. This added to a string of seven offices across the United States, as well as a presence in Eastern Europe, India and Southeast Asia.
“Verve is a pioneer in the mobile location business, and we have proven our ability to build a rapid-growth, profitable platform with industry-leading margins,” commented Verve CEO Nada Stirratt.
“We know that the mobile landscape will evolve, and Verve plans to be at the forefront of delivering greater advertising performance for our clients,” she added.
According to Stirratt, we can expect to see some upcoming data and technology acquisitions in the wake of this latest investment, while the group plans to “double” the size of its product and engineering team.
Earlier in the month, Verve announced Melanie Kalemba into the newly-created post of senior vice president and general manager of Verve Enterprise.


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By Bill Tomson
Fourteen human illnesses in nine states have been linked to salmonella-contaminated pet food, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
The outbreak of a rare strain of salmonella comes several months after the FDA began a nationwide effort to test dog, cat, bird, hamster, reptile and even fish food for the bacteria that has a history of sickening pet owners.
The illnesses and the connection to dog food made by the privately owned Diamond Pet Foods were confirmed after state agencies tested open bags at the homes of victims and unopened bags, the FDA said.
Three human illnesses in Missouri, three in North Carolina, two in Pennsylvania, two in Ohio, one in Alabama, one in Connecticut, one in Michigan, one in New Jersey and one in Virginia have been linked to the outbreak. Five of the victims were hospitalized and there have been no deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Company officials could not be reached for immediate comment.
The specific dry dog food products being recalled by the company are Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice Formula, Diamond Puppy Formula and Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Adult Light Formula.
Salmonella germs can be passed to pet owners by "handling contaminated food, not washing your hands properly after handling food, or through the stool of pets, where Salmonella germs can be shed for 4-to-6 weeks after a pet is infected," and FDA spokeswoman said.
There have been no reports of people getting sick after eating pet food, she said.
FDA officials began the nationwide effort to test pet food for salmonella contamination in October last year, taking samples from stores such as PetSmart Inc. (>> PetSmart, Inc.), PetCo, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), Costco Wholesale Corp. (>> Costco Wholesale Corporation), Sam's Club and Target Corp. (>> Target Corporation).
CDC data shows 70 people got sick from January 2006 through December 2007 in connection with salmonella-tainted dry dog food produced in Pennsylvania.
-By Bill Tomson, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-646-0088; [email protected]


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The business week
Silver Pail Dairy, the Fermoy-based ice-cream maker, is to manufacture 30 flavours of ice-cream for 140 Baskin-Robbins stores in Britain.
Tony Ryan, the former GPA boss and founder of Ryanair, added to his stake in drug company Amarin with the purchase of 800,000 shares at $2.50 (€2.07) per share.
TUESDAY: IIB predicted that house prices would rise 8% in 2006. Figures from the environment department showed that almost 81,000 houses and apartments were built last year, up 5.2% on 2004, the 11th consecutive record year.
WEDNESDAY: Fund services company Citco is to hire a further 250 in the city, adding to its workforce of 600 in Cork and Dublin.
Northern Rock more than doubled its Irish customer base to 3% of the savings market in


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The California attorney general recently published a set of frequently asked questions providing general consumer information on the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The CCPA—enacted in June 2018 (covered by a Buckley Special Alert) and amended several times—became effective January 1. Final proposed regulations were submitted by the AG last month as required under the CCPA’s July 1 statutory deadline (covered by InfoBytes here), and are currently with the California Office of Administrative Law for review. The FAQs—which will be updated periodically and do not serve as legal advice, regulatory guidance, or as an opinion of the AG—are intended to provide consumers guidance on exercising their rights under the CCPA.
- General CCPA information. The FAQs address consumer rights under the CCPA and reiterate that these rights apply only to California residents. This section also clarifies the definition of “personal information,” outlines businesses’ compliance thresholds, and states that the CCPA does not apply to nonprofit organizations and government agencies. The FAQs also remind consumers of their limited ability to sue businesses for CCPA violations and details the conditions that must be met before a consumer may sue a business for a data breach. The FAQs remind consumers that if they believe a business has violated the CCPA, they may file a complaint with the AG’s office.
- Right to opt-out of sale. The FAQs answer common questions related to consumers’ requests for businesses not to sell their personal information. The FAQs provide information on the steps for submitting opt-out requests, as well as explanations for why a business may deny an opt-out request. It also address circumstances where a consumer receives a response from a service provider that says it is not required to act on an opt-out request.
- Right to know. The FAQs discuss a consumer’s right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold, and clarifies what consumers should do to submit requests to know, how long a business may take to respond, and what steps should be taken if a business requests more information, denies a request to know, or claims to be a service provider that is not required to respond.
- Request to delete. The FAQs address several questions related to consumers’ right to delete personal information, including how to submit a request to delete, businesses’ responses to and denials of requests to delete, and why a debt collector may make an attempt to collect a debt or a credit reporting agency may provide credit information even after a request to delete has been made.
- Right to non-discrimination. Consumers are reminded that a business “cannot deny goods or services, charge. . .a different price, or provide a different level or quality of goods or services just because [a consumer] exercised [his or her] rights under the CCPA.”
- Data brokers. The FAQs set forth the definition of a data broker under California law and outline steps for consumers interested in finding data brokers that collect and sell personal information, as well as measures consumers can take to opt-out of the sale of certain personal information.
California Department of Business Oversight will monitor licensees’ compliance with face covering guidance
The California Department of Business Oversight announced that it will monitor licensees’ compliance with face covering guidance issued by the California governor and the California Department of Public Health. All customers must be required to wear appropriate face coverings under circumstances outlined in the guidance, and those who refuse to comply and do not meet the outlined exemptions should be refused entry to banks, credit unions, and other places of business.
On June 30, the California governor signed Executive Order N-17-20 (previously discussed here), which extends authorization for local governments to halt evictions for renters impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic through September 30. Among other things, the executive order also extends the deadlines in connection with certain licenses, including real estate licenses, which we previously covered here.
California governor extends time period to submit real estate renewal applications, fees, and continuing education requirements
On June 15, the California governor issued Executive Order N-69-20, which extends the provisions of the governor’s April 16 executive order, Executive Order N-52-20, and grants an additional 60-day extension to submit real estate license renewal applications, fees, and continuing education requirements. The California Department of Real Estate also updated its FAQs for applicants and licensees regarding Executive Order N-69-20 and Executive Order N-52-20.
The final version of the proposed regulations, which are substantively unchanged from the March draft modifications (covered by InfoBytes here), include an updated statement of reasons summarizing the modifications and reiterating that the “stated bases for the necessity of the proposed regulations continue to apply to the regulations as adopted.”
The AG also submitted an expedited review request, asking that the regulations take effect upon filing with the Secretary of State. The CCPA imposes a July 1 statutory deadline for the AG to adopt initial regulations. However, due to challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, California Executive Order N-40-20 allows the OAL 30 working days, plus an additional 60 calendar days to finalize proposed regulations. Because of this, the AG respectfully requested that the OAL complete its review within 30 days, given the July 1 deadline.
On May 27, the California Department of Business Oversight (CDBO) filed an order to ban an Encino-based company from the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) industry for allegedly engaging in fraudulent behavior. According to the press release, the CDBO received 30 complaints from 2018 to 2019 alleging the company solicited homeowners by advertising a “free government program,” but used the homeowners’ personal financial information to submit contracts to PACE program administrators with forged electronic signatures. Additionally, complaints alleged various other fraudulent and illegal actions including, (i) the creation of false email accounts to have the PACE financing documents routed to the agents instead of the homeowners; and (ii) the impersonation of homeowners’ voices on state law required completion calls. The CDBO also asserts that the company sold products at three to five times the usual industry rate and used “high-pressure” sales tactics directed at the elderly and non-primary English speakers. In addition to the Desist and Refrain Order, which demands the company discontinue illegal practices and stop soliciting PACE contract, the CDBO notes that a similar but separate order will also be filed against the company president, who is a PACE solicitor agent.
On May 26, the California Department of Business Oversight issued an investor alert on exempt securities offerings, aka “private placements,” during Covid-19. The alert outlines the reasons why such offerings carry a higher risk of fraud and offers suggestions for potential investors to protect themselves.
Special Alert: California Assembly to introduce legislation for Covid-19-related relief for mortgage loans, vehicle-secured credit, PACE financing, and deferred deposit transactions
We understand that the California State Assembly will shortly propose amendments to Assembly Bill No. 2501 to create the “COVID-19 Homeowner, Tenant, and Consumer Relief Law of 2020.” As of posting of this Alert, the proposed legislation is not available on California’s legislative service website. The proposed law would provide relief to homeowners, tenants, and vehicle owners by prohibiting creditors and loan servicers from taking specified actions, including initiating foreclosures or repossessions, during the period from the date of enactment of the proposed law through the 180-day period following the date that California Governor Gavin Newsom declares the emergency related to Covid-19 has ended. Additionally, the proposed law would require servicers to place certain loans that become delinquent into automatic forbearance for a period of at least six months.
The proposed law appears similar to portions of an appropriations bill, “Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act,” which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on March 23, 2020, prior to the enactment of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and failed to pass. We understand that the proposed law is scheduled to be heard before the California State Assembly Banking Committee on May 19.
California Supreme Court: No jury trial for UCL and FAL claims seeking civil penalties in addition to injunctive or other equitable relief
On April 30, the California Supreme Court issued an opinion holding that under the state’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) and the False Advertising Law (FAL), government enforcement actions seeking civil penalties in addition to injunctive or other equitable relief should be decided by a judge instead of by a jury. The decision overturns a Court of Appeal decision holding that a jury must weigh in when civil penalties are involved. The decision stems from a suit filed in 2015 by the California Department of Business Oversight and several district attorneys (collectively, “People”) against a national debt payment service operation for alleged violations of the UCL and FAL. While the debt payment service operation demanded a jury trial, the People filed a motion to strike, which the trial court granted. The Court of Appeal overturned the trial court decision, holding that under certain provisions of the California Constitution the debt payment service operation had a right to a jury trial.
The California Supreme Court disagreed with the Court of Appeal concluding that, among other things, (i) the causes of action established by the UCL and FAL at issue in this case are equitable rather than legal actions, which should be tried by a court rather than by a jury; and (ii) the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Tull v. United States, relied upon by the Court of Appeal, does not govern this case for various reasons, including that the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the civil jury trial provision of the Seventh Amendment of the U.S. Constitution applies only to federal court proceedings—not state court proceedings—and that the “constitution right to a jury trial in state court civil proceedings is governed only by the civil jury trial provisions of each individual state’s own state constitution.” (Emphasis in the original.)
On May 7, California issued updated guidance for real estate transactions and an accompanying checklist for the real estate industry intended to minimize the spread of Covid-19 as these business gradually reopen as part of Stage 2 of the state’s roadmap for modifying the stay home order. The guidance includes protocols for the workplace and shown properties.
- Jonice Gray Tucker to discuss "Fair servicing in wake of Covid-19" at an American Bar Association webinar
- APPROVED Webcast: Maximizing vendor value
- Daniel P. Stipano to discuss "Cram for the exam: Best prep strategies for a regulatory examination" at an ACAMS webinar
- Melissa Klimkiewicz to discuss "Flood insurance basics" at the NAFCU Virtual Regulatory Compliance School
- Sasha Leonhardt to discuss "Privacy laws clarified" at the National Settlement Services Summit (NS3)
- Amanda R. Lawrence to discuss "New privacy legislation: Preparing for a major source of class action and enforcement activity going forward" at the American Conference Institute Consumer Finance Class Actions, Litigation & Government Enforcement Actions


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Gaming in China is on the rise as people mostly stay indoors to protect themselves from the coronavirus outbreak.
Usually, during the Lunar New Year that falls in January or February each year, gamers in China have more time to play games during the holiday season. But this year, following the coronavirus outbreak, authorities decided to extend the holiday by almost three weeks in many places, leaving millions of people with a lot of time to fill.
The coronavirus, which first appeared in Wuhan, China in December, is a potentially fatal respiratory disease that has infected more than 59,000 people worldwide and killed more than 1,300. The vast majority of cases are in mainland China.
Unable to venture from their homes, many people have turned to meeting up online. CNN Business interviewed three people in mainland China and translated their comments from Mandarin Chinese to English.
“During the new year, we’re usually home anyway. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, we’re virtually always home,” said Zhanchao Yang, 24, from Dongguan, Guangdong, China. He works in construction and said that in recent weeks, he’s been playing video games more frequently.
Yang traveled to his hometown in Kaifeng, Henan province during the Lunar New Year. Upon returning to Dongguan, Guangdong, he’s required to stay under self-quarantine at home for 14 days before he can return to work. Guangdong residents who didn’t travel to other cities and provinces were allowed to return to work on February 9.
“This holiday is too long,” he said, noting that he can return to his office on February 17. He said his salary wasn’t affected and that he’s able to work from home while he’s in quarantine.
Tencent’s mobile game, “Honor of Kings,” hit a new all-time high in daily average users during the week of January 30, according to Niko Partners, a research firm that focuses on the gaming industry in Asia.
“We attribute most of the increase to the impact of the novel coronavirus which led to more gamers staying at home instead of traveling or socializing outside of the home, allowing more time to play games,” Niko wrote in a report. It added that it expected spending and downloads to increase in the next couple of weeks due to the extended holiday and travel bans in certain cities.
While the coronavirus has caused cancellations of esports tournaments throughout China, and slowed down manufacturing of video game consoles, stay-at-home activities are more popular than ever. Total game downloads on Apple’s app store in China increased 27.5% year over year and revenue rose by 12.1%, according to market research firm Sensor Tower.
During the Lunar New Year, Yang said he traveled back to his hometown in Kaifeng, Henan and played games with other relatives and friends. He has since returned to Guangdong province where he spends most of the day indoors with his family.
“The evenings are empty, and I have free time. So at night, I’ll play ‘Peacekeeper Elite’ with friends,” said Yang, “We’ll set a time to log on and play together.”
On China’s popular streaming platform, Douyu, games like “Honor of Kings,” “Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds” and “League of Legends” are twice as popular as they were during the Lunar New Year in 2019, according to the platform’s streaming index. “Honor of Kings,” the top game on Douyu during the holiday this year, pulled in 63 million views, compared to the 31.7 million views that “PUBG” had during 2019’s holiday week.
Douyu’s headquarters is located in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and the company’s stock price dipped in late January when it announced it might have trouble with staff returning to work, Niko reported. Douyu and PUBG Mobile did not respond to comment.
Tencent, Netease, Activision Blizzard and Alibaba, all major game publishers with popular games in China, declined to comment.
Video game companies have also responded to the coronavirus outbreak by extending or introducing new promotions. Some games even changed their business models to make the games free with the option to make in-game purchases, as noted by Omdia, a tech research service.
“They likely want to take advantage of the vast number of potential new players who are confined to their homes,” Louise Shorthouse, research analyst of games and apps at Omdia, told CNN Business. “Gamers of this generation are accustomed to an almost entirely free-to-play games landscape in China, and so removing the cost hurdle may attract young people who were initially put off by the premium element.”
Yang said while he spends about 100 yuan (about $14) a year on games, he knows people who aren’t as frugal. “My friends spend more, about 3,000 to 4,000 yuan a year,” he said, about $430 to $570.
Jiahui Wang, 25, who works in Beijing as a secretary for a raw materials trade company, said she returned to her hometown in Taiyuan, Shaanxi for the holiday and didn’t bring her computer home.
“I thought I would only be home for seven days, so I only brought a cellphone. On my phone, I played ‘Peacekeeper Elite,’” Wang said of the unexpected extended holiday. She returns to work in Beijing next week after completing 14 days of self-quarantine, so she’s been breaking the monotony by playing mobile games.
“Every day I’m at home, I’m so bored. I don’t want to use my brain so I’ll play some light and joyful games,” she said.
Gamers in China are also turning to video games for a sense of camaraderie and to help pass the time as major cities are locked down and many employees work from home. While people are allowed to leave to go outside, buy groceries and go to work if necessary, authorities are recommending that people wear masks and protective goggles.
“I think video games can be a good distraction and help maintain one’s mental health,” said Clement Wen, 32, a motor mechanic in Foshan, Guangdong, “It does give me more peace of mind and keeps me from looking too much at coronavirus news, whether real or fake.”
Wen said that recently, he has played more video games than usual, including “Honor of Kings,” “Peacekeeper Elite,” and Nintendo Switch titles.
Wang also used WeChat to communicate with her friends while at home, but she found gaming is a better conversation starter. “Since we’re home every day, the conversation topics are pretty limited. Very quickly, we’ll run out of things to say. But if we’re playing a game together, it feels like there’s more to talk about. It’s a better way of staying in touch.”


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Fisker Buzz said:WHAT: Denmark’s Crown Prince HRH Frederik is the first individual outside the Fisker development team driving the new eco-friendly Fisker Karma. The Crown Prince will tomorrow travel to the COP15 UN Climate Conference events in Copenhagen with the plug-in hybrid car. HRH Frederik will visit at 4 pm Hopenhagen event at Raadhuspladsen after which he will leave in the Fisker Karma at 5 pm to the Bella Center.
The prototype saloon, developed by American automaker Fisker Automotive, can travel 80km (50mi) emission-free on a single charge of its Lithium-ion battery, and an additional 400km (250mi) on a range extending generator turned by an efficient four- cylinder gas engine. Economy is 2.4L/100km and emissions of just 83g/km CO2 – better than today’s best hybrids. Still, the Karma can reach 100km/h (62mph) in about 6 seconds and exceed 200km/h (125mph).
Fisker Automotive from California is led by Danish auto designer Henrik Fisker, who also designed the BMW Z8, Aston Martin DB9 and Aston Martin V8 Vantage.
The company was recently approved for a USD 528.7-million conditional loan from the U.S. Government and announced its intent to purchase an assembly plant from General Motors.


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Unfortunately, there’s no embed for the stream yet (we’ll update this post when we have it), but you’ll be able to watch it on PlayStation’s YouTube channel as well as their Twitch channel.
If you’re not getting up at 6am, you’ll be able to ask your Google Home or Amazon Alexa to ‘Play Press Start’ when you wake up to have it tell you all the news from the event. You can also subscribe to our Daily News podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to get the latest daily news in your ear every morning.
State of Play returns Friday at 6am AEST. What to expect:
• A focus on upcoming PS4 & PS VR games • A few quick check-ins on third-party and indie games from June's #PS5 showcase • No big PS5 announcements!


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The decentralized corporate management platform Aragon has seen Spain join the ever-popular crypto crowd sale race.
Beginning May 17, Aragon will launch a month-long campaign to raise funds through sales of its token, ANT.
Co-Founder and Project Lead at Aragon, Luis Cuende, said in a press release that the startup is focusing specific on serving the needs of nontraditional companies without standard hierarchies and a geographical presence.
“The catalyst has been Blockchain technology changing the incentive structure for companies,” he commented. “Aragon is building the tools for this next generation of decentralized organizations.”
Using Ethereum, Cuende and his team are building the Aragon Network, a DAO which aims to cover all aspects of running a business, from payroll to entrepreneurial and investment activities.
“The Aragon Network [...] will be the first decentralized autonomous organization whose goal is to act as a digital jurisdiction that makes it easy for organizations, entrepreneurs and investors to operate,” the release continues.
Aragon was one of the Ethereum startups highlighted by co-founder Mihai Alisie as showing particular promise in the early development stages.
Cuende is keenly riding the wave of popularity surrounding token sales this year, which have already been many and varied, raising considerable sums in ever-decreasing periods.
“In 2016 we saw the rise in token sales and already in 2017 we are seeing that this trend is very much continuing,” he added. “As a team, we are dedicated and committed to the long-term success of the project.”
Bitcoin Price Corrects to $5,880, Down $270 After New All-Time High
Earlier today, on October 22, the bitcoin price declined from $6,150 to $5,880, recording a minor correction after achieving a new all-time high at $6,199.
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The worldwide video gaming market has grown to the extent that computer gaming is being touted as a potential future Olympic sport. In this context, an entire sub-industry has grown around trading
Bitcoin Cash Price Weekly Analysis – BCH/USD Upsides Capped
Bitcoin cash price is maintaining a neutral bias above $300 against the US Dollar. BCH/USD has to break the $350-370 resistance to trade past $400. There were mainly ranging moves in Bitcoin cash


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The remarkable growth in demand for Hereford beef has continued through 2015 with the latest report from the breed society showing an increase of 14% in throughput in the branded Hereford schemes in the last year.
“We now have an average kill of over 800 cattle per week through the various processor partnerships throughout the UK,” according to Robin Irvine, who sits on the breed’s ruling council.
“This is worth over £4 million per year in terms of the extra premiums paid to Hereford beef producers and has been reflected in the prices paid for whitehead calves and store cattle.
“Today’s consumer is much better educated about beef quality and they are prepared to pay for the succulence, flavour and consistency of the Hereford product.
“Demand for Hereford bulls has also increased in line with this demand and local breeders have responded by producing more young sires suitable for use in the province’s beef and dairy herds.
“We have an excellent entry of 27 bulls for the Elite Breeders Sale in Dungannon on Monday and we have had considerable interest from dairy farmers keen to cash in on the demand for Hereford cross calves,” Mr Irvine added.
Entries will be paraded from 11.30am with the sale at 1pm.


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Passengers on Certain Airlines' Flights Required to Check Larger Devices
Travel News - FlyerTalk Forums
New TSA regulations for flights.
Responding to the possibility that terrorists may be able to hide explosives in electronic devices, the Transportation Security Administration is about to start new screening procedures for carry-on luggage at airports nationwide. In the next few weeks, passengers traveling through every U.S. ...
Simple laptop question
Hi everyone,forgot about the ban on taking various electronic devices on certain airlines ,to and from certain destinations.We are flying with Thomsons from Bristol [ UK] to Sanford ,Florida ,simply ,can i take my laptop in my carry on bag ?Anyone know ?Thanlks
Roku/AppleTV on Liberty
I realize that Voom Streaming will be required and any device hooked up would take up a devices usage. Thats fine, right now we are covered for up to 8 devices for our cruise. My question though is if anyone has been able to use an Apple TV or Roku on the ship?
US/UK ban on electronic devices on flights from certain countries
We have read with great dismay about the recent ban on most electronic devices in carry-on luggage from certain countries. We had planned to return to the US on Qatar from Doha next year, and that flight would be affected. I was wondering what thoughts others might have on how best to proceed. ...
US bans laptops and tablets on flights from eight countries in Africa and the Middle East
Not content with its second crack of the whip with a travel ban, the Trump administration has now issued a ban on larger electronic devices being taken on flights from certain countries. Devices larger than a cell phone will not be permitted in cabin baggage but must instead be checked in...
New UK, USA & Canada airport security rules
I am sure most of you know this but for the few who might not I thought I let you know of some changes. Grumpy Wombat mentioned last week in his thread that transiting through London and also departing London there is further restrictions with security. That all electronic devices.........
Luggage tracking devices
Has anyone used any of the luggage tracking devices and if so, do they help find missing luggage? We are flying Charlotte to Stockholm changing planes AND airlines in Paris (from USAir to AF) and we are concerned about our checked bags making it thru.
Read responses in flyertalk.com


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New York-based investment firm upper90 closed its third fund at $180 million, as it seeks to back FinTech, e-commerce and supply chain finance companies.
The vehicle was backed by a strategic investor base of 300 entrepreneurs.
Upper90 claims to have pioneered an investment model that combines credit and equity tailored to align with tech companies that have predictable earnings or collateral.
With Fund III, the company will continue its founder-friendly credit strategy, which helps companies solve their capital needs, while maximizing ownership and control.
Since its inaugural fund in 2018, Upper90 now manages more than $2.2 billion across 43 portfolio companies. The investor previously raised $55 million in 2021 to support 15 companies.
“Over the past 10 years, founders have faced fifty percent dilution in Series Bs. health of their businesses. With valuations under pressure, access to alternative financing solutions is a priority,” said Billy Libby, co-founder and CEO of Upper90.
“Ninety percent of the world’s data has been created in the last year, which has personalized every aspect of our lives, and we launched Upper90 because there should be a similar trend in the way whose startups are capitalized.
Its portfolio includes several e-commerce and FinTech startups, including Octane, Crusoe Energy, Mundi, Thrasio, Filmrise, Heroes, Clutch, Karat, Beacon and Settle.
Last year, Upper90 joined the Rally Series B, which allows consumers to invest in collectibles. The company raised $30 million in equity and $50 million in debt, with debt provided by Upper 90.
The current financial market is going through a period of turbulence and there are fears that capital is drying up. FinTech Global recently spoke with a number of players in the FinTech space to find out if FinTech companies should be concerned.
Regarding investment capital, many agreed that it will be more difficult for some companies to raise capital, but it will still be available for strong companies.
Copyright © 2022 FinTech Global
The following investors have been tagged in this article.


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October 8, 2013
Show your pride with a K-State Fighting for a Cure T-shirt, wear it to the Oct. 12 Football Game
The K-State Fight Song's exclamation that we're "fighting ever fighting for a Wildcat victory" is as true for cancer research as it is for sports. Show your pride for K-State cancer research and support breast cancer awareness by wearing the "Fighting Ever Fighting for a Cure" T-shirt, which is purple with a pink Powercat.
And, if you’re going, wear it to the Oct. 12 football game since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Shirt sales benefit the Johnson Cancer Research Center, which uses all donated funds to support cancer research and education at K-State.
The shirts are available in both ladies’ and unisex styles. They can be purchased from the cancer research center while supplies last for $20 each. They are also being sold at Varney's, with $5 a shirt being donated to the center.
Cats for a Cure student organization will be selling shirts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday in the K-State Student Union.


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64% of buyers plan to increase VoD spend by 25% or more in next six months
Online video advertising remains popular, the latest research from Collective has found, with 64% of buyers planning to increase video on demand (VoD) spend by 25% or more in next six months, and 57% saying that video appears in more than half of their campaigns.
The research estimated that the average campaign budget for VoD is £49,000, up £5,000 from the last survey by Collective in September.
It was found that 43% of the 156 media buyers surveyed would pay a higher CPM to place their VoD campaigns against good quality content and strong brands, rather than hitting long tail websites; while 25% of buyers felt the rate should not be affected as long as they are getting an engaged viewer.
When looking at real-time bidding, it was found that 51% were interested in trialling the system, while 13% of buyers felt they didn’t need to use RTB for VoD since they can already control the inventory they buy.
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Zhejiang Glass, which makes construction and vehicle glass,
announced second-half capital expenditure of 300 million yuan
(HK$282.8 million) to expand its upstream business.
The plan was unveiled after the firm said its profit for the
first half nearly doubled to 110 million yuan, or 19 fen per share.
The H-share company plans to use 90 per cent of the budget to
fund its recently approved 1.6 billion yuan soda ash manufacturing
project in Delingha in Qinghai province.
Soda ash is the key raw material for glass production, accounting
for about a quarter of the firm's unit costs. ``It will not only
help to stabilise the raw materials supply for flat glass, but
will also allow the company to significantly lower its unit cost
and to realise its vertical integration strategy,'' said chairman
The soda ash plant, expected to open in the third quarter of
2005, will have an annual production capacity of 900,000 tonnes.
Feng said the venture will get tax breaks from Qinghai government,
under which it will receive 100 per cent refund of local income
tax for the first six years and a 50 per cent refund in the following
four years. The company has secured a bank loan and has injected
400 million yuan of its own resources to fund the project.
Meanwhile, Feng said the company had invested about 300 million
yuan to construct a low-emissivity glass plant with annual production
capacity of two million square metres. The plant will start production
by October. Low-emissivity glass is energy saving glass used in
the construction and automotive industries.
With gross profit margin up to 35.2 per cent from 25.9 per cent
a year ago, the company declared an interim dividend of 5.6 fen
per share for the first time since listing in 2001.
Shares of Zhejiang Glass ended Tuesday 3.53 per cent higher at


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Marc Beer is an experienced business person with more than 25 years of running business and leadership. He is a significant play in innovative products and services in the pharmaceutical industry. Marc founded Renovia in August of 2016 whose primary focus was to offer modern treatment and diagnosis to millions of women suffering from pelvic disorders. The company combines digital health and cutting-edge sensor technologies to provide services to its clients.
Before starting Renovia, Marc beer worked as Chief Executive Officer at ViaCell a well-established biotechnology.The company deals with blood stem cells research. While at the ViaCell, the company experienced tremendous growth in its operations and revenue.
Marc Beer while serving as the CEO of ViaCell, he was in the management board of Erytech Pharma, a leading bio pharmaceutical firm .In addition Marc significantly helped in pioneering the global commercialization and development of medical products that treat rare diseases while serving as the Vice President of Global Marketing.
Beer is credited as founding chairman of Minerva Neurosciences Inc, Minerva is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops products to treat central nervous system diseases.
Marc Beer accomplishment as seen him appointed, as the chairman of the board of LumeNXT Inc. LumeNX which is a privately owned company focus on the development of an efficient surgical illumination product line for minimally invasive surgeries. Marc brings on board his many years of achievement of development and commercialization in pharmaceuticals, devices, diagnostics, and biotechnology. Speaking during the appointment, Mark Beer expressed his appreciation for the new role and opportunity to work with a team of engineers and surgeons at LumeNXT.He applauds the steps that LumeN XT has achieved in developing proprietary technology in doing surgery. ,” said Marc Beer “I believe the importance of the LumeN XT platform will expand as more surgeries will be done with minimally invasive approaches.
Paul Rhyne, Co-Founder of LumeN XT, said that Marc has demonstrated a high level of success in the multiple starts up that he has a guide from small companies to big multinationals. Rhyne noted that Beer would be of great value to the company as the company undertakes massive growth in the medical field. Learn more: https://www.crunchbase.com/person/marc-beer


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June 16, 2017 by Canadian Underwriter
Creating multiple access points for a single consumer to obtain electronic communications, including e-documents, could be detrimental to the Ontario consumer, the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) argued in a position paper released on Thursday.
IBAO released the paper, titled Electronic Communication with the Ontario Consumer, in light of the recent 2017 budget from the provincial government, specifically that “insurers offer a discount to policyholders who choose to receive documents electronically.” In a press release on Thursday, the IBAO said that “insurance company platforms must allow brokers the option of providing electronic documents through a broker-chosen solution – a component that’s imperative in providing consistent service models to consumers.”
“Insurance companies across Ontario are launching or have launched consumer service portals and mobile applications to provide their policyholders access to information electronically, including proof of insurance,” said IBAO president Traci Boland in the release. “While we applaud these initiatives, we must ensure that the primary vehicle for electronic communication with consumers is provided by insurance brokers.”
The association’s CEO, Colin Simpson, added that “if accessed directly by consumers, insurance company solutions will lead to multiple avenues for individual consumer communication. Creating multiple access points for a single consumer to obtain electronic communications, including e-documents, could be detrimental to the Ontario consumer. Not only will it cause confusion if consumers have different company policies and avenues to access them, it’ll create a fragmented consumer experience and ultimately dilute the broker-consumer value proposition and collective broker brand,” Simpson argued.
The paper went on to say that “the inefficiencies that will be introduced through multiple insurance company solutions within a broker’s office will restrict the broker’s ability to evolve digitally through added complexity and hinder our efforts to modernize the broker distribution channel for the Ontario consumer upon which so many of our business partners rely.”
Looking forward, the IBAO said that it intends to present its members with a “comprehensive technology road map” to help them identify how to evolve their digital relationship with customers and, at a minimum, to ensure they can service their customers electronically by this coming fall.
Simpson added in the release that the IBAO is “dedicated to finding solutions that efficiently deliver customer information the way customers want to receive it. We’re having many positive conversations with our insurance company partners on their consumer service strategies. More information will become available as we progress in these joint efforts.”
Have your say:


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Six more Tube stations in London will be equipped with WiFi services from Virgin Media, as the firm reveals that iOS and Android users dominate the use of the subterranean network.
The new stations that will come online are: Golders Green, Southgate, West Kensington, Parsons Green, Kilburn and East Putney. This will take the total number of stations online to 137.
There are now a total of 800,000 devices registered on the network and Virgin Media revealed that iOS and Android users dominate use of the network with 95 percent of all page views coming from these devices.
Apple iOS devices remain the most used on the network, with 65 percent of the overall traffic, compared with 30 percent for Android.
However, the gap is closing between the two, as last year the gap was 74 to 20 percent in iOS’s favour.
Virgin Media also said that traffic from BlackBerry devices on the WiFi network had doubled over the past year, although they still account for less than than five percent of devices.
No data on Windows Phone use was provided. V3 asked for this information but had received no reply at the time of publication.
Either way, the data underlines the huge power that iOS and Android enjoy over their rivals, even as Microsoft attempts to boost its position with its purchase of Nokia.
Joe Lathan, director of broadband at Virgin Media, said bringing more stations online would help get more people online while travelling around the capital. “Virgin Media’s WiFi on the London Underground has been a huge success with Londoners and visitors alike so we’re delighted to be connecting even more people in more places," he said.
Latest Tesla news: Tesla stock price tanks amid reports of 'widening probe' by SEC and claims the base Model 3 loses money
SEC 'probe' takes its toll on Tesla as new research suggests that Tesla loses $6,000 on every $35,000 Model 3
10nm Cannon Lake Core i3-8121U CPUs make a rare outing with Intel's NUC mini PC
'Notorious' Australian child hacker thought he had executed 'flawless' hack
The former employee says that Tesla fired him for bringing the accusations to management internally


text: Photo Gallery of Bugatti Type 57 Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Uploaded by: OBBO Date: 22.10.2018 Image "HEX" Code: #2484126 Image size: 400x185 You can download photo Bugatti Type 57 or use this pic as wallpaper or poster for desktop. Full size link https://cloudlakes.com/data_images/models/bugatti-type-57/bugatti-type-57-12.jpg We have more photo of Bugatti Type 57 in our gallery. If you interesting to view them, you can follow on links below. Also you can see full gallery of Bugatti Type 57 on this page. If you have your own good photos of Bugatti Type 57, you can upload them on our website and become one of our authors. See more photos Bugatti Type 57 from our users Recent automotive trends, reviews, test drives and the latest news from the world of cars BMW reports net income in the fourth quarter of 2013 BMW reported a profit higher than expected in the fourth quarter of 2013. According to a report published by Bloomberg ... Audi intends to make 17 releases in 2014 Audi plans to conduct 17 launches in 2014, including new models and reestiliza??es, and advance the production of an electric version of the R8 sports car, aiming to gain traction against rival BMW. VW test mule of the new Tiguan Volkswagen is already preparing the arrival of the new Tiguan, but it will be almost impossible to see it in European streets. That's because the brand chose "hide it" the mule of a Touran minivan. Hyundai Reveals Veloster RE: FLEX Hyundai took the Hall of Chicago to present on Friday (7), the Veloster RE: FLEX. A special limited edition (3,000 units) brings some aesthetic changes to the sport.


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Samsung continues to update its smartphones to the latest Android 11. This time, the firmware has been released for last year’s Galaxy Note 10 line of devices.
According to SamMobile, the firmware has been released so far only for owners of the Plus-version of the device in Germany. The system will also be released for the regular model in the coming days.
The system received build number N975FXXU6ETLL and includes the December security patch, bug fixes, and a proprietary One UI 3.0 shell with an updated interface, enhanced Always-On Display capabilities, as well as new settings and a notification curtain.


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A new economic analysis from Texas A&M University has raised red flags for corn growers concerned about rising input costs.
21 state corn organizations commissioned the study. It found a historical correlation of corn prices with fertilizer prices.
“Those lines kind of lay right on top of each other, which means fertilizer and anhydrous ammonia prices have been moving in a lockstep with the price of corn for quite some time, and more so now than in the past,” said Joe Outlaw, lead researcher for the study.
Anhydrous ammonia prices rose by $688 per tonne between the end of 2020 and October 2021 for farmers. CF Industries petitioned the U.S. International Trade Commission for tariffs on nitrogen fertilizers made from Russia, Trinidad, Tobago, or Russia.
“If tariffs create a supply shortage, it will drive up the cost even more,” said Chris Edgington, an Iowa corn grower and National Corn Growers Association president. “Our request is simple. We’re just asking that these companies keep us out of their trade disputes and do everything possible to keep their products available and affordable for family farms.”
A tariff-related rise of input costs could be devastating for corn growers.
“If the country’s exporting nitrogen into the United States was causing an economic detriment, I could understand a tariff,” said Jay Schutte, a Missouri farmer. “I very seriously doubt that they are suffering an economic detriment, but the American farmer certainly is, and this is going to spill over into the consumer market as well.”
Schutte warns that a corn shortage could occur if farmers are unable to pay for fertilizers due to rising costs.
“In the United States, we have a lot of supply chain issues. We could certainly be setting the table to have supply chain issues next year with shortages of corn,” Schutte said. “We can only control so many factors in the growing cycle. The two main limiting factors to corn yield are the amount and quality of the nitrogen we apply, as well as the amount of rain that we receive. We certainly can’t control the rain, but we can control the nitrogen we apply.”
Source: Successful Farming


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Mazda Expects 30 Percent Enhanced Fuel Economy with Skyactiv 2 Engines Come 2020
January 6, 2014 12:48 PM
Mazda is already discussing Skyactiv 3 as well
Mazda only recently started introducing its
to its different vehicle models, but the automaker is already talking about the upcoming Skyactiv 2 -- and even Skyactiv 3 -- engines for the next decade and beyond.
According to a new report from
, Mazda plans to gain 30 percent better fuel economy with its Skyactiv 2 engines, which are expected to have a 2020 release date. A 30 percent improvement in fuel economy would make the already impressive Mazda3 rise from 29/41 mpg (city/highway) in its more efficient trim to 38/53 on regular unleased gasoline.
plans to achieve this 30 percent increase in fuel economy by improving the internal combustion of the Skyactiv 2 engines. More specifically, the Skyactiv 2 engine's compression ratio would be bumped up to 18:1 from a current level of 14:1.
This higher compression is able to reach the same combustion temperature as the current engines, but with a leaner mix of fuel -- meaning improved fuel economy.
The Skyactiv 2 engines will utilize homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), which compresses the fuel-air mixture to a high enough pressure and temperature that it ignites by itself without needing a spark. This allows for more complete fuel combustion and lower nitrogen oxide emissions.
report indicates that HCCI won't come easy. Engineers must first expand the range of engine speeds for HCCI specifically, because the engine revving too quickly can result in a misfire due to the high number of revolutions, and if revved too slowly, it can misfire due to low temperatures.
2.0-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder engine
Aside from that, engine cooling and the engine's tendency to behave differently based on the use of different fuels need to be figured out.
The main goal with Skyactiv 2 is to meet European
carbon dioxide emissions
standards of 95 grams per kilometer in 2020, but Mazda is looking even further ahead at meeting Europe's standards of 65 grams per kilometer in 2025 with Skyactiv 3.
Mazda didn't go into great detail about Skyactiv 3, but the automaker plans to make more energy available for powering the wheels by limiting the fluctuation of heat in the combustion chamber and reduce losses from exhaust and cooling. Mazda hopes to reach well-to-wheel carbon dioxide emissions with Skyactiv 3 that rival electric vehicles.
Mazda first introduced Skyactiv engines to the U.S. market in 2011, starting with the Mazda3 sedan. Since then, they've been added to the Mazda6 sedan and CX-5 crossover.
Mazda has been trying to bring the Skyactiv-D diesel engine to the U.S. via the Mazda6, and was supposed to have achieved this by the second half of 2013. However, in September of last year, it was announced that
delays in emissions testing
has pushed that timetable to late spring of 2014.
"If you look at the last five years, if you look at what major innovations have occurred in computing technology, every single one of them came from AMD. Not a single innovation came from Intel." -- AMD CEO Hector Ruiz in 2007
Emissions Testing Delays Mazda's U.S. Diesel Engine Launch Until Late Spring '14
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text:
Group to gain from steady demand for jewelleryaws试用账号（www.2km.me）提供aws账号、aws全区号、aws32v账号、亚马逊云账号出售，提供api ，质量稳定，数量持续。另有售azure oracle linode等账号.
KUALA LUMPUR: Poh Kong Holdings Bhd expects gold prices to remain firm in the medium term, supported by the demand from government vaults and central banks.
Citing analysts, Poh Kong executive chairman and group managing director Datuk Choon Yee Seiong (pic) said the yellow metal prices is expected to inch up further in the new year, adding that gold has historically performed well amid equity market pullbacks and high inflation.
And Poh Kong is expected to benefit from firm gold prices.
“Gold has always been the preferred choice of asset class for wealth protection. Added to this is a pressing need for exchange-traded funds,” he said in Poh Kong’s Annual Report.
“When interest rates are low and financial stress high, analysts agree that investments then tend to move into gold,” he added.
Gold prices are currently hovering around US$1,800 (RM7,518) an ounce.
The prices of the yellow metal prices fell about 5% last year as economies recovered from the impact of the pandemic, reducing demand for safe-haven bullion.Citing analysts, Poh Kong executive chairman and group managing director Datuk Choon Yee Seiong (pic) said the yellow metal prices is expected to inch up further in the new year, adding that gold has historically performed well amid equity market pullbacks and high inflation.
Poh Kong’s shares were last traded at 80 sen, representing a decline of 3% over 2021.
According to Fitch Solutions, gold prices are expected to remain elevated in the coming years compared to pre-Covid levels.
Choon said Poh Kong is well positioned to benefit from these trends.
He remained optimistic that the group’s performance would be better in the financial year ending July 31, 2022 (FY22), supported by a strong demand for gold jewellery and investments.
“We believe we are in a good position to register higher revenue this year based on activity in the commodity markets, and are poised to capitalise on demand when the Covid-19 situation improves,” noted Choon.
Given that Malaysia’s economy is forecast to expand between 3% and 4% this year, he said Poh Kong would leverage on this expansion to plan its own growth strategies.
The reopening of the economy would support a gradual recovery in the fourth quarter of 2021, with higher global growth and sustained policy support providing a further lift to the overall economy, he added.


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On November 15th-16th, Talent Garden presents the second edition of Futureland: the international event focused on the business world and is dedicated to practical applications and opportunities for growth connected to emerging technologies.
Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and Immersive Technology (Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and respective applications): three emerging technologies that are able to modify the production processes and the organization of many industrial sectors, creating competitive advantages for companies.
To understand and deepen the many practical applications of these technologies, Talent Garden, Europe’s leading innovation platform and coworking network for digital innovation, organized with the support of its main partners Be, Randstad, Fastweb, A2A, Generali, and Poste Italiane, the second edition of “Futureland”, international tech conference hosted in Milan, at Talent Garden Calabiana campus.
Two full days of conferences, debates, workshops and applied demonstrations to different sectors such as manufacturing, retails, logistics, pharmaceuticals, finance, insurance and media, to discover the benefits and changes that these emerging technologies can generate on the management of businesses, production and organizational processes. Among some speakers: Tom Lyons, Executive Director of Consensys; Mark Qualter, Head of Al of Royal Bank of Scotland; James Pak, Corporate VP Global, Mobile of Samsung; Mo Khodadai, AI director of Babylon Health. Many international companies and startups will be on stage: Ripple, Maersk, Lo3Energy, Electron, Medicalchain, Lumen Health, Frog Design, Aeterny, Commscope, Parity Technologies, Evolution AI, Autonomous Mobility, Spiritus, Softec International, ThoughtWorks, ArabiaWeather, and many important investors, such as Yard Blue Capital, EQT Ventures, IResearch Group, Alchemist Accelerator and Ginwa.
The program is organized on three stages and will have for the first time an Experience Area: a dedicated space where participants can experience innovation, get to know new entrepreneurial realities and participate in panel discussions.
According to research by Talent Garden, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and Immersive Technology are three expanding areas with growth prospects that will reach an estimated value of over 200 billion dollars in 2021. In fact, in 2016 the blockchain market was worth 210 million dollars and, by 2021, it is expected to reach 2.3 billion (source: Markets & Markets).
The turnover of Artificial Intelligence in 2016 was estimated to reach 12.5 billion of dollars with a growth expectation over the next three years of 46 billion (source: IDC). Meanwhile, the value worldwide of the Immersive Technology market is estimated to double, growing from 9 to 17.8 billion. Then, it is estimated to carry on an exponential growth, reaching 170 billion dollars in 2021 (source: IDC).
“Reaching the second edition of Futureland with such an outstanding presence of speakers and participants demonstrates the strategic importance of these technologies for the business community” – declares Fabio Sferruzzi, Connect Unit Managing Director of Talent Garden -.” It’s an innovative format that offers participants the opportunity to immerse themselves for two days to discover company case histories and insights of the world’s leading experts, in order to explore the business opportunities of these fields. In two years, Futureland has acquired the identity we desired, which fully reflects the mission of Talent Garden: to nurture digital culture, and offer valuable network opportunities”.
Some of the main topics that will be approached by the international speakers at Talent Garden Calabiana are: Smart Life, the impact of emerging technologies on daily life, both from a consumer and personal perspective; Smart Leader, which includes content for managers and C-level, with the necessity to embrace new skills to develop business strategies, and tools to orient their organizations towards digital transformations; Smart Company, which considers how emerging technologies are growing and becoming fundamental instruments to guide businesses.
SPEAKERS OF FUTURELAND 2018
On the stage of Talent Garden, international speakers will intervene, such as: Tom Lyons, Executive Director of Consensys, co-founder of the Crypto Valley Association in Switzerland and well-known expert of Blockchain technology in the world; Tom Emrich, Investor and Community Builder of Super Ventures and specialist of AR / VR in the industrial and wearable technology sectors; Raffaele Mauro, Managing Director at Endeavor Italy, among the most quoted investing structures in the world; Dmitry Parilov, Managing Director at DxFeed, a data visualization tool for financial trading in Virtual Reality, integrated with voice recognition, Henrik Landgren of EQT Venture Capital, founder of Spotify’s Analytics team. Mauro Rubin, CEO of Joinpad, one of the most advanced Italian companies for Augmented Reality; Marleen Evertsz, CEO of Nx’change, a decentralized new generation stock exchange for direct exchange between companies and investors; Bob Clint, co-founder and CTO of Spiritus, one of the most innovative companies in data analytics solutions for enterprises.
Book your seat today: https://talentgarden.myshopify.com/


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SpaceX signs multi-year agreement with Mattel to make toys and collectibles
In a nutshell, Mattel and SpaceX have reached a multi-year partnership to develop a range of toys and memorabilia that will make their debut in 2023.
Toys with a SpaceX theme will be created and sold under the Matchbox name.
Through its direct-to-consumer platform for cooperation and release, Mattel will also introduce collectibles
The deal's financial details weren't disclosed to the public.
Brian Bjelde, vice president of SpaceX, said the company is eager to collaborate with Mattel to encourage the next generation of space explorers and aficionados.
Despite the lack of information, it is probably safe to infer that the Matchbox line will feature a variety of SpaceX rockets.
Even stranger inventions like Starlink satellites or crew capsules could appear.
A copy of the Tesla Roadster that SpaceX flew into space back in 2018 has already been created by Hot Wheels, another toy brand owned by Mattel.
The die-cast model has a spacesuit-clad mannequin called Starman by SpaceX in the driver's seat, just like the real thing
The Mars Perseverance Rover, which touched down on the Red Planet in 2021, was also made in miniature form by Hot Wheels.
Presumably, the collectible line will include more expensive, intricate objects. Could Elon Musk get an action figure soon?
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93% of Consumer Engagement with Luxury Brands Happens on Instagram
Branded content on Instagram consistently earned the most engagement across social media. Marketers must be mindful in navigating a world of increasingly vocal, socially conscious consumers while safeguarding their brand against controversies.
SINGAPORE, 30 November 2018 – Digimind, the global leader in social listening and market intelligence, released a new report that analyzed consumer discussions and interactions with leading luxury brands, such as Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Gucci, Burberry, Prada, Chanel, and more on social media, blogs, and websites. The report identifies consumer behaviors and trends, and elaborates on how to use these insights to monitor brand reputation and drive engagement.
40% of luxury purchases are influenced by what consumers see online, and their interactions with a brand. With millions of conversations occurring daily on social, the impact of social networks and online channels on a luxury brand’s visibility and reputation cannot be understated.
Furthermore, today’s consumers gravitate towards brands whose social values align with their own. Thus it is important for brands to not only have a point of difference, but also a point of view that resonates with their customers. For the luxury goods industry, this means standing for the exclusivity and sophistication customers come to them for, as well as maintaining prestige and trust.
How should brands leverage social media as an extension of their brand values and customer experiences, and to manage their online brand reputation?
Instagram is the King of Engagement
Branded content posted on brand pages revealed Instagram was the king of engagement for luxury goods, accounting for 93% of total interactions earned. On top of that, the average engagement rate for a branded posts on Instagram during the period studied was 30%, far higher than the 2% of average engagement earned on Facebook and Twitter posts.
In an age of fast changing trends, it is important for luxury brands to retain their timelessness, as well as their position at the forefront of fashion and lifestyle trends by staying relevant and engaging.
At the same time, the rise of social media has given both band advocates and critics a louder voice. Luxury marketers must be mindful when navigating a world of increasingly vocal, socially conscious consumers. The need to safeguard their brand against emerging controversies and potential fallouts with customers is high, as we recently witnessed with Dolce & Gabbana and Balenciaga, earlier this year. Monitoring trends in conversations on social media is the first step in being able to avert such crises.
Gucci, Chanel, and Hermès Shine in User Discussions
50% of online consumer discussions were dominated by three brands: Gucci, Chanel, and Hermès. Discussions peaked for these brands due to offline activities such as product launches and fashion events, which sparked discussions among consumers and the media.
Celebrity appearances at fashion shows and on the catwalks were also frequently discussed by fans, demonstrating the traction of fandom in Asia Pacific. For luxury brands, celebrity influencers are a key factor in marketing strategies, and thus being able to choose an influencer that aligns closely with brand values is critical.
Now Streaming: Fashion Week
Paris Fashion Week 2018 was highly talked about on social media in Asia Pacific, with an estimated 3.3 million reach and 35,000 social interactions in the week alone. Discussions related to this exclusive industry event peaked on 26 September 2018, with fashion and lifestyle magazines covering runway looks and collections.
Australia and Indonesia accounted for 54% of online discussions around fashion week. In addition to discussions about various runway and red-carpet looks, livestreams from Christian Dior, Gucci, and Burberry were also discussed prominently.
This effort to livestream major events, such as Fashion Week, has resulted in increased online visibility and word of mouth for luxury brands. Far from diluting exclusivity, livestreams allow luxury brands to build aspirational values by allowing a much larger audience to preview upcoming collections than in the past.
“Social media has caused a shift in luxury marketing. What used to be an extremely controlled and elite industry has now become one whose main aim is to be aspirational. While luxury brands have embraced a digital mindset in their marketing and communications strategies, there is still a huge potential to use social media intelligence to further elevate customer experiences and sales,” says Mr Stephen Dale, General Manager APAC, Digimind. “For example, during livestream fashion shows, luxury brands can attain consumer insights to help stores plan purchasing and merchandising of stock based on the items and colours of the images consumers share geographically.”
Get your report!
Digimind is the global leader in AI-Powered social listening platforms and market intelligence software, designed for brands and agencies who want to accelerate digital transformation through an insights-driven approach. Recognized by Forrester and Gartner, Digimind’s best-in-class technology transforms social and online data into actionable business insights, enabling marketers to effectively plan, execute, and analyze their marketing strategy.
Digimind is based in New York, Paris, Singapore, Grenoble, and Rabat, serving more than 600 customers worldwide including LinkedIn, Sony, McCann Worldwide, and Lexus. Learn more at www.digimind.com.
Sophia Guan, Marketing Manager APAC
+65 9337 7842 | email@example.com
Written by Sophia Guan
With a background in marketing and psychology, Sophia loves to analyze and understand consumer behaviour through observations and data. After hours you’ll find her practicing yoga or baking sourdough.


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For farmers such as Boris Pisacco in Argentina's vast, fertile plains, the past five years have been boom times as prices for soybeans, wheat and other grains have skyrocketed.
Global food shortages and the resulting climb in prices have opened a window of opportunity for Pisacco and farmers all over South America, and they've made the most of it by producing more soybeans and other grains than ever.
“There's a lot of capacity in Argentina, including a lot of capacity that hasn't been met,” Pisacco said. “We believe we'll be able to help feed the rest of the world.”
South American countries such as Argentina and neighboring Brazil claim some of the world's best farmland as well as low population densities, giving the region perfect conditions for increasing food production, experts say.
That's inspired confidence here that South American farmers can help solve the world's food woes, and farmers are investing in new equipment and expanding the land they cultivate.
The expanding production comes at an environmental cost, however, as farms consume more and more of the available land.
In Argentina, soybeans already cover 42 million acres, about half of all the areas under cultivation in the country and a swath the size of Florida. That's a 150 percent increase over soybean acreage in 1996.
Argentina ranks third in world soybean production, behind the United States and Brazil. All but 5 percent of the soybeans produced in Argentina are sent abroad, principally to China.
Exports of soybeans, wheat and other grains also have fueled the economies of impoverished countries such as Paraguay and Bolivia. Wheat production in Bolivia, for example, jumped by 170 percent from 2001 to 2007, totaling 53 million pounds last year.
“We in Brazil export much more food than we consume, so we can be a big part of the solution,” said Francisco Menezes, a former president of Brazil's National Food and Nutritional Security Council. “We're in a particular situation in this crisis.”
To be sure, food prices are rising in South America as they are all around the world, and inflation has become a major worry.
Just last week, 500 people angry about rising food prices tried to invade a supermarket in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre and were repelled by police firing tear gas and rubber bullets.
In Argentina, economists estimate that annual inflation hovers around 25 percent, with rising food prices among the top contributing factors. Local prices for corn have grown by 41 percent over the past year, while prices for wheat have risen by 56 percent.
Yet the trend also has brought in billions of dollars in export revenue for South American economies and driven the longest spell of sustained growth in the region's recent history.
Governments have amassed tens of billions of dollars in reserves, and unemployment and poverty rates have dropped.
“Argentina has come out on the positive end of these trends,” economist Jorge Todesca said. “But in global terms, Argentina is just discovering its role. The government still sees the agricultural sector principally as a provider of food to Argentines.”


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Washington D.C. New Development Drilldown October 2018
Washington D.C. is continuing to experience new developments popping up around the city. Entertainment hubs are becoming quite popular, such as walkable European-style neighborhoods—including Pike & Rose in North Bethesda and Bethesda Row in Bethesda—with restaurants, bars, and retail all within a few blocks.
What were previously sprawling, abandoned industrial spaces are becoming prime land for developments. Luxury condos continue to pop up, filling the need for housing options as businesses continue to grow. In fact, the available and upcoming housing developments in the area, combined with good transportation options have made it ideal for major companies like Amazon to consider setting up shop here (the D.C. area is on the shortlist for Amazon’s HQ2).
Here are seven developments just announced, in progress, or newly opened in the D.C. area.
A mixed-use development costing over $25 million will replace an Exxon at the corner of North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue NE in the NoMa neighborhood, according to Curbed D.C. Aria Development Group hopes to make the corner a center of housing and retail. D.C.’s Comprehensive Plan for growth, last updated in 2011, referred to the area as suffering from a “lack of neighborhood-serving businesses.” According to the Curbed DC report, there are plans for revision of the document this fall, especially given recent positive neighborhood additions like the cocktail bar Wicked Bloom and the barbecue joint DCity Smokehouse.
Developers are hoping the area will see the same growth that close development Union Market did, resulting in the slow and steady revitalization of the NoMa neighborhood.
Capitol Crossing, a major redevelopment connecting the East End area and Capitol Hill, is currently in construction. The 2.2 million square-foot mixed-use development will span five buildings and seven acres. Privately funded, the project is expected to cost $1.3 billion, and it’s projected to be complete by 2021.
Capitol Crossing will aim to be eco-friendly, with five platinum LEED-certified buildings, centralized recycling, and cisterns that will harvest over 90 percent of stormwater runoff. There are also plans to implement cogeneration power, the concurrent production of heat and electric. Ecochimneys—chimney-like objects that will clean car exhaust from a parking lot below and the Beltway—will also dot Capitol Crossing. The development will include 150 residential units, with a minimum of 50 units designated affordable housing. Amenities at Capitol Crossing include a roof terrace with outdoor seating, an on-site childcare center, and a fitness center.
With construction set to begin in fall 2018 and an opening set for late 2020, SLS will bring its brand of luxury hotels to the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood, providing Metro Center’s W Hotel some competition. In addition to the 176-room hotel, the development will include a 45-unit condo building and thousands of square feet of retail. Sushi chef Katsuya Uechi, whose Katsuya restaurants are sprinkled across luxurious global locales like Las Vegas and Dubai, is opening a location there.
The Peebles Corp., who is managing construction, has also agreed to build 61 units of affordable housing off-site. This designation is similar to many other newer developments; The Wharf, for example, includes affordable housing in their residential buildings.
This near-complete 655 New York Ave. development, also in the Mount Vernon Square neighborhood, is a modern mid-rise glass building mixed in with historic row buildings. The Douglas Development Corporation and its partner Brookfield Properties have spent nearly 20 years integrating 19 historic buildings into an 11-story glass office building. The anchor tenant of 655 New York Ave. is the Advisory Board Company. The project includes 80,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space including a farm-to-table restaurant and high-end steakhouse. Given the proximity of the development to the Convention Center, the restaurants will give new options for those attending events there.
Just opened Sept. 22, the Entertainment and Sports Arena (ESA) is on the former St. Elizabeth’s Hospital site, near the Congress Heights Metro Station. The arena is the practice facility for the Washington Wizards and the home court for the Mystics and Capital City Go-Go, an NBA G-League team. The venue will also serve as a concert venue—October performers included Mary J. Blige and Cage the Elephant.
Founder, chairman, and CEO of Monumental Sports and Entertainment Ted Leonsis has invested $10 million into the arena and the community as a whole. The arena is expected to provide hundreds of new jobs. Congress Heights fell victim to urban decay and neglect in the 1940s, but in the past decade, they’ve seen a revitalization—over a dozen new projects are coming to the area.
North Bethesda development Pike & Roseis now open, with more retail and restaurants being added by the day. Condos within the development are located at 930 Rose. The condosmix modern with vintage, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, baths with cast-iron tubs and customizable options for flooring, countertops, and kitchen cabinets. Current restaurants include Stella Barra Pizzeria, Jinya Ramen Bar, and City Perch Kitchen and Bar. Restaurants opening in the next few years include an outpost of tacos and cocktail chain Nada, an Indian restaurant, and an Asian food hall. Retail options include an H&M, Gap, and—the newest addition—an expansive Uniqlo store.
Also adding to D.C.’s new luxury living scene is Westlight Condos. Connecting Georgetown, Dupont Circle, and Downtown, the West End condo building, Westlight, began leasing units in June 2018. The condos boast luxurious amenities, including a heated rooftop pool, dog washing station, and a private club room with a catering kitchen and outdoor terrace. The one-, two-, and three-bedroom condos run from 600 to 3,000 square feet with prices from $1.4 to $4.5 million. The residences offer modern design elements, too, with a 50-foot living green wall and a light sculpture by German designer Ingo Maurer.


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American car manufacturer Ford Motor announced the reorganization of production in the United States, which will allow it to reduce costs and increase the production of large SUVs. According to Bloomberg, the American company, while reorganizing, intends to fully preserve the number of its staff. This will be possible due to the reduction in the number of shifts at enterprises producing non-high-demand models in Michigan and Kentucky. However, these employees in the amount of 1, 150 people will be transferred to other plants, where the production of Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition SUVs will be increased. Retail sales of the first model in 2018 increased by 36%, the second one - by 80%.
China removes restrictions on car purchases to increase sales01.04.2020
Japan's factory activity shrinks at fastest pace as domestic and overseas demand slump31.03.2020
Samsung Display to end all LCD production in South Korea and China by end 202031.03.2020
U.S. and Russia agree to talks, Oil prices rebound after 18-year lows


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China’s apparel and footwear exporters have been hit the hardest by coronavirus-led demand shocks, a new report has found, with the two sectors having shown no signs of recovery.
Exports of apparel, as well as upstream textile materials, have recovered only slightly from the coronavirus effect, still down by 20%-30% in the first five months of 2020, according to Finch Ratings’ China Corporate Snapshot – June 2020.
For apparel, knitted or crocheted, exports were down 28.2% to US$71.4m, representing 2.9% of China’s total exports. For apparel, not knitted or crocheted, exports were down 20.3% to $66.7bn, representing 2.7% of exports.
Other badly affected consumer goods include footwear, handbags and other leather goods, according to the report.
China’s total exports – measured in US dollars – fell by 3.3% year-on-year in May following a rebound of 3.5% in April. April’s export recovery was driven by delayed deliveries of February-March orders and some overseas clients’ restocking in fear of transportation disruptions.
Fitch Ratings expects the extent of the fall in exports to widen in the next few months, as indicated by the New Export Order subindex of China’s manufacturing PMI hovering at 35.3% in May 2020, compared with 46.5% over the same period in 2019.
“Exporters are likely to receive some policy support in light of the government’s priority to protect employment,” Fitch analysts say. “The export sector forms an important part of the economy by creating 200m jobs both directly and indirectly, according to the Ministry of Commerce, among which 80m workers are migrant workers.”
China’s exports to Asian trade partners are relatively more resilient, having emerged earlier from the strict lockdowns than western countries. Exports to Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand grew by 7%, 6.5%, 5.5% and 4.6%, respectively, in the first five months of the year, while the fall in export value to Japan and South Korea narrowed to 1.6% and 5.6% after temporary plunges in the first quarter.
Exports to the European Union (EU) also rebounded in April and May, albeit still declining by 4.1% in the five months of 2020, driven by the anti-virus and stay-at-home-related sales as well as restocking of certain upstream products. In contrast, China’s exports to the US slumped by 14.3% – on top of a 12.5% drop in 2019.
Noticeably, China’s exports to the developing countries including India, Brazil and South Africa have deteriorated since April due to local lockdown measures and a weakening economic outlook.
Fitch warns, however, that those Chinese exporters focusing on the western market, especially those in the hard-hit consumer goods sector, are likely to see the highest pressure of business disruption in 2020.
Some companies have turned to the domestic market to clear out inventory and keep business running. In April, domestic sales of Chinese exporters grew by 17% year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
However, the transition is unlikely to be smooth, Fitch analysts say. “The domestic environment already faces intensified competition, with obstacles including different consumer preferences, lack of proprietary brands and distribution channels, competition which is already intensified in onshore markets, as well as intellectual property disputes with their OEM clients.”


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Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with KGI Securities, has a new report forecasting that the product highlight of Apple's upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will introduce refreshed MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models.
These refreshed products would see Intel's new Haswell chips inside, the chipmaker's fourth-generation Core processors. Kuo thinks that Apple will continue with non-Retina MacBook Pros, seeing strength in the 13-inch model, leading him to believe we'll see Apple continuing the production of non-Retina models. He says:
Contrary to our previous projection, we now think Apple will continue to make the MacBook Pro alongside the MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro because the 13" MacBook Pro remains the most popular product in the MacBook line. Also, there is still demand in emerging markets, where Internet penetration isn't advanced, for optical disk drives.
The analyst believes that the updated non-Retina MacBook Pros could ship right after WWDC, but the new Retina-based MacBook Pro models would ship later down the line due to the more expensive, and harder to make Retina displays.
- >> NEXT STORY: Microsoft working on visual redesigns of their platforms, including Xbox and Bing
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Ford will boost production of Expeditions and Navigators at its Louisville plant
Buoyed by stronger-than-expected sales, Ford Motor Co. announced Monday that it will increase production of the Expedition and Lincoln Navigator at the Kentucky Truck Plant.
A $25 million additional investment also will bring Ford's total infusion of cash into the eastern Louisville factory to $925 million, money that's paid for advanced manufacturing equipment to speed up assembly lines and reduce downtime.
Executives who led reporters on a private tour of the plant Friday said they don't expect to hire any more employees now but the success of the new models has led to more overtime hours and extra weekend shifts for production and skilled trades employees. The payroll now has 8,400 hourly and salaried workers.
Ford wanted to capitalize on demand for the two large SUVs after seeing sales jump once the models were delivered to dealers, said Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford's global operations.
"We didn't want to be too optimistic until we saw the response," he said, adding that the 25 percent increase in the vehicles' production target is a larger first-year increase than after launches of other new vehicles.
The Expedition and Navigator were completely redesigned, lightened with an aluminum body and loaded with new technology. Auto buffs, particularly those who watch the luxury segment, were skeptical about how the Lincoln would fare against the ruling king, the Cadillac Escalade from General Motors.
But Ford says the truck plant has had trouble filling orders for both the Expedition and Navigator.
Navigator sales also more than doubled, they said, with a significant boost coming from buyers in Florida, Texas and California. Part of the demand is driven by younger — and clearly really well-heeled — consumers willing to pay for the beefy full-sized ride geared to families.
Bloomberg reported in November that strong early sales of the Navigator led General Motors to offer a $5,000 discount on the purchase or lease of the Cadillac Escalade to buyers who traded in a 1999 or newer Lincoln model.
The Premiere edition of the 2018 Navigator starts at $72,055, compared to $73,995 for the Escalade. Demand for two high-end Black Label and Reserve series Navigators drove the average transaction price up by more than $21,000 during January, compared with a year ago.
The Expedition also saw a 57 percent increase in sales last month, with average transaction prices up by $7,800 in January compared with the prior year. Both the Navigator and Expedition are sitting on the dealer lots an average of seven days, Ford said.
In Louisville, the extra $25 million investment has been plowed into 400 new robots, a 3D printer to quickly create parts and a data analytics center that allows managers to watch the flow of parts and the assembly process in real time. Identifying problem areas that slow the production process is key, plant manager Andrew Tapp said.
The truck plant produced 345,358 F-series Super Duty pickups last year, as well as 49,883 Expeditions and nearly 11,930 Navigators. Hinrichs wouldn't say exactly how many more SUVs Ford expects to roll out this year, but the 25 percent estimate points to more than 15,000 additional vehicles.
"It's really important that this plant is able to produce more because ... it's a new product," Hinrichs said.
Grace Schneider: 502-582-4082; firstname.lastname@example.org; Twitter: @gesinfk. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/graces.


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The word Hybrid is normally associated with cars these days, but computer maker Dell have actually managed to incorporate this word into their product range with the launch of the new Dell Studio Hybrid PC.
This computer is being touted as a rival for Apple, though Apple fans will probably find that quite amusing.
Dell say that the PC will use around seventy per cent less power than the average desktop and that most of the packaging that the computer comes in, is actually recyclable.
Although the Hybrid is a good-looking piece of kit, especially as there are also some bamboo covers to put on should a green feeling come on, what’s more important is what’s inside the box:
- mobile Penryn T8100 processor,
- a slot-loading DVD burner,
- optional Blu-ray drive,
- HDMI port,
- 250GB or 320GB hard drive,
- Firewire port,
- 8-in-1 media card reader,
- 2GB RAM,
- Intel Mobile 965 integrated graphics.
For a starting price of £569, with no monitor, it’s somewhat more pricey than some of Dell’s other PC lines, such as the popular Vostro.
Still, it’s a step forward to see the computing world - which is notorious for energy use and polluting waste products - to try and address the issue of sustainability and recycling in a commercial PC.