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By: Chris Madden • email: email@example.com
”Sustainability was the word on everyone’s lips at this month’s TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes. From new approaches to packaging, to revamping the industry’s mindset – everyone was talking about making the business more green. But Travel Retail is a business and for sustainability to be, well, sustainable, it has to make money.
” Sustainability talk does not work”, says Yusuf Okhai, CEO of Aydya. He and his team were in the Innovation Lab at the TFWA World Exhibition, showcasing their Ion8 One Touch reusable water bottle. But Okhai has higher goals for the industry’s sustainable mindset.
” We are capitalists,” he argues. ”Our economy is driven by risk and reward – so the only concept that can drive change is profitable sustainability.”
The Travel Retail industry tends to have a passion for buzzwords and trends which are widely discussed, but often with little development. In recent years, topics including digital, millennials and overhauling the Trinity have been debated with varying success.
But the simple truth is that good intentions will not save the world and the market will not get behind something which cannot make it money. Okhai, however, believes Travel Retail has the scope for sustainability – but profitability is absolutely at its core.
”Travel Retail is full of smart minds. They are all very well aware of the importance of the issue,” he says. But knee-jerk reactions like doing away with all plastic packaging is neither realistic for travel retail nor, it turns out, a solution.
”(You hear that) Plastics are bad. Plastics kill dolphins,” Okhai explains. ” They do not. If we took 480 billion trees, or 480 billion socks, or even 480 billion potatoes into the ocean, sea life would be devastated. It is not the plastic that is the issue – it’s the dumping and the people.”
What the market needs is solutions which are practical and will not wreck the business model. But there is an issue with awareness:
”(Businesses) can’t implement what doesn’t exist or what they are unaware of. So, they need solutions – and profitable ones.”
Okhai is far from the only voice calling for profitability to be the heart of environmental change. In a 2012 article for the International Journal of Reproductive Economics, Frank Figge and Tobias Hahn argued that companies could make sustainability profitable by ”using environmental resources more effectively than the market.”
The wider industry is taking notice, too. Speaking to Business Because, Copenhagen Business School Associate Andreas Rasche called sustainability a ”mega-trend” and ”mainstream business”, while Michigan Ross School of Business Professor Gautam Kaul believes companies which focus solely on financial return will not exist in 20 years.
But everyone from Greta Thunberg to the Extinction Rebellion activists are telling us sustainability is an issue which must be addressed now. So how can sustainability be profitable for Travel Retail today?
Okhai and his team have laid out a series of measures in a presentation which they were showing in Cannes. Among their suggestions are initiatives to make refillable bottles available at airport retail outlets and reduce costs by reducing waste and trash. The team is also encouraging airport operators to utilise their wealth of data to provide sensibly-placed refill points for water based on passenger movement.
But, as ever, plans and ideas are only half the battle. Schemes must be implemented and Okhai – and those like him – are clear that good intentions will not do the job.
”What we have is a shortage of profitable solutions,” he says.
”We need smart solutions, and hungry people that will do what is necessary to benefit from the opportunities. And there are opportunities aplenty. Ideas occur to those who care.”


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The push to reintroduce long-lost native crops is one expression of Latin America’s burgeoning food sovereignty movement. Governments across Latin America are increasingly concerned with promoting the rural poor’s ability to live self-sufficiently on locally produced goods instead of dumped products often exported from monoculture farms.
They were tiny white seeds, as rough and grainy as a handful of sand, and Esmeralda Solarte knew that she had seen them before. It was June 2000, just outside of Quito, Ecuador, and the Colombian farmer was attending an international seminar on agricultural innovations introduced by farmers like herself, rather than technocrats from the World Bank.
At first, she said, the seeds reminded her of amaranth, a staple crop of the Incas. Back in Las Cruces, a small Colombian village nestled between the green slopes of the Andes, she and other indigenous farmers used to cultivate the grain themselves, toasting the kernels like popcorn before drizzling them with honey. But for whatever vague reason – the convenience of buying white bread from the nearest major city, guerillas stalking the countryside, a bad strain of seed that didn’t survive the rainy season – amaranth had disappeared from Las Cruces completely in 1994.
Ms. Solarte was told that the familiar-looking white grain was not the amaranth that she remembered so well. It was another altitude-hardy, protein-loaded grain typical of the Incas: quinoa. Then the idea came to her.
“I don’t know how long quinoa has been lost to our community,” she said. “Our grandparents would talk about their grandparents growing it.” Upon returning to Las Cruces from Quito, Ms. Solarte met with Colombian agronomist Jose Ignacio Roa, who’d been working with local farmers on experimenting with maize and bean varieties. What would happen, she asked him, if they were to bring quinoa seeds back to the indigenous reservation?
The push to reintroduce long-lost native crops is not exclusive to Ms. Solarte’s village, but rather is one expression of Latin America’s burgeoning food sovereignty movement. Governments across Latin America are increasingly concerned with promoting the rural poor’s ability to live self-sufficiently on locally produced goods instead of dumped products often exported from monoculture farms.
In Mexico, lack of self-sufficiency in food – the country imported half of its wheat supplies and three-quarters of its rice last year – has fueled rural unrest for years.1 In Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela, small-scale farmers have long protested against large agribusinesses that invest in transgenic agriculture, arguing that by forcing farmers to cultivate only the company seed, this prevents farmers from innovating with their own ancestral crops, and eventually causes dependency on company product. At the forefront of the movement is Ecuador. In September 2008, President Correa’s government passed a constitutional amendment that promised to cut back dependency on food imports.2 A law passed last February declared the country “free of transgenic crops and seeds,"3 although Correa has since proposed modifying the legislation, inspiring the outrage of campesinos and environmentalists alike.
In Las Cruces, located in one of the six indigenous reservations found in Colombia’s Cauca department, introducing quinoa was widely seen as a rallying cry for a modest food revolution. “We want to depend less on foreign products that are filled with preservatives and rely more on what’s local, what’s organic,” said Ms. Solarte. “We want to recuperate our traditions and improve the health of our community at the same time.”
Beginning in 2000, Ms. Solarte and a small group of mostly female farmers began experimenting with six different varieties of quinoa on their tiny garden plots, alongside towering rows of maize and squat, green strawberry bushes. Ten years later, the crop is spreading steadily throughout the Quisgo reservation, population approximately 5,000. Esmeralda estimates that 40% of farmers in the region now grow quinoa, and the other 60% are at least familiar with it.
“It’s been a very useful crop for me,” said Merecedes Hurtado, a farmer who helped popularize the crop alongside Ms. Solarte. They hope to continue protecting their food sovereignty by not initially selling quinoa to supermarkets or factories outside the region, she explained. Instead, “it must first be eaten in the reservation.”
A family’s typical diet on the reservation previously relied heavily upon white bread purchased in either Silvia or Popayan, the closest major cities. Wheat flour handouts from a family welfare program, known as bienestarina, were another staple. Mixed with soya extracts and other preservatives, the bienestarina is generally viewed with suspicion: in the region’s poorest indigenous reservation, Guambia, the welfare flour has long been subject to a popular (yet unfounded) rumor that it is spiked with sterilizing chemicals.
According to Ms. Solarte, due to the community’s lobbying, the welfare program has since begun mixing the bienestarina with quinoa instead of soya, as well distributing individual packages of quinoa to families. A previously unknown crop is now commonly sold among farmers at $2,500 pesos (about $1) per kilo, or else traded for, say, half a pound of seed for 20 maize cobs. Community members have observed less malnutrition among children, Ms. Solarte says, while families often visit her home, asking to borrow her quinoa threshing machine.
The crop is used for cakes, drinks, trout food, making purses and even medicinal purposes, by taking the ash from burned quinoa greens and applying them to wounds.
“There is a real desire, especially within the indigenous community, to recuperate their genetic heritage [in crops],” said agronomist Roa, who has been working with small-scale farmers in Colombia for the past two decades. “And there is real suspicion of transgenic seeds, a real fear that they are going to lose their own varieties of seeds to other varieties imposed on them from the outside.”
Increasingly in villages like Ms. Solarte’s, farmers are rescuing ancestral crops from the “inside” rather than waiting to react to “outside” species. In Santa Maria, another predominantly indigenous community in Colombia’s lush, green Cauca department, farmers successfully reintroduced granadilla to the region after years of careful experimentation. A type of passion fruit with a thick orange peel and gooey translucent insides, it went virtually extinct after farmers deforested the area to make way for coffee plantations. Now, it is once again a kitchen staple for local families, and is also commonly sold along with pineapple in rickety wooden stands by the roadside.
San Bosco, another Colombian village in Cauca, also launched a campaign to reintroduce yunga, a brightly colored, local maize variety that had been steadily disappearing over the past 70 years. Similar recuperation efforts are also underway in some regions of Bolivia for papa lisa varieties, a corkscrew-shaped potato that ranges from bright pink to deep purple. In Ecuador, farmers are experimenting with rescuing ancestral habas (broad bean) varieties, while in the Mixteca indigenous region in southern Mexico, farmers are reviving a traditional style of agriculture known as milpa that better promotes soil fertility.4
While Ms. Solarte hopes that someday all families on the indigenous reservations will be cultivating, eating and selling quinoa to outside markets, she says their impact on the region is already unmistakable. For farmers like herself, successful innovations like quinoa follow the kind of sustainable production model that allow communities to feed themselves, safeguarding seed diversity and reviving long lost traditions – the likes of which do not have to be irreconcilable with modernity.
“A decade ago, I had a friend – about 70 years old – who called me over to his farm and showed me a handful of black, wild quinoa seeds that he’d found on his land,” said Angel Maria Hurtado, another quinoa-grower on the Quisgo reservation. ” ‘What are these for?’ he asked me. An old man, and he had no idea that this was a crop our community used to grow. Now everybody knows of the nutritional benefits.”
“White rice isn’t native to here, but there’s no shortage of white rice in people’s homes,” he added. “What we need is people sprinkling quinoa on top of their white rice.”
Elyssa Pachico is a graduate of Wesleyan University and a former intern at The Nation magazine. She currently lives in Colombia, and can be contacted at epachico(at)wesleyan.edu.
1. “The Basic Food Position: 2008,” Rosen, Fred, NACLA Report On The Americas, July 2008, pg. 4 Vol. 41 No. 4.

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Ashok Leyland sees 9% YoY jump in domestic commercial vehicle wholesales, August 2023
The company witnessed moderate growth of 2% to 5,532 units in August 2023 in the LCV segment.
Manufacturer of commercial vehicles Ashok Leyland announced on Friday that total domestic wholesales for its commercial vehicles in August 2023 stood at 14,545 units, an increase of 9% in comparison to 13,301 units during the corresponding month of the previous year.
The M&HCV segment grew by 17% to 9,013 units during August 2023, as against 7,671 units in August 2022. Furthermore, within the M&HCV segment, trucks grew by 9% to 7,709 units during August 2023 when compared against 7,051 units recorded in August 2022. Likewise, in the buses segment, the jump seems massive at 110% to 1,304 units in August 2023, compared to the low base of 620 units in August last year.
Secondly, in the LCV category, the company witnessed moderate growth of 2% to 5,532 units in August 2023 as against 5,630 units during the comparable period.
European giants reportedly in early talks about their respective plans to launch small, cheap electric cars this decade....
Vedanta Aluminium drives sustainability at COP28, releases 4th Annual Sustainable Development report
The company participated in the 'Industrial Transition Accelerator' Roundtable, contributing to climate change efforts.
Kinetic Green in final leg of Rs 250 crore fund raise, eyes 1 lakh EV sales in FY25 and Rs 1000 crore turnover, says Sulajja Firodia Motwani
The company is likely to close the fund raise within the next quarter.


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STYRIA, Austria – When launching a new generation of a vehicle with a truly iconic look, designers have to tread lightly. Why? Well, they have to make sure the updated design does not disappoint current fans. And that's certainly the case with the new JL-generation Jeep Wrangler, which can trace ...
Jeep Wrangler 2.2 D Rubicon Unlimited
ARTICLES BY MANUFACTURER
Jaguar F-Pace 300 Sport confirmed for South Africa
Ford SA says its Sync 3 system can now run Waze
Bugatti to build sedan on Porsche platform – report
Mercedes-Benz to use Maybach badge on more models


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Taxpayers cheated on wireless
Satellite TV provider Dish Network says it's thinking only of customers as it offers $25.5 billion to buy Sprint Nextel, the third-biggest U.S. wireless company.
"A transformative Dish/Sprint merger will create the only company that can offer customers a convenient, fully integrated, nationwide bundle of in- and out-of-home video, broadband and voice services," said Charles W. Ergen, Dish's chairman.
"This unique, combined company will have a leadership position in video, data and voice, and the necessary broadband spectrum to provide customers with rich content everywhere, all the time," he said.
Here's what Ergen neglected to mention:
Dish now controls billions of dollars worth of unused wireless spectrum that it obtained from the federal government as well as through a series of acquisitions, such as its $2.9 billion spectrum purchases last year from failed satellite operators DBSD North America and TerreStar Networks.
Under the terms of a deal cut in December with the Federal Communications Commission, Dish now has seven years in which to start operating a wireless network covering at least 70 percent of the population. If it fails to do so, its wireless license from the FCC will expire.
Dish's attempt to purchase Sprint isn't about serving customers. It's about positioning the company for a wireless future that, regardless of what role the company plays, will be worth a bundle.
Consumer advocates remain wary of the ongoing trend of consolidation among telecom companies.
"These Frankenstein-style mergers among weaker players are no substitute for real competition in the mobile, broadband and video markets," said S. Derek Turner, research director of Free Press in Washington.
"Until something is done about the market power that companies like Comcast, Verizon and AT&T abuse daily, consumers will be stuck paying higher bills for mediocre services," he said.
The reality, however, is that sky-high bills and mediocre service have become hallmarks of the U.S. wireless industry, and there's little anyone can do to change that.
There are too many barriers - cost; licensing; the Verizon/AT&T duopoly, which together control about 70 percent of the mobile market - to building a new wireless network from scratch.
The only way to be a player in this market is to buy your way in, and that means doing exactly what Dish and most other telecom heavyweights have been doing for years: acquiring other companies
with slivers of the spectrum pie.
While most of the attention was focused Monday on Dish's big-bucks bid for Sprint, Verizon Wireless was reportedly offering up to $1.5 billion to purchase wireless spectrum from networking company Clearwire.
That would be the same Clearwire that already is 51 percent owned by Sprint, which has offered $2.1 billion for the rest of the company.
That also would be the same Clearwire that Dish, separate from its Sprint buyout bid, has offered to acquire for $5.15 billion.
Meantime, the Japanese telecom giant Softbank has its own $20.1 billion offer on the table for Sprint, and Verizon ponied up almost $4 billion last year for wireless spectrum owned by some of the country's biggest cable companies.
And don't forget the ongoing effort by Deutsche Telekom, parent of No. 4 T-Mobile USA, to buy MetroPCS after AT&T's bid for T-Mobile collapsed in 2011.
Complicated? The incestuous, scheming nature of the telecom industry makes "I, Claudius" look like "Pee-wee's Playhouse."
To date, the FCC has focused primarily on maintaining a semblance of competition in the wireless market. Yet as the value of wireless spectrum grows exponentially, another issue has emerged: Are U.S. taxpayers being fairly compensated?
It's easy to overlook, but the fact remains that the American public owns all this spectrum, not Verizon, not AT&T, not Sprint. We lease it to deep-pocketed telecom companies so they can ostensibly serve the public interest.
According to the FCC, spectrum controlled by the top four wireless companies was worth at least $150 billion as of the end of 2010, the latest year for which statistics were available.
The fact that Dish's offer for Sprint topped Softbank's by more than $5 billion highlights how quickly the value of spectrum can grow, especially as it becomes increasingly clear that the future of communications lies in smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.
"It's obvious why all these companies want spectrum," said Linda Sherry, a spokeswoman for the advocacy group Consumer Action. "The wire line is going the way of the dinosaur."
Edward A. Maldonado, a Miami lawyer specializing in telecom regulatory matters, said the FCC has a responsibility to ensure that the public is receiving its fair share of this wireless gold rush.
"The leases ought to be reviewed to make sure they're in the best interest of consumers," he said.
Most spectrum licenses are good for 10 to 15 years at a time, and typically are renewed. But could they be renegotiated?
Maldonado said that could be tricky. Much would depend on the terms of the highly complex agreements and how aggressively telecom companies might resist treating the public with greater fairness and generosity.
Mark Wigfield, an FCC spokesman, declined to comment when I asked how much elbow room the wireless leases may contain.
Of course, lawmakers could pass a bill requiring telecom companies to renegotiate terms in light of the changing marketplace, or at the very least to agree to a provision requiring higher payments as the value of leased spectrum rises.
But considering that the telecom industry is among the most influential in Washington - it spent about $55 million on lobbying last year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics - that's not a likely scenario.
More likely is that the spectrum haves will grow wealthier and more powerful, and the have-nots will be increasingly marginalized. The actual owners of wireless spectrum will remain where we began: paying high fees for mediocre service.
In that sense, you could say, it doesn't really matter who owns Sprint.
The wireless deck is already stacked.
David Lazarus, a Los Angeles Times columnist, writes on consumer issues. He can be reached at david.lazaruslatimes.com.


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Great news for Gurney Paragon Mall shoppersV. Sivaji | March 4, 2021 | 0 | Events , Hotels , Live , Spotlight , Travel , Travel Buzz
The Gurney Paragon Mall becomes the first mall in Penang or even in the Northern Region to launch the Touch N Go PayDirect services.
What more, from March 1 to April 30, 2021, users will enjoy a 20% cashback (capped at RM1) when they pay for parking using Touch n Go PayDirect at the Gurney Paragon Mall.
However, it is limited to the first 10,000 redemptions. So hurry up to register.
Users will only have to add their Touch n Go card to their Touch n Go eWallet to activate the Touch n Go PayDirect.
Subsequently, they can just tap their card at the entry and exit points as usual.
Present at the launching ceremony held at the Hunza Properties Berhad was Ms Khor Tze Ming, Group Executive Director of Hunza Properties Berhad, Chong Fhui, Chief Commercial Officer of Touch n Go Sdn Bhd along with Ms Koay Bee Fong, Chief Executive Officer of Gurney Paragon Mall.
Also present was Ms Adeline Ong, Head of Communications, Touch n Go Sdn Bhd.
“We are excited to be the first mall in Penang to offer the PayDirect cashless format of payment. It will offer another option for shoppers to make their payments via a cashless and convenient mode.
“We have some 1,500 parking bays at our mall and this mode of payment enables parking convenience for shoppers.
“The shoppers no longer have to hunt for Touch n Go kiosks to reload their card to pay for their parking fees. Thus, leading to less congestion at the entrance and exit points especially during busy days or nearing mall closing hours,” said Khor.
Meanwhile, Chong Fhui added that in light of the Covid-19 pandemic people are looking for safe, convenient and innovative payment options.
“The Touch n Go Pay Direct is one such example and through our partnership with Gurney Paragon Mall, we hope to address this need,” he added.


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This week just ended
With debates surrounding inflation having characterised financial markets for nearly two years now, it was refreshing this week to receive news of how inflation is actually calculated. The ever-changing basket of goods not only helps track price changes, but also offers an invaluable insight into current fashions and spending habits. Gone are popular pandemic items such as bakeware and hand sanitiser, replaced by trendier, must-haves, such as air fryers and gluten-free bread.
However, there is one item added in particular that will be music to many investors’ ears, with vinyl having made it back into the basket after a 32-year absence. As the revival of the physical music market continues in the UK, sales of vinyl rose by 11.7% to 5.9 million units last year — the 16th such increase in a row, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
It was only right that during a week in which vinyl made its big comeback, investors observed a few records of their own. Getting in the groove of things was the pan-European STOXX 600 and German index hitting all-time highs on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, spurred on by upbeat earnings forecasts and growing rate cut expectations. Top of the charts was Zara-owner Inditex, whose shares also hit a record high, ending up 7.7% on Wednesday after it reported positive early spring sales, boosted by upmarket fashions.
In terms of economic data, it was US inflation numbers getting markets in a spin, with Consumer Price Index (CPI) readings released during the week. Coming in at 3.2% versus expectations of 3.1%, CPI was pushed higher due to increased costs for gasoline and shelter. However, despite the second straight month of firmer inflation readings in the US, the composition of the report remained consistent with the longer-term disinflationary trend as inflation-weary Americans did receive some respite from their supermarket and medical bills.
Often considered the B-side to CPI data, the Producer Price Index (PPI) — gauging price changes that producers receive for their goods — was released later in the week, showing a marked uptick in inflation for goods sold by factories and workshops. Increasing more than expected in February amid a surge in the cost of food which account for two thirds of the jump, PPI rose by 0.6% — double the 0.3% predicted. After the recent rallies seen over the last week, markets soon changed their tune after the release, with markets now pricing in a 63.5% chance the US Federal Reserve will cut rates during it July meeting, down from 67% before the data’s release.
UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP) also gave investors reason for cheer during the week, bolstering hopes that the recession the UK slipped into last year won’t be a long player. Rising 0.2%, data showed that Britain's economy returned to growth in January, spurred on by a rebound in retailing and house building. Released in conjunction with wages statistics that showed remuneration grew at its slowest pace since October 2022, with the unemployment rate edging up unexpectedly. With all this talk of vinyl, it will be interesting to see what those on Threadneedle Street have up their sleeve in response when they convene next week…
This coming week
With a raft of economic data released last week to mull over, there won’t be too much time to digest what financial markets made of it all, as we push onto next week.
However, we will be able to see what they’ve been making in China as the National Bureau of Statistics releases its annualised Industrial Production figures on Monday. The numbers should take on an added significance as January’s data, which would usually be made public during February, was not released to eliminate the distortions caused by the seven-day Lunar New Year festival last month. This means we will receive a bumper amount of data, covering changes in production from December to February, charting the change in the total inflation-adjusted value of output produced by manufacturers, mines and utilities from the “workshop of the world”.
Staying in Asia, Japan will draw investor focus on Tuesday, beginning a week characterised by central bank press conferences, as the Bank of Japan (BOJ) announces its latest base rate, as well as giving its views on the factors that affected its most recent interest rate decision, the overall economic outlook, inflation and any clues regarding future monetary policy. Larger than expected pay rises from major Japanese firms have significantly heightened the chance the BOJ will conclude its eight years of negative interest rate policy next week, marking a landmark shift away from its huge stimulus programme. Annual labour talks with major firms concluded with pay rises of 5.28%, the highest in 33 years and far exceeding forecasts of 4.5%, putting pressure on the central bank to react this month, with many expecting a shift to a range of 0-0.1%.
Whilst the foundation has been laid by Asian markets, much of the beginning of the week has been building, certainly for domestic investors, towards UK inflation data, released during the middle of the week. With inflation currently sitting at 4% — twice the Bank of England’s 2% target — we shouldn’t expect those on Threadneedle Street to look to cut rates just yet. But this month’s reading could well settle bets as to whether we should expect any movement on borrowing costs during their June meeting.
Those wondering what the Bank of England (BoE) will make of Wednesday’s data shouldn’t have too long to wait as the bank will host a press conference the day after, setting rates whilst giving their views on the domestic economy.
Not to be outdone, the BoE’s US equivalent, the Federal Reserve, will hold a press conference towards the end of the week, announcing where they see the future of interest rates going, as well as giving various other economic projections, as they attempt to set financial markets’ expectations for the coming months. Back in December, a March rate cut in the US looked an almost certainty, however, after various stronger-than-expected data points, those expectations have been pushed back towards the summer, with June looking the most likely outcome.
The information in this blog or any response to comments should not be regarded as financial advice. If you are unsure of any of the terminology used, your should seek financial advice. Remember that the value of investments can go down as well as up, and could be worth less than what was paid in. The information is based on our understanding as at 15 March 2024.


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Panera Bread’s profits are up and so is the outlook for pasta, including at CityPlace’s Panera location
- 7:29 pm Thursday, February 7th, 2013 by M.M. Cloutier
If you’re a pasta-lover, the selection at Panera Bread at CityPlace—one of 1,600-plus locations of the the St. Louis-based bakery-café chain—has been limited to mac ‘n cheese, but within the next four to six weeks or so, pasta will have more of a menu presence.
Panera Bread Co. execs say plans call for a systemwide introduction of new pasta items by the end of the first quarter of this year. Folks at CityPlace’s Panera (515-3773; 700 S. Rosemary Ave.; www.panerabread.com) confirm that it won’t be long before they’re offering guests tortellini Alfredo and penne Bolognese, among other pasta items.
Panera Bread Co.’s ramp-up [More]


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TPG Specialty Lending’s $50 Million Offering
June 19, 2018
Cleary Gottlieb acted as counsel to TPG Specialty Lending in its sale of $50 million aggregate principal amount of its 4.50 percent convertible notes due 2022, in an underwritten public offering pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form N-2, which represented a reopening of the same series of notes initially issued in February 2017, in a private offering.
The company also granted the underwriters an option to purchase an additional $7.5 million aggregate principal amount of notes to cover over-allotments. The offering launched and priced on June 14, 2018, and closed on June 19, 2018.
TPG Specialty Lending is a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and focuses on lending to U.S. middle-market companies.


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Plus, the US steps up efforts to scrub telecom networks of Huawei gear and a Senate bill would force big tech to disclose how much your data is worth.
The shambling corpse of Windows Phone will keep stumbling on.
We find the best replacements for your favorite features.
Upgrading to a new phone? Here's how to wipe your personal data from your old device so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
Microsoft is pulling the plug on its mobile version of Windows, but it excelled at a number of things.
A hacking group says it leaked government malware designed to break into Windows computers. But Microsoft says its up-to-date software is safe.
It's the largest police force in the US, and officers didn't get a department-issued phone with their own email and number until last year.
The tech titan's CEO says he sees the company's mobile future in Windows 10, the next-generation operating system that will run across a variety of devices.
The next iteration of the software maker's operating system is slated to arrive in time for the summer.
An intriguing idea -- Yezz's new mobiles are almost identical, letting you choose whether you prefer Android or Windows operating systems.
Check out our video review of the Microsoft Lumia 535, the first non-Nokia Lumia phone, which boasts a 5-inch display, colourful covers and the latest Windows Phone software.
Windows Phone fitness tracker packs a range of features including a color touchscreen, heart rate tracker and GPS.


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Nintendo has announced that it will be hosting a new Nintendo Direct livestream tomorrow, one that will feature “roughly 40 minutes of information mostly focused on Nintendo Switch games launching this winter.” The livestream will begin at 7:00 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET.
Tune in at 7 a.m. PT tomorrow, 9/13, for a #NintendoDirect livestream featuring roughly 40 minutes of information mostly focused on #NintendoSwitch games launching this winter.— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 12, 2022
Watch it here 🎥:https://t.co/CqYDjy0iHo pic.twitter.com/xIplXiSvkO
The last Nintendo Direct was held on August 10, 2022, and exclusively featured updates on Splatoon 3, a new installment of the third-person shooter franchise from the developers at Nintendo EPD. It released last week for the Nintendo Switch.


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TAIEX gains despite concerns
Share prices edged up 0.15 percent yesterday despite concerns ahead of the release of figures expected to show the country fell into recession in the fourth quarter of last year, dealers said.
The TAIEX rose 6.59 points to 4,498.37 on turnover of NT$62.88 billion (US$1.82 billion). Losers outnumbered gainers 987 to 577, while 222 stocks remained unchanged.
“The turnover shrank today as investors were keeping an eye on the fourth quarter gross domestic production growth figures” to be released later in the day, said Allen Lin of Concord Securities (康和證券).
However, the heavily weighted electronics sector was stable on the NT dollar’s sharp depreciation.
“The weak Taiwan dollar would make locally manufactured goods cheaper overseas and accordingly be helpful to the export sector,” Lin said.
Fubon Financial to hire 250
Fubon Financial Holding Co (富邦金控) said yesterday it plans to recruit 250 new hires in coming months, beefing up its direct telephone marketing subsidiary to a total of 750 employees.
It pays each telephone salesperson a base monthly salary of between NT$25,000 and NT$30,000, excluding performance-oriented bonuses, said Fred Juang (莊子明), president of Fubon Direct Marketing Consulting Co (富邦直效行銷), a subsidiary of Fubon Financial.
With outstanding performance, some telephone salespersons could earn more than NT$1 million per year, he said, adding that the top annual salary claimed by a star salesperson was NT$2 million.
After parent Fubon Financial earmarked a sales target of NT$1.6 billion this year, Juang said that he hopes his direct marketing arm could soon hire more staff.
Compal posts Q4 loss
Compal Electronics Inc (仁寶電腦), the world’s second-largest maker of notebook computers, posted a 34 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit after demand declined because of the global recession.
Net income fell to NT$2.74 billion, the company said in a statement yesterday. Compal reported profit of NT$4.15 billion a year earlier. The earnings matched the NT$2.66 billion median of three analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Taipei-based Compal, supplier to Hewlett-Packard Co and Acer Inc, missed its forecast for shipments last year after demand dropped in the fourth quarter because of the global recession. On Jan. 10, Compal lowered its shipment outlook for this year to as few as 32 million computers from an earlier prediction of 35 million.
Czechs choose Green Energy
Green Energy Technology Inc (綠能科技), Taiwan’s second-largest maker of solar silicon wafers won a 4.2 million euro (US$5.3 million) order to supply thin-film solar modules to the Czech Republic this year, the company said in a statement.
NT dollar plummets
The New Taiwan dollar dropped to the lowest level in more than five years on speculation a government report would show the economy contracted at a record pace in the fourth quarter.
The NT dollar fell to NT$34.65 versus the greenback as of the 4pm close, from NT$34.62 on Tuesday, Taipei Forex Inc said. It earlier touched NT$34.682, the lowest level since June 2003.
The local currency will weaken to NT$35.50 by the end of the second quarter, said Mitul Kotecha, Hong Kong-based head of global foreign-exchange strategy at Calyon, the investment-banking unit of French bank Credit Agricole SA.
The local currency slumped for a 10th day versus the US dollar, its longest losing streak in six months, before the DGBAS report.


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Edgy ensemble! Kylie Jenner steps out in black leather leggings and a beaded military jacket after steaming up Miami
Kylie Jenner pushed the fashion envelope once more, donning leather leggings while out and about in Los Angeles on Monday.
The 18-year-old wore the edgy bottoms paired with a black blouse and an embellished military jacket featuring large buttons.
The reality star, who showcased her slim legs in the dark-hued leggings, added a pop of color with white sneakers.
Scroll down for video
Black and white: Kylie Jenner pushed the fashion envelope once more, donning leather leggings while out and about in Los Angeles on Monday
The teen wowed in her Express Edition beaded military jacket, which costs $298, paired with her textured leggings.
The starlet opted to go for a more natural makeup look, focusing on pinky nude lips, a touch of brown shadow for her eye look, subtle contouring on her cheeks and defined brows.
The trendsetter wore her shoulder-grazing black hair sleek with a deep side part.
On the go: The 18-year-old wore the edgy bottoms paired with a black blouse and an embellished military jacket featuring large buttons
Make a mark in a military jacket like Kylie
We are loving Kylie Jenner's style. The woman can wear anything from a tight bodycon dress to baggy pants and still have massive sex appeal.
The 18-year-old looked like she was channeling her inner Janet Jackson while out in Miami. Kylie wore a black beaded military jacket over a black blouse, leather leggings and white sneakers.
We are LOVING her military jacket and after some investigating, we found the maker of this essential item. It's by Express. The fashionista strayed from her usual Balmain gear and decided to rock a less high caliber brand.
What shocked us the most is that the jacket is still up for grabs for $298! We suggest you click right and get it fast because we have a feeling this jacket is going to sell like hot cakes!
Alternatively, take a look at our style edit below for our favorite takes on the military style.
The youngest Jenner wore a neutral hued polish on her nails, adding silver rings to give a dazzling touch.
Kylie just returned home earlier in the day after a trip to Miami, Florida for Art Basel last week.
The teenager partied with her friends Hailey Baldwin, Anastasia Karanikolaou and Justine Skye while at the festival.
Casual kicks: The reality star, who showcased her slim legs in the dark-hued leggings, added a pop of color with white sneakers
Trensetter: The teen wowed in her Express Edition beaded military jacket, which costs $298, paired with her textured leggings
The stunner was spotted at Miami airport in the morning wearing another edgy look, featuring a Yeezus concert t-shirt, a leather jacket, white trousers and sneakers.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star may be back in California to see older sister Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's new baby boy, Saint West, who was born on Saturday.
Last week, Kylie released her Lip Kit by Kylie makeup line, which sold out immediately.
Kylie just returned home on Monday after a trip to Miami, Florida for Art Basel last week.
Travel vibes: The stunner was spotted at the airport in Miami on Monday wearing another edgy look, featuring a Yeezus concert t-shirt, a leather jacket. white trousers and sneakers
Dressed to the nines: The teenager partied with her friend Anastasia Karanikolaou while at the festival
How exciting: Kylie later shared yet another selfie on Snapchat
Double-fisting: She was drinking some sort of concoction as well as a soft drink as she lazed in a robe
Rolling her eyes: But the reality television personality was not the only one after her latest extravaganza
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Bring a calculator with you
WHEN retailers want to entice customers to buy a particular product, they typically offer it at a discount. According to a new study to be published in the Journal of Marketing, they are missing a trick.
A team of researchers, led by Akshay Rao of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, looked at consumers’ attitudes to discounting. Continue Reading


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CRANFORD, NJ (BRAIN) — Hilltop Bicycles of Summit, New Jersey, opened a second, larger location in nearby Cranford on Saturday, April 20. A grand-opening celebration is planned for the first weekend in May.
BOULDER, CO (BRAIN) — Snow in the Northeast and the Rockies—even in Phoenix—along with rain and flooding in the Midwest have created late-winter challenges for bike retailers and their suppliers.
BAIE-D’URFÉ, Québec (BRAIN) — Marking its 25th anniversary, the newly remodeled Giant by Teal Sport store near Montréal celebrated its grand reopening on Saturday, April 20, in conjunction with Giant Bicycle Canada.
BOSTON, MA (BRAIN) — Retailers in the Boston area were able to re-open Saturday, after authorities lifted a "shelter in place" order that was in effect during a manhunt for a suspect in Monday's Boston Marathon bombing.
CALABASAS, CA (BRAIN) — Moots is opening its first U.S. boutique store as part of a cycling-themed business establishment in Los Angeles County that mixes retail, a café and a full-service restaurant.
BOULDER, CO (BRAIN) — Thanks to 2012’s unseasonably warm winter, IBD sales suffered from unfavorable year-ago comparisons this February but showed strength when viewed against the more realistic 2011 period, according to data from research firm Leisure Trends Group.
NOVATO, CA (BRAIN) — Northern Marin County gets a new purveyor of bikes—and beer, too, if all goes according to plan—as Bicycle Brüstop prepares to open April 27 as a Giant partner store.
AUSTIN, TX (BRAIN) — Cycleast, a new custom shop in the Texas capital, is also entering the distribution business, bringing in handmade carbon fiber and steel road and track bikes from the Czech Republic’s Festka Bicycles as the brand’s U.S. importer.
LOS ANGELES, CA (BRAIN) — Sport Chalet on Thursday announced the launch of “order today, deliver today” service.
PORTLAND, OR (BRAIN) — Portland city-bike specialist Joe Bike, which relocated to a larger space in January, has now opened a separate cycling clothing store, JoeBike Apparel, in its former location on Stumptown’s fashionable Hawthorne Boulevard.
NORTH OLMSTED, OH (BRAIN) — Cleveland-area retailer Eddy’s Bike Shop has expanded its North Olmsted location, doubling in size to more than 10,000 square feet. It’s the second expansion for the store, which grew to 5,000 square feet from 3,000 four years earlier.
PETERBOROUGH, NH (BRAIN) — Outdoor retailer Eastern Mountain Sports will host a grand opening of its new store in Nashua, New Hampshire, from April 12-14. Located at 281 Daniel Webster Highway, the 22,204-square-foot space is more than twice the size of the company’s previous location across the street.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA (BRAIN) — Google Shopping Express, which launched Thursday, is a local delivery service the company hopes will make it possible for shoppers to get the items they order online a few hours later, and at a low cost.
CHICAGO, IL (BRAIN)—After a year away from the Chicagoland area, Turin Bicycles is back in the Windy City with a new store that will emphasize its own branded bikes, clothing and accessories.
PITTSBURGH, PA (BRAIN)—Dick’s Sporting Goods saw net income rise 10 percent to $291 million for its fiscal year ended Feb. 2 as net sales jumped 12 percent to $5.84 billion, according to the company’s 10-K filing.
KENT, WA (BRAIN) — REI increased sales by 7.4 percent to $1.93 billion in 2012 but saw net income drop 3.9 percent to $29 million due to tighter margins, according to the company’s year-end earnings statement.
SANTA FE, NM (BRAIN)—After six years in its current space, Santa Fe retailer Mellow Velo is headed downtown next month to a larger location just 100 yards off the city’s historic plaza.
TAMPA, FL (BRAIN)—Outspokin Cycles of Clearwater, Florida, has expanded to a second location with the opening of its Giant partner store in Tampa.
OAK PARK, IL (BRAIN) — Chicago triathlon specialty retailer Element Multisport is looking to serve a broader customer base with its new store, Element Cyclesport, in Oak Park, Illinois.


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The coming Internet of things (IoT) revolution may not run on batteries, but on power plucked from the air, according to researchers at the University of Washington.
University of Washington
The U.S. Congress needs to overhaul the take-down notice provision in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to make it easier for copyright holders to police infringing uploads of their intellectual property, some advocates told lawmakers.
Engineers at the University of Washington have developed a way to communicate over short distances using devices that don't require batteries or transmit any signals.
Don't like the song playing on the stereo? Just wave it goodbye, literally.
Legal experts and law enforcement agents say new and updated laws are required to protect user privacy while allowing law enforcement to catch cybercriminals.
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.


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President Francois Hollande has defended one of his nation’s many gourmet delicacies, foie gras, in response to the State of California’s decision to ban the production and sale of the tasty product on grounds of animal cruelty.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper of Britain reported that France produces more than 16 million tons of foie gras every year, principally by force-feeding corn to ducks and geese in order to enlarge their livers. Only 3,000 tons are exported, however.
Britain has already banned the production of foie gras, but has not yet prohibited their import. Force-feeding has also been banned in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, and Israel.
Speaking at a foie gras farm over the weekend in Monlezun in the southwestern part of France, Hollande said he “would not let foie gras exports be jeopardized, especially in certain countries, or certain states in America,” a reference to California, which outlawed foie gras on July 1.
The French president said he will vociferously argue his case and “if necessary, I’ll bring as much as needed to [the] authorities.”
“I think they will listen,” he added.
“We wish we could have more of it here in France, and sometimes cannot, due to lack of purchasing power -- I wouldn’t want to deprive the Americans!”
On a more serious note, Hollande said California's ban on foie gras violates the principles of free trade and cited that the production of the delicacy adheres to the strictest sanitary laws of Europe.
“Foie gras is a great French product that is an honor to those devoted to it,” he said. “They [the Americans] can’t defend free trade and forbid a good product like foie gras.”
It is unclear what Hollande can do to repeal California’s law, although he half jokingly suggested he would send free foie grad to American lawmakers to persuade them as to its benefits.
France remains the number one producer and consumer of foie gras – indeed, under French law the product is part of the “protected cultural and gastronomical heritage of France.”
The California prohibition on foie gras was originally drawn up in 2004 by John Burton who was then the State Senate president and now serves as the chairman of the California Democratic Party, citing the cruelty of force-feeding the birds to fatten their livers.
"How would you like to have a tube crammed down your throat and corn forced down it? It's very inhumane," he said, according to the Telegraph.
"Any restaurant that serves foie gras is a high class restaurant so I don't think they'll be going broke because of this."
The people for the Ethical Treatment Animals (PETA) takes a similar dim view of foie gras.
“To produce foie gras… workers ram pipes down male ducks' or geese's throats two or three times daily and pump as much as four pounds of grain and fat into the animals' stomachs, causing their livers to bloat to up to 10 times their normal size,” PETA said.
“Many birds have difficulty standing because of their engorged livers, and they may tear out their own feathers and cannibalize each other out of stress.”
PETA added that the birds are “kept in tiny wire cages or packed into sheds. On some farms, a single worker may be expected to force-feed 500 birds three times each day. Because of this rush, animals are often treated roughly and left injured and suffering.”


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The owners of Ever, the luxurious tasting-menu restaurant, have been quietly growing their footprint in Fulton Market. Next month, chef Curtis Duffy and wine director Michael Muser are opening a bar and a private event space. The bar, After, will debut in October (reservations are already live) in the same building that’s housed Ever since 2020.
The building sits on a stretch of Fulton Street west of the hoopla of Randolph Restaurant Row; it’s quiet, especially at night. Muser says he’s watched numerous diners walk out of Ever and look around for nightlife options, ready to continue their night. Instead, they concede and jump into their rideshare. Ever already owned unused space (they share the building with vacuum maker Dyson and Skender construction).
“After a while, we got talking with the building about what we might put there, about what would work there, what made sense there,” Muser says.
Ever earned two Michelin stars earlier this year, an achievement that made staff proud during the pandemic (“Staffing is the challenge of our time,” Muser says.) For a spell, Ever even began serving to-go food in 2020, a move few could have forecasted while co-owners Duffy and Muser were earning a three-star rating at Grace, the West Loop restaurant that closed five years ago.
Designers at Lawton Stanley Architects carried over Ever’s abstract futuristic feel – and in some ways, After is a continuation of the Ever experience, with a 14-seat, curved bar out of a sci-fi show; fancy chairs from renowned European designer, and the same Venetian plaster that makes visitors feel like they’re on a lunar landing: “At Ever, when you walk in, the outside world is gone,” Muser says. “There are no windows. This is kind of an otherworldly experience.”
Though customers won’t find sticky floors and a jukebox at After, they will find touches that pay tribute to old-time Chicago taverns like a backlit back bar with a walnut liquor display. The lounge takes up about 4,000 square feet: “I want it to be a place where people can have a bit of intimacy, where they can people-watch,” Muser says.
Muser and company do promise top-notch service, an Ever hallmark. An After news release stresses “affordably priced beverages like beer alongside rarer spirits and elevated cocktails.” Muser also promises an impressive selection of wines by the glass. If a customer wants a riesling, “I’m going to give the best one you’ve ever had in your life,” Muser says.
After will offer some rare spirits. Ever GM Amy Cordell mentions a century flight of Armagnac brandy with vintage pours from the 1800s, 1900s, and 2000s. But cocktails from Ever’s lead bartender Luis Rodriguez are the highlights. The menu has three main sections — a set of 10 tweaked classics (like an Old Fashioned made with Armagnac), eight to 10 non-alcoholic drinks, and another eight to 10 drinks to pair with dishes menu items like caviar, plus meats and vegetables skewered and cooked on a hibachi.
For the most part, the drink recipes are simple: “All of our cocktails highlight the spirits themselves,” says Cordell.
Rodriguez wants to give customers something they couldn’t mix from their home bar: “What I tell people is ‘don’t go out of an average experience; make it extraordinary,’”
The bar will accept walk-ins, but every seat is available via reservation on Tock. There are also a few rooms ideal for groups. Muser calls one “the walnut room.” No, Duffy’s not making chicken pot pie, but there’s a fireplace. Another private space, the Observatory, which can accommodate up to 10, is in the works..
Beyond the bar, the duo is also opening a private event room called Canvas by Ever. They’re not quite yet ready for reservations, but groups of eight to 80 will be able to choose from an assortment of packages, Muser says, or they can customize an experience. Ever has created a new website to handle event requests.
The private event space, Canvas, targets corporate affairs, weddings, and more. Renderings reveal an all-white room. The space gives customers interested in an event another option. Even with a rooftop terrace, two private dining rooms, and the option to buy out the restaurant, the kitchen — one of the most modern in Chicago — was feeling burdened, Muser says. The expansion allows Duffy and chef de cuisine Justin Selk to work undisturbed.
After takes a different approach than the Aviary, the cocktail bar from Alinea Group, powered by a cellar full of hard-to-find spirits with elaborate presentations. After might be the biggest upscale bar to open since Kumiko debuted in 2018 in West Loop.
Muser and Duffy continue to expand their operations. Though there are no plans for pandemic-born ghost kitchen Reve Burger to return, Muser and Duffy continue to expand their footprint. “Never say never,” Muser says.
After, 1338 W. Fulton Street, planned for an October 27 opening, reservations live via Tock.


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Those planning to wait a little bit longer before purchasing tickets to Coachella this year will have to rely on acquiring tickets through different means.
According to Consequence of Sound, the California music festival has already sold out — and in record time. Coachella ran out of general tickets in 2 hours and 37 minutes, toppling the previous record of 2 hours and 57 minutes set in 2012.
The tickets went on sale today (Jan. 10) at 10 a.m. PT, meaning no more passes were available by a little after 12:30.
Last year’s festival, which included headliners Phoenix, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Blur, sold out in 21 hours.
For 2014, Coachella brought in Muse and Arcade Fire, as well as the newly-reunited Outkast, as headliners.
Coachella 2014 will be held over two weekends — April 11-13 and 18-20 — in Indio, Calif.


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Windows Phone isn't much of a threat to Android, but it represents the threat to Android's business model
It's hard to imagine any operating system presenting a real threat to Android. It represents a vast majority of the smartphone market, and too many companies rely on it for that to change any time soon. But the model it represents, through which many manufacturers are able to make products with the operating system, isn't quite so defensible.
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech reported this morning that Windows Phone is becoming increasingly popular in Europe and Latin America. The platform still represents just 10 percent of the European smartphone market, but it's continuing to grow as more people purchase the Nokia-built smartphones on which it runs. Given the $7.2 billion acquisition offer made by Microsoft and accepted by Nokia's shareholders, this could mean that virtually every Windows Phone device sold will soon be made entirely by Microsoft.
That would make Windows Phone much more like iOS, which is controlled entirely by Apple, than like Android. Microsoft attempted to make the model through which it made Windows so popular on the desktop work on mobile -- now that Android has beaten the company at its own game, it seems that the company is changing its strategy. (Whether that's by choice or by necessity, as manufacturers have abandoned Microsoft's operating systems in recent years, remains up for debate.)
As Farhad Manjoo wrote when Microsoft's acquisition offer was announced:
That’s why the Nokia purchase signals the end of Windows as a standalone business. There are now only two ways to sell software. Like Apple, you can make devices that integrate software and hardware together and hope to sell a single, unified, highly profitable product. Or, like Google, you can make software that you give away in the hopes of creating a huge platform from which you can make money in some other way (through ads, in Google’s case).
Android has become a mobile behemoth that other platforms have little chance of competing against. Its European marketshare is almost seven-times that of Windows Phone's, and iOS isn't much closer. Other operating systems continue to search for new niches they can sell to, but for now Android is the undisputed king of the hill.
But it seems that the idea of creating software and allowing manufacturers to use it willy-nilly is becoming an increasingly unattractive proposition for large companies. Apple never really embraced that model; Microsoft is abandoning it by trying to acquire the only manufacturer that truly matters to Windows Phone's success; and even Google is starting to focus more on its own products than on creating platforms through which other companies (ahem, Samsung and Amazon) can get rich.
[Image courtesy Skakerman]


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Need for new fab tech to improve chip availability: Visteon
Some semiconductors used in auto application use old-fashioned fabrication technology which has to be updated.
As the global automotive industry grapples with the semiconductor shortage for almost two years now, one way to alleviate the situation is to shift to using chips that are defined for automotive usage. According to Qais Sharif, president, Display Product Line, Visteon, there needs to be implementation of newer fabrication technology chips to improve availability for the automotive industry.
The US-based executive of the tier-I giant that supplies infotainment screens and digital instrument clusters to global OEMs, said the current semiconductor shortage is particularly affecting power circuits in electronic components, and is because the kind of semiconductors used operate on an older-gen technology. “Some of the semiconductor chips used in automotive applications are based on the 40-nanometre technology, which is quite an old-fashioned fabrication technology,” Sharif said.
“Therefore, as we design new products, there is a need to engineer higher nodes, higher process technologies and implement newer semiconductor chips in the displays of the future,” he added.
According to Sharif, the industry is collectively working towards adopting new-gen chips, and there is going to be significant investments rolling out in the area of new chip fabrication technologies in the next few years. “It will also help increase capacities for these semiconductors, which could be used in automotive as well,” he said.
While the consumer electronics and smartphone industries are adopting newer technology chips at breakneck speeds, the automotive industry is still catching up. Modern mobile devices and laptops are already making the switch to the 7-nanometre technology, with companies like Samsung and Apple starting as early as 2018.
Automotive-grade chips, on the other hand, also need to offer stable operations over a considerably longer product lifecycle of 10-15 years, and therefore, the need to remain at 40 nanometres in some components. This is one of the reasons that the industry faces supply issues of these old-generation chips in the present scenario, when some global semiconductor giants have the electronics industry and their needs of new-gen chips at their prime focus.
“Using 7-nanometre technology offers a greater number of chips on a single wafer. One could get as many as 40,000 chips per wafer in case of some electronic devices, and only 20,000 chips per wafer in case of others. But it all depends on the application, and how complex the device is,” Sharif explained.
Visteon says it is working closely with the highly-intertwined supply chain to mitigate the shortage, and expects the supply crunch to ease off by the end of 2022, and anticipates a significant improvement in the situation by 2023.
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The Romanian e-commerce market registered an upward trend in the first quarter of 2023, with the total value of orders being over 180 million euros, despite high inflation, according to an analysis by Limitless Agency, one of the largest digital marketing agencies in Romania. In Q1, the largest order placed online was a TV worth more than 148,000 euros.
According to the analysis based on data from approximately 400 online stores, the average value of the order was 1,060 lei (214.6 euros) in the period January-March 2023. At the same time, 1,701,397 transactions were registered, over 80 million users, and more than 99 million sessions in the online stores of the agency’s portfolio.
The most ordered products are from the following categories: phones/tablets, TV / audio-video, household appliances, laptops/desktops, sports shoes, women’s shoes, boots, ankle boots, watches, jewellery, and sunglasses or eyeglasses and contact lenses. The most expensive product ordered online is a TV, from the smart TV category, worth 729,999.90 lei (over 148,000 euros), purchased in January 2023.
“The beginning of the year indicates that the e-commerce market continues to grow organically, with more and more Romanians preferring to purchase products or services online. Moreover, consumer confidence in e-commerce platforms is increasing, with large purchases of thousands or hundreds of thousands of lei taking place. We will also see an increase in the number of online stores, given the growing preference of Romanians to order products online to benefit from the advantages offered by this channel”, declares Daniel Slăvenie, CEO & Partner of Limitless Agency.
In the context of increased competition in e-commerce, an increase in demand for digital marketing services is felt, with the online marketing market making a spectacular comeback at the beginning of 2023. In addition, Limitless Agency recorded an almost 100% increase in demand for promotion services PPC and SEO at the beginning of 2023 compared to the first quarter of last year and estimates a 30% increase in turnover to 4.2 million euros by the end of the year.
Online retailers allocate monthly budgets between 1,000 euros and 200,000 euros for promotion services through PPC campaigns (Google Shopping Ads, Facebook Ads) and SEO campaigns, aiming to increase the number of customers, increase sales and average order value, but also increase the visibility of the brand.
For 2023, the representatives of Limitless Agency estimate a growth of around 15% for the e-commerce market, pointing out that there is room for double growth in the field.
“Given that currently only 45% of Romanians with Internet access order online, the potential of Romanian e-commerce is infinite, the market growing organically from year to year. In fact, every year we see an increasing number of Romanians ordering online, with peaks recorded during the holidays. For example, on Easter, Romanian consumers spent almost 40% more online compared to a normal day, the average value of the order being 370 lei, an increase of 27% compared to last year. More precisely, it has already become a habit for Romanians to order more and more often online, especially during the holidays, to avoid the crowds in the stores and to benefit from free returns. And this trend is more and more present day by day, including for food, not only for products that are not needed immediately”, explains Daniel Slăvenie, CEO&Partner Limitless Agency.
Marketing costs will also increase given the growing online competition, with Limitless Agency representatives recommending online stores to retain existing customers to optimize costs and increase sales.


text: Tech stocks fell Tuesday as concerns about an economic slowdown and a decline in consumer spending intensified. The Nasdaq composite index was off 60.71 points, or 2.45%, closing at 2,417.59. Apple ( AAPL) stock fell $11.83, or 6.6%, as investors were unimpressed with CEO Steve Jobs' latest offerings at Macworld Expo in San Francisco. As expected, the company unveiled a new lightweight laptop and a video rental service through its iTunes store. Analysts said the company failed to reveal anything approaching last year's iPhone, which triggered a 12% bounce in the stock price in the three days following the debut. Applied Materials ( AMAT) rose 11 cents, or 0.65%, to $16.95 after the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company announced a reorganization plan that will reduce its workforce by 7%, or about 1,000 jobs. The company said the move would save $150 million annually and result in a charge of $20 million in the first quarter. Fair Issac ( FIC) was hit hard after it warned investors that would miss first-quarter estimates. In recent trading the stock fell $5.43, or more than 19%, to $22.91. The company said its earnings would be 6 cents to 8 cents below analysts estimates of 45 cents a share. It also said it was expecting a revenue shortfall of $5 million to $7 million. Intel ( INTC) was down 14% to $19.54 in after-hours trading following a disappointing fourth-quarter earnings report. The chipmaker reported $2.27 billion in net income, or 38 cents a share, for the quarter, compared with $1.5 billion, or 26 cents a share, in the year-ago period. On average, analysts expected 40 cents a share. Despite a 10% year-over-year increase, the company's revenue for the quarter fell short of analysts' expectations. The company reported $10.7 billion in revenue, while the average analyst expectation was $10.84 billion. Oracle ( ORCL) was down 75 cents, or 3.4%, to $21.31 in recent trading. According to a SEC filing on Monday, CEO Larry Ellison exercised options on 2 million shares of common stock under a prearranged trading plan.


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Competition authorities approve merger of Oriola-KD s and Lifco AB s
Oriola-KD Corporation Stock Exchange Announcement 30 July 2007 at
The Finnish and Swedish competition authorities approved on Friday,
27 July 2007 the merger of Oriola-KD's and Lifco AB's dental
businesses which will gradually become effective in Finland, Sweden,
Denmark and the Baltics by early 2008 through a joint company where
Lifco will have 70 per cent and Oriola-KD 30 per cent of the shares
as was told in Oriola-KD's stock exchange release of 7 June 2007.
The combination is estimated to have a positive effect on Oriola-KD's
profit as of the last quarter of 2007.
President and CEO
Helsinki Stock Exchange


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Complete Reality of Internet (CRI) is expected to be widely applied by 2040 as five associated technologies are expected to achieve further breakthroughs, according to a CRI white paper jointly released by Shenzhen-based tech giant Tencent and global management consulting and professional services firm Accenture on Monday.
Professor Lars Samuelson, chair professor from the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), was awarded the Great Gold Medal on Thursday by the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA), the highest engineering science prize in Sweden, for his outstanding contributions to the field of nanomaterials.
Xu Xun, director of BGI•Research, recently won the Tan Jiazhen Life Science Industrialization Award, one of the most influential awards in life science in China, for his efforts and achievements in the field's industrialization.
A research team from Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden has made a breakthrough in the research of liverworts. Related results were published on the scientific journal Annals of Botany, according to the botanical garden.
At entrances to public areas in Shenzhen such as communities, urban villages and office buildings, under the COVID-19 prevention and control measures, visitors must scan their health codes through the electronic guards. These guards integrate temperature, ID and health code checks, effectively and precisely implementing COVID-19 measures, as well as detecting fake codes.
The Hercules low-speed driverless logistics vehicle jointly developed by Shenzhen Unity-Drive Innovation Technology Co. Ltd. (UDI) and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)'s Intelligent Autonomous Driving Center received Hong Kong's first official license for fully driverless vehicles, Shenzhen Economic Daily reported Saturday.
A Shenzhen research team invented the world's first portable detector that provides advance notice of aging. The detector is expected to hit the market within this year, Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.
Chinese researchers, with a team from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), have recently developed a nanomaterial that targets the spike protein of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Delta and Omicron, and promotes viral elimination.
Yang Xueming, a professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, won the Physical Science Award of the 2022 Future Science Prize, the prize administration committee announced in Beijing on Sunday.
Inclisiran, a medication for hyperlipidemia or high cholesterol treatment, has been introduced by the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) through the “Hong Kong and Macao Medicine and Equipment Connect” policy, offering a new therapeutic option to patients with cardiovascular diseases, the hospital said yesterday.
Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, one of the world's busiest airports, can accommodate all types of commercial aircraft including Airbus A380, the world's largest, when its third runway is put into use in 2025.
One day you place an online order for a mobile phone case with tailored patterns, the next day, you will probably receive the order. With the development of digital printing, customers now have more options and faster services than ever before.
For Katy Lian, export logistics is becoming increasingly accommodating nowadays. “Unlike domestic logistics that began to offer users traceability service years ago, international freight transportation didn’t catch up until recently,” said Lian, business and supply chain manager of Samanni, a furniture exporter based in Houjie Township in the city of Dongguan, Guangdong Province. “And it is not just about traceability. The whole process is much smarter.”
Tencent Holdings, which operates the world’s leading platform of video gaming development, publishing and operations, is exploring expanding the application of game-related technologies to approach real-world problems.
Firms that promote smart logistics as a solution to logistics woes due to the pandemic have been growing rapidly in Shenzhen and surrounding areas in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Smart logistics features new technologies like big data, artificial intelligence and 5G, opening up a new space for the development of the logistics industry.
Shenzhen, China's Silicon Valley, has placed sixth among the best locations for artificial intelligence (AI) labs in terms of quality, according to the latest fDi Benchmark study by fDi Intelligence, an investment-related specialist division of Financial Times.
Shenzhen's two research teams led by Du Xuemin and Wang Zuankai jointly developed a new type of slippery material. The research findings were published Friday in Science Advances, an international scientific journal, Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.


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The latest Netflix updates give parents more detailed control of the content their children watch. Now you can set custom PINs for specific movies and TV shows, regardless of age recommendations. So, if you think Moana is not appropriate for your 10-year-old son, you could have a PIN that blocks the movie. Parents can now establish extensive PIN protections that block content at specific maturity levels.
The company also says that it will show these levels of maturity at the beginning of each program, so parents are fully aware of what their children are consuming from the beginning. These characteristics will be implemented in the coming months.
The expansion of Netflix's parental control seems to be synchronized with the imminent launch of Disney's own streaming service, which clearly targets parents and their children. Netflix signed a broadcast agreement with Disney in 2012, but it did not come into force until 2016. Disney has said it will end the deal that begins with movies released in 2019, and Netflix will keep old movies until the end of that year. Clearly, Netflix knows that it needs to reinforce its features for parents and, eventually, create and provide convincing enough content to keep parents on the platform.


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Free video chat adult facetime
Against the Rest I also compared Duo calls with video calls placed over Microsoft’s Skype and Facebook Messenger.
Against those two, Duo’s simplicity won hands down.
Those using Apple devices will see a notification on top of the screen and will have to open the Duo app before seeing Knock Knock in action.
When more people use Duo, we can expect the picture quality to vary depending on network traffic and internet speeds.
Google has fought back with its Android operating system and a series of mobile apps that are more flexible and compatible with a broader set of devices than Apple’s apps.
On Tuesday, Google underscored that strategy with the release of its latest mobile app: Duo, a video-calling app that is a direct alternative to Apple’s Face Time.
Nick Fox, Google’s head of communication products, said the top priority with Duo was to build a great product and to increase the use of video calling among Android users.
But he added that making Android more attractive to i Phone owners was a secondary motive.


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BIS Approves World’s First AC and DC Combined Charging Connector, Propelling Indian Innovation Globally.
India is again leading the charge in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, achieving a groundbreaking milestone. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), India’s National Standard Body, has given the green light to the country’s very first indigenous AC and DC Combined Charging connector standard for light electric vehicles (LEVs). This achievement marks India’s prowess in EV technology and sets a global precedent by introducing the world’s inaugural combined AC and DC charging connector standard for light electric vehicles.
In an unprecedented collaboration, NITI Aayog, the Department of Science and Technology, ARAI, EV manufacturers, and the Bureau of Indian Standards joined forces to craft this national standard. The objective? To create an open ecosystem that accelerates global EV adoption. This standard allows original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to break free from dependency on international standards and protocols, fostering Indian innovation in the EV industry.
The new standard fills a significant void in the market—the absence of a standardized connector for AC and DC combined charging systems for light electric vehicles, including 2-wheelers, 3-wheelers, and microcars. These unique charging requirements necessitate a different approach, as the bulk and cost of traditional 4W charging connectors are impractical for smaller EVs.
The combined AC and DC charging connector brings a game-changing advantage to EV owners. It establishes a hybrid, cost-effective charging infrastructure that accommodates fast and slow charging. EV enthusiasts can enjoy an interoperable network without lugging around bulky chargers.
B V R Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, expressed his satisfaction, emphasizing the importance of this combined charging standard for achieving India’s EV targets. He highlighted the necessity of a charging system that caters to the needs of light EV customers, providing the flexibility to charge from either AC or DC outlets.
Swapnil Jain, Founder of Ather Energy, hailed the achievement as a remarkable milestone for India, as it presents the potential for global implementation of an India-designed and developed technology.
Niranjan Gupta, CEO of Hero MotoCorp, sees this homegrown connector standard as a breakthrough aligned with the ‘Make in India’ policy. He emphasized the significance of innovation in India’s journey towards becoming a global leader in the light electric vehicle category.
In conclusion, India’s pioneering AC and DC Combined Charging connector standard for light electric vehicles advances the nation’s EV industry and sets a worldwide example, solidifying India’s position as a global technology-based solution provider in the EV-automobile sector. This achievement is a testament to India’s ability to innovate and create solutions that have the potential to transform the global EV landscape. Congratulations to all those involved in this remarkable government initiative.


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Two new AR features are rolling out to select Pokémon GO players over the next few weeks. These updates will help us create more realistic AR experiences and continue our efforts toward building a 3-D map of the world—one that is oriented around people.
Testing Out Reality Blending in Pokémon GO
In June, we’ll start rolling out a new beta feature in Pokémon GO called Reality Blending that will let your Buddy Pokémon better interact with the real world. A Pokémon will be able to hide behind an actual object or be partially behind a tree or table blocking its path, just like how it would appear in the real world.
As Pokémon GO has grown throughout the years, Trainers have been able to walk, play, and take snapshots with their Buddy Pokémon. This new feature will bring Pokémon even closer to reality. Reality Blending will initially roll out to a limited number of players that have a Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S10, Google Pixel 3, or Google Pixel 4, with more Trainers and eligible devices being added in the near future.
Pokémon GO Players Can Now Contribute to a 3-D Map of the World
Since Portal Scanning launched in Ingress, agents have scanned hundreds of thousands of points of interest for inclusion in building the 3-D map for games and future apps. We are now bringing this opt-in feature to the Pokémon GO community with PokéStop scanning. This feature will be first available to level 40 Trainers in early June before rolling out to more players by level.
Pokémon Trainers will be able to contribute to building 3-D maps of the locations of their favorite PokéStops and Gyms by walking around those locations and recording videos with their devices. These videos allow us to generate dynamic 3-D maps of PokéStop and Gym locations, which will improve the game’s AR experiences overall. A machine-readable, 3-D map of a place gives devices (such as current mobile phones and future headsets) a better understanding of the depth and the complexities of the real world. In the future, this will allow us to tie virtual objects to real-world locations and provide Pokémon with spatial and contextual awareness of their surroundings. For instance, this awareness could help Snorlax find that perfect patch of grass to nap on or give Clefairy a tree to hide behind.
By using 2-D images of people-generated points of interest to create a dynamic 3-D map of the world, we can spark the evolution of mapping from utilities traditionally oriented around transit (streets and walkways) to more meaningful and valuable location-based information oriented around people’s interests. When community members choose the points of interest that matter to them, we can use that information to build a new digital map of the world.
While there are still a lot of challenges to tackle on the way to improving AR, these additions will help us continue to create fun and exciting ways for people to interact with the world. By bringing better interactions to AR and by making it possible for people to share the places that matter to them, we aspire to create a special map of the world that inspires people to explore.


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Japan’s economy into deeper technical recession
Tokyo, Dec 8: Japan has fallen into deeper technical recession as the third largest economy shrank more than initially forecast in the third quarter of 2014.
According to revised gross domestic product (GDP) figures, the economy shrank 0.5% on a quarterly basis, compared to an initial estimate of 0.4%, data showed on Monday.It had contracted by 1.9% in annual terms from July to September, well above a preliminary reading of 1.6%, and had unexpectedly fallen into a technical recession.
A big fall in business spending plunged the economy into a deeper recession.The revised figures, which come just days before Japan‘s national elections, showed that business spending dipped by 0.4% from the previous quarter, instead of the 0.2% forecasted in the preliminary reading.It had contracted 7.3% in the second quarter, which was the biggest fall since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
The Oslo Times


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Commerce and Industry minister reviews draft National Logistics Policy
Piyush Goyal directed that all four Ministries must work in coordination with each other to bring down logistics cost of India’s GDP.
Trade talks can’t overtake national interest: Piyush Goyal
India exported goods worth $6.3 billion to the US in 2018 under the Generalised Sy...
Indo-Russian defence ties in national interest: India tells US
On the issue of sanctions under the US' CAATSA which may also impact India's p...
Redeem yourself: West Indies have a chance to salvage their resurgence story
West Indies are virtually out of contention for last-four, but they’ve a chance to salvage their resurgence story.
G20 nations imposed 20 new trade-restrictive measures in last 8 months: WTO
WTO's 21st Monitoring Report on trade measures of the bloc was issued on June 24 and comes days ahead of the G20 summit in Japan.
Vijay Goel demands ban on lottery in country
Vijay Goel asserted that lottery is a social evil and poor people suffer.
Naidu asks govt to look into issue of universities advt for teaching posts without reservation
The government had in March promulgated an ordinance restoring the old system of reserving teaching posts in public institutions of higher education.
Government to come out with national e-commerce policy within 12 months
This was informed by commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal in his second marathon meeting with stakeholders, including e-commerce companies, on Monday.
I-T sleuths raid premises of former JK FM's son
Abdul Rahim Rather is National Conference (NC) leader.
Copyright © 2019 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service


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The numbers are in for Bring A Trailer for 2021, and they are astounding! As reported by Bloomberg’s Hannah Elliot last Friday, the online auction site sold $828.7M, more than double what it did in 2020, and more than twice the sales of any other auction company, either live or online. This is the first time online auctions have surpassed live auctions in total sales.
I am a fan of BAT, but I was worried that they would suffer under Hearst Auto’s ownership which acquired the company in June 2020. These figures can put those concerns to bed: BAT is driving sales, engaging new buyers, and elevating valuations across the board.
Let’s first dive deeper into the numbers. Mind you, I’m more interested in what this means for the CPX community of collector car parts and services businesses that support the collector car hobby. I’ll share some of my takeaways.
To quote the Bloomberg article, “BAT’s jump indicates a major shift for the collectable and vintage car market.” Buckle up. What follows is a litany of “Oh wow!” facts and figures about BAT’s incredible 2021:
It is amazing to see the site’s momentum accelerate, especially after its acquisition. Oftentimes the disruption of a change in control and efforts to fold the acquisition into the main business is noticeable and unpleasant. One would not even know BAT has a new owner as Hearst has been seemingly hands-off, and Randy Nonnenberg, BAT’s president and co-founder, is active and very engaged. Since terms of the deal were private, it’s not clear what incentives or stake Nonnenberg still has, but it seems like he still has a dog in the fight.
Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, though. Hagerty estimates annual sales of collector cars to be $30B, so BAT is about 2.8%, and online auction sales as a whole accounting for only 3.4%. A vast majority of transactions still happen privately, but BAT is having a big influence on the market as a whole.
This section starts broad and then narrows down on the parts and services business.
BAT is the gateway for next-gen buyers.
Hagerty wrote in its recent State of the Market at the End of 2021 report:
"[W]e continue to see more and more enthusiasts born after 1964 joining the fray. Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Zers now constitute the majority of people calling Hagerty for quotes on collector car insurance, and that majority continues to grow stronger. Much of this shift is explained by enthusiasts in their 40s and 50s entering their peak earning years, but even twentysomethings are making their presence felt."
It doesn’t take a genius to see that Bring A Trailer is perfectly matched with this crowd. They can lurk, learn, and, when ready, start to bid. This is great news! We need to have that next generation of owners grow and BAT is a big part of it right now.
Next-gen owners want to buy online.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but young people do not like to pick up the phone. Their first stop will be a Google search bar, so having your business and inventory be found online is critical for future growth.
However, we also know that when buying parts for older cars, it isn’t a “one-click" deal. Many times expert knowledge is needed to ensure the proper part, so be ready to do it via email and chat.
New shops caring for unfamiliar cars.
BAT is a world without geographical boundaries. People have no hesitation bidding on cars wherever they may reside, knowing that shipping is not going to break the bank. However, it increases the chances that a car ends up being cared for by someone who is not an expert in that make or model. If you're a supplier, your expertise will be even more valuable and welcoming to new customers, whether it's the owner, professional mechanic, or restorer.
Participate in the BAT community.
BAT isn’t just an online auction site, it’s a community. For example, a specialist in Porsche 356s should watch every Porsche 356 auction and chime in if you have something to add. You’d be surprised at how your business will get noticed, especially if you are providing expertise and even support in solving technical problems. Don’t be shy about it, and be yourself -- you might just find that it's fun!
BAT is driving up valuations.
Finally, BAT isn’t just bringing in new buyers, it’s making an efficient market that has more demand than supply. What happens then? Car valuations go up! Hagerty even documented this in their article The BAT Premium which explains how cars sold on the site achieve a valuation 24% higher than through other channels. The more valuable the car, the more folks will be invested in maintaining, repairing, and restoring it.
As the proverb goes, "A rising tide lifts all boats." In the collector car world, BAT is like the moon that is spurring the market and our collective growth. Here’s to their continued success, as well as that of other future innovators that keep our community vibrant and prosperous.


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Consumers who are wading into smart home technologies may be wondering whether to go with an offering from a security company such as ADT or a home services provider like Comcast.
In either case, they could be buying a product powered by the same underlying platform: Icontrol Networks’ OpenHome ecosystem. To further expand its dominance, Icontrol just added one of the most popular smart thermostats on the market to its list of devices: the Nest learning thermostat.
One of Icontrol’s partners, Peq (pronounced "peak"), whose product is sold at Best Buy, is already offering the Nest thermostat on its system. Other Icontrol-powered providers will likely follow suit.
“The Icontrol and Nest integration shows how two leading companies are working together to break down barriers to smart home adoption, making it easier for customers to come on board,” Robert Hagerty, CEO of Icontrol Networks, said in a statement.
The Icontrol certification process involves being vetted by a third party, and then going through the certification process for the different potential partners. “If you have a ZigBee-compatible device, it can work,” said Greg Roberts, VP of marketing for Icontrol. “But we’re going to make sure that it works.” Nest joins more than 100 other devices and applications that have joined the OpenHome ecosystem and another approximately 100 devices that are in the pipeline.
“It’s expanding at an exponential rate,” said Roberts.
Icontrol isn’t just about driving interoperability, but also about bringing on various devices to help drive down costs for the entire industry, said Roberts. Icontrol backs up some of the biggest names in the business, including Cox, Time Warner Cable, Rogers, ADT and Swisscom.
Nest joins a few other connected thermostats offered by Icontrol, including devices from Radio Thermostat of America and CentraLite. Of course, Nest, now owned by Google, wants to be a smart home platform in its own right. The home energy management market alone will be worth more than $4 billion by 2017, according to GTM Research.
Earlier this year, Nest launched its own developer program to integrate products on its platform, including Chamberlain garage doors, the Jawbone fitness band and LIFX Wi-Fi light bulbs.
Nest is also savvy enough to know that for most people, security is currently the entry point into smart home products. Although self-monitoring solutions are growing, many consumers are still choosing to buy smart home devices through service providers and then layering other devices -- such as smart thermostats -- on top of that.
“We’re seeing an increase in [the number of devices] people are getting,” Roberts. He said the last two to three years of advertising by big players is starting to pay off, and consumers are more educated when it comes to what’s available on smart home platforms.
Even so, there’s a long way to go. A recent survey found most people don’t even know what a smart home is. But as they do learn, “what we’re starting to see is consumers are embracing those smart home technologies and are much more open to self-monitored solutions,” said Roberts.
For now, it’s a murky market. There are new entries such as Apple HomeKit, which so far looks to be more of a way for people to simply control their various devices via their Apple device, rather than a seamless smart home platform.
Nest is clearly interested in being a smart home platform provider, but it is unclear exactly how that will develop as it also offers its devices to potential platform competitors. Others, like Lowe’s, are also playing both sides of the aisle. Lowe's has a connected home platform, Iris, but also sells devices that integrate onto others’ systems.
Platform providers and device manufacturers are trying to figure out not only the best go-to-market strategy, but also which combination of devices will entice customers. Some platforms offer rooftop solar, and we also expect to see other energy plays added on in the future.
It’s no longer far-fetched to guess that someday soon your smart home bundle will not only come with free HBO, but also a preferred electricity plan -- maybe even one that leverages the Nest thermostat that came with your connected home package.


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Food and drug regulators in the U.S., Europe and other developed countries should offer training, technology and expertise to developing nations in Asia, Latin America and other regions to better assure the safety of imported products, states a new report.
An expert panel assembled by the Institute of Medicine recommends the U.S. Food and Drug Administration work with counterparts throughout the world to secure supply chains for imported food and drugs, which increasingly cross borders. More than 80 percent of pharmaceutical ingredients are imported from abroad, as well as 85 percent of the seafood consumed in the U.S., according to federal figures.
“The integrated global economy demands cooperation across borders – to thwart terrorists, reduce environmental hazards, and ensure that our food and medical products are safe and effective,” states the 300-page report released Wednesday.
The report comes one day after the FDA announced a new investigation into counterfeit vials of the popular cancer drug Avastin sold to U.S. doctors. U.K. regulators said Wednesday the product was purchased from Turkey by licensed U.K. distributors. The counterfeit Avastin is the second batch to make its way into the U.S. in the last two months. The agency began investigating a similar case in February that has been traced to the Middle East, though the original country of origin is unclear.
Previous import safety scares have involved contaminated seafood, pet food and blood thinning drugs from China.
The 12-member panel of experts recommends the U.S. and its “technologically advanced counterparts” in Europe, Canada and Japan share inspection duties for facilities in developing countries.
“There is no need for American and European inspectors to examine the same facilities, especially when a vast number of facilities go uninspected,” the committee said.
The FDA has taken steps to boost inspections of foreign facilities in recent years, while acknowledging it will be impossible to visit every source of imported goods. The agency is responsible for imports from more than 300,000 foreign facilities in 150 different countries. A 2010 report by the Government Accountability Office reported that FDA inspected fewer than 11 percent of the plants on its own list of high-priority sites.
The Institute of Medicine is a nonpolitical group of experts that advises the federal government on medical issues. Its recommendations often make their way into laws drafted by Congress and policies implemented by federal agencies. The new report was requested by the Food and Drug Administration.
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One of the first questions to come up as broadcasters consider their options for auxiliary, interim and final DTV facilities is “How much will this impact my coverage?”
The time where U.K. producers will have to go with completely tapeless transmission deliverables is coming up, so the Digital Production Partnership has released a special guide for them.
If there were any television transmitters on the NAB Show floor that used IOTs or other tubes, I did not see them.
High-power transmitters continue their evolution from IOT devices of 15-20 years ago to increasingly solid-state devices.
The College Football Playoffs National Championship game concluded in thrilling fashion back in January and viewers got to watch in part thanks to PSSI Global Services.
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