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A Japanese gaming company says its goal is to deliver blockchain-enabled titles that are enjoyable for players — harnessing nonfungible tokens to allow gamers to uncover skills and characters that no one else has.
Axel Mark says its flagship game, Contract Servant, delivers an experience that’s entirely different to rivals. Other trading formats focus on offering rare “strong” cards that command exceedingly high prices on secondary markets, but developers say such a scenario is “unlikely to occur” in their specially built ecosystem.
The team says it has aimed to ensure that cards that may not be valuable to one player are valuable to someone else — meaning that every card has a strong feature that will be useful in some setting. Players can focus on adding value to the cards that they own, safe in the knowledge that every card in their possession is unlike any other circulating in the Contract Servant universe.
A growing market
Junji Oshita, the president and CEO of Axel Mark, says he was inspired to explore blockchain gaming about two years ago, when he realized the great amount of business potential surrounding the sector.
Contract Servant has been developed by game producer Kazuyuki Tanaka, who has about seven years’ experience in gaming. He began focusing on blockchain-enabled entertainment about 18 months ago, and both and Oshita say that their goal is to deliver “decent and playable” titles to people who may not have encountered this technology before.
The team at Axel Mark believes that blockchain gaming is going to be the next frontier — just like smartphones completely upended the market over the last 10 years. While competition in this industry has been intense of late — especially because of China — Axel Mark claims that the potential of blockchain is beginning to get considerably more attention, especially because it can resolve some of the biggest issues that the gaming industry is facing right now.
To explain this in further detail, Oshita looks at the status quo for gamers who are playing titles on their PCs, game consoles or smartphones. He notes that many online games are offered on a free-to-play basis, meaning that any additional assets required to gain an upper hand are purchased separately within the game.
Although this may seem to have the makings of a strong ecosystem, the problem arises if a game is suddenly discontinued — or if players divert their attention somewhere else. Oshita argues that losing paid-for, in-game assets for good makes users “feel that the items, time and passion they give are taken away,” potentially discouraging them from playing other titles in the future.
For Axel Mark, blockchain provides a way to preserve in-game items indefinitely, even if the title they were designed for is terminated. It also opens up the opportunity for these assets to be used across multiple games. Although Oshita acknowledges that most games won’t be around forever, the entrepreneur says the Ethereum blockchain protects purchases properly.
The challenges that lie ahead
The company acknowledges that there is plenty of work to be done before blockchain gaming goes mainstream. The first step involves acquainting users with things like crypto wallets — making them easy to install and log in to. Axel Mark believes that partnerships with mainstream platforms such as Line could help blockchain games gain traction, giving everyday players an alternative to crypto wallets, and reducing the steps and technological-knowhow associated with playing a game.
A presale for legendary, epic and rare cards that can be used in Contract Servant is due to begin on Dec. 18 and will run until Dec. 27. No resales are planned, with Axel Mark claiming this will be the one and only opportunity that players will have to get their hands on these assets.
Disclaimer. Cointelegraph does not endorse any content or product on this page. While we aim at providing you all important information that we could obtain, readers should do their own research before taking any actions related to the company and carry full responsibility for their decisions, nor this article can be considered as an investment advice.


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Reports Point to Continued Slow Economy
The government’s main barometer of future economic trends rose a strong 0.7% in May after a two-month decline, but the nation’s merchandise trade deficit soared to $12.7 billion, the second highest ever, the Commerce Department said Friday.
Taken together, the reports suggest that the economy will continue to drift in a slow-growth pattern--with domestic manufacturing continuing to slump as imports surge--at least for the foreseeable future, economists said.
“There’s no revival in sight for the industrial side of the U.S. economy,” said analyst Allen Sinai of Shearson Lehman Bros. Robert T. Parry, chief economist for Security Pacific National Bank in Los Angeles, agreed, saying the reports “point to a weaker economy than we had been expecting.”
Moreover, these statistics may force the Commerce Department’s recent second-quarter “flash” estimate of 3.1% growth in the economy to be revised significantly downward, perhaps by as much as half a percentage point, Sinai and Parry said.
To a large extent, the good news found in the 0.7% rise last month in the index of leading indicators was more than tempered by downward revisions in the index for the previous two months. The revised index fell 0.6% in April and 0.1% in March, the department announced.
The trade deficit, meanwhile, provided bad news for trade and manufacturing, as it rose sharply from $11.8 billion to its highest level since a record of $13.8 billion was set last July. In part, the leap was caused by a drop in agricultural exports, combined with a broad increase in imports of manufactured goods. Imports last month totaled $30.1 billion--the most since last July’s $32.9 billion--while exports fell to $17.4 billion, the lowest since February, 1984.
“We need further declines in the value of the dollar and faster economic growth abroad to halt the deterioration in the trade deficit,” Commerce Secretary Malcolm Baldrige said in a statement. He estimated that the deficit this year, now well ahead of last year’s record pace, would total between $140 billion and $150 billion.
And Jerry F. Jasinowski, chief economist of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, said: “The trade deficit continues to be an economic disaster, because it is eroding our industrial base.”
Baldrige called the gain in the index of leading indicators “welcome news” but pointed out that the average rise in the index since the beginning of the year falls short of the gains needed to maintain overall economic growth at 4%, the Administration’s target rate for 1985.
Roger Brinner, senior economist at Data Resources Inc. in Lexington, Mass., said his forecasting firm now looks for only 2% overall growth during the next four quarters and pointed to Friday’s reports in explaining why.
The virtual plateau in the leading indicators--overall, gains have been offset by losses--"is consistent with an economy that has made little progress in the past year,” Brinner said. He added: “The reason is the trade deficit. Imports now capture 50% of the growth in spending over the past year, and as you look ahead, it seems the import problem will become big enough for spending to be hurt too.”
Money ‘Won’t Be There’
He noted: “The average American householder may like the low prices the strong dollar gives him, but in time he’s going to find himself working shorter hours and learn that his neighbor has been laid off. Eventually, the money to spend on those low prices won’t be there.”
The biggest gain in the index occurred in raw material prices, followed by changes in the average workweek, money supply, stock prices, building permits, plant and equipment contracts, weekly unemployment claims and new orders for consumer goods. Net business formation declined, while vendor performance was unchanged.
Sinai attributed most of the positive components in the index to robust financial markets, not to underlying economic strength, noting that the stock market was strong and the nation’s money supply surged during May.

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Ontario Helping Businesses Overcome the Unique Challenges Created by COVID-19
New Website Accepting Proposals for Temporarily Changing Rules and Regulations
TORONTO — The Ontario government is launching the COVID-19: Tackling the Barriers website to help businesses overcome the unique challenges created by the global pandemic. Businesses working to retool their operations to produce health-related products, or those that want to continue their operations in this new environment of physical distancing, can submit any potential roadblocks to the website. The province is prepared to allow temporary changes to provincial rules and regulations in order to remove any barriers that are hindering business and negatively impacting Ontario’s supply chain.
Today’s announcement was made by Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Prabmeet Sarkaria, Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction.
“With COVID-19, we are facing unchartered territory. As government, we must be prepared to work with businesses and show some flexibility in helping them to overcome challenges they may have never faced before,” said Premier Ford. “This website will allow us to listen to and support businesses as they adapt to this new environment. At the same time, it should also make it easier for businesses to retool to produce the health-related supplies and equipment that our frontline workers need.”
“During this extraordinary period, we need to do everything we can to support businesses as they struggle to operate as an essential business, or wait for the outbreak to subside,” said Minister Sarkaria. “Clearly, it is not business as usual for anyone, and that’s why our government is prepared to temporarily adjust our processes, rules, and regulations to accommodate unforeseen circumstances. I encourage everyone to visit our new website if there are any questions or concerns.”
The website builds on steps the government has already taken to help businesses respond to COVID-19, including:
- providing $10 billion in provincial tax deferrals, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board premium deferrals, and other business supports;
- providing more than $900 million in urgent relief to small businesses and their landlords through a new program, the Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program (OCECRA);
- providing $50 million to help businesses such as manufacturers and distilleries retool so they can produce health-related products and supplies, such as ventilators, gowns, face masks and hand sanitizer;
- permitting 24-hour construction for critical infrastructure;
- permitting 24-hour deliveries in every municipality across the province to help grocery stores and pharmacies keep their shelves stocked; and
- allowing restaurants and bars to sell alcohol with food takeout or delivery orders.
In order to help Ontario businesses focus on overcoming today’s challenges, the province is also pausing or extending any existing public consultations, delaying non-urgent related consultations while the emergency situation remains in place, and considering extending deadlines for reports and audits.


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By ALAN FARNHAM via Good Morning America
It’s like online dating—except for people seeking dogs or cats or chinchillas or whatever else may be the pet perfect for them.
How much is the online experience like using eHarmony, say, or Match.com?
“It’s exactly like using Match.com,” says Darrell Lerner, who ought to know. Before he founded pet-finder site Allpaws (which currently has 82,960 pets awaiting adoption), Lerner co-founded SNAP Interactive, the developer of AYI (Are You Interested?), a dating application on Facebook with, he says, some 70 million installs.
Allpaws, says its website, “Takes online pet listing in a new and exciting direction by offering an online dating style interface complete with advanced search tools.” Those include some 30 different search filters, Lerner tells ABC News. Adopters (we hesitate to call them “early adopters,” although the site launched only this past January) can search by type of pet, breed, location, gender, age, size or friskiness. You can search for a bird who’s great with children, a senior cat or a special-needs chinchilla. The site lists over 49,000 dogs, over 31,000 cats, 1,208 rabbits and 272 horses—not to mention 658 animals “small and furry,” 79 that hail from the barnyard and 238 slitherers and other assorted reptiles.
PuppyFind.com, as its name implies, matches puppy-seekers with breeders. “We’re puppies-only,” says Mike Peters, head of business development.
Peters tells ABC News the site lists some 50,000 puppies (from 300 different breeds), some priced as high at $3,000 per pup. The site makes money by charging breeders a flat fee. It exists only to connect buyers and sellers. From there on in, it takes no further role in the transaction.
The site, says Peters, was the target of scammers some years ago—people falsely claiming to be breeders, many doing business from overseas. They would list puppies for sale and collect the money. Then Fido would not be forthcoming.
Such scammers, in their sales blurbs, would tell heart-tugging tales explaining why they had to sell their Dalmatians at fire-sale prices, he says. The cons were cousins to those now in circulation, for example, where a man trapped in the Cairo airport promises to send you a check for $1,000, if only you will wire $350 so he can get a new passport.
PupyFind, Peters says, has since installed security software that makes such scams harder to perpetrate.
Miranda Furtado, 28, of Toronto, Canada, tells ABC she used PupyFind last November.
The self-described editor, guru and broadcaster–founder of a website that delivers sports news to women (BabesDigBalls)—says she had always wanted a French bulldog. She calls finding the right dog online a higher-risk proposition than online dating. “With a puppy, you’re putting money down,” she explains.
“I wasn’t even sure the dog would show up.”
But he did. And Elvis (so-named because he has a cleft lip) has since turned out to be “an amazing dog.”
His lip was not a defect in Furtado’s eyes, since it made him a cheaper buy than a Canadian bulldog would have been. “Here, they’re really expensive.”
Elvis is the best dog she has ever had, says Furtado. “I couldn’t be happier.”


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The on-demand economy is great for consumers but hard for the companies that provide on-demand services. While many are still struggling to stabilize their business model and optimize their work force, Favor has seemed to find a bit of success by focusing in on a specific region.
Favor is an on-demand delivery service that operates in Texas. Much like Postmates, the service lets users order food (as well as other stuff) from their favorite restaurants and has runners pick it up and deliver it to the end-user.
The company has today announced the close of a $22 million Series B financing round led by existing investor S3 Ventures. Moreover, Favor says that the company has achieved profitability (overall profitability; not unit-economic profitability) as of this year.
Part of that has to do with the way that Favor has scaled back and focused on growing up a small number of markets.
Favor came on to the scene at SXSW in 2014, and took the same approach that most on-demand services do, which is to rapidly expand to new markets. However, Favor announced in July 2016 that it would be shuttering service across five major markets — Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami and Washington, DC — and shifting focus to Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, instead.
The plan was to target markets with low density but high population, and it worked for a while. But the company has now drawn back into its home state of Texas, serving 11 markets within the state.
CEO Jag Bath sees Texas as a great place to learn how to grow up a market. After all, Texas has the second-largest economy of any state in the country, with a GDP greater than that of many countries.
As part of the funding deal, Favor is bringing on 25,000 new runners and working out a plan to expand to more markets within Texas. Eventually, Bath tells TechCrunch, the company will proceed outside of the state of Texas, but for now they’re working on making Favor as strong as possible in Texas.
Speaking of, Favor has mobilized its workforce to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey, and built out tools offering users the option to donate a care package of relief supplies or make a monetary donation.
Like most on-demand delivery companies, Favor makes a portion of its revenue from its delivery fee, which it splits with the runner — runners keep 100 percent of their tips. But, beyond that, Favor also has paid partnership deals with businesses and restaurants, taking a percentage of the business they bring in for those partners.
“Our biggest challenge is to continue to win on service against many competitors who have deeper pockets and raised a lot of funding,” said Bath. “We don’t try to buy customers or runners, but instead try to provide the best possible service. It’s difficult to compete with free food all the time.”
That’s a clear dig at Postmates, which frequently uses promotions and discounts to turn up engagement on the platform. Postmates also operates in some of the same markets as Favor in Texas.
With this new $22 million, Favor has now raised a total of $34 million.


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LIFE had its first Open Day to showcase the work of the seniors’ hands. This is the third event of the week to celebrate Seniors Week. Crafts were displayed including embroidery, pillow making, wine bottle vases, hand made cards and jewelry. Delicious food such as Creole bread and bun, powder bun, rice and beans, and more were enjoyed.
Director Carlette Gentle, SCN, said, “We were happy that the community came out to support the seniors. Thanks to all who assisted.”


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Caught Again! 2016 Ford F-150 Raptor Mule
New Generation of Ford’s Off-Road Star Could Get EcoBoost Power
Back in May, we got spy photos of what’s believed to be a mule of the 2016 Ford F-150 Raptor testing in the Southwestern desert. The photos were taken from a distance, but the cab shape was clearly that of the 2015 model, indicating it’s the new-generation chassis. We now have photos of the same, or similar truck, testing a little closer to home in Michigan. This time, the spy shooter was able to get closer. Close enough to get a listen to the exhaust note, which according to our source, sounded a lot like Ford’s EcoBoost V-6. We’ve long felt the EcoBoost could make a compelling engine option for the Raptor, and with the discontinuation of the 6.2L V-8 in the 2015 F-150, makes for a logical replacement.
The nose clip and bed uses sheetmetal from the outgoing model, but the difference in width accentuates the fact that this is in fact the next-generation aluminum-bodied truck. Another detail noted by the spy shooter is that the shocks are a different color that the blue-and-chrome color of the current Raptor’s Fox Racing shocks, suggesting a possible change in shock vendors. However, they could also be unmarked next-generation Fox shocks undergoing testing. We can’t wait to see the next-generation Raptor, and it’s unknown when it’s going to be unveiled, but it could be as soon as this fall’s Los Angeles Auto Show, or more likely, the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.


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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fundera, the online marketplace for small business loans, today released its report on the State of Online Small Business Lending, furthering its dedication to transparency in the alternative lending sector. The report was created to help small business owners better understand their loan eligibility by providing data on product trends in the online lending space.
Having facilitated more than 1,500 loans since the company launch in February 2014, Fundera has amassed a wealth of data and is sharing this information to empower its customers to make more educated decisions in an otherwise complicated process. Fundera’s initial report contains data from February 2014 through Q3 2015, and going forward, the company plans to release quarterly report updates in order to track changes in online small business lending and their impact on business owners.
Fundera’s report is an aggregate analysis of the $63 million in customer financing secured on its platform between the company’s launch and the end of Q3 2015. The report includes information on annual percentage rates (APR), loan amounts, time to funding, revenue, and credit profiles by product type. Revealing this data gives small business owners a clear picture of the eligibility requirements for different types of loans, including SBA loans, medium term loans, short term loans, and lines of credit.
Small business owners in search of capital are often forced to work with predatory lenders and brokers who charge exorbitant fees. As a result, many small business owners end up taking out loans they neither understand nor can reasonably repay. Fundera has acted as an impartial advocate for borrower protection and provided affordable access to capital through its buyer’s-choice marketplace model. Small business owners who obtained short-term financing through Fundera have reported annual percentage rates 15 percent below available industry averages.
“While there has been an increase in alternative lending resources, it’s still extremely difficult for small business owners to know who to trust and what to expect,” said Jared Hecht, CEO and co-founder of Fundera. “The purpose of this report is to help business owners make the best financing decisions by offering a resource for true apples-to-apples product and cost comparisons.”
As a co-founding member of the Small Business Borrowers’ Bill of Rights, Fundera has always worked to eliminate predatory lending practices. Fundera’s new quarterly report is another step in the direction of fair, transparent, and accountable capital access for small business owners.
Fundera is the most trusted online marketplace that connects small business owners with the best funding providers for their businesses. Fundera was co-founded in 2013 by GroupMe co-founder Jared Hecht and successful software entrepreneur Rohan Deshpande to bring transparency, accountability, and fairness to the online lending industry. The company has raised $15 million from Susquehanna Growth Equity, QED Investors, Khosla Ventures, First Round Capital, Lerer Ventures, SV Angel, Box Group and angel investors Aaron Levie, Scott Belsky, Strauss Zelnick, and David Rosenblatt, and is based in New York City.
To learn more or get started on a loan application, please visit www.fundera.com.


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As you may have heard, our former investor, and one of the largest independent media corporations in Europe, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, is now our sole backer and parent company. Their strategic investment arm 7Commerce has now acquired Stylight as Europe’s leading lifestyle aggregator for their e-commerce portfolio.
7Commerce has invested in Stylight since early on in the company’s history (all the way back in 2012 to be exact) and has not only supported us professionally, but moreover really believed in our fast-paced and profitable growth. Being the number one in the German TV advertising & audience market, and already having an extensive digital and e-commerce portfolio, it comes as no surprise that 7Commerce has made such a bold acquisition. Not only does this latest venture combine broadcasting with digital forces, we are the missing puzzle piece 7Commerce was looking for. Having already established themselves in the beauty and accessories industry (e.g. Valmano, Flaconi), health and wellness markets (e.g. Amorelie), as well as industries such as home and living, we bring all the lifestyle and fashion knowledge 7Commerce was missing.
Starting off as a small student project back in 2008, establishing ourselves as a cool fashion startup, and finally growing into one of the most successful content and commerce companies in Europe, we are definitely at the top of our game. Being available in 15 countries all around the globe, operating from three different international offices (Munich (DE), New York (US) and London (UK)) and generating a gross merchandise value of 630€ million in 2015, there was no doubt for our new owner that this was the next step to take when it comes to their digital strategy.
To further sharpen Stylight’s business, our existing management of Matthias Marschall, Maximilian Müller, and Nicolas Stadtelmeyer, is topped up with new Managing Director, Dr. Johannes Keienburg, former COO of ProSiebenSat.1 Digital & Adjacent. And a hugely important factor for our team is that there will be no negative repercussions affecting the current company set-up.
Stylight’s Managing Directors – from left to right: Dr. Johannes Keienburg, Nicolas Stadtelmeyer,
Matthias Marschall and Max Müller.
No office changes and no layoffs, as the company has been sold with its heart and soul. However, whilst the team remains, there will be one tough farewell: the initial brains, our four founders–who not only had the courage to establish Stylight, but who also continued to believe in their idea even in rough times–will now take the next logical step and leave the company. On behalf of everyone at Stylight, we want to thank Anselm Bauer, Benjamin Günther, Max-Josef Meier and Sebastian Schuon for everything they have done and wish them all the best for their future. Exciting times lay ahead for all of us and, as they say, every end is just a new beginning.
Stylight’s Founders – from left to right: Sebastian Schuon, Benjamin Günther,
Anselm Bauer & Max-Josef Meier
So, as an exceptional team we are not only happy, but super proud to contribute with our strategy, passion and expertise to ProSiebenSat.1’s vision of: “Leading broadcasting, digital entertainment and [being a]commerce powerhouse”.
|By Joëlle Homberger – Lead PR & Communications|


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NDC campaign was 'over the top' claims Dale Farm
The National Dairy Council's (NDC) campaign to promote milk produced only in the Republic of Ireland has been over the top, according to the boss of Northern Ireland's biggest dairy processor.
David Dobbins is the CEO of United Dairy Farmers (UDF), which processes approximately 50pc of the Northern Irish milk pool and controls the Dale Farm brand.
"We met with the IFA recently to discuss this issue and they accepted that the NDC has gone overboard," said Mr Dobbins.
The comments came after Mr Dobbin publically criticised the NDC campaign featuring Irish rugby star Paul O'Connell at a recent dairy industry meeting in London.
IFA liquid milk chairman, Teddy Cashman, defended the campaign by claiming that it was no different from the British industry's 'Little Red Tractor' initiative.
However, Mr Dobbins cautioned that the campaign could be a double-edged sword long-term. "You are effectively creating a blueprint for how British dairy processors roll out a similar programme in Britain and Northern Ireland. There is a huge swing towards British-produced food that could hurt you guys." Figures from Bord Bia show that Ireland sold €3.66bn of food in British and Northern Irish markets in 2011.
Speaking at the Balmoral show in Belfast last week, Mr Dobbins also suggested that Irish food processors wanted to have it both ways. "Your Irish beef processors practically market themselves as being part of the British Isles and yet your dairy industry wants a two-tier market," he said.
"We are being locked out of new markets, despite the fact that we can supply product cheaper and have a milk curve better suited (than the Republic) to supplying fresh product year-round."


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Last Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug administration proposed a major new rule that could upend recent Supreme Court decisions limiting the liability of generic-drug manufacturers. The rule would eliminate current prohibitions that prevent generic-drug makers from revising safety information until the brand-name counterpart has received agency approval for similar changes. Under the proposed regime, generic-drug makers could unilaterally update product labels with newly discovered drug safety information without waiting for the brand-name counterpart to take action. The new rule could have a profound effect on SCOTUS’ decisions in Pliva Inc. v. Mensing and Wyeth v. Levine and potentially increase failure-to-warn risks for generic-drug makers.
Let’s start with a quick recap. In Mensing, the Supremes held that federal law requiring generic labels to match brand-name products prohibits unilateral revision of those labels. Mensing thus shielded generics makers from failure-to-warn suits because they cannot control the safety information they provide. In Wyeth, by contrast, SCOTUS held that federal law does not preempt a state law failure-to-warn claim that a brand name drug’s labeling did not contain an adequate warning because it was not impossible for the manufacturer to comply with both federal and state requirements. And from a regulatory perspective, under the current regime, generic-drug makers who wish to update drug labeling when new safety information becomes available must first notify the FDA and the brand-name manufacturer and wait until the brand name label change has been approved.
All this could change under the new rule, which proposes allowing generic-drug makers to independently revise drug labels by submitting a “changes being effected” (CBE) supplement, to FDA for review. (The rule also would require the generic-drug maker to provide a copy of the CBE to the brand-name drug maker.) Upon receiving a CBE from a generic-drug maker, the FDA would examine the proposed update and issue a decision applying to both the generic- and brand-name forms of the drug to ensure that both forms of the products have identical FDA-approved prescribing information. And to improve transparency, the rule would require FDA to promptly post information regarding the proposed labeling changes on FDA’s website, to which members of the public could subscribe to receive updates.
The takeaway here is that the new rule would likely eliminate preemption of failure-to-warn claims against generics makers, and thus increase liability exposure of generic-drug makers for not timely or sufficiently updating drug label warnings.. From a policy standpoint, the proposed rule would place the onus on generic drug companies to become more actively engaged in ensuring that drug safety information is accurate and up to date.
It goes without saying that the rule is likely to spark a lively debate and elicit comments from industry and consumer groups, not the least because FDA has proposed this new rule after receiving a petition from a public interest group to revise current regulations in response to Mensing. A notice of the proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register on Nov. 13, and interested parties will have 60 days to weigh in. We’ll keep you posted about developments.


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On December 23, the eve of Christmas, there was breaking European news. Deutsche Welle published a report – “The Austrian government wants to buy Chinese cars. Is it a blessing or a curse?” ”, which means that the Austrian government intends to purchase electric vehicles produced by the Chinese manufacturer BYD to use them as official vehicles for its country.
Austria is located in the center of Europe, surrounded by big-name car manufacturers. The Austrian government did not choose Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, or even Volkswagen and Opel, but chose car brands from the big Eastern country. Why is this?
In order to understand why the Austrian government wants to buy BYD as an official vehicle, let’s go through it from the beginning: The Austrian Federal Procurement Office signed a new energy vehicle procurement contract with five suppliers. These five suppliers are Austrian Opel and Austrian Porsche. , BMW Austria, Hyundai Import AG and CCI Car Austria.
Among them, CCI Car Austria is the import agent of Chinese automobile manufacturer BYD in Austria. According to the framework agreement, BYD has received an order for 640 electric vehicles for civil servants, which will be delivered to Austria in the next four years.
So why does the Austrian government take a fancy to BYD? The official meaning is: “In addition to price, we give priority to the quality standards and subsequent use costs of the car.” In other words, the Austrian government believes that BYD’s cars are not only of good quality, but also cost-effective to use and the price is reasonable.”
As sales continue to rise and new technologies and new models continue to appear, the public still pays a lot of attention to BYD. It can be said that when it comes to understanding a well-known brand, sometimes people do not rely on the product, but pay more attention to what the company is saying and doing. BYD is one of the car manufacturers that works very hard to export its cars. It strives to export its cars overseas, even to Japan and Germany, the major car countries.
One of BYD’s core directions is auto exports
In fact, although 2022 is called the first year of BYD’s exports, BYD has actually been planning for automobile exports for 24 years. As early as 1998, BYD established its first overseas branch in the Netherlands, but the final outbreak time was in 2022, when it was fully prepared in all aspects.
By the end of 2022, BYD has launched passenger car business in 18 countries around the world, and its commercial vehicle footprint has spread to more than 70 countries and regions and more than 400 cities around the world, growing rapidly.
In 2023, BYD will make further progress. To give a few examples, for example, in April this year, Thailand’s total sales of pure electric vehicles were 3,822 units, of which BYD’s ATTO 3 (domestic model named Yuan PLUS) sold 1,734 units. Its market share hit a new high, and it ranked first among electric vehicles for four consecutive months. Car sales crown.
The BYD ATTO 3 in the Israeli market has a sales volume of 1,246 units in May 2023, and has won the single-model sales championship in Israel for seven consecutive months. It should be noted that the sales here are for all models and across all car series, BYD’s strength is evident.
There is a lot of news like this. For example, from January to May this year, BYD ATTO 3 sold a total of 1,402 units, ranking first in sales of pure electric vehicles in New Zealand.
In March this year, BYD officially laid the foundation stone for its Rayong factory in Thailand. The factory is expected to start production in 2024, with an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles. It should be noted that the cars produced in this factory are expected to be exported to European and ASEAN countries, with a wider radiating range and drive through points.
In addition, another BYD project has just been launched. BYD’s first overseas passenger car joint venture factory will be launched in Uzbekistan. In a blink of an eye, Chinese automobile companies have become exporters of technology, products and brands.
Why trust BYD Auto
Why are consumers willing to buy BYD cars? This is inseparable from BYD’s technological independence and rich accumulation. As of March 2023, BYD has applied for approximately 40,000 patents, granted approximately 28,000 patents globally, and has nearly 70,000 R&D personnel.
As for technology specifically, BYD has made a lot of achievements, such as blade battery, DM-i super hybrid, e-platform 3.0, which we have just digested, the new CTB battery body integration, Yi Sifang, Yunnan intelligent body control system, etc. Technologies that promise industry disruption are also on the horizon. After the launch of the Looking Up series, no one doubts BYD’s technical strength.
Holding the core technologies of the entire new energy vehicle industry chain such as batteries, motors, electronic controls and car-grade chips in its hands is the key to BYD’s differentiation from previous car exporters.
In addition, being able to develop collaboratively with partners in various markets is also one of the keys to rapid advancement. For example, in Europe, BYD has cooperated with Hedin Mobility, a dealer group with more than 230 stores, and it has spread rapidly. In various markets, BYD has established mature international business and management teams, accumulated more experience in international business operations, and has gradually realized the localization of talents in various overseas markets.
After mastering its own technology and understanding local needs, BYD will carefully optimize it for the local area. For example, DiLink is optimized for overseas markets and is compatible with various apps commonly used by overseas users to upgrade the product experience.
These factors are encouraging overseas users to favor BYD when choosing imported cars. Even the Austrian government believes in the quality and cost-effectiveness of BYD cars. What else do you need to consider?
More car information：


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Revenue & Profits up for Interroll
5th August 2019
In the first half of 2019, conveyor system specialist Interroll once again recorded strong growth in sales revenue of 8.4 percent (+10.4 percent in local currencies) and a disproportionately strong increase in operating result (EBIT) of 23.3 percent.
Boosted by a particularly strong first quarter in 2019, net sales revenue increased by +8.4% compared to the previous year to a new high of CHF 260.8 million in the first six months of 2019 (+10.4% in local currencies).
Interroll managed to once again disproportionately increase the EBIT by 23.3% compared to the half-year value for 2018. In addition to the net sales revenue growth, high discipline regarding costs and investment also contributed to this.
At CHF 299.0 million, the orders intake was 7.9% below the previous year’s record levels in 2018 (-6.0% in local currencies). Large orders received in the previous year were virtually fully replaced in the first half of 2019.
“In the first half of 2019, Interroll was able to drastically increase its net sales revenues once again,” states Paul Zumbühl, CEO of Interroll Holding AG. “EBIT and net profit also grew disproportionately.”


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As we enter 2020, carmaking giant Toyota produces and sells the majority of the world’s hybrid cars and SUVs. That may prove to be a problem over the next decade. The world’s most profitable mass-market carmaker has made no secret of its antipathy toward battery-electric vehicles during the past 10 years.
In 2012, it canceled its plans for a tiny, two-seat electric car—while saying the only suitable use for batteries was low-range urban vehicles. By 2017, that had evolved into the belief that plug-in hybrids would catch on far more quickly than battery-electric vehicles. This year, it said it will work on next-generation solid-state cells with its long-term partner Panasonic; it has claimed in the past that such cells are a necessary prerequisite for volume production of EVs.
In 2010, Toyota’s caution may have been justified as it moved toward the 2015 production of the Mirai, its first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. That year, the Nissan Leaf launched with an EPA range of 117 km—and the Tesla Model S was still two years away from production. Today, however, Tesla sells tens of thousands of Model 3s a month, and every major maker in the world is ramping up its EV efforts.
The giant VW Group is one of the few global makers to match Toyota’s annual sales of 10 million vehicles. It now says it hopes to sell 1 million battery-electric cars a year by 2025. A year ago, GM concluded full electric vehicles are the sole way forward and killed off its Volt plug-in hybrid.
Enter the RAV4 Prime
Meanwhile, Toyota has just announced its third-ever volume vehicle with a plug, the RAV4 Prime. It’s a plug-in hybrid version of the RAV4 compact SUV, unveiled at last month’s Los Angeles auto show.
The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime is a crossover—the form factor every buyer seems to want these days—that offers a projected 62 km of range. It will also have the second-fastest acceleration of any vehicle in the Toyota lineup. It sounds like a pretty great package, right?
Toyota’s core two-motor hybrid powertrain has been through multiple generations since it launched in 1997. The company has now built close to 15 million hybrids, considerably more than half the hybrids on the world’s roads.
Hybrids yes, plugs no
But the company’s efforts to add plugs to its hybrids have been minimal. The 2012 Prius Plug-In Hybrid had a 4.4-kilowatt-hour battery and only managed 17 km of range on the EPA test cycle. That compared to the first-generation Chevrolet Volt, with 56 km or more.
The 2017 Prius Prime was a considerably better car that operated as a pure EV while its battery had charge, but it was still rated at only 40 km—at a time where the second-generation Volt hit 85 km.
Nine model years after the first plug-in Prius, Toyota seems to be switching its marketing pitch for the new RAV4 plug-in from fuel economy to power. That mirrors Ford’s approach with the Grand Touring versions of its Lincoln Aviator and Corsair luxury SUVs. They’re sold as the most powerful versions, and little is said about their ability to the plugin, despite the federal income-tax credits buyers receive for the plug-in feature.
Signs of desperation?
Still, Toyota maintains it has no pure electric cars on the near-term horizon for North America. So what’s driving this recalcitrance? One argument may be that Toyota simply wants to retain its legendary profit margins in mass-volume vehicles. It would almost certainly lose money on its first car with a battery pack providing 320-plus km of range.
But its hybrid system isn’t cheap either, with a high-voltage battery pack, power electronics, and a pair of electric motors—all pricey components, even in volume. Indeed, hybrid cost reductions may not have come as quickly as Toyota hoped. It remains the dominant maker of hybrids, distantly followed by Honda and Ford. But the bulk of the global supply chain still sends most of its output to just one hybrid maker: Toyota.
This past April, the company announced it would grant royalty-free licenses to the intellectual property for its hybrid drivetrain to any maker who wanted them. (Its battery-pack patents were notably not included.) The news attracted little attention and may interest only smaller makers that can’t afford to develop their own hybrids. Those already include Mazda and Subaru.
Viewed through a skeptical lens, though, the Toyota offer can be read as a sign of desperation by a company that expected hybrid technology to be an industry-standard after 20 years. That would have expanded the supply base and further lowered its costs, adding to its first-mover advantage.
Meanwhile, three other factors have further altered the equation. First, battery-cell costs have fallen far faster than anyone predicted in 2010. Second, China announced in September 2017 it would ban the sale of vehicles with combustion engines at some future date.
Finally, the Volkswagen diesel-emission cheating scandal has made battery-electric vehicles the preferred path for European manufacturers facing painfully tough reductions in tailpipe carbon-dioxide emissions. Today, literally dozens of cell-fabrication plants are under construction globally to supply batteries for those millions of EVs each year.
All those factors would seem to point to Toyota adjusting its strategy and adapting to a future in which battery-electric vehicles form part of its lineup.
But that doesn’t appear to be the case. This leads to the second possible explanation: Toyota may be caught on the horns of the Innovator’s Dilemma. That is, it’s so devoted to its pioneering hybrid technology it can’t see how the landscape is changing and where the world is going.
The textbook example is the computer disk-drive industry. In the 1970s and 1980s, industry leaders rose and fell as the disk drive they specialized in (14″, then 8″, then 5.25″, and finally 3.5″) ascended to prominence and then collapsed into oblivion.
Could this phenomenon be creeping up on Toyota? In fact, that very argument was advanced in a remarkably prescient article by Matthew Klippenstein wich asked, simply, does Toyota’s hybrid leadership blind it to electric cars?
Meanwhile, Toyota’s continuing antipathy to cars with plugs is reflected in an ad touting the virtues of the Corolla Hybrid. One benefit? It doesn’t a plug-in. The theme echoes numerous earlier marketing slaps at EVs from Toyota and Lexus.
Why such stubbornness? Well, consider the background of the chairman of Toyota’s board of directors. Since June 2013, that position has been held by Takeshi Uchiyamada, the lead developer of its hybrid-electric technology—the man known as “the father of the Prius.”
Toyota, nonetheless, will now have to build electric cars in volume—reluctantly, and probably resentfully—in one place: China. It now offers plug-in hybrid versions of its Corolla and Levin models, but they’re sold only there.
Last month it announced a partnership with BYD, which put its first electric cars on the market back in 2009 and is one of the country’s leaders in EVs. The pair will form a new 50-50 joint venture next year to design and develop battery-electric vehicles from the ground up. It will be staffed from both companies’ existing R&D and engineering departments.
For the next two or three years, we don’t expect to see any battery-electric vehicles from Toyota in North America—despite plans for an array of new EV models from Audi, BMW, Ford, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Tesla, Volkswagen, and others.
In the near term, the next generation of the Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle is a large, rear-wheel-drive sedan as handsome as the current Mirai is homely. For now, Toyota is sticking firmly with hydrogen—not electricity—as its zero-emission technology of choice.
Which is a shame, because the Toyota name on an electric car would likely bring in buyers who wouldn’t consider a Tesla, a GM car, or a Volkswagen EV. But don’t hold your breath for a Toyota EV any time soon. It could be a long wait.
Our mission is to promote innovative technology vehicles through the use of alternative fuels and electricity as their vehicles propelling energy sources.
Countries ‘Walk the Talk’ on Transparency and Climate Action
UN Climate Change News, 11 November 2021 – at COP26 in Glasgow, 17 countries shared updates on climate action over the two days- Multilateral Assessment (MA) and Facilitative Sharing of Views (FSV) events.
Lucid: we can take it to a whole new level of range and efficiency
Lucid Air is finally going to come to market this year after a delay of a few years – likely becoming the first of the new wave of California EV startups to bring an electric car to production after Tesla.
Most EV charging infrastructure is wasted due to lack of “new thinking”
While some, like Tesla superchargers and chargers at prime workplace parking lots, see heavy use, many of them sit idle. The reason to it is they were designed for an already fading first era of electric vehicles.
Countries ‘Walk the Talk’ on Transparency and Climate Action
UN Climate Change News, 11 November 2021 – at COP26 in Glasgow, 17 countries shared updates on climate action over the two days- Multilateral Assessment (MA) and Facilitative Sharing of Views (FSV) events.Read more
Race To Zero
Race To Zero is a global campaign to rally; leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, investors for a healthy, resilient, zero-carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth.Read more
Electric cars VAT exemption plan
There’s currently a wide effort to involve electric car incentives in recovery plans around the world and in Europe, it might actually work.Read more
Universal Smart EV charger
Charget to Charge Electric Marathon 2021 Star Race with Latest Smart Charger!Read more


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Have you ever used the Square card reader to make a payment at your local boutique store? If so you are helping support thousands of businesses throughout the nation.
According to a recent report, “Square Capital has lent $1 Billion in cash advances and loans to more than 100,000 businesses.” Square was founded by Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey and began lending cash in 2014. To determine whether a company is qualified for funds, Square reviews key statistics of the company including revenue and cash flow.
Square recently reported a 70% jump in loans from 2015. At the most recent quarter, the company has processed 35,000 loans totaling $208 million, with the average loan size hitting about $6,000. With this, Square Capital has reported a revenue increase of 140%, or $33 million since 2015.


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They say not to look too closely at how a sausage is made if you want to maintain an appetite.
But a Coles customer in Sydney couldn't overlook one unusually revolting ingredient in his pork and apple cider bangers: a live grub that emerged from inside one of the sausages.
To the astonishment and repulsion of Andrew Wood, the grub exited the sausage, he said, once the tray of six "Coles finest" Australian pork sausages went on the heat of the barbecue.
Mr Wood, 40, who bought his sausages from Coles in Lindfield on Sydney's north shore on Thursday, complained and has been offered a $7.50 refund by the supermarket chain, which he has not yet accepted.
"I had a bread roll in one hand and I was ready for lunch when I saw this worm thing come out of one of the sausages. It didn't like the heat and it was squirming everywhere trying to get away," he said.
A DIY autopsy on the grub revealed a belly full of smaller maggots, according to Mr Wood.
"I was looking forward to lunch but that really ruined my appetite, it was just sickening," he said.
A Coles spokeswoman said she could not comment until the company made further inquiries.
It is not the first time that a customer has blown the whistle on nasties in Coles' small goods.
In November, a Perth mother of six posted a complaint on social media that her Coles cocktail frankfurters were crawling with live maggots - something she said she discovered shortly after feeding them to her kids.
At the time, Coles said its quality team suspected the common housefly larvae had infected the franks but that most likely occurred after they were cooked at home.
Two months earlier, another woman posted a video of maggots on a cooked chicken which she bought from a Coles store in Rockingham south of Perth.
"Just picked up a hot chicken for lunch, and it's got things crawling on it," she wrote. "Thanks Coles".


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Investing.com – February data including consumer prices and retail sales will offer more cues on the prospects for potential Federal Reserve rate cuts. Bitcoin hits record highs, while Wall Street could be in for another volatile week. Here’s what you need to know to start your week.
- US inflation data
Investors will be looking to Tuesday’s U.S. inflation data as they try to gauge how soon the Fed could start cutting interest rates.
Economists are expecting February’s consumer price index to rise after a faster than expected increase of 0.3% in January.
On Thursday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said it would likely be appropriate to cut rates “at some point this year,” but made it clear that he and his colleagues aren’t ready yet.
Market watchers will also be looking to Thursday’s retail sales data for February, which is expected to rebound after falling the same amount a month earlier.
The economic calendar also features updates on , and weekly data on .
Fed officials will be entering the traditional blackout period ahead of their upcoming meeting next week.
- Bitcoin boom
has hit a new all-time high above $70,000, boosted by investor demand for new U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs that launched this year and expectations for global interest rates to fall.
Billions of dollars have flowed into ETFs in the past few weeks, while the market has also been underpinned ahead of an expected upgrade to the ethereum blockchain platform, home to the second-largest digital ether, and a bitcoin “halving” event, which slows the flow of bitcoin minting, in April.
The previous bitcoin boom in 2021 was followed by a “crypto winter”, when bankruptcies and collapses at the biggest crypto firms left millions of investors out of pocket, prompting regulators to step up warnings about the risks.
But this does not seem to have deterred a new wave of money from coming in. Crypto fans say the industry has matured, but central bankers and regulators are still wary. Now investors are wondering: how much bigger can it get and is it different this time?
- Oil prices
Oil prices closed 1% lower on Friday and fell even more for the week as markets remained wary of soft Chinese demand even as producer group OPEC+ extended supply cuts.
Both benchmarks fell in the week, with down 1.8% and losing 2.5%.
China last week set an economic growth target for 2024 of around 5%, which many analysts say is ambitious without much more stimulus.
On the supply side, OPEC+ members led by Saudi Arabia and Russia agreed last Sunday to extend voluntary oil output cuts of 2.2 million barrels per day into the second quarter, giving extra support to the market amid concerns over global growth and rising output outside the group.
Energy traders have also been focused on the timing of possible rate cuts by the Fed and the ECB. Lower interest rates could increase oil demand by boosting economic growth.
- Stock market
Wall Street’s three main indexes ended lower on Friday, closing out a turbulent week with artificial intelligence darling Nvidia (NASDAQ:) going into reverse after a recent rally.
For the week the lost 0.26% while fell 1.17% and the dropped 0.93%.
Nvidia ended Friday down more than 5% in its worst one-day performance since late May. Shares in the company still ended the week with gains of over 6% amid a rally that has added more than $1 trillion to its market cap so far this year.
Analysts say investors are locking in profits after the recent run higher in markets.
Given that the upcoming inflation data likely won’t be enough to reassure the Fed that price pressures are cooling quickly enough to warrant a near-term move market participants are likely to remain somewhat cautious.
- UK jobs data
The UK is to release its latest jobs report on Tuesday, with investors and the Bank of England alike focusing on wage growth amid speculation over the timing of a first rate cut.
Average hourly pay decelerated to a rate of 6.2% in December, the slowest pace of growth in over a year, but not slow enough to convince BoE officials that interest rates – at 16-year highs – will need to come down sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, the Eurozone is to release data for January. December’s report showed a large increase in production which erased a full year of declines. Another strong reading would be an encouraging sign for first quarter GDP growth.
–Reuters contributed to this report


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Investments are a theme for Jeff Bezos' brother Mark Bezos and his investment firm HighPost Capital. HighPost Capital is a firm in the financial services sector and was incorporated in 2019. The firm recently made a new investment by acquiring the fitness platform Centr, which was created by actor Chris Hemsworth.
There's more than one financially savvy person in the Bezos family. Mark is the co-founder of HighPost Capital. The firm's mission boasts, "Tested, we are known for protecting our investment through adversity. Our strategic orientation is the result of a doctrine grounded in process, deep experience, and market fundamentals." So, what was the strategy behind HighPost acquiring Centr?
What is Centr and why did Mark Bezos invest in fitness?
Centr is a digital fitness platform that was founded by Marvel actor Chris Hemsworth. For $10.00, $20, or $29.99 a month, Centr subscribers can enjoy access to workout plans such as Centr Align, which focuses on exercises including pilates and yoga. There's also Centr Unleashed, which is a six-week high-intensity interval training program designed to help users boost their cardio and get lean.
Other workout features include Centr 6, Centr Power, and Centr Unlimited. Speaking on why he created Centr, Hemsworth said, "I started Centr in 2019 with a vision to share my health, wellness, and fitness experience with a broader community."
Hemsworth said that he involved people who helped him become a better version of himself through fitness and he hopes to share that through Centr. Bezos and David Morross saw some promise in this growing platform, "We see an opportunity to take Centr, which is already very profitable, to the next level." Mark not only invested in Centr, but he also acquired Inspire Fitness which creates exercise equipment.
What is Mark Bezos' plan for Centr and Inspire Fitness?
Why the big interest in fitness? Bezos plans to merge both Centr and Inspire Fitness to create an entirely new at-home gym experience that emphasizes mindfulness, nutrition, and working out. Currently, Centr has over 200,000 subscribers.
Moross, the HighPost co-founder alongside Bezos, projects that the merge will boost subscriber numbers in four years to an estimated 700,000. Together, Inspire Fitness and Centr are valued at over $200 million. Centr currently has subscribers in the U.S. and Australia and has hopes of reaching Europe and southeast Asia.
Mark Bezos was already a millionaire before he started investing in fitness.
Bezos has been successful and his endeavors were fruitful long before he decided to invest in fitness.
Investor/Advertising Exec/Commercial Astronaut
Net worth: 40000000
Mark Bezos is an investor and former advertising executive. He is the co-founder of the private equity firm HighPost Capital, which specializes in investment management.
Birth year: 1970
Education: Texas Christian University
Spouse: Lisa Bezos
Children: 4 children whose names aren't public.
Reports of Bezos' net worth range greatly but they all agree on one thing — he's a millionaire. One site claims his worth is $5 million while others claim that his worth is $40 million as of 2022. Bezos' investments are spread wide and far mainly through his firm HighPost, although he holds Amazon shares.


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A trip to Africa for a Sunnyside woman sowed the seeds for an effort to help the children of that impoverished area of the world.
"The need is so great," said Kim Aleman, founder of Africa's Kidz. "A thousand children are orphaned every day in Africa due to AIDS."
Aleman spent six weeks in South Africa and Malawi last January. What she saw changed her life.
"When I came home I decided I needed to help these children in Africa," Aleman explained.
So she started Africa's Kidz. Through this project she sells African-made products such as baskets, jewelry and hand carvings. All profits go back to Africa to help the children.
She said most of the money goes to Doctors for Life in South Africa but a portion also goes to the Tiyamike Mulungu Center, the orphanage where Aleman spent time in Malawi.
Aleman and her two daughters travel to fairs to sell the items. They also appear at special shows and have set up a website, www.africaskidz.com, to sell their wares. There is also an online store on ebay.
Aleman said she started towards the end of May and so far things have been going good.
"I've had a great response," she added.
Aleman also solicits $5 donations for mosquito nets. She said a child dies every 30 seconds in Africa due to malaria. The nets cost $10 and are distributed by Compassion International.
A fact sheet on Africa's Kidz' website states that today in Africa 32 children will die every second from starvation and malnutrition. More than two million people will go to bed hungry, with 821,918 of those children. Also, one child will die every minute from the measles. A measles vaccine is $1.
"The American dollar goes so far in Africa that it doesn't take much to help," she said.


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This one is just not for the neighbours. It’s exhaust-related and could change the way people hear cars forever. More importantly, it’s because you can now hear almost exactly how it feels to pilot a high-performance Porsche.
And its a spine-thrilling, part street racer, part FI circuit “automotive anthem” for the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 that may cause drivers to chuck out the car’s audio system just to listen to it over and over again.
Get an earful of this:
Now, with an enthusiastic nod to its 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-six engine, the standard Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 already sounds pitch-perfect — but like just about everything — there’s nearly always room for improvement.
Make a noise: Akrapovic’s thundering entrance
And that’s where Akrapovic makes a thundering entrance. As a Slovenian exhaust specialist, Akrapovic has developed a lightweight, all-titanium system directed at significantly boosting the coupe’s sporty presence.
The equally significant increase in in driving enjoyment, best experienced in revs, acceleration and gear shifts, almost goes without saying.
It’s not just the sound…Improved performance for Porsche 718 Cayman GT4
According to the manufacturer, the Slip-on Race Line with Link pipe set will cut roughly 8.2kg off the vehicle’s total weight while also boosting its power output by nearly 12kW and 43Nm of torque. There’s no word about what impact that will have on the Porsche’s 0-100km/h time of 4.4 seconds, but expect it to be positive, albeit not that impressive.
But is it street legal?
According to the exhaust specialist, the Akrapovic system will soon be available for aftermarket fitment on the Cayman — but that glee-inducing news comes with an important disclaimer. Outlined in the company’s video description, Akrapovic says the system package “does not meet emission compliance requirements for street or highway use.”
This, media reports suggest, explains why the footage depicts a 718 Cayman GT4 thundering through a racetrack, rather than a public road. While this will surely come as an extreme disappointment to many, there will certainly be many an appreciative neighbour out there.
Constructed of titanium, Akrapovic’s Slip-On Race Line and Link pipe set takes about two hours to install. The video posted by Akrapovic on YouTube provided the sample of the Cayman GT4’s grunt-packed new growl and you are going to want to turn the volume right up, before you consider saving it as your phone’s ringtone.
What’s on the road ahead for Porsche
For those looking for even more performance, Porsche is currently developing a new hardcore, track-focused RS version of the 718 Cayman GT4.
The upcoming GT4 RS was recently seen testing alongside the new 911 GT3, sporting wider fenders and more aggressive air intakes than the regular GT4. This, along with a prominent rear wing.
The new GT4 RS is expected to debut this year. But for those who may feel a little underwhelmed by the the standard car’s acoustics, Akrapovic’s sounds like a great alternative.


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Updated : 1 month, 3 weeks ago IST
Barcelona [Spain], Feb 26 (ANI): If your high-end Android phone allowed you to capture amazing pictures but the storage always disappointed you, SanDisk has just answered all your prayers.
Dongguan [China], Feb 26 (ANI): Adding to the line of foldable phones of the future, Oppo has teased its first such model that follows the likes of foldable phones from Royole and Huawei and folds outwards.
Barcelona [Spain], Feb 26 (ANI): At the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019, chipmaker Qualcomm underlined its vision for the future with 5G network capabilities.
Barcelona [Spain], Feb 26 (ANI): Among other global firsts, Sony unveiled its new flagship smartphone, Xperia 1, at the MWC 2019.
Updated : 2 months ago IST
Tokyo [Japan], February 22 (ANI): We are just days away from the anticipated Mobile World Congress 2019 and leaksters have no reason not to kill our buzz when it comes to unreleased smartphones. The latest to get hit by the premature revelations is Sony’s line of upcoming Xperia smartphones.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Feb 22 (ANI): HDFC Bank Limited (HDFC), one of India’s largest private sector banks has partnered with Route Mobile Limited (Route Mobile) to showcase Rich Communication Services (RCS) on Google’s RCS Business Messaging platform at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 20
Seoul [South Korea], February 20 (ANI): Ahead of the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week, LG took the wraps of three new smartphones.


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Attorney General Cuomo Announces Settlement, Restitution From Two
April 24, 2007 - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced the culmination of lawsuits against two operators of home improvement businesses that victimized dozens of consumers in Monroe County.
Todd C. Clifford, 38, of Webster, owner of Todd Clifford's Painting and More and other home improvement businesses, was ordered to pay a total of $31,338 in restitution to 28 consumers who paid for services that were never provided or were victims of poor work. He must also pay civil penalties of $5,000 and statutory costs of $2,000.
The Attorney General's Office conducted an investigation revealing that Clifford engaged in fraudulent and deceptive acts and violations of the state Home Improvement Contracts Law and Lien Law. Clifford accepted payments for home improvement projects and snow plowing services that he never provided or performed sub-standard work that required consumers to hire other contractors to fix the projects. He also failed to return customer's phone calls and refused to provide refunds, leading many consumers to file suits in small claims court. At least 27 consumers secured judgments against Clifford, but he has failed to satisfy any of them.
John A. Szymonek, 46, owner of HBC Construction, Inc. and HB Construction and Management Company, was ordered to pay $49,807.77 in total restitution to 21 consumers who were defrauded. He must also pay civil penalties in the amount of $10,000 and statutory costs of $4,000. Szymonek was extradited from Canada on April 7 and is now in the Monroe County jail, facing criminal charges from the Monroe County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Attorney General's investigation, Szymonek demanded payment in-full for projects that were never performed. Complaints indicated he used threats and intimidation to force payments from victims. On other projects, Szymonek performed sub-standard work, failed to complete jobs, failed to pay subcontractors (resulting in mechanics liens on properties), and falsely claimed that his businesses were members of the Better Business Bureau and Better Contractors Bureau. The Attorney General's Office also revealed that Szymonek failed to include consumer protection clauses in his contracts, deposit down payments in escrow accounts and honor warranties or make refunds to aggrieved customers.
Aside from the restitution, civil penalties and statutory costs, the settlement bars both Clifford and Szymonek from working in the home improvement industry in New York State.
The Attorney General's website, www.ag.ny.gov, contains tips on selecting home improvement contractors.
"Consumers looking for home improvement contractors should do their homework first," said Attorney General Cuomo. "These two individuals did shoddy work and customers suffered. By being informed, New York consumers will be able to discern qualified contractors from those who are in to make a quick buck at the expense of personal property."
Both cases were handled by Assistant Attorney General Carlos Rodriguez of the Rochester Regional Office. Supervising Investigator Christopher Holland assisted in the cases.


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The entry of Jio has proved to be a game changer of sorts with average data consumption sky-rocketing and prices falling by more than half.
The UIDAI has restored telecom operator Bharti Airtel's authorisation to conduct Aadhaar-based verification of its mobile subscribers subject to specific conditions, sources said.
Airtel said that its customers can choose from over 350 Live TV channels and over 10,000 movies and shows on Airtel TV app. All content on Airtel TV app is completely free for Airtel Postpaid and Prepaid customers till June 2018.
24 out of 50 companies reported losses before tax during 2016-17, the government said.
Some say Airtel could see an RMS reduction in coming quarters while others see the Sunil Mittal-led telco making solid gains after concluding its Telenor India and Tata Teleservices’ wireless business acquisitions.
Over the last six months, Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vodafone have made substantial changes in their plans to make them more competitive and attractive.
Independent drive tests conducted by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in four cities showed that Airtel 4G services has the highest download speed in the city.
A company official, who declined to be named, added that Airtel had also responded to the showcause notice issued earlier this month by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).
The telco plans to add 3,000 km of new optic fiber in the region to take its fiber footprint to 16,000 km, which will support the growth of high-speed data services
Airtel said that it has the highest share about 50% across India and 60% in Assam and North East of all port-ins, so far, from Aircel.
PCB makes up 40-50% of the cost of making a phone, so a duty on the import of the component will increase prices in the near term, but push local manufacturing in the longer term, handset makers said.
According to data from Warp Speed Reads, a telecom and technology research firm, call volumes on WhatsApp and other app platforms jumped by 87% to 86.4 billion minutes in 2017 over 2016.
The campaign is based on Airtel being rated as the fastest mobile network in India by Ookla for the third time in a row
Reliance Jio Infocomm added a whopping 8.3 million customers in January
The tariff and data war unleashed by Jio is unlikely to dislodge Sunil Mittal’s Airtel off the perch in India’s telecom industry. A Goldman Sachs report explains why.
Kotak Institutional Equities said analysis using the BTS count of Jio and incumbents, and number crunching showed that the newcomer has "62 per cent share of the combined data capacity of these operators".
Reliance Jio blames old business model for stress in telecom sector; rivals say it’s due to lack of checks
Jio started services in September 2016 with a nationwide 4G network. It has since forced the telecom industry to head for consolidation by offering customers high volumes of faster data at low rates.


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For those in the tri-state New Jersey area, I’ll be attending the Toy Con NJ/ Legions Con toy show on Nov. 13th-14th. In addition to having Beasts of the Mesozoic products on-hand for sale, I’ll also have the Ceratopsians wave 3 on display. Most importantly though, this will be the only time that the Tyrannosaur Series prototypes will be on public display as well. Please note that the Tyrannosaur prototypes will only be at Legions Con on Sunday, Nov. 14th. Plus, there will also be a new exciting unveil for an upcoming figure.
I hope to see you there!


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- 4 min read
Elon Musk and other tech billionaires are out of control
Musk’s move on Twitter also is hard to square with the concept of fiduciary responsibility. He does not want to buy Twitter to make it a better business — “I don’t care about the economics at all,” he recently said — but to realize his ideas about free speech.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is a hair's breadth away from purchasing one of the world’s most influential publishing platforms. That statement alone is remarkable. What’s actually disturbing about his deal to buy Twitter Inc. is the next part: He will be accountable to no one but himself.
Tesla founder can dissolve Twitter’s board when he takes the company private. If he doesn’t, any board that remains probably won’t have teeth. That’s nothing new in tech, where checks and balances are often passé. Even so, that trend is having increasingly damaging repercussions.
Big Tech founders like Mark Zuckerberg and Alphabet Inc.’s Sergey Brin and Larry Page have fashioned themselves as modern-day autocrats of business, thanks to the way they have structured their initial public offerings and voting shares over the past decade.
Zuckerberg owns the majority of Meta Platform Inc.’s voting shares, while billionaires Brin and Page control 51% of a special class of voting shares of Alphabet, giving them ultimate control of Google and YouTube. This dual-class share structure is unusual in business but common in the tech world, thought to give startup founders freedom to execute their long-term vision. The founders of Airbnb Inc. and Snap Inc. both have about 44% voting control of their respective companies thanks to dual-class structures. And while Musk owns just 20% of Tesla Inc., his board is stacked with longtime friends like Larry Ellison and Kimbal Musk, Elon Musk’s brother. Zuckerberg’s board also has largely done his bidding over the years.
All of this runs counter to modern ideas of corporate governance, which hold that strict accountability is a good thing. Without those checks, tech leaders are free to make capricious decisions, according to David Yoffie, a leadership professor at Harvard Business School, who spent close to three decades on the board of Intel Corp.
Sometimes, those decisions can be good for business. For instance, when Mark Zuckerberg bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012, the tiny target had no revenue — and he didn’t ask his board for permission. Seven years later Instagram was contributing $20 billion to Facebook’s annual sales.
But look at it another way. Multiple studies have shown that the rise of Instagram, under Zuckerberg's stewardship, has correlated with higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide among teenagers and teen girls in particular. The site has made oodles of money but also caused psychological damage to children and adults, which Facebook’s own research has corroborated.
Long-term, shareholders, too, can suffer from unfettered control. Zuckerberg steered Facebook into obsessively chasing an abstract business goal with the metaverse. While the initiative might eventually bear fruit, for now the move has already cost the company $10 billion. Meta’s stock has dropped 40% since the start of this year. Why isn’t he reshaping Facebook into a safer website that can thrive for years to come? Because no one, either from his team of sycophantic lieutenants or his deferential board, has pushed him to.
Musk’s move on Twitter also is hard to square with the concept of fiduciary responsibility. He doesn’t want to buy Twitter to make it a better business — “I don’t care about the economics at all,” he recently said — but to realize his ideas about free speech. Now Tesla’s shareholders are paying the price. As Musk borrowed more than $25 billion against Tesla as collateral, the carmaker’s shares have lost almost a quarter of their value in the past three weeks. If Musk sells part of his stake to keep supporting his personal agenda, that will depress the share price even more.
Maybe it’s just hard to remember your obligations to make money when you’re a billionaire. Maybe when you’re in an industry that idolizes visionaries, it’s easy to get lured into chasing the realization of your ideological or futuristic worldview. Maybe the billionaires who control today’s social media platforms actually need stricter checks and balances.
That’s certainly doable. Dual-class listings could eventually be phased out, as many institutional investors have already called for, but structural changes can take years. Regulators, meanwhile, have been talking tough, but they are also easily ignored by the likes of Musk. He has thumbed his nose at the SEC multiple times and will likely skirt the European social media laws that threaten, in theory, to disrupt his free speech plans.
For better or worse, the clearest remedy right now is other billionaires. The biggest impact on Facebook’s unscrupulous data-collection practices to date has come from Apple Inc., helmed by billionaire Tim Cook, when it allowed customers to block Zuckerberg’s company from tracking them. ByteDance, run for years by billionaire Zhang Yiming, also threatens to lure users of Facebook and Musk's Twitter away with its highly addictive TikTok app.
That is not how things should be, but in a world where social media is being shaped by freewheeling billionaires, their rivals may be our only hope.


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We're only four days into 2022 and Wizards of the Coast has already revealed the year's first Magic the Gathering Secret Lair drop, and it's one that's going to be running throughout the whole of 2022.
The Astrology Lands is a series of twelve drops, one each month, that will put the emphasis on different star sign. The drop kicks off with Capricorn, which is being represented by Jeanne D'Angelo's psychedelic Swamp, complete with a dead sea goat. The drop comes with five copies of the Swamp for either £29.99/$29.99 for a regular print, or £39.99/$39.99 for a foil.
Unlike other Secret Lairs, these drops won't be printed to demand. Instead, they'll only be available for as long as Wizards of the Coast has print stock available. This means that there is a very real chance you may find it out of stock and unable for preorder before it ends. Howevers, Wizards has also confirmed that it will "reprint as necessary within 2022" if it does sell out of its initial reserved stock.
Also unlike a regular Secret Lair, the entire drop will be available until the end of 2022, meaning you have almost 12 months to decide which signs you want. Usually, a Secret Lair will only be available for preorder for a few weeks before it is removed from sale, making this by far the longest-running drop so far.
A regular criticism of basic land Secret Lairs, like the recent Arcane crossover, is that for £30 you don't get enough to completely kit out a deck. Wizards has acknowledged this problem… kind of… by offering the Bundle that includes five copies of the drop, giving you 25 of the land in total. The problem is that, at £119.99 for the non-foil and £159.99 for foil, it's still a massive financial investment. Especially when basic lands are some of the most common cards in Magic.
Assuming Wizards is following the normal astrological cycle, the next sign should be Aquarius next month, followed by Pisces in March, Aries in April, Taurus in May, Gemini in June, Cancer in July, Leo in August, Virgo in September, Libra in October, Scorpio in November, and Saggitarius in December.
Source: Read Full Article


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Cellcom, nTelos, C Spire, GCI, Cricket Communications, and Appalachian Wireless will begin selling the device on Friday, September 28. (Photo : RCR Wireless)
While the iPhone 5 is already in the hands of dedicated Apple fans, those who may be waiting for regional carriers to pick up the phone are in luck.
Cellcom, nTelos, C Spire, GCI, Cricket Communications, and Appalachian Wireless will begin selling the device on Friday, September 28. While larger carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint offer wider nationwide coverage, those who subscribe to Cellcom, Appalachian, or nTelos will receive a $50 discount on the device. From these carriers, the 16GB will sell at $149, the 32 at $249, and 64 at $349. Cricket is taking a different approach, offering a $499.99 iPhone 5 without a contract and $55/month pre-paid service for unlimited voice, data, and text. GCI and C Spire have yet to announce their plans. US Cellular has not announced any plans to carry the iPhone 5 to date.
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For those who want to take a more traditional route and agree to a two-year contract with Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint will have the option of a 16GB iPhone 5 at $199, a 32GB at $299.99, and a 64GB at $399.99. Unsubsidized phones sans-contract cost $649, 749, and $849 for each respective size.
Verizon data plans range from $40 to $150/month, with AT&T spanning from $100 to $245/month, Sprint offers unlimited data for new subscribers, and has plans that start from $79.99 to $209.99.
The iPhone 5 is feather-light and takes the record for the thinnest smartphone Apple has ever made. The device shows up the iPhone 4S with a 4-inch screen that displays at 1136 x 640 pixels, a brand new A6 chip, and an ultra-thin touch pad that sharpens feedback to user input.
The iPhone 5 is available now, although supplies may be limited due to overwhelming demand.


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(Bloomberg)—GameStop Corp. CEO Michael Mauler abruptly stepped down after just three months on the job, bringing fresh upheaval to a retailer that’s struggling to revive growth.
The board appointed Daniel DeMatteo, GameStop’s 70-year-old co-founder, to run the business while it searches for a new leader. Mauler resigned for personal reasons, the company said, and he isn’t entitled to severance or other separation benefits.
“Given my tenure and familiarity with the company and our associates, it’s a natural step for me to assume this role and guide the business at this time while the board searches for a permanent CEO,” DeMatteo said in a statement.
The company, which is the largest independent retailer of video games, is struggling to adapt to a world where software is often delivered online. As part of its comeback efforts, GameStop has ramped up its e-commerce operations and added more toys and collectibles. It also acquired hundreds of AT&T wireless stores in 2016 to help reduce its dependence on video games.
In the past year, the company has been retrenching. It sold Kongregate, a mobile game publisher and plans a sale of its Cricket prepaid wireless stores.
Mauler’s quick exit follows another shake-up in February, when the video game retailer fired two high-ranking executives: chief operating officer Tony Bartel and executive vice president Michael Hogan. Others have left, including human-resources head Mike Buskey, chief information officer Michael Cooper and chief marketing officer Randy Gier. The moves follow the death of longtime CEO Paul Raines, who took a medical leave in November and died in March.
GameStop disappointed investors with its profit outlook earlier this year, extending a long slump for the stock. The shares fell anew on Friday after the CEO change, tumbling as much as 4.3% to $12.47.
“We were very surprised by Mauler’s resignation, particularly given the facts he had been CEO for just over three months, and GameStop ‘cleaned house’ by firing Bartel and Hogan in conjunction with Mauler taking the top spot,” Anthony Chukumba, an analyst at Loop Capital Markets, said in a note. “Management turmoil is the last thing GameStop needs.”
The management change probably won’t bring an immediate strategy change, Robert W. Baird analyst Colin Sebastian said in a note. But it may push the board to consider strategic alternatives.
The stock reaction suggests investors don’t have “much confidence in the current operations,” he said.
GameStop is No. 40 in the newly released Internet Retailer 2018 Top 1000.Favorite


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More interviews with Jim Blasingame
Jim Blasingame reveals his latest tips for small business owners.
Jim Blasingame reports on the tax reform being proposed for small business will be the best tax news for this sector in generations.
Jim Blasingame reveals how the three clocks of small business, operating, sales and cash, move and operate on their own schedule, unrelated to how a regular clock moves.
Jim Blasingame tells a story about what Earth could look like if Main Street gives into the big boxes, instead of becoming the economic leaders that they can be.
Jim Blasingame reports on how industry consolidation has caused the worst airline in America, United, to become one that physically attacks its own customers based on convenience and a computer algorithm.


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Sneak preview: SlingPlayer for iPhone
Apple Watchers Look for a New iPhone
Live blog: Steve Jobs at WWDC 2008
Rumor: Mac Fusion, a new Mac for developers to launch tomorrow?
Twitter+Apple! — Tomorrow is the much anticipated Apple …
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Back in January, Nintendo revealed that the 3DS 'eShop' digital store and Internet browser wouldn't be included when the fancy new handheld was released in March, instead launching in a system update. At the time, Nintendo expected to launch it "late May" but the company revealed yesterday that it'll in fact arrive in June.
The system update will be available to download over wifi in North America on the evening of June 6, Pacific time. It's also expected to add an option to transfer DSiWare games from a Nintendo DSi to a 3DS. Nintendo didn't give a full list of all the update will bring, only saying that it'll add "new features and enhancements" and highlighting the eStore and browser.
The eShop will sell downloadable games, like the similar services on Wii and DSi. However, Nintendo has said it's learnt from the mistakes of those dreadful stores and that the eShop will offer a "drastically redesigned" shopping experience. The eShop will also have a Virtual Console of its own, selling vintage Gameboy, Gameboy Colour, TurboGrafx-16 and Game Gear games.
While Opera has been Nintendo's browser of choice for several years, the 3DS browser is reportedly NetFront--as used by the PlayStation 3 and PSP.


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Should India boycott Chinese goods? The truth may be very cruel
cankaoxiaoxi· 2017-07-17 18:08:17
India's "economic times" website published in July 16th entitled "how Chinese in trade to win India, occupy India family, economy and market" the article said, as China and India a political wrangling old problem rising, in the cold Himalaya plateau, the temperature rises steeply. Around the cave, Lang region, India and China are at odds. India's domestic calls for a boycott of Chinese goods have become louder and louder, and the national volunteer service and its organizations have joined in and further amplified through social media networks.
"picture: November 2016, India Street propaganda posters against Chinese products". (Agence France-Presse)
, however, the fact that China's occupation of India is a reality exists in India. Josh, chief economist at credit rating and investment services in India, said: "," , although India's trade is seriously unbalanced, it is an indisputable fact that it is thriving. This is not affected by political differences.
article said, China is India's largest trading partner, but the trade balance fell heavily to china. Between 2011 and 2012, the Sino Indian trade deficit was $37 billion 200 million. Today, 6 years later, the trade deficit has widened to $51 billion 100 million. For the two countries, the present confrontation is more complicated than the war of 1962.
, the article said, over the years, China has introduced a series of policies and measures to promote, protect and nurture enterprises. Now, in most industries, China has its own transnational giants. Slowly, these Chinese companies evolved into world-class multinational companies that were able to compete with Western multinationals. India has the international competitiveness of multinational corporations scanty volume of $3 trillion, $11 trillion of economic volume Chinese economy lack of care.
"on the first quarter of 2017, China intelligent mobile phone occupy India intelligent mobile phone market share of 51%. (Internet Data Center)
article said, now, the telecommunications industry in India has been occupied by Chinese companies. In the mobile phone industry, China's brands control 51% of the smartphone market in India, and India telecom equipment imports more than 73 billion 600 million yuan annually.
only in the "12th Five-Year" plan period, India electric power production capacity of nearly 30% from the China equipment; in the rapid development of solar energy industry, from April 2016 to January 2017, India imported from China solar equipment accounted for 87%. In addition to electricity and Telecommunications such a mature industry, China enterprises are still emerging industries take cities and seize territory. The automotive industry has attracted China's largest foreign direct investment. A photovoltaic power plant
"in India near the southern city of Hyderabad. Chinese companies offer part of the solar panel components and a full set of automatic sunshine tracking support systems for the power station. The fierce rhetoric and calls for resistance have now dominated India's centre of public opinion, the
article says. will it be useful for India to resort to such resistance? When Chinese products dominate bilateral trade, it is obviously not possible. envisioned the worst case: if the border confrontation escalated and trade declined, which side would have lost more, economists would not have been able to figure it out. The observer research foundation, strategic research director Halsey · Pant said: "the only group is greatly disappointed because of a boycott of the middle class in India."


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Two videos of the iPhone 6 sapphire display have been posted recently, one by Sonny Dickson and the other by Brands Brownlee.
The front panel shown in those videos was subjected to some torture tests and the results were very good with zero scratches.
The glass is super durable and will not break even after heavy bumps, drops or hammerings.
A new video from HK Apple Daily shows the new iPhone 6 screen being run over by a 1.6 tons car that ultimately proves to be the only thing that manages to shatter it.
In an interview with The Guardian, professor Neil Alford, a member of the Department of Materials at the Imperial College in London, claims that the display presented in the videos is actually a sapphire glass front.
Alford is certain that it is indeed a component for the iPhone 6, and it is sapphire.
“In my opinion the screen being shown off in the video could well be a sapphire screen. If you make sapphire thin enough, and it’s flaw free, you can bend it quite considerably because it has an enormous strength,” he said.
“I think they will be doing some sort of a lamination – binding different crystal cuts of sapphire together – boosting the toughness of the material, while they may also have induced some sort of a strain in the surface of the glass – either compression or tension – which means that it has extra strength.”
We can only wait until September when the smartphone will be unveiled to the general public.


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Annual Craft Show Set for Saturday in Romeoville
Vendors selling everything from jewelry to pet accessories to floral arrangements will be on hand; a pancake breakfast will be held in the morning.
The 6th annual Autumn Colors Craft Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Romeoville Recreational Center, 900 W. Romeo Road (135th Street) in Romeoville.
The event will feature 100 vendors selling handcrafts, candles, jewelry, floral arrangements, hair bows, pet accessories and other gift items. There will also be displays by Tastefully Simple and Pampered Chef.
The Razzler Dance Team will hold a pancake breakfast in the morning, and the Girl Scouts will conduct a bake sale.
Admission and parking is free.
For more information, call 815-886-6222.


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FOXCONN and Intel Corporation held a joint Forum event where they briefed IT media and key channel customers about the latest performance and energy-efficient solutions developed by the two companies.
FOXCONN's Chief Technical Officer, AJ Chuang, delivered a keynote presentation on the innovative concept systems. Essentially they will target two main channels, using two development streams. The "F1" concept will cater for high-end enthusiasts with what I would consider the power hungry channel, and the "G1" stream is geared towards green issues and the environment.
Using a demonstration from FOXCONN's F1 concept system, they introduced several new technologies for the performance sector as the company prepares to expand the Quantum Force enthusiast product segment. The F1 concept system was the first to demonstrate otophone gaming on a new mainstream Intel chipset - supporting up to 4 graphics cards driving 8 monitors. The motherboard inside the F1 system also debuts a new method of Northbridge (NB) cooling which uses a unique thermo-electric system to dramatically reduce temperatures, whilst an integrated water block assembly allows water cooling of the NB, SB & VRM areas with easy connections to a pump mounted inside or outside the chassis.
The second channel FOXCONN are targeting is the "G1" which heralds a new era in energy-efficient computing solutions by providing special power saving technologies that through unique power usage states can save power immediately. At the press conference, FOXCONN claimed a typical home PC equipped with the new technology could deliver energy savings of around 85%. The technology inside G1 will be launched into the market as a series of motherboards and bare bone computer solutions later this year, forming the company's new green series product segment.
Intel's Richard Malinowski, Vice President (Mobility Group) & General Manager (Client Components Group), delivered an Intel keynote focusing on the company's efforts to completely remove lead from its record-breaking 45nm processors, and also unveiled some of the new features of forthcoming Intel chipsets, which form the basis of FOXCONN's new energy-efficient and performance solutions. It might be interesting to note that companies like FOXCONN manufacture Intel's boards on a contractual basis. Is this the beginning of a closer relationship?
For more information about FOXCONN CeBIT 2008, click here.


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Launch new AI and Blockchain Accelerator
This partnership which will see two world-leading organisations come together to support entrepreneurs is expected to create almost 400 jobs
Wayra, Telefonica's open innovation platform, and the University of Edinburgh are proud to announce an AI and Blockchain Accelerator that will welcome 20 start-ups a year from September. This partnership which will see two world-leading organisations come together to support entrepreneurs is expected to create almost 400 jobs.
Wayra UK has five existing accelerator programmes and currently supports around 50 companies a year with a 'best in class' accelerator programme, providing advice and mentorship to take ideas through to investment. This is their first venture in Scotland and the joint programme with the University of Edinburgh, supported by Scottish Enterprise, will provide spin outs and start-ups with a unique ability to scale, through direct access to Telefonica in the UK – and globally.
In the past six years, Wayra UK has supported more than 200 British and Irish start-ups that have raised over £150 million in funding and entered into almost £10 million worth of contracts with Telefónica. In addition to this partnership with the University of Edinburgh, Wayra UK has previously partnered with the Cabinet Office to support social entrepreneurs and currently partners with DCMS and GCHQ to support cyber security start-ups.
The University of Edinburgh has a proven track record in creating high value tech-based business and its Informatics Ventures programme, which launched in 2008, is behind Engage Invest Exploit (EIE), Scotland's premier technology investor showcase annually connecting 60 Scottish tech firms with potential investors, partners and customers.
The recent UK Tech Nation Report revealed that 363 start-ups were incorporated in Edinburgh in 2017. Many of these new companies are focussed on Artificial Intelligence, billed as the next game-changer.
Director of Wayra UK Gary Stewart says: "There's no doubt that AI and blockchain will change the way that we all live and work. It is, therefore, an honour to work with the world leading University of Edinburgh, a global player in Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, to find and support the entrepreneurs that will define our collective future."
Dave Robertson, Head of College at the University of Edinburgh, said "Our vision is to become the leading AI & Blockchain accelerator in Europe, supporting the best start-ups to scale globally and we see this partnership as a valuable step to realising that aim. The search is on for the most innovative data-driven start-ups to join the programme in Edinburgh."
The announcement comes ahead of finalisation of the £1.1bn Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, which aims to establish the region as data capital of Europe. As part of the City Region Deal, the University of Edinburgh will work with Heriot-Watt University to help organisations benefit from data-driven innovation and increase the talent supply for the region's booming tech-sector.