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9th April 2009
Moniker announces auction of generic domain names
Domain name news brought to you by DescriptiveDomainNames.com
Moniker has revealed that it will put a host of generic domain names up for sale at the forthcoming Traffic conference in Silicon Valley.
The occasion could present businesses with the chance to buy up some prime internet real estate, as Moniker has announced that Realty.com, Ad.com and DiscountToyStore.com are to feature at the event.
Taking place at the Santa Clara Marriott Hotel in California on April 29th, the auction will also offer RepairMyCredit.com, BestCDRates.com and OnlineTelevision.com to the auction block.
A complete catalogue of names up for sale will be featured on the company's site on April 14th.
Meanwhile, those who cannot afford the airfare to California for the conference could consider purchasing some similar generic domain names online, such as Ads.com or ChildsToys.com.
See also: Latest News,
Events News, News Archive and Resources


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MoviePass may have popularized the ticket subscription model, but the embattled service does have competitors. One company is looking to close the gap.
Los Angeles-based Sinemia on Thursday introduced a refer-a-friend program designed to “make it even easier and more affordable for moviegoers to leave their current movie ticket subscription service.” The deal lets current Sinemia subscribers earn $10 in credit for each friend who joins from a rival ticket subscription company. Those recruited users in turn receive $10 in Sinemia credit as well.
Sinemia users on Thursday should receive a code accessible within the app that can be used for the referrals. The company says ticket credit will only be given if new users provide proof they were previously using another ticketing service. They can do this by uploading a photo of their old service’s debit card or entering the card’s number.
The company is currently offering plans of three movies of a month for $14.99, contrasted to the same option at MoviePass for $9.99 a month. However unlike MoviePass, Sinemia users can buy advance tickets from anywhere using the app and attend 3D and IMAX screenings for no additional price. The company promises there will also be no blackout dates or surge prices.
“With Sinemia, people can see the summer’s most anticipated movies as well as independent features at the theater of their choice, for much less than the price of a standard ticket,” chief executive and founder Rifat Oguz says in a statement. “We have flexible plans crafted for all types of moviegoers and want to make it easy for our customers to enjoy their movie day or night out.”
In a separate interview with Fortune, Oguz adds that the referral program is intended to get users “to tell the Sinemia experience to other services’ customers. How they actually don’t have surge pricing and changed rules.”
“We believe our customers are the best ones to tell this story,” he adds. “They already came from MoviePass or other competitors.”
Oguz declined to share subscriber numbers, citing Sinemia’s status as a private company, but said subscriber rates were up 50% during the first week of August and expected to rise even higher by the end of the month.
Sinemia is available at all major theater chains in the U.S., U.K., Turkey, and Australia, and select independent cinemas.

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Bobby Barr Media, a Halifax organic search engine traffic agency announced the expansion of its local SEO brand visibility strategies to businesses in any industry sector. The West Yorkshire digital marketing agency creates SEO strategies tailored to the needs of physical and online businesses in the region.
More information about Bobby Barr Media is available at https://www.bobbybarr.com
The Halifax local SEO agency has expanded its local SEO visibility DNA footprint solution to generate improved search engine result page (SERP) for clients in any industry niche. The agency offers search visibility campaigns for 3, 6, and 12-month durations that can be paused to keep pace with a client’s growth .https://www.facebook.com/bobbybarrmediamarketing/
Local search visibility has grown in relevance and impact, with Google My Business, quality links, reviews, and on-page SEO playing a major role in how a business ranks on SERPs. 46 percent of all Google searches are for local information. Bobby Barr Media continues to focus on local visibility solutions that drive organic traffic to a client’s website and social media channels.
Learn more about local SEO solutions at https://www.bobbybarr.com/google-local-seo-visibility
The West Yorkshire brand marketing company integrates high-quality content and bespoke local business SEO strategies to help businesses rank better than their competitors in their niche. Halifax online marketing experts at Bobby Barr Media offer paid and unpaid advertising and hyper-local marketing solutions that maximize brand exposure and fuel lead generation and conversions.
Online local Google business DNA visibility campaigns showcase a client’s business on authority media channels, improving brand exposure, credibility, and online reputation. These campaigns are designed to boost brand visibility on “near me” and region-specific searches on mobile and desktop searches.
For more information about DNA Visibility, visit https://www.bobbybarr.com/google-dna-visibility-branding
According to a spokesperson for the Halifax, West Yorkshire digital marketing agency, “We are excited to extend the success of our online local Google business DNA visibility campaigns to new businesses and industry sectors across West Yorkshire. Delivering Page 1 rankings and improving lead generation and sales remain our top priorities.” https://www.instagram.com/bobbybarrmedia/
Bobby Barr Media is a leading online marketing agency based in Halifax, specializing in organic keyword search traffic and Google 3-pack ranking strategies. The agency helps new and established businesses build and sustain a conversion-friendly online presence.
For more information about local business Google search ranking solutions in Halifax, call +447812-800-803 or visit the URL above.
Release ID: 88964847


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What procurement officers think about paying SMEs
Peter Chipman, a 27-year veteran of the energy industry, shares insights with RIABU's Simon Littlewood and Mark Laudi into what MNCs really think of their SME suppliers, and how you can build relationships at eye level with them.
How to get out of contracts you can no longer afford
The Singapore government is making it easier for companies to extricate themselves from certain contracts in order to survive in these COVID times. But how do you even go about talking to suppliers about unwinding contracts? What should you do if a supplier asks you for the same leeway?
“Trust gets paid”: building customer relationships in the oil & gas industry
On this Riabu podcast we talk to Peter Hone of ModuResources about how he cut his DSO to just 75 days
How do you talk to your customers if your company is winding down?
The Singapore government has passed a law which will make it easier for zombie companies to wind down. RIABU’s Simon Littlewood tells Mark Laudi how companies that are ready to wind up can prepare to do so, and how they should approach their customers when they are in such a situation.
Subsidy for Singaporean SMEs: Trade Credit Insurance backs you when customers don’t pay
If you are a Singaporean business getting back on your feet post COVID, you might welcome new orders with excitement, but can you be sure your customers have the resources to pay? That’s where trade credit insurance comes in. It guarantees you still get paid something, even if your customer doesn’t, or goes bust altogether. Plus, there is a government subsidy for half the premium.
Get paid or go under: Lessons from a successful specialty chemicals firm
Founder of chemicals company Amazon Papyrus Chemicals Mike Grundy tells RIABU's Simon Littlewood and Mark Laudi what familiar early mistakes he made, and how he turned sales into cash.
How large companies get their invoices paid: Insights from the CEO
On the RIABU podcast we aim to help SMEs get their invoices paid on time.But how do the big boys do it?Bill Padfield is a former CEO of Datacraft - a previously Singapore-listed company taken over by
Could Fringe Benefits Tax cut boost SMEs' post-Corona business?
Australia's Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell is proposing to abolish Fringe Benefits Tax for two years, to help Small and Medium Enterprises in two ways:First, it would remo
Why are Australian SMEs reluctant to take up Covid SME Guarantee Scheme?
Australian Small Businesses are reluctant to take up loans offered by commercial banks and guaranteed by the state.The Federal Government announced the Covid SME Guarantee Scheme March 22, and earmark
How to put your business in hibernation mode, ready for a post-Covid restart
Tens of thousands of companies in the US are quietly going out of business.According to Yelp, and reported by Bloomberg, 80,000 companies just canceled their leases, turned off the lights, and walked
What can SMEs learn from China's debt shake-out
Debt worth more than RMB 3.65 trillion owed by companies in China is due to be repaid to investors by the end of the year.The Chinese government is encouraging lenders to refinance, accept payment del


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Soon, Netflix will have a cheaper, ad-supported option for bingers to choose from. In the latest note to shareholders, the company announced it hopes to be ready to launch its ad-supported platform in early 2023. Exact pricing has yet to be unveiled, but the ad-supported version as already started being tested by subscribers in Latin America.
"Our lower priced advertising-supported offering will complement our existing plans, which will remain ad-free," the company said in a letter. "Our global ARM has grown at a 5% compound annual rate from 2013 to 2021, so it makes sense now to give consumers a choice for a lower priced option with advertisements, if they desire it."
"They are investing heavily to expand their multi-billion advertising business into premium television video, and we are thrilled to be working with such a strong global partner," the company said about its new Microsoft partnership. "We're excited by the opportunity given the combination of our very engaged audience and high quality content, which we think will attract premium CPMs from brand advertisers."
It added, "We'll likely start in a handful of markets where advertising spend is significant. Like most of our new initiatives, our intention is to roll it out, listen and learn, and iterate quickly to improve the offering. So, our advertising business in a few years will likely look quite different than what it looks like on day one."
In the same letter, Netflix said it lost one million subscribers in its second quarter, the second straight quarter it suffered a net subscriber loss. Again, the company put a partial blame on password-sharing.
"Streaming is winning over linear, as we predicted, and Netflix titles are very popular globally. However, our relatively high household penetration – when including the large number of households sharing accounts – combined with competition, is creating revenue growth headwinds," the letter added. "The big COVID boost to streaming obscured the picture until recently. While we work to reaccelerate our revenue growth – through improvements to our service and more effective monetization of multi-household sharing – we'll be holding our operating margin at around 20%."


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In addition to sharing our weekly eTips across the social networks, you can subscribe to these essential weekly marketing tips to keep you informed of emerging trends from print and PR to mobile and digital!
Dec 3, 2014
Position Fort Lauderdale as the international marine hub to the world.
Record numbers highlighted the 55th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The event spanned seven locations across Broward County, covering more than three million square feet of space and home to an estimated $4 billion worth of boats, vessels and marine-related products.
The Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) hosts the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show annually. MIASF is the largest trade organization in the southeast United States dedicated to promoting and growing 136,000 marine industry jobs and driving an economic output of $11.5 billion regionally.
Starmark was tasked with helping to showcase the rising international scope of MIASF and the Boat Show by highlighting the substantial job growth for the marine industry and economic impact in the South Florida region. These efforts included supporting the first-ever Marine Industry Job Fair, designing print and digital ads, creating original art work for display, VIP invitations and credentials, promotions highlighting impressive marine-related statistics, and garnering extensive media coverage.


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KTM 790 Adventure spotted at Bajaj factory
The KTM 790 Adventure will compete with the Triumph Tiger 800, Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT and the BMW F750 GS.
It’s been 2 years since the KTM 790 Adventure was first spotted testing in India. Now, the bike has been snapped inside the Bajaj factory at Chakan near Pune, which has led to speculations that it could be launched soon.
The KTM 790 Adventure is expected to compete with the Triumph Tiger 800, Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT and the BMW F750 GS. It will be locally assembled from imported completely knocked down (CKD) kits.
The 790 Adventure is powered by a 799cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine that produces 94 BHP @ 8,000 rpm and 88 Nm @ 6,600 rpm. It comes with a telescopic fork suspension at the front and a monoshock at the rear. It has twin disc brakes at the front and a single disc at the rear. The bike rides spoke wheels shod with off-road tyres.
The bike seen in these images is finished in KTM’s signature orange shade. It has an LED headlamp and a digital instrument cluster. The bike also gets multiple riding modes, lean-sensitive traction control and off-road ABS.
Source: Read Full Article


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It’s a bitter pill for restaurateurs who have spent weeks anticipating some semblance of normalcy.
The popular downtown Santa Rosa eatery shuttered in November 2016 as construction on the square lagged.
Blue Ridge Kitchen is hoping to open — with a full liquor license — in the next several weeks.
We’ve been a little jealous of the "slushtails" we’ve been hearing about in Petaluma, Healdsburg and Sonoma, but now they’re coming to Santa Rosa.
These soft little nuggets made in Santa Rosa are closer to a roll than a tooth-breaking hard pretzel, with a yeasty, homemade flavor that’s hard to resist.
Three great spots, from affordable to luxe, that we think will bring a smile to your face, even if it’s hidden behind a mask.
Mark and Terri Stark’s newish “Jew-ish” delicatessen has finally opened with the full menu we’ve all be kvetching for.
Wednesday through Sunday, you can get a special treat in Santa Rosa.
Perfectly executed fish and chips, fish tacos, Dungeness crab hushpuppies and more are on the menu. And a mean cheeseburger, too.
Furloughed restaurant, hotel, and winery workers from Sonoma County are invited to a free drive-through food distribution organized by the Redwood Empire Food Bank and Sonoma County Vintners.
Leah Scurto of PizzaLeah puts every bit of her soul into making dough, sauce and cheese as perfect as possible.


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The holiday season is typically seen as a major spending opportunity for consumers, and a way for many companies to make enough profits to aid them for most of the year. This year, in particular, is being reported as one that could be highly favorable for companies, but in order to ensure they make the most out of the rising consumer confidence, they will need to use an effective internet marketing campaign to get their business at the forefront of customers' priorities.
A recent survey by PriceGrabber states that 50 percent of consumers plan to spend the same amount during this holiday season as they did in 2011. Furthermore, 12 percent even plan to spend more, with 54 percent of all consumers projecting a holiday shopping budget of $500 or more.
According to the report, 75 percent of respondents preferred online retailers over brick-and-mortar stores for their holiday shopping. As such, these businesses should be sure to communicate the convenience they offer in their targeted internet marketing campaigns as a way to capitalize on this demand.
Of these businesses, clothing stores hold strong as the main priority for shoppers. Coming in second, though, is the use of gift cards, which can be ideal promotional items for internet marketing advertisements. Books, CDs, DVDs and video games are third, closely followed by toys.
"Fifty-nine percent of consumers plan to start shopping even earlier this year compared to 53 percent in 2011," Rojeh Avanesian, vice president of marketing and analytics at PriceGrabber, said in a press release. "Seventeen percent of consumers plan to start their holiday shopping in September and 31 percent plan to begin in December."
While the report shows a strong consumer base for the holidays, it's still important for companies to make the most out of this by partnering with an experienced digital advertising agency to create an effective small business internet marketing campaign.


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Ordering online turns away money ..
Some unscrupulous figures are very hard at exploiting the pandemic of the coronavirus. Internet criminals have scammed potential dog owners in England for over £ 300,000, out of 669 animal lovers looking for pets the money is foolish. That reports the English magazine Pet Gazette. It is a tripling of turnover ”compared to March 2020.
According to national fraud and cyber crime, Action Fraud, criminals have continued to « take advantage » of the coronavirus pandemic to commit fraud after animal lovers have made deposits for pets that they have seen advertisements online. Ads were posted on social media, but also on specific pet forums.
The criminals use the outbreak of Covid-19 and the current lockdown restrictions as the reason why the victim cannot come to find or collect the animal first. After the first payment, more and more money will be asked to cover the insurance, vaccinations and even the delivery of the pet.
Action Fraud has received reports of this scam from people across England with a spike in reports in April when 524 reports were registered, more than three times the number received in March.
Action Fraud Head Pauline Smith said, “The fact that criminals exploit even an international crisis, such as the one we are in now, to take the money from innocent people is extremely cruel. Unfortunately, however, as we spend more time online and are forced to adapt to a new way of life, opportunities will arise for criminals to commit fraud.
Such online orders are relatively rare in the Netherlands and Belgium, but unfortunately this type of fraud is very common in England and America.


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News about Framework.
March 16th, 2017
Indian mobile wallet users could soon be able to transfer money directly to each other, regardless of the service they use, if the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) goes ahead with plans to open up the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) platform to mobile wallet providers. “RBI is expected to issue guidelines shortly on interoperability and know your customer (KYC) norms for digital wallet companies,” sources told Economic Times. “RBI will also decide on the interchange fees between the wallets for them to be able to access the UPI framework.”
February 1st, 2017
GlobalPlatform has released a new framework that gives consumers control over which secure applications can be used within part of the secure element (SE) of their trusted devices, without compromising security for the SE as a whole.
June 27th, 2016
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released its framework for payment and settlement systems with a view to moving the country towards a “less-cash” society. Vision-2018 “reiterates the commitment of the Reserve Bank of India (the Bank) to encourage greater use of electronic payments by all sections of society,” RBI says. “Building a robust payments infrastructure in the country to increase the accessibility, availability, interoperability and security of the payment systems will continue to remain a key objective.”
May 18th, 2016
Visa Europe has launched its Visa Europe Digital Enablement Programme (VEDEP) in the UK in an effort to simplify the implementation process for banks looking to support third-party mobile wallets. Google is using the platform to launch…
February 22nd, 2016
Users of Tencent’s WeChat mobile payment service will soon be able to authenticate transactions with a fingerprint. “This new fingerprint authentication, enabled by the Qualcomm Haven security platform’s authentication framework, means that users will be able to conduct online transactions on mobile devices using their fingerprint,” says technology provider Qualcomm Technologies, a subsidiary of chip maker Qualcomm. The service will be available on Vivo X6 smartphones, before rolling out to other devices in the coming months.
February 2nd, 2016
Technology that will enable rail passengers in the UK to travel across the country using a barcoded mobile ticket sent directly to their smartphone is undergoing pilot testing at 230 railway stations in the north of England, Scotland and the Midlands.
January 13th, 2016
Contactless travel could be in place on every bus in Britain by 2022 under a multi-million-pound plan being developed by five major bus operators. Stagecoach, First Bus, Go-Ahead, Arriva and National Express are working together to produce a business case which is expected to be completed by late spring 2016.
January 12th, 2016
Passengers across the UK may soon be able to use standard contactless cards and NFC phones to pay for their bus and train journeys under a new national framework developed by The UK Cards Association…
July 29th, 2015
The Smart Ticketing Alliance (STA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with standards body GlobalPlatform to establish an interoperable framework for smart ticketing in the public transport sector. “The STA will provide the business input to assist GlobalPlatform in developing an end-to-end simplified service framework for the public transport industry,” GlobalPlatform says.
July 13th, 2015
Standards body GlobalPlatform has updated its End-to-End Simplified Service Management Framework to make it easier and quicker for service providers to launch NFC payments services using a SIM or embedded secure element. The new guidelines reduce the time taken to deploy a service to just three to six months, and slim down the current 1,500 pages of documentation to only 30 pages.
October 29th, 2014
A 26-page white paper that explores the role of the trusted service manager (TSM) and whether they can help or hinder the globalisation of NFC services is now available for download in the NFC World+…
April 30th, 2014
US-based startup Dimple has developed a US$27 sticker for Android NFC smartphones which contains four buttons that the user can personalize to perform their choice of NFC quick actions. “The buttons can do numerous tasks including…
March 31st, 2014
A mobile campus card service that uses NFC built into microSD cards is now live at a “number of universities”, enabling students to use their mobile phone to make payments in canteens and to access buildings….
March 11th, 2014
The first version of the EMV Payment Tokenization Specification has now been published and is available to download. The document sets the scene for the arrival of MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, JCB and UnionPay…
March 6th, 2014
A new tokenization framework being developed by EMVCo for the world’s major payments networks will enable EMV transactions to be made on a mobile phone using the widest possible range of “last inch” technologies— and…
March 6th, 2014
MeaWallet, a white label solution that supports mobile payments via NFC, Bluetooth LE, host card emulation (HCE), QR and more, is to be launched in May this year, enabling retailers, banks, MNOs and service providers…
January 15th, 2014
Secure element standards organisation GlobalPlatform has published a new framework for secure NFC service deployment, designed to reduce both time to market and overall deployment costs. End-to-End Simplified Service Management Framework v1.0 specifies “the workflows…
April 10th, 2013
NFC specialist Nexperts has introduced an NFC mobile wallet that comes with MasterCard Mobile PayPass certification. “The support of Mobile PayPass in our wallet framework eases significantly the time to market for MNOs and banks to issue advanced contactless solutions” says CEO Kurt Schmid.
February 25th, 2013
Gemalto is demonstrating a new NFC mobile wallet at Mobile World Congress 2013. LinqUs “enables financial service providers and retailers to rapidly deploy a breadth of services that can be customized to their specific needs,” the company says, and includes a secure application framework, dedicated mobile wallet server and pre-integrated connectivity with Gemalto’s TSM and mobile payment platforms.
October 29th, 2012
Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) has introduced SmartTrust Portigo, a three part white label mobile wallet solution “for NFC services and beyond” that includes: A wallet client that runs on the user’s mobile phone and is…


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Chinese online retailer Alibaba (BABA) is scheduled to report earnings as U.S.-China trade tensions show few signs of abating, despite a recent softening of some of the upcoming tariffs.
As Chinese online retailer Alibaba (BABA) forges into new markets in recent months, it’s been facing a few forces from a couple directions.
On the one hand, its shares have lagged seemingly in tandem with negative news on the U.S.-China trade front, an issue that’s been dragging on for nearly a year now. On the other hand, China’s consumers seemed to still be in spending mode even as the country’s overall economy is slowing, and of course strong spending is key for retailers.
With its next quarterly earnings around the corner, investors might see whether the growth it welcomed in Q4 has continued into this fiscal quarter along with improved consumer spending, or whether the ongoing tariff tensions between the U.S. and China a more significant impact on its bottom line. BABA reports before the opening bell Thursday.
In one possible clue to how things may go, earlier this week, BABA’s rival JD.com (JD) proved to be among the bright spots this earnings season as it swung to profits from a loss with revenue up 22%. If that’s any indication, the Chinese consumer may be helping offset any headwinds from the tariff issues—for now. We’ll have to see if BABA’s report reflects similar trends.
Consumers in China are known to be among the world’s biggest spenders. Recently, even as new tariffs on U.S. goods are likely going to add to the cost of goods, they continue to have a “buy” mindset, according to a recent UBS survey. In fact, they say they plan to ramp up their shopping. One in five consumers in China said they plan to increase their spending over the next year, according to the May survey, which included 3,000 respondents.
Meanwhile, as a side note, China’s economy has been showing signs of weakening. For one, its GDP growth is expected by many analysts to slow to about 6.2% this year, after slowing to 6.6% in 2018.
As China’s dominant e-commerce company, BABA seems well positioned to buck the overall sluggishness and potentially take advantage of these positive consumer trends. However, again, it does have to contend with the tariff situation. And if the past year’s headlines are any indication, that can escalate on a whim.
So far, most of the issue surrounding tariffs has been threats and a stalemate. It’s only been about a month since the U.S. actually followed through with imposing tariffs on about $300 billion worth of goods, which were set to take effect in September. Now, some of those tariffs have been delayed until Dec. 15, and some items were removed from the tariff list altogether. So it may be another quarter or two before we see how the trade dispute plays out on BABA’s bottom line.
Meanwhile, BABA continues to make headway into other endeavors like cloud computing and multimedia services. Even as consumer trends have been shifting toward online purchases, BABA has been targeting the brick-and-mortar market, even delving into grocery delivery. It’s also reaching outside of China’s borders to try to expand internationally.
BABA recently said it will expand its business-to-business platform, Alibaba.com, to include U.S. businesses, expanding from its focus on allowing mainly Chinese suppliers. Still, while the U.S. suppliers will be able to connect to businesses around the world, the company hasn’t enabled the buying ability for Chinese companies. The U.S. business-to-business e-commerce market is about $23.9 billion, according to BABA’s cited data, which it said was U.S. government statistics.
Wall Street analysts who are bullish on BABA have cited its massive potential as a dominant player in a market flush with cash.
Last quarter, BABA handily beat Wall Street’s expectations with $1.26 per share in earnings, up 50% from a year prior, and versus the 97-cent Street target. Revenue was up 51% year over year to $13.93 billion, verus the $13.3 billion analyst target.
Since then, BABA has seen a few changes. For one, it announced in mid-June that CFO Maggie Wu would take on a new role overseeing strategic acquisitions and investments. It was the first major executive shuffle since co-founder and former CEO Jack Ma said he was stepping aside as chairman.
It’s reportedly also considering launching a second listing in Hong Kong, according to reports from Bloomberg and CNBC, which cited “a person with direct knowledge of the matter.” Just five years after its record-breaking $25-billion U.S. IPO, it could possibly raise about $20 billion perhaps by the end of the year.
For Q1, BABA is expected to report adjusted EPS of $1.52, up from $1.16 per share in the prior-year quarter, according to third-party consensus analyst estimates. Revenue is projected at $16.09 billion, up 38% from a year ago.
Year to date, BABA shares are up about 15% as of August 12, which is on par with the S&P 500 (SPX), but they’ve lost ground in recent months. See figure 1 below.
FIGURE 1: BABA BOUNCING? Shares of Alibaba (BABA) have seen their share of choppiness over the past 12 months, amid ongoing trade tension and global economic uncertainty. Data source: Nasdaq. Chart source: The thinkorswim® platform from TD Ameritrade. For illustrative purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Options traders have priced in a 5.2% stock move in either direction around the coming earnings release, according to the Market Maker Move™ indicator on the thinkorswim® platform.
Put options have been active at the weekly 150 and 160 strikes, while call option activity has been heaviest at the 170 and 175 strikes. Implied volatility was at the 39th percentile as of this morning.
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Right now, Serena Williams is managing three different things in her day to day life. Those are family, tennis, and business. Besides playing tennis, the American legend runs a fashion jewelry line. Additionally, Serena has been working on the promotion of her jewelry products.
She also explained one of her collections unstoppable in an interview with People Magazine. “My background is fashion design. This (jewelry business) is a whole new category for me. But I’ve always had a love for jewelry if you look at everything I’ve done. I’ve even played tennis in crazy pieces at times.” said Serena Williams.
The legendary player added further, “I wore a circular necklace the last time I won all 4 Grand Slams in a row. I had won 4 in a row wearing that necklace. I was just unstoppable.”
A Symbol Of Serenity And Unity- Serena’s New Collection Represents
Moreover, the Unstoppable collection is now available to shop. Besides, the net proceeding will also assist Black-owned businesses through the Opportunity Fund.“The design is a polished circle-a symbol of serenity and unity-with one glittering round diamond.”
The collection is launched amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Serena sees the jewelry designs as a reminder to work hard and with determination, despite “what we are facing now.”
In 2014, the American great won the US Open 2014; before she went on to win all the other grand slams. Although she also expected to yield the same results in the US Open, 2015, her journey ended in the semi-finals.
Furthermore, Serena is now looking forward to returning to Tennis. She will see next playing in the US Open 2020. The tournament has scheduled to begin on August 31st in New York.
Also, if the Hall of Fame wins, it would be her 24th Grand Slam win. On the other hand, she will also equal the record of another legend, Margaret Court.


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With the current economic situation and people loosing trust in bankers, it’s no surprise to find people investing in precious metal, not jewellery but classic cars.
Classic cars are showing they are a sound investment as certain makes and models have been fetching astonishing prices, throwing collectors into fierce bidding wars to add desired favourites to add to their collections. Continue reading →
Unless you have been living on Mars for the past year you will have heard about the royal wedding that is taking place on Friday the 29th of April this year. Even though most royal ceremonies rely on traditional means and all of the pomp and circumstance that comes with it, cars will still play a major part in transporting the happy couple and their guests to the church on time.
Rolls Royce’s will be used on the day to drive the royal couple to the church and then the procession through London afterwards. Of course this is a very extravagant way of travelling and many couples can make their wedding day their own by not having to spend such a large quantity of money. Here is just a few of the wonderful wedding vehicle ideas that couples have used in the past, enjoy!
A fire engine certainly isn’t the usual way to get to a wedding but a couple in the UK decided upon using the 1976 Dennis F131 to start their journey towards their marital celebrations. The fire engine was also featured in the ITV television series London’s burning.
What could be more tranquil then a classic limousine or even a stagecoach to get you to your wedding? Well certainly not an armoured personnel carrier that has served in both Bosnia and the Gulf war. An English company hires out some of its many military vehicles for special occasions and the TankLimo has been used by several wedding couples in the past. The 432 APC is certainly capable of creating explosive atmosphere to any wedding day!
And even if these are still far too wacky for you then you can be assured that there are many New Ford Cars that can get you to the wedding on time (and a lot more discrete).
It is time to start thinking about getting yourself tickets for the Salon Privé, the sixth edition of the event will be taking place this year on the 22nd to the 24th of July. The event which is regarded as London’s most exclusive motor showsaw last year’s event break its previous attendance records and sold out entirely over its three days.
The event is now in its six year and is one of the most important and influential luxury motoring events held in the country if not Europe. The Salon Privé is held within the grounds of Syon House which is the home of the Duke of Northumberland and is surrounded by almost 200 acres of lush grounds and gardens. The venue is ideally suited to the exhibition as even though it is less then 10 miles from central London it is extremely peaceful and serene.
This year one of the highlights of the car show will be the UK’s debut of the amazing new Aston Martin Virage GT Sports car. This is not the first time that Aston Martin has chosen to use the luxury car show as a launching pad for one of its new cars; back in 2009 the British Sports car company presented the “one-77” model to the general public for the first time. The model cost a staggering One Million Pounds and was very well received by visitors to the Salon Privé, since then many other luxury car manufacturers have chosen to follow suit and preview their own new models to the UK consumers at the show.
There is something strange going on in a Dutch town where row upon row of perfect houses with their manicured lawn all have something rather unusual in common. On the drive way of every house sits at least one, if not two, beautiful Ferrari’s.
This is not the result of some miraculous economic recovery or some mass syndicated lottery win rather this is what happens when a Ferrari owners club decide to rent out a holiday village for a get together.
In the video below you can see a walk through of a Ferraris lovers dream with an endless parade of Boxers, 430s, 599s, 575s, California Spiders and 308s parked in the drive way.
If the sight of all these Ferraris inspires you why not head down to a Ferrari dealer and maybe you could end up joining the owners club on their next outing.
You may have seen our recent series of posts regarding the Aston Martin True Rapide videos. I say regarding, I mean mercilessly mocking.
Aston Martin haven’t abandoned their traditional adverts though. The short film may have been an interesting venture for them, but producing dramatic, brooding shots of cars streaking along deserted roads will always have its place in the marketing of classic cars.
There are also the road demos, also frequently mixed with dramatic music, and those can double as publicity events for their cars. Let people know you’re shooting a video in London and watch as they gather around on their lunch breaks, as can be seen in this shaky video:
This “London Debut” provides an opportunity to shoot the car driving in the sort of environment it could well end up in, as well as letting the people who could afford it, ie. those working in the centre of London, a chance to see it up close, even if their view is obscured by cameramen. Now all we’re waiting for is something that shows it in other locations around the country. Perhaps near an Aston Martin dealership Surrey?
Hopefully, you’ve kept up with our recent posts about Aston Martin’s attempts to get into the world of viral marketing. If you haven’t, you can catch up on them below, or visit this page on the Aston Martin website and watch all three parts together, as they were meant to be seen. After that, you can wince in recollection every time you drive past an Aston Martin Dealership.
The videos may have been bad, but they do raise some interesting questions about how manufacturers such as Bentley, Porsche, Ferrari and so on are use the internet to promote their cars. Whereas you can see banner adverts all over the place for offerings from more affordable manufacturers like Ford or Vauxhall, you don’t see Porsches chasing each other across the top of a web page in a garish flash advert.
Part of this is obviously because of the way these companies expect to do business. They can use top car shows like Top Gear to get their latest models shown to an interested audience, but past that they rely a lot on the image of their brand and the price of their models to draw in customers.
Product placements in Bond films are all well and good, but there are whole new realms of media that they can exploit with the rise of the internet. Except they haven’t. Apart from Aston Martin’s poor voyage into viral videos, the largest online presence these companies seem to have is their Facebook pages.
Will we see more attempts to create content like this, which furthers their image whilst also drawing more mass attention, or do the companies believe that doing so ruins the image of exclusivity? After all, walking into a Bentley Dealership and getting a glass of champagne when you buy a new car is very cool. Sitting at your computer reading a blog post about the latest Porsche’s performance simply isn’t.
As I am sure you already know Ford Motor Group is celebrating its 100th birthday this year (2011).The Motor Company is planning a whole year of events to coincide with its centenary including marketing campaigns, historic displays at many of the world’s top motoring shows and a large gala event that will take place within the first half of the year.
Other Ford highlights this year will include exhibitions at the national motor museum in Hampshire and the Heritage Motor centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire. One of the nation’s largest historical car events, the Goodwood revival, will also have an increased Ford presence and will give Ford enthusiasts a great chance to see many of its legendary vehicles in action on the track.
Employing over 15,000 people within the UK the Ford motor company has lead the UK car industry for over 34 years and has lead the commercial market with its flagship van, the Transit, for over 45 years.
Back in 1911 the first British Ford factory was opened in a suburb in Manchester at a disused tram workshop. Here, teams of four people created the first examples of the wonderful workmanship that we are used to seeing to this very day on any vehicle bearing the Ford badge. By 1914 Ford had sold almost 10,000 cars which was equal to the entire amount made by the next six UK car manufacturers of the time.
With so many great activities planned this year is sure to be a great hit with customers and Ford Dealers alike and is sure to not only celebrate the last 100 years of the companies history but also welcome in another 100 years of motoring success. To coincide with its centenary Ford have released many New Ford Cars for Sale this year including the new Ford Focus.
Who amongst us hasn’t dreamt of being James Bond from time to time with the international jet setting, the death defying job, the women and of course the glorious cars? Well for just a cool $5 million you can be James Bond, or you can at least drive his most iconic car.
The famous Aston Martin DB5, described as the most famous car in the world, was driven by Sean Connery in both the films Goldfinger and Thunderball. The car in the best Bond tradition comes complete with many of Q’s very best gadgets. The DB5 come complete with smoke screen (great for avoiding speed cameras), a revolving number plate (a good trick when trying to confuse traffic wardens), a bullet proof shield (handy should you find yourself driving through any war zones), an oil slick sprayer (other motorists probably won’t appreciate this being used) and of course your very own machine gun (which is of course fake, though I would still avoid whipping is out unless you want to cause mass panic and get a visit from the police).
The iconic car was brought for just $12,000 back in 1969 but thanks to its association with James Bond the car has become one of the most expensive in the world. While this DB5 may be a little out of most peoples price range there are plenty of beautiful classic Aston Martins just waiting at an Aston Martin Specialist to be snapped up at much more reasonable prices, though of course they don’t come with Q’s handy gadgets.
The video below epitomises the diversity and appeal of the famous Ford Transit and its place it has in Britain. From roadside relay to aiding in fixing vital communications right through to delivering fresh bread to bakeries and taking the school class to their football match. The Ford Transit has worked its way in to the hearts of millions of Brits and has become an icon and the backbone of the business world. As people still look for Transit for Sale and it continues to grow in popularity only time will tell if we are still celebrating this iconic van in another forty years. My guess is we will be.
Anyone who admires good design and quality will no doubt be in awe over the new Bentley Continental GT!Bentley Dealers across the country have waited in anticipation to have a glimpse at what this new model will look like and the video shows a teaser of what is to come. New wheels, sleek twin headlamps and a re-styled interior contribute to what looks like a very promising model for Bentley Dealership all over the country to start selling in volume upon its release.


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Lost something already today? Misplaced items cost us ten minutes a day.
Men are far worse than women about losing items. By DAILY MAIL REPORTER PUBLISHED: 02:11 BST, 21 March 2012 | UPDATED: 02:11 BST, 21 March 2012 We spend ten minutes every day rummaging for lost items, from books and phones to car keys and even the cars themselves, a survey has found. Men are far worse than women – with…
eurekalabs 2021-10-03 0


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Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas proved you can never underestimate how important the name of a new product or an entire brand can be to its future success.
Many people do not know or have forgotten, but when the Wynn Hotel first opened in Las Vegas in 2005, it was called “Le Reve.” The phrase means “the dream” in French and it was the goal of the hotel to make the property a perfect dream location in the gambling city. However, Steve Wynn and the Wynn management soon learned the name was not working for them. In fact, it became evident that the name may actually have been harming the launch of the new property.
A research company was brought in specifically to look into the situation and they found that the average Las Vegas visitor had no idea what Le Reve meant. Plus, when 20 people were asked how to pronounce “le reve,” half of them pronounced it incorrectly or had no idea how to say the name. It soon became evident that as far as names go, “the dream” was becoming “the nightmare.”
Acknowledging that the name had to be changed before thousands and thousands of marketing dollars were spent on promoting the hotel – and also realizing that Wynn management was very anxious to start marketing the facility – the research firm suggested that the best name for the new property was nothing other than Wynn Resorts.
They found that Steve Wynn had already made a well-known and well-respected name for himself with his former hotels, the Golden Nugget, Bellagio, and the Mirage. Americans and visitor from all over the world had heard of Steve Wynn. And many associated his name with high-end luxury, quality, and comfort.
In fact, the researchers even found that visitors expected – and were willing – to pay more to stay in a Wynn hotel. So not only was this a far better name selection – along with more memorable, recognizable and certainly easier to pronounce – the hotel was able to make more money by using Wynn’s name.
“Branding this property [the Wynn Resorts] was the smartest thing I’ve ever done,” says Wynn. “When I walk through the lobby, people line up to get a picture of me or have me sign something. That’s never happened to me before. It’s the name. It’s the name.”
So what does this tell us? The words used to name a product or to describe a product must be selected very carefully. According to Frank Luntz in his book Words That Work, “words that work…can actually make the difference between millions of dollars and billions of dollars.” Choose wisely.


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Google announced today that it is expanding the functionality of the social networking site Discord to allow advertisers to show ads on the mobile version of the site.
The move will allow companies to advertise in the mobile app, as well as in the desktop version of Discord, and will allow them to reach millions of people who might not be able to use the site on desktop.
Google’s announcement comes less than a week after Discord announced it would begin supporting Android and iOS devices.
“We’re thrilled to announce that Discord on mobile will now be available in the Google Play Store,” said Alex Vartanian, general manager of the Google Ads Platform.
“The app will allow advertisers and publishers to show adverts to their most loyal fans and audiences, and make the most of the new features on Discord on the Android and Apple platforms.”
As part of the expansion, the app will support mobile display ads on Android devices, and ads can now be shown on desktop as well.
For example, an ad can be shown in a web browser on Android or the desktop app.
Ads can also be shown from the mobile application or from a link on a web page.
Google also announced that it will soon add a third-party tool to allow publishers to add and remove ads.
The company also announced plans to make Discord a free, ad-supported platform on Android and the iOS App Store.
This will allow publishers and advertisers to reach billions of people on both platforms.
“This is just the beginning,” Vartanian said.
“We’re adding more and more features and tools to our platform every day, and Discord is just one of them.
We hope to bring more features to the platform in the future, including an app to let you embed a YouTube video directly in the Discord chat.
You can even add video content directly to the Discord website, which is a great way to make your content more discoverable.
We are always looking for ways to expand the capabilities of the platform, and we are excited to make it even better for the millions of users and publishers that use it.”


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Carlos Smith required lease money he tapped his biggest asset — a paid-off 2008 GMC Sierra Denali pickup truck while he was between construction jobs, so. He pledged it to a storefront lender as security for the $4,000 loan that is“auto-title with a 70 % rate of interest.
That 2013 deal resulted in an ordeal that is three-year which Smith’s financial obligation mounted even while he made re re payments. When he’d fall behind, the financial institution would deliver a tow-truck driver out to repossess their pickup. He’d get up on re re payments plus fines and storage space charges, then fall behind again, and very quickly get the repo guy at their home or the debt collector to his phone ringing. He started initially to feel stalked.
“At the start they chatted genuine nice, love, ‘You will pay it back four months, there should not be much interest, and every thing will soon be fine, ” he said. “But immediately when I finalized the papers it seemed they certainly were intent on getting my vehicle. ”
Twenty-five states therefore the District of Columbia have actually outlawed or capped interest levels for the pink-slip that is short-term, which customer advocates state are because predatory as payday advances. But Ca has few limitations on “cash for automobiles lending that is” that has surged in the Golden State — because have the sheer number of repossessions.
Pupils victimized by Corinthian Colleges are certain to get debts erased
Assemblywoman Monique Limon, D-Santa Barbara, sponsored a bill, AB2953, to cap auto-title loan interest prices at 36 per cent. That’s the exact same limit Congress imposed on such loans designed to service members or the stated purpose to their families of protecting them from predatory financing.
The balance passed the Assembly in late might on a bipartisan vote that is 54-to-1with 23 perhaps perhaps not voting) — a significant achievement, since past such bills never ever managed to get away from either state chamber.
On Wednesday, it hit a roadblock into the Senate Banking and finance institutions Committee, which needed four votes to pass through it. The vote ended up being 3-2 with two abstentions. But, the committee invoked a procedure to carry it for the next vote a few weeks.
“The discussion is certainly not over, ” Limon said. “If some body is taking out fully a secured loan, employing their automobile for security, they ought to not be charged an interest rate therefore exorbitant them to reduce certainly one of their primary assets. So it causes”
Industry representatives stated they assist individuals with dismal credit whom can’t be eligible for loans from banking institutions or bank cards, and warned which they cannot run using the limitations.
The industry would have no choice but to go away, ” Joe Lang, a lobbyist for Community Loans of America, said at the Senate committee hearing“With this bill. “For many consumers who possess low fico scores, who are unbanked, who don’t have actually virtually any options, you’ll be eliminating their last credit choice. ”
What’s a car-title loan?
“Cash for automobiles” loans, also referred to as auto-title loans, pink-slip loans, name pledges or name pawns, are short-term, high-interest-rate loans guaranteed by an automobile name. The majority are for around one-quarter to one-half the car’s value and carry a apr above 100 %.
If customers can’t spend them down in the typical 30-day time frame — as happens 80 % of times, in accordance with the Bureau of customer Financial Protection — lenders provide to roll them over into brand new loans, including on charges and interest. That may result in the loan that is original grow. The Federal Trade Commission states consumers can wind up having to pay more in fees compared to initial amount they borrowed. When they can’t spend, the financial institution can deliver a tow vehicle to seize the automobile. Customers then face nevertheless more fees to obtain it right back.
California loans that are pink-slip 2017: 118,431 loans well worth $380.5 million
Repossessions: 20,280 cars
Deals: 12,687 cars
Sources: Customer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, Ca Dept. Of Business Oversight
Limon said she’s maybe maybe perhaps not attempting to ban the loans.
“I realize that life happens and folks often require crisis cash, but we’re hoping to get consumers the greatest item out here without harming them, ” she stated. A minumum of one California loan provider, One principal Financial, currently offers car-title loans at 36 per cent yearly interest, appearing that that price is viable, she said.
About 17 % of Californians with pink-slip loans have actually their cars seized, according towards the state Department of company Oversight, which gathers information through the industry. A year ago, the automobiles of 20,280 borrowers had been repossessed, away from 118,431 title that is outstanding, the report stated. Over fifty percent the vehicles that are seized12,687) had been offered at auction.
“These loans are just like legalized car thievery, ” said Rosemary Shahan, executive manager of Consumers for car Reliability and Safety, a customer advocacy team.
“They’re very high danger for customers” who are able to find yourself losing their automobiles, plunging deeper with debt, and dinging their credit having a repossession. In reality, she stated, numerous customers may be best off attempting to sell their automobiles and buying cheaper ones since they wouldn’t rack up debt that is extra interest and costs.
In addition, she stated, the loans aren’t that high danger when it comes to loan providers, with GPS, and can legally seize and auction them since they have the collateral of the cars’ pink slips, can track them. Many loans are for half or less associated with the car’s value.
In Smith’s instance, their $4,000 loan finished up costing him a lot more than twice that amount and also a huge quantity of anxiety.
“I felt betrayed; we felt they took advantageous asset of me personally, ” stated Smith, 49, a San Leandro resident who recently finished a diploma in construction management and building assessment. “Even now, each and every time we hear a tow vehicle, we jump. A car is really crucial, it is the way you get regarding the https://www.cartitleloansplus.com/payday-loans-ne/ life, get to exert effort, select within the children. ”
Carolyn Said covers the economy that is on-demand brand new marketplaces such as for example Uber, TaskRabbit and Airbnb that let people lease their time, products or services), the impacts of automation and AI on labor, and also the realm of autonomous cars. Formerly she covered the housing marketplace and foreclosure crisis, winning honors for tales that shed light in the human being effect of sweeping financial styles. The California energy crisis, the corporate malfeasance scandals, and the fallout from economic downturns as a business reporter at The Chronicle since 1997, she also has covered the dot-com rise and fall.


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The president of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, Marko Cadez, has stated that Serbia is the only country in Southeast Europe with a factory of sodium hypochlorite and equipment for the production of this compound, which is recommended as a suppressant of coronavirus.
– It has turned out that Serbia has the only factory, Sigma, which makes equipment for the production of sodium hypochlorite, which is recommended as a suppressant of coronavirus – Cadez said for RTS.
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic has talked to representatives of companies which produce surgical masks and disinfectants, the government's PR office announced. The companies' representatives have pointed out that they will organize work in three shifts, RTS reported.
Another topic at the meeting was how the state could help companies increase their production capacities.
Representatives of most companies said that they would organize work in three shifts in order to respond to an increase in the demand for disinfectants in the local market.
The meeting was attended by the president of the CCIS, Marko Cadez.
In the cases where there's a problem with getting the materials for the production, it was agreed for the CCIS to help in looking for the materials, considering that there are already problems with supply in the world market, the press release says.
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Taxes on wine, beer, and spirits vary wildly from state-to-state and even within each state.
The Ezra Klein-less Wonkblog makes us feel good about our drinking habits.
Kickstarting a dream of potato salad to the tune of $40k+
A GOP Senate Candidate in Georgia attempts to back track, and runs off the rails in the process.
Does your kid qualify for subsidized lunch? One candidate for Senate in Georgia wants to put them to work.
When it comes to thinks like Mike Bloomberg’s large-sized soda ban, most Americans prefer to just say no.
Technology is about the way you order in your local restaurant.
Another government mandate that doesn’t address a real problem.
The FDA is declaring war on trans fats. That’s a bad idea on many levels.
Some century-old Pacific Beer beer ads are “nothing short of brilliant, absurd, and offensive.”
A San Francisco bacon restaurant smells like bacon. Thankfully, a compromise has been reached.
The Big Gulp ban won’t ban Big Gulps. But it’ll ban 2-liter Cokes with your pizza and pitchers at Chuck E. Cheese.
Restaurant chain Chick-fil-A is facing criticism after its President’s comments on same-sex marriage.
Another local official wants to join the War On Big Soda.
New York City’s Mayor wants to control the size of soft drinks.
Apparently, pretended overpriced pomegranate juice is a magic healing elixir is more than the law will allow.
Movie theater snacks are expensive. This is not cause for a lawsuit.
Once again, a government entity thinks the average person is too dumb to take care of themselves.


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The Detroit News reported yesterday that Ford’s future product plans include new vehicle types as part of Ford’s global product development program and in addition to new vehicles, all vehicle lineups with feature EcoBoost technology in the not-so-distant future. Their plans are to offer a broader selection of vehicles in their subcompact (Fiesta), compact (Focus) and mid-sized (Fusion) car segments, with as many as TEN body styles in the global product offering on those platforms.
More importantly, Jim Farley, Ford global head of sales, marketing and service added that there will be an EcoBoost premium engine option across all lineups. The EcoBoost offers superior power and economy compared to similarly sized engines and these turbocharged mills have been offered as both economy engines in vehicles like the Ford Flex and 2011 Explorer and high performance engines in vehicles like the Taurus SHO and the upcoming 2012 Focus ST. The EcoBoost will further show its versatility when it becomes available in the Ford F150 later this year – showing that it can be worked to be a major player in the pickup truck segment.
It is no surprise to hear that Ford plans to offer an EcoBoost option in vehicles like the Fiesta, Focus and even the minivans but should Ford truly put it in EVERY vehicle lineup that means that the mighty Mustang could eventually see a factory EcoBoosted option. I don’t imagine that Ford would go with a 4-cylinder EcoBoost in the Mustang but the 365hp EcoBoost V6 from the Taurus SHO would nestle nicely between the 305hp base model V6 and the 412hp Mustang GT.
Also, if I can dream for a second…what about an EcoBoosted GT500? There have long been rumors of a twin turbocharged 5.0L V8 being developed, although Ford has denied such a build program. Could Ford throw a pair of turbos on the new 5.0 and pack it into the next GT500, labeling the engine as the first EcoBoost V8? Considering that the 5.0 makes 440hp in the 2012 Boss 302 without forced induction and the Ford Racing supercharger package offers 624hp in street-friendly form, a twin turbocharged 5.0 EcoBoost could put the next GT500 in the range of 580-600hp – giving the car a healthy upgrade from the current supercharger 5.4L models but also leaving room between the GT500 and the Ford Racing-supercharged Mustang GTs.
As we near the end of the 2010 calendar year we can expect a ton of information to drop about the 2011 models, especially with events like the LA Auto Show and the 2010 SEMA Show coming up. Then again, what grander stage could there be for the first EcoBoosted V8 GT500 at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show next January? Keep in mind that Chevrolet is rumored to have the supercharged Camaro Z28 and whether it has the LSA engine from the Cadillac CTS-V with 556hp or the LS9 engine from the Corvette ZR1 with 638hp, Chevy would be able to lay claim to having the most powerful pony car in the industry. A twin-turbocharged 2012 or 2013 GT500 would likely help Ford prevent Chevy from being able to make that claim for very long.
Stay tuned to your Detroit Autos Examiner for all of your breaking news and new car reviews from around town and around the world!


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Users of Sage 50 and 100 can accept payments against an invoice and process a credit card payment using a PCI-secure point-of-sale interface that posts into Sage 50 or Sage 100 in real time. In a prepared statement, Paul Bridgewater, CEO of Sage Payment Solutions, said, "With Sage Payment Center, businesses can choose how they want to process a payment, easily spot accounts receivable trends, make payment acceptance part of their existing workflow, easily make automatic deposits, and much more." Sage Payment Center is currently available for Sage 50 customers on current support plans and any Sage 100 customers in the U.S. who are using Sage 50c, Sage 50 2016, Sage 100c or Sage 100 version 2016.1.Last modified on Friday, 15 April 2016
SAGE PAYMENT CENTER LAUNCHED
Sage has launched an in-product service, Sage Payment Center for use in use its Sage 50 and Sage 100 accounting software. Sage Payment Center can be used to apply for, activate and use the credit and debit card acceptance capabilities embedded software. The payment center will be embedded in other Sage products, but the company named only Sage One as being on the current plan.


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Sold Out and Hyper Luminal Games have announced that Big Crown: Showdown will release on Nintendo Switch next week, unleashing a royal ruckus on the portable home console.
You will have the chance to compete for the crown in chaotic local and online multiplayer, on stages whether they be in the floating city of Kasseltoon, the scorching sands of Zoggysands or the icy glaciers of Shivershire.
To win, you must bash your enemies while using tricks and perilous traps to send your competition off-course, with the chance to unlock fancy hats to customise your character.
“It’s been incredible to see so many people having fun with Big Crown: Showdown at events throughout the year, so we’re really excited for the game’s release next month,” explains Sold Out marketing director Sarah Hoeksma.
“Whether you’re playing together on the couch or with friends online, the team at Hyper Luminal has created a laugh-out-loud multiplayer title that players of all ages can enjoy. Big Crown: Showdown is the perfect multiplayer game for family fun this holiday season.”
Hyper Luminal Games CEO and co-founder Stuart Martin adds: “We created Big Crown: Showdown as a game that players of all ages and skill levels can easily pick-up and have fun with.
“We’re so excited for players to start ruling the couch with their friends and family this December, and can’t wait to see what sort of mischief and mayhem everyone gets up to in the game!”
Big Crown: Showdown will release on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch worldwide on December 14th priced at £9.99 (€12.99/$12.99).


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By Joel Stocksdale
Volkswagen has just revealed the latest version of its first modern SUV, the Touareg. It’s bigger and is way more high-tech than its predecessors. And according to Volkswagen, it’s not for us in the United States. Instead, it will just be launching in overseas markets such as China and Europe.
Continue reading VW reveals the new Touareg, but not for America
VW reveals the new Touareg, but not for America originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Mar 2018 06:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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BMW, Intel, Mobileye lay groundwork for self-driving car
【Summary】Automaker BMW,Intel and Mobileye has lay ground work for a project of self-driving car. Autopilotis currently a new trend in automobile industry.More and more automakers are ready for a challenge in the new competitive self-driving technology battle.
Automaker BMW, chipmaker Intel, and vision systems developer Mobileye are ready to announce a collaboration aimed at ushering in a self-driving car within five years. The three companies have scheduled a briefing for Friday morning (July 1), 10 a.m. East Coast time, or 4 p.m. CEST (central Europe).
It's likely the announcement will be built around advances in sensors and algorithms that improve on cars' abilities to detect and respond to other vehicles, pedestrians, and objects in the road that might collide unless the autonomous vehicle changes course or takes other action. The story was broken Thursday morning by Reuters.
The challenge to autonomous driving: the unexpected
Even now, more than a dozen car models have some measure of autonomous driving — on limited access highways with gradual not hairpin curves, when it's not snowing or raining heavily, and when another car doesn't spin out just in front of you, or an old washing machine doesn't fall off off a pickup truck. But it will follow the car in front (adaptive cruise control), stay centered in the lane (lane centering assist), and keep you from changing lanes if there's a car you don't see in your blind spot.
BMW is talking about taking its cars to a higher level of autonomous driving by 2021. Coincidentally, that could be the likely launch year for the seventh generation of the flagship BMW 7 Series, which is on a 6- to 7-year product cycle (the current 7 Series was launched in 2015). BMW earlier this year said it would launch a flagship car with autonomous driving capability. BMW could also declare its flagship vehicle to be the X7 SUV, which is expected to debut in 2018 and would be due for a mid-life refresh circa 2021.
Self-driving is the new competitive edge
The world's premier automakers see individual driver assist technologies today, and self-driving within the decade, to be potential differentiators. The challenge for the automakers is the core technologies — whether it's vision sensors from Mobileye, night vision sensors from Autoliv, or adaptive cruise control radars from Bosch — come from suppliers that work with multiple automakers.
Individual automakers can still hustle a technology to market by putting more people to work on the project, or make the installation and interface easier for the driver. BMW has an advantage because of its longstanding deployment of head-up displays that can show what the self-driving tools are sensing.
Who is Mobileye
Mobileye was founded in 1999 and has headquarters in Jerusalem, Israel, with several offices in the US. It concentrates on vision systems. BMW, along with GM and Volvo, were its earliest clients. Tesla is a high-profile client that uses Mobileye sensors for its AutoPilot System. The company also makes portable systems that can be installed on cars and trucks already in use.
Mobileye is expected to be the optical systems supplier for the BMW project, while Intel would be the chipmaker for Mobileye's fifth-generation chips, called EyeQ5. The chips and software are believed to offer real-time road mapping (that is, road contours and edges) as well as driving policy, meaning the rules for interacting with other cars and roadside objects, including when they're not behaving as expected. One uncertainty is what happens to Mobileye's existing relationship with STMicroelectronics, a French-Italian chipmaker.
resource from: ExtremeTech
Elon Musk confident that Tesla can attain staggering 20-fold increase in production speed in Fremont
Tesla responds to Mobileye’s comments on Autopilot, confirms new in-house ‘Tesla Vision’ product
Uber will repay thousands of riders for misleading them about tips
Faraday Future adds top VW executive to bring to market its upcoming electric vehicles
Hyperloop track construction in California is delayed
Federal funds to back Portland storefront for electric-car marketing, pop-up roadshows
Tesla announces a partnership in South Korea for first store and 25 charging stations
DOE small biz voucher awards include vehicles and fuel cells
- Will Rivian’s Fully-Electric R1T Pickup and Ford’s F-150 Lightning Prompt Tesla to Further Delay the Launch of the Cybertruck?
- GM is Suspending Bolt EV Production Until at Least Oct 15 Following Latest Recall Over Battery Fires
- Tesla Reports Record Vehicle Deliveries in Q3 - Without the Help of the Model S, Model X
- General Motors to Install 40,000 Level-2 EV Charging Stations in North America as Part of its New ‘Dealer Community Charging Program’
- UPS Acquires Technology Platform Roadie to Facilitate Same Day Gig Deliveries
- Semiconductor Chip Shortage Could Extend Well Into 2022
- Volvo’s EV Brand Polestar Teases the Upcoming Polestar 3 Electric-Performance SUV in New York
- Autonomous Trucking Startup Gatik and its Partner Walmart Make the First Fully Driverless Deliveries in the Industry
- Aurora Announces Partnership With Amazon Web Services for Autonomous Car Development
- NIO to Offer Dolby Atmos Audio Technology Standard in the New ET7 Electric Sedan


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Thursday, June 23, 2011
Coffee and China
Most of us drink tea in our fine China, or we drink tea when traveling in China. In this case, I was drinking coffee (there is an ongoing theme of sleep deprived mama) while HEARING someone speak about China! I was at an APCO sponsored breakfast talk at an ungodly hour (like 7:00 a.m.) which featured good coffee and guest speaker James McGregor, an expert on China relations. This gathering was for the Seattle business community to learn and discuss how to effectively do business in China. James McGregor was both entertaining and compelling. At times, even depressing when he mentioned some very real problems with both the Chinese Government and the U.S. Government. But he might have been foreshadowing the recent Presidential nominee when he was giving glowing reviews about the former ambassador to China - Jon Huntsman. James seemed invincible when expressing his admiration and respect for someone who would be an incredible loss in his role as ambassador, and in the same breath he exclaimed "Jon is truly a class-act. He is presidential material". I'm probably not stating his exact words, but you get the picture. This event took place on April 26. Fast forward to earlier this week when Huntsman, officially announced his candidacy for the Republican party. Coffee talk turned presidential candidacy, now that's some breakfast!


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Nokia Mobile brand licensee HMD Global is planning to resurrect yet another feature phones from the past, and this time, we might see the comeback of the classic Nokia 6300 and a Nokia 8000 series phone with some tweaks. Although the specifications of the two phones remain unclear at the moment, it is safe to assume that the devices might feature 4G connectivity and a refurbished look - similar to what we had previously seen with the renewed Nokia 215 4G and Nokia 3310 4G feature phones.
The development was highlighted by WinFuture that spotted the “Nokia 8000 4G and Nokia 6300 4G" on Scandinavian network operator Telia listing for phones supporting VoWiFi calling (or Wi-Fi calling). The list reportedly mentions another feature phone, the Nokia 225 4G that was launched last month with a price a tag of Rs 3,499. To recall, the Nokia 6300 that was launched in 2006, already packs features like colour display, a 2-megapixel shooter, Nokia Series 40 (S40) operating system, and a slim body with a stainless steel finish. On the other hand, Nokia 8000 could be based on numerous 8000-series models. The Nokia Nokia 8600 Luna was among the last feature phones from the series that also packs a colour display in addition to a sliding form factor, a 2-megapixel camera, FM radio, and MP3 music player.
Notably, the 8000 series also includes the premium Nokia 8800 Arte Carbon edition (2008) that comes with a metal body, OLED screen, a 3.15-megapixel camera with autofocus, and 4GB of onboard storage. Nonetheless, HMD Global with the launch of the renewed Nokia 8000 series phone and Nokia 6300 4G would stir up nostalgia among users who remember Nokia’s popular offerings. The company might also include the classic Snake game into the phones that we previously saw with the Nokia 8110 4G, Nokia 3310 4G, Nokia 215 4G, and Nokia 225 4G phones. In case the phones’ operating system is also upgraded to KaiOS, users would be able to use WhatsApp. It would be a useful feature for those entry-level phone users who want to enjoy the best of both feature phones and smartphones (well, partly).


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Weird water purification devices that remove dangerous chemicals from water are causing fish and other aquatic life to suffer and pollute rivers and streams, a study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Alberta say the devices can reduce the levels of nitrates and other chemicals found in water to levels that are unsafe for aquatic life.
They say the chemicals, known as nitrosamines, can also affect the quality of water and cause health problems for fish.
The devices, which are not regulated in Canada, are also being marketed as environmentally friendly.
They can remove nitrosamine and other harmful chemicals from wastewater, but are also known to pollute waterways.
The research was published online this week in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
“There are many examples of people making a mistake,” said Dr. David Krysko, an assistant professor in the university’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences and lead author of the study.
“They are often people who have been drinking contaminated water for a long time and they think it’s safe.
That’s a big mistake.”
The research group looked at how water purifying devices were being marketed in Canada and abroad.
“What we found is that these devices are being marketed, they are being used, and there are no guidelines in place that regulate how they’re used,” said Krysok.
“We also found that there’s a lack of regulation around the devices and they’re being marketed without being regulated.”
The device used in this study was a “water purifier,” which is an electronic device that removes nitrates, nitrite and other contaminants from water.
It has to be cleaned before it can be used.
The device has two filters that are connected to a water purger.
A filter removes nitrate from the water and a filter removes other chemicals.
The two filters can be combined in one machine, but they can also be separated.
The researchers said the devices have the potential to polluting waterways by polluting freshwater bodies.
They also found there are concerns about the chemicals being released from the device.
“One of the problems we have with this is that the devices may release nitrosaminones and other toxic chemicals into the water,” said Randal O’Toole, a senior scientist in the University’s Department to assess environmental health and safety issues in the North American water system.
The devices can be bought online and in the store. “
It’s not clear that we can safely dispose of the devices.”
The devices can be bought online and in the store.
They are designed to remove nitrates from wastewater.
O’Reo said the researchers found the devices are made in China, but some manufacturers also make them in other countries, including Australia and Japan.
In the US, the devices sold at hardware stores are made by the US-based company Technopak, and the Canadian company EcoTech has made the devices in Canada.
The Canadian manufacturer EcoTech said it has received complaints from customers in the United States and other countries about the devices.
“The device manufacturers that we have found in the U.S. have been contacted and have been assured that there is no safety issue related to the devices,” said EcoTech spokesperson Anna Nussbaum.
“But we are not able to comment on the validity of those claims.”
The company also said it would be investigating how the devices were used in Canada to ensure that they were safe.
“All our water purifications are certified to EPA standards,” said Nussba.
“So, we do not know if these devices comply with Canadian standards.
We are working closely with our Canadian suppliers to ensure these devices do not cause any harm to our customers.”
While the devices do remove nitrites and other pollutants from water, it’s not known how much of the nitrosamines they remove actually reach the water.
Nussbum said it’s likely that many of the chemicals in the water that are released into the atmosphere, like nitrate and other toxins, enter the water system through landfills or surface runoff.
“If these chemicals are released to the atmosphere through landfill runoff, they’re probably going to be there for years,” she said.
The company is also working with local governments to ensure the devices work properly.
The University of Calgary is also investigating the devices to determine if there are safety issues with them.
“This is a critical step in helping our customers understand and understand what we’re doing and what our environmental health objectives are and what the impact of these devices on the environment are,” said O’Reilly.
“For a lot to be safe and effective, they need to be approved.”


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Thursday, May 13, 2010
Posted by Ed Hansberry in "Windows Phone Software" @ 06:00 AM
Microsoft has just released Office Mobile 2010 for Windows Phone devices. If you have a WinMo 6.5 device and Office is included on it, as most are, then you can upgrade for free to the new 2010 version.
My understanding is it is now available in the Windows Marketplace for Mobile. It is frustrating that it is only for WinMo 6.5 users. That has only been available for six months and I'd wager that 6.5 is not even close to the majority of WinMo devices out there. That would be like Microsoft releasing Office 2010 for Windows 7 only, ignoring the sizable installed base of XP users. What about you? Are you eligible for the upgrade?


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iPhone 14 Pro: 48MP camera unlikely
The upcoming iPhone 14 Pro series’ primary camera has been subject to a lot of rumours of late.
It’s Fat, a well-known leaker on Weibo claims that the iPhone 14 Pro will have the same IMX703 sensors as the iPhone 13 Pro models.
In this case, the camera has a 1/1.67-inch sensor, which means it has 12MP and 1.9 μm pixels. This isn’t the 48MP upgrade that was earlier rumoured to be coming.
Since the iPhone 7 series, Apple has used 12MP sensors for the main camera. Each year, Apple has been making its sensors better and adding new features to them. These features include Portrait Mode and Night mode, as well as Cinematic mode.
This means that it could still use a 12MP main camera in its new iPhones, but the company could improve the software that makes photos and how they look. Apple, like many competing Android companies, has become very good at computational photography.
On the flip side though, a sensor with more megapixels can give you more detail and let you crop in more after the fact, so it’s better in the long run. That’s why the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro upgraded to a 50MP main sensor last year, while Samsung has been using 108MP sensors since 2020.
Upgrading to a higher-resolution camera would also allow for 8K video recording. At the moment, the iPhone 13 Pro can only record in 4K and it’s only a matter of time before Apple lets iPhones record 8K videos.
Obviously, we can’t say for sure that It’s Fat’s claims are true. We’d be wary of this alleged leak because other people have said that the iPhone 14 Pro models will have a 48MP main camera.
iPhone 14 Pro specifications (rumoured)
It doesn’t matter if the iPhone 14 Pro doesn’t have a 48MP main camera because, if rumours and leaks are to be believed, there are still a lot of things to be excited about.
Rumours so far say that a new design is coming that could finally get rid of the notch in favour of a pair of camera cutouts instead. However, we argue against it in this article.
Also, for the first time, Apple could use USB-C for the iPhone 14 range, as well as bring back Touch ID in the form of an under-screen fingerprint scanner.
So in September, we could see one of the biggest changes to the iPhone in a long time.


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Report: Is Volkswagen canceling Santana?
Volkswagen reportedly killing off the Santana, to be replaced by crossovers
Volkswagen PH celebrates 8th year and Oktoberfest with special deals
Celebrate with Volkswagen Philippines on its 8th anniversary by availing of exclusive deals and zero down payment offer
Why didn't Volkswagen PH offer the T-Cross with turbo power?
Could another engine besides the naturally-aspirated 1.5-liter be available for the T-Cross?
2021 Volkswagen Santana drops manual, starts at PHP 755,000
Volkswagen Philippines launches 2021 Santana with more safety features
2021 Volkswagen Santana facelift coming to PH soon
Could the 2021 Volkswagen Santana get an upgraded engine across the range?


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Cisco Beats Street, Cries 'Optical'
Among the quarter's highlights, Cisco reported $1 billion in bookings for optical gear, up from practically zero a year ago. And while steady growth was seen throughout all lines of business and throughout all geographic regions, sales in the service provider market increased 20 percent from the previous quarter and nearly 100 percent from the previous year, said company officials.
In after-hours trading on the Island ECN late Tuesday night, Cisco shares were up nearly $2.50 at $67.99 after closing Tuesday at $65.50.
The company said that for the period ended July 29, its profit rose 69 percent to $1.2 billion, or 16 cents a share, compared with $710 million, or 10 cents, a year ago. Sales rose 61 percent to $5.72 billion from $3.56 billion. These results topped the consensus forecast of 15 cents a share, according to First Call/Thomson Financial.
Company officials touted the optical market as one of the hottest areas of growth for the company. The company is building an optical portfolio with products from acquisitions that have included Cerent Corp., Monterey Networks, Pirelli Optical Systems, and Qeyton Systems Inc., said Kevin Kennedy, VP of Cisco’s service provider line of business, on Tuesday's analyst conference call.
“One year ago we had no optical business whatsoever,” he said. “The momentum is significant.”
Although Cisco claims that it has all of the relevant optical pieces to the network puzzle, all of its products aren’t yet shipping. Cerent still makes up the bulk of bookings in the fourth quarter, with a small portion coming from the Pirelli DWDM equipment. And a year after it bought vendor Monterey Networks for $500 million, the company has yet to see any revenue from the acquisition (see Cisco's Russo: We're Just Getting Started).
Company officials said they expect service provider trials of the Monterey product to wrap up this quarter, with products shipping by the end of the first quarter for fiscal 2001. Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers said he had hoped to be shipping a quarter earlier, but difficulty in getting components played a major factor in the delay.
Chambers also emphasized the fact that Cisco is the only vendor to currently provide a suite of optical products and a high-speed IP routing solution. But Cisco won’t be the only vendor with such breadth for very long. Lucent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: LU) has already begun selling the terabit router that came out of the Nexabit Networks acquisition last summer (see Lucent Quiets Terabit Router Rumors). Alcatel SA (NYSE: ALA), another heavy hitter in the optical space, also claims to have a terabit router in the works (see Alcatel Boxes Clever ). Nortel Networks Corp. (NYSE/TSE: NT), the market leader in optical networking, was supposed to be shipping its version of a terabit router by this summer, but after delays the company instead entered into a reseller agreement with Juniper Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: JNPR), the only major challenger to Cisco’s IP core domination (see Nortel and Juniper Join Forces).
Indeed, not all is perfect in Cisco's world. There are signs the company might be losing marketshare in the IP router market. Even with 100 new Gigabit Switch/Router (GSR) customers this quarter, bookings only grew 10 percent, as opposed to the 60 percent seen the previous quarter, said Chambers. In the same breath, Chambers tried to dampen concerns about Cisco’s market position in IP routing. “It’s a lumpy market, and fluctuations are based on large orders from quarter to quarter,” said Chambers.
Demand for OC192 interfaces in IP routers is clearly growing, as demonstrated by Juniper’s latest deal with Metromedia Fiber Network Inc. (Nasdaq:MFNX), which bought 170 routers specifically for those interfaces (see Speed Key in Juniper's MFN Deal ).
One of Cisco’s biggest concerns is the shortage of components, particularly for its optical business. Kennedy says that shortages slowed down deployments this quarter, but he and Chambers emphasized the fact that the company is working closely with partners to keep up with demand. Currently, Cisco is one of the only big companies without its own component division. Alcatel, Nortel, and Lucent all have divisions that provide parts for their optical system products.
Another highlight of the call was the announcement that Don Listwin, the number two executive at the company, was leaving to become CEO of a startup.
-- Marguerite Reardon, senior editor, Light Reading, http://www.lightreading.com


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Mahindra Group to invest Rs 3,000 cr on EV business in next 3 years, says Anish Shah
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd will put in fresh investments to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore on its electric vehicles business in the next three years, while it looks for more alliances and partnerships in the vertical, according to a top company official.
M&M is working on developing an EV platform by combining the capabilities of its operations across the globe, including Detroit and Italy.
“So, for EVs, we are going to invest Rs 3,000 crore additional to what we have talked about,” Mahindra Group Managing Director and CEO Anish Shah told.
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd had earlier said it was investing Rs 9,000 crore in the auto and farm sectors in the next five years.
The company, which has set a goal of putting 5 lakh electric vehicles on Indian roads by 2025, has already invested Rs 1,700 crore in the EV business in India with another Rs 500 crore on a new research and development (R&D) center.
While it has already opened its electric technologies plant in Bengaluru that produces battery packs, power electronics, and motors, it has also invested in a new manufacturing unit at its Chakan plant to produce EVs.
Shah, who recently took over as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer with the mandate to have complete oversight of and responsibility for all the Mahindra Group businesses, said the fresh investment “is over and above that”.
It will be utilized in various activities, including developing a new platform that can roll out multiple models, by combining the group’s various capabilities.
“…there are multiple capabilities we have within the group. We have capabilities in Detroit…we have the capability in Automobili Pininfarina and our Formula E,” Shah said adding those are going to combine to get an electric platform for India.
When asked if M&M is looking for alliances or partnerships, he said, “For EVs, we will look at alliances. EV is the future.”
“We already have one alliance. We have announced an MoU with REE (Automotive) which is an Israeli company. This is for smaller trucks and commercial vehicles. And we will have other alliances on the EV side as well. So we are very open to alliances but it is more for the future,” Shah said.
On whether the future alliances would be technology or equity partnerships, he said, “We are open to all sorts of possibilities at this stage but at this point it is too early to say because we will have to have a lot of conversations. Once we do that we will have a better sense.”
Bullish on the EV market in India he said for the last mile, which is three-wheelers and small four-wheelers for passengers and load, the cost of ownership is now the same as that of conventional vehicles with charging not an issue due to swappable batteries.
“So that segment, we see taking off in the short term. In the next two or three years, it should become a very significant part,” Shah said.
However, he said, “For four-wheelers, it is going to take long… Infrastructure is not going to come in until the cost of ownership is equal. A lot of things have to work together but we see a three to five years horizon for that to happen.”


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ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Madison Avenue in Albany welcomed a new store to the neighborhood in November: Ducky’s! The vintage clothing store offers a blast from the past, selling apparel and accessories from the 1990s and before.
The store is co-owned and operated by husband and wife duo Ryan and Lilyanne Phillips. After spending time in the south, the couple moved back to the Capital Region to be closer to family.
After years of curating and collecting vintage clothing, the duo decided it was time to share their treasures with others who appreciate their same love for sustainable fashion. From t-shirts to jeans, Ducky’s keeps casual everyday fashion in stock.
“We get that question a lot like, ‘Where’s the men’s stuff? Where’s the women’s stuff?’” said Ryan. “To us, it’s all just clothes that can just be used however you see fit.”
Ducky’s is located at 383.5 Madison Ave. in Albany. The store is closed Monday and Tuesday, and open the rest of the week from noon to 6 p.m.


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IN a massive financial coup for the Coega Dairy, the company has signed a joint-venture partnership with restaurant franchise group Famous Brands aimed at eventually providing the entire group with cheese products for its franchise stores.
The partnership will create 49 jobs in the dairy's new cheese manufacturing company, as well as a further five jobs in the existing Coega Dairy business.
It is estimated that more than 1000 new indirect jobs could also be created in the supply chain, all in the rural Eastern Cape.
Famous Brands said it would benefit from the partnership by using mozzarella, cheese slices and cheese spread produced at the facility for supply at its Debonairs Pizza outlets initially, which will be the company's single biggest customer, with the intention to expand supply over time to the group's other brands.
The group has more than 1500 franchised restaurants in the country, including Steers, Wimpy and Mugg & Bean outlets.
Famous Brands chief executive Kevin Hedderwick said the partnership was a result of the group's strategy to expand its manufacturing capability and leverage opportunities in the supply chain.
"We have signalled to the market that our goal is to grow the back end of the business by enhancing our manufacturing capability and capacity, and this is another strategic step in that process," he said.
He said the partnership had significant earnings potential because the company currently obtained its cheese from external manufacturers.
"This will allow us to obtain it at a price which will be more favourable for the franchises. Equally importantly, it is an enterprise which will deliver tremendous benefits for those black farmers who partner with us via Coega Dairy," Hedderwick said.
He had learnt about the Coega Dairy by chance, when he was reading an article about it on a flight from Port Elizabeth to East London.
Hedderwick said the Famous Brands Cheese Manufacturing Company would use 38 million litres of milk during its first year and it anticipated to commence supply of mozzarella cheese to the Debonairs Pizza franchise from May next year.
The business's first-year annualised turnover is expected to be in the region of R180-million.
Coega Dairy chief executive Hennie Kleynhans said construction of the 2600m², R20-million cheese manufacturing facility was planned to start next month. Famous Brands would control 51% of the company's shares, while shareholders of Coega Dairy would hold the remaining 49%.
"Currently our farmers are producing between 84 and 90 million litres of milk a year, but through the Famous Brands partnership we will need to increase this by another 38 million litres.
"This will mean securing more milk from more farms who will need more farm workers. So a lot more jobs will be created," he said.
Kleynhans said the dairy – owned partly by local farmers – factory and farm employment had grown tremendously since operations started last year.
Hedderwick said the new cheese plant would have the latest technology, budgeted at R35-million.


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Chocolate Consumption Reduces Chances of Heart Attack
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Researchers from the University of Aberdeen have stated that consuming chocolate daily reduces the chances of heart disease and stroke. This has been stated after they examined the eating habits of 21,000 adults who took part in the EPIC-Norfolk study. The study is tracking the impact of diet on the long term health of 25,000 men and women in Norfolk, England.
It asserted that eating up to 100 gram of milk chocolate or dark chocolate every day can reduce the chances of stroke and heart disease. The findings revealed that eating chocolate regularly reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 11 percent and that of associated death by 25 percent.
The findings published in the British Medical Journal’s ‘Heart’ magazine reveals that consuming chocolate was associated with a 9 percent lower risk of hospital admission or death as a result coronary heart disease. The study conducted over a period of 12 years used questionnaires. Researchers stated that consuming more chocolate was associated with higher energy and a diet containing more fat and carbohydrates and less protein and alcohol. It also stated that eating more chocolate was prevalent in younger generations who had lower BMI, waist to hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, inflammatory proteins, diabetes and more physical activity- all of which contributes to a favourable cardiovascular disease risk profile.