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April 2019 SMB Software News Recap
Each month we report on news and updates for the companies in the SurePath SMB Index — a basket of publicly traded software and technology companies that serve the SMB market.
Acquisitions and Divestitures
Constituents of the SurePath SMB Index were busy with earnings season this past month, but there were still some acquisition announcements worth highlighting.
GoDaddy acquires Sellbrite and launches GoDaddy Marketplaces — GoDaddy had been working in partnership with Sellbrite to power GoDaddy Marketplaces, a new feature making it easier for SMBs to list products across Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Jet and Walmart.com, when M&A discussions escalated. This “try before you buy” process is quite common in the B2B software industry and our own Josh Scherman discusses the importance of partnership before M&A in his article here.
Eventbrite acquires Ticketea — Eventbrite’s first acquisition as a public company is Ticketea, a Spanish event technology platform and ticketing provider. The acquisition expands Eventbrite’s global footprint and adds technical talent to their existing workforce as the company looks to support Ticketea’s aspiration of being the leading European mid-market ticketing solution.
New Product Launches
There were several new product launches announced by constituents of the SurePath SMB Index in Match.
Intuit delivers faster payments to solve SMB cashflow issues — QuickBooks announced the ability for small businesses to get paid the next day from ACH payments easily and affordably, ensuring SMBs can improve cash flow no matter the payment they accept.
Shopify launches new retail hardware — The new hardware includes Shopify’s Tap & Chip Reader, Dock, and Retail Stand, designed from the ground up with merchants and customers in mind, to deliver a better Shopify experience for brick and mortar stores.
Paycom releases Direct Data Exchange — Paycom announced the release of Direct Data Exchange, the industry’s first comprehensive management analytics tool giving employers insights into efficiencies gained through employee usage of HR technology.
Ceridian expands Dayforce Payroll to Australia and adds new features — Ceridian’s payroll capabilities will now be available to the Australian market with the launch of Dayforce Payroll. In addition, the company’s flagship platform has added some new functionalities including Dayforce Benefits Decision Support, Dayforce Assistant, and Dayforce On-Demand Pay.
Shutterstock launches “View in Room” AR for Mobile — The latest update to the iOS application includes a new “View in Room” button that allows users to access their phone’s camera and virtually position any of Shutterstock’s 250 million images against the wall in a room of their choosing.
Other SMB Index News
In other news…
Intuit accelerates timeline for carbon reduction and renewable energy targets — Intuit is on track to surpass three core sustainability goals, achieving 100% renewable electricity, reducing its carbon footprint of its facilities by 80%, and reducing total operational footprint by 50%, more than three times faster than originally projected when the company set its goals in 2016.
Lightspeed announces new credit facilities with CIBC — Lightspeed has entered into new credit facilities with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce including a $25 million demand revolving operating credit facility and a $30 million stand-by acquisition term loan.
Shutterstock renews distribution agreement with The Associated Press — The three-year deal continues to give Shutterstock customers access to approximately 3,000 images daily, from breaking news to red carpets to live sporting events, as well as provides access to iconic news images from the vast AP Archive.
Activity in the SMB space outside of our SMB Index
The SMB software market is large…a lot happens outside of our Index as well.
About SurePath Capital
Based in Toronto and San Francisco, SurePath Capital Partners is the only investment bank focused exclusively on the global SMB software market. We work with sellers in this market to ensure they are funded for growth and positioned for meaningful exits. In addition, we work with buyers in this market to help shape their strategy and execute acquisitions.


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The Daily Engadget: Worm Hits iPhones, Windows 8 in 2012?
Second Worm Hits Jailbroken iPhones
Not too long ago, a million iPhone users gasped when they learned that some of their handsets were vulnerable to a virus. Unfortunately, that first worm was a pussycat compared to this one. Thankfully, this newest evildoer only affects hacked phones.
Windows 8 Coming in 2012
If you believe your conspiracy theorist uncle, 2012 is the year the world will end. It's also apparently the year that the next major installment of Windows will ship. Coincidence?
Wired Creates Mock Apple Tablet for Mock Animated Magazine
The Apple Tablet may or may not exist, and may or may not be shipping next year, but that's not slowing down the brains at Wired. They created a prototype device for the soul purpose of hosting an e-book version of the magazine.
Final Batch of Black Friday Deals Exposed
Yes, that earliest of shopping days is nearly upon us. Still don't have your route planned out? This last installment of Black Friday deals should help you fill in the blanks.
Toyota Wants Robots Making Zen Gardens in Space, Maybe Do Research
We can think of a number of reasons to send robots to space -- saving human lives, lowering costs -- but making a Zen garden on the moon? Maybe there's just a lot of stress to relieve when you're plotting to overthrow the human race.

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Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, Thom Filicia discuss home and fashion
October 18, 2012-- Home Accents Today,
Thom Filicia joined fashion designers Lela Rose and Christian Siriano as guest panelists at the High Point Market Press Breakfast, in a session moderated by Cheminne Taylor-Smith, the High Point Market Authority's vice president of marketing.
All three attested to looking for, and receiving, inspiration in the styles and detailing of both disciplines: Stitching, trims, fabrics, tailoring and, in Siriano's case, furniture legs interpreted as heels.
"There's such a great synergy between the two worlds, they really draw from each other," he said. "I love looking at interiors, and how decorators mix different colors and textures in such interesting and exciting ways."
Filicia spoke to the importance of branding across both fashion and home, and how important it is to create designs that all work together, that can build upon past collections, and that maintain the same level of quality, price and point of view.
Rose and Siriano agreed on some of those points, but noted that fashion requires a new and unique set of design introductions every season, with little room left to be "similar" to past collections. While consumers make more of a commitment when buying furniture -- they'll hold on to it for two or three years instead of two or three months before replacing it with something new -- fashion designers create two to four brand new collections a year.
"That might be one of the biggest differences," Siriano said. "When you show something on a runway, you're pretty much done. It's more immediate and fast-changing."
Rose said that her wedding collections are showing right now, but tomorrow she will start on pre-fall. "There are so many more collections, and we have to get them to market so quickly. We're constantly starting a new season, constantly sourcing and looking at details." Some retailers, she said, will purchase a look from the runway and put it directly on their website for pre-sale.
Asked about other sources for their design inspirations, Rose said she finds a lot while biking through New York. "It lets you experience things more close-up, at a different speed - you notice more details... the buildings, the light," she said.
Siriano has been finding inspiration in ballet, specifically the American Ballet's performance of The Dream. "I came away thinking I was going to do all these nature themes but it turned into pink and seafoam," he said. Filicia referenced recent furniture designs based on themes as diverse as an airplane and the shape of a cigarette.
Filicia said he is currently busy at work on new fabrics and trims for Kravet (90 new SKUs), new rug designs for Safavieh, and a second wall décor collection for Soicher Marin for next April.
Related Content By Author


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Job market for manufacturing and logistics grows in Australia
SEEK, a leading Australian employment marketplace, has released figures that indicate that Australia’s job market is making progress, with manufacturing, transport and logistics among the top industries for employment opportunities
New job ads posted on SEEK during the fortnight ending 31 May were up 49.2% compared to the April 2020 average. Manufacturing, transport and logistics was among the sectors with the fastest changes in job advertising growth with a 59% increase.
New job adverts posted on SEEK during the fortnight ending 7 June were up 60.6%. This is a further uplift from 26.8%, 39.7% and 49.2% in the previous three fortnights. The biggest contributors to job ad growth remain unchanged for the second fortnight running, they are: manufacturing, transport and logistics; trades and services; healthcare and medical; hospitality and tourism and education and training
Kendra Banks, managing director of SEEK ANZ, said, “Historically, job ad volumes tend to ease off towards the end of the financial year but are followed by a quick boost in July and August when hirers have re-set their budgets. With the continued easing of restrictions, the economic measures put in place by the government and the new financial year we hope to see this translate into more jobs advertised in July.
“Again, all states and territories showed growth in the last two weeks. Tasmania and Queensland are the highest growing states with 86.3% and 82.2% more jobs advertised in the last two weeks compared to April’s average.”


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Retail apparel chain Charming Shoppes CHRS, +0.86% said net sales for the three months ended May 3 decreased 11 percent to $564 million. Comparable store sales declined 6 percent, it said. "We continue to be affected by a weak economic environment, resulting in soft consumer demand for apparel. As a result, we did not meet our sales plan for the quarter, primarily attributable to lower traffic levels in our stores," the retailer said.
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A GlobalData consumer survey found that customers started their Christmas shopping earlier than usual in 2021, with 60.8% of them starting their Christmas shopping in October, as opposed to 48.6% in 2020, with 40.6% of those that did their shopping earlier doing so because of the ongoing supply chain issues.
B of A also screened for companies with more mentions in the first quarter versus the prior seven quarters. As 2022 takes hold, many of the same challenges are present. Still, so long as the COVID-19 pandemic does .
Here are the top supply chain challenges in 2022, according to both of these groups: - Managing increasing complexity - Addressing capacity constraints . February 18, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. Colorado's marijuana companies aren't immune to the supply chain disruptions testing industries worldwide, with some feeling the squeeze on packaging, nutrients . Blockchain Tools to Handle Information. Menu icon A vertical stack of three evenly spaced horizontal lines. By Carter Evans. These 5 innovative companies are set to revolutionize supply chains in 2022 and beyond. Recently, Kelly Blue Book reported that chip production is ramping up but that might help the current car-buying situation anytime soon. Everstream Analytics recently published its 2022 Annual Supply Chain Risk Report, which identified threats in five major areas in which companies should concentrate their comprehensive risk assessments and the development of flexible response plans: Water is a key component of just about every production industry. This threat is in 5 out of 11 global . UPDATE: May 27, 2022: Medtronic expects the supply chain problems that affected its business at the beginning of the year to continue into next quarter. Companies around the world are struggling with supply chain bottlenecks as the post-pandemic surge in demand converges with industrial production trying to catch up after long Covid-induced shutdowns.
Tesla announced that June 2022 was its highest vehicle production month in company history despite ongoing supply chain issues. In 2022, key supply chain management trends all lean towards building supply chain resilience. Manufacturers, dealerships, and . To provide a perspective, we have analyzed three main factors characterizing current industry dynamics: inflation's impact on demand, supply chain issues, and rising input costs. Food product scarcity. Amy Thorn, chief executive officer of the Distribution Business Management Association, says the crisis has brought a new awareness of the importance of global supply chains to economic health. But if COVID-19 taught supply chain managers anything, it is unexpected circumstances have the power to expose crucial weaknesses in the system . UPS Acquires Same-Day SaaS Delivery Management & Orchestration Technology Company . An easing of the delta . October 29th, 2021, 4:03 PM PDT. Otherwise, even if supply chain issues improve in 2022, sooner or later there will be other disruptions and we may have to relearn the lessons of history all over again. Another way companies are tackling their supply chain challenges is by partnering with other companies to make larger purchases, Preston said. Logistics-related supply chain pressures may ease during 2022 as a result of lessons learned. For its fiscal first quarter, the company forecasts a 4.5% to 5.5% year-over-year decline in organic revenue. "The year 2021 was an interesting for both ocean and air," reflects Tim Scharwath, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding.. "But within the first two-and-half months of 2022, things became worse. Oct 27, 2021 4:38 AM PDT. YouTube.
Controlling inventory is the key as companies endure supply-chain issues before 'Back to School' and Black Friday periods. Recently, Kelly Blue Book reported that chip production is ramping up but that might help the current car-buying situation anytime soon. July 4, 2022 / 7:10 PM / CBS News. In an earnings call with analysts in January, management estimated that supply chain disruptions cost the company about $100 million in lost sales versus demand during the quarter that ended on . European companies across sectors and markets are citing . January 13, 2022. The NAM conducted the survey Feb. 11-25, 2022. New York (CNN Business) Problems with global supply chains were supposed to be getting better by now. Here are the top 10, with the number of first-quarter "supply chain" mentions for . Here are the top 10, with the number of first-quarter "supply chain" mentions for . Menu icon A vertical stack of three evenly spaced horizontal lines. Henderson believes this is likely to one of the key trends of 2022 as domestic freight prices have risen less than international rates. Chip shortages and supply chain issues have caused a shortage of cars, and in turn, driven up prices.
Labor shortages and issues with the 2022 crop planting season may keep costs high. The Big Challenges for Supply Chains in 2022. Disruptions, such as delayed deliveries, left companies scrambling for alternative options. The Building Safety Bill. Tesla announced that June 2022 was its highest vehicle production month in company history despite ongoing supply chain issues. Companies sought to side-step the delays by paying extra to take . We have also outlined concrete levers to overcome the challenges and help sporting goods companies make the right decisions quickly. Food product scarcity. Repatriation of manufacturing. A GlobalData consumer survey found that customers started their Christmas shopping earlier than usual in 2021, with 60.8% of them starting their Christmas shopping in October, as opposed to 48.6% in 2020, with 40.6% of those that did their shopping earlier doing so because of the ongoing supply chain issues. The American Trucking Association estimates an 80,000 driver shortage as of 2021. Full visibility of the supply chain can improve a company's brand image. This assumes no near-term improvement in the supply chain, and a $350 million to $400 million impact from foreign exchange rates .
B y Are Traasdahl. As per the Statista Supply Chain Indicator, the US and EU are the most vulnerable to supply chain commotion. Provided by Dow Jones.
Six key trends impacting global supply chains in 2022. Image: Unsplash. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause supply chain issues across the country. Cisco . June 29 (Reuters) - U.S. power companies are facing supply crunches that may hamper their ability to keep the lights on as the nation heads into the . Customers can expect to see shortages of products on shelves and price increases of those products, writes an expert. Major cities cancel July 4 fireworks amid fire fears, supply chain issues.
2021 Supply Chain Issues Might Spill Over Into 2022. In the run-up to Christmas, there was considerable anxiety about shortages of festive foods and gifts. A military equipment supplier talks us through the insights into the outlook for the supply chain and anticipated shortages this year. Miami, FL. 1.) E.Leclerc Chez Moi the home delivery wing of France's largest grocery store ran into significant supply chain issues. Key Findings: 88.1% of respondents cited supply chain challenges as a primary business challenge in the first quarter, 85.7% . The solution to resiliency can be summed up in one word: more, more visibility, more transparency among partners, more resources, more staff, more technology, and the list goes on and on. Did you know that up to 80% of raw materials used in natural products, such as dietary supplements, come from China? Company Quicklook. The concern about disruptions of medical supply chains is so great that, in August 2021, three leading medical supply chain trade associations sent a joint letter to the White . 94% of Fortune 1000 companies saw supply chain disruptions as a result of Covid-19. But the Ukraine-Russia conflict erupted and supply chains were further disrupted.
International shipping costs enjoyed unprecedented gains with the cost of a 40ft container increasing from $1,331 on average at the end of February 2020 to a peak of $11,109 by mid-September 2021. If 2021 was the year of supply chain disruption, 2022 will be dominated by a shift to a more resilient and agile . By Paul Bergeron | July 06, 2022 at 08:13 AM X The supply chain disruptions can be boiled down to a few main causes: raw material shortages, closed shipping ports, and increased consumer demand. The Institute for Supply Management ("ISM") reported the December 2021 Manufacturing ISM at 58.7%, which is the nineteenth consecutive month .
Businesses will need to develop tools to plan for and manage through supply chain issues. Issues such as these may spill over into 2022. But .
Robert J. 10. Delayed cargo.
They also predict the number could reach 160,000 by 2030. This will continue to challenge companies with supply chains that stretch across states or countries. The company has developed AI tools that aim spot potential problems early and provide users with actionable recommendations that help them avoid supply chain issues before they happen. "The year 2021 was an interesting for both ocean and air," reflects Tim Scharwath, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding.. "But within the first two-and-half months of 2022, things became worse. REUTERS/Bing Guan. Companies watched helplessly as their goods languished on container ships stranded in the Suez Canal or stuck at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif. Global Water Shortage. 2021 was a challenging year in the supply chain. Chip shortages and supply chain issues have caused a shortage of cars, and in turn, driven up prices. Plus, Brexit legislation came into force on 31 January 2021, prompting the mass exodus of EU workers and causing further bottlenecks at borders as companies navigate additional requirements. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain. January 19, 2022 - By Edward Sweeney. However, costs and economic concerns are exactly the reason why supply chains must become more resilient. By August 2021, all regions showcased have been above the index 100 lines, demonstrating that disruption stayed high.
The economic environment has become more challenging, and sustainability is being emphasized. Jan 21, 2022. By Mauro Orru.
By August 2021, all regions showcased have been above the index 100 lines, demonstrating that disruption stayed high. . Overcome supply chain challenges . Dec 8, 2021. Supply chain issues have been made much worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. Top supply chain technologies to address supply chain challenges in 2022. A crucial element of supply chains that undoubtedly saw economic success in 2021 was shipping companies. A survey of local chamber of commerce leaders by the U.S. Chamber reveals that 90% of these leaders say that labor shortages are limiting economic growth in local areas.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which cut off . 1. "In tough working conditions for drivers . "That 5% is totally attributable to supply chain," said Foulkes . If you're in the dropshipping business, you know that the two main factors affecting the industry right now are supply chain issues and inflation. . Leading organizations will look to . The last year and a half have been rife with supply chain disruptions. Materials to make products are a key part of the supply chain.
1. For instance, Volkswagen Group's management team explained on their Q4 call that . Construction equipment is no joke, to say the least, which is why it's important to lessen risks. Inflation and economic downturn Without the necessary materials, production comes to a halt. Consequently, companies are becoming more focused on anticipating, reacting to, and planning for the unexpected through their supply chain strategies. However, many were disappointed even . . June 29 (Reuters) - U.S. power companies are facing supply crunches that may hamper their ability to keep the lights on as the nation heads into the heat of summer and the peak hurricane season.
Ferguson PLC, value added distributor of plumbing and heating products, came out with their third quarter results on June 14 th. That would be an expensive mistake. In many cases, driven by necessity, companies used this period to increase overall investment in digital supply chain technologies, and replace legacy platforms in order to gain end-to-end visibility and bring risks under control.". But . Shelves are sparsely stocked of candy at a big box store on January 13, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.
Supply chain pressures stretched ports to maximum capacity, and there was (and continues to be) a shortage of truckers. The Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 Companies for 2022. April 22, 2022. Just when the world's third-party logistics (3PL) providers thought they had seen the worst of the supply chain chaos, Russia invaded Ukraine and China implemented lockdown measures in Shanghai. TPLs have the experience and resources necessary to handle large volumes of . The poster child of the auto supply chain woes is the microprocessors that drive nearly every advanced component on a vehicle and these days, that is most of them. Business Facilities' March / April 2022 issue . Currently, record-long lead times, tariffs, wide-scale shortages of critical basic materials, rising commodities prices, and difficulties in transporting products across industries cause problems in material scarcity.Just look at the automotive industry, which is . The year 2021 brought on a whole new parade of supply chain disruption issues, from a chip shortage affecting the production of new cars, to the hyperbolic warnings of empty shelves in stores around Christmas. Katie Koch, Goldman Sachs Asset Management Co-Head of Fundamental Equity believes Wall Street has put too much pressure on companies to optimize supply chains. A survey by PROS in 2021 found that 55% of Australian manufacturers plan to reshore manufacturing operations to Australia by 2023. The United States is also experiencing a trucker shortage. Below is a roundup of comments made by European companies on supply-chain . Equally, problems were aggravated by strategies to maximise supply-chain efficiency such as just-in-time manufacturing, where companies keep inventories to a bare minimum to reduce costs. Transportation is the biggest supply-side problem facing businesses as ships wait to unload off the California coast, said Oren Klachkin, lead U.S. economist with forecasting and analytics group Oxford Economics. 2022 at 11 :49AM You're reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool's Premium . In a recently released '2022 Annual Supply Chain Risk Report' from Everstream Analytics, a leading supply chain risk analytics provider, worldwide water instability is outlined as one of the top 5 supply chain risks that global companies should prepare for in the next 12 months.
Drop Shipping in 2022 - Supply Chain Issues & Inflation. The pandemic brought with it a mammoth . The company has developed AI tools that aim spot potential problems early and provide users with actionable recommendations that help them avoid supply chain issues before they happen. Supply chain visibility remains a top concern for most companies today, so it's not surprising that more businesses will be looking to integrate blockchain technology into their supply chains. Labor shortages and issues with the 2022 crop planting season may keep costs high. Stockouts and raw material shortages came to define 2021, and empty shelves pushed the term "supply chains" into the national spotlight. U.S. supply chain woes will worsen in the near term before easing up well into 2022 as bare shelves persist bare and prices rise. Brunswick's boat business has faced more challenges, but even so ended up making 95% of the units they planned for the year. The market continues to worry about supply chain issues impacting earnings. Looking ahead to the rest of 2022, these are some of the key challenges that supply chains will face. Supply chains - from potato chips to computer chips - have struggled since the pandemic started. Unfortunately, we should expect the supply chain disruptions that started in 2020 to continue through 2022 with ongoing shipping, trucking and rail delivery congestion.
Both have the power to deeply impact businesses, since dropshippers depend on being able to access items, and then being able to sell them . However, many were disappointed even . Trade friction was already at the core of the Brexit debate, and supply chain challenges have been made much worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. Years ago, you used to be able to walk into a car dealership, pick the car you liked and negotiate a price.
. With Covid, port delays, equipment scarcity including trucks and people are you building your supply chain to withstand these future areas of weakness? But if COVID-19 taught supply chain managers anything, it is unexpected circumstances have the power to expose crucial weaknesses in the system . During 2020 and 2021, the pandemic upended the logistics industry. The recent pandemic has affected every part of the value chain, from raw material sourcing to end customer. As per the Statista Supply Chain Indicator, the US and EU are the most vulnerable to supply chain commotion. CHAS, which provides clients and contractors with risk mitigation, compliance, and supply chain management services, has identified possible reasons that it believes would slow productivity in 2022.
Logility Voyager Solutions.
Now . . The year 2022, with restrictions easing, is supposed to be a breath of fresh air. Raw material and supply shortages. By working with supply chain partners to identify which technologies would be most beneficial, companies can improve their efficiency and visibility while still staying within budget. In the run-up to Christmas, there was considerable anxiety .
Ferguson. Leaders from some of Colorado's largest companies warned this week that issues that have delayed shipments, made goods scarcer and led to product price increases likely will . With more than 1,300 customers worldwide, Logility is a leading provider of collaborative supply chain optimization and advanced retail planning solutions that help small, medium, large, and Fortune 500 companies realize substantial bottom-line results in record time. Americans honor their freedom with patriotism and pyrotechnics. Experts predict that the consequences of recent events will continue to impact global supply chains into 2022. COVID-19 has highlighted risks and resiliency gaps . It is testing the commercial, operational, financial and organizational resilience of the majority of companies across the globe. Moving into 2022, EY expects to see companies transitioning from "survive" to "thrive," as they shift . Companies. European companies across sectors and markets are citing the effects of supply chain issues in their latest earnings reports, with some expecting pandemic-related disruptions, supply bottlenecks and a shortage of semiconductors to stretch into the new year. Just when the world's third-party logistics (3PL) providers thought they had seen the worst of the supply chain chaos, Russia invaded Ukraine and China implemented lockdown measures in Shanghai. In the nine months ending April 30 th they generated over . And CEOs, investors and other food industry stakeholders should be prepared . As per modern supply chain analysis, traceability, transparency, automation, and collaboration via technology will transform supply chains digitally. Chip supplies were thin . By Mauro Orru. Fortunately, there are signs of improvement for supply chain issues, specifically from the automotive industry. B of A also screened for companies with more mentions in the first quarter versus the prior seven quarters.
In this article we will first review supply chain indicators, and then discuss approaches business management can take to survive and thrive in this environment. Skyrocketing demand, the pandemic and other factors driving current supply issues aren't expected to go away in 2022, and shortages of certain materials and products will likely continue.
Apart from peer and Gartner opinion, the rankings are based on scores on key attributes such as ESG, three-year weight return on physical assets (ROPA), and revenue growth and inventory turns. Apple has been reported to be interested in moving at least some iPad production to Vietnam since January 2021, but supply chain issues over the past year are said to have delayed the move. In 2021, the global pandemic affected the ball supply chain , and some companies are still struggling to recover. In March of 2022, 18 businesses from supply chain segments (including private businesses, trucking, warehousing, ports, and logistics) joined the Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) initiative launched by the .


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Juniper mobile dating
"We expect 2017 to be the biggest year for console-based VR revenue growth, as there are several units coming into the market which are not feeling the impact of price competition," Juniper said.
"This means we will see a rise in [average selling price] across both 20 as the newer models come into the market, and only adjust to each others' presence over the course of a year or two, insulated to a degree by ecosystem lock-in."Juniper also expressed some concern about price erosion in the PC VR market."In the several months since the launch of PC-based VR this year, consumer expectations are likely to have changed to expect shorter, cheaper games," research author Joe Crabtree said.
When asked about generating revenue, Dawoon Kang of Coffee Meets Bagel described a new feature that lets daters pay for an A/B test to figure out which photo they should use on their dating profiles.
Oculus Rift, Vive, and Play Station VR may not have set the world on fire just yet, but analysts are still big on virtual reality.
In a "Virtual Reality ~ Virtually Here" whitepaper released today, Juniper Research forecast that the VR hardware market--including VR headsets, peripherals, and 360-degree cameras--would grow to more than $50 billion by 2021.
Cowen & Co.'s Paul Silverstein and his team met with Juniper Networks (JNPR) management at last week's Mobile World Congress, and were encouraged by their upbeat tone--but are still wary of the stock.
Silverstein reiterated a Market Perform rating and $30 price target on the stock Friday, writing that Juniper remains committed to revenue growth between 3% and 6% this year.
From 2000 to 2003, a series of wildfires ripped through Mesa Verde National Park, burning about 24,000-acres – nearly half of the park’s old growth forest.
Now, almost two decades later, park managers and biologists are concerned that the piñon-juniper woodland is showing virtually no signs of growing back, posing the tough question: Will Mesa Verde’s iconic forests ever be the same?"When AAA publishers release to PC, they may have trouble selling with traditional AAA prices, while console users have no such habit to break." billion isn't the largest number being tossed around for the VR industry, but it is still quite bullish.In August, IDC projected worldwide VR/AR revenues of hardware and software to total 2 billion in 2020.BUSINESSWIRE - Aug 3 - Total Q2 revenue was .3M, up 91% YOY, mobile revenue was .3M, up 55% YOY.The company has increased daily video minutes by 80% to 7.2M, with ~20% of its users watching videos every day.Settlement of the Mesa Verde region, which spans parts of Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, dates back to 9,500 B. But the height of Mesa Verde’s civilization is considered to have occurred from about 900 to 1280 A.Tags: Adult Dating, affair dating, sex dating


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If you ask any UNC student or graduate about their college experience, Franklin Street will always come up in conversation. From buying game day gear at Shrunken Head to a late-night meal at Time-Out, Franklin Street is the epitome of a college town atmosphere.
But we could see an entirely different Franklin Street after the pandemic. However, many Franklin Street businesses have closed, temporarily and permanently, including Ms Mong, Lula’s, LOTSA and Perennial.
I spoke with Chris Carini, owner and head chef of Linda’s Bar and Grill, about the impact that COVID-19 has had on his business. Linda’s opened back up when students arrived, but Carini decided to close again on Aug. 24.
“We closed again because I knew it was better to live to fight another day," Carini said. "We’re going to reopen when it makes sense. I think it’s important for people to know Linda’s will be there for them when this madness ends, but also now when they need it the most. And I’m working on getting her back open."
Gov. Roy Cooper recently announced that the state would transition to Phase 3 of reopening, which allows bars to reopen. Even with the go-ahead to open, Carini will keep social distancing guidelines in place and is planning on starting an electric bike delivery service to expand Linda’s outreach.


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California-Based The Rogers Family Company Launches Initiative to Combat Coffee Disease
Sri Lanka first witnessed the plant-destroying disease, la roya, in 1869. Fungus caused powdery yellow spots to appear on the leaves. Then, the leaves began to brown and drop. The disease spread viciously and unyieldingly, weakening the plants and reducing yields, eventually killing the coffee plant. Within 50 years, the disease destroyed the country’s entire coffee production industry.
Also known as “coffee rust,” roya continued to strike and devastate coffee-producing nations, causing $1 billion in damage to the coffee industry. To combat this, the Lincoln, California-based Rogers Family Company and their green coffee buyer, Pete Rogers, launched the “Rust Trust” project, an initiate that aims to plant 50 million trees in numerous regions by 2016, to replace those lost to roya.
Pete Rogers conceived and manages the Rust Trust, which launched in January of 2014. It was developed months prior to the U.S. government’s announcement that they planned to work with the University of Texas to develop a solution to the coffee crisis. Rogers spends six to nine months with his “boots to ground at source,” working with employees and coffee farmers at farms, proving that he has credible, first hand perspective on rust and any issues related to the coffee industry.
Last year, the countries hit the hardest by coffee rust were Guatemala, Peru and Mexico, where production declined 20 to 40 percent. The Rogers have partner farms and own and operate farms in Guatemala, Peru, and Mexico, as well as Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Colombia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Hawaii and Rwanda. The Roger’s directives help farmers in those nations secure loans, buy trees, buy seeds, learn how to graft, buy fertilizer, buy chemicals to spray for roya, become educated on rouse defenses, become educated on higher product yields, and learn to live for up to three years with almost no income.
The Rogers family has allotted $1 million, through its charitable fund, to launch the Rust Trust’s first phase in Mexico’s Chiapas region, where approximately 1,175,000 coffee trees were planted on 293 hectares. The initial $451,000 expenditure in January 2014 will help 146 families (500 people); the overall effort strives to break the cycle of poverty, and protect nature through this and other unique initiatives that will counter the global challenge poised to affect millions. The Community Aid program, which goes beyond the efforts of fair trade, has built thousands of modern housing units, built or helped build 46 schools, and 11 medical clinics in coffee growing regions. Also, the company has also helped to preserve native flora and fauna, including thousands of acres of forest habitat that harbors endangered wildlife.
Founded in 1979 by Jon B. Rogers and his wife Barbara Rogers, the company supplies “Responsibly Grown/ Fairly Traded” gourmet coffee to retail, wholesale and individual customers nationwide. Their first warehouse was in San Francisco, had only 4 fulltime employees, and sold $132,000 in coffee during their first year. The Rogers now employ 294 employees worldwide, they own 10 coffee farms in Panama and Mexico, and they had $166 million in sales in 2013.


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Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Android users recently got their hands on a version of Instagram they could call their own. The photo filter and sharing app was a runaway success with iPhone users, and it’s been one of the hottest apps in Google Play since it launched. Popularity comes at a price sometimes, and on the Android platform that price is often the rise of knock-off malware apps.
Sophos has spotted a Russian website that pretends to be offering visitors an Instagram download, but it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Once installed, the fake app tries to line its creators’ pockets and rack up charges via background SMS messages.
But before we all board the “Android malware is a massive problem” train, it’s important to note that this fake Instagram app can only be installed if users have flipped the switch to allow unofficial sources. If you stick to stores like Google Play and Amazon Appstore, you’re not going to run into this Trojan — or many other malicious apps for that matter. If you roam the web and download .APK files from questionable websites without giving a second thought to security, you’re asking for trouble.
While poseur malware is certainly a problem, there are plenty of other folks much more concerned that the official Instagram app may have crossed over to the dark side. Everyone’s favorite little photo app is now owned by Mark Zuckerberg and company, following the highly-publicized $1 billion acquisition of the 13-employee shop.
More at Sophos


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What you need to know
Lack of restoration and maintenance after working out can lead to serious injuries, and Taiwan startup U-GYM is aiming to help in maintaining daily health care.
The tagline goes, “Use it anywhere, anytime, on the spot.”
This probably would seem cliche for any many products but what about for a portable electrotherapy machine? That is what Taiwan startup U-GYM is offering.
Mark Yu (余福浩), founder and CEO of U-GYM, says that rest and maintenance after working out is actually more important than doing the exercise.
U-GYM helps people massage and relax their muscles right after working out to prevent injuries, and is as effective as receiving electrotherapy at a chiropractor. It is also one of the startups showcasing in TechCrunch Disrupt NY this year.
The News Lens spoke with Yu to learn more about creating the portable massager and what difficulties the company has seen so far.
The News Lens: What inspired you to start U-GYM?
Mark Yu: It started out with me having to go to physical therapy a lot for my shoulders. It was a waste of time and I didn’t have the time to go to the chiropractor for electrotherapy that often.
So I began thinking if it would be possible to build a portable electrotherapy machine that people could use anytime, anywhere, and was effective. Not like the low-frequency ones on the market.
TNL: What are the difficulties you have been seeing?
Yu: First of all, a lot of people didn’t care for the look of our prototype. Second, most people don’t know what electrotherapy is, so our product is very hard to sell. Our biggest challenge is finding the simplest way to make consumers want to buy our product.
We have a high product cost so our unit price is also higher. After a lot of re-targeting, we found that the appearance of our product was most important. The look had to at least reach a certain standard so that users would purchase it after finding out that it is effective.
Our current business model is to let consumers experience our product, whether they are marathons runners or coaches, and asking them to share their experience. We already know that people who try our product are definitely going to buy it. We know this much already, so we need to lower the threshold (for people to try their product) that comes before this.
We also know who are target audience is and what strategy to use, so we need to build our brand, which is what we’re mostly doing now.
Daily health care is what we’re promoting, and when we go to the U.S. and say our product is for preventive and daily maintenance, they get it. But consumers in Taiwan haven’t fully understood this concept yet. They don’t know the restoration and maintenance after working out is more important that the exercise itself.
I think startups that are promoting a certain concept or campaign need to work very hard because of the bad economy. But I think we will survive by doing whatever we can to sell our product.
TNL: How are sales looking so far? And what future plans do you have in mind?
We have sold nearly 2,000 units starting from last July, and we just launched our Android app. The app integrates social media elements and allows you to share any massage rhythm you create with the app.
Our second product, U-GYM mini, will also launch in May. That will be targeting non-athletes, like office workers, and is only for relaxation.
TNL: What are your expectations of TechCrunch Disrupt NY?
Yu: We’re looking to find the right influencers and partners, like gyms, because one-on-one branding takes too long. We’re hoping to enhance the initial perception of our product at TechCrunch Disrupt. If we have the endorsement of the right influencers, our brand will take off faster.
Finding strategic investors and future agents or marketing channels is another thing we hope to achieve. In Taiwan, we’re focusing on the running industry because that’s the exercise most people are doing at the moment; if expanding overseas, it will depend on what kind of partner we find. Maybe we will start from the body-building industry.
TNL: How do you think the government could better support startups?
Yu: I think Taiwan Startup Stadium (TSS) is doing a good job, but we need more than TSS. It would be great if there were more organizations doing what TSS is doing. Startups don’t need talk of support but help in selling their products. The government uses too little budget in doing work that matters.
It would also make more sense if the government’s KPI for subsidies were, for example, the number of influencers you get with the money, and not just written reports.
The News Lens was sponsored by Taiwan Startup Stadium to attend TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2017.
Editor: Edward White


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- Just Announced
Thursday, 30 Apr 2015
Today at Build, Windows chief Terry Myerson laid out more plans for the company's Universal Windows Platform strategy. And it involves Android and iOS.
Project Spartan, the successor to Internet Explorer, finally has a name, and it's Microsoft Edge.
Microsoft has just announced Visual Studio Code, a code-optimized editor that runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux machines.
Wednesday, 29 Apr 2015
LG Singapore recntly announced the availability of its fun and customizable AKA smartphones, the Yo-Yo and Eggy. These phones have garnered great response and positive feedback from customers in South Korea. Find out why after the jump.
Dropbox has introduced a new comments feature that allows users to discuss shared files without leaving the browser window. It is also working on a beta program for Dropbox Notes, which enables multiple users to edit a document à la Google Docs.
Dubai-based telecommunications company, Thuraya, launched the XT-PRO today, a satellite phone it says is the most advanced in the world.
LG unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the LG G4 today. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, the 5.5-inch QHD display phablet will be available with a luxurious full-grain leather rear. It's also one of the few remaining flagships with a removable battery and expandable storage. Full pricing and availability details inside.
Patriot has announced a new dual-sided USB Type-C/Type-A flash drive targeted at users of the new Macbook and other devices that use the next-generation USB Type-C ports. There's compatibility with Type-A ports too, so users can transfer data seamlessly between their new and old devices!
Tuesday, 28 Apr 2015
NZXT has announced the Noctis 450, an updated version of the H440 featuring the same chassis but with a redesigned exterior and additional features.
Kingston's HyperX division has launched the HyperX Savage, a new high-performance SATA-based SSD. The 2.5-inch drive is only 7mm in height, which means it will fit into most notebooks, desktops and small form factor PCs.


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Crypto-market’s maker-taker pricing system may not be actually profitable
The maker-taker fee structure is one of the underlying aspects of trading that determines profitability. In fact, many cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance and others operate on a maker-taker fee structure. While the general assumption is that this price system benefits traders in terms of switching to exchange with lower fees, a recent research report has argued that it actually burdens traders with a higher cost of trading, thus causing difficulties to long-term investors.
Digital assets derivatives exchange ZUBR, in a report published on 2 April, examined economic theory, incentives, and the real effects behind asymmetric fees on exchanges. The report noted that the asymmetric fee structure is diminishing traders’ profits. While maker rebates increase liquidity initially, the benefits diminish as more high-frequency traders compete against each other, reducing profitability which also further results in less effective markets. The report also pointed out that rebates prove to be more about market share grabs than about market effectiveness and efficiency.
Vitalik Buterin, Co-founder of Ethereum, sharing his thoughts on maker-taker pricing system had once stated,
“Maker-taker models seem more attractive to makers and reduce apparent spreads so it’s better marketing to display things that way, much like displaying prices with tax not included.”
The report also noted that the maker-taker model does not keep the ‘bid and ask’ spreads close during high volatility. For instance, BitMEX spreads went from an average of 0.28% to 4%, as seen in the above chart, during the high-volatile phase many have now dubbed ‘Black Thursday.’
Further looking into the negative effects of maker-taker rebates in cryptocurrency space, the report noted the following points,
- The length of exchange queues increases, making it less likely for other market participants to provide passive liquidity with optimal execution.
- Passive market participants are forced to trade more aggressively to access liquidity
- Liquidity is often fleeting – that is, it may disappear in times of market stress, particularly for less liquid
- Myriad order types, rebates, and fees proliferate as trading venues seek to capture market share, resulting in excessive fragmentation of order flow.
In conclusion, the report highlighted that as cryptocurrency markets advance, the industry will need to increase its efficiency to address an asset class like Bitcoin, which has limited supply and high volatility.


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Poppy Delevingne looks every inch the Chanel girl in a tweed jacket, laser-cut jumpsuit and fragrance bottle clutch bag
After returning from a fashionable trip to New York for Fashion Week, Poppy Delevingne was back to her stylish self as she headed out for the evening in London.
The model looked every bit the vintage Chanel girl thanks to her tweed jacket and limited edition clear Runaway Perfume Bottle Plexiglass clutch bag.
But the 27-year-old brought a modern edge to her look thanks to the laser-cut jumpsuit underneath that showed a lot of skin.
Scroll down for video
Chanel girl: Poppy Delevingne steps out in London wearing a tweed jacket with a limited edition Coco Chanel perspex fragrance bottle clutch bag with chain
Poppy's black bra and high-waisted pants could be seen from beneath the fabric, and she finished off the outfit with black court shoes, an Audrey Hepburn-like bun and Twiggy-inspired kohl eyes.
The newlywed - who got hitched this summer to James Cook - had dressed to the nines after taking the redeye from New York to London.
But rather than spend the day in bed recovering from jetlag, Poppy was seen out and about shopping, and wearing her customised light blue bomber jacket with her nickname 'PopDog' on the back.
How very Audrey: The model styled her blonde hair into a ballerina-esque bun
C'est chic: Poppy wore a laser cut jumpsuit that showed off her slim frame
Glammed up: Poppy looked chic after living it 'rough' at Burning Man this summmer
She wore similar attire during the hen celebrations put on ahead of her wedding, and Delevingne said recently that she wished she got to spend more time with her new hubby.
Speaking backstage at the Desigual show at NYFW, Poppy told the New York Post about married life 'Oh, it's wonderful.
'I just wish I could see him a little bit more!'
She also spoke about her younger sister Cara's love life, when asked if the wild model would be following in her footsteps.
Red Eye: Poppy arrived back from New York on the last flight from JFK on Wednesday night
'Not anytime soon — she's having way too much fun,' Poppy said at The Theater at Lincoln Center.
And it seems Delevingne has been having her own fun too after spending the week at Burning Man.
'We really roughed it — we were there for a full week,' Poppy told Fashionista.
'And I had to actually start giving my clothes away for food. Because you can't buy s**t. So I came back with nothing. I had to give all my stuff away.'
'Some Ikat catsuits, bikinis, flower pieces… a Burberry cape,' she said.
PopDog: The model wore her custom-made bomber jacket to go shopping in
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"Despite accusations of price gouging, delivery problems, and supply chain failures Woolworths rode the storm best and c...
Uneven impact of coronavirus on display, as Woolies offers to hire some of 20,000 workers Qantas laid off.
The ACCC still has concerns about the sharing of consumer data with Qantas.
The retail group has become one of the most popular avenues for Frequent Flyer members to earn points.
TerryWhite alliance with Qantas' Frequent Flyer program is expected to provide significant growth opportunities for the ...
Snack manufacturer partners with Woolworths and Qantas to deliver new product.
Social media influencers will underpin Cascade's latest nationwide promotion.
Aldi’s expansion strategy poses threat to Woolworths and Coles.


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The State Council Information Office has announced plans for the development of China’s transportation and logistics systems. At a press conference held on March 1, Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng introduced the “Outline of the National Comprehensive Three-dimensional Transportation Network Planning”, which states that:
- China’s transportation and logistics system will be modernized by 2035 through the ‘National 123 Travel Circle’ and the ‘Global 123 Logistics Circle’.
- Commute times should be no more than one hour in cities, two hours within city clusters, and three hours between major Chinese cities.
- The logistics industry should deliver to destinations within China in one day, to nearby countries in two days, and to major global cities in three days.
The hashtag ‘#2035 China will achieve one hour commute time in cities’ hit 130 million views on Weibo and many netizens commented that they were excited to save time commuting.


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bpost today launches a pilot project in two Belgian municipalities. When arriving at a front door to deliver a parcel and the addressee is not home the postwoman/man will no longer put a printed failed delivery notice through the letterbox. As from now, customers will only receive an e-mail. The initiative is part of bpost’s commitment to working in an ever more sustainable way by reducing its paper consumption.
Not home when a parcel is delivered? In most cases, the postwoman/man will put a printed failed delivery notifice through the letterbox. While these notifications are convenient, they do have an impact on the environment. In Tessenderlo and Chastre bpost is launching a pilot project to make the delivery process more sustainable. Now, postwomen/men will only put a printed notification through the letterbox if email is not an option. This will cut the use of printed failed delivery notifications by 90%.
Sustainability is an important ambition, but the pilot project also fits in with the continued optimisation and digitisation of the various processes at bpost. The big advantage of digital communication is that addressees always receive the more extensive and up-to-date information about their parcel.
For now only addressees who have registered their delivery preferences will receive digital notifications. Some 3.4 million Belgians have already registered their delivery preferences, such as a safe place, a neighbour, a pick-up point or a parcel locker, in the My bpost app or on the website. In the pilot project areas (Tessenderlo and Chastre), addressees who have not registered their delivery preferences will also receive digital notifications.
The pilot project will be extended to a number of larger municipalities within a few months. If the pilot project goes successfully, the process could be rolled out across the country for both parcels and registered mail next year.
“In digitising failed delivery notifications, bpost is taking a further step towards greener parcel deliveries,” says Chris Vansnick, Director Sustainability bpostgroup. “bpost wants to make a difference in terms of sustainability by adopting more and more eco-friendly initiatives.”
bpost, setting the benchmark in sustainability
Every day bpost transports more than half a million parcels. The entire value chain at e-commerce companies like bpost has an impact on nature. bpost aims to make a positive contribution to combatting climate change by significantly reducing its carbon footprint. The company has set ambitious science-based targets (SBT), with a 55% reduction in scope 1 and scope 2 emissions and a 14% reduction in scope 3 emissions by 2030. Various initiatives have been adopted across the company to achieve these targets, including the green transformation of its fleet and the installation of solar panels, as well as the creation of Ecozones and zero-emission delivery areas. Avoiding missed deliveries with solutions like an extensive network of pick-up points also has positive effects for the environment.


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http://www.bitpod.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/logo2014-outlines-152-60-for-site.gif 0 0 bp-admin http://www.bitpod.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/logo2014-outlines-152-60-for-site.gif bp-admin2015-12-09 16:55:062015-12-09 16:55:06Exeter start up weekend
Aspiring entrepreneurs were given the opportunity to showcase their ideas at Exeter’s second start up weekend this month. As well as being major sponsors of the event, Bitpod were also tasked to create a video to promote the event to future attendees.
The start up weekend is an exciting opportunity for local entrepreneurs with a new business concept to potentially turn their idea into reality. It provides a unique platform to build relationships with co-founders, mentors and possible investors.
The event began with thirty three 60 second pitches, from which eight were selected to split into teams. At the end of the weekend, each team presented to an audience of judges and potential investors, after which the winner was announced (congratulations to team Savvi who came out on top!).
Bitpod thoroughly enjoyed being part of the event; after all, innovation is what we love! The promotional video will be available to view on our site very soon.


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Gallery: Rouses Focuses on FreshOct 22, 2013
NEW ORLEANS — More than a year after Rouses Markets opened its Central Business District location, the store continues to hone in on high-end, fresh and local products. This store was one of four featured in the Fresh Summit Retailer Produce Tour.
See more photos from New Orleans retailers and show news on SN's Fresh Summit Landing Page
Captions and photos by Jenna Telesca


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Is the biggest proposed merger in video game history dead? That’s what I’ve been contemplating ever since the Federal Trade Commission filed an administrative complaint on Dec. 8 contending that Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard would substantially lessen competition. Sure, headline writers made the fate of this merger seem like something less than a fait accompli, and that the government was merely “suing to block” the deal. But I wonder if giving Microsoft any shot here undersells what has just happened. Especially in light of what’s known about the F.T.C. adjudicative hellscape, the details of this particular merger agreement, and finally, how badly Lina Khan wants a win.
Wall Street, of course, has been hedging its bets for months. Yes, there was a clear industrial logic behind Microsoft, with its underrated Xbox business and strong cash position, buying up Activision, the behemoth video game publisher, especially amid various sexual harassment and discrimination scandals that helped convince C.E.O. Bobby Kotick it was time to sell. Still, thanks to Joe Biden’s very aggressive regulators, investors have harbored serious doubts whether the deal would close. Under the terms of the merger, Microsoft would pay $95 a share for Activision. Despite such generosity, the game publisher’s stock hasn’t traded past $86 at any time this past year. Currently, it’s at $75. Meaning, anyone who wants to bet on the merger actually happening would make a killing if it really does.


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Oppo Mobile India today launched the Oppo A54 handset in the country at a starting price of Rs 13,490. Now, the Chinese phone maker will announce the prices of the Oppo A74 in India tomorrow. The handset had previously made its debut in both 4G and 5G versions, however, the latter will be introduced in the market. The phone maker has already confirmed that it will be priced below the Rs 20,000 bracket. When launched, it would be made available exclusively via Amazon India.
Fast, smooth and ready to rule! Get the all-new OPPO A74 5G and be unstoppable with its 90Hz Refresh Rate display!
Launching on 20th April, 12 PM. Stay tuned. #PowerUpWithSpeed
— OPPO India (@oppomobileindia) April 18, 2021
Specification-wise, the upcoming Oppo A74 phone will sport a 6.43-inch FHD+ LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It will get a punch-hole cutout housing a 16MP selfie camera. Under the hood, there will be a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 chipset that will be clubbed with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.
For photography, the phone will come equipped with quad-cameras, including a 48MP primary lens, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies and video calls, there will be a 16MP sensor. It will run on Android 11 based on ColorOS. The phone will be fuelled by a 5000 mAh supporting 18W fast charging. As for prices, the Oppo A74 will be launched under Rs 20,000 in India.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 19, 2021 11:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).


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The images (right) treat us to our first glimpse at the handset’s front, which shows off the shape of the so-called Galaxy Nexus and its vanilla Android Ice Cream Sandwich interface. There’s also an official-looking shot of the rear of the smartphone, which hints that the phone will come dressed in a plasticky-looking casing, and that it’ll sport a rear-facing camera with LED flash.
As you can see, there’s also a photo of the side of the Nexus, which looks suspiciously like the image teased by Samsung.
In terms of specs, nothing new has been revealed about the Android flagship. However, we’re anticipating a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD screen, powered by a powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor. Further speculation has led us to believe that the phone will also come equipped with a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera capable of shooting 1080p HD video, a front-facing video-call camera, integrated NFC smarts, and all of the usual high-speed connectivity.
The Galaxy Nexus – previously leaked as the Google Nexus Prime – will reportedly be launched on October 19. We’ll bring you more details as soon as we get them.


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Canuck Searches for Loans, CreditCards & Rental Housing are UP!
And how much, you ask? Considerably, we respond!
The folks over at Experian — and Heather Hopkins, Senior Online Analyst who wrote the piece over at Hitwise — with their HitWise Research, have recently posted blog entries that show that for these categories at least, we Canucks are searching for more and more help in what I’d call a financial category…and here’s a pullquote from their Housing Searches report…and as you can see, the increase in rental searches by far outweighs the increase in home purchasing searches!
“Canadian internet searches for properties for rent searches (e.g. variations of ‘apartments for rent’, ‘houses for rent’, ‘maison a louer’) experienced a sharp increase over the past year, with a 158.2% increase in the first quarter of the year and 150.2% year over year (comparing Q1 2010 with Q4 2009 and Q1 2009). The increase in rental searches likely reflects uncertainty in the housing market and a tightening of the mortgage markets forcing house hunters to turn their attentions to rented accommodation.”
And if you follow the financial markets here in Canada, you’d also know that the Bank of Canada just raised their rates so money and the resulting mortgage sectors will be seeing an upcoming rise as well. And that’s not all the news either. It also shows that the number of searches has risen almost 50% in the past half year, tho to be fair, the number of searches for house purchasing is still 400% bigger than for house rentals. Still, the rise in the rental numbers is somewhat telling, eh?
Which brings me to their posting of yesterday, on how many of us Canadians are searching for credit, loans, credit cards etc….all things that once again, in our mind are indicative of a financial “crunch” that is either “on” the searchers or rapidly closing….and this is from this report over at Experian…
“Canadian internet searches for loans and credit cards showed gains year over year in the first quarter of 2010, reflecting the financial strain felt by consumers. Year over year, searches for loans increased 19.2% to the first quarter of 2010. Searches for loans showed a quarterly increase (comparing Q4 2009 and Q1 2010) of 42.5% likely a result of consumers searching for post-holiday shopping financial assistance…”
“Searches for credit cards saw a strong 52.5% gain year over year in the first quarter of 2010. Searches for credit cards decreased slightly over the first quarter by 1.2%. Credit card searches often rise in advance of the holiday shopping season and so the relative decline in the first quarter is unsurprising. The strong year over year gain indicates consumer demand for credit cards remains high…”
As you can see from this pullquote, the searches for this kind of financial market are strong and increasing as well!
So, by simply looking at the search engine search terms increases, you can see, like the rest of us can, that we Canucks still face some financial strains….the proof in our opinion, is in the numbers, eh!Google


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Honda CR-Z MUGEN prototype showing promiseMay 23, 2011
Last month I wrote about Honda’s plans to give their CR-Z sporty hybrid the MUGEN treatment. Now Honda UK and MUGEN Euro have released the first photos of the CR-Z MUGEN and some development updates.
Apparently development is on track and the statistics are looking promising. Early tests with a standard CR-Z and a tuned engine have yielded a 0-60 time similar to that of a Honda Civic CR-Z (6.6 seconds). A further 15% power increase over this “stage 1” engine, combined with reducing chassis weight by 50kg will bring the CR-Z MUGEN up to MUGEN Euro’s original targets.
“Early fuel consumption tests have also been encouraging,” says Colin Whittamore from MUGEN Euro. “We’ve retained the three driving modes from the standard car and economy ranges from 50+mpg in ‘eco’ mode to mid-30 mpg when tapping into the supercharged power in a special ‘MUGEN’ mode.”
I still think it’s a shame that the CR-Z MUGEN is a one-off prototype rather than a full production car, but who knows? Perhaps if there’s enough interest in the prototype we’ll see them added to the line-up. If you are going to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July you can see it in action, along with an exhibition of several Honda racing vehicles and special guests.
Tickets for the Festival can be bought from the Goodwood website.


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Elon Musk Hates Unions, Loves Frozen Yogurt and Roller Coasters
Elon Musk isn’t shy about making his opinions known, and in a company-wide email to Tesla employees on Friday, he set the record straight on a few controversial topics. The upshot? Unions are bad, frozen yogurt and roller coasters are good.
Musk’s email was largely a point-by-point rebuttal of a viral Medium post by alleged Tesla employee Jose Moran that detailed a list of harsh working conditions at the company’s Fremont factory, and acknowledged that he had attempted to contact the United Auto Workers union. Musk claimed Moran was “paid by the UAW to join Tesla and agitate for a union. He doesn’t really work for us, he works for the UAW.” The UAW fired back, calling Musk’s allegations “fake news.” Musk has been outspoken about his resistance to Tesla employees joining the UAW, an organization he feels is damaging to the financial goals of his company.
“That is why I was so distraught when I read the recent blog post promoting the UAW, which does not share our mission and whose true allegiance is to the giant car companies, where the money they take from employees in dues is vastly more than they could ever make from Tesla,” Musk wrote in the email, which was published in full by Electrek. “The tactics they have resorted to are disingenuous or outright false. I will address their underhanded attacks below. While this discussion focuses on Fremont, these same principles apply to every Tesla facility worldwide.”
Musk claims that, contrary to the picture painted by Moran’s Medium post, injuries on the Tesla factory floor are minimal.
“The net result is that since January 1st, our total recordable incident rate (TRIR) is under 3.3, which is less than half the industry average of 6.7,” Musk wrote.
Musk literally cast the entire affair as a “David vs. Goliath” allegory, in which Tesla, a multi-billion dollar corporation owned by the 87th wealthiest person in the world, is David.
The forces arrayed against us are many and incredibly powerful This is David vs Goliath if David were six inches tall! Only by being smarter, faster and working well as a tightly integrated team do we have any chance of success.
Tesla’s manufacturing capabilities are going to be increasingly important to the company’s future: Musk said during the Tesla earnings call that in the future, Tesla’s Gigafactories will be more important than its cars. The first test of Tesla’s push toward the future of manufacturing is the mass-produced Model 3, which Musk wants to be able to make at a rate of 5,000 per month in late 2017. If his workers are unhappy, that goal will undoubtedly be harder to meet.
In order to increase employee morale, Musk said the company would be having a “really amazing party” with free frozen yogurt and a plan he’s had for years: a Tesla electric pod roller coaster. In a sub-heading at the end of the email labeled “Fun,” Musk wrote:
As we get closer to being a profitable company, we will be able to afford more and more fun things. For example, as I mentioned at the last company talk, we are going to hold a really amazing party once Model 3 reaches volume production later this year. There will also be little things that come along like free frozen yogurt stands scattered around the factory and my personal favorite: a Tesla electric pod car roller coaster (with an optional loop the loop route, of course!) that will allow fast and fun travel throughout our Fremont campus, dipping in and out of the factory and connecting all the parking lots. It’s going to get crazy good 🙂
Thanks again for all your effort and I look forward to working alongside you to create an amazing future!
Inverse reached out to Tesla for clarification on Jose Moran’s employment at the company, Musk’s statements about the UAW, and whether or not the company was concerned about the possible dietary complications of frozen yogurt and roller coasters. We’ll update this story if we hear back.


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LEHI, Utah — A suspect was arrested in Lehi Saturday after police said he spent $1,939 at a store using a victim’s credit card information and was found with a card skimmer/reader in his pocket.
According to a probable cause statement released by the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, Ce Liang, 27, spent $1,939 at the Michael Kohr’s outlet store in Lehi.
Police were initially notified by the victim of the transaction, and went to the store to collect video surveillance, the statement said.
After police left the store, they were contacted by an employee, who said Liang was back at the outlet. Officers responded to the store and made contact with Liang, according to the statement.
Upon searching Liang, the statement said that officers located a credit card skimmer/reader in the front pocket of his jacket, and 13 different financial cards in his wallet.
Liang was booked into the Utah County Jail on suspicion of one count of obtaining encoded info on financial card, a third-degree felony and one count of attempted pattern of unlawful activity, also a third-degree felony.


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SIDNEY — The littlest and shyest winner in the annual baked goods competition at the Shelby County Fair has a head start on her future as a baker.
Kenzie Notestine, 4, of Maplewood, daughter of Jennifer Hoewischer and Matt Notestine, took top honors with her Pineapple Upside Down Cake.
“I bet mom was supervising that job,” said Auctioneer Dick Barhorst. “This will be starting her college fund at the bank.”
The cake sold for $700 and was purchased by Sidney Body CARSTAR owner Tom Martin.
“She did very well,” said Martin of his winning bid for the cake. “I want to help pay it forward because it’s all about the kids.”
And Martin is hoping someone pays it forward someday for his grandchildren. He was holding his grandson, Samuel Freisthler, while he was bidding on the cake.
Hoewischer said her daughter has been baking with her for two years.
“She really likes to bake with me. She likes putting the ingredients in the bowl and mixing them together.”
When Hoewischer asked Kenzie if she’d like to enter the contest, she told her mom she wanted to bake a cake.
Lisa Spurgeon, of Sidney, was on-the-run during the start of the auction. She won the grand champion for her Coconut-Pecan German Chocolate pie — and was anxiously watching her phone for a text. Her mom, Sondra Pence, of Anna, was being inducted into the Shelby County 4-H Hall of Fame at the same time the auction was beginning.
After getting the text she rushed back to the free entertainment tent, watched her mom — who didn’t know she was receiving the honor — and then rushed back to the baked goods auction.
Thanks to Barhorst, Spurgeon didn’t miss her buy being bid on as he moved it from second on the auction list to last.
“Is Lisa here,” asked Barhorst. “I heard you wanted to get your picture taken.”
And that’s what happened after her pie — which sold for $650 — was purchased by Shelby County Commissioners Julie Ehemann, tony Bornhorst and Bob Guillozet, Clerk of Courts Michele Mumford, Treasurer John Coffield and the Shelby County Republican Central Committee.
Lynn Cook, who won grand champion candy with her peanut brittle, announced the amount she receives from the sale will be donated to Dayton Children’s Hospital. Sidney Body CARSTAR and Detailed Machining purchased the candy for $600.
“I work at Walmart,” said Cook after the candy was purchased. “Last year our store raised $17,000 for Children’s Hospital. I wanted to get the ball rolling for next year’s event.”
While she doesn’t have children, Cook is a member of the Children’s Hospital committee at Walmart.
Wendy Langenkamp, of Sidney, sold her grand champion bread to Shelby County Commissioner Julie Ehemann and HER Realtor’s Kies-Lambert for $350.
Jana Botlon’s The Best Blondies bar was sold for $400 to Detailed Machining owner John Bertsch.
Wendy Langenkamp, of Sidney, sold her grand champion quick bread for $375 to Clerk of Courts Michele Mumford Best One Tire.
Reach the writer at 937-538-4822.


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Vivek Wadhwa of Singularity University returns to Big Think today as part of today’s featured video interview. The topic is disruption: the phenomenon that occurs when radical innovations ignite revolutionary or evolutionary change in an industry.
A simple example of this is what services like Lyft and Uber have done to disrupt the taxi industry. On a larger scale, cell phone technology has disrupted communications to the point that the private landline has gone the way of the dodo.
“Every industry I’ve looked at I’ve seen a trend of major disruption happening. Manufacturing is the most obvious. With robotics and 3-D printing, as of this year, it is cheaper to manufacture in the United States than it is in China. It is cheaper to manufacture in Europe than it is in China.”
Many westerners have lamented the recent outsourcing of manufacturing jobs to places like China. Wadhwa explains that automation is going to once again make manufacturing a local industry, although those human jobs don’t return with them. This is because operating costs will soon dip below what it costs to pay humans, meaning there will be no reason for major corporations to maintain international facilities that exploit cheap labor. That’s good for the U.S., Europe, and much of Asia, Wadhwa says. It’s not so good for China.
The switch to automated manufacturing is just the tip of the iceberg as far as that industry’s disruptions go. Over the next few decades we’ll see manufacturing get a major facelift:
“Within 15 to 20 years we’ll be able to 3-D print electronics. So imagine being able to design your own iPhone and print it at home. That is what becomes technically feasible in the 15 to 20 year timeframe. So you’re talking about major disruption happening to manufacturing in the short-term and then even greater disruption happening in the long term.”
Wadhwa explains that innovations such as crowdfunding and Bitcoin represent disruptions to the financial industry as well. Banks, he says, will have to reinvent themselves if they want to stay in business. Experiments involving crowdfunded loans are already being made outside the U.S.
The Latest on: Tech Disruptions
via Google News
The Latest on: Tech Disruptions
- ‘Join The Fight With Light’: New UV Tech Can Help Struggling Industries Returnon January 27, 2021 at 8:25 am
Kryptolights, a startup based in Phoenix, Arizona, is commercializing a new technology to offer cost-effective Far-UV products that can seamlessly integrate into people’s lives. “This type of lighting ...
- Stock trading platforms suffer tech problems amid market mayhemon January 27, 2021 at 7:39 am
Investors reported problems buying and selling stocks on at least half a dozen major trading platforms during a volatile market session on Wednesday. Users were struggling to carry out online ...
- Low-Code And No-Code: Bringing Tech And Business Togetheron January 27, 2021 at 6:00 am
The path forward will involve citizen developers becoming more important and CXOs championing modular adoption in enterprises.
- DHS ‘Rachelle Henderson on Modernization Tech to enhance national securityon January 27, 2021 at 5:10 am
DHS 'Rachelle Henderson on Modernization Tech to enhance national security Rachelle Henderson CIO of ICE US Customs and Border Protection ...
- 13 hot enterprise tech startups to watch in 2021on January 27, 2021 at 5:04 am
The enterprise tech startup sector is packed with companies capitalizing on growing demand — even amid the disruptions caused by the pandemic — for tools in the world of big data, devops, cloud, ...
- How Commercial Property Owners Can Cut Through The Hype Of CRE Techon January 27, 2021 at 4:20 am
Accelerated by the pandemic, technology has arrived at the forefront of the CRE industry, and property teams need to embrace it if they want to remain competitive in the modern world.
- Employing Disruptive Technology to Increase Customer Satisfactionon January 27, 2021 at 1:02 am
David Sypher, VP of Product at Trading Central outlines the opportunities and challenges of disruptive technology.
- 2021 Top Tech Priorities TCCtech Embraces for Customerson January 26, 2021 at 10:50 pm
Mr. Teerapan Luengnaruemitchai, Managing Director of TCC Technology disclosed the upcoming trend that most of our customers applied the digital-first strategy to help them ensure the smart, fast and ...
- Top 10 Tech Job Skills Predicted to Grow the Fastest in 2021on January 26, 2021 at 1:08 pm
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- Resilient first half for tech services group, despite disruptionon January 25, 2021 at 12:01 am
Altitude Group, the Manchester-based operator of the leading marketplace for personalised products, said it produced a resilient first half, which saw revenues rise, but losses increase. In the six ...
via Bing News


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Investors have poured $200 million into Plenty, an indoor farming company based in San Francisco.
It is the largest agricultural technology investment ever, according to a news release.
The Series B funding round was led by SoftBank Vision Fund, and its managing director Jeffrey Housenbold is joining the Plenty board of directors.
“The world is out of land in the places it’s most economical to grow these crops,” Plenty co-founder and CEO Matt Barnard said in the release. “ ... We’re now ready to build out our farm network and serve communities around the globe.”
Plenty plans to build near major population centers around the world, delivering produce to grocery shelves “within hours of harvest,” according to the release.


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A UAW strike of FCA was avoided thanks to a zero-hour tentative agreement reached this week. Worker concerns that were renegotiated in the new
[00:00:30] deal include adjustments to the two-tier wage scale, health care costs, and production outsourcing. Now check-in with Autoblog as we update our reports on this evolving story.
Shooting began on Amazon Prime's new automotive show starring the former Top Gear crew. That's Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. Now Clarkson threw out a tweet from day one of filming on location at Algarve Motor Park in Portugal. The picture features the show's
[00:01:00] three stars and crew posing with the holy trinity of hyper cars. That's a McLaren P1, a Ferrari LaFerrari, and a Porsche 918 Spyder. This Prime show is being called Gear Knobs though the name is unofficial. Now if a tweet is any indication of what we can expect, who cares what it's called this is gonna be awesome. (Eds Note: Clarkson tweeted Friday that the show will not be called Gear Knobs.)
Toyota predicts drivers could be obsolete on highways as early as 2020, with technology dubbed the Toyota Highway Teammate or THT. Toyota is using a modified
[00:01:30] Lexus GS to show what this is capable of. THT is already able to create a driverless freeway car that's capable of changing lanes, making passes and taking curves. Plus, it can keep safe distances from other vehicles. Toyota is currently testing this on Tokyo's Shuto Expressway.
Those are the highlights from the week that was. Be sure to check out my full recap this Saturday. And I'll have some added insight on the BMW M4 GTS. For Autoblog, I'm Greg Migliore.
[00:02:00] Show Logo
Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals.


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Ford, which spent £2.5m on advertising for the Mondeo in 2009, compared with about £11m for the Focus and £7m for the Fiesta, last rolled out a major campaign in support of the model in 2006.
The TV ad, entitled “Desire” depicted a London skyline full of balloons with cars attached. The ad aimed to suggest that the latest incarnation of the Mondeo would usher in a new era of automotive technology.
In the UK, Ford is running an ongoing ad push to emphasise the quality of its vehicles, using the concept of the “Ford Standard”. The TV, outdoor, print and digital campaign highlights features that come as standard across all vehicles in the Ford range, such as alloy wheels, keyless technology and “quickclear” windscreens.
By Alex Brownsell, marketingmagazine.co.uk
Ford of Europe is to launch the first new above-the-line marketing activity for its Mondeo model for four years, focusing on the “unseen benefits” of the family car.
Ford Mondeo: readies TV campaign
The pan-European push uses X-ray imagery to show “under the skin” of a range of creatures, including a zebra and a stingray, before revealing the hidden technological strengths of the Mondeo, which is to be updated next year. The ads, which carry the tagline “True beauty comes from within”, will break on Friday.
The campaign was created by Blue Hive, the WPP-owned agency formed in March from teams at Ogilvy, Wunderman and Mindshare specifically to handle the Ford of Europe advertising and media accounts. Leer más “Mondeo returns to TV with ‘inner beauty’ ads”


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The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILTA) and the Australian Logistics Council (ALC) have announced an education and professional development program for women Read more
A working group involving NatRoad, the TWU and local council representatives has been formed to work together on developing a proposal to build a Read more
The Victorian government has released details of its Truck Action Plan (TAP) and West Link to relieve congestion in Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Three Read more
Volvo in North America is to recall 77,000 trucks due to the danger of rust occurring in the steering system.
The trucks involved Read more
In the discussions about the proposed National Heavy Vehicle Regulations there is a plan to extend the imposition of demerit points for fatigue offences. Read more
In an extension of its Best Value Parts range, Isuzu is now adding brake pads to the lineup of competitively priced alternatives to genuine Read more
The person who is to head the planned National Heavy Vehicle Regulator Board is the Managing Director of Main Roads Western Australia, Menno Henneveld. Read more
Truck sales saw a major boost in June, in the last month of the financial year, according to the latest truck sales figures released Read more
As part of the CVIAQ (Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Queensland) Schools to Industry Tour, CVIAQ member companies, Brisbane Isuzu Burpengary branch, and specialised Read more
The trucking industry has slammed the Greens’ plan to increase registration charges for B-double trucks. Their plan would increase supermarket prices across regional Australia. Read more


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2005 Geneva Motor Show Index by TCC Team (2/13/2005)
GM Launching Three-Day Test Drives in
General Motors will make 35,000 Opel vehicles available for three-day test drives through dealerships in 40 countries across Europe, announced GM Europe chairman Fritz Henderson. Potential customers will be able to take the vehicles home, “and drive them as if the vehicles were their own,” he added, during a presentation at the Geneva Motor Show. The campaign will run for three months, though it will launch at different times across the continent. The campaign is designed to win over a new generation of buyers, said Henderson, and reflects the challenge Opel has had breaking through to those who normally ignore the brand. “We have to work to do to elevate Opel’s image to match the quality of its products,” he acknowledged. Henderson insisted that Opel will not take a big financial hit from the three-day test drive program because it is designed to operate in lieu of a big increase in incentives. Opel has already been testing the new program in its home market of Germany, and has so far logged 30,000 test drives.
Smart Expands Brabus Offerings
2005 Smart forfour Brabus
Alfa, Maserati Won’t Blur, Says Kalbfell
2005 Pininfarina Maserati Birdcage
Though they may now share one boss, don’t expect Alfa Romeo and Maserati to lose their individual brand identities, asserted CEO Karl-Heinz Kalbfell in an interview with TheCarConnection.com. Last month’s decision to strip Maserati away from Ferrari and merge it in with Fiat’s Alfa arm came as one of a series of surprises following Fiat’s $2 billion settlement with General Motors. Originally intended to help Ferrari grow revenues without diluting its own brand, Maserati will now help in the hoped-for revival of long-struggling Alfa, said Kalbfell.
Maserati, he noted, will retain a reasonably degree of autonomy. It will remain based in its ancestral home of Modena, Italy, and will continue to work with Ferrari’s designers and engineers. But Maserati, Kalbfell added, “may enter new product categories and so it would need additional resources.” There will almost certainly be ways for Alfa and Maserati to share, the CEO said, but he intends to ensure that this doesn’t result in so-called “badge-engineered” products that are little more than clones with different sheetmetal skins. The challenge is to maintain a balance between cost and brand DNA, said the former Volkswagen senior executive, noting that VW is an example of how sharing platforms can work — or cause problems.
Kalbfell suggested there are a wide variety of new market segments Maserati could consider. One possibility was shown by the Italian design house, Pininfarina, which brought a show car modeled after the legendary Maserati Birdcage to this year’s Geneva Motor Show. More likely would be something in the crossover/SUV category, along the lines of the Kubang concept vehicle Maserati rolled out several years ago. “We have some projects already in the pipeline,” Kalbfell hinted.
Before the recent realignment, the goal was to steadily build Maserati into a sort of hybrid brand, not quite mass market, not quite as exclusive as Ferrari. Though sales weren’t growing as quickly as hoped for, the target was 10,000 Maseratis annually. “The potential is there to grow much beyond 10,000,” Kalbfell told TCC, quickly adding that the active word was, “potential.” What he has in mind, he described as “the snowball effect. It is hard work in the beginning. I have to roll it and roll it, and then it rapidly grows bigger.”
Maserati returned to the U.S. market several years ago, after more than a decade’s absence. Kalbfell makes no secret of his desire to bring back Alfa, as well. That was one of the original but unachieved goals behind the brief tie-up between Fiat and GM. It is still possible, Kalbfell insisted, but it won’t be easy. “I can make you a business plan for America in two hours,” he said, “but people who know the American market know it won’t work. The American market is unforgiving.” It will take plenty of “homework” before Alfa is ready to lay out a plan, though Kalbfell has said, in recent weeks, he could imagine a U.S. launch anytime before at least 2007.
Alfa Fields New 159, Brera Concept
2005 Alfa Romeo 159
2005 Alfa Romeo Brera Concept
New 7er No Retreat, Says Bangle
Chris Bangle had a whimsical look on his face as he wandered around the floor of this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The man who oversees design for all of BMW AG’s many brands and models would prefer to see his work, rather than his wan face, in the spotlight. Yet in recent years, Bangle has gotten more than his share of attention – much of it critical. Credit or blame him, however you prefer, for the edgy look of BMW’s current styling theme, with its cat-like headlight “eyes,” and bustle-back tails. Despite strong sales of the 7-Series model that ushered in the new look, critics have been waiting for this year’s preview of the updated 7er, looking to see whether BMW would back off from the Bangle look. The big sedan at the automaker’s stand does reveal some notable changes. The “eyebrows” over the headlights have been raised, for one thing, and the back end is more curvaceous. But the biggest changes, Bangle suggested, really aren’t immediately visible. Improvements made to the car’s powertrain required the hood to be raised nearly an inch, which to Bangle, just enhances the “drama” of the 7-Series. The ’06 sedan is anything but a retreat, according to Bangle. All they did was “dial back the horns and let the violins come through,” he articulated, “to emphasize the car’s dynamics.”


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OPPO India has announced a new partnership with Rolling Stone India Magazine for its September issue to promote all-new true wireless stereo (TWS) headphones, OPPO Enco W51, and the OPPO F17 Pro. The collaboration is a testament of OPPO and Rolling Stone India’s personality, which beliefs in the style quotient.
The magazine’s cover features the charismatic singer, Mr. Armaan Malik, wearing the OPPO Enco W51. The cover shoot sees the stylish singer flaunting OPPO’s latest devices in his own unique style.
Nirmika Singh, Executive Editor, Rolling Stone India, said:
“As the leading music magazine in the country, Rolling Stone India is committed to spotlighting pathbreaking artists. Our September 2020 cover featuring the hugely popular Armaan Malik is part of our effort at chronicling millennial trends in pop culture and technology. The appropriately vibrant and colorful cover photoshoot was done in association with the global smart device brand. Photoshoot devices are packed with innovative technology and cutting-edge design. It is a collaboration that we look forward to in the future as well.”
OPPO recently launched the new stylish entrants to their product portfolios. The OPPO F17 Pro takes the F series legacy to the next level with 30W VOOC charging technology and 6 AI portrait cameras that breathes life into your pictures. Simultaneously, the OPPO Enco W51 promises to an active noise cancelation for an interruption-free experience.
OPPO is constantly committed to redefine the normal and introduce technological innovations with a sleek design and this collaboration will further enhance that legacy.
OPPO has always strived to innovate not only in terms of its product but also in marketing strategies that reverberate with the heart and soul of the young audience and highlight the brand’s youthful brand ethos. OPPO thrives on consumer engagement and is always on the lookout for creating engaging touchpoints for the consumers.
Music is one such powerful tool that brings people together and helps connect better with the millennials at a healthier level.
The recent first-ever musical concert launch for the OPPO F17 Pro was one such successful engagement wherewith industry stalwarts like Raftaar and Hardy Sandhu, OPPO connected with the target audience, exuberating fun and creativity.


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KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
ObjectBuilders, an international information technology company based in King of Prussia, will work with Pennsylvania Industries for the Blind and Handicapped (PIBH) to fine-tune their software as a service (SaaS) offering, ProcessEx, which will eventually be available to non-profits around the world.
For more than 50 years, PIBH has been facilitating employment for Pennsylvanians with disabilities, mostly though contracts with the Pennsylvania Department of General Services and other Commonwealth-related entities.
But that mission is now expanding as new PIBH President & CEO Vince Loose looks to expand existing government relationships and build new partnerships with the private sector that enable PIBH to compete in a broader business arena.
When ObjectBuilders approached Loose regarding a partnership for a new software they were developing to help non-profits become more efficient and streamlined, he said it was a win-win.
“It’s exciting for PIBH to be part of something like this from step one,” said Loose. “This process has the potential to significantly increase the quantity and quality of our work without increasing overhead costs, and allow us to enhance the job satisfaction for our current staff.”
While ObjectBuilders will own the rights for the final product, PIBH will receive a financial percentage of the access fees sold by ObjectBuilders. That money will then be reinvested in activities that will promote products and services that will help provide jobs to people in Pennsylvania with disabilities.
ProcessEx brings new technology into the workplace, something Loose said is often lacking in the world of non-profits. “This project will help manage work flow and allow employees to be more efficient – spending less time on paperwork,” said Loose. “By decreasing the amount of paperwork staff members must do, they will be able to spend more time working with current clients and finding new ones; because each new client brings with them the opportunity to employ more Pennsylvanians with disabilities.”
ProcessEx takes control of any business process or procedure and turns a bottleneck into a strategic advantage – saving organizations an average of $1,000 per user per process per year. Processes can be created in ProcessEx in as little as two hours.
ProcessEx was assembled using ObjectBuilders Composite Application Builder, the LiveApp Player Suite, the same product that has been delivering departmental and enterprise software solutions to government and Global 2000 organizations for over 15 years.
“ObjectBuilders’ low cost cloud-based offering will allow non-profits to share in the technology advantages of the for profit sector,” said Robert L. Schmitter, President and CEO of ObjectBuilders. “The result for non-profits is more money is now going to their organization and can be directly applied to their mission. Better still, this is for a good cause and we are excited to partner with PIBH.”
Loose hopes that this is just the start of unique partnerships with businesses in the private sector and looks forward to finding new ways to serve PIBH’s current members, help individuals with disabilities obtain employment opportunities, and form partnerships within the business community to support their members’ workforce by buying products and services from PIBH.
PIBH partners with member agencies to identify, market, and deliver products and services that create employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Approximately 75 percent of the individuals with disabilities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who are able to work are unemployed. PIBH and its member agencies continuously seek to identify new products and services opportunities, which will employ Pennsylvanians with disabilities, to sell to public and private sector organizations.
ObjectBuilders is the Leader in Assembled Business Solutions. ObjectBuilders Composite Application Builder, the LiveApp Player Suite, has been used to assemble and deploy complex Composite Applications for government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. ObjectBuilders products and its Software Factory reduce operating expenses, enhance revenue, ensure regulatory compliance and improve customer service. ObjectBuilders Composite Solutions combine services, components, functionality from other applications, or legacy systems, and assemble them – without code – into new solutions that are entirely represented and deployed in XML. Some of ObjectBuilders Composite Solutions include Correspondence Management, eLicensing, Case Management, Health Information Exchange, Fraud and Abuse detection, prevention and recovery. ObjectBuilders is headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. For more information visit http://www.objectbuilders.com
- Technology & Electronics