text:
Industry and Commerce Minister Zayed bin Rashid Alzayani participated in a round-table forum on the sidelines of the International Tourism Bourse (ITB). UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Secretary-General Taleb Rifai attended the discussion session along with South African, Costa Rican, Brazilian tourism ministers and the Egyptian Ambassador in Germany.
The discussion focused on "the importance of sporting events and their impacts on tourism". In this regard, the minister underlined Bahrain’s experiences in hosting and organizing Formula 1 Grand Prix. "The Kingdom of Bahrain is the first country in the region to embrace such a motorsport event, which attracts 350 to 400 million viewers all over the world.", he said, stressing the importance of the global sporting championship whose windfall benefits transportation, hotels, restaurants, shopping outlets and other services.


text:
Foxconn, the multinational Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, announced Saturday that it will invest $5 billion in setting up a new facility for semiconductor and thin-film-transistor (TFT) manufacturing in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Best known for its central role in the manufacturing of many popular global consumer electronics, notably Apple’s popular iPhones and iPads, the Sony Playstation 4, and Microsoft’s Xbox One, Foxconn is the largest electronics contractor manufacturer worldwide. The announcement on Saturday that it will set up a factory in India will be a boon for the current Indian government’s “Make in India” bid, which strives to bring foreign investment into the country to improve India’s manufacturing base.
Foxconn and the Maharashtra state government signed a memorandum of understanding on Saturday to formalize cooperation. “We have been looking for other places, but initially the focus is [on] Maharashtra. The unit will have manufacturing facility as well as [a research and development] unit,” Foxconn founder Terry Gou told the press after signing the MoU. The MoU, according to Foxconn, “outlines significant investments that Foxconn intends to make in the next five years.” Overall, Foxconn’s operations in Maharashtra are expected to create employment for approximately 50,000 Indian workers.
The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has set a goal of having manufacturing comprise 25 percent of the country’s gross domestic product by 2022. According to the World Bank, manufacturing comprised 15 percent of India’s GDP in the late 1990s and today stands at 17 percent. Meanwhile, fast-growing states in East and Southeast Asia have historically had manufacture comprise a high share of their GDP. Over 30 percent of Chinese GDP since the late 1990s has been a result of the country’s massive manufacturing base. (Globally, manufacturing accounts for 16 percent of GDP.)
For growing economies, it’s not only the share-of-GDP from manufacturing that matters–the kind of manufacturing matters just as much. As economic research has shown, the path to prosperity for many states is directly related to their ability to manufacture a diverse range of goods. For many states, the jump from manufacturing non-complex goods (i.e. textiles, food products, and service inputs) to more complex goods, including machinery, automobiles, and semiconductors for export, is associated with increased prosperity. Particularly in Asia, states like Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea saw “unprecedented” economic growth with a focus on manufacturing these sorts of goods.
It’s interesting also to note that this agreement for Foxconn to set up shop in India occurred at the state–not national–government level. During his prime ministerial campaign, Modi emphasized that his government would encourage precisely this sort of state- and local-government-led approach to bringing in foreign investment into India–an approach informed by Modi’s own experience leading the state of Gujarat for over a decade. Devendra Fadnavis, the chief minister of Maharashtra, incidentally the first chief minister in that state to belong to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, has been in talks with Gou since March 2015. His success may inspire other Indian state governments to pursue similar agreements, with Foxconn and other firms.

domain: news


text:
Digital radio's unofficial rising star, Tony Moretta, will hopefully do more to unite the radio world than its official one: the 6Music DJ George Lamb. Lamb, who in a recent quip likened travellers to asbestos, won the title of DAB Rising Star at last week's Sony Awards, much to the horror of the legions of listeners who petitioned to get him off the air.
While Lamb's brand of humour might make some people want to run in the opposite direction of a digital radio, Moretta is campaigning to inspire just the reverse. If the Digital Radio Development Bureau chief had his way, every home in the country would be as brimming with DAB sets as his own. He's got digital radios in his kitchen, the lounge, one each for his two kids, two pocket ones and built-in DAB in his car.
His mission is to drag radio out of analogue and into the digital world in as short a time possible. An unenviable undertaking, but it may help that Moretta is used to challenging expectations. His name wouldn't look out of place on The Sopranos cast list, but he looks and sounds quintessentially Anglo-Saxon. He recalls giving talks at conferences where delegates seeing his name in the speaker line-up pre-emptively put on their translator headphones, only to remove them again when he started speaking.
Moretta and the DRDB received a boost earlier this month, with Rajar figures showing that just over 20 per cent of the UK is listening to digital radio. Moretta also expects sales of digital radios this year to match or better the 2.1 million sold last year. But, while listenership is growing, it needs to reach the 50 per cent of total radio listening mooted by Lord Carter in his Digital Britain report before any digital switchover.
Carter indicated that the switchover could begin in 2017, but a growing chorus of industry figures, including Stephen Miron, the chief executive of Global Radio, and Tim Davie, the BBC director of audio and music, are demanding the whole process is accelerated.
Moretta is hopeful that a new consumer-targeted ad campaign, through Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy, that the DRDB is launching this summer will help that. The campaign will educate consumers on the advantages of digital radio over analogue. It will also involve in-store promotions and demos.
"It's not enough just to tell people to buy digital, you have to tell them the benefits. We needed a much more co-ordinated approach to educating consumers at the point of sale," Moretta says.
The drive follows a DRDB campaign last Christmas, also spearheaded by Moretta, on BBC and commercial TV and radio promoting digital radio. This consumer push marks the beginnings of a co-ordinated approach by the radio industry to promote digital. Before this, the BBC and individual multiplexes had tended to advertise in isolation, which, Moretta says, was misjudged: "People aren't bothered by multiplexes. They are just bothered by what they get when they turn the radio on."
The new unified line of attack marks a sea change in the industry in relation to digital. It wasn't that long ago that major commercial broadcasters involved in digital radio were scrabbling for the nearest exit. 4Digital, a digital consortium promising unique-to-digital content, collapsed after Channel 4 pulled out in October last year. But commercial radio and the BBC have now joined forces to promote digital radio and lobby for more government investment through the launch of the Radio Council. Moretta is buoyed by the move: "Now everybody is in agreement that the future has to be digital."
Before taking on his role at the DRDB in April last year, Moretta was the general manager of broadcast at National Grid Wireless, and led the consortium beaten by Channel 4 to run the second national digital radio multiplex. The experience, as frustrating as it must have been, proved valuable because it helped shape Moretta's plan for a centralised DRDB: "I had a good chance to look deeply into DAB and how it is marketed. I could see the opportunity."
Travis Baxter, the managing director, radio at Bauer Media, is enthused by the DRDB's new drive: "What Tony's doing is to try to join up all the dots." Baxter points out that the biggest challenge facing media owners now is where to invest as a means of distribution for digital, with so many options such as DAB, internet, and Freesat available. Moretta concedes that digital radio will be a mixed economy, but he argues that DAB sets, unburdened by contracts with internet providers, will retain their appeal. He also dismisses criticism of DAB sound quality, attributing it to "an extremely vociferous minority of audiofiles".
The biggest hurdle for the DRDB, he says, is the car market. Moretta explains that while car-makers have been supportive of DAB, with many such as Ford, Vauxhall and Toyota, installing it in new models as standard, the problem remains with older cars. There is a DAB adaptor for cars on the market, but it is expensive. "It's finding a low-cost easy-to-install adaptor for all cars," he says. The DRDB is working with DAB manufacturers and car-makers to tackle this.
While Moretta is confident that the DRDB and the industry is on the right track, there is still one rather important thing missing: a firm switchover date. He says: "In France, every car has to have digital radio installed by 1 September 2013. That's the sort of thing that helps."
Age: 40 (sadly!)
Lives: Tring, Hertfordshire
Family: Wife and two children
Favourite radio show: I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue
Favourite radio station: Absolute
Last book you read: A Fortunate Life by Paddy Ashdown
Most treasured gadget: iPod Touch
Alternative career: Journalism


text:
Politicians are beginning to signal they feel they have the right to tweet their disagreement with any court decision they donʼt like
Notorious art thief John Mark Tillmann managed to get two levels of government to rename a waterway just to torment Jewish neighbours
Patrick Brown, Kent Hehr and more – the cultural shift has finally reached Canadian politics
How do you crack down on internet piracy while preserving net neutrality, the cherished principle of a free and open web?
A local official’s smartphone may be the master key that nefarious people seek. Who knows what can be unlocked and what calamity can follow?
This PR masterstroke by Loblaws has allowed the company to take control of the narrative and dodge, for now, consumer mistrust
Industrial security in the cyber age must include more than an outdated line of concrete, fences, guns and guards
A not-so-distant future could see blockchain automatically put in place a retaliatory tariff or assemble a dispute resolution panel
Our personal information has become open access. And electronic security is a cat-and-mouse game, a cycle that never ends
As shocking as it was, most of us will eventually forget Loblaw‘s admission of price-fixing. Let’s hope the industry doesn’t


text:
Russia has joined the World Trade Organization, a body which restricts import duties and subsidies to make international trade fair, after 18 years of negotiations.
Consumers in Russia are expected to benefit from the lower cost of imported goods, while some industrial sectors, like agriculture or carmaking, will lose state subsidies, exposing them to foreign competition.
The World Bank estimates WTO membership could increase Russia's GDP by 3.3 per cent a year in the next three years.
Russia was formally admitted to the WTO today.
The talks took so long because of Russia's reluctance to drop industry subsidies and because the US has refused to scrap a law that denies Russia normal trading relations. Because that law remains, Russia will keep higher trade tariffs with the US than other countries.


text:
The greatest time in history to be a European tech entrepreneur or investorBy Niklas Zennström on 3 February 2015
The last decade has demonstrated beyond all doubt that European technology entrepreneurs can build and scale companies to become global category winners. Our experience taking Skype to worldwide success was not the exception to the rule.
Yet many today, do not fully appreciate how far Europe has come. In order to help address this, Atomico, the technology investment firm I founded 9 years ago, has conducted a series of global analyses of software companies founded since 2003 that hit a $1 billion valuation. The results were surprising. Contrary to popular perception, over the past eleven years the majority of billion-dollar software companies were actually not founded in Silicon Valley. Of the 156 companies to reach a billion-dollar valuation by January 2015, 99 were built outside of Silicon Valley, including 25 in Europe. What's more, the gap between the rest of the world and the Valley is growing.
This has been driven in part by technology trends, particularly the smart phone explosion, rise of cloud computing, the wide availability of open source software, and the global spread of information, which combine to make it equally possible to start an internet company in Poland as it is in Palo Alto. Simultaneously, the global explosion of internet penetration makes it possible for any European company to access huge markets across the world, from China and Japan to Latin America. Global scaling is still one of the hardest challenges to overcome, but the prize is bigger than ever.
The data is also evidence that world-class entrepreneurs - just like world-class artists, musicians or sportspeople - exist everywhere, including in Europe. 85% of the billion-dollar companies in our study pushed through the billion-dollar threshold with their founder CEO at the helm, and this trend is even more pronounced in Europe.
This is the greatest time in history to be a European technology entrepreneur - just ask Spotify’s Daniel Ek, Supercell’s Ilkka Paananen or SoundCloud’s Alexander Ljung. It's also the best time ever to be a technology investor active in Europe. I look forward to exploring what this means for all of us in my session at the Invest Europe Investors’ Forum in March.


text:
What not to buy in December
In the market for a snowboard or ski clothes? Those and other winter sporting goods are "going to be at regular prices right now ," says Woroch. "You might get a little off with those holiday sales -- but you won't get much savings right now."
Expect better deals: You'll start seeing some deeper discounts in March, Woroch says, "but the best time to get the stuff is in the summer -- you can find deals of up to 75 percent off."
When you buy last year's models out of season, "you're talking about huge, huge savings," she says.
What is on sale: Golf clubs and bicycles are on sale.
This is the season that "not everyone's riding a bike or playing golf," says Woroch. So "you're looking at savings of up to 50 percent."
And you may have more flexibility to negotiate at independent vendors -- especially if you pay cash or buy multiple items, she says.


text:
The six franchises are expected to generate approximately £91.5 million in annual revenues.
The dealerships are in Brighton, Worthing and Hailsham. The dealerships are the longest operating independent BMW franchises in the United Kingdom and will retain the Chandlers name.
Earl J. Hesterberg, Group 1’s president and chief executive officer, said: “This acquisition gives us the opportunity to expand our holdings into a strong demographic area of a proven market, with a powerful global automotive luxury brand.
“The Chandlers brand name has a strong image within the local market and the competent, experienced management team will be a great addition to our company.
“In just the past few years, the BMW and Mini brands have increased their share of the U.K. automotive luxury segment to nearly 25%. Given the pace of consolidation in the U.K. automotive retailing environment, we believe this is an opportune time to diversify our business and open new avenues for growth. Doing this in conjunction with a premier brand such as BMW is a tremendous opportunity for Group 1.”


text:
Published on : Monday, May 2, 2016
Guests can enjoy a one night stay in a Deluxe room at the weekend for just €55 between 5 May and 30 December 2016. This rate can only be booked for 55 minutes on 5 May 2016 from 5:55 pm CEST onwards on jumeirah.com.
For guests celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary in 2016, Jumeirah Frankfurt is offering couples the chance to renew their vows. The couple can then book a private dining experience for five people or more which includes a five-course menu, cocktail reception and drinks. The celebrating couple can then treat themselves with a deluxe room for €55.
Doris Greif, General Manager Jumeirah Frankfurt and Regional Vice President Europe, said: “We are very excited to celebrate the hotel’s fifth year of operation this year. We pride ourselves on offering our guests the best possible experience and our team is committed to delivering our STAY DIFFERENT™ brand promise- we look forward to many more successful years to come!”
Themed promotions at Max on One, Ember Bar and Lounge and Talise Spa will also be offered throughout 2016 to celebrate the occasion.
In 2016, the Talise Spa will offer a special 2.5 hour spa anniversary package which offers five signature treatments including an apple facial, body polish, aromatherapy massage, foot relaxer and a business manicure for just €250.
During September 2016, Jumeirah Frankfurt’s signature restaurant Max on One, a modern grillroom, will offer a five-course menu with a selection of Hessian and Arabian dishes for just € 55 per person. The celebrations will also extend to the Candy Shop at Ember Bar and Lounge where a selection of sweet treats will be available for €5.
Since its opening in 2011, Jumeirah Frankfurt has prided itself on creating memorable and exhilarating experiences for its guests. The hotel is Green Globe certified and won the World Travel Awards 2015 as Germany’s Leading Hotel.


text:
Spanish rail operator Renfe has begun an NFC ticketing trial on Madrid’s suburban commuter network, in conjunction with Vodafone. “We are convinced that NFC technology will be the global benchmark and want to be pioneers in providing our customers with the benefit of a more convenient and flexible system,” says Renfe president Teofilo Serrano.
- Half of UK shoppers think wearable payments will be commonplace within five years
- One in five US consumers have used an EMV card
- Air New Zealand gives children NFC wristbands to track their journey
- Tencent launches WeChat mobile wallet in South Africa
- Swatch confirms payment watch launch in US, Switzerland and Brazil


text:
Last week we learned that the new expansion for The Sims 4, titled My Wedding Stories, will not appear in Russia. The reason was supposed to be the homophobic law in force in this country.
EA changes its mind
Russian fans of The Sims didn't like not having the new content in their country. So they created a petition to show that they want access to the DLC in their homeland. It gathered over 10 thousand signatures. The developers assure that they have the fans' voices in mind.
To prove it Maxis and Electronic Arts have announced that they will release the new DLC in Russia, unchanged in any way. According to the plan, it will be released in all markets simultaneously. As a result, EA's change of mind also resulted in a global delay of the new DLC's release date from February 17 to 23.
Russian law is not very favorable to content related to same-sex couples. The DLC's promotion, including its trailer, is based on Dominique and Camille, whose relationship model doesn't sit well with the country's authorities. We don't know how EA managed to get around Russian regulations without modifying the content of the add-on.
The Sims 4: My Wedding Stories will be released on February 23, 2022 on PC (on Origin and Steam), as well as PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
- The Sims 4 - official website
- The Sims 4 - game guide


text:
TiVo bows cross-media measurement
February 26, 2013
TiVo has expanded its media measurement capabilities, and it’s going beyond just TV.
The company’s TiVo Research and Analytics has launched a cross-media measurement service that combines media exposure with consumer purchase data.
The company will use more than 500,000 TiVo households to measure TV ad exposure, as well as more than 100,000 cross-media households (both TV and digital).
In addition, the company says it will use consumer packaged goods purchase data of 60 million households and 115 million automotive purchase records, as well as digital display and video ad exposure in 70 million U.S. homes.
The company will also get help from Experian Marketing Services, which will serve as a third party to help match and aggregate the data.
To honor the participants’ privacy TiVo will not use personally identifiable information, and users can opt out at any time.
The new service is now up and running. For more information, visit www.traglobal.com.
Tags: arbitron, capabilities, cross media, cross media measurement, cross-media ratings, Experian Marketing Services, exposure, households, media, media buyers, media measurement, nielsen, tv, tv ratings
TV programming blog: All the cancellations and renewals
CBS dominates Thursday with more NCAA playoffs
Podcasting comes of age: What’s behind a recent boom
CBS renews a slew of shows, with a few missing
Best of the week: Advertisers revolt against Google
Putting a pricetag on ad fraud: $16.4 billion
Surprise: There’s one area where TV viewing is soaring
Media Life’s Digital Media Transparency Initiative
Weekend TV: Can anyone beat the UConn women?
‘Empire’ rises slightly in its return to lift Fox to first
Well now: Mobile usage is even bigger than you think
CBS, the daytime leader, leads Daytime Emmy nominations
Whoa: Almost a third of Millennials cut the cord
- Arun Kumar becomes chief data and marketing tech officer at IPG
- Jenny Campbell rises to managing director at 72andSunny
- Adam Crandall becomes director of strategy at mono
- Mark Wildman rises to EVP of partnerships at Westwood One
- Kevin Craig rises to SVP of newspaper relations at AMG/Parade
- Bill Corvalan becomes VP of West Coast partnerships at AllOver Media
- Richard Just becomes editor at The Washington Post Magazine
- Gemma Lawson rises to VP and design director at Nickelodeon
- Ashley Judd joins Epix' 'Berlin Station'
- Former NBC ad sales executive Robert Blackmore dies at age 90
This week’s broadcast ratings
This week’s cable ratings
This week’s top-rated movies, songs and books
This week’s daypart ratings
This month’s digital traffic data: December 2016
Ad sales rep for a digital-only magazine
Freelance media planner/buyer available for all markets
Wanted: Media buyer in Philadelphia
Paid social media planner wanted in Detroit
Opening for a media planner at a top OOH agency


text:
BLOOMINGTON, MINN. — The Schwan’s Co., a business unit of the South Korean food manufacturer CJ CheilJedang, is expanding the refrigeration distribution center at its pizza manufacturing plant in Salina, Kan. As part of the expansion, Schwan’s said it will add 140,000 square feet to the facility, which will more than double the size of the center that was built in 2006.
Construction is set to begin in 2023 and be completed in early 2025, bringing total distribution center space to 245,000 square feet once the project is completed, Schwan’s said.
Schwan’s said the additional distribution center space will be used to increase storage for the pizzas produced at the plant. The expansion will include a 38,000-pallet position racking system with three automated pallet cranes, according to the company.
The addition to the distribution center marks the second significant investment Schwan’s has made to the Salina site in recent years. The company is in the process of adding 400,000 square feet to the manufacturing side of the Salina facility, and the company has invested $600 million into the plant.
“In 2020, we had the honor of announcing to the Salina community a major investment that would enable us to continue to provide delicious pizzas to millions of families for decades to come,” said Dimitrios Smyrnios, chief executive officer of Schwan’s. “I feel a lot of pride, and I am also very much humbled by everyone’s execution of this project. This new distribution center will support our expanded production capabilities over the long term.”


text:
Ikea — doyen of the flatpack furniture scene — has announced that it will open a store in Tottenham Court Road, central London.
Due to open this autumn, the miniature store will specialise in kitchens and wardrobes — occupying the spot formerly inhabited by furniture retailer Multiyork.
Said Javier Quiñones, Ikea UK and Ireland country retail manager:
Urbanisation and inner-city living are trends that continue to dominate the market.
By launching this new approach and investing in our online offer and services, we are working to ensure Ikea remains affordable, convenient and sustainable, both now and in the future.
This smaller, central store reflects a new approach from Ikea, whose profits, apparently fell 40% last year.
For Londoners without cars, the city's outskirt-based Ikeas in Croydon and Edmonton have often proved too far out of town to be practical. Now we can expect to see the lifts at Goodge Street station ram-packed with Songesand wardrobes and Kilner jars every Saturday.
Meanwhile, Ikea is building an outlet in Greenwich; its first full-size store in London for 13 years.


text:
UK card fraud rose a staggering 18% in 2015, the sharpest rise across the whole of Europe.
According to analysis from FICO, the rise in UK card fraud equates to an additional £88.5 million lost. The UK contributed about 43% of the total card fraud losses across the 19 European countries studied.
FICO said that the spike is due to the ongoing boom in e-commerce in the country, which has nearly quadrupled since 2007. Some 75% (£66.7 million) of it attributable to card not present (CNP) fraud; about £42.4 million of the CNP fraud in turn came from e-commerce.
FICO also said that in working with credit and debit card issuers across Europe, it has seen big changes in the European fraud landscape in general. In fact, 10 of the 19 European countries monitored suffered more card fraud in 2015 than in 2014, with the UK, Denmark and France getting the worst brunt.
“This isn’t surprising, as Europe pushed criminals towards CNP with the rollout and success of chip & PIN at point-of-sale,” said Warwick. “The digital revolution also fueled this migration, creating an online funds kitty that is just too tempting for criminals.”
The financial services industry will either have to find a way to make data useless to criminals, or make more use of fraud detection analysis, according to Martin Warwick, FICO's fraud chief in Europe: “FICO has introduced innovative analytics to try and make card fraud detection as painless as possible for the customer and still detect more fraud,” he said. “These include merchant profiling, adaptive analytics, behavior-sorted lists and collaborative profiling.”
The good news is, a share of total card payments for the researched markets in Europe, total value lost to fraud declined from .08% to .06% from 2010 to 2015, reflecting innovation in card payment security. However, the method of value lost to fraud is shifting to target the transition to online retailing—which will need to make changes of its own. While the decline in counterfeit cards has been significant from uniform EMV adoption, there has yet to be a similar effort to secure the online space.
“When executive dashboards in either retailers or card issuers start flashing red in terms of unacceptable fraud losses, change will have to take place,” Warwick added. “With the underlying trend being fueled by compromises of personal and payment data, banks will find increased pressure to control the increased attack on how they identify and verify (ID&V) customers when they call in to customer services teams.”
Photo © Sergey Nivens


text:
Create better work experiences in a post-COVID world. Explore our interior solutions today.
Having a workspace without technology is like having a car without wheels. It might be comfortable, but it’s hard to move forward.
Earlier this year Steelcase and Microsoft teamed up to make integrating collaborative technology into workspaces even simpler with the new Microsoft Surface Hub. The technology allows multiple people to interact with the screen, share content, and even video conference. In essence, it’s like having the Surface, Xbox, Windows, Office, Azure, and Cloud all in one place.
And now McWaters is a certified Microsoft Hub seller.
Integrating technology into a space is nothing new for McWaters. Their unique, collaborative approach pulls together experts from each of their four service lines, furniture, flooring, audiovisual, and relocation on every project. So, when the team first got wind that they would be able to offer their customers Microsoft Surface Hubs, they knew they could handle it confidently.
“We know workspaces, we know client workflows, we know where this device will and will not achieve the client's goals,” said Michael Sweeny, Director of Technology Operations. “Since we specialize in relocation, we can also do the required site survey to make sure this device will fit in the elevator, the stairwell, and most importantly the room where it will be used.”
Once the McWaters team and the customer decide the Surface Hub is the right solution, then the design team starts coming up with products and layouts to support the tool. Currently, the only ADA approved way to mount the Surface Hub is on the Steelcase VIA Wall.
"The VIA is great," said Whitney McMackin, Director of Design. "We can use it to create spaces for focus, rest, and collaboration."
The end result is a space where a customer's team can get together, collaborate, and then use those ideas to further their business goals.
“We already have some customers who have bought the tool and we’re excited to get it installed for them,” said Sweeny. “It’s going to greatly increase their ROI on their existing Microsoft products and cut the time it takes to deploy their systems and get their users trained.”


text:
October 1, 2013
With the mobile payment industry expected to grow to $721 Bn by 2017 (according to Gartner estimates), there are many new startups coming up in this domain. The myriad mobile point-of-sale solutions offer merchants the ability to process transactions on mobile devices. Mobile wallet offers consumers a place to store their payment credentials for seamless purchasing across multiple channels. One company which claims to be growing distinctly ahead in this segment is Corduro, a Texas based startup.


text:
The Consumer Council of Fiji hopes to continue Awareness to Consumers to exercise their Rights and Responsibilities.
This was confirmed by the Consumer Council’s Manager for Alternative Dispute Resolution-Pooja Singh Chand.
“The council hopes that it continues to craete Awareness to consumers on excercising their Rights and Responsibilities especially when they are dealing with transaction with Traders, the Council is actually advocating for consumers to keep documentation as eveidence of their purchase. So in that event the council is looking forward to more Awareness.”
Chand says one of the challenges faced by the council over the years is dealing with unscrupulous traders and to protect Consumer interests.
A total of 3,432 Complaints were received by the Council from January to Decemebr, 2018.
“Some of the challenges that the council face which is generally an issue every year is to peddle with unscrupulous traders and to protect consumers interest, we have to ensure that consumers interest is protected. And warn traders who do not comply with ethical practices. So many of the issues were there that were recurring such as landlord and tenants, complaints related to food and drinks. So the council is constantly monitoring all this complaints and trying to go a way forward with other stakeholders to ensure that consumer interests is protected in Fiji.”


text:
The auto bailouts are now being touted by President Obama as a “success” even though the taxpayer is about to take at least a $10 billion hit when the government sells its remaining GM shares. There is, however, a missing dimension in this debate. It is the moral one.
Prior to General Motors filing for bankruptcy in June of 2009, I was involved as a GM bondholder advocate for a group called the Mainstreet Bondholders. Attempts were made by my group to bring about fair negotiations for creditors of GM, attempts that were ignored by the Obama Administration’s Auto Task Force, headed by Steven Rattner. The Task Force stated that their goal was to restructure GM outside of bankruptcy as they laid out a “take it or leave it” bond exchange offer that was supposedly designed to keep GM out of bankruptcy.
The offer was for bondholders to accept a … Read More ➡
As General Motors gambles on ramping up production of the Chevy Volt, a couple of new reports point to headwinds for demand of electric hybrid vehicles, like the Volt. A new British study disputes the perception of eco-friendliness of electric vehicles. The study takes into consideration driving, manufacturing and disposal and undermines the case being made for a rapid introduction of electric vehicles as a means to address environmental concerns.
According to a piece posted on theaustralian.com, “emissions from manufacturing electric cars are at least 50 per cent higher because batteries are made from materials such as lithium, copper and refined silicon, which require much energy to be processed.” The bottom line seems to be that vehicles like the Chevy Volt are not as green as perceived to be.
Another recent report published by the Reuters news agency reveals that the consulting group, Boston Consulting, lowered its estimate for … Read More ➡
There are some big rumors circulating about the finances of bailed-out General Motors. The first of these is that GM is considering repurchasing Treasury’s stake in the automaker and were circulated by sources who, according to a Bloomberg report, “didn’t want to be identified.” The message was that GM is so cash-rich that they were considering buying back shares from Treasury, thus eliminating the government overhang on the company. This stance raises questions about past actions at GM. Why did GM issue $2 billion of new stock to help fund pension plans if they have adequate cash to do so? Why did GM’s wholly owned finance arm need to issue half a billion dollars of junk bonds for “general purposes” if they are so flush with cash?
GM CEO, Dan Akerson, also floated the rumor when he was asked in a Detroit News interview if GM was considering buying back … Read More ➡
On Monday, I revisted my Chevy Volt story on Eric Bolling’s “Follow the Money” show on Fox Business Network. Here’s a transcript:
Eric Bolling: It is the story you saw here on “Follow the Money” first our friend Mark Modica, first broke the story that car dealers were selling the Chevy Volt as used and claiming thousands in tax credits for themselves. Now the LA Times is following the money and confirming the story with us now from the National Legal and Policy Center is Mark Modica. Also joining us on the panel is attorney Joe Jackson. Mark go ahead boy, you are being vindicated by the LA Times but thank you for breaking story right here on “Follow the Money.” Tell us about it.
Mark Modica: Thank you and thanks for breaking it on your show. Yeah, we ran the story, and basically the story was that … Read More ➡
General Motor’s CEO, Dan Akerson, wants higher gas taxes and the price of a gallon of gas to increase closer to $5 a gallon. Are you kidding me?! The comments were made in an interview with the Detroit News. Regarding government imposed fuel efficiency increases Akerson stated, “You know what I’d rather have them do, this will make my Republican friends puke, as gas is going to go down here now, we ought to just slap a 50-cent or a dollar tax on a gallon of gas. People will start buying more Cruzes and they will start buying less Suburbans.” With comments like these, Akerson might make average Americans and GM investors “puke” along with those Republicans.
I have questioned the management at GM in the past, but these comments prove that Dan Akerson is not the right guy to get GM headed in the right direction. My main recent … Read More ➡
“Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, Mao Zedong and Chevrolet.” That could be GM’s new slogan if recent comments by CEO Dan Akerson are taken to heart. Akerson shared a somewhat bizarre vision for GM in an interview with the Detroit News when he stated, “Whoever comes after me; it’s going to be a more important appointment than mine because he or she will have to carry on a cultural revolution here. It’s just like the Communist Party in China in the 1960s, there has to be a cultural revolution here.” These comments come just weeks after the Washington Times reported GM’s sponsorship of a Chinese Communist Party propaganda film.
There seems to be a strange dichotomy at GM as marketing hints at patriotic roots for the company while corporate vision exposes a viewpoint that the philosophies of Communist China are worthy of praise. Akerson also has described China in the … Read More ➡
Today’s jobs’ report raises worries that the US may be headed for a double dip recession. Jobs creation was much lower than expected and the unemployment rate rose to 9.1%. And where is President Obama? Traveling to Ohio to brag about how many jobs were saved by spending billions of taxpayer dollars to bail out the auto industry. Oh well, Nero fiddled, Obama campaigns. While Obama tries to convince the majority of people who will be voting in 2012 that auto bailouts are a wonderful thing, individual investors in General Motors should consider the specific risks the company faces if the economy does not improve.
GM has staked much by investing in raising production capacity and freely spending taxpayer money on environmentally friendly plant upgrades as well as on spending to create high paying jobs for the politically powerful UAW. While these moves help Obama on the campaign trail, investors … Read More ➡
General Motors shares fell 5% on Wednesday after May auto sales figures were reported. Most auto manufacturers were hit as sales for the industry fell pretty much across the board. Excuses for the industry shortfall ranged from higher prices for vehicles to Japan parts shortages. GM cannot claim the latter, since they earlier declared that there were no issues with parts supplies. The one telling statistic on GM is one that was not reported in most of the media coverage, which was the fact that incentives at the automaker were, once again, well above industry averages.
According to Edmunds, the “true cost of incentives” per vehicle at GM was $3,373 per vehicle compared to an industry average of $2,094. Ford’s incentives came in at $2,283. GM was not willing to discuss the numbers during its sales conference call, rather citing an “anomaly” for incentives during the month. Well, that’s reassuring. … Read More ➡
GM does not deny that Chevy dealerships are selling Chevy Volts to other dealerships, including a KIA dealership, for resale. At the same time, Peterson also touts the high demand for Volts claiming, “we don’t sell Volts at the moment – it’s almost like we deliver them.” By this statement, you wouldn’t know that sales for the Volt averaged a dismally low 425 per month for the first four months of the year. GM recently stated that they … Read More ➡
On Friday night, I discussed the appearance that GM dealers are gaming the Chevy Volt tax credit on Fox Business Network’s “Follow the Money” show with Eric Bolling. Here’s a transcript:
Eric Bolling: Outrage alert. Former Saturn dealer, Mark Modica says there is something rotten in the business of marketing and selling the Chevy Volt. He claims he uncovered underhanded shenanigans that make the Volt appear to be a success story. Mark is here with us right now. Ok, Mark, tell us what happens. Dealers are selling to each other to grab that tax incentive.
Mark Modica: Hi Eric. Yes. What I did, was I did a search on some websites to check the availability of Volts. GM was claiming that demand was exceeding supply and that there was not enough out there. What I found was that there is plenty out there including six of them within … Read More ➡


text:
How Recession-proof is Lithium?
By Bill Moore
Many thoughtful analysts and knowledgeable policy makers are asking the question, Is there enough lithium to manufacture all the batteries the planet will need to make possible the shift from petroleum to an electrically-propelled transportation system?
A related question asks what impact will low oil prices have on investments in lithium carbonate mining and refining, as well as large format automotive battery manufacturing? Will $2 gasoline wither consumer interest in electric-drive vehicles and thus stymie OEM efforts to bring less petroleum-dependent vehicles to market?
At the moment, the collapse in car sales in general and conventional hybrids in particular, would suggest that in the short term, the answer to the second question would be yes, though not because of low fuel prices but more because of the general level of uncertainty across the entire global economy. You don't commit to a $25-35,000 car contract if you're not sure you'll have a job this year or next.
Bolivian economist Juan Carlos Zuleta Calderon examines these questions and what impact they are likely to have on the lithium battery supply chain in a paper he presented at the Lithium supply conference in Santiago, Chile. In Can the Inauguration of the Lithium Era Be taken for Granted? he re-examines a thesis put forward in a recent issue of Industrial Minerals that "the oil market, technological development and resistance to change may determine whether lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries will be adopted by the global automobile industry for its transition to electric propulsion..."
Zuleta, who is a contributing editor to EV World, asserts that it isn't so much the issue of low oil prices that could slow the uptake of electric vehicle technology, but price volatility; it may also spur it.
"If the price of oil constitutes one of the main determinants of the market demand for REEVs and BEVs as well as for advanced rechargeable batteries," he writes, "it then follows that the price of oil may also stimulate or hinder REEV and BEV as well as rechargeable battery innovations."
Since 1998, the price of a barrel of Brent Crude has risen from an average of $12.48 to $97.19 in 2008, he observes.
His paper notes, "This provides an explanation for the recent interest of the global automotive industry in electric vehicles following General Motors´ announcement in January 2007 that by 2010 it will introduce the first mass-produced Li-ion powered plug-in hybrid electric cars. It also explains why all major battery producers have decided to invest heavily in the development of advanced batteries to be launched into the market in the coming years."
In a footnote, he observes, "Of course high oil prices remain one the most influential factors for the adoption of 'green' technologies in the car industry. However, as the data seem to reflect, under high oil price volatility, temporary low oil prices may not constitute a real hindrance to this possibility."
It is price volatility, which shows not indication of moderating ever again given global demand and declining reserve capacity, that will be a significant driver of innovation.
One of those innovations -- and perhaps the key point -- of Zuleta's paper is the emergence of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo) battery chemistry. This is the technology found in BYD's batteries and now in Chery's newly introduced electric-drive S18, which will have an enormous impact on lithium producers, battery makers and eventually consumers.
The key reason is because lithium constitutes only 3.4% of the materials in this type of cell. In contrast, in both Lithium cobalt and manganese cells, it represents 28% and 25% respectively.
"What is so crucial about this type of batteries is that they use about an eighth of lithium in comparison to other lithium-ion batteries," Zuleta states.
This suggests to both Zuleta and The Economist that LiFePo batteries "appear to cost now roughly half as much as rival lithium based designs, are likely to reflect an even more pronounced downward trend in cost in the coming years."
It also, "seriously erodes one of the most important "Peak Lithium" arguments," he contends.
On the final point of "resistance to change" and the role of the oil giants, he points out that 95% of the world's oil reserves are now in the hands of national oil companies, while the likes of Exxon, Mobil and Shell control just 5%. This suggests a diminished role by the oil multinationals in blocking the development of electric-vehicle technologies. As Exxon Chemical's recent public relations forays touting their lithium battery separator material suggests, they are starting to see opportunities instead of threats from this emerging technology.
That being said, Zuleta offers a cautionary caveat.
"It remains to be seen how the new players in the game, namely oil producing countries, will behave under the new circumstances, although there are already some indications that at least some of them may be seriously committed to 'seeking a lead in clean energy.'"
blog comments powered by Disqus


text:
oOh!media has launched Australia’s largest full motion 3D Anamorphic offering with new sites in Sydney and Brisbane, extending oOh!’s market leading full motion 3DA coverage across the eastern seaboard.
The premium locations at Sydney’s Macquarie Centre and Brisbane’s The Myer Centre meet growing demand of advertisers and agencies to push Out of Home creative boundaries, using 3D Anamorphic technology to deliver attention grabbing, immersive and effective audience experiences at scale to make brands unmissable.
The Macquarie Centre, located on Herring Road just 30 minutes from Sydney’s CBD on the affluent North Shore, is home to 360 retail, food and dining outlets. With an annual footfall of 13 million, the centre attracts pedestrians from nearby Macquarie University, Macquarie Business Park and Macquarie train and bus station users.
The Myer Centre, which will undergo a rebranding on July 1, is a nine floor shopping centre complex with fashion, food and entertainment venues in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD. With an annual footfall of 19 million it has the city’s largest CBD car park and is one of Brisbane’s bus transit hubs.
The new Sydney and Brisbane sites join oOh!’s ‘The Bourke’ in Melbourne, a six-storey high 3DA screen – the largest outdoor animated site in Australia – which has already delivered 32 campaigns since the start of the year from brands including Uber, BINGE and Disney.
Large format digital Out of Home screens are 35 percent more likely to capture attention, while iconic locations drive a 27 percent greater emotional response compared to standard large format screens.
Neil Ackland, chief content, marketing and creative officer, oOh! said: “The expansion of oOh!’s 3D Anamorphic offering in Sydney and Brisbane means brands can now access these premium locations in Australia’s three most populous capital cities. oOh! has the largest full motion 3D Anamorphic offering across the eastern seaboard and each of these new sites have been carefully selected based on extended dwell times, pedestrian viewing and engagement opportunities.
“We have seen huge advertiser demand and some amazingly creative campaigns since launching our Melbourne 3DA site, and as part of oOh!’s digital-first strategy we will continue investing in delivering innovative new opportunities for brands to connect with audiences and drive return on their marketing investment.”
Last year oOh! launched oOh! dimensions to supercharge 3DA capabilities, screen locations and technology to provide enhanced services for advertisers and agencies. In line with global best practice, oOh! has created specialist design solutions to give dimensionally accurate representations of each 3DA asset, enabling content creators and animators to build their creative to each site’s precise viewing angle and suggested lighting state, while removing the need for regular onsite testing.


text:
BBNaija’s Nengi Causes Stirs In These Litty Lingeries
Former BBNaija housemate, Nengi, has sparked a lot of reactions on social media after she shared some s3xy photos of herself to begin the new week.
The BBNaija star was spotted relaxing by the poolside, donning a shade of green lingerie as she posed for the picture.
Sharing this photo on her Instagram page, she attached the caption,
“One bottle. One crew. Who are you sharing your VSOP with? Find yours at @remymartinng bio”.
Meanwhile, in other news, Nengi has begun a countdown to the launch of her shoe brand, Shoe By Flora.
Nengi’s shoe brand has been in existence for some time now but it became more known to the public after her stay in the BBNaija house.
Nengi named the brand after her mother in remembrance of her.
It was nominated as the brand of the year at the All Varieties Awards.
See the post below;


text:
Demonstrators prove in suv St FERGUSON, Mo.
Demonstrators for the short term shut down three large malls in suburban St. Louis on one of the busiest shopping days of the growing season Friday, As other rallies were held nationwide to protest a grand jury's recent decision not to indict the authorities who fatally shot 18 year old Michael Brown. Several stores lowered their security doors or locked entrances as at least 200 protesters sprawled onto the while chanting, "Stop grocery getting and join the transfer, At the Galleria mall in Richmond level a few miles south of Ferguson, Missouri, Where police cop Darren Wilson fatally shot Brown, printable black friday ads 2015 Who day after black friday sales was simply unarmed, In sept. It decided not to appear that any busts were made. Immediately after Friday, Design for several dozen demonstrators led to the early closing of the Chesterfield Mall. The direct purchases, Along with displays in Chicago, New jersey, Seattle and northern California where protesters chained themselves to trains were among the largest inside the on Black Friday. "We want to really let the world know that it is not business as usual, Chenjerai Kumanyika, An assistant professor at Clemson collage in sc, Said at a move at a Wal Mart in gatwick, Extra St. Louis suburb. Monday night's go to this Wilson, That's white, Wouldn't black friday deals usa be indicted for fatally shooting Brown, Who were black, Prompted violent protests that led to about a dozen buildings and vehicles being burned. Dozens of individuals were arrested. The rallies have been ongoing but have discerning more peaceful this week, As protesters turn their to become able to disrupting commerce. Mindy Elledge, Who runs a wrist watch kiosk at the black friday sale ads Galleria, Said it was concentrating. "I think customers are frightened to come here, Elledge outlined. "Together with all the protests going on, Discussion when or where they will happen, In upper carolina, Over a dozen citizens were arrested after about 125 protesters wearing T shirts that read"Black Lives be worth focusing on" Disturbed train service from Oakland to s. Fransisco, With some chaining some other to trains. Dozens females in Seattle blocked streets, And police said some protesters also apparently chained doors shut at the nearby Pacific Place shopping center. In chicago, il, il, About 200 people gathered near its popular stunning Mile shopping district, That will Kristiana Colon, 28, Seen as Friday"A day of concentration and proposal, She's a person in the Let Us Breathe group, This sort of been taking supplies such as gas masks to protesters in Ferguson. "We want them to bear in mind before spending that dollar today, She said of patients. "Considering that black lives are put second to materialism, There won't be any peace, Malcolm paris, france, Portugal, A pacesetter in the Black Youth property 100, Which has been configuring Chicago protests, Said the group was also trying to rally support for other occasions, Such as more exposure from Chicago police. "We are really not indicting a man. We have been indicting a unit, London told the target audience.
Lieb and later on Scher Zagier in St. Louis, Mae Anderson in san francisco, Sara Burnett in chi town, Il but also Kristin J. Bender all the way through contra costa, Some promises, Forked out to the present report.
Prev: thanksgiving sale 2015 usa
Next: 2016 black friday deals
|1||black friday watch deals...||Dallas boys and Atlanta Falcons attract in NFC The Dallas Cowboys still impress|
|2||black friday 2015 shopping...||Deptford Shoppers Pitch Tents 3 Days Before thanksgiving holiday holiday For Bla|
|3||black friday bargains...||Downtown Summerlin Opens For Business CBS las vegas Best Last Minute Summer Act|
|4||black friday best deals online...||Tragedy shawls by hoda donates Surge Approximately $174 million in donations ha|
|5||black friday list 2015...||Diane Abbott tells shadow cabinet to sign up for Jeremy Corbyn against bombing S|
|6||black friday furniture deals...||Dow falls down and can not get up in slow trading Carolina Stocks fell Friday i|
|7||black friday weekend sales...||Day Amazon Prime submission hits Orlando Amazon is taking aim at Central Florid|
|8||black friday deals nike shoes...||Don miss having Day Cultured Friday, Cyber from friday, Giving wednesday. The s|
|9||amazing black friday deals 201...||Daughter Slam Kmart Over Marathon thanksgiving holiday holiday Hours Jillian Fi|
|10||black friday 2015 shops...||Dems warn against money border wall in catchall bill The warning from Senate Mi|


text:
Expects higher govt infra spending than Q1
ING Bank Manila said economic growth in the Philippines likely gained pace to 6 percent in the second quarter of 2015 from 5.2 percent in the first three months, expecting the push to have come from increased government spending.
However, growth in second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) may have remained slower than the 6.7 percent recorded in the second quarter of 2014, it said.
A “positive development is the acceleration of government infrastructure spending in April and May, although the improvement in headline government spending relative to the first quarter of 2015 is a welcome development,” Joey Cuyegkeng, senior economist at ING Bank Manila, said.
Government spending on infrastructure and other capital outlays in April and May totaled P47.2 billion, up 34 percent from the P35.2 billion of such spending during the corresponding period in 2014, he said.
This brought the aggregate amount of government spending in April and May to P331.7 billion, surpassing the total spending of P188.5 billion during the first quarter of this year.
“The June fiscal performance is expected to show sustained headline government spending growth,” Cuyegkeng added.
The official figures for June have yet to be released by the Department of Budget and Management, but preliminary estimates by the agency showed government spending during the entire second quarter of 2015 likely grew at a double-digit pace of 12.4 percent from P505.2 billion a year earlier.
Economic growth could have been better in the second quarter if not for weak exports, which the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said earlier could place a drag on GDP during the period.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and NEDA Director General Arsenio Balisacan said that merchandise exports took a hit in April and May.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed exports in April fell to a two-year low, dropping 4.1 percent to $4.376 billion from $4.563 billion a year earlier.
Then in May, merchandise exports recorded their lowest level in more than three years, slumping 17.4 percent to $4.899 billion from $5.932 billion a year earlier.
“We have some challenges because of exports . . . Globally, exports have been less robust than what we had expected,” Balisacan said.
The government has set a higher target of 7 percent to 8 percent GDP growth for full-year 2015.
The NEDA chief said attaining even the lower end of such target remains a challenge.
“[It’s a] big challenge to get the 7 percent but we’ll see,” he said.


text:
Virgin Mobile has come back with their “Tester Team” program and this time they’re giving the opportunity for 5 lucky members (subscribers) to test out the upcoming HTC One. This will be hitting stores on April 19th and all you have to do to enter is fill out their online form and tell them “why you’d be an awesome Virgin Mobile phone tester.” Pretty simple.
In addition, the fine print in the contest rules states that “The total retail value of the prizes available is $3,500.00.” This makes each HTC One worth $700. So you can bet their no-term pricing, just like TELUS and Rogers, will be around $650.
More here at Virgin


text:
Rumor: 'Batman: Arkham Collection' Releasing This Week With 4K Support
Warner Bros. is no stranger to re-releasing hit games on a new market for players to enjoy. Just [...]
Warner Bros. is no stranger to re-releasing hit games on a new market for players to enjoy. Just look what it did with Batman: Return To Arkham, which packaged up two of its classic games in the series for a new generation to enjoy; as well as Lego Harry Potter Collection, which recently dropped for Nintendo Switch.
And now, thanks to a new listing, it looks like we could be experiencing Batman mania all over again. A report from TrueAchievements suggests that a Batman: Arkham Collection could be releasing this week, bringing back the Dark Knight's signature games in the series with full 4K and Xbox One X support.
There was a listing over on the Xbox Store for the game, dated to release on November 27. It appears to have been taken down, but the above image was taken, along with this description from the release:
"Batman: Arkham Collection brings you the definitive versions of Rocksteady's Arkham Trilogy games, including all post-launch content, in one complete collection. Experience two of the most critically acclaimed titles of the last generation - Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, with fully remastered and updated visuals. Complete your experience with the explosive finale to the Arkham series in Batman: Arkham Knight. Become the Batman and utilize a wide range of gadgets and abilities to face off against Gotham's most dangerous villains, finally facing the ultimate threat against the city that Batman is sworn to protect."
It sounds like the games will be remastered to support the Xbox One X in full 4K; and a PlayStation 4 release, with full support for the Pro, is likely to follow as well.
Keep in mind that Return To Arkham already support the Xbox One X, but don't have 4K resolution or HDR support; so this release would likely fix that, while also providing it for Arkham Knight.
Warner Bros. hasn't said a word about the game's release, but it looks pretty official based on the art and the details we've seen. We're likely to hear more about it tomorrow or Tuesday, when the game starts making the rounds. A price hasn't been given yet, but it's likely to be somewhere around the $40-$50 range, unless Warner Bros. offers it as a budget release around $20.
Now the real question -- can we get a Batman: Arkham Origins remastered release as well? We wouldn't mind playing that game in full 4K, to be quite honest.
You can check out the Batman: Arkham trilogy now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
(Hat tip to TrueAchievements for the scoop!)


text:
U.S. stocks descended Thursday morning as Wall Street reeled from another sizable rate hike by Federal Reserve officials and assessed similar moves by central bank officials across the Atlantic. A disappointing reading on consumer spending also weighed on sentiment.
The European Central Bank and the Bank of England followed the U.S. Fed in raising interest rates by 50 basis points Thursday morning. The BoE’s hike brought rates in the country to their highest since 2008.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) slid 1.4%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) shed around 380 points, or 1.1%. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) dropped 1.7%.
Meanwhile, the government’s retail sales report showed spending fell sharply in November as the key holiday shopping season kicked off. The latest retail sales reading showed a decline of 0.6% over the prior month but a 6.5% increase from November 2021.
Tesla (TSLA) opened flat Thursday after a regulatory filing showed CEO Elon Musk sold approximately 21,995,000 shares of the company, or roughly $3.6 billion worth, during the three-day period ending Dec. 14. Shares of Tesla are down about 20% in December so far and roughly 55% year-to-date after a sell-off of the electric-vehicle giant accelerated in recent days.
Shares of Lennar (LEN) were down 3% at the start of trading, even after the homebuilder reported an 11% jump in fourth-quarter profit late Wednesday.
The moves Thursday morning follow declines across the major averages in the previous trading session after the Fed delivered a 50-basis-point increase to its benchmark interest rate. Fed Chair Jerome Powell also emphasized that he and colleagues will continue to lift rates in 2023 to an upwardly revised projected terminal rate of 5.1%.
Wednesday’s half-percentage point hike, which brought the Fed funds rate to a range of 4.25%-4.5%, did mark a slowdown from the 75-basis-point increases at each of the Fed’s past four policy meetings — the most aggressive stretch of hikes since the 1980s.
Despite a slowdown in the pace and magnitude of increases, Powell continuously asserted that the work by him and his colleagues to tackle stubbornly high inflation was far from over.
“Now that we’ve raised interest rates 425 basis points this year and we’re into restrictive territory, it’s now not so important how fast we go — it’s far more important to think, what is the ultimate level?” Powell said in a press conference with reporters Wednesday. “At a certain point, the question will become, how long do we remain restrictive?”
The Fed’s “dot plot,” which shows estimates by policymakers for interest rates, showed expectations the federal funds rate will increase in 2023 to between 5.1% and 5.4% and in 2024 to still be at a median rate of 4.1% from a previously estimated 3.9% – a change strategists point out is the only real surprise revision to the central bank’s outlook.
“These estimates are notably more hawkish than their previous forecasts and were not trailed well in advance as is normally the case with the Fed,” William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal said in a note.
Alexandra Semenova is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alexandraandnyc
Click here for the latest trending stock tickers of the Yahoo Finance platform
Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android
Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube
#Stock #market #news #live #updates #Stocks #plunge #rate #hikes #rattle #markets #retail #sales


text:
The maker of the popular Fortnite online video recreation will spend $520 million in penalties and refunds to settle complaints revolving all-around children’s privateness and its payment techniques that tricked players into producing unintended buys, U.S. federal regulators stated Monday.
The Federal Trade Commission attained the settlements to resolve two conditions in opposition to Epic Online games Inc., which has parlayed Fortnite’s achievement in the previous five a long time to come to be a movie activity powerhouse.
The $520 million coated in the settlement consists of $245 million in consumer refunds and a $275 million good for accumulating private data on Fortnite gamers beneath the age of 13 with no informing their mother and father or having their consent. It is the biggest penalty ever imposed for breaking an FTC rule.
“Epic utilized privateness-invasive default configurations and misleading interfaces that tricked Fortnite people, which includes teenagers and little ones,” FTC Chair Lina Khan claimed in a assertion.
Even right before the settlement was announced, Epic reported in a assertion it experienced currently rolled out a series of adjustments “to be certain our ecosystem meets the expectations of our players and regulators, which we hope will be a practical guideline for many others in our sector.” The Cary, North Carolina, organization also asserted that it no extended engages in the practices flagged by the FTC.
The $245 million in buyer refunds will go to players who fell target to so-referred to as “dark patterns” and billing tactics. Dark patterns are deceptive online tactics used to nudge customers into accomplishing factors they didn’t intend to do.
In this scenario, “Fortnite’s counterintuitive, inconsistent, and complicated button configuration led players to incur unwelcome fees dependent on the push of a single button,” the FTC mentioned.
Players could, for example, be charged whilst making an attempt to wake the activity from rest manner, while the video game was in a loading screen, or by pressing a nearby button when basically hoping to preview an product, it reported.
“These practices led to hundreds of millions of dollars in unauthorized fees for people,” the FTC reported.
Epic said it agreed to the FTC settlement due to the fact it wishes “to be at the forefront of customer safety and present the ideal encounter for our players.”
“No developer creates a game with the intention of ending up below,” Epic explained.
Through the previous two a long time, Epic also has been locked in a higher-profile legal struggle with Apple in an try to dismantle the limitations preserving the Iphone application retail outlet, which has emerged as one of the world’s greatest e-commerce hubs all through the earlier 14 yrs. After Epic launched a diverse payment procedure in just its Fortnite app in August 2020, Apple ousted the video clip from the app keep, triggering a lawsuit that went to trial last yr.
A federal judge dominated mainly in Apple’s favor, partly simply because she embraced the Iphone maker’s rivalry that its distinctive management of the application shop served protect the security and privateness of individuals. The ruling is presently beneath appeal, with a determination expected at some position up coming yr.


text:
Brazilian Indians take hostages at Amazon dam site
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian native Indians on Sunday took 100 workers hostage at the construction site of a hydroelectric plant in the southern Amazon region, local media reported.
As many as 400 Indians from several different tribes occupied a power plant they say was built on an ancient burial site.
"They didn't take into account the situation of the Indians. The company used dynamite to blow up part of an archeological site," Antonio Carlos Ferreira de Aquino, a local administrator with the government's agency of indigenous affairs, Funai, told Folha.com.


text:
The iPhone 15 Pro series was launched globally on September 22, but as soon as people started using their devices, reports surfaced that the new high-performance phones with the 3nm A17 Pro were overheating.
But now Apple has officially released a statement to Forbes saying that the company is aware of the reported issues. According to the statement, this is due to a bug in iOS 17 and a series of issues Apple discovered regarding the way some third-party apps overload the system.
Forbes quoted Apple as saying: “We have identified a number of conditions that could cause the iPhone to run hotter than expected. The device may feel warmer for the first few days after setting up or restoring the device due to increased background activity.”
While this is more or less expected when setting up a new device, the fact that the heating continues after the setup process is not normal, and Apple notes that there is indeed a bug in iOS 17 that causes this.
Moreover, there also seems to be an issue with the behavior of some third-party apps. “Another issue concerns some third-party apps that cause them to overload the system. We are working with these app developers on solutions that are currently being rolled out,” Apple told Forbes.
Now that Apple has finally acknowledged the bugs causing the heating, it should be noted that these issues will not affect the long-term efficacy of the iPhone 15 Pro. Apple is also expected to release a software update soon that will fix these issues. However, Apple has not provided a timeframe for fixing the aforementioned issues.
Meta Rivals ChatGPT with new AI features
VIVO T2 Pro: Ring Light Phone @ Rs 23,999 | #unpacking
iPhone 15: why did I buy it? | Apple | iPhone | Technical news
Don’t buy an iPhone 15 in the US or Dubai: reasons
Buy iPhone 15 on Blinkit: all the details | Apple | iPhone
Some of the problematic apps known to cause excessive heating include Instagram (which is said to have already been updated to address the issue), Uber and Asphalt 9, the racing game.
That said, many assumed it was the Titanium version of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro models that was causing the intense heat, but Apple’s statement makes it clear that the company is confident in fixing these issues, and this has nothing to do with the new titanium finish on the Pro models.
first print: Oct 1, 2023 07:30 IST


text: March 15 Odessa police arrested 42-year-old Marcus Judie and charged him with theft of property with at least two prior convictions, a state jail felony. Officers responded at 9:07 p.m. March 15 to Best Buy, 6301 E. Highway 191, in reference to someone trespassing. Police made contact with Best Buy personnel, who told them the suspect, identified as Judie, had committed prior thefts at their store. K9 “Jimmy” conducted an open air sniff on Judie’s vehicle in the parking lot and alerted on the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle, a white Honda Civic, and found a black Adidas hat, a Sky Viper Drone (still in the box) and a pair of Adidas running shoes (still in the box) that still had the sales tags on them. All of the items appeared to have been recently purchased or stolen from Academy Sports and Outdoors. Police searched Judie and found him to be in possession of a black pair of Under Armour shorts, a set of wire cutters and an anti-theft device that had been removed from an item. Officers contacted Academy, and surveillance footage revealed that Judie stole the items and exited the store without making any attempt to pay. Investigation revealed that Judie stole about $421 worth of merchandise from the store. Further investigation revealed that Judie had four prior theft convictions. Judie, 3602 30th St., Lubbock, was being held March 22 at the Ector County Detention Center on $15,000 bond.


text:
Frisco, TX, April 20, 2007 --(PR.com
)-- LSG Brisk, LLC today announced that its revolutionary spark plug, the LSG Halo, is now available to consumers on its new Web site, www.lsgbrisk.com. The innovative spark plug uses a patented 360° Firing Technology to improve fuel efficiency by up to 10% and reduce harmful emissions by up to 20%. The Halo is currently being used by various organizations, including cities, police departments, and schools to increase the efficiency of their fleets and the company is making the technology available to the public in an effort to help consumers find relief from skyrocketing gas prices.
Gas prices have risen about 30% since February to a national average of $2.87 for a gallon of regular unleaded and will likely continue to climb towards the $3 level throughout the U.S. as demand continues to rise with the approach of summer.
“With soaring gas prices, we are pleased to make this technology available to consumers, giving them an opportunity to realize the same fuel savings that our fleet clients are currently enjoying. In addition, they will also be helping to protect the environment, and their health, by lowering vehicle emissions that contribute to acid rain, smog, and global warming,” said Ram Mistry, Executive VP of Global Sales.
Unlike conventional spark plugs, which generate a spark at basically the same location each time, the Halo features an exclusive 360° Firing Technology that generates rotating sparks that fire at multiple points along a circular ground electrode. Thanks to this unique design and cutting-edge firing technology, the Halo is able to ignite the air/fuel mixture approximately 30% faster than traditional spark plugs, resulting in a more efficient combustion (around 95% versus 75% for standard plugs) and maximum utilization of the energy contained in the fuel. This increased efficiency will help drivers increase their gas mileage, maximize engine performance, and lower harmful emissions such as Hydrocarbons, Carbon Monoxide, and Oxides of Nitrogen (Nox), which contribute to global warming and other environmental hazards.
Other benefits of the Halo include up to 5% increase in horsepower and torque, better cold starts, cleaner engines, and smoother acceleration. Many customers have indicated that they noticed an improvement in performance immediately after installing the plugs, however, the company indicated that vehicles should be driven between 500 to 1000 miles before realizing the full fuel-saving potential of the Halo Spark Plugs.
One of the first organizations to experience the benefits of the LSG Halo spark plug was the City of Little Rock, Arkansas. Darryl Syler, the city’s Fleet Maintenance Manager, decided to conduct a trial on the city’s Police Fleet to see how the Halo would perform. He had the spark plugs installed on 12 Ford Crown Victoria Police Cruisers and field-tested for about four months. To ensure the accuracy of the results, a blind test was performed. When the results were in, the City of Little Rock concluded that the Halo spark plugs improved their fuel economy by an average of 11.5%.
Mr. Syler later remarked, “I would like to tell you…how pleased we are with the results that we have had with the Halo plugs that we have been running in our Ford Crown Victoria Police Cars. They have really produced great numbers on the fuel mileage. I look forward to continued success with the Halo plugs and I would recommend them to anyone that inquires. We have seen an 11.5% increase in fuel mileage, and as fuel prices go up, this is going to be a tremendous help in cutting our fuel costs.”
Based on the positive results they achieved on the trial, the City of Little Rock has decided to retrofit their entire fleet with the LSG Halo spark plugs. Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Syler and his team in the Fleet Maintenance Department, the City of Little Rock will save approximately $225,000 annually on their fuel costs while helping to clean and preserve the environment.
The Halo Spark Plug has been extensively tested by various fleets in both the U.S. and Canada, using a wide variety of vehicles, with very successful results. Some of the organizations benefiting from its use include the City of Little Rock, AR (11.5% improvement in mpg), the City of Hot Springs, AR (10.8% improvement in mpg), McKinney Independent School District, TX (22% improvement in mpg), and Summit Pest Control, TX (16.7% improvement in mpg). For more trial results and information, go to www.lsgbrisk.com.
About LSG Brisk, LLC
LSG Brisk, LLC (www.lsgbrisk.com) is an innovative, forward-thinking automotive parts company, specializing in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of environmentally friendly and cost-effective solutions that improve fuel economy and protect the environment.


text:
The next-generation luxury fashion platform, Syky, has successfully raised more than $9 million in a Series A funding round. The digital fashion startup anticipates seeding the secured funds in the nascent NFT sector.
Alexis Ohanian Led Syky To Raise $9.5M
In a January 17 press release, the luxury fashion platform confirmed raising $9.5 million in a Series A funding round. The funding round was led by Alexis Ohanian’s venture capital firm Seven Seven Six. Ohanian is the co-founder social media platform Reddit.
Alongside Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six, the funding initiative also saw the participation of notable venture capital firms, including Brevan Howard Digital, Leadout Capital, First Light Capital Group, and Polygon Ventures.
Launched in November 2022, Syky is a blockchain-based luxury fashion platform designed to bridge the current divide between emerging digital fashion talents, the mainstream fashion industry, and consumers.
The platform is under the leadership of Alice Delahunt, the former chief digital officer at Ralph Lauren. While commenting about the recent successful funding Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, remarked:
“There is limitless potential with Web3, and fashion’s place in this future is no exception. We invested in Syky because we believe in Alice’s vision to build the leading fashion platform and community for the next generation of designers and consumers.”
Syky Sets To Use The Secured Funds To Launch NFTs
According to the announcement, the digital fashion startup anticipates using the secured funds to launch a non-fungible token project. The NFT project will feature a limited edition of 987 Keystone NFTs.
The new Keystone NFTs will serve as membership pass for fashion lovers, leaders, and collectors who want to shape the future of fashion in digital, physical, and augmented worlds. The NFT collection will officially launch this week on January 20.
- Best New NFT Projects For 2023
- Best Metaverse NFT Projects for 2023
- Luxury Brand Gucci Opens New Fashion Store In The Metaverse
Fight Out - Next 100x Move to Earn Crypto
- Backed by LBank Labs, Transak
- Earn Rewards for Working Out
- Level Up and Compete in the Metaverse
- Presale Live Now - $4M+ Raised
- Real-World Community, Gym Chain


text:
Malaysia's exports reportedly rose a weaker-than-expected 0.4 percent year-on-year in January owing to a sharp fall in demand from major markets including China and Europe.
The trade ministry said overseas shipments, the main engine of the country's economy, came in at posted 55.07 billion ringgit ($18.1 billion), with petroleum, and iron and steel providing most support.
Yeah Kim Leng, chief economist with financial research firm RAM Holdings told AFP the slowdown in exports would need to be countered by bolstering domestic demand if the government is to achieve its goal of 4.0-5.0 percent growth this year.
"It looks like the slowdown in Europe has translated into a sharp fall in our exports. The more worrying thing is our exports to China, which traditionally has supported our economy, have also declined."
China's huge economy, which many regional nations rely on to boost their own growth, is witnessing a slowdown as its own exports suffer from the ongoing debt crisis in Europe as well as the stuttering recovery in the United States.
"We expect Malaysian exports to experience very weak growth in the first half of this year," Yeah added.
Exports to China plunged 12.2 percent, while those to the European Union sank 14.5 percent.
Malaysia's major export markets in January were Japan, Singapore, China and the United States.


text:
You have quit Europe, now quit India, farmers tell Monsanto
NEW DELHI, August 9, 2013
“Cotton and the cloth made from indigenous cotton are a symbol of our freedom struggle”
Close on the heels of transnational seed company Monsanto abandoning its programme for development of genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe last month, there are growing calls for the company to do the same in India.
Its decision to withdraw all applications to grow GMO crops in Europe came in the face of strong opposition to the technology that was hurting its commercial interests.


text:
This year has been the most successful for a while for Bitcoin in terms of development and integration. As we look back on a fairly eventful year we can also sleep easy as Bitcoin prices grow further and further towards the $800 mark.
As seen in the graph above Bitcoin prices have remained afloat and constantly growing reflecting increased positive sentiment. Currently the market cap is the same as it was during the previous bubble however the lower price suggests the slow and stable growth is unlikely due to a bubble. Prices have jumped around $10 over the week to current prices of $792.
To conclude, while the digital currency has had a tough year with ups and downs next year has plenty on store for investors and traders as the hopefully completion of projects from the R3 consortium should see Bitcoin adoption increase hugely in the African region. Currently Bitcoin prices are set to increase to around $795 and remain stable for at least 48 hours judging by the level of support at the current position across a number of trading books. Volumes also indicate long term growth and analyst would also give the coin a strong buy as current growth conditions allow for a week of stability at the least.
You too can jump in the Bitcoin markets with a small investment as NairaEX allows you to purchase Bitcoin at market premium prices and receive your coin within a matter of hours!
Disclaimer! Trading and investing has an inherited risk and you should never invest more than you are willing to lose. Any financial loss from financial advice administered is not responsible on the site or authors behalf.


text:
A piece in Counsel to Counsel, May 28 at 10, showcases the efforts of the computer manufacturer Lenovo to combat worldwide counterfeiting of its products. “As the company’s legal representative, inside counsel must ensure that processes are in place to watch for and identify counterfeit items early on, aggressively pursue and prosecute counterfeiters, and reassure partners, the public and government regulators that the company’s products are trustworthy.” Certainly, the general counsel of Lenovo, Michael O’Neill, firstname.lastname@example.org believes that oversight of anti-counterfeit efforts falls within the ambit of the legal department.
Undoubtedly, companies need to know the laws that pertain to fake products and how to cut them off legally, which means that lawyers need to provide counsel, but much of the associated leg work does not require legal training. To monitor Internet and bricks-and-mortar sellers and manufacturers, to investigate customer complaints, to purchase samples of suspicious products and identify them as knock-offs, to train port-of-entry law enforcement and customs agencies, to educate and calm consumers, to take part in raids, and to lobby with peer companies for protective laws and regulations does not require the oversight of a lawyer.
It seems to me that crack-downs on counterfeits sits right at the edge of the law department’s scope of responsibility.


text:
It’s not like GTA V is dying or anything. The game population is as healthy as it gets, which is a lot to say for a game that was released in 2013, but the community of fans has been asking for a new installment in the series for a long time. Rockstar Games is yet to officially announce Grand Theft Auto VI but the latest Take-Two financial report contains some statement that seems to point to a release in 2024-2025.
“In Fiscal 2025, we expect to enter this new era by launching several groundbreaking titles that we believe will set new standards in our industry and enable us to achieve over $8 billion in Net Bookings and over $1 billion in Adjusted Unrestricted Operating Cash Flow. We expect to sustain this momentum by delivering even higher levels of operating results in Fiscal 2026 and beyond.”
Impressive numbers due to an impressive game?
Although GTA is not the only source of revenue for the company, the wording chosen for the statement and the huge gains can only point to a release that exceeds the possible expectations of a normal game. Grand Theft Auto VI would definitely fill that gap, and we could be looking at a release that would happen between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025. If we take into account how hungry for certain titles the fans are nowadays (Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has sold 10 million copies in barely 3 days), we could be looking at the biggest release in the story of video games.
The popularity of the Grand Theft Auto series is so huge that is unlikely that Rockstar Games is able to hide any details about a possible release of Grand Theft Auto VI for too long. You will be the first to know if anything is leaked. Meanwhile, its predecessor still offers one of the best open-world experiences released to date, and you can buy GTA V cheap with our comparator anytime.


text:
Nokia's Q2 results are out and one of the key highlight is Lumias sales growth which has reached to 7.4 million as compared to 5.5 million last quarter. Overall device shipments is 61.1 million due to decrease in featurephones volume, which started recovering from late part of the quarter. NSN
Nokia 105 which can arguably be defined as the most "bang for bucks" Nokia phone is heading to Europe after being launched in India. According to the reports it will be priced $20 and thus be the cheapest Nokia phone with colored display one has ever owned. This is ideally targeted
So, Nokia's Q1 results are out and time to analyse and find out what has been hits and misses. Coming to hits first,
Lumia shipments grown to 5.6 million and that too beating the effect of seasonality (Q1 results are usually dismal)
Nokia's cash position is strong at EUR 4.5 Billion at
Nokia is focussing hard on its two-pronged strategy of Lumia Smartphones and Next Billion Asha Featurephones. In a bid to provide great gaming experience, Nokia has already provided Full-touch Asha devices i.e. Asha 305, Asha 306 and Asha 311 with free 40 EA games. Sometime back over 20 classic games from NAMCO BANDAI were announced
Nokia has posted more videos in "Me & My Asha video series". This time the videos feature "Kajal from New Delhi", " Palm in Bagkok" and "Mitzy in Mexico city" talking about their experience with Asha phones and how it is helping in even shaping their dreams.
The Me & My Asha


text:
HMD Global has announced its Nokia 8.1 smartphone at today’s launch event in Dubai. As expected, the device is the rebranded version of the China-exclusive Nokia X7 and it borrows the same specs. We already knew everything there is to know about the device since its promotional slides and even a promo video were leaked online, just hours ahead of the launch. The new smartphone features a PureView display and comes equipped with ZEISS optics for the cameras. It is touted to deliver a two-day battery life and as all Nokia smartphones, it is a part of the Android One family.
Nokia 8.1 Specifications
The “New Nokia 8” or the Nokia 8.1 sports a 6.18-inch full-HD+ display with an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The screen comes with HDR 10 support and has a resolution of 1080x2244 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC, which can clock speeds of up to 2.2GHz, and features 4GB RAM with 64GB of internal storage. The device is backed by a 3500 mAh battery, which is said to last the device for two days and features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. As all Nokia devices, the Nokia 8.1 is an Android One device and it runs on stock Android 9 Pie.
In terms of optics, the Nokia 8.comes equipped with a dual camera setup that features Zeiss optics and supports Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS). It features a 12MP primary camera with a 1.4-micron pixels, 1/2.55-inch sensor, which is paired with a depth-sensing 13MP camera. The main camera supports Dual PDAF and it can capture 4K video at 30fps. On the front, the handset comes with a 20MP sensor with 0.9-micron pixels that is said to combine 4 pixels in 1 for better low-light images. The phone supports fast charging as well. The device is built using a single block of Series 6000 aluminium, which is said to have been through two anodising processes.
Nokia 8.1 Price
The Nokia 8.1 will globally retail at an average retail price of EUR 399 (Rs 31,940 approx) and will be available in India mid-December. The company is expected to confirm the device’s pricing at the upcoming December 10 India launch. The phone will be available in Blue/Silver, Steel/Copper, and Iron/Steel dual-tone colour models.


text:
| Nov 6, 2013
| 7:40 PM
For an artist who calls her studio Humble Ceramics, it's fitting that Delphine Lippens reduces all of her work to circles and rectangles -- a minimalist binary of O's and I's, she says, simple and clean forms that nevertheless have a complex beauty....
| Nov 10, 2013
| 8:00 AM
"I'm proudly analog," says Adam Silverman, and the Los Angeles architect-turned-fashion-designer-turned-potter isn't kidding. Where most modern travelers might fuss over laptops, tablets or smartphones during their airplane flights, Silverman obsessed...
| Jan 3, 2014
Re "L.A.'s got a brand new bag ban," Jan. 1, and "Bring your own (reusable) bag," Editorial, Dec. 31
It's about time Los Angeles eliminated the use of disposable plastic bags, but I hope this is only one part of a larger effort to cut back on plastics....
| Nov 10, 2013
| 8:20 PM
Only about a year has passed since Ben Medansky started his own studio, but already his cheeky wabi sabi ceramics have landed on the shelves of stores in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and New York.
“Ceramics is something you do every day,&...
| Dec 18, 2013
| 12:34 PM
[Note: This post was corrected Dec. 19, 2013.]
The Community Center of La Caņada Flintridge broke records at an annual ceramics sale over the weekend.
The organization netted more than $41,000 during its three-day sale. The event, held since 1969,...
| Dec 19, 2013
| 2:10 PM
It's crunch time, holiday shoppers -- that moment in the season where we stop messing around and go with what works. In the realm of gifts, that includes Magnolia Ceramics.
The L.A. at Home crew first got to know the man behind Magnolia, Warner...
| Nov 20, 2013
| 8:20 AM
If you have attended services at a Quaker meeting house, you will immediately feel at home when you walk into Reynolds Fine Art in New Haven. Here, through Dec. 3, you will find the serene and beguiling "quilt drawings" of Daphne Taylor. She calls them...
| Nov 21, 2013
| 7:10 AM
When Nino Mier spotted an unoccupied retail space a few doors down from Foodlab, the cafe he owns with his mother, he imagined it as a "not-so-general store."
He impulsively rented the storefront "without a concept," and that might be what makes the...
| Dec 8, 2013
| 12:37 PM
Heath Ceramics invited eight artists to create 70 one-of-a-kind clay clocks that are premiering in Heath's Los Angeles and San Francisco studios this weekend.
The artists and design firms behind the Design in Time clocks are Roger Herman, Geoff...
| Dec 28, 2013
| 7:30 AM
Before he became a potter, setting aside a longtime hobby for full-time engagement, Adam Silverman trained and practiced as an architect. Clay vessels and buildings are significantly different, in myriad obvious ways. But Silverman sometimes collapses the...
| Oct 24, 2013
| 8:30 AM
Art serves a useful purpose in two ceramics exhibits at the Columbia Art Center. Indeed, you could serve a meal with the assorted platters, mugs, teapots and other functional objects on display. There also are elegant vases just waiting to be filled...


text:
Market research firm SmarTech Analysis recently released its data for the additive manufacturing (AM) industry. It determined that, in 2021, the 3D printing sector reached $10.6 billion in revenue, excluding the revenues associated with hardware maintenance contracts and post-processing equipment. The firm further projects that AM is expected to grow to over $50 billion by 2030.
This growth is closely pinned to the trend that large manufacturers will increasingly use the technology for mass production. However, in order for AM to reach wide-scale adoption, it will need to advance significantly in three crucial and interrelated areas: throughput, factory integration, and quality control. Fortunately for the industry, these are all also issues that are being actively addressed.
3D Printing Throughput
Due to its roots as a prototyping technology, 3D printing was never designed with mass production in mind. Instead, its ability to create complex shapes has been limited to one-off parts or small batch manufacturing. For that reason, firms across the 3D printing industry have been working to develop systems that can make many parts as rapidly as possible, a concept known as throughput.
Among the leaders in this regard is HP, which spent years researching the technology before finally unveiling technologies capable of rapid production both in plastics and metals. The 2D printing giant has ported its expertise in inkjet printheads over to 3D printing with a technology called Multi Jet Fusion (MJF). MJF is already being used to produce large batches of polymer parts for everything from eyewear to grocery bots.
This is just the beginning for the company, which is now rolling out its Metal Jet technology. A form of what is called “metal binder jetting,” Metal Jet deposits a liquid binder onto metal powder, creating a component that must then be sintered in a furnace. Customers as large as Volkswagen are investing in the technology with a plan to mass produce up to 100,000 metal components annually for consumer vehicles.
However, HP isn’t the only company in this quickly evolving space. A widely publicized startup called Desktop Metal is working to speed up metal binder jetting. GE, too, is working on its own version of the technology. Altogether, these companies are ushering in an era in which low-cost metal powders can be used to 3D print large numbers of parts in a single job, potentially changing the cost structure for metal 3D printing altogether.
This means that they will be taking on the established leaders in metal 3D printing, which typically rely on zapping high powered laser beams at expensive metal powders. These companies are working on increasing throughput, as well, by adding up to 12 lasers to their machines.
3D Printing Factories
While a fleet of 3D printers may be capable of manufacturing at volume, that doesn’t mean that they’ll necessarily fit into an existing factory operation. In large part, this is due to the fact that they lack mass production-level software.
Now, a handful of startups have emerged to take on the challenge of developing AM-specific software for manufacturing execution systems (MES). These tools make it possible to both manage a fleet of 3D printers and connect them to a company’s existing production software. They typically aid in the entire order-to-fabrication workflow. This means order quoting and tracking, print file preparation, print job monitoring and data collection, printer fleet queuing, quality control, and shipping.
MES software necessarily connects to a business’s existing software tools. This includes product lifecycle management (PLM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and general IT software. While PLM might include a company’s preferred 3D modeling software, ERP will be made up of everything from payroll programs to tools for tracking overall finances.
MES platforms are now working to take all of the software that a manufacturer might already be working with and inserting 3D printing into the mix. However, they’re not just limiting themselves to AM. Many MES developers are looking to connect with other production equipment, such as CNC machines. Then, with the help of machine learning, the entire workflow can be improved automatically as data from each order and each machine job feeds back into the work cycle. Artificial intelligence is significantly adding to the capabilities of MES software.
3D Printing Quality Control
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to widespread AM adoption is quality control. This is because, with additive, each part is distinct. Every point on the build platform may be slightly different and even the slightest variation in a printing parameter may change the microstructure of the printed object.
In turn, an object printed at one angle will not be the same as one printed at another. And, because parts are built up layer by layer, it is difficult to validate the internal geometries of an item once printing is complete. As a result, the only true way to assure the quality of a printed object is with a CT scan, typically a cost-prohibitive method for inspecting multitudes of parts.
Fortunately, not only are newer CT scanning systems with lower price tags coming onto the market, but there are other tools that are being used to ensure the quality of printed parts. Among them is computer simulation. Companies like ANSYS have developed software that can anticipate any defects that occur during the printing process and compensate for them. Hexagon is taking this one step further by predicting issues at the microscopic level.
Meanwhile, firms like Sigma Labs and Additive Assurance have created hardware to monitor the build chambers of metal 3D printers to detect errors. Increasingly, these tools will enable active feedback so that the machines can quickly correct issues during the print process. When connected with MES software and 3D printing simulation, the equipment can learn from past errors and address them before they even happen in the future.
Altogether, these areas are advancing at incredible rates, in large part because manufacturers see the value in being able to produce objects from digital files on demand. As companies as large as Ford, GE, and Siemens look to 3D printing to produce quality end parts, they are driving the entire additive market to bend to their needs. To reach a whopping $50 billion by the end of the decade, the 3D printing industry has to be capable of making millions of parts for those customers.