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The third generation of the modern MINI Cooper has been unveiled. The launch coincides with the 107th anniversary of the birth of Sir Alec Issigonis, the designer of the original Mini. The MINI, beloved by its fans, has been completely redesigned. It goes on sale in March 2014. Only the three-door Hardtop will be released, with the other variants coming in later.
The new MINI will get a new platformed – titled ‘UKL. It’s a little bigger (4.5 inches longer and 1.7 inches higher), a little more robust, with new safety features (backup camera, parking assistant) and improved quality. As you would expect, there are numerous technical updates, including a new infotainment system and LED headlights.
Under the hood, the new MINI will have a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine that produces 134 horsepower or a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 189 horsepower.
Take a look at the 2014 MINI Cooper.
Munich/Oxford. The new MINI has made its worldwide debut today (18 November) at MINI’s UK production plant in Oxford and features all-new vehicle architecture , an evolutionary design and a range of new fuel-efficient engines to give owners even more fun behind the wheel. A £750 million investment across three of BMW Group’s UK manufacturing facilities marks the launch of the new car with a new 1,000-robot body shop at Plant Oxford, the debut of new technologies at the steel body pressings operation in Swindon, and new machining and assembly facilities to produce a new generation of three and four-cylinder engines at the Hams Hall engine plant near Birmingham.
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I was lucky enough to get an early preview of the new Mini – a classic British icon – during a visit to the factory in Oxford last month. This £750 million investment is great news for both the local and wider economy, along with the 5,500 workers whose jobs are safeguarded by this launch.
“Car manufacturing is a vital engine for growth. Production is back up to pre-recession levels and a car rolls off the line every 20 seconds in the UK. But we’re not complacent. Our industrial strategy is a key part of the Government’s economic plan and we’re helping to drive the car industry further and faster with over £4bn of investment.”
Harald Krueger, BMW Group’s board member for production, said: “In our Oxford plant’s centenary year, we are continuing the MINI brand success story and today starting production of the third model generation. Our total investment of £750 million in our British production locations of Oxford, Swindon and Hams Hall between 2012 and 2015 underscores the importance of the MINI production triangle within our global production network. The UK is the heart of MINI production – thanks to the experience, competence and strong commitment of all our employees.”
The investment means additional job security for the 5,500 associates currently working in the UK MINI production network. Besides a new state-of-the-art body shop, the Oxford plant also benefits from upgrades to its paint shop, its final assembly area and from a series of initiatives reducing the operation’s carbon footprint and improving its waste management processes. The introduction of the new MINI has also seen a significant investment in the most extensive workforce training programme undertaken at the plant.
Even though there’s instant recognition – something which comes from having such a globally identifiable design – the new MINI is completely new from the ground up in an effort to optimise its styling, function and performance. With its market launch in Spring 2014, the new car offers an enhanced standard specification, an extensive range of options to allow customers to adapt the car to their individual style, higher comfort levels, comprehensive safety technology including pedestrian protection and more innovative networking technology. Longer and wider than its predecessor, the new model provides more interior space for both the driver and passengers. Extensively revised suspension technology, reduced weight and increased rigidity have intensified the typical MINI go-kart feeling.
Commenting on the new model, Peter Schwarzenbauer, BMW Group’s board member for MINI, BMW Motorrad, Rolls-Royce, Aftersales BMW Group said: “MINI is an inspiration for trend-setters and creative spirits the world over. And with our latest generation of MINI, we want to excite once again. To ensure the new generation of MINI is as successful as its predecessors, we have made just subtle modifications to its design. But beneath the outer skin is a brand-new car with state-of-the-art technologies seen for the first time at a small car”.
Alex has written for Vanity Fair, Barrons, Bloomberg and Condé Nast Traveler.


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After an explosive, yet promising NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Jim Dunn Racing and driver Todd Lesenko are right back in the saddle and competing at the NHRA O’Reilly Nationals in Charlotte, NC. The team will be introducing another new sponsor to the sport, Eco-Absorb, after great results with their continuing primary and associate sponsor programs for Grime Boss hand wipes and Tap It Brewing this season. Damaging two Funny Car bodies at Indianapolis forced the team to bring out a new Dodge Funny Car body, which will be green in recognition of Eco-Absorb’s corporate colors.
Eco-Absorb, manufacturer of an environmentally friendly spill clean up product, is headquarted near the race team shop in Southern California, and has an ownership group with strong interest in reaching automotive enthusiasts, as well as the business-to-business connections that exist in the sport. The light weight, super absorbent product provides the perfect material for do-it-yourself mechanics, shop owners, service centers, trucking companies, as well as auto parts, hardware, and mass retailers. Race fans can learn about Eco-Absorb online at www.eco-absorb.com and purchase the product directly or through HomeDepot.com.
Todd Lesenko, driver of the Eco-Absorb Funny Car, has taken the week to prepare for the NHRA national event in Charlotte following his excitement of qualifying for the NHRA U.S. Nationals and then suffering an engine explosion that catapulted the Grime Boss Funny Car body. One day later, Lesenko won his opening round match up over #2 qualifier, Jack Beckman, only to suffer another engine explosion which left the team unable to make the call to the starting line for the quarter-finals. “Indy obviously had its highs and lows, but we’ve determined the source of the engine failure, and the team re-grouped with new parts, and a new body for our sponsor this weekend, Eco-Absorb” said Lesenko. “The car is running much quicker and faster and our goal is to qualify and win rounds at Charlotte this weekend to provide great exposure for Eco-Absorb as well as associate sponsors Grime Boss, Tap It, Lincoln Tech and others.”
Jim Dunn Racing is not new to bringing sponsors like Eco-Absorb into the sport, and helping them generate new business channels for their products. Additional Jim Dunn Racing primary and associate sponsors, Grime Boss and Tap It Brewing have experienced this first hand. Tap It gained distribution into new states and venues along the NHRA tour, and the popular Grime Boss hand wipes have been connected to new retailers.
Team Manager, Jon Dunn, is looking forward to this weekend’s race in Charlotte. “It’s great to introduce a new sponsor and product to NHRA fans” Dunn said. “In addition to being so much more absorbent than traditional clay-based floor products, Eco-Absorb is much safer to handle and dispose of for the consumer and the environment.”
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(Recasts; adds details about new line, updates stock movement)
Oct 13 (Reuters) - Payless ShoeSource, a unit of footwear retailer Collective Brands Inc PSS.N, plans to launch a line of affordable eco-friendly shoes, marking the company’s entry into the “go-green” movement that has recently caught on with retailers.
“Green” is now a major marketing gimmick, with big players such as Nike Inc (NKE.N) recognizing its importance among global shoppers. Even retailing giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) is offering more organic goods.
Payless’ new environment-friendly footwear line, expected to hit stores early next year, is a part of the shoe retailer’s strategy to position itself as a discount retailer of new brands.
Footwear and accessory products in the new line will be made using eco-friendly materials such as organic cottons and linen, natural hemp and recycled outsoles, and come in “eco-smart” packing.
The line will launch initially for women, and be available at a price, on average, of below $30 a pair in about 500 stores.
Payless said it plans to refresh the line every season, and expand it to include kids’ and men’s styles.
The brand name for the line will be announced closer to when the shoes are available in stores next year.
Shares of Topeka, Kansas-based Collective Brands were trading up 28 cents at $14.72 Monday afternoon on the New York Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Nivedita Bhattacharjee in Bangalore; Editing by Pratish Narayanan)


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Brazilian coffee merchants restated their ability to meet demand, even as data showed the country, coming close to losing top rank in exports to Vietnam – at least, temporarily – as robusta shipments fell to a multi-year low.
Nelson Carvalhaes, president of exporters’ group Cecafé, said that Brazil’s ability to ship “close to 2.5m bags” of coffee last month, despite it bringing the carnival holidays “proves our competence to meet demand”.
However, the 2.48m bags of coffee which Brazil shipped was the lowest February figure for four years, and down 15.5% from volumes the same month last year, reflecting a slowdown to a trickle in robusta bean shipments.
It also came close to close to being eclipsed by volumes from Vietnam, the second-ranked producing country, which exported 146,402 tonnes (2.44m bags) of coffee last month, customs data showed.
This represented a 23% jump in volumes, despite Vietnam’s own trade facing disruptions from holidays, with February bringing the week-long Tet new year celebrations.
‘Exceeded all forecasts’
Indeed, the strength of Vietnam’s shipments surprised many observers, with trader I&M Smith noting that the data “exceeded all forecasts”.
Vietnamese officials had forecast the country’s exports last month at 2.17m bags, while trade forecasts ranged from 1.83m-2.33m bags.
The rise in shipments also came without help from Brazil � which had, in the face of a dent to domestic supplies from successive drought-affected crops, proposed importing robusta beans from Vietnam, only to put the idea on hold pending a reassessment of the extent of domestic stocks.
“Maybe if Brazil had been quicker off the mark, it would have been overtaken in exports for last month,” a soft commodities trader told Agrimoney.com.
The tightness of Brazil’s robusta supplies was underlined by Cecafe data showing that shipments of the bean had fallen last month to 9.62m bags � a drop of 57% month on month and 86% year on year.
It is also the lowest figure on readily-available data going back to 2012.
Exports of arabica beans were, at 2.22m bags, were down 8.1% month on month and 12.9% year on year.
As for importers, of the 5.11m bags of coffee Brazil exported in the first two months of the year, Germany was the top destination, taking 1.00m bags, a rise of 2.1% year on year, pushing the US into second place.
Exports to the US, at 957,726 bags over January and February, tumbled by 14.6%.
‘Resistant to sell’
‘There is some idea that Brazil’s coffee exports for now could snag against a reluctance by farmers to sell.
Cecafe’s Mr Carvalhaes flagged that farmers are “resistant to sell at current prices”, even though the country’s values have been protected by a weaker real from falling New York futures values.
In fact, farmers appear to be betting on further weakness in the real, which boosts the value in local terms of assets such as coffee traded internationally in dollars, I&M Smith said.
There is also talk that farmers are holding off in expectation of a weaker Brazilian harvest in 2017 � an “off” year in Brazil’s cycle of alternate higher and lower producing years.
Exports vs domestic demand
However, I&M Smith also flagged resistance to Vietnamese shipments from domestic consumption, “at is steadily increasing and is estimated by some to be approximately 2.8m bags per annum”.
Give the disappointing 2016-17 harvest, the need to meet domestic demand “is likely to see Vietnam robusta coffee export volumes start to tail off by May this year”.
ram/ March 18, 2017
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Once the preserve of the eco-conscious ‘early adopter’, research suggests it won’t be long before electric vehicles (EVs) become the norm on UK roads.
According to a recent report by Deloitte, a third of all new vehicles globally will be electrified by the end of the decade, with sales expected to exceed 31 million by 2030.
This is 10 million more than its analysts predicted back in January, which Deloitte attributes to falling prices, stricter emissions targets, government incentives and a growing number of EV choice.
In the UK, Deloitte’s research suggests that almost half of consumers are now considering an EV for their next car.
EV switch could cut emissions by 12%
Indeed, if all UK drivers swapped to an EV, it would cut the UK’s overall annual emissions by 12% – or 42 million tonnes of CO2, according to a study carried out at Nottingham Trent University and released in May.
And while the Covid-19 pandemic may have reduced spending in many areas, attitudes around travel may increase EV demand.
For example, bi-weekly research into consumer behaviour trends carried out by Deloitte suggests that more than two-thirds of UK consumers now plan to limit their use of public transport in the future.
Covid-19 drives increased car demand
According to Deloitte Insights: “In the short term, this will likely accelerate demand for cheap second-hand cars, but in the long term this could translate into increased demand for EVs” – especially among those who don’t currently own a car.
Indeed, according to the Energyst’s EV Report 2020, registrations of new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) more than tripled in June, up 262% year-on-year.
This is despite the International Energy Agency forecasting a 15% contraction in the overall passenger car market this year.
Despite higher numbers of employees working from home, demand for EVs in the company car market is also increasing, especially since new tax breaks were introduced in April.
Tax breaks increase company EVs
Changes to Benefit in Kind (BIK) rates for EVs mean that company car drivers will pay 0% this tax year, only 1% for 2021-22 and 2% for 2022-23. Previously, company car tax liability would be calculated at 16% of the car’s value (for example, a £30k car would generate a taxable benefit of £4,800).
As a result, of 327 businesses surveyed between March and June by the Energyst, 32% believe the change in BIK will substantially increase the numbers of EVs within their organisation, and 52% expect a moderate increase.
Investment in more workplace charging infrastructure also appears to be a priority, with 76% of those surveyed saying their business was planning to install more charging provision within the next 12 months (and 23% within the next one to two years).
Changes to the tax rules back in 2019 mean employers can also provide EV charging at work without generating a BIK. So employees can now benefit from both a free car and free fuel.
Charging infrastructure still a concern
That said, currently, a lack of sufficient charging infrastructure has overtaken driving range as the most common concern among consumers, with 33% citing it as an issue now versus 22% back in 2018 (source: Deloitte Insights).
But almost daily, more organisations and local authorities unveil plans to install new smart charging innovations.
For example, earlier this month, a bus garage in north London began hosting the world’s largest vehicle-to-grid (V2G) trial, with 100 double-decker electric buses fitted with bi-directional chargers.
At any one time, 28 buses will be hooked up to the grid, recharging when electricity demand is low and releasing energy back to the grid when demand is high. Overall, this will provide around 1MW of flexibility.
Potential to save £270 million with V2G charging
It’s projects like this that could cut around £270 million off the cost of running the UK power system, according to research into the benefits of V2G charging by a consortium of experts including National Grid, Western Power Distribution and leading car manufacturers.
Indeed, many of the businesses we work with are looking at utilising on-site generation or storage (existing or new) to provide flexibility to reduce energy invoices, including EV charging provision.
If you’d like to understand more about how EVs, smart charging infrastructure and flexible energy provision fit into your future energy strategy, please contact your Client Lead (existing customers). Or drop us an email to nBS@npower.com.


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In 2024, Meta Corporation will release a new version of the artificial intelligence language model Llama 2, which will be several times more powerful than its predecessor. WSJ reports this.
According to the publication, the AI project will help other companies create services that generate complex text, analytical and graphic data.
The company is currently building the data centers necessary for the operation of the neural network, and also purchasing H100 graphics chips from Nvidia.
As part of the initiative, Meta has partnered with Microsoft to release Llama 2 on the Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform. At the same time, artificial intelligence will work on Mark Zuckerberg’s own infrastructure.
The code of the future neural network will be made publicly available, and developers will receive the necessary tools to create an application based on the new AI.
The corporation expects that Llama 2 will not be inferior to its competitor from Sam Altman’s OpenAI company – GPT-4.
Meta introduced its first language model in February 2023. The corporation trained the latest version of the AI in July on 70 billion parameters.
In August, the Financial Times reported on the company’s plans to create a chatbot with support for different personalities.
Let us recall that based on the results of April-June 2023, the operating loss of the Reality Labs division associated with the metaverse in the Meta structure amounted to $3.74 billion.
Earlier, Bloomberg learned about Apple’s plans to create a competitor to ChatGPT. The company has developed a framework for creating large Ajax language models.
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Posted in: Infrastructure,
by Patrick DeHaan on Aug 15, 2013 04:00 PM
7-Eleven is bringing fast charging to NYC motorists in the days ahead, having announced plans to deploy Green Charge Networks energy storage solutions.
7-Eleven and GCN worked with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and several large utility companies to leverage local solar generation and energy storage, which enables the use of high-powered electric equipment, including EV fast chargers. This avoids extreme consumption peaks that lead to expensive electricity-demand charges for commercial rate payers.
Green Charge Networks’ energy storage system, GreenStation, manages the power consumption at the 5820 Francis Lewis Boulevard 7-Eleven location in Flushing, N.Y. It monitors the store’s load on a second-by-second basis and counteracts peaks and valleys by discharging and charging from an internal ion battery bank.
"Even when the New York City electric grid experienced an all-time peak on July 19 during the recent heat wave, the GreenStation allowed for EV fast charging while reducing peak demand by 56 percent," says Vic Shao, Green Charge Networks’ CEO.
"Convenience retailing in today’s world increasingly requires the use of high-powered electrical devices, including foodservice equipment and EV fast chargers," adds Tom Brennan, 7-Eleven’s vice president of infrastructure services. "Meeting our customers changing needs while keeping demand charges and thus our electricity costs in check is a very attractive value proposition for us."
The GreenStation empowers industrial and commercial ratepayers to manage power consumption and rising demand charges. The energy-storage product is easy to install, maintenance free and economical. The root technology is a stochastic controller with sophisticated software that flattens the power load curve during peak consumption periods, with positive financial implications for the customer and electricity utility.


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DeepIntent decides to take on the Russian ad army
The New York City-based ad tech firm is launching what it says is the first political ad verification service by a DSP.
If you’re a Russian disinformation agent planning to disrupt next year’s federal election with fake political ads, at least one demand-side platform (DSP) is suiting up to stop you.
DeepIntent is launching today a private beta of a new feature called Verified Ads that checks whether submitted political ads originate from a genuine, US-based advertiser.
The New York City-based company says that, to its knowledge, this is the first verification layer by a DSP to weed out ads by foreign or other mysterious actors, although other kinds of ad quality filtering is increasingly common among ad tech providers. Founded last year, DeepIntent says ads handled by its platform appear on the sites of such publishers as The New York Times, Fox News and CNN.
A year after the 2016 bombardment by fake ads, shadowy political ads continue to litter the US political landscape. Just today, for instance, the Daily Beast reported on pro-Roy Moore ads in the Alabama senatorial race, delivered on Facebook and on TV by a mysterious group called America First Action.
In Verified Ads, the platform utilizes computer vision to process images, natural language text processing to analyze textual messaging and machine learning to learn from previous examples what constitutes a political message.
If an ad is determined to be political, staff members and software check whether the advertising organization is a legitimate US-based entity by requesting and examining its Articles of Formation and determining whether email addresses, IP addresses, the post-click destination page and website domains belong to that entity.
To pass muster, the domains and email addresses need to be owned and operated by the same entity as the one represented in the Articles. The entire verification process takes from 12 to 48 hours.
If the entity is authentic, the ad is rendered with a Verified icon, so users can hover over it and see such advertiser info as the registered entity name and the state where the advertiser is incorporated. A publicly available ledger also shows if the ad is authorized or financed by the candidate mentioned.
In the current beta testing with more than a dozen advertisers, CEO and co-founder Chris Paquette told me, Verified Ads has been able to detect all submitted political ads, although no fakes have yet been discovered.
Paquette said that there is “no doubt a foreign actor used money to sway our election” last year, adding that this “struck a deep chord,” so he “wanted to make sure” such attacks were not using his company’s platform.
The verification process combines both human and software filters. What happens, I asked, if Russian agents decide to send tens of thousands of fake political ads from hundreds of fake sources?
They’ll stack up like Friday afternoon traffic, he said, until they are all processed.
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.


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BERLIN -- Nearly two years ago, Stephen Elop, fresh from a senior post at Microsoft, spoke of flaming ocean platforms and shark-infested waters to describe the competitive climate he inherited at Nokia, the erstwhile leader in mobile phones that was then teetering on the brink of irrelevance.
Mr. Elop, an affable Canadian engineer, painted the bleak outlook as he prescribed a radical cure on the once-proud Finnish mobile phone pioneer: The rejection of the company's own Symbian smartphone operating system for a shotgun collaboration with Microsoft, itself stumbling badly in the sector.
On Thursday, the Nokia chief executive delivered the biggest news from the Finnish company since he started the last-ditch transformation: Nokia may be on its way back.
Thanks in part to an all-out marketing push, sales of its new smartphone line, the Lumia, powered by Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system, soared more than 50 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, leading Nokia to an unexpected profit. Thanks largely to demand for its newest models, Nokia had to correct its financial forecasts -- upward.
In what was seen as a make-or-break quarter, Mr. Elop was able to tell investors that Nokia would break even or turn a 2 percent profit rather than report a loss as large as 10 percent.
"While we definitely experienced some tough challenges in the first half of 2012, we are managing through these issues," Mr. Elop said during a conference call with journalists.
What Nokia has accomplished under Mr. Elop, whose professional future is tied to resuscitating the company, is to produce a line of increasingly competitive smartphones that are starting to draw favorable comparisons with Samsung and Apple, the two companies most responsible for knocking Nokia from its lofty perch, according to analysts.
"The Lumia smartphones are night-and-day different from Nokia's old Symbian handsets," said Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst in London at International Data Corp. "I think what we are starting to see now is what will be a steady turnaround in Nokia's fortunes."
The company, which dominated the cellphone business until Apple introduced its iPhone in 2007, still has a long way to go to approach its former stature. In the third quarter, Nokia had just a 4 percent share of the global smartphone market, and was a distant No.10 in the sector, trailing the not-so-illustrious likes of LG and ZTE, among others, according to Strategy Analytics, a research firm.
Samsung and Apple, the No.1 and No.2 smartphone makers, together had 50 percent of the global smartphone market, and their shares were growing. While its competitors rose, Nokia has generated nearly €5 billion, or $6.5 billion, in losses under Mr. Elop, and eliminated of a third of its work force.
In October, Microsoft introduced the Windows Phone 8, the operating system that would be used in the top-of-the-line Lumia 920 and 820. Since then, Nokia has spent heavily on advertising in Britain and Europe to promote the models. The company will not disclose how much it had spent on its campaign, but its television ads were ubiquitous over the holidays, said Neil Mawston, an analyst at Strategy Analytics in London.
The heavy promotion, which was aided by Microsoft, whose own mobile strategy is intimately tied up with Nokia's, has helped the company recapture some of its lost glory, Mr. Mawston said.
But Mr. Mawston warned that "Nokia still lacks the true killer phone that will enable it to compete with the iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S III."
Mr. Mawston said he expected Nokia's share of the global smartphone market to rise to 6 percent by the end of the year.
The company's financial position is likely to revive even more quickly as a result of the strict cost-cutting imposed by Mr. Elop, who used to run Microsoft's business software division before coming to Nokia in late 2010.
Mr. Elop has eliminated a third of Nokia's work force and shut factories across Europe. Last month, Nokia even sold its 540,000 square-foot, or 50,000 square-meter, glass-and-wood headquarters in the Helsinki suburb of Espoo to Finnish investors, and leased it back. The maneuver netted Nokia €170 million.
Besides a more competitive array of phones, Nokia has discarded its market-leader mentality. Employees are now routinely traveling in economy class and sharing rides to airports. Workers no longer use costly telephone conference calling but speak in group teleconferences using less expensive Internet calling services.
"The company is a lot smaller now but people are working better together," said Susan Sheehan, a Nokia spokeswoman. "Everyone has been pitching in."
Even at Nokia Siemens, the company's long-suffering network equipment venture, the future is looking brighter than it was two years ago. On Thursday, Nokia said the unit, which contributes about 40 percent of its total sales, would report an operating profit for the third quarter, its third straight quarterly profit.
Nokia, in its information to investors, even revised the operating profit forecast at the venture to 13 percent to 15 percent of sales, up from a range of 4 percent to 12 percent.
Looking ahead, Nokia said it expected to return to an operating loss of 2 percent of sales in the first quarter amid the post-holiday buying lull and harsh competition. But the results for the coming three months could vary widely, Nokia warned, from an even bigger 6 percent operating loss to a 2 percent profit.
Pete Cunningham, an analyst at Canalys, a research firm in Reading, England, said that Nokia's improving financial position was a positive step but that the company still faced challenges.
"On face value, this is a positive for Nokia," Mr. Cunningham said. "But 2013 could still turn out to be another very difficult year for Nokia. It is way too premature to say that the company has made a turnaround."
Mr. Cunningham said he used the Lumia 920, Nokia's newest smartphone, during the Christmas holidays and liked the experience.
"But the more I used the phone, the more apparent it became to me that there are big gaps between Lumia and its competitors in terms of the functionality and usability of its apps," Mr. Cunningham said. "I still think there is a lot of work to be done on Lumia."interact
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.


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The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has called on the government to commit to significant long-term incentives for electric vehicle (EV) purchase as well as binding targets on charging infrastructure, as a new survey suggests almost half of UK motorists don’t feel ready to make the switch by 2035.
The new survey by Savanta ComRes confirms keen interest from consumers in this technology with drivers most attracted to the lower running costs (41%) and chance to improve the environment (29%). However, while these cars now account for one in six models on sale (17%), they make up just one in 13 purchases (8%). The survey found the biggest factors holding buyers back are higher purchase prices (52%), lack of local charging points (44%) and fear of being caught short on longer journeys (38%). While, a third (37%) are optimistic about buying a full EV by 2025, 44% don’t think they’ll be ready by 2035, with 24% saying that they can’t ever see themselves owning one.
Despite these reservations, most barriers can be overcome with the right strategy according to the SMMT, which is calling for a long-term commitment to incentives, including the continuation of the Plug-in Grant and its re-introduction for plug-in hybrids – a technology critical to the transition, giving higher mileage drivers reassuring flexibility and delivering environmental benefits now.
The SMMT believes this commitment, alongside VAT exemptions for all zero emission capable cars, would reduce the upfront price of a family car by an average £5,500 for battery electric cars and £4,750 for plug-in hybrids, and for an SUV by £9,750 and £8,000, bringing them more in line with petrol and diesel equivalents. It would also potentially drive some 2.4 million sales over the next five years, with an estimated 28% market share by 2025 compared with 8% today.
Extensive analysis by SMMT and Frost and Sullivan also shows that a full, zero emission-capable UK new car market will require 1.7 million public charge points by the end of the decade and 2.8 million by 2035. As there are 19,314 on-street charge points today, Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, stressed that the task was massive, needing 507 on-street chargers to be installed per day until 2035 at a cost of £16.7 billion.
“Car makers are leading the charge to zero emission motoring, with massive investment in new models fueling huge consumer interest but they can’t transform the market alone,” said Hawes. “To give consumers confidence to take the leap into these technologies, we need government and other sectors to step up and match manufacturers’ commitment by investing in the incentives and infrastructure needed to power our electric future.
“Manufacturers are working hard to make zero and ultra-low emissions the norm and are committed to working with government to accelerate the shift to net zero – but obstacles remain. Until these vehicles are as affordable to buy and as easy to own and operate as conventional cars, we risk the UK being in the slow lane, undermining industry investment and holding back progress.”
He said the government has already taken significant steps to support the emerging EV market, with purchase grants worth more than £1.7 billion having been paid out or budgets earmarked from 2011 to 2023, alongside £500 million committed to the Project Rapid motorway charging network and a £200 million investment fund for public charging network expansion.
However, while welcome, he stressed this was a fraction of what is needed to meet ambitious targets, and called for all stakeholders to work together to develop a truly accessible, national network that serves the needs of all road users. SMMT is therefore calling for a national, multi-sector strategy led by government but with binding infrastructure targets, delivered by local authorities, charging providers and energy companies.
SMMT figures show EVs are growing in popularity, with demand more than doubling over the past year following massive industry investment worth some £54 billion in 2019 alone. Over the past 12 months, the number of plug-in hybrid and full electric models has leapt from 62 to 83, with more scheduled for launch in the coming months. Consumers can now choose from a raft of technologies to suit their driving needs, from plug-in hybrids capable of an average 38 miles’ zero emission driving on a single charge, to full electric models with ranges of up to 300 miles, and hydrogen-electric cars that emit nothing but water.
The call for more government incentives for EV purchases was made as more than 20 leading car brands came together at a special EV driving event to highlight the growing range of exciting new technologies already on the market, demonstrating the industry’s commitment to getting Britain’s motorists on the road to zero.
The vast range of zero emission-capable vehicles currently available to UK buyers was on display at the event, hosted at one of the world’s major vehicle test track and development facilities, Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire. SMMT Drive Zero brought together more than 20 car and van brands, as well as consumers, politicians, government officials and media all keen to get into the latest EV models.
From flexible plug-in hybrids, to full battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, guests were able to put models in all shapes and sizes, including city run-arounds and family hatches, SUVs, saloons and sports cars, through their paces.


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Wow, they may be keeping up with the times.
Some highlights -
Really? All this time I thought it was sleep"Eating fewer calories while increasing physical activity are the keys to controlling body weight," the guidelines said.
You mean 30 condensed oranges with added sugar isn't good?The new guidelines also encourage people to eat whole fruits and vegetables rather than fruit and vegetable juices.
There goes my low carb menus.Controlling calories — not limiting carbohydrates, as some popular diets recommend — is key to controlling weight, the panel said.
Kool-aid man says, "Oh no!""Eating too much sugar is a significant cause of obesity, and sodas and other things like that, in children particularly, is a big problem," Barnett told Raviv.
Although this is a step in the right direction, I must say that I'm amazed it took them a whole year to come up with a set of recommendations.
· Eat whole grains, not bleached.
· Eat whole fruit/vegetables, not sugar-added juices.
· Eat less sugar.
· Workout more.
What is apparently missing from this article is the word "protein." I wonder if they have updated their requirements for active individuals on that. I guess we'll see.


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APA Entrepreneurs Participate in 'Give Me 5,' 'Growth' Events
Norfolk, Virginia-The region's Asian Pacific American (APA) entrepreneurs took part in events here and in Washington, D.C.-and learned how to be more competitive in winning federal contracts and how to expand their small business.
On May 9, APA men and women entrepreneurs joined some 500 attendees at the Washington Convention Center. American Express OPEN and SCORE's "Small Business High Speed Growth" was an all-day free event, part of a five-city tour to "help your business generate more business."
In this area, women business owners were among some 150 participants in "Give Me 5" event on May 16. American Express OPEN and Women Impacting Public Policy were co-sponsors.
Launched in 2008, "Give Me 5" (www.giveme5.com) is designed to educate women business owners on how to apply for, and secure, federal procurement opportunities. Thanks to the Small Business Administrations Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program, which went into effect on February 4, women business owners have a greater chance to win government contracts. There are roughly $27 billion in contracts set aside specifically for women business owners and as many as 684,000 women-owned businesses could potentially benefit from the program. (Male-owned businesses can take part by partnering with women-owned firms.)
The May 16 event helped business owners learn how to benefit from the SBA's WOSB Program. Speakers explained the WOSB Program, and how teaming and subcontracting can help business owners bid on larger contracts. According to a 2010 American Express OPEN survey of small business contractors, business owners who employ teaming or subcontracting strategies win 50% more contracts. Business owners can find potential teaming partners across industries and geographies by registering on TeamingUSA.com.
Doņa Storey was moderator of a panel on Teaming Opportunities for WOSBs. Her panelists included American Express OPEN Advisor on Teaming Denise Rodriquez Lopez, small business owner Patti Hamilton, Jack Beecher from the Army Corps, and Attorney Brad Reaves from Kaufman Canoles.
Ms. Storey is the president and CEO of quality Technical Services, Inc. (QTS), a woman-owned SDB and President of new venture, GOVtips LLC. She has over 30 years of experience as a management consultant, providing expertise in the launching and growing of firms looking to enter into business with the federal government. She also started GOVtips.biz, an online guide to success in federal procurement. She wrote "Doing Business with the World's Biggest Customer, " the GOVtips.biz book series.
For the past 18 years, she has played an active role in impacting public policy at both state and national levels. She has been appointed or elected to board and other positions in state and federal government, education and small business associations.
As the 2007 national Co-Chair of the Procurement Committee for Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), she assisted it in finding and making the most of available opportunities. She has made numerous recommendations affecting the revision of federal regulations. She has provided testimony for congressional commissions. In May 2009, she testified before the House
Small Business Committee. A popular speaker, she has served on several government panels.
"Give Me 5" speakers included U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell (2nd District, Virginia); Jeff Brunner, Contract and Acquisition Management Officer of the U.S. Joint Forces Command; Jack Beecher, Chief of the Small Business Programs Office, Norfolk District, Army Corps of Engineer; and Ms. Rodriguez-Lopez.
"Attending Small Business High Speed Growth in D.C. is worth it," said Ole Hongvanthong. "They're connecting us with a variety of people today, contacts we don't usually meet at other events," Ole owns Ole (Ole@PhotOlePhotography.com) with wife Heidi. The couple employs three other photographers.
Ole and other participants attended 45-minute and one-on-one counseling, networking and workshops. Other simultaneous events had experts speaking on the use of social media (Facebook, Twitter) and online marketing, among other things.
Ole's view was echoed by events planner consultant Mie Mie Joe Strickler, who drove all the way from Delaware. Ms. Strickler started her company (www.mjs-consultants.com), after a successful career, wanting to be her own boss.
Sheldon Chung, president of Amerihome Lending Inc., www.amerihomelending.com) in Maryland, joined a group interview. He asked Ole for his card, saying, "I'm getting married this year," prompting Mie Mie to hand him his card, too. Sheldon employs a staff and three other loan officers. He started his business in 2007, "because I wanted to educate clients in making a well-informed decision."
Also onsite, Maryland entrepreneur Josie Mosqueda Thompson of Josie Thompson Design, (www.josiedesigns.com) traded business cards with other entrepreneurs. Sara Kim, managing partner of Capstone Vantage, an international consulting firm in D.C., networked with a magazine executive.
Karen-Michelle Mirko, American Express OPEN director of Customer Advocacy Marketing, said the "Speed Growth" business series was in its fifth year. Small business owners are survivors, she said, "having held on through uncertain economic times and are now ready to grow and expand their business."
American Express Open also held a business strategy session aimed at women entrepreneurs in Virginia Beach last month. Ms. Mirko said a report on women entrepreneurs can be viewed at www.openforum.com.
SCORE CEO Ken Yancey said his group is a partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in counseling entrepreneurs nationwide. He urged "successful Asian American business owners and executives to join" SCORE's thousands of coach and mentor volunteers.
At the luncheon program, Ana M. Ma, U.S. SBA chief of staff, thanked American Express and SCORE, which guides people on "what kind of business to start, or what the next steps are." SCORE also started online counseling in1997. It has 350 offices nationwide, providing entrepreneur education to small business.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, soon to be ambassador to China, recently stressed the role of small businesses in the nation's recovery, calling the job generators "the very engines that grow our economy."
He noted there are over one million Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned firms in country, "generating well over $300 billon dollars in sales," and employing 2.8 million, or half of all workers at minority firms.


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Indiana Economic Development Corp. logo
- Filed Under
An Eastside auto services firm will expand and add 20 jobs by 2015.
Express Motor Vehicle Administration Corp. said it will spend $700,000 to add equipment and expand its facility at 3960 Southeastern Ave. to 20,000 square feet by November, the Indiana Economic Development Corp. said in a news release. The improvements will allow Express MVA to provide expedited title, ...


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Grubi’s Audi bought by Euro Kom Lighting, which takes over a hotel in Shapka from a construction company at the price of a studio apartment.
According to the data that appeared in the media, Euro Kom Lighting is a company that bought a hotel on Mount Popova Shapka for only 55,000 euros from a construction company, which then received a million-dollar tender from the government.
The media reported that Euro Kcom Lighting received the hotel as a prerequisite for the construction company to win the tender.
According to our information, Grubi’s Audi is new, manufactured in 2021, and according to the DUI ministers themselves, it is Artan Grubi’s vehicle. Which company and which businessman buys and assigns a vehicle worth 80,000 euros to a politician for service?,” asked VMRO-DPMNE.


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Raymond James Trust N.A. lowered its holdings in Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) by 1.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,096 shares of the Internet television network’s stock after selling 52 shares during the quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A.’s holdings in Netflix were worth $2,756,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Stumpf Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Netflix in the third quarter worth about $25,000. NuWave Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Netflix by 411.1% in the fourth quarter. NuWave Investment Management LLC now owns 46 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. JJJ Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Netflix by 168.4% in the 3rd quarter. JJJ Advisors Inc. now owns 51 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Newfound Research LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Netflix during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Manchester Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Netflix by 1,525.0% during the 3rd quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 65 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.10% of the company’s stock.
In related news, Director Rodolphe Belmer sold 2,136 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $488.52, for a total transaction of $1,043,478.72. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 215 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $105,031.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Reed Hastings sold 177,681 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $527.86, for a total transaction of $93,790,692.66. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 32,739 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,281,608.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 638,247 shares of company stock worth $335,292,138 over the last ninety days. 3.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Netflix stock opened at $507.79 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $512.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $501.40. The company has a market cap of $224.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 81.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.24 and a quick ratio of 1.24. Netflix, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $290.25 and a fifty-two week high of $575.37.
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The Internet television network reported $1.74 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.13 by ($0.39). Netflix had a return on equity of 31.48% and a net margin of 11.78%. The firm had revenue of $6.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.38 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.47 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 22.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Netflix, Inc. will post 6.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Netflix, Inc provides subscription streaming entertainment service. It offers TV series, documentaries, and feature films across various genres and languages. The company provides members the ability to receive streaming content through a host of Internet-connected screens, including TVs, digital video players, television set-top boxes, and mobile devices.
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A press conference, announcing this year’s Andaman Hotelier and Tourism Fair, was held yesterday (May 22) at ‘Public House’ in Central Festival Phuket.
The event was hosted by the Phuket Governnor Norraphat Plodthong along with the Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket Office, Kanokkittika Kritwuttikorn and the chief of the Phuket Provincial Office of Tourism and Sports, Sirawee Waloh.
The Andaman Hotelier and Tourism Fair will be held on June 22-24 from 10am to 10pm each day at the HomeWorks Phuket building (opposite Central Festival). The Fair aims to support and develop hotelier and tourism skills to an international standard.
The Fair’s theme this year is under the concepts ‘Green’ and ‘Innovation’. Many competitions will be held such as recycling competitions, bouquet arrangement and the cooking of local food.
There will also be people in the tourism and hospitality industry providing advice for people wanting to get into the business, special price packages tours, the Miss and Mr. Andaman Hotelier 2018 competition and a lot more.
You can click on the Facebook page to find out more HERE.
Join the conversation and have your say on Thailand news published on The Thaiger.
Thaiger Talk is our new Thaiger Community where you can join the discussion on everything happening in Thailand right now.
Please note that articles are not posted to the forum instantly and can take up to 20 min before being visible. Click for more information and the Thaiger Talk Guidelines.


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Inflation does not appear to be dampening consumers’ enthusiasm for camping this year, but higher interest rates are slowing down the sales pace of campground and RV park properties, according to campground operators and park brokers.
“The pace of sales and transactions per month are definitely slowing for everyone, just like house, car and RV sales are slowing,” said Russell Baehre, of Baehre Real Estate LLC in Kerrville, Texas.
Campground and RV park sales are slowing for a variety of reasons.
“Banks are quoting higher interest rates, higher debt service coverage ratios and looking for higher loan-to-value ratios. This has all affected CAP rates and values,” Baehre said.
Inflation, meanwhile, is affecting parks’ bottom lines.
“The inflation rate has affected all of the parks’ net income because they are all having to pay higher wages, electricity, insurance, which either has to get passed down to the consumer, i.e., the RVer, or absorbed by the park,” Baehre said. “If absorbed by the park it inevitably lowers their net income and, in the end, the value from that perspective.”
John Sheedy, vice president of Park Brokerage Inc., said prices for campgrounds and RV parks are coming down in response to rising interest rates.
“Compared to 2021, when one could get a mortgage in the 4% to 5% range, current mortgage rates for RV parks are generally in the high 6% to 7% range, which has increased underlying monthly mortgage payments by 30% to 40%,” Sheedy said.
Insurance rates are also spiking in areas of the country that are at risk of wildfires and hurricanes, he said.
“You are seeing significant insurance cost increases on the sale of properties and buyers are factoring in this additional cost when purchasing,” Sheedy said.
Sheedy estimates that RV park prices have fallen anywhere from 10% to 30% as a result of market conditions as well as parks’ year-over-year revenue. Many parks had lower income in 2022 versus 2021 for a variety of reasons, including a softer economy and higher gas prices, he estimates.
Despite the negative effects of higher inflation and interest rates, Baehre said he is still selling parks as fast as he can list them. Sheedy also continues to see very strong interest in RV park purchases.
“There has never been this much investor interest in RV parks, especially at the institutional level, but the prices do have to make sense,” he said.
Sheedy added that even though RV park and campground prices are generally lower than they were in 2021, RV park and campground valuations remain higher than they have ever been.
“It’s important to look at your valuations over a five to 10-year window and not be emotionally attached to one all-time high moment,” Sheedy said. “2021 was likely the exception, not the rule. If every owner went back five years without knowing what their property was worth in 2021, they’d be ecstatic. Most parks, while down 15% to 20% since 2021, are still up 60% to 80% in value since 2018. It’s extremely difficult to time a sale perfectly. (But) most parks and campgrounds are still worth a lot of money.”
For his part, Scott Crompton, a broker with VESKCO, said he is also seeing continued investor interest in private parks. “
“RV parks, like other recurring revenue model businesses, will continue to attract private and institutional buyers.” he said, adding, “There’s a big appetite for very well-run parks that have made investments in infrastructure. A well-run, well-managed, well-built RV park is always going to have good value.”
Jesse Pine, a broker at NAI Outdoor Hospitality Brokers, also remains optimistic about the strength of demand for private parks.
“The transaction volume has decreased compared to eight or 12 months ago, and that is mostly due to higher interest rates making purchasing an RV park more expensive and lenders being more cautious in writing new loans,” he said, adding, “If rates settle and come down 100 basis points, I would expect the volume to resume back to where it was. Generally, the high-interest rates are raising cap rates marginally, which is decreasing the overall value of properties. Also, 2021 was a banner year for most owners and (in) 2022 parks were down 5-10% in gross income commonly across the country, coupled with higher expenses like rising utility, labor and construction costs, so the result was lower than expected net income.
“Overall though, there are as many RV park buyers as ever,” Pine continued, “and they are often first-time buyers coming from other real estate asset types who are seeking higher yields and are looking at RV parks as a quality investment choice to add to their portfolio. As long as the numbers make sense, and both buyers and sellers have some common ground on pricing, then transactions will keep on a steady pace this year. Large parks with a mix of short- and long-term guests near major metros or close to a major tourism draw will continue to be most sought after to a broad buyer pool.”
For their part, companies that have been looking to invest in RV parks and campgrounds plan to continue to do so, including Athena Real Estate of Orlando, Fla., which has grown its Applebrook brand of RV parks and resorts from a single park, Cypress Campground in Winter Haven, Fla. 15 years ago to 13 RV parks and resorts in four states, including RV resorts in New Orleans, La., Atlantic City, N.J., and Lake George, N.Y.
“It’s definitely a different market,” said Richard J. O’Brien, CEO of Athena Real Estate. But he said his company plans to continue to acquire RV parks and expand its footprint across the country. “We buy across the country so long as a park has multiple demand drivers and 200 sites or greater. We are also looking to be creative to partner with owners development parks and park owners in the Western part of the U.S.”
Higher interest rates and inflation are making park buyers more selective, however.
“Before you could borrow money at 4% and now it’s 8%. That makes it harder to buy,” said James Omstrom, of Open Road Resorts in Heath, Texas. “That doesn’t mean you can’t find good properties. But if we make an offer, we have to be cognizant of what (costs) we’re taking on.”
Despite these hurdles, families and small investors continue to be very interested in purchasing campgrounds, according to Cathy Reinard, an associate broker with DWC Properties in Brockport, N.Y.
“I am seeing that a family buyer or a small investor seems to be willing to pay more money overall for a park than the larger capital groups are at this time,” she said. “I believe it is because a family buyer is in this business for the long haul, or at least a longer period of time than a lot of the capital investment groups. They feel they can refinance the park later when rates drop so they are willing to pay more money in general for the park as long as they can get it financed.
“The current interest rate environment has created a lot of buyers with a strong down payment,” Reinard added. “Buyers who take a look at SBA and USDA loans for the longer amortization, because these buyers have faith in themselves, they are less nervous about where the economy is going. Many of these investor groups are looking to flip out in four or five years and don’t feel that they have the room to pay the crazy prices that were paid in the COVID years. Investors that want to be in the space for a while and family buyers are encouraged by the fact that this industry always does pretty well, even in an economic downturn. I primarily list KOAs for sale and I have seen an upsurge in interested buyers wanting the support and marketing power of a franchise. With the independent parks I sell, I have seen a lot more park owners and potential buyers asking about what associations they can join. What groups are there to support them in their endeavors?”
Inflation, meanwhile, is driving up the cost of both operating a park and making improvements.
“Inflation is dramatically higher than it was pre-COVID,” Omstrom said. “Whether it’s labor, materials, moving dirt, everything is significantly higher.”
As a result, he said, inflation could slow the pace of new park development and park expansions.
“Say you took on $1 million in debt in March of 2020 with an interest rate of 3.5%. Today, that rate is 7.5%,” Omstrom noted. “Your borrowing costs have more than doubled. So, what you can do depends on how cheap the park was to begin with. If you’re going to improve the park with all concrete roads, it’s going to be expensive. You’d better be in a market where you can get very good rates (for your RV sites and rental accommodations).”
Despite these rising development costs, some private park operators are moving ahead with their plans for both new campgrounds and expansions of existing parks, including Billings, Mont.-based Kampgrounds of America Inc.
“Despite inflation and external factors causing increases in development and construction costs, we’re continuing to see a high level of investment in both existing and new campgrounds,” said Chris Scheer, KOA’s chief financial officer. “Throughout 2022 five new KOA construction contracts were signed. In total, there are now 29 campgrounds in development, including three that are corporately owned. On existing KOA locations, KOA’s Campground Design Services completed designs for 3,504 new and redesigned sites. This includes 2,248 RV Sites, 435 with KOA Patios and 359 various accommodations and tent sites. Both established campground owners and new entrants into the market are still seeing the value of investing in campgrounds.”
Inflation does not seem to be hurting consumer interest in camping, either. KOA’s January camping survey found that 48% of campers felt that camping offers a more cost-friendly way to travel.
“Four in ten also shared that, even if the economy worsens, they will continue to camp while taking fewer vacations of other types,” Sheer said. “Impressively, 24% of campers plan to camp more if the economy continues to lag.”
Overall, KOA’s more than 500 campgrounds experienced a slight decrease in the number of camper nights compared to the extremely busy 2021, which was offset by an increase in the “per camper night” rate charged to campers caused by high inflation.
“At KOA,” Sheer said, “we anticipate a level of camping this year that is on par with 2022,” a year in which overall registration revenues were more than 30% higher than KOA’s pre-pandemic record set in 2019.


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Intel has been talking up its processors at Gamescom 2019, hosting an event where it admits that AMD, its chief rival, has “done a great job closing the gap, but we still have the highest performing CPUs.”
If that sounds a little defensive to you, we agree. We were at the event in Cologne, Germany, and there was a bit of a feeling that Intel wanted to remind everyone that while AMD has been getting a lot of positive news lately thanks to its new Ryzen 3000 series of processors, when it comes to gaming, Intel still has the best processors.
- AMD vs Intel: which chipmaker does processors better?
- IFA 2019: everything we expect to see
- Intel Xe graphics cards release date, specs, news and rumors
At the event, Intel’s Troy Severson said that “when we introduced the i9 9900K… it was dubbed the fastest gaming CPU in the world. And I can honestly say nothing’s changed. It’s still the fastest gaming CPU in the world.”
Holding an event to essentially say that ‘nothing’s changed’ and ‘we’re still the best’ felt a little odd, and we (and many others) left feeling that Intel was a bit rattled by AMD’s recent success. At one point, it even talked about how it was sending anthropologists to live with gamers to study their habits – which doesn't sound like a job we'd fancy doing.
i9 9900K vs Ryzen 9 3900X
Severson compared the Core i9 9900K to the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X in, what he stressed was “real-world testing” and highlighted how games compare on the similarly-priced processors, with the i9 9900K having the edge, despite having fewer cores than the 3900X (eight cores versus 12 cores).
However, as Dave James of PCGamesN observes, the fact that AMD has a processor with more cores and similar performance to Intel’s chip for the same price is one of the reasons why AMD is enjoying such positive headlines.
At the event, Intel showed us slides that compared gaming performance of the Ryzen 7 3700U against its 10th generation Intel Core Ice Lake processor. Both these chips are low powered (25W) processors designed for use in laptops, and the slides showed the Intel chip having a slight edge in most – but not all – games.
Intel also highlighted how its previous generation Intel Core i5-8300H entry level mobile processor offers the same or better gaming performance than AMD’s new Ryzen 7 3750H.
The event also saw Intel showcase its Intel Performance Maximizer tool, which will automatically overclock unlocked 9th generation Intel Core processors for an easy boost to performance.
So, while Intel concedes that AMD is doing well, it’s also keen to underline how it’s still the king when it comes to gaming performance. Could this be a sign that AMD’s success is putting pressure on Intel? We hope so – as Intel is at its best when it’s being challenged.
As Severson said, “Don’t get me wrong, AMD has made massive strides catching up, but the 9900K is still the best processor for gaming.”
- These are the best AMD processors of 2019
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Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. Ever since he got an Amiga A500+ for Christmas in 1991, he's loved using (and playing on) computers, and will talk endlessly about how The Secret of Monkey Island is the best game ever made.


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Updated: HMV’s website sales grew 100 percent year-on-year, helping sales up 5.8 percent in the 18 weeks to September 1, the retailer announced in earnings today. Numbers were also bumped up by strong sales of the latest Harry Potter book. (Release | Financials).
Original post: It could get more difficult for British online mail order companies to operate from Guernsey if a proposal to scrap a tax exemption is accepted. In recent years, HMV.co.uk and Virgin Megastores have opened distribution centres on the Channel Island, which is outside the EU and has no VAT of its own, to benefit from rules allowing them to ship orders under £18 to the UK tax-free. But Guernsey has been coming under pressure from the UK government, which reckons that means revenue lost from the British economy, so the island’s government has asked its Office of Utility Regulation to investigate the likely effects of scrapping the exemption.
NMA reckons the effect is a “serious threat” to online CD, DVD and game sales. HMV full-year profits to end of April collapsed from £98.2 million to £48.1 million on falling physical sales so the high street retailer is upping its online activity with a stronger web store, a social network and DRM-free downloads. Still, even online sales would likely constitute an export. HMV tells NMA it will “contribute” to the inquiry, which is due to complete this year. More detail in the original report from ThisIsGuernsey.


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The new Harley Davidson Street 750 and Street 500 motorcycles, which are based on the first all-new platform from the iconic bike maker in 14 years, are built for urban environments with all new liquid cooled Revolution X powertrains, promise of nimble agility and typical modern day Harley Davidson styling.
“These are the newest motorcycles to join our Dark Custom lineup, which helped make us the number-one selling brand to young adults in the U.S. for the past five years,” said Matt Levatich, President and Chief Operating Officer, Harley-Davidson Motor Company. “Both the Street 750 and Street 500 were designed with thousands of hours of input from young adults in cities around the world. This input guided both the attitude and capabilities of these motorcycles. They are proof that being customer-led continues to be a core driver of our product development process.”
The new Revolution X engines will be housed in a new, narrow and lean chassis built for agility, with a super-low seat height, new suspension and broad handlebar sweep that provides confidence and maneuverability when managing tight turns and fast moves. Both signature Dark Custom motorcycles feature a premium, minimalist style that serves as a blank canvas for riders to customize.
“These new bikes are leaner, yet still have a mean streak – they’re the real deal, made of real steel.” said Mark-Hans Richer, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Harley-Davidson Motor Company. “They’re designed to handle the abuses of urban environments and provide authentic opportunities to customize.”
The Harley Davidson Street 750 and Street 500 will go on sale in 2014.
– Based on excerpts from Official Release


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WASHINGTON ― GOSO, a Web and social media company, has released an independent study which indicates dealerships are aggressively pursuing social media strategies. However, a number of dealers remain skeptical of its impact.
The report claims that 25.5 percent of all dealerships have a Facebook page and 10.9 percent have a Twitter account. This does not include the large amount of dealers that have created user accounts for their dealerships. This report was based on NADA's report in late 2009, which indicated that there were 20,010 automotive dealerships that sold new and used vehicles.
In the report, GOSO contacted several companies that had made claims that social media played a large role in their overall growth and sales strategy for 2009. Aaron Magness, director of brand marketing and business of Zappos.com, which was just sold to Amazon for $1.1. billion, said, "We believe that every industry, be it retail, real estate, automotive, etc., has the ability to focus on forming personal connections with the end user. This helps build trust, loyalty and respect with the customer."
The top brand on Facebook was Chrysler followed by Buick, Chevrolet, Mazda and then Jeep. The top brand on Twitter was Toyota, followed by Chevrolet, Honda, Nissan and then Ford.
The total dealerships on Facebook amounted to 5,155, whereas the total dealerships on Twitter amounted to 2,195. On the web, the most popular searched brand is BMW, followed by Ford, Honda, Lincoln and Mini Cooper.
The report also showed that most dealers remain skeptical about social networking and don't see the value in it. To download the full report, click here.


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Marketers consistently overestimate success of ad campaigns - Adobe Digital
Marketers and consumers have different ideas about what constitutes relevant online advertising, and the gap is growing according to Adobe Digital Insights.
The research, based on data from over 1000 consumers and 300 marketers in Western Europe, found that many marketers are overestimating the success of their campaigns.
In Germany for instance, 69% of marketers report that they are delivering relevant ads, while only 49% of consumers agreed.
In the UK the picture is a little more pessimistic. Just under half (49%) of marketers think their campaigns are relevant, while 33% consumers think the same.
Problems with mobile ads
While smartphones have become the main way that European consumers access the web, translating this into successful ad campaigns is proving challenging.
According to the report’s findings, mobile ad completion is 80% that of desktop completion. 18% of viewers move on after an ad has lasted five seconds and 58% of the ads are watched to the end.
Facebook came out on top, with 52% of consumers believing that the social media giant does the best job when it comes to relevant ads.
Consumers also reported that humour ranked above benefits, prices or (interestingly) whether they match their own personal values.
The personalisation problem
Another facet of the problems marketers face in Europe is a result of a conflict in the mind of consumers. While many want more personalisation when it comes to advertising, there are also big concerns around privacy and delivery.
Fewer than a third of Europeans are comfortable sharing their data with brands, and under a quarter think that marketers respect their privacy.
This attitude seems to ease up when it comes to younger consumers. The research found that 35% of 18-34 year olds claim to be happy to share their data.
Costs stacking up
The cost of advertising is also rising, and this is placing further pressure on marketing departments in terms of ROI and effectiveness.
With regards to search marketing, there has been a 13% price increase for desktop and 19% for mobile.
There is also a difference in the effectiveness of some channels. In particular, a 47% increase in spend on search has only lead to a 33% increase in site visits. Social media, while effective for younger consumers, is only really noticed by older consumers if they are actively looking to purchase information.
“The new digital reality is bringing about a massive transformation in which customer experience has become the brand of your organisation,” John Travis, Adobe’s EMEA vice-president of marketing, said.
You can read the report in full here.
- » How Slack can streamline your marketing channels – rather than being just another headache
- » Facebook explores issues of online content regulation in new whitepaper
- » The Domino’s effect: New personalised advertising campaign sees tenfold return
- » Sisca Margaretta, CMO, Experian APAC: On increasing customer expectation – for insight and privacy
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text: Anastasia Pantsios — it’s obvious that Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and the DNC is in the bag for Hillary, and they’ve been caught out doing everything they can to tip the scales in her favor. Bernie hasn’t tarred the DNC’s brand, they’ve done it to themselves. And the Sanders campaign should have called attention to the Hillary Victory Fund shenanigans a long time ago. You and Robby Mook are entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts. The DNC is trampling on the fine line between legal (albeit unethical) manipulation and outright fraud in this election cycle, and folks who are paying attention know it.


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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Handango has launched a catalog of applications of the T-Mobile G1 phone.
The long awaited T-Mobile G1 is the very first device to run Google's powerful Android Platform. Handango now has games, ringtones, media and apps for this new device.
For further information, please click the following link:


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Vietnam’s EVFTA action plan focuses on industrial sectors, agriculture restructuring
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expected the soon ratification of International Labor Organization Convention No.87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize.
Vietnam’s action plan to implement the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on August 6, would focus on industrial sectors and agriculture restructuring.
|Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved an action plan to implement the EVFTA.|
Each government agency is assigned with specific tasks with the aim of implementing the EVFTA efficiently and ensuring the full realization of Vietnam’s commitments in the deal.
Local authorities and agencies are tasked with disseminating information and regulations under the EVFTA as well as those of EU member countries to the business community; perfecting existing institutional frameworks; building up competitiveness and training high quality human resources; speeding up the ratification of International Labor Organization Convention No.87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize, among others.
Mr. Phuc expected those under direct impacts of the EVFTA, including farmers, fishermen, business associations and enterprises, among others, should be given priority in receiving information related to the deal.
Meanwhile, Vietnam would continue to promote trade and investment activities in EU countries, so that European investors would have more understandings about business and investment opportunities in Vietnam.
Mr. Phuc requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade, along with other agencies, to continue providing training for micro, small and medium enterprises to enhance competitiveness and set up plans to meet international commitments, so that they could further integrate into global and regional supply chains, as well as taking advantages of the EVFTA.
According to the plan, Vietnam is expected to restructure industrial sectors, creating platforms for further industrialization and modernization; speeding up agricultural restructuring efforts towards greater scientific application and environmentally friendly production; promoting stronger linkages between domestic and foreign-invested enterprises to form new supply chains.
The EVFTA, officially signed last June after six years of negotiations, has been dubbed “the most ambitious” FTA the EU has ever reached with a developing country, according to the European Commission (EC). It includes not only the almost full elimination of bilateral tariffs, but also a substantial reduction of non-tariff barriers. Moreover, it includes provisions to protect intellectual property, labor, environmental standards, and fair competition, while promoting regulatory coherence.
A pre-Covid-19 study from Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment suggested the EVFTA and EVIPA would help Vietnam’s GDP grow an additional 4.6% and boost the country’s exports to the EU by 42.7% by 2025.
Meanwhile, the EC estimated the bloc’s GDP would be added US$29.5 billion by 2035, along with additional growth of 29% in exports to Vietnam.
Vietnam is the EU's second largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after Singapore, with trade in goods worth US$53.6 billion in 2019.
With a total foreign direct investment stock of US$8.71 billion (2018), the EU is one of the largest foreign investors in Vietnam. Most EU investments are in industrial processing and manufacturing.
- Hanoi targets annual export growth of 5.5% until 2030
- Hanoi topped the list of the highest expense of living in Vietnam
- Economic – science cooperation key pillar in Vietnam-US relations: Party chief
- Lao Cai and Yunnan provinces agree to strengthen bilateral ties
- Hanoi targets 500 products on shelves of foreign distribution networks
- Vietnam and Australia boost cooperation in education, agrifood
- Over 85% of major Vietnamese companies are committed to ESG standards
- Vietnam continues to push for stronger ties with US: PM
- Hanoi promotes public awareness of consumer rights
- Vietnam’s exports – in search for the magic growth catalyst
Vietnam, Australia eye stronger multifaced cooperation
There cannot be another genocide: Ambassadors
Vietnam's GDP growth expands by 3.32% in Q1
Vietnam considers issuing e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories
Business executives to face disciplinary action for failure to stop smuggling activities
Travel enthusiasts flock to Hanoi Tourism Festival 2023
Effective public investment as a top political mission: PM
Hanoi named among Vietnam's most beautiful places
Hanoi among cities with most trees in the world


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Last week, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) released a report identifying the high costs of complying with REACH as one of the primary trade barriers affecting American small and medium enterprises (SMEs) seeking to export to the EU. Although SMEs account for as much as 35 percent of U.S. chemicals exports to the EU, the complexities and costs of REACH disproportionately affect SMEs, meaning firms with less than 500 U.S.-based employees. SMEs reported that REACH compliance could add over 20 percent to the cost of the product.
REACH’s testing requirements and the need for a special representative in the EU are reportedly particularly burdensome for SMEs. Other problems with REACH cited by SMEs include what firms consider to be excessive disclosure requirements, especially of trade secrets; the prohibitive cost of registering chemical additives; the difficulty of communicating with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA); and ECHA’s opaque rulemaking process. SMEs also reported that the Substance Information Exchange Forums (SIEFs) maintained under REACH “can hinder competition in that SMEs may have challenges accessing the necessary information and negotiating with the larger companies in the SIEF.” The report cited hearing testimony from the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) that the 2018 REACH deadline, applying the quantity threshold of just 1 metric ton per year, has already driven some companies to decide not to export to the EU market because of REACH’s costs and complexity.
In addition to REACH, the USITC report highlighted several other trade barriers facing U.S. SMEs exporting to the EU, including the Biocidal Products Regulation, the EU Cosmetics Directive, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. Challenges for SMEs dealing with these regulations reportedly include high compliance costs, increased product costs, expensive testing requirements, and lengthy certification processes.
The report, which was conducted at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, was primarily based on information and statements collected from SMEs on a voluntary basis. The entire report is available for download here [PDF].


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T-Mobile BlackBerry Q10 and Z10 receiving updates that include Wi-Fi Calling
Own a BlackBerry 10-powered smartphone on T-Mobile? If so, you'll want to keep an eye out for a new software update that's headed your way. T-Mobile has revealed in its official support forums that starting today, Sept. 5, it's rolling out an update to the BlackBerry Q10 and Z10 that brings with it Wi-Fi Calling as well as improved performance and a couple of bug fixes. The official changelog is as follows:
BlackBerry OS 10.1.0.4780 (SW Release 10.1.0.4200) - Current version
- Adds Wi-Fi Calling functionality
- Wi-Fi Calling allows you to send and receive calls and messages over a Wi-Fi connection.
- Improves device restarting during normal use
- Resolves 4G displaying when switching access points


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For months, markets have been dancing to central bankers' tune, but that may now be changing, writes James Saft. Full Article
Confused while buying stocks? Get buy, sell or hold recommendations from VantageTrade. Full Coverage
ONGC shares gain after profit beats estimates
MUMBAI (Reuters) - Shares in state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC.NS) gain around 2 percent in early trade on Tuesday, a day after its October-December net profit beat market expectations, helped by higher selling prices for oil and gas and slightly lower subsidy payouts to refineries.
ONGC posted net profit of 55.63 billion rupees for December quarter and its sales rose 16 percent to 209.87 billion rupees. Analysts expected net profit of 53.7 billion rupees, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine data.
(Reporting by Manoj Dharra; Editing by Jijo Jacob)
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Kourtney Kardashian Skips Turban for Khroma Beauty ShootSeptember 26 | Posted by Taylor Gordon
Tags: Kanye Sex Tape, Kardashian Sisters, Khroma Beauty Shoot, Kourtney Kardashian, Scott Disick
Kourtney Kardashian rocked an unusual turban style headdress during her boating adventure with boyfriend Scott Disick, but made sure she put the quirky accessory away for the latest Khroma Beauty photo shoot.
The older Kardashian sister picked a rather strange outfit for a day out on the water with her husband.
Kourtney got behind the wheel of the speed boat wearing a colorful pink and green tunic, sleek straight hair, nude colored Louboutin heels, and a bright blue turban.
Surprisingly, the mother of two made the outfit look fabulous when she Instragrammed a photo of herself on the boat in Miami, but that didn’t mean her baby’s daddy approved of the get up.
When the famous reality TV couple was photographed leaving their Miami hotel, Disick walked noticeably farther away from his girlfriend and had a generally disapproving look on his face.
The 33-year-old Kardashian took pride in making her man feel silly however as she tweeted, “Turban style. Just chic enough to embarrass @scottdisick.”
Scott didn’t respond to the tweet or make any public comments about his opinion of the quirky ensemble but he did give the mother of his kids – 2-year-old son Mason and 2-month-old daughter Penelope – credits for her driving skills behind the wheel of the swift boat.
“Mom knows how to drive baby,” the 29-year-old businessman tweeted about his girlfriend.
While Kourtney was embracing her quirky fashion sense, sister Kim has been getting criticized for her ill fitting and unflattering get ups.
The usually fashionable Kardashian has been under fire by several fashion experts ever since her new beau Kanye West took over her entire wardrobe.
Her fashion fails have recently included a frumpy oversized blazer, an ill fitting white blouse with a cut out in the back, and a strange skirt meets shorts outfit that didn’t do a thing for the reality star’s curves.
Perhaps Kanye just needs to stick to rapping and leave the fashion industry alone… or at least just stay out of his girlfriend’s closet.
Luckily there is still one part of the famous Kardashian’s look that even Mr. West can’t ruin, and that’s her exceptional use of cosmetics.
All three of the Kardashian sisters have combined forces for the release of their new upcoming cosmetics line Khroma Beauty.
Khroma Beauty, which is scheduled to hit shelves this winter, aims to “resonate strongly with multi-ethnic women of all ages who aspire to the Kardashian style of beauty.”
The Kardashian clan settled for simple black dresses for the photo shoot which consists primarily of close ups on the sisters’ faces covered in a natural looking palette of make up.
Over the summer Kanye’s boo took to her blog to comment on the release of the new beauty products.
“Makeup plays such a huge role in all of our lives, whether we’re on camera, at a shoot glammed up or just keeping it natural day to day and it’s a dream come true to be able to create our own line of products to share with you guys,” the middle Kardashian sister posted. “We can’t wait!”
With so much success and new business ventures, the Kardashians aren’t even letting Kim’s boyfriend’s sex tape damper their mood reportedly assuring the rapper that it’s “no big deal.”


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VP Of NEM Foundation: Four Ways Of Adopting Blockchain Technologies
An interview with Jeff McDonald, the Vice President of NEM Foundation, who has been working on the NEM project since its launch. He was also a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho, Southern Africa for two years and an assistant professor at Keimyung University in South Korea teaching communications classes from 2008 until 2017.
Jeff McDonald told only a few things about the NEM company, but widely discussed the main problems with the blockchain global adoption and suggested some ways to solve them. Moreover, he noted that their brand-new product Catapult is finished but not yet launched in the mainnet.
How things are going on
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are not real money. But before you get furious, let me explain. USD, Russian rubles and Japanese yens are real currencies worth trillions of dollars, they have high liquidity and are widely used on a daily basis. Blockchain is decentralized but we have to create centralized areas with a concentrated amount of people who use cryptocurrencies everyday. Until this level of adoption is here we cannot prevent rates speculations and the market high volatility. We cannot yet truly claim it is money.
There are several problems with the blockchain adoption. They appeared because there is still a lot of hype around the sphere. Many developers are looking for easy attention and claim that blockchain is a magic tool to fix anything. But the NEM team is really about being objective, so we believe that there are just a few use cases that match with blockchain very well. For example, it is good for governments, for companies that may be hacked, underserved communities and to build brand-new business models. In two or three years, blockchain will be massively integrated into traditional systems. But before this happens, we have to overcome some obstacles and here are the ways out.
The way of being not too profit-oriented
Many companies try to build businesses on blockchain but they do not even need decentralized technologies to be integrated. And many projects, I can say honestly, are not build on blockchain as they claim. We also can see a lot of blockchain developers who try to collect millions of dollars, but their product serves only for couples of days. A lot of platforms are more interested in money than in developments. NEM is the opposite.
We are not claiming NEM is the best platform but I cannot say there is a lot of developers who have as good intentions as the NEM team. And this is a thing. NEM has got less than hundred thousand dollars of donations and has made a world-class blockchain that works and has never been broken. We considered many others blockchains but in the end decided to build our own from scratch because it was easier than fixing someone’s code.
NEM was started by the community of volunteers from all around the world. Each of us wanted to change the world and to solve real problems.
The way it all began
Bitcoin opened my eyes on blockchain technology back in 2013. Before that, I was an assisting consultant in South Korea and every month had to transfer thousand of dollars to the US. But every time, a received amount was just about fifty dollars less because of fees. I thought it was terrible for humanity to lose money just because of commissions. So I was amused when I discovered a technology that allows sending money almost without fees. The South Korean Bitcoin market was not so expensive as the global one, so I could even earn some money from just using this as a payment asset. That was like a magic for that moment. I thought, if Bitcoin can change the global money system then what can blockchain do? The whole career activity of mine was about this.
The way of regulation
Blockchain has to be regulated. We have to be guarded from scammers in the blockchain industry. I met with government officials in many countries. Last week, I met with South American authorities. The Ukrainian government is thinking about voting systems on blockchain and I hope they will find interesting the NEM protocol and the voting systems we designed. Some governments are open but some are not. For example, regulators in China are very difficult to work with.
I believe that in a few years governments will massively adopt blockchain. But I am talking not about the fake adoption which is only on paper. We will see that the systems, which are already adopted, will change the work of governments, and these changes will serve as a good example.
We need to apply traditional business practices to blockchain sphere. One of my favorite examples is the NEM implementation in the Philippines. Actually, you can visit a store there and buy coffee or tea with the LoyalCoin digital currency. They also implemented the system into the taxi service Grab Philippines, which is the local version of Uber. They make millions of drives everyday which are paid with cryptocurrency. These projects are not so popular because they were built on the NEM blockchain, not on the Ethereum one, for example. But the main thing is that they are working, have never been hacked and people use them every day. I believe in the world where lots of blockchains will provide different kinds of services.
The ways of adoption
During the first boom in the blockchain sphere, we have seen many companies building wallets, platforms, exchanges to send and accept bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies. But these days we can see new blockchain developments in the form of platforms that allow building decentralized applications, voting systems, providing certificates and many other things. This is a new level of blockchain adoption.
Blockchain allows new business systems being created and used in communities which are underserved. For example, in Africa, people had no access to banks. Now, they can enter banks through their smartphones but it is still too complicated. They can use cryptocurrencies, which is a real-big-problem-solving thing. Another example is about my company Luxtag that provides certificates based on the NEM blockchain inside the mainnet. Everyone can just download the application on his phone and use it. This is the way we can build a regulated systems on blockchain. For instance, the application can help you get a certificate for the Swiss watches you bought and you will be 100% sure the product is not a fake. It was the first ever highly versatile digital certificate solution provider and it was granted through the NEM Voting Module, which is a new voting protocol based on blockchain.
The last thing about the blockchain adoption is that it is extremely secure. Big companies and traditional enterprises or banks can be easily hacked, and we see it almost every day. So when they are hacked they lose the personal information of their clients. They can avoid this with the help of blockchain.
The ways of collaboration
I believe in the world with multiple blockchain systems. I am a fan of other blockchains, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, IOS. Sometimes I see they can work better and I can notice their advantages over NEM. For example, we cannot provide anonymous transactions, while Monero can. So it will be always better for such services. We have a lot of things in common.
I want to change the world and make things better with blockchain. And so do others. If someone becomes extremely successful I will be happy because that is what I would like to see happening to the community and the whole sphere. We are all contributors and we need to built the blockchain ecosystem where different protocols can interact.
We also have to admit the importance of communities around blockchain. The NEM community is very important because it runs nodes and serves for the network decentralization. Also NEM Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Singapore, exists to educate people and to promote NEM around the world. We are working with organizations and governments from more than 20 countries to share decentralized ideas.


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Microsoft has announced that its new Applications will come preloaded onto some Lenovo and Motorola Smartphones. Selected Lenovo products which Runs Google's Android will come with preloaded Microsoft Office, Skype, and OneDrive Applications.
The New Patent cross-licensing agreement between The Microsoft and Lenovo signed covers both Lenovo and Motorola devices.
"Microsoft's thrilled that our productivity apps will be pre-installed on Lenovo's premium devices.
The marriage of Microsoft's apps and Lenovo's Android-based devices will enable customers around the world to be more productive, more connected and achieve even more."
According to Christian Eigen, Leader of Corporate Alliances, Lenovo
"Our collaboration with Microsoft will create new opportunities for our customers to take advantage of some of Microsoft's most popular apps.
Installing Microsoft apps and services on our devices will bring additional value to consumers around the globe."
Lenovo haven't confirmed that which products will be the first to ship with Microsoft Applications.
Source- Prnewswire | Via- The Verge