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Chrysler November 2013 Sales Up 16 Percent, Bolstered by Jeep Cherokee
The new Jeep Cherokee helps Chrysler to a strong November despite floundering Fiat sales.
November was a solid month for Chrysler Group, which posted a 16 percent sales increase from last year with 142,275 vehicles sold. It was the best November sales since 2007, with every brand except Fiat showing improvement. Year-to-date sales clock in at 1,639,361, representing a 9 percent increase year-over-year. As a brand, Jeep recorded the highest improvement compared to last year, and posted its best November ever with improvement from every model in its lineup — sales increased 30 percent up to a group-leading 45,415 units.
Winner: Jeep Cherokee, 10,169 Units Sold
In its first full month of sales, the all-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee showed a lot of promise. With 10,169 vehicles sold, it fell just short of the Jeep Wrangler's 11,753, but Jeep Cherokee sales helped return the brand to positive year-to-date performance, posting a 1 percent increase with 437,179 vehicles sold compared to last month's sales which were as of then down 2 percent. Jeep sold 36,379 vehicles in October, and a much improved 45,415 in November. The sales leader for Jeep remains the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which sold 14,798 vehicles.
Winner: Dodge Durango, Up 36 Percent
There's no need to consult Ron Burgundy — things look good for the redesigned 2014 Dodge Durango. Durango sales continue to improve, with 5,581 vehicles sold compared to last month's 5,120. Sales of the Durango in November are up 36 percent from last year, and help bring the year-to-date figures to 55,351, up 48 percent compared to this time in 2012. A good showing from the Durango, coupled with a 40 percent increase from the Dodge Dart and a continually strong performance from the Dodge Caravan, helped Dodge improve 4 percent this past month to 41,406 vehicles sold. Compared to this time last year Dodge has sold 548,654 vehicles, a 16 percent improvement.
Winner: Chrysler Town & Country: Up 70 Percent
The whopping 70 percent increase compared to last year is in part due to such poor sales in November of 2012, although the Town & Country's 11,288 vehicles sold represent the best November performance since 2007. The minivan alone accounted for more than half of all Chryslers sold this past November, posting 11,288 of the brand's 21,024 vehicles sold. The Chrysler Town & Country has definitely put the team on its shoulders with 10 percent more vehicles sold in 2013 as of this time last year, which is significantly better than that of the Chrysler 300, which has sold 17 percent fewer vehicles compared to this time in 2012 and no significant change from the Chrysler 200.
Winner: Ram Pickup, Up 22 Percent
The pickup has surely not gone out of style, as the market shows continued growth. The Ram pickup line posted its best November since 2003, selling 29,645 of the Ram brand's total 31,255 vehicles. These healthy November pickup sales helped the Ram brand post a 25 percent sales increase over that of November 2012. The Ram pickup's November performance indicates a 22 percent increase in sales compared to the same month last year. Sales of the Ram Cargo Van and ProMaster Van remain low, with 792 and 828 vehicles sold respectively.
Loser: Fiat 500, Down 41 Percent
Fiat sales have not crawled out of the gutter so far this year, and November was no different. November sales fell 15 percent. The Fiat 500, selling 2,138 vehicles, posted a 41 percent drop in sales compared to November 2012, and the Fiat 500L's 937 vehicles sold this past month also do not bode well for the Italian company. In October of 2013 Fiat sold 3,674 vehicles, and that figure dropped to just 3,075 in November. Although year-to-date sales are down only 1 percent, Fiat needs to make a serious turnaround, especially considering how all of Chrysler's other brands have shown promise.


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Android-powered gaming console Ouya has seen its fair share of problems in year one. But company founder Julie Uhrman is excited for year two, which will see the eventual launch of "Ouya 2.0" and an updated controller.
"Our plan is to have Ouya 2.0 sometime next year, we haven't finalized the date of that," Uhrman said. "We're still determining what exactly we want that to be."
If a 2.0 model does come out in 2014, it will make good on Ouya's promise of releasing a new console every year. "For the hardware, we are looking at different chips. We are looking at what type of performance we want," Uhrman told Polygon. One of the main criticisms of Ouya's launch console was that it was grossly underpowered compared to most modern smartphones. (It is an unfair comparison, given phones are subsidized by contracts. But many consumers may not consider that fact.)
In addition to a new console, Ouya is working on an updated controller. Uhrman notes that the company is taking feedback, "iterating that software, fixing the triggers, fixing the thumbsticks and if that doesn't work, we'll iterate it again and if we decide that's not the right path, we'll change it." However, new controllers will be launched into the marketplace rather stealthily. When asked if there would be any indication on packaging to point out which controllers are updated and which aren't, Uhrman simply said "you wouldn't know until you bought it."

domain: news


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THQ reported an annual net loss of $431 million, a considerable drop from its $35 million loss the year prior.
THQ Chief Executive Brian Farrell opened the company’s earnings conference call on Wednesday by stating it had been a disappointing year for the California-based publisher.
Sales sunk to reach $830 million in full-year revenues, marking a drop of nearly 20 per cent compared to the year prior.
Due to the company’s poor performance, THQ has taken "swift and aggressive actions." It has realigned its business, says Farrell, for "profitability and positive cash flow in fiscal 2010." It’s also eliminated $220 million in planned expenditures and is investing in brands and products with the highest chance of driving long term growth.
That means that the publisher will cap its output to a couple of core titles each year, and further focus more on its kids and mass-market products, and eliminate staff.
THQ’s earnings for the fourth quarter ended March 31 also took a blow. Its Q4 revenues dipped to $170 million, compared to $187 million during the same period last year. It also posted a loss of $96.9 million for the quarter. In 2008, fourth quarter losses were $34.5 million.


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This week we got some good news about the Pixel 3, which is that models sold by Verizon will no longer be sold with a SIM lock (at least for now), but there's also some not-so-good Pixel news that's emerged.
Some Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL owners are reporting that the Google Camera app occasionally doesn't save a photo after it's been taken. Folks on Twitter, Reddit, and Google's support forums say that the problem affects them, and there are owners of the Pixel and Pixel 2 phones that say they're affected, too. Interestingly, some folks with the Galaxy S9, Moto Z2, and Nexus 5X say that the problem also appears for them when they use the Google Camera app.
The problem seems to occur when you take a photo with the Google Camera app and then switch to another app or lock the phone shortly after. The image may appear as a thumbnail in the gallery circle, but it'll disappear if you tap on it.
Unfortunately, Google hasn't commented on the problem yet, so it's unclear exactly what's causing it. Some have suggested that you can fix the problem by leaving your Google Camera app open until the HDR processing completes after you take a photo or disabling HDR altogether.
While the issue doesn't appear to be affecting everyone, and those that it does affect don't see the issue every single time they take a photo, this is still a pretty serious issue. Lots of folks use their smartphone as their sole camera, and so it's important that the phone can save the photos that the user takes. Here's to hoping that Google can figure out what's going on and get a fix out soon.
Does this Google Camera issue affect you?


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Gist Mobile - a digital service provider for messaging and calling
Aramide Adebanjo is the co-founder of Gist Mobile. Adebanjo came up with the idea for the startup alongside co-founder Ola Ikotun when they realised a number of their friends and family travelled a lot, and had to deal with the hassle of frequently changing their SIM cards. Out of the dream to provide African diaspora and Africans on the continent the opportunity to connect in ways otherwise not possible (or if possible, expensive) – Gist Mobile was formally launched on the 3rd April 2020, after a year in planning, design and implementation.
Gist Mobile democratises telecommunications, being a purely digital mobile virtual network operator. It provides access to mobile numbers from international and multinational countries virtually without needing a physical SIM card.
Due to the pandemic, cross border travel has been completely shut down. This has affected the startup’s key market, as Africans travelling to the UK need UK mobile numbers that will still work back in Africa. Gist Mobile have needed to adjust their marketing strategies to align with the physical social distancing mantra, to encourage their subscribers the need to communicate and make their businesses visible globally. Aramide Adebanjo hopes this is a winning strategy!


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The Chicago Tribune reports that 52 percent of Chicago area pharmacies studied had dispensed dangerous drug combinations without warning consumers. Most individuals will take multiple drug combinations at some point in their lives. This study suggests that adding new drugs needs to be met with questions to your medical practitioner about how they interact before you get to the pharmacy.
The newspaper studied 255 pharmacies to see how often the establishments would dispense dangerous drug pairs without warning patients. They found evidence of a potential industry-wide problem that places millions of consumers at risk. The Tribune recorded a test as a fail if the store failed to warn the consumer about the drug interaction and made no effort to discuss it with the prescribing physician.
CVS demonstrated the largest failure rate by any pharmacy chain studied by The Tribune. CVS dispensed medications with potential negative interactions with no warning 63 percent of the time. Walgreens had the lowest failure rate at 30 percent. However, Walgreens still missed nearly one in three potentially harmful drug interactions. Independent pharmacies had the largest overall failure rate among all the stores surveyed at 72 percent. Chains overall failed the test 49 percent of the time.
Problems in the Pharmacy Industry Widespread
The Tribune study revealed a number of dangerous flaws in the pharmacy industry, such as:
- Lack of compliance with safety laws
- The ineffectiveness of computer alert systems designed to flag drug interactions
- An emphasis on fast service over patient safety
In response to the study, CVS, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart each expressed their plans to take steps to improve patient safety at its stores nationwide, affecting an estimated 22,000 stores and the training of 123,000 pharmacists and technicians.
Dangerous Drug Combinations Major Problem
Dangerous drug combinations are the cause of hospitalization for thousands of people each year. Pharmacists are the last line of defense, but doctors also have significant responsibility as the person who writes the prescription. However, one doctor may or may not know what another doctor prescribed, and research has concluded that physicians’ knowledge about specific interactions is often inadequate.


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France becomes a centre of excellence for Renault's electric vehicles within the Alliance
More than one billion euros to accelerate investments for the development and production of electric vehicles in France
Four leading production sites for electric vehicles:
- Douai: introduction of a new Alliance electric platform
- Flins: doubling of ZOE production capacity
- Cleon: tripling electric motor production capacity and introduction of the new generation electric motor
- Maubeuge: investments for the next generation of Kangoo commercial vehicles, including Kangoo Z.E.
Boulogne-Billancourt, 14/06/2018 – Groupe Renault is accelerating the deployment of its Drive The Future strategic plan with an investment of more than one billion euros for the development and production of electric vehicles in France.
With the aim of strengthening the leadership of its French industrial base in the growing electric vehicle market, Groupe Renault plans to:
- Introduce a new Alliance electric platform in Douai to create a second Renault electric vehicle production site;
- Double ZOE production capacity and the launch of a new ZOE at Flins , the only ZOE production site in the world;
- Triple electric motor production capacities at Cleon and introduce a new generation electric motor from 2021.
- Invest in Maubeuge for the production of the next generation of the Kangoo family, including the electric utility vehicle Kangoo Z.E.
Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of Renault , said:
"The acceleration of our investments in France for electric vehicles will increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of our French industrial sites. Within the framework of its Drive the Future strategic plan and with the Alliance, Groupe Renault is giving itself the means to maintain its leadership in the electric vehicle market and to continue to develop new sustainable mobility solutions for all".
In an electric vehicle market with strong potential, the Alliance is the world leader in electric vehicles and Groupe Renault is the leader in Europe. Renault posted 38% growth in electric vehicle sales in Europe, with a 44% increase in ZOE registrations and a 23.8% market share in 2017.
Renault previously announced that it plans to recruit 5,000 employees on permanent contracts in France between 2017 and 2019 and to spend 235 million euros on training over the same period. Focused on the future, Renault's plants are adapting to meet the demands of their customers and the new challenges of the automotive sector. The Group intends to continue the modernisation and digitalisation of its French industrial network to ensure a high level of activity at its sites .
Groupe Renault Strategic Plan - Drive The Future (2017-2022) - targets by the end of the plan:
About Groupe Renault
Groupe Renault has been making cars since 1898. Today it is an international multi-brand group, selling close to 3.76 million vehicles in 134 countries in 2017, with 36 manufacturing sites, 12,700 points of sales and employing more than 180,000 people. To meet the major technological challenges of the future and continue its strategy of profitable growth, the Group is harnessing its international growth and the complementary fit of its five brands, Renault, Dacia and Renault Samsung Motors, Alpine and LADA, together with electric vehicles and the unique Alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi. With a new team in Formula 1 and a commitment to Formula E, Renault sees motorsport as a vector of innovation and brand awareness.
For more information, please contact:
Press officer Manufacturing / HR
+33 6 17 41 13 41
Press officer Electric Vehicles
+33 6 35 14 22 75
General Manger Press Department
+33 6 10 78 49 20


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The general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has handed down a decision that could have implications for the millions of Americans who work for franchises.
After investigating claims that some McDonald's restaurants broke labor laws by firing or penalizing workers who took part in pro-labor activities, the NLRB's general counsel said if the owner of a McDonald's fast food franchise commits a labor violation, the McDonald's corporation can be held jointly liable for the franchisee's bad behavior.
For now, the decision affects only the McDonald's corporation and McDonald's franchises. There are 3,000 other brands with franchise operations in the U.S., employing 8.5 million people across a range of industries, according to the International Franchise Association (IFA).
The IFA's Matthew Haller says the decision could destroy the franchise industry. Franchises may bear the names of big companies, he said, but they are owned and run like small businesses.
"They set the wages, they hire and fire the employees, determine the appropriate benefits for employees and are responsible for all decisions that take place at the employee level," Haller said.
The NLRB's general counsel said the McDonald's Corporation exercises enough control over how franchises are run to make it a co-employer of the people who work for franchises.
"They do exercise quite a bit of control over their franchisees in order to protect their brand," said Wilma Liebman, a former chair of the NLRB who has been advising the SEIU, a union that is working to organize fast-food workers.
What McDonald's Corp. controls and what it doesn't is laid out in the terms of its franchise agreement. So even though other franchisees in other industries are watching the decision closely, it's not yet clear how this will affect other companies. McDonald's said in a statement that it plans to contest the NLRB's decision.
Twitter released its quarterly results and they were impressive — shares jumped nearly 20 percent today.
The social media giant says they have picked up 16 million users in the last few months, making a grand total of 267 million users on Twitter. On top of that, revenue more than doubled thanks to new types of mobile ads.
Of course, revenue and profit aren’t quite the same thing. Twitter is still losing money.
That might sound surprising, but it’s actually pretty typical for tech companies, which tend to have a business plan that strongly resembles the business model of the Underpants Gnomes from South Park.
"It’s actually a very good business model," says Erich Joachimsthaler, CEO of Vivaldi Partners.
OK, he’s actually not talking about the underpants gnomes, he’s talking about Twitter and other tech companies, which tend to follow a plan that looks something like this:
PHASE 1: Attract millions of users with free services.
PHASE 2: Figure out some way to exploit those users.
PHASE 3: Make millions of dollars.
We’ve seen this work time and again, says Joachimsthaler - think Google and Facebook.
"As habit forms and as millions of people become hooked, Twitter has an opportunity to add advertising [and] some e-commerce functions, basically monetizing the asset," Joachimsthaler says.
But that could be tricky for Twitter. Advertisers love Facebook because it knows so much about its users and there are so many of them, says Ken Wilbur, assistant professor of marketing at UC San Diego's Rady School of Management.
He says they don’t love Twitter quite as much.
"When you put ads into the Twitter feed itself, it lowers the utility of Twitter to its users," Wilbur says. "And they don’t have a great platform for putting ads next to the feed."
Wilbur says it remains to be seen whether Twitter can find a way to fully monetize its users. It could either be the next Facebook or the next Friendster. At one time, Friendster was the biggest social network on the web, with more than 100 million users and now it’s a gaming site based in Malaysia.
Ah, the pitfalls of phase two.
The tiny European country of Moldova isn't known for much of anything, and especially not its wine. But its winemakers are trying to find new export markets and overcome their post-Soviet reputation.
At a divorce workshop called Second Saturday, women of all ages are packed around a large conference table. One of them is Jenny Juffs. She’s divorcing after 19 years of marriage and has two special needs children. Like many women, Juffs is pretty shocked by her new financial reality.
“I’ve been a wife or homemaker all my life," she says. "Everything’s changing for me. I’ve never managed money.”
This situation is particularly grim for older women. Today, a quarter of divorced women over 60 live in poverty. Overall, older women see their household income drop by 41 percent. That’s twice the amount of their ex-husbands. And, to make matters worse, baby boomers are splitting up at record rates.
"So we are seeing these 20, 25, 30, 35-year marriages coming apart, with the women who have never worked outside of the home," says financial advisor Grace Antares.
Antares heads Portland’s local chapter of Second Saturday. Many people who come to her divorce seminar are completely inexperienced when it comes financial planning. She often sees panic. Like one middle-aged woman who fled the room: “She explained to one of my colleagues that she was going through what felt like PTSD to her, that she had been separated from her husband for 10 years and had made every single mistake that we had mentioned in the first part of the class.”
So, financial literacy is important. But Antares says the biggest contributor to post-divorce success is earning power - and some women who spent more of their time focusing on the family lack job skills.
As for Jenny Juffs, she's trying to build basic skills, like keyboarding. "I know how to use a computer a little bit, but not Office or Excel or anything that anybody’s going to need.”
Antares says even women who have good jobs can make poor financial decisions after divorce. And the closer to retirement these mistakes are made, the more devastating the effect. Grace Antares is now 64-years-old, and has her own story.
"I was highly emotionally attached to the house," she says. "I pulled out the equity to pay him, I was the bigger earner, paid him a big settlement. Then, when the real estate market crashed, the house was underwater instantly. And so he got all the tax-free cash, and I got a foreclosure and a bankruptcy.”
Antares' own experience is what helps fuel the one message she repeats all the time: “You’re going to be in charge of your finances for the rest of your life."
Hamas militants are using tunnels in and out of Gaza to strike inside Israel. Israelis are questioning how the tunnels grew to be so complex and why the military hasn't been able to shut them down.
Arthur T. Demoulas, chief executive of the New England grocery chain Market Basket, was pushed out by his cousin in a boardroom struggle. Protesting employees have brought business to a standstill.
A jury had found the bank liable for fraud related to mortgages sold by its Countrywide Financial unit last October. Bank of America may appeal.
Nearly two weeks since a Malaysia Airlines flight was downed over eastern Ukraine, fighting in the region continues to delay the start of an investigation. For more, Audie Cornish speaks with Paul Sonne, the Moscow correspondent for the Wall Street Journal.


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Gap Inc. and Arvind Limited have joined hands to reduce apparel industry’s water use and drive water-saving innovations.
Global apparel retailer Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) has announced a new partnership with its longtime sourcing and franchise partner in India, Arvind Limited, to drive industry-leading solutions that address global water scarcity. The apparel industry is one of the most intensive users of water in the world and, in India, 54% of the population faces high to extremely high water risk. The two companies will open a new innovation centre to promote the adoption of proven techniques and technology that reduce water use by the textile manufacturing industry.
Further, Arvind and Gap Inc. are also investing in a new water treatment facility that will eliminate the use of fresh water at Arvind’s denim mill in Ahmedabad, India. The facility will save three billion litres of fresh water by the end of 2020 and preserve the local community’s vital freshwater resources.
As water becomes increasingly scarce due to climate change and growing human needs, the apparel industry is facing pressure to reduce its demand for fresh water. When it opens in 2020, the new centre will be an innovation hub for apparel companies, manufacturing suppliers and vendors, sustainability experts, academics, and other environmental stakeholders to advance and scale water stewardship across the apparel sector. The 18,000-square foot space will feature: installations that showcase water management best practices and recycling technologies; a library; lab space to develop water management solutions as well as classroom training and conference space. Once completed, the centre will generate scalable solutions that can be replicated at other mills and laundries.
Today, Arvind’s denim mill in Ahmedabad – the first mill in India to manufacture denim – consumes eight million litres of fresh water per day. Once constructed, the new water treatment facility will replace 100% of its freshwater use with reclaimed water. Specifically, the new facility will use Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR) technology to treat domestic wastewater drawn from the surrounding community without the use of chemicals in the treatment process, resulting in a cleaner, more sustainable process. The facility is currently under construction and is expected to be commissioned by September. Beyond eliminating the use of fresh water at the denim mill, the facility will also reduce business risk for Arvind, Gap Inc. and the other brands that source from the mill due to local water scarcity challenges.
This effort brings together two major industry players. Arvind’s textiles manufacturing in India dates back to 1931 while Gap Inc.’s global supply chain operates across more than 30 sourcing countries.
“The world is facing a water crisis, and Gap Inc. is committed to finding meaningful, scalable ways to reduce our water use. Traditionally, manufacturing apparel has been a water intensive, water wasting process,” said Art Peck, president and chief executive officer, Gap Inc. “This partnership with Arvind Limited is an important step towards changing that, and we look forward to collaborating across the industry to accelerate the transformation to more efficient and sustainable water use practices.”
“Arvind is committed to eliminating the use of fresh water from its textile production operations. We have made significant investments in water reduction and recycling activities over the past two decades,” said Punit Lalbhai, Executive Director, Arvind Limited. “Gap Inc. is our key strategic customer and this partnership is valuable for us to achieve our water goals collectively. The partnership will also help in expanding scope of water savings to the broader industry through Center of Excellence.”
In 2018, Gap Inc. unveiled a new sustainable manufacturing goal to conserve a total of 10 billion litres of water by the end of 2020. Through product design innovation and partnering with fabric mills and laundries, the company has saved more than 5.7 billion litres of water. And because cotton is an extremely water-intensive fibre, Gap Inc. began sourcing cotton from the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) in 2016 to support the improvement of cotton farming practices globally. The company recently announced it will source all cotton for its family of brands from sustainable sources by 2025. Helping communities improve access to clean water and sanitation is another core focus. In 2017, Gap Inc. and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) launched the Women + Water Alliance in India, a partnership to improve and sustain the health and well-being of women and communities touched by the apparel industry.
Arvind’s sustainability strategy, Fundamentally Right, revolves around an input management approach with the goal to make all key inputs 100% sustainable. Water is one key input, and Arvind plans to eliminate the use of fresh water from its textile production by the end of 2020. Currently, 65% of the company’s water use is from recycled sources. Once completed, the new treatment facility is expected to help the company achieve 90% from recycled sources. Arvind also has the largest sustainable cotton farm operation in India for a textile mill.


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Nissan joins hybrid parade
EV devotee plans 1 new model each year
Photo credit: HANS GREIMEL
OPPAMA, Japan -- For years, Nissan Motor Co. has been an advocate of electric vehicles while giving scant attention to the development of hybrid cars.
But a convergence of pressures is converting Nissan into a backer of the gasoline-electric drivetrains it once downplayed.
Tepid sales of electric cars, increasingly stringent emissions standards and an uptick in consumer demand for hybrids are forcing Nissan to change course.
The carmaker will introduce its first front-wheel-drive hybrid system developed in-house next year. It is expected to debut in the Infiniti JX crossover, which went on sale in the United States this year, or a similar-class vehicle.
A plug-in hybrid will follow in 2015. In addition, Nissan plans to propagate so-called microhybrid technologies, such as brake regeneration, across its lineup.
Nissan plans to add about one hybrid model a year over the next several years. And it is targeting big fuel-economy gains. Engineers say a vehicle equipped with its new hybrid system, for example, gets up to 30 percent better fuel economy than the same car's nonhybrid variant.
Nissan isn't interested in a stand-alone hybrid-only nameplate such as the Toyota Prius or Honda Insight, executives said.
In tapping hybrid technology, "Our aim is not how can we apply it to just a single vehicle, but extend it across the lineup as much as possible, as soon as possible," Mitsuhiko Yamashita, executive vice president for global r&d, told Automotive News.
"All vehicles need some form of electrification," he said. "Motor assistance is really key. Otherwise they can't meet fuel economy requirements beyond 2015."
Nissan's belated refocus tacitly acknowledges the success of hybrid market leaders who stole an early lead, such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. While sales of Nissan's Leaf electric vehicle have fallen short of targets, Toyota sells nearly 700,000 hybrids a year globally.
In hybrid-crazy Japan, the Toyota Prius has been the best-selling car for 16 straight months, while hybrid vehicles account for half of Honda's domestic sales.
Turning out more hybrids using lithium ion batteries also could help Nissan soak up some of the capacity at the three massive battery factories it will soon be operating worldwide. Those factories were built to make batteries for the Leaf. But with some tweaking they can produce hybrid vehicle batteries as well, Yamashita said.
Nissan already has a battery plant in Japan. It will soon open one each in the United States and Britain. The Smyrna, Tenn., plant begins production this fall and will have annual capacity of 200,000 battery modules.
It comes online at a time when Leaf sales in the United States are down 28 percent to a meager 5,212 through September, far off the annual sales target of 20,000.
Nissan has only one hybrid now: a variant of the Infiniti M sedan, plus a stretch version of the car offered in Japan. Nissan used to sell a hybrid Altima sedan. But that model relied on technology supplied by Toyota, and Nissan killed the car at the end of the 2011 model year.
Nissan offered some details about its new hybrid drivetrain while demonstrating it recently in an Infiniti JX at its proving ground here, south of Tokyo.
Like the existing rear-wheel-drive hybrid system that goes into the Infiniti M, the new one is a one-motor, two-clutch layout that draws power from a lithium ion battery.
In the M, the hybrid system teams with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine and a traditional automatic transmission.
The new system teams with a continuously variable transmission and either a 2.0-liter four-cylinder or a 2.5-liter supercharged inline four-cylinder engine, Nissan engineers said. The 2.5-liter hybrid will be the first to debut.
In the JX, the new hybrid system delivers fuel economy 20 to 30 percent better than in the standard JX, said Tatsuo Abe, senior manager for hybrid product development.
Nissan also plans a hybrid for the Altima, Abe said. He declined to give a timeline. "Of course we have a next plan for the Altima," he said. "We will maybe add a new [hybrid] model every year." Last year, CEO Carlos Ghosn said the company would start selling a plug-in hybrid as well. It is due in 2015, but engineers declined to give details.
Yamashita forecast that in mature markets nearly all of Nissan's nameplates will feature some sort of electrification by 2020. That ranges from pure electric drivetrains to gasoline-electric options to so-called microhybrid systems.
The latter consist mostly of stop-start and brake-regeneration systems that convert kinetic energy from braking into electricity, which then powers onboard electronics.
Many customers probably don't consider those features hybrid technologies. The term hybrid typically conjures the Toyota Prius, which uses gasoline and electricity to propel the car.
Yet Nissan, perhaps eager to tap the environment-friendly aura surrounding gasoline-electric vehicles, calls its application of microhybrid technologies S-Hybrid, with the S standing for smart and simple.
S-Hybrid debuted in August in the Nissan Serena, a Japan-market minivan. But Nissan sees the technology as a cheap and easy way to nudge fuel economy higher, and Yamashita plans a wider rollout.
Nissan said the system can hike fuel economy by as much as 10 percent at a cost of about $1,910 or less. That compares, Nissan said, with a 40 percent fuel economy boost from a full hybrid such as the Prius at an extra cost of about $6,370.
You can reach Hans Greimel at email@example.com. -- Follow Hans on


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Government ease doing business with new container depot
By Fredrick Obura | February 5th 2021
NAIROBI, KENYA: The government has moved to ease cargo collection for small scale importers in Nairobi.
Effective Monday all consolidated cargo imported by sea and transported to Nairobi through the Standard Gauge Railway, will be deconsolidated, cleared, and collected by the owners at the Kenya Railways Corporation (Boma Line) Transit Shed.
The gazetted facility will make it easier for over 7,500 small scale traders in Nairobi to conduct business.
"All cargo consolidated at the countries of export, will, upon importation into the country be deconsolidated at facilities designated for that purpose," KRA said in a statement.
The shed, also known as ‘Boma line’ has been set up as part of government efforts to facilitate and enhance ease of doing business.
The small traders will now not pay the USD1000 as container deposits which will subsequently reduce the cost of doing business.
The establishment of the ‘Boma Line’ is part of initiatives to bring services closer to taxpayers and facilitate them to conduct their business effectively and efficiently. For instance, going forward traders from far areas such as Nanyuki and Sagana will no longer incur huge transport costs to ferry their goods from ICDN as this shade will be easily accessible.
Cargo for the SMEs will be transported from Kilindini Port to ICDN, Embakasi, and later transshipped to the Transit Shed using Metre Gauge Railway (MGR). At the shed, consolidated cargo will be stripped from containers and stored in Customs shed while being arranged according to their nature with marking for easy tracking and identification.
Mud thwarts man’s attempt to dump lover’s body
- Man arrested stark naked, appears in court in policewoman’s clothes
- Bandits kill KDF soldier in night attack at military camp in Baringo
- Committed teacher ‘won’t be punished by TSC’
By Brian Okoth
- Intellectual moment at CJ interview
By Too Jared
- School records over 90 pupils with 400 marks and above


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More than 3 character to search
Inside Costa Rica.com |
Medical tourism in Costa Rica is a growing trend as more and more foreigners come to the country for a medical procedure offered by private hospitals. Americans are the majority of "medical tourist".
The estimate is that some 100.000 visitors will be coming to Costa Rica over the next 5 years (20.000 per year) solely for the benefit of medical services, being it plastic surgery or heart surgery.
The reason is simple. The cost of a medical procedure in Costa Rica is a lot cheaper than in the United States, even when you take account the costs of travel and accommodations.
This is also good news for the traditional tourism industry as tourism experts predict that many of the medical tourists will stay longer and visit the resorts and beaches once they are cleared by their doctors and are ordered to rest.
Direct revenue from medical tourism is estimated at us$60 million dollars or an average spending of us$3.000 for each person.
According to the ministro de Turismo, Carlos Ricardo Benavides, medical tourism will not only benefit the health industry, but as well hotels, travel agencies and airlines, among many.
To help facilitate the industry, the government has declared medical tourism a "public interest".


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Tech Stocks Continue Heavy Fall with Profit Booking Spreading to more Stocks
With the proposed changes in interest rates by the Federal Reserve and increasing bond yields, tech companies have become the centre stage of profit booking in the U.S. market. The tech-heavy NASDAQ 100 index is down more than 2% in the first hour of trading, and it is on route to being its worst month in the last one year.
Shares of the biggest companies in the world including Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook are down 2-4% in the day. Investors have shown lesser interest for U.S. debt after Secretary of the Treasury Jannet Yellen said that her department will effectively run out of cash around October 18 unless legislative action is taken to suspend or increase the federal-debt limit.
Stoxx Europe is down by 1.95%
Dow Jones is down by 1.23%
NASDAQ is down by 2.53%
China Needs More Coal To Fight Energy Crunch
The Chinese government is under a lot of pressure to speed up the Coal imports to deal with the power crisis in the world’s second largest economy. Multiple industries are forced to conserve energy by reducing production. 70% of the country’s electricity generation is from coal, but President Xi Jinping’s plan to be carbon neutral by 2060 has adversely affected coal mining, leading to the energy crisis. A rise in demand after the ease of Covid restrictions has also boosted the situation. Goldman Sachs has cut its forecasts for China’s economic growth to 7.8% in 2021 compared with a year ago, lower than its previous forecast of 8.2%.
Sanofi Drops Its mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Plan
French pharmaceutical company Sanofi said on Tuesday that it has dropped the plans to develop its mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine. This is because of the success of its rivals, BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna in using the technology to fight Covid. The company will instead focus on efforts with British partner GlaxoSmithKline to bring another COVID-19 vaccine based on the more conventional protein-based approach.
U.S. Sept. New-Vehicle Retail Sales May Take A Hit- Data
Major consultants J.D. Power and LMC Automotive said on Tuesday that U.S. retail sales of new vehicles during September are expected to fall nearly 25%. J.D. Power said that not enough vehicles are available in the inventories to meet consumer demand. Though consumers are ready to spend more on personal transportation, automakers are struggling due to the semiconductor shortage.
U.S Economy Is Far From Maximum Employment, Says Powell
Federal Reserve Head Jerome Powell said on Tuesday the U.S. economy is long away from achieving maximum employment. This is considered as the key requirement for raising interest rates. The Fed will continue buying $120 billion(Rs 8 lakh crore) a month in bonds to reach the maximum employment and inflation goals.
Ford Asks For Vaccine Status Of U.S. Salaried Employees
Ford Motors said on Tuesday it has asked its U.S. salaried employees to submit their vaccination status against Covid-19. The hourly employees will also have to follow the same by October 8. Major automakers including General Motors have already started the same. The company said that this will help them to comply with federal Covid-19 vaccination requirements
Brent Oil Cools Off from a Three-Year High as U.S. Equity Markets Fall
Brent Oil Futures erased its intraday gains to reach 3-year highs as equities in the U.S. market continued its fall. The international crude benchmark crossed the important psychological level of $80/barrel for the first time since October 2018.
There are signs that demand is going up with the current global energy shortage and falling inventories. West Texas Intermediate(WTI) Crude took resistance once again at the $76.8 level.


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It all started on April 22, when Facebook picked up a 9.9% stake in Jio Platforms for a whopping investment of Rs 43,574 crore. Since then, there has been a steady stream of big-ticket tech investors investing in Jio Platforms. It includes Facebook, Silver Lake, Vista, General Atlantic, KKR, Mubadala, ADIA, TPG Capital, L Catterton, PIF and Intel Capital.
Qualcomm Ventures and Google joined the party late but Jio has now raised over $20.6 billion (Rs 1,52,055.45 crore) for a combined stake of 33%.
This begs the obvious question: Why is Jio Platforms so attractive to everyone at a time when the economic conditions are not good?
Reliance Jio a game changer
Jio offered free calls and data services at impossibly cheap rates, and this has more or less increased the competition. Mukesh Ambani, of course, pumped in $33 billion to construct a nationwide 4G broadband service network.
Along with offering its 4G LTE network at cut-throat prices, Jio also tied up with mobile handset companies like Lyf and offered a package of handset and call and data connection at rates that were impossible to match by other telecom players.
Apart from the call and data services, Jio platforms have a slew of digital apps and services including music streaming JioSaavn, on-demand live television service JioTV. Jio also has plans to bring new movies to people’s home on the same day of their theatrical release.
Jio has also entered into the video gaming category by launching a video call assistant to automate customer support. Then there is its payments app JioMoney. And of course, the newly-launched Jio Mart, which is expected to create huge trouble for other players in the Indian e-commerce market.
Development of 4G & 5G handsets
Jio was looking to design an entry-level 4G & 5G handsets at affordable rates and the deal with US chipmaker Qualcomm looks strategic and will hit China's Huawei's 5G plans in India.
Also, Google's strategic partnership in Jio will help to make affordable smartphones to target 350 million people using 2G phones and help them upgrade their phones.
What's so special about Jio Mart?
The disruption that Reliance Jio pulled off in the telecom sector, may not be that easy in this so-called competitive e-grocery market in India. India’s e-grocery market size is pegged at Rs 6,201 crore ($875 million) and is expected to grow exponentially to hit Rs 1.03 lakh crore ($14.6 billion) by 2023.
But Jio Mart will soon take it to fight to a new playground with WhatsApp as it is the crucial link for Jio Mart. It is likely to power the payments offering, with a logistics network or the Kirana store ensuring delivery. And this is where Jio Platforms' tie-up with Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, plays an important role.
Currently, this platform has reached 2.5 lakh orders per day with a presence in 200 cities.
Rush towards overseas listing
According to reports flashed by Bloomberg, Jio Platforms is said to be in talks with a couple of banks for overseas listing which might take 12-24 months.
Teji or Mandi?
Jio has attracted more than half the $30 billion investment into telecommunications companies globally this year. Investors are betting on Jio’s access to India’s huge consumer market and its potential to shake up traditional industries in the country from retail to education and payments with its technology. With the potential listing at Nasdaq, Jio Platforms is in the position to become a world leader in its domain.
Thus our take is Teji as when the trend is to be "vocal for local", an Indian company is getting vocal to go global.
Teji Mandi is a proactive investment manager for everyone. To read more of our research, please visit https://tejimandi.com/research


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CNF Inc. has cut 900 jobs from its Emery Worldwide air freight unit, or 11 percent of its workforce, and will use fewer planes because of a drop in volume.
CNF, Palo Alto, CA, said it will take a one-time restructuring charge of $170 million to $200 million, or $3.49 to $4.10 per share, against second-quarter results at the Emery unit.
The company said domestic volumes at Emery Worldwide are down about 30 percent from a year ago, reflecting a “sharp and continuing slowdown,'' particularly in the automotive, telecommunications and technology sectors.
In addition to expense reductions taken since last year as the economy declined, Emery expects significantly lower annual operating costs because of the restructuring.
CNF said Emery Worldwide's North American network will now use 38 aircraft, down from 54 aircraft a year ago, resulting in a 30 percent reduction in capacity to match projected volumes.
Chutta Ratnathicam, CEO of Emery Worldwide, said Emery will increase its sales focus on second-day and deferred services while maintaining market-share leadership in the North American next-day heavy air freight market. Emery will continue to pursue aggressive growth in its “asset-light” business segments, such as international air and ocean forwarding, customs brokerage, logistics management and expedited delivery services.


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Life isn’t getting any easier for companies as Brexit continues. Few companies see signs of any “light at the end of the tunnel”. And UK companies worry that they are losing business, as EU-based suppliers/customers turn to local business partners to avoid Brexit-related paperwork hassle and delivery delays.
We had a very positive response to the last Editors Note, introducing our new business model. Many companies have a real need to talk to experts about the problems they are facing. As one manager told us, “I’ve watched hundreds of videos, but I’m not any clearer about what I need to do”. And they are not alone, as the Financial Times confirms:
“As we approach the end of month four, Brexit Briefing’s inbox is still filling up with stories of continuing frustration, and not just with agribusinesses.
“The Office for Budget Responsibility, the independent fiscal watchdog, has estimated that exports and imports “will be around 15% lower in the long run”, which roughly matches last month’s ONS trade data for imports.
“What is concerning some industries is the lack of progress that is being made, particularly on clearing plants and animal products through EU customs, and so-called “groupage” where small businesses sent individual pallets to fill a container.”
It’s not just Customs & Tariffs and Rules of Origin that are causing problems. Issues around N Ireland continue to create major confusion, especially after the UK government suspended parts of the Protocol. And today’s news of a possible ‘no confidence’ vote in First Minister Arlene Foster adds to the concerns, especially with UK premier Boris Johnson now under investigation by the Electoral Commission.
There are no easy answers to the problems being caused by Brexit. But our team brings unique experience to the issues. We were all working in UK-EU imports/exports before the Single Market/Customs Union began in 1993. And we have seen the issues from all sides, when working for major companies as well as for SMEs.


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VMO Holdings has donated nearly VND500 million ($21,500) for building a kindergarten with an outdoor playground in a village in Ha Giang Province and buying teaching aids for it.
Andros Asia has partnered with local farmers in every market where it is present, including Vietnam, as part of its development strategy.
Sun Hospitality Group and IHG Hotels & Resorts signed a strategic cooperation agreement on June 18 to develop new resort tourism products in Vietnam.
Vingroup has started construction of a VND4 trillion ($174.14 million) car battery plant in the central province of Ha Tinh.
Through corporate social responsibility activities, KPT Group creates public awareness while deployed greentech solutions.


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A proposal to slaughter 48,000 penguins a year has brought court suits and contradictory statements in Argentina.
An Argentine company has proposed the two-year pilot project as a rational culling of the country's huge penguin colonies to produce protein for food, and many Government officials support the idea. Argentina has prohibited the hunting of penguins and many other marine animals in its waters since 1974.
Critics of the plan, including most conservation groups, say it is designed to turn penguins into gloves and other luxury leather products that are in great demand on world markets.
''We're all fighting this one,'' Marta Gutierrez, a leader of the Association for the Defense of the Rights of Animals, said. ''The few penguins we want won't affect the population,'' said Gustavo Larrea, a partner in Hinode Penguin S.A., which proposed the project.
The penguins would be taken from a colony in Chubut Province at Punta Tumbo, a major reserve halfway down the Argentine coast in Patagonia. The Argentine Wildlife Foundation says the colony is probably the largest outside the Antarctic and estimates that it has more than a million Magellan penguins, a small breed that stands less than two feet high. Millions of other penguins live in such colonies along the coast, attracted by the isolation and by Antarctic currents rich in nutrients. Skinning and Boning FactoryContinue reading the main story
Mr. Larrea said the company would spend $120,000 to build a factory near Punta Tumbo to skin and bone the penguins. He refused in an interview to specify how the penguins would be killed, although he said it would be with chemicals.
The Hinode partners own another company that produces protein from cattle. ''There is a great need in the world for protein,'' Mr. Larrea said. ''Penguin meat has especially good and concentrated protein.'' According to the company, processed penguin meat is 83.5 percent protein, compared with 50 percent protein in beef extract and a little more than 12 percent in whole eggs. In a public relations effort, the company has offered to give a fifth of its penguin protein to the Ministry of Social Welfare to distribute to the needy.
To recover its costs, Mr. Larre said, the company would sell the skins to companies making leather products such as gloves and handbags.
The company contends that Argentina's penguin population is too large because of the disappearance of natural predators, such as elephant seals and killer whales. The penguins eat fish that the country's fishermen could otherwise catch and export, the company says. Company Is Contradicted
The Wild Life Foundation issued a statement last week saying that the penguin colonies were not overpopulated and had been stable in size for at least a decade.
Miguel Reynal, president of the foundation, wrote to the Governor of Chubut, Nizeto Echaurri Ayerra, a retired admiral, saying that once begun, the project ''will be very difficult to turn back.''
The Governor, however, and the National Secretariat of Maritime Interest favor the project, calling it an economic boon to Patagonia.
''I am also a conservationist,'' the Governor said, ''but not to the point of forgetting that first we have to solve the problems of being human. A fundamental objective of the province is to assure the welfare of man and his family.''
Earlier this month, Juan Schroder, who has made movies about Patagonian wildlife, filed for a court injunction against the proposed slaughter, citing the eight-year-old prohibition.
''The quota of 48,000 is not based on biological population studies but on investment convenience,'' Mr. Schroder said as he left court.
''No one knows how many penguins there are,'' he said, ''nor about their habits.'' The only court action so far has been a demand for information on the project from the Government.Continue reading the main story


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Debenhams cautions UK trading more volatile as sales slide
Debenhams (Frankfurt: D2T.F – news) , Britain’s second-biggest department store, said trading had become more volatile in the second half of the year and warned its 2017 profit could slip towards the lower end of expectations if conditions did not improve.
The retailer, in the middle of a turnaround programme led by new Chief Executive Sergio Bucher, reported a 0.9 per cent fall in group like-for-like sales in the 15 weeks to June 17, its fiscal third quarter.
It said it anticipated that 2017 profit before tax would be within the range of market expectations. However, it said that should current market volatility continue, the outcome could be towards the lower end of the current range.


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The brand management company is making some major changes to its staffing.
Pentland Brands has appointed Canterbury CEO Chris Stephenson to lead its active division and Lacoste Chaussures brand president Richard Newcombe to lead the footwear division, while David Robinson and Marco Ellerker are set to depart.
Stephenson and Newcombe will start their new roles from January 2017.
Chirag Patel, currently global vice president of product and marketing at Lacoste Chaussures, will become director of global strategy from 1 October. He will be responsible for the strategic shape and growth of the Pentland brand portfolio, which includes labels such as Speedo, rugby brand Canterbury and Boxfresh.
Robinson, currently president of Speedo International, and Ellerker, currently president of Pentland’s lifestyle division, are both leaving the firm but will remain for the next few months to “support the transition to this new structure”.
“Our consumers and our customers are changing, and we need to change with them,” said chief executive Andy Long. “These changes remove complexity in how we work and make us more agile and effective in the way we go after growth opportunities and integrate new brands into the Pentland family.
“One of the great benefits of our family ownership structure is our ability to plan and build for the long term, and to do business in a way that we can all be proud of.”
He thanked Robinson and Ellerker for their contributions and wished them success for the future.


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T-Mobile (TMUS 0.23%) faces a bruising battle with federal regulators to get its merger with Sprint (S) approved. The key argument the company has made, part of a broader case that the merger is actually needed to compete with Verizon and AT&T, is that joining forces will allow the combined company to quickly build out a 5G network.
That idea was literally the headline of the press release announcing the deal: "T-Mobile and Sprint to Combine, Accelerating 5G Innovation & Increasing Competition." And if that wasn't clear enough, the first of four subheads was "Creates Only Company with Network Capacity Needed to Rapidly Launch Nationwide 5G Network with Breadth and Depth Critical to Extend U.S. Global Internet Leadership in the 5G Era."
That's a mouthful, but it's basically T-Mobile saying that allowing it to combine with Sprint would be good for consumers. It's hard to know if that's true, but the company wants to push back on the idea that having three major wireless carriers is worse for consumers than having four.
Now, as the merger begins the approval process, T-Mobile wants to make its case to the public. To do that, it's taking to the streets in a "souped-up semi-truck" it's calling the "Tech Experience" which houses the "Launch Pad," which it calls an "interactive showroom on wheels."
What is T-Mobile doing?
It's using its mobile "Launch Pad" to show consumers how much better their wireless experience would be with a 5G network. It's a showy way to build grassroots support for the merger that's in line with CEO John Legere's boxing/wrestling promoter instincts in terms of getting attention.
"The T-Mobile Launch Pad lab is the heart of our network innovation and cutting-edge technology," said Legere in a press release. "It's where our engineers design America's fastest 4G LTE network, disrupt the industry, and continue to help architect the future of wireless. 5G is becoming a reality in this building, and everyone's invited to witness it and to see the future for themselves!"
Legere stops short of offering Charlie all the chocolate he can eat for life, but that's roughly the direction he's taking. He wants the public to see how great 5G will be, while making it clear that all these wonders will only be possible if the merger happens.
This is full on carny
Legere stops short of asking people to "step right up" to see all the magic of a 5G world, but he's still acting like a carnival barker. The press release for the traveling road show mentions showing off the benefits of 5G, included lower latency and faster speeds. It then promises demonstrations and the ability to try some of the new technology.
Visitors will better envision a world where EVERYTHING is connected -- where you'll never lose anything again. Connected drones go from novelty to necessary, playing a crucial role in emergencies and forever changing home delivery. Smart cities are brought to life through interactive displays to show how they'll become safer, cleaner and more efficient. Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR & VR) become a part of our everyday lives, revolutionizing the way we communicate.
T-Mobile isn't wrong about 5G's potential. It's also correct that its path to building out a 5G network is easier if it's allowed to buy Sprint -- though it would almost certainly get there eventually even if the deal is not allowed.
Consumer sentiment may well impact government policy on whether this merger should be approved. T-Mobile is doing its part to show the public all the cool stuff that it will get if the deal happens. That's a bit of a PR stunt, but it's a very clever one that ignores the question of whether having three carriers instead of four will lead to higher prices.


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Ys X: Nordics hits Switch September 28th, 2023 in Japan
Now how about that worldwide release?
The latest issue of Famitsu magazine has a feature on Ys X: Nordics, and it reveals the game’s Japanese release date.
Developer Falcom has confirmed that Ys X: Nordics will head to the Switch in Japan on September 28th, 2023. The magazine feature also reveals that the standard physical/digital release will be priced at 8,580 yen, while a limited edition will cost 12,100 yen. No details on what’s included in the limited edition have been shared.
Unfortunately, we’re also still waiting on word of the game’s worldwide release. We’re sure the title will see a localization at some point, but we’ll have to hope that information comes soon.


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The IFA has called on milk processors to break the 40c/L price barrier for November milk supplies.
Ornua has announced the PPI (Purchase Price Index) for November, demonstrating what the farm group has regarded as “impressive gains” in milk price since October.
“At 131.9, the milk price equivalent is 40.3cpl. This rises to 44.31cpl when adjusted to include the Ornua Value Payment.”
November milk price
In a statement today (Wednesday, December 1st, 2021), IFA Dairy chairman, Stephen Arthur said:
“Milk processors must pay a milk price in excess of 40cpl for November milk,” he added.
“The global market is very positive at the moment. Our industry is very well positioned to take advantage of this,” he added.
Meanwhile, international dairy markets continue to perform strongly, with the New Zealand GDT index up 14% in the past three months.
Despite rises in global commodity prices, global supply remains “sluggish,” the IFA said.
Furthermore, US milk production has fallen by 0.5% in October due to a reduction in cow numbers; NZ milk production is back 3.3%, and European supplies “remain steady”.
“Typically, as milk price rises, global supply increases, but this year, we are seeing supply remain steady.
“This has translated into really strong prospects for milk price for 2022,” he said.
“Our milk processors must command strong product prices in this buoyant global market and deliver a milk price above 40c/L for the rest of the year,” he concluded.
Other dairy news
Meanwhile, Lakeland Dairies has announced a new enhanced solids-based payment system for its milk suppliers in Northern Ireland.
The milk processor believes that the new model will encourage suppliers to produce milk with higher protein and butterfat contents.
The spokesperson highlighted the benefits of the change:
- Ensure “stability and fairness” for all Lakeland Dairies milk suppliers in Northern Ireland;
- It will not impact any supplier’s base payments going forward;
- It enables those who wish to focus on increasing milk solids to receive additional payments. This is in line with the future increased levels of protein and butterfat they can supply.


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LUND, SWEDEN – October 21, 2019 – Sony will be the first business partner to provide support to the new UNOPS Global Innovation Centre in Lund, Sweden. Opening today, the centre will develop cutting-edge and disruptive technology to address the Sustainable Development Goals.
The cooperation between the public and private sectors and academia will be a key to solving complex global sustainability challenges. This is the foundation for the new UNOPSGlobal Innovation Centre in Lund, Sweden, which will serve as an arena for close collaboration between stakeholders from different parts of the society.
“The scale and ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals mean that we all need to work together to find innovative solutions to our world’s biggest challenges. This centre provides a space to foster partnerships that help think outside the box and achieve a better world for all,” said Grete Faremo, UNOPS Executive Director.
The new centre lies in close proximity to one of Sony’s largest R&D innovation centre outside of Japan. In Lund, Sony has gathered many of its researchers in 5G, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and connectivity. Lund is also the European hub for the Sony Startup Acceleration Program (SSAP),which aims to realizing the creator’s vision arising from companies, start-ups, universities, and NPOs by providing know-how and environment necessary for business innovation and incubation.
To further pursue innovation in the region and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, Sony will now support the UNOPS Global Innovation Centre, following an agreement between UNOPS and Sony.
“Sony joining forces with UNOPS builds on a long tradition where Sony engages in activities that generate both economic and social value to contribute to developing a sustainable society. The Sustainable Development Goals constitute an important framework for any company, and Sony wants to play an active role in helping society reach these goals”, said Stefan Andersson, Site manager for Sony in Lund.
Sony is the first company to support the new UNOPS Global Innovation Centre in Lund. Members of Sony Startup Acceleration Program (SSAP) Europe already attended a UNOPS hackathon in Antigua and Barbuda and in February, they hosted a two-day workshop with experts from both organisations.
“Cross-border collaboration between a UN organisation and a technology company results in exciting perspectives and ideas. We know this from our initial activities with UNOPS and we are thrilled about the opportunity to work with UNOPS in the ideation, incubation and introduction of new solutions for a more sustainable world”, said Anders Ahlgren, Head of SSAP Europe.
“We welcome Sony’s support for UNOPS Global Innovation Centre, and look forward to working together to develop innovative ideas that improve lives,” said Grete Faremo.
For more information, please contact:
Stefan Olsson, PlankPR
About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is a creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology. From game and network services to music, pictures, electronics, semiconductors and financial services - Sony's purpose is to fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology. For more information, visit: http://www.sony.net/


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On-demand video streaming service Hulu is taking new digs in the Flatiron District, The Real Deal has learned. Hulu signed a lease for more than 20,000 square feet at 79 Fifth Avenue, a 273,000-square-foot property located between 15th and 16th streets.
Hulu will pay rents starting at around $70 per square foot in the ten-year deal for the entire 15th floor at the building, according to CompStak data.
CBRE’s Jason Frazier represented Hulu, while Lansco’s Sylvia Haddad and Howard Dolch represented the landlord, Kalimian Realty. Haddad declined to comment, while Frazier didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Earlier this year, Hulu, which has six million subscribers, announced that it plans to invest heavily in original programming. That strategy has worked well for its chief rival Netflix, which has nearly 51 million subscribers and a string of hit original shows such as “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black” in its kitty.


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All News Releases
AudioAge – Lagos, Nigeria – 16 May 2017 – Business excellence will take center stage in Lagos as the nation’s foremost Chamber of Commerce; the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) celebrates business excellence at the 2017 Commerce & Industry Awards. The event pitched as the most coveted Business Awards in the country, is scheduled […]
AudioAge – Lagos, Nigeria – 20 March 2017 – It has been brought to the attention of CHI Limited, a member of the TGI Group of companies, that some job seekers have received FALSE invitations for interviews from an individual or organization posing as ‘CHIVITA’. Please be aware that CHI Limited will never refer to […]
Brainiacs STEM & Robotics in collaboration with Simply Exponential Consult Limited are bringing the Weekend STEM Genius Hour to learners in Yaba, Surulere and environs.
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) featured the University of Liverpool’s online APHEA-accredited Master of Public Health (MPH) in a new film of news-style reports: Championing the Public’s Health.
Insights from a presentation by Anastacia Ndlovu at the 12th edition of the African Travel & Tourism Conference (Akwaaba) on the challenges of Tourism in Africa.
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AudioAge – ABUJA, Nigeria – 12 October 2016 – President Muhammadu Buhari will embark on an official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany from October 13 to 15, 2016. In Berlin, President Buhari, will confer with Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel on issues of shared interests between Nigeria and Germany, including further cooperation on security, […]
AudioAge – LAGOS, Nigeria – 12 October 2016 – Danfos are the pariah Volkswagen commercial buses painted yellow, the official colours of Lagos State. They are always on the road for nearly 24 hours every day. For Lagosians who are yet to own cars, the danfo is an effective way to move around the ever busy and bustling […]
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Hawaiian Airlines Unveils New Japan Flight Service Features
By Maui Now Staff
Hawaiian Airlines is now offering a suite of enhancements to its signature Mea Ho‘okipa (“I am host”) in-flight service for guests traveling from Japan to Hawai‘i, including a new collaboration with the owner of island favorite Koko Head Café, Chef Lee Anne Wong.
Main Cabin and Business Class travelers will now be treated to the best of modern Hawai‘i cuisine before reaching the Islands, through Chef Wong’s regional and global fusion dishes on all inbound flights from Japan.
Hawaiian Airlines will also offer a new signature cocktail, Pukana La (Sunrise), to welcome Business Class guests onboard.
When booking flights, families traveling from Japan to Hawai‘i with children ages 12 and under may pre-order keiki meals, which include a new Hawaiian-print drawstring snack bag.
Guests can savor island-inspired fare ranging from Curry-Crusted Flounder or Halibut to Guava Huli Chicken and enjoy an expanded selection of Hawaiian music curated for Hawaiian Airlines, starring award-winning performers, classic artists and emerging new talent.
A new partnership with Hawai‘i Local News brings original Japanese-language programming.
“Our Japanese guests choose us because they want to experience the best of Hawai‘i from the moment they board the aircraft,” said Takaya Shishido, Hawaiian Airlines country director for Japan. “These enhancements reflect our ongoing commitment to bringing exclusive and authentic Hawai‘i food, design, art and culture to every guest.”
Service enhancements also include:
- All flights: a Pau Hāna Souvenir Cart for last-minute shopping; amenity kits in all classes featuring an exclusive design by famed print designer Manuheali‘i. Business Class parting gift of Hawaiian Host chocolates;
- Hawai‘i-bound: a complimentary keiki gift for guests ages 12 and under;
- Japan-bound: a newly designed limited-edition snack bag for Main Cabin guests.
These new features are part of ongoing service enhancements highlighting Hawaiian’s commitment to providing guests with a fresh and memorable experience each time they fly.
Chef Wong, one of five top local chefs in Hawaiian Airlines’ Featured Chef Series, will debut her menu for the first class cabin of all flights from Hawai‘i to North America on Dec. 1. She also will be serving a dish from her Japan in-flight menu—Black Sesame Donuts with Hawaiian Coffee Anglaise—at the Sept. 12 Hawaiian Airlines’ Corks & Forks event during the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival.


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Chinese social media and gaming giant Tencent Holdings will significantly offload its stake in JD.com, which will be distributed to Tencent shareholders as a one- time dividend.
Tencent plans to reduce 457.3 million Class A shares for the amount of HKD127.7 billion, which is equivalent to 86.4% of its total stake or nearly 15% of JD’s total issued shares, according to a Hong Kong stock exchange statement filed by Tencent on Tuesday.
Tencent, which is previously the biggest shareholder in JD.com, will hold roughly 2.3% of JD’s share after the disinvestment. Tencent President Martin Lau will exit JD.com’s board effective Thursday as a result.
At the time of publication, shares of JD.com dropped as much as 10% on Tuesday morning when the market opened in Hong Kong, while other Tencent investees Meituan, Bilibili Inc Kuaishou Technology also declined at least 3% due to concerns that Tencent will offload its stakes in the near future, Tencent’s stock jumped more than 3%.
Explaining the decision making behind the share’s transfers, Tencent said that the board believe it is the right time to exit investments and share gains with investors as JD has reached a stage that it can self-finance its own growth in the future.
“The core of Tencent’s investment strategy has always been “making long-term investment” on high-growth enterprises and exit the investment when they are capable of self-financing their future development. Currently, we don’t have a plan to further reduce our holdings in JD,” Tencent said, adding that the strategic business relationship between the two parties will remain unchanged.
The strategic investment gave Tencent access to the JD’s huge e-commerce ecosystem, including JD.com and JD logistics that remain capabilities to compete with Alibaba in e-commerce. In return, JD can leverage Tencent’s vast social network ecosystem to gain access of the large user base and promote products of its online merchants on Tencent’s super message app WeChat.
Apart from JD, Tencent’s investment portfolio also include e-commerce platform Pinduoduo Inc., ride-sharing giant Didi Global Inc. and food delivery giant Meituan, which has ensured Tencent’s powers in respective sectors.
The fast expansion of Tencent’s empire slowed this year after Beijing launched campaign to punish the country’s tech giants for monopolistic behavior, including unclear acquisitions and built-up closed ecosystems that squeeze out competitors.
Tencent is at the center of antitrust investigation that the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) fined big tech firms including Tencent, Alibaba for failing to report past merger and acquisition deal.
In July, SAMR blocked the merger of Huya and Douyu International Holding, China’s two biggest video game live-streaming platform that Tencent owns controlling stakes in.
SAMR has also forced Tencent Music Entertainment (TME) to give up exclusive streaming rights signed with music labels including Song Musci, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, ending Tencent’s market dominance in the country’s music streaming market.


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Since 2007 over a thousand dogs have died due to imported toxic jerky treats causing an array of problems stemming from liver and gastrointestinal disease as well kidney and urinary disease.
Would that be the most horrible scenario ever, if you tried to buy special treats for your precious pooch only to find out it is toxic and you have poisoned them? I can’t even imagine how many people were devastated when they found out it was a treat they gave their fur baby that did the damage…
The FDA goes on to remind us that jerky treats are not a necessary part of your pups diet and that healthy natural or homemade treats are the safest route to take when pampering your pooch.
Here is some more info from the FDA on what is going on:
The FDA is still unsure of the specific cause for the reported illnesses and deaths, but most cases reportedly occurred after the pets had eaten chicken, duck or sweet potato jerky treats imported from China. No specific brands were recalled in the FDA’s latest release, but Dr. Jonathan Levine, an associate veterinarian at Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners in New York City, said owners should always check the labels of whatever foods they give their pets.
“Always be aware of what you’re buying and where it’s coming from,” Levine said.
Yet that may not always be enough to keep pets safe; products stamped “Made in the USA” could still contain ingredients sourced from China or other countries, the FDA warned.
In 2007, some pet food companies voluntarily removed some jerky treats from the market. But, at the time, the FDA said it didn’t want to issue a recall without a definitive cause. Those products included Milo’s Kitchen Chicken Jerky Treats and Chicken Grillers, made by Del Monte, and Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch dog treats, made by Nestle Purina.
The FDA has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to figure out what foods may be contributing to pet disease. The study will compare the foods eaten by sick dogs to those eaten by dogs who haven’t gotten sick, in order to determine if the jerky is really the culprit.
So far, testing of jerky pet treats from China revealed low levels of antibiotics as well as the antiviral drug amantadine in some chicken samples. Although FDA-approved for pain-control applications in humans and in dogs, the agency prohibited its use in poultry in 2006 to help preserve its effectiveness.
The FDA does not believe amantadine contributed to the illnesses, as the side effects of the drug do not correlate with the symptoms seen in the pets; however, amantadine should not be present at all in jerky treats.
Chinese authorities have agreed to conduct additional screenings and follow up with jerky treat manufacturers, and the FDA has notified U.S. treat makers of the presence of amantadine in some jerky products. The agency will also continue testing these products for drugs and other antivirals.


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It’s only been a few weeks, but Liu Yingjian, founder and chairman of Hanwang technology, already appears to be one step closer to his goal of making China’s biggest e-reader company a Fortune 500 company.
Mr Liu told the FT about this ambitious plan at the end of April, and we were a bit sceptical given the challenges Hanwang would face in order to achieve it, especially as consumers’ attention have clearly shifted from e-readers to tablet PCs in recent months.
A new e-reader entrant is pitching itself as cheaper, lighter and more open than Amazon’s Kindle or Sony’s Reader, and with a larger selection of titles.
The Cool-er is the brainchild of Neil Jones, an avid reader and entrepreneur, whose company is based, appropriately, in Reading, in the UK.
(This review was first posted on May 14 2009) Read more
A compendium of digital book announcements for you today.
First, Spring Design has announced Alex (pictured), the first Android-based eReader, with full web browsing capabilities and patented dual-screen technology. Read more


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HP and RIAA sitting in a tree... :D
HP this week took the unusual move of using a consumer electronics conference as the venue for an unprecedented attack on consumers and their ability to enjoy American technology and culture.
HP's CEO Carly Fiorina filled her keynote speech at CES with media piracy rhetoric, saying that consumers are undermining the economy and the morals of this nation by exchanging music. With this platform established, Fiorina went on to say HP will be the media industry's first rate lackey and do all it can to equip files with DRM (digital rights management) controls. The move by a technology company like HP to so wholly support a dying, old world empire shows how fragile the idea of an open PC has become. (ed. Hp - invent.....?!??!?!)
"Just because we can steal music doesn't mean we should," Fiorina said. "It is illegal. It is wrong, and there are things we can do as a technology company to help. "
"Starting this year, we'll strive to build every one of our consumer devices to respect digital rights."
News source: The Register
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Growers visit Russia during record harvest
Growers on this year’s CBH study tour will visit one of Australia’s biggest grain-growing competitors during its busy harvest period.
The grain handler announced yesterday its annual study tour - which takes about 10 - 20 growers overseas each year - would travel to southern Russia in July.
Participants will visit CBH’s marketing operation, Granary LLC, in Krasnodar, and tour port facilities at Novorossiysk.
They will also visit storage and handling facilities, and meet local growers during the Russian harvest.
CBH marketing and trading general manager Jason Craig said the tour was a great opportunity for growers to gain a paddock-to-port understanding of Russia.
“Crop sizes from the Black Sea region, which include Russia, have continued to grow year-on-year,” he said.
“Its export capabilities are projected to continue to increase in the coming years.
“This year’s tour will provide valuable insights into this part of the burgeoning grain region and its presence within the global market.”
The tour will take place from July 14 to 23, including travel time, and will cost growers about $3000. CBH will pick up the rest of the bill.
Russia is on track to produce a record 45 million tonne harvest in 2017-18, potentially placing it world second in terms of grain exports.
The country produces high-yielding grain across hectares of fertile black soil.
In August 2015, CBH opened a Russian subsidiary company called Granary LLC.
The grain accumulation and trading arm is based in the southern city Krasnodar, about 150km north-east of the Black Sea port of Novorossiyk.
The business buys grain from Russian grain growers to sell and ship to CBH’s international customers.
Dozens of WA growers have previously taken part in a CBH study tour, travelling to Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Japan and China, among other countries.
Last year’s tour took a record number of participants to Vietnam for the opening of its Interflour offshoot Intermalt’s $75 million malting plant.
Growers can express interest in the tour by contacting their local business relation manager before February 23.
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Paris – The first ever MIP China Hangzhou International Content Summit will bow in one week, heralding the advent of a new platform to foster international TV partnerships in China. MIP China Hangzhou will run from 23-25 May 2017. Some 80 companies have so far confirmed attendance at the Partnership Forum, the first ever matchmaking event focused on Sino-international content development, including major names such as Warner, Sony, Viacom, Turner, TV Azteca, All3Media, Fuji Creative, and Tokyo Broadcasting System.
Among Chinese companies attending are the national networks CCTV/CITVC, Beijing TV, Jiangsu TV, Henan TV, Hunan TV, Shandong TV, SMG and Zhejiang TV. Also present will be online giants Alibaba Media Entertainment Group, Youku and Tencent Video. Local representatives of consumer brands L’Oréal, Yili, Intel, and Pepsi will also be in attendance for 1-to-1 meetings with international companies.
MIP China has two new sponsors, Zhejiang Satellite TV and Hakim Unique Media, and its local partners are MegaMedia and CMM-I.
MIP China will also feature a parallel two-day training conference for an additional 150 Chinese TV executives interested in learning how to develop their content for international markets. Highlights will include a keynote from Geng Danhao, Senior Vice President of iQiyi, the Chinese online video specialist, who will discuss the new frontiers opening up in China’s film and TV industry. iQiyi.com is one of the main online services in China with close to 500 million monthly spectators, and has just signed a licencing agreement with Netflix.
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Microsoft has just released a much needed feature for the Feedback Hub on Windows 10. The latest update for Feedback Hub (finally) brings a dark theme to Windows Insiders, which is something a lot of users have been waiting for. Apart from the addition of the new dark theme, there doesn’t seem to be any other new features in the latest update. Microsoft did add a new Settings page, which is where you can change the theme. However, Microsoft will likely add more customization options there in the future.
Here are some screenshots showing off the dark theme:
For now, if you want to get the latest update for Feedback Hub (version 1.608.2441.0), you can grab it from the link below.


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Renderers and photos of allegedly the new Redmi smartphone with a Snapdragon 855-based front camera began to spread across the network. The original source, the Chinese social network Weibo, is not always a reliable information provider, but it is not uncommon when rumors come from there that are later confirmed. Therefore, we were also among those who decided to publish images and pictures of the smartphone Redmi Pro 2.
But the renders and photos turned out to be fake. The device in yesterday’s pictures is no Redmi at all, but one of the U-series Energizer smartphones, which debuted in February of this year. This conclusion was reached by a number of authoritative sources after a close study of the photos, doubting their authenticity. He left no doubt that the photo was a fake and the head of Redmi, Liu Weibing, who succinctly commented on the question of one of the company’s fans about the possibility of a smartphone going out with a retractable camera – “this will not happen”.
Conversations that the “budget” flagship Redmi Pro 2 with the top SoC Snapdragon 855 came to light came from the light hand of the head of Xiaomi Lei Jun, who after the release of Redmi Note 7 announced plans to release such a model. The head of Redmi confirmed the release of this mobile phone, but offered to be patient, because in the near future it will not work.


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Difference in pricing in the US and India
In the list of most expensive countries to watch Amazon Prime Video, US tops the list followed by Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the UK. Americans pay $12.99 monthly for Amazon Prime Video. By paying the most, Americans also get to watch the most number of movies and TV shows on the over-the-top video streaming platform. The US version has close to 17,000 movies and over 1,300 TV shows.
Indians pay just Rs 129 per month as subscription charges. In India, Amazon Prime’s annual membership plan comes at a discounted price of Rs 999 besides a free one-month trial. India's Amazon Prime Video library consists of close to 2,000 movies and about 400 shows, according to the report.
Amazon Prime offers a lot of benefits too
Launched in July 2016, at an introductory annual subscription price of Rs 499, the rates doubled within a year to cost Rs 999 per year. Yet, users feel the fee is worth paying. Prime members are guaranteed fast and free deliveries on most of the products listed on the e-commerce platform. They are also given exclusive deals and early access to few of Amazon's big sales. Amazon has put a lot of focus on the content it delivers on Prime Video with a vast catalogue of Hindi and regional movies and Indian originals. Amazon also offers free Prime subscription as part of bundled offers with Vodafone and Airtel.
How Netflix is struggling to adopt the Amazon Prime Video formula in India
Considering the massive currency divide between the two nations, you’d expect the streaming service subscription to be cheaper in India, especially when you look at the difference in the content library. With the Netflix USA Standard subscription costing $7.99 and the same on the Indian Netflix platform costing Rs 550 (approximately $7.72), there isn’t much of a price gap between the two.
According to finder.com, on average, Netflix India has less than 12% of the streaming content available on Netflix USA, despite costing almost the same. Netflix's rigid policy gives an upper-hand to its rival Amazon Prime Videos.


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Quest Software has announced that vRanger 6.0, the latest version of its virtual data protection solution which provides backup, replication, and recovery for VMware, now also enables customers to back up and restore physical Windows servers.
vRanger is among Quest Software’s flagship products and one of the reasons it has caught on is that it embraced the VMware APIs, becoming very tightly coupled with the APIs that VMware endorsed and shipped, Greg Davoll, senior director, product marketing, data protection business, at Quest, tells 5 Minute Briefing. In addition, it is agentless by nature so it can be deployed very quickly and customers can get it up and running, deriving productivity and use out of it in minutes, not hours, he notes.
However, according to Davoll, Quest has found that many organizations to date have needed to deploy separate best of breed backup products to protect their physical and virtual machines. “We feel that we can reduce the complexity and reduce the number of tools used in a Windows environment that is using VMware,” Davoll says. Providing a single source of protection for both virtual and physical environments, vRanger 6.0 is VMware Ready certified for vSphere 5, provides OS support for Windows Server 2003 and 2008, and also will support Windows Server 2012 upon its release to market.
Quest has integrated the new Windows support into the vRanger product so it is part of the UI, says Davoll. By enabling support for physical Windows servers from the same interface, the learning curve is “vastly reduced,” says Sheldon D’Paiva, lead product manager for vRanger. And, notes Davoll, “If we make it easier to manage both then it is going to be less costly over time in a variety of ways.” In addition, D’Paiva says, features like the integrated catalog and file level restore have been extended to the Windows environment as well.
vRanger 6.0 enables physical server backup by deploying distributed agents that send data directly from source to repository. With distributed agents, says D’Paiva a single bottleneck is eliminated, as well as extra hops, translating ultimately into scalability.
In addition, vRanger 6.0 provides application consistent snapshot backups for Microsoft applications, such as Exchange, SQL Server, SharePoint, and Active Directory via Microsoft’s VSS. At many organizations, the reasons that there are still physical machines is because they have very critical applications running on them, so when it comes to Exchange, SharePoint, Active Directory, and SQL Server, he notes, “We use VSS to make sure we back up the applications consistently.”
vRanger 6.0 now also features new French and German language support, in addition to existing Japanese and Chinese support, delivering increased usability to customers in those countries.
vRanger 6.0 will be generally available in the fourth quarter of this year. For complete product details, go to www.quest.com.