Knowledge Update

​Tokyo, May 27 (IANS) Japan's transport ministry on Friday said seven million more vehicles with Takata-made airbags will be recalled within the country, bringing the total number of vehicles called back as a result of the Takata airbag defect in Japan to a whopping 19.6 million. The decision came after the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ordered earlier this month that airbag inflators using ammonium nitrate as propellant without desiccant shall also be recalled, Xinhua news agency reported. With recall expanded in the US, Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has required automakers to recall vehicles equipped with airbags with the same problems also in Japan. The total number of Takata-made airbags to be called back is expected to top 100 million globally, costing over $9.12 billion to Takata Corp. and automakers, though how much each will shoulder is not decided yet. The cost is expected to be a huge burden for the Tokyo-based company, which recorded a net loss of $1.19 trillion in fiscal 2015, its second straight year of red ink, amid impact of the global recall of its airbag inflators. The Takata-made airbag inflators, which could explode with too much force, spraying metal fragments at passengers, have been reportedly linked to at least 10 deaths worldwide.​

​Singapore, May 28 (IANS) Imagine if you could combine the myriad of pills you need to take for your ailment in just one tablet and release the drug in a timely manner or if doctors could easily make tablets on the spot that are tailored to each patient's needs. All these could become a reality with a new method of tablet fabrication designed by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS). The novel system can make customisable pills that release drugs with any desired release profiles. "For a long time, personalised tablets has been a mere concept as it was far too complex or expensive to be realised. This new tablet fabrication method is a game changer -- it is technically simple, relatively inexpensive and versatile,” said assistant professor Siow Ling Soh. "It can be applied at individualised settings where physicians could produce customised pills on the spot for patients, or in mass production settings by pharmaceutical companies," he noted in a statement released by National University of Singapore. Instead of manufacturing the drug tablet by printing layer by layer, the drug tablet designed by the Singapore scientists consists of three distinct components, including a polymer containing the drug in a specifically designed shape that will determine the rate of release of the drug. Using the new system, a doctor only needs to draw the desired release profile in a computer software to generate a template for making tablets specific to a patient's treatment, which can then be used to easily produce the desired pills using a 3D printer. The system is easy to use and does not involve any complex mathematical computation whenever a new release profile is needed. The fully customisable system is able to create a template to print tablets for any release profile, the researchers said. . In drug delivery, it is also often important to administer more than one type of drug into the human body simultaneously to treat an illness. The new fabrication method can be modified to include multiple types of drugs loaded within the same tablet -- and more importantly, each drug can be customised to release at different rates even within the same tablet, the study noted.​

​New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) Chinese internet and technology conglomerate LeEco on Monday announced that the sale for its supertainment-loaded device Le 1s Eco will begin on Flipkart's big shopping days from May 25 to May 27. The consumers planning to buy a Le 1s Eco device will be offered LeEco earphone worth Rs.1,300 on every purchase, additional 10 percent cash back on Citibank debit and credit cardholders, additional Rs.2,000 on exchange of the old phone and free back cover on every purchase. "We are overwhelmed with the kind of responses we are getting from our users. This announcement of giving special offers is a way of expressing our gratitude to our loyal users," said Atul Jain, COO, LeEco India, in a statement. The Rs.9,999 device will come with a one-year free LeEco membership programme worth Rs.4,900 where the users will have access to over 2,000 movies (in 10 languages) and over 100 live TV channels. The device comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM and a mirror-surfaced fingerprint scanner.​

​Mumbai, May 23 (IANS) TataCLiQ.com, the Tata group's multi-brand e-commerce platform, on Monday said it has formalised a strategic partnership with Genesis Luxury Fashion to offer a wide range of international luxury brands exclusively. "The partnership is a testament to providing the Indian consumer authentic brand experiences directly through authorized sellers and not unknown resellers. Currently, all the international luxury brands online on TataCLiQ.com are through our exclusive tie-up," said ecommerce portal's CEO Ashutosh Pandey. "They are also targeting a number of luxury brands that are not present in India .... These will be launched over a period of time on," he said. "The partnership enable us to expand our presence to cater to our growing affluent consumer market," said Genesis CEO Nikhil Mehra.

​New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) Taipei-based technology products marketer BenQ has once again emerged as the top player in the Indian projector market with a market share of 25 percent in the first quarter of 2016, said a report by global research and consulting firm Futuresource Consulting on Monday. In 2015, BenQ's annual market share was 22.3 percent with top market raking. The company registered a growth of 24 percent year-on-year for the quarter and a quarter-on-quarter growth of over 50 percent during the first quarter of 2016, the company said in a statement. The company is also at the top in three important categories -- Full HD, "High Brightness 4000AL~4999AL" and "Short Throw" projectors. "This is a result of BenQ's strong focus on technology specifically meant for India, service capability and deep penetration of our sales and marketing efforts," said Rajeev Singh, managing director, BenQ India. The company sold more than 50,000 projectors in 2015.​

New York, May 21 (IANS) Google plans to start selling its mobile phones with modular, replaceable parts - the first phone ever that the tech giant is manufacturing - by next year, according to a media report. The Project Ara team, involved in developing the product, confirmed that the modular phones would be available to consumers next year, technology website The Verge reported on Friday. The Google modular phones will work on a simple concept - once a basic model is bought all the bits can be pulled off and swapped as the consumer sees fit. For instance, if a user fancies a more powerful camera module he can buy one through Google's dedicated store and replace the existing one with it. The same can be done with other components as well including memory, battery, display panels, keyboards, sensors and scanners. "It's a system that will allow more space for modules," The Verge reported after taking a look at the prototype of the modular mobile at Google headquarters in California. "They let me try saying 'Okay Google, eject the camera module' and it straight-up worked: a tiny latch inside the phone body moved when I set the phone on the table (face down) and the module released," the report said quoting the website's executive editor Dieter Bohn. "There's still work to do here - Google needs to ship, it needs to get module partners on board, it needs to make the whole thing a little thinner and nicer looking," he added

​Helsinki, May 19 (IANS) A new company called HMD has been allowed to produce mobile phones and tablets in the name of Nokia. The Finnish media called it a resurgence of Nokia brand. Nokia announced on Wednesday that it licensed HMD to produce Nokia branded mobile phones and tablets. The new gadgets will use the Android system. The manufacturer will be Foxconn based in Taiwan, reports Xinhua. HMD has its head office in Helsinki. In a parallel move, Microsoft announced on Wednesday it sold its basic phone business for $350 million to HMD and FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of Foxconn. HMD and Nokia Technologies have entered an agreement on cooperation with FIH. Licensing the Nokia brand to a new producer became possible following the expiry of the restrictions set in the deal between Nokia and Microsoft in 2013. Nokia remained the owner of the Nokia brand after it sold its handset business to Microsoft for 5.4 billion euros, but was forbidden to license it to outsiders until the end of 2015. The new company HMD has made agreements both with Microsoft and Nokia about the use of the Nokia brand and some design rights. The agreement HMD signs with Nokia is exclusive and valid for 10 years. The agreement with Microsoft has some conditions and only covers the use of the Nokia name in basic phones. Microsoft continues the production of the high-end Lumia smart phones, which will use Windows platforms. Finnish media reported that several experienced executives with Nokia background were involved in the new HMD. The CEO of the company is Arto Nummela. He used to be in charge of marketing Microsoft phones in China. The new Finnish company is planning to spend some 400 million euros to market the Nokia brand for the next three years. Analysts have pondered on the attractiveness of the Nokia image on the mobile gadget market. Hannu Rauhala from the Finnish OP Group told Finnish national radio Yle that the image of Nokia was still fairly strong in the "developing markets". Rauhala also noted that licensing "gives good profit" to Nokia without business risks.​

​Beijing, May 6 (IANS) China's annual luxury goods trade show opened in Beijing on Friday with dancing robots, porcelain cream-and-marigold British high tea sets and classic handbuilt roadster automobiles. Held at the Beijing Exhibition Centre and anticipated to draw a crowd of 50,000 people, the three-day fair features a range of globally-renowned luxury brands for technology, fashion and leisure, according to organisers from the Beijing Zhenwei Exhibition Company. "Luxury China 2016 will also specially invite entrepreneurs of large enterprises, high-end consumer groups from specific cities to pay a special visit to the exhibitions, offering various enterprises the greatest opportunity of meeting supply and demand," said Beijing Zhenwei on the event-listing site China Exhibition. With a middle class that has surged to some 109 million people last year, adding 43.4 million new urban middle class arrivals since 2000, according to financial services company Credit Suisse, the appetite for luxury goods has surged, EFE news reported. Globally, Chinese buyers now account for some 20 percent of the total consumers of the luxury goods market, says global management firm McKinsey and Company. The interest in robotics has also gained momentum in 2016 with the unveiling of security robot AnBot earlier this week, last month's creation of the lifelike humanoid robot 'Jia Jia' and Friday's mini-bot synchronised dance show to the tune of Michael Jackson's 1982 Grammy-nominated song, "Beat it". The trade show runs until Sunday.​

​London, May 9 (IANS) In the race to capture the burgeoning global smartphone market, British automotive brand Jaguar Land Rover, currently owned by Tata Motors, is all set to launch smartphones and accessories by early 2017. For this, Land Rover has tied up with consumer electronics company Bullitt Group to develop a bespoke smartphone and range of accessories. “Incorporating iconic Land Rover design and innovative technology into the mobile phone sector with Bullitt Group presents an exciting challenge and fantastic opportunity to take the brand into a new dimension,” said Lindsay Weaver, director of licensing and branded goods at Jaguar Land Rover, in a statement recently. “An engineering and design team from Jaguar Land Rover special operations will be assigned to the partnership and subsequently deliver a number of bespoke applications tailored to Land Rover brand and product values,” Weaver added. According to Bullitt Group, the firm will partner with Land Rover to define and develop a groundbreaking portfolio of mobile devices and peripherals which will take the brand into a new and exciting commercial terrain. “With a combination of durability and elegance, the new range will be designed to be an active lifestyle partner, aimed at people who like to take on new challenges and go 'above and beyond' the ordinary,” said a statement. The portfolio will launch in early 2017 and will embody the core values of the Land Rover brand, featuring some truly innovative capabilities and technology. “We are confident the new range of products will perfectly encapsulate everything that Land Rover represents, appealing to those who already love the brand and providing an introduction to those who are yet to discover it,” noted Peter Stephens, CEO of Bullitt Group. Bullitt Group has been working with various clients on their tough and rugged smartphones in the past.​

​Washington, May 3 (IANS) Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has lost its second legal battle in a row over its talcum powder which allegedly causes cancer. The company must now pay $55 million to a woman who says she got ovarian cancer after using the product. Less than four months after losing a $72 million case in the same St. Louis, Missouri, courthouse, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $5 million in compensation and $50 million in punitive damages to Gloria Ristesund. The 62-year-old South Dakota woman was diagnosed with cancer in 2011, which she stated was “a direct and proximate result of the unreasonably dangerous and defective nature of talcum powder” which she used for almost 40 years. Ristesund’s cancer is currently in remission, since she underwent a hysterectomy and related surgeries. Ristesund has also accused J&J of “wrongful and negligent conduct in the research, development, testing, manufacture, production, promotion distribution, marketing, and sale of talcum powder”. Ristesund was one of over 60 plaintiffs who filed a class-action lawsuit against J&J, its supplier Imerys Talc America Inc and Personal Care Products Council, accusing them of “wrongful conduct” that caused their cancers, RT news reported. J&J was planning to appeal the verdict. Company spokeswoman Carol Goodrich argued that the jurors’ 9-3 decision in favour of Ristesund contradicted 30 years of research. One of the world’s largest maker of health-care products, J&J has been denying any links between talc and ovarian cancer as well as any need to warn its consumers. “Unfortunately, the jury’s decision goes against 30 years of studies by medical experts around the world that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc," Goodrich said in a statement. “Johnson & Johnson has always taken questions about the safety of our products extremely seriously,” she added. In February, J&J was ordered to pay $72 million in damages to the family of Jacqueline Salter Fox, who claimed that the company’s talcum powder caused the ovarian cancer that killed her within three years. That case was the first to result in money compensation. In 2013, a federal jury in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, found that plaintiff Deane Berg’s ovarian cancer had been caused in part by Johnson & Johnson’s body powder, but Berg was not awarded any damages.​