Technology

Mazda3, Mazda6 Get New Driving Features

Published

4 years ago

August 17, 2016

A Japanese automaker, Mazda Motor Company, says it is updating its Mazda3 and Mazda6 with the company’s G-Vectoring Control as standard equipment for 2017, an online journal, Automotive News, has reported.

While Mazda 3 (known as the Mazda Axela in Japan) is a compact car, Mazda 6 (known as the Mazda Atenza in China and Japan) is a large family.

The GVC controls the engine drive torque to generate deceleration G forces when the driver begins turning the steering wheel, thereby shifting load to the front wheels. The system also increases front wheel-tyre grip.

Quoting the automaker, the report says the G-Vectoring Control will help to deliver smoother and more efficient vehicle behaviour.

It adds that the rest of the brand’s lineup will receive the feature later, giving an indication that it will soon become a standard facility in the Mazda vehicles.

It explains how the control works, saying, when a driver maintains a constant steering angle, the GVC immediately recovers engine drive torque, transferring load to the rear wheels to enhance vehicle stability.

“The series of load transfers draws out more grip from the front and rear tyres, enhancing vehicle responsiveness; and stability better aligned with the driver’s intentions,” it states.

Mazda also says the GVC will allow for better handling and greater stability on slippery surfaces, in addition to offering more comfortable ride.

It notes that the GVC, which is a software control system, does not increase the vehicle weight.

Mazda is said to be making other changes to the Mazda6 to give the midsize sedan a more premium feel for the 2017 model year.

Some of the features available on the Grand Touring models equipped with the premium package are Nappa leather seats, a steering wheel heater and rear-seat heaters.

The Grand Touring models are said to have received laminated front side windows, similar to what is available in the CX-9 Grand Touring and Signature crossovers.

A new grille, a new rear bumper, new wheels and a steering wheel introduced on the 2016 CX-9 are other features that will be found in the 2017 model of Mazda3 hatchback.

According to the automaker, dynamic dampers on the rear suspension trailing arms and suspension cross-member will help strengthen the ride quietness.

It says the 2017 model is three decibels quieter at 25mph over rough roads because of tighter body gaps and improved sound insulation.

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Samed Olukoya

CEO/Founder Investors King Ltd, a foreign exchange research analyst, contributing author on New York-based Talk Markets and Investing.com, with over a decade experience in the global financial markets.

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Technology

Interswitch is the Most Valuable African Startup

Published

2 days ago

November 29, 2020

Samed Olukoya

Interswitch, the leading payment processing company headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, is Africa’s most valuable start-up at a US$ 1 billion valuation.

Founded in 2002, Interswitch uses switching infrastructure to connect different banks in Nigeria and powered banks’ ATM cards. Presently, the company has over 11,000 ATMs on its network.

In 2010, Helios Investment Partners bought two-thirds of the company and in the following year, Interswitch bought a 60 percent stake in Bankom in Uganda.

Interswitch owns Verve, Nigeria’s most used payment card, and accounted for 18 million of 25 million cards in circulation in Nigeria. The company also owns Quickteller and recently purchased VANSO, a mobile-focused technology provider to banks.

Like Interswitch, Stripe, the company that acquired Nigeria’s Paystack for over US$200 million, is the most valuable startup in the USA at over US$70 billion valuation.

Klarna, Nubank, Paytm and Grab leads in Europe, Latin America, India and Southeast Asia with valuations of US$10.65 billion, US$10 billion, US$16 billion and US$14 billion, respectively.

Technology

E-commerce Black Friday Sales Estimated to Surge by 40% to 10.2 Billion

Published

5 days ago

November 26, 2020

Samed Olukoya

The 2020 holiday shopping season will be unique, as the pandemic shifted consumer behavior from retail stores to online shopping. In response, many retailers moved their services online to not miss out on this year’s profits. Atlas VPN team decided to look into how e-commerce sales are set to perform in the upcoming long weekend.

Researchers predict that the US e-commerce revenue will exceed last year’s earnings by 49.5% on Thanksgiving day, totaling $6.18 billion in revenue. Black Friday is calculated to reach $10.2 billion in sales, exceeding last years numbers by 39.4%

Rachel Welch, COO of Atlas VPN, shares her tips on how to stay safe when shopping online during the holiday season:

“Watch out for too-good-to-be-true deals from unknown sellers, as cybercriminals will also expect to turn a profit during the holiday season, even though they are not selling anything, except maybe a bag full of disappointment.”

Finally, analysis shows that on the last day of the long and full of special offers Thanksgiving weekend, consumers will go all out to bring record sales for e-commerce businesses, adding up to $12.89 billion.

To look at these five days from a wider perspective, e-commerce companies can expect to earn around 39.72% more than they did last year.

Technology

Alibaba Merchants Sell $40B in First Half Hour of Singles Day 2020, More than 2019 Event Full Sales

Published

6 days ago

November 25, 2020

Samed Olukoya

Singles Day 2020 was a roaring success, cementing its position as the world’s biggest shopping holiday. Sales across Alibaba’s platforms during the event totaled $74.1 billion, up from $38 billion in 2019.

According to the research data analyzed and published by Stock Apps, within the first 30 minutes of the event, the gross merchandise volume (GMV) surpassed 2019’s full-event sales, reaching $40.87 billion.

Moreover, instead of live events, Alibaba had 400 company executives and 30 celebrities hosting livestreams. Based on a study by Coresight, the Chinese livestream market is set to rack in sales worth $125 billion in 2020, compared to $63 billion in 2019. The US livestream market is a small fraction of that, valued at $5 billion.

China’s Tech Heavyweights Lose $280 Billion in Market Cap

Alibaba Singles Day 2020 dwarfed other major shopping holidays as has been the trend in previous years.

According to Practical eCommerce, Amazon Prime Day 2020 sales totaled $10.4 billion up from $7.16 billion in 2019. Cyber Monday sales in the US amounted to $7.9 billion in 2020 according to Statista. Black Friday and Thanksgiving added $9.7 billion to the figure to make $17.6 billion for the weekend.

Similarly, in 2018, Singles Day sold $30.8 billion while Prime Day sold $4.19 billion and Thanksgiving weekend got $14.2 billion.

However, the 2020 Singles Day event came in the wake of Ant Group’s suspension of a $37 billion listing. The suspension resulted in a $76 billion drop in Alibaba’s market cap, as the tech giant owns a two-thirds stake in Ant Group. Moreover, China’s regulators released anti-trust draft rules prior to the event, aimed at controlling monopolistic behavior.

Following the release, Alibaba shares plunged by 9.8%, as JD.com shed off 9.2%. Tencent similarly saw a 7.39% drop and Xiaomi fell by 8.18%. For the five companies, there was a combined loss of $280 billion in market capitalization.