Author: Maria Angela

Roctool technology helps Rosti to cut CO2 emissions by 40%

.Singapore – March 19, 2021: Rosti Group, the European technology-led plastic moulding company and contract manufacturer is deploying the Roctool systems in its facilities. 

Rosti sits at the centre of the supply chain. And its duty is to make a positive environmental impact on the plastics industry, the company says.

After more than 1 year of investigating the technology, Rosti installed its first Roctool technology system in the China facility.

Click to see the Infographic

The facility also has one of the 3 Innovation Labs worldwide. The adoption will allow up to 40% CO2 reduction due to the patented heating and cooling processes.

Roctool’s patented technology consists of quickly heating the tool surface by induction. The process also involves rapid cooling of the tool with water cooling channels.

With this new technology, Rosti can offer key advantages to its customers such as aesthetic, design and process improvements. It can also meet commitments to reduce the carbon emissions at the plant.

Rosti is a global technology-led plastic injection moulding company and contract manufacturer. It serves some of the world’s leading manufacturers in the packaging, consumer appliances, business machines and medical sectors.

Founded in 1944 with Malmö HQ, Sweden, the Group has 3,200 existing employees across 9 facilities in Europe and Asia.

“The rapid induction heating from Roctool, adapted to injection moulding, will increase our capabilities to deliver a breakthrough in sustainability solutions,” says Pat Williams, Senior Vice President Asia.

“Rosti is already working on new customer applications. The full exploration of the Roctool process is part of our 6R Sustainability Commitment.”

One of the key advantages of the Roctool system is the proven ability to mould plastic parts with no surface defects and as a result, avoid secondary operations which are CO2 consuming.

CO2 REDUCTION

For decades, Rosti has provided industry-leading injection moulding services and continues to develop and invest in cutting-edge technologies. Rosti capabilities include in-mould labelling and decoration, multi-k injection moulding, liquid silicone rubber, injection blow moulding, clean room production and more.

A comparison between a painted part moulded conventionally and a Roctool part shows the CO2 savings attained is at more than 40%.

This CO2 reduction becomes even more dramatic when combining Roctool technology for top surface quality and recycled resins. In this case, the CO² reduction can reach more than 80%.

The technology is available for many plastic applications including beauty packaging, consumer products, appliances, automotive, industrial.


Facebook Profits in Rollout of ‘Genocide’ Campaign

Facebook Profits in rollout of ‘Genocide’ campaign Facebook is ‘taking cash from China to promote propaganda denying ‘genocide’ of Uighur Muslims’ while banning news.

This is the gist of a story in The Sun, UK, by Joe Duggan published Feb 18.

The point is Facebook imposes a lot of conditions before you can post advertising on its platform.

For example, during the US Presidential elections, many companies and Facebook pages or media organisations had their ads rejected.

But now, Facebook is accused of taking cash from China to promote propaganda denying the “genocide” of Uighurs.

And it is silent on the matter because the cash is much needed in this ‘starvation’ pandemic period?

The social media giant allows Communist state-run media like China Daily and CGTN to publish freely.

These posts accuse Western countries of “lies” and “disinformation” over the persecution of the Uighurs.

Just maybe because the Uighurs are Muslims, Facebook does not care about their lives?

MONEY MONEY MONEY

China Daily is posting adverts on the social media platform downplaying the persecution of the Uighurs, says The Sun.

With a few hundred dollars a time it is promoting posts to millions of users, says Press Gazette.

Post Gazette also claims Mark Zuckerberg’s firm raked in advertising cash to promote the content.

Facebook was branded “disgusting” for “taking money to promote Chinese state propaganda”.

An estimated one million Uighurs, in particular, have been rounded up and detained in Chinese prison camps since 2015.

PROPAGANDA CLAIMS
Washington and others have accused China of carrying out genocide against the minority Muslim ethnic group.

A group of leading British lawyers say there was a “very credible case” China’s actions amounted to genocide.

Canada and the US declared China’s actions ‘genocide’.

The UK lawyers claim China President Xi Jinping is personally responsible for crimes against humanity.

While Facebook ditched news distribution in Australia, it also held on to money from local media.

Facebook has blocked news links in Australia in response to a proposed law compelling tech giants to pay for journalism.

China’s CGTN, China Daily, China Xinhua News, the People’s Daily and CCTV are all using Facebook.

Despite a ban on Facebook in China, they can still use it to propagate their lies, say news reports.

A China Daily advert promotes a clip saying: “The tale of an oppressed Xinjiang is a myth Western media refuse to give up.”

China Daily paid less than $400 to target more than one million users with a video.

In the video, it attacks Western press reports about the Uighurs’ treatment in Xinjiang.

In normal terms, you will never get one million views on your Facebook video at $400. But China Daily got it.

Is Facebook selling that dirt cheap to the Chinese Communist Party?


A Vaccination Passport That Will Get You Past the Autogate!

People are questioning the reason for the vaccines. They are arguing they won’t be able to travel outside their countries after they are vaccinated.

This will change, however, after plans by several countries to implement a vaccination certificate. It will be just like a new passport to travel internationally.

Vaccine certification to travel for those who get the jab is the talk among several nations.

Now, Singapore is discussing the mutual recognition of vaccine certificates with other countries while Malaysia is mulling a vaccine passport for international travel.

A “Covid-19 passport” would allow borders to reopen say sources. It will allow international travel to resume after the long pause caused by the pandemic.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/02/23/vaccine-passport-offers-hope

Several countries such as Iceland, Sweden, Estonia, Poland and Denmark are implementing vaccine passports as proof of an individual’s vaccination status.

The Saudi Arabian government is issuing a “yellow book” certification for those who have been vaccinated.

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong calls it a necessary step towards resuming global travel.

“We are discussing mutual recognition of vaccine certification with interested countries,” he says, without specifying the countries.

Malaysian Health Minister DS Dr Adham Baba raised the issue of “Covid-19 passports” to those who have received the Covid-19 vaccine.

NEW LIFESTYLE


For many, it will be a new lifestyle, carrying a card that confirms one has taken the vaccines against COVID-19.

But this is nothing new. For decades, travellers had to show ‘vaccination cards’ upon entry in some countries.

Other countries wanted to make sure travellers to some African or Asian nations had their flu jabs.

If this was the norm before the COVID-19 outbreak, it is hard to believe the same policy cannot apply now.

However, some questions are still arising from sceptics. They are asking whether the vaccine will protect against the virus and why should they wear the mask after vaccination?

There are also questions on whether they should continue to practice social distancing if they are vaccinated.

The answer so far is yes. There will still be the need to wear masks and to sanitize or to keep social distancing.

Yet, we are not aware of any information on quarantine. When someone has been vaccinated does the person have to be quarantined when travelling abroad>

We can argue that it will not be necessary, but we shall wait for an official statement from the governments involved in the push for a vaccination cert.

A vaccination certificate – Photo Credit: Lämpel


A Unique Motor Car on an Appropriately Grand Scale

ROLLS ROYCE

COLLECTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our love for motorcars and guzzlers have no boundaries. Here is our celebration of this great collection!

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, concludes, “Phantom is our pinnacle product, so producing a Collection Car is always a supremely important moment for us and our clients. With Phantom Tempus, our sources of inspiration are on appropriately grand scale: time, deep space, and a theoretical physicist who changed the way we see the universe and our place within it. That all 20 cars have already been reserved indicates that these are themes that truly resonate with our patrons around the world.”

“The events of the past year have caused many people, not least our clients, to re-evaluate their sense of, and relationship with Time. At a moment in history when so much in life seems ephemeral, our patrons are seeking solace in the unique timelessness, longevity and permanence ofered by a Rolls-Royce motor car.

It is thus the perfect moment for Phantom Tempus Collection – a magnificent incarnation of our pinnacle product, inspired by a mysterious celestial phenomenon and Time, which Albert Einstein, one of the greatest minds in human history, defined as a persistent illusion.

As we all know, Time never stands still, waits for no one. Hence, we manage it, guard it, account for it, weigh and measure it to its smallest fraction. With Phantom Tempus, we have created a space in which those strictures no longer apply – as illustrated by the deliberate absence of a clock. Rolls-Royce clients are not bound by Time; the outside world with all its pressures and demands are forgotten.

Phantom Tempus is a motor car for those who shape the world as they seek their own place in the universe. They understand that whatever our individual gifts, talents and opportunities, we’re all given Time – and it is up to us to make the most of every moment,” Torsten Müller-Ötvös says.

Rolls-Royce Phantom, the marque’s pinnacle product, which resides at the apex of the luxury world, has today become the subject of an exclusive and rare collection, the Phantom Tempus Collection. This arresting new iteration of Phantom is inspired by Time – how it passes, and how it can be made seemingly to stand still. The Collection is strictly limited to just 20 examples, all of which have already been allocated to clients.

The design of the Phantom Tempus Collection encompasses various aesthetic and intellectual themes relating to time and the cosmos. A key component is a rare astronomical phenomenon, the pulsar, unknown until 1967 and found only in the deepest reaches of space (the nearest yet discovered is 280 light years, or 1,680 trillion miles, from Earth). These very dense, white-hot stars emit electromagnetic radiation in extremely regular pulses, making them some of the most accurate clocks in the universe.

In Phantom Tempus, this remarkable force of nature is rendered as a centrepiece in a Bespoke Starlight Headliner consisting of fibre-optic lighting and intricate Bespoke embroidery, creating the unique and beautiful Pulsar Headliner.

Another aspect of time – the illusion of its standing still – is captured in the ‘Frozen Flow of Time’ Gallery. This unique artwork is housed in the fascia from which the clock is deliberately omitted to signify patrons’ freedom from time and its limitations. A single billet of aluminium is milled to form 100 individually contoured columns, representing the 100-million-year period of a rotational spin of a pulsar star. Each column is black-anodised and hand-polished to reflect the light. As the eye travels along it, the whole structure, though entirely solid, appears to ripple and flex.

“The distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”

A swirling, twisting pattern of stars is presented on the interior of the doors. Created by hundreds of illuminated perforations, additional perforations in contrasting leather add a greater depth and detail to the effect, providing an atmospheric aura even when not illuminated.

The exterior of the Phantom Tempus Collection is presented in a new Bespoke paint finish, Kairos Blue, created to embody the darkness and mystery of space. The paint incorporates jewel-like blue mica flakes, which glitter and glint as they catch the light, representing the stars. This effect is highlighted by black exterior detailing.

Gracing the bonnet of Phantom Tempus is the Spirit of Ecstasy, now in her 110th year, personalised with a unique date and location of particular significance to the client. A marriage, the birth of a child or even a major business success, can be engraved as a timeless reminder on the base of the iconic figurine.

As a finishing flourish, a unique accessory has been developed to accompany the Collection. Based on the widely acclaimed Rolls-Royce Champagne Chest, the Tempus Champagne Chest incorporates a distinctive element of the Collection. A pulsar artwork is hand-painted onto the table, below which, the perfectly appointed chest houses thermal flasks for chilling both champagne and caviar, four hand-blown crystal champagne flutes arranged to evoke the cylinders of a V12 engine and a fine mother-of-pearl caviar spoon.

In response to continuing travel restrictions and limitations on face-to-face interactions in dealerships, Rolls-Royce has created a Virtual Reality presentation for Phantom Tempus, accessible via the Google Cardboard app. Providing patrons with a fully immersive, 360° walk around of the Collection’s interior and exterior, clients are able to relish Phantom Tempus’ extraordinary presence at a time to suit them, wherever they are in the world.


Make a Statement: 3 Comfortable Yet Stylish Shoe Trends to Try in 2021

(StatePoint) While comfort will continue to reign supreme for clothing and accessories in 2021, when it comes to footwear, there are a variety of fun fashion trends that make a statement. The good news is that there’s no need to overhaul your entire closet. And it’s easier than ever to incorporate on-trend pieces into a comfortable and casual outfit.

According to Alyson Stanley, buyer for national retailer Rack Room Shoes, simple clothing choices paired with shoes featuring leopard print detailing, pops of pastel, or silver accents make getting dressed easy and fun. Whether walking around the neighborhood, enjoying a socially-distanced event, or leading a Zoom meeting, here are some tips on how to stay cozy and on-trend this year.

Animal Prints: In the past, mixing patterns was taboo, but according to Stanley, it’s now encouraged. Sneakers, clogs, and casual shoes with animal print accents serve as a neutral accessory that can be mixed and paired with any item in the closet. Nike’s Court Vision Low Sneaker puts a fun twist on cheetah print accents, while the Adidas Puremotion Adapt is a stylish slip-on sneaker with a crisscross leopard print pattern.

Metallic Accents: Athletic shoes featuring a hint of shine or iridescent details provide a versatile option for those getting their steps in or committing to fitness goals. Because metallics such as rose gold, silver, and gold can mesh with a broad range of color palettes and design styles, they are “the new neutral.” For those on-the-go, athletic shoes such as the Nike Swift 2 and the Nike Court Vision are selections that offer a touch of silver, gold, or platinum detailing.

Joyful Pastels and Playful Patterns: This season’s footwear features a palette of cotton candy-inspired shades (think lavender, mint green, and bubblegum pink). The possibilities to incorporate these colors into this season’s outfits are limitless. While you may know Crocs’ classic clogs are surprisingly comfortable and functional, you may not be aware that they now come in many pastel-colored options such as mint, lilac, and a pattern featuring a baby blue shade swirled with cloud forms.

For all your family’s footwear needs, visit rackroomshoes.com for online shopping or curbside pickup options.

“Though many of us are still spending the majority of the day working, exercising, and taking classes online from home, clothing and accessories still afford us the opportunity to express our unique style,” says Stanley. “The patterns and color trends for shoes in 2021 can bring joy to everyday outfits for the entire family.”

*****

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PHOTO SOURCE:
PHOTO CAPTION: Try on-trend looks like the Nike Court Vision in metallic accents and fun colors.


How the COVID-19 crisis Liberated the Niqab-wearing Women

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, people looked at women wearing the Niqab (face veil in Islam) as extreme but after a year of masks forced on women across the world what has changed?

The face veil is still a mystery for many, and the debate is still on among Muslims. Whether all women of Muslim faith should wear the Niqab, or is it an individual choice?

For Muslim women, the practice of wearing masks during the pandemic has given them more confidence to wear religious face coverings in public.

A small minority of Muslim women wear the Niqab. It is subject to political attacks in some European countries, like France, where there are fines against Women wearing Niqab.

But before you blame the French, look around you. There are many countries where the face veil is banned. Some impose the partial ban, some impose bans in government offices or public transport. Others may impose bans in some cities, like in China.

Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Tajikistan, Bulgaria, Latvia, Cameroon, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Uzbekistan the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and China (in certain places) joined France in banning the veil. (The list may not be complete or accurate our apologies if any of the information is not the exact information here.)

Nevertheless, after a bitter legal fight, the Netherlands has put a limited burqa ban into force. The Niqab is wrongly called Burqa in some countries. It is a piece of cloth tied over the headscarf (hijab) that comes in various styles and colours.

“The Quran says to cover yourself modestly. Now, the interpretation of that is different to every group of Muslims. Some people believe it just to be the loose dress. Others believe it to be an outer garment as well as headscarf. Yet, others would go one step further and say it’s the face covering as well, because [the Quran] says to cover yourself.”

Anonymous woman who wears the niqab, UK

LESSON FROM GOD!

Anna Piela, a writer for The Conversation says Niqab wearers are a difficult group to study, and some scholars have described them as a “rare and elusive religious sub-culture.”

It appears that in some countries, the followers of the Salaf movement wear the Niqab. But it is not true though that only the Salafists are wearing Niqab.

But it is significant that in countries where the Niqab is banned and Muslim women fined were the first to decide quickly to impose face masks for all in the wake of COVID-19.

Women who hate the veil on the face are also wearing the mask to cover their face. Would this give them some thoughts on the freedom to wear face veils?

Or perhaps after the COVID-19 pandemic, they will show their reservations against women who wears the Niqab? The debate continues though.

Piela found that many recently adopted the niqab because walking around with a covered face became less daunting. Some of the women who are wearing the Niqab came out publicly without fear saying they were encouraged because more people appeared in public with face masks and others with the Niqab.
Of course, some wore the Niqab instead of masks to underscore the religious character of this practice.

On the other hand, some women wore a mask under the niqab to show they were mindful of the health guidance that requires masks wearing in public.
Others used thick, snugly attached niqabs in lieu of a mask, she wrote.

A woman from Illinois who spoke to The Conversation says: “There are so few of us, and still we were told we were a threat to society because we covered our faces. Now that argument has just disappeared. I just hope this sentiment doesn’t make a comeback once the pandemic is over.”
In the end, the Niqab wearing women in the West and around the world felt more comfortable to go out because there were lesser people who would stare at them.


Volkswagen’s flying vehicles are coming from China

Volkswagen is working on flying vehicles in China, but it is in the early stages, and we cannot guess if the car will be coming to the skies soon.

It is the latest automaker to probe the possibilities of personal air travel which may change the way we travel by air.

Not unlike Harry Potter in a car flying over the county and cities.

On Tuesday Volkswagen says “vertical mobility” could be the next step after self-driving technology.

“Therefore we are investigating potential concepts and partners in a feasibility study [in China] to identify the possibility to industrialize this approach,” it says.

They are also looking into individual mobility with plans to develop a drone to be licensed, which would help it to participate in the future market for individuals “that are taking place up in the air and not down on the streets.”

Maybe they watched too much of Hollywood. But in Malaysia people thinks flying vehicles—with its tires and all the tons of gear might fall on their heads.

Their fears prompted the government to put a first Southeast Asia project for a flying car over Kuala Lumpur in the dumpster.

Volkswagen, the German carmaker, is making a big push into electric cars and driverless technology.
It delivered more than three times the volume of battery electric vehicles last year than it did in 2019, while plug in hybrid deliveries surged 175% to 190,500 units.

For those who are worrying about flying cars over their heads, do not worry. Volkswagen is aware that this technology called “vertical mobility” is tricky and will take a long time to materialise.