The Fruit of Knowledge
Posts tagged north america
Official: Toyota begins shipping Le Yaris to America
May 17th
Filed under: Budget, Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Hatchback, Toyota
Our tiniest Toyota (Scion iQ notwithstanding) is about to get a little French flair. The Japanese automaker announced Thursday that its Toyota Motor Manufacturing France facility would begin building Yaris models destined for North America – specifically, the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. This will mark the first time in history that Toyota has exported vehicles to North America from Europe.
Initially, Toyota will export roughly 25,000 Yaris models to North American markets from France each year. In order to handle this additional production, Toyota Motor Manufacturing France has invested 10 million euro into its French facility.
Despite being somewhat of a snooze-fest (it’s a car!), the Yaris carries on in North America with a 106-horsepower 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, with prices starting at $14,370 for the three-door and $15,395 for the five-door, not including $795 for destination.
Continue reading Toyota begins shipping Le Yaris to America
Toyota begins shipping Le Yaris to America originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 May 2013 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Boeing tapped to build ViaSat-2 satellite, launch set for mid-2016
May 16th
ViaSat-1 recently earned a Guinness World Record as the highest-capacity satellite in (or out of) the world, but it may need to hand off that title come 2016. ViaSat-2, the company’s next-gen bird, will double the capacity of its predecessor while also extending coverage to a larger portion of North America, Central America and the Caribbean, along with the aviation and shipping routes between the East Coast and Europe. Boeing will manufacture the new equipment, which will be based on the 702HP satellite platform. Once in orbit, ViaSat-2 will serve residential customers, air travelers and government agencies alike, with a massive seven-fold increase in coverage. There aren’t many details beyond that, but you’re welcome to dig through the press release, posted right after the break.
Filed under: Wireless, Science, Internet
U.S. Oil Production to Shock Global Energy Markets: IEA Report
May 14th
The supply shock created by a surge in North American oil production will be as transformative to the market over the next five years as was the rise of Chinese demand over the last 15, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its annual Medium-Term Oil Market Report (MTOMR) released today. The shift will not only cause oil companies to overhaul their global investment strategies, but also reshape the way oil is transported, stored and refined.
According to the MTOMR, the effects of continued growth in North American supply – led by US light, tight oil (LTO) and Canadian oil sands – will cascade through the global oil market. Although shale oil development outside North America may not be a large-scale reality during the report’s five-year timeframe, the technologies responsible for the boom will increase production from mature, conventional fields – causing companies to reconsider investments in higher-risk areas.
In virtually every other aspect of the market, developing economies are in the driver’s seat. This quarter, for the first time, non-OECD economies will overtake OECD nations in oil demand. At the same time, massive refinery capacity increases in non-OECD economies are accelerating a broad restructuring of the global refining industry and oil trading patterns. European refiners will see no let-up from the squeeze caused by increasing US product exports and the new Asian and Middle Eastern refining titans.
“North America has set off a supply shock that is sending ripples throughout the world,” said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven, who launched the report at the Platts Crude Oil Summit in London. “The good news is that this is helping to ease a market that was relatively tight for several years. The technology that unlocked the bonanza in places like North Dakota can and will be applied elsewhere, potentially leading to a broad reassessment of reserves. But as companies rethink their strategies, and as emerging economies become the leading players in the refining and demand sectors, not everyone will be a winner.”
While geopolitical risks abound, market fundamentals suggest a more comfortable global oil supply/demand balance over the next five years. The MTOMR forecasts North American supply to grow by 3.9 million barrels per day (mb/d) from 2012 to 2018, or nearly two-thirds of total forecast non-OPEC supply growth of 6 mb/d. World liquid production capacity is expected to grow by 8.4 mb/d – significantly faster than demand – which is projected to expand by 6.9 mb/d. Global refining capacity will post even steeper growth, surging by 9.5 mb/d, led by China and the Middle East.
Article source: Article Source
The post U.S. Oil Production to Shock Global Energy Markets: IEA Report appeared first on .
Square Enix posts $134M fiscal net loss, projects profit for coming year
May 13th
As approximately projected, Square Enix posted a net loss of ¥13.7 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31 2013, that converting to around $134 million. Back in March, Square Enix announced it was implementing major restructuring that would produce an “extraordinary loss”. Today the company further detailed its new strategy for the next fiscal year, in which it projects a return to profit.
“The business environment surrounding the [Square Enix] Group is in the midst of major changes, where smart devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs are spreading rapidly,” Square Enix stated in today’s results, “while the console game markets in North America and Europe are increasingly competitive and oligopolistic. In light of such environmental changes, the Group is focusing all efforts on a substantial earnings improvement through driving reforms of business structure in order to establish new revenue base.”
Square Enix previously noted “weak” sales of “big console titles” in North America and Europe, including Sleeping Dogs, Hitman: Absolution, and even Tomb Raider. Today the company said it will increasingly target smartphones and tablets, citing Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade and Kaku-San-Sei Million Arthur as satisfactorily profitable. Square Enix also noted Dragon Quest X as “showing steady performance.”
As such, the restructuring brings overhauls to Square Enix’s larger-scale development,with the company looking to improve turnover and produce content better tailored for different regions. Square Enix was clearly dissatisfied with the performance of its western portfolio, and layoffs were incurred in the company’s North American and European divisions.
Square Enix believes these changes will be the platform for profit in the coming fiscal year, projecting net income of between ¥3.5 billion and ¥6 billion, or $344 million to $590 million.
Square Enix posts $134M fiscal net loss, projects profit for coming year originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 May 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Sony Xperia L swings by the FCC with North America-friendly 3G
May 4th
While Sony intrigued us with the Xperia L’s blend of a low-end smartphone with a higher-end camera, it wasn’t very specific on just where we could eventually buy one: “worldwide” doesn’t help, folks. Courtesy of an FCC filing, there’s now a hint that the phone might show up in North America. The L has surfaced at the US agency carrying HSPA-based 3G compatible with the likes of AT&T, Straight Talk and T-Mobile, as well as Canadian carriers of all sizes. Even with a manual included in the filing, though, there’s no telltale clues as to which providers in either country might be interested. Without any built-in LTE, the Xperia L we see here is more likely to reach either smaller networks or go the carrier-independent route — if it comes to North America at all, that is.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Source: FCC
GM posts strong profit as North America, Europe better than expected
May 2nd
DETROIT (Reuters) – General Motors Co posted a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday as its North American business was better and its loss in Europe was smaller than Wall Street estimated. Net income attributable to common stockholders fell to $865 million, or 58 cents a share, in the first quarter, compared with $1 billion, or 60 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. The latest quarter included a $162 million noncash charge for the devaluation of the Venezuelan currency. …
Fetch Metal Gear Rising’s Blade Wolf DLC starting May 14
Apr 30th
Metal Gear Rising’s Blade Wolf character will take center stage on May 14 in North America, and will probably take a few nerve centers while he’s at it, given the usual flow of that game’s action. The Blade Wolf DLC will be released on PSN in North America and Xbox Live in North America and Europe that day, with a European PS3 release following the next day.
Don’t expect a buddy comedy between Blade Wolf (formal name: LQ-84i) and Raiden; the story takes place before the two cyborgs face off, with Blade Wolf still working under Mistral. You probably didn’t even think about what his life was like before he started yelling “COMBINATION ATTACK” at Raiden, but now you’ll know.
Continue reading Fetch Metal Gear Rising’s Blade Wolf DLC starting May 14
Fetch Metal Gear Rising’s Blade Wolf DLC starting May 14 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Report: Mazda books first yearly profit in half-decade, NA still a drag
Apr 30th
Filed under: Mazda, Earnings/Financials
Automotive News reports Mazda has posted its first annual profit in five years. The company made $364.3 million in the last fiscal year, following a $1.14 billion loss the year prior. Operating profit also jumped up by $91.3 million to $572.8 million, thanks in part to a revenue increase of 8 percent to $23.42 billion.
But the news isn’t all rays of sunshine. North America continues to be a problem for Mazda where the automaker posted yet another loss. The manufacturer lost $519.1 million last year, up from $427.8 million the year prior. While the launch of the CX-5 helped see US sales increase by 2 percent to 273,000 vehicles, the region as a whole bought up 372,000 units. Mazda had predicted closer to 380,000 units.
Even so, Mazda says it should have North America back in the black by next year, with the company forecasting a sales increase of 11 percent to 415,000 units in the region. That’s thanks in part to a boost from the redesigned Mazda6 sedan.
Mazda books first yearly profit in half-decade, NA still a drag originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Watch Dogs unleashed in November
Apr 29th
Ubisoft will launch city hacking action adventure Watch Dogs on November 19 and 22 in North America and UK, respectively. The cross-generation game will be available on all current-gen systems, PC, PS4 and “is also planned for other next generation consoles” (i.e. the next Xbox).
The game will launch in the UK with four different editions. The Dedsec Edition (at select UK retailers) includes a 23cm figurine. The Vigilante Edition (at Game in UK, GameStop in Ireland) includes Aiden Pearce’s cap and mask – yup, no way that could go wrong. The Uplay exclusive edition, available on Ubisoft’s digital distribution network, will apparently send you a steelbook. Finally, the very unspecially named Special Edition (from Game in the UK) includes an extra single player mission.
We’ll update when we get word of North Americans bundles.
Gallery: Watch Dogs (Special Editions)
Continue reading Watch Dogs unleashed in November
Watch Dogs unleashed in November originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Austerity is hurting our health, say researchers
Apr 28th
LONDON (Reuters) – Austerity is having a devastating effect on health in Europe and North America, driving suicide, depression and infectious diseases and reducing access to medicines and care, researchers said on Monday.
