In a first for airlines in the South Pacific, Air New Zealand is giving customers the freedom to use Bluetooth devices ‘gate to gate’ across its entire fleet.
In line with the airline’s commitment to drive innovation, from Thursday customers flying on any service across the airline’s domestic and international network will be able to operate Bluetooth devices from the departure gate to the arrival gate, provided their devices are set to flight mode.
This means customers can remain connected with their wearable Bluetooth tech such as Fitbit devices, Apple watches and Bluetooth headsets, as well as operate a wireless mouse and wireless keyboard during cruise.
Air New Zealand’s General Manager Customer Experience, Carrie Hurihanganui says enabling Bluetooth powered electronic devices onboard is further evidence of the airline’s customer-centric thinking.
“We’re continually working to enhance our customers’ journeys in every way we can. Enabling customers to use their Bluetooth devices from the departure gate right through to arrivals is part of our dedicated focus to meet the needs of our travellers.”
Air New Zealand secured approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand for Bluetooth use onboard following comprehensive testing conducted across its fleet.
Use of Bluetooth devices gate to gate will be limited to common lightweight, handheld personal electronic devices (PEDs), or for large PED devices during cruise. High-power industrial devices are not permitted to be used on Air New Zealand aircraft.
Air New Zealand customers will be able to use Bluetooth devices onboard from Thursday July 21st.
An Air New Zealand press release Tuesday 19 July 2016
Victoria University of Wellington’s Robinson Research Institute has signed a four-way agreement that further cements the role of New Zealand in China’s drive to boost development of green technologies and high-value manufacturing.19 July 2016
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) follows a multi-million-dollar deal between Robinson and Chinese company Beijing Milestone Science and Technology Development Co Ltd.
The deal will see Robinson’s high temperature superconducting (HTS) technology underpin a ground-breaking device that could cut the heavy energy use of Beijing’s subway system by forty percent.
Robinson will also be working on a portable compact magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system for use in China’s regional hospitals.
The MOU is between Robinson, assisted by University commercialisation office Viclink; Milestone; Jiangsu Zhongguancun Science and Technology Industrial Park; and Suzhou New District Economic Development Group Corporation.
Jiangsu Zhongguancun Science and Technology Industrial Park is in Liyang near Shanghai and is where two of the three companies created by the Robinson-Milestone deal will be located. The third will sit alongside Robinson in the Gracefield Innovation Quarter in Lower Hutt, where it will develop and manufacture HTS sub-assemblies for the subway device and MRI (known as a podMRI). Components will be sourced from other New Zealand companies.
Suzhou New District Economic Development Group Corporation invests in and operates technology parks in China, including Jiangsu Zhongguancun, and manages funds to invest in the parks’ companies.
Mi Wang, Milestone chairman and Chief Secretary of the Zhongguancun Superconductor Research Alliance, says Jiangsu Zhongguancun is not only a research and manufacturing base for superconducting-related companies but will also include a superconducting research institute.
“The institute will provide public testing and other services so companies in the park can evaluate their manufacturing standards. On top of this, it will facilitate connections to financial institutions in order to jointly establish a superconducting industrialisation trust to provide support for the park's companies to develop fully."
Robinson Director Professor Bob Buckley says HTS is a key enabling technology of the future and New Zealand is a leader in its development.
“China, through Milestone and the other MOU signatories, is keen and ready to adopt these two HTS applications and to work with us on developing a range of others. This is a wonderful opportunity for New Zealand and China alike.
“The Chinese Government is committed to growing its high-value manufacturing sector and encouraging HTS and green technologies. As a globally minded capital city university, Victoria is committed to making whatever contribution we can to New Zealand’s own high-value manufacturing sector and to improving the environment and health and wellbeing in the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.”
The seniority of those at the MOU signing is a measure of its significance for opening up scientific, technological and investment activities between the organisations and countries, says Professor Buckley.
Those attending included:
Funding over many years from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and its predecessors and KiwiNet has supported Robinson’s HTS research and development.
A Victoria University press release Tuesday 19 July 2016
Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its “Vision Golf Cart” – a luxury golf cart that only weighs 440 kilograms (970 pounds), largely in part due to its carbon fiber roof, rear spoiler and diffuser. Carbon fiber is also used for aesthetics on the cart, as the trim is a combination of leather, wood, carbon fiber and metals.
The Vision measures 92.5 x 47.2 x 67.7 in. In addition to composite construction, the cart comes equipped with all the equipment necessary to drive on an actual road. It has a real automotive design that features turn signals, working headlights, taillights and windshield wipers. It also comes with a built-in refrigerator below the driver seat, a high-resolution touchscreen with apps, and an audio system with Bluetooth.
It’s propelled by an electric motor and has a top speed of just 18.6mph. It has a lithium-ion battery that can be fully charged in six hours, and its overall range is 49.7 miles – enough for several rounds of golf according to Autoexpress.
Back in 2013, Mercedes-Benz showed the world what the cart might look like. Mercedes calls the Golf Car a show car, but it seems prepared to make it more than a design concept. Luxury golf car manufacturer Garia will first build two drivable examples of the Vision. Mercedes says it will rely on a largely digital retail model if it does go through with production.
“The vehicle can be experienced absolutely virtually,” says Susanne Hahn, head of Daimler Business Innovation. “This means that wherever customers are in a dealership or on a golf course they can look at the vehicle on a tablet and order it with three clicks.”
To see the car in action, visit http://www.garia.com/a-real-sports-car/.
Award-winning restaurateur Michael Meredith is set to take his culinary expertise to the skies as Air New Zealand’s newest consultant chef.
Renowned for his adventurous approach to food and degustation menus at Auckland’s fine dining restaurant Merediths, the Samoan-born chef will work with the airline to design dishes for its Business Premier menus.
Meredith joins Air New Zealand’s current consultant chef Peter Gordon, of SkyCity’s Sugar Club and The Providores and The Tapa Room in London, who has partnered with the airline for more than 20 years.
The role is a first for the top chef, who took out Metro’s Restaurateur of the Year and Best Fine-Dining Restaurant award for Merediths this year.
“It’s a huge privilege to be given the chance to showcase my take on New Zealand cuisine to people from all over the world. I have a lot of respect for Peter and to create a menu alongside him is an honor.”
“There’s a bit of pressure but I’m also really excited to see what we can do together. I think Air New Zealand punches above its weight in all aspects of its inflight experience, including food.”
Air New Zealand General Manager Customer Experience Carrie Hurihanganui says New Zealand has built a reputation around the world for its fresh, high-quality and diverse cuisine and great New Zealand wine.
“For many visitors to our country Air New Zealand offers their very first taste of New Zealand and we take this responsibility very seriously.
“Michael will bring a fresh perspective to the table. We’ve long held a farm to plane philosophy where menus are crafted around the best seasonal, fresh produce on offer. Michael has a similar ethos at Meredith’s and we’re excited to see how he translates his expertise from the restaurant to meals served at altitude.”
The airline’s Business Premier menus will include both Michael Meredith and Peter Gordon designed dishes from early next year.
Peter Gordon, known as the “godfather” of fusion for his ability to pair food influences from around the world, said Meredith’s appointment is another step in Air New Zealand’s work to offer an unparalleled inflight experience.
“There are definitely some interesting challenges with airline cuisine, it takes a lot skill and thinking outside the square to work with how the palette changes at 30,000ft, and to prepare fresh ingredients to taste their absolute best on a long-haul flight.
“Michael is extremely talented and I’m so pleased he’s coming on board. New Zealand’s biodiversity is extraordinary and Air New Zealand is a fabulous platform to show it off to the world.”
Air New Zealand first formed a relationship with Meredith last year when it signed on as the first corporate to appoint his community initiative Eat My Lunch as a preferred supplier for staff catering.
The online business works on a ‘buy one, give one’ model, where for every lunch purchased, another is given to a Kiwi child in need.
An Air New Zealand press release Wednesday 20 July 2016
Alibaba Group, the world’s largest e-commerce company, plans to ratchet up its Asia-Pacific cross-border retail activities with the launch of operations in Melbourne to serve online merchants in Australia and New Zealand.
New York-listed Alibaba announced on Tuesday the planned opening of its new office in the capital of the Australian state of Victoria later this year, following this week’s four-city roadshow by company president Michael Evans in the two countries.
“A stronger presence [in Australia and New Zealand] will advance our global goal of serving two billion consumers, while supporting tens of millions of small businesses, brands and retailers across the world,” Evans said.
Cross-border retail e-commerce sales in mainland China are forecast to reach US$85.76 billion this year, up from US$57.13 billion last year, on the back of growing domestic demand for quality merchandise from foreign markets, according to research firm eMarketer.
It attributed the rapid surge in cross-border e-commerce purchases by mainland consumers over the past two years to increased activity on Alibaba’s Tmall Global platform and the JD Worldwide site of Tencent Holdings-backed JD.com.A stronger presence [in Australia and New Zealand] will advance our global goal of serving two billion consumersMichael Evans, Alibaba president
Data from eMarketer showed that the number of cross-border online retail buyers in China are projected to swell to 128 million this year, a 71.7 per cent increase from 74.6 million last year.
The best-performing products from Australia and New Zealand sold on Alibaba’s local Tmall site and Tmall Global include food and beverage, cosmetics, and a range of goods for mothers and infants, the Hangzhou-based company said.
Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post, estimated that there are a total of 1,300 Australian brands already found on Tmall and Tmall Global.
Maggie Zhou, the managing director of Alibaba Australia, said the new Melbourne office and expanded team there “will be well-positioned to support Australian and New Zealand merchants already on our platforms, as well as new merchants looking to expand into China”.
In April, Alibaba entered into a memorandum of understanding with business development agency New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to support the expansion of that country’s brands in China.
Evans said Alibaba’s “infrastructure support” in areas such as payment, cloud and logistics for Australia and New Zealand merchants provide “the tools they need to access international consumers, while at the same time improving the experience of consumers who want to shop globally”.
Source: South China Morning Post
HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND – Gallagher today announced it has been named one of seven finalists in the 2016 AmCham-DHL Express Success and Innovation Awards for the Exporter of the Year to the USA (over $10 million) category.
The awards, which are run by The American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand, seek to celebrate success and entrepreneurial innovation in the export, import and investment sectors between New Zealand and its third-largest trading partner, the United States.
The short-listed companies were evaluated on a variety of actual market performance indicators which include revenue growth; market share and growth in market share; leadership in product innovation; marketing strategy and business development strategy.
Gallagher’s Deputy CEO and Executive Director, Steve Tucker, comments “At Gallagher, we are constantly striving to achieve excellence in all areas of our business, and are delighted to be named a contender as it recognises the difference we are making in the delivery of innovative technology solutions for customers across the United States, and the hard work and ingenuity of the entire Gallagher team. We feel honored to be recognised alongside many other extremely successful and innovative New Zealand-based companies”.
In 2012, Gallagher indicated its long-term commitment to the US economy with the opening of a purpose-built regional headquarters in Kansas City. A substantial team operates from the central facility which includes customer service, sales, marketing, technical support, distribution, administration, and warehousing operations – serving the company’s Animal Management and Security customers based in the United States. In 2014, the office celebrated a nomination for the ‘Best Places to Work’.
For Gallagher’s Security and Animal Management business units the United States continues to represent the largest potential growth market and the global team demonstrate continued commitment to delivering on that objective. The leadership group dedicate considerable amount of time and effort physically in the United States, working alongside the local team to understand the customer base and market drivers and honing global strategies accordingly.
The awards will be presented at a black tie gala dinner at the Pullman Hotel Auckland on August 18, 2016.
Previous winners include Zespri International, Peace Software, Airways Corporation, HumanWare, Tenon, Orion Health, Zeacom, SMI Group, Fonterra, Buckley Systems, Greenshell New Zealand, Vista Entertainment and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare.
A Gallaghers press release
AFS is a consumer show that connects a large number of exhibitors with thousands of dedicated food lovers in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.Eight Pacific Island F&B companies and their products will be featured at PT&I's special ‘Pacific Hub’ stand at the show, which is being held at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane from 28 – 31 July.Eight Pacific Island F&B companies and their products will be featured at PT&I’s special ‘Pacific Hub’ stand at the show, which is being held at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane from 28 – 31 July.
AFS comes close on the heels of Fine Food New Zealand 2016, in which PT&I featured merchandise from twelve Pacific Island companies.
“This is the second food show that PT&I has supported this year as part of our food and beverage strategy,” PT&I NZ Trade Commissioner Michael Greenslade said. “AFS is for Pacific Island companies that are established and seeking to strengthen their consumer presence in New Zealand; it’s predominantly a brand building exercise for Pacific Island companies.”
PT&I’s experience at the Fine Food NZ 2016 show was encouraging, Trade Development Manager Joe Fuavao said. “We had positive response to the promotion undertaken in partnership between PT&I and The Produce Company Ltd.”
Explaining the difference in PT&I’s approach between the two shows, Mr Fuavao says, “While our focus [at Fine Food NZ] was to establish a new channel to market for Pacific Island companies, the upcoming AFS has a different focus. Our aim is to help Pacific Island companies brands grow and sell more products by partnering with their New Zealand distributors.”
With some 300 stands and more than 35,000 expected visitors, the AFS plays a key role in the growing consumer trend toward buying fresh ingredients, trying new flavours from around the world, sourcing top recipes, and cooking at home for friends and family. The estimated total spend at the four-day show is $6.3 million.
Trade Commissioner Greenslade said the participants will be selling products at the stand, which will be provided by EFTPOS machines to process card payments.
The eight participating Pacific Island companies are Papua New Guinea’s Banz Kofi; Niue Vanilla from Niue; C-Corp’s Solomons Gold chocolate and cacao nibs and from the Solomon Islands; Samoa Breweries’ Vailima Beer and Pacific Oil’s CocoSina coconut oil from Samoa; three companies from Fiji: J Punja NZ Ltd with bottled water, wraps, biscuits and other products; Carpenters Fiji with bottled water and FMF Foods Ltd with a range of biscuits.
The companies and their products will all be featured at the special ‘Pacific Hub’ stand at the show, which is being held at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane from 28 – 31 July, next week.
Mr Greenslade said some of the participating companies were graduates of the PT&I Path to Market Programme which is PT&I’s export capability building programme that combines the range of export facilitation services and expertise provided by PT&I to help export ready and export capable businesses enter new export markets. He also revealed that PT&I would be participating in the Fine Food Australia show later this year.
While the show features a number of cooking demonstration sessions from chefs around New Zealand, a special attraction will be award winning Pacific-origin chef Robert Oliver who will cook up rare Pacific delicacies using Pacific ingredients from around the islands region.
Adding some great Pacific atmosphere to chef Oliver’s culinary presentations will be entertainment provided by the fabulous Cindy of Samoa, the internationally acclaimed ‘fa’afafine’ singing sensation, renowned for her impersonations of Shirley Bassey, Whitney Houston, and Tina Turner. Her revue-style show is considered one of the top 10 things to do in Samoa and she’s a regular performer at SkyCity Casino and corporate and charity events all around New Zealand.
For more information, please email Joe Fuavao, PT&I Trade Development Manager at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Pro Golfer Bubba Watson, Oakley and Martin Aircraft have teamed up to create the Golf Cart Jetpack.
The humble golf cart is not very slick, but it gets the job done. So is there a better way to get from tee to green? In 2013, pro golfer Bubba Watson, along with Oakley and Neoteric Hovercraft, posed this question with a Golf Cart Hovercraft. Now, with the help of Martin Aircraft, the team has taken to the skies with the Golf Cart Jetpack.
Based on Martin's current pre-production prototypes, the Golf Cart Jetpack can fly as high as 3,000 feet (914 m) and as fast as 46 mph (74 km/h), thanks to a 210 horsepower engine powering two ducted fans. So basically, it's a standard Martin Jetpack with some extra space for clubs and sand bottles.
As fun as it would be to get a bird's eye view of the course and watch your golf buddies' shots from on high, practical considerations might keep this concept on the ground. Bubba insists the Jetpack will speed up play, but in the time it takes to strap in, fly down the fairway, land and take your shot, your friends – who can't join you in your single-pilot craft – could well be a few holes ahead. And if you're the kind of golfer who spends a chunk of their game time hunting for balls among the trees, well, the Jetpack will be no help there.
Add to this the 95 dB din, plus the fact that those fans will likely play havoc with any balls the contraption passes over, and suddenly the humble electric cart, or dare we say it –walking, doesn't seem so bad after all.
But as far as a publicity stunt goes, Bubba's Jetpack does look impressive, even if Bubba himself isn't yet allowed to fly it. That's Martin Aircraft's VP of Flight Operations, Mike Read, in the video below – Bubba himself is third on the waiting list for pilot training, once the certifications and market release goes ahead.
That goal is another step closer, with the Martin Jetpack announcing in June that prototypes have received Experimental Airworthiness certificates from the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority. The company says that First Responder Jetpacks will begin shipping later this year, with personal versions to follow in December 2017. Both require proper training and certification – and carry a US$200,000 price tag.
Source: Martin Aircraft
Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce has today announced the Prime Minister’s Scholarship programme for international study with be extended to Latin America, as well as Asia.
The Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Latin America will complement the successful Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia initiative. Under that programme 751 scholarships for Kiwi students to study in Asia have been awarded since it was implemented in 2013.
“The Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia have seen New Zealand students gain valuable study and business experience offshore, learn about some of New Zealand’s most important trade partners, and bring back valuable skills to New Zealand.
The Latin American scholarships will give kiwi students much greater exposure to another part of the Asia-Pacific region that will become increasingly important to New Zealand in the years ahead.
“The scholarships will mean more young Kiwis are exposed to Latin American countries and cultures, and this will strengthen New Zealand’s ability to engage with key Latin American trading partners in the future,” Mr Joyce says.
“The expanded scholarships programme will strengthen international linkages with an area of the world which is becoming increasingly important for New Zealand trade and business. Latin American and Asian destinations are all just one direct flight away, making them easier to work with than ever.”
“The Scholarships are part of our $761.4 million ‘Innovative New Zealand’ budget package, $43.5 million of that is to develop stronger international connections for tertiary students. This includes the introduction of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Latin America, the expansion of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia and the introduction of three Centres of Asia Pacific Excellence at universities.”
The International Connections Package also includes changes to student support settings (student loan and student allowance) and tuition funding subsidies to encourage more study overseas.
Nominations for the first round of Latin American scholarships will open in September 2016 and they will be awarded in November.
More information about the scholarships can be found at http://www.enz.govt.nz/our-services/scholarships
A press release from the Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employmen Tuesday 19 Jully, 2016
Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce has today announced the Prime Minister’s Scholarship programme for international study with be extended to Latin America, as well as Asia.
The Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Latin America will complement the successful Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia initiative. Under that programme 751 scholarships for Kiwi students to study in Asia have been awarded since it was implemented in 2013.
“The Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia have seen New Zealand students gain valuable study and business experience offshore, learn about some of New Zealand’s most important trade partners, and bring back valuable skills to New Zealand.
The Latin American scholarships will give kiwi students much greater exposure to another part of the Asia-Pacific region that will become increasingly important to New Zealand in the years ahead.
“The scholarships will mean more young Kiwis are exposed to Latin American countries and cultures, and this will strengthen New Zealand’s ability to engage with key Latin American trading partners in the future,” Mr Joyce says.
“The expanded scholarships programme will strengthen international linkages with an area of the world which is becoming increasingly important for New Zealand trade and business. Latin American and Asian destinations are all just one direct flight away, making them easier to work with than ever.”
“The Scholarships are part of our $761.4 million ‘Innovative New Zealand’ budget package, $43.5 million of that is to develop stronger international connections for tertiary students. This includes the introduction of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Latin America, the expansion of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia and the introduction of three Centres of Asia Pacific Excellence at universities.”
The International Connections Package also includes changes to student support settings (student loan and student allowance) and tuition funding subsidies to encourage more study overseas.
Nominations for the first round of Latin American scholarships will open in September 2016 and they will be awarded in November.
More information about the scholarships can be found at http://www.enz.govt.nz/our-services/scholarships
A press release from the Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employmen Tuesday 19 Jully, 2016
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242