International and USA Land Sale

Foxconn Assembly secures Houston property for $33 million

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:43:00 +0000

HOUSTON – Foxconn (SS:601138) Assembly LLC, a subsidiary of Hon Hai (TW:2317) Precision Industry Co Ltd, has completed the acquisition of a significant land and building asset in Houston, Texas, for operational needs. The transaction, which took place on Monday, involves a land parcel and building at 9625 Fallbrook Pines Drive, Houston, Harris County, TX 77064, with a total transaction price of USD 33,033,000.00.

The land spans 478,036 square meters, while the building covers 200,200 square meters.

This strategic acquisition is intended to meet the operational needs of Foxconn Assembly, though the specific operational purposes have not been detailed in the press release statement.

https://www.investing.com/news/company-news/foxconn-assembly-secures-houston-property-for-33-million-93CH-3741598

Taiwan – Global AI Hub

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 16:19:00 +0000

Artificial intelligence, long hailed as a world-changing and digitally disruptive force, is gaining rapid traction. Valued at US$87.04 billion in 2021, the global AI market is projected to surpass US$1.597 trillion by 2030.

When it comes to chip manufacturing, Taiwan is an undisputed world leader with a robust ecosystem powered by capable engineering talent.

Taiwan’s strategy in the near term is one that marries the island’s hardware heritage with its nascent AI know-how, to produce everyday application solutions that are tested domestically before they are rolled out worldwide.

Taiwan’s commitment to AI development is clear. And it starts at the top, with enormous resources poured into government initiatives designed to nurture a robust environment for growth.

Taiwan’s foray into AI, backed by its competitive edge and distinct advantages, make it a haven for partnerships with overseas companies and foreign investment.

Already, its potential is recognized by many of the world’s foremost companies: Microsoft, Amazon and Google have all set up research and development centers there, and the island is poised to work with more partners beyond its shores.

https://www.reuters.com/plus/taiwan-global-ai-hub

Manufacturing in Mexico is having its moment. The US is buying in — and so is China

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 15:50:00 +0000

By John Towfighi, CNN - Published 9:40 PM EDT, Sun April 28, 2024

As US supply chains decouple from China, Mexico’s manufacturing sector is emerging as a winner.

As nearshoring continues and global supply chains are reorganized, Mexico’s manufacturing sector has an opportunity for long-term success.

Mexico surpassed China as the top exporter to the US in 2023. Those exports were driven by manufacturing, which comprises 40% of Mexico’s economy, according to Morgan Stanley.

US imports from Mexico continued to increase in February, according to April 4 trade data released by the Commerce Department. Meanwhile, Chinese exports to the US were down 20% in 2023, compared to 2022.

Amid shifting geopolitics and competition, US and Chinese companies both see potential in Mexican manufacturing: Low labor costs, geographic proximity to American markets and the US-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) agreement — a free trade accord established in 2020 that makes trade in North America more cost-effective and efficient — are all factors contributing to a potential boom.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/28/business/us-china-mexico-manufacturing-nearshoring-hnk-intl/index.html

Why Chinese companies are flocking to Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 17:14:00 +0000

Nov 23rd 2023|mexico city

Chinese investments have been pouring into Mexico lately. Last month alone brought two notable ones. The government of Nuevo León, a northern state bordering the United States, announced that China’s Lingong Machinery Group, which makes diggers and other construction equipment, would build a factory that it estimates will generate $5bn dollars in investment. The same day Trina Solar, a solar-panel manufacturer, said it would invest up to $1bn in the state. Both companies and their corporate compatriots can now find a home away from home at Hofusan, a Chinese-Mexican industrial park in Nuevo León.

Chinese companies’ heightened interest in Mexico dates to 2018 when Donald Trump, America’s president at the time, launched a trade war that included raising tariffs on imports from China. His successor, Joe Biden, has kept the tariffs in place. Mr Biden’s own America-first policies, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, are encouraging companies to consider “nearshoring” in North America, in large part to thwart China. The pandemic and the snarl-ups in supply chains it caused also pushed manufacturers to move closer to the American market.

https://www.economist.com/business/2023/11/23/why-chinese-companies-are-flocking-to-mexico

Mexico: Nearshoring, Foreign Investment Create Industrial Opportunities

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 19:25:00 +0000

By: C. Kat Grimsley, Ph.D. and Héctor Salazar Sánchez, Ph.D.

Industrial real estate emerged as a clear winner during and after the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to increased demand for e-commerce, a new emphasis on nearshoring and greater investment in logistics solutions.

In particular, Mexico, with its proximity to the U.S. consumer market, has seen substantial growth in industrial development in recent years. Although notably smaller than the neighboring U.S. market, which has 14.5 billion square feet of industrial property, the Mexican industrial market encompasses 908.5 million square feet across all product types.

In 2022, 65% of Mexico’s industrial space construction was concentrated in just four cities — Mexico City (20%), Monterrey (19%), Ciudad Juarez (16%) and Tijuana (10%), the last three of which are states that border the U.S. and have greatly benefited from nearshoring.

https://www.naiop.org/research-and-publications/magazine/2023/Spring-2023/business-trends/industrial-spotlight-mexico-nearshoring-foreign-investment-create-opportunities/

China’s $9 Trillion Debt Problem Is A Global One, Too

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 15:22:00 +0000

Article by William Pesek

Economists wondering where China’s economy is heading have a Lehman Brothers problem on their hands.

Too often, analyses on the more than $9 trillion of debt that state banks and other creditors are owed by China’s local government investment arms are framed around a 2008-like crisis. Blame it on breathless speculation about the “Lehman moment” many believe is sure to devastate Asia’s biggest economy.

The common thread is a realization that a Chinese model that worked so well for three decades is facing an existential crisis. Even if China doesn’t plunge into a crisis that shakes the globe, the rapid growth needed to surpass the U.S. economy by 2030 or 2040 seem over.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/williampesek/2023/09/15/chinas-9-trillion-debt-problem-is-a-global-one-too/?sh=4aded4ae19c7

MIT and Tec de Monterrey team up to boost innovation in Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 18:25:00 +0000

By REBECA RUIZ | MÉXICO CITY CAMPUS

In collaboration with Tec de Monterrey, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has presented the MIT REAP Focus Mexico initiative, an entrepreneurship acceleration program from MIT.

The aim of the initiative is to identify and propose projects and programs that foster social and economic development through science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Five work teams have been assembled across Mexico in Chihuahua, Querétaro, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, and Mexico City. Participating in each group are universities, government, entrepreneurs, and companies that will promote initiatives to accelerate development.

MIT REAP Director Travis Hunter explained that the aim of this program is for enterprising communities from around the world to get involved with MIT to strengthen business ecosystems through innovation.

https://conecta.tec.mx/en/news/national/entrepreneurs/mit-and-tec-de-monterrey-team-boost-innovation-mexico

Mexico seeks to solidify rank as top U.S. trade partner, push further past China

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 17:53:00 +0000

Luis Torres - July 11, 2023

Mexico became the top U.S. trading partner at the beginning of 2023, with total bilateral trade between the two countries totaling $263 billion during the first four months of this year.

Mexico's emergence followed fractious U.S. relations with China, which had moved past Canada to claim the top trading spot in 2014. The dynamic changed in 2018 when the U.S. imposed tariffs on China’s goods and with subsequent pandemic-era supply-chain disruptions that altered international trade and investment flows worldwide.

Mexico’s gains mirror its rise in manufacturing, a key component of goods moving between it and the U.S. During the first four months of 2023, total trade of manufactured goods between Mexico and the U.S. reached $234.2 billion.

Mexico positioned as a manufacturing base

Mexico’s expanding manufacturing base has offered an alternative to producing in China. Sourcing or producing goods in a nearby country is sometimes referred to as “nearshoring.”

More activity in Mexico would support increased bilateral manufacturing with the U.S. It would also bolster Mexico’s standing as the U.S.’ leading manufacturing trading partner, a ranking it achieved in 2022.

Luis Torres is a senior business economist in the San Antonio Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

https://www.dallasfed.org/research/economics/2023/0711

TSMC triples Arizona chip plant investment, Biden hails project

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 15:36:00 +0000

By Steve Holland and Jane Lanhee Lee

PHOENIX, Ariz., Dec 6 (Reuters) - Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC (2330.TW) on Tuesday said it would more than triple its planned investment at its new Arizona plant to $40 billion, among the largest foreign investments in U.S. history, as President Joe Biden visited and hailed the project.

The expanded investment is a big win for Biden after supply chain issues disrupted the U.S. economy early in his presidency.

Biden's recent trip to Asia convinced him the United States is in a better position to lead the world economy in the years ahead "if we keep our focus," he said.

Mark Liu, chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd, known as TSMC, estimated annual revenue of $10 billion when the two planned chip fabrication plants open, adding that customers would have annual sales of $40 billion from products using chips made there.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/biden-visit-taiwans-tsmc-chip-plant-arizona-hail-supply-chain-fixes-2022-12-06/

Biden to visit Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC's Arizona plant on Dec 6

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 15:33:00 +0000

By David Shepardson

U.S. President Joe Biden plans to travel to Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC's Arizona facility on Dec. 6 to promote the administration's push to boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, the White House said.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (2330.TW), , a major supplier to Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and the world's largest contract chipmaker, is constructing a $12 billion plant in Phoenix, Arizona, Reuters reported last week. The company is holding a "tool-in" ceremony in Arizona on Dec. 6.

Both the United States and Europe are putting up billions of dollars in incentives to get companies to make chips closer to home, courting Taiwanese firms in particular.

In August, Biden signed legislation funding $52.7 billion for semiconductor chips manufacturing and research. The "Chips and Science" law also includes an investment tax credit for chip plants estimated to be worth $24 billion.

By subsidizing U.S. chip manufacturing and expanding research funding, the law aims to alleviate a persistent shortage that has affected everything from cars and weapons to washing machines and video games.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/biden-visit-taiwanese-chip-manufacturer-tsmcs-arizona-plant-dec-6-white-house-2022-11-30/

The 10 Best AI Real Estate Solutions in 2021

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 18:36:00 +0000

Ongoing global pandemic restrictions have directly impacted traditional real estate processes—and, quite shockingly, for the better. 

Thousands of firms, realtors, appraisers, mortgage lenders, and others have had to navigate the crisis by integrating fast-evolving PropTech, and for a good reason. Sophisticated AI solutions for real estate can handle predefined data flows, learn user behavior, streamline and accelerate workflows, and enable more accurate appraisals and near-term market predictions.

Homeowners, potential renters, and buyers are embracing these real estate AI apps, and investors know and recognize that real estate is the worlds' largest asset class (as stated by Harvard Business School professor Arthur Segel). The value of housing in the U.S. is $16 trillion, and real estate is the highest wealth source for most families. 

These ten companies deploy AI in real estate in exciting and impactful ways to quickly engage with prospects, increase sales, manage tenants and properties, and more.

1. TRIRIGA 

2. Houzen

3. Hyro

4. Rex

5. Zillow

6. Compass

7. Redfin

8. HouseCanary

9. Trulia

10. Skyline AI

https://www.hyro.ai/post/ten-best-ai-real-estate-solutions-in-2021

AI in Restaurants? The Possibilities are Limitless

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 18:27:00 +0000

January 28, 2022 | Steve Roberts

Fifty percent of U.S. restaurant operators are planning to implement some form of automation technology in the next two to three years, according to a recent report.

We learned in December that TikTok was teaming up with a ghost-kitchen company to open 300 virtual kitchens. This won’t necessarily push the technologies involved any further, but as far as marketing goes, it’s brilliant, and if it allows users to order meals directly from TikTok, it could be a game-changer, with other social-media platforms following suit. 

Where we’re likely to see the biggest strides in restaurant tech in the years to come, though, is in the development of new applications for artificial intelligence. The global AI market as a whole is expected to grow to a value of $190.61 billion by 2025.

https://www.qsrmagazine.com/outside-insights/ai-restaurants-possibilities-are-limitless

How AI is Revolutionizing the Real Estate Market

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 18:45:00 +0000

MAY 22, 2022 BY BEN SHEPARDSON

While it still may not be entirely accurate, the use of machine learning algorithms now sees Zillow tracking and analyzing the values of something close to 100 million homes in 2022. This is made possible by a recent update to how Zestimate works – instead of hundreds or even thousands of algorithms running at once and having to be integrated, now Zillow uses just a single neural network, and one that it says reduces its price estimate errors by a huge percentage.

How does AI help resolve this issue? Simple – smart search algorithms that employ machine learning can parse lots of data that would otherwise take even a team of agents time and effort to research. Now, it’s easy to find out which homes are likely to be put up on the market soon simply by having an AI look for relevant data such as when homes were last sold, how long the current owner has been living there, and what rates homes in a specific area sell at. This beats knocking on doors by a wide margin!

https://realtybiznews.com/how-ai-is-revolutionizing-the-real-estate-market/98771244/

10 Hottest Housing Markets in America

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 18:42:00 +0000

1. Tampa, Florida - Tampa, Florida, has been on the "hottest" housing market list for several years, but this is the first year it holds the title of being the hottest market in America, at least according to a recent report by Zillow.

2. Jacksonville, Florida - This up-and-coming port city doesn't usually make the hottest market list, with Realtor.com putting its hotness ranking near 167, but according to Zillow, Jacksonville is taking off.

3. Raleigh, North Carolina - Raleigh Durham, North Carolina, which encompasses the Greater Chapel Hill and the cities of Durham and Raleigh, has been a major hub for the Southeast for decades.

4. San Antonio, Texas - San Antonio, Texas, is a well-known tourist destination, thanks to its iconic River Walk, historic Alamo, and awesome food scene.

5. Charlotte, North Carolina - Charlotte, North Carolina, has been on the hottest markets list for quite some time now, so it's no surprise to see it once again in 2022.

6. Nashville, Tennessee - Nashville, Tennessee, definitely isn't an up-and-coming city. It's long been revered as one of the top metropolitan areas in the country, with deep ties in music and entertainment, giving it the nickname "Music City."

7. Atlanta, Georgia- Like Nashville, Atlanta, Georgia is a thriving city with decades of growth behind it. The city has a stable job market, an affordable entry point for housing, and has become a hub for tech start-ups and millionaires in the entertainment and media industries.

8. Phoenix, Arizona - Phoenix, Arizona, is the fifth-most-populated city in the U.S. and has been on the hottest housing markets list for several years running. This desert city -- which has ties to major medical companies, several Fortune 500 companies, tech start-ups, and retail giants -- has ample job opportunities backed by a fairly affordable cost of living.

9. Orlando, Florida - With ties to Disney and Universal Orlando Resort theme parks, Orlando, Florida, draws millions of visitors each year. But people are quickly realizing there is more to the city than its theme parks. Orlando is a great place to work and live, too.

10. Austin, Texas - Austin, Texas, has been the hottest market for the past few years. It's a rapidly growing city with a number of tech startups, Fortune 500 companies, and major corporations calling it home. And with a thriving food and culture scene and mild winters, it's understandable to see why the city is booming.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/10-hottest-housing-markets-in-america/ss-AATVDeu?ocid=msedgntp#image=2

Intel’s $20 Billion Ohio Chip Hub Will Be World’s Largest

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 19:24:00 +0000

By Ian King

(Bloomberg) -- Intel Corp. plans to spend $20 billion on a chipmaking hub on the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio, which the company expects to grow to be the world’s biggest semiconductor-manufacturing site.

The chipmaker will begin construction of two fabrication plants on a 1,000-acre site in the town of New Albany, which it expects to be operational by 2025, Intel said Friday. The plan will rely on the most advanced technologies and result in an increased American share of the global chip supply chain, the company said.

The project will be the largest single private-sector company investment ever in Ohio, according to the governor, and will generate more than 20,000 jobs in the state, including 3,000 direct Intel positions earning an average of $135,000 a year, plus benefits.

Intel is committing to building in Ohio using its own funds and hoping that the U.S. federal government will deliver on planned resources aimed at supporting an expansion of semiconductor manufacturing, Gelsinger said in an interview. Congress is currently considering funding of the CHIPs Act, a proposal to offer about $50 billion in incentives to companies willing to locate chip production in the U.S.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-21/intel-plans-to-spend-20-billion-on-ohio-chipmaking-hub

台積電美廠供應商聚落迎來首家企業！僑力出手購地

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 19:58:00 +0000

作者 MoneyDJ | 發布日期 2021 年 08 月 16 日 10:25

台積電宣布亞利桑那州 5 奈米晶圓代工廠建造計畫後，已有首家半導體業者前往專為台積電指定的供應商聚集地插旗。外電直指，台灣僑力化工（Sunlit Chemical）在附近買下土地。

ABC15 Arizona 13日報導，僑力化工在麥克創新園區（Mack Innovation Park）買下17英畝地，是首家在鳳凰城置產的重要供應商。僑力化工主要生產用於半導體製造的氫氟酸、氟化鈉、氟化銨、磷酸、氫氟酸等氟化物。

鳳凰城市長Kate Gallego表示，鳳凰城能成為半導體製造重鎮委實令人驕傲，很高興僑力化工來本地設廠。他說鳳凰城正在強化建設，未來將成為類似工作機會的首要目的地。

（本文由 MoneyDJ新聞 授權轉載；首圖來源：僑力化工）

https://technews.tw/2021/08/16/sunlit-chemical/

CHEMICAL MANUFACTURER FIRST TO COMMIT AT NORTH PHOENIX TSMC ‘SUPPLIER SITE’

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 19:56:00 +0000

The first semiconductor manufacturing supplier to locate in one of the “supplier sites” designated to serve Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.’s massive north Phoenix plant has purchased land in the area.

Taiwan-based Sunlit Chemical bought 17 acres from Mack Real Estate Group near Seventh Avenue and Alameda Road in the Mack Innovation Park. Sunlit Chemical is the first prominent supplier to announce a real estate purchase in Phoenix.

Sunlit Chemical manufactures hydrofluoric acid, sodium fluoride, ammonium fluoride, phosphoric acid, hydrogen fluoride and other fluorine-related chemicals used in the manufacturing of semiconductors.

https://fluoridealert.org/news/chemical-manufacturer-first-to-commit-at-north-phoenix-tsmc-supplier-site/

Bill Gates: America’s Top Farmland Owner

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 20:57:00 +0000

By ERIC O’KEEFE

The cofounder of Microsoft and his wife rank as America’s largest private farmland owners.

According to reporting by Wendy Culverwell in the Tri-City Herald, a 14,500-acre swath of choice Eastern Washington farmland in the Horse Heaven Hills of Benton County had just traded hands for almost $171 million. That’s a ginormous deal, one that pencils out to almost $12,000 per acre for a whole lot of acres.

Savvy investors have been plowing millions of dollars into farmland on both the Oregon and the Washington sides of the Columbia River Gorge. At current valuations, it’s one of the nation’s best farmland opportunities. In 2018, when 100 Circles sold, it was even better.

In 1994, the Gates hired the former Putnam Investments bond-fund manager to diversify the couple’s portfolio away from the Microsoft co-founder’s 45 percent stake in the technology giant while maintaining comparable or better returns. According to a 2014 profile of Larson in the Wall Street Journal, these investments include a substantial stake in AutoNation, hospitality interests such as the Charles Hotel in Cambridge and the Four Seasons in San Francisco, and “at least 100,000 acres of farmland in California, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, and other states ….” According to the Land Report 100 Research Team, that figure is currently more than twice that amount, which means Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, has an alter ego: Farmer Bill, the guy who owns more farmland than anyone else in America.

https://landreport.com/2021/01/bill-gates-americas-top-farmland-owner/

China Hoards Over Half the World's Grain, Pushing Up Global Prices

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 20:38:00 +0000

SHIN WATANABE and AIKO MUNAKATA, Nikkei staff writers

Less than 20% of the world's population has managed to stockpile more than half of the globe's maize and other grains, leading to steep price increases across the planet and dropping more countries into famine. The hoarding is taking place in China.

China is maintaining its food stockpiles at a "historically high level," Qin Yuyun, head of grain reserves at the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, told reporters in November. "Our wheat stockpiles can meet demand for one and a half years. There is no problem whatsoever about the supply of food."

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, China is expected to have 69% of the globe's maize reserves in the first half of crop year 2022, 60% of its rice and 51% of its wheat.

Food prices are on the rise around the world. The food price index, calculated by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, in November stood about 30% higher than a year earlier. "Hoarding by China is one reason for rising prices," said Akio Shibata, president of the Natural Resource Research Institute in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Datawatch/China-hoards-over-half-the-world-s-grain-pushing-up-global-prices

Restaurants Mulling Robot Deliveries Amid Job Shortages, High Demand

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 17:19:00 +0000

Robot food delivery is no longer the stuff of science fiction. But you may not see it in your neighborhood anytime soon.

Starship has more than 1,000 robots in its fleet, up from just 250 in 2019. Hundreds more will be deployed soon. They’re delivering food on 20 US campuses; 25 more will be added soon. They’re also operating on sidewalks in Milton Keynes, England; Modesto, California; and the company’s hometown of Tallin, Estonia.

The robots have drawbacks that limit their usefulness for now. They’re electric, so they must recharge regularly. They’re slow, and they generally stay within a small, pre-mapped radius.

Delivery companies are also jumping into the market. Grubhub recently partnered with Russian robot maker Yandex to deploy 50 robots on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Grubhub plans to add more campuses soon, although the company stresses that the service won’t go beyond colleges for now.

Domino’s is partnering with Nuro, a California startup whose 6-foot-tall self-driving pods go at a maximum speed of 25 mph on streets, not sidewalks. Nuro is testing grocery and food delivery in Houston, Phoenix and Mountain View, California.

https://nypost.com/2021/11/02/restaurants-testing-out-robot-deliveries-amid-job-shortages/

Robot Food Delivery Is Here and Growing

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 16:52:00 +0000

Hundreds of little robots are rolling around colleges and cities in the United States, Britain and elsewhere. The robots, about 50 centimeters tall, are bringing food like pizza to hungry students.

The robots were being tested in limited numbers before the pandemic started. But pandemic-related worker shortages and a desire for contactless delivery have expanded their use.

The robots use cameras, sensors and GPS to move around and even cross streets on their own at the speed of 8 kilometers per hour. When a robot arrives, people enter a code from their phones to open the robot and get their food.

Data company NPD found that U.S. food delivery orders increased 66 percent for the year ending in June. And delivery demand could remain high even after the pandemic because people have gotten used to the service.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/robot-food-delivery-is-here-and-growing/6298682.html

Evergrande and these Chinese real estate developers are already in trouble

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 15:28:00 +0000

By Anneken Tappe and Diksha Madhok, CNN Business

China's real estate crisis isn't showing any sign of letting up.

Embattled conglomerate Evergrande rattled global markets in September by warning it could default on its huge debts. Since then, more developers have made similar public confessions, unnerving investors and raising fears of contagion across the vast sector.

It's unclear how the crisis will be resolved. The companies could try to restructure their debts and work things out with their lenders. They could also seek bailouts from the Chinese government.

With total liabilities of some $300 billion, including $20 billion in international bonds, Evergrande is China's most indebted real estate company. At the end of September, Evergrande raised $1.5 billion in cash by selling part of its stake in a Chinese bank.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/26/business/china-evergrande-real-estate-hnk-intl/index.html

Remember QR Codes? They’re Back and Better

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 16:13:00 +0000

Most new phones make it easy for users to snap and go. A QR code on a for-sale sign, for example, can help pedestrians quickly secure listing info and the agent’s bio.

The COVID-19 pandemic spurred the use of data icons known as QR codes. The reemerging trend is facilitated by recent versions of cell phones made by Apple and Samsung because cameras can read QR codes instantly without having to download an app. Creating QR codes is also cost effective thanks to a handful of free online tools.

A July 2021 joint study of 1,100 U.S. consumers by The Drum and YouGov found that 54% of consumers ages 18 to 29 have clicked on a marketing-related QR code; those aged 30 to 44 did so 48% of the time.

Overall, the report found that “three-quarters of adults say that they would be willing to use more QR codes in the future. This number rose to 82% among adults 18-44, but dipped to 64% of adults over 45.”

https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2021/10/remember-qr-codes-theyre-back-and-better?utm_campaign=10-20-2021+Florida+Realtors+News&utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email

Miami builder has more homes coming near future Taiwan Semiconductor plant in north Phoenix

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 18:02:00 +0000

By: Angela Gonzales, Phoenix Business Journal

Hundreds of homes are being planned near the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.'s 1,128-acre manufacturing plant under construction near Interstate 17 and Loop 303 in north Phoenix.

In the first phase alone, TSMC is creating jobs for 1,900 people, giving homebuilders a captive audience of employees when production begins at the plant in 2024.

One of the nation's largest homebuilders has been working with the city of Phoenix on a 70-acre site along Interstate 17 south of Loop 303 long before TSMC announced plans to build a plant nearby, said Jeff Gunderson, senior vice president of land operations for Miami, Florida-based Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN)

https://www.abc15.com/news/business/miami-builder-has-more-homes-coming-near-future-taiwan-semiconductor-plant-in-north-phoenix

May I take your order? How AI is changing fast-food drive-thrus

noreply@blogger.com (LandBlueBook, Inc) — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 16:05:00 +0000

By Ronnie Koenig

Fast food chains including Sonic, McDonald's and Checkers are already trusting robots to take your order.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many Americans have turned to the drive-thru as a safer means of picking up food. For some, the voice on the speaker by the menu board may be the only other person they interact with all day. But a new wave of technology that is set to transform the fast-food industry may change all that. The next time you order a value meal, it might be the equivalent of Siri or Alexa taking your order. As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to play a big role in our daily lives, customers should prepare for an automated voice to ask: Do you want fries with that?

Innovators like Rob Carpenter, founder of Valyant AI, say that the use of AI at the drive-thru is set to take off in a major way over the next six months to a year.

Carpenter estimates that this new technology will have a massive impact on the fast-food industry's bottom line, and not just because they will be getting more cars through, faster. "There's also a higher rate of successful upsells," he said, referring to when a team member asks if you'd like a muffin with that coffee or an apple pie with your value meal. "The AI can double the number of successful upsells, and it's simply because the AI is more consistent about asking." While an employee can get tired, unmotivated or simply forget, AI never forgets.

https://www.today.com/food/may-i-take-your-order-future-ai-fast-food-drive-t210791