Latest news with #vendor
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- News.com.au
Geelong artist lists picture perfect colonial style home in Newtown
Timeless colonial-style architecture shines bright at this beloved family home that brings a touch of the English countryside to riverside Newtown. Mature 70-year-old pin oak and golden elm trees surrounding the weatherboard house often draw comments from passers-by who stop to admire its leafy gardens. It's all part of the package that first drew the vendors to the 791sq m property five years ago, just after the original residence had been fully renovated and extended. Marathon reno transforms inner city cottage The vendor says she was instantly taken with 4 Windmill St, Newtown's colonial style and the roaring open fire in the living room. 'It was such an immediate feel for me and luckily all the other details of the home spoke to me,' she says. 'I love a white weatherboard house with shutters, I just think it is so striking and it just adds so much to the warmth of the home. 'Unfortunately no one can see our beautiful garden at the moment because it's winter but we have hydrangeas out the front and then we have got this amazing golden elm and a really big pin oak that lots of people comment on.' The previous owners had already renovated throughout and extended the front of the house, adding a main bedroom suite and moving an original colonial bay window forward to maintain the exterior style. But the vendor, an artist with a background in furniture and interiors, has since added her own touches, including switching out navy cabinetry for a softer hue and installing new lights and curtains. 'We put a deck out the back, which has been great for the kids, and the pool is used non stop in summer,' she says. An open-plan kitchen, dining and living area is at the heart of daily family life and entertaining. with two sets of French doors linking to a north-facing poolside patio. In winter, the living room – with its original marble fireplace and feature arched shelving – comes into its own. 'I love a little French chic vibe so inside I've tried to create that cosiness because I love that,' the vendor says. 'It's a modern interior with a classic finish so you can dress it up however you like.' Modern luxuries are on display in the high-end kitchen, which has a 200-bottle Vintec wine fridge, dual Bosch ovens and stone benchtops. Custom cabinetry is a signature feature throughout the house, with built-in desks and shelving incorporated into the second lounge. The vendor says the location has been a huge highlight for her family, with Fyans Park Primary School and reserves on the doorstep. 'It's very family friendly – all the kids just go down to Windmill Reserve together and ride around on their bikes and have that freedom. It's such a safe little community.'
Tahawul Tech
23-07-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
Cisco Meraki Archives
Logicom, the regional distributor of technology solutions and services, has expanded its vendor portfolio with a new agreement with Cisco Meraki, where it was named as the official distributor for the vendor in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
CNA
18-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
How the world's largest electronics market in Shenzhen is feeling the heat from China's power bank crackdown
SHENZHEN: 'It's a headache, this came all too sudden,' said a power bank vendor at Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei, the beating heart of China's electronics trade. The shop owner, who wanted to be known as Mei, is stuck with more than 100 unsold portable chargers, even after sending hundreds back to the factory. Another vendor told CNA she is staring at thousands of yuan in stranded inventory, as store shelves fill with products no one dares to buy - or fly with. The sprawling bazaar, billed as the world's largest electronics market, has been thrown into disarray amid wider upheaval in China's power bank industry. A string of battery-related safety scares has triggered mass recalls, a sweeping ban on uncertified devices aboard domestic flights and intense public scrutiny. Retailers are feeling the heat as authorities ramp up enforcement to ensure only compliant portable chargers are sold. Consumers have also found themselves in the line of fire, grappling with confusion over recall notices and difficulties securing refunds and exchanges. Some users were even told to destroy their portable chargers by soaking them in salt water to qualify for a refund - an instruction that swiftly went viral, prompting a flood of user-submitted photos, along with ridicule and frustration. But analysts say there may be a silver lining amid the turmoil - the sweeping crackdown could ultimately raise industry standards and power through long-overdue improvements in safety and compliance. CHARGING TOWARDS TIGHTER RULES But first - how did it all come to this? The latest trigger came on Jun 28, when China enacted a ban on uncertified power banks aboard domestic flights, citing fire risks. In August 2023, Chinese authorities mandated that power banks and lithium-ion batteries would be subject to China Compulsory Certification (CCC) requirements. The CCC mark is a mandatory national safety and quality certification. From August 2024, devices without a valid certificate have been banned from being manufactured, sold, imported, or used commercially. Enforcement, however, has been uneven. But now, passengers are being barred from carrying power banks that lack the official CCC mark, the country's civil aviation regulator stated in a notice issued just a day before the rule came into effect. Portable chargers with faded or illegible CCC labels, or those subject to product recalls, are also prohibited, according to the notice by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). CAAC pointed to a string of mid-flight fire incidents linked to power banks, as well as mass recalls by major brands, as contributing factors. Two leading Chinese electronics manufacturers, Anker and Romoss, recently recalled more than 1.2 million portable chargers over battery-related fire risks. Since then, thousands of power banks have reportedly been confiscated at airports across the country. At Urumqi Diwopu International Airport in Xinjiang alone, around 3,000 devices were being seized daily, according to a Jun 28 report by Xiamen Daily. Beyond this, authorities have ramped up on-the-ground checks, tightening enforcement at electronics markets to ensure only compliant power banks make it to store shelves. 'There have been undercover checks these past two weeks. We're all scared,' a vendor at Huaqiangbei who wanted to be known as Ling told CNA. 'If you get caught, there's a fine,' added Ling, whose store also sells mini fans and hairdryers alongside power banks. Under China's Product Quality Law, sellers can face fines of up to three times the value of uncertified goods. That means a power bank priced at 100 yuan (US$14), for example, could result in a maximum penalty of 300 yuan per unit. The shift is visibly playing out at Huaqiangbei. Power banks that were once openly flaunted across shopfronts and tabletops have become harder to spot. CNA observed that many are now tucked away in drawers or stacked in boxes beneath counters, kept out of sight as sellers weigh the risk of being penalised. 'People here in Huaqiangbei are smart. If you don't adapt quickly, you'll be eliminated,' said Ling. BALANCING COMPLIANCE AND CLEARANCE Amid the heightened scrutiny, some vendors have decided to focus on hawking other wares for the time being. One shop owner who declined to be named told CNA she had returned more than 100 non-compliant power banks to the manufacturer and shifted to selling other products like portable fans and hairdryers. 'The manufacturer took it back and said it would return with the CCC certification,' the shop owner said. She explained that since the domestic flight ban was announced, some factories have been retrieving stock from vendors and sending it back a week or two later with CCC labels affixed. But many vendors are choosing to stay the course and sell power banks despite the heightened scrutiny and regulatory risks, even as not all the devices on offer appear to meet official standards. At several shops CNA visited, vendors openly offered CCC-certified power banks but were also willing to discreetly sell uncertified ones. When asked directly, one shopkeeper pointed to a stack, saying: 'If you are not taking flights, you get these. If you are, take this other batch.' The uncertified power banks were selling for around 60 yuan, roughly 30 yuan less than certified models. Other shops displayed portable chargers marked as flight-safe, but asked this reporter to delete photos of the devices after they were taken. Similar scenes have played out across China. At Beijing's Kemao Electronic City, the capital's largest electronics market, vendors kept a low profile and discouraged photo-taking even as product packaging displayed signs claiming 'with national CCC certificate, (you are) safe and secure'. In some cases, even the authenticity of the CCC mark on power banks being sold has come into question. On this reporter's visit to Huaqiangbei, a vendor who gave her name as Zhan revealed a separate box of power banks affixed with CCC labels. She acknowledged that the devices were not truly certified – the manufacturer had simply printed the labels to make them appear compliant. 'The factory took them back to print the CCC labels and only sent them back today for packing. But we don't want to lie to customers, so we just tell them honestly,' she said. 'For international flights, it's okay because we've been selling these for years,' Zhan remarked. 'It's a waste to throw them away,' she added. 'We are making only a 2 yuan profit per portable charger sold. We want to clear them as soon as possible.' Zhan claimed that after the existing stock was cleared, she would no longer sell power banks without the CCC mark. But even the CCC mark itself has become a source of confusion. In the rush to comply, fake 3C stickers have been circulating online, with some listed for as little as 5 yuan each. Checks by CNA found that the search term '3C sticker' has been blocked on major e-commerce platforms, including Taobao, and secondhand platform Xianyu. Under Chinese laws, legitimate CCC-certified power banks must display key identifiers: the manufacturer's name and address, rated capacity, input/output specifications, the official CCC mark with factory code, and clear safety warnings. These markings help distinguish certified products from counterfeits. Some power banks sold at Huaqiangbei and seen by CNA carried CCC labels, but several appeared dubious—markings were inconsistent, airplane logos were printed in different ink, and some lacked key identifiers required by regulations. Some power banks sold at Huaqiangbei and seen by CNA carried dubious-looking CCC labels, with aeroplane logos printed in a different ink. Others were missing key identifiers required by regulations. Another Huaqiangbei shopkeeper, Lei, claimed that not all power bank manufacturers are going through the process of getting all their products CCC-certified. 'It cost them 20,000 yuan to get the certification. It will increase the cost price,' Lei said. As an example, he held up a 10,000mAh power bank affixed with the CCC mark. 'It was priced at 50 yuan, now it's 80 to 90 yuan,' he said. Obtaining the CCC mark takes time, effort and money, industry players point out. Wang Shuhai, the general manager of Nohon, a Hong Kong-headquartered consumer electronics firm with 18 years of experience in replacement batteries, told CNA that CCC certification for a single product can cost around 30,000 yuan to 40,000 yuan. 'That includes testing fees, factory audits and certificate maintenance … on top of that, the battery cells themselves require separate aviation safety certification,' he said. 'The whole process takes about three months.' CONSUMERS CAUGHT IN THE CRACKDOWN It's not just electronics vendors feeling the heat - consumers are also caught in the fallout from China's crackdown on uncertified power banks. A content creator from Shandong, who goes by the username LoseHeart, said he relies on two portable chargers to support his video work. One of them, a Remax-branded device bought from an official Taobao store in March last year, is no longer allowed. 'My wallet's already thin,' he said. 'People's incomes and budgets are tight. Forcing us to spend more just builds resentment.' Still, he said he would avoid pricier models moving forward. 'I'll keep it within 100 yuan.' David Liu, 27, a Taiwanese student in Shanghai, told CNA that both of his portable chargers - an Asus and a Xiaomi - only carry the CE mark, which is valid in the European market but not in China. He was travelling in Guangzhou when the new aviation policy took effect and tried mailing the devices back to Shanghai. 'Before June, I could send the portable charger anywhere in China, so I thought this would work,' Liu said. But he was unsuccessful as logistics firms had already begun refusing to ship non-CCC-certified devices amid the latest crackdown. 'There wasn't enough buffer time for the policy to take place, and they also (enforced the ban on) shipping companies from handling uncertified power banks, so a lot of customers had to give up on their portable chargers,' Liu said. At the same time, owners of power banks under recall orders have also run into issues getting refunds on their devices or exchanging them for a certified replacement. Chinese name brands like Anker and Romoss have announced product recalls. Anker has recalled more than 712,000 units across seven models, while Romoss recently pulled nearly half a million power banks spanning three models - both citing battery defects that pose fire risks. In the initial recall notice for Anker's A1681 power bank issued in late June, customers were told to return the devices to a designated warehouse in Dongguan, Guangdong. But many soon reported that major courier companies such as SF Express, JD Logistics, China Post and YTO Express refused to ship the items due to safety concerns and tightened regulations. Ten days later, Anker issued an update. Users were instead instructed to soak the devices in salt water for 24 hours in a well-ventilated area, then dispose of them in a hazardous waste bin. To qualify for a refund, they had to submit a video of the process. 'This is to completely drain the internal battery and reduce potential safety risks before disposal,' Anker stated in a message sent to customers. The instruction quickly went viral, prompting users to flood Chinese social media with photos and videos of themselves carrying out the act. 'They made me soak the power bank and upload proof, then said it'll take four to eight weeks to send a new one. Every day it's a different story,' one user wrote on the social media platform Xiaohongshu. 'It breaks my heart to see (my power bank) go. It works perfectly, doesn't overheat, looks great and charges fast,' another commented. POWERING TOWARDS BETTER STANDARDS Even as retailers and consumers navigate the new landscape, analysts say China's power bank industry is facing a long-overdue reckoning - one that's exposing cracks in safety standards, compliance practices and supply chain integrity. In both the Anker and Romoss recalls, the companies pointed to faulty battery cells as the root cause. The defective cells came from a shared supplier, Amprius (Wuxi), which also supplies other major brands including Xiaomi and Baseus. According to industry sources cited by Chinese news site The Paper, a subcontractor had quietly replaced key materials in the cells, potentially compromising safety. China's market watchdog has since suspended dozens of Amprius' CCC certifications and launched a formal investigation. Battery cells typically account for close to half of a power bank's total cost, making them a common target for cost-cutting. 'Margins are tight. Brands outsource, factories compete on price, and suppliers get squeezed,' one longtime manufacturer told The Paper. 'If something goes wrong at the cell level, the whole chain is exposed.' Peter Xie, the founder of Guangdong-based phone accessories maker Prosment, said that focus should be placed on the inspection and control of raw materials. 'Avoid making high-density cells and mobile power bank assemblies with overly tight dimensions,' he told CNA. Wang Shuhai, general manager of Hong Kong-headquartered Nohon, said the effects of the 'one-size-fits-all' rule have been swift, referring to the blanket enforcement of the CCC mark requirement on all power banks. 'After-sales pressure has surged,' he said, referring to the wave of customer returns for uncertified power banks that were legally sold before the mandatory CCC certification requirement came into effect in August 2024. At the same time, certified brands are seeing a surge in demand, he said. 'Sales orders have jumped … consumers now prioritise products with clear compliance guarantees,' said Wang, while also noting that raw material prices are 'higher than before'. The recent enforcement of the compliance policy is accelerating a market reshuffle. 'Many small and mid-sized sellers unable to absorb compliance costs are exiting the industry,' Wang said. 'Production capacity is increasingly concentrated among top-tier brands.' According to a 2024 industry report, China's shared power bank market was worth 12.6 billion yuan, with an estimated annual growth rate of around 20 per cent. Still, Wang believes the shake-up is necessary. 'This will improve regulatory oversight, accelerate innovation, and weed out low-quality products - bringing the industry back to a healthier track,' he said. Tian Xuan, vice dean at Tsinghua University's PBC School of Finance, described the industry shake-up as short-term pain for long-term gain. 'While its sudden rollout may inevitably cause inconvenience, it serves as a timely and effective measure to reduce potential hazards and ensure passenger safety,' he said, referring to the domestic flight ban on non-compliant power banks. On the crackdown, he noted that vendors may face unsold inventory and slower sales.
Phone Arena
16-07-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
After a massive 53% discount, these Galaxy Buds FE are selling for peanuts
If you're in the market for new, good-sounding Galaxy Buds but want to spend as little as possible, you definitely want to check out Woot's deal on the Galaxy Buds FE. These puppies are currently selling for a whopping 53% off their price, letting you score a pair for only $46.99. That's a phenomenal offer, especially when you consider that the earbuds are brand new and would normally set you back about $100. $46 99 $99 99 $53 off (53%) You can grab a brand-new pair of Galaxy Buds FE for 53% off at Woot! Just keep in mind that this is the international model, which doesn't come with a 1-year manufacturer's warranty in the US. That said, these puppies still ship with a vendor-backed 12-month Samsung equivalent warranty. Don't miss out! Buy at Woot $35 off (35%) Alternatively, you can score the Galaxy Buds FE on Amazon, where they're selling at a $35 discount and can be yours for south of $65. Buy at Amazon There is one tiny caveat, though — this is the international model of the earphones. That means the earbuds don't come with the standard one-year manufacturer's warranty in the US. However, they still come with a vendor-backed 12-month Samsung equivalent warranty, so there's nothing to worry about—except missing out on this incredible opportunity! Sure, we can't say the Galaxy Buds FE are among the best earbuds on the market. However, for just $46.99, they are unmissable, offering good sound with capable ANC that stops pesky noises from ruining your experience. In addition, they work with Samsung's Wearable app, which includes its own EQ so you can tailor the sound of your earphones to your taste. Their battery life is also great, offering up to 6 hours of listening time with ANC enabled and up to 8.5 hours with it disabled. Add the case, and their total playtime increases to up to 21 hours, which is impressive for such small and affordable earphones. So, yeah! The Galaxy Buds FE may not be on the level of top dogs like the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, but at 53% off, they're worth every penny! So don't hesitate—tap the offer button in this article and score a pair at a bargain price now before it's too late! Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
CNET
23-06-2025
- CNET
I Update My Router's Firmware Regularly to Get Top-Notch Wi-Fi: Here's How to Do It, Stress-Free
When it comes to internet issues, there can be many culprits. The blame usually lies with either your internet provider or your equipment. If you're not experiencing the issue when you're plugged in with an Ethernet cable, your Wi-Fi router is likely the problem. Before you toss your router, it might be worth taking some time to upgrade its firmware first. Updating the firmware (a process often called "flashing the firmware") can help a router work better and sometimes even repair an annoying bug or add support for faster internet speed. This is especially when a router reset doesn't help. Most routers require you to use a desktop or mobile app to perform the update, but some will use a web-based interface and the procedure will go something like this: Download the firmware from the vendor's support website, which is often contained inside a .zip file. In this case, open this zip file and copy the firmware file out. Log into the router's web interface, which is similar to when you first set it up, then navigate to the section where you can update the firmware. This is normally in the Administration , System , Setup , Advance or Tools area. , , , or area. Click on the button to browse for the new firmware file Click on Update (or Upload) then wait for a few minutes for the process to complete. Note that the update process needs to run without interruption. If you unplug/turn off the router during this time, that can render the device unusable. Networking vendors generally have clear instructions on how to flash a particular router. It's recommended that you follow them. Also, flashing the firmware might reset the router's settings to default, so you might want to save the settings to a file before the upgrade in case this happens. Many routers have the automatic firmware update function within the web interface. In this case just run this function, let the router download the firmware and update by itself.
