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Fresh all-time highs for the S&P 500 index have been a serious high note for investors as 2024 kicks off. Whether you’re new to the stock market or have been investing for years, you have discovered (or will soon) that it requires you to deal with regularly seeing highs and lows. How you react to what you see will affect your investing journey. What you always need to keep in mind is that the stock market has a remarkable habit of throwing off bearish periods and rising even higher over time.
Now that a new bull market is in full swing, you might be looking for ways to invest. If you’re looking for businesses that you can buy and hold for five years at least, and you have cash on hand not needed for bills or other near-term financial obligations, here are two unstoppable stocks to consider for your portfolio right now.
1. Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is a well-known name in the pharmaceutical space with a proven ability to turn a profit. J&J’s overall net sales of $85 billion in 2023 were up 7% from 2022. This is a fairly normal growth rate for the business year in and year out.
To help spark further growth in the years ahead, J&J has been making some structural changes in recent years. One notable shift was the spinoff of its consumer health business, which manages its over-the-counter products like Tylenol, Listerine, and Band-Aid, into a separate publicly traded entity called Kenvue. The spinoff accomplished multiple goals for Johnson & Johnson, but the main stated reason for it was to remove a slower-growing business segment. The company also generated $13.2 billion in cash proceeds from Kenvue’s public debut and an accompanying debt offering.
Johnson & Johnson will use that cash infusion, in part, to bolster its remaining pharmaceutical and medical device business segments. In 2023, the pharmaceutical business brought in net sales of about $55 billion, a 5% operational increase from the prior year. The medical device business generated net sales of $30 billion, up 12% operationally from 2022, with its Abiomed subsidiary serving as a key driver of this segment’s growth. Abiomed is a heart pump specialist acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2022.
The company also boasts an impressive pipeline of potential blockbusters. On March 22, the company garnered regulatory approval for Opsynvi, a once-daily single-combination tablet to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Rival Merck received the regulatory green light for its own PAH drug on March 26. Merck’s drug, called Winrevair, is administered as a subcutaneous injection once every three weeks. Johnson & Johnson controls roughly 50% of the $7 billion PAH drug market. Having a daily pill treatment could help it improve that market share.
Johnson & Johnson’s growth story revolves around a wide-ranging group of blockbuster medicines and products across specialties including immunology, cardiology, and oncology.
It also happens to be a faithful dividend payer. With over six decades and counting of consecutive annual dividend increases to its name, this healthcare giant provides a steady source of passive income for long-term investors. The stock’s performance has admittedly been less than impressive in the last couple of years over investor concerns regarding some significant liability lawsuits. J&J is working to resolve the disputes and no one doubts its business will continue once settlements are reached. In the meantime, the stock drop has contributed to a higher yield. The yield sits around 3%, roughly twice as much as the average stock trading on the S&P 500.
This stock looks like a solid choice for investors searching for a reliable healthcare stock and some dividend income to boot.
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has proven its resilience through many market environments since its IPO in 1997. The volatile economy of the last few years presented several challenges for companies across industries, and Amazon was no exception. Still, it has demonstrated its ability to adjust and grow despite some tough headwinds. It focused heavily on improving operational efficiency while remaining competitive in a rapidly evolving operating landscape.
What has helped it manage during this time is the continued growth of its core businesses like e-commerce and cloud computing, which have benefitted from continuing investments in artificial intelligence. For example, Amazon pumped $2.7 billion into AI start-up Anthropic last year (boosting its total investment to $4 billion) to gain insider access to the advances being made in generative AI. As part of the deal, the AI start-up will be training its models on Amazon’s Inferentia and Trainium chips. Amazon’s cloud division, Amazon Web Services (AWS), will also become the primary cloud provider for Anthropic’s mission-critical workloads.
Amazon is leveraging its cloud division to incorporate AI into a range of products and services. For example, AWS HealthScribe allows medical providers to create notes from appointments with patients using generative AI. Another example is Amazon Bedrock, which enables clients to build generative AI applications using technology from companies like Anthropic and many other AI firms, all through the flagship AWS platform.
In 2023, Amazon reported profits of $30 billion on net sales of $575 billion. The year prior, Amazon reported a net loss of $2.7 billion. Amazon also reported operating income of $37 billion for 2023, a 200% increase from 2022.
While e-commerce is the largest driver of revenue for Amazon, AWS is the leading driver of profitability. Out of Amazon’s total operating income, $25 billion — or about 70% — was derived from AWS in 2023.
Amazon stock is trading up by about 84% from one year ago on investor enthusiasm for its growth potential. Given the investments the company is making and the expanding markets it serves with its various business segments, it shouldn’t have trouble continuing to grow and rewarding investors. This is a business you can buy and hold on to for the long haul.
Should you invest $1,000 in Johnson & Johnson right now?
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John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Rachel Warren has positions in Amazon and Johnson & Johnson. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Kenvue, and Merck. The Motley Fool recommends Johnson & Johnson and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $13 calls on Kenvue. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
2024 S&P 500 Bull Market: 2 Unstoppable Growth Stocks to Buy Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool


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What a difference a month makes. Last month I was happily reporting that despite the economy, GM delivered nearly 3,000 new Corvettes in May. Yesterday’s release of June’s sales report is a very different story for Corvette as sales were down sharply with only 2,082 Corvettes delivered. That’s a drop of -28.4% month to month and the decline is even greater (-31.8%) when comparing June 2008 to June 2007.
June has traditionally been a good month for Corvette sales and now all those extra Corvettes are showing up on Chevrolet dealer lots. Last month’s Corvette Stock Report showed 7,697 2008 models on the ground and as of yesterday there are now 8,760 Corvettes available at dealer’s nationwide.
This is not the best news for Chevrolet dealers as production for the 2009 Corvette models are underway and Corvettes have begun shipping from the Bowling Green Assembly Plant. However, this could be very good new for consumers. GM traditionally offers several incentives and discounts on last year’s models which is usually the only time these lot-clearing offers are made available on the Corvette. And unlike last year which saw the 2008 refreshed with the LS3 engine and a variety of interior updates, the differences between the “old” 2008 and “new” 2009 are very minor.
|2008 Corvette Delivery Statistics|
|Month||2008||2007||% Change||Months||2008||2007||% Change|
|2007 Corvette Delivery Statistics|
|Month||2007||2006||% Change||Months||2007||2006||% Change|
Corvette Stock Report:
A check of Jeff Hardy’s website shows a total of 8,760 2008 Corvettes on the ground as of yesterday. This is a 12% increase over last month’s check which showed 7,697 2008 Corvettes available nationwide.
- 4,758 Corvette Coupes
- 2,036 Corvette Convertibles
- 1,966 Corvette Z06
According to the site, there are 406 2007 Corvettes still available at dealers across the nation.
May 2008 Corvette Sales

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Reliance Brands Limited (RBL) has announced a 60:40 joint venture partnership with designer Rahul Mishra for a new, yet-to-be named brand. Delhi-based Mishra, known for incorporating traditional Indian textiles and handmade artisanship in his work, is the first Indian designer to make it to Paris Couture Week. RBL, that falls under Reliance Retail, markets dozens of foreign fashion brands in India and has inked deals with several Indian designers in the recent past.
The JV, executed either by RBL or through its affiliates, will launch a ready-to-wear brand.
Mishra will lead the company as the creative director. The brand will have accessories, footwear, home, beauty, and jewellery collections. This is a new joint venture and Rahul Mishra Couture will continue as separate business of the designer.
The intent is to have a global footprint with flagship stores at fashion capitals around the world in the next five years under this brand, the company said. The first store will be both online and offline "and in all probability be in an international fashion capital, perhaps, London, New York or Dubai," Darshan Mehta, managing director, RBL, told Mint.
“Rahul Mishra’s flawless contemporary design sense and stunningly intricate pieces have spotlighted Indian expertise in crafts globally. Accompanied with his expertise in leveraging international fashion forums to accelerate brand building and creating a global customer base, it’s the perfect secret sauce to co-create a global brand. It’s a strategic part of our ongoing commitment to nurture Indian art and culture,” said Isha Ambani, director at Reliance Retail Ventures Limited which is the holding company of all retail companies in Reliance Industries Limited group.
In January 2020, Mishra became the first Indian designer to showcase at Paris Haute Couture week, RBL said. He has, through the past five seasons at the couture week, focused on environment, employment and empowerment in his collections.
His brand made its debut at the India Couture Week in 2015. His couture label has two flagship stores in India. In 2014, Mishra became the first Indian to win the Woolmark Prize at Milan Fashion Week.
Mishra has an international footprint retailing at stores like Colette in Paris, 10 Corso Como in Milan, Harvey Nichols in London, Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, David Jones in Australia, Joyce in China, and Moda Operandi and Farfetch with online retail.
“We are excited to have the opportunity via this JV to partner with Reliance Brands that brings with it a strong know-how in management of the luxury and retail landscape. It has been our desire to equally focus on ready-to-wear business and extend our universe by democratising the fashion cultivated by us," Mishra said.
“There have been many conversations for the last couple of years regarding investment in our brand. My (other) brand, Rahul Mishra Couture will always remain my lab that nurtures the fountainhead of our creativity in all its different forms of expression. Our Indian and western-wear brands have always had great synergy coming from the same DNA,” he added.
In December, the Reliance Retail subsidiary had tied up with couturier Anamika Khanna in a similar 60:40 joint venture to own and develop the designer’s ready-to-wear AK-OK brand selling chic skirts, dresses and pants. In October, Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd had acquired a majority stake in legacy couturier Ritu Kumar’s Ritika Private Ltd. RBL also has equity investments in Indian couture brands Manish Malhotra and Raghavendra Rathore.


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Amid his lawsuit with Twitter, Elon Musk has taken a relaxing vacation in Mykonos on his luxury yacht with fellow business mogul Ari Emanuel and Sarah Staudinger. The Tesla CEO was photographed with his rich friends swimming in the Aegean Sea. However, many people quickly noticed that Musk might not get out much because he is quite pale.
Damn he is white.https://t.co/G1GO0dUqlp— messieurs lacey (@lacey9020) July 19, 2022
Musk seemed unphased by the jokes people made about his pale skin. He even had a response himself saying, "free the nip!" and ensured his investors that he was "already back in the factory".
Many people took to insults, saying Musk looks like a "bleached whale" and poking fun at his protruding nipples.
Elon Musk is so competitive, he even has bigger breasts than his *date* in Mykonos. pic.twitter.com/I5qsRoULSx— KillingMyCareer (@MelaynaLokosky) July 17, 2022
All of this comes when Twitter has a lawsuit against Musk for backing out of the 44 billion dollar deal to buy the social media company. Musk has stated that he will make a formal response to the lawsuit next year, however, the court has decided to fast-track the trial to October of this year. So the Tesla CEO better think twice before he sails off to another Greek island.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Groupon Inc. said Friday it plans to “significantly” cut its online marketing spending, an apparent reversal of its chief executive’s earlier boast that the discount-deal site spends an enormous amount on that effort “because it works.”
Chicago-based Groupon made the disclosure in a Friday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with its much-anticipated, but controversial, initial public offering.
Groupon said that while it spent $345.1 million on online marketing in the first half of 2011, “the resources presently being devoted to online marketing initiatives are not yielding sufficiently attractive investment returns.”
It said it would “significantly” decrease spending in that area.
This appeared to be a dramatic reversal of an Aug. 25 email in which CEO Andrew Mason wrote the following: “We are currently spending more than just about any company ever on marketing. ... Why do we spend so much? The simple answer is ‘because it works.’ ”
Mason did say in that August message that Groupon “eventually” would “ramp down marketing just as fast as we ramped it up,” adding, “We aren’t paying attention to marketing budget (just marketing ROI) in the way a normal company would, because we know that even if we wanted to continue to spend at these levels, we would eventually run out of new subscribers to acquire.”
Mason also belittled competition from such Internet giants as Google Inc.
The email, which Groupon said was leaked to the media “without our knowledge,” became controversial as it appeared to be a violation of SEC rules stipulating a “quiet period” as firms gear up for IPOs.
The email was included in Groupon’s Friday filing.
“This IPO has become quite a story,” said Scott Sweet, senior managing partner at IPO Boutique, who has been critical of Groupon’s IPO. “It has already lost its initial luster several fold.”


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Revolutionary crypto project, Catcoin, announces the official launch of an all-inclusive ecosystem to demystify the crypto world and promote inclusiveness
Catcoin, a revolutionary crypto project, is set to launch an all-inclusive ecosystem that will disrupt the cryptocurrency space and promote inclusiveness. Since its initial launch, the project has continued to evolve, becoming an all-in-one channel that accommodates people from different parts of the world with its features and functionalities that will bring a new experience into the crypto space.
Miaoshi Nekomoto, CEO of Catcoin, expresses excitement for the upcoming launch of the Catcoin platform, which they believe will revolutionize the way people trade digital currencies. The platform will be designed with the user in mind, offering a secure and reliable way to handle everything about cryptocurrencies in the simplest way possible. The Catcoin project aims to become the go-to destination for anyone looking to enter the world of digital currencies.
Despite the tremendous growth of the cryptocurrency market, millions of people across the globe still struggle to harness its features, particularly as many available solutions are not comprehensive or user-friendly enough. Consequently, Catcoin is looking to change the narrative by practically bringing the future of crypto to as many people as possible with the launch of an all-inclusive ecosystem.
The Catcoin project aims to simplify everything regarding crypto, offering smart systems and applications that enable businesses and individuals to use digital currencies in their daily lives and operations. With its focus on inclusivity, Catcoin will provide a gateway for more people to access and benefit from the cryptocurrency market.
To learn more about the Catcoin project and its amazing features and benefits, visit their website. The Catcoin team is also active on social media platforms like Telegram, YouTube, and Twitter, where they continue to advocate for the adoption and use of digital currencies.
Catcoin is an innovative cryptocurrency project developed by Miaoshi Nekomoto, designed for all the cat lovers out there. The project aims to establish a strong presence in the crypto world and build a humble community around it, with the ultimate goal of helping out cats in need. One of the unique aspects of Catcoin is its focus on the cat-loving community, providing a way for them to invest in a cryptocurrency while supporting a cause they are passionate about.


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Aurora Fashions has appointed Simon Gaffey, the former merchandise director of the now-defunct Principles chain, as international director of its Karen Millen chain.
Gaffey replaces Sanjay Sharma, who will leave the fashion group at the end of September to head up a new venture for property group Land Securities (Drapers, June 20).
Aurora Fashions chief strategy officer Meg Lustman said Gaffey would be charged with boosting the premium womenswear chain’s overseas operation but declined to give a target number of stores.
In addition to womenswear retailer Principles, Gaffey previously worked for department store House of Fraser, kidswear retailer Mothercare and young fashion retailer Topshop. Most recently Gaffey headed up the Principles Trading Company [PTC] for Aurora Fashions. PTC was set up to manage some of the Principles leases and stock and its website after it went into administration in March. PTC will close in the next few weeks.
Lustman told Drapers: “International offers the biggest growth opportunity for Karen Millen. Sanjay has done a great job and it’s important this continues at the business. Simon has the right blend of negotiating, influencing and strategic decision-making skills. He had international experience with Mothercare and works well as part of the UK team.”
Karen Millen has 240 stores, 151 of which are overseas. Its annual sales are £110 million.
Separately, Karen Millen launched a new iPhone application this week, which enables customers to browse the latest Karen Millen collections via an iPhone.


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Allete: Q4 Earnings Snapshot
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) _ Allete Inc. (ALE) on Wednesday reported fourth-quarter profit of $61.9 million.
The Duluth, Minnesota-based company said it had profit of $1.18 per share.
The power company owner posted revenue of $399 million in the period.
For the year, the company reported profit of $169.2 million, or $3.23 per share. Revenue was reported as $1.42 billion.
Allete expects full-year earnings to be $3.60 to $3.90 per share.
Allete shares have fallen 11% since the beginning of the year. The stock has fallen 12% in the last 12 months.


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As part of the latest initiative, 10 broadgauge (BG) locomotives were handed over to Dhaka by external affairs minister S Jaishankar and railways minister Piyush Goyal on Monday.
The central government has had to do some manoeuvering for these projects amid confrontation with the West Bengal government which has been creating hurdles to slow down cross-border land trade, citing the “spread of Covid” from Bangladesh.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Jaishankar highlighted the depth of India-Bangladesh ties while Goyal underscored the importance of railway connectivity to increase bilateral trade.
Recently China not only tried to lure Bangladesh via trade concessions, which critics dubbed a 'dual-deficit and debt trap', but also tried to use Bangladesh population for anti-Covid vaccine trial. Last week, Dhaka put on hold its earlier decision to allow the trial.
India and Bangladesh are jointly working to enhance rail connectivity by developing some crucial projects as well as by restoring some old rail links, said sources.
Atotal of 17 railway sector projects have been included in the Line of Credit (LoC) assistance extended by India to Bangladesh, with a commitment of $2.44 billion.
India has offered all LoCs to Bangladesh at a rate of interest of 1% per annum, repayment over 20 years with a moratorium for five years. Last Friday, the first container train to connect the two countries through Petrapole-Benapole border in West Bengal departed India. This train carried 40 containers of fast-moving consumer goods cargo and 10 containers of fabrics.
In June, Bangladesh railways had increased its monthly allocation of freight trains to Indian Railways by about a third. For the first time the Indian Railways ran a special parcel train beyond the country’s borders to Benapole in Bangladesh with dry chillies from Andhra Pradesh.
Last week the two countries also marked another historic achievement towards strengthening India Bangladesh maritime partnership. The first time ever movement of container cargo from Kolkata to Agartala through the Chattogram Port was successfully concluded. With this, the distance and time taken in transportation of goods for India, particularly the north-eastern states, will get reduced. It will enhance business services and revenue generation in Bangladesh, said people in the know.
This movement was undertaken under the agreement on use of Chattogram and Mongla Ports for movement of India’s transit cargo through Bangladesh.
Of total LoC exposure of India of more than $30 billion to 64 countries, $8 billion has been given to Bangladesh, making it the largest recipient (26%). India has also given an outright grant to Bangladesh totalling $155 million focused on projects relating to sanitation, waste management and urban planning.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Inflation Cools, Industrial Growth on Firm Ground
India’s consumer inflation eased to a five-month low of 6.71% in July on the back of a moderation in food inflation, firming up expectations that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may go for a softer increase in policy rates at its end-September review.I am a Chinese, not a Terrorist: Huawei India CEO to Court
Huawei Telecommunications (India) chief executive officer Li Xiongwei told a Delhi court on Friday, “I am a Chinese (national) and not a terrorist,” apparently borrowing a line from a Shah Rukh Khan movie.Chip Shortage in the Rear-View Mirror, Auto Cos on Launchpad
Automobile companies are gearing up for a record number of launches in the coming months as the semiconductor shortage that has plagued the industry eases.
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For those watching the slow motion unpicking of surveillance advertising in the European Union here’s a fresh development on the long and winding road to a long-overdue legal reckoning: Multiple grounds for appeal lodged by industry body, the IAB Europe, against a breach finding earlier this year against its self-proclaimed “best practice” framework for obtaining consents from web users for their data to be processed for behavioral advertising, have been dismissed by the Brussels Market Court of Appeal.
At the same time, legal questions have been referred to Europe’s top court related to a number of other appeals grounds — which means a hard ruling will be coming down the pipe for a flagship component of surveillance adtech’s elaborate machinery in the coming years.
At specific issue here is a “cross industry” framework specced out and promoted by the IAB Europe, and taken up by scores of publishers and advertisers to claim they’re obtaining web users ‘consent’ to ad tracking but which critics argue boils down to elaborate ‘compliance theatre’ — enacting a pantomime of consent to workaround the EU’s privacy laws.
This consent tool, aka the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF), underlies the majority of irritating ad consent pop-ups that plague web users in the region — yet it was found in breach of the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) earlier this year, after a lengthy investigation by Belgium’s data protection authority, confirming what privacy and legal experts had been warning for years: That majority consent to tracking ads is a big fat lie.
GDPR violations confirmed in the Belgian authority’s decision on the TCF, back in February, cover major principles like the lawfulness of processing; fairness and transparency; security of processing; integrity of personal data; and data protection by design and default, among others.
The IAB Europe itself was also found to have breached the GDPR. And the online ad industry body was given a hard deadline of six months to fix a laundry list of violations — although the TCF has been allowed to persist in the meanwhile (so the annoying pop-ups haven’t yet gone away).
The IAB Europe responded to the regulatory slap-down by firing up its lawyers and lodging an appeal — seeking to undo the Belgian DPA’s decision by arguing against it from multiple angles, from claims of procedural unfairness to flat denials that its role or the technologies it steers breach any EU laws.
Simultaneously, in a further denial of an existential privacy problem with tracking ads, the body said it planned to press on and submit the TCF as a “transnational Code of Conduct,” apparently eyeing grafting on ‘compliance’ with U.S. regulatory requirements (like California’s CCPA). (An associated, U.S.-based adtech body, the IAB Tech Lab, published a draft replacement “global” framework this summer, called the “Global Privacy Platform,” which it claims “streamlin[es] technical privacy and data protection signaling standards into a singular schema and set of tools which can adapt to regulatory and commercial market demands across channels” — but which critics warn merely repeats many of the same glaring flaws that have landed the TCF in legal hot water in Europe, so the lack of reforming zeal is palpable.)
But how much mileage the IAB can get out of denying legal reality in the EU — where data protection is (at least on paper) comprehensive and privacy is a fundamental right — is the big question.
In a first blow to its appeal against the TCF’s GDPR strike down, a bunch of its procedural gripes have now been tossed.
Grounds for appeal?
Of eight grounds decided on by the Brussels court at this point in the appeal, five were found to be entirely unfounded — with only two of the final grounds considered “well-founded in part,” as the Court’s ruling puts it. (Those related to a finding that additional allegations and complaints — centered on whether a mechanism in the IAB’s framework constitutes personal data — were incorporated into the decision after the hearing without “sufficient diligence.” Although the court stresses that the authority would not have had to open a whole new investigation, as the IAB had argued, so this looks like a fairly minor procedural win.)
The other five grounds that the court has decided on at this stage — such as the IAB’s assertion that the complaints were inadmissible or the authority’s Inspection Report was “incomplete and biased” — were all dismissed.
However there are yet more grounds lodged by the IAB (the ruling lists 19 in all). And the appeal is now suspended pending the Court of Justice (CJEU)’s response to legal questions related to these grounds.
The referred questions center on whether a per-user consent string passed via the TCF constitutes personal data (the IAB argues not but the Belgian DPA decided it did, as the complainants also argue); and whether the IAB, which couches itself as a humble industry standards body, is a joint data controller for the purposes of the TCF and the so-called “TC string” (again, it argues not but it was found by the authority to be a joint controller).
“That the Brussels Court of Appeal has referred our questions to the European Court of Justice shows the importance of this case,” said one of the original complainants, Dr. Johnny Ryan, senior fellow at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, in a statement. “Today’s judgement is the next step in our effort to put an end to the consent pop-ups that have harassed Internet users in Europe for years. We now look forward to the answers from the European Court of Justice and subsequently a judgement on the merits of the Brussels Court of Appeal.”
The CJEU could take a few years to produce a ruling on these questions but there’s no route of appeal on what it decides. So the train has now left the station.
There will — in fairly short order — be a hardened verdict from the court on crux points like whether an entity that devises and promotes mass surveillance adtech infrastructure, and whose rules dictate core procedures of this tracking machinery, is able to evade the full force of EU privacy law by claiming it’s just a standards body guv! And on the IAB’s flagship sleight-of-hand — when it claims TC strings aren’t personal data and don’t link to individuals ergo there’s no need for a legal basis for processing them anyway — which would be quite the get-out-clause for behavioral ads from EU data protection law if allowed to stand by the court.
(The Belgian DPA’s response to that argument was to point out that the TCF links the consent string to the user’s IP address, which is absolutely considered personal data under GDPR; and that users of the tool are also able to identify users via other data; and that, indeed, the whole point of the TC string is to identify the user.)
At this point it pays to refresh the memory on how the GDPR defines personal data [with added emphasis ours]:
‘personal data’ means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person;
So now EU citizens annoyed by countless illegal pop-ups must hold their breath for a CJEU ruling. (But the finest legal minds in Europe surely won’t need to cogitate for too long to call out this mulligan.)
Next stop, enforcement?
In the meanwhile, the Belgian DPA could — and really should — restart enforcement of the original order, given the vast scale of the violations and risks to Europeans’ fundamental rights of allowing unlawful mass surveillance by out-of-control adtech to continue unchecked.
Asked about his expectations for enforcement, Ryan told TechCrunch he’s looking into whether the authority’s decision can now finally be applied (a preliminary Belgian ruling on the TCF, also finding it in breach of the GDPR, dates back almost two full years at this point).
“The extension was until the Markets Court decision. So it should be able to apply it now,” he suggested, adding: “The tracking-based online ad industry must reconcile itself to the likelihood that EU data protection law will actually be enforced.”
We also reached out to the Belgian authority and to the IAB Europe with questions — but neither had responded at press time.
Update: A spokesperson for the Belgian DPA confirmed that the ad industry body submitted an action plan to it in April — “as required in our February decision”. “The BE DPA does intend to pursue its assessment of the measures proposed in the Action Plan sent in April by IAB Europe. However, the BE DPA will not comment further on the content of the action plan at this moment,” they added.
The spokesperson further specified that the action plan the IAB submitted to it “was not presented as the so-called Global Privacy Platform, which has, it seems, been entirely developed by IAB Tech Lab“.
Following the Brussels court referral, the IAB Europe posted a statement on its website about the developments — acknowledging what it refers to as an “interim ruling”, as well as the referral of questions to the CJEU which it said it “welcomes.”
“The interpretation of the notions of personal data and controllership embraced by the APD [Belgian DPA] is unnecessarily broad from a consumer protection point of view and has significant negative implications for the development of open standards and the Codes of Conduct foreseen in the GDPR,” added Townsend Feehan, IAB Europe’s CEO, in a canned comment. “It would place an unacceptable financial burden on host organisations, discouraging the development of these important compliance tools.”
In a statement posted on its website after the court referral, the Belgian authority said that it will “now have to further analyse the ruling before being able to express itself in more detail on its content” but it professes itself “already pleased with this decision, which will further clarify key concepts of the GDPR such as the definition of the concept of data controller, and its applicability to framework designers.”
Hielke Hijmans, chairman of the DPA’s Litigation Chamber, added in a statement: “The IAB Europe case, in which we ruled in February, has an impact that goes far beyond Belgium. That’s why we think it is a good thing that it is being discussed at the European level, at the Court of Justice of the EU.”
The authority also wrote that its decision has “made an important contribution to the protection of Internet users’ privacy in Europe, through its analysis of the mechanism for recording users’ preferences for targeted online advertising,” further arguing: “It will raise awareness about online advertising, and especially about the mechanism behind the consent to receive targeted advertising.”
The DPA’s statement went on to say that Belgium will “discuss possible next steps with its EU counterparts.”
Which, well, sounds a little bit like ‘watch this space’…


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Games maker set to raise cash
Computer entertainment company SCi Entertainment has unveiled plans to raise £20 million to develop games based on The Italian Job film and The Great Train Robbery.
Ronnie Biggs and fellow train robber Bruce Reynolds have worked with SCi to design the game, which will be an adventure based on the events of the famous robbery.
And the Italian Job games, based on the movie classic starring Michael Caine and Noel Coward, will see SCi produce games on formats including Sony's PlayStation II.
SCi also plans to use the funding to develop games based on the Italian classic car race Mille Miglia, and to develop an on-line football management game which will see players compete directly with other 'managers' over the Internet.
The company, which will raise the funding via a share placement of 6.1 million shares at 330p, also announced it had achieved record pre-tax profits.
Chairman Charles Levison said the funding 'enables the group to acquire further high profile brands and licences, develop titles for the Next Generation of console platforms and to continue to build its Internet strategy.'
The group added market analysts had estimated the entertainment software market had almost doubled in the last three years and suggested PC CD-Roms, consoles and Internet games would continue to grow rapidly.
Pre-tax profit for the year to June 30 was £1.7 million against a £3.3 million loss for the same period last year.
Turnover was £8 million, up from £2.8 million last year.
The group said the major contribution to results in the second half of the financial year had been from console versions of gory car race game Carmageddon.
Sales of Carmageddon had generated revenues of more than £10 million over the past three financial years, the group said.
SCi will not pay a dividend to shareholders but will consider paying a dividend in two or three years time.
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P&C Specialist reports that USAA's Telematics Program: SafePilot is taking off, with 50 percent of new customers signing up for the program which gives discounts for good driving behavior as well as for reduced mileage.
What does this indicate about the changing market? 1. With less driving and more customers working from home, customers are using telematics to add a usage component to their premiums: paying less when they drive less. 2. Good customers are increasingly willing to cooperate with carriers on a much more intimate level if the payoff is there. 3. The more good customers that are willing to participate in telematics, the greater the predictive power of refusing to participate becomes. The question becomes: how can carriers use that information when evaluating a risk?
USAAtoday rolled out increased discounts for current and new policyholders in its SafePilot telematics program, as the No. 5 personal lines carrier builds out its usage-based auto insurance product.
Under the initiative, existing customers will see the maximum discounts they earn for safe driving increase to 30% from 20%, while new policyholders could save as much as 10%. The discounts will be available in Texas, Ohio, and Arizona.
The announcement comes just days after USAA launched what it described as an “aggressive” roll-out of its SafePilot telematics program in the majority of U.S. states. The product expansion comes as consumer demand for the SafePilot service grew by more than 200% over the course of last year as driving behavior was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The product, which is currently available only in Texas, Ohio, Arizona, and Virginia, has lured nearly 50% of new customers in those states to sign up for the program, with more than 106,000 telematic policies in place as of December, as reported by P&C Specialist


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Unipart adds to calls for UK to match US subsidies
Unipart wants the UK to match US subsidies (image: BBC)
Another British company has threatened to move operations to the US or Europe because of more attractive subsidies on offer.
John Neill, head of the car parts and logistics giant Unipart, said UK companies could not “compete on a level playing field”.
Mr Neil said the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed last year, was offering firms a “completely game changing set of incentives and fiscal support” to invest in green energy projects. Firms must be operating in the US to receive government backing.
“I’ve asked our team to think very carefully about our investment strategy in the US and our US operations and whether we should be pivoting more into those markets and possibly also into our European companies,” said Mr Neil who is also a member of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
“For us to invest we need to understand what Britain’s strategy is and what our regulatory framework is going to be. And we’re not clear about any of that.”
The European Union is considering a similar approach, but the UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has warned it would mean spending taxpayers’ money “on projects that would have happened anyway.”
Other business leaders have warned that the UK is at risk of losing investment unless it matches the US policy. Companies in highly competitive and capital-intensive production such as Volkswagen and Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata of India are being tempted by what the US is offering.
Scottish battery producer AMTE Power has warned that the UK needs to remain at the forefront of the technology or risk losing projects to the US.
AMTE Power has plans to build a megafactory on the site of the Michelin tyre factory on Tayside with longer term intentions to develop it into a gigafactory employing hundreds of workers making batteries for electric vehicles.
But the Thurso manufacturer said it is difficult to justify keeping production in the UK. Alan Hollis, chief executive, says its priority is Dundee but it wants the UK and Scottish governments to provide grant funding to cover up to 20% of the capital investment of its plant.
He also called for consider further incentives to support operating costs, in order to remain competitive with suppliers in America.
He said: “The answer is perfectly clear [about] where the most economic place for the gigafactory will be. We don’t have a competitive environment in the UK at this moment in time.
“Unless we make the UK a competitive place for battery manufacturer, we probably won’t end up with a battery manufacturing industry in the UK. And the consequences of that are clear for the automotive industry and for the energy storage sector as well.”
The government has said it will respond to the US measures when it is clear what the European Union will do. Labour has promised a British version of the Inflation Reduction Act, but has not clarified how much funding it would allocate.
UK firms are fearful that the EU is already moving to respond to the US, with Spain fast-tracking a round of massive support for the manufacture of electric vehicles and batteries.


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But many consumers know better. In fact, one of the top bottled water brands, Coca-Cola Co.'s Dasani, fills its bottles with water from East Bay Municipal Utility District - the very same water that comes out of the tap in Danville and Alamo.
"What they tell us … is that they put it through extra filtration and that that extra filtration makes it even better than EBMUD water," said EBMUD lobbyist Randy Kanouse. "And they may be right."
Or they may not be, suggested a study published this month by the Environmental Working Group, a public health advocacy organization. Its authors tested 10 top brands of bottled water in several states including California, and found 38 different contaminants in the water, such as bacteria and caffeine.
"Americans cannot take the quality of bottled water for granted," the study concluded. "Indeed, test results like those presented in this study may give many Americans reason enough to reconsider their habit of purchasing bottled water and turn back to the tap."
Yet while a growing number of consumers are sticking to the tap, many believe that bottled water tastes better, is purer, and is safer than water from the kitchen faucet. And they're willing to pay the price.
To get EBMUD tap water in their homes, the average family pays around $3 per 1,000 gallons of water. Dasani pays EBMUD a similar rate. Compare that to bottled water, which costs consumers roughly $7.50 for one gallon's worth, depending on whether the bottles are purchased in bulk or individually.
That means the water inside a $1 plastic bottle actually only costs about three-tenths of a penny, noted EBMUD director John Coleman.
"People complain about gas being $3.50 a gallon and they're willing to pay $7.50 a gallon for bottled water," he said. "That's absurd when they can get the same quality from their tap."
Is it the fancy names and pristine images on the labels making people willing to shell out the extra dough? Or is there actually a difference in the water?
Bottled vs. tap
Tap water and bottled water both have to meet requirements to assure they're safe to drink. But they are each held to different regulatory standards.
Tap water is considered part of the public domain and thus is regulated by the state Department of Public Health as well as the Environmental Protection Agency. Bottled water, considered a food product, is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
"Requirements on the state and federal levels for tap water are higher than for bottled water. They don't have to meet the stringent requirements that we have to meet," said Coleman. "You cannot buy a bottled water that's going to be more healthy for you than our tap water."
Indeed, Danville area residents are fortunate: EBMUD water exceeds standards and is considered one of the highest quality municipal waters in the country.
Dasani, too, takes pride in the quality of its product.
"We do use municipal water to bottle Dasani," said company spokesman Ray Crockett. "I do know that the FDA has fairly rigorous requirements for what they call purified water."
To meet those requirements, the municipal water goes through the company's filtration process. The water is first filtered for sand, carbon or other microns, and again for any residual odors or tastes, according to the Dasani Web site. It then goes through a reverse osmosis process - a high pressure, molecular level filtration.
After that, certain minerals, like salt, are added back in for taste. And finally, the water is ozonated, a disinfection step to prevent any future contamination.
Tap water advocates point out that while municipal water has to make public the results of its regulation tests and report any violations of standards to the Department of Public Health, bottled water companies are not required to do this.
"They (consumers) just assume that because it's in a store it must be healthy and safe," Coleman said.
People may also assume, water is water - it's all the same. "It isn't, you know, it really isn't," said Kanouse. "There are so many Californians who have come to recognize that water is so important, and we consume so much of it, and we feed our children water. We should know what's in it."
What's in your water?
Substances such as lead, iron, mercury, sulfate, bacteria, caffeine, fertilizer and plastic-making chemicals can be in the water we drink. Depending on the source of the water, different contaminants can be found.
For example, water taken from the Delta will require more filtration than water from the Sierra. The pipe the water travels in makes a difference as well; if you can isolate the water from fertilizers, pesticides, sewage plants, etc., it will be cleaner, Kanouse said.
"There are a lot of things in the water that are scary," said Shannon Williams, a certified nutrition consultant in Danville. "I do suggest to clients that they go with filtered water. Because, yes, tap water does have a lot of contaminants in it, and it's those unseen, unsafe contaminants that we need to be wary of."
She said people sometimes throw prescription medications down the toilet which can end up in the water system, as well as pesticides and herbicides from agriculture, or pollutants from rain.
"For the general population it's not much of a concern, especially here in Danville," noted Danville registered dietician Christina Bode. People who live in cities with lower quality municipal water or rural areas using well water have to be more careful.
Health aside, certain minerals can affect the smell or taste of drinking water. For example, some people can taste iron even at low levels, and water exposed to sulfate may have a distinct smell.
"These are some of the naturally occurring substances that can affect taste and odor that will not have a health effect - won't make you sick, won't cause any disease - but can be noticed by the common person, the average person who takes a drink of water and says, 'Oh, I don't like this,'" said Kanouse.
Hooked on the bottle
Many people predict that bottled water sales will taper off as people become hip to the environmental impact, pocket cost and questionable health benefit of the product.
"There are a lot of environmental negatives to using bottled water," said Coleman. Water is heavy – about 8 pounds per gallon – and that weight has to be shipped from the source to each store, he said.
Crockett said one of the reasons Dasani bottles local municipal water is to reduce shipping and lower the company's carbon footprint.
Though most bottles are made with recyclable plastic, a high number of them never make it to the recycling bin, ending up in overflowing landfills. "I don't think we're able to recycle them as quickly as we're using them up. And that's cause for concern in my opinion," said Williams.
Coleman estimated that fewer people are drinking bottled water because of its impact on the environment. "I think people are more environmentally aware," he said.
But for the time being, there's no doubt that many consumers are hooked on bottled water.
Bottled water sales have increased each year of the last decade, and it is the second most consumed drink in the country, after soda. As Kanouse put it, "Today, the little plastic bottle is ubiquitous."
But though sales are going up, the rate of increase is slowing. Last year the sales growth was the slowest since the early 1990s, before the trend really took off, according to an annual market report from the Beverage Marketing Corp.
Sales are also slowing in California, where the consumers buy more bottled water than in any other state. More than 1.8 billion gallons of bottled water were sold in California in 2005. The number rose to nearly 2 billion in '06, a 9.1 percent increase. Sales rose again in 2007 at an increase of only 5.6 percent.
At Yellow Wood Coffee and Tea in Alamo, sales have gone up. "We've been selling about 10 percent more water bottles than last year," said manager Shannon Steelman.
"I don't know if it's that people in the area we live in prefer water bottles more," she said. "When you picture bottled water, you'd think it would be the safest option."
At Peet's Coffee and Tea in Danville, manager Traci Hill said she's noticed little change in bottled water sales. Those that choose the bottle over the tap do it for convenience, she said.
"In the past 10 to 20 years, bottled has replaced tap for so many Californians," said Kanouse. Just look around at a soccer game or a Little League game and you'll see parents drinking bottled water in the stands, and giving it to kids at half time, he said.
Both Williams and Bode recommended putting a Brita filter on your tap at home and purchasing a refillable, metal water bottle to carry around. Refilling a plastic bottle is not advisable, because chemicals from the plastic can leech into the water.
"To cut down on cost, to cut down on waste, I think that's the smartest way to go," Williams said. "I'm glad people are drinking water. So that's important. But I'd like to see them go one step further and be concerned about the quality of water they're drinking."
Consumer right-to-know legislation
EBMUD co-sponsored a consumer right-to-know bill requiring bottled water companies to list the source of their water on the label, and make the results of their water quality tests available to the public via Web site or by calling an 800 number.
The bill, introduced by State Sen. Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro), passed last year and will go into effect July 1, 2009. The new rule applies to all bottled water retailers in California.
"People have a right to know what's in their water," said Randy Kanouse, who lobbied to pass the bill.
The bottled water industry strongly opposed the bill, saying it would put stricter requirements on it than on other food products, and do little to help ensure safety.
"Ten years ago, 15 years ago, they could have successfully argued that bottled water is really a soft drink. But today they cannot make that argument," said Kanouse. "This was not about claiming their water was unsafe … this was really about consumers' right to know."


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Beijing is investing heavily in the animation industry but the complexity of state censorship means its artists have yet to reap the benefits.
China's manga drive 'is all fake'
BEIJING // In the heart of Beijing's bustling central business district stand the dreams of Chinese manga. Several stories high, wrapped in steel and glass, lies part of China's aspirations to turn the most populous nation into a world-class animation centre. "It is all fake," said Lu Ming, a 26-year-old animator sitting in his room littered with transformer toys, guitars and sketches.
The Chinese Communist Party is putting millions into the animation industry, having said it will invest 24 million yuan annually (Dh12.9m) for four years into development. But China's most successful comic artists see little of the funds and many buildings remain empty. Mr Lu is one of the most respected comic book artists in China. His work is known internationally and in the underground movement on the mainland. He is now trying to publish his latest title in his homeland but is doubtful he will succeed. His work, though mostly apolitical, is deemed too sensitive by publishing houses.
Mr Lu is part of a growing group of manga artists that falls between communist party thinking and new capitalist interests. His work is considered unsuitable by the state, and not commercial enough for companies gaining state investments looking to mimic the Japanese business model. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics he was commissioned by Adidas to produce billboards celebrating the Games. "That was just work. Not my real passion," he said, putting down the original pencil sketch.
Mr Lu wants to tell contemporary Chinese stories. Tales of woe or of dark anti-heroes on the fringes of Chinese society. His latest work is the tale of an adolescent who turns away from crime, inspired by Bruce Lee. Comic books are on the rise in China. But while the comic book fans are happy, the artists are not. Artists such as Mr Lu focus on selling work to international markets. But despite the injection of government funds, he said, they would struggle to compete with Japanese comics, which are saturating the market through the internet.
"A lot has to do with the government policy," said Spencer Douglas from an animation company in Hong Kong. "It is unlikely that anyone would like to publish something which is boundary-pushing, and if they did they would probably get shut down pretty quickly." It is an indication of the complexities of censorship in China. "It is not because it is against the government or for the government. It is about ideas. Like Batman Begins. The government permitted that movie. It is a simple story between good and evil. But Batman's The Dark Knight is more complicated, so the government censored it in China," Mr Lu said.
According to the institute of comic books, manga, known as manhua in Mandarin, has a combined distribution of three million titles a month, far smaller than markets in neighbouring Japan where manga outsell newspapers. Only 10 per cent of manga in the mainland is produced by home-grown artists. Entrepreneurs are looking at the size of the population and thinking of the potential profit. "I think the money goes to businessmen that say that they are going to invest in animation, but they do not," says Benjamin, sitting across a table looking at his hands.
He is a leading comic book artist, more famous in Europe than he is in China. Indeed, Benjamin last month became the first Chinese artist to produce a front cover for Marvel Comics. But, again, that work will never be shown in the mainland. It is about the spread of ideas, Mr Lu said. A comic does not need to be anti-government to be restricted from being printed; it simply needs to offer ideas that could be interpreted as being so. In essence, the world's next super power is not keen on super heroes.
The first Chinese comics were used as propaganda during the Japanese occupation as a way to build resentment. During Mao's 10-year Cultural Revolution, manga was used to teach communist ideals to the largely illiterate masses. "We want to export our own culture," said Zheng Jun, the rock star turned writer behind the comic Tibetan Rock Dog, which is gaining interest from the Japanese animation company Mad House towards turning it into a movie.
As China continues to export its own culture, it could be used as part of the nation's soft power, Mr Douglas said. The Chinese government's official policy is to restrict the amount of Japanese manga coming into China, an indication of the national rivalry that still exists between the two nations. But it is likely that Japanese manga will continue to rise in popularity in China. Part of the problem is the meek image of comics in China. They are seen as childish, said Cheng Cheng, an animator behind Tibetan Rock Dog.
* The National


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Does your newsletter attract new readers? Does it entice them to become customers? Here are 5 tips for creating newsletters that engage and entice your readers
See on www.wordviewediting.com
Earlier this year, Mayo Clinic received some fairly harsh criticism for accepting paid advertising on its blog. You can read one example of that criticism in an article from Mark Schaefer titled “Lessons from a horrible social media strategy.” Here’s a quote from Mark’s article, but read the whole thing to understand the context:
“Here is a word I rarely use on my my blog: Stupid. But I think it is an unavoidable description when an organization sells the soul of their brand for a few advertising dollars with a mindless strategy of advertising children’s clothes to women who have just lost their child.”
As Mark points out, one of the challenges with accepting advertising and having it appear on the same page as health content, is that at times it will make you appear to be stupid and you run the risk of offending readers when the ads…
View original post 448 more words
Almost half of Facebook followers of your brand expect a customer service component.
Consumers are expecting brands to provide customer service options in their social networks. A survey conducted by Oracle found that online users of social networks expect pathways to customer service from the social media site. The expectations include click thrus to customer service departments and instant messaging.
Forty-six percent of Facebook users expected brands to provide customer service options through the social network. Twenty-nine percent of blog followers expected customer service options compared to just seventeen percent of Twitter followers.
Not only do consumers expect customer service options, they also expect quick responses. Over half of Facebook users and eight out of ten Twitter users expected responses within 24 hours or less. Social media is always on and responses to concerns and issues are expected quickly.
The most common reason to follow or like a…
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When a patient at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals’ Headache Center complained on Twitter about a long wait, Jefferson Director of Social Media Josh Goldstein was monitoring the Jefferson brand on Twitter at the time. Goldstein, who was off campus, immediately texted the interactive marketing team to go the waiting room and find the patient. It turned out the patient had never signed in at the computer kiosk.
See on www.fiercehealthcare.com
One-third of consumers use sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and online forums to find health-related information, track symptoms and broadcast their thoughts about doctors, drugs, treatments, medical devices and health plans says a recent report by the Health Research Institute (HRI) at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) US.


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Fintech bank Revolut is adding dogecoin to its offering to meet a boom in customer demand for the cryptocurrency
Fintechbank Revolutis adding dogecointo its cryptooffering, the firm said on Tuesday.
- Revolut said this was a response to booming customer demand for the
- The meme cryptocurrency has soared in value and investor recognition this year.
Revolut has added dogecoin to its offering to meet booming customer demand for the meme cryptocurrency, the fintech bank said on Tuesday."There just aren't enough dogs in the Revolut app...but we're about to change that. Much Dogecoin. Such wow. How Revolut? We're letting the DOGEs out!" the fintech bank tweeted alongside a dogecoin-inspired video on Tuesday.
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At just 18 years old, Apple Martin, the famous daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, already has seats that fashion industry players work for all their lives. Making her fashion week debut today at the Chanel Spring/Summer 2023 haute couture show in Paris, Apple sat front row wearing, what else, Chanel from head to toe. Martin wore a set consisting of a Chanel black and white tweed skirt and jacket and black platform loafers. For hair and makeup, she channeled the ’60s with winged black eyeliner, brushed brows, barely there foundation and peach lipstick. Her hair was styled effortlessly with the ends inward.
On Instagram, journalist Derek Blasberg noted that Karl Lagerfeld met Apple Martin when she was 4 years old. At the time, Karl “declared that one day she would be a Chanel girl. It happened today,” Blasberg wrote. The full circle moment has already drawn comparison to his mother Gwyneth at a similar age. Others decried nepotism in the industry. “Love this! Nepotism at its finest,” one person commented. “Chanel loves nepo babies,” another wrote.
Apple sat next to actors Lucy Boynton, Sadie Sink and Vanessa Paradis at the couture fashion show, where Chanel artistic director Virginie Viard sent stylized animal models made from cardboard and wood. The show included top hats, cheerleader miniskirts, pleated ivory coats, floral jumpsuits and tweed jackets. The show is set to be followed by a major retrospective of Coco herself at the V&A in London later this year.
This fashion week, Chanel has undeniably thrown another nepotistic it-girl onto the fashion world’s radar, with no doubt more front row seats for Apple to follow. Love it or hate it, it was only a matter of time before the 18-year-old made her debut in the spotlight – taking the Karl-approved decision to step into Chanel there from head to toe. feet.


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Would the ‘Avatar’ Sequel Affect ‘Pandora: The World of Avatar’?
After years of planning and postponing, it’s almost time to go back to Pandora. Recently, Avatar shared their concept art for future movies on Twitter and it left Disney World fans with a few questions. Primarily, how will Avatar 2 impact Pandora: The World of Avatar in Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Here’s what we know so far about Disney’s plans for this sequel.
Reportedly, an ‘Avatar 2,’ directed by James Cameron, is in the works
When Avatar first premiered in 2009, it became an instant blockbuster and groundbreaking movie. After years of preparation, there may be another Avatar movie, directed by James Cameron, coming to theaters.
Some of the original cast members are featured in the upcoming movie. Entertainment Weekly reports, “Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, the stars of the 2009 sci-fi blockbuster hit, return for the sequel — and the other sequels in development — along with Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang.”
On Jan. 6, 2020, James Cameron shared concept art from Avatar 2 on Twitter. Although the story of these upcoming films has yet to be revealed, producer Jon Landau said they would touch on “the future generation of Pandora,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
A tweet sharing the concept art reads, “In the #Avatar sequels, you won’t just return to Pandora — you’ll explore new parts of the world.” Does that mean that rides, like Flight of Passage, will change in Disney World?
Disney acquired the ‘Avatar’ franchise in 2011
As a result, the Walt Disney Company holds the exclusive rights to merchandise and theme park rides. They took advantage of this, later building Pandora: The World of Avatar in Animal Kingdom and two rides, Na’vi River Journey and Flight of Passage. This extension of Disney World opened before James Cameron revealed more details of the upcoming sequel.
In terms of Flight of Passage, there’s a possibility that the ride could change to reflect the upcoming Avatar sequel. Other rides in Disney World, like Hollywood Studios’ Star Tours, have since been updated with the premiere of new films.
Because Flight of Passage takes guests through the world of Pandora on the back of a banshee, some Disney fans think an update is a possibility. However, nothing has been confirmed by the company. One Twitter user said, “Disney’s Avatar: Flight of Passage is the most incredible experience and has me so excited for Avatar, too. Makes me even more mad that it’s taken 12 years for a sequel to be released.”
Is ‘Avatar’ available on Disney+?
Good news for fans of James Cameron’s award-winning movie. Avatar is available for streaming on Disney+, the Walt Disney Company’s streaming platform. The movie became available at the platform’s launch date during November 2019.
It’s unclear if future Avatar movies will be available on this streaming platform. However, because of Disney’s acquisition, the company will likely release more information about Avatar 2 within the coming months.
To learn more about Disney’s streaming service and to subscribe, visit their website. Variety reports that Avatar 2 will premiere on Dec. 17, 2021. Three more sequels will reportedly be released in 2023, 2025, and 2027.


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Posted on December 6, 2022
Within the 2019, Josh Haber attempt to change matchmaking for students, taking care of an app who would blend content writing networks eg Instagram having popular matchmaking applications including Tinder.
” In jobs to redefine online dating to own college-old children, Boston entrepreneur Josh Haber released another type of app, “Tangle” – a corner between Instagram and you can Tinder – toward Apple Store and you may Yahoo Enjoy inside ANTHA BETSKO/DFP Personnel
Haber said the goal audience of application was people in its twenties – along with student to graduate children – who will be looking to see people in the town out of Boston.
“[Tangle] requires a person trend that younger everyone is used to toward Instagram and you will Tiktok in which they’ve been upload content, but it is selection one article writing to your my company a location the place you understand people are in reality interested inside the dating,” Haber said.
Alexandria Eisenhardt, head away from gains to have Tangle, told you the newest creators wanted a software which was way more “community-based” in lieu of an effective “swiping” that.
In the most common traditional matchmaking apps, pages are required to create a bio where they is images off by themselves plus a personal statement
“There are more issues that you should use to indicate your character in a manner that isn’t really something which can give you nervousness,” Eisenhardt said. “Very, so one to interface try representative of all of the categories of character products nonetheless results in as you.”


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Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ wants to know what its future customers would like on tap
The owners of a new Canton Township eatery have a craving to know what brand of beer its future customers would like on tap.
Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ, a popular national franchise, is set to open soon at 5800 Sheldon Road. The recent placement of signs on the west- and south-facing corners of the establishment offer proof that the grand opening is just around the corner.
Before Crave welcomes its first visitors, owners Darrell Olds and Brad Fuchs want to know what brands of beer (along with the regular staples) its future patrons would like to see added to the restaurant’s 25 self-pour taps.
The business’s Facebook page said the selection of beers will feature Michigan beers along with its draft options.
“As we meet with our distributors we want to know what the people of Canton would like to see on the wall, so let us know,” a Facebook post said.
If you’d like to offer an opinion, visit the Crave Facebook page.
If you’re wondering how Crave’s unique self-pour beer wall works, check out this YouTube video.
The Canton location will be the first Crave in Michigan. A Crave restaurant is also scheduled to open in Kalamazoo in the near future.
SocialHouseNews.com will provide updates on the much-anticipated opening of the restaurant.


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New Delhi, July 1 (UNI) Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), the country's second largest car manufacturer, today said it has registered an increase of 45.3 per cent in its sales at 40,182 units during the month of June as compared to 27,653 units in the same period last year.
With the global success of i10, the domestic sales went up 34 per cent at 21,881 units compared to 16,335 units over June 2007, the company said in a statement, adding that the exports grew 61.7 per cent at 18,301 units in June08 as against 11,318 units in June07.
In less than six months since its launch, over one lakh units of i10 has been sold.
Compared to the last year's first half, HMIL's cumulative sales has grown by 45.2 per cent, with 2,34,145 units, and domestic sales and exports has gone up 34.9 per cent (at 1,36,194 units) and 62.2 per cent (97,951 units) respectively during Jan-June2008.
In A2 segment, which comprises Santro, i10 and Getz, 33,859 units were sold during June 2008 while in A3 segment, that includes Accent and Verna, 6,272 units were sold.
Only four units of Tucson were sold in the SUV segment during the last month while Sonata Embera, in A5 segment saw the sales of its 47 units.
UNI AK SG AS1701


text:
New York Times
By Claire Martin
March 26, 2016
The Wyoming soil, iced over for eight months of the year, is not particularly hospitable to heirloom tomatoes, baby basil or lettuce plants. Instead, vegetables are trucked in from California, Mexico and other more fecund parts of the world. Yet starting this spring, Vertical Harvest, a farm in the resort town of Jackson, will begin churning out a projected 100,000 pounds of fresh produce a year.
Vertical Harvest uses hydroponic farming methods inside a three-story greenhouse on a 4,500-square-foot downtown lot. It is engaging in a relatively new practice called vertical farming.
The company employs 15 people who have conditions such as Down syndrome, autism, seizure disorders and spina bifida; they share 140 hours of work a week under a customized employment model. Vertical Harvest is a public-private partnership with the town of Jackson and it uses a low-profit business model, which means its investors will see a modest profit and it won’t come quickly.
“We’ve been calling it patient capital,” says Penny McBride, a company founder and its chief operating officer.
The farm began growing tomatoes in December and lettuce and herbs in February. By early May, Vertical Harvest’s greenhouse will be fully planted and producing greens. It will distribute them to restaurants and sell them at local grocery stores and in a retail market, inside the greenhouse, which opened this month.
The idea for Vertical Harvest came roughly eight years ago, around the time Ms. McBride and Nona Yehia met at a party in Jackson. Ms. McBride was a consultant working on a food-waste study and a commercial composting start-up, among other projects, and Ms. Yehia was an architect at the local firm E/Ye Architects who had recently designed a public rock climbing park and a private greenhouse that could withstand the harsh Wyoming winters.
The women were aware of the rising demand for high-quality, locally grown produce. Spurred by the organic and farm-to-table culinary movements, droves of professional chefs and home cooks had begun searching out better produce.
Farmers’ markets have responded to the challenge of meeting the need. Their numbers increased by 180 percent from 2006 to 2014, according to a government report. But they can’t do it all. Vertical farms are helping fill the produce gaps, according to Dickson Despommier, author of the book “The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century.” He said there were 30 such farms in the United States and hundreds more worldwide. Japan, with 160, leads the field.
“I don’t know any commercial vertical farms that are not in expansion mode,” Mr. Despommier said.
Vertical Harvest stands out for its relatively small size. The two largest vertical farms in the United States are Green Sense Farms, a 30,000-square-foot hydroponic operation in Portage, Ind., and AeroFarms, an aeroponic greenhouse in Newark whose footprint is a whopping 69,000 square feet. In aeroponic farming, the plants’ roots are exposed to the air, instead of water, as they are in hydroponic farming.
Mr. Despommier said that demand for produce cultivated in vertical farms was also growing because of the desires to create self-sufficient food sources without relying on imports and to ensure food safety. The market is so strong that the vegetables practically sell themselves, he said.
“If you don’t make money, it’s because you don’t know how to add,” he said.
But initially, Vertical Harvest wasn’t an easy sell to some Jackson residents. When Ms. Yehia and Ms. McBride first pitched their idea to the town, which owns the land and the building that Vertical Harvest occupies, they were competing against other proposals. These included a dog park and affordable housing units.
“We had to prove it was a feasible idea that would have enough community impact for the town to essentially lease us the land for free,” said Ms. Yehia, the company’s chief executive. (Vertical Harvest pays $100 a month in rent.)
Once their proposal beat the others, the women were required to make their business plan public. And when they needed approvals along the way for things like the lease agreement, they had to make presentations at Town Council meetings.
“At every step of the process we checked in with the town,” Ms. Yehia said.
At first Ms. Yehia and Ms. McBride planned to fund the project exclusively with grant money. But their costs kept rising because of unforeseen complications connected to the vertical nature of the greenhouse. They realized they would need to hire a structural engineer, for one thing.
“As soon as you go up, you start having different considerations in terms of the seismic code and the life safety code,” Ms. Yehia said.
Construction costs also rose. “Our greenhouse manufacturers hadn’t dealt with a vertical greenhouse before, so their original estimates in some cases doubled,” Ms. Yehia said.
She and Ms. McBride began raising money, eventually taking in $3.8 million in public and private funding.
Among the company’s detractors was Ed Cheramy, a retired businessman who served as vice president of the Jackson branch of the Tea Party. His objections involved the objectives of his organization: free markets, and limited and fiscally responsible government.
“Should government be investing money or spending money to do a speculative venture like this?” he said he asked at the time. “Should the government be sponsoring an organization that would compete with the private sector?”
Mr. Cheramy said he stood up at a Town Council meeting in which Ms. Yehia’s and Ms. McBride’s proposal was being discussed and “complained about them and pointed out all of what I thought to be inadequacies of their business plan.” Afterward, the two women asked to meet with him to talk about his concerns — a move that he said surprised him. But he agreed to talk.
They met weekly for several months to work through the business plan. Mr. Cheramy said he quickly understood that Vertical Harvest would not be competing with any local businesses, and he was impressed that Ms. Yehia and Ms. McBride had already secured a revenue stream. They had sold 95 percent of their projected crop output to restaurants and grocery stores and would set aside 5 percent to sell in their retail store.
Of their willingness to hear their opponents’ concerns, Ms. Yehia said, “We have extremely thick skin.”
Eventually, Mr. Cheramy found he had no choice but to support the project. “When you strip away all of your objections, and they’d done all that, then what you’re left with is support,” he said. He added that he testified on behalf of Vertical Harvest at the Jackson Town Council, and at the Wyoming Business Council and the Wyoming State Loan and Investment Board, which together gave the project a $1.5 million grant.
“There’s a whole bunch of wonderful aspects of it,” Mr. Cheramy said, noting Vertical Harvest’s tall and narrow greenhouse design and its hiring of people with disabilities. “But it also makes good fiscal sense.”


text:
|By PR Newswire||
|January 4, 2013 08:59 PM EST||
COSTA MESA, Calif., Jan. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai returns to the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) January 8-11, 2013 (North Hall, booth #315) to debut and showcase a number of new vehicle technologies. Along with demonstrations of its Blue Link® telematics and infotainment platform, Hyundai will again preview its next-generation concepts and future infotainment systems for the tech-savvy CES crowd.
Hyundai will display working versions of future vehicle infotainment systems and voice-recognition technology incorporating features enabled by several technology partners, including:
- Eyes Free mode: Hyundai will integrate Siri, the intelligent assistant that helps drivers get things done just by asking, and the much-anticipated Eyes Free mode into its vehicles. Through the vehicle's infotainment system, drivers with a compatible iPhone* running iOS 6 can direct Siri to perform a number of tasks while they safely keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. To further minimize distraction, Siri takes hands-free functionality even further with an Eyes Free mode which enables drivers to interact with their iPhone using nothing more than their voice while keeping the device's screen from lighting up.
- Dragon Drive: Developed by Nuance, Dragon Drive is an automotive-grade voice services platform for the connected car that enables drivers to speak naturally and conversationally with in-car systems. Drivers can simply dictate messages, search for their favorite music, find real-time weather and even ask directions to their favorite restaurant – in the car or in the cloud. With its extensive experience in the automotive industry, Nuance is working with Hyundai to integrate Dragon Drive into its future vehicle infotainment systems.
- Mobile High-Definition Link: MHL technology delivers 1080p60 uncompressed video with up to eight channels of digital audio from a mobile device to a dashboard display, all while charging the device. With MHL technology, Hyundai is able to integrate mobile devices into the car infotainment experience by enabling consumers to display apps and other content from the road. The MHL ecosystem is continuing to grow with an installed base of more than 220 million products and has fast become the de facto standard for smartphones.
- Next-Generation Hardware: Hyundai will feature the latest hardware with high resolution, multi-touch displays, Bluetooth® 3.0 and Wi-Fi/3G connectivity options with user-centric interface design. Drivers will be able to access connectivity features such as web browsing, mobile hot-spot, and media streaming through the support of DLNA and Mirror Link and Aha by HARMAN. These next-generation systems will also showcase popular entertainment features like Pandora®, HD Radio® and SIRIUSXM®.
* Siri is available in Beta only on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad (3rd and 4th generations), iPad mini and iPod touch (5th generation), and requires Internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply.
Hyundai Reception at CES
Last week, Hyundai announced plans to integrate Google Maps APIs, including Send to Car, Point of Interest Search and Local Search by Voice, in to its Blue Link telematics platform. Representatives from both companies will be at the Hyundai Blue Link exhibit on January 10th at 11 A.M. PST for info and photo opportunities. Media and show goers are invited to stop by.
Blue Link Telematics
Following its debut at CES in 2011, Blue Link continues to be the centerpiece of Hyundai's commitment to global leadership in vehicle infotainment and telematics. The upcoming CES show will provide show goers a preview of the next evolution of Blue Link. "We've made great progress on Blue Link since its launch two years ago thanks to valuable feedback from our owners and enthusiasts like the ones attending CES," said Michael Deitz, senior group manager of Connected Car at Hyundai Motor America. "We're excited to be back at CES to demonstrate where we're headed with the Blue Link platform."
Future Automotive Technology
Each year, CES serves as the home for the most innovative and ground-breaking technology demonstrations. Following the theme, Hyundai will feature concepts and live demonstrations of future automotive technologies shown throughout the display and in its HND-6 concept vehicle. Visitors will be able to explore the future of automotive technology and how it affects vehicle interior design and safety.
HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 820 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle warranty, Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance.
For more details on Hyundai Assurance, please visit www.HyundaiAssurance.com
SOURCE Hyundai Motor America
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California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said the nation's largest
health insurer, UnitedHealth Group Inc., is imposing unreasonable rate hikes on
about 5,000 small businesses.
Jones said Wednesday that UnitedHealth couldn't justify the average annual increase of nearly 8%, which reflects both higher premiums and a reduction in benefits. He said the rate hike, which went into effect Wednesday, affects up to 45,000 small-business employees and dependents and represents $12.5 million in higher costs.
"At a time when small businesses are struggling to survive, UnitedHealthcare's rate increase is just one more unwarranted economic burden on California's small business owners and their employees," Jones said.
UnitedHealth, based in Minnetonka, Minn., said it was "disheartened" by Jones' comments and that the average annual increase for these customers is less than 2%.
A company spokesman said this change "is among the lowest requested increases of any health plan in California."
Under current law, Jones can object to a health insurer's rate increase, but he has no authority to block it.
A November 2014 ballot measure backed by Jones and consumer groups would change that and grant state officials the power to reject unreasonable rate increases for health coverage. The insurance commissioner has that authority for property and auto policies under Proposition 103.
(c)2013 the Los Angeles Times
Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com
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