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Monrovia / Coalinga, California
Contract manufacturing and testing
When the Obama administration announced it wouldn't pursue federal cases against marijuana businesses in states where they were legal, Raber saw an opportunity to start a go-to testing lab for the nascent industry. He launched The Werc Shop with a small investment and one machine.
"We had a bird's-eye view of the market," says Raber, an organic chemist with a background in drug discovery and process chemistry.
That perspective led Raber to believe he could make better products than his testing clients. "I figured we'd go compete," he says. "It's kind of like watching Michael Jordan referee a basketball game in his prime."
He notes that testing clients had asked him, "Will you please manufacture for me? I'd like to be a brand only." Such requests pushed him to pivot into contract manufacturing. "We're really built for that today," Raber continues. "We began to offer manufacturing services at the end of 2014."
At that point, the company had five employees. The staff has grown 30-fold in four years as revenue has been "doubling and doubling," says Raber. "It's hard to predict how big we can grow."
Testing now represents about 10 percent of The Werc Shop's business, and manufacturing represents roughly 90 percent. The company now operates four different facilities: the testing lab at its headquarters in Monrovia; and manufacturing plants in Coalinga, California; Eugene, Oregon; and Raymond, Washington.
The strategy allows cannabis brands to focus on sales and marketing, instead of compliance and formulations. "We act as an 'Intel Inside' type of player," says Raber.
It also allows a turnkey method to expand distribution. "We have a way of introducing a brand across multiple states, and they don't have to hold a license to do so," says Raber, noting that the key to success is making standardized products, with consistent dosages and effects. The Werc Shop's chemists can also help develop unique formulations to differentiate a product.
Most manufacturing clients are tight-lipped about their partnership with The Werc Shop, but HoneyVape and Orchid Essentials are two of the company's customers in California. The company has "close to 30" clients in all, says Raber.
Startup costs for the company's manufacturing facilities range from $1 million to $3 million for markets the size of Washington and Oregon. "We help construct these facilities and staff them and get them going," says Raber. The strategy is to "optimize them for scalable growth."
The Werc Shop typically tweaks equipment to meet the needs of high-volume cannabis extraction and manufacturing. "We've been able to modify off-the-shelf equipment and make it operate five times faster," says Raber. Suppliers "are just chemical engineering supply houses for the most part."
Raber also is working to patent terpene-formulation technology in the U.S. after Israel awarded him protection. "We're reinvesting millions into our IP, technology, and all of the assets we have," he says.
Challenges: "Making sure everybody understands the new rules as they keep changing and shifting in California," says Raber. "They put that on the manufacturer."
"Supply-chain management" is another challenge, as it becomes critical to exclude raw materials that uses banned pesticides and other forbidden ingredients.
Opportunities: The Werc Shop is looking to expand its manufacturing platform to other states. The Northeast and the Midwest are big targets, and Raber hopes to finalize plans in the second half of 2018. "I think there's a huge opportunity on the East Coast," he says. "There's an opportunity to take our expertise and help clients grow."
Canada represents another potential market on a similar order of magnitude as California. "That's a very interesting one, too," says Raber. "I think it's going to be very friendly to operators."
He says The Werc Shop's testing lab is also poised for growth. "We should see an uptick now that mandatory testing is going to take hold in California in July," says Raber. "Everybody is going to have to start testing. They're trying to wait as long as they can. . . . Getting the numbers right is going to be fully rewarded."
Needs: Talent is the big one. "We're always looking for experienced scientific professionals," says Raber.
"Access to capital" is a second need, but The Werc Shop has an undisclosed partner that has financed the company's growth. "We're well-oiled, well-positioned, and well-capitalized to grow," says Raber.


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It's looking like June was another strong month for auto sales in the U.S., despite the Federal Reserve's suggestions that it would roll back its bond-buying program and let interest rates rise.
Analysts polled by Bloomberg are calling for a 7.1% year-over-year increase in U.S. light-vehicle sales for June. ("Light vehicles" are cars, pickups, and SUVs.)
That increase would mean that the pace of auto sales in June was the fastest we've seen since 2007. And that's good news for the automakers – though, as always, some appear to have fared much better than others.
Another big month for the Blue Oval
It's looking like Ford (NYSE:F) will be one of those that fared better than most of its rivals. Last week I noted that a couple of leading analysts have predicted that Ford will come in among June's sales leaders, and that appears to be a consensus opinion.
Bloomberg surveyed 11 analysts and reported on Monday that Ford is likely to report a monthly sales increase of about 12%, the analysts' consensus estimate. That number comes despite Ford's own concerns about the Fed's shift in position.
Ford's Americas chief, Joe Hinrichs, told reporters last week that the Fed's moves, which roiled the stock markets, might have led to a slowdown in sales in the later part of June. Auto sales often decline when the stock market is dropping – both reflect acute drops in consumer confidence, to some extent.
But it's likely that Ford's overall June numbers will reflect continued momentum on the fronts where the Blue Oval has been especially strong recently: pickups, the Escape SUV, and the white-hot Fusion sedan. That's good news for Ford's second-quarter profits, which will be reported later this month.
Nissan's yen-fueled winning streak could continue
Among Ford's rivals, Nissan (OTC:NSANY) also looks set to continue its winning ways in June. Analysts polled by Bloomberg predict a 13% gain, which likely led the market. After a lackluster beginning to 2013, Nissan's U.S. sales took off in May, powered by several strong new models – and by price cuts and increased incentives that the automaker put in place at the beginning of the month.
The Japanese government's moves to devalue the yen have given Nissan and its Japanese rivals some room to cut prices in the U.S., at least on paper. Put simply, the "devaluation" of the yen means that exchange rates have moved in such a way that a U.S. dollar now buys more yen than it did at the beginning of the year. That means that the Japanese automakers can theoretically charge fewer dollars for their products in the U.S. and still have profits once those dollars are converted to yen.
Will the Japanese push back on Ford's growth streak?
The U.S. automakers have been watching carefully to see if their Japanese rivals would use the exchange-rate shift to mount an aggressive campaign here. This is of particular concern to Ford, whose Fusion has been gaining ground in a segment dominated by Japanese cars like Toyota's (NYSE:TM) Camry and Honda's (NYSE:HMC) Accord, and Ford CEO Alan Mulally has been outspoken in his criticism of the Japanese government's actions in recent weeks.
So far, though, it doesn't look like Toyota and Honda have made the kind of dramatic moves that Nissan did at the beginning of May. Will that change, and if it does, how will it impact Ford? Stay tuned.

domain: news


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The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors were $44.5 billion in June 2021, an increase of 29.2% from the June 2020 total of $34.5 billion. Sales in June were 2.1% more than the May 2021 total of $43.6 billion. Sales during the second quarter of 2021 were $133.6 billion, an increase of 29.2% over the second quarter of 2020 and 8.3% more than the first quarter of 2021. Monthly sales are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average. SIA represents 98% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms.
Micron Launches World’s First 176-Layer NAND in Mobile Solutions to Power Lightning-Fast 5G Experiences
Micron Technology, Inc., announced today it has begun volume shipments of the world’s first 176-layer NAND Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 3.1 mobile solution. Engineered for high-end and flagship phones, Micron’s discrete UFS 3.1 mobile NAND unlocks 5G’s potential with up to 75% faster sequential write and random read performance than prior generations,1 enabling downloads of two-hour 4K movies2 in as little as 9.6 seconds.
ClassOne Technology, global provider of advanced semiconductor electroplating and surface preparation systems, announced that it has received multiple tool orders from one of the world’s largest RF device manufacturers…
GlobalFoundries Plans to Build New Fab in Upstate New York in Private-Public Partnership to Support U.S. Semiconductor Manufacturing
GlobalFoundries (GF), the global leader in feature-rich semiconductor manufacturing, today announced its expansion plans for its most advanced manufacturing facility in upstate New York over the coming years. These plans include immediate investments to address the global chip shortage at its existing Fab 8 facility as well as construction of a new fab on the same campus that will double the site’s capacity.
UCLA scientists and engineers have developed a new semiconductor assembly process. The advance could lead to much more energy-efficient transistors for electronics and computer chips, diodes for solar cells and light-emitting diodes, and other semiconductor-based devices.


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The ambitious move by the parent company of Carl's Jr. to gobble up the much larger Hardee's fast-food chain caused some indigestion Monday on Wall Street.
CKE Restaurants Inc., which has been on a buying spree, said Monday that it will acquire Hardee's Food Systems from its Montreal parent, Imasco Ltd., for $327 million.
The much-anticipated deal would make CKE one of the top players in the burger wars. Hardee's, though shutting eateries, still has 3,150 restaurants in 40 states compared with 675 Carl's Jr. sites mainly in California.
"This is a strong marriage of two well-known brands with a combined 90 years' experience in the restaurant business," William P. Foley II, CKE's chairman, said in a statement.
Investors, though, seemed nervous about short-term prospects for turning around Hardee's.
CKE stock dropped $1.125 a share--or 5.5%--in heavy New York Stock Exchange trading Monday to close at $19.50 a share.
"It's a small chain swallowing up a larger chain, and that's a lot to swallow even if the larger chain is strong," said consultant Bob Sandelman of Sandelman & Associates in Brea.
Under the terms, CKE would pay $277 million in cash, financed by a bank loan and a $100-million secondary stock offering, and issue Imasco $50 million in convertible debt securities.
On the surface, it seems like such a big risk for Wall Street because of the relative sizes of the companies and the depth of Hardee's problems, said analyst Andrew M. Barish at Robert Stephens in San Francisco.
But Barish, Sandelman and other analysts said they have confidence that the management team led by Foley eventually will succeed with its aggressive plan to cut costs at somewhat bloated Hardee's.
Even Hardee's largest franchisee, Flagstar Cos. in Spartanburg, S.C., welcomed the acquisition as a "positive step."
"We are encouraged by this new development and view it as a positive step forward for our restaurants," Flagstar Chairman James B. Adamson said.
Flagstar, with 580 Hardee's stores, had filed an arbitration suit against Hardee's last month, claiming that the company had mismanaged the brand. Flagstar still plans to pursue that claim, its executives said.
Barish said he believes the deal will enhance CKE's earnings over the next year, Barish said.
Barish said that CKE plans to cut costs at Hardee's by 3%--about $20 million--in the first six months, a move that should put it back into the black by the end of the year.
A task force of CKE and Hardee's executives will cut Hardee's overhead, including its higher food costs, and trim a layer of its regional management, said Stephen McManus, Hardee's president.
McManus said the combined company also would sell some unprofitable Hardee's outlets to an outside partnership with the stipulation that they could buy them back at a later date.
McManus will continue as chief executive of the company. CKE executives would not comment on other management changes.
The deal is expected to close late this summer. Then CKE will begin combining the two chains' menus and its signs, starting in two test markets. CKE identified only one of those markets, Peoria, Ill., for now.
CKE will keep Hardee's popular breakfast items, which account for 30% of its business and will shed its lunch and dinner menu in favor of Carl's Jr.'s charbroiled burgers.
Industry observers say CKE's ability to pull off a turnaround hinges largely on the cooperation of Hardee's network of 2,364 franchisees.
These franchisees would have to foot the bill for costly store remodels and new charbroilers to prepare the Carl's Jr. menu. CKE executives say they plan to give franchisees incentives to switch.
"We want to lead by example [with the company stores]," said Loren Pannier, senior vice president. "We want to show them it can work,"
Considering Carl's Jr's performance in the last two years, analysts think the change of leadership will be welcomed. "Hardee's franchisees are looking for changes to the concept and somebody to bail them out," said restaurant consultant Janet Lowder of Rancho Palos Verdes.
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
Chains at a Glance
CKE RESTAURANTS INC.
* Headquarters: Anaheim
* Business: Operates Carl's Jr., Rally's, Checkers, Taco Bueno, JB's Restaurants, HomeTown Buffet and Galaxy Diner restaurants
* Total restaurants: 1,000
* Employees: 11,000
* Chairman/CEO: William P. Foley II
* 1996 sales: $537 million
* 1996 net income: $22.3 million
HARDEE'S FOOD SYSTEMS INC.
* Headquarters: Rocky Mount, N.C.
* Business: Operates Hardee's fast-food hamburger chain
* Total restaurants: 3,150
* Ownership: Imasco Ltd., a Canadian conglomerate. Largest franchisee is Flagstar Cos., which operates 580 stores.
* 1996 sales: $3 billion
* 1996 operating loss: $17.8 million
Source: Bloomberg News, Dow Jones, Hardee's


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Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Announced for PS4, PS Vita
posted on by Karen Ressler
Square Enix announced at the 2016 PlayStation Press Conference on Tuesday that it will release a new Itadaki Street (Fortune Street) game for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. The game, titled Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary, is slated for 2017.
The Dragon Quest series is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and the Final Fantasy series will reach its 30th anniversary next year.
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii also created the Itadaki Street board game-style video game series. Several earlier games in the series have featured Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy crossovers. Nintendo released Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest & Super Mario for Nintendo Wii in North America as Fortune Street in 2011.


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The troubled Sea Launch operation had some more bad news in February. Kjell Karlsen, its long time President, has resigned from the firm and leaves at the end of February after 14 years’ service. He is reported to be leaving the launch industry to join a movie/film licensing business.
The departure of Karlsen comes at a difficult time for Sea Launch. Having emerged from bankruptcy, triggered by a launch explosion in January 2007 (damaging the pad and destroying the NSS-8 communications satellite), the firm’s recovery plans suffered another blow when it had a launch failure in February 2013 (destroying the Intelsat 27 communications satellite).
Not only does Sea Launch have its own reliability issues to contend with, it now finds itself having to fight both its long time rivals, Arianespace and ILS, and the new low-cost launch interloper SpaceX. This new contender threatens Sea Launches traditional position as the alternative choice to the big two – a position supported by satellite operators Intelsat and Eutelsat, which want to promote competition in the launch market.
Sea Launch’s order book and launch schedule are hardly full. The next commercial launch of the Zenit 3-SL is to carry the Eutelsat 3B communications satellite. This is planned for April with no officially named commercial launches booked after that. Some satellite operators, such as Asiasat and Echostar, do retain options for launches, however, and some payloads may yet be announced.
Now relocated to Bern in Switzerland from its original Long Beach, California, base, the firm is currently majority owned (95%) by the Russian spacecraft manufacturer, RSC Energia. The industry journal Space News reports that the Russian Government now want to take sole ownership of the firm. The intention would be to use Sea Launch for Russian-sponsored non-commercial launches, rather than open-market commercial ones. A sign of this change came in the announcement of a dual-launch Sea Launch mission arranged for Angolasat (for Angola) and Energia 100 – both Russian-built spacecraft.
In order to bid for such non-commercial and government business, the firm would need to move its converted oil rig launch platform to a Russian-friendly port rather than staying in Long Beach. Like Long Beach, an alternative port would have to be within sailing distance of the equator (probably in the Pacific from where it currently launches). An equatorial launch location gets maximum benefit from the Earth’s spin boost and does not need inclination removal for communications satellites heading for Geostationary Earth Orbit.
Critics note that, quality control issues aside, the Zenit rocket family operated by Sea Launch is basically well designed, but the shipping costs and delays associated with its ocean-bound operation have proved its downfall.
The Zenit rocket family is also launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome near Tyuratam, Kazakhstan, on flights operated by its sibling “Land Launch”. While such land-launched Zenits cannot operate with as high payloads as Sea Launch, they are much less costly to operate and are thus more competitive.


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This week’s Famitsu magazine has given us a very interesting interview with representative director Yukio Sugino and company director Naoto Hiraoka, of Atlus fame.
In the interview both head honchos talked about their currently developed games, as well as some unannounced ones. Hiraoka starts off with a tease for what seems to be the recently teased Etrian Odyssey game:
“I think we’re going to reveal that game very, very soon.”
Here’s some exciting news – Hiraoka also made a note that Atlus has “begun development on a game that is three years from release.” The more interesting tease, however, is that the company is “preparing completely new games like Catherine and Dragon’s Crown.”
Both talked about the next-gen consoles, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One:
“As makers of consumer video games, [Playstation 4 and Xbox One] are a new avenue we cannot ignore. Coming from this, we’re definitely looking at those development platforms.”
Lastly, both bosses mentioned that the Persona series has exploded with popularity due to the game being adapted into anime, movie, and stage iterations. As you can expect, both gentleman confirmed that Atlus is looking to bring their other games to other forms of media.
So are you guys excited for completely new games from Atlus?


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The new business model: Competing with partners!
Suddenly, the only way to succeed in the mobile space is to violate the old code of the ecosystem
Computerworld - Blame Google.
It started this. In January 2010, Google shipped a mobile phone handset called the Nexus One. Manufactured by HTC, the device was a pretty good phone for its time, but nothing to text home about.
What was shocking about the phone was that, for some reason, Google decided to compete directly against its OEM hardware partners. And that was something you just didn't do.
The long-tested model for anyone with an operating system that depends on a third-party ecosystem of hardware makers -- call it the "Microsoft model" -- was that you do the software and they do the hardware. You don't compete against them, they don't compete against or abandon you, and everybody is happy.
Google bailed on the Nexus One, but has recently shipped Nexus 4, 7 and 10 versions (a phone and a couple of tablets). More than that, Google also acquired Motorola, and now competes directly and aggressively against every company that uses its Android operating system.
And now Google might compete with wireless carrier partners, too.
Reports suggest that Google could work with satellite TV provider Dish Network to build a wireless broadband network that would compete with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.
So much for the 'Microsoft model'
You know the "Microsoft model" is in trouble when even Microsoft abandons it.
The introduction of the Microsoft Surface with Windows RT ushered in a new era where Microsoft is competing directly against OEM partners the company expects to support Windows 8.
Such a move would have been unimaginable just one year ago. And Microsoft is just getting started. The next Surface, called Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 Pro, will compete against the most sacred group of partners Microsoft has ever had: Its PC-making OEMs -- the likes of Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer and others.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says there's more to come.
So why is this happening now?
While users and pundits focus on market share, companies tend to focus on profits. And when it comes to profits in the mobile space, Apple is taking nearly all of them.
In the second quarter of this year, Apple reportedly earned 77% of all the profits in the entire phone industry, and did so with only a 6% market share. And tablets are also massively profitable for Apple.
Despite Android's very high market-share numbers, only Samsung is making any money with Android devices.
Both Google and Microsoft have been frustrated not only by Apple's success, but by the fact that they're being held back by lackluster products from their partners. Both companies have separately come to the conclusion that they've got nothing to lose by competing with partners. After all, not competing with them is getting them nothing but dashed hopes and massive problems.
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Striking workers carry placards Tuesday at the Port of Los Angeles. (ROBYN BECK, AFPGetty Images )
Big, round numbers always get people's attention. Numbers such as $1 billion, which has been bandied about as the economic loss per day nationally from the eight-day strike that shut down most of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
That figure makes it sound as if several hundred port workers, members of Local 63 Office Clerical Unit of the Longshoremen's union, jeopardized the entire economy of Southern California, if not the entire nation. The corollary is How dare they?
So let's put that figure in some context. That's important because until you do, you can't put the strike — which shut down 10 of the 14 container terminals at the ports — in context. Late Tuesday night, union leaders were voting on a framework for an agreement. If the votes fail, federal mediators are on hand to oversee continuing talks between the workers and 14 shipping lines.
But the billion-dollar estimate of daily losses is bogus. Confusion over the value of cargo vs. the cost of the strike has been widespread in the news media, including The Times. It was also passed around by the National Retail Federation, a Washington lobby that urged President Obama to get involved.
Where the figure came from is hard to pin down, but it may be a misunderstanding based on an accurate measurement of the value of containerized cargo that comes into the ports every year. That value has been approaching $390 billion this year, which makes the per-day average, rounded off, about $1 billion.
But the cargo reaching Los Angeles/Long Beach over the last eight days hasn't been tossed into the sea as a dead loss. Much of it has been diverted to other West Coast ports or to the Panama Canal. The Marine Exchange of Southern California, which tracks vessel traffic, says 20 ships have been rerouted, leaving 13 container vessels at anchor as of Tuesday.
The idled vessels contain about $650 million in cargo, a port spokesman told me. Some cargo is still making its way across the Pacific, some at a slower pace ordered by shippers hoping to stall its arrival until the strike is over.
So what is the cost of the strike? So far, it's mostly localized, not nationwide. The strike has affected, in the first place, port workers who are idled because they're not crossing the local's picket lines or because cargo traffic has slowed to a trickle. Port officials say the lost wages have come to about $7 million a day among all workers in the ports' complex, including outside contractors such as truck drivers.
The affected port workers include as many as 5,000 longshoremen, who are paid about $41 an hour, and about 30 crane operators, who get about $100 an hour. The striking workers number about 450, out of the 600 members of the union local employed at the ports. (The other 150 work at terminals that were not struck.) The strike is cost them their $40.50 an hour as long as they stayed off work.
Then there's the economic ripple effect of shutting down more than two thirds of the largest container port in the nation. Port officials say the economists in their planning unit put that at $540 million a day, but their reasoning is cloudy.
Jock O'Connell, an expert on international trade who watched the strike closely, says that after the first few days of any such strike, the ripples start spreading and costs grow exponentially.
"Trucks without loads to deliver, warehouses without cargo coming in — as the number of boxes declines, the people there get sent home," he says. Also at risk are manufacturers who have made a cult of just-in-time parts deliveries; after more than a week without deliveries, their inventories become exhausted and shifts shut down.
The retail federation says most of its members stocked up for Christmas weeks or even months ago, but the work stoppage may have deprived some of them of last-minute deliveries of hot items.
Still, in terms of the national economy, $540 million is a tiny blip — each day at that rate is the equivalent of roughly 3 thousandths of a percent of U.S. gross domestic product, which is $15.8 trillion. That doesn't mean that some businesses and workforces haven't been more seriously affected.
That brings us to what has been at issue in this strike and how it fits into the ports' recent history. The short description of the work stoppage is that it has been an action by about 650 "clerks" making $160,000 a year. This is wrong on two levels.
First, the workers are classified as clerical staff, but they're not paper pushers out of a Dickens novel; it's more accurate to think of them as trained logistics managers who track cargo from its home port to these shores, then through customs and onto the domestic transport network.


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Monday November 9, 2015
Organic fruits and vegetables are all the rage, but what about organic marijuana? Thanks to recent recalls, state and media investigations, and even a consumer lawsuit, public scrutiny is turning toward the pesticides used by many marijuana growers. These toxic and nontoxic products are designed to protect plants from destructive pests, but marijuana is a unique crop. The pesticides safe for fruits, vegetables or tobacco may not be safe when inhaled, but more importantly, there are few pesticides that have actually been tested for marijuana use.
Now that recreational marijuana is legal in four states and medical marijuana is legal in 19, agricultural and consumer laws are still playing catch-up. That includes the standards that affect pesticide use among growers, as well as the information available to consumers. It's important to understand the possible risks and specific regulations that may or may not ensure the safety of your marijuana products.
Legal Challenges and Changes
There are some limitations to pesticide regulations. Thanks to federal restrictions and the delicacy of marijuana testing methods, we still don't know very much about the effects of pesticide inhalation. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, so no pesticides are federally approved for marijuana use. However, misuse of pesticides is also a federal violation. To comply with federal rules and ensure product safety in their own states, agencies like the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) must approve their own lists of pesticides, often with ambiguous warning labels that leave room for marijuana use. Federal safety limits for food consumption may be more helpful than state lists for now. Edible marijuana products are ingested, just like the food crops that have been thoroughly tested for certain pesticides.
For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approves pesticides for fruits and vegetables, but as a federal agency it cannot tell consumers which pesticides are safe for marijuana. Instead, states must make their own rules. One consumer lawsuit zeroed in on a fungicide called Eagle 20 EW. The ensuing investigation may change standards for Colorado growers. Farmers often use this pesticide on hops and grapes, but it is not allowed on tobacco farms and has not been tested for marijuana inhalation or ingestion. Though the lawsuit targets use of a non-approved product, the state's list of acceptable pesticides is not comprehensive.
Surprising Sources of Toxic Contaminants
Pesticides with low toxicity may be safe to consume, but they're often not powerful enough to prevent harmful outbreaks of mites and mildew. Unfortunately, some growers prioritize the quality of their product over the safety of their consumers. The Oregonian exposed several Oregon marijuana dispensaries that took toxic shortcuts in June 2015, when they tested ten products from store shelves.
Pesticide contamination isn't always intentional. Flea bombs, fly strips, nearby crops, and even the process of making concentrates can expose marijuana to chemicals that aren't intended for use on marijuana plants. The Oregon investigation revealed excessive levels of unauthorized pesticides, as well as trace amounts from everyday contaminants like these. Concentrates may also have more pesticides than the marijuana itself, just as they can have more tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD).
It's important to test products for the presence of toxic chemicals and make sure plants are grown in a clean and safe environment. Regulations must also take consumption methods into account. For example, some agricultural pesticides have labels that specify temperatures. Heating and smoking an exposed plant could have respiratory effects that don't show up in ingestion tests.
No Universal Standards
Because the federal government won't test or approve pesticides for marijuana use, states are left to keep consumers safe themselves. In Colorado, pesticide use on marijuana isn't recommended, but the government does have a list of 200 pesticides that are acceptable. In New Hampshire, the only marijuana-approved pesticides are nontoxic.
Meanwhile, in Washington, state officials are tweaking their pesticide rules in anticipation of an upcoming change. In July 2016, medical and recreational marijuana will share the same market in the state, so Washington state officials filed "emergency rules" in October 2015 to clarify growing and selling policies.
In September 2015, Colorado officials investigated two Colorado growers for "pesticide misuse" and found unapproved pesticide residue in their products. The state eventually seized plants, concentrates and other products from eleven different Denver dispensaries. They found evidence of unapproved chemicals in marijuana concentrates and plants, as well as approved pesticides that exceeded legal limits.
Marijuana plants need protection from devastating diseases and infestations, especially in damp indoor conditions. However, consumers also deserve protection from the effects of inhaling harmful chemicals. As researchers learn more about non-toxic pesticide ingredients, state regulations evolve, and growers get creative, the organic marijuana business may begin to boom.
http://www.potguide.com/, https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/agplants/pesticide-use-marijuana-production, https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/agplants/pesticides, http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_28917964/colorado-yields-marijuana-industry-pressure-pesticides, http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_28785675/colorado-launches-pesticide-probes-pot-grows-that-tested, https://www.rt.com/usa/317812-colorado-marijuana-pesticide-rules/, http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/10/05/marijuana-pesticide-flap-brings-consumer-lawsuit-in-colorado, http://www.blscourierherald.com/news/334180661.html, http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/08/pot-marijuana-pesticide-legalization/401771/, http://www.oregonlive.com/marijuana-legalization/pesticides/


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Just when you think this town can’t get any more into beer, or any more into hoppy beers, Eugene is like, “Hold my beer.”
In our annual State of Suds issue, we dive into the beer scene as we look at non-hoppy beers, Oregon hops’ immigrant history and brewfests and talk to a beer scientist about brews and feminism in the beer industry.
And beer news is always hopping; a quick survey of recent beer news tidbits reveals that Plank Town Brewing has a new location in Pleasant Hill opening in July that will be known as Hilltop Bar & Grill.
Ninaksi’s Kegs for McKenzie is running from Earth Day, April 22 to June 30, with a goal of raising $50,000 for preserving and protecting the McKenzie River, the main water source for Eugene and for Ninkasi’s suds, by donating $20 of every Ninkasi keg sold at participating bars and restaurants to benefit the McKenzie River Trust and its McKenzie Homewaters Campaign.
Elk Horn Brewery will debut its SirBerlin-erweiss, a lychee and lemongrass Berliner Weisse named after SirBerlin, a long-time employee from the Philippines at this year’s 30th Annual Oregon Brewer’s Festival in Portland’s Waterfront Park in July. “This brew uses ingredients from his native country, combining into a refreshing and easily drinkable beer,” the brewery tells us. After the brewfest, this light, slightly sour and fruity brew will be available in Elk Horn’s Eugene brewpub.
Hop Valley Brewing has released Reveal beer to benefit local and regional LGBTQ organizations, including the Pride Foundation. Hop Valley says, “Working with LGBTQ bar owners and industry veterans (including The Wayward Lamb) to craft the beer from scratch, Reveal is now available on tap and in bottles in Oregon, Washington and Northern California.”
On the federal level, back in January, Sen. Ron Wyden introduced the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act of 2017. According to the Brewers Association, made up of small and independent craft brewers, the bill “seeks to reform burdensome laws regulating America’s brewers and beer importers, wineries and distilled spirits producers and recalibrate the current federal excise tax structure, fostering economic development and innovation in the industry.” The brewers say that as of mid-June, the bill is supported by the majority of the House of Representatives.
Got more brew news? Send tips to firstname.lastname@example.org — Camilla Mortensen


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WASHINGTON — The bipartisan compromise on infrastructure cuts in half President Joe Biden’s call for $15 billion to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging outlets, raising the stakes as the administration seeks to win auto industry cooperation on anti-pollution rules to curb climate change.
The Senate legislation provides $7.5 billion in federal grants to build a national network of charging outlets, an amount that analysts say is a good start but isn't enough to spur widespread electric vehicle adoption.
Still, even the smaller amount can be effective if they're placed in the right locations, said Jessika Trancik, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies EV charging.
“If there’s half the funding, you have to be twice as strategic and twice as deliberate," she said.
Biden has made combating climate change a policy priority, and the broad compromise bill reached after intense negotiations takes some steps toward his goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. Widespread availability of electric charging stations in communities big and small is the cornerstone of his efforts to switch America’s car and truck fleet from polluting combustion engines to zero-emissions electric. Many drivers are hesitant to make the switch for fear of running out of electricity with no charging station in sight.
The back-and-forth in a closely divided Congress over EV funding reflects a tricky balance for the auto industry and the Biden administration. The transportation sector is the single biggest U.S. contributor to climate change.
Currently there are just over 43,000 charging stations in the U.S. with more than 106,000 outlets, according to the Department of Energy. Fully electric vehicles represented just 2.2% of U.S. new vehicle sales during the first half of this year, or about 1.1 million vehicles on the road.
The Biden administration had planned to build a half-million charging units around the country to fulfill a campaign promise and nudge a significant number of Americans into zero-emission vehicles by 2030. It intended to tap an additional $7.5 billion in low-cost loans from an infrastructure bank of public-private investment that was to be created in the Senate bill.
But the president’s plans evaporated Wednesday after lawmakers haggling over wage laws for transportation projects covered by the $20 billion bank gave up and eliminated it. The White House now says it won't set a specific target for charging units but hopes to find other funding to cover the gap.
“The future of cars is electric, and we’re ready,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted Wednesday after the bipartisan deal was announced.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the Biden administration plans to issue proposed rules as early as next week on tailpipe emission standards, including nonbinding language that at least 40% of U.S. sales be electric vehicles, according to government and industry sources who spoke on condition on anonymity to reveal details that are still being finalized.
While Ford CEO Jim Farley announced Wednesday that he expects 40% of the company's sales to be fully electric vehicles by 2030, other companies are still weighing whether to endorse that figure. Stellantis, for instance, has has committed to a 40% U.S. sales figure, but counts “low-emission vehicles" such as gas-electric hybrids in its mix.
In the past year, U.S. automakers have accelerated announcements of new electric vehicles, spending billions to develop them. Some, including General Motors and Volvo, have set goals of selling only electric passenger vehicles by 2035.
But nearly all have said it will take government incentives to persuade people to switch to the new technology, at least until EV prices fall as more are produced and sold. And they have said that government spending on charging infrastructure is essential to overcoming consumer anxiety about running out of electricity.
Biden had originally proposed $174 billion in his Build Back Better plan to boost the EV market, including tax credits and other incentives to spur consumers to embrace the newer technology. While only $7.5 billion of that in the bipartisan bill will go to charging stations, Democrats are expected to add back roughly $100 billion in EV tax credits in a separate $3.5 trillion “reconciliation” bill. Support from all 50 Democratic senators will be needed for that bill to pass.
“If a reconciliation bill emerges with 10 digits of guaranteed EV rebate money, that will go a long way towards reassuring automakers that they can ramp up production,” said Jeff Davis, a senior fellow at Eno Center for Transportation.
Automakers have made it clear the government needs to help make the switch away from internal combustion engines.
“Much of this transition is going to depend on government support, infrastructure build-out,” Ford's Farley said during its second-quarter earnings conference call Wednesday.
According to a Consumer Reports survey last December, anxiety about limited range and the availability of charging stations were among the top concerns consumers had about owning an EV.
Currently electric vehicle owners charge their vehicles at home 80% of the time. But that is likely to change as more people buy EVs who don’t have a garage to house a charging station.
New chargers should be located based on models that predict where they will be needed, MIT's Trancik said. They should be placed along travel corridors for people going long distances, as well as in areas where people spend lots of time, such as hotels, apartment building parking lots and even along public streets, she said. The government also will have to raise incentives to get charging stations built in less-populated rural areas, she said.
Direct current fast chargers, which can charge a car up to 80% of its battery capacity in 20 to 45 minutes, are quite expensive, costing $40,000 to $100,000. So those should be placed where people need to charge quickly and get back on the road.
Chargers that run on 240-volt electricity similar to what powers a clothes dryer are far cheaper, around $2,000. They take around eight hours to fully recharge a car. Trancik says they can be used effectively at much lower costs in areas where people stay for long periods of time.


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By Dekunbi Kuye
As November 5 approaches, plans have been concluded for the official launch of the multiple award-winning afro-pop star Yemi Alade’s jewelery collection and menthorship program for women. It is a collaboration with online jewellery atelier and retailer, Bland2Glam.
Apparently this is the first ever ‘YemiAlade Collection’ for the brand
The collection is an exclusive range of exotic costume jewellery inspired by the career and personality of Yemi Alade.
With excitement, the Afro pop star said: “This is a very personal project for me. It has been a long year of planning with Bland2Glam and I am very excited that finally we are ready to unveil all the love, innovation and hardwork that went into every single one of these pieces”.
‘Get Mented’ initiative is an innovative mentorship network for girls and women across Nigeria, which aims to provide a platform where girls and women across Nigeria are given the opportunity to give and receive mentorship in vocational/career development, self-improvement, financial intelligence and intellectual development.


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Gao Feng: Friends from the media, good afternoon. Welcome to MOFCOM’s regular press conference. Since I don’t have any announcement to make, we may proceed directly to the Q&A session. The floor is open.
China Business News: What are the outcomes and highlights of the recently concluded Consumption Promotion Month? What steps will MOFCOM take to consolidate the recovery of consumption?
Gao Feng: From May 1 to May 31, MOFCOM, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the State Administration for Market Regulation launched the 2021 National Consumption Promotion Month. With the joint effort of all local governments, authorities and market entities, more than 7,300 special events were held, including over 3,100 key provincial activities with the participation of more than 200,000 businesses. According to statistics of third-party payment platforms monitored by MOFCOM, throughout the National Consumption Promotion Month, a total of 4.82 trillion yuan worth of goods and services was sold, up 22.8% from May last year. The highlights of this year’s Consumption Promotion Month are:
First, a variety of fabulous activities were held. MOFCOM, in working with relevant authorities and local governments, held such national events as China International Consumer Products Expo, “Zhonghua Meishi Hui (China Cuisine Festival)”, Time-Honored Brand Carnival and Brand and Quality Online Shopping Festival. Focusing on rural consumption, commodities consumption, services consumption and new-type consumption, local governments leveraged unique local advantages and launched consumption promotion activities with local characteristics. Activities including Beijing’s “Consumption Season”, Zhejiang’s “Consumption in Zhejiang”, Chongqing’s “Aishang Chongqing”, Guangxi’s “March 3 Consumption Festival” and Fujian’s “Quanmin Legou (Happy Shopping in All Fujian)” have become unique local brands, tapping into consumer market vitality.
Second, quality consumption was promoted. With brands debuting their latest merchandises and offering discounts, demand for consumption upgrading and high-quality purchases was unleashed. Medium- and high-end consumption grew rapidly, and overseas consumption continued to give way to its domestic counterpart. During the Brand and Quality Online Shopping Festival, online sales of sterilizing washing machines, custom-made furniture and smart wearable devices grew by 117.8%, 95.4% and 67.2% respectively. Throughout the Time-Honored Brand Carnival in May, more than 60 key special activities were held to activate the transformation and upgrading of China Time-Honored Brands, with on-line and on-site sales surpassing 1 billion yuan. The sales of the nine offshore duty-free stores in Hainan increased by 159% year-on-year.
Third, services consumption swiftly recovered. The recovery of services consumption is boosted by local one-stop commerce, tourism and culture platforms integrating travel, shopping, entertainment, food and accommodation. During the China Cuisine Festival in May, eight special events including “Taste of Jiangsu” and “National Tour of Shaxian Delicacies” were held to expedite the recovery of catering consumption. According to statistics of ChinaUMS, accommodation, catering and entertainment consumption grew by 64.5%, 33.5% and 11.3% in May respectively; compared with May 2019, the growth rate were 15.8%, 7% and 2% respectively.
Fourth, new-type consumption flourished. Local authorities took steps to facilitate consumption, improve smart consumption, and tap into new consumption drivers, by promoting deep integration of on-line and on-site scenarios, utilizing new technologies, concepts and media and fostering new consumption models, modes and scenarios. E-CNY pilot programs launched in Shanghai, Suzhou, Shenzhen and other cities have made payment more convenient. Major e-commerce platforms participated in the Time-Honored Brand Carnival to stimulate online-sales of products of China Time-Honored Brands. For instance, Shandong organized over 300 livestreaming activities for China Time-Honored Brands, which generated a revenue of 166 million yuan; livestreaming activities for Beijing cuisines led to a 30%-strong month-on-month growth of customers.
Fifth, consumption potential in the rural areas has been released. Consumption promotion campaigns were carried out across villages and counties in different localities to better satisfy the new needs of rural consumers. In many localities, trading companies organized sales events such as street markets, through which villagers could buy daily necessities and specialty products. Sales exhibitions of cars and home appliances were held in the countryside. Rural residents could enjoy life services and urban citizens could visit the beautiful villages for agritainment. To be specific, China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) arranged 10 car exhibition tours in the countryside, selling over 80,000 cars with a sales value of RMB11.711 billion. During the May Day holiday, agritainment businesses under key monitoring in Chongqing scored a 57% turnover growth. We called for business integrity and frugality, opposed extravagance, implemented the “clean plate campaign”, and encouraged green, low-carbon and sustainable consumption. We worked towards the stability and vitality of the consumption market, and further promoted consumption upgrading and high-quality development.
In the next step, MOFCOM will keep coordinating the work on epidemic containment and on consumption upgrading, with a view to supporting the development of a robust domestic market and the new development paradigm.
Phoenix: We’ve noted that the heads of the commercial departments of China and the US had a telephone call this morning. Mr. Spokesperson, could you brief us on the details of the phone call? Did they mention the issue of tariffs?
Gao Feng: This morning, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and the U.S. Commerce Secretary Raimondo had a telephone call at the latter’s request. The two sides had a candid and practical exchange of views on relevant issues of each other’s concerns on the commercial front between the two countries. Recognizing the importance of dialogue and exchanges between China and the U.S. in the field of commerce, the two sides agreed to push forward the practical cooperation and sound development of trade and investment, while properly handling differences. Both agreed to keep in contact at the working level.
We will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.
South China Morning Post: The U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said that the trade relationship between China and the U.S. has “significant imbalance”. The Biden Administration is “committed to bringing balance back”. How does MOFCOM comment on that? It’s been briefed that China and the U.S. have started normal communication on trade and economy. Have the two countries evaluated the implementation of the Phase One Agreement? Will there be any plan of mutual visit? Is there any progress in the discussion on tariff exclusion?
As two major economies of the world, China and the U.S. essentially benefit from their trade and economic relations. They both have their own major concerns on trade and economic fronts. Nevertheless, they can explore how to address these concerns through dialogue and consultation based on mutual respect and on an equal footing. Recently, Vice Premier Liu He had phones calls with Ambassador Katherine Tai and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen respectively. This morning, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao had a phone call with the U.S. Commerce Secretary Raimondo. The commercial teams of the two sides are in contact with each other. We will provide updates as new information becomes available.
CNBC: I have two questions. The first is about the recent changes in cross-border e-commerce. The second is about the COVID-19 epidemic in Guangdong. What impact will it have on China's foreign trade in the near future?
Gao Feng: Regarding your first question, according to the statistics of China Customs, in the first quarter of this year, China's cross-border e-commerce import and export reached RMB419.5 billion, an increase of 46.5% year-on-year, showing the following new features: First, channels. Cross-border e-commerce mainly relies on third-party platforms, and have gradually expanded to various new channels such as independent websites, social networking sites and search engine marketing. Second, the main players have evolved from primarily individuals and trade-oriented enterprises at the beginning to trade-oriented and production enterprises integrated for development, many production enterprises have moved online and become much more digitized. Third, products have gradually shifted from focusing solely on cost performance to also focusing on brand, quality, standard and service, and tailor-made and personalized products grew rapidly.
In the next step, we will continue to track the new features and trends of cross-border e-commerce, increase innovation in policies, management and services, create sound business environment, and promote the healthy and rapid development of cross-border e-commerce.
As for your second question, from what we know so far, the epidemic has not had any obvious impact on the supply and industry chains of Guangdong's foreign trade. Recently, Guangdong's monitoring of more than 2,000 export enterprises shows that more than half of the enterprises find that the amount of their newly signed orders have increased year on year. We will fully support Guangdong in coordinating epidemic prevention and control and its foreign trade development.
National Business Daily: We have noticed that the Ministry of Commerce recently held a national on-site meeting on the development of an urban commercial system, and proposed to promote the establishment of an intensive, efficient, regulated and orderly urban commercial system with sound outlets, diversified players, rich business patterns, harmonious businesses and community in five years. Could the Ministry of Commerce brief us on the specific plan?
Gao Feng: According to the arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, in order to smooth the domestic circulation, the Ministry of Commerce assigned a special team to actively study and arrange the development of an urban commercial system nationwide, and put forward the main tasks and specific measures for some time to come. To sum up, we will strive to fulfill the "five tasks" in a coordinated manner and focus on the "three priorities" in five years.
We will fulfill the "five tasks" in a coordinated manner: First, we will strengthen planning and guidance, give play to the leading role of international consumption center cities, and help different cities make business plans according to their local conditions, so as to build a layered and classified urban commercial layout aiming to satisfy consumer demand at different levels. Second, we will improve supply quality, focus on increasing the supply of quality goods and services, continue to promote the differentiated, quality and diversified development of business patterns, and promote the upgrading and expansion of urban consumption. Third, we will promote enterprise transformation, guide commercial enterprises to return to the commercial root, accelerate digital transformation, intelligent operation and chain store development, and cultivate new urban commercial players. Fourth, we will improve the distribution network, develop joint distribution, innovate terminal distribution, continue to develop more network-based, intensified and convenient urban distribution, and improve the operation efficiency of urban commerce. Fifth, we will strengthen regulated administration, continuously optimize business environment, align culture and tourism resources, promote sustainable development with green circulation, and promote high-quality development of urban commerce.
The three priorities are 15-minute life circle, urban shopping circle and logistics and delivery, which have a big role to play in driving business growth in the cities. First, 15-minute life circles. We will bring business resources to communities to meet the gap in community-level business and make people’s life easier, smarter and better. Second, differentiated development of shopping circles in cities. Building on the pedestrian streets upgrade program, we will continue to enhance the quality and standards of all sorts of shopping circles, make consumption environment more enabling and satisfy diverse consumption demands of urban residents. Third, urban logistics and delivery networks. We will vigorously promote standardization, IT application, facilitation and integration of commercial logistics and reduce the cost and enhance the efficiency of urban logistics and delivery via special campaign on high-quality development of commercial logistics.
CMG: We noted that the Senate passed the United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) on June 8th aimed at countering China’s growing influence, economic power in particular, by investing over 200 billion dollars in technology, science and research. What comment does MOFCOM have on that?
Gao Feng: We’ve noted that the Senate passed the USICA. Countries are duty-bound to grow their industry and improve people’s well-being. We welcome development of other countries’ economy, science and technology, but we oppose linking one’s own development plan with attempts to suppress another country, politicizing economic issues and playing zero-sum games. This does not serve the themes of the times which are peace and development.
CGTN: It is reported that President Biden signed an executive order on June 9th revoking Trump’s executive orders aimed at banning TikTok, WeChat and other apps controlled and developed by Chinese companies. The US Department of Commerce was also required to make new executive or legislative proposals to deal with these apps. On the other hand, he said the TikTok security investigation continued. What is China’s response?
Gao Feng: We’ve noted the recent revoking of the relevant executive orders on TikTok, WeChat and other Chinese apps signed by last US administration, which is a positive step toward the right direction. But we also noticed the US called for security risk review on foreign apps and the CIFIUS investigation on TikTok is still going on. We hope the US can treat Chinese companies in a fair and just way and do not politicize trade issues.
Bloomberg: I have two questions. Australia has decided to resort to the WTO over tariffs on Australian wine. What’s your comment? My second question is a follow-up on the one raised by South China Morning Post. USTR Katherine Tai said that the severe imbalance in China-US relations has hurt the interests of some American businesses, while you just described China-US relations as mutually beneficial. Are there any fundamental differences in China-US relations and are they going to stand in the way of future negotiations between the two countries?
Gao Feng: As for the first question, I have clarified China’s principles and positions at the press conference last week, when asked about the disputes between China and Australia at the WTO.
As for the second question, I said that both sides have important concerns in trade and economic areas, and may explore solutions through dialogue and consultations on the basis of mutual respect and equal treatment.
Are there any more questions? If not, this is the end of today’s press conference. Thank you.
(All information published on this website is authentic in Chinese. English is provided for reference only.)


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The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games presents one of the greatest ever opportunities for brand promotion. So it was oddly refreshing to witness a non-commercial display on Friday. As host country however, Brand UK received maximum exposure from a parachuting HM Queen Elizabeth II and James Bond along with a speedboating David Beckham and a crooning Sir Paul McCartney.
Away from the official events, several brands did their best to ensure they were not left out of the party. After all, and as we're told so frequently by the media, the Games is for everyone [and funded by everyone, or at least everyone who pays tax in Britain - Merpel]. Tip of the hat to all those who brought these anti-ambush marketing stories to the IPKat's attention and special mention to Lee Curtis for compiling the links so neatly.
After ordering the removal of Paddy Power's advertisements from billboards, LOCOG eventually decided the odds were not in its favour and decided to "monitor the situation" instead [perhaps it was the threatened counterclaim by Paddy Power to seek a High Court declaration of non-infringement for all current and future advertisements which persuaded LOCOG].
Nike also ran with the idea of using geographically identical place names in its video advertisement. The "Find your Greatness" [or to everyone else the "we're getting as close as-possible-to-the-Olympics-without-actually-breaking-the-rules"] campaign features normal athletes from places called London around the world. And it turns out that there are quite a few, though the number of people who will associate the word with anything other than the host city of the Games after watching the video can be counted with one paw.
Also picking up the baton is Oddbins, the British wine and alcohol retailer. Clearly incensed at the Games' sponsorship rules, its managing director issued a statement so full of vitriol a summary could hardly do it justice:
"...thanks to LOCOG... any business without the tens of millions of pounds required to join the cabal of multinational brand partners for the Games are reduced to the status of beggars on the gilded streets of the Olympic movement.
We have taken steps to ensure our planned window displays do not flout any of these asinine rules, but we are doing this primarily to highlight the absurdity of the fact that the British people - who are paying for these games - are at the same time being subject to ridiculous rules. Even though our window designs will be within the rules, we would not be surprised if LOCOG goes loco".
"It is about time the greatest sporting event on the planet was not sponsored by fast food companies, sugary fizzy drinks producers or monolithic multi-national brewers. A burger, can of fizzy pop and an industrial lager are not the most ideal preparation for the steeple chase or the dressage (for human or horse)".


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Ashutosh Sharma, Head Of Investments In India For Naspers, Will Join The Swiggy Board
Online food delivery startup Swiggy has raised about $80 Mn Series E funding led by South African Internet and media conglomerate Naspers. Existing investors Accel India, SAIF Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Harmony Partners, and Norwest Venture Partners also participated in the round. The current round has pegged Swiggy’s valuation at about $400 Mn.
With this move, Ashutosh Sharma, Head of Investments in India for Naspers, will join the Swiggy Board.
The startup will utilise the newly raised funds for introducing new product and service offerings to enhance customer experience. The startup also announced plans to double its technology headcount and increase investments in core engineering, automation, data sciences, machine learning, and personalisation.
Commenting on the funding, Ashutosh Sharma, Head of Investments in India, Naspers said, “Swiggy has shown impressive growth in a highly competitive market. Naspers was attracted to the company’s exceptional execution in disrupting online food ordering and delivery in India while many players are struggling. Their ability to create a sustainable business, earning consumer trust through a reliable first-party delivery technology, positions them well for success.”
The Swiggy Palate
This investment takes Swiggy’s total funding raised till date to about $155.5 Mn. In September 2016, Swiggy was valued at $200 Mn in its last funding round when it raised $15 Mn (INR 100 Cr) Series D led by US-based venture capital firm Bessemer Venture Partners. Existing investors Accel India, SAIF Partners, and Norwest Venture Partners also participated in this round.
As per a company statement, the startup has witnessed a six-fold growth in revenues over the last year. As per an ET report, the startup posted a 65-fold increase in losses for FY 2015-16 at about $21.2 Mn (INR 137.18 Cr) from about $328K (INR 2.12 Cr) in FY 2014-15.
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Commenting on the same, CEO Sriharsha Majety said, “We have seen 35% reduction in delivery costs and recorded 6x growth in revenues last year. We will look at a strong growth year ahead.”
Naspers’ Nest In India
Founded in 1915, Naspers is a global Internet and entertainment group and one of the largest technology investors in the world.
In November 2016, Naspers set up a venture capital arm in India to expedite its investments in the country. The firm also roped in Ashutosh Sharma, formerly a part of Norwest Venture Partners, to lead investments and mergers and acquisitions.
In April 2017, it was reported that Naspers was in talks to pick up a stake in Swiggy. Earlier this month, Naspers invested about $435 Mn in European food takeaway service Delivery Hero. Delivery Hero is the parent company of Swiggy’s competitor Foodpanda India.
A Bird’s Eye View Of The Indian Foodtech Market
As per a sector report by research and advisory firm RedSeer Consulting, online food delivery grew at a staggering pace of 150% to reach $300 Mn in GMV terms in 2016. And the online food delivery players handled, on an average, 160K orders in a day with an average order value of $5.
As per Inc42 Datalabs, 50 startups in the foodtech space raised $152.3 Mn funding. Of the total 105 foodtech startups, 76% were early-stage. Of these, only 24% survived that stage and were able to raise Series A and Series B funding. 2016 saw over 37 shutdowns of foodtech startups.
In May 2017, Uber’s on-demand food delivery app UberEATS debuted in India. It has a three-way app for customers, restaurants, and deliveries. In April 2017, Google launched a new hyperlocal services app in India – Areo. The Areo app delivers food and home services for residents in Bengaluru and Mumbai. Major competitors for Swiggy include Zomato, Runnr, Shadowfax among others.


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For most kids in the world, the biggest joy will be to drive the bike he or she always dreamed about. But how about a Ferrari F430 ? No, not a toy one; a real-life one with a 483-horsepower, V-8 engine under the hood and that sprints to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. Yeah, that one.
Apparently, to these two Indian children, who look no older than 8-years old, this powerful supercar is a toy. This is all too evident with just how well they handle this machine on the public roadway.
Apparently, the two childrens’ parents were there, or at least some adults were there filming, so we can only assume they had permission. However, we cannot stress enough to you just how stupid it is to let your kids take control of any car, let alone a powerful supercar. Especially when the need the New York City telephone book to see over the steering wheel…
This new dealership means Lamborghini now has two outlets across India, a country which has been booming over the past few years and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. As a result, wealthy business people are looking to splash their cash on exotic sports cars, much like their compatriots in China and Russia.
In addition to this opening, Lamborghini also announced the launch of a new subdivision of the brand being Lamborghini India. Lamborghini India will be the sole importer of Lamborghini’s into the country, obviously discounting the few high-end importers which may be situated in India, and if this second showroom boosts sales then Lamborghini is likely to open further dealerships across India.
Furthermore, this latest announcement comes after Lamborghini confirmed late last year that it was targeting to improve sales in India, as the number of millionaires is set to double before 2015 and Lamborghini expects sales of luxury automobiles to sky rocket in excess of five times their previous rates.
Unfortunately for Indian buyers, the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 will cost almost twice as much as it does in the U.S. due to the very high import taxes.
After a barely revealing teaser image of their new supercar, DC Design of India has debuted its Avanti supercar at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The Avanti - whose name is a reference to the Studbaker Avanti from Tintin comics - will be put on sale at a starting price of $56,277. Initially, DC Design will only build 200 units per year, but it hopes to gradually increase production to about 2,000 units a year.
The new Avanti looks to have taken its design inspiration from vehicles like the Ferrari 458 Italia or the latest array of Lotus concepts with its aerodynamic slopes and aggressive angles, but its performance figures are far from the realm of these popular supercars.
Initially, it will be powered by a Ford four-cylinder turbo engine that delivers a total of 265 horsepower, mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. Even its weight is too far off, especially considering that its body is made of aluminum and its body panels in fiberglass. It weighs in at 3,440 pounds, which allows the drivetrain to sprint the Avanti from 0 to 60 mph in less than 7 seconds.
If DC Design would have promised a really cool sports car and delivered the Avanti, then we would have been excited about it. As of right now, the only thing supercar-like for this vehicle is the outlandish look, and that’s not something everyone will enjoy.
Next time, it may be better for them to under-promise and over-deliver.
UPDATE 5/1/2013: Per a report from Economic Times of India, DC Design plans to build a new manufacturing plant in Sanand, Ahmedabad district in Gujarat state, India. We expect this site to be the new production site for the Avanti, which means a production model may finally be right around the corner.
Now that we’ve flipped over to the new year, expect a lot more of these little-known exotics to come out of the woodwork, with the first example coming from - of all places - India.
The car is being built by DC Design and is expected to be the showcase car of the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo. Little details are known at this point, but we did get an initial teaser that gives us a sneak peek of what the car will look like. Judging from the silhouette, it appears that it’s being developed as a mid-engine supercar with a unique profile and a jet-style cockpit.
Under the hood of this still-to-be-revealed supercar is a Honda -sourced V6 engine that is being prepared to receive an output of around 400 horsepower. Combine that with a svelte frame and you’re looking at a car that’s poised to impress the auto world.
DC Design is looking into building around 300 initial examples of the supercar at a price that’s being hinted at around $56,000.
It’s not often that a car sells for $850,000 and gets considered one of the biggest bargains in automotive history. But if the car in question is the famed “Star of India” – it’s a one-off 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II 40/50 HP Continental All-Weather Convertible – then you kind of understand why that selling price is ridiculously cheap for this car.
You see, this car is one of the rarest vehicles in the world, which gained notoriety when the Maharaja of Rajkot had it built with some pretty fancy coachwork made by Thrupp and Maberley and finished with saffron ochre and polished aluminum wings.
About a year ago, the car was on sale for an eye-popping €10 million – that’s about $14 million based on current exchange rates. After making its way to a number of auctions, the rare Rolls Royce was finally snagged for a ‘paltry’ $850,000 by an Indian man who – get this – turned out to be one Mandhatasinh Jadeja, a former prince of Rajkot and an actual grandson of the Maharajah. Turns out, Jadeja brought the “Star of India” Rolls Royce as a present to his father on his 75th birthday, effectively bringing the multi-million dollar Rolls Royce back to the family for the first time since the Maharajah sold it back in 1968.
We don’t have $850,000, but if we did and we found out that we could scoop up this car for that amount, we’d be running to the bank faster than a wasted teenager making a beeline for the bathroom. That’s how much of a bargain that price tag is. Of course, the fact that it ended up with its rightful owner does sort of bring a small tear to our eye, albeit a manly tear.
Bugatti must be really confident in the buying power of the rich folks of India considering that the company has introduced the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport in the country despite the ridiculous 110% import tax tacked to items like foreign exotic cars.
Add the car’s cost to the tax it comes with and to be able to purchase a Veyron in the country would mean that you would have to pay a staggering $3.6 million. Apparently, Bugatti is undeterred by the mammoth tax cars like the Veyron will be given, opting to focus more on the huge potential of the spending power of wealthy locals, which, according to analysts, could reach $14.7 billion as fast as 2015.
Satya Bagla, head of Exclusive Motors Pvt., the company that carries high-end brands Bugatti, Bentley , and Lamborghini , said that the Indian market, specifically the wealthy, are beginning to open up their bank accounts. “People have more spending power and are getting more aware of owning beautiful things,” she said.
“They are more ready to show their wealth.” Must be nice.
Although you’ve probably never heard of the Tata Safari, it’s a pretty big seller in other parts of the world. For 2011, there is a new model, although it still appears to be stuck in 1999. It will go on sale in India in the early part of 2011, followed by Europe later in the year.
The new model will pick up where the old one left off, but with more technical updates, a new design, and more attention to fit and finish. This means that the price will rise, but Tata is debating on continuing the production of the previous model, as a low cost variant. Hard to imagine BMW doing that with one of their models isn’t it?
The 2011 Tata Safari SUV will be based on its sibling Aria’s platform which will make the car more rigid and a better handler. The new model will also have lots of space and will be loaded with features such as a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a silver finish on the center console, Climate Control, and much more.
Tata will also use some of the technical know how from Jaguar Land Rover on the new Safari to help sales in Europe. The motor should be 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel with 140 horsepower.
Now this is what we call a real truck. It might not wear the Ram , Ford , or Chevrolet badge, but it’s just as good. The monster looking Bolero is a favorite of police, military, and some citizens who feel the need to be big and tall on the public roads, similar to driving a Hummer in the United States.
Now that the truck has been around 10 years, Mahindra are releasing a 2011 version truck with all the goodies that one might need to tame the Indian wilderness, such as a wicked light bar, a snorkel, tow loops, and a pick-axe.
According to the automaker, the Bolero is the best selling truck in India. It sold around 70,554 units year, which is quite a remarkable feat. This is certainly one of those vehicles that you either love or hate. Arnold Schwarzenegger types will love it, while green folk will believe it to be the anti-Christ. Either way, it sure does look neat.
Tata Motors may have a slew of SUVs on its portfolio, not to mention owning Land Rover , but the Indian-based automaker is finally ready to dive into the crossover market with the launch of the Aria.
The crossover is powered by a 2.2-liter diesel engine that produces around 140 horsepower. It also comes with a number of features including traction control, ABS, ESP, six air bags, and a higher ride height that makes it look more like an SUV than what’s classified as a crossover.
The Aria’s interior is also chalk-full of high-end features including power mirrors, rain sensing wipers, a GPS nav-sat system, automatic climate control, height adjustable seats, glove box chiller, and Bluetooth. The features seem fitting for a vehicle Tata describes as a “luxurious creation with the finesse of a sedan and the muscle of an SUV all blended in one car.”
Tata has yet to release pricing and availability of the Aria crossover, but according to the brand, the car will most likely be sold in India exclusively.
Now here’s something you don’t see in your newspapers everyday.
Volkswagen has a new and ingenious advertising ploy, one that involves a newspaper, an audio chip, and a voice recording. Yeah, we’ve never seen this one before.
The German manufacturer recently teamed up with Indian newspaper, The Times of India, for a pretty unique advertisement that allows you to listen to a voice-recorded message while looking at a whole page ad for Volkswagen.
Talk about a morning jolt, huh? Apparently, the voice-recorded spiel begins talking when you open the page to where the advertisement is as shown in the video. The message isn’t all too clear, but it’s unmistakably a promo message for the new Volkswagen Vento.
We don’t know a good deal about how Volkswagen and The Times of India were able to make this work, but according to the people of Wired, the ad apparently uses a photodiode – it’s an object that controls an electric current depending on the presence of a light source - on the audio chip. The message is then activated whenever a reader opens to the page where the advertisement’s ad and stops as soon as he leafs through to another page.
That’s a lot of electrical information that just passed in on one ear and came out the other, but if you want to see how the ad works, you can do so by checking out the video.


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Tamil Nadu-based companies account for 60-70% of India’s export of pharmaceuticals to Sri Lanka, according to P V Appaji, Director General of the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India.
Currently in the island to do the spade-work for setting up an Indo-Lankan export-oriented pharmaceutical manufacturing hub here, Appaji said that four of the 25 companies which were part of the Pharmexcil delegation were based in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to Indian correspondents after talks with Lankan Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa, and Deputy Minister of Commerce Jayarathna Herath, Appaji said that his team had already visited a prospective site for the manufacturing hub near Colombo airport.
India’s pharma exports to Lanka increased by 15.95% in 2011 to touch $ 126.9 million, he said. Of this, 93% were formulations, followed by bulk drugs (7%) and herbal drugs (0.15%). India accounted for 24.8% of the bulk drugs and 58 .3% of the formulations in Sri Lanka.
Noting a ‘huge gap’ between the domestic demand and supply, Secretary to Sri Lankan Ministry of Commerce Anura Siriwardene said that the Lankan pharma market was worth $190 million, with local manufacturers’ contributing $38 million to it.
“The arrival of the Indian team is a big eye opener for us. Nobody here believed that we can produce pharmaceuticals for the massive global market, but now we have realised otherwise,” said Premakumar Weyhenage, Director, Healthcare and Consumer Division of CIC Holdings.


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While Apple recently boasted surpassing 50 billion app downloads, the Google Play store isn’t that far behind it seems, and at the rate that Google Play downloads are at, it’s said that Android app downloads will overtake iOS app downloads this year, possibly as soon as October, according to a report.
The Telegraph says that Google Play is currently seeing over 500 million more app downloads per month than the iTunes App Store, which means that total app downloads for Android could surpass iOS by October if the numbers continue at that rate, but it seems no matter when exactly the overtake will happen, 2013 will most likely be the year that Android apps surpass iOS apps.
Of course, this could have something to do with the larger number of Android devices that have been activated. Android is now at 900 million total devices that have been activated, while iOS is at 600 million. Even with a lower apps-per-device figure, Android still has the steam to overtake iOS app downloads at some point this year.
Based on recent numbers of both the iTunes App Store and Google Play store, Android is approximately two billion app downloads behind iTunes at 48 billion total app downloads since the Google Play store’s conception. It’s said that around two billion iOS apps are downloaded every months, while Android gets 2.5 billion app downloads per month.
Asymco analyst Horace Dediu says that “the total downloads/install base are currently 83 apps per iOS device sold and 53 apps per Android device activation,” meaning that “the sheer weight of Android units will generate more downloads, but on a per-device basis, the iOS devices do seem to consume more apps, and the gap is not narrowing.”
SOURCE: The Telegraph


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Overwatch event skins always come with a bit of controversy, as fans are excited to see some heroes get decked out, but disappointed when their favorite gets left out.
Despite being one of the most recent heroes to be released, Hammond wasn’t given a holiday skin during the most recent Winter Wonderland event that came just a few months after his July 2018 release.
This didn’t sit right with NorsePearl, who decided to create their own holiday skin for Overwatch’s favorite hamster.
NorsePearl decided to give Hammond’s mech a jingle bell makeover and turn it gold, like Reinhardt’s recent holiday skin.
The legs and cannons on the mech are made out of candy canes, and there’s tinsel acting as festive ammo belts.
- Read More: When is Baptiste going live in Overwatch?
Hammond himself has been given an adorable little Christmas sweater that’s so hilarious you have to wonder why he didn’t get a similar skin last year.
The next Overwatch event should be the Archives event, which usually begins in April.
The Archives event usually features PvE events based in Overwatch lore, like the Uprising and Retribution events from the past couple of years.
Just what the new PvE event will consist of remains to be seen, but there are sure to be plenty of new skins and other cosmetics for at least some of Overwatch’s heroes.


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Our alumni are up to some pretty cool stuff! Dr. Angie Lillehei has developed these sleep patches after completing her PhD at the University of Minnesota with a successful controlled trial on sleep issues and the effect of Lavender essential oil.
Each patch uses time release patch technology to allow inhalation of essential oils. Sourced from plants that have been specifically selected for their chemical properties to assist with sleep, calm, and energy.
Pack of 10, for 10 wonderfully sleep filled nights!
Real Simple wrote about lavender and sleep in a 2016 article quoting Noctilessence founder Angela Lillehei. Read it here.


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Halloween’s over but you probably have a pile of candy around your house. Today on “Growing up Texas” we take a look at managing your children’s candy consumption.
It's estimated that the average American eats about 24 pounds of candy a year. Most of that eating happens around this time of year, which isn't good for your kids’ stomachs or their teeth.
Dr. Regina Jensen, a local dentist, said the effects of Halloween candy can show up after the holiday in the form of cavities.
“It has more so to do with after Halloween -- how much you allow you kids eat candy. So, down the road we might see it as a consequence,” Jensen said. “You know, Halloween is about having candy. We want to teach kids about how to limit themselves and also educate the parents on the best way to do that."
If you're looking for a way to dump some of these desserts before they wind end up getting stuck in your kids’ teeth, here are some ideas.
You can freeze them to use later in baking recipes or for Valentine's Day. Save some to use as stocking-stuffers or in a gingerbread house during Christmas time. Or stuff it in a piñata for your kid's birthday party.
And, if you don't want to even see the candy in your house anymore, you can actually sell it back to Jensen Pediatric Dentistry.
"We're actually donating it to Operation Gratitude,” Jensen said. “It benefits the troops overseas. So, they bring their candy, their unopened, unwanted candy, if there's any such thing as unwanted. And, we send it to the soldiers overseas. We give the kids a dollar a pound.”
The Halloween buy back is from Nov. 4-7 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information go to jensenpediatricdentistry.com.


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When John Melo decided to leave BP 14 years ago to join synthetic biology company Amyris, it was set to be the next big thing in biofuels. But the idea only made sense with oil at $100 a barrel, and when those prices fell it didn’t pan out as he thought. “I had no grays, I had no scars, I was a bit naive,” recalls Melo, who was recruited to the CEO spot by venture capitalist John Doerr.
But Melo, who is 55 and an immigrant from the Azores, stuck it out and repositioned the Emeryville, California-based company. The move from biofuels to skincare, haircare, baby care and the like was not a straight path, but it offers a test case of how one company – and one CEO – pivoted a business that proved unworkable into one that could succeed.
“Fuels are the hardest thing to bioengineer for because of the cost,” Melo says. “By going after the hardest [thing] first we were able to push the technology and develop breakthroughs that no one has done.”
Today, Amyris’s big bets are in consumer products. It uses biosynthesis to create an alternative squalene, an oil made in the liver of sharks that’s used in moisturizers and other personal-care products. It launched its first consumer brand, Biossance, which offers a range of sustainable skincare products, in 2015. “The idea wasn’t to be a new brand,” Melo says. “We thought, ‘Let’s tell the consumer about it so they are more interested.’” Melo soon rolled out a follow-up brand called Pipette to target babies and moms.
“I think of the science platform as the golden goose.”
Results? The publicly traded company reported 2020 revenue of $173 million, up 13% from the previous year, though it has continued to lose money, with an adjusted net loss of $151 million. Amyris has said it expects 2021 revenue of around $400 million.
Investors have taken notice. Its stock is up 10-fold over the past year, at a recent $22, giving the company a market cap of $5.9 billion. Though the surge in stock price has pushed it above a number of analysts’ price targets, including recent ones from Cowen and Roth Capital Partners, the average analyst price target remains $26.60. Jeffries analyst Laurence Alexander (who has a target price of $23) notes in a recent report that he expects the market to continue to favor early-stage companies like Amyris given the high valuation multiples for biotech and fast-growing retail brands, among other factors.
Behind the expected growth is a flurry of new brands that are slated to launch in the third quarter, including Rose Inc. (clean cosmetics), Terasana (acne) and a partnership with Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness (hair care). Melo has also targeted acquisitions, agreeing to buy Costa Brazil, a luxury clean beauty brand, earlier this month for an undisclosed sum. He says another deal is in the works that will target Gen Z, though he declines to give additional details.
“We have been moving to the consumer very, very rapidly,” Melo says. In 2019, less than 20% of the business was in consumer brands; this year, by contrast, Melo says that more than half of revenue will come from them. “We expect our consumer business to keep doubling every year for the foreseeable future,” he says. “The consumer side will be somewhere around $130 million this year. That’s off last year being $52 million. It’s a fun place to be.”
Amyris, which was founded in 2003, isn’t the only synthetic biology company going after the personal-care market as skincare, haircare and makeup that’s sustainable and made with healthy ingredients has gained traction. Bolt Threads (see our 2018 profile) spun out a skincare company called Eighteen B based on its bio-based silk in 2019, while Geltor bio-engineers collagen and elastin.
Amyris is interesting because it’s building a portfolio of different brands that rely on its bioengineering, and because it can use the income it gets from molecules to invest in its own brands, which, as Melo notes, offer higher profit margins than selling ingredients. “I think of the science platform as the golden goose,” he says. “We are going to keep monetizing those molecules and using it to fund the brands.”
To date, the industrial biotech company has built and scaled 13 molecules and has another 18 in the pipeline. Each can generate $50 million to $100 million in revenue, Melo says, though the ultimate amount depends on market size and other factors.
With a $50 million deal with Dutch vitamin and animal feed conglomerate DSM plus two other transactions in the works, Amyris has moved to shore up its balance sheet. “The company can fund itself now into the future,” says a major investor. “That’s why it was a coiled spring, if you will.”
As the consumer business grows, what happens to Amyris’s remaining non-consumer operations? “It’s a great question,” Melo says, “and we’re figuring that out right now.”