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LifeLock, the scam of a company, has hired Marvin Davis as its new Chief Marketing Officer. Davis is the former Vice President of Verizon Wireless. That's fitting. I've sued Verizon a couple of times in identity theft cases. Verizon has this strange, baseless notion that it need not comply with 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2(b)'s duty to reasonably investigate disputes lodged by a consumer with a credit bureau regarding a Verizon account if the consumer previously did not provide something to Verizon that Verizon requested.
In my case, my client was the victim of a fraud account opened by Verizon. The identity thief used my client's name and SSN to apply for a phone. Verizon pulled my client's credit report but did not bother to actually look at it (according to sworn testimony). If it had, Verizon should have noticed that the birth date given by the perp was completely wrong and that my client lived in North Carolina, not Illinois where the account was being opened. Alas, less than 10 seconds after the application was submitted, the perp had his shiny new fraud account.
My client learned of the fraud when, of course, the identity thief did not pay the $1000 or so in charges racked up on the cell phone. Verizon then was able to look at my client's credit report, realize he was stationed in North Carolina, and start trying to collect from him there. My client was in the military and set to be deployed to Afghanistan a few days after he first learned of the fraud account.
When he called Verizon to dispute the account, Verizon requested copies of his SSN card, driver's license, and a police report. My client provided the SSN card and driver's license but could not provide a police report. His local North Carolina police would not take a report, since the crime occurred in Illinois. And the Peoria, Illinois police would only take a report in person which, being on the way to war, my client was not able to do. My client told Verizon all this and even provided a statement from his superior officer that he was in North Carolina and never in Illinois where the account was opened. Verizon refused to listen and took the stance of "no police report, no correction".
After repeated phone calls to Verizon from Afghanistan (and even being hung up on once by a rude Verizon employee), my client disputed the fraud account to the three credit bureaus. Each of these bureaus relayed his disputes to Verizon, which triggered Verizon's duty to investigate pursuant to 1681s-2(b). Keep in mind that this duty to investigate is triggered even if my client had never contacted Verizon directly. What did Verizon do in response to the credit bureau disputes? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Verizon claimed that it did not have to investigate because my client had never provided a police report which he was not physically able to do (short of holding a gun to a cop and forcing him to do a report) and, of course, is not even required by the FCRA. The law is clear. Verizon had a duty to investigate.
Three credit bureau disputes later and still no investigation or correction. Finally, after being denied a home loan due to the Verizon fraud account on his credit report, my client found me and we filed suit. The lawsuit triggered something that nothing else had ... removal of the fraud account. And a confidential settlement approximately a year later.
Based upon the above, I am sure Marvin Davis will fit right in with LifeLock's shenanigans.


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It sounds like a B-grade movie plot: Millions of smartphone owners are being tracked by their phones. Their mobile apps are eavesdropping on them, too. And information about their whereabouts is being sold to third parties.
- Report: Security hole in macOS Keychain puts passwords at risk
- DDoS protection: Cloudflare drops surge pricing, Microsoft responds to AWS Shield
- The week in security: As business and CISOs struggle to unite, hackers scoring big hits
- Mass CCleaner malware attack actually targeted tech giants
- NotPetya costs FedEx $300m, now weighs up cyber insurance

domain: news


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An alliance between compounding leader PolyOne Corp. and green chemistry supplier Segetis Inc. could yield a bio-based plasticizer by the end of next year.
Avon Lake, Ohio-based PolyOne and Segetis, of Golden Valley, Minn., announced the partnership in early April. The firms will work together to incorporate Segetis' proprietary levulinic ketal technology in plasticizers that can be used in PolyOne materials or sold to other suppliers.
Levulinic ketals are formed by combining levulinic acid derived from biomass currently from corn cobs with one of a variety of bio-based polyalcohols. Segetis also is using the technology to make a line of solvents, as well as natural polyols that can be used in polyurethane systems, according to Snehal Desai, business vice president for Segetis.
Segetis was formed in 2007 and opened a 250,000-pound-capacity semi-works plant in Golden Valley last year. The firm employs 30 and was started by Sergey Selifonov, a fragrances industry veteran who saw potential in bio-based products.
Plasticizers made by the PolyOne-Segetis partnership could be used in a range of bio-based or petroleum-based resins, including PVC, where they could replace phthalates. Alleged health risks surrounding phthalates have led manufacturers to seek out non-phthalate materials in recent years.
Together, [PolyOne and Segetis] will develop a unique performance profile for bio-based plasticizers that will enable us to create compounds with properties that are unobtainable today, PolyOne biomaterials marketing director Marcel Dartee said in a recent news release.
For Segetis, its first commercial product should be a solvent available in late 2010 or early 2011, Desai said in an April 29 phone interview. The PolyOne/Segetis bio-plasticizer should arrive by the end of 2011, with a Segetis-designed natural polyol hitting the market by the end of 2011 as well.
Segetis is majority-owned by investment firm Khosla Ventures of Menlo Park, Calif.
DSM Venturing a unit of Dutch plastics and specialty chemicals maker DSM NV also is an investor in the firm. Earlier this year, Segetis was named a finalist in a Clean Technology Business Forum & Competition sponsored by the Society of Plastics Engineers' Plastics Environmental Division.
PolyOne had previously announced joint development efforts with agricultural giant Archer Daniels Midland to produce bioplasticizers for use in PVC-related markets.
Desai is familiar with the biomaterials market, having spent five years at bioplastics supplier NatureWorks LLC of Minnetonka, Minn., before joining Segetis in 2008.
What's happening [with biomaterials] is that we're seeing customers who are more willing to experiment, he said. There are more unmet needs that they're willing to speak about.
There's a new level of awareness on sustainability issues in general. People are looking at these products and trying to find ways they can use them.
Copyright 2010 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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We are now almost at the end of 2021 and with the approach of the new year the new series of smartphones that are usually launched between January and March, among which we find the Samsung Galaxy S22.
Obviously, as often happens, the rumors begin to get more and more interesting as the launch of a new device approaches, and the latest rumors running around the web concern the prices of the S22 series.
Apparently South Korean devices are expected to keep the prices we have already seen this year, then the Samsung Galaxy S22 should start at € 879, the S22 Plus from € 1,079 and finally the S22 Ultra from € 1,279. I do not know if this is good news or not, it is certainly positive that we will not see a price increase, which is not obvious given the lack of chips unfortunately still ongoing due to the pandemic.
If, on the other hand, you were hoping for a lowering of prices, you will be a little disappointed by the rumors, but still remember that this is not official information, only rumors that will be confirmed or denied in the future, to get official info we will have to wait at least for the month of January. during which the launch of Galaxy S21 FE should instead take place, and this smartphone should also maintain the price of the model, therefore between 669 and 779 €.
See you then at the next leak or rumor, and we hope to soon know the specifications and the price of the new Samsung series.
#Samsung #Galaxy #S22 #price #unchanged #compared #S21


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See the accompanying News Release entitled: Free trade has failed to live up to its promises—study
The full report is entitled: 20 Years Later: Has Free Trade Delivered on its Promise? (in Adobe PDF format)
Excerpt from News Release:
"OTTAWA— Twenty years after Canada signed the Free Trade Agreement its biggest boosters have grown wealthier but promises of better jobs and rising living standards fell short, says a study released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
The Canada-US Free Trade Agreement was signed on January 2, 1988. The study examines what’s happened since: It takes a sample of 41 Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) member companies – the leading supporter of free trade – and finds they shrank their workforce by 19.6% while their revenues grew by 127%."


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Since entering the Presidential race last year, Trump has made international trade a cornerstone of his campaign and has promised to go after countries like China that “cheat on trade”. In fact, the Trump website promises that “day one” his administration will take steps to “designate China as a currency manipulator” and crack down on “illegal export subsidies [that] intentionally distorts international trade.”
On day one of the Trump administration the U.S. Treasury Department will designate China as a currency manipulator. This will begin a process that imposes appropriate countervailing duties on artificially cheap Chinese products, defends U.S. manufacturers and workers, and revitalizes job growth in America. We must stand up to China’s blackmail and reject corporate America’s manipulation of our politicians. The U.S. Treasury’s designation of China as a currency manipulator will force China to the negotiating table and open the door to a fair – and far better – trading relationship.
China’s illegal export subsidies intentionally distorts international trade and damages other countries’ exports by giving Chinese companies an unfair advantage. From textile and steel mills in the Carolinas to the Gulf Coast’s shrimp and fish industries to the Midwest manufacturing belt and California’s agribusiness, China’s disregard for WTO rules hurt every corner of America.
As we’ve noted in the past, the aluminum industry provides a textbook example of how China “cheats on trade” and the corresponding impact on U.S. companies. In fact, the Wall Street Journal recently took a look into the production and trading activities of one Chinese aluminum producer, China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd., that seemingly “cheats” in many of the ways Trump enumerates above.
As background, China is the biggest producers of aluminum in the world with production fueled by access to inexpensive electricity and tax breaks from the government. As local demand plummeted in the wake of the “great recession,” much of China’s aluminum production has found it’s way to the U.S….though often not through direct, or technically legal, channels.
The dumping of cheap aluminum on the U.S. market has decimated domestic production with only five aluminum smelters left in the U.S. down from 23 in 2000. In fact, Alcoa, the largest American aluminum maker, recently announced plans to spinoff its aluminum production assets in order to isolate its more profitable parts-making units. Alcoa CEO, Klaus Kleinfeld, attributed the move to illegitimate Chinese exports that were “the major driver” of lower aluminum prices.
Back in 2009, U.S. aluminum imports from China surged causing import prices to plunge by 30% and crushing U.S. producers like Alcoa. That surge in imports and simultaneous price collapse caused the Commerce Department to take notice. In 2010, the Commerce Department enacted new tariffs on Chinese aluminum imports after an investigation revealed that the Chinese were dumping cut-rate aluminum on the U.S. markets while receiving subsidies back home.
But the story doesn’t end there, of course, as the rabbit hole goes much deeper. Unable to dump aluminum on the U.S. market directly, Zhongwang Holdings, a large Chinese aluminum producer, found a workaround that involved rerouting U.S.-bound aluminum through Mexico. In fact, a review of trade data found that just as China’s export of aluminum to the U.S. collapsed in 2010 they simultaneously surged to Mexico.
Jeff Henderson, President of a U.S. trade group known as the Aluminum Extruders Council, took note of the shift in Chinese exports to Mexico and decided to dig a little deeper. As such, he commissioned a plane to flyover a “small” factory in Mexico and, to his great “shock,” found about 6% of the entire world’s inventory of aluminum sitting in the middle of the Mexican desert covered in tarps.
Two years ago, a California aluminum executive commissioned a pilot to fly over the Mexican town of San José Iturbide, at the foot of the Sierra Gorda mountains, and snap aerial photos of a remote desert factory.
He made a startling discovery. Nearly one million metric tons of aluminum sat neatly stacked behind a fortress of barbed-wire fences. The stockpile, worth some $2 billion and representing roughly 6% of the world’s total inventory—enough to churn out 2.2 million Ford F-150s or 77 billion beer cans—quickly became an obsession for the U.S. aluminum industry.
Aluminum-industry representative Jeff Henderson says he is convinced that China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd., a Chinese aluminum giant controlled by billionaire Liu Zhongtian, tried to evade U.S. tariffs by routing aluminum through Mexico to disguise its origins, a tactic known as transshipping.
Of course Liu Zhongtian, owner of Zhongwang Holdings, denies any efforts to avoid U.S. tariffs by shipping through Mexico but the WSJ notes that the records are relatively clear. Trade records show that hundreds of thousands of tons of aluminum were shipped to Mexico from China through a series of companies, including one owned by Liu’s son and another by someone who described himself as a longtime business associate.
Mr. Liu, a member of China’s ruling Communist Party, denies any connection to the Mexican aluminum or transshipping. “These things have nothing to do with me,” he said in a June interview at his company’s Liaoning, China, plant, where he lives in an apartment inside the factory. He said he wouldn’t know how to establish a business in Mexico, joking that “in that sort of place, there are a lot of killers with guns.”
The flow of aluminum from China to the U.S. gets a little convoluted but the following WSJ graphic boils it down:
Since Jeff Henderson brought of all these trade manipulations to light, Liu has shifted tactics to be a little “smarter.” Liu’s son has been replaced as CEO of the “small” Mexican aluminum producer and replaced with a California attorney named Charles Pok. Pok originally denied having any connection with Liu but later admitted that he did have a relationship which he couldn’t discuss due to “attorney-client privilege”…isn’t that convenient?
But lately, after the Mexico shenanigans were revealed by Jeff Henderson, the Chinese aluminum export game has shifted to Vietnam with exports surging over the past two years.
Of course, much of the “Vietnamese” aluminum will end up on the U.S. market. In fact, the U.S. has imported some 2,000 tons of aluminum from Vietnam over the past couple of years. And wouldn’t you know it, Perfectus Aluminum, owned by none other than Liu’s son, is one of the largest buyers.


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With record high temperatures forecast for the rest of August, and winter still months away, healthcare officials have expressed concerns about rising cases of foodborne illnesses in Qatar.
Summer is the most common time for food poisoning cases in the Gulf country due to the heat, which facilitates bacterial growth, one Hamad Hospital emergency room doctor said.
In a statement, Dr. Galal Saleh Alessai, who is also a medical toxicologist, added:
“Common signs and symptoms of food poisoning include nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps or pain, diarrhea, fever or bloody stool, and in severe cases the person may go into shock and collapse.
Elderly people, pregnant women, children under five years of age, people with a serious illness or disease such as diabetes, people with a compromised immune system, or those taking medication such as steroids, antibiotics or antihistamines, or people who travel frequently are at a greater risk of contracting the illness.”
To stay healthy, HMC recommends:
- Maintaining good personal hygiene. Wash hands, make sure to cover or pull hair back while cooking, keep tables and counters clean and make sure the kitchen is free of insects and other pests;
- Serving food (almost) immediately. Food is safest to consume on the same day that it is cooked. Preparing meals in advance could result in incorrectly storing food, increasing the risk of illness;
- Avoiding cross-contamination. When storing food in the refrigerator, be sure to keep cooked meals and raw items away from each other, for example by placing them on different shelves;
- Thawing carefully. When defrosting frozen chicken in the sink, use cold running water, and make sure the temperature does not exceed 21C. Keep frozen items in their original packaging to avoid contamination of the kitchen area; and
- Cooling with ice. Prepared food should be quickly stored in the fridge to lessen the time of room temperature exposure. To help cool down the food before storing, consider cutting up the item into small pieces, sealing it into a container and submerging it into a basin of crushed ice or chilled water.
What tips would you offer? Thoughts?


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Google has officially launched Google Wallet, a free app that facilitates “wireless and wallet-less” purchases via PayPass. This new app is in line with the emerging trend of paying for products and services with smartphones or digital wallets. While these evolutionary electronic payment methods can lighten a consumer’s wallet, they can also open access to heavy identity theft dangers.
Said Jeff Paradise, executive director of IdentityHawk, a leading identity theft protect service, “The first step you should take before using a digital wallet is going through the simple steps of PROTECT. Following these steps will help make sure that when you make your first purchases you do not open yourself up to the risk of identity theft.”
IdentityHawk provides the following tips for identity protection while using digital wallets.
The CIO’s rapidly evolving role into a more collaborative, business-facing and multi-skilled function is shifting the dynamics of the modern-day executive table. ... More >>
Unnecessary or overly permissive access rules are often left in place due to the fear of making a change that impacts the network or applications. ... More >>
What lessons can be learned from the histories of corporate rises and falls during equally ferocious transformations of the past? ... More >>


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Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and AOL have joined hands with Agari, a start-up that makes software to keep spam and phishing messages away from user inboxes.
Agari stated that some of the world's biggest email service providers had joined its Agari Email Trust Fabric platform.
The company explained that companies provide data which it analyses over a cloud based system to determine a pattern for scam and phishing emails, which is then used to protect user inboxes from nefarious messages, as reported (opens in new tab) by CNET.
With Google and the rest of the gang joining its platform, the company has access to more than one billion email inboxes around the world. Agari claims to protect 50 percent of consumer email traffic in the United States.
"The AGARI Email Trust Fabric transforms email by bringing together the world's largest global brands, mail carriers, and technology providers to collectively work together to protect brands and consumers from fraud and phishing," said Patrick Peterson, CEO, AGARI.
"Our platform is a catalyst for change and, with the help of our partners and customers, provides access to data analytics and controls that were inconceivable a few years ago," he added.


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Apple was also denied an injunction on Samsung's products in preliminary proceedings regarding the same patent at the Court of the Hague last year. In July, Apple was also denied an injunction against HTC in the U.K. in a case concerning the same patent, Apple appealed that case. The lower regional of Mannheim also ruled in September that Samsung's Galaxy products do not infringe on Apple's "touch event model" patent.
Loek is Amsterdam Correspondent and covers online privacy, intellectual property, open-source and online payment issues for the IDG News Service. Follow him on Twitter at @loekessers or email tips and comments to firstname.lastname@example.org


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YouTube finally adding picture-in-picture mode to iOS
Don't you just wish you can watch YouTube on your phone while doing something else? While this is possible on Android devices, this feature wasn't available on iOS - at least not officially. However, YouTube has announced that the feature is coming to iOS.
According to MacRumors, YouTube has confirmed that the picture-in-picture (PiP) mode is being rolled out to iOS users. With it, users can watch YouTube videos in a small pop-up window. While some are worried the feature would be locked behind a paywall, that doesn't seem to be a problem.
YouTube picture-in-picture is finally working on the iOS app after all these years . Although I would guess it’s only if you have Premium obviously :/ pic.twitter.com/6YOEGFEqFk— ᕼαrrison Grαy (@hgray_99) June 18, 2021
Some iOS users have gotten access to the feature
In a statement from YouTube, the company announced that it has "roll out PiP for YouTube Premium members on iOS and plan to launch PiP for all US iOS users as well". Of course, this statement also sounds like the feature would only be available in the US at first. Currently, we're not sure when users in other countries will get the feature.
Of course, some alternatives would let you use PiP mode. For example, using the mobile Safari browser to access YouTube instead of the iOS app. But having official support on the app is definitely better. Haven't you gotten this update yet? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


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Something is Coming... [Updated]
A few more notes:
- MacBidouille's readers had posted on their forums regarding new boxes from Apple that had arrived at a FNAC -- a computer/department story in France with instructions not to open before Monday, June 23rd. The post claims two box sizes... one which is speculated to be laptop sized, while the other is described as much larger. Speculation and discussion are ongoing in this Page 2 thread.
Interestingly enough, Apple Stores are also receiving palettes this week which are not to be opened until Monday afternoon (June 23rd). These reports indicate that at least some new products with immediate availability after WWDC's opening day. It is unknown if there is the same sizes as described by MacBidouille's readers.
- Mac-TV.de claims that Apple Germany has stated that there will be no web-stream of the event.
- The invitation for the German Apple Broadcast event hypes WWDC further (updated translation by Stike):
Discover the Future with the Apple
Apple Germany invites you to a breathtaking event in the heart of Europe.
Watch the keynote of Steve Jobs from the WWDC in San Francisco via satellite.
For Audio, Video, Publishing and Mediaprofessionals will it be an unforgettable event. News will await you, which will top all your previous expectations on speed.
Be ready for a new age of computing on 23.06.2003 starting 6 pm.
(Please note that this is an invite-only event)
[Update: Translation corrected]
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, SEGA Genesis,...
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...


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Wow. Just... wow. Too Faced once again slays all with a new lip innovation, challenging Kylie Lip Kits for mega matte, suede-like lip dominance. The Too Faced Melted Matte Lipsticks were officially set to launch on April 5 and that's quite a big deal, since the brand's now-iconic Melted Liquid Lipsticks got some revisions with this version. For this edition, the brand swapped out the squeeze tube sponge tip in favor of a tube with a wand, in addition to creating a majorly matte formula. Makeupistas were super stoked about this new iteration of the Melted. Even though the Melted Mattes, which come in a variety of colors from pinks to purples to nudes, weren't scheduled to officially arrive for another two weeks, are the Too Faced Melted Matte lipsticks already sold out?!
Actually, most of the Melted Matte shades are already sold out on the Sephora site. I'm thinking that the Melted Mattes are still slated to land as planned in Sephora stores on April 5. Bustle reached out to Too Faced reps for more information.
Brand founder Jerrod Blandino, who makes all sorts of crucial reveals on his personal Instagram page, posted a video of a new batch of Melted Mattes, which cost $21, being made. It's a cool clip of ooey, gooey, and hot pink liquid goodness. However, in the post's caption, Blandino pointed out that the hippies are already sold out at Sephora.com.
Observe makeup being... made!
The good news here is that Too Faced is quickly making more so that a restock can happen on the quick. Whew.
When the lipsticks were first announced, Too Faced revealed that the Melted Mattes would be exclusive to Sephora at first and that there would be a few Sephora-only shades.
As of right now, only four of the darker, gothier, and vampier shades remain available for purchase. Also, there are only 16 shades on the Sephora site right now, even though there are supposed to be 18 in total.
However, two shades, named Marcia Marcia, Marcia and On Point, are not listed here and those were said to be Sephora exclusives upon announce. So perhaps those are coming on April 5?
Stay tuned! At least you know more are being made.
They are awesome, right?
Go ahead, gawk a little more at the Melted Matte awesomeness.
Images: Courtesy of Too Faced (4); Sephora (1); Jerrod Blandino/Instagram (1);


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Meet The World’s Top 100 Cross-Border Payments Companiesby Fintech News Singapore March 5, 2020
FXC Intelligence, a financial data company, has released its selection of the world’s top 100 cross-border payments companies for 2020.
According to an Accenture report, the overall value of cross-border payments reached US$23.6 trillion in 2018, and is projected to grow to US$24.8 trillion in 2019. Cross-border payments are expected to rise by 5.6% per year, driven both by retail (C2C, C2B, B2C) and corporate payments.
For the list, FXC Intelligence focused on companies with a certain scale, an established customer base, and which are not startups. These companies also either have cross-border payments as their primary activity or have cross-border payments as a substantial revenue line.


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Two divers — one of whom was documentary filmmaker Rob Stewart’s dive buddy on the day the latter died in 2017 — will receive their sentences next month following their convictions for trying to smuggle closed-circuit rebreathers to Libya.
Peter Sotis, who was Stewart’s dive buddy on that fateful day, and Emilie Voissem were convicted of participating in a scheme to cause the illegal export of rebreather diving equipment to Libya in August 2016, according to the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security:
“Because of these enhanced capabilities, rebreathers have a dual use, with both civilian and military applications, and are specifically included on the Commerce Control List, which is the list of dual-use items that are export-controlled. Such restricted items require a DOC-BIS license if the rebreathers are to be exported to any countries with national security concerns, such as Libya.”
The Commerce Department added:
“The defendants were warned that it was illegal to export the items to Libya without a license and they willfully attempted to export those items after receiving an instruction from a Department of Commerce special agent that such items were detained and not to be exported while a license determination was pending. The exhibits and testimony at trial showed that the defendants lied to and misled Ramas LLC, a shipping company in Virginia, about what the agent had told them and about whether the rebreathers had a military use. Testimony at trial also showed that Sotis threatened a government witness not to cooperate with the federal investigation.”
Sotis and Voissem were both convicted of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), attempted violation of the IEEPA and smuggling.
The two are scheduled to be sentenced on January 6th, 2022 and face a maximum penalty of up to 35 years in prison and US$1.5 million (~€1.3 million) in fines.


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All News Entries
Friday, May 20, 2011
SPS said that this deal boosts its position as a leading provider of cloud-based supply chain technology and added that “subscribers of SPSCommerce.net and Direct EDI's services will benefit from expanded operations to support e-commerce and traditional retail supply chains.”
Carload volume—at 294,271—was up 1.6 percent annually and ahead of the week ending May 7 at 281,860.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The European Commission’s investigation of ocean carrier antitrust rules ramped up to a new level this week, as Asian players were also targeted by regulators.
The National Gateway is a roughly $850 million public-private partnership (PPP) infrastructure initiative designed to provide a highly efficient freight transportation link between the Mid-Atlantic ports and the Midwest. It was first unveiled by CSX in May 2008.
Global third-party logistics (3PL) services provider CEVA is continuing to increase its presence in the United States. The company announced this week it has relocated its cross-dock operations to a new facility in Otay Mesa, California, which is less than three miles from its previous location.
The ongoing rebound in that transportation and logistics merger & acquisition activity appears to continue to be gaining traction, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
With both the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) Manufacturing Report on Business and Non-Manufacturing Report on Business showing strong growth for 23 and 17 months, respectively, it was not surprising that the ISM’s Semiannual Economic Forecast point to continued economic growth throughout the rest of the year. The report, which was released this week, is based on feedback from U.S.-based purchasing and supply executives.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Coming off of a 4 percent gain in United States-bound waterborne shipments from January to February, shipments from March to April saw a 7 percent bump with 959,364 shipments, said Panjiva. And the number of global manufacturers shipping to the U.S.—at 139,337 was up 6 percent.
ACT Research, a provider of data and analysis for trucks and other commercial vehicles, said this week that net orders for North American Class 8 vehicles checked in at 38,100 units on a non-seasonally adjusted basis in April.
The truckload spot market in April was down 14 percent from April but showed a 12 percent annual gain compared to April 2010, said TransCore officials. They added that freight volumes in the South and Midwest regions of the U.S. were impacted most by the weather.


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Janel Haugarth, a 35-year veteran at Supervalu Inc., has been named president of independent business and business optimization.
She replaces Leon Bergmann, who has decided to leave the company, according to a Supervalu news release.
Bergmann joined Eden Prairie-based Supervalu (NYSE: SVU) in January 2011 and was named president of the division in July 2011.
Haugarth led the company's supply chain services division from 2006 to 2011 and served as the executive vice president of merchandising and logistics the past two years.
>Click here to read the company's news release.


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The Overwatch Sombra mystery continues
UPDATE ONE: A glitch appears to have confirmed that new content is indeed coming to the game, although it doesn't point to anything Overwatch Sombra related.
While the Overwatch 1.11 update has been released, it is thought to have only included minor bug fixes.
Blizzard have yet to post any patch notes for it, leading some to believe it may contain more. And now fans believe they may have found a new glitch that reveal new content is coming to the game.
Following the release of Overwatch 1.11, one player spotted that when accessing the Hero Gallery, the number of different unlockables for each character had been increased.
Having clicked on a character to have a look, they couldn't see any differences and having backed out again, they found the numbers had dropped back down.
"I am a player in the Xbox Overwatch Community and have discovered an (accidental) glitch that reveals extra numbers hinting at new items for each character, possibly in the next patch," they explained on Reddit.
We checked out the glitch for ourselves and saw the changes in items talked about above and it appears each character sees an item boost of three.
It supports the idea that we may see some kind of launch very soon, although with Blizzcon 2016 round the corner, it would seem to make more sense for the Overwatch Sombra character to be released closer to November 4.
Some fans have even posted a new theory that to unlock Sombra, players will have to unlock each new item, although that wouldn't explain the need for the big countdown.
The Overwatch Sombra continues following the release of update 1.11
It reads: Connecting ...
... Shadow v1.95 Protocol starting ...
... Finished Transmission - ending loading ...
... Charging complete. Bastion Unit E-54 committed ...
... Terminating connection ...
Many fans are hoping that answers are close to hand and an official launch for the new character even closer. The reference to Bastion is also intriguing and could hint more about Sombra’s backstory.
It was believed Sombra would appear as part of the big Overwatch Halloween update, which added a new Brawl and a ton of Loot boxes.
According to a leaked memo that circulated alongside the Halloween update, Sombra is described as "one of the world’s best and most notorious hackers”.
Sombra is said to have lost everything during the Omnic Crisis, before working with the Los Muertos gang in Mexico and then being recruited by Talon.
It's possible Sombra will now launch as part of the Overwatch World Cup celebrations at the end of October. However, fans are also hopeful that the recent Overwatch update 1.11 may also include some clues.
While Blizzard have yet to release official patch notes for the update, it appears it only weighs in at 75MB.
This would likely be too low a number for a new character to be included, but some fans have commented that they had to make more room available to include the patch.
It seems a nice coincidence that the update would correlate with this new change in the Overwatch Sombra site, however, we’re likely going to have to wait a little longer for answers.
Blizzard has already said that one new Hero is close to launch, while another is expected to be released in 2017. "One Hero is very far along. It’s coming together really well, we’re play-testing it internally across the entire company," Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan revealed.
October is set to be a busy month for Overwatch developer Blizzard. In addition to the new Halloween event, character and Hero balances, there's also the Overwatch World Cup.
The Overwatch World Cup takes place during Blizzcon, which kicks off on October 29.


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[VIDEO] Ticker News
“You can go to certain places by showing that certificate, so you’re going to be able to travel freely between the countries, go to tourist attractions, do those sorts of things. So we’re seeing a very informed and use of technology with respect to these and yet here in Australia, we’ve got every state’s got its own colour codes, its own rules, its own sort of, you know, travel permit system”.
Bill Lang joined Holly Stearnes from Ticker to discuss the latest in small business globally. To learn more about the EU Digital COVID Certificate – click here
You can watch the segment via the following YouTube video or read the highlights of the transcript below.
Let’s go back to the, to Europe. They’re talking about implementing a kind of digital COVID certificate, if you will. Talk to us about that and I mean, get what will it mean for people and businesses?
Yeah look, it’s I believe it’s a fantastic initiative. So what’s happening over there is populations are getting vaccinated at various rates in various European Union or EU countries, you know, 20, plus more of those countries. But now when you go and get vaccinated, or if you’ve had COVID, or you’ve had a positive test, or we’ve had to test, I should say, you get a digital certificate on your smartphone. And what that basically says is like, tick, your vaccinated, you’ve had a test recently, you know, came up negative, or you’ve had COVID in the past, which means you’ve got the thing called antibodies, which means you’re less likely to get it again, it’s a bit like being vaccinated.
So in terms of you can go to certain places by showing that certificate, so you’re going to be able to travel freely between the countries, go to tourist attractions, do those sorts of things. So we’re seeing a very informed and use of technology with respect to these and yet here in Australia, we’ve got every state’s got its own colour codes, its own rules, its own sort of, you know, travel permit system. It’s just absolute chaos. And this is another area, where can we see some leadership to get these things sorted out, because even though the four phase plan has been laid out, ultimately, the premiers of the states will do whatever they want to do when they say they do it based on the CHO, who runs the show.
And even when it does come to those Chief Health Officers, they’ve all got different, different opinions on things as well. We’ve seen that recently with the vaccinations and the Astra Zeneca and that kind of thing, just creating more confusion, and as you said, a bit of a bit of a mess. Now, do you think something like these COVID certificates is something that we will see other countries adopt?
I think it’s just a matter of time, I think, you know, Europe is out front on this. Now there’s a version of it in the US. So you know, recently there were a couple of concerts in New York City, and you had to demonstrate that you were vaccinated to be able to attend. So if people went to Madison Square Garden, they were fully vaccinated, so they’re less likely to catch, it less likely to give it, if they actually get it, it’s less likely to be serious, if they end up in hospital and less likely to die. Like there’s just upside for that. But over there, say, you know, no vaccination, no going to that event. And so the people that I know in the events industry, many small businesses and events like we need something like that. Otherwise, it’s just going to go straight to lockdowns and everything gets closed down.
Yeah, and businesses can’t survive, right?
So they’re not surviving. They’re not surviving.


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Since the launch of Recore, fans have been waiting for news on when the T8-NK bot would be released. While it was promised to be forthcoming in early 2017, no official date has been given. However, it looks like we may be getting more than a new Corebot. The USK, or German Ratings Board, has issued a rating to Recore: Definitive Edition. Coinciding with this, the official Twitter account for Recore posted something interesting earlier today:
We wanted to share that we continue to work on the T8-NK frame, HDR, and more exciting content for ReCore. Stay tuned, Far Eden Adventurers! pic.twitter.com/GepcA0N8aC
— ReCore (@ReCoreGame) March 22, 2017
So, with these two pieces of information both coming out today, it’s quite possible that Recore: Definitive Edition is real. While obviously such a version of the game would launch with HDR support and the T8-NK Corebot on disc, what else might be included? Maybe this means a full expansion has been developed. If so, I hope they consider releasing it for free to buyers of the original game.


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Recently, the December Quarter 2018 to March Quarter 2019 Inflation (CPI) in Australia came in at 0.0%, which results in the yearly inflation rate moving down to 1.3%, below the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) 2% inflation target. Clothing and Footwear came in at -1.4%, while Transport was 1.7% lower due to a reduction in fuel costs, while Health costs lifted 1.7%. Australia’s year end CPI is shown below:
Weak inflation in Australia increases the likelihood that the RBA will lower the Cash Rate from the current 1.50%, placing downward valuation pressure on the Australian Dollar, currently 70.25c against the US dollar. The next Reserve Bank Board Meeting and Monetary Policy Decision is scheduled for Tuesday May 7th, at 2.30pm Eastern time. Currently the market is showing an approximate 60% probability of a rate cut at this meeting which is taking place a few weeks before the next Federal Election on 18th May. Australia’s historic Cash Rate is shown below:
Despite the somewhat sensational headlines around the weak December inflation data in Australia, the reality is weaker prices were contributed to by weaker clothing and footwear prices, potentially a result of trade pressures between China and the US and lower Crude oil prices, both of which Australian monetary policy has little control over.
While a rate cut may assist the currently weakening Australian housing market, the reality is that housing prices were pushed too high by interest rates kept at very low levels over the last few years, as well as tax incentives. Encouraging increased debt in the economy by lowering interest rates is probably not currently warranted, especially when the Unemployment rate is sitting at 5%.
Anticipation of a lower Australian dollar increasing Australian company competitive positions on the export market, while increasing margins on commodity products which are mostly sold in US Dollars, combined with potential for lower interest rates reducing debt burdens is helping to support the Australian stock market. The All Ordinaries is shown below:
Inflation data remains weak in many countries due to a combination of factors, including aging populations, weak consumer demand, technology driving down costs and reduced security in the job market. Post the Global Financial Crisis, high consumer and household debt loads now appear to be limiting the rate of increase in demand, maintaining low inflation rates.
One of the primary problems for modern economies is that consumer demand is highly influenced by the availability of credit and willingness of consumers to increase debt loads, this has an obvious end point where debt levels cannot be pushed significantly higher, reducing demand and in some cases, asset prices. A clear example of this can be currently seen in the Australian housing market now reducing in price as household debt to income has increased to just under 200%.
Central banks are generally wary of deflationary pressures in an economy, as deflation can be self-reinforcing. For instance if consumers believe housing prices will be lower in a year, they will tend to delay purchases, reducing demand which will lower prices in a self-reinforcing cycle.
We do not anticipate significant changes to our investments as a result of the weaker inflation data and suggest maintaining exposure to the Australian stock market, while we will likely see continued weakness in the Australian property sector. However, if the RAB does cut rates in May, and we do feel that changes are necessary, we will be in touch.
Words by TWD
The information in this Blog is of a general nature. It does not take your specific needs or circumstances into consideration. You should look at your own financial position, objectives and requirements and seek financial advice before making any financial decisions.


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The popular social media sites TikTok and WeChat will no longer be available from U.S. app stores beginning on Sunday, the Commerce Department will announce on Friday.
The two apps are owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that U.S. intelligence believes has ties to the Chinese Communist government, endangering the personal data from users of those two apps. ByteDance says that data can’t be accessed by the Chinese government, but the Trump administration disagrees. Trump ordered ByteDance to spin off its U.S. operations.
U.S. software giant Oracle and others have been in talks with TikTok to effect the sale but there’s no sign of an imminent breakthrough. The Commerce Department says there’s still time to avoid deplatforming the apps if a deal can be reached and Trump agrees.
The Commerce Department order will “deplatform” the two apps in the United States and bar Apple Inc’s app store, Alphabet Inc’s Google Play and others from offering the apps on any platform “that can be reached from within the United States,” a senior Commerce official told Reuters.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made public.
The order will not ban U.S. companies from doing businesses on WeChat outside the United States, which will be welcome news to U.S. firms like Walmart and Starbucks that use WeChat’s embedded ‘mini-app’ programs to facilitate transactions and engage consumers in China.
To be sure, this isn’t about social media apps. It’s about the U.S. vs. China. Many cybersecurity experts claim the administration’s concern about TikTok’s vulnerability to be overblown. That was never really the point anyway.
It’s about U.S. vs. China and Donald Trump vs. Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The order will not bar transactions with WeChat-owner Tencent Holdings’ other businesses, including its online gaming operations and will not prohibit Apple, Google or others from offering TikTok or WeChat apps anywhere outside the United States.
The bans are in response to a pair of executive orders issued by Trump on Aug. 6 that gave the Commerce Department 45 days to determine what transactions to block from the apps he deemed pose a national security threat. That deadline expires on Sunday.
Commerce says that there will be no attempt to target individuals to delete the apps but there will be no new updates or downloads allowed.
“The expectation is that people will find alternative ways to do these actions,” a senior official said. “We expect the market to act and there will be more secure apps that will fill in these gaps that Americans can trust and that the United States government won’t have to take similar actions against.”
The Chinese Communist government has been staying out of this squabble for the most part but there is a genuine fear that they might retaliate in some way if the ban goes through. But there’s not much they can do. There’s no obvious answer for them, which makes the apps a soft target for U.S. pressure.
Beijing will likely say mean things about the United States and Trump if the ban takes effect but beyond that, they will have to take their revenge in a more subtle way.


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Smoothie King Franchises Inc. the premier smoothie and nutritional lifestyle center, announced the opening of its first corporate store in Addison, Texas, located in the Addison Walk Shopping Center at 5000 Beltline Rd.
“We are excited to join the Addison community and provide a variety of healthy, quality products to our guests,” says Wan Kim, CEO of Smoothie King Global. “Whether in need of a mid-day snack or a post-workout smoothie to recharge, we are here to help local residents stay energized and maintain a nutritional diet.”
The new Addison location is the first of 15 corporate and 20 franchise stores scheduled to open over the next three years in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. Smoothie King opened its first store in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 1995 and currently has 27 stores in operation.
As one of the original founders of the nutritional fresh-blended fruit smoothie, Smoothie King offers a wide assortment of fresh-blended, healthy smoothies, juices, nutritional supplements, and snacks that set the brand apart from other smoothie concepts.
Smoothie King marked its fortieth anniversary this year with more than 500 locations in the U.S. and still plans to add 1,000 new franchised and corporate locations domestically over the next five years. New franchisees can still take advantage of Smoothie King’s incentive program and receive 40 percent off the franchise fee, a savings of $10,000, until the first 40 agreements of 2013 have been signed.
The five times weekly e-newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the latest industry news and additions to this website.


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The UK imported £4.2bn more than it exported in August, the ONS data showed, up from £1.7bn in July, pushing sterling below $1.60, from its peaks above $1.63 in late September. This overall deficit came from a £9.8bn deficit in goods, partially offset by a £5.7bn surplus in services.
The figures will come as another blow to chancellor George Osborne’s hopes for the UK to “pay its way” in the world. Hopes of an export-led recovery were left in tatters, as UK exporters found it harder and harder to shift goods overseas.
“The prospect of export-led growth seems as remote as ever,” said economist Osman Ismail at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). “For the three months to August, even services exports remain 2.8 per cent lower than the equivalent figure from a year ago,” he said.
Analysts predicted that the balance would only move further into deficit in the coming months.
“The UK goods trade balance will remain firmly in deficit into 2013 – slowing exports will be the key drag,” said Melanie Bowler at Moody’s Analytics. “Meanwhile, the services balance will deteriorate but remain in surplus.”
The goods deficit with the EU widened by £0.5bn to £4.9bn in August, while the deficit with non-EU countries expanded by £2.0bn to £5bn.
The data also revealed a £1.6bn – 24.1 per cent – fall in imports from Norway between the three months to May and the three months to August.
The Office for National Statistics told City A.M. that this was likely to be down to a strike in Norwegian gas production – but said they could not be absolutely sure without more detailed data.
If the trade gap stays wide, it could see the pound sink further, below its current 55-day moving average of $1.5905.


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U.S. Small Business Optimism Falls to a Seven-Month Low
(Bloomberg) -- Sentiment among U.S. small businesses edged down in October as owners’ views of future economic conditions slumped amid continuing supply-chain and hiring challenges.
The National Federation of Independent Business optimism index slipped to 98.2 from 99.1, the lowest since March, the group said Tuesday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for an increase to 99.5. Plans for capital expenditures was the only component of 10 to improve, but such spending remains “anemic” relative to recent economic growth, NFIB said.
Inflationary pressures continue to build. A net 53% of owners reported raising prices, the most in monthly data back to 1986. More than half of respondents plan to increase prices in the next three months, also a record high.
The group’s measure of business conditions over the next six months fell to the lowest since November 2012. The share of firms who said now is a good time to expand declined to an eight-month low as rising material and labor costs dampen profits.
“Small business owners are attempting to take advantage of current economic growth but remain pessimistic about business conditions in the near future,” NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said in a statement. “One of the biggest problems for small businesses is the lack of workers for unfilled positions and inventory shortages, which will continue to be a problem during the holiday season.”
A record share of owners said they raised compensation and an unprecedented number are planning to in coming months as they seek to fill vacancies. Just under half reported job openings they could not fill, down slightly from September, but far above the measure’s historical average.
Some 39% of owners said supply-chain disruptions have had a significant impact on their business. A net 9% say inventory levels are “too low,” near a record high.
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.


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The EPMU's Postal and Logistics Industry is the section of the EPMU that represents more than six thousand New Zealand workers in areas including mail processing and mail sorting work, delivery, Postshops, Kiwibank, parcel sorting, logistics, express and road transport.
The EPMU is the biggest union in the postal industry and its postal and logistics operations are directed by the P&L Industry Council which is comprised of EPMU members from a cross section of the companies we cover in the industry from around New Zealand.
New Zealand Post has confirmed that 90 jobs will be lost when it closes its Waikato mail processing centre. The confirmation comes after NZ Post announced in...Read Article
The Government’s decision to rush through changes to New Zealand Post’s Deed of Understanding has opened the door to privatisation and job cuts, says the union for postal...Read Article
Workers covered by the collective agreement at Blue Star Print Group will not work any overtime from Monday 24 March, after bargaining broke down. The company is attempting...Read Article


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The shake-out on Wall Street continued on Monday, with Nasdaq stocks taking the brunt of the selling. Over the past three trading sessions, the Nasdaq has plunged 177 points, or more than 4 percent. Big name Internet and social media stocks led the downturn, but the damage was widespread.
The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) fell 167 points, the Nasdaq composite (^IXIC) slid 48 and the Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC) lost 20 points.
Let's check some of the big name losers on the Nasdaq.
Apple (AAPL) lost 1.5 percent, LinkedIn (LNKD) dropped 3.5 percent and Pandora Media (P) fell 5 percent despite an upgrade by Wedbush Securities. Pandora shares have now tumbled by 27 percent over the past month.
But Facebook (FB) and Netflix (NFLX) turned around in the final hour to post modest gains.
Online travel companies Priceline (PCLN), Expedia (EXPE) and TripAdvisor (TRIP) all continued to decline. And Tesla Motors (TSLA) lost another 2 percent.
But biotechs avoided the heavy selling today. Biogen Idec (BIIB) actually turned higher. And some of the money flowing out of Internet stocks moved into "old" tech companies. %VIRTUAL-article-sponsoredlinks%IBM (IBM), Intel (INTC) and Cisco Systems (CSCO) all gained about 1 percent.
Among other blue chips, Walt Disney (DIS) fell 1.5 percent despite a strong opening weekend for "Captain America: The Winter Soldier."
Pfizer (PFE) fell 3 percent. It reported generally positive results for a new breast cancer drug, but there was disappointment the findings were not even better.
And Procter & Gamble (PG) gained 1 percent after increasing its dividend.
There weren't many gainers, but big name food companies were among them: Kellogg (K), General Mills (GIS), Kraft (KRFT) and Coca-Cola (KO) all gained more than 1 percent.
Elsewhere, 3-D printers are malfunctioning. Stratasys (SSYS) lost 7 percent. Over the past three months it's lost nearly a quarter of its value.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) got pinned, losing 15 percent even though the company says it is on target for 1 million subscribers this year.
Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) fell 2 percent even though it expects to do big business for tonight's NCAA championship game.
And the health technology firm Questcor (QCOR) jumped 19 percent agreeing to be acquired by Mallinckrodt (MNK) for $5.6 billion.
What to Watch Tuesday:
The Labor Department releases job openings and labor turnover survey for February at 10 a.m. Eastern time.
These major companies are scheduled to report quarterly corporate earnings:
-Produced by Drew Trachtenberg.


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Motion capture for the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 has seemingly kicked off, according to some tweets from those involved in the process.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 Update
Haruka Shibai and Katsuyuki Yamasaki, who are the motion capture artists for Tifa Lockhart and Cloud Strife, are working together again, according to a post by Shibai. In particular, she spoke about the challenges of working remotely on performance during the coronavirus pandemic, stating she is “impressed and thankful to the staff that are making improvements.”
Square Enix previously confirmed that development of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 had kicked off, although the fact motion capture is now happening suggests it’s not quite as far along as some might have hoped for. Then again, that’s just speculation on our part.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake was released exclusively for the PS4 back in April, and will remain so for 12 months, after which it will presumably launch on other platforms (though Square Enix is keeping mum right now).
Read our review of the game here.


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Potheads in Illinois eager to buy weed and receive a receipt, just like they would for any other product, spent a total of $3.2 million at dispensaries on New Years Day, the first day of legal sales in the state. Total sales in Illinois tie the first-day cannabis sales record set in Oregon in 2015.
Illinois is the eleventh state to legalize cannabis for adult use, and only the second Midwestern state after Michigan to legalize. Both states had robust medical cannabis sales prior to legalizing adult use cannabis.
The Brightfield Group, which specializes in cannabis market analysis, projects $344 million in Illinois cannabis sales in 2020, a number that looks quite modest given that first day sales were nearly one percent of that. The cannabis industry employs an estimated 5,700 people in Illinois now but that is expected to grow more than ten-fold to 63,000 by 2025. Every state to legalize cannabis, particularly for adult use, has enjoyed an uptick in investment and business formation.
The tax revenues from the first day of sales were not released, as the state issues quarterly reports, but must be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Illinois collects state taxes based on THC content, with higher concentrations (pun unintended by inevitable) taxed more. Additionally, municipalities can impose a 3 percent local tax on gross sales.
The city of Evanston has announced it will use its sales tax revenue to create a reparations fund for people who were arrested for marijuana crimes prior to legalization, according to The Daily Northwestern.
The Illinois cannabis legalization statute provided for a sweeping expungement of marijuana arrest records that ultimately could mean a clean criminal record for up to 800,000 people.


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The latest news from academia, regulators
research labs and other things of interest
Posted: May 1, 2008
UC Berkeley business plan competition finalists include nanotechnology treatment system
(Nanowerk News) Today is the tenth annual UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition public presentations and awards ceremony. Eight finalist teams will showcase their ventures and vie for $45,000 in cash prizes. The plans range from a consumer technology that would make it easier to buy a used car online, to a treatment system that uses nanotechnology to deliver therapeutic treatments. 2008 was a record year, with 101 initial entries from UC Berkeley and UCSF departments as diverse as bioengineering, psychology, and journalism, as well as from alumni.
The event is open to the public. The winners will be announced toward the end of the evening. While the final winners are chosen by judges from the venture capital industry, all members of the audience will have a chance to vote on the People's Choice Award during the event.
WHEN: Thursday, May 1, 2008, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Arthur Andersen Auditorium at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/haas/maps.html
WHO: Brett Wilson, co-founder and CEO of TubeMogul. TubeMogul, which tied for first place in the 2007 UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition, provides distribution and analytics to more than 20,000 content creators and advertisers in the online video space. Wilson is a 2007 MBA alumnus of the Haas School of Business, where TubeMogul was conceived and incubated.
Background: The UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition is organized by MBA students at the Haas School of Business and hosted by the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation in cooperation with the College of Engineering, the School of Information, and the UC San Francisco Innovation Accelerator.
For more information on the competition, visit http://bplan.berkeley.edu .


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Corporate Projects Wish Away Plastic Pollution
By Romero Halloway
For years, consumers have mollified their consciences related to the rampant production of plastics and their propensity to end up in the natural environment by dutifully placing plastic items in a blue bin.
Increasingly, it is difficult to hide from the fact that approximately 10% of the plastic products they are sorting out from their regular trash are ever recycled. The rest is often shipped overseas at enormous energy and emissions costs to countries in Southeast Asia or Africa, where a fraction of it is actually recycled and the rest is either burned or dumped.
But the corporations responsible for the largest amount of plastic production in the United States have also been providing false comfort according to a new report by an organization called Break Free From Plastic.
The report, Missing the Mark, contends that the top fast-moving consumer goods companies, like Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola, churn out projects, announcements, and press releases that make it sound as though they are laser-focused on ameliorating the plastic pollution problem but substantively do little.
“The world’s top polluting companies claim to be tackling plastic pollution, but the evidence for how serious they are is in the numbers,” said Emma Priestland, Break Free From Plastic Corporate Campaigns Coordinator. “These companies are pursuing false solutions that range from potentially damaging at worst, and simple wishful thinking, at best.”
The report analyzed plastic pollution mitigation projects from seven major companies -- Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Mondelez International, Mars Inc., PepsiCo and Nestle.
“What the findings reveal is that only 15% of the projects are proven solutions like reuse, refill, and alternative delivery systems,” Priestland said. “Instead, these companies are investing in projects that do little to eliminate single-use plastics.”
The report analyzed 265 different projects announced by the seven plastic-intensive companies and found only 15% focused on the concept of reuse.
Reuse is different from recycling because in recycling, the material is melted to make raw materials, which are then used to create other plastic products. The process creates emissions and doesn’t ultimately reduce the number of plastics in the ecosystem.
Reuse, on the other hand, is when manufacturers create a product that is meant to be used multiple times and can even be passed from one user to another.
The concept of reuse has been identified by Break Free From Plastic and other groups as one of the ways in which companies could reduce the plastic footprint and contribute to a reduction of harmful pollution.
The report argues these companies are pursuing other avenues that prioritize style over substance.
Out of the 265 projects analyzed for the study, only 39 were focused on reuse. The experts defined the remaining 226 projects as false solutions to the plastic pollution problem. False solutions came under four categories:
1. unproven technology that isn’t scaled;
2. third party collection and disposal, which often means burning;
3. false narratives like beach clean-ups that are more cosmetic in nature;
4. announcements without follow-ups.
Here at Littorary, we are using our material science background to come up with reusable products that will minimize or replace plastics.
Our solution to plastic pollution starts with product design, which we use to create compelling alternatives to single-use products, particularly as it relates to hot or chilled beverages like coffee and tea. A reusable non-plastic product can help salve the environmental wounds created by the overproduction of wasteful single-use products.
Littorary is committed to making durable and sophisticated products that rival the convenience of plastics without the environmental burden. We believe technology and design innovations can revolutionize how Americans and the world consume products in concert with the health of the environment. Please stay tuned to our website, blog, and upcoming Kickstarter page as we unveil a product fully capable of providing the convenience and sustainability that will consign the concept of disposable plastics to the garbage heap of history.


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We’re no strangers to Toyota’s stunning FT-1, but the bright red concept we got up close with back in April has been joined by a second version the company describes as more “upscale” than the first. Widely expected to be the basis of the new Supra, the FT-1 now gets a graphite exterior and a new leather interior, in what’s become a more mature version of the concept.
So, where the original – the FT-1 Gran Turismo – was bright red with raw metal sections, the new car is perhaps more harmonious in its color scheme and materials. What were red painted edges in the first are now brown, to better blend in, and match the saddle-leather interior.
In fact, Toyota says that its designers took inspiration from modern superhero costumes for the second car’s aesthetic. Rather than lurid colors and spandex, they observed, today’s well-dressed crime fighter prefers performance fabrics and high-tech materials.
As a result the new FT-1 concept pairs leather with raised metal mesh, and an embossed pattern on the hide around the instrument panel.
The graphite FT-1 made its debut at Gordon McCall’s Motorworks Revival gala, but will also be headed to Gran Turismo 6 in September. It’ll be joined by a special “ultra high-performance race version” dubbed the FT-1 Vision GT, which “interprets what a full-race FT-1 might achieve on the track.”
Of course, what we really want to see is Toyota green-lighting the FT-1 as the new Supra, though the company so far has only confirmed that it’s building a new sports car. That will use the same underlying platform as BMW’s new Z4, thanks to a collaboration between the two companies, though specifics are as-yet unknown.


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ICCO Panel recognizes 23 countries as fine and flavour cocoa exporters
London, 29 June 2016 – Some 23 countries are now recognized as exporting fine and flavour cocoa, after the ICCO member country delegates meeting on 28 May in the Dominican Republic approved the recommendations of the Organization’s expert Ad hoc Panel on Fine and Flavour Cocoa.
The Ad hoc Panel met last September to deliberate on the information presented by cocoa producing countries seeking to be included in the list of Annex “C” of the International Cocoa Agreement, 2010. For this meeting, a record 13 countries put forward their cases to the panel of experts for review.
The increase in demand for fine and flavour cocoa globally is evident as countries producing this type were able to demonstrate significant progress in their cocoa sectors, all of which were aiming at niche markets for high quality and speciality cocoa and chocolate products. The experts recognized the efforts made by countries to improve and promote their fine cocoas, while noting that there was still room for improvement.
At the end of the deliberations, the Panel agreed on the percentage of exports of fine and flavour cocoa for each country. Compared with the previous 2010 Panel meeting, which recognized 17 countries, the 2015 deliberations resulted in 23 cocoa producing countries being included in Annex “C” as partial or exclusive producers and exporters of fine and flavour cocoa.
The Council also approved a set of recommendations made by the experts about the running of the Panel, including a requirement for it to meet at least every two years.
The report of the meeting, and the list of recognized exporting countries of fine and flavour cocoa, are available to download by clicking here.
At the last meeting of the panel in September 2015, the following recommendations were made, and subsequently approved by the International Cocoa Council in May 2016:
|Countries||Share of total exports of the country classified as fine and flavour cocoa|
|Papua New Guinea||90%|
|São Tomé and Principé||35%|
|Trinidad and Tobago||100%|
|Venezuela, Bolivarian Rep. of||100%|


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Click here to read the full article.
Think back to 2016. This was the year Halima Aden, a Somali-American woman who was 19 at the time, made headlines for being the first contestant ever to compete in a Miss USA pageant wearing a hijab and burkini. Now, four years later, Aden is making headlines again, this time for designing a line of hijab and turban face mask sets, specifically hijab and turban sets. The line was created in collaboration with Allure and Anywear for the Banding Together Project.
“As many hijab-wearing women are working at health care facilities, I wanted to make sure they have a comfortable option for wearing a mask while keeping their hair covered. It can also get hot running around at the pace health care employees are right now, so a breathable fabric was a must,” Aden says of the sets.
Aden’s collection is comprised of 30 sets, including a hijab set in eight different shades and prints, a bamboo fabric face covering set, a tetra fabric face covering set, an organic turban set in six different shades, and a sequin turban. Prices range from $40 to $52.
“I really wanted the pieces to give a feeling of tranquility and calm, so I went with soft shades that bring a feeling of peace,” Aden says.
Every piece is made from organic fabrics, making them machine-washable and reusable. And, with the purchase of each set, Anywear will donate a medical cap with buttons to a health care professional in need.
“There are many hijab-wearing women working at health care facilities,” Aden says. “I wanted to make sure they [and the general public] have comfortable options for wearing a mask while keeping their hair covered.”
This project is a personal one for Aden, who used to work at St. Cloud hospital in Minnesota before her modeling career took off.
“As someone who worked cleaning patient rooms even seven months into my modeling career, I have an empathetic heart for the thousands of medical workers who are on the frontline and doing all they can around the country to help with what the foreseeable future holds,” Aden wrote on Instagram in March.
The Banding Together Project features six other designers, including Nam Vo, an NYC-based makeup artist; Shereene Idriss, an NYC-based dermatologist; Mei Kawajiri, an NYC-based nail artist; Nikki Nelms, a Brooklyn-based hairstylist; Daniel Martin, an NYC-based makeup artist; and Chris McMillan, a Los-Angeles-based hairstylist.
Anywhere is a female-founded AI tech company “working to reduce the negative environmental impact created by the fashion industry, while also reframing the idea of body image.”
“Like everyone, my livelihood has been turned upside down,” Aden says. “I just keep reminding myself [of] something that my mom always says: ‘Hard times don’t last, but strong people do.’”
Before you go, check out all of the cloth face masks available online in the gallery below:
Our mission at SheKnows is to empower and inspire women, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
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Samsung’s big Unpacked event is happening very soon, and we have already gotten our look at most of what Samsung is going to announce. That includes the new Galaxy S10, the Galaxy S10+, the Galaxy S10E, and even the new Galaxy Watch.
And now, we have our first look at the new Galaxy Buds.
WinFuture revealed a marketing image of the new Galaxy Buds, showing the earbuds sitting within the wireless charger. The wireless headphones will reportedly launch against Samsung’s new Galaxy S10 devices, costing around 149 euros.
The marketing image also shows off a highlight feature of the Galaxy S10 — PowerShare. The new Galaxy S10 devices will be able to charge other devices wirelessly using a new feature called PowerShare, allowing users to charge their other phones, but mostly accessories, with their Galaxy S10 handsets. The marketing image above shows off the Galaxy S10+ wirelessly charging the Galaxy Buds in their charging case. And although this looks very cool, the idea does sound a bit clumsy when you are on the move and simply can’t put your phone down your headphones’ charging case flat on your phone.


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In the telecom business, some things do not change: not every customer segment or geography is equally profitable.
If, in a country such as India, 75 percent of new mobile Internet customers come from rural areas, then it is possible to say that service providers will likely lose money on almost every account. The same will be true in Indonesia, the Philippines or other nations with significant rural populations.
That is why it is vital to create access platforms that deliver reasonable quality service at much lower prices, or create new funding mechanisms such as advertising, to defray some of the end user direct spending.
Some argue that programs such as Free Basics are important precisely for such reasons.
But even that will not be enough. Historically, telecom services virtually always have been subsidized in rural areas. They are subsidized for a reason: few services actually are profitable in rural areas.
Several decades ago, profits from voice services sold to enterprise customers were used to support such services in rural areas. More recently, mobile revenues have propped up fixed network services.
That will not change as the new goal is Internet access for rural residents. One way or the other, profits from urban customers and segments will be used to support money-losing services in rural areas.
That is why Internet of Things, smart cities, machine-to-machine services, connected health, connected cars and other new potential revenue sources are so important.
Those potentially big new revenue sources will provide the profits to fund Internet access for rural customers. The connection–if direct–often is missed.
That is why app and service development, Internet of Things and smart cities will be part of the discussion at Spectrum Futures. Unless ISPs make lots of money someplace else, they will not be able to afford to provide rural customers Internet access.


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New Jersey is one of 17 states that will start “hard enforcement” of the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate on April 1, according to the website Commercial Carriers Journal. Violations could land truck drivers out of service for non-compliance. Although the mandate has been in effect since December, it has been in a period of soft enforcement where noncompliance has been noted, but drivers were not placed out of service as a result.
Trucking companies have gotten the message. According to the website Carrier Lists, ELD compliance rates rose to 92 percent last week.
The devices replace paper logs for enforcing “Hours of Service” rules designed to prevent drowsiness among drivers.
A driver can be placed out of service if:
- Using an unauthorized logging device not registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
- Unable to produce and transfer data electronically from an ELD to an authorized law enforcement officer, or to produce the data via the display or print it out. A driver with an Automatic Onboard Recording Device AOBRD can be placed out of service if unable to display or produce records of duty status.
- Indicating a special driving category when not involved in that category (considered a false log).
- Driving a vehicle is not equipped with an ELD or an AOBRD until Dec. 17, 2019) when required.


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Lincoln's Upcoming Electric SUV Might Use Rivian's Skateboard EV Platform
【Summary】Ford's luxury division Lincoln might capitalize on its parent company’s investment in Rivian by utilizing the company's skateboard platform for its first electric offering.
It's common knowledge that U.S. automaker Ford Motor Company partnered with e-commerce giant Amazon in a billion dollar investment in Detroit-based electric truck start-up Rivian.
Now as it turns out, Ford's luxury division Lincoln might also capitalize on its parent company's investment—by utilizing Rivian's innovative skateboard architecture for developing its next electric offering.
Lincoln's e-SUV will likely enter production after the Rivian R1S pickup, which has been slated to hit the assembly line in early 2021.
Prices for Rivian R1S will start at $72,500 and we expect that Lincoln's luxury electric utility vehicle will be offered with a more premium price tag. Lincoln's fully-electric SUV is expected to make its debut sometime in mid-2022.
According to several sources associated with the project, Lincoln's e-SUV will get an all-wheel-drive setup and will rival the likes of Tesla Model X, Audi e-tron, Rivian R1S amongst others in the segment.
As we reported earlier, fellow mainstream American carmaker General Motors is also working on its own electric SUV iterations, one of which will be offered under the brand's luxury subsidiary Cadillac.
Recent reports also suggest that Ford rival GM might also be working on developing another vehicle that might be introduced under the recently resurrected Hummer nameplate. Booth of these new electric SUVs are expected to go on sale by 2023.
After matching Amazon's $500 million investment in Rivian, Ford announced that it will use the Rivian's skateboard platform to develop a range of new electric vehicles. The blue oven brand is eager to assist Rivian in ramping up production at the 2.6 million square foot former Mitsubishi plant in Normal, Illinois by next year. Rivian purchased the former Mitsubishi factory in early 2017.
The Rivian R1T SUV is built on a skateboard platform that Ford and Lincoln might use for their own upcoming EVs.
According to sources, Ford's luxury brand also plans on developing a broad EV portfolio and we should expect a compact electric crossover to join Lincoln's range by early 2022 (if not sooner), which will likely be followed by the debut of a mid-size model. It's still unclear where Lincoln will manufacture its upcoming EVs.
Amazon has already placed an order for 100,000 Rivian electric delivery vehicles, which will be manufactured out of the company's Illinois factory. The first deliveries of Rivian's electric vans are expected to start in 2021.
Thanks to Amazon's order and investments from other backers, Rivian has raised $1.9 billion since its inception back in 2009.
Ford is also aggressively revamping the rest of its portfolio to focus more on electric utility vehicles. The company recently unveiled its first fully-electric model (the Mach E electric SUV) at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show two weeks ago.
We expect more electrified offerings to join Ford's lineup as part of the brand's $11.5 billion electrification initiative.
Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.
Quick Comparison: The Mercedes-Benz EQS vs the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan
Here’s What We Know About BMW's Battery-powered 3 Series Sedan
Here Are the Latest Updates on the Battery-Powered Pickup Segment
Here's What We Know About the Upcoming Lincoln Corsair Plug-in Hybrid
Here's What You Need to Know About the Canoo Subscription-only Electric, Urban People Carrier
Here’s Everything We Know About the Fully-electric Audi Q4 e-tron
Nissan will Unveil its New Fully-electric Ariya Crossover on July 15th
Lucid Motors Will Unveil its Luxury Electric Air Sedan on September 9th
- Softbank Leads $500 Million Investment in Didi Chuxing’s Autonomous Driving Subsidiary
- Tesla Reports a Profitable First Quarter as Most of the Auto Industry Weathers the Coronavirus Pandemic
- Tesla Comes Dead Last in J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey
- Volkswagen to Invest Up to $200 Million in Silicon Valley Battery Developer QuantumScape
- Fiat is Testing Geofencing That Will Automatically Switch Hybrid Vehicles to Electric Mode in the City of Turin
- Tesla Reports Better Than Expected Q2 Deliveries, Stock Reaches an All-Time High
- Samsung’s Latest AR Glasses Patent Can Act as a Constant HUD
- General Motors Shutters its Peer-to-Peer Car-Sharing Unit Maven
- Xpeng Motors Begins Deliveries of its Electric P7 ‘Smart Sedan’, Creates New Competition for Tesla in China
- Ford Delays Launches of Bronco, Mustang Mach-E, and F-150


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As more and more people being to explore electric cars, there seems to be more and more disinformation. GM has a plan to help.
General Motors recently launched the website for EV Live as part of its mission to make EV ownership more accessible. The website offers a virtual experience that gives participants the chance to interact one-on-one with EV specialists and learn about the various aspects of electric vehicles, all for free.
GM has been working to create a more holistic approach to EVs, from building EVs on the next-gen Ultium Platform, to creating a broader charging infrastructure through the Ultium Charge 360 network, and now by offering educational platforms to increase EV adoption.
The EV Live site allows anyone to connect with an EV specialist via any internet-connected desktop or mobile device during the site’s “studio hours.” Those hours are:
- Mondays through Thursdays: 9:00AM to midnight EST
- Fridays: 9:00AM to 9L00PM EST
- Saturdays and Sundays: 11:00AM to 7:00PM EST
During the virtual tour, the specialists can answer questions and give tours of the studio itself, which contains real EVs and dynamic displays of home charging, public charging, battery technology, EV apps, sustainability efforts, and more. Via their two-way audio equipment and one-way live video, the specialists can also guide visitors through the home charging installation process and refer them to certified installers in their area.
“Addressing common misconceptions about EVs will accelerate widespread EV adoption. We saw a need for accessible, credible and engaging sources of information to empower consumers to adopt EVs and appreciate their many benefits,” said Hoss Hassani, GM vice president of EV Ecosystem. “With EV Live, we’re making it easier to learn about the EV experience. Whether you’re curious or skeptical, an experienced owner or brand new to EVs, the experts at EV Live are here to help.”
Does it Really Work?
The challenge with any “educational” program launched by these companies is that the programs are only as good as the people doing the educating — and, in this case, the GM trainers don’t seem to have the latest or best information available. That was the sense that our Electrify News Podcast co-host, Matt Teske, had when he called with some questions about the Chevy Bolt, and we’ve heard similar comments from other industry insiders.
That said, it may be a case of something is better than nothing. What do you think? Have you called GM’s EV education hotline for yourself? What did you think? Scroll on down to the comments and let us know!


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‘Dante in Smash’ has become a popular phrase ever since Super Smash Bros expanded beyond Nintendo IP. With Super Smash Bros. Ultimate including more characters than ever before, hopes to finally see Dante in Smash were higher than ever. These hopeful fans should have perhaps been careful with what they wished for, as Dante has now been confirmed to be coming to Smash Bros. but not in the way fans hoped.
As part of today’s recent Smash Bros. showcase, which had Sakurai show off the latest DLC character – Kazuya Mishima from the Tekken series – it was revealed that a number of new Mii Fighter costumes would be making their way into Smash Bros.
Dante from Devil May Cry, Shantae, the Dragonborn from Skyrim and Lloyd from Tales of Symphonia are all coming to Smash Bros. Ultimate on the 29th of June – the same day as Kazuya.
With only one more DLC character set to be coming to Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Dante confirmed to be a Mii Fighter, it is safe to assume he will not be the game’s final character. Who will be the final character to be part of one of the biggest crossovers in media history? Master Chief? Kratos? Aloy? Waluigi? We will have to wait and see.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: What did you think of the presentation? Did you want to see Dante in Smash? Who do you want the final DLC character to be? Let us know down below.


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Figures from the AA show more car journeys than at any point over the past few weeks in a sign the economy is slowly restarting after the UK first entered coronavirus restrictions at the end of March. The numbers of cars on London’s roads is increasing, clearly shown in photographs of the A40 at Hangar Lane at rush hour this morning.
Earlier this week huge queues building up outside B&Q stores and Five Guys burger restaurants as parts of the country showed signs of getting back to work for the first time. And yesterday police were seen attending a large queue outside a MEATliquor burger bar in the latest scene from a country seemingly no longer willing to comply with government instructions to stay indoors.
AA President Edmund King said: ‘The majority of drivers are still following Government advice to only make essential journeys by car, however, this week we have seen traffic and breakdowns creeping back up.’ (Source: drawn from Daily Mail on-line 24/4)


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Global car sales regained momentum in September, showing its strongest performance since March.
The improvement was led by double-digit year-over-year (y/y) advances in North America and Western Europe, as well as a rebound in China after three consecutive months of declining volumes, according to the latest Scotiabank Global Auto Report.
In October, there was a further acceleration in North America, with purchases in the United States jumping 14% y/y to a higher-than-expected annual rate of 18.1 million units. In Canada, sales climbed to an all-time high of 2.01 million units in October, up from an average of 1.88 million through September.
“The North American auto industry is a key driver of overall economic activity and is outperforming other industrial sectors,” said Carlos Gomes, senior economist and auto industry specialist at Scotiabank. “The September and October sales results represent the best back-to-back monthly performance since the global economy was in the midst of the ‘tech boom’ in early 2000.”
Stronger economic conditions should continue to buoy industry volumes over the next several years, but significant concerns have been raised about the potential dislocation of sourcing patterns for vehicles and parts if the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is implemented.
“The TPP provides the North American auto industry with preferential access to the rapidly growing markets of Asia and South America, but reduces the rules of origin requirement for vehicles and parts that have been in place under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). However, the strength of the North American auto industry is that it has become more innovative in recent years, responding better to pressures triggered by globalization and is in a much stronger competitive position than in the previous decade.”
Read the full Scotiabank Global Auto Report online.
Have your say:


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Fast food operators Yum! Brands and McDonalds are facing a new food safety scare in China.
The Shanghai Municipal Food and Drug Administration has closed Yum! Brands and McDonalds’ local meat supplier, Shanghai Husi Food, a unit of Aurora, Illinois-based OSI, after a media coverage showed a Shanghai Husi Food staff picking up meat from the floor and mixing expired meat with fresh meat.
Shanghai Husi Food has been supplying McDonald’s in China since 1992 and the KFC and Pizza Hut parent Yum since 2008.
Yum! Brands and McDonalds have already apologised over the footage.
“We will not tolerate any violations of government laws and regulations from our suppliers,” said Yum China.
“If proven, the practices outlined in the reports are completely unacceptable to McDonald’s anywhere in the world,” according to a China-based spokeswoman for McDonald’s.
The scandal is the newest blow against Yum! Brands which just recently reported a sales recovery at KFC after sometime of suffering from a bird flu scare and an earlier controversy over its chicken supply.


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All's fair in love and classified ads. Craiglist and Oodle have been exchanging barbs over the safety risks associated with browsing digital messaging hubs to find goods and services. Specifically, Oodle released a blog post on Thursday calling Craigslist out for the prevalence of crimes that allegedly stem from Craigslist-based interactions.
As you might expect, Craigslist didn't take very kindly to the announcement.
Oodle cites a report from analyst organization AIM Group"Crime and Craigslist: A sad tale of murders and more," which Oodle itself admits to asking the organization to createthat found 330 instances of crimes that began via some kind of Craigslist connection. And we're not just talking "Missed Connections." According to AIM Group's report, 43 violent crimesincluding 12 deaths and 31 assaultsjoined 74 robberies and 52 instances of prostitution as reported in the press between February 2010 and February 2011.
Oodle CEO and founder Craig Donato is quick to point out that the 330 crimes are a low estimate: "The data we compiled only shows reported crimes, there could have been many more," he writes in Thursday's blog post.
However, Peter Zollman, founding principal of AIM Group, tosses Craigslist a bone in the overview of AIM Group's report right before calling the service, "almost synonymous with crime."
"To be absolutely fair, Craigslist as an entity can't be blamed for the things that happen among its users," he writes. "It's merely a facilitator of commerce, after all. And we understand thousands or even tens of thousands of transactions happen safely between Craigslist aficionados."
Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster contends that the 330 reported crimes couldn't even be called a drop in the bucket compared to the, "570 million classified ads posted by 100 million or more US craigslist users during that same time span, generating literally BILLIONS of human interactions."
He also claims that Oodle, itself, is technically more "dangerous" than Craigslist.
"Compete.com web traffic stats show CL with 550x Oodle's page views," Buckmaster writes, "such that if so much as ONE (1) crime was connected with an Oodle listing over the past 12 months, the crime rate for Oodle would exceed by almost two times the crime rate that AIM Group claims for CL."
A follow-up blog post by Donato indicates that the Oodle CEO has already factored Craigslist's size into the report's findings. He says that he believes AIM Group's reporting is, "solid," and admits that Oodle's intentions for releasing the report were promotional: Only, in this case, he said that he thinks real-life crime based on online interactions is something that consumers need to know about. As well, consumers need to know that alternative online classified sites exist.
"Let me reiterate what was mentioned in the study these crimes aren't Craigslist's fault," Donato writes. "But 12 murders resulting from the use of one web site are significant independent of the size of the audience."
"Consumers should be made aware of the issue and what's being done about it. Discounting the issue simply isn't appropriate."
Buckmaster has not offered an additional reply.


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THE city's fair has arrived on South Common and will be entertaining crowds from today.
The City Of Lincoln Pleasure Fair will be running until September 25 and people from all over the region are being encouraged to pay it a visit.
Whirling and twirling will be available in abundance with carousels, waltzers and other fairground rides available.
There will also be all the usual traditional fairground foods such as candy floss, hotdogs and burgers.
The fair will be open on weekdays from 5.30pm, Saturday from 1.30pm, but will be closed on Sunday.
There is something to keep every family member happy and entertained.
Car parking is free and any money raised will go to Help For Heroes as well as local charities.


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Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office investigators determined that the Tuesday afternoon fire in a Woodburn Road building was caused by the failure lithium-ion battery pack during a charging cycle. The fire caused an estimated $5 million dollars in damages.
At approximately 12:30 p.m. May 3, county dispatchers received a 911 call from a homeowner reporting a fire in an outbuilding. Fire and Rescue units from Hamilton, Leesburg, Aldie, Purcellville, Lansdowne, and Moorefield Station were dispatched. Arrive crews found the 400-square-foot building heavily involved in fire. The fire spread to nearby trees and brush before they were able to bring it under control.
No injuries were reported.
Within the past 12 months, Loudoun County has investigated seven fires caused by charging lithium batteries.
The department recommends:
· Always keeping batteries, charging cords, and charging devices clear of flammable or combustible materials.
· Monitoring any battery or device that is being charged during the entire charging cycle.
· Stopping use of batteries immediately if you notice an odd odor, change in color or shape, excessive heat from the battery when in use or charging, leaks, or odd noises. If it is safe to do so, move the device away from anything that can catch fire or relocate the device outside the home and call 911.
· Always following the manufacturer’s instructions, and only using the battery and charging cord that is designed for the device.
· Ensuring all cords and wires are not damaged or worn.


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TVS Motor logs six percent sales increase in January 2014
Posted on Feb 01 2014 | IANS
Chennai, Feb 1 : Two- and three-wheeler manufacturer TVS Motor Company Saturday said it registered six percent sales growth last month compared to the corresponding period in 2013.
In a statement issued here, the company said it sold 186,313 units (two-wheelers 179,576 units, three-wheelers 6,737 units) last month against 175,931 units (two-wheelers 171,513 units, three- wheelers 4,418 units) sold in January 2013.
Within the two-wheeler segment, the company logged 19 percent sales growth in the scooters to 45,198 units.
Motorcycles sales grew marginally increasing from 64,555 units in the month of January 2013 to 65,449 units in January 2014.