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In the wake of the black jerseys trend of the 2000s, gray and silver uniforms are having a moment in college basketball.
Texas Tech’s basketball court is objectively busy. A darker hardwood shades both lanes and a watermark of the Lone Star State, which rests under the school’s massive, red and black logo in the center of the court. On the perimeter, a cherry-red color borders the end lines. When you plop in Baylor’s audacious, highlighter-yellow uniforms, your eyes begin to fatigue. Add in Texas Tech’s new, gray alternates and the Dec. 29 contest was…colorful.
The Red Raiders’ distinct jerseys are part of the team’s new uniform set for the 2017-18 season, which Coach Chris Beard and Under Armour collaborated to create. “We were holding the grays back for the right moment, and after getting some feedback from the guys, our Big 12 home opener was the perfect time to debut them,” said Collin Prentiss, Texas Tech’s assistant equipment manager. The new gear worked. Texas Tech waxed No. 18 Baylor 77-53, the beginning of a second-place regular season in the Big 12 and a No. 3-seed in the NCAA tournament, where the Red Raiders are now into the Sweet 16.
Under Armor easily manufactured the grey uniforms. They’ve generated gray alternates for Boston College, Northwestern, St. John’s, Utah and South Carolina among several others. Gray uniforms—from each of UA, Nike and Adidas—have permeated the college basketball world as prolifically as brackets flood offices every March. “A uniform isn’t just a uniform anymore,” said Adam Clement, Under Armor’s senior design director. “It’s also a fashion statement.” For the better part of this century, college basketball programs have turned hardwoods across the country into runways. “They were focused on recruiting and trying to bring interest,” said Michael Smith, Nike Basketball’s product director for uniforms. “That’s kind of where the black trend started.”
Your favorite team likely debuted a jet-black alternate jersey in the early 2000s. Apparel companies saw sable uniforms made teams appear fiercer, faster and presented “a unique way to have an edgy-looking uniform,” Smith said. A mercenary of the League of Shadows induces more fear than an ivory-robed Tai Chi master. “Even teams that didn’t have black in its color palette were wearing black uniforms,” said Adam Clement, Under Armour’s senior design director. “And that sort of ran its course.”
In the years after David Stern instituted the NBA dress code in 2005, many teams such as Kentucky, Washington State and Texas—schools clearly devoid of black in their traditional color schemes—began receiving pushback about the alternate sets. “There were a lot of opinions around the NCAA space that black was ‘too polarizing,’” Smith said. “Not necessarily the athletic directors, but a lot of the university presidents and administration started to make some noise about, ‘That’s not our team color, we don’t want to see black.’”
The move away from black as an alternate jersey has college basketball’s jersey reset in full swing. The largest inflection point came in 2012, when Nike debuted a special Hyper Elite Platinum jersey for nine prestigious programs across the country. The company sought to highlight programs that had claimed championships wearing Nike head to toe, schools such as Syracuse, Duke, Florida and Arizona, that didn’t have a trace of gray or silver in their logos. The one-off uniforms received rave reviews.
“We used some pretty reflective silvers in that uniform and some hyperized team colors,” Smith said. Which led Nike to spin off those metallic materials into their schools that already boasted a semblance of gray in their official logos, such as UConn and Georgetown. More positive feedback returned, and Nike began dressing colleges across the country in gray, again featuring many schools harboring signature colors not even remotely close to the tone. “It was a very popular and safe place for teams to have an alternate—and in some cases, a fourth—uniform that kept it unique and fresh for their players, but was not nearly as polarizing for school administrators,” Smith said. “Gray was more in the safe zone, like white is.”
Under Armour heard the same response from its schools. “Varying shades of gray sort of became the new black,” said Clement. “It offers something completely different. Gray was neutral enough where it closed those gaps.” Not only have gray uniforms provided a widespread option for schools to don another alternate jersey, but the more innocuous color also provides greater functionality within the NCAA and many conferences’ uniform restrictions.
According to the NCAA bylaws, home teams are required to wear a lighter color jersey than their visiting opponent. However, two schools can mutually consent to that rule being modified before a game. Many conferences have a strict guideline on when this agreement must be reached, as well. The SEC, for example, instructs teams must agree at least five days in advance of a contest in order for a home team to wear a darker color than their rival, which has actually sparked some gamesmanship among conference rivals.
“Gray allows you to have a home alternate. It doesn’t affect the visitors and it’s not flashy,” said Peter Warden, Texas A&M’s longtime coordinator with Adidas, the school’s apparel partner. Adidas did not offer comment for this story. This season, the Aggies first wore a gray uniform with maroon trim and lettering during the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Adidas presented the school with the option, Texas A&M’s players relished the look and the Aggies reached the Sweet 16. This season, the team has included a “gray ice” uniform in its regular rotation, an Adidas creation that has been in the works since June 2016. The jersey features a light gray base, darker, silvery gray trim, maroon numbers and lettering and a sleek, silver font for the players’ nameplates on the back. Adidas is frequently brainstorming future designs with their top schools. “There’s a lot of conversation and they’re years ahead,” Warden said.
When Arizona State rebranded its athletic department in 2011, the school introduced a gray anthracite into their uniforms color palette, harkening to the mineral that is so prolifically mined across Arizona. “It ties back into the history of the state,” said Becky Parke, the Arizona State assistant athletic director responsible for overseeing marketing, game experience and special events. The Sun Devils first dressed their football team in an anthracite and copper jersey. This season, the men’s basketball team has showcased their own Adidas-created gray ice anthracite uniform. ASU’s features a dark gray base with gold lettering aside from a light gray nameplate on the back.
Arizona State flashed the new alternates in its momentous upset win at No. 2 Kansas on Dec. 10. Seeing the Sun Devils draped in gray may have startled traditionalists amongst the game’s national television audience, but no college basketball team looks more jarring in silver than Iowa State. The Cyclones introduced a gray uniform for their women’s basketball and football teams two years ago, but the men’s basketball team had been consistent in sticking with the school’s classic cardinal, gold and white colors. Until Mar. 2016, when Iowa State officials met with Nike in a Houston hotel suite during the Final Four to redesign the program’s entire uniform collection.
The jersey reset coincided with Nike’s AeroSwift technology launch for Team USA Basketball’s Rio Olympics uniforms. And in addition to the white, gold and cardinal uniforms, Nike had drafted an extremely dark, metallic gray alternate for Iowa State’s approval. The school waited to announce the jerseys before its home matchup with Northern Illinois on Dec. 4. But the design had already made some rounds. “It’s something that our athletes liked a lot during the recruiting process here, the batch of kids that we’re getting in the 2018 class, we kind of teased it with them and showed them some concepts and artwork,” said Micah Byars, Iowa State’s director of basketball operations. Comprised of Nike’s own anthracite colorway, the uniform features “Cyclones” across the chest, highlighting the only school in the country to claim that mascot. The angular stripes on the sides are intended to represent the whirring of a cyclone’s rotating movement. “We’ve gotten some positive feedback, but again, it’s like anything, some people will tell you it’s an abomination,” Byars said.
Nike does attempt to tie gray or silver uniforms into something representative of the school or region. “The depth of colors in some of these grays, you can look at clouds, the New York City skyline, there’s just a lot of things that have gray in it, that are pretty iconic,” Smith said. Nike’s gray uniform for the Tennessee Volunteers references the tonal layers of the Smoky Mountains, one of the state of Tennessee’s most emblematic landmarks.
When Houston redesigned its jerseys for this season, the Cougars originally mulled introducing a camouflage alternate or a throwback to the Phi Slamma Jamma era, when Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler led the program to three straight Final Fours from 1982-84. “It was an opportunity to bring another one into the mix,” said Lauren Sampson, the Cougars’ director of external operations. Graduate Assistant Mikael McLean suggested bringing back a lighter gray jersey that the Cougars wore in the early 2010s when he played under James Dickey. This season, Houston’s senior captains, led fittingly by star guard Rob Gray, chose the team’s color for each contest. They opted for the new gray uniforms when the Cougars ended No. 5 Cincinnati’s 16-game winning streak on Feb. 15. Perhaps Houston should've worn gray against Michigan. “The uniform wars,” said Sampson, who actually styled Gray’s man bun prior to games. “You need to keep things constantly fresh.”
Under Armour has felt that pressure. “All the manufacturers, we’re all trying to stay ahead of things and do the next greatest thing,” Clement said. When Texas Tech inquired about an additional uniform option, UA presented a wide swath of different grays to choose from, ranging from what they deem “graphite”, a medium, neutral gray tone, to their own version of “anthracite,” the darkest a team can get without wearing black. “We can get pretty creative with our names at times,” Clement chuckled. Ingenuity will now forever be a part of the college athletics apparel game. You’ll be hard pressed to find a Power Five football program that doesn’t offer multiple helmets in addition to five or six jersey and pant options. Gray and silver are having their moment, yet merely swept across basketball in the wake of black’s dominance in the 2000s. “It’s always just about finding what’s next,” Smith, Nike’s uniform lead, said. “What’s going to be the future?”


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• My Big Coin founder Randall Crater has been sentenced to 100 months in jail and $7.6 million in fines for committing wire fraud and unlawful monetary transactions.
• The scheme defrauded investors through marketing and selling fraudulent virtual currency called My Big Coins.
• United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins said that Mr. Crater’s deceitful ways brought pain, trauma, and hardships to the lives of victims who funneled their finances into bank accounts controlled by him.
My Big Coin Fraud
My Big Coin founder Randall Crater has been found guilty of committing wired fraud and unlawful monetary transactions. He is sentenced to 100 months in jail and $7.6 million in fines for his actions.
Crater established My Big Coin Pay Inc., a virtual payment services and cryptocurrency firm based in Las Vegas, Nevada, which offered virtual payment services using a fraudulent digital currency known as My Big Coins. He falsely claimed that the coin was backed by over $300 million in oil, gold, and other valuable commodities, as well as misrepresenting partnerships with MasterCard which allowed holders to easily exchange the cryptocurrency for fiat currency or other virtual currencies.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission flagged My Big Coins as a fraud in 2018 and filed civil charges against Crater and his associates. Over 55 investors were deceived by this scheme, resulting in losses of over $7.5 million dollars being funneled into bank accounts controlled by Mr Crater causing pain, trauma, and hardships to these people’s lives and their families’.
The US District Court Judge Denise J Casper sentenced Crater to 100 months in jail and three years of supervised release alongside a penalty of $7668 317 along with restitution yet to be determined later on . In addition he was found guilty of three counts of unlawful monetary transactions four counts of wire fraud one count unlawfully operating an unlicensed money transmission business .
Mr Crate took advantage of the growing crypto market to perpetuate his brazen fraud scheme taking away money from innocent people who believed they were investing into something legitimate . This ruling serves justice not only for those affected but also serves as warning towards others who may think about similar schemes endangering public safety

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Any electronic device you're looking to develop that's meant for use by humans must be developed with security in mind – otherwise, you risk embarrassment and dissatisfied customers.
Security should not be an afterthought for IoT and wearable devices. It should be part of the design from the very beginning. It's a constant factor addressed in all project phases, including system design, test, and validation. At the root of the device, security keeps unauthorized users from accessing any personal or confidential information. It is one aspect of a successful project.
Why is security important?
In an increasingly connected world, security is an ongoing challenge for companies, engineers, and end-users. Potential threats include malicious apps, phishing scams, data leakage, spyware, and unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Even worse, unsecured devices can malfunction and put people's lives in danger in the case of medical devices.
Just recently, Voler System's President Walt Maclay's email was hacked, and the culprit was able to access his email settings. The attack kept him from seeing replies from phishing emails, which managed to start sending out emails. The email was clever, and some people did not recognize it as fraudulent. Thankfully, his team quickly detected and fixed the issue, limiting the number of fraudulent emails. To prevent future attacks, he started using a two-factor login authentication. We all need to increase our resistance to cyber threats, as they get more sophisticated every year.
This story is just an example of the thousands of automated and manual cyber-attacks happening throughout the world. Just imagine this happening to a casual user. More often than not, these types of attacks are seen all too late when catastrophic damage is done.
JD Supra wrote that ransomware attacks are predicted to occur every 11 seconds in 2021, with a cost of $20 billion. It is reported that 91 percent of cyber-attacks begin with a spear-phishing email, which is instructive to businesses regarding the importance of educating employees to not rely on email and to be highly vigilant about all email traffic, links and attachments.
Like email accounts, smart IoT devices are extremely vulnerable to attacks.
According to Symantec, Each IoT device suffers from an average of 5,200 cyber-attacks monthly. Attackers are increasingly able to shut down or corrupt the actions of IoT devices that control equipment or interact in some other way with the physical world.
When you consider that a projected 5 million individuals will be remotely monitored by healthcare providers by 2023 using medical wearables, security takes on an even higher level of importance.
Companies looking to build smart IoT devices should take clear, preventative steps to mitigate the risk to avoid a security breach.
Check out this article to learn more about safeguarding the security of data from wearable devices.
The mere fact that a wearable device can collect so much data presents a potential risk of a data breach, especially if the device did not store data properly. And when data travels through wireless networks, it can be hard to keep it safe from malicious third parties that can steal poorly managed data via unsecured data transmission channels.
Thankfully, many security issues around wearables can be addressed by consulting an expert in this field. Voler Systems has three decades of providing R&D consulting and developing wearable devices, IoT devices, medical devices, consumer products, and other specialized sensor-based electronics and prototype circuits.
Contact our team of experts today to learn more about wearable security or consult about your ongoing project!
Located in Silicon Valley and with more than 40 years of electronic design experience, Voler Systems continues to be a leading custom product design consulting company providing high-quality electrical engineering and firmware development. Voler Systems ensures delivery of quality products, on time, on budget with low risk. All projects are undertaken with good specifications, the right people, quality design, constant communication, and a smooth transfer to manufacturing.


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La Liga retains ISG for virtual advertising
Steven Impey | April 16, 2019
UK-based marketing company, the Interregional Sports Group (ISG), has agreed a three-season extension to its deal with global rights agency Mediapro to distribute virtual advertising from high-profile La Liga matches. The agreement, which runs until the end of the 2021/22 campaign, includes 53 games from Spanish soccer’s top flight featuring either Barcelona, Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid, and will allow brands to select the regional markets in which their advertising appears. Tony Ragan, ISG’s joint-chairman, said: “We are delighted to have strengthened our virtual rights portfolio adding La Liga to the assets we already operate extensively in Serie A and Formula One.


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UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Dec 29
(Adds futures, company news items)
Dec 29 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening up 2 points, or 0.03 percent higher on Tuesday according to financial bookmakers, with futures up 0.08 percent ahead of the cash market open. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on
* The UK blue chip index closed 0.2 percent higher on Thursday, Dec. 24 at 6,254.64, as commodity-related companies climbed on the back of a further rebound in oil prices.
* FLOODS: Towns, cities and countryside across northern England were inundated when rivers broke their banks in recent days, a government agency said on Monday. Hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to evacuate residents and help emergency services. Local authorities said around 500 properties were flooded in the historic city of York, and 2,000 homes and 400 businesses in Leeds.
* INSURERS: Accountancy firm PwC said on Sunday the economic loss from the floods could be between 900 million and 1.3 billion pounds ($1.3-1.9 billion), with the insurance industry bearing between 700 million to 1 billion pounds of the total. KPMG said the initial total cost estimate could be between 5 billion and 5.8 billion pounds, with insured homeowners and businesses claiming between 1 billion and 1.5 billion pounds in insured losses.
* HSBC: Commerzbank AG has sued Bank of New York Mellon Corp and units of Deutsche Bank AG, Wells Fargo & Co and HSBC Holdings Plc in the United States, claiming that they failed to properly monitor billions of dollars in toxic mortgage-backed securities acquired by the German lender before the 2008 financial crisis.
* RBS: Competition Commission of India approved the acquisition of Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc's India wealth management business by Sanctum Wealth. RBS said in September that it would sell the unit as the British bank pulls back from some foreign markets to focus on UK retail and commercial banking. (reut.rs/1MEgt1x)
* JOHN LEWIS: Britain's biggest department store chain, John Lewis, said on Saturday it had seen a 10.7 percent year-on-year increase in clearance online orders on Christmas Day and a rise of 11 percent in traffic to its website. John Lewis is the only major British retailer to publish weekly sales data, providing the most up-to-date snapshot of shopping trends. Continuación...


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Francis del Val, President & Managing Director of GSK, Philippines, talks about his experience working in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector in the Philippines, and discusses at length the company’s (and industry’s) largest challenge: Employee retention.
The growth of the pharmaceutical market, according to IMS Health data, is only set at three to four percent; however, what is your assessment of the real growth potential for MNCs in this context?
This disparity in growth rates describes the situation we face here today. GSK Philippines is one of the leading contributors of data to IMS Health in the country and we regularly interact with IMS Health. By our own observations in GSK Philippines, we have come to the conclusion that an important part of the market may not be audited sufficiently today. For its data collection, IMS uses the shipment data of the big MNCs as well as local pharmaceutical companies and leading distributors such as Zuellig. According to those records, the Philippine pharmaceutical market is indeed growing at roughly four percent now.
However, it is very difficult to get a complete picture of the market because it is so complex. In recent years, a number of new retail chains have shown rapid success, many of whom market low cost generic medicines throughout the Philippines. The sales data of chains like The Generics Pharmacy, which has roughly 1,600 outlets, and Generika, with over 450 outlets, are not publicly available. Ironically, it is becoming more apparent that this is where the majority of the growth in the market is coming from.
Apart from these rapidly expanding generic retail chains, local government units (LGUs) purchase medicines directly for their constituents. This is consistent with the government’s push for universal healthcare. Clearly, another area of growth that may not be adequately covered by the current data audits.
Lastly, there are particular parts of the market that are growing faster than others. The vaccines market, for instance, is growing rapidly and offers many different opportunities. This is particularly interesting for a vaccine manufacturer like GSK.
You previously described the Philippine pharmaceutical market as ‘multidimensional’. Why so?
There is a shift taking place. Achieving universal healthcare is not only about making quality affordable drugs available to the entire population, but also about making sure that there are the right healthcare facilities and medical practitioners in place. Especially when it comes to infrastructure, like hospitals, we see that the private sector is becoming more and more involved. The government is also investing heavily in upgrading its hospitals. These and various other factors are contributing to the growth acceleration in the hospital segment.
The pricing landscape has evolved considerably too. The Cheaper Medicines Act of 2008 (MDRP) slashed the prices of many innovative drugs up to 50 percent. MNC products also face heavy competition from generics. Are you still optimistic?
There is no doubt that there have been a lot of challenges when it comes to pricing. It is however a very important fact that so far only 10 percent of the population that belongs to the economic-social classes ‘AB’ to upper ‘C’ can well afford medicines. In other words, 90 percent, or roughly 90 million Filipino people, still struggle with access to medicines in the Philippines. As a pharmaceutical company, we have an important role to play in increasing access to our products. This requires a lot of adaptability.
It is worthy to note that increasing access to medicines is not only about pricing. A lot of it has to do with disease awareness, education and infrastructure support. As an organization, we have already undertaken significant efforts to support initiatives directed towards such purposes. On rotavirus vaccination as part of the expanded program of immunization for example, we have been working very closely with the Department of Health. It is GSK’s mission to help people do more, feel better, live longer, and a lot of that starts with building awareness that people can take charge of their health.
How well represented is GSK in the different therapeutic classes in the Philippines?
At present, GSK is well represented in most therapeutic areas. In fact, GSK now participates in roughly 50 percent of all therapeutic areas covered. GSK particularly has strong franchises in vaccines, respiratory and anti-infectives. Even though there are a lot of antibiotic products present in the market on the anti-infective side, our value proposition lies in the long history of our brands: doctors and patients who have used these products over generations believe and trust our medicines/ brands because they have personally been touched by these treatments, and have gotten well.
There are a number of areas where we focus our efforts on, and respiratory has been one area where we have spent considerable energy more recently. We have been working with various pharmacy chains, for instance, to increase access to our products . Respiratory remains a key area of focus for GSK because we believe we can make a significant impact to the healthcare of Filipinos, particularly because of the presence of adverse contributors to respiratory health, such as heavy pollution and smoking.
GSK has certainly worked hard to be among those pharmaceutical companies with a rich pipeline of new products. Our research and development (R&D) remains a strong focus for the company globally and the medicines we discover will clearly benefit a lot of Filipino patients.
What are some of the bigger challenges you need to address within your organization?
Many people will probably identify the people factor as one of their challenges. For the pharmaceutical industry, this is particularly the case in the Philippines, as there are challenges with employee retention.
Our people work in an industry that grows less than the overall economy, while other sectors are growing much faster. Thus, the problem of human resources in GSK Philippines is not so much about losing talent to the competition, but about losing people to other industries.
What would keep them in an industry that is not growing as fast as the others?
It has to be more than just the job. What we do at GSK and what the pharmaceutical industry does, but is rarely credited for, is that it helps heal people. The medicines we make can help save lives, and all our employees have a responsibility to serve the people of the country. We all have a contract with society that goes beyond the monthly paycheck.
Saving lives and treating people, is especially important in the Philippines, where we see that health issues for one individual affect his surrounding family members more severely than in many other markets. The Filipino society is structured around families. Patients come from families where other members will make sacrifices for the well-being of the sick in order to provide for the necessary treatment. Thus, whenever a patient is sick, the impact is felt by the entire family.
This is the deeper understanding one needs to have when operating in the Philippine pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. It helps a lot that I am a Filipino and I can understand very well the context of the Filipino patient’s daily life.
It is rare to see an MNC still manufacturing here. As a matter of fact, you are now the only MNC still producing in the Philippines. What are your plans with this asset?
At present, we are indeed the only remaining MNC with manufacturing capacity in the Philippines. Our facility in Cainta is a mid-size manufacturing facility that has about 100 to 120 employees. It manufactures products for both our pharmaceutical and consumer divisions and goes back quite a while: we recently celebrated our 50 years of manufacturing in the Philippines. We are very proud of this manufacturing facility because it serves as a testimony to GSK’s commitment to be a partner in Filipino nation building. It also shows that Philippine manufactured products can be world class. Our site exports to many neighboring countries and we certainly look forward to more of that in the future, on top of catering to the increasing demand in the local market.
Having such manufacturing capacity in the Philippines does set us apart from the other players. GSK aims to be an end-to-end solutions provider for Filipinos. We have clinical R&D operations, manufacturing, as well as marketing and sales operations for our pharmaceuticals, vaccine and consumer products. The medicines and vaccines that we sell touch the lives of many Filipino patients, and GSK is also a significant contributor in terms of providing employment and in the payment of taxes.
GSK Philippines acknowledges that it has an important responsibility to the Fiipino patient. GSK’s mission is to help more people ‘Do more, feel better, live longer’. It is therefore our vision that GSK Philippines will be able to provide access to its medicines and vaccines to every Filipino. Increasing access to medicines and vaccines is at the heart of everything that we do here in GSK Philippines. There is a large part of the population whose healthcare still remains to be addressed. We need to play a role in reaching out to them.
The world should understand that the Philippines pharmaceutical industry can offer growth. It is an attractive market for anyone to invest in. For any market player, however, it is important to be able to focus on the needs of the Filipino patients to really make a difference. Our employees at GSK Philippines are passionate about providing access to all our medicines and vaccines to as many Filipinos as possible.
To read more interviews and articles on the Philippines, and to download the latest free report on the country, click here.


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You know something's wrong when beer is cheaper than water.... or maybe it's something right?
BRITISH supermarkets are selling beer at prices cheaper than water and soft drinks, with cans sold for as little as $50 cents.
Supermarkets were stocking shelves with beer priced so low they were actually losing money, the Mail on Sunday reported.
Experts estimated that the supermarkets were losing up to 18 cents per can through excise and production costs, the newspaper said.
Many of the major supermarkets were now selling beer for just 50 pence ($1.15) a litre. The same supermarkets sell mineral water for 56p-92p a litre.
Own-brand cola sells for 56p-65p.
The British health department has commissioned an independent review of alcohol pricing and promotion and has not ruled out changing regulations.
Policy director at health group Alcohol Concern Don Shenker told the Mail the prices could have contributed to the UK’s binge drinking problem.
“The fact that it is cheaper than their own-brand of cola per litre is appalling,” Mr Shenker said.
“This sends entirely the wrong message to the young drinkers we are trying to steer away from alcohol abuse.
“They will think that if it’s so cheap, it must be OK. We would urge supermarkets to seriously review their pricing policy.”
An Alcohol Concern report revealed that children could afford beer with their pocket money.
Figures from the National Treatment Agency revealed that even 10-year-olds were suffering from illnesses usually found in ageing alcoholics, the Mail reported.


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Uncoated groundwood paper is used in printing newspapers, flyers, catalogues and books and in 2016, U.S. Commerce estimated that American customers imported $1.27 billion United States worth of the product.
Canada is contesting USA duties on softwood lumber, as it has successfully done in the past. Commerce determined that Canadian exporters have sold the paper between zero and 22.16 percent less than fair value, lower than the margins alleged by the petitioner - the Washington State-based North Pacific Paper Company - of between 23.45 and 54.97 percent.
"President Trump made it clear from the beginning that we will vigorously administer our trade laws to provide USA industry with relief from unfair trade practices", Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement.
For now, Resolute FP Canada Inc. and the White Birch Paper Canada Company will not pay any new duties, but a 22.16 percent antidumping duty will be levied on Catalyst Pulp and Paper Sales and all other Canadian producers.
Uncoated groundwood paper includes newsprint, as well as book publishing, printing and writing papers.
Trump Tariffs-Steel Industry story
If other countries follow through on their rhetoric, US exporters may face restrictions on their market access overseas . For one thing, Vertical notes that the list of countries and products being exempted from the tariffs is "growing".
The Powell River mill is worth approximately $125 million to Powell River's economy per year, including $40 million in direct payroll, more than $5 million in taxes and another $80 million in indirect expenditures, according to City of Powell River councillor and finance committee chair Russell Brewer.
The duties are preliminary pending more investigation and a final decision in August. "Even with the exemption of directory paper, the remaining anti-dumping and countervailing duties are onerous and a critical cost challenge for Catalyst", he said in a statement.
That comes on the heels of a 9.93 per cent countervailing duty that was imposed on the company in January.
The paper dispute is a second front of an apparent U.S. trade war over forest products, in addition to the Canada U.S. softwood lumber dispute that has Canadian lumber producers paying between 10 and 24 per cent in duties on American exports. The Commerce Department hit Resolute with countervailing rate of 4.42 per cent in January, but did not impose an anti-dumping tariff.
In a news release, Kruger called the duties "unfounded", and denied dumping its products. And Bruce Ralston, B.C.'s Jobs and Trade Minister, said he will work with Catalyst and Ottawa to help combat the "unfair tariffs".
Die Hard 6 Script Reportedly Being Rewritten by The Conjuring Writers
Rumour has it they will also be writing Journey to the Center of the Earth 4. Since then, he has reprised his role in all its succeeding sequels.
Canada issued a statement saying the duties "will have a direct and negative impact on US newspapers, especially those in small cities and towns, and result in job losses in the American printing sector".
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr warned of severe consequences.
In December 2017, a US trade commission upheld tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber saying the product was subsidized.
Bryan Yu, deputy chief economist at Central 1 Credit Union, said the decision on newsprint tariffs underscores the confrontational position of the Trump administration.
Minor League Baseball announces new pace-of-play rule changes
At the Double-A and Triple-A levels, a 15-second pitch clock is being implemented when there are no runners on base. The first 15 days of the season will be a "grace period" with the rules being strictly enforced starting April 20.


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One Opera Hotel is the very first 5-star hotel in Danang, located in the heart of the city.
Success Dragon has terminated its agreement with One Opera Hotel, and said it will revise its cooperation with Le Meridien Hotel after experiencing ‘unexpected difficulties in obtaining requisite business certificates’. In December 2015, Success Dragon entered into an agreement to provide outsourced electronic gaming machine management services to both five-star establishments in Vietnam. However, according […]
Hong Kong-listed Success Dragon has high hopes for its Vietnam market focus, as it further diversifies away from Macau, says Carlos Salas, chairman and CEO in a statement to Hong Kong based Finet Group. According to Salas, the competition in Macau’s gaming market is getting more intense with fewer Chinese visitors to the city, no […]


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Hemmed In No Longer, This Firm Sews Up a Global Brand
In 2002, frustrated after losing a major out-of-state contract for a car show, Megan Duckett wanted to expand her drapery business to clients outside California. She managed to transform her part-time business into an international operation.
Once the province of companies with extensive legal and sales departments, exporting is now growing among smaller companies. The costs of doing business abroad have fallen dramatically, making it feasible for even homegrown businesses to set up shop abroad.
Twenty years ago, about 65,000 American companies with fewer than 500 employees exported, but last year that number hit 226,000, according to the Small Business Exporters Association. Recent trade deals and dropping technology prices have made it easier for companies to export.
International trade wasn't on the horizon when Duckett got her start in 1991. She was sewing stage props at night while working at a concert production company by day. Her first job was sewing new linings into used coffins for a haunted-house set. "They want me to sew what?" Duckett recalls saying. And that gave birth to the name of her company--Sew What? Inc.
Growing pains. By 1997 she had moved out of her garage, and sales hit $25,000. The company grew quickly with jobs from musicians and clubs in Southern California. But when she tried to win customers outside the area, most balked at working with such a small operation.
The seamstress fashioned a crude website in 2002 and started studying Web design. She hired someone for $1,500 to help the Sew What? site pop up in search engine results. Those moves helped push her sales past $1.27 million in 2003 from $895,000 in 2002.
At the same time, after visits to her native Australia, Duckett saw an opening for her business to sell U.S. fabric down under. As a dual U.S. and Australian citizen, she registered a parallel textile business, which she runs from California through another website. Boosted by that success, Duckett set up a Spanish-language section of her main website this year after an employee from Mexico suggested it.
A personal connection abroad is the most common way business owners decide to move into international trade, says James Morrison, president of the exporters association. Immigrant entrepreneurs "feel like they can sell to other countries," he says. U.S. free-trade agreements and the growth of online "storefronts" have made it easier for small-business owners to become exporters.
Many small-business owners, like Duckett, can now install needed software on their own and at low cost. Last year she overhauled the Sew What? brand, sprucing up the website and logos to emphasize the company's music clients, such as Madonna and Sting.
Sew What? sales hit $2.4 million last year, and Duckett expects them to grow 65 percent this year after the rebranding. Sharp-looking brochures and packaging are a key for U.S. companies selling to other countries, which associate American goods with better quality.
While only 6 percent of her revenue comes from abroad, Duckett thinks that figure will climb. Just 18 months ago, about 80 percent of her sales were in California. Since then, she has made 55 international transactions, and 66 percent of her clients are now from outside the state.
Last year, she even got a call from Greek club owner Peter Young, who asked her to sew stage drapery for his all-night venue in Athens. She completed the whole deal without ever setting foot in Europe, finally sending a salesperson over to see the work in person and put in a bid for Young's next project.
This story appears in the July 31, 2006 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.


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There are three big-name web companies ready to bite at the ankle of monopolist Google in the impending antitrust case at Capitol Hill.
Nextag, Yelp and Expedia all argue that Google is deliberately bumping them from search results to promote its own equivalent, which is remarkably similar to what they originally offered. The antitrust hearing will start today, and is related to search about travel and local business. The prosecution says Google is hoarding all the information and hosting it on its own Places service.
Nextag, reports the Wall Street Journal, claims Google is blocking it from bidding on the best ads. Nextag thinks it has been identified as competition, and in turn Google only lets it bid on ads that get less clicks. Google, of course, denies the allegations.
Google said in a statement that it is “looking forward” to the hearing, presumably because the toothless law men of the world usually find it guilty but unable to exert pressure on the giant. With the FTC, though, Google is playing with fire.
In the meantime, critics suggest it hopes its army of lobbyists will have wined and dined Google’s way out of a guilty verdict or a sharp ruling.


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Within any market, what is popular will change with the seasons, years and values of society, and to be fully prepared and remain successful it’s important to stay on top of what the consumers want and deem important.
According to a survey commissioned by Michelson Found Animals Foundation, the lines between human and pet trends will continue to blur in 2019. This has already been evidenced in the slow and ever increasing humanisation of the pet care sector. The survey suggests that technology, alternative therapies and food will be the major trends for the sector.
The survey indicates pet owners will be making more use of technology to assist in pet parenting, where that be through wearable fitness trackers, surveillance cameras or apps to connect them to the pet owning community. It also says owners will continue to focus on particular diets for their pets which have already become more prevalent over the years, such as the vegan, organic and raw diets. Alternative therapies may be on the rise as well, which can already be seen by the introduction of CBD and hemp-based products to the market.
While the findings of the survey are good indicators for what’s to come, the industry always has its own opinions on what may be to come for the year ahead. Here are some of your predictions.
Dr Jacqueline Boyd, nutritional consultant at pet food brand, Skinner’s Pet Foods:
“Over the last two decades, there has been an interesting change in pet foods. Consumers are increasingly making pet food choices based on their own lifestyles, aspirations, health choices and perceptions of what is healthy for their pet. This directly correlates with the increased humanisation of companion animals, and their status as family members becoming more pronounced. There are many reasons for this shift, including the rise of the single person household and changes in the “typical” family unit, as well as increased affluence and personal awareness of health and nutrition. As a result, we increasingly see pet food consumer trends follow human food trends; low carbohydrate, high protein, “clean” eating, fresh/raw foods, no additives and so on.
“This trend is however, a bit of a double-edged sword. Critical consumers help push manufacturers to be more transparent and open about their sourcing of ingredients, processing methods. This also promotes the application and integration of ongoing research, and the development of quality products. Manufacturers thus need to remain alert and responsive both to current nutritional science and consumer demands and trends. The downside can be that sometimes the desire to market to human desires and perceptions means that robust nutritional science is ignored or given less credence in the pursuit of marketing. Maintaining a balanced approach of transparency, knowledge dissemination based on facts, attractive marketing and the application of current science relating to pet nutrition, is key in a dynamic industry.”
Ashley Burdock, commercial manager at protein supplier to the pet trade, SARVAL:
“No longer the afterthought of the weekly shop, pet food has become a thriving and diversified industry driven largely by the same values and expectations that consumers place on their own nutrition. According to Innova Market Insights, protein content, variety, snacks and personalised nutrition are all key trends for both consumer and pet food manufacturers in 2019. A significant rise in premium pet food sales, particularly products marketed as fresh, organic, ‘gourmet’ or single-serve, attests to this.
“The ethical and sustainable provenance of pet food ingredients will also be a key concern for manufacturers. A growing number of brands now promote claims related to ingredient sourcing and animal welfare, but the sustainable and economical use of raw materials is becoming increasingly important.
“As consumer awareness of pet food quality expands, so too will our investment in the processing techniques and technologies that manufacturers need to harness this fast-paced, evolving sector.”
Rob Steele, marketing manager at training and lifestyle manufacturer, PetSafe Brand (Europe, Australia, Canada):
“Technology will be a key trend for our business and the pet industry overall in 2019, led by consumer demand for tech solutions across all areas of pet care – from health, to waste management, training and play. As consumers’ lives become increasingly connected and busy we anticipate we’ll see new innovations to support these changing lifestyles.”
Poppy Sutton, buying manager at equestrian and pet supply store, Millbry Hill:
“Younger people in particular are becoming more health and eco-conscious, so it’s only natural that they’ll consider these factors when buying pet products. Manufacturers and suppliers may therefore benefit from focusing on more ethical and sustainable ways of making pet food which still give animals a complete and balanced diet. This could include broadening ranges of vegetarian and vegan alternatives, or simply using companies who source their ingredients locally and organically. And, with a rise in consumers demanding more environmentally-friendly packaging, there is also a lot of scope to be getting on board with this aspect of it all.
“Social media platforms like Instagram are also making it easier for us to observe the pride people are taking in their pets, with aesthetics seemingly becoming increasingly important. With this in mind, I predict it’s only a matter of time before the sector sees a significant rise in the purchase of accessories that are not only of high quality but look nice as well. From this, I anticipate that pet owners will be willing to pay more to get the best for their pets, but brands will need to ensure they can justify them as being so.”


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2020 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Mpg - Ford has a lot more radical improvements to the areas that people can't see. 2020 Ford Explorer is likely to be one of many first designs to operate a vehicle the next generation Ford platform for larger models. Code called D6, that system is once again a top wheel-based style (with all pushes available) and can spawn designs for Ford and Lincoln. You will find rumors that the 2019 Explorer will be twinned with the brand new Aviator SUV exchanging the unloved Lincoln MKT. Ford, which has only discovered a passion for aluminum, must continue with the Ford Explorer 2020 to help reduce fat and in turn enhance the economy. And once again the essential powertrain must certanly be a turbocharged-4 inline. This time around we've to check out 9 automatic speeds as opposed to the 6-speed ageing model. Those who are looking for better efficiency must accept a turbocharged V-6. And do not be astonished if the cross design joins the rates on the road.
In either case, it will go available for sale in the summer of 2018 as a design in 2019. A prototype for the technology of Ford Explorer has been detected. That car is likely to be distributed in the second half 2018, as a 2019 model. 2020 Ford Explorer must be redesigned by Ford for the next year. It's anticipated that design can change the current one and give you a redesigned version. Because we were anxious, it had to displace the old edition, made in 2011 and just slightly transformed over these years. New machines, revised products and infotainment systems in the cottage must be discovered, increased driving and preventing systems and a great many other things. As the Ford Mustang has been restored, automotive is estimated to lower the V6 engine which is obviously sucked from the rates of the Ford Explorer.
Check out visit a 4-liter four-cylinder and 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine with light improvements to boost efficiency and gasoline economy. The obviously aspirated V6 stress can help increase normal gasoline economy and emissions through the explorers range. It's thought that the D6 system can be configured for top, back or four-wheel drive. That prototype doesn't look to really have a back differential, which suggests that the idea of top wheel push is correct. The 2.3-liter, four-cylinder and 3.5-liter V6 engine is capable of going current; But, the 3.5-liter V6, that will be obviously aspirated, can be launched, in an endeavor to boost the average gasoline economy and emissions from the Explorer range.
The 2020 Ford Explorer design helps a longer and wider cottage and a brand new longitudinal engine position. Which means the front conclusion is slightly longer with a larger lid and maybe how big is a brand new car. Cars must also be produced on new tools, CD6 designs, which support the front wheel push system and modify driving positions. The new Explorer must remain the exact same shape from the front conclusion by maintenance sides and squared lights, underneath of the front conclusion that will be broad and how big is the grille large. The trunk conclusion can be cubic, with a wide spoiler on a corner screen and also a squared taillight.
That three-line SUV must certanly be made and modified to the average consumer so that everybody thinks relaxed while sitting in it. 2020 Ford Explorer must have a roomy and big cottage with exceptional gear and assistance. But, the cottage is wrapped in leather, at least in the higher cut, decorated with facts in chrome. When it comes to engineering, there are such things as running get a handle on, navigation systems, and Co-Pilot Suite Ford and the latest Ford Sync room system.
The Explorer was launched for the first time in 1990 and has turned into a large accomplishment for Ford. Inspite of the Firestone tire scandal which resulted in 240 deaths and about 3,000 significant injuries and engagement in sales towards the conclusion of the past decade, about 7 million were just distributed in the United States. That makes it one of many best-selling SUVs of them all, actually one of many best-selling cars of any kind. It's probable the brand new Ford Explorer will debut at the 2017 LA Vehicle Display, but that has a tendency to explode at the 2018 Detroit Vehicle Show. The latest Ford Explorer car will go available for sale in the summer of 2019 as a 2020 model.
This past year, the Ford Explorer sold 248,507 products, which makes it the fourteenth best-selling champion in the United States. It's an absolute presumption that irrespective of how Ford decided to set up Explorer, it will continue to offer properly on the list of midsize SUV section, specifically for buyers looking for eight seats. Presently the designs start at $ 32,605 including destinations ($ 35,039 in Canada), but do not expect to see a substantial value increase when introducing that new model.


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Beginning August 19, Frontier will offer non-stop flights to Atlanta; Orlando; Tampa; Charlotte and Minneapolis/St Paul.
Services to Chicago-O’Hare; Cincinnati; Detroit; Fort Lauderdale; Las Vegas; Memphis; Fort Myers; St Louis and St Augustine/Jacksonville are due to begin on September 8.
Frontier’s commercial SVP, Daniel Shurz, said that the airline “is committed to offering customers Low Fares Done Right and that means offering choices.”
President and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Jack Potter, called the addition of Frontier “a significant and positive development for passengers interested in additional low-cost, domestic travel option” from Dulles.
Operated by an A320, Frontier’s new services via Washington Dulles coincide with recent upgrades to the airport including increased parking facilities, concourse refurbishment and a number of new F&B and retail options set to open throughout 2014.
Frontier is currently refocusing its operation to become an ultra-LCC and has announced a spate of new appointments in recent weeks to further that goal including new airline president, Barry Biffle and CFO, James Dempsey.


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Reports have been popping up all over the internet that a trademark filing shows the e-tron GT in production guise. But, they’re more than likely to simply more images of the concept that we’ve already seen at the LA Auto Show.
The images, first published by e-tronforum.com,show 3D, black and white renderings of an e-tron GT filed with the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office (CSIPO). The forum claims that these are of the production version, which Audi has promised will hit the streets by 2021.
Unfortunately, since these images show a car unendowed with door handles, they are unlikely to be of a production car. Further, the application was filed with the CSIPO in January of this year and it references a European filing from October 2018.
That filing would have been made just before the LA Auto Show, where the e-tron GT concept debuted. Since the concept starred in Avengers: Endgame, it’s also likely that Audi wanted to square away the car’s international rights before it was featured in the most widely seen movie of all time in April.
While this is unlikely to be exactly what the production version of the e-tron GT looks like, Audi has promised that something looking a lot like this will arrive someday. And there’s reason to believe them.
That’s roughly the same line Volkswagen has been pulling with its EVs, and as it pulls more and more layers of camo off the ID.3, the car has maintained striking fidelity to its concept–but with, you know, door handles and junk.
Meanwhile and in case you’ve forgotten, the e-tron GT is a 590 hp AWD, twin-motor EV that gets to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and can hit a top speed of 150 mph. It’s good for a range of about 400 km and can extend its range by up to 30% thanks to its sophisticated regenerative braking technology.
additional reporting by Dennis Chung


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This year’s apple season is already off to a strong start in Tasmania, with warm temperatures during spring promoting good flowering and pollination rates. Growers are now benefiting from this with ideal crop loads and a high proportion of good-sized fruit.
Frost damage has been reported by several growers in Tasmania’s south and north-east. In the south, overnight frosts occurred intermittently during flowering before dissipating before morning. Frosts have occurred significantly later in the north-east, resulting in localised skin blemishes in some fruit. High winds and intermittent hail during spring have caused small minor skin damage and russeting in some areas.
Recent heavy rainfall events have also brought much needed relief to all parts of Tasmania. These rains alleviated drought concerns after winter and spring were warmer and drier than expected. Growers across the state reported 50-80mm of rain, which has topped up soil moisture and irrigation reserves in all growing regions. This moisture is welcomed by many growers ahead of what is expected to be a long, dry summer.
Most growers are now in the process of selling the final bins of fruit from last season and are preparing to receive the new season’s harvest. Growers in Tasmania’s north are hopeful that the fruit movement restrictions in northern Tasmania will end on 9 January. These restrictions have created transport issues for apple growers across the state’s north, disrupting market access.
It is shaping up to be a very promising season for all growers.


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Huawei is a company that currently has the fastest growth rate in the smartphone market. After becoming third largest smartphone manufacturer they now want to enter the world of VR. They already have a smartwatch that is looking really good, they’ve made a smart band for their phones, and their Kirin chipset is one of the few that can tackle with the ones from Qualcomm, Samsung and Apple. And now, to complete their smartphone accessories portfolio, they revealed their own VR kit, named Huawei VR (well, it doesn’t have to be named bombastically in order to succeed).
The kit is clearly designed with Gear VR in mind. Almost identical front side, with a slot to put your phone in. Stripes that should keep VR kit in place are placed almost the same as in other kits we had the opportunity to see, and generally, Huawei VR is really hard to distinguish from the Samsung Gear VR. The interesting thing is that Samsung doesn’t actually manufacture Gear VR, the job is handed to Oculus, now owned by Facebook. Huawei, on the other hand, announced that they will produce VR in-house, meaning that Huawei became the fourth company to actually manufacture VR kits, after Oculus, HTC (Vive), and Sony (PlayStation VR), which tells enough about production power Huawei has.
Actual performance will depend on the smartphone you use with it. Currently, only the newest models (P9 and Mate 8) are compatible with Huawei’s new VR kit, but as more models get announced this will change. Mind that P9 and Mate 8 smartphones are pretty powerful and are completely capable of running VR content. But, one thing that could become a serious problem is that Huawei doesn’t have a model with a resolution bigger than 1080p. 1080p is more than enough when using the phone as intended, PPI is just too high to notice any pixels and 1080p displays will drain the battery much less than QHD ones. But when enjoying VR content, 1080p will not be enough. The image on Samsung Gear VR looks relatively grainy even when new Galaxy S6 or S7 are connected, and both of those phones have QHD display resolution. Huawei said earlier that they won’t enter QHD market because their phones don’t need to have such a big resolution, but if they want to become a serious VR player, this will have to happen soon.
The biggest difference point in comparison to Gear VR is that Huawei VR will support “360-degree sound field”, with headphones of course. Samsung’s VR set doesn’t support this out-of-the-box but there are third-party solutions, like MilkVR. It will be interesting to see (or, better to say, to hear) how good this option will be and will the audio image really will be as wide as Huawei claims.
Availability And Price Of Huawei VR
Since Huawei VR kit had been revealed just yesterday, the price is still unknown. But if Gear VR costs just $99, we are certain that Huawei will put much lower price stamp on its new product. Something around $60-$70 sounds possible. Huawei VR should be available in a couple of months, the company’s latest flagship device, P9 was revealed just a couple of weeks ago and there is no need to offer VR kit right now. Especially because Huawei has big plans for VR content that’ll be released for the device. They plan to offer piles of movies, games, panoramic images, 360 videos and more as soon as VR kit gets released, and to do that in a proper way, they’ll probably need a couple of months to actually gather and produce that content.
It seems that soon, even more, smartphone manufacturers will offer some form of their own VR kits. Sony could make their VR kit compatible with their premium Xperia series, Apple will surely enter the market, but they will wait for technology to become future-proof and actually profitable, and Xiaomi, Lenovo, and others surely think about making the move into VR. If other manufacturers start following Samsung and Huawei, we could get a VR kit compatible with almost every model in the near future, and VR could finally enter the mainstream market.


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by John | July 29, 2014 11:19 am
The shoe’s on the other foot for Consumer Watchdog (no connection to CalWatchdog.com).
Routinely critical of state regulators for failing to protect consumers, the consumer advocacy group has been criticized by an independent oversight panel for presenting “incorrect” and “misleading” information to the public.
A 2013 Consumer Watchdog expose was titled, “Golden Wasteland: Regulating Toxics, or Toxic Regulations?” It slammed the state Department of Toxic Substances Control for jeopardizing public safety by “allowing serial polluters to cut deals with the department” and “levying wrist-slap penalties instead of applying maximum fines.”
“We have some of the toughest environmental laws in the nation, and some of the weakest enforcement,” Consumer Watchdog concluded, based on its 2013 Golden Wasteland report.
A new report by the California State Senate’s Office of Oversight and Outcomes, “Fact Check: Despite Failures By State’s Toxics Regulator, Many Recent Criticisms are Unfounded,” analyzed claims made by Consumer Watchdog.
Consumer Watchdog’s claims, which generated headlines across the state, concerned state Sens. Kevin de León, Ellen Corbett and Ricardo Lara. De Leon is the Senate’s president pro tem. In July 2013, the Democratic lawmakers tasked the state Senate’s independent research arm with investigating Consumer Watchdog’s allegations.
Led by former Sacramento Bee reporter John Hill, the Senate investigative unit conducted a line-by-line review of Golden Wasteland. They “found that the report was incorrect, misleading or lacking in context.”
“Golden Wasteland includes opinions and proposals in addition to factual assertions,” the Senate’s investigative unit found. “In some cases, we were able to confirm its assertions. In many others, we found that the report was incorrect, misleading or lacking in context.”
One example of a misleading claim cited by Senate investigators involved whether the Department of Toxic Substances Control had jeopardized the public by failing to shut down an oil-recycling facility in Newark, California.
“One private environmental attorney says that the California Legislature never intended for the DTSC to allow serial violators like Evergreen Oil to stay in business,” Consumer Watchdog argued in its report. “In fact, the law does not require a specific level of harm to be determined before revoking or denying permits. … Thus, DTSC has every right – indeed a duty – to shut down this serial environmental polluter.”
Senate investigators found that Consumer Watchdog’s account of the Evergreen Oil case omitted key information.
“It’s true that DTSC had the legal authority to become more involved in the Evergreen case,” the Senate report states. “But Golden Wasteland fails to mention that California’s regulatory scheme calls for a local entity, a Consolidated Unified Program Agency, to take the lead in the section of the Evergreen plant where accidents occurred. … And the report misleads by omitting any mention of the Alameda CUPA’s lead role in overseeing the re-refining part of the facility, making it seem to an uninitiated reader that DTSC was the obvious candidate to respond to problems at the facility.”
Consumer Watchdog responded with a rebuttal to the state Senate’s investigation: Criticizing the Legislature’s past performance in oversight, while defending the report for verifying some of its claims.
“The Legislature has historically done a terrible job of overseeing an agency that has gotten so much wrong, ending up hurting the very people that it is supposed to protect,” said Consumer Watchdog’s Liza Tucker, the author of the original Golden Wasteland report. “The report by this Senate office underlines that lack of oversight.”
She added, “Its report verified a dozen allegations in Golden Wasteland, which made the case the agency is dominated by the companies it regulates.”
Coming to Consumer Watchdog’s defense is a group of housing advocates organized by a project of the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment.
“For residents of Autumnwood, who reached out to DTSC for relief and received none, this report is a disappointment,” Xonia Villanueva, a member of the People’s Senate, said in a recent press release. “It’s as if the Senate investigator was tasked with discrediting communities in California that are crying out for help.”
Steve Maviglio, a Democratic strategist and frequent critic of Consumer Watchdog, pointed to the state Senate’s findings as validation of his extensive research into the nonprofit.
“The critique isn’t coming from an ideological foe of Consumer Watchdog,” said Maviglio, who has published his research at the cleverly named, ConsumerWatchdogWatch.com. “It’s coming from the research arm of perhaps the most progressive state Senate in the nation.”
In Maviglio’s view, Consumer Watchdog’s research has been biased by funding sources, most of which it refuses to disclose.
One funding source that has been well-documented is revenue that the group receives from policing the government regulations it helps write. Founded by consumer advocate Harvey Rosenfield, the author of Proposition 103, which increased state insurance regulation, Consumer Watchdog has benefited from provisions in state law that allow it to act as an “intervenor.”
“‘Intervenors’ can get paid hundreds of dollars an hour (paid by insurance companies) in fees to monitor the rate process, supposedly on behalf of the public,” wrote UT San Diego columnist Steven Greenhut. “No surprise, Consumer Watchdog is the most proficient intervenor and has received millions of dollars in its challenges under Proposition 103.”
That leaves some critics deeply suspicious of any claims made by the organization.
“Consumer Watchdog’s name should be Trial Lawyers’ Helper,” CalWatchdog.com contributor Chris Reed wrote in a blog, late last year. “The organization aggressively works on many fronts to increase the ease with which trial lawyers can take money from people.”
Don’t expect Consumer Watchdog to be slowed down by the recent criticism. Last month, it published a new report, “Inside Job,” which, in the group’s words, looks into how “Boeing and its influential fixers derailed the cleanup of a partial nuclear meltdown site in greater Los Angeles.”
(You can read the report by the state Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes here: “Fact Check: Despite Failures by State’s Toxics Regulator, Many Recent Criticisms are Unfounded”.)
Source URL: https://calwatchdog.com/2014/07/29/consumer-watchdog-criticized-for-misleading-report/
Copyright ©2023 CalWatchdog.com unless otherwise noted.


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Left Bank Books Closing Downtown Location
Get Breaking News First
ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The rising cost of rent is shutting down the last book store in downtown St. Louis.
Left Bank Books Co-owner Kris Kleindienst says the downtown location, which opened in 2008, was popular with bookbuyers, but going forward, they couldn’t come to terms with the landlord.
“There’s a direct correlation,” she says. “You have to sell enough books to pay your overhead, and costs were necessarily going to be more going forward. The numbers were good for us, but it just became clear that it would take a lot longer than we could wait for.”
Left Bank Books will continue to operate its flagship store in the Central West End. The downtown store is planning a clearance sale and will close sometime in May.
(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
MORE LOCAL NEWS:
- Missouri’s Right to Farm Initiative Brings Many Pros and Cons
- First Case of Chikungunya Reported in St. Louis; Not Contracted in Area
- County Executive Candidates About Even in Terms of Finances
- Ancient Mummy Mask to Stay at St. Louis Art Museum
- Mercedes Benz of St. Louis Moves From West County Into City
- 100 Start-Ups Now Working Inside T-REX Incubator


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- The 2015 Acura NSX prototype made its dynamic debut on Sunday before the running of the Honda Indy 200, as the automaker said it intends "to go racing with the new NSX."
- The maiden voyage of the Acura NSX prototype in Ohio was heavy with meaning, as the car made its debut in the state where it will be produced.
- The prototype of Acura's upcoming revival of the NSX supercar lapped the 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
LEXINGTON, Ohio — A prototype of the 2015 Acura NSX supercar made its dynamic debut on Sunday before the running of the Honda Indy 200, with the automaker adding that it intends "to go racing with the new NSX."
The maiden voyage of the Acura NSX prototype in Ohio was heavy with meaning, since the car made its debut in the state where it will be produced. The Acura NSX prototype lapped the 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
"It's not finished," said the text accompanying Acura's YouTube video. "But it is complete. The Acura NSX concept has moved to prototype and added an essential piece. The driver. One more step in the quest for perfect synergy between man and machine." Acura pointed out in a statement that the "NSX prototype sported custom graphics that speak to Acura's intention to go racing with the new NSX." Further details were not provided. The car was driven by an unidentified member of the car's Ohio-based engineering development team.
"It is exciting for us to see the prototype running on the track, reflecting the great progress we're making toward the 2015 global launch of the NSX, as we engineer a new sports-car experience for customers around the world," said Ted Klaus, chief engineer of Honda R&D Americas, in a statement.
The production version of the Acura NSX will be an all-wheel-drive hybrid powered by a mid-mounted, direct-injected V6 combined with twin electric drive motors, all coming together to comprise Acura's Sport Hybrid SH-AWD drivetrain.
In May, Honda confirmed that it will build the Acura NSX in Ohio. The 2015 NSX will be produced exclusively at a new $70-million Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio, and exported around the world.
Honda said earlier that the NSX will begin mass production in 2015. Pricing has not been announced.
Edmunds says: The 2015 Acura NSX takes another step toward production with this dramatic debut.


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How progressive companies are using social technologies
Social networks and collaborative technologies are now commonplace in many workplaces. Having first been used “on the quiet” by highly-networked employees, in increasing numbers they are now being proactively used by businesses keen to connect more effectively with their internal and external audiences. Web collaboration is now viewed as critical to company success and as having multiple benefits and applications to the business. Read on.
Please supply your email address to access the content.
- Farmers shut out of online services by new identity scheme
- Facebook says you can be social and secure, acquires .onion address for Tor users
- Swedish hacker finds 'serious' vulnerability in OS X Yosemite
- Court rules cops can demand fingerprints, not passcodes, to unlock smartphones
- Twitter's MoPub ad exchange grabs Verizon tracking cookies, and more may follow


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CHICAGO, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- The owner of Chicago's Sun-Times newspaper has admitted an eight-year scheme to inflate circulation by overstating daily sales by as many as 50,000 copies.
A three-month probe by Hollinger International resulted in the admission as well as the promise to spend $$@$!27 million to make advertisers good.
Some of those advertisers are suing the newspaper.
Hollinger also revealed sales inflation at three other papers it owns, the Daily Southtown and the Star in suburban Chicago, and the Jerusalem Post in Israel.
The revised audit of circulation, or sales, for the Sun-Times comes in at about 430,000 copies on weekdays, farther behind the Chicago Tribune's sales of about 615,000 than previously thought. The Sun-Times' circulation could be further lowered when the impact of an April price increase is fully known, Hollinger said.
"It hurts, particularly in a competitive market," said newspaper analyst John Morton. "The lesser your position against your predominant competitor, the worse off you are."


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2 billion new internet users joined in 5 years but growth is uneven
A whopping two billion new internet users have come online in the past five years. This transformative shift, driven in part by the pandemic, has revolutionized the way people learn and work. But it’s important to note that this growth is not evenly distributed, and significant efforts are required, particularly in Africa, to bridge the digital divide, says Digital Impact Alliance CEO Priya Vora.
Vora emphasizes the importance in addressing issues of trust, individual agency, and data privacy as the digital world continues its rapid expansion. She also touches on the changing landscape of digital commerce, where a few dominant players could translate economic power into political influence. As the conversation and challenges surrounding the digital world evolve, so too should the global response, says Vora.
Vora joined other geotech experts in a GZERO livestream event, presented by Visa, to discuss the challenges and opportunities that nation-states face when it comes to digitization, and how it could shape a more inclusive and resilient future.


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ANNAPOLIS -- The Court of Special Appeals today gave the Maryland attorney general permission to seek refunds for some of the 43,000 state residents who were lured to a Pennsylvania campsite by deceptive notices they received by mail.
The decision gives the attorney general's consumer protection division authority to seek refunds from Outdoor World Corp. for state residents who traveled to Pennsylvania and Virginia after receiving the deceptive notices.
The mailings promised free prizes -- ranging from $10,000 in cash to new automobiles -- to smaller prizes to recipients who traveled to the sites to claim their prizes.
Many people who went to the site complained that when they arrived, the company's sales representatives talked for hours to persuade them to buy memberships entitling them to campsites. The memberships cost as much as $9,000.
They later were told they had to to pay "redemption fees" to claim their prizes, which usually were items of far less value than the cash or cars.
The attorney general's office had received numerous complaints and ordered the company to refund the money, but the firm won an appeal in Baltimore Circuit Court. The opinion by Chief Judge Alan M. Wilner today threw out the circuit court's ruling.
However, the court did not order all the refunds sought by the attorney general's office, saying the $60 million it sought was too broad.
On May 31, 1989, the company was charged with false and misleading solicitation and unfair and deceptive sales practices.
"This record shows no evidence, or even the likelihood of evidence, that anyone from Maryland actually purchased a campsite membership in reliance on the offending notice," Judge Wilner said in the decision.
The court said the state could seek refunds for people who were led to believe they could claim their prize simply by appearing at the campsite.


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1 hr ago
This is Guernsey
Cheap and extremely cheerful
MEET Honda's answer to the recession. The CB500X is cheap to build and cheap to buy, but does that mean a compromise on the road? It looks just like a baby cross-tourer, complete with Pirelli Scorpion Trail tyres as part of a styling package that separates it from its CB500F and CBR500R cousins.
6 hrs ago
Seattle startup Tred brings the test drive to the customer
With the help of a new online service, Seattle-area car shoppers can test drive vehicles without setting foot in a dealership.
Tue Jun 18, 2013
Two report a dirtbike stolen Monday
Donnea Annamarie Loos , 23, was charged with contempt of court, driving under restraint, driving under the influence of drugs and failure to wear eye protection.
Mon Jun 17, 2013
2014 Yamaha YZ250F
Forward-thinking, forward driving: Yamaha unleash brand new 2014 YZ four-stroke line-up The new generation of YZ-F draws the new motorcycles closer together than ever before.
2014 Yamaha YZ450F
Forward-thinking, forward driving: Yamaha unleash brand new 2014 YZ four-stroke line-up A number of adjectives could be used to describe the new 2014 YZ-F range but the truth is that the YZ250F and YZ450F speak volumes simply on their own.
We Ride Donny Emler's KX500/KTM 250SX Hybrid Two-Stroke Project Bike
Not every rider has the same dream bike in mind, but the MXA wrecking crew ran into two industry powerhouses who did share the same vision There is a recurring dream that persists in the motocross psyche-the dream of building the ultimate racing weapon.
RideApart Review: Honda XR650L
Affordable, proven and capable, the Honda XR650L dual-sport has been in production, unaltered, for two decades.
Sat Jun 15, 2013
The Times of India
ET: Amaze works wonders for Honda's brand makeover
Like FIPB, Sebi also wanted clarity on clauses relating to ownership and control.
Gaerne Motocross Of-Road Boots Review Part 2
At the time that Part 1 of this review was published in February of this year, I was very much looking forward to getting extended peg time in the boots.
Fri Jun 14, 2013
2014 Suzuki RM-Z250
Suzuki's New Lites Weapon - The 2014 RM-Z250 The 2014 Suzuki RM-Z250 is set to win a new legion of fans when it hits Australian showrooms later this year.
Suzuki Reveals 2014 RM-Z450 and RM-Z250 Motocrossers
If you were expecting big changes with the 2014 RM-Z250 and RM-Z450 motocrossers, it looks like you'll have to wait until at least next year for those to happen.
Finance offer on new GS models
This means that it's now possible to purhcase the new F700 GS, which updates the F 650 GS with increased power and ABS as standard, for just A 84.99 per month.
Thu Jun 13, 2013
Lear: The Best Way To Play The Auto Rebound
So who is Lear ? The company is a supplier of auto seats systems and electrical systems.
Wed Jun 12, 2013
Toyota to Meet U.S. Prius Goal as Economy Gains, Lentz Says
Toyota Motor Corp. said it will meet the sales goal for its Prius model in the U.S. after saying in April that the world's biggest carmaker may adjust the target as declining gas prices sap demand.
El Paso Times
Texas state Rep. Naomi Gonzalez named one of "Texas Monthly's" worst of 2013
State Rep. Naomi Gonzalez, D-El Paso, will be named one of the 10 worst legislators of 2013 by "Texas Monthly" Magazine, Senior Executive Editor Paul Burka wrote on his blog Wednesday.
Deep Dive: The Approaching Storm at Audi
It's good to be Audi. Bold designs, class-leading interiors, well-marketed technology, and Le Mans success have transformed the one-time also-ran into the number-two luxury brand in the world.
Porsche Is Back At Le Mans, Cadillac Rocks, And Did BMW Discriminate?
This is The Morning Shift , our one-stop daily roundup of all the auto news that's actually important - all in one place at 9:00 AM.
Ford Lincoln Tries Cheese to Lure Mercedes Buyers
For those who think the car-buying experience stinks, Ford Motor Co. is teaching its Lincoln dealers about fine cheeses.
this Much We Know! Making the Most of Your 2012 Honda CRF450 - not Everyone Can Afford New Bikes
But you might be able to scrape up enough dough to be happy with the old steed - you can apply these mods when you have the cash We forgive Honda for not liking MXA very much.
Tue Jun 11, 2013
Suzuki promotion fueling increase in motocross bike sales, OEM says
Thanks in part to a "generous" retail promotion for the RM-Z, Suzuki Motor of America Inc. reports that sales are up 13 percent for May and 21 percent for the year, compared to 2012 sales reported by American Suzuki Motor Corp. June 11, 2013 BREA, Calif.


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Not finished yet
What does Nokia boss Stephen Elop need to do this year? The ailing mobile giant he leads ended 2012 surprisingly strongly. But the market remains understandably wary. To convince sceptics, Elop’s biggest task is ensuring top-end smartphone sales really take off. The strategy for cheaper phones may need a rethink. Floating Nokia Siemens Networks, the revamped network-equipment unit, would help too.
Markets find it hard to value cases of distress and turnaround such as Nokia. So analysts’ price targets vary wildly, from 1.20 to 5 euros a share. Last week’s pre-announcement of unexpectedly strong results sparked a rally in Nokia shares. But a whole yacht club’s worth of U.S. hedge funds are still betting against the stock.
A lot hinges on the newish Lumia smartphone range. Nokia sold an encouraging 4.4 million Lumias in the fourth quarter. But Elop knows real viability means a market share above 10 percent. That won’t be easy. Customers and taste-makers remain to be convinced. Strategy Analytics forecasts handset-makers will ship 875 million smartphones in 2013, a majority from Samsung and Apple. That shows the scale of the challenge.
Elop might also quietly ponder whether Nokia needs other partners besides Microsoft, whose operating system powers the Lumia. The risk is that cheap smartphones running Google’s Android quickly erode Nokia’s huge-emerging markets footprint, which relies on cheaper phones using in-house software. At some pointing switching mid-range phones to a promising new system backed by Firefox might be sensible. Or Nokia could perhaps seek to use both Windows and Android.
NSN was a high point of the latest figures. The former basket-case is much improved after cutting swathes of jobs and focusing on the most profitable business lines. Nokia’s half share, at say 0.5 times sales, could be worth about 3.5 billion euros, before any new-issue discount, based on Liberum’s forecast for 2013 revenues at NSN of 14.1 billion euros. Of course Nokia would probably have to sell down in stages, and any float depends on IPO markets having a strong 2013. But it would show Nokia’s turnaround was bearing fruit.
The snag is so much has to go right. No wonder the hedgies are holding a steady course.


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Skiers and snowboarders can really grab a piste of the action from Birmingham Airport, as we mark inaugural ski flights to four top ski destinations (Geneva, Grenoble, Salzburg and Turin) this week.
Inaugural flights are taking off throughout the week, giving skiers and snowboarders access to the best slopes in the French, Swiss, Austrian and Italian Alps. Lucky snowsports fans have almost 600 resorts to choose from across the four destinations.
Our ski programme from Birmingham Airport means over 40,000 ski seats are on sale, including:
- Geneva – first flight departed on Saturday 16th December with up to three weekly services and over 14,000 seats on sale, giving access to 270 resorts including Tignes, Flaine and Verbier.
- Turin – first flight departed on Thursday 21st December, with twice weekly services (Saturday and Sunday) meaning almost 12,000 seats on sale, providing access to 214 ski resorts including Pila, Vars and Le Corbier.
- Salzburg – first flight departing on Saturday 23rd December, with weekly Saturday services representing 4,500 seats on sale, giving access to 130 ski resorts including Alpbach, Kaprun, Mayrhofen and Obertauern.
- Grenoble – first flight departing on Sunday 24th December meaning that Jet2.com will operate weekend services (Saturday only until February when a Sunday service is added) with almost 10,000 seats on sale and access to 178 resorts including Morzine, Chamonix and Avoriaz.
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said: “We are thrilled to be launching our ski programme from Birmingham Airport, giving local people access to the best slopes in the French, Swiss, Austrian and Italian Alps. We know that skiers want choice and flexibility, so that’s exactly what we have provided with these four top ski destinations from Birmingham Airport. With great snow conditions so far this season, customers can also take advantage of our friendly low fares and 22kg of baggage and ski allowance, whilst enjoying our award winning service as they head to this fresh snow.”
- Flights from Birmingham Airport to Salzburg with Jet2.com operate on a weekly basis and start at £39 per person including taxes.
- Flights from Birmingham Airport to Grenoble with Jet2.com operate on a weekly basis (twice-weekly from February half term) and start at £37 per person including taxes.
- Flights from Birmingham Airport to Geneva with Jet2.com operate up to three times a week and start at £25 per person including taxes.
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Turin with Jet2.com operate up to two times a week and start at £27 per person including taxes.
For further information or to book a ski flight, please visit www.jet2.com


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Tensions between publishers and platforms and between advertisers and platforms have long been mounting. Recent reports about Facebook’s major data breach and conspiracy videos on the YouTube Kids app put those tensions front and center during Advertising Week Europe this week. Here are three themes that emerged.
Publishers have their swagger back
Over the past several months, there’s been a recognition by publishers that they need to stop complaining about the difficulty of monetizing on platforms and about the duopoly’s domination of digital advertising and instead focus on what advertisers need.
“Publishers need to listen more to what brands need, rather than just launching things we think they want,” said Oliver Lewis, News UK’s director of digital strategy. “We’re seeing better collaboration between publishers and brands, and there’s the sense now that publishers are starting to rise up, put our shoulders back and stand a bit taller.”
Joseph Harake, digital director at media agency OMD, referenced reports published this week that show Google and Facebook’s share of digital ad revenue dipped to 56.8 percent from 58.5 percent last year. The duopoly faces growing competition from Amazon and Snapchat and challenges in serving clients directly, he said. “The tremendous growth Google and Facebook have had will be hard to sustain,” said Harake. “Maybe that is why we’re seeing a bit of a turn of the tide,” he added.
Facebook’s data breach will lead to more scrutiny of tech partners
The fallout from the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data breach, two months before the General Data Protection Regulation takes effect, will encourage publishers to scrutinize their ad tech partners more closely.
“There’s a desire in the industry to protect the status quo, for [ad tech] companies to continue to have all the access to data while the liability falls with the publisher but without telling publishers what they are using the data for,” said Jason Kint, CEO of U.S. publisher trade body Digital Content Next. “If you look at what happened over the weekend [with Facebook’s data breach], it would be crazy to allow that.”
Publishers are already having a tough time ahead of the GDPR figuring out how their ad tech partners are using data. The Financial Times, for instance, is inspecting its ad tech partners and how they use data, but it’s taken a year to fully understand how just one of them uses data, said Anthony Hitchings, digital advertising operations director at the FT.
People read the FT for business news if their company is planning to merge or acquire another firm, for example. This type of data could be dangerous in an outside entity’s hands because readers may not want other companies to find out about their plans.
“One vendor we discovered was capturing all IP addresses in full and all URLs in the browser, building up a complete browser picture across the web,” said Hitchings. “That’s not what we want to do here. Publishers don’t have the bandwidth to do the right amount of due diligence on anything more than a small handful of partners.”
Limiting platforms’ power
Since Facebook’s data misuse was revealed, the U.K. has taken a tougher line with the tech platforms, calling for an end to the “Wild West” era. Margot James, U.K. minister of state for digital, culture, media and sport, said the harm caused by cases like Facebook-Cambridge Analytica is too big to ignore. A weakened duopoly could benefit publishers, which have balked at the power imbalance with the platforms. “The government has a responsibility to maintain a level playing field,” said James.
Onstage at Advertising Week, Hossein Derakhshan, fellow at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, suggested that the tech companies should be forced to split up their hardware from their operating systems and software.
“You have the device, or in this case the platform, then you have the algorithm or the operating system, then the user data sits on top,” he said. “Users would be able to choose which algorithm they would want; they might to buy a different algorithm from Facebook’s, one that might seem more transparent or favors diversity over popularity. Platforms allowing third-party algorithms would solve a lot of problems around transparency and secrecies of data.”
“We thought all we needed was regulations and sanctions,” said Mariarosaria Taddeo, deputy director for the Digital Ethics Lab at Oxford Internet Institute. “But we need to start auditing technology before it’s deployed.”
Jessica Davies contributed reporting.
However, Fitzco’s research “has consistently shown that environmental issues and sustainability are important topics to younger skewing audiences. The focus on social, along with visual representation of data, aligns with the type of content a younger audience consumes,” she said. Joyce, on the other hand, said interest in sustainability content from advertisers and consumers “has […]
The Washington Post invests in climate coverage as its team expands to over 30 journalists
The Post's climate team continues to expand as the publisher makes big bets on the beat drawing younger audiences.
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Soccer media business Footballco has spent most of 2022 trying to make hay while the sun is shining.
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Connected TV is unique among other advertising channels because it combines linear television’s storytelling capabilities with digital marketing’s targeting and measurement. As more marketers leverage CTV advertisements to reach relevant and engaged audiences, they also want to understand the real value they are generating with their investment. Incrementality reporting and measurement allow advertisers to measure […]
Media Briefing: Publishers’ Q3 earnings reports show promise, but not without sacrifice
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Publishers continue to evaluate cost-cutting in Q4, with economic and budgetary pressures mounting
The wave of cost-cutting measures in Q3 is still flowing into Q4, with publishers under pressure to keep expenses down at a time of continuing economic uncertainty and budget planning.


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Centrotherm sells GP Solar
Embattled PV toolmaker Centrotherm has sold its GP Solar unit to another German company, Isra Vision.
With the sale, Centrotherm says it is achieving its target structure for its new start shortly before a district court terminates insolvency proceedings.
“With its future concept, Centrotherm is concentrating on its technological strengths in its core business areas of crystalline solar cells and semiconductors, as well as microelectronics,” the company says.
To concentrate on that core business, Centrotherm has already shed subsidiaries such as Glatt Maschinenbau.
A fixed-price component to the equivalent of half of GP Solar’s forecast 2013 revenue of €3m ($3.9m) plus a unit-based earn-out component was agreed as the purchase price.
After the Ulm District Court confirmed Centrotherm Photovoltaics' insolvency plan last Friday, the proceedings can be terminated by the end of May, the company says.
Among the world’s leading suppliers of PV production equipment, competing against the likes of Applied Materials and Meyer Burger, Centrotherm filed for bankruptcy protection last summer and asked creditors to take a severe haircut.
In late January, shareholders and creditors formally approved its insolvency plan, which will essentially convert creditors’ receivables into new company shares and allow Centrotherm to remain stock-listed.


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Windows Phone 7: Microsoft Announces Launch Partners
Microsoft have announced the hardware manufacturers who will be producing the first wave of Windows Phone 7 devices.
Speaking to Pocket Lint, Microsoft Senior Prodcuct Manager Greg Sullivan said to expect phones from ASUS, Dell, LG, Samsung and HTC for the launch of Windows Phone 7, although they wouldn’t confirm when the launch will actually be.
He also confirmed that the Windows Phone 7 OS would not be tied to any one network operator either in the UK or US.
“We want as many people as possible to be able to get it”, said Sullivan.
With the new OS, Microsoft hope to gain ground on their competitors by combining the strengths of the leading mobile platforms
“We will offer the best aspects of Android and the best of the iPhone, giving users the flexibility of different form factors, but with the rigidity of apps that are guaranteed to work on every device that is out there”,
We think this is all exciting news for mobile users- with these manufacturers on board Windows phone 7 is looking more promising, especially with the newer entries to the mobile fray such as ASUS and Dell we’re looking forward to seeing the first models.
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NILES TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Authorities have arrested two people in connection to an arson at a Niles-area Walmart.
The fire sparked around 1:45 a.m. Oct. 31 at the store on 11th Street south of Niles. Firefighters quickly took out the flames and no one was hurt. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department said two people set fire to some clothes in the apparel department.
On Wednesday, 34-year-old Stephen Edward Taghon and 36-year-old Paula Marie Kryski were arrested in northwest Indiana. Both suspects are from South Bend, Indiana.
Taghon was arrested on third-degree arson, larceny of a building and third-degree retail fraud. Kryski faces one count of conspiracy to commit arson in the third-degree and a retail fraud charge.
The suspects are being lodged in an Indiana jail while waiting to be extradited to Berrien County.
Investigators are looking into whether three previous arsons in the store on April 26, June 13 and July 19 were related.