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After passing the Senate last week, a bill proposing a federal labeling standard for foods with genetically modified ingredients - and blocking states from creating their own standards - sailed through the US House of Representatives on Thursday, and is now on its way to President Obama.
The bill, which passed by a landslide 306 to 117 vote, directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create a national labeling standard that allows food producers to choose how they want to disclose the presence of genetically modified ingredients - manufacturers will be able to use text, symbols or a QR code that consumers must scan with a smartphone to relay the information.
Democrats slammed the measure, calling it anti-consumer. Critics say the bill will roll back tougher state standards and deny consumers information on their foods.
"It was at the behest of big industry that the QR code be listed as an option,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) said when the debating the bill on the floor Wednesday. “Not what's in the interest of the American consumer, but what a few special interests want.”
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He argued that QR codes discriminate against low-income and elderly people – those without a smartphone or Internet access.
“The debate about GMO labeling is about transparency and the right of every American to know what's in the food they eat,” McGovern said. “It's very simple. The best approach would be a clear and easy-to-understand label or symbol, not some crazy QR code that only creates more hassle and confusion.”
Gary Hirshberg, former president and CEO of Stonyfield Farm, and chairman of the Just Label It campaign, concurs.
“The GMO labeling legislation passed by the Senate and under consideration by the House this week falls short of what consumers rightly expect – a simple at-a-glance GMO disclosure on the package,” Hirshberg said earlier this week. “What’s more, the compromise contains loopholes that could limit the number of products that must carry a GMO disclosure. While we support a national, mandatory GMO labeling system, the legislation passed by the Senate and under consideration by the House does not give American consumers the same simple disclosure used in 64 other nations.”
For example, the FDA has said the bill’s definition of which foods would require labeling would not include many products containing highly refined oil and sweeteners such as canola oil or high-fructose corn syrup – after processing, such ingredients contain no genetic material that would identify them as coming from a genetically engineered source, which is what the bill requires. The USDA, which will oversee GMO labeling under the new law, has disagreed with that interpretation, but many say the definition of what requires labeling and what doesn’t will ultimately end up in court.
Meanwhile, Republicans have hailed the bill as a bipartisan agreement that supports science, much of which has found GMOs to be safe.
“I believe the government should require labels when it is a matter of health of safety or to provide valuable nutritional information,” Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) said. “It’s important that his state-by-state patchwork not disrupt the nationwide marketing of food.”
“Today’s vote is a resounding victory not only for consumers and common sense but also for the tremendous coalition of agricultural and food organizations that came together in unprecedented fashion to get this solution passed,” said Pamela G. Bailey, chief executive of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), which in 2014 petitioned the chief U.S. food safety regulator and Congress to enact a single federal standard for the labeling of GMOs.
While this may be the end of the long, expensive debate over whether or not to label genetically modified foods in the U.S. – during which states such as Vermont and companies including Campbell’s, General Mills, Mars and Kellogg took it upon themselves to begin doing so – now begins the wrangling over interpreting and implementing the language of the law, which may still continue for years.
President Obama is reportedly expected to sign the legislation despite the concerns from Democrats and consumer groups.


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Internet hulk Google is being sued by the provocative Chinese author Mian Mian for an alleged violation of copyright laws, her lawyer announced on Monday.
In the first civil lawsuit to be leveled against Google in China, the case is bound to draw even more negative press to the Web giant’s already controversial plans for a massive Web-based digital library.
Mian’s attorney, Sun Jinwei, told AFP reporters that the case will open on Tuesday in Beijing. “Tomorrow afternoon at the Haidian court, representatives from both sides will hand over evidence. After that I will be preparing our case and I figure that the actual trial will take place next year,” said Sun.
Ms. Mian “” who has won the accolades of international critics in recent years for her sordid tales of the Chinese underground “” is suing Google for a $8,900 dollars in damages, alleging that the company scanned her most recent novel “Acid Lovers” into its online catalogue without her consent.
Dubbed China’s “literary wild child,” Mian’s novels tell lurid stories of Chinese pimps, prostitutes and drug-dealers “” subjects still largely considered taboo in Chinese mainstream culture. While her books have been translated and sold in a multitude of other languages, they are ironically still banned in China.
Representatives of the China Written Works Copyright Society claim that thousands of Chinese works have been illegally scanned and posted to Google Books.
The organization has entered into formal talks with Google and says that the deliberations are “progressing well,” according to the Chinese government’s official newspaper Global Times.
“First we want Google to admit their mistake and apologize, then we can talk about compensation,” the organization’s deputy director-general Zhang Hongbo was quoted as saying. “At the same time,” he added, “we don’t want Google to give up China in its digitized library project.”
The Chinese branch of the Internet giant has not yet commented on Mian’s case or negotiations with the Copyright Society.
The current imbroglio in China is merely the most current in a series of controversies over Google’s envelope-pushing literary digitization project. The company continues to take flak from both authors and publishing houses around the world and has already had to deal with civil suits in the United States, France and Germany.
In 2008 settlement with US authors and publishers, Google agreed to pay some $125 million to resolve outstanding copyright infringement claims and to set up a separate division within the company that would be dedicated to channeling sales and advertising revenue to authors and publishers who agreed to let their works be digitized.
On the Net:

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Small businesses are in many ways the engine of the American economy, but they tend to be hampered by one crucial problem. At companies with fewer than 50 workers, not even half the employees have access to a 401(k) or pension, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By contrast, at companies with 500 workers or more, 90 percent of employees have access to a retirement plan.
This leaves millions of Americans without an easy way to save for their futures. Companies with fewer than 100 workers employ 36 percent of the U.S. workforce, or about 42 million people.
There are options for small-business owners on the way, though. New Jersey has become one of the few states that is working on setting up a retirement plan marketplace, where employers can shop for lower-cost retirement plans.


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The UK has officially announced its intention to legislate a "graduated response" system for P2P copyright infringement, though it sounds remarkably balanced compared to some proposals; the government insists that the "availability of legal content in the forms that consumers want" is actually the most important step content owners can take to address the problem. Disconnection of users without a court order appears not to be on the table, either.
The government's long-awaited interim Digital Britain report has just been released. It's a lengthy document that lays out UK thinking about universal broadband, spectrum reform, and digital radio, but nestled right in the middle of the report is one of the most controversial ideas: a mandatory "code" for ISPs to follow, and the creation of a government "Rights Agency" to help stakeholders deal with the issue of civil copyright infringement online.
Right now, the UK has only a (non-governmental) Memorandum of Understanding in place between ISPs and the music business. When ISPs are notified of the IP address of alleged infringers, they look up the account involved and pass a warning message to the subscriber. There are no additional sanctions at this time.
Under the proposed scheme, the government would legislate a "Code on unlawful file-sharing" that ISPs would have to follow. The report appears to suggest that this would mostly involve notifications, though additional sanctions could be added. The Code doesn't simply force ISPs to start passing on notices, though; it will also cover "appeals and standards of evidence," along with the delicate issue of who pays for this. (Disconnection without court order appears not to be an option at this time, in line with previous comments from government officials.)
The news of an institutionalized appeals process is certainly welcome; the recent (and voluntary) agreement by Ireland's Eircom appears to lack any such process, and that company is even willing to disconnect 'Net users after three strikes. The UK is taking a far more deliberate path under government auspices. As the new report notes, this is "new and difficult territory, and we want to get it right."
Why should ISPs be involved at all? Aren't they merely dumb pipes? The report makes the case that everyone from ISPs to the music business to consumers benefit from a robust digital economy. "If we expect the whole value chain to benefit from new ways legitimate content can be accessed and consumed then it is reasonable to expect the whole value chain to work together to tackle unlawful activity," says the report.
The Rights Agency
It also envisions the creation of a Rights Agency, which sounds like a government-sponsored jaw-jaw center at which ISPs, consumers, and content owners can talk about copyright infringement and its solutions. The focus would be on both encouraging legitimate new ways to use content, along with stopping infringing uses, but the government insists that it does not simply want to "support business models that will become increasingly obsolete."
Well, good luck with that. As the report itself notes, the UK has just wrapped up a consultation between all these stakeholders on this very issue. As the report delicately puts it, "None of the options highlighted in the consultation attracted widespread support. Rather there was a marked polarisation of views between the rights holder community, consumer, and the ISPs over what action should be taken."
Nearly every option that was considered faced "questions... as to their legality under the existing legal frameworks."
If the report sounds a bit vague, it is; the current version is an "interim" piece, with the final document coming later in 2009 with more detailed suggestions.
The Open Rights Group, which is still working through the report, is already expressing concern that consumers' views aren't being reflected. "We are concerned that there is no suggestion that consumers and citizens should be represented on the proposed copyright 'Rights Agency'," says the group. "Without our voices, such an agency could easily be dominated by industry’s concerns at the expense of civil rights. Consumer[s] would be very likely to get a bad deal."
Listing image by UK Crown copyright
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Poland managed to avoid the worst of the emerging markets meltdown due to its lower dependence on hot money as well as sound macroeconomic structure. Further, it is one of the few countries in Europe that has been able to weather the economic crisis in the eurozone. The country’s solid economic performance despite the weakness in many of its neighbors can be attributed to the internal strength of the economy, and significant reforms undertaken in the
recent past. (Poland ETF Investing 101).
However, the economy, which survived the four years of economic crisis, began to show new signs of weakness in 2012. Reduced government spending along with waning consumer confidence resulted in slower growth of the economy in 2012. Further, lower export demand attributable to the deepening crisis in the Euro-zone also dampened the growth of the economy to some extent.
But the outlook for the economy seems to have changed. With the eurozone economy reviving, exports from the region are once again strengthening thereby providing a strong support to the economy. Exports climbed 6% in the first six months of 2013.
Moreover, with the increase in export levels, current account deficit which was one of the major concerns for the economy seems to have reversed. After 13 years of current account deficit, the region recorded its first current account surplus. Also, domestic demand which was undermined by a weak economic outlook for the main trading partners of the country is now gaining strength.
Besides, improved retail sales and industrial production are instrumental in getting the economy back into shape. Further evidence of the improving economic outlook going forward is Poland’s reduction in budget deficit and stabilizing government debt. The upgrade of the debt rating outlook by Fitch from stable to positive bears testimony to the same.
In fact, for 2013, the European Commission once again appears to be positive on the outlook for the Polish economy. It anticipates the economy to grow at the rate of 2% in 2013 and 3% in 2014. For the long term, the economy expects its growth rate to reach 4%.
Following a sharp slowdown in 2012, GDP growth is projected to pick up as investment and exports recover. Yet reduced consumer spending and joblessness in particular, remains a matter of concern for the Polish economy. Unemployment stands at 13%.
iShares MSCI Poland Investable Market Index Fund (EPOL)
Investors seeking a broad exposure to the Polish equity market might find EPOL an interesting pick (Poland ETFs Head-To-Head).
The product focuses largely on the large cap segment of the Polish market and holds 43 securities in its basket. The majority of holdings are classified as blend stocks from a style perspective.
The fund is heavily concentrated in its top 10 holdings with nearly 63.2% of the total assets. The top three companies combined to make up nearly 32.2% share of the portfolio.
From a sector perspective, the product has a certain tilt towards the financial sector which makes up 50% of the ETF. Materials and energy sectors also get double-digit allocation in the fund.


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Two generations of Samsung's phablet flagship go head to head to see how much has changed for the Galaxy S10 Plus.
Live Our Samsung Galaxy S10 live blog is in full swing, with breaking news about the Samsung Galaxy Foldable and S10 phones.
Updated Samsung's first foldable phone has its official name - the Galaxy Fold - and we've got all the details right here.
How does Samsung's latest compare to Apple's greatest? We've put the S10 and iPhone XS head to head to find out.
Techradar deals It's the budget Samsung Galaxy that everybody wanted! The S10e will save you £130 over a brand new S10.
techradar deals Not so excited about the Android world and the release of the Galaxy S10? These iPhone XR deals are the perfect Apple antidote.
Updated There are way too many free apps out there, so we've trawled through and found the top free ones to download.


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The Anglo-French electricals combine reported a rise in retail profit of 3.1 per cent to £141.3 million in the 12 months to April 30, when revenues rose 14 per cent to £4.51 billion.
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case that stretched across several states and included three hundred witnesses and five thousand documents. "We are living in a TV kind of era when you thing everything is wrapped up in 44 minutes. And that's just not the way it happens," Worthy said. The prosecutor also revealed that Bashara himself delayed their investigation and that resulted in some of the charges. "We are alleging that he encouraged witnesses to call in false Nike Foamposite On Feet
It was partially made with the stone travertine, which we're told was recycled from the Guardian Building. Rich woods line the walls and ceilings above, as do new light fixtures. County officials say the staircase alone cost taxpayers $100,000. But the cost for everything else inside the Guardian Building? Wayne County won't tell us, unless we pay a small fortune. County officials tell us that had the staircase not been built, they would have constructed offices in that space to "maximize efficiency. " They also expect that the purchase of the Guardian Building will save the county almost three million dollars per year. DETROIT (WXYZ) Former Grosse Pointe businessman and Rotary Club president Bob Bashara is now facing murder charges in the death of his wife Jane. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, flanked by other law enforcement officials, made the announcement at a news conference Wednesday. Bashara was charged with first degree murder, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, solicitation to commit murder, suborning of perjury during a capital trial, witness intimidation and Obstruction of justice.
your new building. Baron: It's not difficult. We're just making sure we can accommodate the request that's been submitted. When it became clear we weren't leaving without seeing the building, press secretary Stephanie Baron and another member of the county's communications team finally agreed to show us around. The first stop, the county executive's office. Staffers weren't sure what furniture was new and what had been recycled from his old office. It's well appointed, but not lavish. That's the case with virtually all of the many offices we toured, where we saw what looked like new carpet, desks, and built in cabinets and cubicles. Long conference tables, swivel chairs and large flat screen televisions filled the building's many conference rooms, and on the outside were electronic meeting schedulers to prevent double bookings. Perhaps the biggest single expense: a new staircase that connects only the executive staff on the 30th and 31st floors, where two staircases Nike Hyperdunk 2017 and six elevators are already in place.
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tips. We are alleging that he tried to get a witness or witnesses to leave the state so they could not be talked to. And we are alleging that he was, again, encouraging witnesses to lie to us during the pendency of this investigation," Worthy told reporters. A source close .
It was one year and three months ago that Jane Bashara's body was found inside her SUV in an alley on Detroit's east side. Worthy says it's a complicated Nike Foamposite Royal 2017
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Rihanna just became one of the richest celebrities in the world, according to Forbes. The pop-star’s fortune hit a record $1.7 Billion, making her the second world’s richest female entertainer after the media mogul Oprah Winfrey. Rihanna’s latest boost in wealth comes primarily from her Fenty beauty cosmetic company, which she started in a joint venture with LVMH.
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While, the 33-year-old, Barbadian artist has by far sold 250 million music records globally, it was Rihanna’s makeup brand that pushed her into the billionaire’s club. Forbes estimates that as much as $1.4 billion of the artist’s wealth comes from Fenty beauty.
The brand sends a message of inclusivity, and has more than 40 shades of foundation for all range of skin tones, which was something that at the time, not many cosmetic lines had. Fenty Beauty is a 50-50 joint venture with luxury goods conglomerate LVMH.
The multi-talented artist has also found success in the lingerie industry. Her Savage × Fenty line raised $270 million. However, Fenty’s luxury clothing line was shut down earlier this year.
The ‘Umbrella’ and ‘Love the way you lie” singer’, has not released a studio album since 2016 album ‘Anti’.


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Hertz Global Holdings Inc.’s return to the red in the fourth quarter after a single period of profitability signals it still has work to do to pull off its ambitious turnaround plan.
The rental-car company’s adjusted loss of 77 cents per share was worse than the 62 cents analysts had been expecting. Chief Executive Officer Kathryn Marinello said Hertz incurred higher expenses as it upgraded technology, spent more on marketing and continued to overhaul its vehicle fleet to include more of the SUVs that American drivers want.
“In 2018, we expect to see continued progress from our U.S. improvement programs,” Marinello said in a statement. “However, we also will have elevated investments throughout the year as we implement several, major technology conversions. By 2019, we should begin to evolve toward a more competitive earnings profile.”
Marinello’s efforts are being closely watched by Hertz’s largest shareholder Carl Icahn, who owns 35 percent and put her in the job a year ago with a mandate to turn things around. Marinello has been working to transform Hertz by selling off lower-value cars and trying to get better prices at the rental counter. The efforts appeared to begin paying off, with Hertz reporting its first quarterly profit in a year in the third quarter before the fourth-quarter reversal.
Total revenue in the quarter rose 4 percent to $2.1 billion, but pricing at the rental counter fell 1 percent in the U.S. Hertz said its depreciation costs on U.S. vehicles improved 6 percent, a sign that the new models are holding their values better.
Hertz and rival Avis Budget Group Inc. have struggled over the past year amid slumping used-vehicle values and weak car-rental rates. The process of shrinking the size of their fleets to better match supply with demand has undermined profitability, and both companies remain threatened by the rise of car-sharing and ride-hailing businesses such as Uber Technologies Inc.
Hertz shares have tumbled 13 percent this year through Tuesday’s close and were down 3.4 percent at 5:38 p.m. in New York after the end of regular trading.
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.


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Meta has announced the launch of Meta AI in South Africa with built-in Llama 3 on WhatsApp. This is a leapfrog step for…
Meet Africa’s youngest entrepreneurs whose ideas are re-imagining the future of the continent
After months of searching the African continent, the Anzisha Prize has unveiled its top 20 finalists for 2019. The winner of the $25 000 grand prize will be announced at the ninth annual Anzisha Prize Forum on 22 October in Johannesburg.
The Anzisha Prize, an African Leadership Academy and Mastercard Foundation partnership, is dedicated to identifying, supporting and celebrating young, African entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 to 22 whose ideas, ventures and businesses harness the power to redefine and re-imagine Africa’s growth trajectory.
With over 500 applicants this year, the prize received more submissions from remote and fragile communities, widening the selection pool for the top 20.
From Somalia to Chad, applicants showcased their business acumen with enterprises that provide solutions to some of the continent’s biggest problems.
The prize forum is an evolutionary step from the gala event. Invited guests will experience a new format, including a day-long affair where they will have an opportunity to get to know and understand the young entrepreneurs’ journeys.
They will share in an immersive experience where they will better understand the world of youth entrepreneurship – from expert panels to experiential workshops. The event will be a bevy of innovative discussions and activities.
“This year, we’re particularly excited about the new format. We’ve created a tailored experience that will allow people to explore the Anzisha movement in all its entirety,” said Melissa Mbazo, Anzisha Programme Manager.
“From start to finish, the day will look at shaping the future of entrepreneurship on the continent and young entrepreneurs will be at the helm, steering the conversations.”
While the candidates are from various sectors, agricultural businesses submitted the highest number of applications this year.
Gambia, DRC, Somalia
Excitingly, for the very first time, finalists from The Gambia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Somalia have been chosen as part of the 2019 cohort.
The Anzisha Prize team are proud to have been able to find and now support young women like Asia Saeed, a 20-year-old Somali and founder of 2doon – a business aimed at helping young people find jobs and companies improve their hiring and recruitment services.
With over 50 young people employed in full-time and part-time positions, 2doon is reinventing the way in which the workforce is mobilized and developed on the continent.
The Anzisha Prize Forum
The top 20 will gather in Johannesburg for a 12-day accelerator boot camp where they will be coached by local and global experts in preparation for the independent judging panel who will decide the winner of the $25 000 grand prize.
The bootcamp marks the start of the entrepreneurs’ Anzisha Prize Fellowship, where they each will access coaching support, market access services, and further funding opportunities.
“Africa’s greatest asset is its young people and the Anzisha Prize, now in its ninth year, is a testament to their passion and creativity,” said Koffi Assouan, Programme Manager, Mastercard Foundation.
“Their commitment to the continent is reflected in the very nature of the businesses they choose, often focused on social good and on improving the lives of those around them.”
The Anzisha Prize will be hosting broadcast parties across the continent to share the stories of this year’s top 20 entrepreneurs and to encourage young Africans to start their own ventures.
The 2019 finalists for the Anzisha Prize are:
Asia Saeed, 20, Somalia: Founder of 2doon, a social enterprise established to reduce unemployment
for the Somalian youth.
Godiragetse Fareed Mogajane, 21, South Africa: Founder of Goodie tutors, a tutoring agency which provides extra tutorial classes by offering one-on-one tutoring; university pre-exam workshops and exam-focuses maths workshops for high school students.
Marvellous Nyongoro, 22, Zimbabwe: Founder of The Housing Hub, a service provision platform founded by Marvellous that uses smart technology.
Velache Henry, 19, Sierra Leone: Founder of Canaan Farms. Canaan Farms is an agribusiness and distribution company with two branches that grow various produce (watermelon, okra, cassava, etc).
Emmanuel Owusu Agyei, 22, Ghana: Founder of Campus Trends Ghana, a marketing firm providing
advice, qualitative and communications services services to bridge the gap between the firm and the
Jaritou Jallow, 21, Gambia: Founder of Yonima Errands Runner, an enterprise founded by Jariatou which provides business errands such as business registration, bank account openings, administrative etc.
Caleb Annobil, 21, Ghana: Founder of High School Water Product, an enterprise which customises sachet water to sell to students at affordable prices.
Christian Tesfaye Kassahun, 21, Ethiopia: Co-founder of GebeyaNet, an agricultural E-Commerce platform that connects smallholder farmers with the market and also facilitates logistics and payment systems for them.
Mamadjang Jallow, 20, Gambia: Founder of Jallow Trading, a small scale horticultural gardening venture founded by Mamadjang which produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables which he sells to vendors and households around his region.
Saudah Birungi, 22, Uganda: Saudah co-founded Tusafishe which is an enterprise that constructs
water filters using locally available materials for students in rural schools and in their homes to
provide them with safe drinking water.
Olipah Chomba, 22, Zambia: Founder of Poultry, an enterprise which orders broiler chicken, nurtures them for a period six weeks by providing them with the necessary vaccines and medicine.
Osvaldo Rey Mokouma, 19, Republic of Congo: Founder of AquagriTech, an enterprise that enhances urban bio-waste to produce natural food from fish that are put in a closed circuit with plants that assimilate the droppings of fish for their growth.
Segbe Accrombessi, 22, Benin: Founder of Kawan Africa, an enterprise which produces and sells tomato puree. They set up workshops to train young girls to produce the puree and then become wholesalers who buy their products to sell them afterwards.
Balbina Gulam, 21, Tanzania: Founder of Huduma Smart, an enterprise that trains domestic workers and provide a job market for them.
Catherine Nalukwago, 22, Uganda: Catherine is the co-founder of Vertical and Micro Gardening an enterprise that has developed a product called The Vertical Farm which makes urban farming a viable micro-enterprise for low-income households.
Cecil Chikezie, 21, Kenya: Founder of Eco Makaa, a company that connects local fuel briquette
producers to a client base by recruiting the community's small-scale briquette producers who
collectively produce standardised briquettes.
Abdulwaheed Alayande, 21, Nigeria: Founder of TREP LABS, an enterprise offering a product called REALDRIP which is an infusion meter that makes blood transfusion and drip treatment simpler and safer.
Emmanuel Okon, 22, Nigeria: Okon founded Vmedkit – a health company that focuses on alleviating mental illnesses using virtual reality technology.
Raghda Medhat, 22, Egypt: Founder of Internsvalley, a system that connects fresh software engineers who seek work experience with international early stage start-ups through practical remote internship and job opportunities.
Yannick Kimanuka, 21, DRC: The KIM’s School Complex, founded by Yannick in 2018, is a nursery and primary school which aims to reduce the trend of intellectual disability found in children from her community.
Keep up with the latest news, meet the finalists, hear more about their ventures on our website and social media.
If you’d like to host or attend a broadcasting party for the Forum, please email: email@example.com to register your interest.
The Anzisha Prize seeks to fundamentally and significantly increase the number of job generative entrepreneurs in Africa, and is a partnership between African Leadership Academy and Mastercard Foundation. Through Ventureburn, they hope to share inspirational and relatable stories of very young (15 to 22 year old) African entrepreneurs and the people that support them. [learn more]


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Entrepreneur Opens Three Perspire Sauna Studios in a New Market in Less Than a Year
Perspire Sauna Studio has taken the $1 trillion wellness industry by storm with its unique full-spectrum infrared sauna and medical-grade color light therapy studios, which are quickly popping up all across the country. The brand offers clients scientifically backed health and wellness benefits that help them feel and live better.
Austin-based entrepreneur, Doug Schaaf, has noticed the growing business and is seizing on the opportunity to expand into the wellness industry. Schaaf has a proven record of success as a co-founder, investor, and business leader within a variety of industries, but it was a more personal connection that drew Schaaf to Perspire Sauna Studio.
A family history of cardiovascular disease led Schaaf to become more concerned about his own health a few years ago. “I felt like there had to be a way to be more proactive and take control of my health. I started hearing more and more about infrared saunas and all of the health benefits from regular sauna use,” said Schaff. However, when he searched for infrared sauna treatments in Austin, he found that his choices were limited.
While on a trip to California, he discovered Perspire and instantly fell in love with the brand and experience. He liked everything from the studio’s aesthetics, to the Clearlight Saunas and the privacy they provide, to the relaxing experience and attention to customer service, so he queried a few of the brand’s existing franchisees who further validated the concept, leaving him eager to explore his options as a potential franchisee. Upon connecting with the Perspire corporate team, he was sold: Doug opened his first location in the greater Austin area in August 2019, the second in March 2020, and the third in August 2020.
From day one, Schaaf says the brand was always supportive of his goals to open multiple locations in his market. “Operationally, the company has an excellent team that ensures consistency and technological efficiency. There is also increased attention around new store openings that help alleviate some of the operational stress and drive a streamlined process,” he said. “The growing community of franchisees who openly communicate has been a great resource.”
Opening three new business locations in a single year is a lofty goal for any entrepreneur but Schaff was up for the challenge and was strategic in how he did it. These three studios have served as a critical component in scaling his resources, driving efficiency, and creating more widespread awareness within the greater Austin area.
He says he combined the brand’s corporate support with input he received from other successful franchisees but geography helped too. “I was able to use the same team to help me on each project (the same real estate broker, the same lawyer working on my lease agreements, the same contractor assisting with the buildouts) and this helped us reduce the normal time it would take to open a studio,” Schaff said. He said his brand awareness efforts also included collaborating with local innovators in the health and wellness space. “I think the thing that has been most beneficial has been connecting with others that are as equally passionate about what we do and we’ve leveraged that shared zeal to expand our individual communities.”
Perspire Sauna Studio, the nation's first and largest infrared sauna and light therapy brand is looking for experienced entrepreneurs interested in bringing the transformational health and wellness concept to their community. If this sounds like the kind of opportunity you are interested in, visit www.franchise.perspiresaunastudio.com to learn more about franchise opportunities.
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The latest product to join the list of the most feared food suspects is butter popcorn. Consumers in West Virginia and nationwide may want to read the labels more carefully before they take home microwave popcorn that contains a dangerous chemical called diacetyl. It’s a highly volatile substance related to butane that gives popcorn a buttery taste. Government agencies now describe it as a dangerous substance which makes popcorn a defective product that can lead to what is called “popcorn lung” or more accurately bronchiolitis obliterans.
That condition is an end-stage lung disease that is untreatable other than by a highly unreliable lung transplant procedure. In the past 10 years or so the hazards of the defective product have become known due mostly to workers in popcorn factories developing the fatal lung disease. Apparently, it takes sustained exposure and inhalation to trigger the disease.
With respect to consumers, warnings are now required on food products containing diacetyl. Some popcorn aficionados developed the lung disease by eating the popcorn virtually daily for decades without cessation. One man in 2012 won a $7.2 million verdict in Colorado against certain popcorn manufacturers. He had developed bronchiolitis obliterans after years of adoring the buttery aroma and taste of his microwave popcorn treats.
Conversely, an Iowa federal judge recently dismissed a defective product case brought by a Michigan couple against popcorn makers. The judge ruled that the case was over the three-year statute of limitations and was dismissed for late filing. The late filing does not make a judgment on the merits of the claims. Pending any reversals on appeal, it would appear that those popcorn makers dodged a lethal litigation missile by the plaintiff’s tardiness or indecision.
West Virginia residents again are urged to carefully examine labels and other sources of food product ingredients. A separate warning should appear on the package with respect to diacetyl, and this applies to other foods not just popcorn. It would be regretful indeed if a serious condition results from enjoying one’s favorite snack on a regular basis without first studying what is being ingested.
Source: mlive.com, ‘Popcorn lung’ lawsuit dismissed; Iowa judge spikes claim by Grand Rapids couple, Garett Ellison, Dec. 25, 2013


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Not all that Facebook touches turns to gold. In a rare admission of defeat (if you can call it that), the social media giant has announced plans to shut down Parse, the mobile developer platform it acquired back in 2013 for a cool $85 million. In a blog post released Thursday, Kevin Lacker, Parse’s co-founder, wrote that the team would begin “winding down the Parse service” immediately, and that “Parse will be fully retired after a year-long period ending on January 28, 2017.” He continued, “We’re proud that we’ve been able to help so many of you build great mobile apps, but we need to focus our resources elsewhere.”
— Parse (@ParseIt) January 29, 2016
The decision is a surprising one, especially given Facebook’s purported move just ten months ago to expand Parse with hopes of helping developers build apps for the Internet of Things. At the time, it seemed like a continuation of Facebook’s quest for worldwide dominance, but now, plans appear to have shifted.
Listing a number of focus areas for Facebook moving forward, Facebook spokesman Michael Kirkland said in a statement, “Moving forward we want to dedicate more resources to high-impact products and services in areas like analytics, monetization, discovery, and authentication.” And Parse just doesn’t fit into that anymore.
“We enjoyed working with each of you, and we have deep admiration for the things you’ve built,” Lacker concluded as he bid adieu. “Thank you for using Parse.”
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KnowBe4 receives two Expert Insights awards, recognizing its effective security awareness training and simulated phishing platform
KnowBe4, provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, has been awarded a Fall 2022 Expert Insights “Best-Of” award for its phishing simulation and security awareness training solutions.
Expert Insights’ Best-Of Awards recognize exceptional cybersecurity providers across multiple categories including cloud software, security, and storage, highlighting up to 11 vendors in each category.
Their Best-Of award winners are carefully chosen by its inhouse team of editors, based on extensive research into each solution’s merits for its performance and functionality, customer reviews and how they compare to other vendors in the market.
All recipients of these awards were specifically selected for their outstanding features, strong capabilities, and positive user experiences. Expert Insights also takes into consideration pricing, target markets and the deployment process when selecting the top vendors.
“Providing an exceptional security awareness training and a simulated phishing platform is at the core of what we do here at KnowBe4,” said Stu Sjouwerman, CEO, KnowBe4. “We continuously enhance our platform with fresh content to reflect the current cybersecurity threats in order to best educate our customer’s users and prepare them for realistic social engineering attacks. KnowBe4 is grateful to be recognized for this award as it is a testament to the hard work our employees put into creating the best, most impactful products for our users.”
For more information on KnowBe4, visit www.knowbe4.com.
KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, is used by more than 52,000 organizations around the globe. Founded by IT and data security specialist Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4 helps organizations address the human element of security by raising awareness about ransomware, CEO fraud and other social engineering tactics through a new-school approach to awareness training on security. Kevin Mitnick, an internationally recognized cybersecurity specialist and KnowBe4's Chief Hacking Officer, helped design the KnowBe4 training based on his well-documented social engineering tactics. Tens of thousands of organizations rely on KnowBe4 to mobilize their end users as their last line of defense.
About Expert Insights
Expert Insights is an online publication with editorial and technical teams based in both the UK and US focusing on cloud-based business technologies. They showcase research on hundreds of B2B cybersecurity solutions, with in depth editorial buyers’ guides, blog articles, industry analyses, interviews and technical product reviews written by industry experts.
Over 80,000 business owners, IT admins and users visit Expert Insights each month to help make the right buying decisions with confidence.


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The most famous smartphone chipset maker, Snapdragon by Qualcomm is finally coming up with a successor for their recent Snapdragon 855+ chipset. Specifications of the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset have been leaked and they suggest a stark performance jump when compared to the two older chipsets.
The newly leaked specifications show us some drastically improved performances in terms of GPU benchmarks and the usual computing tasks. The leaks come to us from a reputed Chinese leaker who is known for accuracy.
As for the chipset itself, there seems to be an ARM Cortex A77 core clocked at 2.84GHz alongside three more A77 cores running at 2.42GHz and four A55 cores clocked at 1.8GHz. The upcoming flagship chipset is believed to be built on Samsung’s 7nm EUV process and will likely come in 4G and 5G variants.
Since these are leaks, they should be taken with a pinch of salt. Additionally, there is no word from Qualcomm yet, which is why we can't be completely certain. However, we are certain that the new chipset is bound to be launched in December this year, when Qualcomm has their annual conference.
When comparing the Snapdragon 865 chipset to the 855+, there is a mediocre jump. As of now, we cannot say how the new chipset will perform in day to day tasks, but it should be a noticeable improvement from the 855+.
Where the change will the most evident will be when it comes to GPU performance. The phone will most certainly run all GPU related tasks with a breeze. The 865 is believed to employ the Adreno 650 which should offer a 20% boost over the Adreno 640.
The CPU is also believed to be 20% faster than the Snapdragon 855+. Other speculations point that the chipset will support LPDDR5 RAM. In case you're wondering which phones will come with it, you can expect Samsung, Xiaomi and Sony as the first manufacturers to incorporate it in their flagship devices.


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Honda celebrates 50 years in Australia with a fleet of gold machinesby Ben Hsu
"Golden Anniversary" taken literally.
Honda established its Australian subsidiary on February 4, 1969. That means it's been 50 years since its founding, and to celebrate milestone Honda Australia has created a fleet of golden vehicles representing the best of the brand.
Familiar Honda performance machines like the NSX and Civic Type R have been given the gold treatment, but Honda also has a vast portfolio of non-automotive offerings. There's also a golden CBR1000RR Fireblade motorcycle, a CRF450L enduro, and CRF50F kids' bike. Beyond cars and bikes, though, Honda also makes power equipment, like the HRU19 Buffalo lawnmower and EU22i generator.
Unfortunately -- or perhaps, fortunately -- these gleaming gold creations are not for sale. They are one-offs finished in vinyl wraps by a Melbourne-based shop called Vinyl Wraps and Graphics. The process consisted of a gold chrome film as the first layer, topped with a clear satin laminate to help disperse reflections.
"Achieving 50 years of longevity and continuity in business is a significant milestone, but none of this would be possible without our people,” said Hiroyuki Shimizu, head of Honda Australia. "Most importantly... Honda would be nothing without our customers - both long-term customers and new customers all contribute to making this brand what it is today... I am incredibly grateful to all our customers for their ongoing loyalty, trust and belief in the Honda name.”


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Chip Blalock, Executive Director of the Sunbelt Ag Expo, shared the purpose of the facility with 2022 Georgia Peanut Tour attendees. The Sunbelt Ag Expo is a trade show that focuses on agriculture at Spence Field in Moultrie, Georgia. Also known as “North America’s Premier Farm Show,” Sunbelt Ag Expo has more than 1,200 vendors and exhibitors each year. All industry members and farmers are welcomed and encouraged to attend.
The Expo sits on a 100-acre exhibit site, also neighboring a 530-acre working research farm. On this farm, Sunbelt does agronomic research on cotton, peanuts, corn, sorghum and Bermuda grass. The exhibit area includes indoor and outdoor facilities. In these facilities, visitors can observe educational, entertaining seminars and demonstrations presented by the vendors. Representatives of various companies are always available to answer questions about the equipment, supplies or chemicals they sell.
The 2022 Sunbelt Ag Expo will be on October 18-20. This year’s theme is “The New Era of Agriculture.”


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Jonathan Pitre, the “Butterfly Child” from Russell was discharged from a Minneapolis, Minnesota hospital on Thanksgiving Dayand is now with his mother, Tina Boileau, in their Minneapolis apartment. It’s been almost a year to the day since Pitre learned his first stem cell transplant, meant to treat his blistering skin disease, was unsuccessful. A second attempt this spring, appears to have worked. And according to his mother his skin has been healing “in ways in never has before.
Jurors winced and turned away as a series of graphic autopsy photographs was presented at the trial of a man accused of killing three women in the Ottawa valley. Forensic pathologist Dr. Christopher Milroy took the stand yesterday at the Ottawa trial of Basil Borutski on three counts of first-degree murder. Milroy told court none of the victims survived for more than a few minutes after they were attacked in 2015, and at least two of them tried to shield themselves, In a five-hour videotaped interview with police that was played in open court, Borutski confessed to all three killings and said he understood that what happened to the three women was wrong.
Sears Canada says it’s giving up on the idea of remaining in business. The retail chain sought creditor protection in June after announcing widespread job cuts and store closures. It says it’s failed to find a buyer that would allow it to remain a going concern. That means the company’s remaining stores will close, and another 12-thousand employees across the country will be out of work.


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Facebook introduced a new tool on Tuesday that will allow users to “see and control the data that apps and websites share with Facebook,” according to a news release.
The idea for the tool, which was originally dubbed “Clear History” because it was intended to completely clear browsing data, was introduced by Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2018 after the tech giant received scrutiny for using users’ browsing history as a way to personalize advertisements on the platform.
“We won’t know which websites you visited or what you did there, and we won’t use any of the data you disconnect to target ads to you on Facebook, Instagram or Messenger,” Facebook’s chief privacy officer for policy, Erin Egan, and Facebook’s director of product management, David Baser, said in a blog post.
But the new tool called “Off-Facebook Activity” does not completely “flush” user browsing data like Zuckerberg promised last year; it simply allows users to disconnect their identities from their browsing data, The Washington Post reported.
In other words, Facebook can still collect data from a user’s browsing history but will not be able to connect history to users who partake in the new tool and specify what data from specific websites they do not want to share with the tech giant.
“Imagine a clothing website wants to show ads to people who are interested in a new style of shoes,” Facebook’s post reads. “They can send information to Facebook saying someone on a particular device looked at those shoes [online]. If that device information matches someone’s Facebook account, we can show ads about those shoes to that person.”
Egan said the tool “could have some impact on our business,” but Facebook believes that “giving people more control over their data is more important.”
Additionally, the tool will not prevent Facebook from reporting back to businesses when users purchase products after seeing targeted ads.
“Everyone might have had a different mental interpretation … because it doesn’t exist elsewhere,” Facebook product manager Stephanie Max told The Post.
The Off-Facebook Activity plan comes after the tech giant agreed to pay a settlement of $5 billion to the Federal Trade Commission for violating terms of privacy by misleading about 2.2 million users about its privacy laws.
Facebook did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact email@example.com


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“Winning in the beer category of Sunday Times Top Brands for the fourth year in a row is a testament to the love South African beer drinkers have for the brand,” says Lauren Muller, marketing manager for Heineken®. “Like the iconic red star on the green bottle, this win acts as a stamp of approval for their favourite tasting premium beer and we are tremendously proud of this achievement,” adds Muller.
“It also illustrates that South African beer drinkers share a global passion for quality and consistency. In over 190 countries, Heineken® is revered for its consistent quality and crisp taste that has been setting the brand apart for more than 150 years. The premium nature of our beer and its global appeal connects with consumers, especially during moments of joy and entertainment, in particular through our memorable and light-hearted advertising, our sponsorship of the world’s most recognised sporting events, and impactful, and engaging events and experiences,” concludes Muller.
Sunday Times Top Brands Awards is commissioned by Arena Events and conducted by Kantar.
This triumph is Heineken®’s second this year as it was also recently voted as South Africa’s favourite beer brand in the Ask Afrika Icon Brands Survey for 2020/2021, which is one of the largest annual benchmark surveys that measures brand loyalty. More than 25,000 local consumers chose the category winners from over 230 divisions for this year’s survey.
About Heineken South Africa:
Heineken South Africa is a key player in the beer and cider industry in the country, with an impressive portfolio of brands, including Heineken®, Sol, Desperados, Windhoek, Miller Genuine Draft, Amstel, Strongbow, Fox, Soweto Gold, and Tafel. Heineken South Africa is a joint venture between Heineken N.V. and Namibia Breweries.


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SureMote Universal Remote App
Apple Isn't The Only Company With A Smart Home Remote...
One of the most exciting announcements at WWDC 2014 was the iHome Kit feature in iOS 8, which will allow iPhone owners to use their device as a remote to control the smart home. But if you don’t want to wait for Apple to release the iOS 8 update this fall there is an Android app available now in the Google PlayStore that does many of the things iHome Kit will.
The Beta version (full version coming in July) of Tekoia’s Smart Universal Remote, SureMote is the first designed to be both easy to use and fully customizable right from the phone. It controls smart media-streaming devices and legacy appliances using either Wi-Fi or infrared capability. The app was recently demoed live at Computex using an LG SmartTV and its media-streaming capabilities, as well as controlling infrared appliances, such as Apple TV and the iRobot Roomba vacuum.
Using proprietary technology developed by Tekoia, SureMote runs on most Android devices and is a platform for development of additional Smart Home functions expected to go mainstream with the Internet of Things (IoT).
The app currently supports Sony, Vizio Co-Star and Asus Google TV media streamers. It also features a Wi-Fi to IR converter to support legacy IR appliances.
“SureMote is taking the legacy problems of remotes and moving to the future, where the Internet of Things will be controlling so many devices in the home,” said Viktor Ariel, founder and CEO of Tekoia. “With SureMote we are focusing on innovation in the user experience and innovative communication technology to create a universal smartphone remote app designed from a user’s point of view. We do not see the remote as an afterthought so the design is appealing. It is a painkiller solution for both appliance makers and users.”
The version of SureMote that you see in the above video includes a new and easy-to-use interface with novel controls like the keyboard, mouse, gyro and voice to make it a fully functioning, easy-to-navigate remote. There is also an iOS version planned for release later this year.
Tekoia’s goal is to create a smartphone remote app that revolutionizes the remote control user experience. Will you buy in or wait until Apple attempts to perfect the already existing technology?


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MK: Armageddon sells a million
Midway's gory fighter hits 1 million shipped across both PS2, Xbox; Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks also hits milestone.
Ripping heads off torsos and dismembering bodies may not make good substitutes for parenting, but it sure does sell a lot of games. Midway Games today announced that Mortal Kombat: Armageddon has shipped 1 million units worldwide.
The game was released in October on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox and is allegedly the final Mortal Kombat game for current-generation consoles. The finale packed in dozens of characters from previous MK games and was met with generally positive reviews. The game is also headed to the Wii in April.
Midway also revealed that the 2005 game Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks has also shipped more than 1 million units. Shaolin Monks was released on the Xbox and PS2.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email firstname.lastname@example.org


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Tech Biz Roundup: Analyst Tries to PUMP Facebook, Groupon Shares Scorched
It’s now two weeks since Facebook’s (NASDAQ:FB) IPO, and the company’s shares are trading around $10 below the starting price, despite Baird’s new Outperform and a price target of $37. That analyst noted FB’s tech focus and user experience, which ‘puts it in the same league as Google and Amazon’, commenting that “We expect Facebook to continue down the ‘Google Path,’ allowing the hacker culture to guide management decision making.”. However, a New York Times column panned the company’s Sponsored Stories product, pointing out its inadequate ad-matching capabilities, plus privacy problems, which the Los Angeles Times noted when reporting that some American teens are turning against Twitter and Tumblr, for the same reason.
Don’t Miss: Morgan Stanley: Everyone’s WRONG About Facebook.
Leap Wireless’ (NASDAQ:LEAP) arrangement to carry the iPhone doesn’t impress Canaccord’s Greg Miller, who opines that it’s “virtually impossible” to imagine that the deal has a positive risk versus reward for the carrier. Leap is marketing the phone with limited subsidies, and most details about the agreement remain unknown. Further, the analyst contends that the fact that Leap trades at only 3.9 times its estimated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, makes the valuation in-line with those of other companies “whose future is in doubt”.
Shares of Groupon (NASDAQ:GRPN) hit new post-IPO lows on its share lockup expiration day. The stock saw sizable losses on Thursday, and the expiration on Friday allows approximately 600 million shares that are held by insiders to be sold. Less than three weeks ago, the company experienced a huge pre- and post-earnings rally.
Don’t Miss: Here’s the SECRET to LinkedIn’s Social Success.
Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) faces court action unless it changes its rules for search results and ads by July 2, says European Union antitrust head Joaquin Almunia. The most prominent worry of the EU appears to be the ‘preferential placement’ given to Google sites within its search results, but Almunia allows that he might be open to a settlement on that topic. At the same time, there appears to be no resolution in sight regarding Google’s problems with the FTC.
Steve Jobs’ three-prong goal of Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) transforming the textbook, TV, and photographic industries, seems to be working out. The company’s footprint is already felt in the first, rumors have it that the Apple TV is coming in the fall, and an iLounge source says now that Apple is developing a high-end point-and-shoot iSight camera. However, that site does say that its comments fall into the category of speculation.
Shares of Seagate (NASDAQ:STX) and Western Digital (NYSE:WDC) continue their week-long decline Friday, as worries mount concerning slowing PC demand, plus the end of a favorable supply and pricing climate for hard drives due to Thai manufacturing disruptions, make their effects. It didn’t help matters when on Thursday Barclays made their concerns known regarding the impact of solid-state drives and tablet cannibalization on hard drive demand.
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Tuesday, Jan 26, 2021
All what’s digital
Add Your News
Twitter acquires newsletter publishing service Revue
Announcement comes just a day after Twitter rolled out its 'Birdwatch' pilot program
iOS 14: Here’s Why There’s An Orange Dot On Your iPhone
Is there an orange dot at the top of your iPhone since upgrading to iOS 14? You’re not alone, here’s why it’s appeared.
Apple hit with another European class action over throttled iPhones
A third class action lawsuit has been filed in Europe against Apple seeking compensation — for what Italy’s Altroconsumo consumer protection agency dubs “planned obsolescence” of a number of iPhone 6 models.
WhatsApp facing up to €50M privacy fine
The draft penalty would be one of the largest under the European Union’s data protection rules.
Google is shutting down Loon, balloons project to deliver internet connectivity to remote areas from the stratosphere
Begun nearly a decade ago, Loon was one of the company’s high-profile, cutting-edge efforts. But it was difficult to turn into a business.
Apple Confirms Serious Problem For iPhone 12 Users: it’s dangerous
Apple’s iPhone 12 range is expected to break sales records when the company announces its financial results this week. But now Apple has warned millions of iPhone 12 owners that the range has the potential to cause serious health problems.
Facebook Gives FBI Private Messages Of Users Discussing Capitol Hill Riot
DOJ files charges against alleged rioter after the FBI raided his Facebook account, including private messages and an IP address that plotted his approximate locations.
Bernie Sander's Mitten Maker Flooded With Nearly 13,000 E-Mail Orders
Ellis, a 42-year-old elementary school teacher, lived a quiet life in the Vermont town of Essex Junction -- until Wednesday.
We can always find justification to shut up the stupidity of our opponents. Censorship is a dangerous way to deal with it.
The same technology that we welcomed as 1984, because it was cool, is now taking us back to 1939.
Privacy-focused Facebook competitor MeWe says it's gained more than 2 million users in the past week
Alt-right fringe groups have flocked to alternative social networks as Facebook and Twitter clamp down on hate speech and false election fraud claims.
Huawei founder sees decentralised control as a way to beat US sanctions
A newly published speech that Ren Zhenfei gave in June reveals the Huawei CEO’s thinking on strategies for surviving US sanctions.
Big Brother meets Big Tech: Memo reveals military spies can just BUY personal data with tax money – no need for warrant
Using smartphone information bought from data brokers enabled the US Defense Intelligence Agency to spy on people without a warrant, including some Americans, the DIA admitted in a memo to a senator that’s now been made public.
Facebook thought police shuts down major left wing group in Britain
Facebook has shut down the accounts of one of the biggest left wing organisations in Britain, the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). The Socialist Workers Party Facebook page – as well as account of local pages – have been removed from Faceb...
Two-day bitcoin sell-off wipes out over $100 billion from the entire crypto market
The price of bitcoin slipped 10% in two days to fall below the $32,000 level for the first time since Jan. 11.
Alibaba stock spikes after Jack Ma resurfaces
Chinese billionaire Jack Ma resurfaced in an online video after staying out of the public eye for months -- fueling rumors that he was missing.
Here's how to buy bitcoin without all the risk of buying bitcoin
Bitcoin is up more than 260% over the past 12 months -- a stellar ride -- yet owning the asset is fraught with risks including wild swings in cryptocurrency prices. But there are several ways for investors to get a piece of the bitcoin b...
Google threatens to withdraw search engine from Australia; Australia might be the first fake-free internet!
The tech giant says it will remove its main search function from Australia if it passes a new law that force them to pay for the products they are stealing and selling. Australians are happy not to be spied anymore by Google and cannot w...
Not required to host ‘incendiary speech’: Judge (Democrat) rejects Parler’s lawsuit to restore Amazon service
Social media platform Parler is facing more bad news as a federal (Democrat) judge has rejected a lawsuit from the (Republican) company seeking to have (Democrat) Amazon restore hosting services following ties being severed after the US ...
YouTube Fake Biden’s popularity by systematically deleting thousands of Dislikes from videos
"Most popular president ever"? YouTube is deleting thousands of dislikes from Biden videos on the Official White House YouTube videos. I don’t mind because I like him and anyway only stupid people believe the Big Tech numbers, users, sta...
Conservatives cry ‘bigotry!’ as Dems call for Parler to be PROBED BY FBI for role in US Capitol riot, alleged Russian ties
House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney is requesting the FBI investigate social media platform Parler as a “potential facilitator” of the US Capitol riot earlier this month.
TikTok owner ByteDance launches payments in China as it pushes into fintech and e-commerce
ByteDance has launched a new payment service within Douyin, the Chinese version of short-video sharing app TikTok.
One in five firms linked to spying on staff as they work from home
A surge in secret software used to spy on staff working from home during the pandemic has led to calls for new laws to be brought in against unscrupulous bosses.
"Like An Underdog Going Through Training...": Signal On Resuming Service
Signal has seen a rise in downloads following a change in WhatsApp's privacy terms, which required users to share their data with both Facebook and Instagram.
Spanish side become first team ever to buy a player with BITCOIN
The striker was unveiled by Spanish third division side DUX Internacional de Madrid, also known as Inter Madrid, after they teamed up with their new cryptocurrency sponsors to make a unique move.
Iran blames bitcoin miners for blackouts
Iran has launched a crackdown on cryptocurrency miners who it claims are responsible for power blackouts that are blighting the country.
Gang steals HK$3.5 million from woman after cryptocurrency trade
The woman was paid HK$3.5 million in cash after using her iPhone to complete an online transaction to sell USDT tokens, police source says.
Capitol Rioter May Have Stolen Pelosi's Computer, Tried To Sell To Russia: FBI
The theft of electronic devices from congressional offices has been a persistent worry following the siege by supporters of US President Donald Trump.
Woman who allegedly stole Pelosi's laptop wanted to sell it to Russia, ex tells FBI
FBI says person claiming to be Riley June Williams’ former partner allegedly saw a video of her removing computer during Capitol riot
Volkswagen and Audi are starting to challenge Tesla
The world's largest carmaker is starting to gain ground on Tesla.
Selena Gomez: Big Tech 'cashing in from evil’
In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Gomez said she’s frustrated by what she views as the companies’ lackluster response and that they have to “stop doing the bare minimum.”
Apple CEO responds to Big Tech criticism: No 'intersection' between free speech, incitement of violence
Apple CEO Tim Cook stood by his company's decision to remove alternative social media platform Parler from the App Store, as Big Tech companies face criticism over censorship after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Apple Chief Tim Cook Says Parler Could Return To App Store With "Reforms"
Apple suspended all downloads of the Parler app following the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, citing postings on the platform that could incite further violence. Google and Amazon also censored Parler.
Parler attracted senior members of the UK government before it shut down, according to reports
More than a dozen politicians from the UK's right-wing ruling Conservative party had joined Parler before the social network went offline, according to The Observer.
Branson's Virgin Orbit reaches space with key mid-air rocket launch
Billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit reached space for the first time on Sunday with a successful test of its air-launched rocket, delivering ten NASA satellites to orbit and achieving a key milestone after aborting the rocket’s fi...
Biden to replace Trump may encourage investors to sell Microsoft shares and buy Amazon shares instead
The Trump administration skyrocketed the value of Microsoft's shares, transferring to them the web hosting services of government servers that had hitherto been served exclusively by Amazon. By this move, Trump turned Microsoft from a c...
What is Signal, and is it really safer than WhatsApp?
The encrypted messaging app Signal has seen an explosion in take-up recently. Recommended by Edward Snowden and Elon Musk, It reported a whopping five-fold growth in its Android user base on Tuesday alone, taking it to more than 50 milli...
After Trump bans, Facebook and Twitter see combined $51 billion in losses
Investors react negatively to surprise banishment of sitting president.
"So Glad You Exist": Elon Musk's Birthday Wish For Wikipedia
Wikipedia, started by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger in 2001, is one of the most popular websites on the Internet.
Parler Chief, Family In Hiding After Receiving Death Threats: Court Document
Parler, a platform widely embraced by Trump supporters, had earlier launched an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon after the tech giant discontinued its services following last week's violent riots on the Capitol, Fox News reported.
Voters want to stop the second impeachment and would rather see the punishment of Big Tech
Voters want Speaker Pelosi to stop the second impeachment of President Trump and would rather see the punishment of Big Tech for censoring the President, according to a leaked internal memo from a pollster.
What China’s New Digital Currency Tells Us About a Cashless Future
China is testing a digital yuan, aiming to accelerate the replacement of cash and increase state control in a society where digital payments via Wechat Pay and Alipay are already the norm. Here’s what Beijing’s new system looks like—and ...
'Ministry of Truth'| Critics slam Democrat bid to gag social media
Critics blast Democratic Party lawmakers' proposal to regulate the fake news and to the censorship of Donald Trump and his supporters.
The tech supremacy: Silicon Valley can no longer conceal its power
‘To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle,’ George Orwell famously observed. He was talking not about everyday life but about politics, where it is ‘quite easy for the part to be greater than the whole or for two o...
WatsApp killer: Signal - the most secure messenger for everyone
Signal Private Messenger is the most secure messaging app you can install on your phone.
Jamie Dimon says JPMorgan Chase should absolutely be 'scared s---less' about fintech threat
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has watched while a new breed of fintech players, led by PayPal, Square and tech giants around the world have exponentially grown users and market value.
Miami mayor considers bitcoin investment to create crypto hotbed
The mayor of Miami wants to make his city more appealing to the tech industry by embracing bitcoin.
Canadian billionaire given the green light to sue Twitter over 'Pizzagate' tweets
Canadian court takes no bribe or bullshit: West Vancouver billionaire Frank Giustra has been given the go-ahead to sue Twitter in a B.C. courtroom over the social media giant’s publication of a series of tweets tying him to baseless cons...
Signal Is Down Now, Because of Millions of New Users Joining
Signal has seen millions of new users joining up in the last week.
Add Your News


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Laura has worked as a motoring journalist since 2006, after getting hooked on driving her silver E46-generation BMW 3 Series Coupe at the racetrack. Before that she was a television reporter and presenter covering news and technology in Silicon Valley. A California native, Laura lives in Los Angeles and – true to the stereotype – loves driving Pacific Coast Highway, keeping fit, and eating healthy. Although Laura rates her drawing ability at third-grade level, she is an avid design enthusiast and appreciates those with a highly evolved sense of aesthetics. Among her favourite vintage cars are the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, the Jaguar XK 120, the Ferrari 250 GT California Spider, the Aston Martin DB5, and the Porsche 906. Laura also writes for the Robb Report, the New York Post, Automobile, and Panorama (the official magazine of the Porsche Club of America).
Mercedes-Benz aims to blur the lines between human and machine with its new Vision AVTR concept, shown at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in partnership with film director James Cameron, whose 2009 blockbuster Avatar gets a sequel next year
Byton trotted out a near-production version of the M-Byte crossover at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, exactly two years after the Chinese startup first debuted its ambitious concept.
Audi design director Marc Lichte talks sub-brands, through the electric e-Tron Sportback and the ballistic RS6 Avant V8 estate
Kemal Curic has replaced David Woodhouse as design director of Ford premium subsidiary, Lincoln, where he had already worked on the Continental, Aviator and Corsair models. Car Design News interviewed him about his new role, his inspirations, and his tight-knit team
On a sunny day in California, Car Design News got an exclusive update from FCA’s global president of product design, Ralph Gilles, on Maserati interior materials, UI and UX design, the positive side of shared components, and what the future might hold for this historic Italian sports car brand
Julian Thomson, Jaguar’s new Director of Design, has taken over from industry car design legend Ian Callum, and he is already displaying the type of creative energy needed in a design landscape where so much is ‘up for grabs’. Car Design News caught up with Julian at Pebble Beach 2019 and found out what is on his mind
The Ferrari Senior Vice President of Design talks to CDN about one-offs and design inspirations
The all-new C8 boasts a radical new design and vastly improved interior materials


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Some McDonald’s will start selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts
(CNN) – McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme are testing out a sweet team-up.
The two companies announced Tuesday that McDonald’s will start selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts at nine locations in the Louisville, Kentucky area as part of a small test for the companies.
The select restaurants will carry three of Krispy Kreme’s most popular pastries, including its original glazed doughnut.
The sweet treats will be delivered fresh every day to the locations and customers will be able to buy them all day, while supplies last.
The new menu additions will only be available for a limited time.
Krispy Kreme says customers can expect them to make their Mickey D’s debut starting Oct. 26.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.


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Textile manufacturers in the country have appealed to the Federal Government to stop selling gas to local industries in dollars.
According to them, the payment of the gas tariff in the United States dollar is counter-productive to local manufacturers, a development that has made the commodity unaffordable to many businesses.
Speaking under the aegis of the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association, operators in the sector stressed that the gas being supplied to the local industries was costlier than what the commodity was selling for in the international market.
“The current domestic tariff at $7.38/mmscf is three times the price of gas in the international market. There is a need to review the tariff on gas supplied to the industries in naira, which should be affordable.”
The Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing on several occasions had made it clear that the cost of gas to the power plants was lower than what industrial gas users were paying.
Both ministries also stated that gas was an international commodity and, hence, it was being priced in the US dollar.
Kwajaffa, however, stated that despite the government’s pledge to revive the textile sector, the reality on ground was worrisome.
He said the prevailing harsh environment had no doubt dealt a serious blow to the already fragile sector, adding that Nigeria was currently spending over $4bn annually to import textiles and ready-made clothing.
“Our country has the potential to produce for the local market, export to the ECOWAS market of 175 million people, and to the developed world, but smuggled goods continue to flood major textile markets in Kantin Kwari, Kano, Balogun and Oshodi in Lagos,” he stated.
Kwajaffa noted that a number of recommendations on how to revive the sector had been made available to the government, adding that urgent steps must be taken to save the industry from collapse.
He said, “Scarcity of black oil has crippled the operations of the textile mills in the North. There is a need to ensure availability of the fuel to the textile mills by way of direct allocation from the Kaduna and other refineries. Consistent supply of certified seeds is required to ensure adequate supply of cotton to the local textile industry
“Under the dual exchange rate policy being currently pursued, the CBN should allocate forex at the official rate to textile manufacturers for meeting the need for import of essential raw materials by the textile mills. The need for import substitution has never been felt stronger before. The government should persuade its MDAs to source all their uniforms from the local textile mills.
“The scheme for the supply of free meals to schoolchildren should be extended to free uniforms to be procured by the government from local textile mills. Government should check the influx of smuggled goods and take action against counterfeit textiles, which fake the Nigerian trademarks.”


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Displaying items 61-72 of 620 » View wsbtradio.com items only< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11-52 Next >
KickingTiresBilled as the nation's "first and largest-attended" auto show, the 113-year-old New York International Auto Show also may be the most ironic ??? hosted by the only U.S. city in which more than half the residents don't own a car.......
Tags: Auto Shows, Buick, Kia, Audi, Land Rover
BMW announced Friday it will bring a trio of vehicles to the New York Auto Show later this month, including a new diesel 3-Series sedan. The 328d will be making its U.S. premiere at the show, several months before it rolls into dealerships in late...
KickingTiresCars.com may have recently had a string of less-than-pleasant dealership experiences, but according to the results of a J.D. Power study released today, customers are generally happy with the way they're being treated at car dealerships. On top of the.......
Drivers gave the service departments of Lexus and GMC the highest ratings in the latest J.D. Power & Associates survey on customer service. The results, released Wednesday, mark GMC's first time at the top of the rankings, Chris Sutton, senior director...
Tags: Mini, Buick, Automotive Equipment, Jaguar, GMC
While the full-size Range Rover may be the unofficial minivan of Beverly Hills, maker Land Rover says the smaller Range Rover Sport is the darling of New York. Seeking to reinforce the Big Apple's love, Land Rover announced Monday the all-new Sport would...
Tags: Land Rover, Auto Shows, Cadillac, Lincoln, SUVs and Crossovers
Using the words "Jeep" and "luxurious" together typically seem like an oxymoron. But the old Grand Wagoneer models could be considered luxury Jeeps. Bill Shields wanted an old 4WD Jeep that could take him on camping trips into the wilderness while...
KickingTiresAll the talk these days seems to be on spending cuts and frugality, but you wouldn't know it from looking at February sales. Overall, the market was up more than 4%, with only half of the top automakers posting gains......
KickingTiresThe next Jeep in line for a diesel engine is the Wrangler, according to Wards Auto. Jeep CEO Mike Manley told the website that the automaker plans to add the powertrain to the lineup after the Wrangler's 2015-16 redesign. Manley......
DETROIT (AP) — Americans want new cars and trucks, and they're not letting higher gas prices or political dysfunction stand in their way. New car and truck sales were up 4 percent in February as rising home construction and cheap financing kept...
Look who's back. Jeep has announced it is resurrecting the Cherokee nameplate for 2014. The boldly styled mid-size SUV will debut at the New York Auto Show in March and go on sale this summer. When it does, it will replace the boxy, forgettable Jeep...
Tags: Honda, Chrysler, SUVs and Crossovers, Dodge, Mercury
This post has been corrected. See below for details.Lexus earned the top score in Consumer Reports' 2013 annual ranking of car brands and vehicles. The American car companies were near the bottom of the rankings. Japanese nameplates dominated the ratings with Subaru and Mazda tying for second. Overall,...
While Jeep is preparing to introduce a mildly updated 2014 Grand Cherokee this summer, a week spent with the current Grand Cherokee Overland Summit proved that the 2013 models have much to offer. The Grand Cherokee is at the top of the Jeep lineup and...
Mar 19, 2013 |Blog| Cars.com
Mar 15, 2013 |Story| Los Angeles Times
Mar 13, 2013 |Blog| Cars.com
Mar 13, 2013 |Story| Los Angeles Times
Mar 11, 2013 |Story| Los Angeles Times
Mar 8, 2013 |Story| Aberdeen News
Mar 1, 2013 |Blog| Cars.com
Mar 1, 2013 |Blog| Cars.com
Mar 2, 2013 |Story| Petoskey News
Feb 25, 2013 |Story| Los Angeles Times
Feb 26, 2013 |Story| Los Angeles Times
Jan 29, 2013 |Story| Hartford Courant
Original site for Jeep topic gallery.


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Fallon Continues the Goofiness for Loctite
Last month, Fallon launched a new campaign for Henkel’s Loctite Adhesives, promoting Loctite Super Glue with a thoroughly ridiculous 30-second television spot featuring fanny pack dancing. Now the agency has continued their cam ...
Agencies | Brands | Campaigns | What The??
Fallon Brings Fanny Packs, Bad Dancing for Loctite
Fallon Minneapolis launched a new campaign today for Henkel’s Loctite Adhesives, promoting Loctite Super Glue. At the center of the campaign is a 30-second TV spot called “Win At Glue” which Fallon created along with ...


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iPhone 6 wins Christmas
A new report has revealed that Apple devices were a hugely popular Christmas gift this year, trumping smartphone rivals.
Flurry’s annual Christmas report found that 51.3 percent of new devices activated on Christmas Day were manufactured by Apple, compared with 17.7 percent by Samsung and 5.8 percent by Nokia.
Other major players in the global market, Xiaomi, HTC and Huawei, received less than one percent each. Flurry suggests that this is because their primary markets are located in Asia, where Christmas is not as heavily focused on gift-giving.
Flurry, which utilizes data from 600,000 apps, found that the iPhone 6 was the most activated device, while Apple’s larger flagship device, the iPhone 6 Plus, was also popular. Phablets, in general, are selling well, making up 13 percent of new Christmas Day activations compared with just four percent in 2013. This reinforces data collected by Juniper Research earlier in the year, which suggested that the number of phablet units shipped will reach 120 million by 2018.
The increase in popularity of phablet devices has had a negative effect on tablet sales however. Smartphones with smaller screens also fared less well over the holiday period.
"App developers should take into account the fact that larger screens are becoming the primary device; it’s not just the secondary primetime tablet anymore", Flurry explained in its report.
As expected, Christmas was also a hugely popular day for installing new applications, with Flurry recording 2.5 times the usual number of downloads. Messaging apps and games were found to the most popular software downloads.
Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.


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Motorola Mobility Issues Statement Regarding Passing of Former Chairman and CEO Robert W. Galvin
Oct. 12, 2011
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. - Oct. 12, 2011 - Motorola Mobility, Inc. today commented on the death of former chairman and CEO, Robert (“Bob”) William Galvin.
“We are greatly saddened by the loss of Bob Galvin. During his 29-year tenure at Motorola Inc., Bob oversaw remarkable growth and transformed Motorola into a global leader in technology, with $10.8 billion in sales in 1990, the year he stepped down as chairman. Bob was a visionary within the technology sector, leading the creation of the global cellular telephone industry from the introduction of the first portable cell phone prototype, the DynaTAC, to the first pocket-sized ‘flip phone’, the StarTAC, in 1996.
Bob’s commitment to innovation has remained a core value at Motorola Mobility and his contributions have left a lasting mark on both the Motorola Mobility portfolio and the entire cell phone industry. Today we honor Bob’s many accomplishments and celebrate the technology he was so instrumental in building.”
Comment from Sanjay Jha, chairman and CEO, Motorola Mobility, “ On October 11, we lost a transformative leader and visionary. We will continue to honor Bob Galvin’s legacy here at Motorola Mobility. He was committed to innovation, and was responsible for guiding Motorola through the creation of the global cellular telephone industry. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family.”
About Motorola Mobility
Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people's lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.
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Nearly two dozen car burglaries reported, all cars unlocked
According to Darien police, 22 car burglaries have been reported in the past week, and in each and every case the car was left unlocked. While most victims were lucky enough to not have anything stolen, the suspects made off with several hundred dollars worth of cash and merchandise.
On April 11 a wallet containing three credit cards was stolen from a Cherry Street vehicle and $30 in cash and a pair of sunglasses were taken from a car on Hamilton Lane. On April 15, a Woods End Road resident reported more than $125 worth of gift cards and merchandise stolen from their car, and a Ridge Acres Road resident had a $250 pair of sunglasses taken as well.
Police are continuing the investigation but ask that residents keep their cars locked.


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Little more than five years ago, Netflix looked like a train wreck. The company had announced then quickly aborted a widely ridiculed effort to set up its profitable DVD business as a separate operation and rename it Qwikster. Customers were incensed by a big price hike. And investors were none too happy about the company’s overseas expansion efforts, which were weighing on its profits.
Boy, how things have changed. Netflix dominates the streaming media market and its DVD business is an afterthought. Its stock price has doubled in the last 13 months. And, as this chart from Statista shows, its profit is now more than double what it was in the good old days before the Qwikster debacle. Of course, it’s still borrowing billions of dollars to keep its library of videos well stocked and it faces a potentially dangerous threat in the form of an upcoming streaming service from Disney, but those seems like minor quibbles when everything else is going so well.
SEE ALSO: Many consumers are skeptical about Amazon Go — first-day lines aside
Join the conversation about this story »
Source:: Businessinsider – Technology
NASA Chooses Spacex To Launch A Self Propelled Space Station To The Moon


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Microsoft officially confirmed that the Windows Phone platform is long gone, dead and there is no way to make another mobile operating system. Instead, they are going to focus on making Windows 10 on PC connect easily with both iOS and Android smartphones.
A series of tweets by Joe Belfiore confirmed that they tried their best and despite all their efforts, Windows Phone died. It is not only because of Microsoft but also the fact that developers didn’t support it which in turn pushed users out of the context.
“We tried by giving a lot of incentives to app developers. We even paid money to many of them but they wouldn’t respond. The user volume was low, they said and when apps were missing users were not interested to adopt it,” he tweeted.
The exact reason still remains a mystery but Microsoft confirmed that they will continue to fix bugs, make old phones run properly and roll out security updates. However, no new Windows Phone hardware will get launched and all major apps may stop rolling out newer versions due to the further smaller user base at present.


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Supplementation with B Vitamins and Omega-3’s May Benefit Heart Health
For optimal cardiovascular health, it is advised that people maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, consume a heart-healthy diet, and avoid smoking. A recent study suggests that supplementation with B vitamins and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may also be beneficial for cardiovascular health.
For their study, the researchers reviewed data from 15 clinical trials. The trials examined the association between supplementation with B vitamins and omega-3 PUFAs and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The researchers found that supplementation with B vitamins and omega-3 PUFAs together had a more beneficial impact on cardiovascular health than supplementation with B vitamins or omega’3’s only. They also found that healthy dietary patterns that include foods rich in B vitamins and omega-3 PUFAs were beneficial for cardiovascular health.
Specifically, supplementation with B vitamins and omega-3 PUFAs was found to help lower plasma concentrations of homocysteine, levels of circulating triglycerides, and levels of C-reaction protein.
The study was conducted by researchers from Texas State University and Indiana University. It was published online ahead of print on April 12, 2022 in the journal Nutrients.
A previous study found that cranberries may provide cardiovascular benefits.


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- January 30, 2017
- Categories: Vehicle Accidents
A lot happened in 1994. Right here in Southern California, we witnessed O.J. Simpson’s white Bronco chase, the bankruptcy of Orange County, and a 6.7-magnitude earthquake that rocked San Fernando Valley. The impact of these and other important events that year have generally faded with time. One event, however, continues to be relevant because it marked a shift in consumer technology use that still affects our lives today. The year 1994 is when the first smartphone hit the market.
In less than a quarter century, the number of smartphone users in the United States has grown from zero to more than 200 million. Is society better off as a result? Not when it comes to traffic safety, that is for sure. Drivers distracted by a smartphone make mistakes they otherwise would not. Here are some reasons why.
There Is No Such Thing as a Distraction-Free Smartphone
California recently banned all handheld cell phone use by drivers. The new law closes the “navigation loophole” (previously, drivers caught holding their phones could avoid a ticket for handheld calling/texting by claiming to be using a navigation app). Drivers must now mount their phone on the dashboard and use only a single swipe or tap of their finger on the screen.
By taking phones out of drivers’ hands, the law makes smartphones less of a physical distraction. Unfortunately, that may not be enough. Smartphones are also a visual and mental distraction. A law that requires people to mount their phones and restricts finger-to-phone contact does nothing to address these other two concerns. Drivers will still look at the screen instead of the road, and their minds will still be preoccupied by conversation instead of focused on the task at hand.
Every smartphone sold today requires at least some involvement of the user’s fingers, eyes, or mind. This is unlikely to change any time soon. Even with istracted driving accidents so prevalent, smartphones are becoming more interactive, not less. New phones have big, attractive displays and content designed to fully engage the user. If unfortunately involved in an incident, consulting a distracted driving accident lawyer can be invaluable.
Mobile Apps Can Affect How People Choose to Behave
Facebook Live is a feature that allows people to broadcast themselves to family and friends in real time. When the broadcast concludes, the video appears in the person’s feed so it can be viewed later like any other post. Instances of people turning on Facebook Live while driving are already producing tragic results. For example, in a shocking live broadcast from last year, a young man filmed himself speeding and weaving through traffic before crashing violently.
In terms of distracted driving, live-broadcasting apps are dangerous because some users feel the need to “show off” for their followers. Social media posts are meant to attract attention, after all. How many videos of safe, attentive driving go viral? Probably none. Worse yet, some apps are specifically meant to get users to engage in conduct that is not conducive to driving, such as searching for imaginary monsters, or traveling at high speeds.
Safe Driving is a Matter of Common Sense
If you find it ironic that a device meant to improve our lives is causing so many accidents, it gets worse – As people consult a pedestrian accident lawyer more often due to these mishaps, there is a growing belief that self-driving cars are the answer to distracted driving.. In other words, smartphones made us stupid drivers, so now we need smart cars to fix the problem.
Whatever the future brings in terms of new technologies, we do not need to wait. We can act right now to put an end to car accidents caused by smartphones. All we must do is put these devices away when it is time to drive. If, unfortunately, you’ve been in such a situation, consulting with a car accident lawyer might be beneficial.


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As Congress gets set to approve an expansion of the current federal electric vehicle tax credit system, it has become clear that the new regulations won’t actually do a lot of good for American consumers. In fact, the new rule set will effectively eliminate tax credit availability for nearly every EV on sale in the U.S. today.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 made its way past the Senate over the weekend, part of which are the expanded EV credits. Despite ultimately passing along strict party lines, Democratic lawmakers did add some concessions to the tax credit requirements to appease the last few dissenting voters in the party. More specifically, Democratic lawmakers added a concession to the new rules which will require at least 40 percent of a vehicle’s battery materials to be sourced from the United States or one of our trade allies by 2024. That figure is currently slated to jump to 100 percent by 2029. If a vehicle does not meet those requirements, it is ineligible for the $7500 tax credit offered for select new EV purchases. Furthermore, any batteries that are constructed with materials from a country that the U.S. deems a state sponsor of terror, or countries blocked by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control are automatically ineligible.
According to The Verge, That last part is rather tricky for the burgeoning EV market here in the States. China is currently listed as a “foreign entity of concern” by the United States government, which would bar vehicles with materials imported from that country from these tax credits. The problem with that is the fact that China is currently responsible for over three-quarters of the world’s battery production. The U.S. currently only makes up around 8 percent of the total. While companies like Ford, General Motors, Stellantis and Toyota are all currently ramping up new battery production facilities in the U.S., industry experts expect this new requirement to dramatically impact the reach of these newly expanded tax credits.
“The $7500 credit might exist on paper, but no vehicles will qualify for this purchase incentive over the next few years,” John Bozzella, president and CEO of Alliance for Automotive Innovation said in a recent post. “That’s going to be a major setback to our collective target of 40-50 percent electric vehicle sales by 2030.”
According to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, more than 70 percent of the 72 electrified-vehicles for sale in the United States currently fall outside of the scope of these new regulations. Certain vehicles like the Tesla Model 3 are already built from a majority of U.S. or Canadian-sourced materials, and will have no trouble with meeting the restrictions. The same can’t be said for some of Tesla’s more expensive offerings however, as they don’t qualify for the price caps implemented by Congress.
The expansion of these EV tax credits, specifically the addition of the new used vehicle credit, were intended to incentivize the transition to EVs without punishing consumers with increased prices associated with the new machines. That said, the start of the EV era is going to be a transitionary one in more ways than one. If Congress is serious about pushing American suppliers on automakers, investing in the supply chain for those materials is going to be critical. Without it, we all might be paying a lot more for our next new car.