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As companies struggle to invest in diversity, Harlem Capital managing partner Jarrid Tingle shares two tangible ways to make meaningful change.
One long-time champion of conscious capitalism says way more needs to be done by business leaders on equality. It's just the right thing to do for all parties involved.
Apple is closing 77 stores across 11 states that are seeing new coronavirus spikes.
Facebook is no longer betting on Lasso, an app it launched a year and a half ago, to take on TikTok . The social juggernaut's TikTok clone is shutting down on July 10, Lasso alerted users on Wednesday. Launched in late 2018, Lasso was seen as Facebook’s answer to TikTok that's gained ground with young users, both in China and in the West.
Pinterest (NYSE: PINS) rose as much as 5.5% on Thursday before settling down to close 3.6% higher. The online hobby-posting company continued to benefit from the news that social media behemoth Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) is shuttering Hobbi, its experimental Pinterest-like pinning app. Facebook rolled out Hobbi in February, promising users the ability to "capture and organize your creative process."
(Bloomberg) -- Here’s a list of companies that are planning to halt spending on social media. Some have joined a boycott of Facebook Inc. after critics accused the social network of inadequately policing hateful and misleading content on its platform:Harley Davidson Inc. -- The motorcycle maker said in an email it was pausing Facebook ads in July “to stand in support of efforts to stop the spread of hateful content.” Pernod Ricard SA -- The French distiller of Jameson whiskey and Absolut vodka, which spends more than 1.5 billion euros ($1.69 billion) on advertising annually, is boycotting Facebook and some other U.S. sites through July 31 and working with partners on an app to help victims of online abuse.Daimler AG -- The Mercedes-Benz maker is pausing its paid advertising on Facebook platforms in July, while adding that it expects to the relationship to resume because it’s confident the social-media company will take “necessary steps.”Molson Coors Beverage Co. -- The brewer is choosing to pause advertising on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter while it reviews its own standards and ways to protect the brands and guard against hate speech, Chief Marketing Officer Michelle St. Jacques said in an internal email.Constellation Brands -- The maker of Corona beer and Kim Crawford wines is pausing Facebook ads for the month of July.Dunkin’ Brands Group -- The donut chain is temporarily pausing its paid media on Facebook and Instagram, a spokesperson says, adding that it’s in discussions with Facebook about efforts to stop hate speech and thwart “the spread of “racist rhetoric and false information.”Lego A/S -- Stopping all advertising on social media for at least 30 days to review its standards and will “invest in other channels” during that time.The Body Shop -- The beauty chain says it’s halting paid activity on all Facebook channels and asking the social-media company to enhance and enforce its content-moderation policies.Starbucks Corp. -- Pausing advertising on all social media platforms. Will post on social media without paid promotion.Microsoft Corp. -- Paused global advertising spending on Facebook and Instagram because of concerns about ads appearing next to inappropriate content, according to a person familiar with the matter.Unilever Plc -- Halting advertising on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in the U.S. through Dec. 31.Volkswagen AG -- The ad stop on Facebook affects the direct ad accounts of the German manufacturer’s brands, including Porsche, Audi and Lamborghini. VW, its ad agencies and the Anti Defamation League will enter talks with Facebook over how to deal with hate speech, discrimination and false information, according to an emailed statement.Mars -- Starting in July, a pause on paid advertising globally across social-media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.Target Corp. -- Pausing ads on Facebook in July.Coca-Cola Co. -- Pausing advertising on all social media platforms.Clorox Co. -- Will stop advertising spending with Facebook through December.Conagra Brands Inc. -- Will stop advertising in U.S. on Facebook and Instagram through the rest of the year.Ford Motor Co. -- Halting U.S. social media for 30 days, won’t purchase social media ads for Bronco unveiling.Honda Motor Co. -- “For the month of July, Honda will withhold its advertising on Facebook and Instagram, choosing to stand with people united against hate and racism.” Acura, a Honda brand, said in a tweet that it was “choosing to stand with people united against hate and racism.”Hershey Co. -- Will halt spending on Facebook in July and cut its spend on the platform by a third for the remainder of the year, according to Business Insider.Diageo Plc -- Pausing paid advertising globally on major social media platforms beginning in July.PepsiCo Inc. -- Pulling ads on Facebook from July through August.Verizon Communications Inc. -- “We’re pausing our advertising until Facebook can create an acceptable solution that makes us comfortable and is consistent with we’ve done with YouTube and other partners,” said John Nitti, chief media officer for Verizon.SAP SE -- “We will suspend all paid advertisements across Facebook and Instagram until the company signals a significant, action-driven commitment to combatting the spread of hate speech and racism on its platforms.”Levi Strauss & Co. -- Pausing all paid Facebook and Instagram advertising globally and across all brands through July.Diamond Foundry Inc. -- Pulling all of advertising from Facebook, including Instagram, for the month of July.Patagonia Inc. -- Will pull all ads on Facebook and Instagram, effective immediately, through at least the end of July, pending meaningful action from Facebook.Viber Media Inc. -- The messaging service, owned by Japanese conglomerate Rakuten, plans to cut ties with the social network entirely, according to the Guardian.VF Corp. -- The North Face will pause ads on Facebook for the month of July. Vans, another VF brand, will also pull ad dollars from Facebook and Instagram next month, and said it will use the money to support Black communities through empowerment and education programs.REI -- “For 82 years, we have put people over profits. We’re pulling all Facebook/Instagram advertising for the month of July.”Upwork Inc. -- No Facebook advertising in July.Eileen Fisher Inc. -- Pulling ads from Facebook through July.Adidas AG -- Will stop ads on Facebook and Instagram internationally through July, according to Adweek.Puma SE -- Will stop all advertisements on Facebook and Instagram throughout July.Madewell Inc. -- Will pause ads on Facebook and Instagram through July.Pfizer Inc. -- Removing all advertising from Facebook and Instagram in July, calls on Facebook to heed the concerns of the StopHateForProfit boycott campaign “and take action.”Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. -- To pause Facebook advertising beginning July 1, according to an email.Chobani -- The Greek-yogurt company paused all paid social-media advertising.Peet’s Coffee -- Paused advertising on Facebook.(Updates with Harley Davidson)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Paypal (PYPL) closed at $177.21 in the latest trading session, marking a -0.12% move from the prior day.
Netflix (NFLX) closed at $476.89 in the latest trading session, marking a -1.8% move from the prior day.
Facebook (FB) closed at $233.42 in the latest trading session, marking a -1.74% move from the prior day.
The Nasdaq exchange has had some of the most exciting companies in the stock market, and they've helped to make the Nasdaq the first major market benchmark to reach new highs. There are plenty of stocks listed on the Nasdaq that have seen impressive gains lately. Shares of Tesla finished the day up around 8%, adding to big gains throughout the week.
Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) shares rose 13% in June, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Amazon stood out early in the crisis as a stock to buy as consumers stockpiled their pantries with essentials and opted for online shopping. At the same time, Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company's cloud-computing business, saw demand linked to the outbreak as well.
(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk provoked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the course of taking a victory lap on Twitter over Tesla Inc.’s surging share price.The chief executive officer first taunted short sellers in a string of tweets, writing that the electric-car maker would “make fabulous short shorts in radiant red satin with gold trim.” That’s an apparent reference to jokes he’s repeatedly made about sending “short shorts” to investors who bet against Tesla’s shares, such as hedge fund manager David Einhorn.Musk, 49, then wrote Thursday that he would send shorts to the SEC, referring to the agency again as the “Shortseller Enrichment Commission.” He first used that phrase in October 2018 after the regulator sued him for securities fraud.Musk then tweeted a cryptic but profane play on the agency’s initials, prompting Ross Gerber, a fund manager who regularly engages with him on Twitter, to write back: “Dangerous.” Musk responded: “But sooo satisfying.”Musk and the SEC have a combative history. The agency sued him in September 2018 over tweets he sent a month earlier claiming that he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 a share. As part of a settlement agreement, Musk was required to pay a $20 million fine, step down as Tesla’s chairman for three years and have some of his tweets pre-approved by a company lawyer.The SEC took Musk back to court last year after he failed to clear a tweet about Tesla’s production with his in-house counsel. The two sides eventually agreed to amend the earlier settlement to add specific topics the billionaire can’t tweet about or otherwise communicate in writing without advance approval.Hours after a federal judge signed off on the amended deal in April 2019, then-SEC Commissioner Robert Jackson publicly criticized it, saying in a statement that Musk had not been sufficiently punished for failing to adhere to restrictions on his social media use.In December 2018, Musk told “60 Minutes” that he did not respect the SEC. A spokesperson for the agency declined to comment on his latest tweets.Tesla disclosed in February that the SEC sent the company a subpoena regarding “certain financial data and contracts” including “regular financing arrangements.” One analyst speculated the regulator may have been looking into how the company managed to build an assembly plant near Shanghai last year while spending just $1.3 billion on capital expenditures.A better-than-expected quarterly deliveries report sent Tesla’s shares surging 8% to a record close of $1,208.66 on Thursday. The stock has almost tripled this year.(Updates with additional tweets in the fourth paragraph.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Tesla stock seems to be on an endless rally to the moon
(Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg will meet with at least three civil rights groups on Tuesday after their organizations led an advertising boycott of the social media giant.The Facebook executives will meet with Anti-Defamation League Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Greenblatt, Color of Change President Rashad Robinson and Derrick Johnson, chief executive officer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a Facebook spokesman confirmed.Facebook and the groups didn’t disclose further details of the meeting.Facebook reached out to the civil rights groups last week to arrange a meeting with Sandberg and Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, a company spokesman said. The civil rights groups said they wanted Zuckerberg to be at the meeting and he later confirmed he would attend, the spokesman added.Starbucks Corp., Levi Strauss & Co., PepsiCo Inc. and Diageo Plc were among the most recent companies to say they’re curtailing ad spending, part of an exodus aimed at pushing Facebook and its peers to suppress posts that glorify violence, divide and misinform the public, and promote racism and discrimination.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Boeing (NYSE: BA) reportedly plans to wind down production of its massive 747 jumbo jet, the end of an era for double-decker jets as airlines focus on smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft. The company has not yet made the decision official, but Bloomberg reported the last 747-8 will roll off Boeing's assembly line in about two years. While the timing of Boeing's decision is new, the fate of the 747 has been obvious for a while.
Shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) increased another 11.1% in June, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. With investments in personal computers, cloud, and video games, Microsoft continued to excel even while people were sheltering at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Microsoft has been so successful that it's closing physical retail locations for good.
Top Research Reports for Netflix, Exxon Mobil & Amgen
After rising a nominal 0.6% in May, shares of Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG) were supercharged in June, racing 90.5% higher according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Whereas it had originally targeted revenue of $1 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $200 million for 2024, the addition of United Hydrogen Group and Giner ELX led management to upwardly revise its those forecasts to $1.2 billion and $250 million, respectively.
The Dow's rally drove shares of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), and Boeing (NYSE: BA) higher despite mixed news. Apple and McDonald's pulled back on store reopening plans due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, Exxon disclosed that it would take a large earnings hit in the second quarter, and the FAA completed certification test flights for Boeing's 737 Max.
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) and the Mercedes-Benz division of Daimler AG (OTC: DMLRY) (OTC: DDAIF) are teaming up to truly build a computer on wheels. The two companies recently announced a collaboration to build a new computing system for cars, powered by NVIDIA's DRIVE AGX Orin technology. This new high-performance car computer will be used in new vehicles from Mercedes-Benz starting in 2024.
(Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. hasn’t told employees, but the company is pulling the plug on its hulking 747 jumbo jet, ending a half-century run for the twin-aisle pioneer.The last 747-8 will roll out of a Seattle-area factory in about two years, a decision that hasn’t been reported but can be teased out from subtle wording changes in financial statements, people familiar with the matter said.It’s a moment that aviation enthusiasts long have dreaded, signaling the end of the double-decker, four-engine leviathans that shrank the world. Airbus SE is already preparing to build the last A380 jumbo, after the final convoy of fuselage segments rumbled to its Toulouse, France, plant last month.Yet for all their popularity with travelers, the final version of the 747 and Europe’s superjumbo never caught on commercially as airlines turned to twin-engine aircraft for long-range flights. While Boeing’s hump-nosed freighters will live on, the fast-disappearing A380 risks going down as an epic dud.The grand jetliners also face another indignity: The Covid-19 pandemic threatens to leave their manufacturers scrounging to find buyers for the last jumbos built.“As it turned out, the number of routes for which you need an ultralarge aircraft are incredibly few,” said Sash Tusa, an analyst with Agency Partners.Boeing’s “Queen of the Skies” debuted in 1970, an audacious bet that transformed travel but almost bankrupted the company. Passenger versions boasted a spiral staircase to a luxurious upstairs lounge. Freighter models featured a hinged nose that flipped open to load everything from cars to oil-drilling gear. The 747 went on to rack up 1,571 orders over the decades -- second among wide-body jets only to Boeing’s 777.The millennial-era A380 could haul as many as 853 travelers and reflected Europe’s lofty aerospace ambition. But by the time it arrived in 2007, airlines were already tilting to smaller planes that burned less fuel.Boeing correctly anticipated the trend with the twin-engine 777 and the 787 Dreamliner. With prodding from Joe Sutter, a famed engineer who’d led the original 747 program, the planemaker decided to develop a relatively inexpensive upgrade of the four-engine plane to steal sales from the A380.The strategy would have been successful, had the 747-8 not been bedeviled by early mismanagement, blowing its budget and deadlines, said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst with Teal Group.The Chicago-based company has lost about $40 million for each 747 since 2016, when it slowed production to a trickle, making just six jets a year, Jefferies analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu estimated. All told, Boeing has recorded $4.2 billion in accounting charges for the 747-8, which has been kept alive as a freighter. The 747 notched its last order as a passenger jet in 2017 -- for Air Force One.Boeing’s jumbo freighters will continue to ply the skies for decades after production stops, said Aboulafia. But he’s dropped the passenger-only A380 from his forecasts.“It’s going to have the shortest lifespan of any type in history,” Aboulafia predicted. “I’d be shocked if there’s still an A380 in service in 2030.”Airbus disagreed. “We will see the A380 continue flying for many years,” the planemaker said by email.But the coronavirus pandemic is hastening the end of the behemoths as people movers. With travel not expected to fully recover until mid-decade, airlines are culling aging jetliners and four-engine jumbos from fleets to limit spending. About 91% of 747s and 97% of A380s are parked, Credit Suisse estimated last month.Air France, Lufthansa, and Qatar Airways are among carriers weighing whether to ground their A380s permanently or are preparing to do so. Airbus has just nine of the planes still be delivered. All but one of them are tagged for Emirates Airline, the largest A380 operator, which is considering whether to scrap its final five on order.The A380 has cost Airbus about 20 billion euros ($23 billion), breaking even or generating profits for only a three-year stretch starting in 2015, Agency Partners estimated. With just 251 aircraft sold over the program’s life, the planemaker never achieved the efficiency that comes with manufacturing at large scale, Tusa said.Boeing, meanwhile, had been preparing for years to wind down the 747 program, and its sales team has been sounding out customer interest in a potential freighter version of the 777X. If such a model goes forward, it would bolster flagging sales of the largest twin-engine aircraft in the company’s lineup.The telling omen that Boeing had written the iconic 747’s final chapter came in financial filings earlier this year. Gone was any indication that the company would continue to “evaluate the viability” of the program, standard phrasing it had previously used.“At a build rate of half an airplane per month, the 747-8 program has more than two years of production ahead of it in order to fulfill our current customer commitments. We will continue to make the right decisions to keep the production line healthy and meet customer needs,” Boeing said for this story.The planemaker has just 15 unfilled orders for the 747 -- all freighters. A dozen of them are headed to United Parcel Service Inc., and the fate of the rest is unclear, part of a dispute with Russia’s Volga-Dnepr Group.Boeing has approached the U.S. courier and other potential customers about taking the three planes, people familiar with the matter said. The planemaker and UPS declined to comment. Volga-Dnepr didn’t respond to requests for comment.UPS in May agreed to take a 747 that Volga had ordered. “Working with Boeing, we saw an opportunity to bring another 747-8 online this year in time for our peak shipping season,” the courier said.Ultimately, Boeing’s decision on the 747 boiled down to resource allocation, said George Dimitroff, who leads valuations at aviation consultant Cirium. Could the assembly line floor space be better used on another airplane, such as the 767, which shares a bay in Boeing’s Everett, Washington, factory?“If you’re building half an airplane a month, it’s probably not your most profitable program,” Dimitroff said.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.


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Oldham, England -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/23/2015 -- In a recent interview with vaping advocate Michael Nance, interesting statistics came to light – including his claim that vaping is "at least 94 or 96 percent safer than smoking – with the 4,000 chemicals in tobacco cigarettes versus the 4 in conventional e-cigarettes."
Typically, e-cigs operate on a basis of liquid nicotine steamed over water vapour, and this does appear much more of a simplistic prospect compared with the mass of chemicals in other cigarettes.
However, is simpler always best? In the case of smoking, this could inevitably appear the case – as not only do e-cigarettes avoid the sheer chemical count, but also avoid other issues such as second-hand smoking.
The lack of fumes emitted reduce risk to those surrounding. Furthermore, e-cigarettes often work out much more cost-effective and are available in kits for longer-term use, whilst a tobacco cigarette is expensive and disposable.
iBreathe, who are leading online retailers of premium e-cigarettes and e-liquids as well as frequent commentators in the industry, were quick to reflect on the issue: "We think the publication of figures like these really draw the right kind of positive attention e-cigarettes need," a spokesperson for the company suggested.
"E-cigarettes, when used as an alternative to tobacco smoking, are not only less harmful to the individual, but also have minimalimplications to the people around them. At the same time, the e-cigarette is still satisfying the craving for nicotine and also the routine of smoking, such as the need to hold something – a place where other preventative methods, such as gum and patches, do not suffice as well.
"In this light, e-cigarettes could be seen as a more positive alternative to smoking and really can be a constructive way to end the smoking of tobacco cigarettes."
For more information on iBreathe's e-cigarette range of models, flavours and kits, visit their website at http://www.i-breathe.co.uk
Company name: iBreathe Ltd
Tel: 0161 652 3141
Contact person: Mahmud Ali
Address: Edelle Business Park
Unit 3, Quebec Street

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CHENNAI: Political parties and milk distributors on Thursday condemned Aavin for rising the prices of Aavin curd and ghee.
"Aavin has increased the price of its curd ranging from Rs 5 to 45. The price hike is unfair at the time when the economic situation is bad. Aavin hiked the prices of its ghee, curd, butter and icecream only in March and people cannot withstand the burden imposed through another hike in four months,” said PMK President Ambumani, in a tweet.
Citing the imposition of 5 per cent GST on curd, from July 18, Aavin had increased the price of ghee and curd by 20 per cent. Anbumani questioned that if the tax imposed is 5 per cent why is there a hike of 20 per cent.
"There was no GST imposed on ghee but the State government had hiked the price of ghee. Similarly, exemption from GST was given to Amul and Nandini milk products. The State government rather than hiking the price of milk products should fight to get exemption for Aavin,” added Anbumani.
Similarly, Tamil Nadu Milk Agents and Labourers Welfare Association has also condemned the price hike and urged the rollback of the announcement. "Aavin products are sold at all high prices. Aavin increased its ghee price by Rs 20 per litre in March, this year, and now it has increased another Rs 50 per litre. Without increasing the procurement price of milk Aavin is continuously increasing the price of milk products and it is highly condemnable,” said SA Ponnusamy, Founder President, Tamil Nadu Milk Agents, Labourers Association.
Ponnusamy also said that already the private companies have increased the prices of curd and lassi by Rs 4 to Rs 10 per litre and under the circumstances, the hike in price of milk products by Aavin comes as a huge blow for public.


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Google has announced that 60 eligible black-founded startups across Africa have been selected for the second cohort of Google for Startups Black Founders Fund (BFF) for Africa.
12 Kenyan firms to benefit from Sh479 million Google funding
Kenya got the 2nd highest number of firms selected for the programme
The startups joining the program will receive a total of Sh479.2 million($4million) in funding and support to enable them to scale up their ongoing work.
Each of the selected startups will receive support in the form of a 6-month training programme that includes access to a network of mentors to assist in tackling challenges that are unique to them.
They will also be part of tailored workshops, support networks and community-building sessions.
The 60 grantees will also get non-dilutive awards of between Sh6 million ($50,000) and Sh12 million($100,000) and up to Sh24 million ($200,000) in Google Cloud credit.
The grantees, made up of 50% women-led businesses, hail from Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda.
They specialise in sectors such as fintech, healthcare, e-commerce, logistics, agtech, education, hospitality and smart cities.
The top five countries with the most startups selected for the program are Nigeria with twenty-three grantees, Kenya with twelve grantees, Rwanda with six grantees, South Africa with five grantees and Uganda with four grantees.
Botswana and Senegal have one selected startup each, Cameroon and Ghana both have three grantees each while Ethiopia has two selected grantees.
“Africa is a diverse continent with massive opportunity but the continent is faced with the challenge of limited diversity in venture capital funding flow. We hope that the Black Founders Fund program will be able to bridge the gap of disproportionate funding between expat startups over local and black-led companies,” said Folarin Aiyegbusi the Head of Startup Ecosystem, SSA.
Launched in April 2012, the Google for Startups program has created over 4,600 jobs and raised more than $290M in funding.
The Google for Startups Black Founders Fund program will introduce the grantees in Africa to Google's products, connections, and best practices which will help the founders to level the playing field as they build better products and services that add value to the African economy.
Funding for the Google for Startup Black Founders Fund will be distributed through Google’s implementation partner; Co-creation Hub.
“The equity-free cash assistance to startups will enable them to take care of immediate needs such as paying staff, funding inventory, and maintaining software licences. This is to help the grantees buffer the cost of taking on debt in the early stages of their business as many of them do not have steady revenue streams yet”, Aiyegbusi said.
Funding Black founders in Africa fuels generational and systemic change.
The Google for Startups Black Founders Fund for Africa program reinforces Google’s commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and startups in the region as a vital prerequisite to driving employment and growth on the continent.
The Kenyan start ups that were selected include
- Ajua - Ajua is an end-to-end operating system for SMEs to build a credible online presence, get feedback on their businesses and manage the relationship with their customers.
- BuuPass - BuuPass is a travel startup - building digital rails for Africa’s intercity transport industry and supporting bus, train & flight transportation.
- DohYangu- DohYangu enables end consumers in Africa to shop FMCG products & get cashback rewards at various retail stores, saving up to 25%.
- Flexpay - FlexPay is a merchant-embedded digital savings platform that rewards customers for saving up for purchases - a save now buy later (SNBL) solution at checkout.
- Keep IT Cool - Keep IT Cool is an early-stage, fast-growing social enterprise that leverages technology to strengthen the African aquaculture and poultry value chain through cold chain and storage.
- Leja - Leja is an Android/USSD application enabling African micro-entrepreneurs to digitise all their business transactions and manage all their finance in one place.
- Solutech - Solutech helps field-sales teams to sell more efficiently by leveraging powerful insights while providing FMCG companies with real-time data for day-to-day and strategic decision-making.
- Synnefa - Synnefa is building Africa's first mini-farm ERP connected to IoT sensors that provide soil data which is combined with farmer activity data to create a farmer experience score that is passed on to financial partners to use on their credit score.
- Tibu Health - TIBU Health is an omnichannel health-tech company connecting patients to healthcare services and professionals at a time and location of their choosing.
- TopUp Mama - TopUp Mama enables restaurants in Africa to purchase food supplies, access financial services and manage their business.
- Zanifu - Zanifu enables SMEs to purchase inventory and pay later.
- Zuri Health - Zuri Health provides affordable and accessible healthcare services to patients across Sub-Saharan Africa via mobile app, website, WhatsApp chatbot and SMS service.
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In light of a variety of new ways emerging to buy vehicles nowadays — not just through a dealership or private-party transaction — the Federal Trade Commission announced on Monday that it will host a one-day workshop.
FTC officials explained the event set for Jan. 19 is being designed to explore competition and related issues in the U.S. auto distribution system, including how consumers and businesses may be affected by state regulations and emerging trends in the industry. The event will take place in Washington, D.C., at the FTC’s Constitution Center Auditorium, starting at 9 a.m.
“The auto industry is a critical sector of the U.S. economy and one that is undergoing substantial technology-driven change,” FTC officials said. “It is currently subject to regulation at both the state and federal level.”
The FTC pointed out that states, for example, regulate the relationship between manufacturers and dealers that sell vehicles to consumers, including dealer location, warranty reimbursement and direct-to-consumer sales.
The agency noted other state and federal regulations govern a variety of other aspects of auto operation and ownership, such as safety, insurance and licensing.
The January workshop will focus primarily on exploring the competition issues arising from state level regulation of auto distribution. It also will explore emerging trends in the auto industry, such as car-sharing, connected cars and autonomous vehicles, with a focus on how those trends will affect the current regulatory system that governs the auto industry.
The workshop will be webcast live on the FTC’s website. Officials mentioned that individuals who want to attend in person advance registration is not required, but is strongly encouraged.
The agency added registration information, an agenda, directions to the FTC’s Constitution Center building and a list of speakers will be available in the near future on the event’s website.


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NEW DELHI, Oct 7 � In a move aimed at boosting connectivity with the neighbouring South East Asian country Myanmar, which envisages connecting Mizoram with Sittwe Port, the India-Myanmar Container Service was launched to link India and Myanmar.
The service commenced with the arrival of �MV Kamal�, at Chennai on her maiden call.
This service has been promoted by the Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, and Government of India in line with the enhanced trade relationship with Myanmar.
The Shipping Corporation of India Limited (SCIL) introduced �Kamal� exclusively on this run. The vessel on her maiden call at Chennai carried commodities like pulses, timber, furniture and exports comprising cement, general cargo and chemicals. The new service is scheduled to call at Chennai every fortnight and operate on the following port rotation: Chennai> Krishnapatnam>Yangoon> Colombo> Chennai.
Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Dr Vishwapati Trivedi said the service will boost bilateral trade relations between India and Myanmar by providing immense opportunities for manufacturers, importers and exporters in these countries.


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In a post that highlights the growing divide between fans of Robert Parker and members of the anti-flavor wine elite, Dr. Vino lambastes the most recent newsletter from Marcasin. Can’t we all just get along?
Lettie Teague declares that birthday wines “should always be exciting and preferably new, not in terms of the vintage but in terms of an experience.” I always thought that birthday wines should be from one’s birth year, so long as it’s affordable (and worth drinking).
On Palate Press, W. R. Tish and W. Blake Gray square off on the 100-point scale. (Apparently, they agree on replacing their first names with an initial!)
Some great news for beer lovers in California. Last month, the California state Senate approved legislation that will make it easier and cheaper for craft beer breweries to open tasting rooms.
Like Evan Dawson and Lenn Thompson at New York Cork Report, I’m generally “leery of new trends in social media and wine” but “deeply admire the work done by our friends at VinTank and Cruvee.” So I think that VinPass, a new social game, could succeed. Earlier this week, Dawson took a look at the app. (In June, Terroirist Rebecca Canan reviewed it.)
The Massachusetts Food Association filed two ballot questions with the Attorney General’s office on Wednesday — one which would allow food stores to sell wine and a second to allow grocery stores and supermarkets to sell beer and wine, under local control. The group hopes that at least one question will be certified for the 2012 ballot. If you live in the Bay State, get involved!
In Wine Review Online, W. Blake Gray profiles Jeremy Baker, owner of Thomas George Estates.


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An Italian manufacturer is investing $1.1 million to set up a Fort Wayne operation, which is expected to create 35 jobs by 2016.
Coram USA LLC, a subsidiary of Coram Group, now has a sales office downtown. That office and its one occupant will move into the new location after it open at 6911 Innovation Blvd.
The company will renovate the 20,000-square-foot building, which it is leasing from JD Summit & Associates, the owner.
Coram USA is buying $150,000 of new manufacturing equipment for the operation, where is will do final assembly and distribution of steering columns.
Plans call for warehousing to begin by the end of the year and production to start up in January, said Mark Wohlford, general manager. Hiring will begin later this year.
Coram USA supplies the commercial vehicle, agricultural, construction and wind turbine industries.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has offered Coram USA $215,000 in tax credits and $50,000 in training grants, based on its job creation plans.
WorkOne Northeast has offered recruitment and training assistance.
The city of Fort Wayne will consider tax abatements that would offer an estimated $20,200 in savings.
The city is excited to have another international company choose Fort Wayne for its North American headquarters, Mayor Tom Henry said in a statement. We are excited to be able to provide a prosperous and thriving environment for Coram to continue to grow.
Angelo Piantoni, Coram USA’s president, said in a statement that the operation will use the company’s experience and passion as a foundation for making high-quality products.
The manufacturer’s decision to open a factory and warehouse here wasn’t accidental, local officials said Monday.
Dale Buuck, vice president of business development for the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, cultivated a relationship with Coram officials during economic development trips to Europe.
It is exciting to see the contacts we’ve made pay off in a win for the region, Buuck said in a statement. We’ve developed an excellent relationship with the representatives of Coram, and they have even referred us to other businesses in Italy who may have an interest in northeast Indiana.


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July 20, 2012
New research from Ofcom has highlighted the importance of the smartphone in the British shopping experience. According to Ofcom's Communications Market Report 2012, we are seeing the emergence of the "Robo" (research offline buy online) shopper — and smartphones are playing an important part in this trend.
Its findings show that more than half of smartphone users claim to use their phone in some way when out shopping. This includes taking photos of products (31%), making online price comparisons (25%), scanning bar codes to get more product information (21%), reading product reviews online (19%) and researching product features (19%).
Four in ten (39%) adults now own a smartphone, a 12% increase on 2010. 42% of these now say that their smartphone is the most important device for accessing the internet, with over four in ten (42%) regularly using social networking sites and half (51%) using email.
Mark Haviland, managing director of affiliate network Rakuten LinkShare, said: "Brits have become a nation of 'information shoppers' who look to compare different items and research products on everything from content sites and blogs to voucher and deal sites, to find something tailored exactly to their needs. This places even more emphasis on the need to integrate the online and high street experience as consumers use mobiles to gain access to more information than ever before."
The Ofcom report also shows that the number of texts sent has more than doubled in four years, with the average UK consumer now sending 50 texts per week. And talking on the phone is in decline, with the volume of calls from landlines down by 10% and calls from mobiles down by just over 1%.
Mobile messaging specialist, Acision, has conducted research into the psychology of SMS. The study, which was evaluated by leading psychologist Graham Jones, questioned 2,000 respondents in the UK and US. It found that men tended to text a larger number of contacts than women while women are more likely to send longer text messages (41%).
Graham Jones said: "People today are compartmentalising their messages as they all have a specific purpose. Email is being used much less for personal communication and much more for business, whereas social networks tend to remain a medium to message friends and peers, sometimes on a one-to-many basis. Text messaging remains a functional communication tool, but still with a personal aspect, which could explain its longevity."


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The Community and Public Sectors Union (CPSU) claimed a ‘win’ on flexible work and working from home in negotiations for the Australian Public Service Enterprise Agreement yesterday, but the South Australian Business Chamber has raised concerns about the potential impact on the Adelaide CBD and the lack of emphasis on improved service outcomes and increased productivity for the taxpayer.
As taxpayer-funded agencies, any changes made should result in better levels of service and increased productivity for the public. This announcement fails to articulate how that will happen.
Under the agreement, around 15,000 Commonwealth employees would be able to take advantage of the arrangements. The South Australian Government, the largest employer in the state of around 126,000 public servants, has expressed their desire to be competitive with their federal counterparts in offering flexibilities.
As part of the proposed provisions, employees will have no cap on the number of days they can work from home in a week. While acknowledging the benefits of flexible working arrangements we cannot dismiss the potential for a negative impact on CBD businesses, which heavily rely on a strong community of workers, given that most public offices are located in urban centres.
Our cities need vibrancy and diversity, and businesses need an environment that encourages investment. Today’s agreement has the potential to decimate foot traffic in metropolitan business hubs and serve as a disincentive for small businesses to stake their claim in our city.
Since the pandemic demanded new ways of working, flexible workplace arrangements have become far more common in the private sector. Some businesses have seen improvements in productivity and employee satisfaction and retention. However, an increase in working-from-home days in our local public sector would be devastating for cafes, restaurants, and retail outlets, which rely on regular foot traffic to remain viable.
We can’t allow an agreement like this to be made on a state level. Businesses that rely on city workers for their trade every day will simply not be able to survive a mass exodus of workers.
It was just over a year ago that then Treasurer Rob Lucas urged public service workers to return to their offices after nearly two years of remote work, which had forced many CBD-based retail and hospitality businesses to retreat.
The South Australian Business Chamber has supported initiatives that encourage workers to return to the office since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Employers need to create environments where people want to engage and collaborate with their colleagues in person, even when flexible working arrangements are possible.


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AFRICAN swine fever and erratic weather have heavily impacted agricultural commodities in 2019 and will remain key to prices in 2020, according to Rabobank’s global Agri Commodities Research Outlook 2020.
Rabobank predicts a potential continuation or escalation in the US-China trade war, further increases in productivity on the back of more benign global weather, and the ongoing impact of African swine fever (ASF) will mean farmers globally will continue to operate amid uncertainty in 2020 after years of relatively low prices.
The prices of grains and oilseeds next year will be driven by geopolitics, particularly trade wars, while coffee and sugar prices are likely to recover from decade lows.
Key highlights of the report include:
- Increased global production and forecast record ending stocks in 2019/20 and 2020/21 set the scene for limited upside in global wheat markets over the next 12 months. CBOT wheat is expected to trade between US511- 520 cents/bushel during 2020.
- Soybeans will continue to be at the mercy of the US-China trade war, but trend higher in 2019, while palm oil prices are expected to trade higher year on year as the gap between global palm oil supply and demand narrows.
- For sugar, the bank anticipates a transition towards a tighter global market for 2019/20, with the largest deficit in four years, making sugar the most bullish commodity outlook for 2020, with ICE #11 prices forecast to steadily rise to US14c/lb by Q4 2020.
- Global cotton prices are forecast to trade higher in late 2020, after touching three-year lows in late 2019. Rabobank expects ICE #2 Cotton futures to reach to US72c/lb by Q4 2020.
For Australia, Rabobank senior grains analyst Cheryl Kalisch Gordon said, with current Australian dollar (AUD) expectations, the bank’s global wheat forecast puts the export parity price at AUD285-290/tonne for the Australian harvest next year.
“For barley, global markets will be weighed down by growing stocks and subdued demand from China, while the soybean and palm oil outlooks lend support for upside in global canola pricing over the next 12 months,” she said.
Rabobank commodity analyst Charles Clack said the bank saw Australian sugar prices moving above AUD450/t in 2020, with depreciation of the Australian dollar (against the US currency) and the rise of global prices assisting local growers.
“Although further upside from this price could be limited by Indian exports and a potential shift in the Brazilian sugar mix,” he said.
For Australian cotton, new season production appears particularly tight – with between 760,000 and 800,000 bales forecast.
“This will keep domestic supplies tight, basis relatively strong and prices above the AUD550/bale level, approaching AUD600/bale in late 2020,” he said.
HAVE YOUR SAY


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News from PR Newswire
Tag Archives: telematics
There are more than 7 million OnStar subscribers in North America, Europe, China and South America. Continue reading
A Celant report on insurance developments also includes results of a survey on how receptive customers would be to real time feedback on their driving. How would you like to receive this message while driving: Your current driving style suggests that you have a one in three chance of having a fatal or very serious accident during the next year. Continue reading
So called OBD-II based telematics – aka onboard diagnostics – are rudimentary and controversial but they have the potential to reshape the auto insurance market to reward good or infrequent low-risk drivers while charging other, more risk exposed users to higher fees Continue reading
In keeping with the expansion of electronics in automobiles, Toyota Motor Sales in the U.S. has hired Ned Curic to a newly created role of vice president and chief technology officer. Continue reading
A well-know, or infamous, national law firm has filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that Ford Motor Company’s MyFord Touch, MyLincoln Touch and MyMercury Touch touchscreen systems are defective. The firm of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro claims that the system often freezes, fails to respond to voice and touch commands and will not connect to mobile phones. Continue reading
OnStar Mexico, announced today that its telemetric services are now active on the new Chevrolet Cheyenne (aka Silverado) and GMC Sierra pickups, and will be available on the Cadillac ATS later this year. More vehicles across GM’s four vehicle brands – Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac – will be equipped with OnStar throughout 2014. Continue reading
The automotive electronics evolution has seen increasing emphasis on connected vehicle systems, driver assistance systems, and infotainment systems. Given the potential for these systems to cause huge drops in customer satisfaction, as Ford Motor learned with its My Touch and My Sync systems, it is not surprising that auto companies are now hiring people with experience in human factors engineering, human-machine interface, and mobile device technology. The latest briefing is one of a series CAR offers on relevant topics of interest to industry professionals. Continue reading
SAE International will hold three professional development courses in conjunction with Convergence 2012 this October 16-17 in Detroit. In a focus on the latest technology now used in automotive electronics, seminars will be on Autonomous Vehicle Positioning Systems, Wireless Communications in the Autonomous Connected Vehicle, and Software Architectures and Security for Connected Vehicular Systems. Continue reading
The U.S. Department of Transportation is starting the largest road test or vehicles with crash avoidance technology today in Ann Arbor, Michigan. About 3,000 cars, trucks and buses equipped with “connected” Wi-Fi technology that allows vehicles and infrastructure devices to “talk” to each other. The goal is to see if crashes could be avoided and traffic flow improved during the next year. In Europe, such technologies are also under study. Continue reading
Nissan Motor Company in Japan today announced the launch of the Nissan Zero Emission Fund for individual Nissan electric vehicle (EV) owners in Japan that converts the amount of CO2 emissions that are offset by driving the electric Nissan Leaf to generate credits. Continue reading
OnStar Shanghai said today that it passed two major milestones in May with its subscriber base across China reaching 450,000, and requests for Turn-by-Turn Navigation totaling 13.8 million since the launch of the telematics service in October 2009. OnStar has 6 million subscribers worldwide.
Shanghai OnStar received certification from China’s State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping in 2011, becoming the first telematics joint venture allowed offering mapping service in China. Continue reading
While Ford keeps claiming its customers want electronic features such as MyFord Touch, saying 56% of them rate the technology as an “important” part of the buying decision, its quality and customer satisfaction ratings by users as measured from independent sources have plummeted during the three years since introduction. Continue reading
OnStar is now offering its telematics services in the aftermarket for older General Motors cars and the most popular non-GM vehicles. It’s the first time owners of other makes of automobiles could subscribe to OnStar through a Chinese built electronic mirror. Continue reading
Drivers in Los Angeles made more “Good Samaritan” calls last year to report other motorists in trouble, according to OnStar, the telematics arm of General Motors said today.
Using anonymous subscriber interaction data, OnStar found that of the 10 largest U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Los Angeles had the most Good Samaritan calls in 2010 by a wide margin, with nearly 900 more calls than Chicago, which came in second.


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An original recipe guide on how to make a classic individual serving of salmon and squash with a sunflower egg and a lemon for decoration.
Month: February 2021
This guide teaches you how to go to the lab, clean it, get rare weapons and a lot of money! Next day: guidelines for supervision:
General tips and tricks (in a step-by-step tutorial) on combat, elements, level climbing, various constructions, autocombat. Useful tips and tricks Creating grades and team members
A guide that shows how to use the computer terminals in GTFO to find stores and packaging packages, as well as other items. Terminal guide
SQUARE ENIX has unveiled new images showing the improved graphics and updates in combat and in the soundtrack from NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139Thatthe modern reconstruction of
In December 2020, ZeniMax Online Studios revealed that they had started a new investigation in San Diego that would work on an unannounced AAA title.
Spain is world leader in scams, scams and online scams, according to Microsoft’s Online Civics Index survey
Today, Microsoft released an interesting press release with the motive for the celebration of International day for secure internet –Safer Internet Day– which advocates “digital
Manticore Games is offering $ 120,000 in prizes with competition for Core Invitational developers
Manticore gamesthe creators of the platform Nuclear that allows you to create and play games, calls all developers, creators and modders of independent games, so
For those who do not know, Jeff Bezosfounder and CEO of Amazon, will retire at the end of this year Andy JassyCEO of Amazon Web
Wintermute Episode 2. How to discover how to hunt a bear without being killed. Boring but effective. Others guides of The long darkness : Come


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Iqn Iraq on Technology News and Updates AdmaTechnology.com at Wednesday, April 16, 2014
One of the advantages of this device is able to work without a hitch with Apple Time Machine
The company Western Digital announced a new version of an external hard drive My Book Studio.
USB 3.0 capability is now added to the family hard drive My Book [...]
Among other things, failing to hide bank accounts.
Millions of Android app users, according to a research, be lured to reveal personal data.
The researchers tested 13,500 Android apps and found nearly 8 percent failing to protect his bank account and [...]
Screen HD 1080p will most likely be a top-class smartphone trend in 2013. Currently the majority of upscale smartphones still use 720p HD display, call it the Samsung Galaxy S3, Nokia Lumia 920 or HTC One X +.
A source interviewed by DigiTimes saying [...]
Inspired by the MacBook Air.
Google seems to be more serious about growing its business into hardware, not only playing in mobile platforms, search engines, and internet advertising. The proof is in cooperation with Samsung, Google launched its Chromebook [...]
Apple is reportedly preparing a new MacBook Pro is equipped with Intel’s Haswell and will be introduced at the WWDC 2013, 10-14 June 2013 in the U.S..
Never heard about Intel Haswell? This is the latest generation of Intel processors, which will [...]
Samsung claims to have sold three million units since the smartphone Galaxy Note II or smart mobile phone was introduced in late September. Giant technology, from South Korean said sales of Galaxy Note II, which are sold in 100 countries, is rising faster [...]
Will spend 140 days in the mission.
A Russian rocket carrying two cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut blasted off into space on Tuesday (10/23). The three astronauts will be on duty on the International Space Station (ISS).
Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeny Tarelkin [...]
Electronic Arts announced Saturday game four-person co-op shooter called Fuse, which will be launched on May 28 in North America and May 31 in Europe.
Fuse is the first multiplatform game from Insomniac Games for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, but not [...]
Body size approximately 20% thinner than the Macbook 15-inch retina display.
In the occasion of the launch iPad mini products, Apple also introduced two new products Macbook Pro measures 13 inches equipped with Retina Display.
The device’s most [...]
Detailed smartphone from Nexus 4 owned by Google and produced by LG leaked by British mobile phone retailer websites, Carphone Warehouse’s.
At Carphone Warehouse’s website it is mentioned clearly that they offer LG Nexus 4 with a contract [...]
Besides Z10, BlackBerry also launched Q10 series is still equipped with its flagship QWERTY physical keyboard. What is interesting about the BlackBerry Q10?
BlackBerry Q10, The design is quite pleasing to the eye with four curved corners are not rigid. [...]


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Last week Yuriko Koike, the leader of Japan’s ‘Party of Hope’ and the main opposition to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, unveiled her “12 zeroes” manifesto. The promise of ‘zero’ hay fever caught my attention: a welcome claim for the 25 million sufferers in Japan, but astonishing that politicians can claim to defy Mother Nature! If we made such a pledge in our marketing materials I suspect the regulator would have something to say about it…
What has also caught my attention of late is the impressive level of activity in Japan. Second-quarter real GDP was 2.5%, which is meaningfully above the assumed potential of 0.5 to 0.75%. Even more encouraging was the composition of growth, with private consumption and investment activity strong. The Tankan survey – a quarterly survey of business confidence – points towards a continuation of this trend into the second half of the year, as shown in Chart 1.
This pick-up in business activity is not unique to Japan. The rotation towards investment has been highlighted by central banks, in particular by the Bank of England in its August inflation report and its governor Mark Carney, who recently pointed out the increase in capital goods orders in advanced economies (Chart 2). I believe that this development is one of the most encouraging macroeconomic events that we have seen in a while.
Source: Macrobond. Capital goods are tangible assets such as buildings, machinery, equipment, vehicles and tools that a company uses to produce goods or services.
Global corporate profitability and elevated business confidence point to a changing dynamic in business investment, but only time will tell if this is the beginning of a trend. If so, we should expect higher productivity, healthier potential growth and less depressed neutral terminal rates – all of which will have an impact on monetary policy.


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By Erik Luna
How do people in East Los Angeles know Christmas is around the corner? It’s when an enormous, artificial Christmas tree begins to be assembled in the parking lot of the King Taco at Ford and Third streets in what has become an East L.A. holiday tradition. The tree, which started to take shape about two weeks ago, usually stays up into the new year and can be seen from the Metro Gold Line Maravilla Station.
Read the Full Story at Eastsider LA


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The merger is subject to the approval of the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). The duo says their consolidation is the logical result of a pre-existing, long-lasting partnership.
“With our consolidation, we are responding to the growing market need for specific applications that go beyond data connectivity. Our goal is to become the leading fintech platform that delivers high quality [Software-as-a-Service] SaaS applications and API solutions – pan-European and PSD2-licensed,” said Markus Dränert, CEO of Finreach Solutions.
In the CEO role, Dränert will lead the company, which will merge gradually over the course of 2019, together with Cornelia Schwertner, chief risk officer (CRO) of Figo, and Taner Akcok, chief product officer (CPO) of Finreach.
André M. Bajorat, the CEO of Figo up until now, will soon join the supervisory board of the new company. He will also bolster the team at Finleap, a fintech ecosystem in Europe, where Finreach was developed.
As a lead investor, Finleap will also invest a “seven-digit sum” to finance growth.
Both company locations in Berlin and Hamburg will be maintained, as well as the respective teams. Dränert says the new team size will be about 90 employees.
FinTech Futures contacted the two firms to find out what the name of the combined entity will be.
A spokesperson said: “As of today, only the foundation for the merger is laid and the process of growing together just begins. This also means, that there has no decision been made concerning the company name yet.”
Figo demonstrated its technology at FinovateEurope 2013. The company was founded in 2012.


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Monterey Gourmet posts profit in Q2
August 04, 2009
by Eric Schroeder
SALINAS, CALIF. — Net income at Monterey Gourmet Foods in the second quarter ended June 30 was $204,000, equal to 1c per share on the common stock. This compared with a loss of $173 million in the same period a year ago.
Revenue for the quarter was $19,280,000, down 11% from $21,643,000 in the same period a year ago.
"During the quarter the shipment schedules of two new non-branded products were pushed out, causing volume in our Salinas plant to fall below internal plan," said Eric C. Eddings, president and chief executive officer. "As a result, lower overhead absorption overshadowed the benefits of lower raw material costs and production efficiencies, as well as gross margin improvement in our Sonoma Foods segment. Subsequent to the quarter close, however, we began shipping and are now on track to achieve our customer’s targeted volumes of these non-branded products."
Mr. Eddings said Monterey continues to move forward on its strategy to grow the non-branded and food service channels while developing items that address both consumer preferences for fresh, restaurant-quality specialty items for at-home preparation and the consumer shift in demand toward value-oriented products.
He said the company won several bids to distribute non-branded products to its retail and club customers and increased its share of the food service channel.
"As more retail customers evaluate their categories and pricing strategies in response to the economic downturn, we are creating opportunities to further leverage our high quality branded products in the growing non-branded channel," Mr. Eddings said.


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Jolla, the company set up by former Nokia executives to keep the Meego operating system alive, raised more than $841,000 on Wednesday, the first day of its Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. That’s 221 percent of its goal of $380,000 — and the campaign has 21 days to go, closing Dec. 9. Nearly 5,325 people have contributed to the campaign, although only about 3,800 actually purchased the tablets.
Google’s Android stole share from all of its major mobile OS rivals over the past year to achieve a whopping smartphone market dominance of roughly 84 percent in the third quarter of 2014, according to a new Strategy Analytics report. Apple’s iOS, which weighed in with about 12 percent, lost more than a point of share to Android since the same quarter a year ago.
The push is on for mobile database management tools built from the ground up to run directly inside phones, tablets and wearables. These mobile database solutions are being designed to do what heavyweight open source solutions like SQLite, Cord Data, MySQL and PostgreSQL were not designed to do. Some 4.55 billion people worldwide are using mobile phones this year.
Google’s Android Wear on Thursday got its first major update, bringing GPS support and offline music capabilities to the wearables platform. “Android Wear is great for tracking things like route, distance and speed,” wrote Kenny Stoltz, Android Wear product manager. “Before today, you had to keep your phone close at hand. Starting today, Wear supports watches with GPS sensors.”
Google on Wednesday unwrapped Android 5.0 Lollipop, officially replacing the “Android L” code name by which the latest version of its mobile platform previously had been known.
Consumers today are in an awkward position. Personal privacy is being wiped out by the Internet. At the same time, new technologies that interconnect our devices, homes and offices are offering stupendous advantages. Welcome to the new Internet of Things’ open world. “Openness” means something different depending on whether you’re basking in the convenience or contributing to a vendor’s cash flow.
A flaw in Android’s GUI framework let university researchers hack into applications with up to 92 percent success. They tested apps from Gmail, H&R Block, Newegg, WebMD, Chase Bank, Hotels.com and Amazon. “Changes in the shared memory side channel allow an attacker to infer if there is an activity transition going on in the foreground,” said researcher Zhiyun Qian, an assistant professor at UCR.
Samsung has delayed the launch of its Samsung Z smartphone running the Tizen OS, which was scheduled for Q3 release in Russia. The move, just short of two months after the Samsung Z’s launch at the Tizen Developers Conference, sparked a death watch for the device. However, Samsung said it needed to further enhance the Tizen ecosystem. Samsung has had several setbacks with the Tizen smartphone.
Chinese company Wico has cloned the yet-to-be-released iPhone 6, if a pair of videos can be believed. “The similarities are eerily close,” said IDC Research Manager Ramon Llamas, to the extent that the casual observer “may just simply accept this as an iPhone.” There are slight differences on the sides, such as the volume and power buttons and the headphone jacks, as well as the chassis overall.
Half a dozen companies this week launched the Open Interconnect Consortium to define the connectivity requirements and improve the interoperability of the 200 billion devices that will make up the Internet of Things by 2020. The consortium aims to define a common communications framework based on industry standard technologies, regardless of form factor, operating system or service provider.
LG has launched its Android Wear-powered G Watch around the world. It can be ordered from Google Play and purchased at retailers in the United States, Canada, France, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Japan and South Korea. In 15 other countries — including Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Singapore and New Zealand — the device will be available only from retailers.
Microsoft on Tuesday announced the launch of the Nokia X2, the first device to come out in Nokia’s Android-based X line since Microsoft acquired the company earlier this year. The Nokia X series targets emerging markets with a low-cost family of smartphones offering access to Android apps and Microsoft services. However, the new Nokia X2 offers an enhanced experience.
Mozilla showcased the latest developments in its plan to offer inexpensive smartphones running the open source Firefox OS at the Mobile Asia Expo this week in Shanghai. Although Mozilla has announced plans to sell Firefox smartphones for less than $25 and has teamed with Chinese fabless semiconductor firm Spreadtrum to create reference designs, it did not mention pricing in its expo announcements.
Samsung this week officially launched its long-anticipated Tizen phone, at the Tizen Developer Conference being held in San Francisco through Wednesday. One description of Tizen is that it’s an open source Linux-based operating system from Samsung — but that might be open to debate. The Samsung Z Tizen phone initially will debut in Russia in the third quarter.
It’s been just barely a week since Google’s Android Wear project made its initial debut, but already one major maker of wearable devices has snubbed the new platform.
Google on Wednesday released a developer preview for Android Wear, a day after announcing the project, which Android head honcho Sunder Pichai teased at SXSW earlier this month.
A while back, Canonical released an experimental Ubuntu Touch emulator running Unity 8 and Mir. Back then, there were a few bugs, including a nasty one on 64bit that could break the system, but they were fixed and although the emulator is still pretty slow, I though I’d write an article on how to properly […]
Evernote this week launched handwriting capabilities in its app for Android, offering a long-awaited extension of some of the functionality it brought to iOS when it acquired Penultimate back in 2012. “Sometimes there’s no better way to capture an idea than to write it down or sketch it out,” wrote Andrew Sinkov of Evernote’s marketing team in a Wednesday blog post.
The first Tizen phones may still be on the horizon, but at least one software provider is already planning ahead. Infraware Technology debuted software that can port Android apps to the Tizen mobile OS without additional development or customization. Both Android and Tizen are based on Linux, of course, but that doesn’t mean their native apps are compatible.
Nokia on Monday confirmed months of speculation with the unveiling of its X family of smartphones running Android. The X, X+ and XL are priced at $123, $136 and $150, respectively. Like Nokia’s low-end Asha line, the X devices come in bright colors. They borrow some of Asha’s other well-received features as well. Unlike Asha, however, the X series will not be available in the U.S.


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Earned the achievement A-bomb-ination for 10 points.
That’s useful in its own right, but what’s even more useful, potentially, are the game specific timelines Twitter has unveiled. Accessible via the main NFL page or by searching for team name vs. “I didn’t do it.”At cheap jerseys trial, the defense team described Lloyd, a former semi pro football player, as Hernandez’s “bluntmaster” his purveyor of marijuana and his future brother in law. But in victim impact statements, cheap football jerseys Lloyd’s relatives portrayed him as a loving son and protective brother, as a Cheap Jerseys man who rode his bike 10 miles to work and Mobile wore the same flip flops cheap nba jerseys for 12 Cheap Jerseys years.”Odin was my only son,” his mother, Ursula Ward, told the court, without looking at Hernandez. “The city undergoes rigorous and cheap jerseys thorough audits by an outside audit firm,” he said in a statement. “We are proud of personal the improvements made during my cheap nfl jerseys tenure in Cheap Jordans not only improving its reserves, but our financial reporting procedures. Look closely at the PCRM website, and you’ll notice that the physicians’ health advice on every medical problem from arthritis to PMS centers on removal of meat and animal products. In fact, they seem to think that a vegetarian diet alone is pretty much all it takes to cure cancer. Those who hunt and fish from boats, especially jordan retro 11 in colder weather, need to dress for possible immersion and wear their life jackets. Boaters in larger bodies of water should also take advantage of using available distress alerting and position indicating technologies to improve their chances of survival if a mishap occurs.. Battlefield 3 was launched on Tuesday and has opened very strong. We shipped 10 million units to retail and we are already receiving reorders. Nicolas tape still isn cheap Air Jordans good, and at 235 pounds you expect a 4.74 40, but the Hokie jumps and agility cheap ray bans results were very impressive, especially Wholesale nfl Jerseys his 41 inch vertical. Some team will be willing to give the raw edge rusher a shot in the later rounds after watching him toil as an Wholesale Jerseys undersized defensive linemen for Virginia Tech.. The interview then descended into deja vu territory, with Kanye running off again about culture/art/celebrity and how he wants to change the world. He Cheap Jordan Sale Cheap Oakleys Sunglasses said something about not having Zara and Topshop when he was growing up and I sure there was a connection in there somewhere but I think I may have missed it.. Subscribe to USA TODAYAlready a print edition subscriber, wholesale china jerseys but don’t have a cheap oakleys login?Activate your digital access.Manage your account settings.My AccountLog OutDenver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian (13) throws under pressure from Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, in Denver.


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In this article, we explore the reasons why Navarino developed Angel, the first cyber security system for shipping, and how it became an essential component of the maritime cyber revolution.
The ‘Third Industrial Revolution’, also more commonly known as the Digital Revolution, is the shift from long-trusted mechanical and analogue technology into the untapped world of cyber. It is the ‘era of Information’, a time in which ships no longer exist as archaic structures of isolation, but instead as hubs for data and analytics; constantly communicating with their onshore offices. This move towards smart shipping is becoming ever-more apparent.
However, as shipping technology companies are finding more ways to optimize communication for vessels, the shipping industry is still lagging behind in one major area – security. The stereotype that shipping remains a static industry is somewhat true, and this inability to push cyber security will, and already has, come at a cost.
Cybercrime revenues are reaching $1.5 trillion a year, according to estimates(MCGUIRE, 2018). Hosted on the Dark Web platform, cyber criminals have more than enough motive to reap havoc on an easy target such as maritime. In 2013, drug traffickers were using hackers to smuggle abundances of cocaine into major European shipping ports through changing data on computer systems (Freeman, 2013). In 2017, the world’s largest container carrying company, Maersk, was hit affecting 79 ports in 59 countries, costing them $300 million in revenue.Also in 2017, Svitzer revealed they had suffered a significant data breach which went unnoticed for 10 months and gave away access to the personal information of 400 employees (Safety4Sea, 18). In 2018, COSCO, even though it had taken steps to minimize security risks, were still attacked by a ransomware, halting its US port operations.
This short list of attacks is just an anecdotal account of a much larger list, one that will continue to grow if action isn’t taken.
These attacks aren’t just about taking information or gaining money either, they could be the start of something much more terrifying. Navigation and propulsion systems have the potential to be hacked, and vessels could easily be swayed off-course either through tricking crew with false sensor readings, or taking control of the systems directly. The opportunities for criminals are endless when it comes to cyber, and the question remains whether maritime is ready to prevent this.
Until recently, official maritime organizations hadn’t really taken into account the potentially disastrous global effects a hack on a vessel could have, and talks on cyber security remained minimal. In 2014 the IMO considered what the guidelines for cyber security should look like. In 2017, this guideline was issued at the ninety-sixth conference. It provides a broad and general view of what the risks could be, and what we could do to prevent and deter, but the truth is, they don’t really know what could happen, and no one does. Cyber integration into maritime is new, and the risks are unknown, and little exists to truly help.
This is changing, however, and maritime technology companies are beginning to invest in such systems; systems which are specific to the needs of maritime – that can be fully managed, are monitored 24/7, have complete oversight, and send continuously updated reports. Even though these cyber threats will evolve and swell, such systems can identify them and evolve with them. Therefore, it is no longer a question of whether maritime is ready to face these threats, but rather if they are willing to invest in such systems to face them. We, as an industry, are integrating new technologies into maritime everyday; where there is cyber technology, there must be security.
Angel is the first fully-managed cyber security system for shipping; its 24/7 monitoring and virtualized structure has become necessary to preventing this list of attacks growing any further. The intelligent system was designed with a network trap to lure out and identify malicious activity within the vessel, evolving parallel to the criminal malware.


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Now that’s a fashion show: From Bridgerton’s gowns in January to December’s Strictly rhinestones, this year’s TV hits influenced how we dressed
- Fashion icons sprung from the small screen due to this year’s lockdowns
- Alexandria Dale reveals a selection of the most influential TV shows
- Among the UK-based fashion expert picks is Bridgerton and Line Of Duty
Pictured: Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton
Irreverent Regency romance Bridgerton was Netflix’s biggest series ever at the time, watched by 82 million households worldwide.
And the frothy empire-waist dresses worn by Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) were almost as lusted after as the Duke.
Even though we were stuck at home in the third lockdown, sales of long gowns soared. Demure brand Ghost reported a 61 per cent increase in sales of its floaty frocks. Still available for £89 and £145, ghost.co.uk.
It’s A Sin
It’s A Sin — which told the story of friends living through the Aids epidemic in the 1980s — smashed records, becoming Channel 4’s biggest ever drama launch.
One memorable scene saw characters wearing slogan T-shirts at a protest. Sales of 1980s logo tees like this disco design promptly rose 74 per cent at John Lewis.
A slogan T-shirt inspired by the show was worn by celebrities including Amanda Holden and Sir Ian McKellen, and raised more than £500,000 for the Terrence Higgins Trust, a sexual health charity.
Pictured: Jenna Coleman as Monique in The Serpent
This BBC thriller set in 1970s Asia transfixed audiences — but what got them spending was the bohemian style of Jenna Coleman’s character, Monique.
From vibrant suits to flared jeans and geometric-print blouses, there wasn’t a look we didn’t want.
Online searches for 1970s aviator-style sunglasses tripled (£300, Gucci at johnlewis.com, below).
And Monique’s teal suit caused a 66 per cent spike in searches (Mango’s version, £39.99, quickly sold out).
Pictured: Kelly Macdonald as DCI Joanna Davidson
Line Of Duty
As lockdown restrictions eased, what better workwear inspiration than sharply dressed DCI Joanne Davidson (Kelly Macdonald)? BBC police hit Line Of Duty was back for a sixth series — with 12.8 million viewers watching the season finale. Online retailer Pretty Little Thing said searches for blazers increased by 144 per cent. At Reiss, the Larsson blazer was a bestseller (£285).
Pictured: Lily James as Linda Radlett in The Pursuit Of Love
The Pursuit Of Love
The Pursuit Of Love, a BBC adaptation of the Mitford novel, had five million viewers glued to its opening episode.
They were transfixed by Lily James as socialite Linda Radlett doing insouciant inter-war style in lamé evening frocks, printed midis and smart suits.
The show’s most wearable trend? A prim midi like this £130 sequinned sunflower print, Monsoon’s bestseller in May.
Pictured: Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green in Friends: The Reunion
Friends: The Reunion
Friends: The Reunion brought together all six ‘friends’ 27 years after the iconic series began. It was Sky One’s most-watched show ever, with 5.3 million tuning in.
And when eagle-eyed viewers spotted the similarity between this mint-green Whistles dress and one worn by Jennifer Aniston’s character Rachel Green, it quickly went viral.
Featuring the same square neckline, thick straps and side split, it’s a piece of 1990s perfection. Sales of the Whistles dress flew up by 400 per cent at John Lewis (£199).
Whistles at John Lewis
Pictured: Connie Britton as Nicole in The White Lotus
The White Lotus
While many of us were sticking to a staycation in the summer, The White Lotus offered just the dose of tropical escapism we all needed.
In the Now TV series’ Hawaiian resort, guests were swanning around in fabulous kaftans and jumpsuits (think the striped number worn by Connie Britton’s character Nicole).
All of which had viewers shopping for a holiday — even if we weren’t yet allowed to head to Hawaii ourselves. Luxury womenswear label Plumo reported increased sales of straw hats (£89, plumo.com). Jumpsuits also flew off the shelves (£182, farfetch.com).
Pictured: Nicole Kidman as Masha in Nine Perfect Strangers
Nine Perfect Strangers
Nicole Kidman as a mysterious wellness guru was just one reason for our obsession with Amazon Prime’s Nine Perfect Strangers.
What viewers really wanted to know, however, was where Kidman’s character, Masha, shopped. Her pink lace top from French brand The Kooples was quick to sell out, as was the Cult Gaia eyelet lace dress (£800).
Pictured: Gillian Anderson as Jean in Sex Education
Sex Education, Season 3
Season three of the quirky school comedy Sex Education saw 55 million of us tuning in during the first month.
And while bumbling main character Otis (Asa Butterfield) isn’t much of an icon, his mother, Jean (Gillian Anderson), made us all long for statement colourful jumpers and smart shirt dresses.
Winser’s best-selling silk shirt proved popular in this bright teal colourway (£229, winserlondon.com).
Otis’s on/off girlfriend Ruby Matthews (Mimi Keene) also earned a devoted online following.
The yellow bra she wore in episode one trended on Twitter, searches for pink jeans more than tripled when she wore them, according to online store Pretty Little Thing, and her Celia B Singapore dress sold out online.
But poor old Otis wasn’t left out in the cold. His three-colour puffer jacket became famous. H&M said searches for puffer jackets increased by 80 per cent.
Pictured: Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy in Succession
Succession, Season 3
October saw the launch of season three of Succession, the HBO drama about a dysfunctional family dynasty.
The first episode drew 1.4 million viewers and sparked a craze for ‘billionaire chic’. Queen of this look is Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook).
The key? Sumptuous fabrics — think cashmere, velvet and silk — in clean, min- imalist styles, such as this shirt, £138, and trousers, £138, from Reiss.
After the first episode, shopping platform Lyst reported views of cashmere pieces increased by 25 per cent, while nearly three times as many people looked at turtlenecks compared with the same time last year.
At Jigsaw, one in every nine items sold during this month was a cashmere jumper, while at Reiss the Nova roll-neck was a best-seller alongside their signature tailored pieces.
Pictured: Gillian Anderson in The Great
The Great, Season 2
Gillian Anderson popped up again in Amazon Prime’s The Great, loosely based on Catherine the Great’s rise to power in 18th-century Russia.
This pleated lace maxi dress was one of the month’s best-selling pieces at Jigsaw (£265). With its sheer lace, voluminous, pleated sleeves and smocked cuffs, it’s fit for an empress.
Pictured: AJ Odudu on Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
With only two weeks remaining until the Strictly final, the glitz of the ballroom is already being reflected in our Christmas outfits as we make up for last year’s lack of festivities.
L.K. Bennett — a favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge — reported its Christmas partywear has sold well. At River Island, the number of online shoppers searching for sequins has doubled, and its sequin dress (£120) sold out in a week.
Source: Read Full Article


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A Japanese grocery store chain will open a retailer with solely self-checkout counters in Tokyo in a bid to cut back labor prices and direct contact between individuals.
Kinokuniya opens the small store in East Japan Railway’s Mejiro Station in Toshima Ward on Friday.
Thirty cameras hooked up to the ceiling hint clients’ actions and sensors on cabinets detect merchandise taken by clients to foretell which gadgets they may purchase.
When clients enter a checking space close to the exit, a contact display reveals the sum of purchases, they usually could make funds with IC or bank cards.
Kinokuniya says the unmanned cost system allows it to run the shop with just one individual and keep away from direct contact between retailer workers and clients to forestall spreading of the coronavirus.
Kinokuniya President Tsutsumiguchi Takako says some clients and retailer workers say they wish to scale back direct contact amid the coronavirus outbreak.
She says she believes the brand new system will make them really feel secure.
President Akutsu Tomoki of a startup Contact To Go, which developed the cost system, says he believes there are enterprise alternatives in companies which can be positioned between merchandising machines and comfort shops.
He says there may be rising demand for contactless companies.


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Only 49,904 Volvo cars sales in June 2022
This year, Volvo company sale has been down as per the reports only 49,904 cars were sold in June which is 2.5% lesser as compared to the sale last year June. However, It doesn’t have any bad impact on the company’s demand as people still want to have their electrified cars.
However, the main reason for lower sales this year is the current lockdown in China due to which a shortage of a few components occurs that affects the production of plug-in hybrids and electric cars. Although, there are marked improvements in the overall manufacturing of Volvo cars. Moreover, Volvo cars predicated that the deliveries of their electric and plug-in hybrids will remain affected in the third quarter too.
From January till June of 2022 almost 291,301 cars have been sold which is 23.5% less as compared to the same duration last year. During this period, the total sales of electric cars were 7.6% which is 3 times more as compared to last year.
Almost 32.3 or you can say every other car sold from January to June 2022 was either electric or plug-in hybrid. Furthermore, the rate of subscribers has increased to 122% as compared to 2021 and during the first six months of 2022, the online sale of Volvo cars has increased to 86% as compared to last year. Due to different offers in the market, their demand has increased which boosts the growth eventually.
In Europe, 16, 039 cars were sold in June which is 44.1% down as compared to last year’s same month. Almost 33.8% of recharged cars have been sold in the region during June.
In the US, 8,434 Volvo cars were sold, 31.2% down from last year. However, the recharge models among them were 25.1%.
In China, a 1.3% decline occur in sales and 16,468 cars has been sold this year in June.
The top-selling model of June was XC60 and 18,275 cars of this model have been sold while 10,194 XC40 cars and 9,949 XC90 cars were sold in 2022 June.
Thomas Williams writes related to the Business and Healthcare Category. He manages to cover anything thrown at him owing to his natural inclination towards Business and health. Thomas is our freelance contributor. Thomas is responsible for covering developments in finance and health categories topics.
Email: [email protected]
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Star Wars Battlefront II: Celebration Edition announced
Update: EA and DICE have officially announced that Star Wars Battlefront II: Celebration Edition will be released digitally for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on December 5th. The Celebration Edition is priced at $39.99 and includes the following:
- Base Game
- Including all past and upcoming free game updates as they release
- More than 25 Hero Appearances
- Including six Legendary Appearances, plus one Appearance each for Rey, Finn, and Kylo Ren inspired by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, coming December 17
- More than 125 Trooper and Reinforcement Appearances
- More than 100 Hero and Trooper Emotes and Voice Lines
- More than 70 Hero and Trooper Victory Poses.
Original Story: It looks as if DICE is planning to release a new special edition of Star Wars Battlefront II this week, according to a new listing on TrueAchievements.
The listing claims that the Celebration Edition will arrive tomorrow, December 5th, and include all customization options added since the game released, including upcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker content.
In total, the collection includes more than 25 hero appearances, more than 125 Trooper and Reinforcement appearances, more than 100 emotes and voice lines, and more than 70 victory poses.
The reported release date of December 5th coincides with a new update for the game. The upcoming update will introduce 10 new Reinforcement appearances and a number of quality of life changes. A second update is due to follow in mid-December that will include new content inspired by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Star Wars Battlefront II is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
Matt is one of the longest-serving members of the EGMNOW team. An ability to go many hours without sleep and a quick wit make him ideal for his role as associate editor at EGMNOW.com. He often thinks back to the days when the very idea of this career seemed like nothing but an impossible dream.


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Don't look now, but the next time you are stopped by a black and white California Highway Patrol car with flashing red and blue lights, it may be a Volvo.
A Volvo? Right. The same boxy, upscale sedan from Sweden that yuppies and suburban soccer moms discovered years ago is trying to displace traditional beefy American brands as the patrol's next pursuit vehicle.
For two years, the CHP has been quietly testing Volvos on its high-speed tracks at the CHP Academy in West Sacramento.
Next month, it plans to start deploying the imports, each wearing the CHP insignia, for patrol duty and more testing on roads and highways throughout the state.
"We are going to put 100,000 miles on them. If they come apart real quick, we'll scratch them real quick. If they hold together, we'll drive them," said CHP Commissioner D.O. "Spike" Helmick.
If the five-cylinder, turbocharged four-door sedan, which Volvo says can exceed 146 mph, survives and wins a contract, it would be the first car built overseas to win a permanent job at the CHP.
The patrol's current fleet of big Ford Crown Victoria V-8s carries the name of the American manufacturer, but were built in Canada. Volvo cars are made in Belgium and Sweden.
In January, Ford bought Volvo's car business. "Technically, we are a U.S. company," said a Volvo spokesman.
The patrol's test Volvos, the S70 model, will be sent to a variety of extreme climates and geography, ranging from the snowy, 7,000-foot high Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe to the searing 120-degree summer temperatures of the desert at Palm Springs.
They also will get duty on the Interstate 5 Grapevine near Gorman and in Bakersfield, Santa Maria, Temecula, Victorville, Sacramento, Redding and Tracy.
So far, officers who have subjected the famously safe car to repeated split-second emergency stops at 90 mph, white-knuckle test pursuits and other nerve-numbing exercises give it high marks.
"We beat it pretty good. It won't stop," said Sgt. Casey Cronin, training supervisor of the patrol's emergency vehicle operations course. "It runs strong, stops straight and has excellent handling."
The Volvo S70 is front-wheel drive and develops 236 horsepower, the manufacturer says. The police model features a beefed up chassis and bigger brakes than the civilian version.
Historically, the CHP has bought rear-wheel-drive cruisers with American brand names. But domestic manufacturers have been withdrawing from the police market in favor of other customers, including the sport utility vehicle crowd.
"Right now, the only police car that is being made is the Crown Victoria by Ford," Helmick said.
"We have no problem with continuing to buy Fords. But the concern is that if for some reason Ford got out of the business or the price went astronomically high, we've got to be prepared to go alternative ways," he said.
Helmick said the CHP recently tested a Toyota Camry V-6, built in Kentucky, but found it underpowered. Officers also tried out but rejected a modified Chevrolet Tahoe sport utility model.
In the 1980s and early '90s, the patrol added a sporty muscle car to its fleet, the Ford Mustang. Officials boasted that it could outrun a Porsche. The Mustang was eventually dropped because its interior space was too small.
The Volvo S70 may also suffer from "limited" interior space, a potential issue that will be examined when it is put through field testing, Cronin said.
The Ford Crown Victoria is a full-size four-door vehicle. The Volvo S70 is also a four-door sedan but in the slightly smaller, mid-size class.
"The only thing we recognize that is going to be a problem is limited interior room," Cronin said.
He said testers are concerned whether there will be enough space for officers' laptop computers and whether the bucket seats will be comfortable for officers whose bulky belts include a pistol and holster, handcuff case, ammunition pouches and a portable radio.
And unlike the moms who pile soccer kids and Brownie scouts into the back seat, Cronin said officers may find it tough to put uncooperative prisoners into the S70.
"You get some guy, he's drunk, 6-4, 250 pounds and he doesn't want to go along with the program. I think we are going to have our hands full getting somebody that size into the back seat of the car," Cronin said.
Another potential issue would be the cost of shifting to pricier Volvos. Now, the patrol pays $22,200 for a Crown Victoria compared with $27,500 for each Volvo test car.
The order of 880 Fords cost $19.5 million, the CHP said. The same purchase of Volvos would total $24.2 million.
"The cost would be prohibitive right now," Helmick said.
No argument about that, said Richard Cook, a San Diego-based consultant to Volvo on police cars. But he said the price difference could be offset when the CHP resells the Volvo.
"When they retire it, our car is probably worth $8,000 more than the Crown Victoria. They make the money back on the residual when they sell it," Cook said.
He said Volvo has been in the police car business in Scandinavian and other European countries for 30 years and now wants to move into the U.S. market. Other Volvos are being tested by the highway patrols in Arizona and Oklahoma, Cook said.
Helmick said if the CHP decides to switch from an American brand to the Swedish car, he would voluntarily seek approval of the Legislature.
"I'd go back to the Legislature because the Volvo is built overseas," he said.
California's "Buy American" law for state government was ruled unconstitutional in 1983. In recent years, the CHP has purchased motorcycles made by Japanese and German companies.
Helmick said there still may be some sentiment in the Legislature to remain with American brand patrol cars.
One member, Assemblyman Richard Floyd (D-Wilmington), an ally of organized labor, said he opposes even the testing of Volvos.
"We make enough nice automobiles in this country. We don't have to test some foreign car," Floyd said. "Buy American. Stick with the right thing."
But Volvo's Cook countered: "Now that we are a part of Ford, we are a U.S. company. . . . We are just as much apple pie as Ford is now."