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The importation of small generators, a very common brand usually called ‘I better pass my neighbour’ has been banned by the Federal Government.
According to the Nigeria Custom Service Controller, Federation Operation Unit Zone A Lagos, Mr. Madugu Sanni Jubrin, he said the action was based on health reason because those smaller generators are known to emits pollution capable of damaging lungs and breathing system.
His words: “the smaller generators have been banned by the Federal Government because it is causing air pollution and destruction of our lungs and breathing system.
“That is why they have banned it but people are still interested in smuggling them in, that is why we intercepted them. If you go to the market, you still see them because people have imported them before the ban. So it is the leftover they had before the ban that they are selling because the law did not backdate the ban and it is not an absolute prohibition. It is prohibition by trade which means you cannot bring it in large quantity and sell to the public. That is the type of prohibition we have on this but if you buy one piece, Customs will not seize it”.
Read more on FELLOW PRESS


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eBay is launching a new initiative to aid small businesses amid the prospect of renewed lockdowns due to a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases across the United States.
The online marketplace announced today that it has committed $500,000 in funding and education resources for existing business sellers. Dubbed the Up & Running Grants, the program is providing 50 merchants with a package of $8,000 in cash and $2,000 worth of eBay credits for a total of $10,000 in financial support.
The San Jose, Calif.-based online giant partnered with business accelerator Hello Alice to launch the grants program application as well as offer mentorship and peer-to-peer networking to all sellers who apply, even if they aren’t chosen for a grant. What’s more, recipients will get access to training and coaching from expert sellers in the company’s network plus its own eBay Growth Advisors.
“Small businesses are the backbone of eBay, as well as the engine of jobs, progress and prosperity for communities across the U.S.,” said Jordan Sweetnam, GM and SVP of eBay’s North America division. “In such a challenging year, it was important for this program to provide a financial bridge and long-term support so small businesses can keep their doors open today and lay the groundwork for future success.”
Starting today through Dec. 11, small businesses that sell on eBay are encouraged to apply for the grants via an online application. They will be asked to share details of their offerings, as well as how they plan to use the grant to expand their businesses.
The grants and new resources eBay announced today are as an expansion of its Up & Running accelerator program, which it launched in April shortly after the novel coronavirus took hold in the United States. The initiative was designed to help North America-based small businesses without an e-commerce presence with their transition to selling online. At the time, the company pledged up to $100 million in support of the program in addition to offering sellers a basic eBay store at no cost for three months and the ability to sell up to 500 items for free.
Since the onset of the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of small businesses have permanently shuttered despite the government’s more than $650 million financial rescue attempt. Experts have suggested that the loans as part of the Small Business Association’s Paycheck Protection Program didn’t solve larger issues impacting the retail industry, including drastic sales declines and a growing credit crisis.

domain: news


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A Missouri woman wanted to buy toilet paper and instead gave birth to a baby right at Walmart
An extremely unusual incident occurred in one of the Walmart stores in Missouri. Being in the last month of pregnancy, childbirth took the woman by surprise, directly between the shelves with goods. So she gave birth to a girl right in the store's toilet paper aisle.
Store employees said that they were approached by a woman who claimed that her the water broke and she was about to give birth. Manager of the store, Jessica Hinkle recalls that at one point another visitor offered his help, who, by a fluke, worked as a labor nurse.
“We were like what do we do now?” she said. “Another lady comes around the corner and she says ‘I’m a labor nurse, can I help?’ and we said yes, yes please. She had gloves in her pocket [and] she was ready,” reports MyStateLine.com.
The 45-minute birth gathered a large number of onlookers who shouted encouragingly and supported the woman in labor. Also, after a few minutes, firefighters arrived at the scene and also helped the woman give birth to a baby.
At the same time, store employees ensured the privacy of the procedure by keeping sheets protecting such an intimate moment from the eyes of other store visitors.
“I'm not like the best with blood so that was my job, holding the sheet and crowd control making sure that nobody invaded what privacy the poor lady still had," Hinkle said.
The woman’s name was not disclosed, but according to official information, the girl was born without complications, and they both feel good.
Image: Walmart / Flickr


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Shoppers at The Co-operative Electrical are getting the chance to lower the price of electrical goods in a new Twitter campaign.
The Co-operative Electrical is inviting consumers to tweet in order to get major discounts on products as part of the new ‘Fight The Price’ campaign by Holler.
Shoppers will be directed to the website www.fighttheprice.co.uk to view what’s on offer and then invited to tweet at the hashtag #fighttheprice. The more people tweet, the bigger the discount will be.
The campaign runs from Monday, 30th September until Sunday, 20th October.
The first product on offer, a Samsung TV, will be unveiled on the Monday of the first week of the promotion. People will have until 10am on the Friday of that week to tweet.
The discount, which is calculated according to the number of people who tweet, will be revealed when the price is frozen at 10am on the Friday morning, along with a code that shoppers can use to redeem the offer. People will then have the weekend to purchase their Samsung TVs.
On the second week, the product on offer will be an Indesit washing machine and the final product will be a Hotpoint dishwasher.
Gail Lyon, Social Media Lead at The Co-operative, said: “This is an innovative use of social media which gives consumers the power to discount products. We hope shoppers will embrace the campaign as there are some fantastic savings on electrical goods.”
Pete Jackson, senior planner, Holler, said: “This is about bringing The Co-operative's community ethos to the fore in their social activity, putting people in control and getting them a good deal.”
Art Director Barry Markham
Copywriter Angel Capobianco
Senior Planner Pete Jackson
Senior Project Manager Emma Clapton
Categories: Retail and Restaurants , Retail Storeslbbonline.com, Tue, 01 Oct 2013 10:17:53 GMT


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Japanese share buybacks hit record high
Japanese share buybacks have hit a record for the current fiscal year, which closes at the end of March, with the trend set to continue as cash-rich companies increasingly focus on shareholders, spurred on by investor and government demands.
In recent weeks, multinational conglomerate SoftBank, electronics behemoth Sony, general trading group ITOCHU and other companies have announced plans to buy back shares worth more than ¥1.3 tn ($11.7 bn), bringing the total value of buybacks since April 1 to more than ¥6.5 tn.
That is already the most for any fiscal year since 2003, when new and stricter buyback rules were introduced, according to financial data service group I-N Information Systems.
The move to increase returns to shareholders also comes as the Japanese government steps up its campaign to have firms strengthen governance. Many investors have also assisted in bringing about the change by being critical of Japanese companies for amassing cash rather than investing it or returning it to shareholders, pushing down the return on equity (ROE). This is the measure of the amount of profit a company generates from the money invested in it – and obviously of huge interest to investors.
Buying back shares reduces a company’s equity base and can boost its ROE. Investors are, therefore, urging companies to pay more attention to their wishes regarding cash reserves, most notably through the government’s corporate governance and stakeholder codes. According to data from the Ministry of Finance Japan, Japanese companies had internal reserves worth a record ¥446.5 tn at the end of the last fiscal year.
In addition, activist investor Oasis Management has been highly vocal in urging Japanese companies to boost returns. In December it failed to block the sale of Alpine Electronics to its larger affiliate Alps Electric, but Alps did respond by announcing a ¥45 bn buyback in January – the third-largest buyback that month.
‘To attract foreign investors, companies should continue this path of increasing shareholder returns, while continuing to improve their corporate governance,’ says Seth Fischer, founder and chief investment officer of Oasis Management, in a statement.
Japan as a whole is under pressure to placate foreign investors after they sold ¥13 tn of Japanese stocks in 2018 – more than four times the sales in 2015 and 2016, and a sharp reversal of the ¥1.9 tn bought in 2017.


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China still Germany’s biggest trade partner for seventh year in a row
Goods worth 297.9 billion euros ($318.9 billion) were exchanged between the two countries last year, up 20 percent despite the continuing impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the federal statistics agency Destatis.
Germany’s trade deficit with China -- the difference between the larger value of imports and smaller exports -- hit 84.3 billion euros, the largest figure since the statistics body’s records began in 1950.
Imports from China rose to 191.1 billion euros in 2022, an increase of 33 percent on the previous year.
Meanwhile, the value of exports largely stagnated, increasing just three percent in 2022 to 106.8 billion euros.
The meagre figure saw China slip two places to fourth in the ranking of export destinations for German goods.
Fears have been growing in Germany about an over-reliance on China against the backdrop of tensions between the West and Beijing over its ties with Russia and human rights issues.
“Germany urgently needs a strategy for more diversification” away from China to secure supply of key raw materials and goods, particularly electronics, the German economic think tank IfW Kiel said in a report published Wednesday.
The United States, Germany’s second most important trading partner overall, was the number one destination for items “made in Germany”, sucking up 156 billion euros worth of imports.
Overall, Germany’s trade surplus was at its lowest level since 2000 in 2022. The important indicator for the traditional export powerhouse fell to 79.7 billion euros on a year due to the rising cost of energy imports, according to Destatis.


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Intel to release cheaper Haswell chips in September
A document that is closely related to Intel has revealed that the chip giant plans to introduce cheaper Core i3 and Pentium processors on the Haswell architecture this September. Previously these chips were expected at the end of 2013 or in early 2014.
According to this unofficial document the cheaper members of the Haswell family will arrive on September 1, 2013. The new list of chips will include Core i7-4771, Core i5-4440, Core i5-4440S, Core i3-4340, Core i3-4330, Core i3-4330T, Core i3-4130, Core i3-4130T, Pentium G3430, Pentium G3420, Pentium G3220, Pentium G3420T and Pentium G3220T processors. At the same time Intel will also release a bunch of Ivy Bridge processors – the Core i5-3340, Core i5-3340S, Celeron G1630, Celeron G1620 and Celeron G1620T.
The catch in the whole story is that only Asian customers will get the new Haswell chips on September 1. Customers in North America and Europe will have to wait until September 29 to obtain these chips.


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Despite the troubles in the economy, the mobile industry is as dynamic as it has ever been. The changing landscape creates significant opportunities for entrepreneurs and should deliver exciting products and services to the consumer.
Here are our predictions for what’s to come in mobile in 2009:
1. The iPhone’s impact is not directly due to iPhone usage.
With all the buzz around the iPhone and its great stats, people might question this. However, I think 2009 will show that it’s not iPhone usage that will have the greatest impact on mobile but the wave of iPhone/appstore-like offerings being created by Apple’s competitors. Apple showed the device manfuacturers that sell the vast majority of the world’s phones how to rethink the phone from the ground up to make sense for data and apps and that will be the iPhone’s biggest impact on the industry in 2009.
A number of other large players like Google/HTC, RIM, Samsung, LG and Nokia are each coming to market with multiple offerings that have large high-res touch screens and in several important cases app stores that facilitate mobile content discovery and payments. The number of iPhone-like products by the end of 2009 should outnumber the iPhone. Despite the down economy and people watching their pocketbooks, expect the growth of these more expensive smart phones to be a real bright spot for the mobile industry. Choice and competition is a great thing for consumers.
Continues @ http://lsvp.wordpress.com


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Epic Games acquires facial mapping company
Epic Games, the developers of Fornite, which has been the bestselling game in the world for two years, and also the creators of the Unreal Engine, have acquired a UK-based facial recognition and mapping startup called Cubic Motion, in order to be able to capture much more realistic facial animations for their characters. Cubic Motion's technology was previously featured on the popular God of War and Spiderman game series.
fortnite uk spiderman startup epic-games bestselling unreal-engine recognition facial cubic-motion god-of-warTechCrunch
Epic Games is offering World War Z for free this week
As part of its weekly offering of free games, Epic Games has added the co-op zombie survival shooter World War Z to its roster of this week's free games, along with puzzle game Figment and cerebral dungeon crawler Tormentor X Punisher, which was a finalist in the 2018 Independent Games Festival awards. World War Z imitates the movie's dynamic of mindless zombies piling up to overcome obstacles against the player.
games award epic-games co-op zombies free indie festival independent survival finalist tormentor-x-punisher figment world-war-z cerebral dungeon-crawler puzzlePCGamer
China bans pandemic simulation game Plague Inc
A pandemic simulation game called Plague Inc, from UK-based Ndemic Creations has been banned by the Chinese government for featuring content prohibited in China, though details have not yet been provided by the Cyberspace Administration of China. Plague Inc has been recognized by both the Center for Disease Prevention and the WHO as an important educational app that encourages players to take health issues seriously.
china uk health ban app who disease cyberspace administration coronavirus ndemic-creations pandemic cdc center prevention educational plague-incBBC
Fortnite Chapter 2 to bring some big changes
Epic Games has just launched its new Fortnite update, adding Season 2 Chapter 2 to the game. This new chapter will include a large number of new playable characters (such as a muscular anthropomorphic cat), new cosmetics and items. The map also has several new secret agent themed locations, including a volcano hideout.
fortnite esports battle-royale competitive fortnite-season-2ESPN
Fortnite adds surprising new emote
Fortnite is never gonna give you up now after having added Rick Astley's iconic dance as an emote available to all players. Epic Games announced the new emote in a tweet that had a link to a Youtube video showing a Fortnite character dancing 'Never Gonna Give You Up' by Rick Astley played in the background.
fortnite battle-royale rick-rollPCGamer


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Verizon Offering Free NFL Mobile Premium Access All Weekend
It was only the other day that Verizon updated its NFL Mobile app and already they’re offering up a slick promotion. For this weekend only, users will be able to enjoy free NFL Mobile Premium Access and all the perks that come with it. That means live Sunday and Monday night games as well as unlimited access to NFL RedZone and NFL Network.
Of course this is Verizon, so there’s bound to be a catch or numerous issues, but if you’re going to be away from a TV this weekend, you might want to give this promotion a try.
- Google Play StoreNFL Mobile


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Small to medium-sized merchants are asking for more, says Colleen Taylor, executive vice president and head of treasury management and enterprise payments in commercial banking at Capital One.
"They want to make payments quickly and easily, and integrate with other business applications and social media, through a truly mobile experience," Taylor says. "They have a desire for 24-hour access to payment systems and not being tied to deadlines."
The payment systems of the next generation will be real-time and method-neutral, says Taylor. And innovation is coming from within the industry and outside of it.
"The proliferation of new products, services and technologies that allow for consumer-to-consumer payments, online crowdfunding, digital wallets, prepaid payment cards and virtual currencies is creating a fast-paced environment filled with challenges for the traditional bank and its consumers," she says.
While the payments industry faces heavy competition from newcomers, Taylor says, financial institutions' long-standing consumer safeguards will keep banks in a powerful position.
Cybersecurity will continue to be a key determinant of which payments players succeed. And as regulations pressure the businesses that serve underbanked populations, traditional financial institutions will be challenged to find "acceptable and affordable payment opportunities" for this market, she says.
Taylor has spent nearly 25 years in the payments industry, including the past five in her current role at Capital One, where she is a driver of sustainable payment strategies enterprise-wide. She has been previously recognized by American Banker Magazine's 25 Women to Watch, and has participated in reverse-mentoring at a previous employer to expose the top ranks to the perspectives of employees from more diverse backgrounds.
At Capital One, she chairs the bank's Enterprise Payments Advisory Council. Under Taylor's guidance, the team has focused on the changing business landscape with strategies that have already begun to influence some of the company's security standards.
She is also an active member of Capital One Bank's Market President Network, which selects executives to represent the bank to the local community.
Once male-dominated, the banking and payments industries have diversified greatly in recent years, she says. As vice chairperson of Nacha's board, Taylor works with another honoree in PaymentsSource's 2014 Most Influential Women in Payments, Janet Estep.
"The elite stand out through their work ethic, their applied skills and expertise and their deep knowledge of industry trends," says Taylor. "Equally as important is delivering for the customer. An inherent desire to act in the best interest of their customers will set them apart from their peers."
See the full list of honorees for this year's Most Influential Women in Payments.


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In an exclusive interview with Electric Autonomy, Pride Group Enterprises CEO Sam Johal explains why he sees the company’s electric vehicle orders as a competitive advantage and teases their plans to roll out charging infrastructure on specific regional routes
Pride Group Enterprises, a Mississauga, Ont., holding company with business operations in truck sales, truck rentals and goods delivery and logistics, first made waves with news last fall that it would purchase 150 Tesla Semis. Earlier this month, it followed up that blockbuster announcement with word that it was also buying 6,320 electric last-mile delivery vans from Ohio-based Workhorse Group.
Following publication of our recent story on the Workhorse announcement, Pride CEO Sam Johal agreed to sit down with Electric Autonomy for an exclusive interview.
As you’ll read below, he discuss the deals, the company’s electrification strategy and how he sees the integration of electric trucks unfolding across its dealership, leasing and logistics divisions. Beyond that, he also elaborates on another plan that is sure to generate still more news — a network of charging stations to service its own long-haul trucks.
(Note: this interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.)
Electric Autonomy Canada: You recently put in two large orders for electric trucks: 6,320 delivery vans from Workhorse and 150 Tesla Semis. Why such big orders?
Sam Johal: It seems like a lot but we’re expecting deliveries over the next five to six years. This will give us time to see what our customers are comfortable with and adjust accordingly based on how business is evolving. We have contingency baked into both deals with regards to performance. In the case of the Workhorse delivery trucks however, these are already being used by other clients and so we know they work.
The orders might seem big, but if you look at how many retailers are doing their own last-mile delivery, as well as all the logistics companies across Canada and the United States, there’s a lot of demand, as well as vehicle turnover. The delivery trucks are a new business for us but it’s an area with significant growth potential, especially in the rental and leasing side.
Electric Autonomy: Beyond the environmental concerns, why such a focus on electrifying your fleet?
Sam Johal: Obviously emissions are a big part of why we’re pushing to electrify but from a maintenance point of view, particularly on the long-haul tractor-trailers, electric also makes sense. Diesel trucks have a lot of components and these components can break. When they do, they are costly to repair both in terms of time and actual dollars. With electric, there are no oil changes and maintenance is minimal.
Then you also have to consider the restrictions placed on diesel trucks. Often when drivers sleep in their truck, they need to leave it running for heat. But there are fewer and fewer places that allow idling. Moving to an electric vehicle solves this problem, which in turn makes drivers’ lives easier.
Last, these electric trucks come with a lot of safety technology and in some cases, autonomous capabilities. That’s going to help drive down insurance costs, which have been increasing exponentially in recent years. It’s also going to potentially help the driver shortage. The trucks will be easier to drive so you might not need a special licence like you do now.
Electric Autonomy: In order to have electric trucks on the road, you need the right charging infrastructure. You’ve said that along with your vehicle purchases, you’ll be investing in building this over the long-term. How do you envision that playing out?
Sam Johal: The charging for the last-mile trucks is easier because they can be charged overnight and will have enough power to do their entire run during the day. These vehicles could charge at one of our facilities, but we’re also thinking of renting out charging stations to customers.
For the long-haul trucks, obviously the challenges are greater. We don’t want to just build charging infrastructure. We want to build a better, more modern experience for drivers. So while they are waiting for their vehicles to charge, they can pop into our facility and get a really good coffee or some food.
Our goal is to create a proof-of-concept charging station within four to six months. The other thing to note, is that we plan to roll out charging infrastructure regionally on specific routes. So for instance, we might have stations for trucks travelling between Toronto and Montreal, or New York and Chicago. We know we won’t be the only player here and there needs to be a push from governments as well.
Electric Autonomy: There are several divisions within Pride Group: truck sales and leasing, financing and logistics. How does this business model impact your electrification strategy?
Sam Johal: I think we can take more chances. We have dealerships across Canada and the United States, so we can choose to deploy these electric trucks where it most makes sense. For instance, maybe we deploy more trucks to California at the outset, which already has a lot of infrastructure in place and where the market is more ready for them.
Electric Autonomy: Pride Group is growing but you are still a relatively new player. Why have you opted to take on these big investments and push to become leaders in electric commercial fleets?
Sam Johal: We want to encourage the change to electric and with our most recent investments, we think we can be two to five years ahead of our competition; that’s our motivation. This is where the industry is headed, and we want to have that competitive advantage. We also strongly believe we need to make the industry better and electric vehicles are one way to do that.


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Global tourism leaders, scholars and entrepreneurs focus on recovery via virtual conference
The 2021 International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) Annual Conference kicked off online on 21st December which - against the backdrop of a global COVID-19 pandemic – brought together international organisations, IMTA members, tourism experts, scholars and entrepreneurs from all over the world who attended via video conferencing alongside about 50 guests who presented at the main venue in Guiyang.
The Conference which focused on the theme 'How Can International Organisations Play a Leading Role in Global Tourism Recovery and Reshaping Governance?', revolved around the two topics of 'Reshaping and Governance of Tourism during the Pandemic' and 'Innovative Construction of a Future-oriented International Tourism Organisation Cooperation Platform and Mechanism'.
In line with the post COVID-19 crisis, the challenges and opportunities faced by countries and regions around the world were discussed in order to determine the best possible way to recover and revitalise tourism.
During the Conference, Dominique de Villepin - IMTA Chairman and former French Prime Minister, Shao Qiwei - IMTA Vice Chairman and former China National Tourism Administration(CNTA) Chairman, He Yafei - MTA Secretary - General and former Vice Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, Tan Jiong - Vice Governor of the People's Government of Guizhou Province, Francesco Frangialli - Honorary Secretary-General of World Tourism Organization, Julia Simpson - President and Chief Executive of World Travel & Tourism Council, Xu Jing - Former Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO, Dai Bin - President of China Tourism Academy, Wei Xiao'an - Famous Tourism Experts in China, Chen Ping - Global Vice President of the International Organization Für Volkskunst, and Chen Tiejun - Chairman of Hainan Tourism Investment&Development Co., Ltd. and other guests at home and abroad also gave speeches through online or offline.
IMTA Chairman, Dominique de Villepin advised “we need to keep united. Through this crisis, we see how much we are depending on one another for our common safety and prosperity based on trust and cooperation. This is even more true for international tourism.”
Image: 2021 International Mountain Tourism Alliance Annual Conference Online
23rd December 2021 - New Zealand’s TRENZ Hui tourism event moves to Eden Park for 2022
13th December 2021 - Seoul promotes itself as an accessible tourism city
13th December 2021 - International recognition for New Zealand’s Tourism Sustainability Commitment
10th December 2021 - New statistics show COVID’s devastating impact on New Zealand tourism
9th December 2021 - Sydney named as host for ATE 2022 as domestic tourism rebounds
26th November 2021 - Federal Government opens consultation on Australian Tourism Plan 2030 draft
10th November 2021 - WTTC launches Net Zero Roadmap to guide global tourism
5th November 2021 - Asian event spotlights need for responsible tourism


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(DALLAS, TX – August 25, 2021) – After more than 18 months apart, buyers and exhibitors joined together yesterday for the opening of the American Gem Trade Association’s (AGTA) GemFair™ Las Vegas. Housed in a new venue this year, the Encore Ballroom at the Encore Resort, GemFair Las Vegas opened with beaming faces and a steady traffic flow.
“There was a distinctly positive vibe on the floor today,” said Douglas K. Hucker, AGTA CEO. “Our industry is a global one, but it’s also a very tight-knit community. So, watching our buyers reconnecting with our suppliers and each other was remarkable. I think the best way to characterize it is we are seeing a palpable sense of optimism that we are getting back to normalcy and clearly, our buyers are responding and restocking.”
“After a long time, it was so good coming together. We met new people, we saw our regular customers,” said AGTA exhibitor Catherine Jensen, Michael Jensen Designs. “We are thankful for the opportunity to be here.”
“It’s great to see so many of our colleagues in person again,” said Kimberly Petersen, AGTA Trade Show Manager. “But it’s especially great that everyone is working together to provide a safe show for our attendees.” For more information on AGTA GemFair™ Las Vegas, visit www.agta.org.
The AGTA GemFair™ Las Vegas runs through August 26, 2021, along with COUTURE and the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry and Watch Show (LVAJWS), which are being held at the Wynn Las Vegas.
The 2021 AGTA GemFair™ Denver dates are September 18 – 21, 2021, and the 2022 AGTA GemFair™ Tucson is February 1 – 6, 2022.
The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) is an association of United States and Canadian trade professionals dedicated to promoting the long-term stability and integrity of the natural-colored gemstone and cultured pearl industries. The Association pursues its goals through the combined use of educational programs, publicity, industry events, government and industry relations, and printed materials for both the trade and consumer. The AGTA is well-known in the gemstone and jewelry industries for maintaining the highest ethical standards.
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Facebook has been copying other companies since day one. It wasn’t even close to the first social network. The podcast Startup recently did a two-part look back at Friendster, the first social network to really capture the internet’s imagination (though Makeout Club, which shut down on New Year’s Eve, 2016, preceded both). Friendster’s story really captures Instagram CEO Kevin Systrem’s argument about his company’s version of Snapchat’s Stories feature: innovation helps, but execution wins.
For those that don’t use either service, here’s a quick summary. Snap, Inc.’s app Snapchat started as a photo messaging app that deleted shots a little after a recipient viewed them. Later, it let users broadcast to their contacts with “Stories.” Those photos went to everyone who followed each other, but they also disappeared after a little while. Instagram launched its own version of the feature last August, about two years after the Snapchat app debuted the idea. Facebook and WhatsApp have it on mobile now, too.
Today, Microsoft jumped on the bandwagon, too, adding a Stories-like feature to Skype.
WhatsApp and Instagram are all owned by Facebook, and it really agitates Snapchat fans that Menlo Park has been so aggressively stealing plays from Snap founder Evan Spiegel’s playbook. But few jumped to Friendster or MySpace’s defense when Facebook colonized their use cases from Zuck’s Harvard dorm room. Blatant imitation seldom inspires the ire Facebook has received over Stories.
In fact, the hot news in tech today is that Apple has an answer to Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Home. It’s making a speaker with a mic that lets its owners talk to Siri, the company’s AI assistant. Amazon made talking to speakers normal with Alexa, and Google quickly followed. Outcry over Cupertino’s obvious copycat play? Nada.
“Snap is kind of like your kid brother or sister that you are very protective of,” Eloise Bune, CEO of Scribblechat wrote the Observer, via a spokesperon. “They have not been on the planet that long and you want them to grow into a great and thriving human being.”
When Instagram’s product lead was interviewed on stage at Techcrunch, he got mercilessly grilled by editor Josh Constine, with questions even suggesting that it must be demoralizing for staff to so obviously ripoff a major competitor. If any industry should be understanding about copying, you’d think it would be media. We round out our content by reblogging each other and any time one company finds an angle on social media that seems to click, it instantly gets aped by every outlet with the capacity to do so.
But media has also been tough on Team Facebook for following Snapchat’s lead. Mashable social media reporter Kerry Flynn wrote that Snapchat will be able to survive Facebook’s onslaught because its filters and stickers aren’t just fun, they complement the company’s business model. Instagram may be able to make you vomit rainbows in one of its Stories, but its ad sales team is way behind Snapchat on selling branded filters.
“I think the Facebook-Snap story is compelling for many because Facebook of trying to buy them, now trying to crush them and so obviously copying them simply to copy them,” Flynn wrote the Observer.
Facebook and Snap both have pretty much the same business model: ads. Meanwhile, she argues, while Google, Apple and Amazon—the three big companies making home voice assistants—may all be making versions of this one product, those companies, Flynn wrote, “have completely different majority revenue drivers.” Google is mainly about ads, Amazon is e-commerce and Apple just wants to sell its pricey products. When users choose between the three voice assistants, they aren’t just deciding between a look and user experience, they are making a choice between how to let a company monetize them.
Look for Apple’s assistant to cost significantly more than Amazon’s or Google’s, because Apple will look to make most of its profit just on selling the product itself.
“Snapchat not only provides a value to consumers but its usage is also very public,” Jason Schlossberg, a managing director at the creative agency HUGE, which works with major brands on executing digital strategy, wrote the Observer. “There are just so many more values that a person associates with each particular social platform that it doesn’t surprise me individuals feel the need to defend Snapchat from perceived attempts to copy it.”
On the other hand, he compared hardware products to furniture, objects that really sit in your home and probably never get seen anywhere else. He wrote, “The consumer is used to lots of choice in this regard, with new devices hitting the market all the time. For example, I’ve never heard someone derisively call a new streaming speaker a Sonos ‘knock-off.'”
Whether Snapchat-fans’ loyalty will be enough to grow company’s value remains to be seen. It’s first earnings report was ungood. Instagram’s Stories feature now has as many users as everyone on Snapchat.


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RBS reveals top scams used by fraudsters in the wake of COVID-19
The Royal Bank of Scotland has revealed the top scams fraudsters are committing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The lender has indicated that purchase scams in which goods are offered for sale but then never actually delivered are on the rise. The number one purchase scam reported in May was for Nintendo Switches, closely followed by pet-related scams and hot tub purchases.
Additionally, fake TV Licence and HMRC emails continue to scam customers into giving away bank account information.
Social distancing has been used by scammers to carry out a number of pet purchase scams, especially for pedigree dogs. This was the second most reported scam to the bank during May.
Fraudsters are using social distancing rules as the reason the dog cannot be seen until the money is transferred. The dog subsequently doesn’t exist and the fraudster becomes uncontactable.
Hot tub scams increased five-fold in May with the warmer weather leading to an increase in the number of purchases.
There was also an increase in TV Licence and HMRC scams. These commonly target customers with emails stating a payment is due and link to a fake site. It is advised these types of emails are always treated with caution and to avoid clicking on any links.
Jason Costain, head of fraud prevention at RBS, said: “Fraudsters are taking advantage of the current situation with more of us shopping online. We’ve seen an increase in customers not receiving the items or pets they have paid for. Customers should try where possible to use a credit or debit card when making a purchase online, purchase from a trusted seller, follow the security advice on the website and avoid making payments directly to an unknown seller. It is also worth remembering that if a deal appears too good to be true, it probably is!”
- Read all of our articles relating to COVID-19 here.


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Apple and its partners remain tight-lipped about where those components are going.
Brightstar, which describes itself as the "largest specialized distributor and leading buyback and trade-in provider" in the wireless industry, is one of Apple's recycling partners. When customers click on Apple's recycling link to recycle a device, they're taken to Brightstar's website.
Apple hasn't said how many devices it has recycled, but Brightstar says it recycles or remarkets more than 10 million devices each year. Based in Miami, Brighstar has operations in over 30 countries. The company declined to comment if it processes Apple's devices at its "buy-back, trade-in" processing center in Libertyville, Illinois.
Li Tong, another Apple partner based in Hong Kong, describes itself as a provider of "reverse supply chain management solutions." Linda Li, Li Tong chief strategy officer and executive director on the board, said Li Tong follows Apple's environmental standards but declined to comment further.
"We’re filling in the blank between the Brightstar and the local smelter," Li said about her company's overall business. "There’s so much you can resell if you have the engineering know how."
But if the LCD screen is cracked or shattered, the device goes into a second category where Li Tong re-purposes its components, such as the device's camera, its speakers or memory chip. If nothing is salvageable, then Li said the company separates the components and recycles them for raw material recovery.
About 95 percent of used devices that Brightstar receives, not limited to Apple products, are "remarketed," the company said. In other words, most consumers' old phones are resold in some capacity as phones. The company said that the remaining five percent of parts "considered beyond economic repair" are recycled.
Rebranded from Apple's previous Reuse and Recycle Program, the company offers gift cards to those who recycle recent devices. The iPad 2, iPhone 4, Macs from 2007 or newer may be eligible for gift cards, depending on their condition. You can still bring in an old iPod, excluding the iPod Shuffle, to an Apple store and get 10 percent off a new one.
Apple said it collected more than 40,000 tons of e-waste in 2014 from recycled devices, according to Bloomberg. Jackson told Bloomberg the company tries to collect and recycle 85 percent of the devices produced seven years earlier.


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Welcome development! Tesla CEO, Elon Musk surprised internet users yesterday after he officially announced that the company has added Bitcoin as a form of payment in buying Tesla electric vehicles in the U.S.
He had last month announced that the company was working on implementing digital currency as a means of purchasing electric cars and it looks like the agreement has officially been signed.
Revealing this via his Twitter page yesterday, he tweeted – “You can now buy a Tesla with Bitcoin,”
Musk also went on to clarify in another tweet that Tesla will be keeping the money received from customers as bitcoin, rather than converting it to a traditional currency like dollars.
Musk also said that the option to pay with bitcoin will be available to other countries “later this year.”
“Tesla is using only internal & open source software & operates Bitcoin nodes directly. Bitcoin paid to Tesla will be retained as Bitcoin, not converted to fiat currency.”
The new move came into place after the billionaire revealed that it had bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin and would soon start accepting the world’s most popular cryptocurrency as a form of payment.
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text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. (12/16/10)—In a legal opinion released this week, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) advised a federal credit union that sought to increase participation at its yearly meeting by giving $25 gift cards to members in attendance. According to the letter, the credit union believed that the gift card giveaways could increase meeting participation at a lower cost than similar giveaways such as free meals. The NCUA found that the gift card giveaway meets a federal credit union’s incidental powers authority, which holds that certain activities are permissible when it is “convenient or useful” to the performance of one of the credit union’s express powers. However, the NCUA said, “while the use of a gift card incentive is generally permissible under a federal credit union's incidental powers authority, a gift card incentive may be objectionable on safety and soundness or corporate waste grounds. “Any incentive offered by a federal credit union to increase participation at its annual meeting must be reasonable,” the NCUA added. The incentive should not be used to influence the outcome of a vote, if there is a vote held during the meeting, the NCUA added. The NCUA cited another credit union’s use of a prize raffle as evidence that the gift card giveaway would be permissible, However, the NCUA added, while the final cost of the raffle was determined in advance, the cost of the gift card giveaway may be less predictable. Specifically, the credit union cannot predict how many members will end up attending the annual meeting. In light of this potential cost variability, it is up to the credit union’s examiner and the NCUA’s regional director “to determine if the proposed $25 gift card incentive is objectionable on safety and soundness or corporate waste grounds,” the NCUA said. For the full letter, use the resource link.


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SHOP THE KEVIN LOVE COLLECTION
Upper Deck, the leader in authentic memorabilia and premium collectibles, announced today a multi-year deal with Kevin Love that will allow the company to produce an exclusive line of signed memorabilia. Love is a three-time NBA All-Star who was a standout for the Minnesota Timberwolves before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. Love has been lighting it up on the court this season and he is focused on helping the Cavaliers return to the NBA Finals.
In addition to popular items like signed jerseys and basketballs, several never-before-seen limited edition pieces will be showcased as part of the collection. Three fused acrylic layers featuring two Love images and one authentic signature come together in an incredible framed Shadow Box piece that can be hung as a centerpiece of a collection or placed on an office shelf to display at the envy of coworkers. An exclusive curve display has an authentic signed piece of game-used floor, highlighted by a photo montage of Love showing his prowess around the court.


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Greenwood Clean Energy's Frontier CX wood boiler is the first log wood boiler certified for sale in Washington State, marking a significant advance in wood-fired central heat.
BELLEVUE, Wash. (August 20, 2012) – Greenwood Clean Energy is pleased to announce that the Greenwood Frontier CX wood boiler has received certification from the Washington State Department of Ecology, the first for a log wood boiler. The certification enables the company's dealers to begin selling the wood-fired central heating appliance to Washington customers.
The Frontier CX achieved emission performance of 3.07g/hr. In the hydronic heater category, the Washington State emission standards (4.5g/hr) are 75% stricter than the EPA standards of 18g/hr. To put the results in perspective, the Greenwood Frontier CX can produce the same amount of heat as three wood stoves with lower emissions than a single wood stove. It blends this high performance with the familiarity of a wood stove and provides cost savings that are unmatched by conventional home heating systems.
"Our engineering team spent 1000's of hours over the past several years developing the modulating Crossfire™ Combustion platform, the engine that drives the Frontier CX," said Michael Kuehner, President and co-founder of Greenwood Clean Energy. "We are delighted to be the only wood boiler certified for sale in Washington State; it verifies the Frontier CX's remarkable green credentials."
The Frontier CX is the first in a line of smart appliances that incorporate the Crossfire™ Combustion technology. Each hydronic heater brings major advances in wood boiler performance through boiler modulation and onboard hydronic management. At the core of the appliance is the intelligent Greenwood Boiler Management System, an onboard computer that continuously monitors and adjusts the boiler operation ensuring peak performance across a broad range of applications and heating requirements from early fall to the dead of winter.
As the first log wood boiler that meets the strict Washington State emission standards, the Frontier CX establishes a new product class that represents the future of the wood-fired central heating industry.
Washington customers now have a cost effective option to heat their home and hot water using a local, renewable resource.
The Frontier CX is available through a growing network of dealers. For more information, please visit www.GreenwoodUSA.com or call (888) 788-3090.
ABOUT GREENWOOD CLEAN ENERGY Founded in 2009, Bellevue, Washington-based Greenwood Clean Energy manufactures next generation wood boilers and wood furnaces for residential and light commercial applications. Greenwood's high-efficiency appliances burn wood for space and water heating. Greenwood appliances are available through dealers throughout the U.S., Canada, UK, and New Zealand. For more information visit: www.GreenwoodUSA.com or (888) 788-3090.


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Food will be the focus of the multi-million pound facelift for Scarborough’s Market Hall.
That is according to the council’s town centre manager, whose vision for the £2.7 million revamp will see posh breads and craft ales sold at what he hopes will be a sort of permanent farmer’s market.
Nick Taylor unveiled fresh details of the planned refurbishments for the ageing building at a meeting on Wednesday night.
And he sparked debate by claiming Scarborough’s best town centre bakery wasn’t a local firm – but retail giant Marks & Spencer.
“If you want a really nice loaf of bread or a baguette made with the best flour, you try and find somewhere that sells that in the town centre,” said Mr Taylor.
“We have a great Cooplands and a Thomas the Baker, but they don’t offer the sort of specialist bread that we want to cater for.”
He made the point to drive home what he feels is a need for more of a focus on upmarket eateries in the town centre.
And he wants the new-look hall to offer local produce to allow Scarborough to take on market towns such as Harrogate and Beverley.
External work on the St Helen’s Square building is expected to start some time in July, with the building open throughout while the site is spruced up.
By January, Mr Taylor said it is hoped that work can start on improving the building’s interior.
A curtain will be used as a divider, with improvements made on one side of the hall’s interior before work begins on the adjacent section.
Once completed, it is expected that there will be even more units than there are now.
And while they won’t exclusively be catering for food outlets, there will be a much greater emphasis on cuisine inside its walls.
“The ambition is predominately food. We are looking to attract someone who sells artisan breads, a fishmonger, and we would really like to see someone that sells nice herbs,” said Mr Taylor.
“We want someone selling nice craft beers and ales, not a bar selling pints, but locally made drinks that you can take home.
“What we are looking to get is the local best produce inside and to have it as a space where they can sell and showcase quality local goods.
“Hopefully it can create new businesses and new jobs.”
He said there are already some “really interesting companies” looking to take up residence inside, adding: “I don’t think we will have a problem filling the units.
“We already have two non-food businesses interested, which is very exciting.”
In February, it was announced that a joint bid by the council and Scarborough Campus’ Business School for the Coastal Communities Fund cash had been successful.
Cllr Derek Bastiman hailed a “new era” for the hall, which will feature a new mezzanine floor running round three sides of the building.
The campus’ involvement will see it develop an on-line shopping facility.
For the first time ever, market traders will be able to sell their produce via the internet with the customer looking at just one website and making a single payment, even if they are purchasing from several shops.
The entire revamp is expected to be complete by the summer of 2016.


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Consumers trust banks and credit unions with their personal information every day, never dreaming that those employees could use it to attempt to give them fraudulent credit card debt.
But according to a report from the Arizona Republic, such an occurrence recently happened at the Arizona Federal Credit Union in Mesa. A former employee was arrested for using a customer’s personal information to illegally obtain credit cards.
The report said that the victim received a call from Bank of America thanking her for applying for a new account online despite the fact that she hadn’t done so. A quick check of her credit report found that someone had used her name, date of birth and Social Security number to send a card to a different address. She soon discovered the address belonged to a credit union employee who had helped her refinance her home months prior. She quickly contacted police and the institution to alert them to the crime.
Any consumer who believes they have been the victim of identity theft should, in addition to notifying law enforcement, also call all three credit bureaus and have them put fraud alerts on their reports.


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A recent report has shown plunging returns on the fuel excise tax in recent years, raising questions on how fleets and private drivers ought to be paying for their road usage.
Data from the Parliamentary Budget Office showed that revenue from the fuel excise towards the GDP has fallen a staggering 30 per cent from 2001-02 to 2016-17 (from 1.6 per cent to around 1 per cent).
Meanwhile the debate around electric vs petrol vehicles has garnered further division across the market, given motorists are effectively paying 40.9 cents to the government for every litre of fuel they put into their traditionally powered vehicles. On the flip side, EV users typically don’t provide any ongoing revenue into the coffers given they aren’t purchasing any fuel to power them.
According to Adrian Dwyer, chief of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, the current system needs a long-term rethink.
“Right now, there is a burning platform,” he said.
The solution currently being debated within the industry and being backed by Mr Dwyer, is that of a of a ‘user-pays system’ where drivers would dynamically pay based on their overall road usage, much like a monthly mobile phone or energy plan. The basis behind the proposal would be to even up limitations in the market where poorer drivers of old cars are effectively subsidising richer drivers of electric vehicles.
“If you drive a 10-year-old car, a 10-year-old Commodore, you’re paying a lot more than someone who drives a Toyota hybrid, a Prius, and if you’re driving a Tesla you’re not currently making a contribution at the point of use,” he said.
But would this simple ‘drive more, pay more’ proposal actually work in Australia? Our market has typically been a laggard in electric vehicle uptake for a number of years – especially true given EVs currently make up a paltry 0.2 per cent of our nation’s fleet, compared with the 2.0 per cent global average. As it stands EVs road users also face a variety of on-road costs – in most cases effected by the luxury car tax once passing the $75,526 threshold (currently $66,331 for standard vehicles).
Behyad Jafari, from the Electric Vehicle Council remained conscious that while a road pricing of some form was inevitable for EVs there needs to be something in it for consumers to make the plunge to EVs overall more appealing.
“What we don’t want is a situation where we create a further disincentive for people to get into electric cars,” he said.
Jafari was also quick to note that it was easy to neglect the huge benefits that electric vehicles are bringing to the market, both environmentally and from an economic viewpoint.
“People who are driving electric vehicles are already providing a lot of advantages to Australian society,” he said.
“Every electric vehicle on the road means healthier people, means less impact to our environment and helps our economy by using a fuel source that we produce here.”


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Germany’s new orders increased 2.9% in October, more than expected 1.4%, according to Destat press release. Excluding major orders, real new orders in manufacturing were 1.7% higher than the previous month. Overall, real turnover in manufacturing stood at 4.0% in October, below 4.6% recorded during the pre-pandemic period in February.
- New orders were 0.8% higher than February 2020, the month before coronavirus restrictions were imposed in Germany.
- Domestic orders rose 2.4% while foreign orders increased by 3.2%
- New orders from the euro area increased by 0.5% while orders from other countries went up by 4.8%
- The automobile industry, the largest in Germany manufacturing, saw new orders rise 1% from September and were 6.0% above the pre-crisis levels.
- Automobile industry turnover rose 9.5% in October from the previous month and was 1.7% higher than February 2020
- Manufacturers of intermediate goods saw new orders rise by 2.3%, capital goods increased by 3.8%, but consumer goods fell by 2.2%
German stocks are gaining. DAX is up 0.040%


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Thousands of Kenyans are racing against the clock to register their SIM cards before they are turned off by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).
To prevent deactivation, the government ordered mobile network companies Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom Kenya to register their users by April 15. After similar warnings in 2012 and 2018, the regulator is threatening to turn off unregistered lines for the third time.
“We have pledged to do everything possible to guarantee that all of our clients comply with the directive, and we urge them to do so before the deadline.” “We encourage all customers who have not updated their registration details to do so as soon as possible to prevent the last-minute rush,” Safaricom said in a statement to the Nation.
Client registrations have risen among operators.
“To that end, we’ve set up registration booths in various locations across the country to bring our consumers closer to us so they can submit their information,” the telco stated.
On Thursday, a large number of Kenyans were observed queuing outside various telco shops to register their phone lines.
CA forbids the marketing of SIM cards under the Registration of SIM Card Regulations (2015). Offenders could face a six-month prison sentence, a Sh300,000 fine, or both.
The guidelines are designed to make it easier for agents to register SIM cards, which has been a source of frustration for the regulator and telecoms because some subscribers use the lines to conduct fraud.
Customers’ information will need to be updated with a digital passport-size photo of the consumer and their national ID, as well as a passport for refugees and others.
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Early last week, word got out that next year might bring a consumer model Oculus Rift based on Android. The news stemmed from comments John Carmack made during an interview with Engadget.
"You will eventually have a head-mounted display that probably runs Android as a stand-alone system, that has a system-on-a-chip," he said when asked about Oculus Rift and mobile phone use.
Now, just a week later Oculus VR has confirmed plans for Android support. Speaking at the GamesBeat 2013 video game conference, Oculus VR CEO Brendan Iribe announced that the Oculus Rift headset will launch on mobile and PC simultaneously.
This mobile solution, which will be Android-only, will be a lighter version than the PC model and will utilise the Android device’s processor. Iribe told attendees during his keynote speech that while they’re skeptical about how good virtual reality can be on mobile, what John Carmack has been able to do is 'pretty incredible.'
John Carmack Joined Oculus Rift in August of this year having supported the project right from the beginning (before it even appeared on Kickstarter). Perhaps best known in the gaming community as the co-founder of id Software and lead programmer on Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and the Quake series, Carmack is also a pioneer of 3D graphics as well as a rocketry enthusiast. He also founded aerospace startup Armadillo Aerospace in 2000.
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So will the PC version be better than the Android version? I NEED TO KNOW Thx in advance!! ^^Reply
Think bigger. Streaming the pc game to this. Hardware inside is needed to help with that.
For a guy that thinks Linux isn't the right way for Valve to go, I can't comprehend why Carmack would agree to use Android considering it is Linux.Reply
"For a guy that thinks Linux isn't the right way for Valve to go, I can't comprehend why Carmack would agree to use Android considering it is Linux. "Reply
Apples and Oranges. Valve being a software company that primarily focuses on desktop software and games and Oculus Rift being a hardware company that is peripheral that you can connect to almost anything with support. There's a reason to go mobile with Oculus otherwise imitators will fill that segment; currently there's no good 3D mobile headset.
11824035 said:For a guy that thinks Linux isn't the right way for Valve to go, I can't comprehend why Carmack would agree to use Android considering it is Linux.
because they are 2 totally different things. what valve is doing is building a foundation for pc-consoles entirely dependant on a linux game library. support for the OS is rising and will probably skyrocket if steamOS is semisuccessful. Valve certainly thinks that linux is the future, but there are others who disagree and take the "we dont need any more fragmentation of the gaming market" approach.
android is another beast entirely as its pretty much the only open source option in the mobile market that is accesible to millions.
Just so everyone knows, the PC and Android version will be one and the same, straight from the mouth of Palmer Luckey. Sounds like they are just going to be doing something with android so that it can act as the source of the video for the Rift instead of a PC.Reply
I am more interested in the mobile version than the PC one =P watching this spaceReply
Now, add 2 cameras separated at eyes distance from each other, right in front of the android version, and you can fill in the rest.Reply
I can see an arena of people with android devices in their pocket, or perhaps a backpack, with oculus rift on, and having them networked to some mainframe for a virtual event. Would be interesting if only for its on merits.Reply


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IS Hastings the most famous town in the world?
In an attempt to dust off the cobwebs and give its image a bit of a makeover, a new initiative “Famously Hastings” was launched on November 1, by Hastings Borough Council, encouraging a consistent approach to promoting the town.
Councillor Peter Chowney, lead member for regeneration, explained: “We realised that almost everyone in the English-speaking world had heard of Hastings, and that it was well known for so many different reasons, dating back, of course, to 1066. We are famously Hastings!
“And we are famously green (both sustainable and the home of Jack in the Green), famously innovative (television was invented here, and we now have a number of companies at the very cutting edge of new technology), famously creative (with a large community of working artists and the Jerwood Gallery) and, of course, famously crazy (we hold the world record for the number of pirates in one place, and the world crazy golf championships are held here!).
“So we are encouraging local organisations to use ‘famously Hastings’ in their marketing, and we have also launched a brand new website, www.famouslyhastings.com, which shows just what a great place Hastings is to live, visit, study and invest in.”
The website features video interviews with those who call Hastings their home - including comedy actress Doon Mackichan, DJ John Digweed, writer Kathryn Flett, artist Ben Eine and comedian Jo Brand - explaining just why the town is such a great place.
Following the launch of the “Famously Hastings” brand, we are asking readers to tell us what they think the town is famous, or ought to be famous for.
Send your photographs or views to firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Thanks to Ramazan, supermarkets in Britain have witnessed sales rise by almost £100 million.
Three million Muslims in the UK break their fasts with sundown meals during the holy month, something that is seen as an opportunity by supermarkets, with retail consultants noting that the Muslim holy month is now the third most important religious event for stores behind Christmas and Easter in the UK.
Supermarket Morrisons is expected to sell more than two million tonnes of rice, while Sainsbury’s says rice sales are up at least 100 per cent year on year. Meanwhile, superstore giant Tesco believes sales will jump by at least £30million during the month.
Sainsbury’s world foods expert Hennah Baseer says “Ramazan is becoming an increasingly important calendar date for us. This year we’ve already seen an increase in customers buying Asian products from our stores. We have a promotional event for Ramazan taking place in 270 stores until July 21.”
Similarly, Tesco runs Ramazan promotions at more than 300 of its stores in Britain, and said demand for key products including flour, oil and dates rises by as much as 70 per cent.
“Ramazan is an important time in the calendar for many of our customers and colleagues and sees friends and families gathering together around the dinner table,” said a Tesco spokesperson. “Food plays a hugely significant role during this month, which is why we are proud to offer a delicious range of meals and products to meet the needs of our customers.”
Meanwhile, Morrisons shifts 80,000 boxes of dates during Ramazan, while it also experiences a 40,000 per cent sales uplift on its 10kg Amira rice, which is sold at half price for the month.
It is unclear at this point what exactly is the focus of these stores towards halal products and pre-cooked meals and how these are received during Ramazan.
This article originally appeared on Daily Mail.


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There are few people who know more about a company than the executives and board members of that company. These insiders live in the day-to-day operations of their specific organizations, and likely have a better feel for future prospects than any amount of research can provide outsiders.
Insider stock purchases
There are few reasons to purchase stock in a company other than having confidence in the future. When Nikola's outgoing charismatic board chairman, Trevor Milton, purchased $1 million worth of company stock earlier this month, it seemed notable. Regardless of the negative press that came with the move, Milton most likely still had a more complete understanding of Nikola than we had at the time. The news led some to take this as an objectively bullish decision.
When digging into the details, however, the bullishness is not so clear. Milton's $1 million purchase doesn't seem like such a large vote of confidence when it's reconciled with his $3 billion in net worth that's powered solely by founding this pre-revenue company.
The purchase also came after a short report by Hindenburg Research alleged Nikola had mislead the public, and investigations into the matter began. It's feasible that Milton spending less than 1% of the fortune Nikola had already made him wasn't all that meaningful.
More recent news that Milton has stepped down from the Nikola board was simply another, far more objective, piece of evidence that the purchase was not as positive as insider purchases sometimes are.
It's important to note that normally, insider stock purchases are a bullish sign. Executives putting their money where their mouths are should typically give investors incrementally more comfort in owning shares. Still -- like in the case of Nikola -- it's imperative that investors research the details and context that coincide with the transaction.
Insider stock sales
It's even more difficult to derive meaning from the the sale of stock than from a purchase. Executives have private living expenses to cover, and often can have a large chunk of their net worth tied up in the company. Selling a small fraction of a stake can be bearish, but it can also be altogether unrelated to that executive's sentiment.
For example, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz has been selling shares since his company debuted publicly in 2019. Over the last 90 days Kurtz has made six separate sales totaling nearly $100 million. At first glance this seems worrisome, but considering he owns 10.4% of the company (worth nearly $3 billion today) these sales represent just 3.3% of his personal stake.
Perhaps more importantly, the CrowdStrike shares Kurtz sold were all from exercised options, meaning his voting rights in the company and its future remain unchanged. With the vast majority of his net worth tied to CrowdStrike's sales performance -- and with the stock price up over 120% since CrowdStrike's public debut -- this CEO taking a small amount of chips off the table is far from the worst sign in the world.
Every case is unique
While it's tempting to see an insider trade and jump to conclusions, each transaction has unique context that must be considered alongside the dollar amount. In the cases of Milton and Kurtz, understanding the full picture allows us to glean more accurate meaning from these insiders' investment decisions. As it turns out, that's usually the case.


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Green Park owner Mapletree has refused to comment on a report that Amazon has taken 50,000 sq ft of offices in Brook Drive.
CoStar News has said the online retail giant has taken office space vacated by tech firm Veritas, which recently moved down the M4 to Arlington Business Park in Theale. Thames Tap understands Amazon is paying £38 per sq ft.
Amazon, which last year took McKay Securities’ 135 Theale Logistics Park warehouse, also declined to comment.
But a Veritas spokesperson told Thames Tap: “Veritas recently moved to new state-of-the-art office space at Arlington Business Park, close to its previous location at Green Park.
“The new facilities provide Veritas with a modern, flexible working environment that better meets the current and future needs of our team. We’re not able to comment on how the owners of Green Park are repurposing the space since Veritas vacated it.”
In another sizeable Thames Valley deal, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has taken a 57, 387 sq ft pre-let at Windsor One, part of a scheme by Canmoor which involves refurbishing and extending the former Windsor Dials development. IHG is understood to be paying rent of more than £40 per sq ft.
The remainder of the scheme, Windsor Two, will have 31,293 sq ft.
© Thames Tap (powered by ukpropertyforums.com).
Sign up to receive your free weekly Thames Tap newsletter here.


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Fri Jun 28, 2013, 06:02 PM
RainDog (28,784 posts)
U.S. House of Representatives Votes to Legalize Industrial Hemp
this is last week's news, but don't know if it was posted on DU, so here you go!
A new bi-partisan amendment to the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives today in support of industrial hemp by a vote of 225 to 200. Introduced by Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), it allows colleges and universities to grow and cultivate industrial hemp in states where it is already legal, without fear of federal interference.
According to a statement from the office of Rep. Polis, 19 states have passed pro-industrial hemp legislation. The following nine states have removed barriers to its production: Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.
Democratic Rep. Polis issue this statement:
Industrial hemp is an important agricultural commodity, not a drug. My bipartisan, common-sense amendment, which I’ve introduced with Representatives Thomas Massie and Earl Blumenauer, would allow colleges and universities to grow and cultivate industrial hemp for academic and agricultural research purposes in states where industrial hemp growth and cultivation is already legal. Many states, including Colorado, have demonstrated that they are fully capable of regulating industrial hemp.
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp. The first American flag was made of hemp. And today, U.S. retailers sell over $300 million worth of goods containing hemp—but all of that hemp is imported, since farmers can’t grow it here,” explained Rep. Polis. “The federal government should clarify that states should have the ability to regulate academic and agriculture research of industrial hemp without fear of federal interference. Hemp is not marijuana, and at the very least, we should allow our universities—the greatest in the world—to research the potential benefits and downsides of this important agricultural commodity.
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Anybody who has stood a little too close to Willie’s tour bus or has drifted through the vibrant wonderland that is Eeyore’s Birthday Party understands that pot use is big business in Austin. The city’s enormous student population, sprawling music scene and Dazed & Confused vibe allow it to be fertile soil for herbal treatments.
Of the four principal marijuana bills filed at the statehouse this year, only one has gotten a favorable committee vote — it’s yet to receive a full House vote. That proposed law would ease the law so no one with less than an ounce of grass would face arrest or jail time. Recreational marijuana like they have in Colorado appears to be a pipe dream in Texas.
Dallas city council members, in a way, have recently passed a law that decriminalizes possession. Those caught with less than four ounces get order to appear in court and a ticket instead of being booked and arrested in jail.
Texas lawmakers have brushed aside proposals to legalize marijuana fora long time. And, it was not until 2015 that the state passed a law allowing for a very limited use of cannabis oils for individuals who have epilepsy and suffer from seizures.
Several other start-ups have been considering different approaches to get a portion of the huge marijuana industry, ranging from 3D food printing companies to pest control for growing facilities. Add to that, SXSW Interactive created panels to dive into the potential of the cannabis industry. And there’s even a Green Rush Meetup group where professionals talk about cannabis-related opportunities.
Texas just gets a taste of the potential earnings.
Even for non-marijuana businesses — bars, for example — the 4/20 stoner holiday has become an opportunity to throw parties and other celebrations.
he health benefits of marijuana continue to be questionable — and fluctuate broadly depending on how frequently and in what format the ganja is used. Health professionals and scientists continue to study and debate the benefits and dangers of marijuana use.
For the time being, we continue the war on drugs in our state. The marijuana market is controlled by illegal dealers and patrolled by law enforcement and lawyers in Texas. The state is a pathway for illicit commerce. And it has also become an enormous opportunity for entrepreneurs.
As has been extensively reported, Colorado drew more state revenue ($70 million) from recreational pot use in 2015 than it did from alcohol — in fact, that marijuana tax nearly doubled alcohol tax in part due to the higher tax rates on marijuana. The marijuana industry was projected to eventually become a $7.1 billion industry in the United States.
And that means lots of opportunities that are simply out of reach for Texas entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, it is creating large business opportunities in four states and Washington D.C. that have legalized, ranging from on-demand start-ups in Washington D.C. to high tech vaporizers in Colorado.
Even Austin’s hometown hero, Willie Nelson, has gotten in on the business, starting his branded smoke, Willie’s Reserve, on 4/20 last year. However, the company isn’t based here — it is in Washington and Colorado.
Meanwhile, Texas has snubbed out the issue whenever it appears.
It’s nearly certain for it to come up again at the statehouse this spring, then maybe again when the legislature reconvenes in 2019. Surveys have demonstrated that Texans are becoming more and more supportive of legalizing marijuana either in small amounts or across the board.


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© Copyright – 2020 – Athletics Illustrated
The president of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Yoshiro Mori, bristled at the suggestion that the Olympics could be cancelled due to the outbreak of coronavirus. He said during an International Olympic Committee (IOC) project review, “I would like to make it clear again that we are not considering postponing or cancelling the Games”.
He referred to the suggestion of cancelling as irresponsible rumours.
Games officials have said several times that the Olympics “will take place as scheduled”.
Hundreds of people in China have been killed by the virus. The epicenter of the virus continues to be Wuhan, China – China is not Japan.
The virus has caused the cancellation of other events, including the Formula One Grand Prix in Shanghai and the World Indoor Athletics Championships to take place in Nanjing and is postponed to 2021.
A bigger issue might be around the lack of travel available to Chinese athletes and coaches for competition leading up to the summer games starting Friday, July 24 and ending on Sunday, Aug. 9.
SHOESTRINGS: As an another global championships is within site, more potential scandals emerge. During the past two Olympics, intersex athletes and their domination in women’s events have taken the stage, doping is always an ongoing sideshow that often threatens to erupt and now there is coronavirus, not a scandal per se, but a hot news topic nonetheless.
Watch for the Nike Vaporfly to become a major story leading up to the games (if it isn’t already) in the upcoming marathon and outdoor track seasons. Will competing shoe companies ramp up their design to sub-40mm heights and carbon plates to compete with Nike? How shameful would it be for athletes to continue to drop their endorsement contracts so that they can wear Nike shoes? To make it an even playing field.
Will the wearing of vaporflys/alphaflys et al be considered technical cheating? Nike’s influence may be overwhelming. In swimming FINA dealt with the bodysuit crisis. Major League Baseball (MLB) had corked bats and steroid-using home-run hitters, the National Football League (NFL) had deflate gate. Is the Nike shoe going to be the crisis of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics?
Watch as the news on the shoes escalates.


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The Original Pancake House in Irving is closing its doors for good.
Manager Amber Vallejo said the building’s owners have decided to sell, and the restaurant chain could not find a suitable location nearby.
Sunday will be its last day in business. The restaurant has been open for five years at 510 West Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway.
“We hope to be back in Irving someday,” she said.
The company is relocating Irving employees to other locations around North Texas, including Dallas, Grapevine and Plano, Vallejo said.
“We are a big family at this location,” she said. “We’re a little sad, but we feel very fortunate the owners are taking care of us.”


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Renault Trucks will launch a range of fully electric trucks next year.
The French manufacturer, which has no link to Renault cars,Â has been testing electric vehicles for the past 10 years in real world scenarios and says its new range will be “cost-effective” and “primarily designed for urban and inter-city situations.”
â€œAs we transition to a lower carbon economy, electric trucks are driving the future for urban operations – we excitedly await production availability for our UK customers,â€ comments Nigel Butler, Commercial Director, Renault Trucks UK.
Alongside its extensive testing with various types of 12-16 tonne trucks, Renault Trucks also has access to the vast research and development resources of its owner, Volvo Group. Which has also pledged to sell electric vehicles by 2019.
It has not released any further details about the new models yet but confirmed a dedicated assembly line for the new all-electric models is being installed at its Blainville-sur-Orne plant in Normandy.


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The sliding euro claimed another victim Thursday when consumer-product company Newell Rubbermaid Inc. warned that earnings in the second half of 2000 would not meet expectations.
Newell Rubbermaid, based in Freeport, Ill., said the euro's drop would trim earnings by a penny in the third quarter and possibly 2 cents in the fourth quarter.
The beleaguered currency is just one of the problems facing management. The company also said higher-than-expected raw material costs, retail softness in Europe and a slowdown in U.S. orders will trim third-quarter earnings by up to 5 cents a share. The news sent its stock down $1.12, or 4.9 percent, to $21.94.
Newell is the latest Midwestern company whose shares have tumbled on expectations that a weakened euro would hurt earnings. Currency woes have cut into sales and profits at companies that do a major part of their business in Europe, from fast-food giant McDonald's Corp. to Wisconsin manufacturer Snap-on Inc. A weaker euro means that their revenue from Europe translates into fewer dollars.
"The crash of the euro in the last couple of months has taken its toll," said Dale L. Matschullat, Newell's chief financial officer, in a conference call with analysts Thursday.
With the euro showing no signs of recovering, companies are becoming increasingly conservative in their currency forecasts.
Newell Rubbermaid, for instance, is assuming that the euro will average 80 cents in the fourth quarter, about 6 cents below where the currency traded late Thursday in New York.
Adding to the woes of multinational companies is the rising cost of oil and gasoline and a slowing U.S. economy. The combination could threaten the economy's soft landing that the Federal Reserve is trying to pilot.
"The Fed appeared to be on target for a soft landing in 2001," said Chuck Hill, director of research at First Call/Thomson Financial, which tracks company earnings. "That was before the energy and the euro became such big issues. Now the risk has gone up that we will have a hard landing."
The euro has been steadily falling since it was introduced in January 1999 as the common currency for 11 European nations. After debuting at $1.17, it fell 13.7 percent last year. The euro has plunged another 15 percent this year, hitting a new intraday low of 84.38 cents Wednesday.
"Once you get into a negative trend, it's very difficult to break that trend," said Andrew Busch, director of foreign exchange at the Bank of Montreal in Chicago.
Behind the euro's malaise lies the fact that investment continues to pour into the United States from Europe. The reasons for this are twofold: The U.S. economy is growing faster than that of the euro zone and exhibiting far superior productivity growth; and U.S. interest rates are higher than euro-area rates, making it more attractive to hold dollar-denominated securities.
In the third quarter, the euro averaged 90 cents. Many companies had forecast the euro to hold stable at 95 cents, where it was at the end of June. The decline will shave 1 to 2 percentage points off the average growth of third-quarter earnings from companies in the S&P 500 index, Merrill Lynch & Co. estimates.
In the Midwest, the list of companies affected by the slide is long and growing every day.
- Oak Brook-based McDonald's said last week that weak foreign currencies could hit full-year 2000 earnings by as much as 7 cents a share, up from its previous forecast of 5 cents.
Jack Greenberg, chairman and chief executive, tried to calm investors.
"Importantly, the fundamentals of our business haven't changed," he said in a statement issued late Sept. 13. "Our global business remains solid and growing."
The next day, McDonald's stock fell as low as $26.37 from an intraday high of $29 on Sept. 13. Shares were down 69 cents, to $27, on Thursday.
- Snap-on said Thursday that the euro and other factors would cut third-quarter earnings to 45 to 50 cents a share, down from 62 cents a share a year ago. Wall Street analysts had expected the company, based in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., to earn 69 cents a share, according to First Call.
- Medical product-maker Abbott Laboratories of North Chicago expects total sales to be reduced by 1.5 percent to 2 percent in the third quarter. But the company said earnings won't be affected.
Same holds for Deerfield-based Baxter International Inc. "Our hedging programs and operational performance have offset the impact," said Baxter spokeswoman Deborah Spak.
- A Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. spokesman said that the continued decline in the euro "will have a dampening effect on numbers coming out of Europe." But the company wouldn't comment on the impact of the euro on third-quarter earnings.
In the first half of 2000, the weak euro reduced sales of the Chicago-based gum manufacturer by 4 percent. About 40 percent of its total sales come from Europe.
"We knew currency was a pain a month ago," said John McMillin, an analyst with Prudential Securities, who follows Wrigley and several other food companies. "Now, it's a bigger pain."
McMillin and other analysts have tried to ignore the euro because long term it doesn't affect the fundamentals of company.
But as the profit warnings pour in, "my clients are worked up and the markets are worked up," McMillin said.


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Toyota Announces Six New Hybrids - Toyota Parts Blog
Toyota, for years, has led the industry in the latest and greatest in electric and hybrid automobile technologies, and over the next two years, according to the New York Times, plans to unveil six- that’s right, six- brand new hybrid and electric vehicles. This type of claim is huge for their business plan, and will take the company in a new direction focusing more and more on fuel-efficient and reliable vehicles.
So far, Toyota has been the home to only a few hybrids: the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generations of Prius paved the way for luxury hybrids like the 2011 Lexus CT 200h, and now it seems that will lead to a new generation of smaller/more compact vehicles. But, with their new partnership with Tesla Motors and this new report, Toyota is projected to have 20 hybrid models by the year 2012, plus the RAV4 hybrid that is expected to show its face at the upcoming 2010 Los Angeles auto show in November. It would definitely seem like Toyota plans on bringing a hybrid variant to each of its major models by 2020, and all powered by Toyota Parts found at your local Kansas City Toyota Dealership.


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Update 09/21/2022: EA Sports has officially confirmed that Ted Lasso and the fictional club AFC Richmond will be a part of FIFA 23.
Jason Sudeikis’ beloved Ted Lasso character will be selectable as a usable manager in Career Mode, and AFC RIchmond will be playable in Career Mode, Kickoff, Online Friendlies and Online Seasons. EA adds that “a number of AFC Richmond items, including kits, tifos, Manager items and other content, will also be available to unlock in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) and Pro Clubs, as applicable.”
Unsurprisingly, Richmond will not be part of the Premier League in Kickoff, Online Friendlies and Online Seasons and will instead be located in the Rest of the World section. Players Roy Kent, Jamie Tartt, Sam Obisanya and Dani Rojas will all be in the squad, and the fictional Nelson Road stadium will also be a part of the game.
In a press release, Sudeikis said: “I am truly fortunate and deeply grateful to have had many special moments in my career thus far, and I consider this experience among the best. As long-time EA SPORTS FIFA fans, having Ted Lasso and the entire AFC Richmond team brought into the newest version of the game is truly a dream come true for me and the rest of the guys. Our cast and crew work tremendously hard on this show, and we’re flattered that it resonates with so many people. We hope that our fans will have the opportunity to play, play and even play against their favorite AFC Richmond characters.”
“It’s fucking great to be in FIFA. I’m not sure this is going to help dispel the CGI rumours, but fuck it, it’s worth it,” said Roy Kent actor Brett Goldstein. “I hope to beat my nephew in a game with me as Roy Kent and him as Jamie Tartt. He is going to be furious.
FIFA 23 – Ted Lasso Screenshots
Ted Lasso and AFC Richmond may be in the next FIFA 23.
Actor Jason Sudeikis has appeared in a tweet from the official account of the TV show showing it being digitally scanned… and hinted that it’s for an upcoming video game.
“Careful, Mario!” it reads. “You’re not the only pixelated man with a mustache who never knows where the tube takes him…”
Even more revealing, EA Sports FIFA responded to the Tweet, with a simple eye emoji.
— EA SPORTS FIFA (@EASPORTSFIFA) September 20, 2022
This isn’t the first time Ted Lasso’s addition to the game has been teased, with a recent leak suggesting AFC Richmond would be brought into the game when he was briefly included in a list of equipment on the game’s official website.
Ted Lasso originally debuted in August 2020 and tells the story of the eponymous character: an American football manager who makes an unprecedented move to the UK to manage the floundering AFC Richmond football team.
Of course, this addition will be music to the ears of Ted Lasso fans. I mean, it might even be the reason I finally got into FIFA.
But the question begs: how will Ted and AFC Richmond fit into the game? Most importantly, will the team be available to play online? That seems unlikely. After all, AFC Richmond is entirely fictional… but perhaps the players themselves can find a home as part of FIFA Ultimate Team.
FIFA 23 Screens
For now, we will have to wait and see. But the very thought of adding Ted and AFC Richmond to the game opens up a world of possibilities. Football is life, right?
FIFA 23 is set to release on September 30, 2022, but was already available to some players earlier this month due to a preload bug. Those who pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition will be able to access it three days early, on September 27.
Want to read more about FIFA 23? Check out our deep dive into FIFA 23 Ultimate Team, as well as our first hands-on preview.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. you can follow him on Twitter.


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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Amy Kule, group vice president of Macy’s Parade and Entertainment Group; Fred Mangione, COO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment; and Ron Skotarczak, EVP of marketing partnerships at The Madison Square Garden Company, will appear together at NAB Show New York to discuss what it takes to deliver a spectacular live event, New York City style. The session will take place Thursday, November 10 at 2:45 p.m. at the Javits Convention Center in New York City.
The session, titled “How New York Puts on a Big Live Show,” will feature top executives responsible for hosting, producing or promoting some of New York City’s biggest events, including sports and concert performances at venues like Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center in Brooklyn, as well as Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. Moderated by New York's “FOX 5 News at 5” and “FOX 5 News at 10” Anchor Steve Lacy, the discussion will focus on live productions for the biggest shows in town.
“When it comes to live production, there’s no more dynamic place than New York City,” said Chris Brown, NAB executive vice president, Conventions and Business Operations. “As New York event producers ourselves, we’re very excited to host this session featuring live entertainment executives who understand the ins and outs of developing and executing intricate live productions.”
Kule started at Macy’s in 1996 as a regional East Coast events director and moved her way up to become a marketing vice president in 2001. In 2007, she was promoted to group vice president of Macy’s Parade and Entertainment Group, the internal department in charge of producing Macy’s annual televised spectacles – the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks, for which she serves as executive producer. In addition to leading the creative, promotional and marketing partnerships for these events, Kule also oversees the retailer’s partnership marketing team, responsible for creating partnerships that enhance the shopping and entertainment environment at Macy’s locations nationwide.
As chief operating officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE), Mangione is responsible for the strategic development and implementation of business operations, marketing, and ticket sales for Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets, New York Islanders, the new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and the Long Island Nets. Mangione also manages the business communications and sponsorship departments, overseeing the development of dynamic marketing and activation campaigns for corporate partners across each franchise.
Serving as executive vice president of marketing partnerships at The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG), Skotarczak is responsible for developing and advancing the company's overall sales goals across the marketing partnership sales and service groups, which includes integrated, media, team, entertainment and sports property sales. He drives the Signature level partnership sales efforts, developing cross-venue, multi-platform marketing deals that leverage the MSG's portfolio of properties. This includes sales efforts relating to the company's professional sports teams - the New York Knicks, Rangers, Liberty and Westchester Knicks – as well as all other sports events and attractions at venues owned by MSG.
News media registration is available here.
About NAB Show New York
Produced by the National Association of Broadcasters and co-located with InfoComm Connections, NAB Show New York will be held November 9-10 at the Javits Convention Center. With more than 7,200 attendees and 300 exhibitors, NAB Show New York showcases the best in next-generation technology for media, entertainment and telecom professionals with education focused on television, film, satellite, online video, live events, corporate A/V, production and post. For complete details, visit www.nabshowny.com.
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.


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Confusion over Modernization Act continuesMedical device and drug companies are still in the dark about the U.S. government’s policy on the distribution of off-label information about medical products. Food and Drug Administration guidelines
Confusion over Modernization Act continues
Medical device and drug companies are still in the dark about the U.S. governments policy on the distribution of off-label information about medical products. Food and Drug Administration guidelines designed to clarify the situation are mired in legal battles, and due to the confusion only a handful of companies have taken advantage of the FDAs relaxed rules on off-label promotion.
Under long-time FDA policy, physicians could prescribe drugs or use devices for off-label indications, but companies were prohibited from marketing their products for applications not included in the FDAs original clearance. That changed in 1997 with the passage of the FDA Modernization Act, which ordered the FDA to develop guidelines that would enable companies to market off-label indications for approved products. Based on FDAMA, the FDA developed new guidelines stating that manufacturers can distribute off-label information after submitting a copy of the data to be distributed to the FDA 60 days before releasing it to the public (SCAN 6/24/98).
But implementation of the new policy has become ensnared in a legal challenge filed by the Washington Legal Foundation in 1994 against the FDAs older off-label guidelines. The WLFs suit claimed that the FDAs off-label restrictions were infringing on manufacturers First Amendment rights. U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ruled in July 1998 that these guidelines did indeed violate manufacturers First Amendment rights.
But does Lamberths ruling apply to the FDAs new policy? The FDA, the WLF, and Lamberth are still trying to figure that out and Lamberth delayed implementation of his July ruling until the matter is resolved. Meanwhile, companies that want to promote off-label uses for their products are in legal limbo, according to attorney Alan Bennett, a partner at the law of firm Fox, Bennett, & Turner of Washington.
At a WLF press conference last month, Bennett outlined the status of the litigation and companies responses to both the FDAs FDAMA protocols and Lamberths rulings. Some companies seem to be ignoring FDAMA, choosing instead to proceed under Lamberths July ruling and risking that the FDA will not take enforcement action as long as the federal case is active, Bennett said.
In fact, since FDAMA was implemented, only about four companies have submitted off-label data to the FDA, and only two of those applications have been cleared by the agency, according to Byron Tart, director of the promotion and advertising staff at the FDAs Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
But because Lamberths decision is on hold, technically companies are bound to FDAMA regulations, Bennett said.
Companies have to evaluate every dissemination on a case-by-case basis, making sure they understand the current status of the case and the risks they might be taking, Bennett said. (The issue) is really in flux. And companies cant ignore the fact that theres a product liability risk in disseminating information that hasnt been approved by the FDA.