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01-31-2013, 07:39 PM #1
Triaminic, Theraflu Recalled After Children Poisoned
January 31, 2013
snipped...The pharmaceutical company that makes Triaminic and Theraflu recalled 2.3 million units of cold and cough syrups after four children opened the child-resistant caps and accidentally poisoned themselves.
Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/triamin...ry?id=18368953
02-01-2013, 03:11 AM #2
It's the Packaging that's faulty, not the product
Triaminic and Theraflu Products Recalled
WASHINGTON — Some Triaminic and Theraflu products are being taken off the market because the child-resistant caps failed to function properly, U.S. officials said on Thursday.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Triaminic Syrups and Theraflu Warming Relief Syrups for cough, colds and fevers were voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer, Novartis Consumer Health, because the cap could still be removed by a child even with the tamper-resistant seal in place.
Novartis said the last batch of products in question were distributed more than a year ago, so the company believes little remains for sale or in use.
Read more: http://ktla.com/2013/01/31/triaminic...#ixzz2Jd4QIbtP
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Pricey Hong Kong Office Tower’s Marketing Halted After No BidsBy
Champion REIT wanted to sell tower for as much as $3.1 billion
Langham Place Office Tower went on the market in July
Hong Kong’s Champion REIT said it halted the marketing of a 59-story office tower that it wanted to sell for as much as HK$24.5 billion ($3.1 billion).
Chief Executive Officer Ada Wong said the company is taking a “passive” role with the Langham Place Office Tower in Mongkok, up for sale since July.
Champion REIT had put the tower on the market last year to make the most of heated property prices in Hong Kong. The real estate firm marketing the building, Savills Plc, set the indicative price at almost twice the consensus estimate in a Bloomberg survey.
“I am not surprised -- they were too aggressive and the asking price was too high," said Siu Fung Lung, a property analyst at CGS-CIMB Securities. Mainland buyers weren’t keen on a location far from the central business district with no sea view, he said.
For her part, Wong said there were no plans to appoint a new agent after Savills’s role ended. “Anyone can give me an offer and I would consider it,” she said.

domain: news


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The public sale for the 2022 version of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to happen in February subsequent yr. The Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) has knowledgeable the franchises that the mega-auction will happen in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.
It additionally must be famous that Crew India will probably be locking horns with West Indies on the public sale day. India and West Indies are slated to face one another in an ODI encounter on February 12 in Kolkata.
Regardless of the conflict, the BCCI official mentioned that public sale dates are ultimate.
“It has been clarified to us that the match and public sale are two various things and each will go forward,” a franchise official was quoted as saying to Cricbuzz.
Many huge names have been launched by the already current eight groups forward of the public sale, and that’s why franchises may begin a bidding struggle to accumulate their companies throughout the mega-event.
However the identical may occur for some Indian home gamers as properly, particularly for those who’ve delivered eye-catching performances within the final couple of seasons of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.
The whole record of gamers for the public sale is anticipated to be finalised by mid-January, after the 2 new franchises – Ahmedabad and Lucknow – make their picks of as much as three gamers from the launched record.
Whereas the ultimate date for the brand new groups to make their picks is December 25, it’s now all however sure that this deadline will probably be deferred because of the festive season.


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If you've ever been apprehensive about driving a Chinese car, we don't blame you. Footage from a vast number of Chinese crash tests is readily available online, and they do little to inspire consumer confidence.
Great Wall's V240 and SA220 work utes, which have been on sale in Australia since 2009, both scored a paltry 2-Star crash test rating from ANCAP, putting them at a significant disadvantage against every other ute on the market.
Chinese brand Chery arrived in Australia this year, and its bargain-priced Chery J1 light hatchback only managed to a 3-Star ANCAP rating.
With more Chinese-built cars on their way, safety is clearly something that will need improvement if they are to win the hearts (and wallets) of Australian new car buyers.
The Chinese government knows that it needs to lift safety standards in Chinese automobile production. Through its local crash-testing organsition, C-NCAP, it has promised to toughen crash-testing protocol for domestically-built vehicles from July 1, 2012.
Current C-NCAP requirements lag behind those of European, Australian and American crash-testing standards. The proposed changes are expected to bring Chinese safety standards on par with the rest of the world.
Under the new rules, frontal offset crash tests will be conducted at 64km/h rather than 56km/h, a back-seat test dummy will be added, neck protection will be evaluated and the total number of achievable points will be raised from 51 to 62 points.
Electronic safety aids like ABS and stability control will also be evaluated.
So far only 43 percent of all cars tested by C-NCAP have achieved a five-star rating under the current rules, while just 26 percent have achieved a 4-Star score.
- Interested in buying ? Visit our showroom for more information.


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In a new pilot program, Mozilla is opening up its screening gates to users of its new Firefox web browser on Android.
Mozilla announced today that interested users and developers can join its Firefox Preview to get a taste of what the company plans to formally unveil later on this fall.
The Firefox Sneak peek task will operate on Mozilla's own GeckoView web browser engine which got its first public testing during the company's rollout of Firefox Focus, which was an effort to revamp and pare-down the browsing experience on Android.
While it had limited success in moving the company's mobile internet browser market share and has actually consequently been shelved by Mozilla, its technology and engineering advancement will live on in the brand-new Firefox Sneak peek.
In an interview with Endeavor Beat, Mozilla continues to sound the drum of Google-independence as it makes a case for its Firefox Sneak peek moving forward.
As it stands, users can utilize the present Firefox web browser for Android as well as the Firefox Sneak peek but come this fall, the Mozilla prepares to change the existing browser with its new Geckoview established one.


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Leadership in MRI market share around the globe is neatly divided,with General Electric holding sway in the U.S., Siemens in Europeand Toshiba in Japan. But GE is looking to upset that balancewith a new 1.5-tesla platform to be marketed exclusively in
Leadership in MRI market share around the globe is neatly divided,with General Electric holding sway in the U.S., Siemens in Europeand Toshiba in Japan. But GE is looking to upset that balancewith a new 1.5-tesla platform to be marketed exclusively in Japan.The scanner, dubbed Sierra, is aimed at knocking Toshiba out ofits position as Japan's MRI king of the mountain.
Sierra is intended to go head-to-head with Toshiba's 150A 1.5-teslasystem, according to Paul J. Mirabella, general manager of GE'sMR division.
"The real thrust of the product as it relates to the competitionand the market (in Japan) is the focus on Toshiba, in particularthe Toshiba 150A," Mirabella said.
Sierra was jointly developed by GE and its Yokogawa MedicalSystems subsidiary. The scanner began shipping last month.
YMS already sells GE's flagship 1.5-tesla Signa in Japan. Butif Signa is a thoroughbred, Sierra will be a workhorse. Sierrais designed to compete in the high-field category but at a pricelower than Signa's.
"In order to cover the market fully, YMS thought it necessaryto develop another version of the 1.5-tesla platform," Mirabellasaid. "This gives us the flexibility of covering more priceswithout having to compromise the price on Signa."
GE supplied the magnet for Sierra, which is an active-shieldedmagnet of the same type as that used in the Signa. GE also suppliedthe system's coils as well as the image acquisition and reconstructionalgorithms.
YMS is touting the system's compactness, which allows it tobe sited in the same amount of space as a mid-field scanner, accordingto the company.
GE is leaving open the option that Sierra could follow in thefootsteps of the 0.5-tesla Vectra, which was introduced in Japanin 1990 before it made its way into the U.S. market last year(SCAN 6/3/92).
"There's the possibility (Sierra) might be marketed inmany other places besides Japan," Mirabella said. "I'mnot saying it will be. I'm saying that the possibility exists."
As well as being an effort to crack Toshiba's position in theJapanese market, Sierra is also a response to the maturing ofthe global MRI market, which demands products at a wider rangeof price levels.
"The global market is getting more mature in MR, muchmore segmented," Mirabella said. "It's an environmentwhere covering a couple of price points all by itself is not goingto play. You've got to cover as many price points (as possible)."


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New research from Mintel suggests that cannabis edibles and drinkables are key to future growth for companies looking to tap into the Canadian market.
The study results arrive over a year since recreational use of cannabis was legalised in Canada.
In its study, Mintel found that 59% of Canadians are currently using and/or are interested in using cannabis with 27% of consumers reporting they used cannabis in the first six months of legislation. A third of non-cannabis users, meanwhile, said they are ‘open to trying it’.
Among these potential users, 48% think edibles are the most intriguing format and overall two-thirds of open non-users are interested in ingestible cannabis.
Scott Stewart, senior research analyst at Mintel, said: “The key to future growth for many consumer industries will be to convert more of the consumers who are open to but not current users of cannabis; their hesitance to try cannabis was a contributor to the relatively low sales in 2019, but the legalisation of edibles and drinkables in October 2019 will play a major role in 2020’s success.
“Edibles and drinkables can be a great introductory way for new users to familiarise themselves with cannabis and better understand the cannabis experience, potentially leading to using other forms of the product.”
According to Mintel’s report, 46% of cannabis consumers said they use it to have fun, yet a greater percentage use cannabis as a wellness product.
More than half (62%) of consumers reported that they use cannabis to relax and relieve stress/anxiety (54%). Additionally, 42% use it to improve sleep and 39% use it to improve their mood.
Similar health and wellness reasons were given for the consideration of use by people open to try cannabis.
According to Mintel, willing non-users of cannabis feel that they are lacking information. 41% claim that they are knowledgeable on how to consumer cannabis.
“Our research shows that many Canadians view cannabis as a very complex and intimidating product and the lack of understanding leads many to avoid it entirely,” said Stewart.
“Brands can navigate this by using online platforms and in-store employees to help educate consumers about cannabis. Strict laws around marketing cannabis mean that brands have to be very careful about their approach but using factual statements to help educate and familiarise potential consumers with cannabis is a good way of establishing a trusted position in the market.”
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2020


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Pasadena: Tesla Signs on West Colorado Boulevard
Tesla signed a new lease at 117 West Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. The luxury electric car maker will pay rent in the mid-$8.00s PSF for the 3,000 SF space. The term of the lease is five years.
Glendale: Cigna Renews for Seven Years
Cigna renewed its lease at 400 North Brand Boulevard in Glendale. The company will pay rent in the low-$2.00s PSF for the 78,469 SF space. The term of the lease is seven years and nine months.
Los Angeles: Thompson Coburn Takes 14,997 SF
Thompson Coburn signed a new lease at 2029 Century Park in Los Angeles. The firm will pay rent just under $4.00 PSF for the 14,997 SF space. The term of the lease is seven years and six months.


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Car dealerships decline with rise of electric car, ride share
By: Esther Klein and Meaghan Wray
With the rise of electric cars and ride sharing, car dealerships in North America are beginning to see an end to their existence.
According to a new study released by San Francisco-based think tank RethinkX, by 2030 about 95 per cent of U.S. passenger miles traveled will be by electric cars owned by fleets.
RethinkX’s conclusion is the days of window shopping for shiny cars are ending and electric cars and rideshares are in.
The report cites an emerging business model they refer to as “transport-as-a-service” (TaaS) in which many consumers will hire their rides rather than owning a vehicle. TaaS will “have enormous implications across the transportation and oil industries, decimating entire portions of their value chains, causing oil demand and prices to plummet.”
However, the report also says that TaaS presents new business opportunities and chances for consumer surplus and GDP growth. More importantly, the business model anticipates families having a huge opportunity to save money annually.
According to ThinkX, the average American family could save more than $5,600 USD per year, which is equal to a wage raise of 10 per cent.
Mark Bujalski, sales manager at Acura of Oakville, is doubtful that dealerships will see their end any time soon, however, because consumers still want face-to-face interaction.
“I doubt it’ll happen, it’s all speculation right now,” he said. “Customers like first-hand contact at stores.”
Even if customers want to purchase an electrically-powered Tesla, he said, they will still be required to go to a storefront for maintenance, which nullifies the convenience of online purchasing.
“Just because the customer purchases a car online, doesn’t mean they don’t have to go to a store in person,” Bujalski said. “At the moment, there are three Tesla service centres in Toronto, meaning they’re always running into problems.”
A Tesla battery only lasts 10 years and consumers experience a phenomenon called range anxiety: the concern for an electric car owner that their battery will die at any moment.
In a CBC article published early this morning, Dennis Derosier, an Ontario-based auto industry analyst, said the report isn’t exactly clear.
“There are some serious question marks and and a lot of assumptions in the report,” he said in the article.
Derosier said this points to the hype surrounding hybrid vehicles, which were originally introduced to the market 17 years ago and predicted to take over the industry by 2020, which is no longer slated to happen.
Joseph Chow has been a sales representative at Mazda Toronto for seven years. According to him, dealerships know their business may slowly come to an end.
“We all know it’s going to go very soon. We aren’t necessarily scared because sales is a transferable field,” Chow said. “But the reason dealerships won’t be as up and coming has to do with a couple of reasons.”
Chow cites the increased popularity in online self-education as a factor in the decrease of window shopping and test driving. In the ‘80s, he said, customers would come to a dealership and test drive 15 to 20 cars at a time.
“With YouTube videos on a high, people are well informed before coming to any dealership, and have a car narrowed down,” he said. “We’re already seeing slower visitation at our store. However, with electric cars, people tell themselves it is helping the environment and are less hesitant to spend the money and can order them online.”
On the other hand, Chow said, the everyday consumer still wants that face-to-face interaction provided by purchasing at a dealership.
“It’s very tough to make a $30,000 decision, which is why you need a dealership,” he said. “The attitude in buying a car is different than anything else. Everyone asks for a discount, so they’ll still go to a dealership.”
Another important factor to consider in this shift, which is also mentioned in RethinX’s report, is the desire for consumers to go green, Chow said. With the increase in ridesharing and electric car useage, people will likely see significant declines in environmental destruction.
“It’s a culture thing,” he said. “When people choose to go green, they don’t overthink it, they just buy it.”
Andrew Hines, a Toronto native and project coordinator at local event management company Wynford, relies on his Toyota Camry to get to and from work every day. His daily drives take about an hour and a half every day, and he makes the long drive to Montréal twice a month to visit his partner.
On average, Hines spends about $350 per month on gas when he drives to Montréal.
For a few of his trips, Hines has used the carshare service Car2Go, a smartphone application that provides users with easy access to a car, anywhere in the city. Car2Go offers daily rates but also allows users pay-per-hour to pick up and drop off a designated Car2Go vehicle anywhere in the city for $0.41/minute.
Hines said he’s chosen to use the Car2Go service over driving his own car, simply to offset the cost of gas.
“I use it more because of the convenience factor, and you have to consider insurance and maintenance costs on my own car, which you don’t have to worry about with ridesharing,” Hines said. “It’s super convenient if you’re going out on the weekend and want to drink, you can drive a Car2Go and then leave it there.”
For people who don’t have the means to buy their own car and or pay for insurance and maintenance fees, services like Car2Go have proven useful.
“It’s definitely more affordable for small weekend trips, but not as your main form of daily transportation,” he said. “It’s great for people who can’t buy their own car, but it’s not a longterm solution.”


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Bitcoin in market and metrics outshines gold
Yet another battleground for Bitcoin and gold. In 2019, while the yellow metal saw a consistent rise, reaching a 6-year high, its luster, in the face of Bitcoin’s massive rise, on the fundamental and the technical side, was overshadowed. The markets paint a different picture of how the larger public looks at the cryptocurrency and the commodity.
The previous year saw contrasting movements and similar claims between the two stores of value. For both, the year saw distinct halves.
Bitcoin, began at $3,400, saw a consistent rise to $13,800 till the halfway point, then tettered off, dropping below $7,000 and ending the year slightly above. Gold was sluggish till May, and then began inching up little-by-little reaching $1,550 in September, before closing 2019 at $1,520.
From the outside-looking-in, gold and Bitcoin were seen as mediums of capital flight. From Venezuela to Hong Kong, political uncertainties fuelled the demand for digital and tangible gold, leading to a spike in price.
Even as the year began with yet another safe haven claim boosting the two markets, it’s interesting to note that the annual gold demand dropped in 2019.
According to the recent report by toe World Gold Council, the demand for the yellow metal dropped to 4,355.7 tonnes, a meager 1 percent drop, but notable nonetheless owing to the surrounding effect of world markets and Bitcoin.
The drop in consumer demand for gold was mirrored by an increase in the inflows into ETFs, showing that the commodity is being traded, rather than stored. The report read,
“Huge rise in ETF inflows almost equalled the sharp drop in consumer demand in 2019.”
Bitcoin, however, tells a different story.
Based on data from Glassnode, the number of active addresses for Bitcoin saw a YTD increase of 14 percent to over 640,000 addresses, recorded on December 31, 2019. Furthermore, the addresses that have non-zero balance has increased by 26.2 percent through 2019, reaching over 28 million addresses. New addresses created in 2019 increased by 24.89 percent reaching over 330,000 addresses.
While this shows the uninitiated and active accumulation of Bitcoin, on the supply side, Bitcoin has seen an increase. The hashrate for the cryptocurrency was on a consistent incline through the year, as seen in the chart below,


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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WFLI) – The 2012 drought caused grocery store prices to rise considerably, but thanks to better weather in 2013 experts said grocery costs are starting to smooth out.
Purdue ag economist Chris Hurt said total food costs have increased about one percent, but certain food will have a significant change in cost.
Hurt said the current population of beef cows in the U.S. is the lowest it’s been in more than 50 years. Beef prices have jumped nearly six percent from last year. Hurt said more expensive feed costs due to the drought have caused the shortage.
Hurt said he also expects record-high prices for pork products this year due to a new virus, which has killed many piglets.
Hurt said egg prices have also increased by about six percent this year due to higher demand.


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It'll be the Treyarch developed title and will take place during various periods in history ranging from World War II, the Cold War, Vietnam and more secretive covert operations around the world.
This is most likely the title we all thought would be a Vietnam based shooter, but apparently will feature much more. It's also rumoured to release around October or November this year, but that's not confirmed.
What has also been rumoured, is the addition of a zombie mode, seen in World at War and the inclusion of dedicated servers for the PC version.
It all sounds very nice, but don't get too excited yet, it's all just hearsay.


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Streaming music services have been making some noise recently, but Grooveshark has been forcibly muted on the iPhone. After months of repeated rejections from Apple’s AppStore, music streaming app Grooveshark has decided to cut their losses and forgo the AppStore for the sake of giving at least a small subset of iPhone users a chance to use their service. The online music service has just announced that they are now available for jailbroken iPhones through the Cydia app store.
With millions of tracks on tap, Grooveshark offers its users a convenient way to stream their favorite tunes straight from the interwebs and into their ears. Users can search music, create playlists and denote favorite tracks – which are all synchronized with the web app – all from the convenience of their iPhone. But, there’s a catch. You have to pay the $3/month fee to get VIP access to the app. And, you’ll have to jailbreak your iPhone in order to get access to Cydia.
Is it worth it? Well, considering the relatively cheap price of the app and the fact that you can create playlists to play offline (without an internet connection), it’s a must-have app for music fans with tight budgets and unlimited data plans.
Still, it’s puzzling why Apple continues to reject Grooveshark from the AppStore. In comparison, smartphones running Android, BlackBerry and webOS have been enjoying streaming music without hassle from “the man” for a while now. Maybe Apple is looking to keep streaming music competition to a minimum in preparation for their own streaming music service through iTunes (LaLa, anyone?). Whatever the case, kudos to Grooveshark for deciding to take their app live through the iPhone “underground.”
You can find Grooveshark for iPhone through Cydia. You can get Cydia by jailbreaking your iPhone. You can jailbreak your iPhone like this. Done.


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Are you ready for a new way to play Tetris on your iOS devices? It was announced that Tetris Beat will head exclusively to Apple Arcade soon, with music featuring the hottest EDM artists. In addition, there will be special modes that will use music as an integral part of gameplay.
The world famous Tetris® puzzle game will be blocking to a new beat soon exclusively on Apple Arcade, fusing its hit gameplay with exclusive music and innovative rhythm mechanics. Developed and published by N3TWORK, Tetris® Beat will feature a diverse and eclectic lineup of incredible musicians including Alison Wonderland, GARZA, Hannah Diamond, Octo Octa, Dauwd, CINTHIE and many more, with new exclusive songs added every month from today’s hottest and up-and-coming talent.
In Tetris® Beat, players will rotate and drop Tetriminos to the beat, keeping to the rhythm to build their biggest combo chain and score big. For Tetris fans looking for the traditional hit gameplay experience, they can try out the Marathon mode, where they can choose the soundtrack and get lost in the trance state.
- DROP: Rotate and drop Tetriminos to the beat. Keep to the rhythm to build the biggest combo chain and score big!
- TAP: Players choose the most strategic Ghost Piece to tap in time to the beat and lose themselves in the flow state!
- MARATHON: The traditional Tetris® gameplay experience, where players get to choose the soundtrack!
- 18 game-exclusive songs at launch spanning Dance, Hip Hop and Pop, with new songs added every month
- Split screen Marathon Mode for versus play on Apple TV
- Cross platform gameplay, play on Apple TV, Mac, iPad, and iPhone
- Daily, weekly and monthly missions
- 3 difficulty levels for each mode
- Leaderboards for every song to challenge Game Center friends and the world
- Physical controller support
- Spatial Audio support for AirPods Pro; AirPods Max
Check out the trailer above, and stay tuned for more news here on Gaming Trend.


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It's also a dream for people like Zachary Bier, a 26-year-old engineer and sales representative in New York City who just leased a $52,000 BMW 335i to replace a 3-Series with an expiring lease. He set out to match his old $650-per-month payment with hopes of getting more features.
For the same payment, he got metallic black paint, upgraded leather seats with red trim and stitching, Bluetooth technology to link his phone to the car, a heads-up display that projects his navigation system and other data onto the windshield, and electronic blind-spot detectors, he said.
"I guess I was surprised based on the sticker price that this car has so much more," he said. "For everything that comes on this, I feel like it's a better car."
The reason car companies can offer cheap leases is because used car values are expected to remain high for the next several years. A company will offer an attractive lease rate now if it feels confident that when the lease is over, it can then sell the returned vehicle for a healthy price on the used-car market.
Those who buy instead of lease also get more for their money because low interest rates can bring lower payments. On average, four-year new-car loan rates are just over 4 percent this year, according to Bankrate.com. Back in 2007, before the Great Recession, that figure was 7.68 percent.
That's a big difference for someone buying a loaded-out $31,000 Ford Fusion with a package that includes heated leather seats, premium audio system and 18-inch polished aluminum wheels. Say the buyer trades in a car worth $10,000 and borrows $21,000. At 4 percent interest for four years, the monthly payment would be $474. But if interest rates return to pre-recession levels, the payment jumps to $510, raising total costs by $1,728. That could cause a buyer to cut features to keep the price down.


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Bank of America, Citigroup, and some additional consumer-facing lenders are reportedly considering preventing their customers from using credit cards issued by the firms to buy cryptocurrencies. While it’s not clear exactly how or when these institutions would put these policies into place, the decision could result in a new set of restrictions and limits surrounding the purchase of crypto.
According to a MarketWatch report, a spokeswoman from Bank of America explained simply that the bank was “reviewing its policies” regarding cryptocurrency; Citigroup is “[continuing] to monitor this evolving space,” although no official policy changes are underway.
In Absence of Government Regulation, Banks Are Cracking Down on Crypto
Over the last two weeks, reports have emerged of banks all around the world taking steps to crack down on customers using credit cards, debit cards, and wire transfers to purchase cryptocurrencies.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Capital One Financial Corporation has placed a ban on the use of its credit cards to purchase cryptocurrency, taking a ‘bank knows best’ attitude; the reason for the ban was explained as an effort to limit “mainstream acceptance and the elevated risks of fraud, loss, and volatility.”
ACY Securities Doubles Instruments, Reduces Spreads & Commissions in AustraliaGo to article >>
Some mortgage-lending firms are also denying loans to customers who have earned money through cryptocurrency. In a report from the Financial Times last week, the UK’s Building Societies Association issued a statement saying that the unregulated nature of cryptocurrencies “puts them into the highest risk category in relation to money laundering,” and that “it is well known that such currencies are popular with criminals, who use them to launder the proceeds of crime.”
Danish bank Nordea has even gone so far as to ban its 31,000 employees from owning any cryptocurrency at all, a move that many consider to be a violation of workers’ rights.
Kent Petersen, chairman of the Danish Financial Federation, told Danish news-station Danmarks Radio: “It is clear that employees should not speculate on something that is criminal. But that’s not the case for bitcoin, as it seems at this time. We think that a ban is being made without a legal basis.” (Translated quote.)
It is true that Bitcoin has gone on a bit over a wild ride over the last several months. After hitting nearly $20,000 in December 2017, the value of a single bitcoin has since petered out to around $11,300.
Despite BTC’s volatility, whether or not banks choosing to regulate the behavior of the employees and customers with regard to crypto are on the right side of history remains to be seen.


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Update: As of about 10:15 am, things seem to be coming back online for Google Apps and Gmail.
Since about 8:00 am today, Google’s Gmail and Google Apps for Business mail are down. Twitter is abuzz with it. It’s beginning to show up in the search engines.
Note that it doesn’t seem to be affecting everyone, but many are complaining about it. Stay tuned – we’ll keep you posted.


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The MEPS Asia average prices for grade 304 hot and cold rolled coil, in April, stand at their highest levels since August 2008. The rate of increases has accelerated, in recent months, predomina
Coated Steel Market Insights and Industry Analysis by Type (Color-Coated Steel, Metallic-Coated Steel), Coating (Polyester, Epoxy, Polyurethane, Pure Zinc, Pure Aluminum, Aluminum Zinc), End-Use
Demand for moving goods around the world has dramatically fallen as the cost of living rises and...
This is the final story in a two-part series based on a survey by S&P Global Commodi
Christopher Coke Updated: Dec 5, 2022 4:01 PM Posted: Dec 5, 2022 4:00 PM Category: Hardware Reviews 0
We reviewed the original Meze 99 Neo back in 2019 and were impressed at the
Toyota has fared better than many of its competitors in riding out the supply chain disruptions of recent years. But focusing on how Toyota had stockpiled semiconductors and the problems of othe
Orbis Turkish Scrap Forecaster Orbis Turkish Scrap Forecaster
Domestic wholesale steel prices have seen a hike of 4.5-6.2% from the beginning of the current month. The prices doubled in the last one year.
Industry sources said, with effect from June
According to data from the General Administration of Customs, in July 2022, China exported 6.671 million mt of steel, a drop of 886,000 mt from the previous month, and a year-on-year increase of


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US network Verizon has revealed details of Samsung’s latest Windows Phone handset, pre-empting the manufacturer’s own announcement of the device. The Samsung Ativ SE runs Windows Phone 8 and features a 5-inch full HD display, a quad core processor and 4G LTE, along with NFC.
- Samsung unveils ultra wideband Smart Tags
- Hyundai to let drivers use their iPhone to unlock their vehicle
- Samsung adds support for UWB and NFC digital car keys
- Vaccine credentials coalition to develop interoperable digital Covid-19 passport
- BMW adds UWB to digital car keys
This article is more than six years old


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In January-June of this year, the enterprises of the association “Ukrtruboprom” reduced the production of pipes by 24.4% compared to the same period last year – to 235.2 thousand tons.
According to the updated data of the association, in January, “Ukrtruboprom” enterprises increased the output of pipes by 2.2 times compared to the same period last year – to 61.3 thousand tons, in February – by 16.2%, to 49 thousand tons. tons, but production has been declining since March.
So, in March, the output of pipes was 3.5 thousand tons (5.9% to March-2021), in April – 18.5 thousand tons (32.1% to March-2021), in May – 51.4 thousand tons (86.5%), in June – 51.6 thousand tons (76.6%).
In general, in the first half of the year, all plants demonstrated negative dynamics. “Interpipe Nico Tube” and “Trubostal” reduced the production of seamless pipes by 14% and 44.4%, respectively, “Sentravis” – stainless pipes by 25%, “Interpipe NMTZ” – electric welding pipes by 37.6%.
General Director of “Ukrtruboprom” Giorgiy Polskyi noted that at the beginning of the year, pipe factories increased production against the background of favorable conditions in foreign markets, which is mainly due to the post-Kovid recovery of the world economy and high hydrocarbon prices. However, the full-scale invasion of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine led to the sharpest decline in production: in March, almost the entire industry came to a standstill.
“In April, Ukrainian pipe manufacturers began to cautiously start up production facilities, and in May-June enterprises reached 50% capacity utilization from the pre-war period. However, individual plants are severely underutilized, as new supply chains and logistics schemes are still in the process of restructuring and formation, for example, “Interpipe NMTZ” used to receive raw materials (strips) from “Azovstal”, but now it is impossible due to the occupation of Mariupol,” said Polsky, quoted by the press service.
According to him, now logistics is the main factor why pipe factories cannot reach pre-war production volumes. The outage of many suppliers in the east and south of Ukraine has been a big loss for pipe workers from the point of view of traditional supply chains. In addition, many traditional logistics schemes have been disrupted: Ukrainian seaports on the Black Sea have been blocked, there is a serious shortage of gasoline and diesel fuel in the country, and the transport infrastructure has been destroyed by enemy missile strikes.
“This forces enterprises to look for new, more expensive routes for transporting products for export through western border crossings and European seaports. In addition, the constant increase in energy prices, primarily natural gas and electricity, lead to an additional increase in the cost of pipe products and reduce their competitiveness on foreign markets”, – summed up the general director.
As reported, in 2021, Ukraine increased the output of pipes by 15.1% compared to the previous year – to 980.7 thousand tons, in particular, the enterprises of “Ukrtruboprom” increased their production by 32.6% – to 710.5 thousand tons.
In January-June of the current year, the enterprises of the Ukrtruboprom association, according to recent data, reduced production of pipes by 27.1% compared to the same period last year, to 226,900 tonnes.
According to a press release from the association on Wednesday, in January, Ukrtruboprom enterprises increased production of pipes by 2.2 times compared to the same period last year, to 61,300 tonnes, and in February by 16.2%, to 49,000 tonnes, but production has been declining since March.
So, in March, production of pipes amounted to 3,500 tonnes (5.9% compared to March 2021), in April – 18,500 tonnes (32.1% compared to March 2021), in May – 51,400 tonnes (86.5%), and in June – 43,200 tonnes (64.5%).
It is specified that in general, in the first half of the year, all plants showed a negative trend. Interpipe Niko Tube and Trubostal reduced production of seamless pipes by 14% and 44.4% respectively, Centravis stainless pipes by 25%, Interpipe Novomoskovsk Pipe Plant electric-welded pipes by 37.6%.
Heorhiy Polsky, General Director of Ukrtruboprom, noted that at the beginning of the year, pipe plants were increasing their output amid favorable external market conditions, which were mainly due to the post-COVID recovery of the global economy and high hydrocarbon prices. However, the full-scale invasion of Russian troops into the territory of Ukraine led to a severe decline in production: in March, almost the entire industry stopped.
PJSC Centravis Production Ukraine (Centravis Production Ukraine), part of the holding Centravis Ltd., has increased the production of pipes due to improved supplies of billets.
“The situation in production has slightly improved compared to last week. The extrusion line is running, the time for repairs has been reduced, as there is a positive trend in the receipt of the billet. The situation in the cold shop is also stable. Some of the mills have been launched due to the availability of billets, and the operation of two annealing furnaces has been resumed” , – stated in a letter from Chief Sales Officer (CSO) Artem Atanasov to Centravis customers on Friday.
According to him, the emphasis in production is on the production of pipes for instrumentation and automotive industry, but also heat exchange pipes and pipes for general purposes. There are no deviations in quality and metal consumption.
At the same time, it is noted that the logistics team of the company is constantly looking for the best and safest ways to deliver finished products to consumers. Members of the Board of Directors Yuriy Atanasov, Andrey Krasyuk, Oleksandr Joseph, Artem Atanasov remain in Ukraine and continue to work. Sales offices of “Centravis” around the world in Essen, Milan, Krakow, Lugano, Houston and Dubai are also open, financial and administrative departments, customer support work.
“We are pleased to inform you that the current EU protective measures against Ukraine will soon be lifted, which will allow Centravis to export its tubular products to the EU without paying a 25% protective duty indefinitely. The EU regulation in this regard will be officially approved in the near future and we expect it to be published in the Official Journal during May 2022,” Atanasov wrote.
“Centravis” is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of seamless stainless steel pipes, founded in 2000. Its production facilities are located in Nikopol (Dnepropetrovsk region). Included in the top 10 world players. Before the Russian aggression, more than 1,400 people worked at the enterprise.
Holding Centravis Ltd. was created on the basis of CJSC “Nikopol Stainless Pipe Plant”, service and trading companies LLC “Production and Commercial Enterprise “UVIS”. Its shareholders are members of the Atanasov family.
Owned by Centravis Ltd. 100% of the shares of PJSC “Centravis Production Ukraine” is located.
Ukraine’s leading pipe enterprises in January-November of this year increased production of pipes from ferrous metals, according to recent data, by 15.7% year-over-year, to 906,200 tonnes, including 87,100 tonnes produced in November. A source in the industry told Interfax-Ukraine, in particular, the enterprises of the Ukrtruboprom association have increased pipe production by 31.4% over this period, to 649,000 tonnes. Including in November, output amounted to 69,700 tonnes.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Ukrtruboprom welcomed a decision of the Ukrainian authorities to raise the export duty on scrap metal from EUR 58 to EUR 180 per tonne.
“Ukrainian pipe manufacturers expected this measure to restrict the export of strategic raw materials six months ago. It was from the end of spring that the export of ferrous scrap became uncontrolled, which caused a shortage of raw materials and even the import of round billets,” Ukrtruboprom Director General Heorhiy Polsky said, who signed the statement.
At the same time, he noted the timeliness of the duty hike: “It is important that the decision necessary for the Ukrainian pipe industry was made at the beginning of the winter season, when the volume of scrap procurement, the main raw material for production of seamless pipe products, is traditionally reduced.”
According to him, the new export duty will help stabilize the situation with scrap in the domestic market: pipe industry enterprises will be provided with raw materials, and people – with jobs and wages. After all, the export of highly processed products brings to the Ukrainian budget 4 times more taxes than the export of unprocessed raw materials abroad, Polsky summed up.


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In a world where consumers spend money purely for convenience and speed's sake (Favor and Doordash come to mind), it's no wonder so many customers are expecting more and more from the businesses they patronize. The result? A less patient client base with ever-increasing demands.
Of course, business isn't the only reason the general populace has grown impatient over the years. Societal factors play a role, too. Yet no matter the cause, the outcome remains the same. According to a 2019 report from NPR and IBM Watson Health: '42% of respondents said that, over the last year, they were angrier more often than they had been in the past.' Even more startling is this statistic: 84% of people said they think today's Americans are even 'angrier than they were a generation ago.'
If you don't have the infrastructure in place to deliver a quality product as soon as possible, your customer won't be happy and will move on to the next best thing. They'll make sure the world knows it, too. The NPR-IBM report stated nearly 90% of people are more likely to rant on social media than in person.
What does all of this mean for your business? In order to thrive, not only do you need to deliver a product that is quick to satisfy your customers' needs, you also need to be able to provide customer service that's convenient and provides instant gratification. That's where Help.com's omnichannel customer support solution comes in.
With an app that completely integrates live chat with your company's inbox, customers can reach out at a moment's notice without any barriers. In addition, agents can provide a seamless experience for customers who choose to switch between emailing and chatting online. Not only does this make it easier for customers to stay in contact, it also creates a deeper bond between them and your business. Say goodbye to customer anger with a quick app that fulfills all your customers' needs. Try Help.com today.


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With medical marijuana now legalized in Connecticut, some towns are eyeing new zoning regulations to limit the locations of medical marijuana dispensaries. The matter is one that has yet to come up locally.
On May 31 a bill was signed into law making medical marijuana legal in the state. As of the first of this month, that law went into effect.
As the possibility grows larger that a dispensary might move in, some municipalities have taken preemptive measures.
Torrington, Southington, Canton, and Middletown have all decided to implement zoning regulations regarding where medical marijuana can be sold.
Southington passed perhaps the toughest zoning regulations on dispensaries: Marijuana dispensaries can’t operate within 1,000 feet from one another; within 750 feet of a church, school, park or residential zone. The regulations there also require a hearing.
The state has said that it expects to allow between three and 10 dispensaries. So, not every municipality has been in a rush to put regulations on the book dealing with the issue.
Keith Rosenfeld, town planner for Naugatuck, said the borough has not considered it yet.
“We haven’t had any calls to do anything about that,” Rosenfeld said.
Prospect’s Land Use Inspector Bill Donovan said that the issue has not come up in yet in Prospect either.
“We haven’t even talked about it,” Donovan said. “If it’s an approved law we would be hard pressed to deny it.”
Donovan explained that the town could opt to do something like it does for the adult entertainment industry. The town has zoning regulations in the books that allow adult stores in a small industrial area.
Beacon Falls First Selectman Gerard Smith said that he had only recently begun to consider regulating dispensaries.
“We haven’t done anything yet because we haven’t thought that far ahead,” Smith said.
He said that he is going to recommend that the town look into regulating what types of businesses can be a medical marijuana dispensary.
Smith pointed out that in California patrons can buy marijuana in many different locations and store fronts.
“The bottom line is that it is a drug, and I don’t think we should be in the drug business anywhere except in a pharmacy,” Smith said.
Even though some municipalities are ready to regulate the dispensaries, those that have waited have not fallen behind. The law established an application process to the state for people who want a prescription, but no system has yet been established to regulate or allow the cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana.
The Republican American contributed to this article.


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They asked the government to ensure transparency in giving out loans from the proposed stimulus package for farmers
Bangladesh Safe Agro Food Efforts (BSAFE) Foundation has urged the government to give interest-free loans from the proposed Tk5,000 crore stimulus package for agriculture sector to boost production in a bid to overcome the Covid-19 impact.
BSAFE Foundation welcomed the government’s efforts and gave several proposals on the matter in a press release on Tuesday.
The non-profit organization pointed out that as supply chain has broken down due to the lockdown in the country, many farmers are forced to sell their produce at a lower price and the buyers are forced to buy at a higher price.
This will lead to a situation where farmers won’t be able to take out loans from the proposed stimulus package.
So, farmers should be given interest-free loan from the stimulus package and rescind the interest of previous loans, according to the foundation.
They have suggested to provide farmers and labourers with a special pass to move around the country to prevent supply chain from breaking down while maintaining the social distancing rules.
They asked the government to finalise the regulations of Boro paddy procurement and set a target of collecting 25,00,000 Metric tonnes of paddy.
They asked the local administration to arrange local kitchen markets 2-3 times a week while maintaining health regulations and social distancing.
They have also advised the government to look after the livestock and fisheries sector along with the crop sector.
They asked the government to ensure transparency in giving out loans from the proposed stimulus package for farmers.
They requested to create a local database of people receiving help from the government and provide them with cash instead of fixed sets of food so that they can choose what to buy for themselves.
They have also asked the government to set up a help desk in every unions and upazilas to make sure farmers can get their loans without any hassle.
They have also requested to put emphasis on food storage and dairy products.


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For immediate release
(CHICAGO – April 20, 2022) –Choose Chicago is proud to welcome Shavonne Harding who joined the Convention Sales department’s East Coast team as a National Sales Manager overseeing sales, marketing, and event management, based out of Washington, D.C.
She is joining Choose Chicago from Visit Baltimore, where she was Regional Director of Sales for the last four years. While at Visit Baltimore, Shavonne’s efforts generated a total economic impact of $35 million and $20 million in 2019 and 2020, respectively, for the city. Before joining Visit Baltimore, Harding served as a Sales Marketing Manager with The Freeman Company, Corporate Events Manager with Amazon Web Services, and Sales Manager at Mid-Atlantic/East with Destination DC, where she started her destination marketing career in 2014, and within one year was promoted to Conference Sales Manager.
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Harding attended Hampton University in Virginia, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and then obtained a Master’s Degree with a concentration in Tourism Administration/Event and Meeting Management from George Washington University.
She is an active member of industry organizations including the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), Meeting Professionals International (MPI), and the International Association of Exhibition and Events (IAEE), where she was part of the team that launched CVB Reps of the West (CReW) and served as the inaugural Activities Committee Chair.
Shavonne Harding is a proud Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) alumna. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, traveling, step aerobics, board games and dining at new restaurants.
About Choose Chicago
Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city and its member business community. For more information, visit ChooseChicago.com. Follow @ChooseChicago on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.


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- Amdaris reported 94 percent year on year revenue growth in 2022
- BGF initially backed Amdaris with a £3m investment in May 2020
- BGF is a growth capital investor in the UK and Ireland
BGF has exited its investment in Amdaris, a software development and digital services company, to Insight Enterprises.
Amdaris is headquartered in Bristol, UK. The company reported 94 percent year on year revenue growth in 2022.
BGF initially backed Amdaris with a £3 million ($3.82 million;€3.51 million) investment in May 2020 to support its growth plans.
Amdaris has scaled its operations and opened new offices in Bulgaria and Ukraine during BGF’s investment period. The company’s developer headcount also increased from 250 in 2020 to 735.
“We are very pleased to announce our exit from Amdaris following a successful three-year investment period that has seen the business deliver exceptional organic growth,” said Alex Garfitt, investor at BGF.
Insight will add Amdaris’ software development, application support, managed services and consultancy services to its portfolio and IT supply chain capabilities, according to a release.
BGF is a growth capital investor in the UK and Ireland. The firm has invested £3.5 billion in over 500 companies. It is based in London.
Insight, based in Chandler, Arizona, is a global technology company.


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Malaysia Truly Asia X Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia - Dekat Je. Visit Keningau Year 2018 + Revisit Pahang Year 2018 + Visit Terengganu Year 2018 + Visit Kota Bharu 2018 + Visit Miri Year 2018 + Visit Perlis Year 2020 + Visit Malaysia Year 2020. compiled and managed by Farsa.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Aussie praise for Penang
Tasty treats: Tourists enjoying the local food at the Gurney Drive food court.
GEORGE TOWN: Gurney Drive made it to the 13th spot on the list of ‘25 best streets for tourists to visit around the world before you die’, according to a popular Australian travel website.
The Australian website Traveller stated that the seafront promenade in Penang offered some of the best street food in all of Asia.
The website then cited the 100-over stalls at the Gurney Drive Hawker Centre that have been operating from the 70s.
A link was then attached to the website’s page dedicated to the state.
Traveller is said to provide the best travel advice and comprehensive destination guides for Austra-lian tourists.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the new recognition would boost the the state government’s effort to develop Penang’s potential as a world-class tourist destination.
“This recognition comes after Penang was named by CNN Travel as one of the 17 best places to visit in 2017,” he said in a press conference held at Komtar yesterday.
Other popular Asian destinations that made it on the Australian website’s list were Khao San Road in Bangkok and Hollywood Road in Hong Kong.


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Sylwia Ziemacka talked to Jana Pieriegud, professor at the Warsaw School of Economics, Institute of Infrastructure, Transport and Mobility, and an expert in transport and logistics. We talk about deglobalization, decoupling and other trends that are impacting global supply chains and the Polish market.
How would you define the current situation when it comes to the global supply chain? Which geopolitical or economic events are reshaping the market?
Global chains are affected by many factors: economic, social, environmental, geopolitical, technological. What has complicated the current situation extremely is in my opinion due to a number of reasons.
First of all, this is a mix of older risks and trends (like inflation, trade wars) and also newcomers. The latest 2023 Global Risks Report prepared and discussed by the World Economic Forum points to a new era of low growth, de-globalization and low global investment trend and the growing pressure of climate change.
The next key factor is that geopolitics took dominance over geoeconomics.
Also, geopolitical fragmentation will further fuel geo-economic confrontations and increase the risk of conflict in many areas.
So, Poland is already experiencing the influence of this mix of factors.
We know the dilemma today is how to support, for example, Ukraine and at the same time support Polish farmers and road carriers.
Decoupling and shrinking of supply chains is one of these keywords in logistics. Can you explain to us what it means for Poland?
The global risks we discussed lead to disruptions in supply chains and to the search for new industrial and trade policies.
That is why we focus so much today on outsourcing and collaboration strategies in supply networks such as:
• reshoring – the practice of moving a business or part of a business that was based in a different country back to its original country.
• nearshoring – bringing manufacturing plants closer to markets which are less expensive but geographically closer.
• and friendshoring – rerouting of supply chains to countries perceived as politically and economically safe or low-risk, to avoid disruption to the flow of business.
Decoupling and shortening (shrinking) supply chains is a trend that intensified during the pandemic, which disrupted supply chains, in particular preventing the supply of certain components.
However, globalization with offshoring is a megatrend, and the global network has been shaping for more than 30 years. The structure of supply chains, based on second- and third-tier sub-suppliers is common. We have very extensive and interconnected networks.
Nearshoring and friendshoring are important for our region, because companies have already started to rebuild their supply chains. However, this process will not be fast nor cheap.
Also a question: are we – consumers in Europe and Poland – ready to pay more for the products “made in Europe” or “made in Poland”, which are sustainable, certified and of high quality?
The transport and logistics costs are always a part of the final price of a product.
There are a lot of components and a lot of factors we need to take into account. We are talking here about long term perspectives and strategies, about decisions made by global corporations and about the decisions of governments in different countries.
But on top of that we also have to keep in mind events like Covid 19, which cause huge disruption in the supply chain.
This was the real reason why a lot of production moved closer to the end consumer. So it’s about finding a balance between changing strategy and remaining cost effective, which means looking for markets.
So probably the next trend after those mentioned already is diversification, as today it’s foolhardy to put all one’s eggs in one basket. Correct?
Yes, I think in the next two years multi-sourcing will be one of the key strategies for companies to look at. This means that companies will use multiple chains. This helps to be flexible in different situations. Current events show that there is a risk when building a supply chain and logistics based on one supplier. It also refers to transportation routes and corridors.
Let’s come back to the environmental impact. How does it play out in terms of the European market? On the one hand we talk about being closer to the customer. Then we talk about being cost effective and reorganization of the supply chain. But, as far as I know, the cotton used for the T-shirts we are using circulates all over the world before I buy it in a shop as the final product.
Yeah, this is a big challenge for companies, how to meet the expectations to be green, zero-emission and low cost, and at the same time cost effective and resilient. It’s difficult and the disparities in the approach to environmental issues in the EU and China are huge.
At the end of the day, consumer behavior will have a huge impact on those strategies. We will shortly see how these declarations about environmental life work in practice. I remember one World Economic Forum expert asking on the logistics event, do we need to eat strawberries in the winter? So it’s also about how global and how local we will stay in this new reality?
Yes, to change or to shape new consumer behavior takes time. But what is also worth mentioning is that technological trends that we are observing are many times faster than economic and social ones. For example, learning to adapt to car sharing. The same with new business models like mobility as a service, freight as a service.
There are already many technologies available, but still they are very expensive and/or we are not ready to use them as users, even though we know they work and they can help solve some current problems.
Can you give as an example in logistics of this type of innovative solution that is in place but not widely used in the market?
For example, a commonly known innovation is containerization. It’s been known for 67 years. As an idea it is not new, but only recently are we observing the increased use of this technology in Poland and between Asia and Europe. Costs are still a barrier. But this technology helps companies to be quick both in transshipment and transportation. Incentive tools are needed to encourage wider use and scale-up.
That leads us to another topic about market regulations.
As the European Union, we are going to harmonize, to unify processes, markets, and also to give these conditions for fair competitions both within the rail market, but above all between road and rail transport. We have a lot to do here.
I would like to come back a little bit to the ratings I mentioned earlier. According to Maersk and Reuters Events, Poland is number four as the most attractive single country when it comes to the relocation of production of supplies. Also according to the World Bank Logistics Performance Index, Poland is 28 or in 160 countries. What is behind such a high position?
The growing positive approach of large company managers to reshoring is good news, but the key will be the conditions for doing business: both the impediments to setting up and running a business and the incentives, tools to support investment.
However, these are changes we can expect in the long term, for which decisions are needed at both the government level and global concerns. This is a big geopolitical and geoeconomics game.
The process of deglobalization will be neither fast nor cheap. One factor is labor costs. In Europe we have much higher labor costs than in the so-called low-cost countries.
Are we as consumers willing to pay for Made in Europe, made in Poland, eco, green, certified, sustainable, resilient, low emission? It is not cheap.
I think multisourcing and friendshoring strategies will be important in the CEE region and will affect Poland, Ukraine and neighboring countries.
Recently you participated in several logistics conferences organized in Poland by different entities also from outside of our country. What are the main takeaways?
My first takeaway is that infrastructure development should be the priority. Also where to expand the capacity of border crossings and intermodal terminals to support trade exchange. Because of disruption in supply chains, we need to improve very fast, but at the same time we know that it’s not possible to create transport and logistics infrastructure in the short term.
Also what was mentioned at the recent conferences, is the fact that some administrative decisions on the governmental level, are often based on outdated data. Reliable data and analysis are also essential for companies to change and develop their supply strategies.
What are the biggest differences and in which aspect, from what you heard at those different conferences?
I think one very important thing and it was a very clear message from the Ukrainian side during the RailFreight Summit that took place in Warsaw in April that Ukrainian managers said they don’t understand the decisions of the Polish government. This shows us the different perspectives that we need to take into account. These misunderstandings appear on different sides: Poland, Ukraine and the EU.
Logistics is the art of flexibility and consensus. That would be my summary of our interview.


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London Fashion Week 2013 is showcasing to great success this year. The British talent today will exhibit its creative power and label muscle alongside the power houses . Many shows have gone mainstream thanks to live digital broadcasting. Technology indeed has democratised what only a few years ago was the realm of the PR houses who were the gatekeepers to the shows and their individually tagged seats. Still, the London fashion tech scene doesn't have much to celebrate because just days before this unmissable date in the fashion calendar, Lookk, the London-based fashion tech startup invested by the big and the mighty, has gone out of business after 4 years. Its CEO exited in August declaring that, while they succeeded in creating a nurturing community of fans and designers, they failed at creating an e-commerce market place. Though this may surprise the Silicon Roundabout dwellers, it is hardly news to the fashion insiders for the pieces of the puzzle to solve if tech startups want to disrupt and improve the Fashion industry, are a lot more than just "discovering" labels.
What makes Fashion a multi-billion dollar global industry is above and beyond discovery. Discovering new designers is not the gap to solve because thousands of media professionals, bloggers and stylists are at it 24/7 on a worldwide scale. While thousands of students graduate from fashion schools, only a few have real 'genius' worth backing financially. The creative industries, namely film, TV, animation, special effects, even source code writing, have tough recruitment requirements: only the best make it. Same as the restaurant business: discovery is not the major pain if the chef is a true artist. Anyone who has travelled to El Bulli or Thomas Keller's The French Laundry will confirm how out of the beaten track these Michelin star temples are, yet their reservations list is booked up six months in advance.
Any industry that turns creativity into a business makes it or breaks it because of other 'unsexy', 'little known' background factors, namely production deadlines and deliveries. This is why the fashion insiders can't stand Mary Portas and their stomachs churn at the mention of Hollywood pearls like Devil Wears Prada or Zoolander. Profit margins in the pre-a-porter or couture are tough or almost impossible to achieve, so the big houses build pyramids of product lines that allow them to create EBITDA at group level thanks to scalable and cheap to produce "lower entry products" such as accessories and fragrances. The esoteric formula creates a brand promise sustained by the genius and aspirational elements of the top line products, in order to successfully sell at higher volume their leather goods and perfumes. It is as fragile an ecosystem as an orchid garden. It requires perfection, genius and obsessive work.
Financial backing for a fashion label is not just about financing talented designers. While one is funding a creative genius that sometimes dictates collections based on costly fabrics and artisanal processes, this is just the pre-production side of the business. The bigger hurdle to conquer is to secure infallible supply-chain and manufacturing mechanisms like only the Spaniards at Inditex, MANGO or Textil Lonia (CH Carolina Herrera) know how to conjure up. And then, if producing a collection every six months was not straining enough, there's the deliveries of merchandise, something that deprives all retailers of sleep and profit margins, as the revered Burton Tansky, CEO of Neiman Marcus Stores declared at the Annual Vogue Retailers Breakfast in Paris.
"Designers need to recognise", Mr Tansky pleaded to Anna Wintour, a fashion editor of true vision and a real mentor to many designers, "that the worldwide demand for their products is expanding at a rate that even they themselves don't understand, so they are not keeping up with the production as demand is (currently) outstripping supply." Mr Tansky was not talking about amateurish designers from up and coming labels that are learning the ropes. He was referring to the heavy-weight houses in luxury prêt-a-porter. His angst was a torrent of despair. "We are waiting longer and longer for deliveries, and these mostly come at the back end instead of the front end of the delivery process". What Mr. Tansky unveiled is that discovery is really not the point: "Fashion is fun and we all love it, but with the ads out there in the media and no goods to sell..." Bingo. Here is your Lean Canvas's Problem to solve for all of you Google Campus crowd that want to get into Fashion by way of coding software.
When you are a buyer at a retailer, meeting amazing genius at the fashion fairs is really not the problem: the real pain is to find labels that can guarantee a certain stock of deliveries so that when you spend thousands of dollars in shooting ads showcasing their new collections, the products can be put on sale as soon as possible to cover your investment and cash exposure.
Enormously talented designer labels coveted by clients and industry have gone out of business because of deliveries. Even when they had funding for a given collection, it is the manufacturing, the supply-chain what makes or break a fashion business. Sourcing materials is as hard as getting a place in the queue of a reputable manufacturer. Successful labels use the same production lines, believe it or not. Ask Luxottica, the Italian eyewear manufacturer that in addition to its acquired brands (Oliver's People, Ray-Ban) produces the entire eyewear collections of PRADA, Dior, Chanel, FENDI and pretty much the whole world of couture. A good supply-chain executive can help an up and coming label get into the production line of a top reputable name in manufacturing, but it is done in the gaps in-between the big names. And if the big names have their own production troubles, guess where your place in the queue goes if something gets delayed. Lookk may have created a phenomenal fan base for your collections but you cannot supply their demand because you've been delayed by a major name out there.
The Fashion world does not need more designers to be discovered: it needs more high quality goods manufacturers that can produce and supply on time and in flawless condition the sizes and pieces that a collection has been paid to deliver to retailers; it needs shipping companies that can price their fees still leaving margins for the labels, with logistics that reduce costs and reduce time; it needs governments that reduce taxes on artisanal businesses that employ local people so that the labels do not outsource to third world countries where women and children are exploited. The latter is what has allowed the Spaniards to cost-cut and oversee quality at close range.
I am hugely annoyed when the tech media calls tech fashion the businesses of ASOS, Yoox, Fab.com, who are simply helping out getting rid of excess inventory. This is not innovative and this is not the business of Fashion: it is called "outletting". It is like putting Poundland in the same vertical of Waitrose. Let the stylists, the bloggers and the press discover creative talent. If you really want to help transform the Fashion industry, don't showcase emerging talent that cannot supply or produce proper collections. Fashion is not the Art world in need of curation.
Fashion is big business, it is part of the GDP of many nations, and it is a business of talent and perfection in the background. When this week London held its Fashion Week, the average collection run through is about 12-16 minutes. The rest of the seconds, minutes and hours towards and after that moment is a clockwork industry of talent and precision. That, the behind the scenes, is what needs your entrepreneurial innovation.


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FIFA President Sepp Blatter Pushes Back After Arrests
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Toyota’s new Prius C is proving to be the little hybrid that could – and that’s leading the automaker to ramp up production of the newest member of its Prius “family.”
The C is a compact gas-electric model that went on sale earlier this month, joining the original Prius hatchback and the larger Prius V introduced last year – with a plug-in version of the original Prius to follow later this year.
With a base price of $19,710, the Prius C is the least-expensive full hybrid on the market and the only compact to share the familiar Prius badge. That’s significant in a market that has – despite near-record fuel prices – so far been reluctant to embrace hybrids, the technology last year accounting for less than 3% of total U.S. new vehicle sales, but the Prius badge emblazoned on one of every two hybrids purchased in the country.
(Click Here for our Toyota Prius C review.)
The timing of the Prius C launch could not have been better, analysts say, and the new model generated 1,200 sales in just its first five days on the market – albeit many of those customers had placed orders some time back and were simply waiting for delivery. While it remains to be seen if the momentum will be maintained, Toyota appears to be quite optimistic.


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When other states started their medical cannabis programs, "people were submitting these great applications, and they would get their provisional licenses, and they would sell them,” said Cameron McNamee, director of policy and communications for the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, which licenses medical cannabis dispensaries.
Ohio officials wanted to prevent that from happening here, McNamee said.
Secondly, anyone seeking to buy a medical cannabis license in Ohio must go through the same criminal-background and credit checks as the original applicant.
"The state is interested in making sure licenses are owned and controlled by quality operators,” said Thomas Rosenberger, associate director of the Ohio Medical Cannabis Cultivators Association. “The regulators won't approve a sale to just anyone. They want to make sure that the folks who are purchasing the entity are still following the rules."
Lastly, medical cannabis businesses are entitled to sell only an operating license, which permits a company to open a dispensary, cultivator and processor. They can’t sell the provisional license, which permits them to set up shop.
An operating license is awarded after state inspectors determine that the company lived up to the promises in its application.
Read more at dispatch.com


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Global Cement News
Search Cement News
Pakistan: Lucky Cement has inaugurated a waste heat recovery (WHR) unit in Pezu, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, its fifth across its operations. The unit generates 10MW from two 2400t/day cement production lines. It was installed by China’s Sinoma.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Muhammad Ali Tabba, CEO of Lucky Cement, as well as other members of the company’s senior management. “As one of the leading cement manufacturers in Pakistan, we have the responsibility to reduce energy consumption and improve the environment. With the launch of our fifth WHR plant, we aim to do just that,” said Tabba.
Written by Global Cement staff
15 March 2017
Philippines: Holcim Philippines posted higher sales despite increased competition in 2016. Its revenue grew by 7.5% to US$801m due to both higher volumes and prices. Operating earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 14% to US$215m.
The company’s net income reached US$135m, which benefited from a one-time gain of US$52m from the revaluation of Holcim Philippines’ investment in an affiliate. Without the one-off item in 2015, profits were higher by 24% in 2016.
Holcim Philippines Chief Operating Officer Sapna Sood said, “Ensuring stable supply is critical in these times of high building activity. Last year, we demonstrated our commitment to keep the market supplied by raising our production capacity and leaning on our strong regional network. As a result, we showed our customers we are a reliable partner, which helped us compete, even with the entry of new players.”
Written by Global Cement staff
15 March 2017
Sri Lanka: Nandana Ekanayake has been appointed as the chief executive officer of Siam City Cement Lanka. Previously Ekanayake was the Finance Director at Holcim Vietnam and was the Vice President of Holcim Lanka, according to the Daily News newspaper. Thailand’s Siam City Cement purchased Holcim Lanka in mid-2016.
China: China Pioneer Cement, the sole shareholder of Shandong Shanshui Cement, has removed Li Maohuan, Yu Yuchuan, Zhao Liping and Chen Zhongsheng as directors of Shandong Shanshui. In their place Liu Yiu Keung, Stephen, Yen Ching Wai, Chong Cha Hwa and Liu Dequan have been appointed as directors.
Written by Bruno Vanderborght, Lesscoo GmbH
15 March 2017
The Global Cement Weekly column of 22 February 2017 entitled ‘European Union (very) slowly tightens the screws on its Emissions Trading Scheme,’1 bears witness to the misconception that we must choose between protecting the cement industry OR the climate. Quite the opposite is true: the objective is the cohesion between economic prosperity, meeting cement market demand AND lowering CO2 emissions.
It is undisputed that, if climate protection is aspired to, there needs to be an adequate regulatory incentive that supports, perhaps even strengthens, industry’s profitability when companies act to lower their CO2 emission. Some companies have tried selling low CO2-cement at a price premium, marketing their lower embedded carbon. In a commodity market of a grey powder where low prices are a decisive purchasing point, this obviously doesn’t fly.
The only sustainable business incentive is to pass on the full cost of CO2 not only in production but also in consumption of products. This would effectively result in higher cement sales prices for high-CO2 cement and lower prices but higher margins for low-CO2 cement, without losing competitiveness to producers that do not face regulatory CO2 constraints. Hence, a win-win-win situation for low carbon cement producers, consumers and the environment. This is after all the purpose of the sectoral ETS mechanism with inclusion of importers and no free allowance allocation.
The studies undertaken by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) for CEMBUREAU simulated the potential gross margin for the domestic cement industry in case of different leakage prevention mechanisms. While this may sound shocking for some, there is nothing wrong with aiming at maximisation of gross margin. Quite the opposite, gross margin maximisation is absolutely necessary for the cohesion between economic prosperity and climate protection and the effectiveness of an ETS.
The BCG studies led to the conclusion that in case of a tightening CO2 allowance cap and under certain market conditions the importers’ inclusion mechanism can yield the best margin for the industry. Since however, as the Global Cement Weekly column mentions, the EU only very slowly tightens the screws on the supply of emission allowances, there will be sufficient free allocation for industry and there remains little need to lower emissions and thus little need for an importers’ inclusion mechanism.
CEMBUREAU called into doubt the representativeness of the technology penetration reported by the Cement Sustainability Initiative’s Getting the Numbers Right database. It is a well-established fact that the penetration of modern preheater precalciner kilns in most emerging countries is higher than in Europe, because the industry is younger outside of Europe and hence most installations have been built with more recent, more energy-efficient technology. Besides the CSI database, cement CO2 inventories exist for about 10 emerging countries. They all confirm the same.
Beyond the comparison with other regions however, an emissions trading system that after 12 years still enables one fifth of production being made using the most energy-intensive technologies objectively misses its purpose.
Despite consuming up to 50% more energy than the Best Available Technology, such installations can survive thanks to free allocation and the revenues from waste derived fuels. The industry legitimately highlights the environmental benefits of using waste as a fuel. However, it is questionable whether keeping energy-intensive installations alive thanks to cheap energy from waste is consistent with this environmental narrative.
The proposed changes to the EU ETS will not improve its effectiveness for the cement industry. Quite the opposite, it will make it even less effective because the introduction of a dynamic allocation based on a clinker benchmark completely nullifies the need for the industry to lower the clinker content in cement.
CEMBUREAU indeed has the right to protect the industry it represents, but is probably short sighted and ill informed when it does so to the detriment of society’s necessity to mitigate climate change. The rejection of the importers’ inclusion mechanism is a missed opportunity for the European Union to make the ETS effective and for the cement industry to maintain its competitiveness in a carbon constrained world.
Eric Olsen, CEO of LafargeHolcim, the largest global cement company, and chairman of the Cement Sustainability Initiative, has called for a meaningful and increasing carbon price that can be passed through the whole product value chain and for trade policy to be included in the ETS.2
Lakshmi Mittal, Chairman of ArcelorMittal, the largest global steel company, has also called for a border adjustment measure and inclusion of consumption in climate policies.3 High quality research by leading economists exists on this topic.4 Now that the reform of the EU ETS enters the trilogue negotiation between European Council, Commission and Parliament, these industry leaders should step forward with a concrete and workable solution to combine industrial, trade and climate policies by 2020.
2. WEF, Davos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_mhqcNR0uA
3. Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/8341b644-ef95-11e6-ba01-119a44939bb6
4. Climate Strategies, UK: http://climatestrategies.org/?s=consumption


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The giant, white cube in Tacoma is finished. So what does it do?
The big white cube is open for business.
We're talking about NewCold, the 140-foot-tall warehouse that covers 3.5 acres and encloses 25 million cubic feet of space along Orchard Street in South Tacoma, near Fircrest.
Within its walls, cranes and conveyor belts move pallets of frozen food in an automated choreography. Its major client, Trident Seafoods, already has begun storing its products there.
Inside the building is the realm of robots, where it's 5 degrees below zero Fahrenheit and there's 20 percent less oxygen than outside. That environment reduces the risk of fire, but also means people can't work there without supplemental oxygen.
In a traditional warehouse, "you are driving a marathon to load the truck, whereas over here the products are brought to you," said Jonas Swarttouw, business development manager for the U.S. operations of the Netherlands-based company. "The system automatically collects the right pallets in the right order and stages them in front of the dock, where a truck docks to be loaded.
"The final part is still a manual process. It's a combination of technology and people."
So far NewCold has nearly 50 employees. These aren't just any warehouse jobs. Some people drive forklifts, but the robots do the heavy lifting. The humans run, repair and monitor them.
As the company ramps up capacity, it is hiring more people for those robot and forklift jobs. By the end of the year it could hire 50 more people in various positions, Swarttouw said.
"People with an appetite for technology, and who are interested in being in one of the most advanced warehouses in the country are welcome to apply," he said.
Though the warehouse's automated system can move more goods quicker and more accurately than people driving forklifts could alone, the idea is not to remove people entirely from operation, Swarttouw said.
"The objective is to support people with technology so they can deliver the best service in the best way," he said.
Automation means a NewCold customer can reliably order goods a day ahead of its shipping date, Swarttouw said. Traditional warehouses run entirely by humans might take twice as long or longer, he said.
A traditional warehouse would be much shorter and take up four times the land area as the NewCold building, Swarttouw said. The height of a traditional building is limited by the reach of relatively short forklifts. In the Tacoma warehouse, the automated cranes, which lift the pallets into position for storage, require less room than a forklift would.
This economy of space contributes to the building's energy efficiency. It uses 50 percent of the energy a conventional warehouse would require, enabling it to save enough energy each year to power 700 typical Tacoma homes, Swarttouw said.
The Tacoma warehouse is NewCold's first venture in North America. The company also has warehouses in Australia and Europe. It's developing another in Idaho and considering an East Coast warehouse.
"Eventually we want to have a nationwide presence," Swarttouw said.


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Apple Releases Security Updates For iOS 15.3.1, iPad And iPhone Users Can Update It With Ease: The iOS 15 version users can now update their iPhones and iPads as the company has released the second update for 2022, iOS 15.3.1. It is a minor update, so there are no new features. Apple’s support page states that the update was released because the WebKit bug enabled the users to process the malicious web content on their iOS devices. Two weeks ago, Apple already released iOS 15.3. update for the iPhone and iPad users. The security fixes were released, along with the bug fixes for the Braille display in the devices.
A Full Sneak Peek into Security Update For iOS 15.3
The new security update launched for iOS 15.3 updates the privacy bug that was exploited by the cybercriminals or some ‘bad actor.’ Apple only issues the security update when the users have updated the confirmation of security issues. The WebKit update done for this version is available for iPhone 6s and later users all iPad Pro models, iPad 5th Generation and the later ones, iPad 2 Air and other newly launched devices, iPod touch-7th generation, and iPad Mini 4 and later devices.
The anonymous researcher bug, namely “CVE-2022-22620,” disrupted the security, and the company fixed this. After this, the issue is reported and addressed with improved memory management. Most iPhone and iPad users can only use those approved applications by Apple. Like, if you want to enjoy playing Roulette, then choosing from a licensed platform that offers this table game for iOS will only be accepted. The security updates and accessibility fixes are only made after an in-depth discussion and confirmation.
The company has asked the users to update to the latest version to avoid data loss due to privacy buying. The anonymous bug was successfully detected after the iOS 15.3 update, so the company updated and fixed the memory management in this new update. To maintain your iOS device’s security, users can seek the steps to update to the latest version here. This update will help users scroll through the Safari browser with ease now. It is a significant security fix, as it may have hampered the Braille display badly. Along with this, there is an Apple watch update released too that is watchOS 8.4.2. It is also a minor update that will sort out any bug fixes for the Apple Watch Series 3 and its other latest models.
Apple Saved The Users Data From Getting Vulnerable
In the statement issued by the company, “We are aware of the report that this anonymous bug may have actively exploited the sensitive information of the users.” The malicious web content would have made the data vulnerable and caused harm to the users. On the other hand, experts are watching it as a good sign for the company’s growth and retaining of its customers by releasing the security patches as and when it comes to their notice.
The company is aware that the cybercriminals would have exploited this bug issue, and therefore all the iOS device users are asked to update their device immediately to this version. Apart from the iPad, iPhone, and Apple Smart Watch, the macOS 12 update has been released for MacBook laptop users. This update is macOS monetary 12.2.1 update to fix the zero-day vulnerability, if any.
This update came into force on February 10, 2022, and was issued for Apple users immediately across the globe. But, the users who cannot see the updated information by default can refresh the page. This update will help improve device usage, as stated by Apple experts.


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Hydro-Photon, the Maine-based maker of handheld devices that use ultraviolet light to purify water, has raised just shy of $2 million in equity, according to an SEC filing. This will put more capital behind the firm’s product, called the “SteriPEN,” which looks like the hunting knife version of a lightsaber.
But this handheld device is designed the kill bacteria, viruses, and parasites in water, using ultraviolet light to destroy the DNA of such invaders in the water supply, according to the firm’s website. Miles Maiden, founder of Hydro-Photon, invented the firm’s main product more than a decade ago and began selling the devices through outdoor gear retailer REI in 1999. The firm says it has tripled in size since 2004, but Maiden wasn’t available at his office when I called for more details this morning.
The names of the firm’s investors are not listed in the SEC filing, but the company does appear to have some experienced executives on its staff and board of directors. Ed Volkwein, the company’s president, is a former senior executive in the consumer electronics division of Royal Philips Electronics and the video game company Sega, according to his profile on zoominfo. Richard Gurin, a director of Hydro-Photon, is a consumer products industry veteran and former CEO of Crayola, the Easton, PA-based maker of crayons and other creative products.


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July 3, 2012 2:04 am
The improvements in the luxury home market kept pace with reported gains in the domestic real estate market overall in recent months. Sales of existing homes of more than $1 million improved by nearly 17 percent in some regions in April over the same period in 2011, according to the National Association of REALTORS®, while new home sales at the high end of the market remained strong through May, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Briggs reports an uptick in sales of premium properties in a variety of areas, based on information from his colleagues in the luxury real estate market:
- In Manhattan, people are buying co-ops and condos at top prices, and a penthouse on 57th Street just sold for more than $90 million - a record sale for New York City, according to Royce Pinkwater.
- Attracting buyers from around the U.S., Brazil and other countries, the Miami market has seen price per square foot rise 18 percent over the past year, and sales were up 66 percent in the first quarter, according to Mayi de Ia Vega.
- Michael Rankin reports the demand for luxury homes has grown so much in Washington, D.C., that many are being offered as "private exclusives," and kept off of the multiple listing service.
- Gloria Smith in San Francisco reports that homes in the $5 million range continue to sell quickly.
- Briggs’ European associates report record-setting sales prices in Sweden and increased interest from Americans and Russians looking at villas in Italy. “The European debt crisis has driven the world's super-rich to seek stable investments in high-end properties in London,” he adds.
Published with permission from RISMedia.


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COLUMBUS, Ohio—A new trade deal reached between the United States and China might significantly increase China’s imports of American agricultural products, including soybeans.
A pause in the ongoing trade war between the two countries might seem like good news to farmers, but the planned annual increase in China’s imports of U.S. agricultural goods is likely higher than either country can deliver on, said Ian Sheldon, an agricultural economist and professor with The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
Under the U.S.-China trade deal, which is expected to be finalized Jan. 15, China has committed to buying at least $40 billion worth of U.S. agricultural goods by the end of 2020. China purchased $24 billion in U.S. agricultural goods in 2017 before the trade war began. So the deal is calling for a $16 billion annual increase upon the 2017 total.
“How can a country virtually double imports in a year?” Sheldon asked.
The only way China can likely do that is if the Chinese government pressures its state-owned trading agencies to commit to that level of purchases of U.S. agricultural goods, he said.
“Most farmers will tell you they want to be able to compete on the world market,” Sheldon said. “If the Chinese commit to importing more than they would have at world prices, then this is an artificial increase in market access for the United States.’’
Other countries that export goods to China, including Brazil, could file disputes with the World Trade Organization, alleging that the deal is discriminatory.
The terms of the new trade deal also likely will be challenging for the United States to meet, said Sheldon, who works in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics within CFAES. Production of agricultural goods will have to rise significantly to supply China with the promised level of imports, he said.
The new trade deal with China is one of two recent U.S. trade deals that have been reached. Dairy farmers, in particular, are expected to gain from increased exports as part of the trade agreement the United States, Canada, and Mexico reached in December 2019. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement that went into effect in 1994.
Trade tensions between the United States and China were ratcheted up in July 2018 when the United States imposed the first in a series of tariff hikes on imports from China. That led to China retaliating with its own set of tariffs on imports of U.S. goods. For Ohio farmers, a damaging effect of the trade war has been a steep drop in China’s demand for soybeans, which are Ohio’s top agricultural export.
The new trade deal might stop the escalation in the trade war, but it does not eliminate tariffs. Consumers in China and the United States will still pay 20% on average in import tariffs.
A better solution to the trade war with China would be to return to the relatively low tariff levels that were present on both U.S. and Chinese imports before the trade war with China started, Sheldon said.
“It’s good that the agreement means we’re not escalating the trade war,” Sheldon said. “But I’m not convinced that either the United States or China can meet some of the commitments—at least not in the time frame they’ve set up.”


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Relevant news & expert insight
Latest products and companies to do business with
Tip & tricks for fashion & material business
Forbes contributor, Pamela N. Danziger, writes that five years ago two scientists had a mad idea: recycle leather scraps and turn them back into a useable leather product.
Hidenet CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Vera Dordick, reports that the hide market in the US was quiet in the last week as Chinese buyers wind down for the Lunar New Year holiday that starts on 25 January.
Leatherbiz reports that leather chemicals manufacturer Lanxess opened its doors once again to people from tanneries, research organisations and finished product brands on January 20, hosting its fifth annual start-of-the-year industry seminar.
After having successfully completed the Stage One application, the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT), with the support of Leather UK, has launched a survey to help prepare the Stage Two submission, reports ILM.
Vogue’s Alden Wicker writes that direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands that cut out middlemen have thrived, but upscale labels can still benefit from having a good agent.
NEWS & BLOG