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Western entities trying to protect everything from drug patents to cartoon trademarks in Russia worry IP protection there may become unfeasible as instability increases over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Russia’s response to sanctions was to say that intellectual property of companies from countries it deems unfriendly won’t get protected. As a result, Russia could become awash with counterfeits that also could be exported to other markets, attorneys say.
The business and legal uncertainty also makes it difficult for companies to invest in starting or maintaining operations as indications emerge that Russia’s IP regime could collapse, at least with respect to foreign entities.
“It’s going to be terrible,” said attorney Dan Harris of Harris Bricken Sliwoski LLP, who helps companies do business in emerging markets. “There will be no IP protection in Russia.”
Russia issued a March 6 order allowing use of patented inventions owned by many foreign companies without compensation. Days earlier, a Russian court tossed a lawsuit aimed at protecting Peppa Pig trademarks because the cartoon character’s rightsholder is based in the U.K., which is on the list of unfriendly countries.
It’s unclear how long the patent order will remain in effect. But Russia’s treatment of IP heightens the risk for many companies considering that market in the future, attorneys say.
Companies “are going to be loath to go back in and go back to business as usual,” said Kory Christensen, a patent attorney at Polsinelli PC who works with international companies.
Short-term, attorneys are advising clients to examine their inventory of Russian patents. Businesses have to decide whether to continue paying fees required to maintain those patents, in hopes the March 6 order is rescinded before the patents expire.
“These clients have put in a significant amount financially and through the research and development in these filings,” patent attorney Vadim Cherkasov at McCarter & English LLP said. “For them to take a step back and give up on these patents is a hard thing to do.”
The patent order hurts efforts to promote innovation, Cherkasov said.
About a third of roughly 35,000 patent applications filed in 2020 with the Russian intellectual property agency Rospatent came from non-residents, according to World Intellectual Property Organization data. By comparison, the U.S. had 600,000 applications that year.
“Even if this is just a temporary situation, it creates a lot of instability and it shows to these companies that there’s potential for more instability in the future,” Cherkasov said.
Trademark attorney Mary L. Grieco of Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP said Russia hadn’t been a problematic country for IP rights in the past 10 to 15 years before the war.
Grieco, who manages international portfolios, said she’d still generally advise clients to “at least go through the motions” of obtaining and updating registrations, while letting them know there’s a chance their rights may not be enforced.
“Russia is a first-to-file country rather than first-to-use, so without registrations there’s nothing to protect,” she said. “We don’t know what it’s going to look like two years from now, 10 years from now.”
Grieco also noted that trademark laws are fundamentally consumer protection laws, so Russia’s actions targeting foreign companies can ultimately hurt Russian consumers. Along with car parts, food and personal care products could carry safety implications if consumers are misled as to their origin and contents, she said.
Russian trademark attorney Anastasia Skovpen, who works for
She added that it was unclear how recent Russian actions toward foreign businesses would affect trademark rights. But it’s unlikely the government will ease cancellation of trademarks or shorten the three-year non-use period that results in abandonment, she said.
The invasion-spurred isolation could encourage more counterfeiting, attorneys said.
Harris said Russian manufacturers likely would try to make knock-off car parts and medicine, along with fast food like Big Macs.
Russians have already registered marks indicating as much.
Svitlana Lebedenko, a legal researcher at the European University Institute, said Russians registering such marks harkening to departed companies may be franchisees looking to continue running the business.
Before the War
In 2020, Russia was one of 10 countries the Office of the United States Trade Representative put on a watch list, citing a “lack of robust enforcement of IP rights” and calling Russia a thriving market for counterfeit goods.
But Lebedenko said IP in Russia is more complicated. Adopting Western IP rules failed to foster innovation in Russia, because patent rights in the hands of “crony capitalists can magnify the social harms of the patent system leading to high concentration of ownership of knowledge,” she argued in a paper published by the EUI in January.
She said despite shortcomings the Soviet state-run research and development system led to rapid industrialization, innovation, and self-sufficient industries, including in pharmaceuticals. When the state collapsed, potential Russian innovators faced high royalties that created major barriers to entry, she said.
“Western IP rules, originating from the WTO TRIPS Agreement, have not lived up to their expectations in Russia,” Lebedenko said. “Innovation in Russia has now become more of a black box than under the Soviet system.”
Irene Calbolli, a law professor at Texas A&M University, said IP in Russia was “kind of a Wild West” before the invasion, but that the country had been moving in the right direction.
She noted that Russia joined a number of international agreements on intellectual property, creating obligations to adhere to global standards.
“Now they’ve completely gone the other direction,” said Calboli, whose focus is international trade and comparative law. “Now they’re saying they might want to legally take away the law so they can do what they want.”
—With assistance from Matthew Bultman.
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All-in-one subscription bundle for Music, TV Plus, and more
In a press release on Tuesday, September 15th, Apple Inc. announced the creation of a new single-plan platform for consumers to access all of their services via one subscription. Appropriately, it is titled Apple One.
Amidst the present age of competitive streaming services and warring tech conglomerates, such a service from Apple is rather expected. Apple One is the company’s own version of Amazon Prime— a single monthly fee for all of its music, video, gaming services, and more bundled into one. For Apple, that means offering Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and 50GB of iCloud storage all at once.
Each of these apps are available for separate costs on all Apple devices, but with Apple One, users will get them all for the lower monthly total of $14.95. Apple One will also offer a Family Plan at $19.95 per month—allowing six members on the plan with 200GB of iCloud storage altogether. Additionally, a Premium Plan will be available for $25.95. This will accommodate six family members as well, but comes with 2TB of iCloud storage.
Although Apple One is not yet available—the press release only states “Coming This Fall”—the plan has already garnered some criticism. For starters, some features of the bundle are far more desirable than others. Apple Music and iCloud, for example, are big hits with consumers and bode well against the competition. Apple TV+, on the other hand, is still developing, and is not as praised of a video streaming platform as Netflix, Amazon, or Disney+. Some are concerned that Apple One is a cheap way to get consumers paying for unwanted apps and becoming tethered.
On that same token, Apple Fitness+ is an entirely new feature, designed for Apple Watches to give users workouts and fitness routines throughout the day. This is a new and creative endeavor for Apple, but there is no guarantee that it will be worth the additional expense of Apple One. After all, many of the people who prefer spending copious time binging Apple TV+ might not care for this new exercise-focused development.
Many competitors— most notably Spotify in the music streaming world and Peloton in the fitness world—also fear that Apple One demonstrates the company’s ultimate leap towards social and corporate hegemony. Like Amazon, Apple has grown into much more than a one-purpose business over the years. It now offers something for everything and everyone around the globe. If it continues down this path, it will brutally outrun the competition. Already, some are starting to whisper the dreaded A-word that these conglomerates have been evading for decades—“Antitrust.”
For now, though, Apple One is yet to come out, and once available, users will have a thirty-day free trial to figure out weather or not the bundle is worth the price. According to an article from Fast Company.com, Apple One’s Individual Plan can save users up to $5 per month, while the Family Plan can save one $8 per month, and Premiere, $25. This is compared to the total cost of paying for each app or feature individually.
Still, it is unclear how likely users would be buying everything featured in this bundle to begin with. Also, Apple One’s $14.95 per month cost comes out to nearly $180 for the year. This is much steeper than Amazon’s $119 annual cost for Prime, and its features are not as reliable in this early stage.
At the same time, though, bundling is probably the future for many companies focused on tech and entertainment. If Apple wants to compete with Amazon and others, they need to mix their resources together or consumers will turn away. Why pay for everything separately when the best deals come in packages? Even if those packages sometimes arrive with superfluous materials that keep us chained.
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With his monochrome suits, all oversized and boxy, and his eye for Cuban boots and avant-garde eyewear, Kim Jong Il has always had a bit of a Prada thing going on, right? Perhaps it's no surprise that he was, reportedly, quite the fashion icon — according to his state-run websites, at least. The North Korean dictator passed away over the weekend, leaving that legacy behind, and opening up a new opportunity for Kim Jung Un. Apparently, the dictator's successor already has the right hair for the job.
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That's more than his entire NBA career salary.


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Auto sales may plunge 30% this festive season. But don’t blindly point a finger at tepid demand.
Customer offering pooja after buying a car at Ace Honda Showroom on the occasion of Dhanteras festival, on November 12, 2020 in New Delhi, India.
Last year, auto sales during the 42-day festive period had dropped 4.74%. This year, the decline could be much sharper. While dealers are seeing uptick in consumer sentiment, supply-side constraints, including a prolonged chip shortage, are limiting automakers’ ability to manufacture and dispatch vehicles to retail outlets.
It was supposed to bring the much-awaited tarmac after a long stretch of rough roads. Everyone in the Indian auto industry, from manufacturers to dealers to suppliers, had their hopes pinned on the October-November festive season when sales normally peak. They are now on a wing and a prayer. Last year, as the pandemic hit the economy, auto sales dropped 4.74% during the 42-day festive period. This year, the decline could be steeper at 25%-30%.


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August 2011 was a giant second for Apple. It was the identical time when the iPhone 4S and iOS 5.0 have been within the last phases, awaiting their launch. However that’s not the rationale August 2011 is remembered for. It was the time when Steve Jobs resigned as CEO of the corporate and have become chairman of the board. And in his stead, Timothy Donald Cook dinner, higher often called Tim Cook dinner, was appointed the brand new CEO. And since then, Cook dinner has held the reins of one of many largest, arguably the very best, tech corporations on the planet. So, allow us to check out the highest 5 achievements of Tim Cook dinner.
Prime 5 achievements of Tim Cook dinner because the CEO of Apple
1. Refining and solidifying the iPhone: When Cook dinner first took management over the operations of Apple, the iPhone 4S was about to be launched. Whereas nonetheless a tech marvel, the smartphone was simply starting to take the long-lasting kind everyone knows at this time. Whereas Cook dinner was by no means on-hands with product growth, as per many stories, he ensured to rent the fitting folks for the job and took their opinions severely. The result’s the iPhone main the smartphone market in a number of areas throughout the globe.
2. Apple Watch: Cook dinner is credited with increasing the Apple product lineup. And the primary amongst them was the Apple Watch in 2015. The smartwatch at this time is among the many high promoting merchandise on the planet, with Apple lately launching the Apple Watch Extremely, designed for health freaks and adventurers.
3. AirPods: Cook dinner, in 2016, launched the first-ever wi-fi earphones by Apple — AirPods. In some ways, AirPods are credited with popularizing wi-fi earphones.
4. iPad Mini: In 2014, Cook dinner additionally launched the iPad Mini. It was mentioned that Jobs disliked the concept of a smaller pill. Nevertheless, Cook dinner went forward with it and at this time, it’s a very talked-about providing from the tech firm.
5. Reaching renewable power targets: In 2018, Apple introduced that one hundred pc of its international operations have been powered by renewable power and Cook dinner has been applauded for his environment-conscious strategy. In 2022, Apple revealed that greater than 200 Apple suppliers dedicated to utilizing clear energy, claiming practically 10 gigawatts of operational renewable power was dedicated by them.


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CABLE company Telewest is sacking 1,500 workers as the crisis in the communications industry grows. The announcement came just a week after ITV Digital went bust, with the loss of 1,500 jobs. The ITV Digital collapse will also lead to the sacking of about 600 footballers from the lower leagues.
That is as many as one in four of the footballers in those leagues. Some will receive as little as £250. Telewest is Britain's second largest cable company. The 800,000 subscribers to ITV Digital have been told they are unlikely to get their money back.
On top of this NTL, the biggest cable company in Britain, announced last week that it would file for bankruptcy protection in the US. New Labour has been pushing digital TV. It was supposed to mean that analogue frequencies (which most people's TVs use) would be switched off over the next eight years.
The government could then sell off the airwaves to mobile phone companies. Cable firms dived in to offer competing digital packages. ITV Digital agreed a massive £315 million deal with the Football League to show non-Premiership matches.
But the bubble burst, as very few people have paid to watch.


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Kingdom Hearts 3 Release Date Coming Sooner Than Expected? Square Enix Game Featured In PS4 All Access Montage
By Staff Writer | November 18, 2013 04:12 PM EST
Kingdom Hearts 3 made appearances during the PS4 All Access show, Examiner.com reports, leaving many wondering if the game's release date is coming sooner than expected.
Final Fantasy XV was also featured in the montage that was posted on Nov. 15 by Dual Shockers, Examiner.com also reports.
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Square Enix has not announced official release dates for both titles.
Last week, Master Spockanort mentioned that Kingdom Hearts 3 might have new voice actors.
"Everyday is a chance of somebody dying considering we all die. We've already had voice actor changes. If somebody died, no matter how depressing and heartbreaking it would be, they'd just put in a new voice actor," he said during a recent interview, according to Society and Religion reports.
"They are, sadly, replaceable and they wouldn't cancel a game because somebody died. Like with Wayne Allwine and Eddie Carroll, they'd have a 'In memory of'. Of course nothing is ever set in stone and hey Square Enix could suddenly crash and burn or Nomura could die or something. Kingdom Hearts III isn't about to be cancelled, though."
Kingdom Hearts 3 director Tetsuya Nomura revealed that the development team is unsatisfied with the current look of the game.
"Although this is our first time showing footage of actual game play, the quality isn't anywhere near what the staff members consider satisfying," he told Famitsu.
Square Enix has released a lineup of new video game releases for the next fiscal quarter, which ends in March 2014, but it did not include Kingdom Hearts 3.
© 2014 KpopStarz. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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The Indian textile industry is likely to face tough times in the coming months with China effecting a change in its cotton policy, rising cost of production and net margins rarely crossing 4 percent, say senior industry officials.
While concerns were expressed about the sustainability of the domestic textile sector, industry sources did not fail to point out that with China the largest producer, consumer and exporter of cotton – changing its policy on sourcing cotton and yarn, the export of both – the white fibre and yarn to China from India could take a beating this year.
“Uncertainty might prevail till stability comes in Chinese cotton production and consumption pattern. Chinese Cotton Policy brought a sudden downfall in the New York price index and this in turn had a cascading effect on the entire world,” said Matt Earlam of Plexus Cotton.
China is currently carrying high cost cotton inventory. It built huge stockpilr after buying the fibre at a reserve price of $1.34 a pound when prices in the global futures market were ruling at over $2. Saddled with high price stock, the country is now planning to reduce the inventory of cotton, besides cutting down yarn production, said Earlam.
Indian cotton prices also are not competitive, quoting higher than global market, he said


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Rebecca Black yanks 'Friday' from YouTube -- happy now?
Rebecca Black wants "Friday" all to herself, it seems, requesting that YouTube take down the viral video that made her famous.
"This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Rebecca Black," reads the Web page that once held the pop tune so bad it was marvelous. "Sorry about that."
The dispute is over who own rights to Rebecca's image, according to TMZ, which got confirmation from the Black team that a takedown notice had been submitted as a result of a "dispute we have with Ark Music regarding the 'Friday' video."
Ark Music Factory produced the tune as part of a package purchased by Rebecca's family.
After logging more than 167 million free "Friday" views via its YouTube account, Ark earlier this week introduced a $2.99 three-day rental fee for the video — this after Mama Black in April threatened Ark with a lawsuit over master copies of the recording and sales of "Friday" ring tones, Popeater said.
To all the folks who wanted "Friday" to just go away -- happy now? Yes, that is a totally serious question.
— Christie D'Zurilla
Photo credits: YouTube screen grab, left; Isaac Brekken / Associated Press, right.


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NEW YORK, Sept. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- UNIQLO, the global clothing retailer, has announced the fall opening dates for its ten new mall stores in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and California. With the opening of the new stores in October and November, UNIQLO will have a total of 17 stores in the U.S., in addition to the UNIQLO.com online shopping platform.
The stores will all carry the innovative, casual clothing UNIQLO provides for men, women and kids, including the popular Heattech innerwear and high-tech Ultra-Light Down jackets. There will be more information available closer to opening day on activities and special promotions for each opening weekend.
The opening dates are:
- New Jersey
o Bridgewater Commons Mall in Bridgewater, NJ (October 4th)
o Menlo Park Mall in Edison, NJ (November 1st)
- New York
o Staten Island Mall in Staten Island, NY –(October 18th)
o Atlantic Terminal Mall in Brooklyn, NY (October 25th)
o Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, NY –(November 8th)
o Westfield Trumbull Shopping Center in Trumbull, CT (November 8th)
o Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo, CA –(October 11th)
o Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco, CA (October 18th)
o Westfield Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara, CA –(October 25th)
o Bay Street Emeryville in Emeryville, CA –(November 1st)
"We are delighted to announce the opening dates of our incredible new locations and can't wait for our customers to enjoy the shopping experience at a UNIQLO store. We have dedicated fans and believe our world class customer service, innovative products, high quality fabrics and large variety of styles made to improve people's everyday lives will entice a whole new group of customers," said Larry Meyer, COO of UNIQLO USA and Fast Retailing Group Senior Vice President.
To celebrate, UNIQLO has created the free UNIQLO USA app for Apple products. It will be available on Android devices later this year. By using the app's Virtual Cam on UNIQLO logos and icons, fans will have access to behind-the-scenes videos, current employment opportunities, "weekly favorites" and a store locator. They will also be the first to know about new arrivals, special promotions and more.
To support their retail expansion, a new UNIQLO.com will debut this fall. Customers will find a more interactive site featuring digital life tools, how-to videos, in-depth product information and an insider look at LifeWear.
The new stores are strategically placed surrounding the brand's current flagship stores on the East and West Coasts. To staff the new stores, UNIQLO is still in process of hiring and training several hundred full-time and part-time employees at all levels. For more information on open positions, use the new app or visit www.uniqlo.com.
There are currently seven open stores, including three in New York City (5th Ave., 34th St., Soho New York), two in New York State (Westchester's Ridge Hill, Palisades Center), one in Paramus, NJ (Westfield Garden State Plaza), and one in San Francisco, CA (Union Square).
For further information please contact:
About UNIQLO and Fast Retailing
UNIQLO is a brand of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., a leading global Japanese retail holding company that designs, manufactures and sells clothing under seven main brands: Comptoir des Cotonniers, GU, Helmut Lang, J Brand, Princesse tam.tam, Theory, and UNIQLO. With global sales of approximately 928 billion yen for the 2012 fiscal year ending August 31, 2012, Fast Retailing is currently the world's fourth largest apparel retail company, and UNIQLO is Japan's leading specialty retailer.
UNIQLO continues to open large-scale stores in some of the world's most important cities and locations, as part of its ongoing efforts to solidify its status as a truly global brand.Today the company has a total of more than 1,200 stores in 14 markets worldwide including Japan, China, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, U.K. and U.S. In addition , Grameen UNIQLO, a social business established in Bangladesh in September 2010, opened its two first stores in Dhaka in July 2013. UNIQLO operates an integrated business model under which it designs, manufactures, markets and sells high-quality, casual apparel. The company believes that truly great clothes should be supremely comfortable, feature universal designs, are of high quality and offer a superb fit to everyone who wears them.
With a corporate statement committed to changing clothes, changing conventional wisdom and change the world, Fast Retailing is dedicated to creating great clothing with new and unique value to enrich the lives of people everywhere. For more information about UNIQLO and Fast Retailing, please visit www.uniqlo.com and www.fastretailing.com


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eBay CEO Jamie Iannone has said the online shopping platform was looking into new payments options for customers.
PayPal’s crypto payment example
Adoption by one of the largest online retailers would be a welcome addition in a year that has seen many payment services begin using cryptocurrencies.
Last month, PayPal launched “Checkout with Crypto.” This lets PayPal’s American customers pay with bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), bitcoin cash (BCH), and litecoin (LTC). Recently, Coinbase announced that its users could make payments on the exchange through PayPal. Given PayPal’s history with eBay, perhaps they will make a similar integration.
According to PayPal CEO, Dan Schulman, “demand on the crypto side has been multiple-fold to what we initially expected.” To emphasize his point, PayPal’s mobile service app also launched “Crypto on Venmo.” Users can now buy, sell, and hold crypto within the application.
Other crypto payment integrations
Payments giants Mastercard and Visa have also been making strides to integrate cryptocurrencies into their payment networks. In March, Visa enabled the use of the USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin to settle transactions on its payment network.
Meanwhile, last week, Mastercard launched the first credit card offering digital currency “rewards” on purchases. This was done in partnership with U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Gemini.
Besides payment platforms, many businesses are rushing to enable customers to pay with cryptocurrencies. Crypto payments service BitPay is among those leading the charge to integrate these businesses. From luxury hotel chains to workspace sharing platforms, to other online retailers, BitPay is having its work cut out for it.
“My phone is now ringing off the hook every day of companies now wanting to accept crypto,” said BitPay CCO Sonny Singh.
In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.


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CBD Living Water’s new water is also alkaline, boasting a 9+ pH score to reduce body acidity
CORONA, Calif. – February 8, 2019 /Canna Newswire/ – International CBD manufacturer and distributor CBD Living today launched a new and improved version of their flagship product, CBD Living Water, reformulated to contain 10 mg of nano-CBD per bottle as well as a 9+ pH score, designed to harness the health benefits of alkaline water. New CBD Living Water now contains double the amount of nano-CBD as the previous formulation to help consumers receive better value for their dollar.
While traditional water has a balanced pH level of 7, CBD Living Water is 9+ pH, making it alkaline. Studies have shown links between alkaline water and elimination of environmental toxins, boosted immunity and reduced acidity in the body, which is commonly caused by poor diet, caffeinated beverages, alcohol and stress and can lead to ailments such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and acid reflux. By combining alkaline water with CBD Living’s proprietary nano-CBD, grown from 100% organic hemp at a state-licensed facility, CBD Living seeks to deliver the greatest combination of wellness benefits possible to its customers worldwide.
“At CBD Living, we have been conducting research into higher-formulation CBD water for some time, but we didn’t want to compromise on quality or taste,” said Bill D., CEO of CBD Living. “CBD Living Water is known for its crisp, non-hempy taste, which sets it apart from other CBD water brands, and we definitely didn’t want to disappoint our users. We’re confident that this new formula delivers the same great taste as our previous water, and also provides a more cost effective solution for our customers who rely on CBD Living Water as a daily solution.”
A single bottle of reformulated CBD Living Water retails for $3.99 – $4.99. Customers may purchase online at www.cbdliving.com or use the convenient online store locator to find a nearby retail location.
About CBD Living
CBD Living is one of the fastest-growing global cannabidiol (CBD) manufacturers and distributors, with more than 64 products in 2500 stores and shipping to consumers worldwide. CBD Living’s prestigious in-house scientists use ultrasound waves to break down CBD particles into nanoparticles 1/1000 the size of a red blood cell, allowing the CBD to pass through the blood membrane for enhanced absorption. This proprietary technique leads to up to 90 percent bioavailability, compared to 10-15 percent bioavailability when consumed in a traditional CBD product. From the original CBD Living Water product to CBD gummies, chocolates, freezes, tinctures, vapes, bath bombs and more, CBD Living is constantly innovating to bring the future of CBD to consumers today. For more information, please visit www.cbdliving.com.
# CNW #
Britt La Hue


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THE peak industry body for Australia’s red meat industry has expressed its disgust with an activist who vandalised a butcher shop in Brisbane today, and is calling on the Government to recognise that anti-meat activism is affecting businesses across the supply chain and must be stamped out.
The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) represents retailers, processors and smallgoods manufacturers and is the only industry association representing the post-farmgate Australian meat industry. This morning, staff at AMIC member Clancyjames’s butcher shop in upscale Taringa arrived to fake blood, smashed glass made to look like bullet holes and a spray painted message declaring ‘meat is murder’.
AMIC CEO Patrick Hutchinson says enough is enough.
“We are simply disgusted by this,” he says. “Once again we see activists targeting legally operating businesses. Just a couple of months ago activists closed down a busy intersection in Melbourne and broke into a number of premises, only to walk away with a slap on the wrist. It sends absolutely the wrong message.
“We’re heartened to know that our new Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie is on board with much tougher penalties for agri-activists. but it is critical that this is not limited only to on-farm activism. As we’ve seen today in Brisbane, there are other businesses feeling the brunt of this disgraceful behaviour.”
Clancyjames owner David Bobberman, who runs two retail outlets and an online store, says the vandalism at his Taringa store happened at about 10.30 last night and was reported to police by a customer who saw the perpetrator in the act. Police have made an arrest.
“I hope there will be charges laid,” Mr Bobberman said.
“When you come to work and there are two holes that look like bullet holes, you don’t take that idly. This is a free country – by all means say what you want, but go about it the right way.”
Mr Bobberman said the community response today had been exceptional, with social media going ‘berserk’ and people who are not even customers popping into the store to express their support.
AMIC’s Patrick Hutchinson said it’s time for penalties against activists to reflect community values.
“Of course people are entitled to their own views, but illegally entering facilities is just not okay. It creates biosecurity risks, it leads to breaches of privacy, it is potentially unsafe for the activists themselves and at the end of the day it puts at risk jobs in regional communities,” he says.
“We need immediate action to deliver tougher fines and jail terms to curb this unlawful activity. These activists are criminals and they need to be treated like it.
“We call on both the Agriculture Minister and the Minister for Small Business, Michaelia Cash, to commit to swift and decisive action to push through changes to legislation that will make it easier to prosecute illegal activism.”
Australia’s meat sector provides 55,000 full time jobs. It is worth $22 billion annually and meat is the seventh-largest export commodity in the country.
Source: Australian Meat Industry Council
First the police need to act quickly in these acts of vandalism and apprehend these vandals ,charge them and then let the Court system give them the maximum punishment allowed ( no compromises).
This is to punish the offenders but to also discourage others thinking about doing similar acts. There is no point in having tougher penalties if the Judges fail to be serious about the penalty’s that are handed down.
Time to get tougher in the courthouse all you Judges.
Do the crime ,do the time.
Enough is enough!!! This is blatant vandalism and destruction of private property and the perpetrators should be treated the same and charged with this offence just like any others breaking the law.


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Whether it's consoles or PC, video game graphics are advancing even further this year. Here are 30 games with impressive visuals to keep an eye on.
Apart from the usual highly anticipated games from big name studios, 2023 and beyond is looking like a pretty fruitful year for AA and indies as well.
The year is chock-full of high-profile titles and many of them look absolutely gorgeous. Take a look at 15 that look to be the absolute creme of the crop.
GFA Games' upcoming PIONER is an interesting mix of MMO elements combined with fast-paced action gameplay.
Make sure you keep an eye out for these upcoming games.
With E3 2021 finally behind us, let's take a look at all of the big new titles announced. Whether it's new IPs or sequels, there's a lot to look forward to.
GFA Games' mishmash of genres, Pioner, has debuted at the PC Gaming Show, showcasing plenty of gameplay footage.


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paysafecard.com Wertkarten AG has announced it has continued its international expansion by launching its online account ‘my paysafecard’ in Croatia.
my paysafecard enables users to combine their paysafecard PINs in an online account. Instead of having to enter individual PINs when making a purchase online, the account enables customers to pay with their unique user name and password.
my paysafecard is not linked to a bank account and can be topped up by using the unique 16-digit PIN that comes with each paysafecard. The account gives customers a full overview on information such as the current account balance and transaction history at all times. The system automatically combines the paysafecard PINs for each payment, ensuring that the remaining credit on the paysafecard PINs is always used up.
Udo Müller, CEO of the paysafecard.com Wertkarten AG: “We are doing everything we can to offer my paysafecard in all countries in which paysafecard is available. By going live in Croatia, we are one step closer to achieving our goal. With the launch of my paysafecard in Croatia, consumers across the country can now also benefit from ‘my PLUS’, a loyalty programme for all customers who use my paysafecard.”
It seems laptops are about to catch the biometric fever as PayPal, Intel, Lenovo and Synaptics are collaborating to introduce FIDO-enabled embedded fingerprint solution to PCs.
Mastercard is working with Stripe to expedite the payment process for American sellers on the latter's marketplaces using the instant payouts feature from Stripe.
Lloyds has launched biometric finger print authentication for mobile banking.
Barclaycard has partnered with Case Station, a company that makes personalised phone cases, to embed contactless technology in the latter's smartphone cases.


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Poway-based Cohu Inc. (Nasdaq: COHU) announced that its board of directors authorized a change in the payment date of the company's previously announced regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share to Dec. 28 from Jan. 2, 2013.
The record date of the quarterly dividend remains unchanged at Nov. 23, 2012.
The company accelerated the payment of the dividend to allow its shareholders to benefit from the current dividend tax rate that is scheduled to expire on Dec. 31.
Cohu supplies test handling, burn-in, thermal subsystems and MEMS test solutions used by the global semiconductor industry, and supplies microwave communications and video equipment.
12367 Crosthwaite Cir.
Poway, CA 92064


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The Pokémon anniversary love has been felt all throughout the year, and it looks like fans of the card game will now be able to claim one of the highest valued pieces of the celebration. Going up for order tomorrow in Japan to celebrate its 20th will be a solid gold replica of the original Pikachu card from Base Set.
Priced at about $2,000 USD and sold with its own collector’s box, there’s no word at this time for any equivalent release in America or elsewhere, and we also don’t yet know if there will be a means to easily import the Japanese version. As of right now it’s definitely a sight to behold!
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The logo of Nvidia Corporation is seen during the annual Computex computer exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan, May 30, 2017.
Tyrone Siu | Reuters
BEIJING — U.S. chipmaking giant Nvidia has reportedly found a way to sell high-end chips to Chinese companies — while remaining compliant with U.S. rules aimed at curbing China’s access to the tech.
China accounts for 20% to 25% of Nvidia’s revenue in its data center business, its biggest unit.
Nvidia is set to deliver three new chips to domestic manufacturers in the coming days, Chinese financial media Cailian Press said Thursday, citing sources.
The chips — called HGX H20, L20 PCle and L2 PCle — are based on Nvidia’s H100 chip, the report said.
The H100 and A100 artificial intelligence chips were the first to be hit by new U.S. restrictions last year that aimed to curb sales to China. Nvidia said in a September 2022 filing the U.S. government would still allow it to develop the H100 in China.
Companies in China had then switched to Nvidia’s H800 and A800 chips, but the U.S. subsequently clamped down on those sales last month with new restrictions.
The H20’s computing power is only about 50% of that of the A100, said Bo Du, managing director at WestSummit Capital Management and a former engineer in the chip industry.
That’s “basically saying goodbye to physical simulation,” he said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. While it’s possible to use clusters of lower-power chips to support large model calculations, he said there’s no ideal solution given the costs.
“In the near term, Chinese manufacturers have no better option and they will continue to buy Nvidia’s chips, while searching for replacements,” Du said, noting that some large internet companies have started to buy domestically-made AI chips at scale.
Demand for artificial intelligence computing power has only gone up as companies in China rush to develop local versions of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
The Financial Times also reported the news of Nvidia’s new chips for the China market, citing a document the chipmaker distributed to potential customers.
Nvidia declined to comment. The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Bureau of Industry and Security did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.
All three of Nvidia’s new chips have operating metrics outside the threshold of the U.S. restrictions, research firm SemiAnalysis said in an online post Thursday. The company operates a Substack tech newsletter that claims to have more than 64,000 subscribers.
“Nvidia is perfectly straddling the line on peak performance and performance density with these new chips to get them through the new US regulations,” SemiAnalysis said.
Nomura analysts previously found Nvidia’s Drive AGX Orin chip also did not meet all the criteria warranting a U.S. restriction on sales to China, allowing electric car companies in the country to still use the chip.
The U.S. has said its focus is on limiting China’s development of advanced tech for military use. President Joe Biden’s administration has also emphasized the country is in competition with China.
Domestic players are trying to develop workarounds to the U.S. restrictions.
In late August, Huawei released a smartphone that reviews indicated offers download speeds associated with 5G, thanks to an advanced semiconductor chip.
It’s not clear whether older equipment or alternative procurement processes were involved with the latest chip production.
— CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report.


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On Thursday, video game company Electronic Arts accidentally leaked the personal information of thousands of FIFA players.
EA announced the FIFA 20 Global Series early Thursday and provided players with a link to register their information. As players, streamers, and pros flocked to their computers to sign up for the competition, they came across an issue: When prompted to enter their personal information, many players found that they couldn’t. Why? Because someone else’s was already there.
Players found themselves faced with the login information of strangers and, in some cases, well-known figures. People quickly began spreading the story online, sharing screenshots of the registration page. The pages were typically already populated with a stranger’s ID, email address, and date of birth.
“My friend got a big pull in the Data Breach pack,” one user joked. “Hashtag’s own Algerian Arrow, @YaniOurabah. We’ll send you a birthday card. What a mess.”
They were far from the only one. A number of well-known players were affected by the leak, including Ajax pro Joey Calabro. Not long after the news spread to social media, EA shut down registration on the website. It does not appear to be back up as time of publication.
In the meantime, players are continuing to voice their irritation and dismay at the leaked information. “Before I get to the absolute farce of that competitive bullshit, when you click the link register for verification you get other people’s personal information,” Kurt Fenech—who goes by Kurt0411 when competing—said. “This is a new low even for this joke of a company. I am suing.”
I am suing— Kurt (@Kurt0411Fifa) October 3, 2019
Big yikes from EA.— Reev (@TheReevHD) October 3, 2019
I bet it was Jeff on live chat who came up with the idea to leak everyone's details. He's already given imposters my details once or twice before.
This is not the first time EA has made enemies of its consumers. Countless issues over the years have alienated players, and the latest problem is no different. Hopefully EA will have the FIFA 20 issue fixed soon, but it may be down some fans by then.


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Jakks Pacific reported its third quarter earnings today with a 2% decline in total sales attributed to supply chain challenges. Net sales hit $237 million for the quarter, down from $242.3 million during the same period last year.
Overall toys and consumer products sales slipped 8% in Q3 though the company experienced strong growth in the first nine months of 2021. Jakks says that sales grew 11.8% in the first nine months of the year and that toy and consumer products POS sales are up 9% year-to-date. The company’s year-to-date operating income is more than $35 million, its best position since 2015. Additionally, Disguise — its costumes and seasonal division — is up more than 21% this year, with Q3 sales up 16% amid better-than-2019 pre-pandemic sell-through.
“Our focus on improved product margins and cleaner retail sell-through helped mitigate higher ocean freight costs to improve our year-over-year gross margins for the seventh straight quarter,” says Jakks Pacific Chairman and CEO Stephen Berman.
On a call with investors late this afternoon, Berman noted that this year’s Halloween season is “doing great” and “bodes well” for Disguise as the growing division looks ahead to new licenses and partnerships set to debut in 2022. Additionally. Berman notes that Q4 is shaping up strong.
“As we hoped, consumers have embraced the Halloween season this year with a burst of pent-up demand,” Berman says. “Sell-through rates are exceeding 2019 levels. As we look ahead into Q4 we’re excited to be introducing some key new items for the Holiday gift-giving season, including our Nintendo Super Mario Deluxe Bowser’s Airship Playset and our Sonic the Hedgehog Giant Eggman Robot Battle Set, both of which have received strong retailer and consumer reaction.”
Supply Chain Impact
Jakks says that customer orders outpaced its ability to secure ocean passage for its FOB shipments in Q3 and that the “extended domestic importation timeline” has also been a major factor. Overall, any sales declines were attributed to logistical challenges rather than less demand for any product or brand.
“Jakks was started as an FOB business and we continue to do more than 50% of our sales that way today,” Berman says. “This focus has benefited us all year, inclusive of Q3, leveraging the supply-chain strength and scale of the major global retailers to pull our product through to the retail shelf during this period of significant supply-chain disruption. We have accelerated our imports of inventory to support sales in the U.S. and Internationally for the holiday season and resetting for the new year. Consistent with recent quarters, we continue to see tremendous consumer and customer reaction to our current product line-up, but supply-chain bottlenecks weighed on our results.”
Despite supply chain challenges, Jakks joins peers, including Mattel and Hasbro, as well as third-party organizations, such as the National Retail Federation in maintaining an optimistic outlook for the Q4 holiday season.


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Cannabis products have become so commonplace in Canada, it’s not unusual to see it blended with your smoothie or mixed-in with your bag of chips.
There’s even cannabis-infused water in the market.
Now cannabidiol — or CBD, for short — isn’t only in your food. It’s permeated the beauty market, being mixed-in with skincare and makeup, with many brands promising untold health benefits from their CBD products.
The CBD-infused cosmetics market is set to reach $1.7 billion USD globally by 2025, according to a report by research and consulting firm Grand View Research Inc.
North America is leading that surge, due to cannabis legalization in Canada and at least 33 states in the U.S., according to the study.
But the supposed health benefits of these products, including claims around anti-inflammatory or anti-oxidant properties, may not be entirely accurate, according to health professionals.
Source: Read Full Article


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Aug 6, 2020, 12:50 pm172 ptsTopA refined draft bill to lay the legal groundwork for a regulated adult-use cannabis regime in Bermuda will soon be presented to the island’s legislature, Attorney-General Kathy Lynn Simmons said in a ministerial statement to the Senate. That puts the British island territory among a small group of…
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Stay on top of the latest news headlines, trends and developments worldwide around recreational and medical marijuana. Sit back and relax, while you read learn and share. On the web or your mobile device, NewsBudz is your cannabis news stream.


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Yongnuo’s official WeChat public account updated the article today, announcing some new product plans for 2023, and announcing that it will launch three XF mount autofocus lenses. At present, the release time of the XF mount autofocus lens has not yet been determined.
It is learned from Yongnuo’s WeChat official account that Yongnuo YN12-35mm F2.8-4M zoom lens will be officially launched on April 7. This lens supports M4/3 system cameras and YN455 live broadcast cameras, with a focal length of 12-35mm, covering wide-angle, standard to medium telephoto shooting.
In addition to the lenses mentioned above, Yongnuo will also bring the YNLUX200 photography light on April 3, with a colour temperature of 2000K-6500K and a maximum power of 200w.


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Toyota Agrees To Pay $180 Mln To Settle U.S. Probe On Delayed Emissions Defect Reports
(RTTNews) - Toyota Motor Corp. (TYT.L, TM) agreed to pay $180 million to settle a decade-long non-compliance with clean air act reporting requirements, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement.
The penalty is the largest civil penalty for violation of the Environmental Protection Agency's emission-reporting requirements, the justice department said.
The Justice department's complaint alleged that from about 2005 until at least late 2015, Toyota violated Clean Air Act automobile defect reporting requirements designed to protect public health and the environment from harmful air pollutants.
The department alleged Toyota materially delayed filing an estimated 78 emissions defect information reports or EDIRs, filing many only when disclosing non-compliance to EPA in 2015, at which point some were as much as eight years late. The EDIRs related to millions of vehicles with the potential to exhibit emission-related defects. The company also failed to file 20 Voluntary Emissions Recall Reports and more than 200 quarterly reports.
During the period of noncompliance, Toyota managers and staff in Japan knew that the company was no longer even attempting to determine whether it was aware of 25 instances of the same emission-related defect in a model year. Rather than follow the legally required standard, Toyota unilaterally decided to file EDIRs principally when Toyota was required to file distinct reports with California regulators under a less strict standard.
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Boy Genius published this leaked T-Mobile document with details of the Blackberry Curve 8320 launch pegged to September 24th—the Curve with Wi-Fi. That makes sense, given TMO's gung ho attitude toward Wi-Fi, with all those hotspots. And oh yeah—how convenient—that brand new TMO @ home service that swaps handsets between Wi-Fi and cellular calling seamlessly. Until then, the program has only had cheapo phones. This could be the first respectable handset on the service. As always, these documents usually aren't final, so dates will probably change. [BGR]
Boy Genius Links T-Mobile and the BlackBerry Curve 8320 on Sept 24th
Trending Stories Right Now
We’ve known for a while now that Telstra planned on revamping its plans by the end of June, and now we know what the big reveal is.
It’s rare to come across a bespoke gadget or a cleverly hacked device that doesn’t have a tiny Raspberry Pi inside it. It’s long been one of the easiest and cheapest ways to power a custom creation, but the new Raspberry Pi, announced earlier today, packs significant upgrades that could let it finally pass as an incredibly cheap desktop computer.


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Ecommerce roll-up companies pause brand buyouts, seek funds for survival
Smaller startups in the ecommerce roll-up space like 10club and Upscalio have either pivoted or are looking to be acquired while bigger rivals such as Mensa Brands and FirstCry arm GlobalBees are focusing on sustainable growth of select brands from their portfolio.
Ecommerce roll-up firms in distress; how Krafton scripted BGMI return
Thrasio-style ecommerce roll-up companies such as Goat Brand Labs are struggling to survive amid an overall funding squeeze. This and more in today's ETtech Morning Dispatch.
D2C startup 10club appoints Kavitha Rao as COO & cofounder
Kavitha Rao would spearhead its retail operations across both online and physical channels, while also shaping the firm’s category roadmap and leading day-to-day operations.
FirstCry parent files IPO papers, to raise Rs 1,816 crore via sale of new shares
Existing investors including SoftBank, Premji Invest also selling shares; company to use IPO proceeds for new stores, overseas expansion
Amazon aggregator Thrasio prepares for bankruptcy: report
Thrasio has been advised by New York-based consulting firm AlixPartners in recent years and their retail turnaround professional Holly Etlin is currently working with the company, the report said.
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ET Startup Awards 2023: Nominees for Startup of the YearThe ET Startup of the Year will be characterised by breakthrough innovation, top-class execution and fast-paced growth. The quality of the founding and management team was an important component in decision making.
Amazon ecommerce business acquirer Benitago files for bankruptcyAmazon e-commerce business acquirer Benitago Group has filed for bankruptcy in the US, listing both assets and liabilities ranging from $50 million to $100 million.
Thrasio gives up control in India’s Lifelong, founders take 60% stakeThis move comes after the ecommerce rollup firm faced headwinds in the US.
FirstCry subsidiary Globalbees signs pact to sell overseas brands in IndiaNitin Agarwal, cofounder and CEO of Globalbees, told ET in an interaction that the firm has signed up around 10 such brands, including Australia’s K Mart, South Korea's Kuvings and Coway, and US and China-based Anker, among others.
Good Glamm gets 90% stake in The Moms Co as founders exitThe Moms Co founders to stay on board, can divest their pending 10% stake in the next one year.
Ashni Biyani's company to attempt Thrasio modelThink9 Consumer, a multi-brand platform promoted by Ashni Biyani, daughter of Future Group chairman Kishore Biyani, is in talks with close to a dozen direct-to-consumer brands across retail, fashion, FMCG, kids furniture, home decor, beauty and ayurveda to co-create them on the lines of Thrasio-styled house of brands businesses.
Goat Brand Labs acquires Chumbak, four other brands as D2C sector sees consolidation set inDeal another fire sale in D2C space, investors Gaja Capital, Matrix Partners exit as part of acquisition
Retail, fintech hit as startup funding dips 35% this year: Tracxn reportRetail and fintech sectors witnessed a fall of 57% and 41%, respectively, in amounts of funds raised in 2022, according to Tracxn’s India Tech 2022 annual report. Yet, these two sectors alongside enterprise applications remained top fundraisers during the year.
Marico to build Thrasio-style model to scale up D2C brandsThis is also part of a wider strategy by the consumer goods company to enter new segments, especially in the online space, and have higher agility for its overall operations without disrupting the existing traditional system.
Exclusive: NPCI to pick up stake in ONDC; gaming firms want ‘light touch’ rulesThe National Payments Corporation of India, which operates UPI, is set to acquire a 9-10% stake in ONDC in the next 10 days or so.
Data privacy startup Privado picks up $14 million in funding from Insight, SequoiaPrivado's funding comes after it raised $3.5 million in seed funding in January this year.
Mensa Brands expands into US, Middle East, other global marketsThis comes at a time when the roll-up commerce sector is facing headwinds, with the likes of US-based Thrasio cutting costs amid a change of chief executive.
Delhivery CEO says ‘no conflict’ between growth, profits, Mensa spreads its wingsDelhivery said on Monday that its revenue in the March quarter more than doubled from last year to Rs 2,071 crore, while net profit remained flat at Rs 119.8 crore
Thrasio set to rework India plans amid global rejigTharsio, which buys and scales brands which sell on Amazon, announced on Wednesday that its chief executive Carlos Cashman was being replaced by Greg Greeley, even as media reports suggested that the company was expected to lay off about 20% of its staff.
Tesla reassigns India team; Thrasio may revisit India planWith its India employees in limbo, Tesla has now reassigned them to Asia-Pacific and other markets.
Amazon brand aggregator Thrasio replaces Carlos Cashman with new CEO, may fire 20% staff: reportThrasio entered India in January through the acquisition of Lifelong India, it had announced plans to invest $500 million here
Buying brands is the easy part, running and growing them is relatively complex: Powerhouse91The multiple to buy the brands has been increasing constantly, thereby, making the buy approach financially unfeasible in some cases.
Goat Brand Labs buys 90% stake in online fashion brand The Label LifeThe Label Life founder Preeta Sukhtankar will move away from her operating role to an advisory one, while the other cofounders Yashika Punjabee and Sonam Shah, who were brought on board in 2016, will join Goat Brand Labs.
Thrasio CEO calls India a big long-term bet, to invest $500 millionThrasio has made its first acquisition in India by purchasing a majority stake in consumer durables brand Lifelong. Lifelong cofounder Bharat Kalia will lead the operations for Thrasio in India.
Evenflow partners logistics startup Shiprocket for supply chain at scaleEvenflow aggregates third-party sellers on e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. It acquires online marketplace sellers in the range of $200k - $1.5 million per brand.
Thrasio raises $1 billion in funding led by Silver LakeSilver Lake, a new investor in Thrasio, was joined by existing investors including Advent International, Upper90, Oaktree Capital Management and Peak6 in the Series D financing.
Mensa Brands takes majority stake in 10 consumer brandsFive-month-old Mensa, which is trying to build a 'tech-led house of brands' has acquired anywhere between 51% and 75% in these brands and will grow them along with their original founders.Load More
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American Telephone & Multimedia?Bart Ziegler
It seems hardly a week goes by that Robert M. Kavner, AT&T's executive in charge of multimedia, isn't announcing an investment in some startup. Some of these, such as the stake in EO Inc., are aimed at creating new hardware to accommodate advanced communications. Others, such as the investment in Sierra Network, are designed to introduce the phone company to new markets, such as computer games.
Some of these investments may pay off handsomely one day, but none is likely to alter the future of the $65 billion telecommunications giant. In fact, these deals are just the trimmings around the edges. American Telephone & Telegraph Co. has much bigger plans for its role in the digital multimedia future--that promised nirvana in which vast libraries of movies, games, educational software, and other information will be available at the touch of a remote-control button in the nation's living rooms.
CREATIVE TOUCH. Under a scheme it has never before discussed publicly, AT&T says it is exploring plans to build what could be a clearinghouse for the Information Age. Kavner, an executive vice-president, says the company is studying plans to build a network of digital storage devices around the country. These giant computers, which likely would come from AT&T's NCR Corp. subsidiary, would store movies, television shows, and the information needed to run shopping channels--in other words, all sorts of programming that has been turned into computer code. This programming would be distributed over AT&T's nationwide long-distance network and, through connections to cable-TV companies and local phone systems, to homes, Kavner says.
But AT&T wants to do more than just store and send sequels to Jurassic Park. It wants to help movie studios, retailers, educators, and others develop programming that takes advantage of the new interactive network--for example, by helping them create interactive game channels. It also wants to use its computers to handle customer billing and divvy up royalties and other fees for "content" owners and local distributors. And it's working with software companies, which Kavner declines to identify, to design a screen format to select interactive services from a TV. In effect, AT&T would be a wholesale supplier and service bureau for the two-way video systems planned by cable and phone operators.
Kavner calls it the "missing industry" in the development of the digital era. "We're looking to be in a business that really doesn't exist today: helping those who own content--titles--convert to digital and distribute to their customers through networks," he says. Kavner calls the concept "hosting." AT&T acts as the navigator as these oceans of digital data make their way to homes and offices. "It should be a very good business," he says.
How good? Kavner won't say. What's more, he concedes, the scheme faces many obstacles and has not gotten past the drawing-board phase, even though he has been discussing it with major industry players, including Hollywood's premier dealmaker, Creative Artists Agency Inc. Chief Michael S. Ovitz. The proposal could be shot down, for example, if programming providers such as Hollywood studios don't go along or if the cable-TV or local phone companies decide to form a similar service. And Kavner expects there will be competing video systems. But if AT&T can pull it off, the plan could dramatically boost the traffic over the company's nationwide network--and revenues along with it--and secure its place in the race to build an information superhighway.
The AT&T scheme just might suit cable companies, figures Berge Ayvazian, an analyst at Yankee Group, a telecommunications consulting firm. He says some cable operators are leery about investing millions to develop their own computer "servers" and advanced switching systems to store and distribute digital programming. AT&T's system also would mesh with a video network planned by Teleport Communications Group Inc., a data networking company owned by cable operators, Ayvazian says. Teleport plans to link cable companies within metropolitan areas, allowing them to share digital programming feeds. AT&T's system could plug into Teleport's networks, he says.
"UP AND RUNNING." Kavner's plan also may be a good way to get entertainment programmers to accelerate their drive into the digital age, says Edward D. Horowitz, senior vice-president at Viacom International Inc., which owns cable systems and programming, including MTV. "Right now, servers are millions of dollars," he says. "By providing a server as a service, you're able to take your programming concept and get it up and running much more rapidly." Viacom and AT&T are already testing interactive video using NCR computers in Castro Valley, Calif. Horowitz praises the AT&T technology, but adds that eventually cable operators will want to own the servers that deliver their programs and will want AT&T simply to furnish fiber pipelines to link cable operations around the country.
For AT&T, Kavner's new plan fits nicely with other efforts to dominate the digital age. These include the "personal communicators" made by EO, a company AT&T controls; set-top control boxes for interactive TV designed by 3DO Co., in which AT&T is an investor; and Sierra Network, which AT&T has renamed ImagiNation Network. All these could plug into and get reams of data out of Kavner's digital storehouses.
One thing Kavner says he won't do is compete with customers on content. For example, he dismisses speculation that AT&T is shopping for a movie studio. The seeming exception, his investment in Sierra, was made to create a market for video games played over phone lines. "We're better off serving content people as a customer," he says.
Even if AT&T decides now to go ahead with its plan, it could be years before it gets rolling. One big problem: The phone giant has no control over the "retail" side of the equation--selling services to consumers via local phone companies and cable operators. It may take many years and many billions to upgrade their systems to handle interactive video. Beefing up the long-distance network with server computers may be the simple part. Notes Jerry Taylor, president of MCI Communications Corp.'s consumer division: "The challenge is getting into the home."
RIVAL ROUNDUP. Then there are the potential competitors. Microsoft Corp., for one, is in talks with cable-TV operators about forming a joint venture called CableSoft, which would devise software to control the set-top boxes for interactive TV. IBM is another potential challenger. It tried to set up a distribution system for digital programming a few years ago, but talks with Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI), Time Warner Inc., and others fell through. Still, that doesn't mean that Big Blue, which has the skills and equipment needed to digitize, store, and distribute content, has given up.
Local phone companies have big video plans of their own. One of them, Bell Atlantic Corp., won an important court ruling on Aug. 24 that allows it to package and sell video programming. A U.S. District Court found unconstitutional the provision of the 1984 federal cable law that bans Baby Bells from the video- programming business in their telephone-service areas. If the ruling is upheld, Bell Atlantic plans to offer video programming over both its own regional phone network and via cable and phone companies outside its region. Meanwhile, AT&T's long-distance competitors, chiefly MCI and Sprint Corp., are also capable of adding video servers to their networks. "If MCI took $100 million and bought 100 servers, what would the AT&T edge be?" asks one cable industry executive. MCI's Taylor says the company is considering video services, while Sprint declines to comment.
But AT&T is not going into this new business blindly. It already has begun testing interactive video delivery with cable operators Viacom, TCI, and Time Warner, and it also plans to beef up the ImagiNation Network in order to give it a taste of the "content-hosting" business.
Kavner says AT&T has one big advantage over most potential competitors: It is a relatively neutral party. It doesn't control much content, as do cable companies and Microsoft. And it doesn't control local distribution, as do the cable and local-phone companies. AT&T is using this neutrality to act as a broker: "We're talking to everybody who has content," says Douglas M. Dunn, an AT&T vice-president helping Kavner carry out the scheme.
Kavner says AT&T's plan could be just what is needed to jump-start the information highway. "Will it be one deal at a time, which is what's going on today, or do some of the more significant players need to stand up?" he asks. Clearly, AT&T is willing to stand up--and be counted.


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Global aluminium aerosol can deliveries almost stable in 2020
Image courtesy of AEROBAL
According to the International Organisation of Aluminum Aerosol Container Manufacturers (AEROBAL), the development of the global market of aluminium aerosol cans was ‘quite impressive’ last year, despite the adversities caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Global deliveries by AEROBAL members fell by just 1.7% in 2020 compared to the same period of the previous year. With a considerable total production of roughly 5.7 billion aluminium aerosol cans, the industry was only slightly below the record results of the past few years. AEROBAL members represent around 70% of all aluminium aerosol cans produced around the globe.
AEROBAL secretary general Gregor Spengler, said: “Especially in this crisis situation, the advantages of aluminium aerosol cans as packaging material have once again come into their own. Their outstanding safety and reliability, paired with excellent functionality and the exceptionally high hygiene standards, which are of course even more important in times of pandemics, have paid off. Together with the efficiency and flexibility of our member companies, this has ensured that we have come relatively well through the difficult last year compared to other industries.”
However, the pandemic has also left its mark on the sales markets for aluminium aerosol cans. The slight decline is due to lower demand for deodorants, the core market for aluminium aerosol cans. But sales of other personal care items and hair care products also declined. In addition to a general reluctance to consume, mobility restrictions also had their effect. Since consumers were going out less, they also used fewer products such as deodorants and perfumes, body, hair care and cosmetic products. The uncertainty among consumers and various travel restrictions also caused the number of holiday trips to collapse dramatically, which also explains the noticeable decline in demand on the market for sunscreens and similar products.
The specific situation around Covid-19 caused a noticeable increase in demand in certain sectors, such as disinfection and hygiene products. The demand for household products also increased.
However, these increases could not fully compensate for the lower demand in the volume-wise dominating markets for deodorants, body and hair care.


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Consumers have become increasingly detached from their food as America’s food system grows larger and continues to ruin the environment. The main problem is that most consumers do not know how their consumption habits affect the ecosystem around them. Nor do they know about how their food was produced. Information about how and where the food is being produced and wasted is essential, so people can shop responsibly. Short of legislation, Americans make choices at the grocery store. It is essential for all Americans to cast in a vote with their dollars to change the way that food is produced in the United States resulting in more sustainable food being more accessible in the aisles of the grocery store for all Americans.
Farmers have to consider the food quality checks. Farmers are aware of that if fruits or vegetables are not in a perfect shape supermarkets are not going to buy them, so farmers just throw away imperfect fruits and vegetables. Royte who is a nature writer, in her article “Eat Ugly!” she explained, “A lot of food sellers think no one will buy freaky-looking food. So they toss it before trying to sell it. Each year, 1.3 billion metric tons of food gets wasted in this way” (Royte). According to Richard Schiffman gave a solution for this problem in his article “What a Waste!” by giving the example of “Andronico's Community Markets in California” who sell imperfect looking fruits and vegetables to a very low price (Schiffman). This will help Famers and they don’t need to throw away the ugly looking products. The other reason food being wasted in fields by farmers is that they have to make sure that they have a steady supply of products for supermarkets (Matt and Peek). They purposed a solution for this problem, “With better food labeling—for example, using a spoils-on date rather than a sell-by date markets could keep their stock longer and ease demand on farmers” (Matt and Peek). The government should bring stricter policies to decrease food waste in fields and supermarkets can play an important role to reduce food waste
The world continues to face a wide-scale food crisis. The effects of this crisis reach from the farmers who grow and raise the food to the very system of laws that are in place to govern the system itself. Food giants are reaching deep into their pockets for lobbying in order to take advantage of both the producers and the consumer all in the name of profit. Moreover, farmers are being driven to suicide, and the ecosystem’s livelihood is treading a fine line. Both Michael Pollan and Raj Patel bring to light these problems and offer suggestions to help lessen their severity. Though there are many philosophies on which they both agree, they both have their own ideas to fight back. Pollan seeks to challenge the consumer as an individual while
About fifty million Americans are not certain when their next meal will be and in a society filled with food insecurities, the fact there this so much food waste is perplexing (King, 2015). Around the world, about two billion tons of food is wasted through production, transportation, distribution and retail, and post consumer (Glickman 2013). This amount of food
Trying to eat healthy food nowadays is expensive. Many people choose the cheaper food instead of purchasing organic food. In the video “What’s wrong with our food system”, Birke Baehr discusses how the industrial farms are producing the food in a rapid way but making the food to cause long-run diseases. He has found a sustainable way for people to get healthy organic local food. Birke encourages everyone to purchase their food at their local farm which have no chemicals. Furthermore, the article “Fixing Our Broken Food System: The Plate of the Union Initiative” explains how the food system is broken because the food that people can afford are from the industrial farms. It emphasis to fix this problem, people need to support the farmers by investing in research for sustainable
The Brundtland report defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” From early times, philosophers, such as Thomas Malthus, believed humanity could not be sustained. Malthus believed mankind would reach their carrying capacity, specifically with regards to food. Yet, this notion changed in subsequent years, thanks in part to the green revolution. This revolution helped increase crop yields due to new fertilizers, pesticides, etc. While there became more food available, sustainability, with regards to producing food in an environmentally friendly way, ran into some difficulties. While the Brundtland commission defined sustainability, there are three components that must be integrated for the well-being of all—social, environmental, and economic. Each component of sustainability must be looked at critically when considering the sustainable use of any resource. While many simply worried about having enough food available in the world, one must think of food sustainability with regards to environmental, economic, and social implications. As follows, the importance of food sustainability will be discussed, along with the attempts to measure food sustainability.
From farm to table getting our food and produce to the consumer is a tricky task. Even with all the planning millions of food ends up wasted a year. Many steps are already taken to reduce the amount of food being wasted but are they enough? In America alone 200 to 250 pounds is wasted per person per year! According the world resources institute “32 percent of the world’s food was never consumed in 2009”.
Food is necessary for humans to be able to survive, but food nowaday is not being sustainable. There are too many harmful chemicals in them and some foods now are not even made out of real foods. Food is something that needs to be sustainable because humans have to consume it, and when it is not properly treated the harm goes to those who consume it. Food is being hindered by soil erosion, water pollution, the use of pesticides and herbicides, etc. The use of herbicide and pesticide is damaging to crops because these chemicals stay on crops and go to the bodies of those which consume them, and they don’t even know about these chemicals. There is a lot of propaganda in the pro side of the argument because they give a positive view but that
From the moment in time which marked the emergence of the human race, food has been an integral part of society. It has served as more than just sustenance aiding in the formation of cultures, civilizations, and technologies. However as the human mind evolved, so too did views on the value of food. The degradation of these views has resulted in between 1.3 and 2.2 billion tons of food being wasted globally each year (Finn et al. 2). Most Americans are guilty of having to thrown away a forgotten piece of food that has spoiled, but the problem is far bigger than that. Annually thirty-four million tons of food waste finds its way into American landfills (Buzby et al. 2). Unfortunately a majority of American citizens are ignorant to this fact. These citizens perceive the food they seen thrown away as the lost of a few dollar at the most and therefore not a serious problem. However, a large number of the United States’ social, economic, and environmental issues which need to be understood and addressed can be attributed to food waste.
Sustainable agriculture is the idea to agriculture that prioritize in fabricating food in a manner that does not demean nature and does not threaten human or animal 's health. Sustainable agriculture provides high quality produce without diminishing resources and natural systems that productivity rely on. A study by the University of Michigan, compared data from one hundred studies of sustainable and conventional agriculture, concluded that a universal transformation to sustainable agriculture could in fact expand international food production to approximately fifty
There are billions of people struggling every day to have enough to eat, and billions of tons of food being tossed in the garbage, food waste is gaining increasing awareness as a serious environmental and economic issue. Research shows that about 60 million metric tons of food is wasted a year in the United States, with an estimated value of $162 billion. About 32 million tons of it end up in landfills, at a cost of about $1.5 billion a year to local government this economic crisis is worldwide! My research estimates that a third of all the food produced in the world is never consumed, and the total cost of that food waste could be as high as $400 billion a year. The food discarded by retailers and consumers in the most developed countries would be more than enough to feed all of the world’s hungry people, but it is not just those countries that have problems with food waste, it is also an issue in African countries like South Africa. The problem is expected to grow worse as the world’s population increases, unless actions are taken to reduce the waste. Food waste is not only a social cost, but it contributes to growing environmental problems like global warming, experts say, with the production of food consuming vast quantities of water, fertilizer and land. The fuel that is burned to process, refrigerate and transport it also adds to the environmental cost. Most food waste is thrown away in landfills, where it decomposes and emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
As mentioned in Wiskerke’s Urban Food Systems, there are currently enough food to feed 10 billion people at the global scale, and yet 40% of it went to disposal due to harvest and postharvest losses (which includes industrial, commercial, and household wastes). This opens up a larger issues of over purchasing, supermarket’s quality control (in which products that do not match the company’s standard will get thrown away instead of being sold at the store), over production of food at commercial level, and the food expiry date system that cause more waste than safety. These are issues that many
The food industry has a large impact on individuals and will affect wider communities in the future. The rush of today’s society has pushed food production to become more commercialized with prepackaged/premade based foods. For numerous reasons such as time, work and costs of living, people are wanting meals that are cheap, fast, easy and don’t require much effort. This is due to many obligations and priorities in life that are put above
Society must educate itself on what type of food is healthy such as fresh or fresh frozen vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and fruits. Parents should take the time to explain what these are and why they are important, educating themselves if necessary. Families can also extend this education to a hands-on experience but starting a small vegetable garden which produces some of the vegetables they eat. Author and farmer, Sharon Astyk, and sustainable systems land planner, Aaron Newton, argue that people need to take back the control of the food selection and prices by growing their own or purchasing directly from local farmers. In their article, “The Rich Get Richer: the Poor Go Hungry”, Astyk and Newton (2015) write, “When we grow our own food, or buy it directly from local farmers, we take power away from multinationals” (p.518). I agree that society should become more involved and self-sustaining pertaining to food to retain independence from companies that are loyal to shareholders. This education will provide the current and future generations necessary resources to make improved food choices, thereby reducing the obesity and diabetes epidemics gripping our nation.
In America, we are constantly surrounded by abundance. Food is a prevalent waste item in the United States. Most people do not think about the resources it took to produce, transport, and prepare the food they throw away. Our food waste is not actually just trash; it is the key to human survival. Ordinary consumers can change the future with one small action: to stop wasting food. Actions at the individual level can decrease food waste and feed those in need. Twenty five percent of purchased food is thrown away. (TED) Often this is because food has spoiled, but it can be for other reasons such as oversupply, misread labels, or individual consumer shopping and eating habits. http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3347e/i3347e.pdf


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Now, HOLDBAC® YM VEGE brings this effective and label-friendly spoilage prevention to plant-based, fermented foods and beverages, at a time when customer demand in this space has never been higher.
“The industry has seen enormous growth for fermented plant-based products in recent years, driven by higher numbers of flexitarian, vegetarian or vegan consumers around the world. These shifts in diets are driven by a number of factors, including a search for improved health that comes with a plant-based diet, ethical choices toward foods with lower environmental impact and which are deemed better for animal welfare, and switching to dairy alternatives for lactose-intolerant consumers,” said Eve Martinet-Bareau, Global Product Manager, Cultures for plant-based fermented food and beverages.
Though, with demand comes certain challenges for producers of fermented goods, including the need to:
● Gain market share in the fast-growing plant-based food sector;
● consistently ensure high-quality products with the desired taste and texture, particularly across regions with differing consumer preferences;
● secure that quality throughout a product’s shelf-life;
● address the fast-growing demand for friendly labeled consumer products;
● make a substantial contribution to the sustainability of the food and beverage sector; and
● provide consumers with products that improve their health and wellbeing.
“As more consumers look for fermented food and drinks, our HOLDBAC® YM VEGE cultures will help our customers meet that demand.”
This innovative new ingredient also offers customers the ability to make a significant difference in terms of environmental and social impact through reduced food waste and plant-based alternatives.
The potential impact is massive: DuPont has estimated that if just 5 percent of the global yogurt market is replaced with plant-based alternatives made with Danisco® VEGE and HOLDBAC® YM VEGE cultures, the carbon dioxide emission saving would theoretically be as high as 3,000,000 tons CO2annually.
This would be roughly equivalent to 1,700,000 EU-based cars off the roads.
“We are thrilled to add HOLDBAC® YM VEGE to our range of plant-based and sustainable offerings,” said Mikkel Thrane, Global Sustainability Lead for DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences.
“We look at our environmental footprint through the lens of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and we are proud to say that this culture supports at least three – SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 12 (Responsible Production and Consumption) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). HOLDBAC® YM VEGE is helping us facilitate the transition to a healthier and more environmental-friendly diet.”
This transition to a healthier diet for people and the planet is powered by DuPont’s expertise in microbiology, food protection, and fermentation, as well as its commitment to developing and offering more sustainable ingredients for customers.


text: With the potential for Snow and extremely cold temperatures into the next week, Police are warning lake residents to be on the lookout for firewood scams. According to reports, there have been recent reports about scammers selling firewood and residents paying the bill never receiving the shipments. Local firewood experts recommend asking several questions to whoever you speak to, check on prices and compare them to others before making your purchase. You can also look up the company using the Better Business Bureau. Experts say that a standard legal cord of wood is about 8 feet long and could around $160 per cord. If you feel your being scammed, contact your local police office.


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The renowned ride-hailing company, Uber, is looking into incorporating bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as a payment option for its customers. Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, announced this during her interview at CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday.
Uber already accepts a wide variety of traditional currency. The company is considering expanding to transact using bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for its riders and eater’s convenience. Khosrowshahi also mentioned that the move would solely be for the customers’ benefit and need and not as part of a promotion for cryptocurrencies.
Uber Will Not Be Putting Cryptocurrency on Its Balance Sheet
Despite the expansion to accepting bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as a payment option, Uber will not be putting it on its balance sheet. The new highs that bitcoin hit this year seem not to have swayed the ride-hailing company. Khosrowshahi remarked that Uber would continue to keep its cash safe and not get into the speculative business.
The decision is contrary to other popular companies that have been hopping on the cryptocurrency bandwagon. After announcing that it will start accepting bitcoin as payment, Tesla further bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin and included it in its balance sheet. Twitter’s CFO, Ned Segal, also told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that the company was contemplating adding bitcoin to its balance sheet.
Uber Could Be Holding Back Because It Lacks the Profits to Stash in Bitcoin
Uber’s decision to not fully dive into the cryptocurrency market and include it in its balance sheet raises questions considering how the big players are taking advantage of the opportunity. Anthony Pompliano of Morgan Creek pointed out in a tweet that Uber does not have the profits to invest in Bitcoin.
According to an Investopedia report, Uber was trading lower by close to 4% in Thursday’s pre-market session. The ride-hailing company failed to reach its expected revenue and continues to operate at a loss. The report predicted that Uber would start to make profits towards the end of 2021. Considering that the likes of Tesla are investing such massive amounts, there is no way bitcoin could match up with its current state.


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Honda has completely redesigned the 2013 Honda Accord, and with its incredible tech and outstanding standard features, we think Honda has changed the Accord for the better.
We’ll get to the appearance changes and great special features, but first let’s talk under the hood.
The 2013 Honda Accord has a new 4 cylinder CVT transmission. CVT is becoming more and more popular because it gives an engine better fuel economy by enabling the engine to run at its most efficient RPM for a range of vehicle speeds.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced recently that the 2013 Ford Escape has received a four star crash rating.
The 2013 Ford Escape was remodeled for 2013. NHTSA gave it four stars in frontal testing and rollover testing, and it received five stars in side crashes. So along with being stylish, safety is another feature of the 2013 Ford Escape.
The 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek is a brand-new vehicle hitting the showroom later this year. But we got an preview of the Crosstrek last week, and found it to be even more stunning in person than in photos.
The Crosstrek takes everything you’ve already loved about Subaru models, put them in a blender and created what we feel is the ultimate Subaru vehicle.
The 2013 Subaru BRZ is a phenomenal vehicle, and it just add Top Safety pick to its reputation.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety today announced that the Subaru BRZ was named a 2012 Top Safety Pick.
The BRZ debuted earlier this spring to rave reviews. The sports style vehicle is Rear Wheel Drive, a break from Subaru’s traditional All Wheel Drive models. Aside from the WRX, all of Subaru’s newest models are IIHS Top Safety Picks.
As your teen starts another year of High School or College, they’ve probably saved up some money this summer to start school in new ride.
But what’s the best ride for your teen? Consumer Reports compared the top models on safety and reliability and came up with their list of “Best Cars for Teens.” Many of our top models new and pre-owned made the list. Check them out here and scroll down for the complete list.
The 2013 Subaru Legacy is a feature-heavy, fun-to-drive model that combines sporty and safety into one model.
Subaru made a few comfort and aesthetic changes to this year’s model, and the new Eye Sight Technology brings a whole new element of safety to a vehicle.
The Eye Sight Technology was the highlight of our test drive. It changes driving as we know it as far as safety is concerned.


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Here is the news for the fans of Nokia in India who are eagerly waiting to get their hands on the new devices. The official Nokia brand licensee (HMD Global Oy) held a special media briefing in New Delhi on May 8. Which reveals that the Android powered Nokia 6, 5, 3 along with the company’s legendary model 3310 (2017) will going to hit the Indian Market next month.
The Top Model of the company’s Android line up Nokia 6 is going to be available with a price tag under Rs. 20,000 and the Nokia 5 and 3 are going to be available with a price tag of Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 10,000 respectively. Although prices are going be a little bit different when the handsets are available in the stores.
And if you are a fan of Nokia’s Legendary Model 3310 then you will be happy to know that it is going to get get a price tag under RS. 4,000.
All these new model of Nokia are going to be available in the Indian Market from June 2017. So you have to wait just a little bit more to get your hands on these device’s.


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Police are examining fingerprints to try to identify thieves who smashed their way into a Seaford pharmacy to steal bottles of expensive perfume.
At about 3.50am on Wednesday August 14 two people were seen smashing a hole in the shop window of L Cameron and Son in Broad Street before one climbed in and handed out items to the other.
They then left towards Croft Lane with a large quantity of perfume.
The offenders were wearing dark clothing and hoodies.
PC Kelley Matthews said: “We have collected fingerprints left inside the premises and are analysing them to see if they could belong to one of the thieves.
“We are keen to speak to anyone who has been offered any bottles of expensive perfume or fragrance at a low price, or knows of anyone who has suddenly acquired these sort of items.”
Anyone with information should call 101 quoting serial 141 of 14 August or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.


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Sea Machines investment brings autonomous ships closer
Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics has secured a US$10 million Series A investment, bringing it to a total capital of US$12.5 million raised by one of its largest venture rounds so far.
The company seeks to develop its own brand of autonomous technology in the marine industry that includes the possibility of introducing ‘skipperless’ container ships in the future.
The company will use the funds to expand the sales and global reach of its recently released line of products, grow the R&D and engineering teams, roll out new products and develop advanced situational awareness systems for vessels.
Targeting maritime transportation, offshore energy, commercial fishing, and aquaculture are key commercial goals for the company. According to Sea Machines, the continued reliance on 20th-century methodologies and technologies is holding these industries back from better profitability.
Founder and CEO of Sea Machines, Michael Gordon Johnson, says that this investment enables the company to strengthen its commitment towards making advanced command and control products that make the industry more capable, productive and profitable.
Echoing those sentiments, founding Managing Director of investor Toyota AI Ventures, Jim Adler, said: “Sea Machines’ autonomous technology and advanced perception systems can reduce costs, improve efficiency and enhance safety in the multi-billion dollar commercial shipping industry.”
In October, Sea Machines launched an industrial-grade control system providing level 3 ‘operator-in-the-loop’ autonomy for workboats and other commercial marine vessels, involved in scientific survey, spill response, dredging and security and surveillance.
Now the firm is in the process of developing advanced perception and navigation assistance technology for a range of vessels, including container ships. In the first quarter of 2019, the company will begin testing its perception and situational awareness technology aboard one of shipping giant Maersk’s new build ice-class container ships.
In April this year, Sea Machine’s tie-up with Maersk marked the first time computer vision, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and perception software was trialed on a container vessel to augment and upgrade transit operations. The solution uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve at-sea situational awareness, object identification, and tracking capabilities.
The goal for Maersk was to aid seafarers, remove line-of-sight restrictions from the bridge and provide the infrastructure for future autonomous collision avoidance systems.
According to Maersk Senior Manager, Michael A. Rodey, however, completely autonomous vessels are not an “end goal” for the firm just yet: “[…] what is more of interest is the technology along the journey and the value it brings”.
Commenting on Sea Machine’s investment, Rodey said it “sends a strong signal on the types of technologies that will come to define the maritime industry in the future.”
According to the International Chamber of Shipping, the international shipping industry is responsible for the movement of around 90 percent of world trade.
Currently, there are over 50,000 merchant ships trading internationally, with a world fleet registered to over 150 nations and manned by over a million seafarers.
Over half a trillion US dollars in freight rates can be garnered from the operation of merchant ships that include large high-value vessels that cost up to $200 million to build.
6 March 2024


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Puerto Plata’s 100K+ cruise passengers sustain tourism boom
Puerto Plata.- Over 100,000 cruise passengers have visited the province pioneer in tourism during the first months this year, consuming more than US$4.0 million, exceeding RD$ 200.0 million, North Coast deputy Tourism minister, Julio Almonte affirmed Tues.
He said as Monday, 45 cruise ships from different countries had arrived at Amber Cove, near the city.
He said the city has received 188,655 foreigners, including 140,550 passengers and 48,600 crew who arrived at the port in Bahia Maimon.
Almonte said cruise passengers prefer Puerto Plata for its great beauty the beaches, as well as the mountains landscape and the attention they receive from the locals.
Each visitor to the city spends as much 10 dollars.
The North Coast is among Dominican Republic’s most popular destination for tourists who arrive by sea and by air.