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Two-thirds of builders and remodelers say customers request green homes to lower their utility bills -- more than twice as often as any other factor, according to the SmartMarket report by McGraw-Hill Consruction, part of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
FOLLOW: Green House on Twitter
The report, which surveyed members of the National Association of Home Builders, was released Tuesday at NAHB's National Green Building Conference and Expo in Nashville.
"In the current residential market, there is an enormous need to differentiate your homes for consumers," McGraw-Hill Construction's Harvey Bernstein said in announcing the findings. "When builders are able to offer homes that not only are green, but also offer the combination of higher quality and better value, they have a major competitive edge over those building traditional homes."
The report estimates that the green-homes share of the construction market -- 17% in 2011 -- will increase to 29% to 38% by 2016. It says consumers want green homes because they see them as not only saving money but also having higher quality in terms of durability and air quality.
It also finds that home builders are increasing their focus on indoor air quality to meet consumer demand. Nearly all high-volume builders (95%) say they now include features to improve air quality.
Wendy Koch has been a reporter and editor at USA TODAY since 1998, covering politics and social issues. She's begun a quest to build the most eco-friendly home her budget allows. She'll share her experience and give you tips for greening your home. More about Wendy


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Canada’s failure rate for small and medium sized businesses is staggeringly high. Around one half of small and medium sized businesses survive past five years, while 15% don’t last a year. Today’s smaller businesses face a daunting task. The complexities of today’s market have created new risks, and myriad laws and regulations that can overwhelm just about any sized business.
Managing company communications with AI
Could AI have helped Google identify the ‘diversity memo’ sooner? This post looks at how AI could help other companies avoid these and many other complications around employee communication.

domain: news


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Nissan has revealed a new home energy storage product created from recycled batteries sourced from the company’s electric vehicle offerings, according to recent reports.
— Tim Chester (@timchester) May 10, 2016
The new xStorage energy storage system — which features 12 LEAF battery modules — was revealed by Nissan at a recent event in East London. It’s reportedly being produced in partnership with the power management firm Eaton.
Mashable provides more:
It charges up when either renewable energy (from, say, solar panels) is available, or when energy from the grid is cheap (typically at night). Then it releases that energy, powering the house, when energy costs are higher. It will also allow consumers to sell energy back to the grid, Nissan say.
The xStorage battery is being touted by the company as “the first… to provide a fully integrated energy storage unit for homeowners.” It will be installed by certified installers and connects to a smartphone app that will allow consumers to manually switch between energy sources. The xStorage will be available in the UK starting in September this year for £3,200 (approximately $4,600). There are currently no plans for distribution in the US.
That pricing is all-inclusive — with converters and installation included.
“Our system will be provided to end users completely ready to use, with all required elements including cabling and installation by a certified professional, at a starting price of 4,000 euros for 4.2 kilowatt-hours (kWh) nominal,” commented Eaton Electical EMEA’s Vice President of Marketing Cyrille Brisson. “Our policy is to avoid hidden extra costs and achieve a lower total cost of ownership than other major offers already announced.”
Nissan is reportedly expecting to sell 100,000 of the systems within the next 5 years.
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Streaming service Spotify announced Wednesday its plan to go public, CNBC reported.
The company will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker name SPOT. According to the company, shares have traded as high as $132.50 on private markets, which would give the company a valuation over $23 billion based on ordinary shares outstanding as of Feb. 22.
Spotify is the leader in streaming music services globally, with the company reporting 71 million paying subscribers and more than 159 million monthly active listeners (MAUs) as of December 2017. It is available in 61 countries and territories. Its closest competitor, Apple Music, is far behind at 36 million subscribers.
The company reported revenue of $2.37 billion in 2015, $3.6 billion in 2016 and $4.99 billion in 2017, according to its F1. (This is based on current euro to dollar conversion value.) It said paid subscribers are growing at a rate of 46 percent year-over-year, while MAUs are increasing at 29 percent year-over-year. The company posted a loss of $1.5 billion in 2017.


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Tuesday March 5th, 2013 - 8:35AM
MADRID–Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts has unveiled plans for a 215-room luxury hotel here, its first property in Spain.
The hotel, which is scheduled to open in 2017, will be part of a mixed-use development housed in a series of historic buildings comprising what's known as the Canalejas complex. Other components of the project will include Four Seasons-branded condminium residences, a high-end shopping center and a parking garage. The location is in easy walking distance to Madrid's major landmarks and city center.
Grupo Villa Mir and Grupo OHL are developing the project jointly with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. Construction is scheduled to begin by the end of this year.


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20th June 2023
The Liquor Licensing Board in Niger State has issued a stern warning to beer vendors in the State, emphasizing the need to adhere to the law or face legal action.
In an interview with Mallam Ibrahim Muhammad Bonu, the Secretary of the Board, revealed that arrangements have been made to destroy seized alcohol worth over N20 million in Suleja town, Niger state. These alcoholic beverages were confiscated due to violations of Niger State’s liquor prohibition, sales, and consumption laws.
Mallam Ibrahim Muhammad Bonu appealed to liquor vendors across the state, urging them to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations governing liquor sales. He stressed that any vendors caught violating liquor laws or employing underage individuals in their businesses would have their premises sealed.
He further advised vendors to comply with the designated operating hours specified in the bye-laws of the Niger State Liquor Licensing Board. Failure to do so could result in their expulsion from the industry and subsequent prosecution.
Mallam Ibrahim Bonu further cautioned the Board’s staff to carry out their duties following liquor laws. Any staff member found neglecting their responsibilities or colluding with vendors to bypass due process as mandated by the liquor law would face legal consequences.
All beer vendors in Niger state need to recognize the gravity of these warnings and ensure strict compliance with the liquor licensing regulations to avoid penalties and prosecution.


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Redmond, Wash. Microsoft Corp. released three security bulletins Tuesday to fix flaws that could let an attacker take complete control over a computer system.
The “critical” security flaws, the company’s highest threat level, affect Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
The software maker released other patches to address less serious problems with Windows, the Exchange server system, services for the Unix operating system, Microsoft’s Interactive Training software for Windows, and ISA server, a network firewall program.
Microsoft said it was rereleasing three previous security bulletins: one for Windows, one for the .NET framework, and one for an SQL server scanning tool.
Some of the flaws affect computers with operating systems dating back to Windows 98. Users who have installed Microsoft’s massive security update for Windows XP, Service Pack 2, also will need to install some patches unless they’ve signed up for automatic updates.
S&P lowers Northwest Airlines’ debt rating
Minneapolis Standard & Poors downgraded Northwest Airlines Corp.’s debt rating on Tuesday, saying the nation’s fourth-largest carrier faces heavy losses and unions that aren’t accepting cuts.
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services lowered Northwest’s corporate debt two notches to CCC+, from B. Northwest’s short-term rating was cut one notch to C from B-3.
Standard & Poors airline analyst Philip Baggaley said Northwest was downgraded because of heavy losses expected this year and “the airline’s inability thus far to secure needed labor cost concessions, and sizable upcoming debt and pension obligations.”
Eagan-based Northwest lost $458 million in its latest quarter, which Baggaley blamed on high fuel prices and weak pricing for domestic flights.
Starbucks to close Torrefazione Italia cafes
Seattle Starbucks Corp. says it will close its Torrefazione Italia cafes, nearly two years after buying the chain and its sister company, Seattle’s Best Coffee.
Torrefazione has 17 stores in the Northwest, California, Chicago and Boston, where drinks are served in ceramic cups to re-create an Italian coffee-bar experience.
“Operationally, the stores were not performing where they needed to perform,” said Alan Hilowitz, a spokesman for Starbucks.
Starbucks has not said exactly when it will close the Torrefazione cafes.
Hilowitz said employees at each shuttered cafe will be able to opt for a transfer to Starbucks.
Umberto Bizzarri opened the first Torrefazione in the city’s Pioneer Square district in 1986, around the same time Howard Schultz, now Starbucks’ chairman, started his own chain of Italian-style coffee bars, Il Giornale.
In 1987, Starbucks merged with Il Giornale and has since become the world’s largest maker of specialty coffees.
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HOUSTON - The work to safely get you to and from the Super Bowl, and all of its activities, started months ago.
In driver Amanda Louchart's case, her preparation started New Year's Eve.
"I'm glad I started now and started working the nerves out of driving people," Louchart said.
Louchart is one of Houston's Uber drivers, who are expected to give hundreds of thousands of rides to an estimated 1 million visitors and locals during the Super Bowl.
The city and the Super Bowl Host Committee partnered with Uber to make sure that it would be around to offer another transportation option during the big event.
Managers identified the pickup hotspots, places like the Galleria, midtown, NRG Stadium area and the airports.
"We are using our technology and dates from large events we've hosted in Houston, like the Final Four, as well as cities all over the world to make sure that we can use the app and the technology to allow drivers to know where it's going to be busy before it's busy," Uber General Manager Sarfraz Maredia said.
Uber believes that many people will come to town without a car, and many will rely on their ridesharing app.
While many drivers will be from Houston, some will be from other parts of the state.
"If they've already gone through our process, they have to go through the city's process and we're helping them do that," Maredia said.
The city and Uber have streamlined the time and cost it takes to become an Uber driver. City licensing that once took weeks now can take as little as a day.
"If they don't have tickets to the game, they will be going out to places to watch the game. So I expect it to be extremely busy and fun," Louchart said.
Copyright 2017 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.


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Key needs to answer when, how package changed
Hon Dr Michael Cullen
Minister of Finance
9 October 2008 Media Statement
Key needs to answer when, how original package changed
Finance Minister Michael Cullen has challenged National leader John Key to answer when and exactly how his party's original tax package was changed.
"In July, Mr Key was quoted by the New Zealand Press Association as saying that National's tax proposals were 'locked in'.
"On Monday of this week he said that the Treasury's Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update meant that only slight changes would be required to its package as National had already factored in a deterioration in the fiscal forecasts.
"Then yesterday Mr Key claimed an original $5.7 billion package had been shrunk by a whopping $2 billion.
"Apart from the obvious 'there he goes again' interpretation of his changing stories, what this highlights is the ramshackle, hastily put together nature of John Key's package.
"It looks very much as if the Independent Earners' Rebate was a last minute substitute for a much bigger cut to the 21 per cent rate in an effort to try and make sure that the numbers did not look too bad around the average wage.
"As a result, modest income families, superannuitants and others miss out on their fair share of National's proposed tax reduction package, while innovative businesses and savers pay the price of the party's electoral bribes.
"It is all one big money-go-round - transferring money away from investment and saving for a stronger, shared future into more consumption for some in the present," he said.
Dr Cullen also challenged National to say what assumptions it had made about a lower contribution rate leading to more people becoming KiwiSavers, as Mr Key claimed would occur.
"Mr Key cannot have it both ways. Either he has assumed big savings by savaging KiwiSaver, or he has assumed increased take-up which would reduce those savings," Dr Cullen said.


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The rain has eased up, the sun is back and I have to mow the bloody lawn, but at least I have stopped “leaking” and my hair is dry for the first time in over a week.
But it seems that no matter what the weather is like there are always news items to amuse and amaze.
And I have a small confession, I started to watch the Michael Jackson memorial thing, for the first five minutes until they wheeled the body in………..
Police in Bancaster, Norfolk Have arrested and detained a scarecrow that was made to look like a copper with a speed gun.
The 7ft tall scarecrow was put up on the roadside to promote a village scarecrow festival while also encouraging speeding motorists to slow down.
However, a passing policewoman took it away in her patrol car within four hours of it being put up.
The scarecrow was later reported stolen by festival organiser Miranda Skillings, 56, who had earlier got permission from police to put up the fake traffic officer.
After three hours Norfolk Police located the scarecrow and an officer was sent to replace it.
However, Mrs Skillings was asked to remove the fake radar gun as the force believed it was giving out "an inappropriate message" and might confuse drivers.
Mrs Skillings said: "We get people to put up scarecrows in their gardens and funny places as a prelude to the fete. Last year we had around 50 in the village.
Insp Dave Buckley, of Norfolk Police's Hunstanton and Burnham neighbourhood policing team, said in a statement: "We gave permission for the organisers to create a scarecrow of a police officer - but the owner of the scarecrow used a plastic drinks bottle to symbolise a speed radar gun.
"As a result an officer removed the scarecrow as it portrayed an incorrect and inappropriate message to passing motorists. We appreciate the spirit of the family-oriented festival but our priority is the safety of motorists.
Wookey Hole needs a witch: the tourist attraction near Wells, Somerset, has advertised at the local Job Centre for someone to teach visitors about witchcraft and magic after its previous employee retired.
The successful applicant 'must be able to cackle' and 'must not be allergic to cats' but will enjoy a salary of £50,000 pro rata based on work during school holidays and at weekends.
"So the job is straightforward: live in the cave, be a witch, and do the things witches do."
Auditions for the role are being held on July 28 in front of a panel of judges who will assess applicants costume and character as well as the ability to perform witch tests.
"Ambitious witches, looking for a key career move, should turn up dressed for work and bring any essential witch accoutrements.
"A limited range of potion ingredients will be available.
"We are witchless at the moment so we need to get the role filled as soon as possible.
"We are looking for someone who is friendly, a little mischievous and with lots of character."
So if you want to fill Wookey hole’s hole, go for it.
Tesco are so worried about losing money to shoplifters they have added security tags to ……..cheese.
Yep, the biggest retailer in Christendom thinks that cheddar has become a “luxury” item.
The store in Brockworth, Gloucester, has acted because of a spike in thefts following the economic downturn.
A Tesco spokesman did not say what rise in shoplifting there had been at the store, but said: "We have a number of security measures that we enforce in our stores across the UK.
"The decision to use security tags is always made by the manager of the store and tags are used on various items such as bottles of spirits, all at the manager's discretion."
The Retail Food Consortium added that electronic tags could soon be put on all supermarket food.
"We expect crime to go up during the recession," a spokesman said. "Shops will look at this and step up security."
Last year it was reported that thefts were up by more than a third at Tesco since the effects of the economic downturn began to bite
Couple of thoughts:
Shoplifters are the scum of the earth, and in no way do I condone theft.
Tesco have more than doubled the price of cheese “because of the recession”, why not reduce the prices to a reasonable level, they can afford it and it would reduce the risk of food being stolen.
Titillation, now there’s a word I haven’t heard for a long time, but apparently a poll of nearly 2,000 women aged between 45 and 60 found that romantic fiction was the most popular genre – chosen by 35 per cent of those surveyed.
Nearly two thirds said they liked raunchy scenes in novels, and more than half described sex in books as "titillating".
A further 10 per cent of those questioned on their reading habits said they actively chose books which featured lots of sex scenes.
Meanwhile crime and mystery novels got 33 per cent of the vote, and other novels 31 per cent.
Top 10 books women would take to a desert island, according to the survey:
1 Bridget Jones's Diary – Helen Fielding (20 per cent)
2 Atonement – Ian McEwan (14 per cent)
3 Harry Potter (any book) – J K Rowling (13 per cent)
4 The Time Traveler's Wife – Audrey Niffenegger (9 per cent)
5 Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie (8 per cent)
6 The Other Boleyn Girl – Philippa Gregory (8 per cent)
7 The Life of Pi – Yann Martel (7 per cent)
8 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks (7 per cent)
9 Notes on a Scandal – Zoe Heller (7 per cent)
10 Memories of a Geisha – Arthur Golden (6 per cent)
Reference books were the least popular. Among these, cookbooks were favourites, according to the survey by the moisturiser brand Astral.
Well a rolling pin isn’t “titillating” or is it?
A bridge too fat Ambulances have been banned from crossing Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol because they are too heavy.
The vehicles will no longer be able to use the historic bridge to get to emergency calls.
Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) has sent a memo to paramedics informing them that they must not use the 150-year-old bridge, built by engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
The Grade I listed landmark has a weight limit of four tonnes, but when fully loaded the new-style ambulances brought in last year weigh five tonnes.
The new emergency vehicles are fitted with additional equipment like CCTV cameras and a charging unit for defibrillators.
Instead ambulances will now have to use the A4 Portway and Brunel Way across the Cumberland Basin, a detour of around two miles, to get to and from North Somerset.
But rapid response vehicles will still be able to use the bridge and GWAS said the distance will be made up in crews being able to drive faster on the Portway and Brunel Way.
Melanie Glanville, spokesman for GWAS, said: "We do have to do a slight detour but the distance is made up in speed.
"Our vehicles have been getting heavier and we work closely with the bridge master so we know that if there is a dire emergency situation and traffic is bad in Bristol he will close the bridge so that we can still use it."
Fire engines are also unable to use the bridge.
All vehicles are weighed as they approach the suspension bridge and if the weight limit is exceeded an alarm is triggered and the barriers allowing access remain closed.
Angus Dei politico
Angus Dei-NHS-THE OTHER SIDE


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Top 10 St. Louis Heartland Tech Startups
St. Louis, home of the Gateway Arch on the bank of the Mississippi, may be far from Silicon Valley, but don’t tell all the startups they’re in the wrong place. This article originally appeared on Geektime. This article was originally posted by James Gaskin on GeekTime.
French fur traders found a nice spot on the Mississippi river and started the city of St. Louis back in 1764. Growth of river traffic built up the city to the point there are nearly three million in the city and surrounding area.
Forward-thinking business and government groups got together to build upon the pharmaceutical and financial enterprises based in St. Louis. The Missouri Technology Corporation, along with multiple funding sources from angel to Series A to mature startup venture capital has built a thriving startup culture that keeps growing.
The largest river system in America, the Mississippi, along with its central location and educated workforce will keep St. Louis an important entrepreneur magnet for the next few decades at least. No less a research site than FiveThirtyEight.com called St. Louis, “The New Startup Frontier.” And there’s an arch in a lovely park by the river.
Acute kidney injuries occur in 35-70 percent of critically ill patients while in intensive care, because the kidneys filter everything inside the body. MediBeacon uses a proprietary blood agent that shows kidney damage one to three days sooner than current blood tests. Although not yet approved for general use, MediBeacon’s monitor and tracer agent have successfully completed initial clinical studies.
Founded in 2011 to commercialize a range of new diagnostic tools using optical technology, MediBeacon’s first funding round in March 2013 included three investors (amounts not disclosed). Since then, close to $41 million dollars have been placed with them from five investors. This includes their largest transaction, $10 million, in March of 2017.
Sure, online ads can be annoying, but that’s where the eyeballs are, drawn to smartphones and tablets rather than televisions. LockerDome created tiny interactive software widgets that give content providers and advertisers enhanced tracking tools and customer engagement options. At this writing, LockerDome’s clients have better interaction than before with over 100 million people per month.
Starting back in the early days of the Great Recession in July 2008, LockerDome received an undisclosed amount of seed money from one investor in September of 2011. Cultivation Capital and their group of investors have pitched in over $17 million of their total $19.09 million in funding, with their biggest placements in March of 2013 and December of 2014 ($6 and $10 million). The last cash infusion came in June 2016 for $500,000.
People love to shop, but all too often, according to retailers, they prefer shopping on their phones rather than in stores. So Aisle411 uses smartphones to make shopping in Real Life much easier, faster, and cost-effective using inside maps just like folks use their navigation systems outside. The shoppers find what they want faster, and they get enticed by new ads that popup as they pass by merchandise. Reports tell retailers where shoppers go and which instant ads get their attention.
Nearly $10 million in venture funding says Aisle411 has some good ideas. Founded in April 2008, Aisle411 received an initial angel placement of $2.1 million in November of 2011. Four rounds later, in September 2013, Cultivation Capital pitched in another $6.34 million on top of an earlier investment.
Big Data is Big Business, and VelociData helps customers wrangle data into business analysis and recommendations. It doesn’t hurt that IBM found 49 percent greater revenue growth from 2007 to 2012 in those companies embracing analytics. VelociData’s Vortex product provides data integration for markets including financial services and enterprises, and can capture real-time telemetry and billing information. Their Raptor products treat IoT devices as data streams for Big Data, giving companies control over more information than ever before.
Their funding started big, with $10 million in July 2013, a year after being founded. Since then another $5.1 million in venture funds and debt financing boosted their bankroll.
Small and medium businesses, and marketing agencies, have multiple free or cheap CRM solutions available to them. Hatchbuck steps up the CRM game into a complete marketing software suite that automates follow-up, manages contacts, and tracks success as your customer base builds.
Development started in 2011, boosted by Cultivation Capital’s October 2012 angel round of $775,000. Five more rounds, the last of which was $4 million Series A funding, again from Cultivation Capital, bring the confidence-building total up to $12.6 million.
Bigger companies need sales help, too, and TopOPPS focuses on bringing clarity, efficiency, and predictability to their sales pipeline and sales process. They also provide training and guidance for better sales with multiple guidebooks and regular webinars.
Starting fast in 2014 with $700,000 seed funding from Cultivation Capital, TopOPPS has received $6.31 million total after five more venture and seed rounds. The latest placed, over $511,000, happened in December of 2016, so investors keep funding what they see as a winner.
One of the higher-profile startups in St. Louis, Bonfyre helps companies build culture, bring employees together, and keep worker engagement high and focused on improvements. Make your own jokes about keeping distracted millennials on track, but companies like Southwest Airlines, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, and Verizon use their services.
Investors seemed hooked as well. Starting in January 2012 with a seed, a tiny seed at that, of $50,000, Bonfyre has received nine more placements of seed, Series A, and venture investments for a grand total of $9.71 million. That will get the attention of even the most jaded millennial hipster.
Speaking of millennials, companies need to recruit them to replace all the retiring Baby Boomers. One company helping them transition from Boomer to recent graduates is the aptly named Better Weekdays. They work with top universities, employers, and directly with students and alumni to find the right spot for the right graduate at the right salary.
Setting off to mash the generations together back in 2011, Better Weekdays garnered a seed round of $50,000 I February 2014, then some debt financing in May of 2015. Their big placement, $1.3 million in venture funding, came in October 2015, bringing their total up to $1.35 million.
Patent law is big bucks for businesses and the specialty law firms that serve them. By digging into the treasure trove of information from and about the US Patent Office, Juristat gives their clients insight that translates to more frequent patent approvals and better research during legal challenges.
Over $1.6 million dollars have been provided in seed funding and grants to Juristat since they started their quest to demystify the Patent Office back in February 2012. Seed funds and grants started small with $160,000 in June of 2013. Business must be doing well, however, since the latest round of seed funding in January 2015 totaled $1.2 million.
St. Louis certainly qualifies as being the “heartland of America,” a phrase still filled with respect in the majority of the country. So an industrial painting company that provides quality control and documentation using software on an iPad fits right into the hardhat ethos. But it has a modern twist, as TruQC provides their job-site documentation reports, including Weekly Environmental Reports, via the cloud.
Almost $2 million dollars’ worth of funding found the way to St. Louis and TruQC. Two years after starting in 2011, TruQC received a $150,000 grant in November of 2013. Almost three years after that, in June 2016, venture funding of $1.7 million was placed. Nice payoff for an interesting mix of blue collar painting and white collar cloud-delivered software.


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In a statement today, AT&T confirmed that it has amended its data throttling policy, increasing the data threshold to 3GB for those using a device on its HSPA+ or 3G network and 5GB on its 4G LTE network. The decision comes just a few weeks after the carrier starting throttling the top 5% data users grandfathered into the carrier’s now non-existent unlimited data plans.
Before today, AT&T had not been clear on the data thresholds for its throttling policy. The carrier said that it would be throttling the top 5% of data munchers on its network, but didn’t reveal exactly how much data one had to consume before getting data throttled down to miniscule speeds.
In a statement, the carrier made both limits clear and rather surprisingly, they are a bit higher then the speeds at which device owners had previous seen data get throttled. Those grandfathered onto unlimited data contracts had seen AT&T throttled data speeds when data consumption hit around the 1.5GB to 2.1GB mark.
Here is AT&T’s full statement:
With mobile data usage continuing to skyrocket and the availability of spectrum scarce, AT&T, like other wireless companies, manages its network in the most fair way possible so that we can provide the best possible mobile broadband experience for all our customers.
How we’re managing the network only affects a small minority of the heaviest smartphone data users still on unlimited plans. Put another way, this does not impact more than 95 percent of our smartphone customers.
Our unlimited plan customers have told us they want more clarity around how the program works and what they can expect. Here’s what customers need to know:
· Customers with a 3G or 4G smartphone – who also still have our unlimited data plan – will see speeds reduced if they use 3GB (gigabytes) of data or more in a billing cycle. Speeds will return to normal at the start of the next billing cycle. For context, less than 5 percent of smartphone customers use more than 3GB per month.
· For customers with a 4G LTE smartphone – who also still have our unlimited data plan – data speeds will be reduced if usage is 5GB (gigabytes) or more in a billing cycle. Speeds will return to normal at the start of the next billing cycle.
Customers will get a text message from us before experiencing a change in speed.
Even with reduced data speeds, these customers will still be able to email and surf the web, and continue to use an unlimited amount of data each month.
Not impacted by this program, launched last year, are customers on our tiered data plans.
The reason reduced speeds only apply to unlimited smartphone customers is because their data usage is significantly higher than those on tiered plans. For example, in January, the top 5 percent of our unlimited data plan customers used an average of over 50 percent more data than the top 5 percent of customers on tiered plans.
Because spectrum is limited and data usage continues to soar, we manage our network this way to be as fair as possible and so we can provide the best possible mobile broadband experience to everyone.
We encourage all of our customers to use Wi-Fi whenever possible – especially when watching video, which is the most data-intensive activity.
So again, those reaching a 3GB threshold on 3G or HSPA+ 4G in a single billing period will see data speeds come to a crawl. And those using an 4G LTE device that go beyond 5GB in a single billing period will have data throttled.
This policy change comes shortly after an iPhone owner took AT&T to small claims court over data throttling winning a $850 judgement against the carrier.
It’s unclear if this, and the potential of many other cases in court, prompted AT&T to finally come clean about its data throttling limits. But whatever the case may be, unlimited data users now know how much (or how little) they can consume before getting throttled.
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BBVA Compass cardholders in the US can now add their cards to Apple Pay as the bank has become the latest to join more than 60 banks in supporting the mobile payments service. “Users will continue to receive all of the rewards and benefits offered by their BBVA Compass credit and debit cards,” the bank says.
- Dutch rail operator pilots open loop ticketing service
- Rohm to use ST NFC chips for wireless charging in cars
- Juniper forecasts a billion mobile ticketing users in 2019
- Microsoft to shut down its Microsoft Wallet service
- MTS to roll out open loop ticketing on buses and trains in San Diego


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The US market share of Q&A site traffic grew a whopping 118% last year, according to a new report by Hitwise. Yahoo! Answers is far and away the leader of the answer sites, with 74.5% of the US market.
But other answer sites are slowly but surely gaining ground. WikiAnswers came in second with 18.5%, while AnswerBag came in at 4.51%, though that was still an 83% gain over last year. Ask MetaFilter remained around the same at 1.80%, but Askville got a 316% increase, though they came in at only 0.85%.
Hitwise Research Director, Heather Dougherty, had this to say about the trend: "Online users are increasingly seeking advice from question and answer websites that leverage shared knowledge contributed across a community of experts and enthusiasts. The popularity of user generated media has helped to establish a category for social knowledge where consumers can obtain answers from a single aggregated source developed through others asking similar questions."
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*Super Saver Rates expire Jan 24.


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ARLINGTON, Va. — Lidl U.S. will open 50 stores in nine East Coast states by the end of 2021. The outlets will be in Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia. The openings will bring Lidl’s number of U.S. stores to more than 150.
The company will invest more than $500 million in the expansion and create about 2,000 jobs. New Jersey and Maryland will lead the growth with 10 new stores apiece. Seven outlets are slated for Virginia, six for both New York and Georgia, five for North Carolina, four for Pennsylvania, and one for both Delaware and South Carolina.
As part of the chain’s effort to prioritize convenient locations, it will close stores in Havelock and Shelby, N.C. All employees there will be given the opportunity to relocate to another store.
The expansion will be a boon for customers, the retailer says, citing recent academic studies that have documented a cost-cutting effect from Lidl’s market entries. A new study from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in Chapel Hill, N.C., found Lidl’s pricing to be up to 45% lower than nearby national grocers.
Last month, the National Retail Federation ranked Lidl atop its Hot 100 Retailers list. Compiled by Kantar, the list ranks the nation’s fastest-growing retail companies based on annual sales gains. The top ranking recognizes Lidl’s growing fresh produce offering, store and warehouse infrastructure, and fast-growing sales and customer base, the company said. “Shoppers love Lidl’s low prices, and they are spreading the word about a grocer that gives them more for their money each time they shop, said Lidl U.S. president and chief executive officer Johannes Fieber.
The chain currently operates 103 stores, the most recent openings coming in the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody, Ga., and Alexandria, Va., outside Washington, D.C. Earlier in the summer it unveiled stores on New York’s Long Island, in Patchogue and East Meadow.
Since its June 2017 U.S. entry, Lidl has steadily expanded along the East Coast. A little less than two years ago it acquired 27 Best Market stores in metropolitan New York. It debuted its 100th store this past spring in Suwanee, Ga.
Earlier in the spring it premiered a 700,000-square-foot distribution center and regional headquarters — its third — in Perryville, Md., in Cecil County. The company said it will open its fourth warehouse over the next two years in Covington, Ga., east of Atlanta.
July brought a leadership change with the departure of chairman Roman Heini, who left Lidl U.S. after nearly 16 months for personal and professional reasons.


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Trade surplus hits €4bn as exports up 17pc
IRELAND'S monthly trade surplus hovered at around €4bn for the third straight month in November as exports continued to surge and imports remained subdued, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said yesterday.
The country posted a surplus of €4.1bn in November as exports jumped 17pc to €8bn and imports inched up 2pc to €3.9bn from the same month 12 months earlier. The three-month annual growth rate of goods imports was 2.5pc in October, the CSO added.
"Together, these figures are indicative of weak Irish domestic demand. Import growth is likely to pick up only gradually in 2011 given the pressures on real incomes," said Davy Stockbrokers' Conall MacCoille.
Analysts said import growth is likely to remain weak this year. Ireland buys most of its goods, services and commodities from a small group of countries, with the UK, US, Germany and China providing 58pc of everything we import.
France, the Netherlands, Canada and Norway are the only other countries on track to sell goods worth more than €1bn to Ireland.
Imports fell 0.4pc in the first 10 months of 2010 as demand for computer equipment slumped by almost a third.
Exports rose 5pc over the same period as companies sold more medical and pharmaceutical products overseas.
One of the few areas to post a big jump was vehicles, which almost doubled in October as the car scrappage scheme encouraged drivers to buy new cars.
While exports are rising, the Economic and Social Research Institute warned last week that this will have little effect on unemployment as most companies which are heavily dependent on exports do not employ many people.
Foreign-owned firms accounted for 91pc of Ireland's tradeable goods and services exports in 2009, Forfas said in a detailed report last year.


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Dairies in the six western states of California, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah and Arizona produce around 38 percent of the U.S. milk supply. Dairies in these states consume approximately 65 percent of the alfalfa hay produced in the seven western states.
In the past 27 months some dairies in the West have only seen six to seven months of profitability, some a few more months depending on their operation.
As a result, there has not been the normal flow of money from the dairy industry to pay for feed and services.This has a dramatic negative impact on the Western alfalfa hay market in 2009 and the first half of 2010. While the milk price outlook has improved, money flow from dairies in early 2011 is still well below normal.
But due to lower yields and production combined with lower hay carryover into 2011, the alfalfa hay market strengthened the second half of 2010 with early January 2011 prices up $30 to $50 per ton from a year ago.
This, combined with alfalfa hay being taken out of production due to planting of alternative crops with more profit potential, has created an interesting scenario as we enter the 2011 alfalfa hay market season in the West.
Milk price trends lagging behind most other commodities
In the past few months we have seen prices on commodities such as corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton and others make sharp upward moves. At the same time milk prices have been trending lower. After reaching a high in October, Western milk prices dropped in November and December.
Very strong butter and nonfat dry milk prices in early January have raised the milk price outlook for the coming months. Dairies are still struggling with cash flow but it appears that there may be better days ahead. However, due to the tremendous amount of money lost in the dairy industry the past two years, it will take many months of strong profitability to restore financial health to dairies in the West.
Cold and wet weather in the U.S. in December and early January should slow milk production. The one negative has been the cheese market. U.S. cheese production in November was up 6 percent from November 2009. While U.S. dairy exports are running at record highs, domestic cheese consumption still lags behind the robust usage seen the first half of 2008.
While there have been recent price increases on cheese, it pales in comparison to the very bullish butter and powder markets.
Money problems in the dairy industry impacting growers’ planting decisions
Dairies are the largest buyer of alfalfa hay in the West. When dairies are not in sound financial condition and if there are alternative crops to plant with profit potential, growers will plant other crops to lessen their exposure to the dairy industry.
This is what will happen in 2011 in most of the seven western states: more wheat, corn, and cotton and less alfalfa hay overall. And for many growers, it is not a difficult decision because of the very strong markets on those three crops.
Growers are not only looking at profitability but also the assurance that they will get paid in a timely manner, something that has not happened over the past 24 months. These developments are not good news for the large Western dairy industry, where alfalfa hay is a necessary staple in milk cow rations and is favored in dry cow rations.
There are 2.9 million dairy cows in the six western states, with 85 percent of them always in a milking status. Alfalfa hay is an important feed for milk production.
Lower alfalfa hay acres in the West in 2011
There are strong indications that alfalfa hay acres in the seven western states in 2011 will be down around 5 to 10 percent. This on top of what looks to be a smaller hay carryover into 2011 in the West will push hay supplies down even further.
If there are any weather issues that push alfalfa yields below normal, this would make a tense hay supply picture for the West in 2011. While dairies can reduce the pounds of alfalfa hay fed to dairy cows, in order to maintain production and cow health, a minimum amount of alfalfa hay needs to be in milk cow rations.
If dairies were sound financially and milk prices were strong, we would be looking at an alfalfa hay market in the West similar to the very bullish market the first half of 2008. However, even if milk prices strengthen in the coming months, some dairies will still have to purchase hay on a short-term basis because they will not have the money to make volume purchases.
Dairies in better condition financially will fare much better in the environment of dairies chasing fewer hay supplies.
Small hay inventories at dairies/strong exports bullish to alfalfa hay prices
The early new-crop alfalfa hay market in the West in 2011 will be higher than the early market last year. Dairies will be forced to pay more than they would like for hay. There will be fewer acres of alfalfa hay and export demand looks to be strong.
Overseas customers won’t be happy about paying more for West Coast hay in 2011, but with the outlook for lower world hay supplies they will have few choices.
There is plenty of evidence that dairies in the West and particularly in California have smaller inventories of hay on hand. The many dealers that buy hay for dairies indicate that hay supplies are low at many of the dairies they service, both small and larger dairies.
Many dairies have not had the cash to make volume purchases of hay, consequently a large number will be out of hay in the next 30 to 60 days.
While I previously predicted higher alfalfa hay prices on first cutting in the West compared to the previous year, the recent improved milk price outlook and more evidence of very light hay inventories at dairies makes my earlier hay predictions too low.
There are growers in the Imperial Valley, Idaho, and Washington State that feel first-cutting supreme alfalfa hay prices will reach $200 per ton. My predictions this past October were $40 to $50 per ton below that level.
I have since revised my earlier estimates on first cutting Supreme alfalfa hay prices to be in the $160 to $180 per ton range in the West, depending on location. In my opinion, the only area that could reach $200 FOB is in the central valley of California, where there is a very large concentration of dairies.
Having said that, if milk prices in the coming months jump higher than expected, will my hay price predictions be too low? Maybe they will, but then again maybe not. Stronger milk prices are not going to instantly heal dairies financially after two years of heavy losses.
We must remember that grain and other feed prices are much stronger than a year ago as well. It would be surprising to see the market reach $200 per ton FOB in Idaho, Washington, and the Imperial Valley on first-cutting supreme alfalfa hay.
Food for thought
In the months ahead the U.S. dairy industry will be looking at strategies to keep from repeating the financial disaster of the past two years. While it may be wishful thinking that the industry would embrace, or that there would be a consensus on a milk supply management program,
I hope that the status quo will not prevail. An element that needs to be in these discussions is that the boom and bust cycles in the dairy industry, due to wide swings in milk prices, will drive more hay, corn silage and other forage crops, grown for the dairy industry, into other commodities.
Some experts say that the down cycles in milk prices could get worse in the future unless there are changes made in the U.S. dairy industry.
In 2011, we will witness the shift from hay into other commodities that not only have strong profit potential but where there is more secure money. This will not only drive hay and corn silage prices higher, but there will be times when dairies will not be able to purchase the amount of feed they need.
There are dairies in central California that will not have enough corn silage to make it through to this year’s new crop. Let us hope the dairy industry can come up with a plan that will not only bring more milk price stability, but more financial stability at dairies.
There must be incentive for hay and silage growers throughout the West and the nation to grow feed for the dairy industry, a vital industry in U.S. agriculture. FG


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At the launch in San Francisco on Monday, Apple announced that the much-anticipated Apple Watch is due to go on sale on 24 April.
However, with over a month to go to get the real deal, fake versions of the watch are already being produced and sold at Huaqiangbei Market in China, CNN Money reports.
The knockoff products are not just being sold at the market; it seems they are available to the whole nation online.
The Chinese counterfeiters, or 'shanzhai', are producing the watches at high speed and it's not just the Apple Watch that has been a victim of the fake products.
Laurent Le Pen, founder and CEO of smartwatch maker, Omate has had his own problems with the counterfeiters and told CNN Money: "The speed at which they bring copies on the market is amazing."
He added: "The hardware is not the big challenge – the hard part is on the software and the application side."
According to CNN Money, the majority of the fakes are being run on an Android operating system which is made to look like the iconic Apple interface.
There is one major difference between these and the real thing however; the Apple Watch will set you back somewhere between £299 and £13,500 whereas the Chinese fakes are retailing at 250 to 500 yuan (£25 to £50).
A major feature of the new watches that was announced at Monday's launch was the battery life.
Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, has said that the watch's battery will last around 18 hours, the BBC reported.
The watch will be released in three different categories with two different sizes also available, the Daily Mail reports.
The Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition will all be available in either 1.4 inch or 1.7 inch.


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Indian startup focuses on Graphene Nanotechnology to solve EV ‘range anxiety’
With major automakers like Audi, Mercedes and Hyundai planning to electrify their vehicles for the Indian market in 2019, Bengaluru-based start-up Log 9 Materials is focusing on innovative Graphene Nanotechnology to solve the ‘range anxiety’ of electric vehicles (EVs).
Log 9 Materials is an IIT-Roorkee spin-off which is working hard towards EV improvisation, with persistent efforts underway in the nanotechnology domain. The startup -- founded by a few IIT graduates -- is looking to resolve the ‘range anxiety’ issue associated with battery-run vehicles, so that the range of the vehicles can be increased.
About the focus of Log 9 Materials on Graphene Nanotechnology for potentially improving EV range, the startup’s founder Akshay Singhal said that the key objective of the company is develop inventive end-user commercial applications of the incredible substance called ‘graphene.’
Elaborating on Log 9 Materials’ innovative technology, Singhal said that the startup intends promoting ‘metal-air battery’ technology for transforming the production of clean energy. Metal-air battery -- powered by metal, air and water -- is a primary energy-generation technology, just like a fuel cell. It involves the use of graphene for manufacturing cost-effective and commercially viable batteries.
Highlighting the fact that Log 9 Materials presently holds three patents in graphene synthesis and graphene products, Singhal said: “We are trying to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial products, which are not coming out in the market.”
In an announcement made during Ford’s latest financial report this week, CEO Jim Hackett said that passenger cars are being phased out by the automaker, with its focus having shifting chiefly to electric vehicles (EVs) and trucks.
In an indication that Tesla’s Model S and Model X high-end electric luxury cars may soon be challenged by a potential competitor, Porsche has announced its first purely-electric sports car --- the ‘Taycan.’
French automaker Groupe Renault has introduced an ‘affordable’ new all-electric vehicle --- the Renault K-ZE electric crossover. The new vehicle was unveiled recently by Groupe Renault Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn.
According to EV magazine Electrek report, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors has hit a new production record in the 2018 third quarter. The company has reportedly produced a record high number of ~80,000 vehicles during the quarter.
In the wake of the increasing popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) Auto Trader has compiled a list of the best electric cars of 2018, in different categories based on running costs, range, price and other aspects.
In a move which marks a notable new milestone for The Netherlands-based electric car leasing company Mister Green EV, the company now has 1,000 units of Tesla’s electric vehicles (EVs) in its fleet.


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General Mills aims for 100% sustainable sourcing of ingredients such as U.S. dry-milled corn, wheat and dairy by 2020.
The FAO Food Price Index remained broadly steady in April, averaging 173.5 points for the month, a tiny notch up from March and 2.7 percent higher than in the same month of 2017. Read moreRead More »
Flash! A new study published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Research reveals that people who switched from a conventional to an organic diet reduced their intake of pesticides by 60 percent in just one week. Read MoreRead More »


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One of the biggest festivals to kick off summer in Wisconsin Dells will return for its typical timeframe with activities the event is famous for in a two-day event.
The 35th annual Automotion Classic Car Show will be May 22-23 in the parking lot of Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park, the same location where it was held last year.
Last year’s Automotion was moved to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event was previously held at Noah’s Ark.
Jenifer Dobbs, Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau Festival and Events Manager, expects about 500 pre-registered cars to sign up before the weekend of Automotion.
The first day of the event, she’s expecting the number to increase to 1,200 plus cars depending on weather.
This year will feature a new vendor, Greg and Leah from Greg’s Speed Shop, Dobbs said, as well as 75 SWAP vendors and food vendors will be present.
A pedal pull, balloon twisters and entertainer TJ Howel will return this year.


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Irvine, Calif.-based Infinite Electronics has acquired a number of well-known radio frequency brands from Smiths Group. Infinite purchased Smiths Interconnect’s Microwave Telecoms operations, which includes test equipment company Kaelus, RF protection equipment company PolyPhaser, surge protection company Transtector Systems and microwave antenna producer RadioWaves.
Infinite is an operational holding company that provides back-office support and management for its brands, which include Pasternack, L-Com and Fairview Microwave, among others. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. CEO Terry Jarnigan said in a statement that the acquisition “extends Infinite Electronics existing presence in the global telecommunications marketplace by broadening the products, technologies and services Infinite can collectively offer the telecom customer, while also providing attractive sourcing and manufacturing synergies.”
Meanwhile, French calibration lab network Trescal continued its streak of acquisitions with the purchase of Virginia-based calibration company Acucal, which services Virginia, North Carolina, Arizona and Hawaii with four labs and a fleet of half a dozen mobile labs with a particular focus in RF/microwave and electrical DC/low power.
This is Trescal’s fifth acquisition this year and 22nd since the company was taken over by investment company Ardian in mid-2013. Its deals thus far in 2017 include the purchase of small calibration companies in Germany, Canada and two others in the U.S.: Precision Metrology and Exphil Calibration. The Acucal purchase brings Trescal’s network in the U.S. to 20 labs and about 450 employees.
In other test news this week:
–EXFO announced plans to restructure its test line-up and workforce to move away from passive monitoring to active solutions and analytics. EXFO said that passive wireless monitoring accounted for less than 5% of its total sales, and that it will make staff reductions that affect about 5% of its global workforce.
The restructuring is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of the company’s fiscal 2017 and generate cost savings of about $8 million as well as one-time costs of about $4 million.
Phillippe Morin, CEO of EXFO, said in a statement that the company has seen good revenue growth but “needed to address an underachieving product line within our monitoring solutions portfolio. By sharpening our focus on testing, active service assurance, fiber monitoring and analytics, we will better meet growing customer requirements for real-time visibility on virtualized and hybrid networks and, in the process, bolster profitability.”
–Teledyne LeCroy is partnering with Spirent Communications to expand cellular test offerings for the connected car at its Automotive Technology Center in Farmington Hill, MI. Spirent is creating a “virtual test track” for vehicles to test wireless offerings such as Wi-Fi hot spots, streaming media and emergency calling while moving between 3G and LTE coverage under various conditions.
David Bean, GM for Teledyne LeCroy’s consumer protocol group, said in a statement that “customers have been telling us how much drive testing is costing during development and with each software change,” said David Bean, General Manager of . “Now they can get a more repeatable and reliable result at a fraction of the cost.”
Teledyne LeCroy also launched an alternative software interface for its PCI Express protocol analyzer line. Meanwhile, parent company Teledyne reported its results this week, which included first quarter sales of $566.1 milion, up 6.7% year-over-year. Net income, however, was down 21.8% to $30.5 million, due to costs related to Teledyne’s acquisition of e2v Technologies, which focuses on high-performance sensors and semiconductors. Instrumentation revenues were up 4.1% to $232.8 million, and the company noted that test and measurement equipment sales were up $5.7 million year-over-year.
–NetScout signed a deal to provide service assurance monitoring for Vodafone Group in 13 European countries. Read the full story here.
–Viavi Solutions has expanded its internet of things support, adding a signal analysis for narrowband internet of things licensing option to its CellAdvisor Base Station Analyzer. Viavi said that it believes this is the first offering of its kind and has already been used in trials with Tier-1 global service providers to support NB-IoT testing for overlay IoT infrastructure. The solution supports measurement of impacts that the NB-IoT signal may have on LTE, as well as analysis of signal power levels, interference management and confirmation of whether the signal has the needed reach and coverage to serve IoT devices within the area under consideration.
Viavi also reported its third fiscal quarter results, garnering net revenue of $196 million and profits of $26 million for the quarter, down from net revenue of $206.5 million and net income of $28.8 million in the year-ago period. Network enablement revenues accounted for $103.4 million for the quarter, down 11% year-over-year. Service enablement revenues were down about 30% year-over-year to $28.7 million, but Viavi’s optical security and performance segment generated $63.9 million, up about 30% from the same period last year. President and CEO Oleg Khaykin said that network and service enablement revenues were “impacted by weaker service provider and enterprise spend.” Viavi expects to complete most of the restructuring of its service enablement business this quarter.
Image copyright: samarttiw / 123RF Stock Photo


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"Twitter has joined Amazon and Netflix as the stocks that are not bound by the four walls of earnings per share," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street." "Think about it as if it's modern art."
(Read more: Cramer: Shorts help Twitter defy IPO track)
Cramer said the three companies' stock prices are largely left to interpretation rather than traditional market measures. Twitter has seen a resurgence since its IPO last month, reaching a high of $53.87 per share Wednesday.
"You see those prices, and you say, 'I don't get that like I don't get Rembrandt,'" Cramer said. "'Like I don't get that versus Renoir.' This is Barnett Newman, the others are Jackson Pollock. This is Frank Stella."
Two companies represent better values than Twitter—Facebook and Google, Cramer said. Google presents investors with a strong earnings story, and Facebook's native advertising attracts lucrative partners, he said.
(Read more: Chart of the Day: TWTR blows past social peers)
"Facebook is so much cheaper than Twitter," Cramer said. "But so many things are cheaper than Amazon."
Disclosure: Cramer's charitable trust owns shares of Facebook and Google.
—By CNBC's Jeff Morganteen. Follow him on Twitter at @jmorganteen and get the latest stories from "Squawk on the Street."


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Published: October 20th, 2020
Businesses from the Marches are being offered the chance of a free consultation to help them make the most of the nation’s low carbon challenge.
The Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) is offering the one-to-one consultations as part of its commitment to helping local businesses explore Green products and innovations.
EBRI – which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and based at Aston University in Birmingham – says free 30-minute sessions are available to any SME based in Herefordshire, Shropshire or Telford & Wrekin.
Manufacturing, engineering, waste management, construction, financial services, agricultural, packaging, as well as food and drinks industries amongst others, can all benefit from an exclusive low carbon challenge consultation with EBRI.
"There are all sorts of options," says Tim Miller, EBRI’s director of engagement. "Redundant material such as food waste, cardboard boxes, plastic waste, sawdust, waste oils, manure, hay straw, sugar beet residue, spent grain waste from breweries are only a few examples of waste that could potentially open up fresh possibilities.
"Not only can we support entrepreneurs looking to either develop new low carbon products and services or turn waste material into energy, we can also help business owners looking to maximise the sustainability and energy efficiency of their property and land developments."
During a 30 minute-consultation session, EBRI will discuss the particular low carbon challenge that the company is facing so that its team of experts can then devise a bespoke summary of their recommendations, research findings and other useful information to help the business.
EBRI will be holding low carbon challenge consultation sessions on the following:
• Agricultural Waste
• Brewers, Vineries, Cider Makers & Distillers
• Buildings & Sites
• Food & Drink
• Wood & Cardboard
To book a slot interested businesses can email [email protected], visit https://bioenergy-for-business.org/help-available-this-autumn-low-carbon-challenge-consultations/ or call 0121 204 3383.


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The company revealed that the raised proceeds will be utilized in the upgrade of PaaS eco-system, the update of application products as well as a business expansion.
The round, which has added to the CNY 150 million raised before, was jointly led by Shunwei Capital and Xiaomi group.
Since May 2020, the firm has successfully completed three rounds, including round B+, round C and round C+, with a total financing amount of more than CNY 400 million yuan.
According to official information, DataStory is positioned as a one-stop provider of big data and AI intelligent applications and is mainly committed to building a new generation of intelligent business engines with big data and cognitive AI. It helps enterprises realize the deep integration of data value and business by building a full value chain solution from data acquisition, processing, analysis, modeling to commercial application.
In terms of products, DataStroy relies on four product platforms: digital radar, digital vision, digital lead and digital aggregation to cover diversified business scenarios, help customers solve business problems and build a data closed loop.
In the commercial field, the ecosystem of storytelling has expanded from automobile, real estate, retail, government and enterprises to upstream and downstream businesses such as business consulting and advertising marketing and has reached channel cooperation with giants such as Tencent and Alibaba.
With the release of China's 14th five-year plan and the outline of long-term objectives for 2035, the prelude to China's innovative development in the five years is slowly opening. The 14th five-year plan proposes to accelerate the construction of the digital economy, digital society and digital government. In 2020, the added value of core industries of the digital economy accounted for 7.8% of GDP and it is expected to increase to 10% in 2025. In this context, the enterprise digital transformation track is favored by investors.


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That’s according to former head of Guerilla Games Herman Hulst, who is currently the head of PlayStation Studios, who revealed the number in a recent feature from Wired. Sony is working on several sequels, including Horizon Forbidden West, God of War Ragnarök, and Gran Turismo 7, but Hulst also stated that there are more than 25 games in development and nearly half of them are new IPs.
“There’s an incredible amount of variety originating from different regions,” Hulst says. “Big, small, different genres.” Sony has recently entered into several partnerships with several AAA studios recently, including with Jade Raymond’s Haven Studios and more recently with Firewalk Studios, both of which are working on new IPs, so there is clearly stuff going on behind the scenes at PlayStation.
Hulst has previously said that he’s very interested in making sure PlayStation has a diverse slate of titles. With games like the excellent Returnal and the upcoming Kena: Bridge of Spirits, PlayStation players should have more than enough new stuff to play until we see what Sony is cooking up down the line.
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The Olympic and Paralympics Games proved last summer that sport has an unrivalled ability to capture the national mood and generate talking points. For many, life has moved on and sport captures their interest only when the right event or moment arrives. But for the modern sports fan, it never stops.
We all know someone who epitomises today's modern sports fan, either at the office or in our circle of friends – the person who seems to live in a never-ending world of "banter". Their need to share, provoke, brag, tease and comment on live sports seem to consume their whole day.
There is always something to react to. Every day there is a sporting event, usually football, happening somewhere in the world, or if not, the 24-hour rolling sports news agenda provides an endless stream of useful ammunition.
Just look at the human punch bag and devoted Arsenal fan Piers Morgan on Twitter. He dishes it out and gets it back in spades, and everyone involved seems to revel in it. His example is not unique; it is behaviour being replicated around the world, across every sport imaginable.
While this behaviour is recognisable in daily life, it may be harder to decipher from a media or planning perspective.
How do brands reach these connected fans that are having multiple private, and not-so-private conversations? At what point can they "butt in"?
It's no secret fans conduct their round-the-clock search for breaking news, results, transfer updates and quick-fire banter via smartphones, and increasingly tablets. So perhaps that's the way in.
And a recent study commissioned by Eurosport gives a detailed picture of how Europeans are using smartphones and tablets, and their patterns of behaviour before, during and after a live sports event.
More than 4,400 people from the UK, France, Germany and Russia were asked to outline which media devices they used to engage with sport, from TV to laptops and tablets to smartphones, how often, and for what reason.
The findings show that for watching live sport, TV remains king – 66% of fans say TV is their favourite medium, compared with 36% watching on a laptop or PC, and 21% via a tablet; no surprises there.
The dynamic changes though in the build -p to a sporting event, with 49% of fans surveyed heading online to message friends, post on social networks, comment in a sports forum or place a bet.
Fans then return online after the final whistle, with 50% of those surveyed using the web to react to the result. At this stage, bragging rights or defending your team's performance are clearly important, with 30% messaging family or friends and 28% posting on a social network, I guess depending on the result, but the need to communicate is there.
The conversation may also be with someone they've never met. Sport fans have a wider circle of connections than others, with an average of 83 "network" acquaintances versus 55 face-to-face contacts, compared to those in the study not interested in sport.
The survey also recorded the rising influence of tablet owners in the media mix, with over 20% of those questioned already owning one.
Tablet owners sent more messages, made more posts on social networks, commented on sports forums and placed more bets, with 38% of owners using their devices to message friends or family during live sport and 40% using them for messages after the event.
Second-screen behaviour now also shapes how broadcasters present their coverage to create more opportunities for interaction. It can range from multiple-court feeds at the Australian Open on Eurosport's online Player service, to Sky giving fans the ability to share the pundits' analysis tools for 'Monday Night Football' via its app.
Fans are heading online with clear patterns of engagement that can only help advertisers and brands plan with more impact and effectiveness. So how can brands butt in to sports fans' banter?
The opportunities for effective ad placement are there online before the live event begins, as the predictions are made and the build up begins. Fans are proactively looking for information about the event, the team and the athletes involved. Then at the end of play the activity turns social as the bragging rights are fought over.
A good start is to position themselves within a sporting environment. Sports fans are well used to seeing commercial partners providing support to their team or sport and so have a high level of positivity towards brands.
Fans even acknowledge brands are necessary in helping sporting events, such as London 2012, take place and this even sets them apart from their competitors. Wherever it is reported, or where live events take place, you can be sure that person we all know will have a comment to make.
As we saw in recent weeks with Lance Armstrong, and for nearly all of 2012, sport consistently makes its way from the back page to the front page and its ability to absorb our daily life shows little sign of abating.


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New Delhi: Toyota owned Japanese luxury carmaker Lexus has announced its sales in the first six months of 2019 has increased by 10 per cent to 360,045 units, compared to the same period last year.
The sales growth has been attributed to the high demands for models like the new ES sedan and newly launched UX crossover. Also, it claims that demands for luxury cars in the Chinese market have played a key role in this growth.
Lexus cars sales in China and Hong Kong increased by 36 per cent during January-June 2019, with around 95,000 units sold. In the European market, Lexus sales grew by 5 per cent compared to the same period last year, with around 40,000 units sold.
In the North American market, Lexus sold around 1.49 lakh units during this period, slightly up by 1 per cent compared to H1 2018. In its home market Japan, Lexus has sold 32,000 units, down by 4 per cent compared to last year.
The company registered 17 per cent and 9 per cent growth in East Asia and Middle East markets respectively, where the band sold 18,000 units and 16,000 units respectively.
Yoshihiro Sawa, President, Lexus International, said, "We are honoured that our vehicles are accepted by many consumers across the world. This year, the new RC F and RX will arrive in showrooms, and we are ready to attract a broader audience to the brand. Meanwhile, we continue to bring the latest features and thinking to vehicles, with ongoing attention to detail and craftsmanship for our customers."
The octogenarian was the promoter and co-founder of Subros, India’s largest supplier of automotive air-conditioning and thermal products. As one of the very few doyen of the Indian automotive component industry, Suri saw Indian vehicle vehicle manufacturing evolve over the last four decades.


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in the news | LAST UPDATED : Jul 16, 2019, 12:44 PM IST
- Forty years after retirement, IAF man donates over Rs 1 cr to defence ministry
You can take the soldier out of the Army but you cannot take the Army out of the soldier. 74-year-old CBR Prasad, a retired airman, has donated almost his entire savings to the ministry of defence. "After fulfilling my family responsibilities, I thought I should give back to the defence. I decided to give Rs 1.08 crore," said Prasad.
- After row, Prasad withdraws remark on films & economy
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday withdrew his remarks on the health of the economy, a day after his comments triggered a controversy. On Saturday, the minister had cited business of Rs 120 crore done by three Bollywood movies on a single day to dismiss suggestions of an economic slowdown. A day later, he said his statement was "twisted out of context" and withdrew it.
- Honda CBR 250R re-launched, starts at Rs 1.64 lakh
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Ltd (HMSI) has re-launched its Honda CBR 250R which was discontinued after the implementation of BS-IV emission norms in India. The standard model of the quarter-litre sports bike has been priced at Rs 1.64 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
- Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 vs Honda CBR250R vs Yamaha Fazer 25: Specifications comparison
Taking a cue from the MotoGP experience at the global stage, Suzuki Motorcycles India unveiled the light-weight sports-cum-touring bike, Gixxer SF 250. Here is how the latest motorcycle would rival against its competitors - Yamaha Fazer 25 and Honda CBR250R.
- 2019 Honda CBR650R launched at Rs 7.7 lakh
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) on Monday launched its latest sports middleweight model, new CBR650R at Rs 7.70 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The CBR650R is available in 2 vibrant colours - grand prix red and gunpowder Black Metallic. The new CBR650R is powered by a 649cc liquid-cooled four-cylinder, DOHC 16-valve engine.
- Honda launches sports bike CBR650R priced at Rs 7.7 lakh
onda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) Monday said it has launched a new sports bike CBR650R in the country, priced at Rs 7.7 lakh (ex-showroom). The bike, which comes with a 649-cc liquid cooled four-cylinder engine, replaces CBR650F under Honda's sports middle weight line up.
- GA campaign in Bihar for CM’s ouster from November 10
Amid the shadow-boxing between the BJP and JD(U), leader of opposition in state assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Saturday reiterated that the door was closed for the entry of CM Nitish Kumar into the Grand Alliance (GA), and also sought his resignation for failure on various counts. Tejashwi said the GA would launch a statewide campaign seeking Nitish’s resignation from November 10.


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Fuji Xerox provides free paper to NZ businesses
FYI, this story is more than a year old
With the launch of Fuji Xerox’s new Smart Multifunction Printers, it is clear that we have entered a new era of printing.
Now you have the freedom to work in the most efficient and productive way, powering through each working day, managing documents at every stage from creation to printing and scanning, copying or faxing and emailing.
In addition to saving time and resources, you have the assurance of knowing that you have Fuji Xerox innovation and benchmark reliability at your fingertips to get the job done.
The Fuji Xerox ApeosPort/DocuCentre VI is their new 8th generation smart multi-functional printer that introduces a whole new way of working, enabling you to significantly boost both productivity and efficiency.
And if that wasn’t enough, to help you discover a smarter way of working, Fuji Xerox is now offering an exclusive online promotion. Put simply, you receive free paper for three months with every series VI device purchased.
The promotion is only valid for online sales enquiries up until 31 March 2017, so don’t miss out.


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SavedPlus has launched a platform that encourages consumers to save a small amount of money every time they make a payment.
By setting an automatic transfer tied to the amount of each purchase, SavedPlus allows you to save money without budgeting and without thinking about it at all, says Nikita Brodskiy, CEO of SavedPlus, during FinovateFall in New York City on Sept. 10.
Consumers request that SavedPlus transfer a percentage of their transaction amount via Automated Clearing House into another account, such as a savings or retirement account. Since launching the platform in May, the company has signed up about 500 active users, and on average these users save $208 a month, most with an average percentage per transaction of 7%, says Brodskiy.
SavedPlus takes cues from personal finance management software, which allows consumers to budget and save money by providing insight into how much they earn and spend each month.
Consumers set up a permanent stream every day, Brodskiy says. We allow consumers to save a little, save often and save automatically.
The company is targeting the 15 million Americans who make enough money to live comfortably but feel that they could save more, Brodskiy says.
SavedPlus is focusing on the U.S. currently, and plans to move into the U.K. and Australia with the help of the bank technology vendor Yodlee.
SavedPlus also allows consumers to donate funds to charitable organizations. For example, SavedPlus works with United Way Silicon Valley and sees several consumers send 1% of their transactions to the charity, says Brodskiy.
SavedPlus charges its merchant partners 1.5% on transactions, which is about half a percent lower than traditional processing fees, he says.
The SavedPlus platform resembles products from startups JarStar and Coinvenience. Based in the U.K., JarStar allows the change consumers receive after paying for an item with cash to be deposited into a savings account by the cashier. Coinvenience, still a prototype, does the same for the U.S. market.
But SavedPlus is more flexible since consumers can set whatever percent they want to save and theres no cap on the amount a consumer can transfer for each transaction, says Brodskiy.


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AFTER six years and much economic Darwinism, they finally did it.
Online retailers broke even last year, according to new data from Shop.org, the Internet merchant trade association. The association says that e-tailers generated $76 billion in sales for 2002, and for the first time as an industry avoided losing money. The Shop.org report credits e-tailers with adopting leaner, more intelligent operations to stanch their losses.
As a group, Web merchants with pre-existing catalog operations had the biggest operating margins -- 22 percent last year, up from 6 percent in 2001. That measure, which differs from net profit in that it does not include a company's tax liabilities or interest on debt, reflects the inherent advantage of catalogers, which were able to use their direct marketing experience and shipping systems when they migrated online.
Traditional retailers' online units were outright profitable for the first time in 2002, with average operating margins of 7 percent.
Online-only retailers, though, are still operating in the red, according to Shop.org. Only half reported positive operating margins, and overall losses averaged 16 percent, up three percentage points from 2001. Kate Delhagen, an analyst with the technology consultant Forrester Research, which conducted the study with Shop.org, said that because the so-called pure play e-tailers are not yet household names, they have had to spend more aggressively on advertising and promotions than their traditional counterparts. ''They still have to overcome the hurdle establishing their brand,'' she said.
On balance, though, the report shows that online merchants have solved some of their more vexing problems in recent years. For instance, retailers spent only about $5 to ship each order last year -- $9 less than they spent in 2001. Ms. Delhagen said that drop was a result of several factors, including smarter shipping strategies and more aggressive negotiations with fulfillment companies to reduce warehousing charges.Continue reading the main story
Web merchants are also cutting customer service costs, the report said. Retailers incurred $1.60 in customer service costs per order last year, down from $2.50 in each of the two previous years. Ms. Delhagen said that many sites had added order-tracking features and e-mail notification, reducing customer calls about orders.
E-tailers, meanwhile, have benefited from a soft online advertising market, which has driven their marketing costs significantly lower. In 2000, online merchants spent $20 on marketing for every order they received. That dropped to $12 in 2001 and $8 last year. And though rates plummeted, retailers actually spent more than twice as much on online marketing deals last year -- $2.1 million on average -- than in 2001, when the average outlay was $885,000. They have also tended to slash their budgets for TV ads and other expensive offline promotions.
Still, not all of the underlying measures in the Shop.org study showed progress. For instance, the rate at which electronic merchants turned browsers into buyers -- the so-called conversion rate -- was only 3.2 percent, nearly unchanged from last year. And the rate at which customers abandoned filled shopping carts before completing the checkout process grew to 49 percent, from 47 percent in 2001.
The abandoned-cart problem has long hounded e-tailers like Bluefly, an online retailer of discount apparel, which lost $6.5 million last year, on sales of nearly $31 million. Jonathan B. Morris, Bluefly's executive vice president, said the site was redesigning its checkout process. The measures include reducing the number of pages customers must click through before they finish a purchase.
Mr. Morris declined to cite his company's abandonment rate, other than to say, ''If you can shave it by even 10 percent, it can have a dramatic improvement in your business.''
Generally, though, Mr. Morris said the company was headed in the same direction as the industry. ''We're cutting our losses, decreasing our marketing budgets and getting a lot more efficient in customer acquisition,'' he said. The company's loss last year, he noted, was 74 percent lower than its loss in 2001.
By reducing its advertising spending from past years, Bluefly is spending only about $1.90 on marketing expenses for each order it receives, Mr. Morris said. Average order sizes, meanwhile, have grown to $153 for new customers and $175 for repeat customers, with gross margins of 30 to 35 percent.
So why has Bluefly, like many other Web-only retailers, been unable to break even? Mr. Morris said that if the company had begun with ambitions to be a small merchant, it could have incurred smaller overhead costs, and therefore it might have achieved profitability sooner. But, he said, Bluefly has bigger ambitions.
''We're going at it from both ends -- trying to manage our overhead costs while at the same time growing revenues to cover that overhead,'' he said. ''That way we end up with a sizable business that's profitable, versus a smaller business that's profitable.''
Notably, Mr. Morris and other online retail executives said the business of online commerce had become considerably easier than it was a couple of years ago. Software, hardware and information technology staffs are not only better but more affordable than during the dot-com boom, when fewer people had refined the tasks, expertise and equipment necessary for the job. The weeding out of the Internet industry has resulted in fewer companies and fewer new products, so online executives say they now spend less time evaluating potential technology providers.
And whereas the heralded ''first movers'' of consumer e-commerce captured Wall Street's fleeting attention, the e-tailers still in business have captured something of more lasting value: the expertise that accompanies experience, and the time to take advantage of it.
Consider Crutchfield, a privately held cataloger and online retailer of consumer electronics. Alan Rimm-Kaufman, the company's vice president for marketing, said sales were up at Crutchfield's Web site despite the generally weak market for consumer electronics.
Among the catalysts, Mr. Rimm-Kaufman said, is the company's continued improvement of its car audio section. In the early going, Crutchfield.com offered car stereo shoppers a list of car makes and models, in a display that approximated the company's catalog approach. But the site now lets users select their makes and models, then offers them a list of suitable equipment, along with a gauge of how easy or difficult it is to install.
''If you look at our sales, you see material leaps which coincide with ever better versions of our vehicle selector,'' Mr. Rimm-Kaufman said. ''Half our sales are now in car products.''
Bricks-and-mortar retailers are also learning how to fine-tune their Web operations, as they watch e-tailing's percentage of total retail sales reach the 5 percent mark for the first time. Recreational Equipment, the outdoor goods retailer and cataloger, is a case in point. Joan Broughton, Recreational Equipment's vice president for multichannel programs, said the REI.com Web site, which accounts for 11 percent of the company's sales, would soon roll out a feature that identifies visitors' geographic locations, displaying different merchandise to suit them.
But even though retailers have become more innovative and efficient in last year, Ms. Broughton said there could be significant cost considerations in the future. As users migrate from dial-up modems to high-speed connections, Web sites will need to invest in new technologies to serve them. ''If you can show someone setting up a tent online with video, and all your competitors are doing it, that's not cheap,'' she said. ''If people come to expect what they see on the Web to rival or surpass TV, that's a whole new ballgame.''Continue reading the main story


text: Penny Hardaway’s fifth official signature sneaker is scheduled to make its debut this fall. While we have already seen a few colorways there are still many we haven’t. This new “Red Eagle” design is set to be one of the first launch models with a rumored release of September 8th according to Rock City Kicks. Although no confirmation on the release or the story is available yet you can be sure to stick to SneakerWatch as we update you on the news. Until then check the pics and let us know your thoughts.


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In the next update, Microsoft is moving further away from its own Universal Windows Platform (UWP) and replacing the Skype app under Windows 10 with a desktop version based on Electron. However, some important functions of the messenger are lost.
With the update to Skype version 126.96.36.199 and the application build 15.58.xx, a lot will change for users of the Windows 10 app from the Microsoft Store. The well-known messenger says goodbye to the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), which is moving more and more into the past. Skype for Windows 10 will in future be offered as an electron-based desktop client, which the current insider preview of the chat software reveals. As the French Windows podcaster Florian Beaubois found out, the change comes with various restrictions.
Skype Will Have a Limited Functionality
Known functions of the UWP app from Skype, such as the integration of the contacts app, synchronization with Outlook and the automatic registration of your own Microsoft account, are to be eliminated with the Electron changeover, as is the direct response from the notifications. The design of the title bar also changes, which is viewed as a mistake according to few users. In addition, there does not appear to be any significant changes visually.
The fact that the future of the Universal Windows Platform appears to be uncertain was indicated at the latest with the change from OneDrive to a Progressive Web App (PWA) and the discontinuation of the advertising platform from June 1, 2020. It is not yet clear when exactly the new Electron-based Skype app will be available to the masses via the Microsoft Store. If you want to try out the Skype preview, you can join the preview program in the Windows 10 app settings under “Help & Feedback”.
On the other hand, Microsoft is working on integration of Microsoft Teams and Skype which would enable cross-platform communication. It is not clear yet how Microsoft will make it more userfriendly and innovative by doing this.
Digital marketing enthusiast and industry professional in Digital technologies, Technology News, Mobile phones, software, gadgets with vast experience in the tech industry, I have a keen interest in technology, News breaking.


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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — IN Japan, the automaker Mitsubishi Motors is mired in a heap of trouble.
Last month, it acknowledged cheating for the last 25 years on gas-mileage tests for cars in Japan, embarrassing top executives and tarnishing a name that has been dented by scandal before. Since then, its stock price has plunged, and it has had to halt production of the tiny models at the center of the scandal.
But in the United States, it’s a brighter picture.
Although Mitsubishi is a bit player, it is increasing new-car sales faster than most other automakers and is expanding its sliver of the American market. Helping the surge are a few affordably priced models that can appeal to consumers on tight budgets, a group other car companies often ignore.
The company says the vehicles it sells in the United States — like the Outlander sport utility vehicle and the Lancer compact — are not affected by the fuel-economy deception that took place in Japan. American customers and dealers seem unfazed.
“I read about it; it doesn’t change my mind a bit,” said Timothy Harig, a retired factory worker in Canton, Ohio, who bought a metallic brown Outlander in October for about $24,000, a few thousand less than competing models from Honda and Nissan. “I track my gas mileage on every tank and I’m happy with what I have.”
There are others like Mr. Harig. In April, while the gas-mileage scandal was making headlines in Japan, Mitsubishi’s sales in the United States rose 18 percent.
Its performance stands in contrast to that of Volkswagen, which has been mired in an emissions scandal of its own. Last month, Volkswagen sales fell 9 percent, continuing a steady decline since the disclosure in September.
If anything, Mitsubishi’s low profile has helped it weather the storm in the United States. “With Mitsubishi, it’s a very small number of people who even possibly care” about its troubles at home, said Karl Brauer, an analyst with the auto research firm Kelley Blue Book.
He added that Mitsubishi enjoyed the continuing support of its major shareholders, including the Mitsubishi Corporation, Japan’s largest trading company with holdings in electronics, finance, machinery and chemicals.
“They still think there’s potential in the U.S. market and so they stick with it,” Mr. Brauer said.
Although it is growing in the United States, Mitsubishi still faces hurdles. The gas-mileage controversy has caught the eye of American regulators, and the Environmental Protection Agency has asked the company to provide more information about its vehicles and to repeat one test that is used to determine a car’s official fuel-economy rating.
Don Swearingen, chief operating officer of Mitsubishi Motors North America, said the company was complying and was confident there were no irregularities with the fuel-economy ratings of its American models. He added that he had no concerns that the scandal in Japan could hamper Mitsubishi’s push to grow in North America.
“I think they are very committed,” Mr. Swearingen said. “We add tremendous value to the company.”
Mitsubishi recently reported that its North American business generated $58 million in operating profit in 2015, the second annual profit in a row in the region after seven years of losses.
Still, in the highly competitive American market, Mitsubishi struggles to measure up. Its brand is not a household name like Ford, Chevrolet, Honda or Toyota, and it trails in quality. Last year in J. D. Power’s closely watched initial quality study, Mitsubishi ranked well below average.
Automakers also increasingly push dealers in the United States to build megashowrooms offering coffee bars and other plush amenities. Mitsubishi showrooms are often small and spartan.
Ann Arbor, Mich., for example, has a Mitsubishi dealership, but it is tucked behind Hyundai and Nissan franchises, and is overshadowed by Toyota, BMW and Chevrolet showrooms down the street. On Tuesday, the dimly lit Mitsubishi showroom was occupied by four Outlanders and no sales employees.
Ryan Lester, the sales manager, acknowledged that selling Mitsubishis could be tough. “It is what it is,” he said.
Not so long ago, Mitsubishi’s future in the United States was uncertain.
In 2000, it admitted that it had covered up safety defects in its vehicles for years. Then, like other automakers, Mitsubishi was hit hard by the recession.
In 2011, a devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan disrupted auto production for months. Lacking inventory, Mitsubishi saw its American sales slump in 2012 to fewer than 58,000 vehicles, half the number in 2007.
The next year, another small Japanese automaker, Suzuki, exited the United States market, a move that followed Isuzu’s departure in 2008. It seemed Mitsubishi could be next.
To turn around its North American business, Mitsubishi trimmed its model line, ending production of one of its most popular cars, the Galant, and leaving itself without a midsize sedan. It also decided to close its lone American plant, in Normal, Ill. Production ended in November.
At the same time, Mitsubishi redesigned the Outlander sport utility vehicle, just in time to catch the wave of consumers moving out of cars and into S.U.V.s. The company also added a small car, the Mirage, that could travel 40 miles or more on a gallon of gas.
Both vehicles are aggressively priced. The Mirage, for example, starts under $15,000. In the last two months, Mitsubishi offered rebates of $3,500 that brought prices on 2015 Mirages down further, said Doug Waikem, owner of a Mitsubishi dealership in Massillon, Ohio.
“I like the brand,” he said. “It’s not huge volume, but I can take someone who’s looking at a used car and say, ‘Hey, I can get you into something new for about the same price.’”
That is just the deal Steven Sanders made at Mr. Waikem’s dealership last month. Mr. Sanders, a Y.M.C.A. teacher and college student, was looking to trade in his beaten-up minivan for a used Honda Civic. New Civics, which sell for $18,000 and up, were out of his price range.
But then his wife ran across the Mirage and fell in love with it, Mr. Sanders said. With his trade-in and the rebate, his total cost came in at $11,000.
As for Mitsubishi’s troubles in Japan, he didn’t put much stock in it. “I read a lot of reviews,” he said. “I have a friend who has a Mitsubishi.” He added, “I feel good about it.”


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Online sales in Mexico grew by 80% in 2020, and they’ve since kept growing by over 20% every year. Amid this trend, neighborhood corner shops, laundromats, and office supply stores have become an essential intermediary between online shoppers and the massive e-commerce companies that ship and deliver the products they buy.
When e-commerce truly got going in the country back in 2015, companies like MercadoLibre and Amazon quickly realized its logistics infrastructure wasn’t developed enough. For instance, Mexico’s national postal service has a countrywide network and is very cheap, but it is also largely unreliable. Meanwhile, private couriers like UPS or DHL also have a large network of pickup and delivery points, but they’re pricey — almost five times more expensive than the postal service.


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According to Canara Bank's statement, the bank has raised the service fees on the annual fee, card replacement, debit card inactivity fee, and SMS alert price. The service fee does not include taxes. Instead, taxes that apply will be added on. Starting on February 13, 2023, the updated service fees will be in effect.
Canara Bank Debit Card Annual Fee
Canara Bank has changed the annual charge for using debit cards. The annual cost for Classic or Standard debit cards has risen from Rs 125 to Rs 200. The yearly fee for the Business Card has gone up from Rs. 300 to Rs. 500, and the annual fee for the Platinum Card has gone up from Rs. 250 to Rs. 500. For certain debit cards, the bank would continue to charge Rs. 1000 annual fee.
Rs 150 will have to be paid.
To get a new debit card, Canara Bank reports that beginning on February 13, customers would be required to spend Rs 150 to replace their standard or classic category debit cards. Before, there was no charge for this. However, the bank has increased the replacement charge for Platinum, Business, and Select debit cards from Rs 50 to Rs 150.
Card Inactive Fee and Message Alert Charges.
Deactivating the Canara Bank debit card will also need to be paid. This Rs 300 fee has been set by the bank and is only applicable to business debit cards. The remaining category of cards can be deactivated without incurring any fees. In addition, the bank has a 15 rupee fee set up for SMS alerts.
Canara Bank Debit Card Inactivity Fee and Message Alert Charges.
The bank will now only charge a card inactivity fee of Rs 300 per year to users of Business Debit Cards. On any other kind of card, there will be no fee. In addition, Canara Bank will now charge for SMS alerts based on an actual basis.
Canara Bank has also made loans more expensive.
The Marginal Cost Based Lending Rate (MCLR), which Canara Bank recently raised by 15 to 25 basis points. Home, auto, and personal loans will cost more if MCLR rises. On January 7, 2023, the new interest rates were enacted.