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The dangers of asbestos have been recognized for decades. Even so, many workers were unknowingly exposed to the carcinogen even while companies who supplied asbestos-laden products they worked with knew the workers could have lasting health issues if not properly protected. Now, in what is being hailed as the “most significant decision by the Court of Appeals in asbestos litigation” since the 1970s, the New York Court of Appeals has ruled companies have a duty to warn workers of asbestos in its products.
The NY Court of Appeals was called upon to determine whether Crane Co., manufacturer of valves, was responsible for warning of the asbestos hazards in the use of its product when coupled with a third-party product. According to a decision handed down by the NY Court of Appeals on June 28, the answer is “yes.”
The court ruled:
“The majority holds that a manufacturer has a duty to warn of the danger “arising from the known and reasonably foreseeable use of [a manufacturer’s] product in combination with a third-party product which, as a matter of design, mechanics or economic necessity, is necessary to enable the manufacturer’s product to function as intended.”
The appeal was called upon by Crane Co. in the case of a U.S. Navy boiler technician who maintained naval steam pipe systems was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma. In a lawsuit, he claimed that Crane had acted negligently in failing to warn him of the hazards of asbestos exposure in the products. Crane Co. supplied high-pressure valves that were designed to be used with a gasket, made by another company, that contained asbestos. In the initial ruling, the jury found Crane 99 percent liable for the man’s cancer and awarded him $32 million in damages.
In a June 28 press release, Crane Co. responded to the decision saying, in part:
“We are disappointed by the Court’s ruling, which is in conflict with those made by courts in other states as well as on the federal level addressing ‘duty to warn’ standards for equipment manufacturers who did not make asbestos products.
Crane Co. never manufactured asbestos-containing products, and it believes that all of its products were safe when used as intended. Consequently, Crane Co. will continue to vigorously defend itself against asbestos cases, consistent with its past practices.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that asbestos is a known human carcinogen, with no safe levels of exposure. Most at-risk for developing mesothelioma are trade workers such as insulators, plumbers and pipefitters, electricians, sheet metal workers, auto mechanics, refinery and factory workers. In other words, the workers who work with gaskets nearly every day on the job. Anytime asbestos is inhaled, a person runs the risk of becoming ill from the mineral.
Asbestos exposure has been linked to lung cancer, mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer, diagnosed in close to 3,000 Americans each year, that resists treatment and often leads to death within one year of diagnosis.
“This decision reaffirms that, under New York law, product manufacturers have a responsibility to supply products that are safe for their intended use, and those manufacturers that violate the public’s trust will be held accountable for their actions,” said Seth Dymond, partner at Belluck & Fox, in a June 28 Bloomberg BNA article.


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Valve have announced on their Left 4 Dead blog that Left 4 Dead 2 will not be playable for most UK players until Friday. Pre-orders already have access to the game, but for everyone else they’ll have to wait until the end of the week, even when buying from Steam.
Valve cite the reason as being that copies are still arriving in stores, meaning it wasn’t possible for the UK release to happen simultaneously with the rest of the world. This might explain why it’s difficult to find local players on the matchmaking service for those of you who did pre-order.
Spotted at RockPaperShotgun

domain: news


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In the United States – and other countries, actually – financial troubles began partly due to the fact that corporate bigwigs received fat bonuses. The so called fat cat bonuses have long been part of their corporate culture. In Japan, the opposite is true.
Perhaps this is the reason that the country has been so successful in keeping their companies and the whole economy afloat. It is definitely the reason behind everyone’s positive outlook. In Japan, CEOs know how it is to sacrifice so that their companies can weather tough economic storms.
Let’s talk specifics. Haruka Nishimatsu. He is the president of Japan Airlines. You would think he had the money to take a car to work; even have someone drive for him. He probably does have that money BUT he chose to commute using the public transportation. He would take the bus just like the average person. Compare that to Wall Street businessmen who still want to buy their own private jets! More than that, though, Haruka Nishimatsu chooses to line up at the company cafeteria just like other employees!
Then there is Yukio Sakamoto. He is the president of Elpida Memory, a computer chip maker. In order to keep his company afloat, he went without pay for two months- all voluntary!
They are not the only ones taking this route. Toyota Motors, a renowned leader in the automobile industry, has scrapped bonuses for the year. Other companies – big or small – are doing the same thing.
Perhaps the rest of the world can learn a thing or two from them.


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‘Bling’ competition to promote the value chain of local gems
The best jewellery artisans in the country will be judged by the public during the Namibian Gemstone and Jewellery showcase event at the Safari Hotel Windhoek conference Centre on 12 October and the ten best entries are to be announced on 13 October.
The competition themed “Namibian Coloured Gemstone Jewellery”, was launched in July by the Jewellers Association of Namibia’s (JASSONA) and is open to any manufacturing jeweller in the country.
The number of entries is limited to three jewellery pieces per enterprise and the last date of submission before judgement is 6 October.
According to the organisers the competition is aimed at promoting the value chain of Namibian gems and minerals, thus the jewellery pieces must include gemstones mined in Namibia and preferably ennobled (cut & polished) in the country.
The ten best jewellery pieces which will be chosen on 13 October will become part of a “Namibian coloured Gemstone Jewellery selection” which will be marketed and promoted over the next two years.
The organisers said members of the public are invited to judge the competition pieces and every judge will enter into a lucky draw with the first price being a Namibian mined and polished gemstone.
Small scale miners, gemstone cutters and traders and jewellers will also display and sell their products.
“JASSONA wants to create awareness that more needs to be done to keep Namibian mined and unprocessed gemstones in the country for the purpose of beneficiation,” the association added.


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The benefits of whole grains
There’s been an uptick in consumer acceptance of whole grains. Cameron Jacobs with the USA Rice Federation says whole grains are a foundation of a healthy diet.
But that’s not the only reason more consumers are turning to them.
AUDIO: Healthy Living on whole grains


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September 12, 2007 10:20 AM PDT
Court stays ban on handset imports
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The story "Court stays ban on handset imports" published September 12, 2007 at 10:20 AM is no longer available on CNET News.
Content from Reuters expires after 30 days.


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Dozens of students ended a four-day sit-in today at the University of North Carolina after the university agreed to push for humane working conditions at overseas factories where its clothing is made.
Acting Chancellor William McCoy said he would ask the 500 companies that make U.N.C. clothing to abide by certain working conditions, including a ''living wage'' and independent monitoring.
The university could cut off contract rights to noncompliance.
About 75 students had camped outside Mr. McCoy's office suite.
The issue arose two years ago when students protested working conditions at Nike factories in third world countries after Nike signed a $7.1 million contract with the university to outfit its athletic teams.
A Nike spokesman, Vada Manager, said that his company had no quarrel with the university's action.


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In a forecast that should send a few more shivers down the spine of the pay TV industry, Forrester Research is predicting that 50% of all TV viewers under age 32 will not subscribe to a traditional pay TV service by 2025.
Given that bleak-looking future, based on a survey of more than 55,000 U.S. adults, Forrester analyst James McQuivey suggests that providers must try new ways to connect with cord-cutter and cord-nevers and develop game plans on how to serve them down the road.
“Today’s 20-somethings are already hard to reach via TV, and the next generation will be tougher,” McQuivey noted in the report -- Young TV Cord-Nevers Have Arrived And Are Here To Stay – obtained by Multichannel News. “We recommend experimenting with mobile video advertising, embedded marketing, and virtual- or mixed-reality ad experiences to reach this crucial audience.”
Some MVPDs have been taking heed, or at least aren’t standing still. Comcast is beta-testing Stream, a $15/month IPTV service that features broadcast networks, HBO and a cloud DVR, and recently introduced Watchable, an ad-based OTT service. Cablevision Systems has developed packages tailored for cord-cutters. Verizon recently went wide with go90, its free “mobile first” offering for millennials, and Dish Network is targeting cord-cutters and cord-nevers with Sling TV. Programmers such as CBS, HBO and Showtime have also launched standalone OTT offerings.
McQuivey said cord-cutters are “secondary” to a bigger problem – the rise cord-nevers, a group that, according to Forrester, now represents 18% of the population. Cord-cutters, he said, represent about 6%, but will stay below a 15% ceiling.
Per Forrester, 35% of younger viewers fall into the cord-nevers or cord cutters bucket.
Of particular concern are “digital cord-nevers,” a group of young consumers that gravitate to services like Netflix and YouTube that have “grown up believing that they can have all of the TV they want without paying a traditional TV distributor for it.”
But it not necessarily all gloom and doom, the bulk of population still gets pay TV, suggesting that there’s still time for traditional players to solve the problem.
Despite the troubling numbers, “Rumors of the death of pay TV are greatly exaggerated,” McQuivey said, referencing an earlier study showing that 76% of the population are still in the pay TV fold.


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Economists Predict Stagnant Interest Rate
Written by Mfundo on 20 May, 2021
By: Zilungile Mkhize
A number of economists in the country are predicting that the interest rates will be kept steady at 3.5 % when the South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee announces its decision this afternoon.
With the country’s economy under strain and hit hard by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, some economists believe that a cut of 50 basis points in the the interest rate would give room to households to spend more and companies to invest in the economy for better and faster recovery.
They say this is to support South Africa’s weak recovery.
It will also provide some relief to over-indebted consumers and stimulate business activities.
Meanwhile, rating agency Moody’s says sustained high-interest rates means that South Africa’s debt will continue to rise.


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Trade Ledger, the data-driven lending technology provider, has launched its Working Capital Predictions 2023 report featuring insights and expectations from 19 industry leaders.
Contributors include Accenture, Allica Bank, Experian, EY, KPMG, Metro Bank, Microsoft, Oxbury, Publicis Sapient, Shawbrook Bank, Sonovate, the London Institute of Banking & Finance, Thought Machine, Tide, Validis and Virgin Money. A central theme throughout is the need to accelerate better access to business finance. This is all the more critical given that a snapshot survey of industry influencers revealed that 60% expect it to take five years before fast, easy access to business finance becomes an industry standard.
As Martin McCann, Founder and CEO of Trade Ledger said, such a time-scale could be the death-knell for many small and medium-sized enterprises which, in turn, could severely hamper the economy and market growth for finance providers.
“What the experts we interviewed for our report highlighted was that there’s no time to waste in changing the approach to business finance - especially as 2023 is shaping up to be the most brutal business year that most of us will have ever experienced. There is a very clear recognition of what’s needed right now for growth businesses to thrive in 2023, with working capital support highlighted as the top priority.”
The Trade Ledger research found that 76% believe supporting more businesses with working capital is critical and 52% said enhancing risk decisioning and compliance are very important in the coming year, closely followed by investment in modern technology at 48%.
“Every contributor to our report has a slightly different take on change. But there’s one prediction we can all comfortably make: when it comes to the way we provide working capital, we’re approaching an inflection point. Established players have been relying on their expertise, reputation and customer relationships to keep up. But it’s not enough anymore. Digitisation in the next few years will require all participants to learn new skills. They’ll have to develop new operating models and go-to-market strategies.”
The four key insights from the Trade Ledger 2023 Predictions report were:
Be where businesses hang out. The technology exists to make embedded working capital as easy to implement as consumer BNPL (buy now pay later). If you don't have an embedded lending strategy yet, make this a priority.
Find the nuance. Make more sophisticated and relevant business lending decisions using data. Lenders who do will win loyalty from business owners.
Partnerships are the key to unlocking growth. The funding gap won’t be solved by a single player, but by an ecosystem of specialist providers. Lenders who embrace 'plug and play' flexibility will keep up with an industry in flux.
Stop comparing like for like. Whether you’re replacing legacy systems, launching products or making your processes more digital, think transformation, not just automation.
For a copy of the Trade Ledger Predictions 2023 report, click here.


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Combined reporting rules could give some big-box companies a break
- By Matthew Reichbach, Special to Albuquerque Business First
Big-box stores that would be subject to combined reporting rules are expected to reorganize to avoid the new tax rules, according to a fiscal impact report by the Legislative Finance Committee.
And the largest of those big-box stores, Wal-Mart, may already be exempt from the new requirements, according to one analysis.
A report from the New Mexico Tax Research Institute says, “Ironically, the exception might help the apparent historical primary target of combined filing promoters, Wal-Mart, escape the requirement if they have or can muster the necessary employment levels.”
This is because of a provision that exempts big-box stores with nonretail facilities of more than 750 employees from paying with combined reporting. Wal-Mart has a distribution center in Los Lunas. The wording in the bill says “that for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, a unitary corporation that provides retail sales of goods in a facility of more than thirty thousand square feet under one roof in New Mexico shall file a combined return with other unitary corporations as though the entire combined net income were that of one corporation.”
Combined reporting is designed to stop companies from paying taxes on income made in New Mexico in other states — such as Delaware, which has no corporate income tax. Sen. Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, has tried to institute combined reporting for years, but only had success after changing the attempt to only include big-box stores of 30,000 or more square feet. The manufacturing portion was added to the bill later in the process this year.
Greg Blair, a spokesman for Gov. Susana Martinez, said the legislation that evolved was meant to encourage other companies to establish bigger nonretail operations within the state and not meant to deal specifically with the Wal-Mart center.
“It’s not geared to any particular company,” Blair said. “The combined reporting provision in the New Mexico Jobs Package was part of a compromise crafted by legislators and the governor to address many of the tax fairness issues that proponents of combined reporting have advanced in the past and to act as an economic driver that encourages large retail companies to set up more permanent, nonretail operations in New Mexico. By providing an incentive for large companies to set up distribution centers, warehouses, back office shops and manufacturing operations in our state, we are encouraging long-term economic growth that puts New Mexicans to work in well-paying jobs.”
Wal-Mart officials could not be reached for comment.
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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced to implement a robust policy aimed at fostering the growth of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across the state.
This policy is designed to enhance accessibility, convenience, and employment prospects in the emerging e-mobility sector.
During a meeting in Shimla, Chief Minister Sukhu underscored that the policy would provide substantial incentives, including a 50% subsidy, to private operators interested in establishing EV charging stations.
He said, “The state administration is ready to introduce a comprehensive policy aimed at advancing the establishment of EV charging stations within the state. This policy will encompass various aspects, such as accessibility, convenience, and the creation of job opportunities. Private operators will be encouraged through a 50% subsidy for the establishment of EV charging stations.”
This approach aims to stimulate private sector involvement in expanding Himachal Pradesh’s EV charging infrastructure.
The Chief Minister was briefed on the status of existing as well as upcoming electric vehicle charging stations across the state. He reiterated the government’s commitment to making the state a model for EV adoption and reducing carbon emissions. Both public and private sectors are collaborating to promote EVs, aligning with the global trend toward sustainable transportation.
In addition to expanding the charging network, the state government is actively developing six green corridors covering National and State Highways, totalling 2,137 kilometers in the initial phase.
Furthermore, the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) is gradually integrating electric buses into its fleet, and the Chief Minister instructed HRTC to identify suitable routes for these new electric vehicles.
The government’s vision involves a significant reduction in fossil fuel dependency by transitioning to electric public transport.
It also emphasizes the importance of conducting scientific assessments of land suitability for construction and infrastructure development.


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Earlier we had few leaks about Vivo launching another triple rear-camera phone with Vivo Y15 after Vivo Y17 in India. Now the same source has managed to leak the pricing details about the second triple rear camera phone with Vivo Y15.
As per the source, one of Vivo India executive Vivo will launch the cheapest triple rear camera phone with Vivo Y15 in India soon. The Vivo Y15 will cost Rs.14,990/- in India. Apart from that, Vivo will also introduce 3GB RAM variant of Vivo Y91.
Further, the source also revealed that Vivo Y91 with 3GB RAM will cost around Rs.9990/- in India. The Vivo Y91 was launched in Jan and was launched with 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage.


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Limited access to recall information is the reason why over 550,000 vehicles are still on Baltimore’s roads. A new tool launched by MotorSafety.org will permit owners to utilize their vehicle identification number (VIN) to search for recall status.
The website keeps a collection of the most recent news articles that detail information about vehicle recalls.If the user discovers a questionable recall with their vehicle, the website will direct them to a certified dealer to deal with the issue.
“In many cases, people aren’t even aware that their car is in recall,” the site said in a statement. “This is a mass public concern that is dangerous not only for owners, but for anyone on the road.”


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There's been endless talk over the past several weeks about how Warner Bros. might lose money from Justice League's poor box office performance, but the fact that the film has now earned over $500 million is at least something to celebrate.
Box Office Mojo have reported that Justice League's total worldwide gross stands at $567,435,921. Whilst this is still significantly below expectations, it's worth noting it's nearly twice the amount of the $300 million production budget.
Analysts have estimated that once you also take into account marketing costs, Justice League will ultimately need to earn between $600 - $750 to be deliver a complete return on its investment. It's still unclear if it will reach this goal (especially now that it's opened in all territories), but $567 million is certainly nothing to scoff at.
And even if Warner Bros. do ultimately suffer a net loss due to Justice League, they haven’t been deterred from pressing on with delivering films based on their DC properties. Aquaman is set to open on December 21, 2018, whilst Wonder Woman 2 will be released on November 1, 2019. At least for now, the fate of the DC Extended Universe appears to be secure.
Treat Yourself to Sci-Fi Swag!
We've partnered with the folks at TeePublic to give fans the opportunity to support one another and express their interests by owning customized, unique merchandise based on their favorite science fiction franchises! Designs are created by fans and a portion of proceeds from each sale go to supporting the artists and their work! Check out the entire store and see if anything gets your attention!


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Our first assumption is that bitcoin will derive its value both from its use as a medium of exchange and as a store of value. As a footnote to this assumption, it should be stated that bitcoin's utility as a store of value is dependent on its utility as a medium of exchange. We base this in turn on the assumption that for something to be used as a store of value it needs to have some intrinsic value, and if bitcoin does not achieve success as a medium of exchange, it will have no practical utility and thus no intrinsic value and won't be appealing as a store of value.
In January 2015 Coinbase raised 75 million USD as part of a Series C funding round, smashing the previous record for a bitcoin company. Less than one year after the collapse of Mt. Gox, United Kingdom-based exchange Bitstamp announced that their exchange would be taken offline while they investigate a hack which resulted in about 19,000 bitcoins (equivalent to roughly US$5 million at that time) being stolen from their hot wallet. The exchange remained offline for several days amid speculation that customers had lost their funds. Bitstamp resumed trading on 9 January after increasing security measures and assuring customers that their account balances would not be impacted.
17-20 November 2017 $7,600-8,100 Briefly topped at USD $8004.59/BTC at 01:14:11 UTC before retreating from highs. At 05:35 UTC on 20 November 2017 it stood at USD$7,988.23/BTC according to CoinDesk. This surge in bitcoin may be related to developments in the 2017 Zimbabwean coup d'état. The market reaction in one bitcoin exchange is alarming as 1 BTC topped nearly US$13,500, just shy of 2 times the value of the International market.
By December, Bitcoin was on track to hit its all-time high thanks to a dramatic and steady increase in price. On Dec. 17, 2017, it reached $19,783.21, the all-time high that has yet to be broken. Unfortunately, that high was followed by a drop of about 30 percent, with a market correction that brought it down to under $11,000. The price did recover, reaching $16,000 again on Dec. 27.
With the Bitcoin price so volatile everyone is curious. Bitcoin, the category creator of blockchain technology, is the World Wide Ledger yet extremely complicated and no one definition fully encapsulates it. By analogy it is like being able to send a gold coin via email. It is a consensus network that enables a new payment system and a completely digital money.
In October 2013, the FBI seized roughly 26,000 BTC from website Silk Road during the arrest of alleged owner Ross William Ulbricht. Two companies, Robocoin and Bitcoiniacs launched the world's first bitcoin ATM on 29 October 2013 in Vancouver, BC, Canada, allowing clients to sell or purchase bitcoin currency at a downtown coffee shop. Chinese internet giant Baidu had allowed clients of website security services to pay with bitcoins.
Josiah is an assistant editor at CCN. A former ancient and medieval literature teacher, he has been reporting on cryptocurrency since 2014. He lives in rural North Carolina with his wife and children. He holds investment positions in bitcoin and other large-cap cryptocurrencies. Follow him on Twitter @Y3llowb1ackbird or email him directly at josiah.wilmoth(at)ccn.com.
Prior to the release of bitcoin there were a number of digital cash technologies starting with the issuer based ecash protocols of David Chaum and Stefan Brands. Adam Back developed hashcash, a proof-of-work scheme for spam control. The first proposals for distributed digital scarcity based cryptocurrencies were Wei Dai's b-money and Nick Szabo's bit gold. Hal Finney developed reusable proof of work (RPOW) using hashcash as its proof of work algorithm.
In June 2013, Bitcoin Foundation board member Jon Matonis wrote in Forbes that he received a warning letter from the California Department of Financial Institutions accusing the foundation of unlicensed money transmission. Matonis denied that the foundation is engaged in money transmission and said he viewed the case as "an opportunity to educate state regulators."
An official investigation into bitcoin traders was reported in May 2018. The U.S. Justice Department launched an investigation into possible price manipulation, including the techniques of spoofing and wash trades. Traders in the U.S., the U.K, South Korea, and possibly other countries are being investigated. Brett Redfearn, head of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Trading and Markets, had identified several manipulation techniques of concern in March 2018.
"While crypto markets have seen rapid growth, such trading platforms don’t seem to be well-enough prepared in terms of security," said Hong Seong-ki, head of the country's cryptocurrency response team South Services Commission. "We’re trying to legislate the most urgent and important things first, aiming for money-laundering prevention and investor protection. The bill should be passed as soon as possible."
In 2017, the Bitcoin project and its community split in two. Perhaps the least controversial way to refer to each side is simply by their respective ticker symbols, BTC and BCH. Bitcoin Cash is usually represented by the BCH ticker symbol and is considered by its supporters to be the legitimate continuation of the Bitcoin project as peer-to-peer digital cash.
Nigel Dodd argues in The Social Life of Bitcoin that the essence of the bitcoin ideology is to remove money from social, as well as governmental, control. Dodd quotes a YouTube video, with Roger Ver, Jeff Berwick, Charlie Shrem, Andreas Antonopoulos, Gavin Wood, Trace Meyer and other proponents of bitcoin reading The Declaration of Bitcoin's Independence. The declaration includes a message of crypto-anarchism with the words: "Bitcoin is inherently anti-establishment, anti-system, and anti-state. Bitcoin undermines governments and disrupts institutions because bitcoin is fundamentally humanitarian."
Another interesting way (literally) to earn bitcoins is by lending them out, and being repaid in the currency. Lending can take three forms – direct lending to someone you know; through a website which facilitates peer-to-peer transactions, pairing borrowers and lenders; or depositing bitcoins in a virtual bank that offers a certain interest rate for Bitcoin accounts. Some such sites are Bitbond, BitLendingClub and BTCjam. Obviously, you should do due diligence on any third-party site.
On 6 August 2010, a major vulnerability in the bitcoin protocol was spotted. Transactions weren't properly verified before they were included in the transaction log or blockchain, which let users bypass bitcoin's economic restrictions and create an indefinite number of bitcoins. On 15 August, the vulnerability was exploited; over 184 billion bitcoins were generated in a transaction, and sent to two addresses on the network. Within hours, the transaction was spotted and erased from the transaction log after the bug was fixed and the network forked to an updated version of the bitcoin protocol. This was the only major security flaw found and exploited in bitcoin's history.
The use of bitcoin by criminals has attracted the attention of financial regulators, legislative bodies, law enforcement, and the media. In the United States, the FBI prepared an intelligence assessment, the SEC issued a pointed warning about investment schemes using virtual currencies, and the U.S. Senate held a hearing on virtual currencies in November 2013. The U.S. government claimed that bitcoin was used to facilitate payments related to Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.


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MONTICELLO — The University of Arkansas at Monticello Small Business & Technology Development Center and Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center will offer Getting Started with Government Contracting Seminar
Feb. 12, from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. in the UAM Library (Conference Room A).
Federal, state and local government agencies contract with thousands of small businesses every year buying everything from paper clips to space ships…from landscaping services to computer software…and more. The Federal government alone will buy over $6 billion in products and services each year. 20%+ of all contracts MUST be awarded to small businesses.
At this workshop small business owners will get an overview of the different business types as well as the different government contract types. Government contracting is different than contracting in the private sector and APAC will help you in becoming familiar with the process. The Instructor will be David Jerome and other counselors from the Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center.
The seminar is free. For more information or to register contact the UAM Small Business and Technology Development Center at (870) 460-1910, email email@example.com, register online at hhttp://asbtdc.ualr.edu/training/monticello.asp or “fan” the UAM SBTDC on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/uam.asbtdc?ref=hl.


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By Uday Sampath Kumar
(Reuters) – Mattel Inc (NASDAQ:) reported a surprise quarterly profit on Thursday, as the toy maker benefited from its revamped line of Barbie dolls and its efforts to keep a lid on costs, sending its share soaring 17 percent in extended trading.
Barbie ended the year with its highest gross sales in five years, Mattel said, highlighting the company’s success in turning around the iconic brand by launching dolls with different skin tones, adding plus-sized and hijab-wearing models and introducing new science kits to make the dolls more educational.
“Barbie has got every career a girl could aspire to and especially in the current environment … female empowerment is huge and that’s really helping Barbie do well at retail,” said Jackie Breyer, editorial director at trade magazine the Toy Book.
The Barbie Dreamhouse was among the top ten best-selling toys in the United States in 2018, according to market research firm NPD group.
Gross sales rose 12 percent for Barbie and 9 percent for Hot Wheels in the fourth quarter, handily beating analysts’ estimates for both brands.
The company also benefited from its plans to streamline its operations, with costs falling 27 percent to $814.7 million in the quarter.
Mattel has been aiming to cut at least $650 million in net costs by the end of 2019 through job cuts and other measures such as looking at options for its manufacturing facilities.
“Restoring profitability for the company has been the core focus,” Chief Executive Officer Ynon Kreiz told Reuters, adding that he expects Mattel to exceed its cost-saving target.
Mattel reported net income of $14.9 million, or 4 cents per share, in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with a loss of $281.3 million, or 82 cents per share, a year earlier, when it took a one-time charge related to changes in U.S. tax laws.
Analysts had expected a loss of 16 cents per share.
However, gross sales in North America fell 10.1 percent to $744.5 million, reflecting Mattel’s struggles with finding a major retailer to make up for lost sales from the shuttering of Toys ‘R’ Us.
Analysts had expected North American gross sales of $829.6 million, according to four analysts polled by Refinitiv.
Overall, Mattel’s net revenue fell 5.4 percent to $1.52 billion, but was still above analysts’ estimates of $1.44 billion.
Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.


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LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - European shares inched down towards their lowest level in more than three months on Monday as doubts grew about Beijing’s ability to manage the world’s second-biggest economy.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index fell 0.1 percent, near its lowest level since late September. Britain’s FTSE 100 declined 0.4 percent while Germany’s DAX weakened by 0.3 percent.
China let its yuan currency strengthen for a second straight session on Monday, in a move that might calm concerns about how ready Beijing is to let the currency depreciate.
However, the development added to doubts over Beijing’s ultimate policy intent, and it failed to stop investors selling Chinese shares.
Figures out over the weekend also showed Chinese consumer inflation stuck at a subdued 1.6 percent in December, while producer prices were down a steep 5.9 percent on the year - a deflationary pulse that is being felt across the globe. (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Hugh Lawson)


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Baltimore County, prepare yourself for a grocery store switcheroo.
According to the Sun, Pennsylvania grocery store Weis Markets announced plans this week to buy and take over five Mars Super Markets stores in Baltimore County, bringing the family-run chain’s current number of stores in the state to 30–9 of them in Baltimore County. The remaining Mars stores have been struggling in recent years, with numerous markets closing down or laying off workers.
“This is an important acquisition for us as we’ve been steadily expanding within Baltimore County in recent years,” Weis chairman and CEO Jonathan Weis said in a statement.
Baltimore County grocery shoppers: Are you looking forward to the new stores?


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By Michael Norton
State House News Service
BOSTON -- Gross domestic product in Massachusetts grew at a 3 percent annual rate in the second quarter, compared to a 1.2 percent growth rate for the national economy.
The U.S. Department of Commerce released the national GDP estimate on Friday and the state growth rate stemmed from the MassBenchmarks Current Economic Index, a journal about the state economy published by the UMass Donahue Institute with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The organization's leading index predicts the state economy will expand at a 2.9 percent rate in the third quarter and a 2.2 percent rate in the fourth quarter.
Employment and earnings "grew strongly" in Massachusetts during the second quarter, with wage and salary income, as estimated from state withholding tax revenue, expanding at a 9.5 percent annual rate in the second quarter after growing 6.1 percent in the first quarter, according to MassBenchmarks.
Payroll employment in Massachusetts expanded at a 3 percent annual rate in the second quarter, compared to a 1.3 percent annual growth rate for U.S. jobs in the second quarter, down from 1.9 percent in the first quarter.
The Massachusetts jobless rate in June, 4.2 percent, was lower than the pre-recession low of 4.6 percent in 2007 and "the lowest level observed in nearly 15 years," according to MassBenchmarks.
Consumer and business spending on items subject to the state sales tax grew at a 0.8 percent rate in the second quarter, after declining 6.1 percent in the first quarter.
MassBenchmarks senior contributing editor Alan Clayton-Matthews said there had been a "marked reduction" in automobile purchases in the second quarter, noting non-automobile spending increased by 2.2 percent for the quarter.


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By Voodoozragore - 07.03.2020
Monero fork 2020
Monero issues regularly scheduled hard forks, which are upgrades to the Monero 24 hours later at , estimated to take place on October 18th, Monero: Hard Fork announced for October – Australian exchanges delist XMR. Avatar By Reynaldo August 25, No Comments. Monero. Source: Wit.
A group of users led by Johnny Mnemonic decided that the community should take over the project, and five days later they did while also changing the name to Monero. Due to its monero fork 2020 features, Monero experienced rapid growth in market capitalization and transaction volume duringfaster and bigger than any other cryptocurrency that year.
Monero fork 2020 growth was driven by its uptake in the darknet marketwhere people used it to buy stolen credit cards, guns, and drugs. On January 10,the privacy of Monero transactions was further strengthened by the adoption of Bitcoin Core monero fork 2020 Gregory Maxwell's algorithm Confidential Transactions, hiding the amounts being transacted, in combination with monero fork 2020 improved version of Ring Signatures.
Coinhive generated the script as an alternative to advertisements; a website or app could embed it, and use website visitor's CPU to mine the cryptocurrency while the visitor is consuming the content of the webpage, with the site or app owner getting a percentage of the mined coins.
Monero to Hard Fork with MoneroV Coming in Mid-March
As a result, the script was blocked by companies offering ad blocking subscription lists, antivirus services, and antimalware services. Security and privacy features Enforced privacy Monero uses enforced privacy by default for all transactions so that no user can accidentally or monero fork 2020 be traceable or insecure.
Unlike monero fork 2020 monero fork 2020 mechanisms, this ensures users cannot be scrutinised or penalised by monero fork 2020 actors for check this out private transactions, leading to non-use of privacy features and therefore loss of privacy altogether.
A secure method for verifying transactions is necessary to prevent senders sending currency they do not possess.MONERO XMR Mining is more PROFITABLE... for now
Although all transactions to a monero fork 2020 public address end up in the same central cryptocurrency walletan outside party can never know whether two transactions have been sent to the same public address.Monero: BULLISH on XMR Now More Than Ever 🤫
This gives plausible deniability for senders as an external monero fork 2020 cannot be certain exactly which address sent a given transaction. The first relies on leveraging the ring signature size of monero fork 2020, and ability monero fork 2020 fork 2020 see the output amounts. Finally the third threat, "Temporal Analysis", shows that predicting the right output in a ring signature could potentially be easier than previously thought.
Monero developers also noted monero fork 2020 Monero Research Labs, their academic and research arm, already noted and outlined the deficiency in two public research papers in and See also.
- how to earn coins in wattpad by watching ads
- stellar or ethereum
- what is a bitcoin made out of
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- crypto coin info
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- convert xmr to btc
- aa coins
- forex trading for beginners plus500
- binance deposit money
- transfer money from greendot to paypal


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Here’s our first look at the Galaxy Chromebook 2, Samsung’s next high-end Chrome OS laptop
Samsung is reportedly gearing up to unveil a sequel to this year’s Galaxy Chromebook, and we already have our first look. The device was first rumored earlier this month, although very few details have been revealed.
The leaked press image of the Galaxy Chromebook 2 comes courtesy of Evan Blass on Voice. If you glance quickly, the new model looks very similar to what we saw earlier this year. I don’t think anyone will be complaining, because the Galaxy Chromebook featured a terrific design, highlighted by its 4K display.
While Blass doesn’t reveal what kind of changes we can expect, they’re likely to primarily be internal.
Very similar in appearance to the initial Galaxy Chromebook—rearranged ports and color patterns (the sides are now the same hue as the rest of the body, for instance) are the only differences noticeable to the naked eye—it’s hoped that the biggest changes will be internal.
The original Galaxy Chromebook launched with a 10th generation Intel Core i5 processor with up to 16GB of LPDDR3 RAM, up to 1 TB of SSD storage, and a 13.3-inch 4K AMOLED display. The device launched for $999 for the entry-level model.
The Galaxy Chromebook was a nice device. The lightweight design and high-end specs gave it a very premium feel, and we’re expecting the same from the Galaxy Chromebook 2.
What we don’t know is when the device will be announced. Samsung is reportedly planning to hold an Unpacked event on January 14, where the company will unveil the Galaxy S20 series and maybe new Galaxy Buds. It seems like the perfect opportunity to also share details for the Galaxy Chromebook 2, considering the original model was also introduced in January.
With the first image of the laptop now in the wild, it’s very possible we’ll see even more details drop over the next few weeks.


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We’re excited to announce the launch of colLABorate – a virtual event series bringing together planners and top industry experts. Each month we’re opening the “LAB” to showcase our partners, abilities, and newfound opportunities that you can add to your event toolbox in 2022.
We’re kicking off in January with our first episode, January 26, 2022.
Hybrid Event Production Beyond 2020 - PC
The pandemic has allowed event producers to shine the light on the value of our event content. Join our CEO, Mahoganey Jones, and our special guest, Mark Awad of bb Blanc, as we unpack shifting to a digital-first model for planning your events and the impact on the production and, of course, the attendee journey.


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Winner will enjoy prize of $1,000 a day for life
Talk about the Best Day Ever! A lucky Maryland Lottery player just made history by becoming the first person in the state to win $1,000 a day for life, courtesy of the Cash4Life game.
The player bought the winning ticket in the May 2 drawing from Weis Market #100 located at 2 Old Camps Road in Frederick. He or she can receive $1,000 a day for life paid in annual installments of $365,000 or choose a one-time cash payment of $7 million. Check your ticket for the winning numbers of 10, 14, 30, 55, 56; the Cash Ball was 1.
“Congratulations to our lucky winner and to Maryland,” said Gordon Medenica, director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming. “Our new game just launched in January, and we’re excited to welcome our first top-prize winner at Lottery headquarters.”
The winner has 182 days to claim the prize at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. Lottery officials strongly encourage players to sign the back of tickets immediately and keep them in safe locations until claiming their prizes. Our top-prize winner wasn’t the only happy Cash4Life player in the May 2 drawing, which saw a total of 14,375 Maryland winners of prizes of $2 and up.
Maryland Lottery and Gaming began offering the Cash4Life game in January, joining the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Tennessee. Since the game began in June 2014, Cash4Life has had 15 top-prize winners and 22 second-tier winners. The second-tier prize offers players the option of $1,000 a week for life, paid in annual installments of $52,000, or a one-time payment of $1 million. Six other prize levels range from $2 to $2,500. The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 8.
In Maryland, tickets are available at nearly 4,600 Lottery retailers and cost $2 for each line of six numbers. Drawings take place Mondays and Thursdays at 9 p.m. and can be viewed live on mdlottery.com. The cutoff time for purchasing tickets on drawing nights is 8:45 p.m. For selling the top-prize ticket, Weis Market #100 will receive a $7,500 bonus from the Lottery.
Frederick is a lucky hot spot this spring for Lottery players. On May 2, Amber Meadows Liquors sold a $100,000 Gold Hard Cash winning scratch-off and on May 1, Willow Tree Liquors sold a $50,000 Bonus Match 5 winning ticket. On April 21, Ye Old Spirit Shop sold a $100,000 winning Diamond 7s scratch-off and on April 20, Eastside Liquors sold a $250,000 winning $250,000 High Rollers Club scratch-off.


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NORTHFIELD, Ill., Jan. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for game day gatherings and cold-weather grilling, Kraft Barbecue Sauce is celebrating its newly revamped line of sauces with recipes featuring high-quality ingredients like tomatoes, sweet molasses, cider vinegar and cane sugar. Kraft Barbecue Sauce wants to help grilling fans make something amazing with an improved sauce line now made without high fructose corn syrup.
To introduce the new sauces, Kraft Barbecue Sauce has created custom, over-the-top grilling innovations to share with well-known grill enthusiasts – influencers Kraft has dubbed "Evergrillers". The new innovations will help Evergrillers, and aspiring Evergrillers, get to the grill no matter the weather conditions. The innovations, all built to support year-long grilling especially in cold regions of the country, include:
Grill 'N' Flip Mitt: A fire-resistant grilling glove that protects the griller's hands from both the heat of the grill and the chill of the outdoors during winter grilling season. The unique design of the top insert can hold many grill tools, making it easy to flip, stab, and baste with ease and precision.
Hot Head Hat: An all-purpose, weather-proof hat designed to keep grillers warm while acting as a holder for the most important grill necessities. Each hat is fleece-lined, with heated ear flaps and a convenient Kraft Barbecue Sauce dispenser.
Ski-BQs: Designed for grillers who are unfazed by snow, the skis, affixed with a personal snow plow and an opportune sauce holder, hook on to the griller's boots to allow for quick skiing and plowing from door to grill.
"We know that people who love grilling demand more from their sauce. No matter what it looks like outside, they're grilling," said Lynne Strickler, Brand Manager for Kraft Barbecue Sauce. "We want to celebrate these grill masters, or Evergrillers, by giving them a first taste of our new sauces, and sharing with them a custom – and hilarious – tool to help keep them grilling year round."
To kick off the celebration, Kraft Barbecue Sauce is partnering with grilling guru, Scott Thomas of GrillinFools.com, to give grilling fans everywhere the chance to win an Evergriller innovation and a year's supply of Kraft Barbecue Sauce. To enter for a chance to win, grill fans can visit GrillinFools.com by January 30, 2015. The winner will be randomly selected at the close of the giveaway.
Kraft Barbecue Sauce varieties are sold nationwide in the condiments section of grocery stores for a suggested retail price of $1.99 per 18-ounce bottle.
ABOUT KRAFT FOODS GROUP
Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: KRFT) is one of North America's largest consumer packaged food and beverage companies, with annual revenues of more than $18 billion. With the spirit of a startup and the soul of a powerhouse, Kraft has an unrivaled portfolio of products in the beverages, cheese, refrigerated meals and grocery categories. The company's iconic brands include Kraft, Capri Sun, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Maxwell House, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters and Velveeta. Kraft's 22,500 employees in the U.S. and Canada have a passion for making the foods and beverages people love. Kraft is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 and the NASDAQ-100 indices. For more information, visit www.kraftfoodsgroup.com and www.facebook.com/kraft.
SOURCE Kraft Foods Group, Inc.


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Online ad spends predicted to grow in 2009
And IAB Canada's projected total for 2008 online advertising revenue in Canada is estimated at $1.5 billion.
Online ad spending in the US is predicted to grow about 15% in 2009, and IAB Canada’s projected total for 2008 online advertising revenue in Canada is estimated at $1.5 billion, 25% more than 2007.
The Internet makes up an important part of the media mix and reaches more adults ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 each week than radio, IAB revealed. However, online ad revenue targeting Canadians represented only 8.7% of the total Canadian ad spend in 2007, even though consumers spent an estimated 23% of their weekly time online.
New research from IAB Canada, using data from PMB’s 2008 study, shows that Internet Imperatives (heavy Internet users, but light TV users) make up about 25% of adults 18 and over in Canada.
Some IAB suggestions for advertisers in 2009 include making brand awareness and message associations by investing in display advertising, since the overall count of people reached by display ads is much higher than that of all other online advertising vehicles. Other suggestions include using online branded content programs to drive engagement.


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Yokai Watch 2 topped the charts last week in Japan upon its release, selling 1.3 million copies in a week.
Nintendo UK/Europe have announced that Europeans can now load their Nintendo eShop cards using PayPal.
The developer of Soul Saga is still chugging along on his project, despite running into health problems.
Check out this creative look at the guts of the Wii U and the Wii U GamePad.
Best Buy has an upcoming deal on Nintendo 3DS titles and Wii U controller accessories.
A livestream dedicated to Fatal Frame for the Wii U will be live on Thursday.
Japanese publication CoroCoro says it will reveal the full Super Smash Bros. roster next month.
Andrew House says the PlayStation 4 is great for consumers who purchased a Wii last generation.
Reggie gave a short speech for Smash fans at this year's Evo 2014 event.
Mercedes-Benz Japan has stated that its seen higher showroom floor traffic asking about the GLA after it featured in Mario Kart 8.
Rayman has been included in Super Smash Bros. as an trophy, Sakurai announced today.
Sony's Shuhei Yoshida discusses Nintendo's role in the gaming industry as balance.
Kids are shown the Luigi Death Stare and asked their feelings on Luigi afterwards. It's not pretty, folks.
From Project Cars for Wii U being delayed to Super Smash Bros. character reveals, you can discuss it all with our forum members!
The Letter released yesterday on the Wii U eShop and it is one of the worst games to date.
Hyrule Warriors hype continues with Nintendo of Europe announcing the return of Ghirahim as a boss character.
Bandai Namco have announced that the Wii U version of Project Cars won't be released until 2015.


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Tesla will face huge challenges in 2018 — and it could put the company under crushing pressure (TSLA)
Published 8:57 am, Saturday, December 30, 2017
- Tesla will face major challenges as it becomes a mass-market automaker.
- The challenges range from CEO Elon Musk's workload to the arrival of new competitors.
- Tesla is preparing to meet these challenges, but it might not surmount them all.
Tesla had a wild ride in 2017. The company is worth more than ever, passing Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in market capitalization and threatening General Motors.
But the "production hell" of a sluggish Model 3 roll-out has tested the patience of customers and investors. And Tesla doesn't have enough money in its reserve to sustain its current cash burn.
Other challenges await in 2018. Yes, 2017 was wild. But 2018 will be even wilder.
Cash, cash, and more cash.Asa Mathat | D: All Things Digital
Relative to its auto-industry "peers," Tesla has a pitiful amount of available cash. The carmakers that Tesla has challenged in market capitalization in 2017 — General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles — have each amassed war chests. FCA has almost $20 billion, GM has nearly $25 billion, and Ford has socked away close to $40 billion.
Tesla has just over $3 billion
Tesla is also currently burning through over a billion per quarter. If we just go by cash and exclude other financing instruments, such as Tesla's revolving credit lines, the company can't make it through 2018.
It's worth noting that Tesla is running thin on cash at a time when the US economy is at full employment and the US auto market is running near an all-time sales high.
Do the math: Tesla needs more money. And it will likely obtain that funding through another capital raise. It's past two raises were a return to Wall Street to sell more stock; and a first foray into the junk-bond debt markets.
The smart money, such as it is, would likely bet on Tesla doing another equity raise in 2018, given that shares are still above $300. Each new raise, however, highlights Tesla's poor execution on the manufacturing front. FCA, Ford, and GM also spend a billion per quarter, but they manage to produce millions of vehicles worldwide. Tesla produces a fraction of that.
There is an assumption among Tesla bulls that this pattern will at some point reverse in the future, as the Model 3 sedan, priced to start at $35,000, ramps toward full production and Tesla starts to draw in revenue from something like 400,000 pre-orders.
But while that would be cause for celebration at Tesla, attention would then turn to how much money Tesla is making on the Model 3. Mass-market sedans have notoriously skinny profit margins and have plummeted in popularity as consumers have turned to crossover SUVs.
There's no question that cash will be Tesla's biggest challenge in 2018.
Fixing Fremont.Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
Tesla's factory in Fremont has a theoretical manufacturing capacity of 500,000 vehicles annually, although when it was jointly operated by Toyota and GM in the 1980s, it never hit that mark. Still, it topped out at over 400,000.
Tesla is now 14 years old and in 2017, it will finally roll 100,000 vehicles off its assembly line. CEO Elon Musk said that in 2018 it would roll 500,000.
There's almost no chance that Tesla will hit that mark in 2018. In fact, even if the company were able to build 5,000 Model 3's per week, and add that output to another 100,000 Model S and X vehicles, production would only be about 350,000 for 2018.
This is ridiculous. Tesla admitted when the Model 3 fell well short of 2017 production that "bottlenecks" at the company's Gigafactory battery plant in Nevada were to blame. We'll take Tesla at its word, but the true bottleneck is and always has been at Fremont. No other automaker in the world would be sitting on hundreds of thousands of pre-orders for a single vehicle and struggling to hit production targets.
The reason that we aren't seeing far more Teslas on the road is simply because Tesla is stubbornly refusing to admit that it's bad at building cars. I can't figure out why Musk won't just throw in the towel and hire somebody else to build the car for him. When carmakers such as BMW can't meet demand with their existing capacity, they bring in a contract manufacturer to take up the slack.
Fixing Fremont has to be Tesla's second-highest priority in 2018, next to avoiding running out money.
Recalibrating its product reveals.Tesla
Tesla is stupendously good at keeping its story going. It does this by staging epic new-product reveals that thrill the loyalists and refuel the company's narrative. This keeps the stock price up, brings in deposits that help with the cash problem, and relieves Tesla of any pressure to spend any real money on advertising.
Lately, however, the reveal-apalooza has been in high gear.
In 2017, we got not just a Semi truck but also a new Roadster. Everyone expects 2018 to see a Model Y compact SUV and a pickup truck.
Pointedly, Tesla can't currently even build a mid-size sedan on schedule, so the idea that it can handle a big rig, a new sports car, and a pickup without a gigantic new capital investment in additional factories is preposterous.
Still, if Tesla reveals new vehicles, the deposits will probably come. You have to give it to Musk: he's devised a way to bring in additional operating cash — Tesla doesn't set deposits aside but rather uses them to fund itself — without having to promise depositors a return on investment. It's brilliant, and we should expect more of it in 2018.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
- 6 tricky morning routines that are difficult to pick up but will pay off for life
- The 50 best video games of all time, according to critics
- Uber had the biggest car story of the year — but for all the wrong reasons


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Chris Brown’s Daughter Is Launching a Kid’s Clothing Line
Chris Brown's daughter, Royalty is a mogul in the making, and she's only 3 years old. Breezy's seed is launching a clothing line called, Royalty Brown, with the help of her mother, Nia Guzman.
The line will be unisex and printed with designs Royalty has come up with. The collection will have "monster graphics, two-pieces and even cosmetics," reports TMZ.
Royalty is following in the footsteps of her famous pops. Breezy launched his own clothing line, Black Pyramid, back in 2012 and his line has enjoyed moderate success. The line came under fire from fans in March of 2016 after some complained about the high price point. Chris wasn't too happy about the complaints. “Cry me a f-cking river,” he wrote on Instagram. “You bitch niggas killing over Jordans, waiting outside for Yeezys for days. My prices are H&M and ZARA prices. I’m not running for president nor did I say u had to buy anything. So like I always say, taste this fart I been holding in on this plane ride to Paris. Shitheads.”
Last September, the line produced Brown's infamous "This Bitch Lyin'" shirts which were a result of the singer being arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after aspiring model and actress, Baylee Curran, accused Brown of pointing a gun at her and demanding she leave his home after she began inspecting a piece of jewelry.
According to Royalty's Instagram page, her line will be coming soon. Now all we need is Blue Ivy dropping some bars on the commercial, and it's lit.
See Photos of Chris Brown's Different Looks Over the Years


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The fake YouTube videos posted by a number of YouTube creators are often of dubious origin, with some allegedly being created by people with very little knowledge of the video medium.
In an attempt to identify such fake videos, YouTube has launched a new report, “The YouTube Report.”
The new report will be presented to the world in the coming days, highlighting the “unusual and questionable” content uploaded by a small number of creators.
It is part of a larger effort by the video sharing platform to bring its users up to date on what is being said and posted on the site, according to YouTube’s marketing director.
“The goal of this report is to provide insight into what is going on and why people are posting these videos,” he said.
YouTube’s report is expected to be launched soon, and will include details about the number of times these videos have been uploaded by creators and the nature of the content being posted.
The report will highlight the most common videos being uploaded to YouTube and what users are saying about them.
“This report will also highlight the many cases where users have posted videos on YouTube that have not been verified by the creators or YouTube themselves,” the marketing director said.
The video creators named in the report will not be allowed to continue uploading their videos, but will be flagged by YouTube’s systems to help them avoid being removed from the platform.
YouTube says that it will also investigate complaints against video creators and take appropriate action if necessary.
“The YouTube report is designed to help us identify and identify fake videos on our platform,” said the marketing head.
“YouTube is a great platform, and we do not encourage this type of activity.
If you think you have seen a fake YouTube video, or have seen videos with questionable content, let us know.”


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Ever since it was discovered by Ethiopians, coffee has been the favorite drink of billions of people all over the world. But in recent times, controversies started arising surrounding it, as they tend to do with pretty much anything these days. According to a new study from California, coffee is good for cardiovascular health.
- This is at least the second study confirming this in the past 3 months
- Coffee has been thought to cause irregular heartbeats, especially in excessive users
- Irregular heartbeats are associated with an elevated risk of heart attack and stroke
- As it turns out, coffee actually helps prevent coronary heart disease
- The study was performed by researchers from the University of California in San Francisco
Various studies over the years, due to the lack of modern equipment, as well as due to an overall lower level of medical development, have shown that coffee is bad for you, as it causes palpitations – irregular heartbeats that can lead to serious complications.
However, as the field of medicine advanced, more and more studies have started to show the errors of our old ways. Not only is coffee not dangerous for you, but it can actually lead to an overall improved cardiovascular health.
In fact, non-caffeine drinkers were shown to be more vulnerable to health matters of the heart, as they fail to consume the beneficial drink. But caffeine isn’t the only health-assisting part about coffee.
The current study, performed by researchers from the University of California in San Francisco, looked at 1,388 participants, 61% of which drank more than one caffeinated product a day.
No links were found between the increased intake of coffee and any cardiovascular abnormalities.
Sure, the study wasn’t very helpful, nor was it something exceedingly complicated, but it did prove that coffee isn’t harmful – for cardiovascular heath, anyway; you might still get issues sleeping if you overindulge.
A better study to look into the benefits of coffee was performed last March in South Korea, as a team of researchers looked at 25,000 participants.
The study showed that those individuals that drank three to five cups of coffee a day, regardless of caffeine levels, were far less likely to suffer from any type of cardiovascular disease than those that didn’t drink coffee at all.
Calcium deposits, signs of atherosclerosis or the hardening of the arteries, were also almost completely missing from the coffee drinkers.
So you can just keep sitting down and enjoy your 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day, knowing that you are doing your body a favor – unless you have a pre-existing heart condition, in which case you should address a doctor.
Image source: FreeStockPhotos.biz


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Five million dollars in gun supplies was recently destroyed by Dick’s Sporting Goods and CEO David Stack says the arms are now scrap metal.
Stack’s move follows along a similar path the sporting goods store having stopped the sale of rifles in 2018 in response to the Parkland, Florida shooting which left 17 people dead.
Dick’s Sporting Goods sold a gun to the shooter, although it was never used. The company has also stopped selling high-capacity magazines and the gun-purchasing age went from 18 to 21.
Stack, speaking in an interview on CBS also mentioned that the commitment to gun safety has cost Dick’s Sporting Goods nearly a quarter-billion dollars in sales.


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Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, in association with ICEA, released a 5-year roadmap and Vision Document for the electronics sector today, titled “$300 bn Sustainable Electronics Manufacturing & Exports by 2026.” This roadmap is the second volume of a two-part Vision Document – the first of which titled “Increasing India’s Electronics Exports and Share in GVCs” was released in November 2021. This report provides a year-wise break-up and production projections for the various products that will lead India’s transformation into a US$300 billion electronics manufacturing powerhouse, from the current US$75 billion. Amongst the key products that are expected to lead India’s growth in electronics manufacturing include Mobile Phones, IT Hardware (laptops, tablets), Consumer electronics (TV and audio), Industrial electronics, Auto electronics, Electronic components, LED Lighting, Strategic electronics, PCBA, Wearables and hearables, and Telecom equipment. Mobile manufacturing that is expected to cross US$100 billion annual production - up from the current US$30 billion - is expected to constitute nearly 40% of this ambitious growth.
Scale up of domestic manufacture by 2.2X in 5 years appear realistic with PLI schemes but can India increase exports by 10.3X in 5 years?


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May 18, 2019 - 80 views|
Financial services firms are grappling with the challenges of CCPA, California's impending privacy regulations. Here's how to develop a compliance roadmap.
When the first customer calls from California on Jan. 1, 2020, to inquire about personal data, will your bank know what to do? For most, the answer is no.
Banks and financial services firms around the world are grappling with compliance challenges as the start date draws closer for the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). All companies that do business in California, regardless of where they’re based, are required to comply. The real key isn’t just preparation, however; it’s execution.
The scope of CCPA’s groundbreaking regulations is broad. It entitles every Golden State resident the right to opt out of data collection, including household details, browsing and purchase histories, and geolocation points. Consumers can also request all paper records to be deleted, and are entitled to receive a record of their data that’s been collected and sold, upon request. Consumers who exercise their rights under the CCPA can’t be given lower levels of service.
Given the sweeping provisions, there’s significant confusion. It’s easy to misunderstand CCPA in light of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the comprehensive law that took effect in May 2018. We’ve heard companies mistakenly say they prefer to focus on GDPR, or that they’ll simply apply the preparation they undertook for GDPR to CCPA.
Yet the two laws differ. For one, GDPR stipulates that companies have a “legal basis” for collecting and using personal data. Additionally, a privacy notice that meets GDPR criteria likely won’t satisfy CCPA.
Noncompliance with CCPA is potentially costly. Fines cap at $7,500 per violation. A penalty affecting the data of, say, 100,000 customers risks putting a company out of business.
While your organization can’t just dust off the work it did for the GDPR and emblazon CCPA across the front, it can leverage the teams, action plans and structures they’ve already put in place.
Building a compliance roadmap starts with the following assessments:
Consumer interest in personal data protection is rippling through every industry. While interest in trust and transparency is especially keen in the information-intensive banking industry, it’s also affecting insurers, healthcare providers, and communications and media companies. Only 48% of people in the U.S. say they trust businesses, falling from 58% last year. With its emphasis on transparency and responsiveness, CCPA has the potential to make or break companies’ reserves of consumer trust.
CCPA should be a wake-up call – make that a trumpet blast – for banks. The bar is set for banks to demonstrate that they value consumers’ privacy not just because it’s law but also because consumers want it.
Be ready when that first call comes in 2020.
To learn more, please visit our CCPA for Banking website.


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After wearing out the shoe leather around the vast halls of the Frankfurt motor show for a day and a half, I’ve been quite impressed by the way the car industry is embracing hybridisation and electric vehicles.
Manufacturers have been keen to show us their latest developments. I’ve had a ride in the Range Rover Hybrid around the streets of Frankfurt, Steve Cropley has been chauffeured about in a BMW i3 and Jim Holder has been amazed by Volkswagen’s Volkswagen e-up. The Tesla Model S, the car that’s been the subject of a full road test in this week’s Autocar magazine, has also been receiving plenty of attention on its show stand.
With several high-profile vehicles reaching production status, it feels as though the hybrid and alternatively powered vehicle market is really gathering momentum, which is a pleasing state of affairs.
Then, all of a sudden, you spy something that brings you back to reality with a sudden bump. Social media forum Twitter was awash with references to a story the Daily Mail has run on the new Porsche 918 Spyder, which has proved to be one of the highlights of the Frankfurt motor show.
I’m not going to link to it here, but the story is still featured on the paper’s home page. I went to take a look. The story has most likely been corrected, but originally it said the Spyder is ‘more fuel efficient than a Honda Prius” and “can do more than two miles to the gallon”.
To me, the inaccuracies in the story are a reality check. They suggest that although those inside the car industry might have embraced hybrids, there is still a long way to go before the ‘real world’ catches up in terms of understanding and education about alternatively powered cars. And perhaps we need new, more eloquent ways of communicating the merits.
Two miles per gallon indeed…


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Banking platform, Curve, which consolidates multiple cards and accounts into a smart card and app, has raised £4m just minutes after launching its first-ever crowdfunding campaign – making it the fastest start-up to reach the figure in history.
Last month, Curve announced plans to launch a seven figure crowdfunding campaign for early September, with plans to raise £1m. However, just 42 minutes after launching to pre-registered customers, Curve had raised four times that figure, breaking records in the process. The current overfunding amount stands at £5m.
Curve has also broken records for the number of investors investing in a campaign through the Crowdcube platform, beating the previous record-holder Chip who had around 6,500 investors.
Crowdcube is the world’s largest equity crowdfunding platform and boasts a remarkable track record for successful fintech crowdfunding for businesses such as Monzo, Nutmeg, and Freetrade.
Shachar Bialick, Founder and CEO of Curve said: “Curve customers are the beating heart of Curve and the unprecedented success of our first ever funding round demonstrates their faith in the business and shows the world that people are ready for a revolution in finance. We have been blown away by this record breaking investment from the Curve community and we are delighted to welcome them on board our mission to move banking to the cloud and change the world of finance forever.”
Luke Lang, co-founder of Crowdcube, said: “Curve has brilliantly inspired its community with its vision to create a better financial world, its innovative product and ambitious team. The impressive level of investment underlines the strong bond Curve has with its community, who clearly believe in the company and I’m sure will help supercharge its next phase of growth.”
Curve has grown its customer base to over 500,000 customers as well as employing over 160 people across its offices in London and Bristol. The business has already raised over £60m to date.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cash4Gold Reminds Customers That it Does Not Operate Physical Stores and That All True Advertising Points to www.cash4gold.com and an Official Toll-Free Hotline
June 22, 2009 (Pompano, Beach, Fla) – Cash4Gold, America's #1 gold buyer direct from the general public, today warned customers that unauthorized businesses across the country are fraudulently using Cash4Gold's name and logo in their marketing, and in some cases on their actual storefronts/kiosks.
"The only way for customers to know for sure that they are working with the real Cash4Gold is to contact us via our website www.Cash4Gold.com or one of the official toll-free hotlines featured in our advertisements," said Cash4Gold CEO Jeff Aronson.
"Cash4Gold does all of its business direct to consumers and we do not operate any physical stores. All true Cash4Gold advertising points to the company's official website and hotlines; any other use of our logo is fake, whether it is being used to advertise a website, promote a gold swap party or call attention to a gold buying event or store at a local mall.
"We are greatly concerned that consumers are being deceived by these copycat companies, which are running Cash4Gold scams that take advantage of people, hurt our reputation and leave customers unprotected by Cash4Gold's 100% satisfaction guarantee.
"We encourage you to be careful and only deal with Cash4Gold via our website www.Cash4Gold.com or on the toll-free numbers featured in our official advertising. Please alert us to any misuse of our logo and brand by e-mailing us at info@cash4Gold.com.
"Since 2007, Cash4Gold.com has provided a private, satisfaction-guaranteed service that has helped hundreds of thousands of people by paying out millions of dollars for scrap gold. Cash4Gold.com processes millions of pieces of jewelry every week for people looking to find value in old jewelry or scrap gold that might not be delivering any benefit otherwise.
"Cash4Gold's leadership in this new industry also extends to working with the government and law enforcement agencies when it comes to customer rights. Cash4Gold recently worked with the Florida legislature to create and pass legislation on this topic and is proud to have worked closely with lawmakers to develop a bill increasing the transparency of transactions to law enforcement. As a result, Florida became the first state in the nation to pass legislation that will help regulate the industry and protect citizens."
Cash4Gold is America's #1 buyer of precious metals including gold, silver and platinum from the general public, and one of the largest refiners of precious metals in the nation. Through an efficient and proprietary process, the company has revolutionized its industry, and is a fully-integrated company with front-end customer service and marketing operations and a back-end refinery. Hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers have received millions of dollars from Cash4Gold since its inception. Cash4Gold has warned customers that unauthorized businesses are running Cash4Gold scams fraudulently using Cash4Gold's name and logo in their marketing and storefronts/kiosks. Cash4Gold reminds customers that the company does not operate any stores, and that the only way to do business with the real Cash4Gold is through the website www.Cash4Gold.com or the toll-free hotlines featured in the company's official advertisements. Cash4Gold's popular advertisements can be seen in print, on national television and heard across the satellite and terrestrial radio dials. To sell your gold, please visit www.Cash4Gold.com or call 1-877-GOLD-590 for more information, and don't forget to visit the Cash4Gold blog.


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DTC: TV is Still the Media Darling
After a double-digit spending spike in 2005 and 2006, the industry's promotional outlay for DTC advertising has cooled. According
to TNS Media Intelligence, in 2007 pharma companies decreased DTC spending to $5.1 billion, a 3 percent drop from the previous
Jon Swallen, senior vice president of research for TNS, attributes this to the rising cost of mass media advertising and a
greater desire for ROI accountability. "Consider the volumes of money being spent by some of the major brands—ad budgets in
the range of $200 million a year," says Swallen. "As the guy who's approving that spending, you want to know that you're getting
good value for your dollar. And whether you're talking about a $200 million budget or a $10 million budget, the pressure is
there to deliver a good return on investment."
With the change in companies' product portfolios, some predicted that DTC spending would take a bigger hit. Bruce Grant, senior
vice president of business strategy at Digitas Health, points out that the drugs that fueled the rise of DTC were indicated
for relatively simple conditions such as allergies, acid reflux, and erectile dysfunction, where patients could have more
influence on their prescription than they could with a more complex disease like cancer. "Some key products that were very
successful on the strength of DTC are facing patent expiration, and pipelines are now much more heavily weighted toward higher-science,
specialty products," Grant says. "The messages are more complex, harder to drive home within the confines of a 60-second spot
or a print ad."
Since the rules around DTC relaxed in 1997, the practice has been under fire. Last year was no different, as stakeholders
continued to argue the need for ad moratoriums and more oversight by FDA. "You wonder whether there's some breaking point,"
Grant says. "There might be some event that tips the balance, and leads to more severe restrictions on drug companies' ability
to undertake consumer marketing. With healthcare being a campaign issue and an issue for the next Congress, whichever party
wins the presidential election, the pressure on DTC will certainly not ease."
Despite all the talk of new ways of reaching consumers, companies spent the most by far on TV and magazines as a vehicle for
their patient outreach efforts. (See "Play It Again".) In those channels, 2007 spending was fairly consistent with 2006. Much
bigger drops were observed in newspaper and radio spending—a whopping 53 percent and 38 percent, respectively.
"TV and DTC still have a very important role, and you can't ignore the power of the television medium," says Joan Mikardos,
media director at Sanofi-Aventis. "For some categories, it's really critical. But for others, you could probably eliminate
TV completely, or skim a little money off and do something that's a little more personal for the patient. I think the biggest
trend is acknowledgement that it can't be one-size-fits-all for every brand."
Online: High Potential, Low Commitment
While online promotion is the talk of the town, for the most part, it's still just talk. TNS data show Internet display advertising
dollars down five percent, from approximately $167 million in 2006 to about $159 million in 2007. This represents just over
three percent of the total DTC spend. So why is the Internet generating so much excitement but so little investment?
One would think that with the shine coming off mass-media advertising and large sales forces, marketers would see the Internet
as a promising avenue to promote their brands. Bruce Grant notes how the format allows companies to better target consumers
and healthcare professionals in a cost-effective way. And given the Internet's growing role in consumers' lives and physicians'
practices, sources seem to agree that the future is on the Web.
One explanation is a simple lack of comfort with the medium and a lot of uncertainty around regulatory compliance, especially
beyond the well-traveled waters of basic Web sites, banner ads, and search advertising. "The industry as a whole is behind,"
says Sanofi-Aventis' Mikardos. "We haven't figured out what role we can play with social media. That's a huge area that's
getting talked about a lot and has a major influence in healthcare. But for a highly regulated industry, it's very difficult
to navigate that space."
Another possibility is that insufficient investment has caused some companies to underestimate the potential of online advertising,
making it a common casualty of budget cuts. As newcomers like Revolution Health and Everyday Health join Yahoo, WebMD, and
MSN, Debrianna Obara, vice president of media at Avenue A|Razorfish, has seen competition for online content heat up. "It's
more and more difficult to purchase the online inventory that's appropriate for the client or disease state," she says. "Prices
are being forced up, and because pharma marketers are not increasing their online budgets drastically, they're getting less
and less for their investment each year and I think some of them are reaching the false conclusion that online's not working."
More than one source indicated that by the end of 2007, many pharma companies were beginning to embrace the idea that physicians
(rather than being technophobes) are often early adopters, and that the Internet is becoming integral to the way they practice
medicine. In that case, the problem may be that the quality of the pharmaceutical industry's online offerings doesn't yet
measure up to what doctors have experienced elsewhere on the Internet. "Even today, in too many cases the use of rich media,
video, rich animation, and other engagement devices is lower than physicians have come to expect," says Grant.
Still, companies are reshaping at least some of the Web tools used to target physicians. This most often takes the form of
special sections on product Web sites, Web sites just for physicians, and paid searches utilizing technical terms. "In the
last year, we've begun seeing companies dip their toes in the water," says Obara.


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Pokémon TCG collectors have been awaiting more news regarding the upcoming set Silver Tempest and it’s finally here, with product images shared on the official Pokémon Center website.
We now have a look at the Pokémon that will be highlighted in this set and it is—as expected—Lugia and Alolan Vulpix that will take center stage.
Alongside them, golem creatures Regieleki and Regidrago are getting their moment to shine for the first time since finally joining the Pokemon TCG back in 2021.
The products revealed include the typical additions for a new TCG set; booster packs, blister packs, Elite Trainer Boxes, a Booster Bundle, and a mini portfolio to keep track of your collection.
Inside Silver Tempest, there will be a total of 190 cards with the Trainer Gallery included on top of that. Of course, we’ve seen some of these cards revealed previously. But the majority remain hidden.
Silver Tempest will be formed of cards from the OCG sets Incandescent Arcana and Paradigm Trigger. These include new VSTAR cards for Alolan Vulpix and Serperior. Other cards shown so far include Radiant Jirachi, Ho-Oh V, and Altaria from the trainer gallery.
In the new set description for Silver Tempest from the Pokémon Center, it was revealed it will feature VSTAR versions of Lugia, Regieleki, Regidrago, Mawile, and Unknown, on top of the other cards we’ve already seen.
Soon we will have even more insight into the Pokemon TCG cards that will show up as Incandescent Arcana is scheduled to launch in Japan on Sept. 2.


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Wave power 'will be cheaper than onshore wind', says Ecotricity founder
Ecotricity's plans to add wave power to its generation portfolio are on track, according to founder Dale Vince, who claimed the technology will be "cheaper than onshore wind".
Vince told Utility Week that a prototype of the Searaser device - which will sit close to the shore and use the motion of the waves to pump seawater to an onshore turbine - would be in the water by Autumn.
The prototype will be tested at the FabTest marine testing site in Falmouth, where firms such as Fred Olsen are also testing wave devices.
Ecotricity is the majority shareholder in Searaser. The company plans to have a commercially available device by 2014. Eventually, said Vince, the technology will be "cheaper than offshore wind".
- Flow Energy launches new low-cost tariffs Flow Energy has launched two new energy tariffs which aim to maintain low prices despite rising wholesale costs.
- Good Energy freezes winter prices Good Energy has promised to freeze its gas and electricity prices until at least March 2017.
- Data-sharing remedy won’t go ahead unless trials are successful A database for ‘sticky’ customers who are disengaged from the energy market will not be implemented unless trials prove...


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For years, consumers have expressed frustration about being unable to get ice cream — particularly a McFlurry — from McDonald’s because of broken or otherwise incapacitated machines. Now, the Golden Arches is working to address the issue by providing restaurants with a new type of ice cream machine. [More]
United Airlines appears to be bringing back the glory days of flying. Okay, not the ’60s-esque glory days, but the other ones: when you didn’t have to shell out $5 (or more) for a bag of chips. The carrier announced today that it’s leveling the snacking playing field by once again offering economy passengers free nibbles. [More]
Maker Of Oreos, Chips Ahoy! And Other Snacks Plans To Offer Significantly More Healthy Treats In Five Years
Perhaps the introduction of the so-called healthier, more adult-focused Thin Oreos earlier this year was a sign that Mondelez, the maker behind the cookies and a plethora of other snacks, was on the fast track to being a health-conscious brand. [More]
A week after Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream announced it had pinpointed the source of the listeria contamination that led to the Ohio-based company recalling all of its products and closing its boutique stores, the treats maker has restored production –– just in time for summer. [More]
The source of a listeria contamination that resulted in an Ohio-based ice cream maker recalling all of its products and temporarily closing its boutique stores has been traced to just one machine in the company’s production facility. [More]
Ice cream makers may not be worthless pieces of junk, but they’re not absolutely necessary, either. Check out this most delicious roundup of ice cream-related tips and projects from Lifehacker. Make your own ice cream in a plastic bag, keep your store-bought ice cream fresh, learn new scooping techniques, and turn strange-colored liquid medicine into a tasty hangover cure. And more!
If America’s Google searches for the 25th are any indicator, you all enjoyed tasty meals at IHOP, went for a Christmas Day shopping spree at Walmart, and gave up on Rock Band and Guitar Hero and searched for cheat codes. Tell us what you got, and what you gave, in the comments.
Or as Alex put it so pithily in an email to us, “These dog treats are shaped like c*cks.” (Now you can’t tell what that word means!)


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By Staff writer
Move comes after Dubai and Abu Dhabi outlined plans to re-open malls
The two government bodies responsible for overseeing the UAE’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic said it has directed authorities in country to explore the possibility of re-opening malls.
National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) and the Ministry of Health and Community Protection, in an update on Twitter this morning, said they “directed the local economic authorities to study the possibility of reopening commercial centres in consultation with their private sector partners, taking into account health requirements and precautionary and preventive measures”.
The announcement comes as authorities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have outlined staged plans to re-open malls in their respective emirates.
The measures include wearing of masks at all times, maintaining social distancing and ensuring that restaurants and retail outlets are restricted to 30% capacitity.


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Leading online gaming software supplier CryptoLogic Limited has announced that it expects to deliver net income of between nine and ten million dollars this year.
The Dublin-based firm is a world leader in Internet casino and branded gaming software and made its announcement in an update on its new growth strategy and restructuring programme. It also stated that it expects to generate cash, reduce costs and deliver profits from expanding its casino business.
CryptoLogic revealed that it is on track to reduce its total operating costs of approximately $13 million on an annualised basis by the end of the second quarter of this year. It stated that the restructuring plan should result in cash costs of $3.5 million alongside non-cash charges of $20 million.
'CryptoLogic has taken radical steps to focus on its core strengths as a developer of exciting online gaming content,' said Brian Hadfield, President and Chief Executive Officer for CryptoLogic.
“We are on track to return to profitability and generate cash from the second quarter of 2009. Our streamlined operations, lower operating costs and commitment to creating compelling customer experience, together with a highly profitable build-once-sell-often model, provides a solid springboard for long-term growth and shareholder value.'
CryptoLogic stated that the outsourcing of its poker network through a strategic partnership with America’s GTech Corporation is set to be completed by the end of the first quarter, improving poker-room liquidity for customers while eliminating the costs of operating a stand-alone network. In addition, the rationalisation includes a reconfiguration of its network resulting in a 75 percent reduction in server and office rental costs.
It revealed that its Internet casino business would drive new growth alongside the development and licensing of branded online games to leading gaming and entertainment brands including 888, PartyGaming, GigaMedia and Gaming Technology Solutions.


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Radici Chimica SpA, a RadiciGroup chemical company engaged in the production of polyamide 6.6 (Radipol) and related chemical intermediates (Radichem), has recently become the first chemical company in Europe to obtain certificates of conformity for its Organisation Environmental Footprint (OEF – issued for all aspects of the production plant) and its Product Environmental Footprint (PEF – issued for PA6.6, HMDA, adipic acid, nitric acid, MAB, diamine heads and tails, and CO2).
The two certificates received from the certifying body Certiquality are an important step for Radici Chimica and its environmental protection work plan. This achievement came after signing, just this past July, a significant agreement with the Italian Ministry for the Environment to trial test a new methodology for calculating the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and Organisation Environmental Footprint (OEF) recently introduced by the European Commission.
The new methodology was introduced to improve the availability of reliable and comparable information on the environmental performance of products and organizations, with the goal of harmonizing the different measurement methods available today.
“The time has come for our sector, the producers of PA6.6 and related intermediates,” said Stefano Alini, manager of Quality, Safety and the Environment at Radici Chimica SpA, “to bring some order to the issue of environmental impact values, assessment methodologies and environmental labelling. Having a clear indication of the environmental impact of its business activities is essential for a company. Equally important is using a reporting tool for environmental performance that is effective and common to all of Europe.
Precisely for that reason, we decided to experimentally apply this new method for calculating the environmental footprint.”
“Participating in the European trial testing project,” Mr. Alini concluded, “means we can contribute to the ferreting out of the strengths and weakness of this methodology, thus sharing in the development of a European directive that will build on past experience – just think of EPD and ECOLABEL – and establish the guidelines for all reliable and verifiable environmental footprint studies.”
Product Environmental Footprint…European Commission Recommendations 2013/179/EU officially introduced the Product Environmental Footprint in the European Union. It is a methodology for the calculation, assessment, third-party assurance and communication to stakeholders of the environmental footprint of products and services.
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Yes, there's indeed going to be another expansion pack for The Sims. However, unlike the ones we know so far, this one's for the Console edition of the game. It's called "The Sims Bustin' Out
". There will be new locations to visit, 40 new characters, 80 new social moves, and 10 new careers. This expansion pack will also be shown at the E3 next week. This is what's said about it in EA's list of E3 games:
"The Sims are returning to the console and this time they're getting out of the house and exploring all-new outrageous locations around town. Players can choose a variety of new paths as they lead their Sims through life's big moments. Along the way, players can unlock and collect hundreds of new objects and social moves exclusive to the console. Play, work, and socialize with a cast of more than 40 new wacky characters and climb through 10 new careers including Mobster, Athlete, Mad Scientist, and Fashion Victim. The Sims Bustin' Out will feature two-player and memory card support, so bring your Sims over to a friend's house. The game is scheduled for release on the PlayStation 2 console, Xbox, and the Nintendo GameCube™ in early 2004."
You can read the whole press release right here
at EAGames. It's certainly something to look out for if you have The Sims on one of the consoles. This expansion pack is in development for PlayStation 2, GameCube and X-Box simultaneously and will be released early 2004. Quite a wait, but it looks like it's worth it.
The official site
(of the PC version) has also posted the press release, along with one screenshot, as late SimDay item. We're showing it below. For the press release on the official site, follow this link
Written at 00:02 on Friday, 9 May 2003 by ChEeTaH