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By Joseph Robertia
Time is running out to give old materials a new life, as part of the second annual Cooper Landing Recycled Fashion Show on Nov. 16, a day when designers will show their fashion-forward garments made from materials and accessories that are used, post-consumer or were on the way to the landfill.
The event came to life last year after Kristine Route and Karen Fuller, AmeriCorps members and volunteers from the Cooper Landing Recycle Center, felt that more needed to be done to educate people of the importance of recycling and up-cycling.
Recycling is a term with which most people should be familiar. It is the process of converting materials and products into new products, such as glass bottles that are crushed to make an aggregate for asphalt.
“Recycling is important because it keeps perfectly good resources out of the landfill. Things like aluminum and steel can be reused over and over again, ultimately, saving money and fuel,” Route said.
Up-cycling is the process of converting waste materials and products into better ones, such as some did for the fashion show, tearing plastic bags into horizontal strips and then using them as yarn to make clothes.
“Up-cycling — reusing materials — is equally important. Being in Alaska there just aren’t the facilities to handle materials like they do in the Lower 48. So it’s great to be able to find a reuse for everyday items,” Route said
She wanted to come up with a way to promote awareness of up-cycling in a way that would be fun and interesting, since not everyone is enlightened or excited about sorting what would otherwise be looked at as trash.
“Throughout the year I had been attending webinars through the Keep America Beautiful Foundation in regard to recycling strategies. That’s when I first heard about America Recycles Day. As I thought about what kind of event to host, I remembered there being a recycled fashion show when I attended Colorado State University, and my co-worker mentioned that Clara LaRock, a youth member in town, was really into fashion,” Route said.
They contacted the 13-year-old, who was all in for helping plan the event, assisting with writing the rules and coming up with ideas for decorations made from reused materials.
“I’m planning on being a fashion designer when I’m older, so this seemed really interesting to do,” LaRock said. “But I also think recycling is really important. It keeps the Earth cleaner, and the world would be gross without it.”
For the inaugural event last year, LaRock created a detailed dress made of newspapers. This year she said that she would like to try her hand at something more simple, but still unique.
“I got pretty intricate last year and it was really hard, so this year I decided to go with something easier. I’m making a dress out of a trash bag. And from the red draw handles of the bag, I’ll make my dress straps and a flower for my hair,” she said.
While LaRock represents the youth generation most often associated with green concepts, Theresa Norris, a senior from Cooper Landing, said it’s never too late to get involved.
“I wanted to participate because it sounded like fun and for a good cause,” she said.
Norris will be utilizing plastic bags, the bane of a landfill, for her project. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in 2011, the most recent year of compiled data, 32 million tons of plastic waste was generated in municipal solid waste, of which only 8 percent was recovered for recycling.
Wanting to do her part, after collecting hundreds of plastic bags, Norris is tearing them into strips, tying them together and then crocheting them into a coat for the show.
“I try to recycle anything I can. It can be tedious but it’s worth it because it’s important, especially plastic bags. They can do a lot of damage to animals and the environment,” she said.
Norris added that events like the fashion show are slowly getting the word out to people about this important issue.
“I think this idea has gotten a lot more people involved in recycling,” she said.
The event will begin at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cooper Landing Community Club, with recycling-themed games throughout the evening and prizes awarded to the best outfits. To learn more about the show and to register for it, check out the ReGroup page on Facebook or email questions to CooperLandingRecycle@gmail.com.


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Argentina banned the use of Argentinian credit cards to purchase rides from Uber. Uber responded by allowing users to purchase rides with Bitcoin. No government can stop or kill Bitcoin. More companies will begin using Bitcoin to fight back against corruption.
Assuming the Bitcoin price doesn’t recover soon, at what price point would you stop believing in the “Store of Value without Itility“ narrative?
A Decade After Lehman Brothers Died: Mises, Satoshi, Bitcoin, and Wall Street Worship https://t.co/YeEkhCTsCb https://t.co/mfipLAurU2
News of Ethereum $ETC ASIC production was made by Linzhi CEO herself during the #ETCSummit2018. Former Canaan Bitcoin Chip Maker Forms Linzhi to Bring ASICs to Ethereum Classic via Project Lavasnow #EthereumClassic #ClassicIsComing https://t.co/7aQ1UTn6MX via @bitcoinsguide
To preserve my sanity, I've created a brief visual history of bitcoin as a "bubble." As Marilyn Monroe said, "If you can't handle bitcoin at its worst, you don't deserve it at its best." https://t.co/14sWrV5uI5
Netherlands’ Largest Bank ING Group Fined $900M for Money Laundering https://t.co/xB4PmIfZw5 https://t.co/VzidhmnF6B

domain: news


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AT&T transitioned to data caps and tiered plans just over a year ago and come this summer, Verizon will follow suit. Are you concerned? International iPhone users have had to deal with data caps and tiered plans for years, but in the US "unlimited data" was pretty much expected. It framed users' habits. Streaming internet radio, watching internet video, tethering on the down-low... You could do all of that without the slightest thought.
Many users are already and will remain "grandfathered" into "unlimited data", but if you want official tethering, you'll have to switch, or like we're seen with AT&T, be forcibly switched, to the new, capped and tiered plans. And then you have to start planning for limited data.
Netflix, in response to broadband caps, has started offering smaller sized streams to users worried about their data consumption.
Starting today, watching movies & TV shows in Canada will use 2/3 less data on average with minimal impact to video quality. For example, watching 30 hours of Netflix movies & TV shows will only use 9 GB of data, well below most Canadian ISP data caps. Previously, 30 hours from Netflix typically used 31 GB.
Skyfire has long made a web browser that proxies and compresses data.
A recently released Nielson poll showed that the average smartphone user watched 3.25 hours of mobile video each month in 2010. In a video data consumption test, Skyfire allowed the average user to watch 4.5 hours of video per month, while staying below the baseline 200 MB data cap. For this reason, the one-time purchase of a Skyfire mobile browser ($2.99) can save an average iOS or Android user from $120 to $240 annually in data charges. (This comparison is based on current AT&T and T-Mobile data plan pricing. Specific pricing for other carriers around the world will vary.)
Various audio apps will also let you download over Wi-Fi and store or cache podcasts, songs, audio books, etc. so you don't use data on the road.
How dependent have you become on "unlimited" data? Have you routinely hit 5GB, 10GB, or even more a month? What do you think about the new caps and tiers? Will they cause you to rethink or reduce your usage, or just shake your fists and keep streaming in data defiance?
Or have you never gotten near a data tier, only use a few meg
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
This is how to check if a used iPhone or iPad was stolen from Apple
With several Apple stores looted and their display devices stolen, make sure you know how to spot if a device was stolen from Apple.
No, this mockup isn’t the iPhone 13
There's a 3D-printed mockup doing the rounds and people claim it's the iPhone 13. But there are a few problems with that. Starting with the fact it isn't.
This is how Apple will keep people safe when reopening Apple Park
Apple has already started bringing people back to Apple Park, but things aren't how they were before COVID-19.
iPhone doesn't have an SD card slot, but you can use a flash drive instead!
Having a flash drive that works with your iPhone is a great little piece accessory to have in your back pocket! Here are the best options for backing up your phone.


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Calif. – GetJar, a mobile
applications store, announced on Thursday that it has raised $11 million in its
second round of venture capital financing, led by Accel Partners.
2005, San Mateo, Calif.-based GetJar currently
offers more than 65,000 applications across all major handsets and platforms,
to customers in over 200 countries.
The company says it has to date served more
than 1 billion downloads, and claims to be the second-largest app store, behind
GetJar will use the new funds for further product development.


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The travel industry was hit hard and fast by the Covid-19 pandemic. In those first few frantic months, travel bans were announced daily, and holidays cancelled en masse. At the same time, thousands of staff were being furloughed or let go, and many companies were operating remotely for the first time. All of this resulted in some pretty chaotic customer service, which saw trust in the sector plummet to record lows.
However, with restrictions now easing and life returning to normal, it seems the travel industry has an incredible opportunity at hand. As Jonathan Allan, Chief Marketing Officer at Puzzel, declares: “They can be the businesses that bring joy back to peoples’ lives.”
Indeed, a 2021 McKinsey & Company study found travelling is one of the top activities people want to get back to now the pandemic is petering out (beaten only by dining out). So if travel firms can act quickly, they can seize on this demand to rebuild customer relationships and restore trust in the sector.
What Steps are Travel Firms Taking to Win Back Trust?
Many travel companies are now proactively communicating with customers, accepting their customer service failures during the pandemic and promising to do better.
Here are two snippets of emails sent to British Airways (left) and Finnair (right) customers.
Specifically, British Airways notes that they will implement a new contact centre system and recruit more personnel to: “Ensure your calls are answered, social media messages are responded to and problems are solved in the moment, wherever possible.”
As such, it appears delivering true omnichannel service and improving response times is central to the industry’s strategy. But the execution isn’t quite there yet, as Allan states:
“I recently tried to contact a travel company, yet they refused to answer calls for amending bookings, didn’t offer chat, and insisted I email them. After taking seven days to respond, what I wanted was not available anymore. So, while this company is trying to digitise its service, in reality, it was less efficient, and my feelings towards that brand have certainly shifted.”
What this story underlines is a lack of understanding around customer needs. CX is not just about implementing the latest innovations. Instead, it is about designing customer journeys that best fit the task, offering a blend of digital, self-service, and human support.
Of course, that is much easier said than done, yet an excellent chance emerges for brands that get this right. For example, if British Airways makes good on the CX promises set out in its letter, it could be a huge differentiator from its budget competitors.
What More Can Travel Firms Do to Win Back Trust?
Alongside optimising their digital proposition and bolstering recruitment, travel companies can also win back trust by:
Subverting the Primary Focus of Leaders
Too often, the c-suite sets cost-related metrics as primary measures to assess the performance of customer service leaders. However, this strategy encourages department heads to consider the customer in the sense of “how can I serve you for less.” Such an approach is not conducive to achieving the ideal customer outcomes.
Consequently, many contact centres implement automation solutions that divert customers away from human support rather than automation that primarily aims to improve the customer experience and utilise agent know-how and empathy at the right moments.
The solution requires a change in c-suite thinking. A 2021 Harvard Business Review article highlights this as a necessity, arguing that digital and tech-savviness needs to reach the top tier of businesses.
As the article states: “Financial literacy is a baseline qualification for any top executive; we need to think about technological and digital literacy in the same way… These capabilities that used to be nice-to-haves are now must-haves: Companies can’t afford to have an executive who might confuse discussions about the cloud with small talk about the weather.”
As such, if travel companies wish to improve their digital strategies, they should invest in technologies that will add value to the customer experience as well as help to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Increasing Cross-Function Collaboration
The responsibility of finding and implementing a new contact centre solution often falls to IT. But for best results, it should be a collaborative process between IT, customer service, revenue and privacy teams.
This is a common stumbling block on the path to achieving successful customer experience transformation. Allan adds:
“Unless these departments converge into one overall head of customer, a company will likely never unlock the system’s full potential and enhance CX. Instead, everybody will focus on their own goals, as opposed to creating mutual aims for the customer and their journey.”
Forrester research supports this sentiment, suggesting that now is the time to stop these siloes around the customer and focus on a more holistic customer vision.
Indeed, in a thought-provoking article, Su Doyle, CX Executive Partner and Senior Analyst at Forrester, encourages companies to: “Start thinking of CX as a team sport, and tap alliances to accelerate your transformation!”
Maximising the Human Factor Within CX
According to McKinsey & Company: “Great customer experience depends on the human factor. That has major implications for how the customer-experience organization operates.”
As brands automate more experiences, this trend of humans becoming the differentiator develops.
Therefore, ensuring that agents are well-informed, supported, and coached has become a significant priority for companies.
Moreover, agents no longer want to sit in a contact centre for eight hours every day. So, companies are also offering hybrid working and more flexible shift patterns to attract and retain staff.
Allan builds on this point in a video interview that he recorded with CX Today, as shown below.
Heeding such advice is perhaps critical across every industry. But, as one in eight UK jobs in travel and tourism were reportedly left unfulfilled at the beginning of this year, the importance of enhancing the employee experience ramps up further.
Partner With Puzzel
Puzzel provides contact centres with a suite of tools to deliver first-class digital customer service and maximise the value of the human touch.
As such, travel firms may wish to engage with a member of the expert Puzzel team to develop a strategy that rebuilds trust through digital and human-led customer experiences.


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Friday, September 14, 2018
Adobe Announces the 2019 Release of Captivate
Adobe today announced the 2019 version of its industry-leading eLearning authoring tool, Adobe Captivate. Adobe’s powerful eLearning offering continues to redefine design workflows to empower instructional designers, corporate trainers & educators who want to create exceptional digital learning experiences that meet learners at their point of need.
The 2019 release of Adobe Captivate allows you to conquer new learning landscapes with a smart authoring tool that lets you create all kinds of fully-responsive eLearning content. Effortlessly design immersive learning experiences with VR and 360° media assets. Amplify video-based learning by easily adding interactivity to your videos.
Learn more by visiting the Adobe Captivate blog.


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Microsoft will release a standalone Kinect for the Xbox One on October 7 and it will cost $149 with a free copy of Dance Central Spotlight included. The game title will be released in September and will only cost $10. It seems surprising that Microsoft has decided to release the Kinect as a standalone product with such a high price tag, but there will be wiggle room to see if consumers are willing to spend that much for it.
Some have wondered how important the Kinect is for Microsoft's long-term strategy, as the company released a $400 Xbox One bundle in June that didn't include it. However, Microsoft said it saw "increased demand" for the pricier $500 Xbox One bundle that did include the Kinect.
It's a good idea for Microsoft to introduce the Kinect as a standalone option, as gamers will be able to pick one up if they don't already own one - a standalone PC version of the Kinect was made available in July for $200, popular among PC enthusiasts and researchers.
Intel will be launching its new Haswell-E based Core processors tomorrow, but some leaked benchmarks are already surfacing over at Videocardz and WCCFTech. When it comes to games, the new Core i7-5960X is around 14% faster than its predecessor, the Core i7-4960X.
The new Core i7-5960X is Intel's first 8-core processor for the consumer market, with a stock frequency of 3GHz, and Boost frequency of 3.5GHz. We have 20MB of L3 cache, 140W TDP and support for DDR4 memory. We should expect a price of $999, which isn't too bad for a processor of this calibre.
When it comes to 4K video editing the new Core i7-5960X is around 20% faster than the 4960X, and around 32% faster in 3D rending. 'Thayn3' in the coolaler forums was able to overclock the Core i7-5960X to 4GHz using just 1.2V, but there has been an insane overclock found online, with the new 16-thread CPU clocked up to 6.2GHz on LN2.
A recent string of cyberattacks targeting U.S. financial institutions is now being investigated by the FBI and Secret Service. Foreign hackers continually attack western banks and corporations, with JPMorgan Chase and at least four unnamed banks targeted. It remains unknown whether this was simple theft or if it was used to help aid a cyberespionage campaign targeting U.S. banks and their customers.
Despite having increased cybersecurity to defend against attacks, banks struggle to detect - and shut down - sophisticated, coordinated attacks. Stolen data includes bank customer information, along with checking and savings account numbers from the cyber breach, with digital forensics now being studied. Phishing emails were sent, hosted on a Moscow-based server, and tricked users into turning over their personal information while also installing malware to further torment victims.
"We are working with the United States Secret Service to determine the scope of recently reported cyberattacks against several American financial institutions," said Joshua Campbell, FBI spokesperson, in a statement.
Google should hopefully take the wraps off of its upcoming next-gen Nexus smartphone soon, a flagship that should arrive with Android L, or Android 5.0, or heck, Android Lemon Meringue Pie, or whatever they call it.
TKTechNews is behind the later rumor, where it shows actual links to the leaked Fnac.pt pages, where you can find a listing for the 64GB Nexus X. The image says that the Nexus X features a 5.2-inch display, 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, and a 13.1-megapixel rear-facing camera. There are conflicting reports on the display, with some stating it will arrive with a 5.3-inch display, while others state it'll show up with a 5.9-inch panel.
The OS is listed as "Android Lemon Meringue 5.0," which is what we should expect Google to unveil with the Nexus X.
Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee commands some serious behavior changes in his employees, where during one factory visit, workers were told to not look at Lee through the windows as he entered the building. Why? Because they should not look down at him.
Factory employees were told to park their peasantry vehiecles in the rear lot so that Lee wouldn't have to see them, as they weren't nice enough for him to look at. In the bathrooms, mints were provided to improve employees' breath, and a red carpet was laid out for the chairman to walk down as he entered the factory.
GOG.com has been making waves with gamers and its DRM-free games, but now the company is looking to expand its horizons, offering up movies and TV shows without the copyright restrictions that other outlets push on their customers.
The company will be starting out with smaller independent documentaries for $5.99 each, where they hope to eventually offer up studio films and TV shows. A GOG.com representative said in an email to Kotaku: "Most of [the studios we spoke to] admit that DRM does not protect anything, all protections are cracked on the day of the release of the movie or even before and that there is no DRM that can protect a movie against piracy. The whole industry knows DRM is just smoke and mirrors and it does not work, so why not abandon it?"
The first indie documentaries to arrive on GOG will be about gaming and Internet culture, with around 20 documentaries to arrive soon including Indie Game: The Movie, Good Game, and Please Subscribe.
The Sims 4 is only a few days away from being launched, with Electronic Arts making the PC requirements made available through the games FAQ page. Most will be surprised that you don't need a powerhouse gaming system to run it, with some pretty relaxed requirements. An Internet connection is only required for activation, so it's not an always-online mess like SimCity was.
You'll only need a "1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 Dual-Core 4000+ or equivalent (For computers using built-in graphics chipsets, the game requires 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.0 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-62 or equivalent)" for the CPU side of things, and 2GB of RAM minimum. 9GB of HDD space is required, with 1GB additional space needed for custom content and saved games.
A video card with at least 128MB of RAM is required, with Pixel Shader 3.0 support required - so we have NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or better, an ATI Radeon X1300 or better, or Intel's GMA X4500 or better. As you can see, the minimum PC requirements are very relaxed. The recommended specifications aren't that much more, with an Intel Core i5/AMD Athlon X4 or higher, 4GB of RAM, the same 9GB of HDD space, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 or better and the 64-bit version of Windows 7, 8 or 8.1.
It feels like there's so much conflicting information on the iWatch right now, but according to Re/code, we should expect Apple to unveil its first wearable next to two new iPhones - which should arrive in 4.7- and 5.5-inch versions.
Apple's iWatch should feature deep integration with Apple's health tracking tools, something that will make an appearance with iOS 8. We should also see the health tools go as far as working with home automation kit HomeKit, which is something else that will reportedly arrive with Apple's next iteration of its mobile OS.
A few months ago, Lindsay Lohan filed a lawsuit against Take Two, the publisher behind Grand Theft Auto V, where she alleged that the publisher used her likeness in GTA V. But now Take Two's lawyers are firing back at the actress, saying that she filed the lawsuit "for publicity purposes".
Take Two is now aiming to have the lawsuit dismissed, with legal fees being pushed across the desk in Lohan's direction. Lohan's complaint alleged that Take Two "incorporated her image, likeness, clothing, outfits, [Lohan's] clothing line products, ensemble in the form of hats, hair style, sunglasses" and jeans worn by Lohan into GTA V as the character Lacey Jonas.
One very disgruntled gamer called in a bomb threat to a popular video game streamer, which resulted in a SWAT team bursting into the room with automatic weapons drawn, throwing Jordan "Kootra" Mathewson to the ground and handcuffing him.
Mathewson, part of The Creatures, was streaming a game of Counter-Strike in his hometown of Littleton, Colorado when the SWAT team came busting through the door, throwing him to the ground, handcuffing him, searching the room - and if you notice in the video, going through his phone. Last time I checked, this was against the law, as the police officer could be removing any evidence from the phone, but that's for another day.
The Littleton police were called to the address after a false report sent into 911 of an active shooter with multiple victims, this lead to the Littleton Public Schools having multiple schools in lockdown, according to KMGH-TV of Denver. This isn't the first time a SWAT team has been called into a gamer's house, as it is known as "SWATting" where someone will call in a bomb or shooting threat, which results in the other party (or gamer) having the SWAT team bust into their room or house.


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Flavonoids, typically found in vegetables, fruits, chocolate, and red wine, may lower blood pressure, according to a recent study. Researchers found that the benefits of a flavonoid-rich diet are associated with a greater diversity of gut bacteria.
Based on data from more than 900 adults in Germany, the study concluded that up to 15.2% of the association between flavonoids and systolic blood pressure could be explained by gut microbiota.
“What we eat plays a critical role in shaping our gut microbiome but little is known about the relative importance of plant foods and specific constituents called flavonoids. This is one of the first studies to address this,” Aedín Cassidy, PhD, director for interdisciplinary research at the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast and co-author of the study, tells Verywell.
Flavonoids are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds found in certain plant foods like red wine, tea, berries, apples, and dark chocolate.
“Unlike many other food constituents, the flavonoids are predominantly metabolized in the gut,” Cassidy says.
Scientists are still learning about the biological mechanisms of flavonoids and how exactly gut microbiome affects health outcomes. But a previous study found that flavonoids may reduce risks of Alzhemier’s Disease, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes, among others.
Cassidy adds that the type and amount of gut bacteria can vary from individual to individual, though recent research has suggested that the presence of unhealthy gut bacteria is associated with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
The new study found that even consuming small amounts of flavonoid-rich foods can significantly lower blood pressure.
For instance, eating 1.5 servings of berries per day was associated with a 4.1 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure, Cassidy says. Drinking 2.8 glasses (125ml) of wine every week was associated with an average of 3.7 mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure level as well.
Dietary flavonoids have probiotic-like properties that can stimulate the growth of certain gut bacteria. Incorporating flavonoids into one’s daily diet can be as simple as topping yogurt with blackberries, drinking green tea instead of coffee in the afternoon, and grabbing an apple or a pear for a snack.
Promoting gut health has been an extremely popular wellness trend in the last few years. Scientists have pointed to fermented foods like yogurt and kombucha as options to increase gut bacteria diversity and reduce inflammation. Some have even suggested “rewilding” the microbiome by reverting modern diets to a pre-industrialized state.
However, others have also emphasized that the term “gut health” is poorly understood.
Heidi M. Staudacher and Amy Loughman, researchers at the Food & Mood Centre at the Deakin University in Australia, wrote in The Lancet that listicles with top 10 gut health foods are not particularly insightful.
“Instead they simplify the complexity of diet to a handful of foods high in fibre without appreciation of important nuances,” they wrote, adding that scientists have not been able to define the optimal microbiome yet.
Cassidy says further research should focus on the differences in individual gut microbiomes. This could help explain why not everyone gets the same health benefits from eating flavonoid-rich foods.
By understanding these mechanisms, nutritionists could offer personalized dietary plans based on individual microbiome responses. This means the future of nutrition may move beyond one-size-fits-all recommendations.
While flavonoid-rich foods may offer health benefits based on early research, maintaining a varied diet is still the most recommended by nutritionists and it can also promote healthy gut microbiome.
Reviewed By This Is Article About Flavonoid-Rich Foods Could Improve Gut Health and Reduce Blood Pressure was posted on have 5 stars rating.


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22 Aug 2014 − The recovered paper warehouse of International Paper's Kwidzyn mill in Poland was hit by a fire. The company says that newsprint production was not affected by the incident.
- International Paper to close Courtland fine paper mill
- IP kicks off share buyback programme
- Hanke Tissue to commission new TM in late March
20 Aug 2014 − Despite good capacity utilisation rates, producers of hygiene paper were rarely successful in their attempts to increase prices during the second quarter.
19 Aug 2014 − Amcor Tobacco Packaging will close the German plant in Neumünster by the end of 2014, but announced to build a greenfield tobacco packaging facility in Indonesia.
- Careo to rebuild board machine in Santa Giustina
- Caraustar to take over Newark Group
- RockTenn to separate paper and packaging businesses
18 Aug 2014 − Pratt Industries has placed an order with Valmet for the supply of a containerboard paper machine at the greenfield paper mill in Valparaiso, USA.
15 Aug 2014 − Hansol Paper has acquired shares in Netherlands-based self-adhesive label manufacturer Telrol B.V.
- Hansol Paper takes over Schades Group
- Multi Packaging Solutions buys Armstrong Packaging
- DS Smith to buy Burgo's stake in recycling firm Italmaceri
14 Aug 2014 − Double A is continuing the recovery process on the French Alizay site. The company has now brought back the Evolve paper brand.
- Double A to restart pulp production in Alizay
- Buyers of publication papers in France seeking lower prices from 1 July
- Munksjö to upgrade PM 6 at La Gère paper mill
13 Aug 2014 − Rock-Tenn Company has announced investments in the pulp production at the Stevenson and the Demopolis mills.
- Amcor Tobacco Packaging to close plant in Neumünster, Germany
- Hansol Paper enters into label business
- RDM boosts net profit in the first half
12 Aug 2014 − Core and coreboard manufacturers in Germany are reporting unusually strong business at the start of August and are thinking about price hikes in September.
12 Aug 2014 − Ordinary grades were readily available on the Polish market in July despite the summer holiday season.
- Recovered paper prices on Polish market decline in May
- Polish recycled containerboard prices point down in March
- Magazine paper price talks settled in Poland
11 Aug 2014 − Youbisheng Green Paper is considering filing for insolvency. Its financial situation and the recent resignation of CEO Haibo Huang led to this announcement.
- Lee & Man commissions new PM for recycled CCM
- Ahlstrom starts wallcovering substrate production in China
- China confirms AD duties on dissolving pulp


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We're back at it this week with another set of headlines from another busy week in the cannabis business. In the U.S., bans on vape sales continue to lead the headlines in one way or another (Massachusetts is having a difficult time of it lately). And in Mexico, lawmakers seem to be getting very close to finding a pathway to a regulated marketplace after the country's Supreme Court de facto legalized cannabis consumption last year. Here, we've rounded up the 10 headlines you need to know before...
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18 APR, 2023
By Rubert Burrows
Is the dollar losing its status as the King of currencies? Dollar hegemony refers to the dominance of the United States dollar as the world’s primary reserve currency, which has been in place since the end of World War II. The dollar has been the world’s reserve currency for decades, meaning that countries around the world hold large quantities of U.S. dollars to facilitate international trade and finance.
The global dominance of the U.S. dollar has given the United States enormous economic and political power. The U.S. has been able to print money and borrow at low-interest rates because other countries have been willing to hold U.S. dollars in their reserves. This has enabled the U.S. to finance its large trade deficits and military spending, which have been central to its global power.
However, the dollar’s hegemony now faces increasing challenges, and its importance is waning. The rise of China and the European Union has led to the growing use of alternative currencies, which has weakened the dollar’s global dominance.
The U.S. has seen its share of global trade decline over the past few decades. While the U.S. economy is still the world’s largest, other countries, particularly China, are quickly catching up. As a result, the dollar is becoming less important in international trade.
For example, China is now the largest trading partner of many countries worldwide. Many of those countries are increasingly conducting trade in their own currencies rather than using the U.S. dollar. The European Union is also a significant trading bloc, with the euro now a major international currency.
Another factor contributing to the decline of the dollar’s hegemony is the reduced confidence in the U.S. economy. The 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession significantly impacted the global economy, and many countries lost confidence in the U.S. financial system. This has led to a shift towards alternative currencies, such as the euro and the Chinese yuan, as investors seek more stable and diversified assets.
Once again, debt ceiling concerns are coming into focus. As always, in the U.S., the opposition party will attempt to extract concessions from the other party, pushing negotiations to the limits. The two political parties are increasingly intransigent, and the possibility of a miscalculation is not unthinkable.
Finally, U.S. sanctions have also contributed to the decline of the dollar’s hegemony. The U.S. has used its position as the world’s primary reserve currency to impose economic sanctions on countries that it disagrees with, such as Iran and Russia. This has led to those countries seeking alternatives to the U.S. dollar and conducting trade in other currencies.
Dollar strength feeds inflation pressures abroad. When a country’s currency weakens against the dollar, the price of imports increases, resulting in inflationary pressures. With commodities like oil, gas, metals, and food priced in dollars, any dollar strength will increase costs. This is particularly problematic for emerging markets as these costs comprise a large part of consumption.
The rise of digital currencies, such as Bitcoin, also challenges the dollar’s hegemony. These currencies are in theory, decentralized and operate independently of any government or financial institution, making them an attractive alternative to traditional currencies.
For example, Bitcoin has become a popular way to conduct international transactions, particularly in countries with high inflation rates or weak currencies. While digital currencies are still a relatively small part of the global financial system, their rise represents a significant challenge to the dominance of the U.S. dollar. Countries the world over are attempting to suppress this alternative system.
Examples of transactions outside of the dollar are on the up. Most recently, France completed its first yuan transaction for Liquefied natural gas (LNG), and Brazil has announced an agreement to trade directly with China.
In conclusion, the dominance of the U.S. dollar as the world’s primary reserve currency is waning. While the dollar is still the most widely used currency for international trade and finance, alternative currencies such as the euro and the Chinese yuan are becoming more important. In addition, the rise of digital currencies and geopolitical tensions are also contributing to the decline of the dollar’s hegemony. While the dollar is likely to remain an important global currency for the foreseeable future, its days as the KING of currencies is numbered.
By Alexis Bienvenu
By Duncan Lamont


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The top 10 computer languages for 2018
The top computer languages used by people around the world in 2018, according to a study from the University of Washington.
In 2018, the University found that more than one in five people in the world are using at least one computer language.
Other languages included Java, Objective-C, and Lua.
In a news release, the university said, “In 2018 we found that at least 70% of people use at least 1 language.
That means more than 50% of the world is now using at most 1 language.”
The study also found that language use varies across countries, with the United States ranking the highest, followed by Brazil, Germany, and France.
The study found that one in seven people worldwide uses one language.


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Xbox fans have been delivered some great news, with a number of hit PS4 and PS5 exclusives crossing over to the Xbox Series X, S and Xbox One. So far this generation has been a fascinating one, with Microsoft and Xbox arguably having their best era since the Xbox 360 and providing stiff competition to Sony and PlayStation. One of the main complaints levelled during the Xbox One era was the perceived lack of exclusives, which Sony has long had the bragging rights for.
This time around though things are very different, thanks to Microsoft's investments in its studios, acquisitions and deals it has struck with third-parties.
And in a big boost to the Xbox games list, it's just been announced that two PlayStation exclusives will be making its way over to Microsoft's side soon.
The first of which is Deathloop, the Arkane Studios developed title which launched as a PS5 exclusive in September 2021.
Deathloop was one of the big PS5 exclusives in the console's first year on sale, featuring during a number of Sony events like the PS5 reveal in June 2020 as well as State of Play broadcasts.
Deathloop - which is published by Bethesda who Xbox now owns - will be heading to Xbox Game Pass on Tuesday September 20.
The critically acclaimed shooter will be available on the Xbox Series X and S.
Ever since Microsoft announced it was acquiring Bethesda, it always looked on the cards that Deathloop would be making it was to the Xbox in the future.
It seems Ghostwire: Tokyo - another PS5 exclusive - will also have a similar fate, with March 2023 potentially when it will head to Xbox and Game Pass.
We'll have to wait for an official announcement on that. But it's already been confirmed another PlayStation exclusive will be heading to XGP in 2023.
During the recent Xbox event at Tokyo Game Show it was announced that Arc System Works' stylish fighting game Guilty Gear Strive is heading to Xbox too.
Guilty Gear Strive launched in June 2021, and was a PS4 and PS5 console exclusive.
Xbox reveal the upcoming Series X console
But the new Guilty Gear game will be heading to both Xbox Series X, S and the Xbox One in 2023.
Guilty Gear Strive will also be included on Xbox Game Pass when it launches for Xbox in spring 2023.
It was also revealed at TGS that BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle - another Arc System Works fighter - is heading to XGP in 2023 as well.
Speaking about what fans can expect of Guilty Gear Strive, the Xbox team said: "The latest entry in the Guilty Gear series, Guilty Gear -Strive-, is now coming to Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC! With revolutionary graphics, an intense story mode, online multiplayer pitting players from all over the world against each other, and more, Guilty Gear -Strive- provides the cutting edge of the fighting game experience. The highly acclaimed game, after receiving such awards as The Game Awards 2021 Best Fighting Game and 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Fighting Game of the Year, is now coming to Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows. The day you’ll face the strongest the world has to offer is on the horizon!"


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According to data released by The Association of Polish Maritime Industries, total sales value in Poland’s marine industry including newbuilding yards, repair and conversion yards as well as equipment manufacturers and suppliers in 2016 amounted to EUR 2,65 bn (PLN 10,6 bn).
As announced early November, Nauta Shirepair Yard has signed contracts for building five partly outfitted hulls of fishing vessels. Every ship has been ordered by Dannish client – Karstensens Skibsvaerft AS. Three trawlers and two pelagic trawlers will come into existence in newbuilding production facility in Gdańsk. The smallest vessel […]


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Puma, up against tough competition in the metaverse from Nike and Adidas, has revealed the next stage in its Web3 strategy: a partnership with 10KTF, the narrative NFT project that includes a virtual Tokyo and digital clothing for profile picture avatars (PFPs) made by Wagmi-San, a fictional tailor who previously worked with Gucci.
It marks Puma’s most significant metaverse project yet, with digital products tied to physical goods on the horizon, says Puma chief brand officer Adam Petrick in an exclusive interview with Vogue Business to announce its Web3 strategy.
“As a sports company, we have to be thinking about engaging with people in the physical world and giving people the opportunity to bring physical products into the digital world,” Petrick says. Digital products open up new possibilities, he says: a digital basketball shoe can carry with it athletic abilities in virtual worlds, for instance. “Whether it’s gamified utility or access, it’s like a fourth dimension of experience with the product,” he says.
Sneaker brands and sportswear giants have been early adopters of digital products, virtual worlds and NFTs, as there is considerable overlap between gamers, sneakerheads and the Web3 crowd. Already, rivals Adidas and Nike are rushing to meet them: Nike announced it had acquired digital fashion startup Rtfkt with a recent co-branded project that enables people to buy and customise sneakers as NFTs before having them produced physically. Alternatively, Adidas landed with a splash in December with a collab that sold special access NFTs, though it has been quieter since, and Ben Mayor White, who led its metaverse strategy, has left the company.
Puma, whose 2021 annual revenue of $7.7 billion lags Nike’s $44.5 billion revenue and Adidas’s $25 billion for the same period, still sees a space for them. “I'm certainly aware of [the competition],” Petrick says. “Right now, our goals are to figure it out and try to be as authentic as possible and help people learn along the way. I'm aware that the competition is making major investments, and that's not necessarily something we've done.” For Puma, revenue streams are front-of-mind for any investment. There needs to be “a return in any territory that we explore because, at the end of the day, we are in the intellectual property business”. The ambition is to “learn and adapt while trying to be relevant, authentic and inclusive”.
With the 10KTF project, fans of the brand can expect personalisation and customisation elements — an emerging trend in digital sneakers and NFT collections. During the 10KTF event, Puma teased this by giving away co-branded Puma and 10KTF tees. “The metaverse, in general, is a great place for getting rid of the boundaries that the physical world creates to be able to think very progressively about design,” Petrick says, “and younger people who are more amenable or flexible in their thinking about personal expression are going to grow up to be really progressive. They have an assumption that customisation is a part of the world that we live in because it's been there from day one [for them].”
A physical counterpart accompanying a digital good, which is becoming more commonplace for fashion’s NFTs and digital products, would be a first for 10KTF, which in March partnered with Gucci to digitally dress PFP NFTs in recent Gucci designs. New Tokyo includes collectors of 10KTF, plus 16 additional NFT communities (including Puma partners Gutter Cat Gang and Cool Cats). Parent company Wenew has already worked with Louis Vuitton on its Louis the Game and NFTs.
Puma has been building on its metaverse strategy this year. In February, Puma became one of the first brands to register its ENS domain, Puma.eth, and it has since been collecting and partnering with feline-centric NFT collections, including Gutter Cats, CatBlox and Cool Cats. Registering Puma.eth is a relatively simple move with an outsized impact because it signals intent and endorsement of Web3. It also allows people to see which NFTs the brand is holding and see all its transactions. “It was like something that we knew we needed to do, and we knew we needed to do it pretty early,” Petrick says, adding that it still took a while internally to understand the financial, tax and legal implications. The idea of partnering with feline-oriented communities was a playful whim.
Puma also recently created a virtual world in Roblox to test appetite for virtual goods. A giveaway, he says, “was shockingly picked up by quite a few people”.
Petrick is hoping to avoid brand mistakes from the Web1 and Web2 eras, referring to e-commerce and social media adoption. The biggest takeaway: don’t box Web3 into marketing.
“We kept e-commerce sitting within marketing for a bit too long, and that put us behind the eight-ball for a long time — I don't know if we still have caught up. When you think about the step-change that mobile computing and social media brought, again, it's a marketing thing, and I don't know if we had embraced that change from an operational standpoint, maybe we’d be in a different place now. It’s not that frequent when there are really technological step changes.”
Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at email@example.com.
Gucci goes deeper into the metaverse for next NFT project
Nike and Rtfkt take on digital fashion with first “Cryptokick” sneaker


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CHICO — As the U.S. and China trade wars continue, farmers are still feeling the brunt of the consequences.
The long standing tariffs placed on imported Chinese goods are affecting local farmers in Butte County, forcing growers and farmers to make necessary financial safeguards in the event the trade wars worsen.
A recent announcement by the President Donald Trump’s administration laid out a newly proposed 10 percent tariff on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, effective Sept. 1. The news sent the market into a tumble as trade tensions continue with China. Many fear that more Chinese retaliations mean more tariffs placed on U.S. agricultural products as a result.
Monday’s announcement from the White House also expressed a sentiment that China has improperly manipulated the yuan’s value, which is China’s national currency. That would pave the way for new potential penalties on top of tariff hikes already imposed on Chinese goods.
Our representatives have just returned from China where they had constructive talks having to do with a future Trade Deal. We thought we had a deal with China three months ago, but sadly, China decided to re-negotiate the deal prior to signing. More recently, China agreed to…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2019
This announcement comes after previous negotiations over trade between the U.S. and China reached an impasse in Shanghai over the last several months. The next round of negotiations are scheduled for September in Washington D.C.
In order to alleviate the pain of U.S farmers feeling the economic pinch of the tariff troubles, the Trump administration directed the United States Department of Agriculture to help struggling farmers. Several federal loan programs and grant assistance initiatives in the amount of $16 million have been rolled out by the USDA recently, in an effort to calm tensions with America’s farmers.
The main program aimed to help struggling farmers is the 2501 program overseen by the USDA’s office of advocacy and outreach. The 2501 program is designed to help with outreach, technical assistance and education efforts help socially disadvantaged farmers. Since 1994, the 2501 program has awarded 451 grants totaling more than $103 million.
The 2018 Farm Bill boosted mandatory funding for the program through 2023 for farmers and ranchers.
“I only hope this issue does not drag out for an extended period of time,” said local Chico grower Les Heringer, of M&T Chico Ranch. “Midwestern U.S. farmers that grow soybeans, livestock feed, wheat and raise hogs, cattle, chickens or dairy products are major suppliers of commodities to China and are as interested as anyone for both sides to get together and negotiate a resolution to the dispute.”
As many local farmers gear up for more tariff ridden prices on their crops, they bear down in hopes that a resolution is reached sooner than later.
“The ongoing tariff dispute is frustrating for anyone who depends on the export market, including Butte County farmers,” said Butte County Farm Bureau Executive Director Colleen Cecil. “We know that negotiations are ongoing and we are eager for a resolution. Until then our processors will continue to work on maintaining relationships with buyers in China and foster new and expanding market relationships elsewhere for our California specialty crops, including north state almonds and walnuts.”
Rice, almonds and walnuts continue to be the top three producers for the county’s number one economic driver: agriculture. With many farmers now unsure about the future and what it holds in regards to further trade disputes with China, the only thing they can do is apply for more federal grant and loan programs.
The deadline for farmers to apply for federal funding is Thursday, according to the USDA’s website. There applicants can view the full details of the funding and federal aid relief they may eligible for.


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Don't miss the latest stories
Design Bikes for Africa
By Wiki-Bike / IO, 16 Jul 2010
Wiki-Bike believes that bicycles aren’t just for moving around. The simple two-wheeled vehicle can be a “tool to reduce poverty in Africa, improve access to health care, education, potable water” and so on, according to the company.
And now, Wiki-Bike is now holding the ‘African Bicycle Design Contest’, which is accepting entries for sustainable bicycle designs produced with environmentally friendly and locally available materials.
The competition is split into two phases. For the first phase, Wiki-Bike is inviting anyone to submit their bicycling ideas and visions. Five winning contributions will be awarded in October with a design team.
In the second phase, the design team will prototype the idea and the winning team will be awarded with a trip to Kenya to see their bike in action. This winner will be announced in July 2011.
If you have other interesting design and art finds, cool websites, or anything that might catch our eye, share it with us at news -at- hillscreativearts -dot- com!
More related news
Also check out these recent news


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Apple has finally placed a deadline on its rejection of apps that use UDIDs. As of May 1st, Apple will no longer accept new apps that use the Universal Device Identifier. In addition, all apps must be compatible with Apple’s Retina displays and iPhone apps must support the 4″ iPhone 5 display, or they’re no go.
Here are the notices:
Starting May 1, the App Store will no longer accept new apps or app updates that access UDIDs. Please update your apps and servers to associate users with the Vendor or Advertising identifiers introduced in iOS 6
Starting May 1, new apps and app updates submitted to the App Store must be built for iOS devices with Retina display and iPhone apps must also support the 4-inch display on iPhone 5
The ban on apps that don’t support the iPhone 5’s display is an interesting one, as there are still many apps out there on the store that are stuck at the old ‘letterboxed’ resolution of the iPhone 4/4S. For whatever reason, Apple has had a hard time convincing some developers to update their apps to support the iPhone 5’s display. While most marquee apps have been updated, there are still a few on my device that are not updated. Now, if they want to fix any bugs or add any new features, they’ll also have to be iPhone 5-ready.
In a somewhat oblique side effect, the new screen size requirements also mean that any new updates to apps or new apps will no longer be able to support iOS 4.2 devices, as they’ll have to be built against the iOS 6 SDK, which contains features incompatible with older versions of Apple’s software (outside of some hacky methods). This means that the iPhone 3G and iPod touch 2G will slowly start to fade from the picture as new apps cease to support them.
Back to the issue of UDIDs, though. If you’re unfamiliar with their history and why Apple dislikes them so much, here’s a summary from our 2012 year-end Apple post:
Apple has been warning developers for some time to stop using a device’s Unique Device ID to track it for advertising, upgrade or any other purpose. The use of UDIDs had been very prominent with ad networks, though there are definitely some legitimate non-ad uses of these identifiers. In May of last year, it started banning some apps that were using them in even ‘ok’ ways. At the time, we mentioned that if Apple was banning developers for using them, then it needed to provide a good alternative.
Apple delivered that with the Advertising Identifier with iOS 6. It’s a number that was unique but not tied specifically to a piece of hardware, and one that could be changed when reset. Some advertisers still feel that this is a poor option, but Apple now allows users to limit ad tracking with a toggle in the Settings app.
This makes it harder on developers, but easier on consumers looking to limit how much information they share about their habits. It also likely fulfills a promise that Apple made to a Senate subcommittee that it was going to make privacy issues more transparent for its users in the future. The issues surrounding UDID exposure and tracking came to a head late in the year when a database containing 1 million of these numbers was exposed by the AntiSec hacking group.
The group claimed to have retrieved them from the laptop of an FBI agent but the agency denied the claims. When the hack went down, we provided a custom-made tool that allowed you to check (in a secure page and without retaining any numbers in our records) whether or not your UDID was in the list of compromised records released by AntiSec.
The true origin was revealed when Paul Dehart, CEO of Blue Toad, came forward and said that the UDIDs came from the company’s servers. The company, which makes software for publishers, was obviously one who had been using it to track advertising and other habits.
The UDID is fraught with issues, and Apple has wanted it out for some time. Now, it has a deadline, so start culling it from your apps developers.
Image Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images


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Several Covid 19 induced restrictions including lockdown in Delhi and Maharashtra have caused a business loss of over Rs 5 lakh crore in this month alone.
Out of Rs 5 lakh crore business loss, retail business comprise Rs 3.5 lakh crore while the rest is wholesale. Footfall in market places has fallen by 80 per cent.
The data has been collected by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) based on feedback from 14 states — Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh among others. No study has been conducted so far in West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir. The Northeastern states have also not been covered.
Meanwhile, India, which opened up vaccination for all adults from May 1, reported over 3.19 lakh cases new cases on Monday.
In a study, the State Bank of India (SBI) said that India Covid 19 peak will happen around the third week of May.
“Our model suggests that the estimated peak time is 96 days from 15 February, indicating the peak happening in the third week of May. It may be noted that we are incrementally adding around 15,000 more cases over peak of previous day as of today, though such numbers are difficult to predict,” the report said.
India, which has thrashed out a stimulus package of Rs 29.87 lakh crore — equivalent to 15 per cent of the GDP — in a bid to contain the impact of the virus on health and economy, may not be in any position to offer additional financial assistance.


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Southampton Town Police Department detectives and Suffolk County Crime Stoppers are hoping the public can help two men who racked up charges on credit cards stolen from a vehicle in Bridgehampton.
The credit cards were taken on June 7, police said. Then two men driving a grey four-door Hyundai used the cards are a number of businesses around the county.
The cards were used to make purchases at McNamara Liquors and TJ Maxx in Bridgehampton, Target, CVS and Best Buy in Bay Shore and Home Depot and PC Richard & Son in Patchogue.
Crime Stoppers offers a reward of up tp $5,000 for information leading to an arrest. Police say tipsters will remain anonymous.


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Behold the I-PACE, Jaguar’s electric concept SUV, set for production in 2018.
The British carmaker is best known for its sports cars and luxury sedans, which makes the introduction of the I-PACE a surprising addition to its portfolio. The vehicle features a sensible five-door design with an exterior engineered to maximize electric efficiency, while still staying true to the sleek aesthetic for which Jaguar is known.
"The I-PACE Concept is, however, something altogether new: not a traditional sports car, saloon or SUV and absolutely not a traditional Jaguar," Jaguar wrote in a press statement as published by Business Insider.
Perhaps it’s what’s under the hood that makes this concept car something to look forward to, anyway. Jaguar claims that the I-PACE has a range of 220 miles, can go from zero to 60 in four seconds, can charge its battery to 80 percent in just 90 minutes, and can achieve a full charge in just two hours. Pretty impressive as far as electric cars go.
Right now, because of its design and dimensions, comparisons to Tesla’s Model X are inevitable. But because the I-PACE is still in its concept stage, you can expect that there will likely be a lot of changes before it finally hits the market. There’s also no word yet on how much it will cost. If Jaguar does push through with its 2018 production estimate, the I-PACE would be the company's first all-electric offering, giving drivers yet another option in the ever-growing EV market.
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A group of carmakers and tech firms is urging US regulators to acquire additional motion versus chipmaker Qualcomm in excess of its revenue practices.
Tesla, Ford, Honda, Daimler, Intel and MediaTek have asked the Federal Trade Fee (FTC) to fight a modern courtroom ruling in favour of Qualcomm.
Qualcomm has a apply of demanding prospects to indication patent licence agreements just before selling them chips.
These kinds of practices have drawn accusations the company is stifling level of competition.
Qualcomm, the world’s biggest maker of cell phone chips, has contested people promises. The BBC has approached the organization for remark on the carmakers’ letter.
In January 2017, the FTC brought a criticism in opposition to Qualcomm in federal district court docket, accusing it of applying “anticompetitive strategies” to maintain a monopoly in giving semiconductors for cellular telephones and other solutions.
The FTC explained at the time that Qualcomm’s “anticompetitive conduct” led to the WiMax conventional for 4G getting dropped, even though LTE turned adopted by the world wide cell marketplace rather.
The US trade regulator pressured that Qualcomm’s tactics had harmed both of those “competitors and individuals” and meant that mobile cellular phone makers like Apple had to pay back better price ranges for Qualcomm chips.
In May perhaps 2019, a US district judge sided with the FTC and ruled that Qualcomm would have to have to alter its patent licensing practices, but previously this thirty day period, a panel of judges in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the final decision.
“If authorized to stand, the panel’s determination could destabilise the criteria ecosystem by encouraging the abuse of sector electricity obtained by means of collaborative regular-location,” the group of car corporations and tech companies wrote in its letter.
Apple also sued Qualcomm in January 2017 and accused it of overcharging for its technological know-how, and Qualcomm counter-sued, declaring that Apple stole its trade tricks, among other points. Finally, each companies settled all lawsuits in April 2019.
The difficulty with patents
According to Glyn Moody, a journalist specialising in tech coverage, the motor vehicle business is bothered by Qualcomm’s patent techniques mainly because “cars and trucks are in essence turning out to be desktops on wheels”, as the business proceeds to acquire much more superior related automobiles.
In the potential, it is hoped that linked autos will use 5G processors to hook up them to the web. Carmakers have seen this fight above 4G and are anxious it will cement the firm’s posture as the struggle for dominance above 5G technology advances.
“This is a totally distinct earth than the one particular [carmakers] are applied to, so they are instantly faced with dealing with pc expectations and computer patents, which is a large trouble for them as they really don’t have any. So if they have to start licensing this stuff, it’s likely to get expensive for them,” Mr Moody advised the BBC.
A patent is a licence that confers the owner the sole correct to generate an creation, and the sole suitable to exclude others from creating, utilizing or selling that invention.
“The fundamental theory of patents is that you experienced an concept and individuals just fork out you for the reason that you had an idea,” he described.
“The patent matter is a last vacation resort tactic – when you you should not know what to do, you generally declare people today owe you funds for patents even however you happen to be not carrying out a lot for it.”
Prof Mark Lemley of Stanford Legislation Faculty is director of the Stanford Application in Legislation, Science and Technologies. He has been adhering to Qualcomm’s several courtroom instances for a number of many years.
“Qualcomm produced a commitment that it would licence its chips on reasonable and non-discriminatory phrases, mainly because they wished their chips to be integrated in the industry requirements, and then they created a structure to stay clear of doing this,” he claimed.
“I think they are in actuality violating the antitrust regulations.”
‘Patents are terrible for innovation’
Prof Lemley thinks that the Ninth Circuit Court docket of Appeals has misunderstood “the definition of antitrust regulation” in reversing the judgement versus Qualcomm.
“It says for instance that it can dismiss most of the district court conclusions simply because people conclusions demonstrate damage to downstream consumers, and anti-have faith in regulation only worries rivals,” he described.
“Which is precisely backwards – for a long time antitrust regulation has claimed we’re not out to secure rivals, we’re out to shield the competitive course of action and safeguard customers.”
The FTC can attractiveness in opposition to the final decision, but if the carmakers and tech firms want to sue Qualcomm, they would have to stay clear of Ninth Circuit courts masking the western coast of the US, as “courts in that circuit would feel certain by that selection”.
“If they are not able to persuade the FTC to act, they will continue to have the option to argue this is wrong and should not be followed in other scenarios, but it becomes more durable.”
Mr Moody, who writes for Techdirt, a popular website about technological innovation lawful worries, stresses that patents are really bad for innovation.
“If you want to develop the market for related autos, what you truly want is open expectations without having patent encumbrances, so that you can have as lots of firms taking part in the current market as attainable [to] travel innovation and cut down charges.”


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Consumers getting a little merrier
Data suggest better economic conditions
Americans are earning and spending more, companies are shedding fewer workers and hopes are rising for the economy as the holiday shopping season starts.
Still, with businesses spending less on manufactured goods and new-home sales near their lowest level in 47 years, consumers alone might not be able to invigorate the economy and drive down unemployment.
All told, government data released the day before Thanksgiving suggest an improving economic picture. But it is increasingly dependent on the consumer, even with U.S. companies having reported record profits in the July-September quarter.
“Households are spending more, and that may signal they are starting to feel better about economic conditions,” said economist Joel Naroff of Naroff Economic Advisors. “It is the consumer that holds the key to the recovery, and it looks like households are starting to turn the lock.”
On Wall Street, the mostly encouraging news on the economy buoyed stocks. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 150 points.
Many retailers depend on the holiday shopping season to make their year. The November-December shopping season can account for up to 40 percent of retailers’ revenue and profits.
Consumers boosted spending 0.4 percent in October, up from a 0.3 percent increase in September, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.
Many are benefiting from thicker paychecks. Americans’ incomes rose 0.5 percent in October, pulled up by a 0.6 percent rise in wages and salaries. That was after incomes didn’t grow at all in September.
At the same time, the pace of layoffs is slowing. Initial jobless claims dropped by 34,000 to a seasonally adjusted 407,000 in the week ending Nov. 20, the Labor Department said. Applications have fallen in four of the past six weeks.
Last week’s figure was the lowest since July 2008 and the first time that claims have fallen below 425,000 since then. Economists generally believe that weekly first-time applications for jobless aid would need to drop consistently below 425,000 to signal sustained job gains.
Even with last month’s pickup in spending, consumers are shying away from the type of buying needed to significantly lower the 9.6 percent unemployment rate. And economists expect more modest income gains in the months ahead. That’s why some doubt incomes will grow consistently and keep consumers spending enough to invigorate the economy.
“Households have started to pick up the baton of growth from businesses,” said Paul Dales, U.S. economist at Capital Economics. “Whether or not households will be able to shoulder the burden of growth on their own is another matter.”
Americans have become more frugal, saving 5.7 percent of their disposable income in October, compared with just over 1 percent before the recession hit.
“Until we see faster job growth, don’t expect shoppers to go on any spending sprees,” said Scott Hoyt, senior director of consumer economics at Moody’s Analytics. “You will see both Santas and Scrooges.”
ShopperTrak, a research firm that tracks sales and traffic at more than 70,000 outlets, now expects holiday sales to grow 3.2 percent. That’s up from a previous forecast of 2.9 percent. The upgraded forecast would mark a turnaround from the 0.4 percent sales drop in 2009, according to ShopperTrak’s calculations.
Even so, retailers will struggle for a piece of consumers’ wallets. Shoppers will want to stick to lists and focus on bargains, experts predict.
The National Retail Federation, the nation’s retail trade group, expects a 2.3 percent increase in holiday spending. That would fall short of the 10-year historic average of 2.5 percent, according to the retail trade group.
An inflation index that the Federal Reserve monitors most closely, meanwhile, is running at a record low. Prices for goods excluding food and energy rose just 0.9 percent in the 12 months that ended in October, the Commerce Department said. That was down from a 1.2 percent annual gain posted in September.
Even though shoppers welcome low prices, inflation is running at a pace below the Fed’s comfort zone of between 1.5 percent and 2 percent. Fed officials worry that very low inflation could devolve into deflation — a prolonged drop in the prices of wages, goods and services and in the value of assets like stocks or homes.
Despite improved consumer spending, businesses still lack confidence that economic growth will accelerate. The latest evidence: Orders to U.S. factories for costly manufactured goods plunged in October by the largest amount in 21 months.


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Studies of the District’s neighborhoods consistently reveal the existence of deserts in our nation’s capital. They exist in neighborhoods where thousands of people live, or better yet, survive despite the life essentials they lack such as healthy food, health care choices and economic resources including banks or credit unions.
This Saturday, concerned citizens and advocates are coming together to call on government and business leaders to bring much needed grocery stores to the deserts in Wards 7 and 8 where nearly 150,000 people live but are served by only three grocery stores — one Giant food store in Ward 8 and two Safeway stores in Ward 7. According to a study conducted last year by DC Hunger Solutions, the disparity is glaring in a city that had 49 full-service grocery stores, now 50 with the recent opening of Trader Joe’s at Eastern Market in Ward 6, which alone at 11, has the highest number of full-service grocery stores in the District with two more slated to open soon.
It should be of no consequence that the residents of Wards 7 and 8 are predominately African-American and lower income because many of them end up paying more due to increased transportation costs required to travel as far away as Maryland and Virginia to buy healthy food and often at a lower price. And while many of these residents use supplemental food programs like SNAP and WIC, their desire to feed their families well is just as important to them as it is to those who are flush with full-service grocery store choices in every other part of the city.
We agree with DC Hunger Solutions’ view that “The District’s grocery gap is a food security, anti-poverty, health, and racial equity issue that must be addressed. Closing the full-service grocery store gap must continue to be the District government’s priority in its effort to provide all residents access to healthy and affordable food.”
The solutions coming from the marchers must be heard by politicians who have suggested that “when the people come, the businesses will follow.” The “people” are here now!


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OUR Negros Island has been devoted to sugarcane production since the early 18th century.
Sugar industry contributes more than $1.89 billion to our Gross Domestic Product, and more than two million are directly sustained by the industry and another two to three million whose businesses and economic endeavors are also linked to the industry.
Other agricultural productions include rice, corn, vegetables, banana, and other fruits, livestock, and poultry.
Still, these are not enough for domestic consumption as food imports from other regions and countries continue to fill up huge gaps.
Fishing is likewise a big industry in the region as it has 15 cities and 26 municipalities located along the coast. However, only half of the production goes to the domestic market as big local fish traders control the domestic production and market them to big cities and export abroad.
The local mineral deposits also abound with copper deposits estimated at 620 million metric tons and gold reserves estimated at 35 million metric tons. Silver and molybdenum deposits are also abundant as well as non-metallic minerals suitable for agricultural and industrial uses. Yet, we don’t get the substantive and healthy returns to have the foreign investors mine our fields and mountains.
Still, after more than a century, Negros region remains a monocrop sugar-based economy, backward, import-dependent, export-oriented, flooded with supermalls and convenience stores feeding us unsafe (no traceability), genetically modified organism foods; worse, most of its population suffering poverty and hunger.
Conditions are fast changing. Sugar is no longer sustainable, and much less an important driver, to lift the region from the morass of a moribund industry. Unlike in the 1970s and 1980s, other Asian countries today are producing highly competitive sugar. Europe is beefing up their own sugar beet production. USA and China are flooding the world market with high fructose corn syrup.
The Asean economic integration under the neoliberal Free Trade Agreements under the baton of the World Trade Organization are fanning this new tide of peril. Within three years, the Afta will remove all the tariffs and non-tariff barriers on numerous imported industrial and agricultural products including sugar.
Domestic sugar production will be rendered uncompetitive to much cheaper and better quality imported sugar, liquid sweeteners, and beet sugar from neighboring Asian countries and the European Union (EU).
The new EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strengthens the protectionism of EU member countries that will make it more difficult specifically for Asean countries to enter EU market as the EU strengthen its trade ties with its client countries in Central and South Americas, Africa and the Carribean.
With its well-subsidized beet sugar production, EU will soon flood Asean markets with its own sugar, as it also targets to be the lead sugar exporter into the world market.
Negros is also within the perimeter of the so-called Factory Asia wherein multinational corporations (MNCs) have been exerting greater efforts to expand their production networks.
In their search for new markets and desire to cut operating costs, they have broken down their procurement, production, distribution, and sales processes and relocated these in various Asean countries including the Philippines.
Negros, in particular, is on the top list of regions in the Philippines where MNCs have high preference locations for their labor-intensive and highly polluting resource extraction like mining and geothermal plants; commercial farm plantations and assembly of products because of the cheap labor, abundant natural resources especially sun, water and wind; corporate-friendly environment; loose regulatory sanctions regarding labor and environmental standards; and lesser impact of climate change.
Taking the lead are few known multinational corporations whose plantation farms in Negros are steadily expanding; alongside them are a number of mining and geothermal explorations by big businesses with foreign partners in the remaining frontier ecosystems of the island like in Mt. Kanlaon National Park, North Negros Forest Reserves, and the Damutan Valley and the forest reserve between the southern part of Oriental and Occidental Negros.
Furthering their hold on the Negros economy is their control of the food system. Supermarkets, convenience stores, and seed centers owned by MNCs and Filipino-US corporations are proliferating in cities and district centers, killing small shops and businesses, and worse, slowly transforming our consumers’ food culture and values and fostering consumerism and colonial mindset.
So what do we have? Negros is being groomed into a huge production base and the single market, and in the process, agriculture, trade, and services are being deregulated, liberalized, and privatized to make it competitive and consolidate the corporate power and control.
Land and other resource grabs are projected to increase due to block farm system, liberalization of investments, as most of our national laws and local policies are made to accommodate both domestic big business and foreign investors. Projects in agriculture, mining, energy, and even tourism are designed to attract tourists and investors.
In this context, I see no other better way than to look and work for a paradigm beyond sugar economy towards a diversified and modern agricultural economy where basic needs of the people are met without resorting to expensive imports while the local economic surplus is generated for the continuous modernization and development of local agriculture and industries.
For me, the appropriate platform is the paradigm of food sovereignty, where production and consumption are inclusive and sustainable, our government, the farmers and workers control what need and have to produce, and people have access to cheaper and safe food anytime and anywhere.
It is different from government policy that so long as we can import to ensure food sufficiency, or allow foreigners to control and develop our rich agricultural lands, then it is alright.
Not only that our agriculture is ravaged and plundered, but we also become more indebted to multinationals and multilateral fund institutions, and our trade deficit keep on rising because we pay dollars for imports and peso for exports.
Am I just dreaming about this? Maybe, for now but I see inspiration and hope in seeing growing initiatives towards this paradigm.
(For feedback, email to firstname.lastname@example.org)


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Back in March, Trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple was working on the first foldable iPhone expected to be launched in 2023 in a new investor note shared Monday. from 9 to 5MacKuo reinforces rumors of a foldable iPhone, saying the company expects to ship as many as 20 million units in the first year of sales.
According to sources, Kuo said Apple expects to ship between 15 and 20 million foldable iPhones by 2023.The company is likely to work with Samsung as a special supplier of foldable OLED displays for iPhones. New model, design and specifications are not yet known.
In his earlier reports of the first foldable iPhone, analysts predicted that the device would have a screen between 7.5 and 8 inches, and now he adds that Apple will use an 8-inch foldable display, although at present. Samsung will lead the foldable market, but Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple will have an edge over the first iPhone foldable due to its strong “cross-product ecosystem”;.
At present, the product position of most foldable smartphones combines smartphones and tablets. But we believe the foldable smartphone is just one application of the foldable design. We predict that foldable devices will blur the lineup between smartphones, tablets and laptops in the future. With its cross-product ecosystem and hardware design advantages, Apple will be the biggest winner in the new foldable device trend.
Of course, these plans could change by 2023, but it seems likely that Apple is at least considering launching a foldable iPhone as other phone manufacturers have already introduced their own solutions. Still, we don’t know if the device will be more similar to the Galaxy Z Fold or Galaxy Z Flip, or if it even has a design that’s different from today’s foldable phones.
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The ICCT study has done a global comparison of the life cycle of greenhouse gas emissions of a combustion engine and electric vehicles.
A study has been released by the International Council On Clean Transportation (ICCT) has revealed that electric cars that are charged using electricity from a grid powered by coal pollute less than gasoline cars based on the internal combustion engine. Constantly, there has been an argument in favour of traditional gasoline vehicles claiming that EVs are also indirectly powered by non-renewable sources of energy and they intern cause more environmental harm because of the mining of lithium for the production of batteries. This report by the ICCT provides conclusive evidence in favour of electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles don’t have any tailpipe emissions, unlike gasoline cars, though they still pollute as often the energy sourced to charge their batteries come from non-renewable sources. But often there has been an argument in favour of electric vehicles as they are more efficient over their life cycle in terms of pollution and cost.
The ICCT study has done a global comparison of the life cycle of greenhouse gas emissions of a combustion engine and electric vehicles. The study looked at things like the sourcing of battery materials to the production of the vehicle — for both battery-operated ones and internal combustion ones. It then compiled driving data from different markets which included Europe, the US, China and India to develop the average lifetime of emissions. The end result was clear in favour of electric vehicles.
“Results show that even for cars registered today, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have by far the lowest life-cycle GHG emissions. As illustrated in the figure below, emissions over the lifetime of average medium-size BEVs registered today are already lower than comparable gasoline cars by 66%-69% in Europe, 60%-68% in the United States, 37%-45% in China, and 19%-34% in India. Additionally, as the electricity mix continues to decarbonise, the life-cycle emissions gap between BEVs and gasoline vehicles increases substantially when considering medium-size cars projected to be registered in 2030,” claimed the report.
In the case of the US market, the report reveals EVs emit only a third of the amount of polluting gases as internal combustion vehicles. That number goes below 50 per cent in favour of China and environmentally even in India EVs help offset pollution minimum of 19 per cent. And this difference is improving all the time as there is wider adoption of renewable sources of energy en masse.


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Under Profica’s project management, the finishing touches are currently being made to the turnkey fit out of the headquarters for a global financial services and transaction processing company in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The development signals Profica’s growing presence and capability in the Middle East region.
Located in the information technology hub, Dubai Internet City, the streamlined, phased fit out including an innovation centre was developed according to strict global design guidelines. The end result, made possible through a strong alignment of local contractors and service providers to the global design team requirements, is an inviting, high-tech space that simultaneously meets the needs of staff and clients. Final handover of the headquarters is scheduled for July.


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It happened. It finally happened. Apple's iPhone
has arrived on the last major carrier in the "Big 4" discussion
. Well over a year after Sprint finally joined AT&T (first) and Verizon
(second) in the march to have the iPhone within one's phone portfolio, T-Mobile announced today in New York City that one of the biggest voids in its lineup was being filled. Launching alongside new pricing plans that are far simpler than any other postpaid carrier is the iPhone 5 for T-Mobile. The device will start at $99.99 on a 2-year agreement (with $20 per month for 24 months being applied to the phone price), and T-Mobile will also offer the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S in "select markets."
The phone itself is actually slightly different than what's already out there. The new iPhone 5, while retaining the A1428 model number, will have AWS support enabled from the factory. This means that the T-Mobile iPhone 5 will ship with support for all of T-Mobile and AT&T's high-speed broadband bands. Also of note, those who opt to pay T-Mobile full-price for their iPhone can have it unlocked instantly (without having to wait for one's contract to lapse), enabling them to immediately use their iPhone overseas with local SIM cards in their destination country. T-Mobile's iPhone 5 is also going to be the only iPhone 5 to support HD Voice calling, but unfortunately, that means it'll be active only when you're phoning someone who is also on T-Mobile. And as for T-Mobile's heralded Wi-Fi Calling feature? That won't be enabled on the iPhone at launch, but the carrier has signaled that it may be added in due time.
T-Mobile will begin selling iPhones on April 12th, and while a huge swath of folks who wanted an iPhone have already purchase one on a rival network, T-Mobile holdouts will surely appreciate having iOS as an option when they decide it's time for a new phone.


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The Eastwood Company, a Pottstown-headquartered business known worldwide for its automotive products, will hold its Summer Classic car show Saturday on Shoemaker Road. Hundreds of vehicles are expected.
The president of the Pottstown firm with an international customer base apologized for the "inconvenience" caused by last week's fire. He said it would emerge stronger from the "setback."
Restoration contractors were busily working Sunday to help the Eastwood Company on Shoemaker Road recover from an interior fire last week.
With Video. Hundreds of classic cars from across the country are expected to arrive in the borough during July as part of a nationwide promotion by Street Rodder Magazine and Pottstown's The Eastwood Company.


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The scientists have sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) criticising the decision to review its opinion on the controversial chemical, saying the safety of the substance has been exhaustively studied in more than 900 studies, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this week.
The group also charges the agency with stalling on delivering a verdict on BPA by commissioning further research into its effects, said the US paper which had received a copy of the letter from one of the signatories. The FDA has previously said it would deliver its decision by the end of next month.
"FDA's plans to spend significant time and money on a very well researched chemical are disturbing," said the academics who have all studied BPA.
They criticised an FDA move to spend a further $7m on more studies and cautioned that the research could be meaningless because the government had insisted on using rats that were resistant to BPA at low levels.
"The potential for fiscal waste, we believe, is magnified by our serious concerns that there are significant study design flaws in the (government's) research plans”, the letter added.
The group, many of whom have sat on BPA assessment panels, raised concerns that the government was merely seeking to delay making a decision on the safety of the substance.
"We are deeply troubled that the agency would announce these research plans in light of its decision to release a reassessment of BPA by Nov. 30”, they wrote to FDA head Dr Margaret Hamburg.
"This disconnect between research and reassessment raises concerns about whether the FDA is striving to resolve the critical public health issues raised by widespread exposure to BPA, or is avoiding making a decision because of the pending research, the results of which will not be available for review for many years."
BPA is a chemical widely used in polycarbonate plastic baby bottles, sippy cups and the linings of some food cans. Concern among consumers and politicians over the continued use of the chemical centre on studies that show it leaches from packaging into foodstuffs – particularly after the container has been heated.
It has been banned in a number of US states and Canada for use in food containers for babies and young children.


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The main topic is Amazon's upcoming Prime Big Deal Days in October 2023.
1. The event will take place in October, but specific dates have not been announced yet.
2. Prime subscribers will have access to exclusive savings on Amazon during the sale period.
3. Other retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are likely to have their own competing sales during that time.
Amazon is offering a wide range of Labor Day deals on items such as laptops, Apple products, TVs, headphones, smart home devices, kitchen appliances, furniture, and more.
Amazon is raising its minimum amount for free shipping for non-Prime members from $25 to $35, forcing customers to spend more, pay for shipping, or subscribe to Prime.
Labor Day offers great sales on items like refrigerators, washers, dryers, grills, smokers, and outdoor furniture, but it's best to wait for better deals on tech, TVs, toys, and fall clothing during Prime Big Deal Days in October and Black Friday in November.
Prime members can enjoy exclusive discounts on a wide range of travel essentials, including luggage, sneakers, headphones, sunscreen, a belt bag, and a travel mug, during Amazon's Labor Day Sale.
Shopify merchants can now offer "Buy with Prime" on their Shopify stores, allowing online consumers to use their Amazon wallet for payments and receive fast, free delivery and returns through Amazon's fulfillment network.
Amazon's second Prime Day sale of the year, called "Prime Big Deal Days," will offer exclusive savings for Amazon Prime subscribers for 48 hours starting on Oct. 10 in 19 countries, featuring deals on popular items across various categories.
Amazon, Walmart, and Target have all announced upcoming sales events in October, offering deals on a variety of products.
Amazon Prime Members can enjoy exclusive deals on travel essentials, including a three-piece luggage set, packing cubes, a crossbody sling bag, running shoes, a weekender bag, a money belt, a flannel shacket, a hiking backpack, and a portable charger.


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The COVID-19 virus outbreak poses serious challenges to businesses operating globally, including in Europe. In response to the outbreak, governments worldwide are taking increasingly severe measures to fight the pandemic, and companies are implementing measures to ensure business continuity and protect their workforce. As a consequence, companies are contemplating steps which may impact privacy, including, for example, by subjecting employees, suppliers, and visitors to temperature checks, or issuing surveys to understand their workforce and visitors' recent travel and locations.
Such steps may involve the processing of personal information, and sometimes conflict with European data protection law. To clarify these issues, certain European privacy regulators (Supervisory Authorities or SAs) adopted emergency guidance covering COVID-19 related privacy issues. We have prepared FAQs to summarize the key takeaways.


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Retail Guru Tony D’Onofrio on Retail Tech, Empowered Consumers
D’Onofrio identified artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and retailer immersion in technology as key items he hoped were high points at NRF, providing a look into the mind of one of the industry’s biggest names.
Regarding technology, D’Onofrio said consumer smartphone adoption has drastically altered the retail landscape, adding that consumers are often as educated or more educated regarding a retailer’s offerings than employees, themselves.
This “empowered consumer,” D’Onofrio said, expects retailers to respond to digital conversations and needs at a satisfactory level.
Short and D’Onofrio also discussed the difference between concepts, ideas and actionable and implementable tech, what makes tech worth it for retailers, consumer-centric technology, challenges facing retail entering the next decade, and more.
To keep up with everything going on in the retail industry, stay tuned to MarketScale’s retail publication here.
Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!


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- The prospect of new cassava supply means local prices are falling.
- Cassava production should be higher than last year’s.
- However, demand may outstrip supply in 2023.
Thailand’s Cassava Harvest Begins
Thailand’s cassava harvest is underway. Cassava competes with cane for acreage in many parts of Thailand, and it can also be used as an ethanol feedstock. Cassava and sugar are therefore interconnected in Thailand.
Thai cassava prices are currently close to record highs, which makes us nervous about cane’s ability to divert acreage in coming years.
However, cassava prices have started to fall as cassava mills start operations.
Most mills have started starch milling but have not yet started drying operations as the weather is still too wet.
The Thai Tapioca Trade Association (TTTA) expects 35m tonnes of cassava to be made in 2022/23. This is because the harvested area has increased 2.3% due to higher prices, less management, and lower production costs as compared to other crops. As a result, farmers have begun to plant cassava instead of cane and corn.
Yields are up 2% this year thanks to favourable weather, despite farmers applying less fertilizer.
However, the TTTA also think that demand for cassava starch, chips, pellets and ethanol could reach 46.5m tonnes.
In addition, Chinese demand for Thai cassava could be high due to the strong domestic Chinese corn price. Cassava prices may therefore need to ration demand and then also incentivize new cassava area.
What is Cassava?
Cassava is a drought-tolerant crop that is grown in over 100 countries, including Africa, America, and Asia. It is also one of the world’s three most important economic crops, earning it the title “King of Starch”
It is rich in starch content, often used as a raw material in food industry. Besides from being able to extract starch, glucose, citric acid, alcohol, glutamic acid, lysine, protein, and other substances useful in the manufacturing of food, alcohol, paper and textile. It is also can be used as ethanol and animal feed.
Cassava can be planted throughout Thailand, except for the southern region, which is a lowland area that is vulnerable to floods.


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With tilapia, Gomes da Costa seeks to diversify its canned products
Gomes da Costa canned sardines. (Photo: Gomes da Costa)
Gomes da Costa seeks to expand its traditional offer of canned tuna and sardines and begin selling canned tilapia.
This Brazilian company that is the leader in the production and marketing of canned fish, acquired in 2004 by the Spanish group Calvo, which so far this year has sold canned products for BRL 1,000 million (USD 446 million).
While the company has been interested in diversifying its products for seven years, only in the last three years research began to expand product offerings.
So far, Gomes da Costa has focused only on capture fisheries and while it specializes in sardines, tuna is another important part of the busi...
Scottish salmon producers reveal mortality rates United Kingdom
A new report on the salmon farming industry in Scotland, released by the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, shows monthly salmon mortality figures in Scottish farms as part of its efforts to offer increased transparency and understanding of this key sector.
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