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Traveloka Holding Ltd. raised $400 million in a funding round led by Expedia Inc. that conferred a $2 billion valuation on Indonesia’s largest online travel startup, a person familiar with the matter said.
The person asked not to be identified discussing private information. Expedia said it was contributing $350 million to Traveloka’s financing round, a major investment into a five-year-old startup backed by China’s JD.com Inc., Sequoia Capital, East Ventures and Hillhouse Capital. That brought the total amount the company has raised in the last two rounds in the past year to $500 million, Expedia said. Traveloka representatives weren’t immediately available for comment. The Information first reported on its valuation.
Jakarta-based Traveloka is capitalizing on Southeast Asia’s online boom. The region of more than 600 million is home to an online travel market predicted to quadruple to $90 billion by 2025, according to a report by Google and Temasek Holdings Pte.
“Traveloka is the clear online travel leader in Indonesia, and is expanding aggressively throughout Southeast Asia,” Expedia Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said in its statement.


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Stella, a cheese brand of Saputo Cheese USA Inc., part of Montreal, Quebec-based Saputo Inc., said it is inviting consumers to elevate everyday cooking with the launch of its new campaign, “Go from Good to Gourmet.” Highlighting how the brand combines high-quality craftsmanship with modern conveniences when developing its artisan Italian cheese products, Stella will encourage and empower home chefs to kick recipes up a notch with little extra effort.
“A sprinkle here, a slice there, and instantly, family favorites are elevated with the fresh taste of Stella two- and three-cheese blends, crumbles, fresh mozzarella, shredded or grated products,” the brand said.
The Stella brand said it knows home chefs prioritize buying the best products for themselves and their families. Recognizing that they make well-informed purchases, the new “Go from Good to Gourmet” campaign will meet consumers where they are already searching for recipes and inspiration. This will include top online food sites, top apps frequently browsed regularly, social media and a partnership with AllRecipes to spark creativity.

domain: news


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A draft law tentatively approved by Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian’s cabinet would empower the government to limit the maximum cost of 20 foodstuffs if their retail prices soar by at least 30 percent within a month. The price caps could not be in force for more than 90 days.
The list of products subject to price regulation also includes cooking oil, salt, sugar, potatoes and other vegetables.
The extraordinary measure, which requires parliament approval, reflects the Armenian authorities’ failure to restrain the rising cost of life in the country with conventional methods such as lending rate increases.
Consumer price inflation hit an annual rate of 9.4 percent last year, surpassing the maximum government target of 5.5 percent. The authorities blamed it on a slump in domestic agricultural production and increased international prices for wheat and fuel. Some Armenian officials acknowledge that the de facto monopolization by government-linked businessmen of food imports to the country was also a factor.
Official statistics show that despite government pledges to cut inflation, the consumer price index in the first two months of this year was up by as much as 11.5 percent from the same period of 2010. Food prices alone jumped by 18 percent year on year.
Speaking at a cabinet session, Prime Minister Sarkisian defended what would be the first government regulation of food prices in Armenia since the start of its transition to a market-based economy in the early 1990s.
“Obviously, this [policy] instrument is rarely used [by governments] and its use is not desirable,” he told ministers. “But the use of such a instrument automatically has a positive impact on market players.”
“They become conscious of the fact that if they create a speculative environment or panic in the market, the state may take tough measures,” he said.
Gagik Khachatrian, the head of the State Revenue Committee, openly voiced misgivings about the measure. “There are lots of issues that need clarification,” he said at the meeting.
Officials indicated that the bill approved by the government may undergo some changes before being sent to the National Assembly.


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SAO PAULO — General Motors on Monday said it noticed no motive to reduce auto output in Brazil due to the worsening pandemic, putting a diverse tone to two other automobile brands who have curbed output, citing wellness worries.
On Friday, Volkswagen AG said it would shut down its plants for two months to preserve the wellness of its personnel. On Monday, Volvo AB adopted suit and said it was significantly scaling back truck output in Brazil due to the two wellness reasons and areas shortages.
Automakers throughout the world are working with a basic scarcity of semiconductors, which has led to output difficulties. In Brazil, they are also working with a deepening coronavirus pandemic, with day by day demise tolls that are the greatest in the entire world.
“Our protocols have been demonstrated to be economical at blocking infection and interior surveys exhibit that our personnel sense safer in factories than they do in their very own houses and communities,” GM’s Brazilian subsidiary said in a assertion.
“As a result, we do not see any motive that would lead us to change our output agenda at this moment.”
Edson Rosso, a union representative at GM’s plant in Gravataí, said staff members had no problems about how the automaker had handled wellness protocols for its personnel.
But he lamented that GM had suspended output in Gravataí due to a absence of semiconductors. Production proceeds at GM’s two other Brazil plants.
GM said earlier this thirty day period that Gravataí would be idled through April and May possibly, although Rosso said the firm agreement with the union would allow it to probably halt operations for a even more a few months.
At minimum two other automakers have had output difficulties due to a scarcity of semiconductors in Brazil.
Honda interrupted output for its Civic sedan earlier in March, when Fiat furloughed about 10 percent of its personnel right until final week to slow down output.


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KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Property developer, SP Setia Bhd, expects 40 per cent of the Kuala Lumpur Eco (KL Eco) City project comprising high-rise units and offices, to be launched in stages over the next three years, starting this year.
SP Setia Divisional General Manager, Tony Ling Thou Lung, said to date, 60 per cent of the high-rise residential units, offices and retail segments had been fully taken up.
“In the retail segment, the take-up rate is 60 per cent, of which 20 per cent is taken up by the Jaya Grocer retail chain.
“We expect the take-up rate to register between 80 per cent to 90 per cent in the first quarter of 2018 after the mall opens its doors to the public,” he added.
He said this after officially introducing the “Bangsar Market by Jaya Grocer” programme here, today.
Ling said the Bangsar Market, will occupy the entire second level of the five-storey KLEC Mall, which is slated for opening in the first quarter of next year.
The Bangsar Market is inspired by the Camden and Borough markets in London and the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne.
According to Ling, the group had invested about RM200 million to construct dedicated ramps and a bridge leading to the mall.
The mixed development project along Jalan Bangsar spans 10.12 hectares (ha), It has a gross development value (GDV) of RM7 billion and is the first integrated green luxury development to be anchored by prime commercial offices, high-end retail outlets, luxury serviced-residences and residential towers.
As of June 30, 2017, the SP Setia group had 31 ongoing projects with a remaining land bank of 2,206.35 ha with a total GDV of RM80 billion. — Bernama


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|Isis COO Lynne Parshall--Courtesy of Isis Pharmaceuticals|
Sanofi's ($SNY) Genzyme unit isn't offering details about its sales of Kynamro, the rare disease treatment approved last January. It's not allowing its development partner, Isis Pharmaceuticals, to dole out specifics, either. What is certain, according to Isis COO Lynne Parshall, is that the launch started off slowly, and Genzyme has expanded its sales force to step up the pace.
"What we can say is that while the launch got off to a bit of a slow start, sales showed significant quarter-over-quarter growth in 2013," Parshall said during last week's earnings call, "and we believe the sales will continue to increase significantly this year."
With Kynamro (mipomersen) slow out of the gate, Genzyme has increased its rep force to support the anticipated growth in sales, Parshall said. As the year goes on, "we expect to see returns from this increased investment" in marketing, she added.
Kynamro won FDA approval last January to treat homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH), a rare disorder that causes ultra-high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol. It hit the market at virtually the same time as its head-to-head competitor, Juxtapid (lomitapide), from Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, and at a price significantly lower--$176,000 for Kynamro, compared with $235,000 to $295,000 for Juxtapid.
There are other talking points on each side: Kynamro is injectable, where Juxtapid is a pill. Kynamro is taken once a week; Juxtapid is dosed daily. Both drugs carry black-box warnings about liver toxicity, and the FDA requires healthcare providers to be certified to prescribe them and pharmacies to dispense them. The FDA ordered four post-marketing safety studies for Kynamro, partly because of worries about abnormal growths that cropped up in some clinical trial patients, some of which were malignant.
If analysts give Juxtapid the advantage on side effects, they also acknowledge Genzyme's hard-won expertise at marketing and distributing rare-disease drugs. Unlike mass-market drugs, they don't launch and then take on a life of their own. With rare-disease drugs, every patient is shepherded through the reimbursement process. Many patients get payment assistance, whether from the company or from patient groups. And patient relationships are managed as therapy continues.
|Kynamro--Courtesy of Genzyme|
Genzyme knows this process well. It's been working with patients who use its rare-disease drugs Fabrazyme, Cerezyme and Myozyme for years. And it hasn't been easy; when the company's manufacturing foundered and supplies constricted, Genzyme had to contend with rationing, dose restrictions and plenty of unhappy patients.
All that experience is coming in handy as Genzyme works with payers and doctors on Kynamro; Parshall noted that the Sanofi unit is chipping away at reimbursements. "Genzyme tells us that the reimbursement process is working well and they are successfully working with payers to move patient expeditiously from prescription to drug," she said during the call.
Another key element is certifying doctors. "There are hundreds of physicians who haven't certified to prescribe Kynamro," Parshall said. "We believe that the increased number of prescribers will translate into increased prescriptions."
As Medical Marketing & Media notes, Aegerion posted net product sales for 2013 of about $48 million, and Juxtapid is its only drug. The company actually hiked its sales forecast mid-year last year because Juxtapid was doing so well. Absent real figures from Sanofi or Isis, there's no way to compare dollar-for-dollar. That will change soon enough.
- see the MM&M story
Special Report: Top 20 Orphan Drugs by 2018


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Brands and publishers pounce on Peach, the latest social fad
Try as they might, brands and publishers simply can’t resist the latest shiny social bauble.
The latest object of interest: Peach, a new social networking app that combines Slack-like commands with a Facebook Messenger-style interface, introduced last Friday. Major brands like Asos and Merriam-Webster are up and running, along with several publishers like Vice and The Washington Post.
On Monday afternoon, clothing retailer Asos penned a literal love letter to the app on its corporate blog.
Merriam-Webster, which is using the network to doodle its “word of the day.” Jesse DeWitt, director of digital product management, said that Merriam-Webster has a new strategy focusing on exposing people “to the love of language” rather than just share definitions, and Peach is its first opportunity to do that.
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) January 9, 2016
“Resources are a problem, but we have such a well-established routine with other social networks,” he said. “It helps to have a little left in the tank.” Merriam-Webster has racked up close to 1,000 friends on the network since it got on Saturday.
The haste is surprising. Most brands are stretched for resources, especially in social and digital, so staffing for new platforms is frequently cited as a major challenge for companies, regardless of size. “First is not right for all cultures,” said Moxie CEO Sean Reardon. “As they say, ‘The pioneers get the arrows, the settlers get the land’.”
J Crew, Starbucks and Taco Bell have Peach accounts, but it’s hard to tell if the brands themselves set their accounts up or not. When reached by email, a Domino’s rep first said that the brand wasn’t on Peach, then said the company was “looking into” who set up the account. Abercrombie said the account claiming to represent the retailer wasn’t actually sanctioned by the brand.
Peach has certain hallmarks of Snapchat, too: It’s hard to find brands to follow or surface brand content. And you have to request to “Peach” someone and then be accepted, which takes time. And while there are plenty of people proclaiming this as the next big social network, there’s also indication that Peach, which peaked at No. 85 on the Apple App Store Saturday, is already on its way out. (It was No. 121 in rankings Monday afternoon, and there are plenty of Meerkat comparisons already being made.)
And publishers have also gotten on: The Chicago Tribune and The Washington Post both hacked a way around the verification process by posting photos and videos from their newsrooms as “proof” that it’s actually them. Other publishers with presences include Popular Science, Mic and Vice’s fashion vertical, i-D. One reason for them to jump on board is so they can claim their social handles before squatters do.
“Newsroom resources are always a concern, but this requires relatively little time and we have to embrace doing it as early as possible versus jumping in much later,” said Scott Kleinberg, social media editor at the Chicago Tribune.
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YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED recently that some shows on MTV, Nickelodeon and VH-1 are moving a little more slowly, that 800 numbers are flashing on the screen during prime-time shows and that the hosts are more pandering than usual. This, some say, may be the future of cable television. It all depends on your wallet and how much you like to open it in the privacy of your home.
Since August, MTV Networks -- which also owns VH-1 and Nickelodeon -- has been trying out a home-shopping show called "The Goods" on all three of its channels. The program is a radical step for television, not just because it's a shopping show direct ed at a market untapped by QVC and the Home Shopping Channel (those rest homes for the eelskin wallet and the two-carat kunzite-stone ring), but also because it's part of regular prime-time programming. Though MTV describes it as a test program -- irregularly scheduled but frequently repeated -- "The Goods" has already outlasted the life expectancy of the average sitcom. The next installment, recommending the year's "best" records as holiday gifts, will be shown on VH-1 at 8 P.M. on Dec. 15.
Other new home-shopping shows that aim at younger music buyers, like MaxMusic, co-produced by John Oates (the short, curly half of Hall and Oates), must buy time on an established channel; their only alternative would be to start a new channel, a risky proposition. But MTV already has three channels of its own that reach 50 million to 60 million homes. And each has a built-in audience whose ages, tastes and viewing habits have been painstakingly researched.
If all goes well during the show's six-month trial period, MTV Networks plans to spin off a 24-hour home-shopping channel. And all is going well, aside from the fact that some of the goods MTV has sold reportedly still haven't been manufactured. (A spokesman for the network says that demand has simply outstripped supply in some cases and all orders will be fulfilled.) But "The Goods" is only a test, and what matters is that MTV's logic -- that slackers are just as captive and susceptible to hype as the housewives beloved by QVC -- is paying off. Its show selling Rolling Stones tour merchandise like $125 hockey jerseys and $150 autographed lithographs of album-cover art took in $1.8 million, an above-average sum for the home-shopping industry. One wonders if any of these items were purchased with the new Rolling Stones Visa card, which was issued by the Chevy Chase Bank in Maryland earlier this year.
Unless and until a separate MTV shopping channel arrives, how fair is it for the network to subject its regular viewers to these shows, the bane of channel surfers everywhere? After all, between pseudo-soap-operas like "Dead at 21" and "The Real World," animated shows like "The Brothers Grunt" and "Liquid Television," and tedious dance showcases like "The Grind" and "Lip Service," it's getting harder and harder to find music videos on MTV.Continue reading the main story
Perhaps the channel should be renamed SPTV, for Star Power Television. In the five "Goods" that have been shown so far, celebrities like Mick Jagger, Sandra Bernhard, Cindy Crawford and Gilbert Gottfried hawk various wares, and designers like Isaac Mizrahi, Anna Sui and Todd Oldham sell clothes they designed specifically for MTV, VH-1 and Nickelodeon viewers.
As odious as the concept may sound, "The Goods" is probably the first home-shopping show that appeals to viewers who want to watch and not buy. According to MTV, each episode of "The Goods" has matched or outperformed the Nielsen rating of the show that is normally in the same time period. The Rolling Stones episode redeemed itself by intercutting documentary footage on the making of the band's current album and tour; the installment hawking Woodstock paraphernalia featured performance clips and on-the-scene reporting; the episode with Isaac Mizrahi analyzed clips from 1950's sitcoms and gave real insight into the mind of the designer; and, for the more lowbrow, the Beavis and Butt-head merchandise episode included bikini-clad "mega-models" and running commentary from the two brainless cartoon characters.
THOUGH ITEMS ARE FROZEN on screen for up to 30 seconds, the pace of these shows is quicker than that of most similar programs. The Beavis and Butt-head episode, for example, offered 39 different products in half an hour, probably an industry record. Each of the five shows is entirely different, so MTV can test various selling strategies. And the smarmy hosts, the same type of struggling stand-up comics and model wannabes that MTV regularly employs, temper their sales pitches with sarcasm -- which, of course, is the best way to appeal to the cynical generation that watches the channel.
"We've seen the official Woodstock raincoat," a host, Katie Puckrik, recapped on one show. "We've also seen school buses," she remarked, as one of the yellow Woodstock shuttles was seen going by, "but you can't have one of those."
Music fans are passionate, and entrepreneurs have always known that passion is one of the easiest emotions to manipulate. Even in the pre-cable days, UHF stations were littered with ads for exclusive telephone- and mail-order Jim Croce three-record sets and "Disco Hits" compilations. From the continued success of cassette and CD mail-order companies like Columbia House to the popularity of the Box (a cable channel whose viewers pay to see particular videos), creative marketing and music continue to enjoy a lucrative relationship. The Box announced last year that it was developing a shopping scheme, and the singer Peter Gabriel has his own plan in the works.
In coming years, expect the world of entertainment to become the world of the impulse purchase. The credits displayed at the start and finish of MTV videos may not just be emblazoned with the names of song titles, artists, directors and record labels in the future. They could include 800 numbers and product codes so that the CD containing the song can be purchased immediately.
Since other television networks and channels have taken to using MTV-style jump-cuts and video montage, there's no reason they shouldn't pick up a few home-shopping tips. They could display an 800 number at the bottom of the screen during "Baywatch" for viewers interested in buying the same type of swimsuit or sunscreen Pamela Anderson is wearing, or during "Frasier" for psychology books and self-help tapes. Then, the cry of home shoppers would ring from every television aerial and satellite dish: "If it's good enough for TV, it's good enough for me."Continue reading the main story


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One of the core challenges facing IoT implementations is cybersecurity, with multiple reports suggesting that devices are being rushed to market with poor security, and others revealing a lack of strategic planning by IT decision-makers, and insufficient care and attention being given to securing the IoT in operational terms.
Internet of Business spoke to Asaf Ashkenazi, VP of IoT Security Products at IP and semiconductor company Rambus, about these issues – and took the opportunity to ask what he thinks of the UK Government’s recent Secure by Design report.
Internet of Business: Data and systems security are big issues for IoT providers. Would you say the biggest threats come from inside or outside the organisation?
Asaf Ashkenazi: “Throughout history, risks came from both external enemies and internal spies, or ‘bad apples’. Big data IT organisations face similar internal and external cyber risks. But until recently, the differences between an outside hacker and an ‘inside job’ were clear. However the Internet of Things blurs the lines between the two.
“For example, an employee connects a private IoT device within the organisation’s network, not realising that the device contains vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers. On the one hand, the threat comes from the inside, but on the other, the attacker is not a malicious entity within the organisation.
“Another example is the millions of IoT connected devices. Should we consider these devices a trusted extension of the organisation? How do we handle these devices and the users who use them? Are these devices considered ‘inside’ or ‘outside’?
“The point is that the IoT forces us to change some of the old paradigms and think differently. It dramatically expand organisations’ attack surface, and it should be addressed, whether we define it as an inside or an outside threat.”
Do you think those implementing large scale, complex IoT projects, whether in industry or smart cities, place enough emphasis on security? And what checks and balances are required to ensure that security measures are appropriate?
“There are three security layers that need to be present in any large-scale service: reducing the attack surface, early detection, and in-field recoverability.
“Reducing the attack surface includes incorporating security at the design phase, using well-studied, standard cryptographic building blocks, and applying secure software development practices. In other words, treating security as a primary design parameter rather than as an afterthought.
“Early detection is required because we know that no system is a hundred percent secure, so it is crucial to detect attacks at an early stage, before the attackers have a chance to cause significant damage.
“Finally, in-field recoverability means that once we detect an attack, we should be able to fix the vulnerability quickly and efficiently. This requires, as much as possible, the ability to patch IoT device software and firmware over the air and without the need of end-user intervention.”
Fast, yet secure
“In order to make sure that the industry uses proper security mechanisms, there is a need for security solutions that are cost effective, easy to use, and fast to deploy. Without simplifying security deployment for IoT providers, it would be difficult to significantly improve the level of security in IoT devices and the services that operate them.
“But in parallel to reducing the overall cost and time of deploying IoT security, there is a need for some level of regulation to ensure IoT device and service providers face financial consequences if they decide to cut back on security in order to save money.
“The biggest challenge today is the definition of a standard level of security. The IoT market is diverse and fragmented, and so attempting to standardise security is a real challenge in itself that will take time.”
How, in a practical sense, does an IoT project administrator ensure full security of a complex implementation involving hardware and software from multiple providers?
“This is indeed one of the big challenges. IoT devices contain many components from different hardware vendors, each coming with a different set of software and tools. More, the device software should work with a service, which is also comprised of software and services coming from different vendors.
“One way to manage this complexity and risk is to have a security solution across all aspects of the IoT system, from the device and the chipset that powers the device, through the cryptographic keys used to secure communications, to the service IoT platform.
“Another aspect, as discussed earlier, is providing additional layers of security, assuming that the device’s software might include some vulnerabilities. These additional layers should include early detection and in-field recoverability.”
“There is likely to be an explosion of IoT devices in the home and office over the next few years – a predicted 20 billion or more devices. What concerns you most about them in terms of their security, and what are the fixes?
“The attack surface increases as more devices are connected. It is possible to segregate and limit the abilities of these devices once connected, but usually this doesn’t work well with end-users and overall productivity.
“I’m worried that many devices are deployed with very little top-notch security, making them an easy target. But I’m most worried about the millions of devices deployed today that are expected to serve us in the years to come – without the capability to update their firmware in the field, or to mitigate against future security risks.”
The UK Government recently published its Secure by Design report. It proposes a code of practice for manufacturers of consumer IoT products, rather than legislation – although says it will legislate if the code of practice does not work. Where do you sit on the code vs legislation debate?
“Manufacturers need to provide the industry with practical and affordable solutions. I believe that most IoT device makers and service providers genuinely want to address their products’ security risks, but they are often forced to choose between security and profitability or business success.
“While there are many IoT security solutions available in the market, it is often the case that integration of these solutions requires expertise these companies do not have. It can also be expensive and time consuming.
“Best practices can certainly help, but they don’t solve the underlying problems. There is still a need to build security solutions based on best practices, and not all companies have the talent and expertise to do that.
“The solution is providing practical and affordable solutions to the IoT industry. These can follow the code of practice. Then, regulation can help with those who decide to cut back on security in order to reduce costs.”
Internet of Business says
Internet of Business is committed to providing solutions to security problems across different type of industry. Here are some of our recent reports in this critical area:
- Read more: IIoT security: How to secure the Internet of Threats, by IBM
- Read more: IoT Security: How to fight attacks on health, energy, and transport
- Read more: Gartner: IoT security spend hitting $1.5 billion – but strategy poor
- Read more: Security: BSI unveils new kitemark certification for IoT devices
- Read more: IoT security: Shadow devices pose growing threat to networks – report
- Read more: Security: Why you should worry about unsecured IoT devices – Mozilla
- Read more: Mining industry must strengthen IoT security, warns report


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VALENTINO COURTS YOUNG NEW COUTURE CUSTOMER
Valentino's new design team continued to reach out to younger consumers, racheting up hemlines on the neon-saturated runway at Wednesday's spring-summer 2010 haute couture show.
After a timid debut one year ago - when they sent out rhinestone-covered satin overcoats and A-line dresses that looked like they'd just stepped out of the label's archive - designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli continued to forge their bold vision for the new Valentino woman: She's wild, she's daring, and most of all, she's young.
After all, how many woman past their teenage years can pull off translucent, bead-studded tulle leggings with an equally sheer ... dress? Or was it a shirt? And who besides an adolescent could wiggle into an ultra-mini bustier in fluorescent pink ruched chiffon bands?
"We think that to keep a future in couture, it's necessary to bring a new customer who wants something cooler," Chiuri said in a backstage interview with The Associated Press.
Models, some of them wearing blindfolds in shimmering chiffon, sported pantsuits in neon organza, or asymmetrical draped goddess gowns in dusty shades of mauve and pink. One standout look was a boxy coat covered in fluorescent flowers and worn with opalescent fingerless gloves.
Piccioli added, "We tried to make new strategies for going forward. To do that we have to experiment with new silhouettes ... because we want to call the young girls. They can be new customers for couture because they want beauty, they want personalized things."
The designers said the collection represented their vision of Eden,
abloom in riotous flowers and birds, with an innocent sensuality.
"It's about a woman wandering in this beautiful Eden," Piccioli said. "It's a dream. Couture is a dream."
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We’re all still recovering from the recent Facebook changes – the pictures are larger, and now there’s a treat of video ads (sigh). But now having altered the site’s design, as well as the method from which it gathers News Feed info, Facebook is holding onto one more bombshell to throw at its users: there still might a Facebook Phone in the works.
To be put into production by HTC, this hypothetical phone would be made almost exclusively to integrate best with Facebook’s site (new features and all), and to host a direct-to-Facebook button. Rumoredly named “the Myst,” this new phone is set to have many standard HTC features (large touchscreen, sleek, and user-friendly) with the Facebook additions being a happy bonus to smartphone users. It’s also a great excuse to roll out a new design, misspell a word, and sell altered versions of what millions already own.
The Phone Who Cried Wolf
But before Facebook fanatics get too excited about the forthcoming (and perhaps not real) phone, let’s look into HTC’s track record; their history with announcements isn’t exactly spot-free. After all, this isn’t the first time they’ve talked about releasing a Facebook phone. Who else remembers the ChaCha? Or the Status? Both floated around in 2011 and early 2012, but neither came to be anything more than blogs and tech lovers’ murmurs.
Further fueling the fire is the fact that neither Facebook nor HTC will comment on the speculation of such a phone. Both released almost verbatim comments stating that they “don’t comment on rumors.” This is the same tactic they pulled with the previous mentions.
Sure both parties could have nothing to do with the potential Facebook phone – this time or back in 2011. But they could also be trying to raise hype and/or get a feel for customer interest in such a phone. With this consistent of a trend, it’s hard to say either way. What the instances are pulling off flawlessly, though, is questioning our faith in HTC’s product announcements and ability to respond to growing trends.
However, with the extreme popularity of Facebook, smartphones, and the increased ability to access the internet, it’s safe to say any combination of the three will be well sold. Now all that’s needed is the actual phones – or at least the promise that they’ll exist – for users to update and “like” their way through any mobile situation.


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Jobs announcement on tap from Amazon
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- Staff Tampa Bay Business Journal
Amazon is expected to announce plans to hire 5,000 workers for 17 fulfillment centers.
The new hires are part of the company’s strategy to build out its system of distribution centers more quickly and cheaply deliver orders to consumers, The Washington Post reported.
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is expected to make the announcement Monday, the Post reported. The jobs include tasks such as picking items from warehouse shelves, packing them for delivery and operating technology to streamline operations.
The report did not discuss the locations of the jobs. Amazon reportedly has been considering sites in the Tampa Bay area for a 1 million-square-foot distribution center, and both Hillsborough and Polk counties have approved financial incentives to lure the online retailer.
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- Richard Gonzmart acquires Tampa's iconic Goody Goody burger brand
- News Director and assistant out at ABC Action News
- Crescent Bayshore sold for $111.5 million
- Bucs CMO Penningroth no longer with the team
- TECO has deal to sell TECO Coal
- Tom James plans art museum, Jeff Vinik develops 'blank canvas'
- Work to convert old Ybor warehouse into condos to begin by year's end
- Oxford Exchange ditches dinner service
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A look at the day's business stories from media outlets around Tampa Bay.
Technical Project Managers American Express | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Software Architect American Express | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Software Quality Assurance Manager American Express | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Software Quality Assurance Engineer American Express | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Audience Development Director Tampa Bay Business Journal | Tampa, FL


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On May 9 this year, ZTE released two mobile phones, the Axon 40 Pro / Ultra. Yesterday, ZTE officially announced that it will release the ZTE Axon 30S mobile phone on September 26. Today, ZTE officially brought information about the device.
ZTE officials said that the ZTE Axon 30S phone weighs 192 grams, is 7.8 mm thick, and will be more comfortable to hold. As can be seen from the picture, the ZTE Axon 30S mobile phone uses a slender volume key and a power key, and they are both located on the right side of the fuselage. At the same time, the rear lens module of the ZTE Axon 30S mobile phone is generally prominent, and the phone will have two colors black and blue.
Yesterday, ZTE released the front image of the top half of the ZTE Axon 30S phone. It can be seen from the picture that the ZTE Axon 30S mobile phone will continue the previous under-screen front camera, bringing a complete screen.
Moreover, the ZTE Axon 30 under-screen front-camera phone will be released in August 2021, equipped with a 16-megapixel front-facing under-screen lens, a 120 Hz high refresh screen, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chip, priced from USD 310.


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This time we are joined by Gaurang Torvekar. He is the CTO of Attores (http://www.attores.com/), a Singapore-based blockchain company and also the co-organizer of the Ethereum Singapore Meetup (https://www.meetup.com/Ethereum-Singapore/). He will present their latest venture Indorse.io (http://indorse.io/) and give an overview of the blockchain ecosystem in the SEA region.
Gaurang Torvekar: Indorse.io and Blockchain in SEA
Indorse is a revolutionary platform using new models of tokenization and decentralization to change the shape of professional social networking. Unlike traditional platforms, we aim to give back ownership of the data to the user, and allow them to profit from sharing their skills and activities on the platform.
Indorse uses internal rewards (Indorse Bucks) and a reputation system (Indorse Score) to incentivize users to add their skills / accomplishments and endorse those of others.
Indorse is being developed by Attores, a Singaporean blockchain company. Gaurang Torvekar, the CTO and Co-Founder of Attores will be speaking at this event, to tell about the latest developments in this revolutionary new project. Gaurang will also speak about the blockchain ecosystem in SEA, especially that in Singapore, China and India, where the Bitcoin and Ethereum ecosystem is flourishing and innovation is taking great strides.


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(IANS) Ecommerce giant Amazon has announced to discontinue its Pantry (originally known as Prime Pantry) service, as it strengthens its grocery delivery both online and offline.
Amazon Pantry orders charged customers a flat $5.99 shipping fee per box of groceries.
The box could be filled with up to 45 pounds of products or up to four cubic feet of everyday stuff, like laundry detergent, toilet paper or snacks.
The company has now merged Pantry service with its main website, reports The Verge.
Amazon Pantry was launched in 2014. The aim was to make it easier to stock up on everyday products that would otherwise be bulky or expensive to ship.
In 2018, Prime Pantry changed its subscription service where extra $4.99 a month on Prime membership gave users unlimited free shipping on any orders over $40 from the Prime Pantry service.
Before that, Prime Pantry required a per-order flat fee of $5.99 even for Prime members.
Amazon now owns Whole Foods, an entire chain of grocery stores, and has started to roll out its own Amazon Fresh-branded stores.
The Amazon Fresh store will continue to offer online shopping services in addition to in-person shopping.
Amazon said it will offer free same-day delivery for Prime members, and there are also in-store pickup options for online orders.


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7,000 Model 3s manufactured at Gigafactory Shanghai destined for the European market have started to arrive in the Old Continent. Toscana, one of the ships carrying half of the Model 3 vehicles, has docked in the Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium.
Once the cars are unloaded and processed through customs, they will be exported to numerous European countries. This includes Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and Sweden.
Who Reported The News First?
Tesla ship tracker and Twitter user Morten Grove first reported Toscana’s arrival at Zeebrugge. Grove also stated that the ship docked next to Grand Aurora, a ship that carried Model 3 vehicles from Tesla’s U.S.-based Fremont Factory.
When Did Toscana Sail From China?
Toscana initially started its journey in late October following a commemorative ceremony in Shanghai hosted by Tesla executives.
Reminder: Chinese-Model 3 Particularities
Model 3 vehicles manufactured in China sport lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO) batteries. These types of batteries are cheaper to produce and contain no cobalt.
LiFePo batteries also have a longer lifespan, require little to no maintenance, and have an improved charge and discharge efficiency.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated during Battery Day that the automaker will opt for zero-cobalt batteries. Cobalt is the most expensive material used in the production of EV batteries. Discarding cobalt from production will help EVs become more affordable with time.
Tesla and China: A Partnership Made in Heaven
Tesla regards China as a primary base of operations for its global supply chain. Chinese authorities have implemented a lucrative subsidy program for New Electric Vehicles (NEVs) for until 2022.
This incentivizes Tesla and other EV-manufacturing companies to ramp up production and become more competitive. Tesla is able to achieve a production capacity at Giga Shanghai estimated at 250,000 units per year.
Additionally, the automaker announced price adjustments in early October for Model 3 vehicles in China. A standard 3 Model 3 car has a post-adjustment base price of ¥249,900, down from ¥271,550. The Long Range Model 3 variant is now priced at ¥309,900. Based on current exchange rates, the models retail at $37,992.57 and $47,114.45 respectively.
But the partnership does not stop here. According to a report by Reuters, Tesla is planning to start manufacturing EV chargers in China next year. The same report also stated that Tesla is planning to invest 42 million yuan (approximately $6.4 million) in a new factory that will manufacture these chargers.
The factory is expected to be completed by next February, and will have a production capacity of 10,000 chargers per year.
It remains to be seen if Tesla will export Model 3 vehicles from China to Europe at an increased rate in the future. The automaker is in the process of constructing its Gigafactory in Berlin, where production is expected to begin next summer. Additionally, Tesla recently announced 7,000 vacancies to be filled for Giga Berlin.
But nonetheless, China is vital for Tesla’s global expansion strategy.


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Singaporean DJ and producer MYRNE has announced a new virtual-reality game, MYRNEscapes, accompanying his brand-new EP.
- READ MORE: Aspidistrafly: “Outside all the romance and mystery in our music, in reality we don’t know if we’ll live till tomorrow”
The game is due for release on gaming platform Steam exclusively for Windows PC later today (May 11). The game will be released in support of the musician’s newly released EP, ‘Circles’.
In a three-minute director’s cut walkthrough of a level, MYRNE revealed that the game will consist of four “worlds”, each titled after a track on the ‘Circles’ EP. The game will be a VR experiential game that allows players to explore the digital worlds that MYRNE has created, backed by songs from its accompanying EP.
MYRNEscapes was developed by Singapore-based studio Metamo Industries, which focuses on visual effects and immersive art (including visuals for Yung Raja’s ‘Dance Song’ music video). Metamo Industries was co-founded by sound designer Benedict Teo, also known as the veteran Singaporean DJ Zushan.
Listen to MYRNE’s ‘Circles’ EP below.
In the walkthrough, MYRNE said making a game was the “most sensible thing to do” during the COVID-19 lockdowns that had deprived him from dancing and live atmospheres.
Each world in MYRNEscapes takes on a different feel that suits its accompanying track. The Circles world is designed to be “a large meandering maze set in an old cavern”, inspired by games such as Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls.
The digital landscapes of What Can I Do comprises red sand dunes and skies and shimmering constellations. Emotions is set in a soothing forest atop a cliff, while Faithless is set in a jungle filled with bioluminescent plants and a river.
Released on Friday (May 6), MYRNE’s ‘Circles’ EP was written in 2021, amid the COVID-19 lockdowns and during a period when he was experiencing “big impostor syndrome + crippling wow [World of Warcraft] addiction + being very unhappy with all the music I made”, per a post on Instagram.
For the EP, MYRNE signed with Universal Music Group’s dance music offshoot, Astralwerks. He has released music under other prominent dance music labels in the past, including Ultra Music, Monstercat and Diplo’s Mad Decent.
Prior to ‘Circles’, MYRNE – real name Manfred Lim – released the seven-track EP ‘Wandering’ in 2020. Last year, he released reimagined versions of the singles ‘Superstructure’ and ‘Sleeping On My Own Again’.


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So, July ended without the launch of Life with PlayStation
as promised during the E3 keynote
. The delay is due to "a few procedural matters" causing the launch to push into "August." That means either today or more likely, nearer the 31st, PS3 users will get their hands on Sony's new globe interface for accessing real-time content such as news and weather from around the world. Hoozah?


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The Amazon Fire TV Stick is sure to be a hot commodity this holiday season. The little device plugs directly into an HDTV and gives users a quick and inexpensive option to view content from Amazon, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Spotify and Pandora, among many other content providers.
Amazon originally offered theto Prime customers for $19 (down from $39) for a limited time. The company's inventory was quickly depleted and shipping times have been pushed back until after the new year. While the device is full price now, there are other options for those of you looking to pick one up in time for the holidays.
Best Buy currently has the Fire TV Stick available for purchase online with free shipping and in stores. Online orders won't arrive for another two weeks (unless you choose one of the expensive one or two day shipping options). You are better off heading to your local Best Buy store or ordering online and choosing to pick it up in store. Every store around CNET's New York office listed the device as in stock and available for online pickup.
Staples is another retailer that is offering the Fire TV Stick online and in stores. Similar to Best Buy, though, online orders are not expected to be delivered for another three to four weeks. An in-store pickup option is also available and most stores near CNET's New York office had at least six devices in stock.
For limited time, Staples and Best Buy are offering the Fire TV Stick for $24.
Those of you who live near San Francisco and Sacramento can purchase a Fire TV Stick at one of Amazon's pop-up kiosks. The device is currently available at kiosks at the Westfield San Francisco Centre and Westfield Galleria at Roseville.
While you will definitely pay more for the device, there are a ton of listings for the Fire TV Stick on eBay. I would recommend this option only if you desperately need it before the holidays. Remember, you could always give someone an "I owe you."
Fore more information on Amazon's new Fire TV Stick, be sure to.
Last updated Monday, November 24 at 8:00 a.m. PT: Promotional pricing from Best Buy and Staples has been added.


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Pandora announced at CES 2014 that they will be advertising on their in-vehicle radio service. Over half of the music that is listened to is listened to in the car, and Pandora is looking to increase revenue by providing more targeted advertising to their media partners. Currently, customers who have Pandora built-in to their vehicle can listen to their music commercial-free. With this new partnership, that will soon change.
For those who listen to iTunes Radio but do not pay for iTunes Match, there are commercials placed strategically every three or four songs in to subsidize the free content. Presumably, the Pandora advertising will be similar. Since Pandora knows that these listeners are in the car, advertisers can better target their advertising for maximum profitability.
READ: How To Use iTunes Radio
Pandora’s Chief Marketing Officer, Simon Fleming-Wood, believes this is a good move for the company. “With an 8.60% share of total U.S. radio listening and unmatched growth and adoption of Pandora in the car, we are now seizing the opportunity to connect advertisers with a more targeted audience than traditional radio can provide,” Fleming-Wood stated.
As with iTunes Radio, Pandora subscribers who pay for Pandora One will be able to continue listening to music without the interruption of commercials.
It is surprising that Pandora hasn’t been advertising in the vehicle yet, because streaming music does not come free to the company. If the commercials stay under 30 seconds and are not doubled up they way they are on regular radio, it might not be that intrusive. It will be interesting to see how users respond.


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Burger King Summoned To Russian Prosecutor Over Issuing CryptocurrencySeptember 22, 2017 8:24 pm
Only a month after the fast food giant Burger King launched its own blockchain token called Whoppercoin in Russia, the company was questioned by the Izmailovo inter-district prosecutor’s office over its new cryptocurrency, according to Bitcoin News.
A Burger King representative told RNS that the company had received two notifications from the prosecutor’s office: first on Sept. 13, then on Sept. 19 that had “an invitation to the Izmaylovskoy prosecutor’s office on behalf of the prosecutor’s office in Moscow.”
“On the instructions of the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, information was checked that we issued a cryptocurrency and started making payments with it. Accordingly, we were summoned to be reminded that within the territory of the Russian Federation the turnover of any currency other than Russian rubles was banned and all details of this project were clarified.”
The Burger King platform lets users who download their wallet issue their own coins and trade them with other Waves wallet holders, while a decentralized exchange built into Waves wallets also allows the tokens to be traded with other cryptocurrencies along with fiat currencies.
Whoppercoins “will be used to reward customers for their purchases, and can be used to buy burgers in return when enough have been accrued,” Waves detailed at the time.
“The initiative is being run by Burger King Russia. Whoppercoins have already been issued, with a supply of 1 billion (further Whoppercoins can be issued if required). Customers will receive one Whoppercoin for every rouble they spend (1 USD = 59 RUB), and a Whopper burger can be purchased for 1,700 Whoppercoins.”
The prosecutor’s office was asking Burger King to describe what a Whoppercoin is and how it works, while also requesting a statement concerning that it did not conduct a mass issuance of Whoppercoins.
Burger King representatives insisted that the company did not break any laws.
“In the Russian legislation, the concept of ‘cryptocurrency’ is not fixed, as there is no ban on conducting transactions using virtual currency,” Nino Tsiklauri, the senior legal counsel for Burger King in Russia said.
The Russian finance ministry and the central bank are currently working to provide a legal framework for cryptocurrencies while working on a draft law to be completed by the end of the year, according to the Minister of Finance.
A partner from the A2 law firm, Mikhail Aleksandrov described the case of the Whoppercoins more closely resembling coupons than currency.
“It’s more of a marketing story, not a payment story,” he described, as reported by Vedomosti.
–WN.com, Maureen Foody


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Cannock Chase and Stafford Borough councils wanted to leverage their shared services partnership, as well as the work already done by Stafford through its MyCouncilServices mobile working system, to enable both new and existing e-forms to be delivered for a range of services via apps on smartphones and/or tablets. This case study forms part of our digital experts resource.
The forms included e-payment functionality and integration to back-office systems.
Read the full case study
Read an update from December 2016
Bob talks about making e-forms available online and, via an app for smartphones and tablets.
Darren talks about progress to make Cannock Chase Council services accessible via e-forms and a smartphone app.


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The FTA said a plan by the government to establish 10 freeports in the UK as part of its “levelling-up” agenda has the potential to unlock significant opportunities for international trade. However, it also warned that the policy brings with it a host of problems relating to competition, planning and friction with the Northern Ireland protocol and it urged clarity and more details about their creation. Freeports are zones considered as outside their home country for customs purposes, enabling goods […]
DSV Road depots in Purfleet and Tamworth handled over 10 million kg of freight in September each – the first time the company has achieved such volumes– and the Tamworth site matched the landmark figure in October.
“We’ll help you save time and avoid big fines” – Sarah Llewelyn, head of Shell Fleet Solutions UK, on why its new tolling solution is vital to hauliers
For fleets transporting goods between the UK and Europe, this year has presented further challenges for drivers. Additional border checks have caused increased traffic, and in April, trucks in Europe saw their waiting times at border crossings increase by 28%, compared to pre-crisis levels.
Major management restructuring in the face of declining revenues at the UK International division of TNT Express has also seen ‘a handful’ of top executives made redundant, Motortransport.co.uk has learnt.


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- For those who enjoy high-end groceries but dread schlepping to over-crowded upscale grocery stores, an Amazon Prime subscription just became a bit more appealing. Prime customers can now order goods from Whole Foods for same-day or one-day shipping, and Whole Foods 365 products are available for two-hour shipping. Perhaps this added convenience for Whole Foods shoppers will soften the blow of the supermarket chain’s rising prices.
- Fried chicken, one of America’s greatest foods, is getting the star treatment in a new documentary. Holy Bird is directed by Daniel Thoennessen and features interviews with big food world names such as Ed Lee and Leah Chase. The doc is currently in production with no announced release date, but a couple of clips give viewers a sneak peek.
- A thief who stole half-a-million dollars worth of wine from Napa Valley’s the French Laundry has been sentenced to there years in prison.
- The fancy Coravin system, which allows wine to be poured without removing the cork from the bottle, is now bluetooth compatible. The new model, priced at a cool 899 pounds ($1,215), will be released in September and can pair with an app that offers pairing suggestions, among other tasks.
- “Barbecue beef” and “pulled pork” are definitely not the same things. Get that right, journalists.
Correction of the day: "In an earlier version of this article, the headline and first paragraph incorrectly said the man who broke into the restaurant ate pulled pork." https://t.co/XpwKpyYiKl— Jack Shafer (@jackshafer) January 10, 2018
- Now that sexual predators are being held accountable by the public, Bravo’s hit culinary competition Top Chef is having some problematic moments. The New York Post’s Johnny Oleksinski says it might be time to take the series off the air.
- Count Jack in the Box chief executive officer Leonard Comma among those who are ready to replace wage-earning human workers with robots: “As we see the rising costs of labor, it just makes sense,” Comma said at an industry conference on Tuesday. No word on whether the CEO would support any sort of universal basic income to supplement lost paychecks for would-be ex-Jack In The Box employees.
- While some Hollywood celebrities prefer In-N-Out as their post-awards show meal, Saturday Night Live star Leslie Jones opts for Jack In The Box delivery. This year, unfortunately, her order was an hour late and she had to pick it up in her pajamas.
- Here’s a New York Times deep dive into the kitchen and philosophy of Angie Mar, chef and owner of the Beatrice Inn.
- Fist-pumping expert Pitbull is opening a restaurant in South Beach, and it will include a VIP party room just for Pitbull himself. Dale.
- Actor Ben Feldman, who is currently seen in the NBC series Superstore, is a big fan of Eleven Madison Park. Feldman enjoyed his meal at chef Daniel Humm’s NYC restaurant so much, he sent the EMP staff a performance from a drag performer as a tip.
- And finally, if you want to trick party guests into thinking you enjoy consuming dishwasher detergent for fun, here’s how to make candy that looks exactly like Tide Pods. Please do not do this if you have children.


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Continued from page 1
The Gaikai Facebook app is currently available in North America & Europe. To play you will need to be in a Gaikai coverage area with a broadband internet connection and Java installed. Gaikai works on any PC or Mac using Windows, Mac OS or Linux. Gaikai works in all major browsers including Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox and Safari.
Perry said additional games will be rolled out in the coming months, setting up new competition for established social game companies like Zynga. And offering game publishers a new avenue of mainstream gamers, many of whom have been introduced to games via Facebook.


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Commercial vehicle manufacturer Eicher has recorded a drop in number of sales during March 2013. The company sold 4962 commercial vehicles last month as against 6051 units in March 2012, amounting a sales drop of 18 percent.
Eicher sells 4962 units in March 2013
The following are the key highlights for March 2013:
· Eicher branded trucks and buses have recorded sales of 4962 units in March 2013 as compared to 6051 units in March 2012 representing a drop of 18%.. The YTD 2013 sales stand at 12388 units as compared to LYTD 2012 sales of 14195 units, representing a drop of 12.7%.
· In the domestic CV Market (5T and Above), Eicher trucks and buses have recorded sales of 4760 units as compared to 5786 units in March 2012, representing a drop of 17.7%. YTD 2013 sales stand at 11936 units as compared to LYTD 2012 sales of 13523 units, representing a drop of 11.7%.
1. In the domestic 5-14T LMD truck segment, Eicher recorded sales of 2820 units as compared to 3588 units in March 2012, representing a drop of 21.4%. The YTD March 2013 sales stand at 7641 units as compared to LYTD March 2012 sales of 9189 units, representing a drop of 16.8%
2. In the domestic Bus segment, the March 2013 sales stand at 1064 units as compared to 1080 units in March 2012 representing a 1.5 % drop. The YTD 2013 sales stand at 2186 units as compared to YTD 2012 sales of 2043 units, representing a 7% growth.
3. In the Heavy Duty truck segment(16Tand above), sales stand at 876 units as compared to 1118 units in March 2012, representing a 21.6% drop. YTD Eicher HD sales stand at 2109 units as compared to 2291 units in 2012, representing a drop of 7.9%.
About VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd (VECV):
VE Commercial Vehicles Limited (VECV) is a 50-50 joint venture between the Volvo Group and Eicher Motors Limited. In operation since July 2008, the company includes the complete range of Eicher branded trucks and buses, VE Powertrain, Eicher's components and engineering design services businesses as well as the sales and distribution business of Volvo trucks within India. The vision of VECV is to be recognised as the industry leader driving modernisation in commercial transportation in India and the developing world.


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WSTA calls for wine tariff suspension if ‘no deal’ Brexit
The Wine and Spirit Trade Association has called for a suspension on wine tariffs for bottles imported into the UK in the event of a no deal Brexit to prevent the price of wine “sky rocketing” to an all-time high.
Currently there are no tariffs on wines imported into the UK from the EU, Chile and South Africa.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, tariffs on EU wines, alongside a planned duty increase on 1 February, would add an extra 20p to the price of a bottle.
The WSTA estimates that the introduction of these tariffs will cost UK wine importing businesses over £100 million a year, with the cost ultimately passed onto the consumer.
“If the UK ends up with a no-deal Brexit then wine businesses will have to cope with additional tariffs as well as another duty rise – which is highly likely to end up full square in the consumer’s lap, bumping up wine prices to an all-time high,” said Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.
“We are calling on government to clarify their tariff plans now and – in the event of a no deal Brexit – to commit temporarily to imposing no tariffs on wines for at least six months.
“This would be a pragmatic solution with any loses to the Treasury covered by not having to implement a costly new system. It also leaves intact government’s ability to remove tariffs on wine permanently – but as part of a future free trade deal.”
Such an arrangement would “massively reduce the strain on the supply chain that a no deal Brexit will inevitably bring about”, the WSTA argues, and would have minimal impact to Treasury coffers, with any losses cancelled out by the potential costs of introducing a system for collection of tariffs.
The uncertainty surrounding future tariffs has led to many producers stockpiling wine to ensure supply post Brexit.
UK wine merchant The Wine Society has appointed an external warehousing firm to store the additional stock it has brought in in response to the challenges of Brexit and an increase in its membership.
Speaking to the drinks business, The Wine Society’s head of buying Pierre Mansour said the company had brought forward an extra 60,000 cases of wines to gives the society “extra breathing room” and to act as a buffer before and after the 29 March Brexit deadline.
Meanwhile specialist wine retailer Majestic has said it is stockpiling around £5 – £8m worth of booze in the run up to Brexit as it plans for “tough times” in the UK. Group chief financial officer James Crawford said the additional inventory would be on top of its normal level and would be brought in shortly before the end of the financial year to mitigate any disruption to the supply chain in the wake of Brexit.
Elsewhere, Direct Wines is bringing in an additional two million bottles, about a 40% increase, on their usual stock, while Bibendum PLB (as part of C&C) say they have developed a “robust Brexit plan” which will see them ordering “significant” extra wine to have ready in stock.
The WSTA has been advising members for over a year that they should increase their stock by 20% as a starting point in case of a no deal Brexit.
The WSTA has also warned that a no deal Brexit would mean the loss of access to the EU’s Excise Movement Control System (EMCS) which tracks alcohol coming in and going out of the country documenting consignments electronically.
EMCS allows alcohol to and from the EU to be moved on with no extra checks. Without it ports are likely to “descend into chaos”, says the WSTA.
Last year the WSTA launched its #NoToNoDeal Campaign which sets out why passing a deal with the EU is so crucial to the prospects of the UK’s world leading wine and spirit industry.
For more on the campaign click here.


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Breaking apart a company isn’t easy to do. Just ask Nortel.
Networking vendor Nortel is in the process of selling itself off in pieces and is doing a rather good job at it. Last month, Nortel announced a bid from Nokia Siemens for Nortel’s wireless unit worth $675 million. On Monday it announced a stalking horse deal with Avaya for its enterprise business worth $475 million.
Neither bid necessarily reflects what might end up as the final price for either of those units and there is still a lot of uncertainty around the future of Nortel.
On the wireless side, Blackberry vendor Research in Motion (RIM) is now challenging Nortel to allow it to participate in the process, while on the enterprise side, the details on the deal are still sparse.
For one, there is no indication at this point with the Avaya bid as to how Nortel staff might be affected.
“We don’t know,” a Nortel spokesperson told InternetNews.com. “We have entered into a stalking horse agreement with Avaya which means we’re not done with the sale and we will continue to operate as Nortel until the sale is completed. That will go until the end of the auction phase which we anticipate will go on in about a month.”
Nortel has been in bankruptcy protection since January of this year. A stalking horse asset sale means that other bidders could potentially out bid Avaya for the enterprise assets and it allows Avaya to increase its bid price as well.
As far as how existing Nortel customers and products might be affected there are also are few answers. Nortel’s spokesperson noted that the bid won’t affect customers during the transition phase. That said at this point there are no formal guarantees about Nortel’s product lines and how they might exist under Avaya ownership.
Like Nortel, Avaya doesn’t yet know how the relationship might look under Avaya ownership.
“I can’t provide information about what a combined product and services portfolio will look like. Avaya spokesperson Lynn Newman told InternetNews.com. “Neither can I answer questions about staff and locations. I also can’t comment on the Microsoft agreement.”
Though Avaya isn’t sure about some of the tactical specifics, they do see some key strategic opportunities in acquiring Nortel’s enterprise assets.
“It will increase our global reach and scale and the combined business will have a greater revenue base from which to fund R&D,” Newman said. “We’ll also be able to expand our partner and channel network. Nortel has strong relationships with SIs (system integrators) and SPs (service providers) selling to large customers as well as an extensive network selling to smaller enterprises. These would complement our channel network.”
As far as the possible impact on Nortel customers, Newman noted that both companies share a commitment to open standards rather than proprietary architectures. She explained that customers of both companies will be able to protect their business communication investments through Avaya Aura, which is Avaya’s open standards-based technology.
“Aura is compatible with Nortel’s open architecture,” Newman said. “This allows customers who want to migrate to Avaya to have a smooth migration within a multi-vendor environment. In particular, traditional Nortel customers should consider Avaya Aura as a means to migrate to SIP while integrating with their existing investments, allowing them to migrate and integrate as needed.”
Next page: RIM wants in
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Blackberry Vendor Wants In
While the Nortel Enterprise bid goes on with Avaya, Nortel’s efforts to sell off its wireless division to Nokia Siemens now has a new snag. RIM is now saying it has been blocked by Nortel from participating in the bidding process. In a statement, RIM said that it would be prepared to pay up to $1.1 billion for the wireless assets, which would be a significant premium over the $675 million offered by Nokia Siemens.
“RIM is extremely disappointed that Nortel’s world leading technology, the development of which has been funded in part by Canadian taxpayers, seems destined to leave Canada,” Jim Balsillie, RIM’s co-chief executive officer said in a statement.
“RIM remains extremely interested in acquiring Nortel assets through a Canadian ownership solution that would serve the dual purpose of keeping key wireless technologies in Canada and extending RIM’s leadership in the research, development and distribution of leading edge wireless solutions, but RIM has found itself blocked at every turn.”
Nortel disputes RIM’s accusation that it blocked a RIM bid.
In a statement e-mailed to InternetNews.com, Nortel noted that it was disappointed with RIM’s comments.
“As previously announced, Nortel entered into a stalking horse sale agreement with Nokia Siemens to sell these assets, which agreement is subject to higher or better offers,” Nortel said. “On June 30, 2009, the courts established bidding procedures for auction of these assets. RIM did not object to the approval of these procedures. Since the approval of the procedures, Nortel has engaged with a number of potential bidders, including RIM.”
According to Nortel, it was not until July 15, 2009 that RIM submitted a letter to Nortel asking to be a qualified bidder. RIM did not immediately respond to InternetNews.com request for comment.
Nortel goes on to note that RIM has refused to comply with the court approved procedures. That issue aside, Nortel isn’t averse to including RIM at this stage.
“Nortel continues to be willing to provide RIM with the opportunity to participate in the auction and even without RIM’s participation believes that an active auction will result in maximizing the value of Nortel’s assets,” Nortel stated.


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This morning, Bandai Namco revealed its new action JRPG Code Vein with a press release from Japan, but did not mention any platform. A follow-up press release from Bandai Namco Entertainment America gives a bit more clarity on where the game is going.
The announcement points out that the game will release on “major home consoles.” Incidentally, it also mentions the fact that it’ll include a “massive interconnected world.”
We also get a statement from Bandai Namco Entertainment America Vice President of Marketing Eric Hartness, promising “plenty of challenge” and a “smart and engaging story.”
“Code Vein provides a fresh anime aesthetic and blood-curdling gameplay twists to the popular 3rd-person action RPG genre. The talented development team at Bandai Namco Studios is creating a tightly crafted experience filled with plenty of challenge that our fans crave along with a smart and engaging story that is sure to draw players deeper into the world of Code Vein. Let the feast begin!”
Code Vein is currently scheduled for a 2018 release, with a trailer coming next month. At the moment we don’t know when specific platforms will be announced, but home console gamers have a reason to be excited.


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U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman is in New Zealand right now joining other trade ministers from throughout the Pacific Rim in signing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Signing is not the same as ratifying. What the signing means is that the negotiations are concluded; the text is done; and that the TPP can now be submitted for a Fast Tracked vote in Congress at almost any time.
It’s critical that Congress is hearing strong constituent opposition to the TPP right now. Please write your Members of Congress and urge them to come out publicly against the TPP.
For the better part of a decade, we have told our representatives we want a “Fair Deal or No Deal” on Trans-Pacific trade. Now that the text is finalized and changes are all-but-impossible, it’s clear that — while a handful of well-connected corporations got a more-than-fair deal for themselves — for everyone else, the TPP would be a disaster for the economy, the environment and public health.
The TPP Is Bad for Jobs & Wages
As you would expect from a deal negotiated with hundreds of corporate advisors, while the public and the press were shut out, if enacted, the TPP would offshore good-paying American jobs, lower wages and increase inequality by forcing Americans into competition with highly-exploited workers abroad paid less than 65 cents an hour.
The TPP’s much-touted new labor standards are so abysmally weak that countries could literally set their minimum wage at $1/day and their maximum hours of work at 24/day and still be in compliance. The pact simply does not do enough to protect jobs at home or human rights abroad. Instead, it would only accelerate the global race to the bottom in wages and working conditions.
On top of that, the TPP is so poorly negotiated that it contains a massive backdoor for products that are assembled mostly from parts made in third-party countries such as China, with no TPP obligations whatsoever, to enter the US duty free.
Tell Congress we can’t afford a massive new job-killing, wage-suppressing trade deal.
The TPP Is Bad for Food Safety
The TPP would flood the United States with unsafe foods. Going beyond previous trade deals, the TPP includes first-of-its-kind language allowing corporations to challenge both U.S. food inspection protocols and individual food inspection decisions.
Consumer advocates have warned the TPP could have a major chilling effect on efforts to keep out unsafe foods that don’t meet the same standards that U.S. farmers, ranchers and other producers are required to meet.
Tell Congress we can’t afford a trade deal that jeopardizes the safety of the food we feed our families.
The TPP Is Bad for the Environment
The TPP would actually roll back environmental enforcement provisions found in all U.S. trade agreements since the George W. Bush administration, requiring enforcement of only one out of the seven environmental treaties covered by Bush-era trade agreements.
Beyond just failing to mention the term “climate change” in its thousands of pages, the TPP would also provide corporations with new tools for attacking environmental and consumer protections, while simultaneously increasing the export of climate-disrupting fossil fuels.
Tell Congress we can’t afford a trade deal that threatens the air we breathe, the water we drink and the future we leave for our children and grandchildren.
The TPP Is Bad for Access to Medicine
Many of the TPP’s intellectual property provisions would effectively delay the introduction of low-cost generic medications, increasing health care prices and reducing access to medicine both at home and abroad.
The TPP contains requirements that TPP nations allow additional 20-year patents for new uses of drugs already under patent, among other rules that would promote the “evergreening” of patent monopolies. Other TPP provisions may enable pharmaceutical companies to challenge Medicare drug listing decisions, Medicaid reimbursements and constrain future U.S. policy reforms to reduce healthcare costs.
Tell Congress we can’t afford a trade deal that limits access to life-saving generic medications.
The TPP Is Bad for Human Rights
The TPP includes several notorious violators of international human rights, such as Brunei, where LGBT individuals and single mothers can be stoned to death under Sharia law and Malaysia where huge numbers of ethnic minorities are trafficked through the jungle in modern slavery.
Tell Congress we can’t afford to ignore the actions of notorious human rights abusers.
Too many Congress members have hemmed and hawed about the TPP, refusing to state their position. Now that the text has been public for months, and that the agreement has actually been signed, the time for fence-sitting is over. Please contact your Members of Congress now and urge them to oppose the TPP.
Arthur Stamoulis, Executive Director
CITIZENS TRADE CAMPAIGN


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Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to post a year-to-year gain of 8 percent in January and to rise modestly during the first half of the year, the National Re
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Publication Date: October 19, 2007
Industry: Financial service sector
Source: Harvard Business School
Executives at First National Bank in South Africa are considering whether to launch a potentially exciting, but rather unorthodox, new savings product. Instead of paying interest, this product gives depositors the chance to win large cash prizes each month. Michael Jordan, CEO of the bank's Consumer Solutions Division, must decide whether to approve the product, weighing the potential benefits against large upfront investment, uncertain market demand, and the complication that the product might face legal challenges.


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It’s a rare occurance when a day goes by and I don’t get asked how I see the economy improving.
The answer isn’t simple. It all depends on where you’re looking.
This week, the folks at the Green Chamber Greater Phoenix have asked me to shed some light on what the “green” economy is doing in the Valley.
So, on Thursday at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown, I get to tackle not just the solar industry, which I tackle at least a few times a day, but the whole green building thing and where other sectors of the green economy are going, as well as the challenges.
And there are plenty of challenges: Money, financing, politicians, policies, laws, bills and China’s foreign trade policies are among the things that have had an impact on Arizona’s green economy.
For more information on the Green Chamber, click here.


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Government is reportedly reworking the FAME-II scheme to ensure companies use domestic components
- The government is reportedly reworking the
- This is aimed at closing loopholes used by companies to avail subsidies without adding any value in India.
- There have been allegations that companies are importing most components from China.
AdvertisementThe Indian government is reportedly working on updating the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME-II) policy to plug the loopholes which companies are reportedly using.
According to a report by Economic Times, the incentive scheme is being revamped to fix loopholes that reportedly allowed companies to avail subsidy without any value addition happening in India.
What is the FAME-II scheme?
For those unaware, the FAME-II scheme was announced in 2019 as a three-year scheme and was extended for an additional two years till 2024. It has a financial outlay of ₹10,000 crore. The scheme aims to incentivise the purchase of electric vehicles such as cars, scooters and buses by providing a subsidy.
To claim the subsidy under the FAME-II scheme, at least 50% of the components must be from the country to ensure domestic value addition.
The government is reportedly changing how the
Dasoju Srravan, a spokesperson of Indian National Congress, had alleged that Hero Electric is “siphoning” subsidies while importing batteries and other components from China.
At present, the EV makers calculate and inform the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) about the components and domestic value addition before launching the vehicle, and the agency certifies it. This reportedly allowed companies to claim subsidies even without meeting the component localisation requirement.
Now, the EV makers will reportedly be required to calculate the domestic value addition and record it into the company’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
“DVA (domestic value addition) data is required to be calculated and stored into ERP (enterprise resource planning) system of OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) at granularity level,” the note sent to automakers reads.
AdvertisementThe data will be required for each vehicle sold by the companies based on each chassis number and will have to be uploaded to the government’s FAME-II portal.
The tentative date for the implementation of the new requirements is September 1. However, it’s not clear if companies will be able to implement the new system before the deadline.
At the moment, it is unknown if there will be any changes in the prices of vehicles due to this development. Business Insider India has reached out to companies like Ather, Ola Electric, Hero Electric among others. We will update the story once we receive a response.
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A few days ago, a report published by our colleagues from CNET has pointed out a few details about the upcoming BMW i4 electric car. Now, BMW has published some preliminary specs regarding the new electric model.
As you may have read, BMW will offer until 2023 at least 26 electrified models and iX3, iNext and i4 will be the top of the line-up. The new BMW iX3 will feature the fifth generation of BMW eDrive system and the same architecture will be used on the i4.
According to BMW, the new BMW i4 will be offered with a top version that will deliver 530 horsepower. We don’t know for sure if the car will have one or two electric motors, but we can assure you that the new i4 will be able to run from not to 100 km/h in about 4 seconds. Also, the top speed will be more than 200 km/h.
Thanks to the new generation of batteries, the new BMW i4 will be offered with an 80 kWh battery pack that can deliver up to 600 kilometres of range with only one “full”. The range is calculated according to the WLTP standard.
The new BMW i4 will be unveiled in 2021 and it will be assembled at the Munich plant.


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We are just a couple of weeks away from the official announcement of the upcoming Apple products, as the company usually launches its new products in the month of September. This year the company will be launching multiple products including the superstars of the year – the iPhone 15 Series among others. Today we got a new piece of information that is revealing the details of the upcoming Apple Watches. So without making any further delay let’s get into the article to check out the new details of the upcoming watches of the company.
According to the latest information, the company will be launching three smartwatches this year that includes the 41mm and 45mm variants of the Apple Watch Series 9.
It is also reported that Apple will be launching the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra this year but the company will not be launching the Apple Watch SE 3 this year. There is nothing surprising element in that because the company usually launches the SE devices every two years.
The source is also suggesting that the upcoming Apple Watch models will be powered by the new S9 processor. The upcoming Apple Watch Ultra 2 is tipped to arrive in a dark titanium color option.
So let’s wait for the official announcement of the upcoming Apple devices and you guys are recommended to stay tuned with us for more updates from the world of technology.
Read interesting news, reviews as well as tips & tricks on TechnoBugg website, and stay updated with the latest happenings of the tech world on the go with Technobugg App. Also follow on Google News and join our Telegram channel for the latest updates.


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Subway's new Beyond Meatball Marinara sub might be one of our favourite Beyond Meat collaborations yet.
It's supposed to look and taste just like beef.
The fast-food behemoth began rolling out a new recipe last month.
Researchers look at the emotional effects of our food and the healthiest diet for psychological health.
Whoa, Nelly! The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found fast food serving sizes have mushroomed since the 1950s:


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For almost 40 years, Rania’s Catering has been a Washington Road staple.
Rania Harris, of Washington Road, who is also the host of Cooking With Rania, a weekly segment on KDKA-TV’s Pittsburgh Today Live, began baking out of her home in 1979, traveling store to store offering sample pastries in the hopes of generating interest and orders, all with her youngest child in tow. The home bakery grew into a catering business and, in 1984, a lunch spot in Central Square called Rania’s To Go.
Earlier this year, Harris sold the business to longtime employee Aaron Hoover.
“I feel like I sold my business to my son,” said Harris, who went on to say that she would have closed the doors before selling to someone who she didn’t trust. “Aaron is dedicated, hardworking, courteous, kind and service-oriented. The employees adore him.”
Hoover, of Whitehall, initially studied computer science. “I was programming since I was 5,” he said. But when considering job prospects, he decided programming wasn’t the right fit. He attended culinary school in the late 1990s, and subsequently “played the starving artist bit,” working at celebrated Pittsburgh eateries including Top of the Triangle, where he met his wife, Melanie; Wild Rosemary and Cafe Allegro, until a fateful Craigslist ad for a chef crossed his wife’s computer screen. Hoover recognized the contact information on the ad as Harris’s, who had been a frequent customer of Cafe Allegro along with her husband for years. “The first time we talked, it was for over an hour. That was 15 years ago,” said Hoover. “It’s been fun reintroducing myself as the owner [of Rania’s Catering].”
Rania’s Catering’s primary business includes catering services in a variety of cuisines for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and corporate events, as well as to-go meal offerings for holidays as well as smaller dinners. Customers can expect catering offerings to largely remain the same, according to Hoover.
The lunch café closed due to COVID in early 2020, reopening for a short time in November 2020, but closed again due to reduced foot traffic on Washington Road. The café remains closed, and Hoover is uncertain whether it will reopen.
The transition of ownership was a smooth one, as the two had been discussing it for several years, according to Hoover. A year prior to the change, Harris began to formally introduce customers to Hoover and hand off communications.
Customers can contact Rania’s Catering for catering services and to-go meals through the website at www.rania.com or by calling 412-531-2222. Customers can also sign up to receive emails with the latest news and seasonal offerings.
What’s next for Harris? She hopes to continue hosting Cooking With Rania and is considering creating cooking videos for YouTube. She’s also interested in pursuing Master Gardener certification, traveling, spending time with her family, and cooking for friends.


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- Green Growth
- Your Consultant
|PTF's headquarters at the Ocean Park building|
Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) is preparing to submit a statement to the State Bank of Vietnam and the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) that it has officially signed the contract to sell PTF to Southeast Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SeaBank).
This was revealed by Tran Manh Hung, chairman of VNPT, at the meeting of MIC on February 5. “VNPT has just held a successful auction of PTF with the participation of two banks,” he said. The successful selling price was higher than the initial price set by VNPT.
Earlier, according to the announcement of VNPT, the auction of PTF was to take place on February 1, 2018 at the initial price of VND500 billion ($220 million), which is the charter capital of the company stated in the business certificate granted in 1998.
|PTF's audited financial statements in 2015, 2016, 2017|
In additional to losing almost all of its owners' capital, by the middle of 2017 PTF has accumulated debts of VND347 billion ($15.3 million), including VNPT's debts.
The regulations of the auction noted that the investor winning the auction must inherit all the assets, debts, and liabilities of the company at the time of handover. Furthermore, investors must have a valid payment guarantee from a domestic bank to commit payment to VNPT.
Related to VNPT’s divestment of other companies, the chairman said the group has organised auctions in batches of six companies. Four of these were not successful.
Recently, VNPT's divestment of its stake in Maritime Bank has not been successful as no investors registered to buy. The group holds over 71 million shares (equaling 6.09 per cent of the charter capital), which were offered at VND851 billion ($37.5 million).
Besides, VNPT continues to divest other companies, including:
|VNPT targets to complete equitisation within the year|
|VNPT wants to sell finance subsidiary for VNĐ500b|
|SeABank and Big C sign strategic agreement|
|SeABank finances Vietnam Airlines’ Airbus A321-200|
|Special privileges for importers from SeABank|
|SeABank continuing preferential home loans|


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Tesla (TSLA) – Get Tesla Inc. Report is known as the industry leader in everything related to electric vehicles.
CEO Elon Musk’s trend-setting company set records in producing the most electric vehicles in 2021 with 930,422 built and delivering the most at 936,222 EVs. The company is looking to deliver well over 1 million vehicles in 2022 after delivering over 564,743 EVs in the first half of the year..
Chinese EV company BYD Motor delivered more vehicles in the first half with 641,350, but in Tesla’s defense, the company was hampered by covid-19-related shutdowns at its Shanghai factory for several weeks and that factory was responsible for half of its global production in 2021.
Tesla’s other competitors struggle to keep up with the company’s production and delivery numbers.
Tesla Faces Competition From Many Competitors
Volkswagen showed some of the best results from Tesla’s competition in the first half of 2022, delivering 217,100 EVs. Ford (F) – Get Ford Motor Company Report delivered almost 23,000 EVs in the first half of 2022. Rivian (RIVN) – Get Rivian Automotive Inc. Report says it targets producing 25,000 EVs in 2022. General Motors (GM) – Get General Motors Company Report delivered fewer than 25,000 EVs in 2021 and over 7,600 in the first half of 2022.
Tesla also has been the industry leader in vehicle charging stations with over 30,000 superchargers throughout the world. Volkswagen’s electric car charging subsidiary Electrify America has 3,500 charging ports in the U.S. and 807 stations in Canada.
Scroll to Continue
GM Encouraging More EV Customers
General Motors is seeking to encourage widespread adoption of EVs, increase access to vehicle charging and improve long-distance electric travel through a new partnership with Pilot Travel Centers to install and operate a fast-charging network consisting of 2,000 charging stalls across the country.
The charging stalls will be powered, operated and maintained by EVgo (EVGO) – Get EVgo Inc. Report and open to all EV brands at up to 500 Pilot and Flying J travel centers located along U.S. highways and connecting urban and rural communities from the East to West Coast, including different metropolitan areas.
The collaboration targets the installation of charging stalls at 50-mile intervals across the U.S. For GM, this development is part of its nearly $750 million investment in EV charging infrastructure
“We are committed to an all-electric, zero-emissions future, and ensuring that the right charging infrastructure is in place is a key piece of the puzzle,” Mary Barra, GM chief executive officer, said in a July 14 statement. “With travel centers across North America, Pilot Company is an ideal collaborator to reach a broad audience of EV drivers.”
GM customers will receive special benefits such as exclusive reservations, discounts on charging, a streamlined charging process through Plug and Charge and integration into GM’s vehicle brand apps providing real-time charger availability and help with route planning.
“GM and Pilot Company designed this program to combine private investments alongside intended government grant and utility programs to help reduce range anxiety and significantly close the gap in long-distance EV charger demand,” Shameek Konar, Pilot’s CEO said in a statement. “Our travel centers are well-equipped to accommodate EV charging with 24/7 amenities and convenient proximity to major roadways across the country. We look forward to collaborating with GM and the U.S. Department of Transportation to make convenient coast-to-coast EV travel a reality through our national network of travel centers.”
GM’s EV charging investment will help fund access to more than 100,000 charging points in the U.S. and Canada through the Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem, a buildout of a network of 3,500 charging stalls in major metro areas by 2025 and installing up to 40,000 chargers in local dealer communities focusing on underserved rural and urban areas.
“EVgo, GM and Pilot Company share a commitment to building an electric fueling network that increases access and makes the shift to electrification as frictionless as possible for all. We look forward to this collaboration and ensuring the EVgo network provides nationwide coverage, including critical corridors for road trips,” said Cathy Zoi, CEO at EVgo. “Through EVgo eXtend, we are demonstrating yet another innovative pathway to help America electrify — and showcasing why EVgo’s technology and industry leadership make us the partner of choice to site hosts, automakers and drivers alike as we work together to deliver a cleaner future of transportation.”


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Hawaii Mug Shots - 2013
Cold and flu season is here. Dr. Frank Lipman, founder of the Eleven Elven Wellness Center, shared 10 tips with the Huffington Post to naturally boost your immunity and keep those germs at bay.
This year's flu season is the worst in years. Find out how you can naturally boost your immunity and keep those germs away.
General Growth Properties and Bloomingdale's announced Friday the opening of a 167,000-square-foot, three-level store at Ala Moana Center in late 2015.


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Construction underway at the old 7-Eleven in the Sixth Avenue neighborhood has prompted many readers to ask, “What’s going on at that space?”
Here’s your answer. The co-owners of Rhein Haus Tacoma are turning the building at 4328 Sixth Ave. into a family-friendly taproom modeled after Beer Star, their taproom with the same name that opened in May 2017 in Seattle’s White Center neighborhood.
They had hoped to open Beer Star Tacoma by September, but permit delays nixed that.
“Our permits dragged on for four months, but we are finally back on track,” said co-owner James Weimann. One of the delays was the result of a requirement to install a grease interceptor.
If all goes as planned, Beer Star Tacoma should be open by the close of October.
The 3,500-square-foot space will be a taproom with space for 99 people. There will be about 24 seats at the bar alone. They also plan for a large outdoor patio area.
“We are especially excited about the outdoor patio area,” said Weimann. “We have converted a 5-feet-round Vietnamese sugar bowl into a fire feature. There will also be a huge outdoor TV for sporting events and classic movies.”
They’ll have 50 beers on tap with heavy representation from Tacoma and Seattle brewers. Wine and cider also will be on tap.
The White Center Beer Star building has a kitchen and affiliated small restaurants, but there won’t be much of a kitchen at the Tacoma location. They’ll prepare a limited menu of sandwiches, said Weimann. They plan to invite visiting food trucks to serve at the taproom seven days a week, though.
A selling point for the White Center Beer Star is that there’s a significant indoor play area for children. The same will be true for Tacoma’s Beer Star.
Behind the project are Weimann and Deming Maclise, who co-own multiple restaurants and entertainment venues from Seattle to Tacoma. Business partners Patrick Riggs, Deveaux Hill and Galen Krohn will run Beer Star Tacoma.
This will be their second project in Tacoma following the opening of Rhein Haus Tacoma, an expansive Bavarian-themed beer hall and restaurant, in February 2017.
Hot Rhein Haus tip: Two of the bocce ball courts at Rhein Haus Tacoma currently are under construction to become a space for nine rounds of mini golf. The project will be done in October. The mini golf will carry a German theme, of course.
“Black Rock Industries in Auburn is hand-making each German-inspired hole, and they are looking awesome,” said Weimann.