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While we won’t see a convertible Scion FR-S here in the U.S., it is reported that Subaru will be bring a production convertible to North America in 2014. Automotive News is reporting that Subaru has decided to move ahead with plans to build a convertible BRZ for the U.S. market and it will be launched here as a 2014 model.
Tetsuya Tada, Toyota lead developer for the 86 project, has said that a convertible Scion FR-S has been planned all along, but do to pricing issues, they have decided to shelve the idea. They will be offering the drop-top version in European and Japanese markets in early 2014 under the Toyota GT badge. It is good news that Subaru will be offering a soft-top BRZ for buyers in North America.
In the U.S., the Scion FR-S and the BRZ are well-priced at $25,000, and the convertible option will likely add a few thousand dollars to the cost of the vehicle. Subaru is making a wise decision because there aren’t a lot of drop-top models to choose from in this segment. The 2013 Ford Mustang and the 2012 Mazda MX-5 are the only two options and the BRZ should compete well against those two competitors.
If Subaru puts the new supercharged version of the 2.0-liter FA-series four-cylinder engine that is now used in the updated Japanese-market Legacy sedan and Outback wagon, this could get even more interesting. Reports say the new turbocharged engine will produce 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. This would be a huge increase over the current 200 horsepower boxer engine currently under the hood of the 2013 Subaru BRZ.
With the additional weight that will be added to the convertible BRZ, it would make a big difference for Subaru to offer the higher horsepower engine. And since it has already been developed, Engineers just need to redesign the engine compartment to accommodate the new powerplant. If retooling isn’t cost prohibitive, we could see a 300 horsepower BRZ coupe and convertible in the near future.
Subaru could also bring out the new 2014 BRZ convertible as a two-seat roadster. In order to keep the weight increase to a minimum, engineers could take out the rear seats. The popular BRZ coupe has been selling well, and regardless of what engine is used, a 2014 Subaru BRZ convertible should sell well without competition from the Scion FR-S.
Source: Automotive News


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Coming from the Nintendo Force team!
Satoru Iwata was one of a kind. Millions of gamers around the world got to know him as the President of Nintendo a little over a decade ago, when he began to regularly host the company’s Nintendo Direct video presentations, striking that famous pose you see above. He brought news and game announcements “Directly to You!” . . . but only for a few years. Sadly, Mr. Iwata passed away in 2015, taken from the world far too soon at the age of only 55.
Following that shocking loss, Nintendo fans poured out tributes to his life and career across the Internet, and the gang at Nintendo Force Magazine dedicated their next issue to him, creating “Thank You, Mr. Iwata” as their 17th edition. It was received incredibly well, and remains their most popular single issue to this day! But, at the end of the day, it was still a normal NF issue, which meant the pages we were able to allot to celebrating Mr. Iwata’s life and achievements had to fit in alongside things like previews of Yo-kai Watch and their review of Super Mario Maker. Well, no more sharing the page count!
Nintendo Force Magazine just hit its 10-year anniversary earlier this year, and to mark that milestone they’re doing something big: They’re expanding into book publishing! The team wants to revisit topics that they first touched on in past issues, and go into more depth and detail than the normal magazine format allows. Which means they can finally tell Mr. Iwata’s full story in the way it deserves to be told!
The all-new book “The Impact of Iwata” will pack over 220 pages with an in-depth look back at his incredible career, covering all the well-known high points of his years at HAL and Nintendo (like the time he swooped in and saved EarthBound with his ingenious programming skills). But you’ll also get lesser-known facts and stories that the team didn’t get a chance to include in that NF issue eight years ago.
The book will blend text and artwork together, with quotes from Mr. Iwata himself and the colleagues who worked alongside him, spotlights on the games he helped create and the legacies they’ve inspired in the years since, and beautiful full-color illustrations to introduce each of 16 different chapters.
If you’d like to pledge to this Kickstarter to snag a copy of this book, you can do so through this link.

domain: news


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The Samsung Galaxy S5 unveiling is quickly approaching and a new rumor states that the device will ditch a physical home button and add a fingerprint sensor.
The smartphone will allow users to scan their fingerprints at the bottom left and right sides of the screen, according to an industry source. The scanner will be concealed in the handset's corners and the phone is also said to get rid of the home button hardware found on previous Galaxy models. On screen options will replace it.
The touchscreen is also expected to work while the user is wearing gloves.
"Scanning fingerprints on the entire screen, which was much talked about recently, will be available in the latter half of this year as there are still technological hurdles to overcome," read the report.
A new teaser poster that reveals the release date for the Galaxy S5 also displays new icons that will most likely be used for the next version of TouchWiz.
The image features the date and time of the event where it is expected to be unveiled along with redesigned TouchWiz icons for Speed, Outdoor, Curiosity, Fun, Social, Style, Privacy, Fitness and Life.
These nine attributes will characterize the smartphone, according to Samsung.
The Galaxy S5 is rumored to be unveiled at Samsung's "Unpacked" event set to take place on Feb. 24. The New York Times is reporting that the S5 will launch there and that it will be unveiled alongside the Galaxy Gear 2 smart watch. The event will be a bit less flashy than the Galaxy S4's unveiling, according to those familiar with the matter.
The Times also confirmed that the device would feature a 16-megapixel camera and would not have the rumored iris scanner on board. This report is in line with a previous one that quoted words from Samsung's VP who said the S5 will be a "back to basics" device.


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The chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority has expressed concerns that some regulated companies are still falling "well short" of the standards he expects on financial promotions of retail investments.
Andrew Bailey has written to all companies engaged in approving these promotions to warn them that the FCA treats this matter seriously but that due diligence is still not up to scratch.
This is despite the fact that the FCA wrote to all regulated companies in January to remind them of their responsibilities relating to the use of financial promotions.
But he has now said the FCA has identified a number of companies which appear to still be failing to meet the regulator's standards.
Mr Bailey said: "Retail investment products can expose consumers to a range of differing risks and returns and, particularly where those risks are not adequately explained, this can cause significant harm to investors and undermine the effective functioning of the sector as a whole.
"Accordingly, it is important the financial promotions of these products reflect an appropriate level of due diligence into the risks they bear."
He said that even when investment products are not regulated, or are issued by companies which are no FCA-authorised, should a company provide a s21 approval of their promotion, the regulator will still expect that company to demonstrate that it carried out due diligence to ensure the promotion was fair, clear and not misleading.
Mr Bailey added: "Given that a number of retail investments promise high returns and/or feature complex terms and structures, they present an inherent challenge to being promoted in a manner that is fair, clear and not misleading.
"Where we observe non-compliance with our requirements by firms which approved promotions we will take action."
Mr Bailey's warning came after the collapse of London Capital & Finance, a mini-bond provider which went into administration at the end of January, putting the funds of more than 14,000 bondholders at risk.
Shortly before its collapse the FCA ordered London Capital & Finance to stop marketing its fixed-rate investment bonds and Isa products and the provider had its assets frozen by the regulator.
The FCA alleged the Tunbridge Wells-based firm had signed clients up to fixed-rate Isas promising 8 per cent interest, with investors' capital then invested into mini-bonds used to issue loans to small businesses.
There were concerns the 14,000 clients of the firm may not have fully understood the nature of the investment they were making due to unclear marketing material.
As unregulated investments, London Capital & Finance did not need to be authorised by the FCA to issue the mini-bonds but it did need to be authorised to issue the promotion of the mini-bonds.
In his letter Mr Bailey said direct offer financial promotion of mini-bonds and other unlisted securities to retail clients was generally restricted to high net worth investors, sophisticated investors or "restricted investors" who have certified that they are not investing more than 10 per cent of their net assets in non-readily realisable securities.


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Pikmin 4 has a launch date. The cheerful strategy/puzzle sim will launch for Nintendo Switch on July 21, Nintendo announced during Wednesday’s Nintendo Direct showcase.
Nintendo broke the news with a lengthy, uncommented trailer showing gameplay from Pikmin 4 will look like on the switch. The trailer spotlights Oatchi, the adorable pup helping the Pikmin Explorers colonize their new territory here on Earth.
It will be the first game in the beloved series in a decade, and it will likely see a much larger audience than previous games. pikmine 3 launched on Wii U in summer 2013 and ported to Switch in late 2020.
Pikmin 4 will bring game planning and strategy to the eye level of the miniature Pikmin world, series creator Shigeru Miyamoto revealed in September. pikmine 4 It is said to have been in development since 2015. The game was officially announced in September with a brief trailer and a launch window of 2023 at the time.


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Vitalik: People Still ‘Underestimating’ Superiority of Crypto Payments
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin suggests that cryptocurrency’s superiority for payments is often “underestimated” over fiat, pointing to the convenience of international payments and payments to charities as key examples .
Buterin made the comments in a Twitter thread on August 24, explaining that it is not only censorship resistance, but also convenience that makes cryptocurrencies “superior” when it comes to international trade, charity, and even payments within countries.
People continue to underestimate how often cryptocurrency payments are superior, not even because of censorship resistance, but simply because they are so much more convenient.
A big boost for international business and charity, and sometimes even payments within countries.
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) August 24, 2022
Adoption of cryptocurrency in payments has increased globally. A report by data platform PYMNTS titled “Paying With Cryptocurrency” in July found that among companies surveyed with annual revenue over $1 billion, 85% said they embrace crypto payments to find and earn new customers.
The availability of crypto debit cards has also grown rapidly, with Binance recently partnering with Mastercard to announce a prepaid card for Argentinians. Many of these cards, such as Wirex’seven reward users with crypto cashback for paying by card and make it easier to spend several major cryptocurrencies, fiat currencies, as well as withdraw cash from ATMs.
As Vitalik points out, cryptocurrencies are also particularly useful when transferring money internationally and for charitable donations. Traditionally, when made in fiat currency, international payments can take a long time to process and incur significant fees. The war in Ukraine is an excellent example of his usefulness in this regard, with Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov having tweeted on August 18, $54 million was raised by the sole activist and non-profit group Aid For Ukraine.
However, not everyone has been so optimistic about using crypto as a form of payment, with common objections including price volatility, ease of use and regulatory risk, as well as fees. high transaction fees and long processing times for some cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Although it may vary, the Bitcoin blockchain is handling around five transactions per second (TPS) and average fees of $0.819 as of August 24, while Ethereum is currently handling approximately 29.3 GST with an average fee of $1.57. Visa, on the other hand, claims to be able to process 24,000 transactions per second and charges between 1.4 and 2.5% per transaction.
Related: Ukraine Showed the Value of Cryptocurrency Offerings to Real People
The development of the Lightning Network, a layer 2 solution built on top of Bitcoin’s blockchain, could be a solution for Bitcoin’s lagging TPS, while Ethereum has looked into layer 2 deployment technology, such as ZK-rollups to significantly reduce costs and processing times.
Stablecoins, cryptocurrencies designed to be pegged to another asset (like the US dollar), have also become a popular medium of exchange, especially in emerging economies.
#Vitalik #People #Underestimating #Superiority #Crypto #Payments #Crypto


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WATSONVILLE, Calif. - Just in time for holiday baking season California Giant Berry Farms launched an “All About Pies” national consumer promotion featuring their fresh blueberries and blackberries.
Consumers are encouraged to enter their favorite berry pie recipe featuring California Giant blueberries or blackberries or a combination of both for a chance to win a grand prize of $500. Additionally, the grand prize recipe will be professionally photographed and featured on www.calgiant.com
Entries have been pouring in since Thanksgiving and the promotion will run through December 14th. This provides enough time for the winning recipes to be featured during the holidays and allow consumers to try the recipe at home to share with friends and family during the season.


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AUDI AG: best first-quarter vehicle sales in company history
- Worldwide vehicle sales climb to 251,268
- More than 80,000 orders across Europe for the new Audi A4
- Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler, "We re committed to our 2008 sales goal of one million cars."
- Audi Q5 celebrates its world premiere at Auto China in Beijing
The first three months of this year have been the most successful first quarter in the history of AUDI AG: From January to March, the brand with the four rings achieved worldwide sales of 251,268 cars - 1.3 percent more than in the first three month of last year.
Audi sales in the first three months were up most markedly in the Asia-Pacific region, where the company sold 39,572 cars - an increase of 20.9 percent. In China (including Hong Kong), the second-largest foreign market after the United Kingdom, Audi sold 30,425 cars (a rise of 25 percent). The company also experienced impressive growth in Eastern Europe, where sales figures rose 15.3 percent above the first-quarter results of last year with 10,987 cars sold by the end of March. First-quarter sales in Russia were up 28.5 percent with 3,880 cars sold. In the United Kingdom, Audi even surpassed its record figures of last year in the first quarter, with further growth of 4.1 percent to a total of 32,512 cars.
Corporate Communications Esther Bahne Tel: +49 (0)841 89 35430 e-mail: email@example.com 2/2 March sales figures for AUDI AG were at 101,247 cars, despite a comparatively lower number of workdays. "After a strong start to the year, the March sales figures as expected show the effects of the generational change in our bestselling Audi A4 model", remarks Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. "Order placement for the new model generation is already very encouraging. We are committed to our goal of one million cars for the year."
Since the world premiere of the A4 Sedan at the Frankfurt Motor Show and the presentation of the A4 Avant in Geneva, more than 80,000 orders have been placed for the successor to the highest-volume model within the Audi model range. Already boasting numerous awards, the Audi A4 most recently won the title "Our Car" as Germany s most popular car, awarded at the AMI Leipzig.
The new Audi A3 Cabriolet, available since this week on the German market, has also been well received by customers. According to Stadler, "the order books are already looking good." This convertible model will give an edge to the already highly successful A3 family. Between January and March, AUDI AG increased sales figures for the A3 Sportback and the three-door A3 once again by 2.5 percent to 62,021 cars.
AUDI AG will also strengthen its presence in the SUV segment this year, celebrating the world premiere of the Audi Q5 at the eve of Auto China 2008 in Beijing beginning on April 19. The Audi Q5 is positioned below the Audi Q7 which has been enjoying worldwide success for three years now.
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Die Infosys-Studie „Digital Outlook for the Retail and CPG Industry“ zeigt, dass digitale Technologien in Handel und Konsumgüterindustrie unverzichtbar sind. Besonders IT-Sicherheit, Big Data Analytics und die Cloud genießen demnach Priorität.Weiterlesen


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GOING GREEN // Africa as a Global Dumping Ground
by Alex Rose-Innes
Africa as a Global Dumping Ground
While African leaders are demanding tougher laws to end the influx of electronic waste amid renewed concerns over toxic components, horror stories continue to find their way into the press, as the continent stills seems to be regarded as the Western world’s dumping ground.
African countries recently adopted an international convention on hazardous waste and called for uniform action to end the import of discarded electronic goods containing dangerous components. In some cases, the products are sent as donations for reuse, even though they are no longer useful. Also, it is cheaper for European countries to dump old computers and mobile telephones elsewhere, as stringent environmental laws make exporting used goods cheaper than disposing of them at home.
In response to the trade in e-waste, the European Union (EU) took steps in 2012 to strengthen its export laws to prevent the dumping of electronic goods in Africa. But now, for the first time, African parties have by themselves called for rigorous action to prevent e-waste dumping, according to the Basel Action Network, which campaigns against the trade in toxic waste.
Under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, EU countries will have to recover 45 tonnes of e-waste for every 100 tonnes of electronic goods sold by 2016, rising to 65% of sales by 2019 – or 85% of all e-waste generated. Newer member countries get an extension until 2021. This will include solar panels, fluorescent lighting containing mercury, and equipment containing ozone-depleting substances. EU countries had until 14 February 2014 to adopt the directive into their national laws, but not all First World countries have signed the treaty.
Barely one-third of e-waste items are recycled at home, researchers say. The bulk goes into landfills. But thousands of tonnes of electronic goods are exported, because second-hand computer components and recycled metals are lucrative commodities for poorer countries. The United Nations (UN) Environment Programme’s 2012 report, Where Are WEEE in Africa, states that approximately 220 000 tonnes of electrical and electronic goods were shipped from the EU to West Africa in 2009.
In Ghana, 30% of imports of allegedly second-hand products were useless, despite EU efforts calling for electronic goods to have some reusable value. Overall, the UN report shows that about 85% of containers arriving in Ghana with electrical and electronic goods came from Europe, with 4% from Asia.
Authorities say illicit waste is typically hidden in containers carrying legitimate cargo to thwart customs inspections. The UN Environment Programme has called for better controls in Africa, where the home-grown e-waste problem is also growing. In a related waste export matter, the EU is moving to end the practice of ‘beaching’ old ships in foreign countries.
Still, Western corporations are exploiting legal loopholes to dump their waste in Africa. And not too long ago, in the Ivory Coast, the price was death and disease for thousands. Poor Ivorians who live near the biggest landfill in Abidjan, the people of Akouedo, are used to having rubbish dumped on their doorstep. Trucks unload broken glass, rotting food and used syringes and children look for scraps of metal and old clothes to sell for a few cents.
The World Health Organization (WHO) had to send emergency supplies to the country as thousands of people sought treatment for nausea, vomiting and headaches, queuing for hours at hastily set up clinics. Many died. The reason? The tragedy ensued after a ship chartered by a Dutch company offloaded 400 tonnes of gasoline, water, and caustic washings used to clean oil drums. The cargo was dumped at Akouedo and at least 10 other sites around the city, including a channel leading to a lake, at roadsides and on open ground. The liquids began to emit fumes of hydrogen sulphide, petroleum distillates and sodium hydroxides across the city. As the tidy-up operation begins, environmental groups have begun to ask how this occurred.
According to the toxics coordinator for Greenpeace, it was thought that the determination of African countries to stamp the trade out had helped yield results. That this has happened again was labelled ‘extraordinary’.
This story is a common one. All down the West African coast, ships registered in America and Europe unload containers filled with old computers and used medical equipment. Scrap merchants, corrupt politicians and underpaid civil servants take charge of this rubbish and, for a few dollars, will dump it off coastlines and on landfill sites. In the 1980s, Africa was Europe’s most popular dumping ground, with radioactive waste and toxic chemicals foisted on landowners.
And now there is a new threat – the dumping of electronic waste, or e-waste: unwanted mobile phones, computers and printers, which contain cadmium, lead, mercury and other poisons. More than 20-million computers become obsolete in America alone each year. The UK generates almost 2-million tonnes of electronic waste. Disposing of this in America and Europe costs money, so many companies sell it to middle merchants, who promise that the computers can be reused in Africa, China and India. Each month about 500 container loads, containing about 400 000 unwanted computers, arrive in Nigeria to be processed. But 75 % of units shipped to Nigeria cannot be resold.
“There is a tradition of burning rubbish all over Africa, but this new burning of electronic equipment is incredibly dangerous,” said Sarah Westervelt of the Basel Action Network, a pressure group monitoring the trade in hazardous waste.
The UN Environment Programme estimates that, worldwide, 20-million to 50-million tonnes of electronics are discarded each year. Less than 10% gets recycled and half or more ends up overseas. As Western technology becomes cheaper and the latest machine comes to be regarded as a disposable fashion statement, this dumping will only intensify. Although it is illegal to ship hazardous waste out of Europe, old electronic items can be sent to developing countries for ‘recycling’.
On the outskirts of Ghana’s biggest city sits a smouldering wasteland, a slum carved into the banks of the Korle Lagoon, one of the most polluted bodies of water on earth. The locals call it Sodom and Gomorrah. Agbogbloshie has become one of the world’s digital dumping grounds, where the West’s electronic waste, or e-waste, piles up – hundreds of millions of tonnes of it each year.
When containers of old computers first began arriving in West Africa a few years ago, Ghanaians welcomed what they thought were donations to help bridge the digital divide. But soon exporters learnt to exploit the loopholes by labelling junk computers ‘donations’. These are from Germany, the UK and the USA, but this time the largest shipment came from one of America’s largest military contractors.
So where is it going to end? No one can say, but there is no doubt that, with electronic and electric usage all over the world, e-waste is going to become a bigger problem as time goes by and African countries will have to have stringent laws in place to safeguard not only the environmental future of the continent, but also the very lives of their own people.


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The "Farmers Insurance News-Alert" website is dedicated to providing the consumer and general public with detailed information concerning the Farmers Insurance Group. This includes fraud reports, consumer complaints, lawsuit's and other legal actions taken against this company. All information contained herein is for educational purposes only. Original sources, when known are sited.
GLASS FIRMS VS. INSURERS
And they believe they might just have a little more ammunition than they did earlier this year, when their initial efforts failed.
Bill Griffin, co-owner of D & B Auto Glass and active in the newly formed Arizona Glass Association, said he hopes the fact that a second major company, Farmers Insurance Group, is planning to begin limiting the number of companies it recommends will help convince legislators that some action is needed.
''It should give us a little more clout when we return to the Legislature in January,'' he said.
A bill that would have placed some restrictions on the insurance companies passed the state Senate this year but died at the committee level in the House.
The glass dealers were stirred into action last year after Allstate Insurance Co. began a nationwide single-vendor system in which it recommends that its customers use U.S. Auto Glass outlets for windshield repairs and replacements.
Farmers Insurance, which sells more automobile policies in the state than any other company, confirmed last week that it plans to start a similar program in the next three months but will use four companies on a rotating basis.
However, it said that policyholders will be allowed to have their glass work done at other shops if they wish and that it probably will pay the cost even though it may be higher than the four companies on its vendor list charge.
Allstate said its program also allows policyholders to choose another glass company if they desire. However, the amount the company will pay is decided on a case-by-case basis and usually depends on the difference in price between what its own vendor charges and the average charge of several other dealers.
Still, the glass dealers maintain, recommending an individual repair shop to someone filing a claim usually results in having the work done at that shop, either because the policyholder doesn't know of any other companies or just doesn't want to hassle with the insurance company.
''They're intimidating their policyholders into having the work done where they want, and that's boxing out a lot of independents,'' said Jeff Burr, president of the 45-member glass association.
He said people should not be steered to one shop or another by the insurance companies but simply be allowed to go wherever they want for repairs.
David Blunt, director of public affairs at Farmers in Los Angeles, said the move to the vendor plan is designed to reduce costs and give the company better quality control over glass repairs and replacement.
''It will benefit our policyholders,'' Blunt said.
He said Farmers is negotiating price concessions from the companies that will be on its vendor list, which should reduce expenses and help hold down insurance rates.
Blunt said he understands why the glass companies would complain about the vendor system because they're tying to protect their businesses, but he said Farmers' ultimate goal is to hold down costs.
''And the simple fact is that few people have a preference about where they go for repairs,'' he added. ''They just want their cars fixed.''
In Phoenix, Allstate spokesman Mike McKinney said his company views the single-vendor program as a cost-saving measure and a service to policyholders.
''We want to be the experts that policyholders rely on for price, quality and service,'' McKinney said. ''Very few people know any glass companies, because they don't have that type of work done very often.''
Griffin said the association hopes to get a sponsor for legislation that not only would prohibit the insurance firms from limiting the companies it allows to do repairs but would ban any type of intimidation to get policyholders to go to certain shops.
''If someone calls the insurance company and asks for a recommendation, that's one thing, but they should not be recommending certain companies,'' he said.
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Disappointed in the domestic pork market, Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) is now eyeing foreign markets for swine breeding, particularly Vietnam and China.
"Annual pork consumption in Thailand is 13-14 kilograms per person, which is much lower than that of Vietnam and China at 22kg and 40kg per person," Somkuan Choowatanapakorn, executive vice president for swine breeding and farming research and development, said last week.
CPF was counting on Bt20 billion in revenue from the swine department this year. However, the last six months did not reach half the target due to the high cost of feed, accounting for 65 per cent of total cost, and the low price of pork. And the second half is not promising either, as consumer purchasing power has faded, he said.
CPF has been expanding its pig farms to many Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries such as Cambodia and Myanmar for 20 years, as raw pork cannot be exported to those countries due to hand, foot and mouth disease. Expansion in Thailand is not easy because of limitations in regulations that decentralise power to local administrations, which vary from place to place.
The image of pig farms has changed under CPF's green policy aimed at cutting down greenhouse gases, lessening the bad odour and increase efficient resource usage. Thailand will be the centre for R&D before such technologies are applied in other countries.
Annual pig demand is normally 15 million heads worth about Bt100 billion with CPF commanding 20 per cent of the market. The pork market is very sensitive as a small change in production can tremendously affect prices. Porcine epidemic diarrhoea and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome are two viral diseases that caused the recent shortfall in supply. CPF has to be careful about protecting quality to prevent such infections.
Source: The Nation


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California telecom supplier relocates HQ, manufacturing facility to DFW
A California-based telecommunications supplier plans to move its headquarters and manufacturing operations into a new $20 million facility in Rockwall.
The nearly 100-year-old family company, Channell Commercial Corp., has decided to develop its new corporate offices and manufacturing operations at a 175,000-square-foot building at the northwest corner of John King Boulevard and Justin Road Extended. The move will initially create 200 jobs into North Texas.
The new facility will house the largest structural foam machine in the Lone Star state, company officials say.
"Our customers located east of the Rockies, in Canada, and throughout Latin America will greatly benefit logistically from our decision to build in Rockwall," CEO Bill Channell said in a written statement. "From a quality of life perspective, we believe Rockwall will allow us an advantage in recruiting top talent nationally."
Channell said he spent two years looking for his company's new home in a global real estate search. The company plans to begin its operations by the end of the year.
The fourth-generation company supplies thermoplastic enclosures and copper and fiber connectivity products to Dallas-based AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), Comcast, Time Warner, Cox and Charter. Channell also supplies a number of international companies.
The relocation shows the growth and health of Rockwall's manufacturing industry, said Rockwall Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Sheri Franza.
"Channell's new headquarters and manufacturing facility in Rockwall will be a huge attraction for other advanced manufacturing operations seeking a strong city and state to support their organization," Franza said.
Candace covers commercial and residential real estate and sports business.
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Oaklands Farm Eggs has reported a sharp drop in profits in the face of a challenging retail market, the latest figures posted to Companies House have revealed.
Despite this, the company says it has met its target of becoming the largest integrated producer of colony eggs in the UK.
The most recent set of accounts, which cover the 12 months to 31 March 2014, report a fall of some £7m in profit before tax to just £650,000, when compared with the previous year.
Turnover dropped from £63.2m to £58.5m, while the cost of procuring eggs rose from £45.8m to £48.2m.
A competitive retail environment was cited as the primary factor for the profit fall. The financials say: “We have had to walk away from accounts that are not sustainable at farm level.”
The directors’ report adds that investment was made in Oaklands’ contract free-range egg suppliers unable to secure finance “despite being sound businesses”, with a view to securing long-term supply.
Further risks outlined include volatility in grain markets, continued pressure on the free-range egg price, and wider factors influencing consumption.
Directors said the business had continued to purchase arable land, and was storing more grain to mitigate feed costs, as well as seeking to cut cost by investing in green technology.
They added that, given that the investment in colony farms was complete, a priority would be to “communicate the benefits… that these eggs provide possibly the highest-quality, lowest-cost protein food today”.
A further 17 staff were added to the company books over the period, taking the total to 188.
A final note in the report was the company’s intention to continue to promote its “produced and packed in Wales” initiative with retailers and food service in the country.


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Fintech Select – Solving payment problems for people in the ‘real’ economy
It is the nature of humans generally, and investors specifically, to be optimistic about the future. The dotcom boom, those bloody tulips and most recently, the dense cloud of sheer hope surrounding cryptocurrencies were just a few examples of times when investor optimism had run ahead of the market fundamentals.
But innovative, problem-solving companies with a focus on execution (think Amazon, eBay and Tesla) have made seemingly crazy promises, such as the internet and electric vehicles, into a reality. While it remains too early to tell which companies will “win” the cryptocurrency and blockchain revolution, there are many making positive strides.
Fintech Select Ltd. (TSXV: FTEC) (“Fintech Select”) is a truly rare company operating in the cryptocurrency space in that it has an established track record of almost two decades.
The company’s achievements are courtesy of two legacy ventures in prepaid card programs and financial payment services. These businesses have allowed the company to accrue over 18 years’ worth of experience in the payments space solving problems for real people in the economy.
While some investors prefer to put money behind completely unproven technology or management teams in the hope of a massive payoff, this is more akin to gambling than investing. To limit risk to your capital in the market while still preserving a similar upside, a simple yet effective filter can be to look for an experienced business and management team.
Businesses that have been in operation for some time are able to earn what some call “organizational memory”, which means that its employees are able to build on successes and avoid landmines much more effectively than newbies in the field. This organizational memory also allows companies to pivot to new businesses whenever the opportunities arise, which is exactly what Fintech Select has done.
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We mentioned earlier that Fintech Select already has two operating pillars that underpin its business. Recently, the management team, led by CEO Mohammad Abuleil, saw the opportunity to expand to a third business unit that allowed it to leverage the fastest growing trend in the financial world: cryptocurrency.
Specifically, Fintech Select solves the problem of how new investors in the crypto space can take their existing currency holdings or digital transaction accounts and use them to buy cryptocurrency. This is major simply because cryptos suffer from one of the biggest usability problems I’ve ever seen. Seamless integration with current currency assets is an absolute must if anyone is to profit from blockchain based currencies at this stage in the game.
The advantages of this model are numerous. First of all, unlike the scores of unlicensed or unregulated methods of purchasing crypto assets that have sprung up in the wake of the recent and totally insane rally, Fintech Select has almost two decades of experience in keeping customer funds safe and secure.
In addition, with the possibility to integrate the purchasing into an existing physical point of sale transaction network, customers can get an additional layer of security by not having to transact with wholly unknown entitles online.
While it is relatively new, the advantages of having exposure to the cryptocurrency boom could turn out to be similar to having exposure to Amazon, eBay and Tesla a decade or two ago. However, rather than betting on a possible “one in a million” company, it makes sense in these early stages to take a close look at those service providers in the industry that are likely to prosper no matter which cryptocurrencies emerge dominant.
It may be early in the race, by Fintech Select Ltd. has a considerable head start.


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While traders and Brits sit on the edge of their seat, the markets learn that the pound has finally recovered, 48 hours after news broke that it fell to its lowest since 2017.
And as traders managed to earn some profits in placing bets against the pound as it plunged into a black hole, amid jitters about the threat of a no-deal Brexit, stronger-than-expected retail sales numbers have helped the pound to
According to official data, British retail sales increased unexpectedly by 1% in June, which in comparison to data from June 2018, sales were stronger than all forecasts, resulting in a 3.8% rise.
Contrary to several economists’ views that the UK economy hit trouble during the second quarter, hopes that the economy is proving otherwise are down to the strong and unexpected retail numbers.
Both potential prime minister candidates appeared to be pushing towards a no-deal Brexit in case they don’t manage to renegotiate a proposed withdrawal agreement with the European Union – an obvious indicator as to why the sterling hit its biggest low against the dollar in over two years.
Adam Cole, a strategist at RBC Capital Markets, explained reasons for the pound’s drop
Whilst GBP’s recent underperformance is mostly related to a rising political risk premium, weak economic data have also played their part.
Following the results of the retail numbers, the pound rose from 0.4% to $1.2485, having traded around $1.2470 beforehand, which helped pull the currency out of the darkness.
Meanwhile, the sterling recovered 0.3% to 90.030 pence against the euro.
Britain is due to leave the European Union on October 31st, hence why traders are panicking that it could depart without trading arrangements with the bloc in place.


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Indians buy record no of cars in Oct
Passenger vehicles and two-wheelers, the two dominant segments in the Automobile sector, registered monthly peaks as the overall industry registered a 46% jump in sales over October 2009. HT reports. Auto sales in overdriveautos Updated: Nov 11, 2010 09:44 IST
Automobiles sales surged to over 1.4 million units in October, eclipsing the high achieved the previous month by almost 10% as spending appetite peaked in the festive month.
Passenger vehicles and two-wheelers, the two dominant segments in the sector, both registered monthly peaks as the overall industry registered a 46% jump in sales over October 2009.
Car sales jumped 32% as festive demand, the launch of new models and cheap loans saw consumers flocking to showrooms. Total sales for the month were 182,992 units, from 132,615 a year earlier, with Maruti and Hyundai, the two biggest carmakers selling more cars than they ever sold in a single month.
“October demand was good due to the festive season. The basic fundamentals of the industry remain strong,” said Vishnu Mathur, director general, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. “Last month was the best ever for cars, motorcycles and scooters. Sales normally fall in the second half but demand is still high so we should more than meet the sales target of over 2.4 million passenger vehicles for 2009-10.”
Two-wheeler sales rocketed to 1.13 million units, a 50.4% increase over last October spurred largely by scooters whose sales grew 104%. The largest two-wheeler manufacturer, Hero Honda, saw 42.5% sales growth to 4.9 lakh units and Bajaj by 33.7% to 2.4 lakh.
Truck and bus sales — seen as a crucial indicator of economic growth — rose 18% to 50,835 units.
India’s auto industry is projected to expand between 19% and 20% for the fiscal year ending March 2011, higher than an earlier forecast of 12% to 13% that was revised just last month.
Passenger car segment is projected to grow in the range of 21-23%, two wheelers at 18%, commercial vehicles at 20% and three wheelers at 16%. So far this year car sales have grown by 34%, two wheelers by 29.4% and the overall industry by 30%.
First Published: Nov 10, 2010 20:21 IST


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What impact does consignment have on the planet?
In acknowledgement of National Consignment Day on Oct. 1, The RealReal is launching a sustainability calculator to find out.
With the first calculation, the company focused solely on women’s apparel — and discovered that the 2.5 million items consigned to The RealReal since 2012 offset 65 million car miles in greenhouse gases and energy.
“Consigning is good for the environment, and I am thrilled we have developed a valid and quantifiable way for our customers to measure the positive impact their consignment has on the planet,” founder Julie Wainwright stated. “It takes my breath away that people consigning apparel alone have made such a tremendous impact — the equivalent of 340,000 trees planted.”
To develop the methodology quantifying greenhouse gas, energy and water saved from women’s clothing items consigned, The RealReal worked with Shift Advantage, a Portland, Ore.-based sustainability consultancy. The methodology specifically took into account four factors: impact by material, item archetypes, fabric composites and product type composites.
This is not the first sustainability initiative taken by The RealReal. The brand collaborated with vegan designer Stella McCartney to create an advertising campaign for Earth Day in April. Titled “The Future of Fashion Is Circular,” the campaign promoted the creation of resellable apparel and accessories that could be recirculated many times within the economy.
Luxury e-Consigner TheRealReal Opens LA Store With ‘Sneakerdome’ and Men’s Shop
Expensive Shoes Resell Faster Than Expensive Handbags, TheRealReal Reports
TheRealReal Is Selling the Self-Lacing Nike Mag From ‘Back to the Future’ for $81,000


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The Bank of Korea, the Bank of Korea (BOK), said that there are currently no plans to launch digital currencies immediately, and due to concerns about financial stability, it is considered difficult to adopt a similar currency in South Korea.
- Bitcoin smashed 19 times at the $10,000 mark in two months, and may not see 4-digit bitcoin again after this time.
- Professor Gong Yi of China Europe International Business School: the dusk of the company and the dawn of the blockchain
- Babbitt column | Digital currency relative valuation method
- Jameson Lopp opens his mind: If I am the President of the United States, I will give $1000 per person per month.
- The 18 millionth BTC has been dug up, and the "empty anxiety" is the true eternal story of Bitcoin.
- DeFi observation for a week: stablecoins and smaller market value tokens become the next major growth point
Researchers at the Central Bank of Korea published a study earlier this year that modeled how national cryptocurrencies affect the liquidity of commercial banks. The Bank of Korea specifically pointed out that the direct use of this cryptocurrency by the public may reduce bank deposits and reserves, leaving them with cash shortages.
Instead, policymakers plan to step up research into the issue of CBDC, saying:
"We will closely monitor the progress of digital currency issuance by major central banks and actively participate in discussions with international organizations such as the Bank for International Settlements (BIS)."
Careful consideration should be given priority
After Facebook formally decided to announce its cryptocurrency, Libra, the global central bank's idea of a proprietary digital currency has surfaced, which has raised concerns about the significance of digital currencies.
Switzerland, Canada and Singapore have also begun to explore the use of digital currencies and their research work. However, China appears ready to be the first country to launch a government-backed cryptocurrency and plans to launch and run its own digital currency later next year.
Historically, South Korea has been one of the most popular investment and trading markets for cryptocurrencies. However, the authorities have been hesitant to regulate virtual asset classes because of the regulatory oversight of cryptocurrencies that can legalize the industry.
After much thought over the past few years, the country's parliament has passed a bill that will officially classify cryptocurrencies as digital assets and cryptocurrency exchanges as regulated financial services.
More specifically, this regulatory framework will require cryptocurrency exchanges to report and register with the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of the Korean financial regulator. They must also adhere to strict Know Your Customer (KYC) rules, anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, and customer authentication policies.


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If Congress doesn’t reach a deal by midnight tonight, the government shuts down.
A shutdown isn’t just bad politically, it can also be damaging to the United States’ economy, taking the paychecks of federal employees out of the mix, and disrupting tourism across the country.
Here’s a look at some of the latest numbers on how a shutdown might affect our economy:
- A shutdown that lasted between three and four week could cost the economy about $55 billion, by the estimate of Moody’s Analytics economist Brian Kessler.
- Washington, DC, would lose $200 million a day on lost wages and lost spending by those who get furloughed. That estimate doesn’t include tourism, and the huge losses DC will feel from the museums and national mall being closed.
- The shutdown would “reduce federal spending” by about $8 billion, which could reduce GDP growth by .8 percent annualized, according to a report released Monday by Goldman Sachs.
- Moody’s Analytics’ Mark Zandi pegs the amount lost in economic growth in the fourth quarter at as much as 1.4 percent.
- One billion dollars a week from the pay of the roughly 800,000 federal employees will be lost from the U.S. economy.


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Latest News Headlines
Commercial Credit News
|TBC Bank of Georgia Increases Loan Approval Rate by 40 Percent Using FICO Technology|
|Tuesday, 20 December 2016|
TBC Bank, a leading Georgian bank, is the first in the country to introduce omni-channel capabilities to improve its originations strategy. TBC customers can start origination processes through a call centre and finish them in an ATM, kiosk or branch for ultimate convenience and efficiency.
Named "Best Bank in Georgia" 12 times in the last 14 years, TBC now boasts another award as it has received the 2016 FICO Decisions Award for Customer Onboarding and Management, which recognises its impressive results.
In less than a year after deploying FICO® Origination Manager, TBC Bank has seen:
· The loan approval rate rose from 50 percent to 70 percent, an increase of 40 percent
· The time to decision a credit application decreased from one business day to 15 minutes
· Time to market for application changes dropped by 85 percent, as 90 percent of the required system changes are done by the in-house development team
· The cost to originate a loan decreased by 50 percent due to lowered manual review processes
· The overall level of automation increased from 15 percent to 90 percent
“Our system, implemented in 2007, couldn’t support changes required to meet business targets,” said Giorgi Alibegashvili, TBC Bank’s strategic project manager. “In 2015, we revamped our originations platform with FICO technology, to cut loan decision times, reduce costs, and make the originations process more efficient. By implementing FICO’s cutting-edge technologies along with straight-through processes and better risk strategies, we have doubled sales in unsecured loans and gained significant advantages in a highly competitive market.”
“Developing a fully omni-channel, seamless process is very challenging,” said Nicole Sturgill, principal executive advisor, CEB TowerGroup, one of this year’s awards judges. “Being the first in the country to do so requires extra effort, as customers have to be educated and made comfortable with the new process. TBC Bank’s increased sales and automation results definitively highlight the benefits to be gained from an omni-channel solution.”
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Enabling pharmaceutical customers to improve packaging recyclability
Amcor, the Zurich-based packaging technology provider, announced on 29th April the start of customer trials of its highly anticipated recyclable polyethylene-based thermoform blister packaging, The new packaging is designed not only to meet the stringent standards of pharmaceutical packaging it also creates a more sustainable alternative for this highly demanded packaging type.
According to the company, AmSky™ achieves up to 70% reduction in carbon footprint, when compared to packaging alternatives on the market today. This is achieved by eliminating polyvinyl chloride and substituting it with a Polyethylene (PE) thermoform blister and lidding film.
The use of polyvinyl chloride makes attempts to recycle packaging more difficult. By removing it – while retaining all the benefits of pre-existing blister packaging – Amcor hopes to avail a more sustainable and environmentally friendly solution.
To speed up up development, Amcor has elected to co-develope and trial AmSky with a number several large pharmaceutical companies. It is expected that AmSky will be available in the second half of 2022.
Peter Konieczny, Amcor’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Amcor is deploying our unique innovation capabilities to solve the biggest and most significant issues in packaging today. With AmSky Amcor has signalled our commitment to breakthrough innovation in the healthcare space.”
William Jackson, Amcor’s Chief Technology Officer for Flexibles, commented: “This exciting solution is a result of Amcor’s continued focus on advanced technology and growth, using the entire power of our global R&D network to bring recyclable solutions to our customers.”


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Biden Warns: China Could "Eat Our Lunch" When it Comes to Lithium
Pres. Biden recently warned about China's dominance when it comes to lithium demand, stating, "if we don't get moving, they're going to eat our lunch." One junior mining company in South America is looking to become a strong link in the lithium supply chain due to a monster acquisition.
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Get In On This Crisis Investment While You Can
The headline screamed "Amazon, Google and Netflix are fighting over this rare gas," which is helium, nonrenewable, and running out. When it's gone it's gone. That's a huge crisis for medicine, the military, and computer chips that run the 21st century's gadgets, appliances, and vehicles. But, a couple small companies have a solution.
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text: I met with the CEO of Turn.com a couple of weeks ago, but on the downlow – it wasn’t ready for public consumption quite yet. Why? Well, it’s a rather audacious startup – Jim Barnett, former head of AltaVista, is running it, and it’s got some heavy backing. The plan? To compete directly with AdSense. How? We’ll seen soon enough, Jim tells me. BizWeek’s blog has outed the new company, however, so now you know as well….