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Cryptocurrency At 3 4 Of A Cent
· Note: Now might be a good time to invest in Ripple, as its price has dropped 70% lower than it’s an all-time high of $ in January Litecoin (LTC) Our list of what is the best cryptocurrency to invest in cannot be complete without Litecoin. Just like Ripple, Litecoin showed great performance in with a growth of almost %.
· Bitcoin Price Latest News: Cryptocurrency Bitcoin rose more than 3 per cent to touch the $18, mark on Friday, extending recent gains to a. · If you follow the cryptocurrency markets, it may seem like you're hearing about a new type of digital money every day.
$ billion. EOS (EOS) $ $ Author: Matthew Frankel, CFP.
(GBTC), MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ:MSTR) - Bitcoin ...
· The largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, which costs less than one US dollar cents, is Dogecoin (#28). A DOGE currently costs about $ There are currently around billion doge coins in circulation. Do not be fooled by the price of cryptocurrencies. · Bitcoin, the biggest and original cryptocurrency, soared to a record $19, on Tuesday, buoyed by demand from investors who over 7, times this year to overbitcoin worth $ · Ven: A virtual currency used by members of the social network Hub Culture for the purchase of goods and services.
Ven's value is derived from a basket of currencies and financial instruments, and. · Cryptocurrency ATMs are the most convenient way to buy cryptocurrencies using payment cards. Coinbase charges per cent on payment card transactions and on. · 1. Cryptocurrency is property. Bitcoin and its competitors look a lot like money: they’re a store of value and a means of exchange. But the Internal Revenue Service. · The cryptocurrency is down 10 per cent since this time last week, but hasn’t shifted by more than 1 per cent over the last 24 hours.
Anthony Cuthbertson 28 November · The premier cryptocurrency has gained a mammoth 51 per cent since October 1, rising from $14, to $22, on Friday, and up from its March low of $7, according to Independent Reserve. Bitcoin is gathering demand from a range of investment sources ranging from retail investors, traders to institutions and hedge funds. Penny Cryptocurrencies Today, it would be almost impossible to find someone who doesn’t know a thing or two about Bitcoin.
Even tech-illiterate people have heard about the world’s first and most popular cryptocurrency because, by now, it has entered mainstream consciousness. However, you won’t get the same results if you ask people whether they know Penny Cryptocurrencies Read More».
My account recently got limited and asked for like 10 explanations of "sales" which all were cryptocurrency dip buys and high sells (as is normal) all within a period of one week. The system flagged my account thinking I was selling items worth $ in one week when I hadn't done so in the last 6 years I've held a PayPal account. About XRP. XRP price today is $ USD with a hour trading volume of $8,, USD. XRP is up % in the last 24 hours.
The current CoinMarketCap ranking is #3, with a market cap of $27,, USD. · Revenues were $ million, down 6% yoy, but up almost 4% sequentially.
EPS was 3 cents per share, beating the predicted 5 cent loss by a. · Bitcoin just hit another milestone in its impressive run. The cryptocurrency surged 9 per cent to a new all-time high of about US$19, (A$27,) on.
Dent (DENT) is a cryptocurrency and operates on the Ethereum platform. Dent has a current supply of ,, with 86,, in circulation. The last known price of Dent is USD and is up over the last 24 hours.
Inside The Cryptocurrency Revolution
It is currently trading on 33 active market(s) with $, traded over the last 24 hours. · Currently the cryptocurrency is trading at just over US$19, per coin. The Citibank report, which described Bitcoin as "21st century gold", was leaked on Twitter. · 4. Verge. Instead of relying Verge ranked th by market cap with a total value of $ million and an exchange rate of cents. 5. Horizen Cryptocurrency. · XRP, the third-largest cryptocurrency globally, witnessed a 32 per cent increase in market capitalisation inwith the figure rising from USD billion in January to USD billion last week.
Besides a surge in market capitalisation, ethereum also witnessed a significant increase in daily transactions worldwide. Release Currency Symbol Founder(s) Hash algorithm Programming language of implementation Cryptocurrency blockchain (PoS, PoW, or other) Notes Bitcoin: BTC, XBT, ₿ Satoshi Nakamoto: SHAd: C++: PoW: The first and most widely used decentralized ledger currency, with the highest market capitalization.
· The largest cryptocurrency in terms of market capitalization climbed to $17, its highest level since Decem, and was last up per cent at $17, The notoriously divisive cryptocurrency has surged more than per cent since its low point of the year in March, hitting an all-time intraday high this week of $19, with bulls heralding the. · Choose a cryptocurrency exchange. There are hundreds of cryptocurrency exchanges, but not all exchanges work in all countries.
Cryptocurrency Market Capitalizations - Donuts
Different exchanges also offer different types of cryptocurrency, accept different methods of payment, and charge different fees. Compare 3 or 4 exchanges to choose the one that's best for cpsa.xn--80aplifk2ba9e.xn--p1ai: 28K. D’CENT Wallet allows you to safely store your cryptocurrencies and conveniently access blockchain-based services such as DeFi and game item management.
With a single D’CENT Mobile App, you can link with a hardware wallet or use it as a software wallet without hardware. D’CENT Mobile App offers the following features: 1.
Cryptocurrency portfolio management: visualization of assets with. · Ripple was the second-largest cryptocurrency in the world at the end oftrading at a price above $ and sporting a market cap of $ billion. Today, ripple is priced at just cents. I think your question is, which coins with a small market cap have the best potential in the next 12–18 months.
As many have pointed out, the individual price of a coin doesn’t, only the market cap matters. For example Dogecoin only costs cent. List of all traded cryptocurrency coins with market cap, volume, price and other trading information.
Market Cap: $B / 24h Vol: $B / BTC Dom: 64% / Cryptos: / Markets: Market Cap: $B / 24h Vol: $B / BTC Dom: 64%. · The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down the curb on cryptocurrency trade in India.
“SC rules curb on crypto currency trade illegal,” the report said while adding that the order lifted ban on trading in virtual currency, cryptocurrency and bitcoins. Bitcoin, the most valued cryptocurrency in the world, was down per cent at $8, The market cap of the currency stood at $ billion.
· Curtis Jackson, better known by his stage name 50 Cent, reportedly agreed to take bitcoin as an alternative method of payment for his album, 'Animal Ambition.'.
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A comprehensive list of all traded Cryptocurrencies available on cpsa.xn--80aplifk2ba9e.xn--p1ai Sort and filter by price, market cap, volume, last and change % for each Cryptocurrency. · Iran’s local cryptocurrency community welcomes the legitimization of mining as an industry but feels that miners aren’t being treated fairly. This is while neighboring countries offer rates that vary from cents to 5 cents per kilowatt/hour, according to local research.
$50 for your first 3 months Get the print edition and steer The UK’s financial regulator has banned the sale of cryptocurrency-related derivatives to retail consumers, saying the underlying. Back inwith the world reeling from a global financial crisis, many began to question the resilience of traditional financial systems, especially given the roles of banks in the crisis.
It was that same year that Bitcoin came on the scene, setting off a major philosophical revolution in global finance. Bitcoin, the first viable cryptocurrency, proposed a radical new form of currency, one. · The last time the cryptocurrency nearly touched an all-time high of $20, was back in December The stock has a week high of $ and a week low of 51 cents. Victims lose $B to cryptocurrency crime in first 9 months of A Bitcoin whale recently moved 44, BTC - a stack worth over $ million - for a tiny transaction fee of 32 cents.
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List of cryptocurrencies - Wikipedia
Arrives before Christmas Only 16 left in stock - order soon. · The Global Cryptocurrency Benchmarking Study gathered data from more than cryptocurrency companies in 38 countries, capturing an estimated 75 per cent of the cryptocurrency.
Paxos, the cryptocurrency partner of PayPal Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ: PYPL), has filed an application with the Office of The Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in order to obtain a charter to form a.
The cryptocurrency is currently trading above $15, – up from around $5, in March. It is now less than $5, away from the all-time high seen in late TheNewsCrypto is Cryptocurrency and Blockchain News publication media offering information, Cryptocurrency News, Events, PR and Bitcoin Event info.
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Tuesday, December 1 Breaking News. Chinese Police Seized $B Worth of Crypto From PlusToken Ponzi; Invest One Cent in Bitcoin”. · Revenue came in at $ million against $ million. The company had been expected to report net income of $ million, or 9 cents a share, on sales of $ million, based on a.
Cryptocurrency At 3 4 Of A Cent - Study Highlights Growing Significance Of Cryptocurrencies
Information about share by country and continent. Crypto ATM Distribution by Continents and Countries. The chart shows distribution of crypto ATMs installed in various countries and on continents.
· Driven by PC gaming, pandemic upgrading, and likely cryptocurrency miners, GPU units hit a healthy percent increase in sales over the previous quarter, Jon Peddie Research said in a. NetCents, the transactional hub for all cryptocurrency payments, equips forward-thinking businesses with the technology to seamlessly integrate cryptocurrency payments into their business without taking on the risk or volatility of the crypto market. A cryptocurrency (or crypto currency or crypto for short) is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange wherein individual coin ownership records are stored in a ledger existing in a form of computerized database using strong cryptography to secure transaction records, to control the creation of additional coins, and to verify the transfer of coin ownership.
· But Ethereum, the number-two ranked cryptocurrency by market capitalization, gained a staggering 2,%. But with a unit price of just under 21 cents, the virtual currency appears incredibly. +%. Lisk 24h $ + +%. Bitcoin Gold 24h $ +%.
Record-setting bitcoin faces test after volatile week ...
Bitcoin Gold 24h $ + +%. Tether 24h $ +%. Tether 24h. · Revenue was flat at $ billion versus $4 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were expecting the company to report third-quarter earnings of 27 cents a share on revenue of $ billion.


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It’s bad enough that Pokemon Go users have to dodge obstacles while playing the game, but now they must be able to uncover whether their favorite game is a fake app that could do malicious things to their phone.
Mobile security company Zimperium has put out the alert to make sure users are cognizant of these apps when they head into app stores. Verified app stores, like Google and Apple, are working hard to secure and improve app security, said John Michelsen, chief product officer at Zimperium. Both marketplaces add protection layers to ensure apps are verified and sandboxed, but serious risks still fall through the cracks and new fake apps appear every day.
For example, in the past few months rogue apps from developers in China have slipped through Apple’s process and masqueraded as big retailers like Nordstrom, Dillard's and Zappos.com over the holidays, the Marcher malware poses as the Super Mario Run gaming app, and malware-infected versions of Pokemon Go.
Fake Android Prisma apps are running phishing, malware scam as well. Most of the fake apps had no photo editing function rather they infected users’ device with adware and malware. Before Google Play removed those apps, 1.5 users downloaded
Gooligan malware can either be installed via downloading one of 86 infected fake apps through a third party app store or falling for a phishing scam, such as clicking on a fraudulent link in an email.
Michelsen has provided these tips to help identify an imposter app:
- Avoid third-party app stores: only download apps from official app stores; never accept downloads from “unknown sources.” Installing Android apps outside of Google Play makes it around 10 times more likely to have Potentially Harmful Applications.
- Look for butchered English: the majority of fraudulent apps are developed where English proficiency is weak, so it’s important to check for any spelling mistakes or grammar errors in the description and/or title. If it seems suspicious, don’t download it.
- Read app reviews: a real app will likely have hundred to thousands of reviews, while a fake app will likely have zero. In some cases, users may even warn you if the app has proved to be illegitimate. Additionally, if there isn’t an email address listed for support and legit looking website, it’s likely phony.
- Beware of retailers with no app or numerous apps: users should check the company’s official website to see if there’s a link to their app in the App Store or Google Play to confirm they have an app. Organizations without an app, like Dillard’s, are the most vulnerable because users assume that if it is the only app, it must be legitimate. Alternatively, companies with multiple apps are at risk as users may assume that all of the applications are safe if they’ve previously used other applications under the same umbrella.

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Loyalty becomes retail imperative as consumers scale back
With affordability weighing on consumers, retailers need to find ways to win and retain customers, EY global consumer leader Kristina Rogers tells Axios.
Why it matters: Around 35% of global consumers say that affordability is their top concern, an increase of 10 percentage points from October, according to the EY Future Consumer Index.
What they're saying: The higher cost of living is really affecting consumers’ spending decisions globally, Rogers says.
- “Loyalty is waning,” but it can be an area where retailers can improve, Rogers says. Part of the issue is the erosion of trust in brands, she says.
- People used to care about brands because of their status or because they believed the products had better functionality, but that isn’t the case anymore.
By the numbers: More than a third of consumers say they plan to spend less on clothes, per EY.
- About 44% say they’ll buy less take-out food.
- Nearly half say they will only spend on essentials.
- The survey had 21,000 respondents across 27 countries.
What’s next: Retailers need to take stock of where they are with their brand and what level of trust consumers place in it, Rogers says.
- There’s a more ready acceptance of technology and data sharing if there’s a “fair exchange” when it comes to making consumers’ lives better, easier and more personalized.
- This is part of building the relationship that retailers need to do to keep consumers loyal.
- Retailers need to address consumers getting wiser about issues like greenwashing and "shrinkinflation," which can undermine loyalty efforts.
Context: Consumers are scaling back and they’re making substitutions, Rogers says.
- “We’re seeing a lot more appeal of lower-end brands and private-label brands,” she says.
- This is even the case with more sustainable brands, which tend to be more expensive, she says, adding there’s an intention gap between wanting to buy more sustainably while considering the wallet.
- People are much more willing to try out products and stick with them if they can do the job at the right price point.
- “People are just not feeling as much pressure to keep up with the Joneses,” she says.


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Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
A significant new federal lawsuit enjoying out this winter argues that social media platforms are “faulty” merchandise that may be held legally chargeable for harms they trigger to youthful customers.
Why it issues: Plaintiffs within the greater than 100 instances which were consolidated to 1 federal courtroom say companies like Fb, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube are addictive by design — and attorneys engaged on the case examine their work to the battle towards tobacco or opioids.
Driving the information: A brand new grasp grievance within the case, filed within the Northern District of California, is because of be filed subsequent month.
- The multi-district litigation in California is being heard earlier than Decide Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who presided over Apple’s litigation with sport maker Epic.
- A vital query on this case is whether or not the websites named within the fits and their algorithms might be thought of “merchandise” — and if that’s the case, whether or not the businesses might be held chargeable for product designs which can be charged with inflicting or contributing to hurt.
Of word: Final week, the Seattle College District sued tech firms for making a “youth psychological well being disaster.”
- As well as, the Supreme Courtroom this 12 months is more likely to rule on the destiny of a key regulation that protects on-line service suppliers from legal responsibility for what their customers submit.
What they’re saying: “When you will have a paralyzed legislature, litigation is the one motion that is going to push social media firms to make modifications and be held accountable,” Previn Warren, an legal professional at the Motley Rice regulation agency and co-lead counsel for the multi-district social media lawsuit, instructed Axios.
- “These lawsuits and the Supreme Courtroom case are going to place stress on these firms, and they are going to need to make design modifications, and that’s the solely path I can see that’s more likely to create change,” he stated.
Attorneys concerned with the case examine the trouble to the profitable authorized marketing campaign towards opioids makers, which examined new theories of product legal responsibility and public nuisance. However these theories haven’t but been utilized to social media.
- “What the plaintiffs right here are attempting to do is one thing completely different,” Decide Gonzalez Rogers stated at a listening to concerning the case final November, per Regulation.com. “It’s completely different whether or not or not the defendants prefer it.”
Particulars: One submitting towards Meta, introduced by mother and father of a minor final December which can be a part of the bigger lawsuit, describes a “faulty” Instagram design which doesn’t warn teenagers the app is “designed to be addictive.”
- “Options… are designed to use customers’ pure tendency to compulsively return to the supply of delight in anticipation of receiving one other hit of dopamine… Youngsters who try and discontinue or taper Instagram use might expertise signs of withdrawal widespread to different addictions,” the grievance reads.
The way it works: Warren stated he and his fellow co-leads are tasked with developing with one organized set of pleadings for future plaintiffs to signal onto, due February 14, and that he expects extra instances to affix.
- “We’re alleging right here that these apps are merchandise, in that they’ve design options, which can be faulty insofar as they trigger youngsters to more and more use the platforms to a larger and larger diploma, and that excessive utilization causes a wide range of psychological well being issues.”
- “The tobacco analogy may be very sturdy in our minds, due to the angle about advertising and marketing to youngsters and the habit issue,” and since paperwork leaked by whistleblower Frances Haugen prompt Fb executives had been conscious of their product’s harms, Warren stated.
The opposite aspect: Social media companies have pointed to their youngsters’ security efforts, saying that youthful customers will not abandon these apps, so it is necessary for fogeys to play a task in guaranteeing youngsters are utilizing them in a wholesome method.
- Meta held a day-long “Summit on Youth Security and Properly-Being” final month in Washington. TikTok has been highlighting its parental controls.
- ‘We would like teenagers to be secure on-line,” Antigone Davis, world head of security at Meta, stated in a press release, which additionally cited Meta’s instruments and guidelines for younger customers. “We’ll proceed to work carefully with consultants, policymakers and oldsters on these necessary points.”
- In a press release, Google spokesperson José Castañeda stated, “We’ve invested closely in creating secure experiences for youngsters throughout our platforms and have launched sturdy protections and devoted options to prioritize their nicely being. For instance, by means of Household Hyperlink, we offer mother and father with the power to set reminders, restrict display screen time and block particular varieties of content material on supervised gadgets.”
What’s subsequent: The defending firms are more likely to transfer to dismiss the grasp grievance of the mixed instances as soon as it’s filed, with a decide’s ruling following arguments.


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Budget 2013, also known as “Abenomics,” the central bank’s much-anticipated plan to jumpstart growth by slashing interest rates, has been given a boost with the Bank of Japan’s top economist announcing that it would be gradually cut over the next couple of years. He also gave an update on the Bank’s inflation analysis, which shows that deflation was already at the start of the year.
However, while the Bank’s decision to cut rates from its historic record low of zero was welcomed, this came with a catch: That all of this will be achieved without a new stimulus.
A key part of the plan is to reduce long-term interest rates below zero by late next year. While this would be effective for many people, who would save what they have saved and invest what they have invested to boost overall growth, it would probably result in a smaller economy.
But this is hardly the end of the plan, which the Bank’s first governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, put forward back in March. The Bank’s next governor, Yukio Kuroda, was also a member of the original team that developed this plan.
He called for cutting rates to boost growth by around 0.5 percent by 2020. The Bank’s current policy statement puts a target range on interest rates in a range of 0 to 3 percent. In this regard, the first target range would actually be lower than the average 2.5 percent rate that Japan has been at since the 1970s, and higher than any lower range that the central bank set in October.
As we have previously reported, the Bank was very cautious in its outlook for the economy and its outlook for inflation. It set a 2 percent inflation figure at the outset of the year, then later decided on a target of 2 percent in March and April as well as a 2 percent target in June.
Now, the Bank has published an updated economic outlook for 2013. As you can see in the chart above, the economy is now projected to grow by around 1.2 percent in 2013. In the next few years, it expects the economy to grow at around 1.5 percent per year. This is a big boost for most private people but will certainly be difficult for those at the bottom of the income earners to keep up with. That’s largely due to the fact that the cost of living is likely to rise.
In short, the Bank’s announcement yesterday, is nothing but a further attempt to shore up consumer confidence.
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BEIJING, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- China applauded the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling that the United States' Section 232 tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum products were in breach of WTO rules, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Commerce said Saturday.
The United States has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from certain WTO members in the name of "national security" since 2018. Such actions are, in essence, practices of unilateralism and protectionism, and caused serious damage to the rule-based multilateral trading system, said the spokesperson.
These actions are not only opposed by many WTO members but are widely criticized within the United States, the spokesperson said. That has shown that the WTO security exception clauses are not a "haven" for unilateralism and protectionism.
China hopes that the U.S. side will respect the ruling of the WTO expert panel and follow the WTO rules, correct its wrongdoings as soon as possible, and work with China and other WTO members to jointly safeguard the multilateral trading system, the spokesperson said.


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Wednesday’s global markets’ close
Britain’s FTSE 100
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EURO STOXX 50
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Hong Kong’s Hang Seng
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Australia’s S&P/ASX 200
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Bombardier Inc. said Wednesday it would not be flying its new CSeries aircraft by the end of July as expected after the final stages of validating the plane’s overall systems and its software integration took longer than expected, reports the Financial Post‘s Scott Deveau. It is unclear at this point when the Montreal manufacturer intends to fly the CSeries for the first time, but Bombardier said it expected the maiden flight to occur in the “coming weeks.” It is the latest delay in the CSeries program after the company pushed out the first flight by up to a month in late June due to software upgrades on the plane taking longer than expected. Bombardier had insisted the plane would fly by the end of July, however, at that time. Walter Spracklin, RBC Capital Markets analyst, said management was starting to develop a bit of a creditability issue. “We are concerned that management credibility may be impacted with each subsequent delay and should additional issues crop up over the course of the CSeries program, the benefit that investors are willing to provide could diminish,” he said in a note to clients on Wednesday.
Related: Air Canada orders test for Bombardier’s CSeries — Financial Post
More Canadians in debt this year, poll says
A new poll suggests that more Canadians are in debt this year and taking longer to settle their accounts.The study released Wednesday by the Bank of Montreal found that 83% of Canadians surveyed admit to having some form of debt, an increase from 74% a year earlier. But the poll also found that the average amount of monthly debt repayment has fallen by 13% from a national average of $1,138 to $986. Regionally, those in Alberta had the highest amount of debt payments each month at $1,225, while those who live in Quebec reported the least amount at $768.BMO vice-president Janet Peddigrew says these results could indicate two things: either people are having more trouble making high monthly payments, or they’re in no hurry to pay down their debt due to current low interest rates.
Related: Five signs you’re on debt row — Financial Post
A raft of Canadian companies reported earnings Wednesday morning. Loblaw kicked off the busy day, posting higher retail sales and profits in the second quarter. The country’s biggest grocery chain, which announced the largest deal in its history last week with the proposed purchase of drug chain Shoppers Drug Mart Ltd., raised its 2013 operating income outlook to mid-single digit growth from an earlier forecast of low-single digit operating income growth. CP Rail delivered a strong second-quarter result, but fell short of expectations as a series of derailments and floods dragged on the fluidity of its network during the quarter. The company reported net income of $252-million, or $1.43 a diluted share. That was a sizeable improvement over last year when the company delivered earnings of $103-million, or 60¢ a share, as its restructuring efforts takes hold. Rogers Communications Inc. said Wednesday it attracted more new mobile subscribers than expected in the second quarter but spending on promotions to attract customers cut into revenues at its wireless division. Other earnings out today: Encana, Cenovus Energy, Boeing.
How Apple plans to return to growth
Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, after making do with an aging lineup of phones and tablets last quarter, will need to look to updated devices and fresh ways to distribute its products to return to growth. Apple, which hasn’t refreshed its iPhone and iPad since last year, managed to top analysts’ earnings projections in its fiscal third quarter, even as profit declined from a year earlier and sales were largely flat. The company reported earnings of US$7.47 a share in the period, beating the US$7.30 average estimate compiled by Bloomberg. The challenge now is using new products and markets to get Apple back on the offensive. The company is slated to release updated versions later this year of its iPhone and iPad, Apple’s top-selling devices. Cook also aims to wring more revenue from Apple’s services, applications and 408-store retail network. Concern about the lack of a new hit product since the death of former CEO Steve Jobs and falling phone prices had helped push Apple’s shares down 40% from their record in September.
Related: Apple acquires Locationary, a Toronto startup, to help with troubled Maps app – Financial Post
In the video segment below, Benedict Evans, strategy consultant at Enders Analysis, argues that Apple has moved to a very safe product model.
Is trade deal about to reignite Europe’s interest in oil sands?
A pending trade agreement between Canada and the European Union includes an increase in the threshold, now at $1-billion, at which foreign investment deals are reviewed by Ottawa. While more symbolic than substantial, the new threshold for Europeans, expected to be set at $1.5-billion, along with other provisions, could reignite interest by Europe in Canada’s energy sector and open a new market there for Canadian oil and gas, most recently the target of Asian state-owned enterprises after Canada’s historic trade partner, the United States, stepped back, reports the Financial Post‘s Claudia Cattaneo. “This is a diplomatic handshake of welcome,” said Brian Felesky, Calgary-based vice-chairman of investment banking at Credit Suisse. While he doesn’t expect the deal to result in a rush of new European investment just yet, he said the symbolism is important.
China’s manufacturing engine may be running out of steam
China’s manufacturing weakened by more than estimated in July, according to a preliminary survey of purchasing managers that casts further doubt on the government’s ability to meet its annual economic growth target. The reading of 47.7 for an index released today by HSBC Holdings Plc and Markit Economics, if confirmed in the final report Aug. 1, would be the lowest in 11 months. Readings below 50 indicate contraction. A separate euro-area gauge showed manufacturing unexpectedly expanded this month. After facing down banks with a funding squeeze, China’s leaders yesterday pledged a five-year ban on construction of new office buildings for the government, the Communist Party and state enterprises. Premier Li Keqiang’s efforts to rein in credit, property prices, and officials’ extravagant spending risk worsening a slump even as state media say 7.5 percent growth is the lower limit for this year.
Meanwhile, Europe’s recession may be coming to an end
Euro-area manufacturing unexpectedly expanded in July for the first time in two years, led by Germany, adding to signs the currency bloc’s economy is emerging from a record-long recession. A manufacturing index based on a survey of purchasing managers rose to 50.1 from 48.8 in June, London-based Markit Economics said today. That exceeds the median estimate of 49.1 in a Bloomberg News survey of 39 economists. A reading above 50 indicates growth. The encouraging news from Europe contrasted with China, the world’s second-largest economy, where manufacturing weakened more than estimated in July, a separate Markit report showed, casting further doubt on the government’s ability to meet its annual economic growth target. “Today’s better-than-expected PMI figures clearly support the notion that the eurozone economy as a whole is leaving recession behind,” said Martin van Vliet, an economist at ING Bank NV in Amsterdam.
U.S. housing starts hit 5-year high
Sales of new U.S. homes rose more than forecast in June to the highest level in five years, a sign builders are benefiting from a lack of supply of existing properties. Purchases climbed 8.3% to an annualized pace of 497,000 homes, highest level since May 2008, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. The median estimate of 77 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a gain to 484,000.The gains will keep propelling residential construction and home values, giving the world’s largest economy a boost. Growing employment and the desire to take advantage of historically low borrowing costs before they rise further will probably release pent-up demand from consumers who had held off during the recession and early stages of the expansion.
A second look at surcharging
Maybe retailers will be allowed to charge extra fees for premium credit card users after all. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said he is “carefully reviewing” Tuesday’s ruling by the Competition Tribunal that allowed Visa and MasterCard to continue charging merchants higher fees for so-called “premium” cards, reports the Financial Post‘s Gordon Isfeld. The long-awaited ruling also upheld the restriction on retailers from imposing surcharges on customers who use those cards. “I will be carefully reviewing the Competition Tribunal’s decision and also monitoring any potential appeal,” Mr. Flaherty said, adding that because of “the importance of this issue to all involved,” he has called for a special government committee to look into the issue of payment systems. The committee will include representatives from the credit card industry, small business, retailers and consumers “to discuss this matter and next steps,” the minister said in a statement. Merchants currently face credit card fees from 1.5% for basic credit cards to nearly 3% for those premium cards that offer customers incentives, such as travel points. Those fees amount to about $5-billion a year.
Related: Despite ruling, credit card competition about to heat up — Financial Post
New safety rules for railways
If railway companies weren’t legally required to do it before, they are now. Transport Canada on Tuesday announced an emergency directive aimed at increasing rail safety in the wake of the Lac-Mégantic disaster earlier this month, including the immediate halting of one-person crews on trains carrying dangerous goods, reports the Financial Post‘s Scott Deveau. The ministry said although the cause of the derailment of a Montreal, Maine & Atlantic crude train in Lac-Mégantic, which led to at least 42 deaths in the Quebec town, was not known, it would press ahead with the changes. “The safety of Canadians is Transport Canada’s top priority. The department is committed to working with the rail industry to examining any other means of improving rail safety,” the ministry said in a statement. It added that the ministry had been in contact with those in the rail industry, including Canadian National Railway Co., Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd., and the Railway Association of Canada, about the changes.
Related: Questions remain on cause of Lac-Mégantic disaster: CN Chief – Financial Post
Consumers are spending again…
Retail therapy is apparently very much alive and very well. The biggest rise in retail sales in more than three years surprised economists Tuesday, with many saying they now expect stronger GDP growth in the second quarter, writes the Financial Post‘s John Shmuel. “Reports of the death of the Canadian consumer have been greatly exaggerated,” said Emanuella Enenajor, economist with CIBC Capital Markets. Ms. Enenajor said the 1.9% jump in retail sales from April to May adds upside to CIBC’s May GDP forecast. More importantly, she said the surprise number “could peg Q2 growth closer to 2% than our earlier 1.6% estimate.” The growth in May retail sales was the biggest month-over-month jump since March 2010, according to Statistics Canada. “Everything was selling like hotcakes in May, perhaps even hotcakes,” Avery Shenfeld of CIBC WM Economics wrote in a note to clients on Tuesday. The largest sales increase in dollar terms among all subsectors was a 4.3% gain at motor vehicle and parts dealers, reflecting higher sales of light trucks as well as recreational vehicles, motorcycles and boats.
Related: ‘Death of the Canadian consumer has been greatly exaggerated’ — Financial Post
…just not necessarily online
Online spending will account for 8% of overall retail in this country in five years, but Canadians are still deterred by longstanding hurdles such as expensive shipping costs and a paucity of shopping choices, according to a new report from Forrester Research. As the Financial Post‘s Hollie Shaw reports, the agency predicts online retail spending in Canada will climb to $33.8-billion in 2018 from a level of $20.6-billion this year. The news comes as many more bricks and mortar retailers, including those based in the U.S., set up a dedicated Canadian website or extend shipping to this country. High-profile U.S. department store chains such as Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and J.C. Penney have started shipping to Canada this year, with easy-to-understand shipping policies and prices in Canadian dollars. Traditional bricks and mortar retailers have also been bulking up their online channels, eyeing rival Amazon Canada’s entry into a slew of categories such as toys, electronics, health and cosmetics, entertainment and tools.
Related: Online retailers turn back to bricks and mortar to boost sales – Financial Post
Notwithstanding the construction crews now swarming Labrador’s Muskrat Falls power dam site, sunk costs in excess of $1 billion and a federal loan guarantee standing behind the project, the future of the Newfoundland & Labrador (NFLD) government’s pet megaproject suffered two blows Monday so grave that they threaten the entire thing, writes the Financial Post‘s Tom Adams. Muskrat Falls is seen as a Newfoundland’s new destiny project. The project involves building a new 824 MW power dam on the Lower Churchill River near the town of Goose Bay. The power would be transmitted to the island of Newfoundland by means of a transmission line tunnelled under the Strait of Belisle. Another submarine transmission line would link the island of Newfoundland to Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton. But Hydro Quebec on Monday filed a motion with the Quebec Superior Court seeking clarification of its rights under the Quebec’s existing 1969 Churchill Falls Contract. The core of Hydro Quebec’s case is to claim that it has an exclusive right to purchase virtually all of the power and energy produced by Churchill Falls Generating Station until August 31, 2041, and that Hydro Quebec has the right to control the output of Churchill Falls to optimize the operation of its own power needs.
Related: Hydro-Québec files motion to assert right to buy power from Churchill Falls – Financial Post
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From AP via Washington Post
U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez began a trip to Beijing on Monday to help American entrepreneurs clinch deals and to discuss barriers that have contributed to a soaring and politically touchy Chinese trade surplus.
Highlighting his efforts to increase U.S. exports, Gutierrez watched Motorola Inc. sign a contract to supply $1.6 billion worth of cell phones to a Chinese distributor. He also presided at a ceremony by studio Twentieth Century Fox’s home entertainment division to distribute moderately priced authorized DVDs in the piracy-plagued China market.
Around the signings, Gutierrez held talks with senior Chinese trade officials that he said broadly covered access to the China market, persisting product piracy and unclear government regulations.[Full Text]


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Amazon, Google slam Microsoft’s cloud computing changes
The often-competitive dynamic between Amazon.com Inc., Google Inc., and Microsoft Corp. spilled into public view Wednesday as the companies took to their corporate blogs to criticize a move by the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant. Microsoft is planning to make a series of upcoming changes to its cloud computing platform in the coming months to provide what it says are more frequent updates, but the move could force companies that use the Azure cloud platform to more frequently upgrade their applications. The change has prompted concerns among some Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform customers that their apps may not run well or at all on Azure.
Amazon slams Microsoft’s cloud computing changes.
Amazon has slammed Microsoft’s changes to its cloud computing offerings, saying that the move will make it harder for customers to migrate their workloads from one platform to another.
The changes, which were announced last week, include the introduction of a new pricing structure for Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, and the introduction of a new set of tools designed to make it easier for customers to move their workloads from on-premise systems to the cloud.
In a blog post, Amazon Web Services (AWS) chief technology officer Werner Vogel said that the changes would make it “significantly more difficult” for customers to move their workloads from Azure to AWS, or from AWS to Azure.
By making moving workloads between Azure and AWS more expensive and more difficult, Microsoft makes it hard for customers to use the right tool for the job.
We can never win the trust of our customers this way. We can never inspire confidence in the cloud this way.”
Vogel’s said that AWS was “disappointed” with the changes and that the company would continue to invest in making it easy for customers to migrate their workloads between different cloud platforms.
Google slams Microsoft’s cloud computing changes.
Google has slammed Microsoft’s recent changes to its cloud computing offerings, claiming that the move will make it harder for customers to switch between providers.
In a blog post, Google Cloud Chief Diane Greene said that Microsoft’s decision to change the pricing and licensing of its cloud services was “anti-competitive” and would make it harder for customers to move their data and applications between providers.
Microsoft has defended its changes, saying that they are designed to make its cloud services more competitive with those of Amazon and Google.
The dispute between Google and Microsoft is the latest example of the two companies increasingly bitter rivalry in the cloud computing market.
Microsoft is hurting its own business.
Microsoft is one of the biggest tech companies in the world, but they’re currently hurting their own business by not properly supporting one of their most popular products, the Xbox One. The Xbox One has been plagued with problems since its launch, and Microsoft has been slow to address them. This has led to a lot of angry customers, and it’s starting to cost the company sales . Microsoft needs to do a better job of supporting the Xbox One if they want to keep their customers happy and keeps their business thriving.
Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing changes haven’t hurt their businesses yet.
Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform has been through a lot of changes in recent years, but those changes haven’t hurt the company’s bottom line yet. In fact, Azure revenue has grown steadily, even as other parts of Microsoft’s business have struggled.
Azure’s success is due in part to its strong partnerships with other companies, like Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform. These partnerships allow Azure to offer a wide range of services to its customers, which is crucial in the competitive cloud computing market.
Looking ahead, it’s clear that Azure will continue to be a key part of Microsoft’s business. The company is investing heavily in the platform, and its partnerships show no signs of slowing down. As long as Azure can keep growing, Microsoft will be just fine.
Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are all playing the same game but in different ways. Microsoft announced today that it is making some major changes to its Azure cloud computing platform. Although it is a major move for Microsoft, it seems that the company is going to have a hard time making it stick. Amazon and Google have already come out with criticisms of Microsoft’s plans. We’re hoping that Microsoft sticks to its guns and makes a cloud computing system that will be able to compete with the other major players in the cloud computing sector. In the end, the consumer will win out.


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Okada Manila saw a 26 percent increase in gross gaming revenue for the month of June, reaching P3 billion (US$58.9 million).
The increase was driven by a rise in revenue across all three gaming segments, with VIP revenue rising 10.5 percent, mass table games by 58 percent and gaming machine revenue by 26.8 percent.
Non-gaming revenue also grew during the month, rising 41.3 percent.
Adjusted segment EBITDA reached P424 million, up from a loss of P91 million in the prior year period.
Asia Gaming Brief is a news and intelligence service providing up to date market information for worldwide executives on relevant gaming issues in Asia.
ASIA GAMING BRIEF
PO Box 1139, Macau SAR
Tel: +853 2871 7267
Fax: +853 2871 7264


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Can you help a married couple find their lost wedding ring?
Matt Taylor says he may have lost this ring – decorated with his wife Vicky's fingerprint – in the car park of Aldi supermarket, off Bradford Road, at around 10am on September 22.
The couple, originally from Ashford, Kent, exchanged rings bearing each other's fingerprints when they married in Canterbury in 2015.
Matt, 42, of Salendine Nook, said: "It wasn't until we got home and I was unloading the shopping and I went into the house that I noticed it was missing. The shopping bag had pulled it off."
Despite searching the shopping bags and returning to the car park to look for the ring, the couple have been unable to find it.
The couple, who have five children, have placed posters locally but they are yet to be reunited with the ring.
Matt says the platinum ring is of huge sentimental value.
He said: "We are so far from where we got married.
"Even if we could get married again it wouldn't be the same because it wouldn't recreate that day.
"So it's very valuable from that point of view."


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Android fans who ‘ooh’-ed and ‘ahh’-ed at Apple’s unveiling of the Jet Black iPhone 7 this summer may not need to switch sides just to get their hands on that extra-glossy finish.
Palette swaps are no stranger to the Samsung’s flagship phones. The ill-fated Samsung Galaxy Note 7 planned on shaking things up with its own aquatic Coral Blue color scheme, which now lives on in the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
Unfortunately, no concrete details were given on the availability or release date of the supposed ‘Jet Black’ S7, though the report points a potential holiday release next month.
While the high-gloss finish of the Jet Black iPhone 7 turns heads, it’s also susceptible to micro-abrasions – so much so that even Apple suggests hiding it behind a case. Just something to keep in mind.


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LAINGSBURG — Following a recommendation from the city’s planning commission, the Laingsburg City Council has approved a petition for special land use, site plan amendment and license application for a marijuana retail storefront at 120 W. Grand River Road.
The company behind the development, 120 West LLC, in May received city council approval on a special use permit and site plan for a marijuana microbusiness at the site, though after internal discussions, the business partners opted to apply for a retail provisioning license at the site instead, citing concerns over potential odor violations.
To facilitate the change in use, 120 West LLC — owned by Roy Liskey — partnered with licensed marijuana grower MM Agriculture LLC, of Lansing, which will supply the company all of its products for retail sales.
The council unanimously approved the companies’ licensing request — as well as an amended special use permit and site plan for the development — without discussion Monday, effectively granting the partnership the green light to begin construction.
“I just wanted to thank you all; it’s been a long process,” attorney John Liskey, who represents his son Roy, said following Monday’s license approval. “Our plan is to submit for building permits in the next few days and get going with construction.”
In a 6-1 vote May 4, with council member Mary Hetherington dissenting, the Laingsburg City Council permitted 120 West LLC to establish a microbusiness operation at 120 W. Grand River Road, approving the special use permit and site plan for the project.
Under a microbusiness license, an owner can grow, process and sell up to 150 plants from the same building, with prohibition against selling product to other retailers, and only to individuals 21 and older. Furthermore, if an individual owns a microbusiness, state law excludes them from holding interest in any other form of marijuana business.
Citing concerns over odor control, representatives from 120 West LLC opted to apply for a retail provisioning license instead, approaching the city council with the application during its July 6 meeting.
At the time, the council moved to accept the application, with the understanding that the city would have up to 90 days to review it before making a decision to accept or deny the issuance of a license. The city also stipulated that the company must amend its special use permit and site plan in order to gain approval.
“It was clearly stated (in the city’s ordinance) that a violation of odor restrictions could result in the loss of the license and hence the substantial investment. Ultimately this was a risk that was not worth taking,” Liskey wrote in a July memo to council. “Therefore, we sought out and have hooked up with an existing independent and locally-owned licensed adult-use grow facility, MM Agriculture LLC. This arrangement allows the elimination of growing marijuana at the property at 120 W. Grand River in Laingsburg and yet keeps our concept of providing a ‘farm to table’ fresh product and still affords local people to get into this business.”
Council member Brian Fredline spoke in support of the altered application during the July meeting, since it eliminates one of the city’s primary concerns — odor.
“What was our issue with the (microbusiness)? The smell. Well now what we’re doing is, taking that off the table and building a foundation where they’re not going to be growing it in town, they’ll be processing it just like Tammy’s Bakery turns flour into cinnamon rolls,” Fredline said previously. “They will be getting their raw product from elsewhere and then they will be doing the sales in town. That takes away our main concern, so I am absolutely in favor of this.”
Liskey said the company will begin construction in the coming weeks, though he did not indicate when the business would be prepared to open.


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A super app is the golden key to the customer for any company selling products or services at the retail level.
Unlike the race to buy airwaves by telecom companies, airports by infrastructure companies and city gas networks by energy companies, the race to develop super apps by consumer-facing companies in India has not brushed up against any regulatory issues.
Officials at the ministry of electronics and information technology and at other regulators are happy they do not have to meddle in who among the Tata group, Reliance Industries Ltd, Flipkart or Paytm will manage to build an app that sweeps in customers.
Unlike separate apps a customer uses on her mobile to order groceries, buy food or airline tickets or just make payments, a super app can perform all these functions.
If it includes a chat box and recreation modes, the customer could become almost an appendage to the app.
The benefit for a company is awesome because it means the customer may change shopping habits through the day but remains in contact perpetually.
A physical equivalent would be a customer who never leaves a shopping mall in a 24-hour cycle, except to sleep.
The options would be vaster than a mall, though.
Holding a successful super app can also spell the difference between a successful B2C company versus one that can never foray into the space for decades.
It is, thus, the golden key to the customer for any company selling products or services at the retail level.
Just as fintech was the magic word of the second decade of this century with the global market expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.53 per cent in eight years since 2015, super apps is the buzzword for this decade, according to a Global Business Outlook report.
The word was coined less than a decade ago, though dating the origins of breakthrough concepts in the tech sector are difficult to prove with certainty.
Meanwhile, there is a massive cash burn in store for all companies planning these apps.
For instance, S&P Global Ratings has assigned a B minus rating for Singapore-based Grab Holdings.
The company, which operates in eight Southeast Asian countries, will need its “ample cash balance to support its losses and material cash burn over the next two to three years.
"(It) could achieve positive EBITDA and operating cash flows (only) from 2023”.
Grab Holdings is backed by SoftBank Vision Fund, Uber, Didi and Toyota.
Its rivals like Indonesia-based Gojek have attracted money from Tencent and Google.
The Indian companies in the race will also need the same scale of backers and the willingness to bear losses for the better part of this decade to see light.
Without this scale of cash burn and patience to last, the super apps race, like many other corporate races in India, could become messy.
Principally because there are regulatory minefields in the way.
One of those is that super apps will invade the payments space.
Both in China, where WeChat and Alipay developed as super apps, or in India for Paytm, the payments option is the holy grail.
The Indian government does not allow a corporate group the option to own banks, but what firewalls can be created if a Tata - or a RIL-owned super app offers payment services?
Already, the RIL partnership with SBI YONO has been running since 2018, and late-to-the party Tata Digital, which has just landed the responsibility to build the group’s fintech business, could be expected to announce a banking tie-up soon.
The RBI is still sitting on a working group report on whether to allow industrial groups permission to run banks, but that question could become outdated soon with super apps.
Already the RBI has relaxed rules to allow apps like Paytm to use banking channels NEFT and RTGS to settle their transactions.
The only role these apps cannot play as of now is to hold deposits, yet even here there are grey areas.
Payments banks such as Airtel and Paytm can hold deposits and both are on the way to becoming super apps.
There is more regulatory headache elsewhere.
A super app can soak in a prodigious amount of data.
Speaking about it, a CNBC report this July said this makes governments “jealous”.
India and China both do not have a data protection law and already data mountains are building up inside companies.
One of the reasons super apps or even fintech has not grown big in Europe is possibly the impact of the General Data Protection Rules.
One can expect India’s states and the central government to become involved in demands from the public to safeguard their data more effectively even as the space for super apps becomes more contested.
In this context it is not surprising that Adani Group has acquired a 10 per cent stake in government-promoted Common Service Centre SPV’s e-commerce subsidiary CSC Grameen eStore this week.
Thanks to the government policy of populating each village with a CSC centre, where people can transact myriad business from updating their kisan credit card to buying groceries, consumer durables and even automobiles, CSC Grameen has become a massive receptacle for data storage.
In a way, the company is like a data pipeline infrastructure.
The Centre holds a golden share in the holding company for CSC Grameen, with state-owned banks such as Punjab National Bank having the majority stake.
For existing players in the super app space, the competition has warmed up and so will the pressure on governments to ensure data privacy remains a priority.
And, finally, medicine.
No super app in Asia has entered the health sector in a big way.
In India, the Tata 1mg health care tie-up has broken into the space.
The company advertises it as India’s leading app-based and most trusted healthcare platform.
Expect rivals to be fine-tuning options for this space.
The Indian government has just launched the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
The Mission “aims to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country”.
In the post-Covid world, some of the regulatory fights over super apps among companies could well be over who gets access to this health data.


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Regulators in Brussels and the UK have launched official competition investigations into Facebook, in a joint attack on the social media company’s use of customer data to dominate core markets such as digital advertising.
In a statement on Friday, the UK Competition and Markets Authority said it was investigating whether Facebook had been “abusing a dominant position in the social media or digital advertising markets through its collection and use of advertising data”.
Separately, Brussels said it was opening a formal antitrust investigation to assess whether Facebook was violating EU law “by using advertising data collected in particular from advertisers in order to compete with them in markets where Facebook is active such as classifieds”.
The EU investigation will also look at whether Facebook links online classifieds service Facebook Marketplace to its social network, in violation of EU competition rules.
Confirmation of the two investigations follows reports in the Financial Times that it will focus on the way the social media company uses customer data.


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Chevrolet Volt Flunks Two Out of Three Crash Tests, Triggers Formal Investigation
November 28, 2011 9:44 AM
comment(s) - last by
NHTSA says it is too soon to recall vehicles or parts
As promised, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) looked into the safety of lithium batteries after a
caught fire back in May. After conducting three different tests two weeks ago, the NHTSA found that the Volt's battery either caught fire or began to smoke in two out of the three.
General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Volt underwent several tests in a NHTSA Wisconsin facility earlier this year. On May 12, 2011, it experienced the side-impact crash test. Three weeks later, the plug-in electric vehicle (EV) caught fire while parked in the NHTSA testing center.
The fire, which was fierce enough to burn other vehicles parked nearby, prompted an investigation of the Chevrolet Volt and the safety of lithium batteries.
The NHTSA conducted side-impact crash tests for the Chevrolet Volt on November 16, 17 and 18. After each test, the batteries of the three separate Volts were then rotated 180 degrees. Out of the three tests, two resulted in fire, smoke or sparks while one remained normal.
The November 16 test had normal results, while the November 17 test led to a battery fire one week later and the November 18 test caused the battery to smoke and emit sparks. The battery packs of the three Volts were not drained after any of the crashes.
The results have led to a formal investigation of the safety of the Chevrolet Volt and its lithium battery.
"While it is too soon to tell whether the investigation will lead to a recall of any vehicles or parts, if NHTSA identifies an unreasonable risk to safety, the agency will take immediate action to notify consumers and ensure that GM communicates with current vehicle owners," said NHTSA.
GM has said that it launched a system where first responders immediately depower the battery of a Chevrolet Volt after a severe crash. This is safety protocol because lithium batteries can catch fire if the internal cells or the battery case are pierced by steel or another ferrous metal. Even the slightest piercing of the battery can lead to a reaction days or weeks later.
"The Volt is safe and does not present undue risk as part of normal operation or immediately after a severe crash," said GM after the NHTSA's tests this month. "GM and the agency's focus and research continue to be on battery performance, handling, storage and disposal after a crash or other significant event, like a fire, to better serve first- and secondary-responders."
NHTSA and GM have both said that they are unaware of any battery-related fires caused by roadway crashes involving customers. However, NHTSA advised
to remain cautious in the event of a crash as they would in a gasoline or diesel-fueled vehicle. The NHTSA's advice includes stepping out of the car and moving away from it while contacting authorities. When responders arrive, they are to check for markings that it is an EV and use large amounts of water on the vehicle if there are any signs of a fire. They are to then contact experts at the vehicle's manufacturer on how to discharge a propulsion battery.
There are currently 6,000 Volt owners on the roads, but the number of EVs cruising around in the U.S. is expected to increase because U.S. President Barack Obama is looking to
put 1 million EVs on the roads by 2015
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
11/29/2011 8:56:54 AM
Except, in the US, they usually first go to a repair shop, to determine whether the insurance company wants to repair the vehicle, or call it totalled, at which time it would go to the scrap yard. Same thing they currently do with gasoline powered vehicles. Unless the fuel tank is noticed to be ruptured or leaking, they don't bother draining it.
And believe me when I say that the insurance companies are not going to want to pay to remove battery packs from a vehicle that can be repaired, since then they'd have to pay to have them put back in.
I do agree, however, that if a vehicle is going to be scrapped, the battery pack should be removed, inspected for damage, and either sent for recycling, or stored separately for resale. Definitely not what I would consider to be a "pick and pull" part!
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Everything is coming up roses for Tesla . The electric car company is enjoying an almost-unimaginable run of good fortune and is still being hotly pursued by investors.
While falling prices for oil and other inputs have supported profit margins, the positive impact has been outweighed by falling prices for finished goods, He Ping, a statistician at the bureau’s industrial department, said in a statement accompanying the data.


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Sizing up the potential of nanotechnology: technology advances create opportunity for revolutionary medical applications, but not without some challenges.
Nanotechnology involves working with small particles at the molecular level--a nanometer is equal to one billionth of a meter. For scale purposes, a human hair is about 80,000 nanometers wide.
The concept of nanotechnology was introduced in 1959 by Nobel Prize-winning American physicist Richard Feynman, when he gave a famous talk ("There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom") on the subject. Fast forward a couple of decades to Eric Drexler, who, in the 1980s, explored his ideas on molecular manufacturing pertaining to machines building other machines down to a molecular level. From there, various industries took increased notice--including the medical device community.
"When it comes to materials science, nanotechnology of sorts has existed for some time--it just wasn't recognized as nanotechnology," said Simon Grant, a business development manager for Sandvik Materials Technology, based in Sweden. "In the '80s we started to better define nanotechnology, and we saw many possible applications within materials science--so it is within materials and surface coatings where much of the medical device nanotechnology occurs today."
According to research from the FDA, nanotechnology has been developing rapidly in recent years. In 1990, approximately 1,000 scientific publications on nanotechnology were published and approximately 200 patent applications were filed globally. By 2002, the number of publications had risen to more than 22,000, and the number of patent applications exceeded 1,900.
Lux Research found that governments, corporations and venture capitalists globally spent $12.4 billion in 2006 on research and development related to nanotechnology, a 30% increase from the year before. And growth will continue over the next decade. Overall, the market for nanotechnology is forecasted to increase 17.5% annually, reaching $53 billion by 2011, according to data from The Freedonia Group. Five years after that, the market will more than double in size. Within this market, the medical devices and supplies segment incorporating nanomaterials and technology is predicted to grow from $400 million in 2006 to $5.2 billion in 2011, reaching $16.2 billion by 2016.
According to data from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (located in Washington, DC), at least 138 universities and government laboratories are working on some aspect of this technology today. They are doing so with good reason. Already in use in a variety of consumer applications such as nutraceuticads, textiles and cosmetics, nanotechnology is expected to play a greater role in medical areas such as surgery, implant technology, molecular imaging, biosensors, drug delivery and a variety of other applications. In these capacities, nanotechnology is expected to offer novel methods for preventing, diagnosing and treating a wide range of diseases.
The Nano-lnnovation Invasion
Many medical device companies already are jumping on the nano-bandwagon. For example, orthopedic giant Smith & Nephew (London, United Kingdom), whose wound dressing Acticoat uses nanocrystalline silver, recently joined the Nanocode Initiative, an international project launched in July by the Nanotechnology Industries Association, the Royal Society, Insight Investment and the Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network. The working group will develop a code of conduct for businesses that are involved in emerging innovations featuring nanotechnology.
Most experts agree that in the device industry, the most prevalent uses of nanotechnology in the next few years will be in coatings and surface treatments. For example, the past few years have seen vast improvements in dental implants--particularly in surface treatments that promote bone adhesion as well as coatings that help inhibit infection--thanks to nanotechnology.
The desire for advances in medicalgrade materials also has led to a surge of interest from companies looking to improve device properties. Nanoscale materials often have properties that differ from those of their larger counterparts, with differences ranging from altered magnetic properties, altered electrical or optical activity, increased structural integrity or altered chemical or biological activity. With nanotechnology, new classes of materials can be made lighter, stronger and more precise than what's ever been introduced to the market.
Foster-Miller, a Waltham, MA-based engineering firm that works with a variety of medical device clients, has been exploring nanotechnology development within its materials division for more than five years. For example, the company has been looking to nanomaterials such as nanostructured clays and carbon nanotubes to help improve physical properties of existing materials.
"Right now, nanotechnology is being used in polymers and other materials,"said Bob Andrews, medical division manager for the commercial business at Foster-Miller." What you see coming out now are better solutions using nanotechnology for existing applications."
Sandvik Materials Technology, a developer of advanced alloys and ceramic materials, similarly is a leader within nanotechnology advancement for materials. The company's Nanoflex material incorporates nanotechnology to produce an alloy that is both tough and hard--two normally opposing characteristics, according to Grant. He said his company achieved this by altering structures at the nano level to create an alloy "reinforced" by very small and very hard quasicrystalline nanoparticles.
"As a result, Sandvik Nanoflex is formable but can be heat treated to reach high tensile strength and hardness--this makes it ideal for some medical applications such as surgical needles, drills and reamers," Grant said.
Along with materials and coatings developments, drug delivery is another burgeoning area in which nanotechnology is being incorporated, as it offers new ways to gain access to previously unreachable areas of the body--in fact, studies have shown that some forms of nanotechnology are capable of passing through the blood-brain barrier. Some manufacturers are developing pumps the size of molecules that could be implanted to deliver medications to cells and tissues precisely where they are needed.
"[In the] long term, there is considerable potential," Grant said. "Drexler's work raised the possibility of 'nanobots' working in vivo to repair the human body. This is some ways away, but we already see companies working with nanotechnology based targeted drug-delivery systems targeting tumor cells."
Also of interest in the medical community is the "lab on a chip" concept--that is, nano-size implants containing sensors or diagnostic tracers that, for example, can help medical professionals evaluate bone adhesion in and around an implant and report to the physician what's going on inside the body, or help evaluate how body tissue is reacting to a certain medication the patient is taking. These sensors could be available for use as soon as within the next five years, according to experts who spoke with MPO.
Complementing in vitro diagnostic efforts is medical imaging, which has the potential to transcend its current capabilities by employing nanoparticles, especially as R&D efforts in molecular imaging expand. Several companies currently are exploring (if not already developing) the use of nanotracers that can attach to different types of cells. The goal is to identify cellular problems at the earliest stage possible to precisely determine the optimal patient treatment.
"You now have the ability to miniaturize medical devices," Andrews explained. "For example, you could use a biopsy tool to sample tissue to determine whether the cells are benign or cancerous, and if cancerous, the treatment method might change from total removal of an organ or cells or chemotherapy to delivery of nanoparticles to treat the specific cancer."
Where is nanotechnology heading in the device sector? Even the experts are unsure at this point. One promising development cited by David Rejeski, director of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Foresight and Governance Project and Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, is scaffolding--lattice material composed of nanomaterials--that could help nerve cells regenerate. "It's had some amazing impacts on tests conducted on mice by Dr. Samuel Stupp at Northwestern University," he noted. In mice, researchers severed the spinal cord and injected this material, and the mice begun to regain leg movement within a few days. "This could have a huge impact on people with spinal injuries," Rejeski added. He estimated that this technology could be available within the next five to 10 years.
"Everyone is waiting to see a killer application using nanotechnology, and I think that's going to happen in the device sector first," Rejeski concluded. "Nanotech applications on the market now--from wrinkle-free pants to better tennis rackets--don't strike most consumers as big breakthroughs, but if we can get someone who lost control of their legs to walk again, that's beyond exciting."
Navigating the Issues With Nanotechnology
As might be expected with any new technology, nanoparticles don't come without some challenges that medical device manufacturers must be aware of if interested in using this technology.
"When it comes ... to 'active' nanotechnology-based devices such as nanobots, in the future, the ethical, clinical and regulatory challenges will be complex and many," Grant cautioned.
Echoing his concern is John Monica, a partner with the Washington, DC law firm of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP. Monica, who has been practicing product liability law for more than 15 years, is an industry expert on the topic whose interest was piqued a few years ago after reading materials discussing undetermined toxicology issues related to certain nanomaterials.
"What made me interested was that you see so many industries taken over by plaintiff interests," he explained."You start wondering, what would we have done differently in the legal defense community had we known more from the outset and had a clean slate? That's what intrigued me about nanotechnology."
What may work on a larger scale might react differently in the body at the nano scale, scientists have found. In addition, nanoparticles have the potential to accumulate in organs, creating a risk of toxicity over time.
"These nanoparticles could be longterm sites for growth for what's not desirable in the body," Andrews said.
With nanotechnology, companies are engineering "new forms of old matter" on a biological scale, Rejeski said, and it's not clear how these novel properties will affect humans and the environment. "One of the major concerns is, how will these particles move around in the body? The ability of nanoparticles to move across the bloodbrain barrier can be an advantage for the delivery of drugs or imaging agents, but it might have some unintended consequences, too, he explained.
Three years ago, the Woodrow Wilson Center received a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts to examine emerging issues with nanotechnology. "The goal of our project is to make sure we can maximize the benefits of nanotechnologies and minimize the risks. That said, it's not an easy thing to do," Rejeski said.
"The federal government currently has allocated $1.4 billion to research this technology, but only around one percent, according to our calculations, is being dedicated to highly targeted research on the environmental, health and safety risks associated with nanotechnologies," Rejeski continued. "This simply is not enough and some agencies, like the FDA, are under-resourced, though they have a key role to play in the commercialization of innovations in the drug and device areas."
Recognizing the growing use of nanotechnology in cosmetics, food and, yes, medical products, in August 2006, the EDA announced the formation of an internal FDA Nanotechnology Task Force to will help determine regulatory approaches regarding products using nanotechnology materials. The agency released a report in July noting that nanoscale materials present regulatory challenges similar to those posed by products using other emerging technologies. However, these challenges may be magnified because nanotechnology can be used in, or to make, any FDA-regulated product and because, at this scale, properties of a material relevant to the safety and (as applicable) effectiveness of FDA-regulated products might change repeatedly as size enters into or varies within the nanoscale range. Furthermore, the emerging and uncertain nature of the science and potential for rapid development of applications for FDA-regulated products highlight the need for timely development of a transparent, consistent and predictable regulatory pathway.
The task force's initial recommendations relating to scientific issues focus on improving scientific knowledge of nanotechnology to help ensure the agency's regulatory effectiveness, particularly with regard to products not subject to premarket authorization requirements. The report also addresses the need to evaluate whether the tools available to describe and evaluate nanoscale materials are sufficient, and the development of additional tools where necessary.
Given the nature of nanotechnology-fortified products, they tend to span regulatory boundaries and, thus, often fall into the "combination products" category at present. Since the FDA regulates products--not technology--the stage at which the agency gets involved in regulating nanotechnology can vary. And since the agency only regulates claims made about a product, if no nanotechnology claims are made regarding the manufacture or performance of a product, the agency may not even know that nanotechnology was used, according to one article on the FDA's Web site.
In the FDA's report (which followed a public meeting held last October on the subject), the agency acknowledged that the general setup of clinical trials is a strength for the device industry as it moves forward into this newer scientific realm. Public perception will play a large role in shaping times to come, however.
The Woodrow Wilson Center has performed various public opinion polls on the topic and found that"the public still remains largely ignorant of nanotechnology, even though the government is paying considerable attention to it. How the public learns about nanotechnology, from whom and with what message will be critical to public acceptance. Unfortunately, many manufacturers aren't discussing their use of it, either," Rejeski reported.
"The public doesn't have enough knowledge to differentiate between nanotechnology in a drug, food or device. If there's some carelessness and there's bad press about nanotechnology, it could have a spillover effect on a wide range of products and industry sectors," Rejeski asserted.
Although medical devices are well regulated by the FDA, certain loopholes exist at present for regulation of nano-reinforced materials and surfaces. The FDA currently appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach to let more long-term results from the scientific community emerge.
"The FDA is still in the information-gathering mode. I think they have a good handle on it and I'm confident they can fill any gaps," Monica said. However, he also is studying how other FDA-monitored industries are using nanotechnology, since any problems that arise could have an impact on the public's perception of this new technology. For example, he said, "If you have an adverse incident in an areas like cosmetics, how will that affect public perception in more highly regulated areas? People may not be able to differentiate what happens in those areas and the medical device area," he explained.
"The public doesn't differentiate much between nanotechnology in a drug, food or device. If there's some carelessness and there's bad press about nanotechnology, it could have a spillover effect on all industries," Rejeski asserted.
From a litigation perspective, Monica believes any problems in consumer-oriented industries could pave a path spawning litigation over devices incorporating nanotechnology. "There's enough out there in general literature that can be seized and twisted to make it look like all nanoparticles may be dangerous," Monica said. "Plaintiffs' attorneys could take unrelated information and try to twist it for their own purposes."
With myriad issues to consider with using the technology, there's one other potential barrier: cost. Novel technologies often command a higher price tag, at least in the initial stages of introduction.
"With plastics [for example], you can be spending $20 to $30 dollars or more per pound for nanocomposite material. It's not a slam dunk that you may use nanomaterials in every application because the cost may be driven up. Therefore, I don't think it will be a commodity product in the near term," Andrews said.
Moving Forward With Nano-Initiatives?
With so many issues still not quite resolved, medical device manufacturers would be wise to temper their innovation with careful monitoring of the development and marketing process to be sure they are doing whatever possible to anticipate any type of backlash that could arise as nanostructures gain ground in device ideations. Monica advised medtech firms to perform extensive literature surveys (or hire an expert consultant to do so) regarding environmental health and safely issues with nanotechnology. (A good start is a visit to Rice University's Web site, http://icon.rice.edu/virtualjournal.cfm, which contains a database of most of the studies to date on this technology.) Companies also should stay abreast of the FDA's activities regarding the technology. Finally, although this is a tenet of any good medical device manufacturing operation, firms must be especially diligent about maintaining proper documentation.
Rejeski also believes that manufacturers probably need different types of "talent" in their staff, since nanotechnology falls into the intersection of organic and inorganic science. "It will require some tweaking of scientific and engineering staff. More expertise will be needed, especially with fabrication of these materials," he said.
Andrews of Foster-Miller also believes that in addition to tightly controlling the manufacturing process with this new technology, manufacturers also may find a need to isolate the production of products employing nanoparticles. "When working with pharmaceuticals, rooms are dedicated to use with specific compounds to prevent potential cross contamination of compounds used in future programs," he said. Therefore, device manufacturers may find themselves devoting an isolated space for working with nanocompounds.
"Obviously this industry is newer and not as mature as the pharmaceutical industry, but this could be a trend [in device manufacturing] in the future," he said. "Imagine if you got a compound in the vent and then it expelled later on when you're making something else. That could be catastrophic."
The lack of industry-standardized specifications for nanotechnology could present some challenges for device manufacturers taking the leap into this field, Monica said. "If you go to two companies that manufacture titanium nanospheres [for example], you might get two different qualities--there's no conforming standard for what you'll get," he explained. "The companies who end up with the purest product and who can market it as being 'pure' will be successful and the market will embrace that. And the companies using the technology Hill have to have the ability to analyze what they're getting to make sure it's up to their needs."
To that end, communication with the supplier is critical. Monica advises that OEMs fully disclose the intended use for the nanospheres, as the supplier may offer insight and recommendations that could help protect the OEM from future liability and ensure that the technology is being employed properly.
Jennifer Whitney, Editor
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|Title Annotation:||Advances in Nanotechnology|
|Publication:||Medical Product Outsourcing|
|Date:||Sep 1, 2007|
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We have advised multinational baking and cookery business, Dr. Oetker, on its purchase of the Alsa baking and dessert business from Unilever.
The deal has completed for an undisclosed sum, following French Competition Authority approval, and sees Dr. Oetker further expand its current brand offering, including the purchase of the Alsa manufacturing unit in Ludres, France.
A Gateley team led by Leeds Corporate partner Sandip Khroud and Consultant Mark Green, Commercial partner Paul de Vince and Tax partner, James Gopsill, with support from senior associate Mailin Bala and solicitors Charlotte Mason and Rebecca Bennett, has been working on the deal for the past year. French law support was provided by a team from Paris law-firm Wenners, headed up by Mr Jens Förderer.
Didier Muller, General Manager for Dr. Oetker in France said: “Alsa is a brand whose know-how and product quality perfectly complement our product range. Our goal is to pursue the brand’s growth and development both in France and internationally, based on its know-how and innovation capabilities. We were very grateful for the professional support given by the Gateleys team on this important acquisition.”
Sandip Khroud, partner at Gateley Plc, commented: “We were pleased to advise on this purchase for Dr. Oetker, which is complementary to the company’s core baking business activity.”
“This deal will further add to the company’s ongoing international expansion of the Dr. Oetker group, which is already a widely respected household name. We worked with multiple teams within the Gateley network, including corporate, commercial and tax to deliver this large-scale deal, with excellent support given by.”


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D-Tools, a leading provider of end-to-end business management software for commercial and residential integrators, will have a busy booth (N1037) at InfoComm 2022 in Las Vegas this week, highlighted by demos of its latest System Integrator (SI) release (version 18).
At InfoComm, June 8-10, D-Tools will showcase several recent enhancements to the SI v18 release, which the company says features new capabilities to help integration firms save time, gain deeper insight into project processes, and improve operating efficiency throughout their businesses.
“D-Tools’ mission has always been to help our customers run more profitable businesses through software designed to replicate and expedite their workflows and best practices,” says Randy Stearns, CEO of D-Tools.
“The new capabilities in this release were developed in direct response to requests from our users and include significant improvements such as the ability to change product quantities on the fly directly in a quote, and manage inventory through advanced integrations with Tracknicity and TRXio. We look forward to helping our customers apply these productivity enhancements to their day-to-day workflows.”
Enhancements to D-Tools System Integrator (SI) v18 Include:
Sales & Quoting: Quantity-based Quoting, ideal for large-scale security and structured cabling projects, improves application performance while allowing salespeople to develop a scope and budget in a fraction of time, according to D-Tools. Items (such as products, labor, packages, and solutions) may now be entered by quantity, without the need to assign location and system type, making it easy to price out and modify system estimates on-the-fly.
Products/items now have a new Purchase Cost field, which improves multi-currency support by enabling users to accurately track the cost for an item in one currency and present the price for that item in a quote in a different currency, regardless of currency conversion.
Inventory Tracking: New Tracknicity and TRXio integrations help integrators manage their inventory. The company notes that this ensures that inventory items, whether pulled from stock or ordered for a project, are efficiently, seamlessly, and accurately tracked from proposal through being purchased, received, staged, picked, delivered, installed, and serviced.
The resulting efficiencies assist in keeping projects on schedule while helping to reduce unnecessary and unwanted inventory buildup and to avoid duplicate product purchases.
D-Tools adds that SI v18 includes several additional performance enhancements to help boost productivity and achieve healthier bottom-line results.
Along with bolstering its SI software, the company also recently announced updates for its D-Tools Cloud solution.
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Web users now have more time to take advantage of a major new half-price offer from broadband provider Be, it has been revealed.
The company has announced that its offer of a full year of service on its Value package for just £6.75 a month has been extended, meaning people now have until November 30th to take up the deal.
In order to register for the service, customers need to enter the code 'halfprice' as they sign up to the broadband provider.
As well as enjoying the reduced rate on the service, the Value package comes with no connection fee and includes an unlimited download allowance and connection speeds of up to 8Mb.
Free 24-hour customer support and a wireless modem is also available.
News of the extension of the offer has come after Be confirmed plans to hold a social event with its customers in Birmingham tomorrow (November 18th).


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Last century, as swells of rural dwellers moved to cities and as corporations turned small farms into mammoth operations, Americans lost the connection between what they eat, where it comes from and how it's produced. But that link is slowly being reclaimed due to a confluence of factors, including food-safety scares, the alarming obesity rate and concerns for animal welfare.
Minnesota is a pivotal player in a momentous shift underway in the pork industry. The state is among the nation's top three pork producers and also is home to retail giants Target and Supervalu, which are rightfully demanding that farmers stop using tiny, restrictive stalls to house pregnant sows -- a standard practice since the 1980s.
What's at stake is who decides agricultural practice. Pork producers who financially invested in gestation stalls understandably resent costly decisions being dictated by nonfarmers. They insist the sows are more productive and receive better care because the stalls allow farmers to more easily attend to the animals than do alternative methods such as group housing.
The National Pork Producers Council says changes would increase the cost of pork and drive consumers away. But it was the quest for exacting the maximum profit from each sow that led to a U.S. agricultural system that treated animals merely as a means to an end without regard to their quality of life.
The metal stalls (or crates) are typically only two feet wide, so the animals can't turn around. They're only long enough for a step or two forward or backward, so exercise isn't possible. The extreme confinement shows such a shocking disregard for animal welfare that they're banned in nine U.S. states and soon will be in the European Union.
So far more than 50 of the nation's major pork buyers -- including the Campbell Soup Co., Costco and McDonald's -- have set reasonable timelines for vendors. Most are asking producers to phase out gestation crates over a 10-year period. While some large pork suppliers are balking, others have instituted significant changes.
Earlier this year, Minnesota-based Hormel Foods said company-owned farms in Arizona, Wyoming and Colorado "will be 100 percent" group sow housing before 2018. A spokesman at Cargill's company-owned pig breeding operation in Kansas said 50 percent of the operation had already stopped using stalls.
Disturbing undercover videos taken at Christensen Farms in Sleepy Eye and other large pork producers helped to the elevate concerns. But consumers must realize that no system is perfect. Group housing provides sows greater mobility, but makes them vulnerable to injuries from aggressive animals while making it harder for producers to monitor their individual health and food intake.
Even so, Americans' emerging interest in agricultural methods is long overdue. Health-conscious Americans, as well as those battling weight issues, want to know more about what's in the food they eat and about its impact. Consumers are also raising key ethical questions about the meat they buy: What were the animals fed? More important, how were they treated?


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In Canada, barter continues to thrive. The largest b2b barter exchange is Tradebank, founded in 1987. P2P bartering has seen a renaissance in major Canadian cities through Bunz - built as a network of Facebook groups that went on to become a stand-alone bartering based app in January 2016. Within the first year, Bunz accumulated over 75,000 users in over 200 cities worldwide.
She was about to quit the project when she received a cascade of good news: six new women signed up as Barter Babes, more than she’d ever had before at one time. Then City Television contacted her for an interview segment—one of her Barter Babes had mentioned her trade to a friend at the station. After that, social media mentions of Barter Babes blew up.
Within the week, Simmons gave notice to her employer. By then, she’d been pining to leave for eight months and had diligently saved for the occasion. Her plan now was to barter her financial services with other women for one year. That would be enough time, she figured, to get the altruism out of her system, but not so much that she’d go broke. She would use $10,000 in savings to pay her cellphone bill and to parcel out $35 in emergency spending each week if and when bartering fell through on the basic necessities. That money would also help pay for most of the rent at the Dovercourt and Queen apartment she shared with her boyfriend, Matt, who was in the midst of changing careers. Everything else—food, clothing, haircuts, fitness, entertainment and transportation around the city—she would acquire through barter. Simmons figured she’d need to barter with 300 women to make it work. She gave the project a catchy name, Barter Babes, and started organizing a launch party.
Since the latest series of worldwide economic meltdowns, people have bartered in growing numbers. Last year, the 100 members of the International Reciprocal Trade Association, a network of barter and trade exchanges, facilitated the bartering of billions of dollars’ worth of goods and services around the world. (The IRTA uses its own barter currency called Universal Currency.) In some areas of Greece, bartering has become as second nature as paying for things with cash—there’s even a new barter-style currency called the TEM, accrued through offering goods and services via a vast online network and regular open-air market days. Spain’s time bank system, in which people exchange hours of labour instead of units of currency, has grown exponentially as a result of the country’s crippled economy.