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A woman in Mississippi was scammed this week by an Internet site with a Cleveland address advertising Maltese puppies. The Better Business Bureau of Cleveland advises that the best way to avoid puppy scams is to support local breeders, even if websites offer lower prices.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Mickey Carr from Gulfport, Mississippi, was excited to get her new puppy this week. She ordered the little Maltese from a website that listed a Cleveland business address.
But a day after she wired $550 by Western Union, she got another email saying the the puppy was stuck in Illinois and almost died because of being in an improper crate. Another $600 was necessary to save the puppy's life. That's when she got suspicious.
The "smartwhitemaltese.com" website is filled with cute puppy photos, a heartfelt family story, a photo of a family, and even a turquoise and pink "Teacup and Toy Pets Boutique" sign. All of the things that made Carr confident in ordering from this company before, suddenly looked suspicious.
"I got an email saying the puppy was stuck at the Illinois pet inspection office," said Carr, 53. "I was told, we're sorry to say that your puppy almost died because it wasn't in the right crate. That's when I was asked to send $600 that would be refunded."
By Wednesday, Carr said she was exhausted from making phone calls and sending emails that were not returned by the suspicious breeder. The business address listed is on Walden Avenue near Kinsman.
"The website looked awesome. I tried to call them. They don't answer the phone. I've left several messages ... " she said, adding she believes the business owners could be living overseas.
Several calls made by The Plain Dealer to the suspicious Cleveland breeder were not answered, as well. And it appears, when driving by the address, that the building is a residence with no apparent signs of being a dog kennel or breeder. No one answered the door Thursday morning.
Many people nationwide get scammed by people running bogus operations out of foreign countries, posing as USA or Canadian dog breeders selling adorable little puppies.
Sue McConnell, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Better Business Bureau, said Carr's situation is typical. The BBB recently has been fielding a lot of inquiries about puppy scams.
"The best advice is to buy from a local breeder ... not online even if the price is much lower," McConnell said. "Most ask you to wire funds. They get multiple requests for more money until the victim realizes they have been scammed."
The International Pet and Animal Transportation Association reports that anyone can get scammed, so it's up to consumers to do their due diligence. Scams range from advertising free pets - with paid shipping - to very expensive animals, like Bulldogs or toy breeds, offered at very low prices. Criminals often use free websites, Craig's List, local newspapers, or Facebook to promote their bogus business.
Lies, sob stories, pictures of adorable animals that don't exist, or even assurance of their faith and religion, IPATA has heard it all. Carr said that she also never received a photo of the exact puppy she had purchased.
"Anything to get your money! They use the names of legitimate pet shippers. They pirate websites. They illegally use logos of other companies. If you see an offer that is too good to be true, it probably is. It's probably is a scam," according to the association.
Tips from the BBB to avoid a puppy scam:
- Always visit the breeder
- Search for website warning signs
- Pick your puppy up at the kennel.
- Check references.
- Pay with check or credit card.
More tips from the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association


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Japanese internet player, GMO Internet, has become an active player in the blockchain technology space. Group Director Masatoshi Kumagai has focused the company on Bitcoin technology and its potential to create a borderless economic zone. GMO operates its own exchange and mining operation. It also pays a portion of employee salaries in bitcoin.
Since it started mining operations last September, GMO has mined more than 900 bitcoin and 500 bitcoin cash and has launched a new mining rig, the GMO Miner B2, which tops Bitmain’s Antminer S9 in performance. Designed to optimize the mining process for bitcoin and bitcoin cash and powered by leading edge 7 nanometer chips, GMO Miner B2 has a hash rate of 24 Th/s, 50%+ higher than the market leading Antminer S9 rig, though it consumes 50% more power at 1950W per unit as well.
GMO’s new rig will introduce much-needed competition to the crypto mining space which now is heavily dependent on Chinese chip designers and operators. Also, it likely will accelerate Bitmain’s move from 16nm to the next process node as competitive intensity in the cryptocurrency mining equipment space elevates.
View original article and other research here.
ARK’s statements are not an endorsement of any company or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security. For a list of all purchases and sales made by ARK for client accounts during the past year that could be considered by the SEC as recommendations, click here. It should not be assumed that recommendations made in the future will be profitable or will equal the performance of the securities in this list. For full disclosures, click here.

domain: news


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(RightWing.org) – Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared at the official launch of a new stealth fighter project, which its designer says will compete with the American F-35. The new warplane will be highly capable, cheap to operate, and available for export to many potential enemies – if it lives up to its advertising.
#InPics | Russia has unveiled a prototype of a new Sukhoi fifth-generation fighter jet at its annual MAKS air show, that will rival US F-35 stealth fighter.
Here's all you need to knowhttps://t.co/7bF1xTjsfs
— WION (@WIONews) July 21, 2021
On July 20, Putin toured the MAKS-2021 air show, a regular showcase for Russian warplane designs. While there, he inspected a mockup of the new Su-75 Light Tactical Aircraft, which the Sukhoi Design Bureau is promoting as a rival to the Lockheed F-35. According to Sukhoi, the plane, codenamed Checkmate, will have a range of 3,000 miles and a speed of up to Mach 2, combined with stealth technology and internal space for five missiles.
Russian sources say the Su-75 will sell for $25-30 million and has been designed to be cheap to operate. It’s likely to be bought by the Russian Air Force, and Sukhoi says it also expects export customers in the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. Likely buyers include several countries that are hostile to the US and banned from buying F-35s.
However, it’s worth remembering that Russian weapon systems are notorious for coming in over budget and under spec. In 2018, India pulled out of a joint development program for the larger, more powerful Su-57 stealth fighter, citing poor performance. Will the Su-75 deliver on Putin’s promises or turn into another dud? We’ll need to wait and see.
Copyright 2021, RightWing.org


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Turn 10 Studios has revealed Forza Motorsport’s cover art and confirmed plans to showcase the racing game next month.Viewable above, the game’s box art features the 2023 No.
01 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R and 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray.The studio said it plans offer “an up-close look at the cars” during the Xbox Games Showcase on June 11 and “a full walkthrough of our single player career gameplay” during a Forza Monthly stream on June 13.Notice: To display this embed please allow the use of Functional Cookies in Cookie Preferences.Xbox announced last June that the game would be released in the spring of 2023 and said separately it was scheduled for release in the first half of the year.But during January’s Xbox and Bethesda Developer_Direct showcase, an update on the game only confirmed that it was still targeting a 2023 release, leading to claims that it had been delayed to the second half of the year.Microsoft recently confirmed that the Xbox Series X/S and PC game will also be playable on Xbox One as a cloud version.“Forza Motorsport has been built from the ground up to leverage the full power and performance of Xbox Series X/S consoles and deliver our most beautiful, technically advanced game yet,” it said.“While there will not be a native Xbox One version of the game, Xbox One players can stream Forza Motorsport through Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.”Read more on videogameschronicle.com
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The Wall Street Journal is reporting that, “Microsoft Corp. will unveil a lineup of smartphones using the revamped version of its mobile operating system on Oct. 11,” and that AT&T will begin selling said devices in early November. Microsoft does have an event planned for October 11 — Columbus Day — in New York City (which we will be at), but we’re not sure any significant announcements will be made at the open-house style event. Perhaps there is another, mysterious event planned for that day? We’ll try to dig up some more information and report back.
If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.


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Michael Acton Smith and Nick D’Aloisio throw support behind Digital Enterprise Award for young entrepreneurs
(L-R) will.i.am, HRH The Duke of York and Annika Small, CEO of Nominet Trust
There certainly seems to have been an explosion in the number of innovation awards of late. However, the latest of these has piqued our interest more than most. iDEA, the Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award, is the brainchild of The Duke of York and Nominet Trust, the UK social tech charity. Its very worthy aim is to help young people gain the digital and entrepreneurial skills they need to set up and run their own venture.
The launch of iDEA coincided with the release of a YouGov survey of 1,000 16-25 year olds. Two thirds of those interviewed felt that formal education did not provide sufficient support for those interested in entrepreneurship. Another report by Unltd, the social enterprise charity, suggested that more and more people of the same age group were interested in entrepreneurship, with over half (55%) declaring that they want to set up their own business and another 14% saying they were already the in process of doing so.
Backed by the likes of Nick D’Aloisio, founder of Summly, and Tech City meister and founder of Mind Candy, Michael Acton Smith, there’s surely no better time to launch a programme that aims to help those looking to go down the entrepreneurial route and realise their potential.
“iDEA is exactly the type of scheme that could have helped me as a teenager,” said Smith. “I hope it can inspire and embolden a new generation of British tech entrepreneurs.”
The programme will start with a pilot whereby 1,000 young entrepreneurs with a new digital business idea will be mentored and developed. The top 20 ideas will be awarded with a £5,000 grant and a business placement with three finalists selected to receive the 2014 iDEA Award, which will come with £15,000 of seed funding.
Several learning organisations including The Prince’s Trust, Hackney Community College, Gazelle Colleges and The Studio Schools Trust have also signed up to help make the scheme a success.
“Digital technology has fundamentally changed the nature of entrepreneurship, opening up new opportunities for young people to create businesses,” said Annika Small, CEO of Nominet Trust. “From working with young people, it is clear that they are looking for small scale support that allows agile and iterative development, building and testing prototypes before going to market.”


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In April, consumer prices rose at the slowest pace in an entire year. However, key price measures continued to increase. This is a worrying development for both households and government.
The Office for National Statistics has released official figures showing that headline inflation dropped to 8.7 percent last month, from 10.1% in March. The reading is above the Bank of England’s 8.4 percent projection and economists’ predictions of 8.2 percent.
Inflation is on track to ease in April, as the annual price measure no longer includes the spike in Energy Prices immediately following the invasion of Ukraine in 2014.
The ONS stated that “base effects” on energy contributed to the significant fall in annual inflation, but that second-hand cars and cigarettes kept the prices high.
Food Price Inflation remained alarmingly close to historical highs in April, at 19.1% compared to last year’s same period. Food prices are on the rise, which has affected household budgets. The UK’s Competition Authority is investigating.
The core rate of inflation (which measures the intensity of inflationary pressures excluding energy and food) increased from 6.8% to 6.8%, the highest level in the past 31 years.
The Bank’s preferred measure of services inflation rose from 6.6% to 6.9%, indicating that inflationary pressures within the country are still increasing despite interest rate hikes.
ONS data show that the cost of clothing, household services, restaurants and hotels all increased last month in comparison to April 2022.
In an effort to cool the economy and slow down prices, the Bank of England increased borrowing costs. Investors believe it will need to raise the base rate to 4.75 percent next month and continue the restrictive policy throughout the rest of this year.
Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England admitted yesterday that there were lessons to be learned following more than a decade of inflationary runaway, which peaked in October at 11,1 per cent but has been slow subsiding.
Models within the Bank of England show that inflation won’t fall as quickly as it did last year. The 2 percent target will only be achievable by 2025. The Bank believes that inflation will continue to drop in the next few months and end the year at about 5%.
The government will welcome the headline reading for April. It has set a goal to halve inflation by the end the year in order to meet its economic promises ahead of an upcoming general election.
Bailey, speaking at the British Chamber of Commerce annual conference this month, said that food inflation will remain high for a longer period of time but warned that it would still fall.
Jeremy Hunt, chancellor of the United Kingdom, stated: “The IMF has said that we have acted decisively in tackling inflation, but it’s positive that it’s now down to single digits. However, food prices continue to rise too quickly.” We must continue to stick to our plan to bring inflation down, even though we are helping families this year with a cost-of-living allowance of around £3,000.
Rachel Reeves is the shadow chancellor. She said, “As the bills continue to rise, families are worried that food prices and other essentials will still be increasing.” The question will be asked why the Tory government refuses to tackle this cost-of-living crisis and why it won’t impose a windfall tax on oil and gas companies’ enormous profits. “Never before have people paid as much in tax and received so little back.”
Capital Economics’ chief UK economist, Paul Dales, wrote in a client note that interest rates would likely be raised from 4.5 to 4.75 percent in June, and perhaps even a little more in the months following, because inflation was sticking out higher than expected by the Bank of England.


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Two million people have visited FreedomGPT.com in search of censor- and bias-free AI. Now, users can access FreedomGPT in the browser without download from their phone or computer.
AUSTIN, Texas, September 8, 2023 (Newswire.com)
The makers of FreedomGPT have created an App Store for AI Models that allows anyone to access the latest AI without download or technical expertise. Using the FreedomGPT App Store, users have the option to use Liberty, the world’s most capable censor-free LLM, simply by visiting https://chat.FreedomGPT.com.
FreedomGPT’s Liberty model was designed to be the world’s most powerful uncensored LLM. This means users are always shown the exact model answer without the addition of post-processing bias. In other words, the LLM will always produce answers based on its training data and not filtered after the fact. Users can…


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On Oct. 24, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein, along with 41 other attorneys general across the United States, sued Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook. The lawsuit claims Meta created a business model that focuses on maximizing the time and attention young users spend on its platforms while implementing harmful and manipulative product features to prolong usage.
It also alleged the company knowingly collected data from users under the age of 13 without parental consent — which is in direct violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
"A whole generation of young people struggle with their health and safety because companies are trying to make an extra dollar,” Stein said in a press release. “I am bringing this action to demand that Meta do better and not exploit our children."
Sam Hiner, a co-founder and executive director of Young People’s Alliance, said almost all young people have been affected by social media in some way.
Hiner said the issue is that social media companies, like Meta, collect as much data as they can to create personalized feeds aimed at keeping people online for as long as possible. One major implication of these algorithms, he said, is disordered eating and body image issues in many adolescents. He said some individuals already feeling insecurities about their body or eating patterns often pay more attention to healthy eating posts, which in turn causes more healthy eating posts to be suggested.
He also said many people might see the manipulation of social media sites as a personal failing rather than a policy issue.
“I realized that it's not just me, it's everyone — and it's because these apps are designed by some of the smartest people on the planet working on designing these apps in a way to be as addictive as possible,” Hiner said.
Because companies will likely not regulate these algorithms themselves, he said he believes the only real solution is to directly say in the law that companies cannot use user data in their algorithms to filter content.
Rosa Li, a teaching assistant professor at UNC and a researcher at the Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain, and Psychological Development, said she finds it highly unlikely that social media companies would voluntarily take steps to decrease their profits without having external pressures — like the lawsuit.


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USPS contractor arrested, charged in wreck that killed family of 5
A Colorado mail truck driver was arrested and charged with multiple felonies Thursday, including vehicular homicide, following a deadly accident on Interstate 25 this past summer that killed a family traveling home in an SUV.
December 13, 2022
Rail strike back on the table, this time for December
The U.S. narrowly avoided a potentially disastrous rail strike in September, but it now looms over early December.
November 21, 2022
All-electric Kenworth T680E delivers a smooth, powerful ride
The Kenworth T680E is easy to drive and delivers a better experience in terms of acceleration, handling and braking over its diesel counterpart.
September 1, 2022
Freightliner revamps its M2 and SD models
The M2 112 Plus and 114SD Plus get the DD13 Gen 5 engine and its new vocational power ratings.
September 13, 2022
Class 8 orders grow 98 percent month over month
FTR attributes the sudden bump to OEMs who began placing a limited number of orders for the first quarter of 2023 and states it appears the truck makers “have returned to the pattern of the first quarter of this year when orders averaged 21,100 units.”
September 6, 2022
Waymo, Freightliner set to test first redundant system autonomous truck
Often referred to as "high-driving automation," Level 4 autonomy requires no human interaction to operate a vehicle between two set points.
August 24, 2022
International debuts its first integrated powertrain, powered by new 13-liter
International rolls out "the last combustion engine that we will ever develop," its first-ever transmission and a compact aftertreatment package.
August 16, 2022
Truck orders slide, but seasonally a 'surprise'
Truck orders are entering a seasonally weak time of year as OEMs typically have yet to open build schedules for next year.
June 7, 2022
Fleets share ride and drive impressions of zero emission trucks and vans
Fleets looking to shrink their carbon footprint provide feedback on zero emission trucks and vans from a recent ride and drive event at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Long Beach, California.
June 3, 2022
Cargo theft activity expected to pick up over Memorial Day weekend
CargoNet warns of increased theft activity over the holiday weekend. Also: Diesel prices drop slightly; Bendix is hosting a ride-and-drive event at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama; Landstar lands on Fortune 500 list.
May 25, 2022
Tesla Semi reservations start at $20K
Your first Tesla Semi can be reserved for $20,000. Subsequent reservations cost more.
May 18, 2022
Test drive: Isuzu's hulked up F-Series
Isuzu leapt into unfamiliar territory for MY2022: the Class 7 segment and offering a non-Isuzu engine for the first time.
May 17, 2022
Volvo rolls out latest VNR Electric and an autonomous diesel VNL
Volvo Trucks debuted an autonomous diesel VNL and a next generation VNR Electric this week at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Long Beach, Calif.
May 13, 2022
Freightliner unveils new electric eCascadia
The fully battery electric eCascadia originally made its debut in 2018 as a proof of concept before swiftly being handed off to demonstration fleets with almost 50 trucking customers running real freight in the real world.
May 9, 2022
Hyliion could be facing greater competition following Cummins' Meritor acquisition
Hybrid powertrain manufacturer Hyliion was already competing with Cummins on the growing alt fuel front when the iconic engine builder announced this week plans to acquire Hyliion's eAxle supplier, Meritor.
February 23, 2022
OEMs still struggling to build trucks as supply chain woes play on
Constrained by limited supplies, truck manufacturers continue to struggle to keep pace with new orders as the need for trucks remains high.
January 12, 2022
DHL orders diesel autonomous trucks, wants electric when range improves
Package delivery giant DHL ordered dozens of autonomous trucks and opted for diesel powertrains since electric isn't quite yet delivering the range they need.
December 29, 2021
Test drive: Mack MD Series
The MD is Mack’s first all-new truck model since the 2017 debut of Anthem and is one of very few bulldogs to offer a non-Mack powertrain.
November 16, 2021
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Watch 2023 Ford Raptor R roar to max power in Hennessey dyno test
Watch as Hennessey Performance pushes the 700-hp 2023 Ford Raptor R to redline on their dyno.
Charging can make or break the Ford F-150 Lightning
Big learning curve with Ford F-150 Lightning range recalculations
Ford dominates truck sales in 2022
Ford F-150 Lightnings roll out to green conscious utility


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Emirates Post says it has chosen Hurricane Commerce as a data partner to support its global e-commerce expansion strategy. The postal operator for the UAE notes it has invested heavily in its international parcels business with the ambition of becoming a seamless gateway and strategic logistics hub for cross-border e-commerce traffic.
Hurricane says it will support Emirates Post across various parts of its business, with a major focus on providing best-in-class data solutions for its international business unit. Emirates Post says that its main objective is to develop a global B2C parcel business leveraging the UAE as a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) hub.
Hurricane’s Zephyr solution will be used to ensure that shipments have the right data – including HS6 codes, product descriptions and 8- and 10-digit import and export codes – to pass smoothly through customs and on to the end consumer. Furthermore, its Aura product will cover the three critical cross-border areas of duty and tax calculation, prohibited and restricted goods screening and denied parties screening.
Peter Somers, CEO of Emirates Post, commented, “The expansion of our international e-commerce parcels business is one of our top priorities. To achieve this requires working with best-in-class partners. We were impressed by the experience and knowledge of the Hurricane team and the quality of the data solutions they have developed. The partnership with Hurricane represents an important part of our cross-border e-commerce growth strategy.”


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Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (NYSE: DPS) — market cap as of 24/11/2016: $16.031bn
On November 22, 2016, Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc., an American beverage producer, agreed to acquire Bai Brands, another American beverage producer focused on antioxidant beverages, for $1.7bn. The deal emerges as traditional customers sway away from sugary drinks and as a means to tap into the growing segment of health-conscious consumers. The deal seems to be appealing as Dr Pepper, given its financial resources, can realize Bai Brands’ full potential and soften the pressure on its own brand portfolio caused by a shift in consumer preference.
About Dr Pepper Snapple
Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (Dr Pepper) is a leading producer of flavoured beverages in North America and the Caribbean. It was established in 2008 following the spinoff of Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages (CSAB) from Cadbury Schweppes plc. In turn, CSAB had been formed in 2003 by bringing together Cadbury Schweppes’ four North American beverage businesses, Dr Pepper/Seven Up Inc., Snapple Beverage Group, Mott’s LLP and Bebidas Mexico: this led to the unification of more than 50 leading brands under the third-largest beverage business in North America.
Today Dr Pepper owns renowned brands such as Dr Pepper, Snapple, 7UP, A&W, Canada Dry, Clamato, Crush, Hawaiian Punch, Schweppes. It is the market leader in the flavoured carbonated soft drinks category, as well as a key player in the fast growing ready-to-drink tea and juice drink markets. The company operates 22 manufacturing and bottling facilities in North America and more than 100 warehouses and distribution centres.
Dr Pepper posted net sales of $6.3bn in 2015 (+2.6% YoY) and income from operations of $1.3bn (+10% YoY). Operating cash flow stood at $991m as opposed to $1,022m in 2014.
About Bai Brands
Bai Brands, LLC (Bai) is one of the fastest growing beverage brands in the U.S. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Hamilton, New Jersey, it offers a wide range of beverages positioned in the low-calories segment. Its product categories are experiencing high-profile growth and include enhanced water, carbonated flavoured water, coconut water and premium ready-to-drink teas. The brand portfolio encompasses Bai, Bai Bubbles, Cocofusion and others.
In October 2016, a new push has been given to Bai Brands: Justin Timberlake joined the Bai team as an investor and as the company’s first Chief Flavour Officer. According to Ben Weiss, the Bai’s Founder and CEO, Justin Timberlake will also star as the face of the brand in a $100m marketing campaign.
Not a wonder that such a ‘sexy’ company is expected to earn over $300m in revenue this year, and is in the top-20 of America’s Most Promising Companies, taking 13th place according to the Forbes.
The major strategic rationale behind the acquisition can be traced back to a significant shift in consumer demand towards the so-called “better-for-you” beverages. These include low-calories, antioxidant drinks and even plain water. According to research by Beverage Marketing, by 2017 bottled water consumption may indeed surpass soda, whose estimated per-capita consumption reached its 30-year low in the U.S. last year. Moreover, the recent vote of major American cities such as Chicago and San Francisco on the introduction of a new tax on sugary beverages furtherly highlights the growing concern towards health issues associated with sugar consumption.
Dr Pepper Snapple’s President and CEO Larry Young defined Bai as capable of continuing “to meet the needs of consumers seeking great tasting, low-calorie beverages with natural flavours and no artificial sweeteners.”
Bai Brands had actually been part of Dr Pepper Snapple’s “allied brands” since 2013, when DPS bought a 3% stake in it and started acting as its main distributor. Being familiar with Bai’s portfolio of products, Dr Pepper Snapple decided to exploit the company’s full potential in order to strengthen its position in the industry and to seize a significant share of the growing low-calories beverage market.
As far as the financials are concerned, the deal is expected to add $132m in incremental sales to Dr Pepper Snapple’s 2017 expected net sales and $43m in incremental income from operations in 2017. Based on its 3-year net sales historical CAGR, Bai is expected to grow its net sales to $425m in 2017 and its income from operations to $79m as a result of the integration with DPS.
After months of negotiations, Dr Pepper Snapple Group agreed to purchase Bai Brands in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.7bn including $400m worth of tax benefit. According to the company’s press release, this benefit comes out as a result of a step-up in basis: the restatement of Bai’s assets at market value will indeed let the merged entity save taxes on capital gains and increased depreciation. The terms of the deal therefore value Bai Brands at 3.1x its expected 2017 net sales.
The deal will have a $0.03 dilutive effect on the 2017 pro-forma EPS because of the marketing expenses needed support the brand. However, the deal will have an accretive effect on the company’s EPS starting from 2018.
Dr Pepper Snapple will finance the deal through $150m of commercial paper and unsecured notes. Despite this expensive endeavour, the acquirer aims to maintain a strong investment-grade credit profile: the company’s debt-to-LTM EBITDA multiple will indeed be 2.9x. Furthermore, the company will continue to pay dividends
The transaction has been approved by the board of directors of both companies but is still subject to customary closing conditions. As a consequence, collaboration between the firms and the regulators is essential, in order to ensure closure in the first quarter of 2017. Bai Brands will continue to be governed by the Founder and CEO Ben Weiss and will remain a key player within the packaged beverages industry.
Dr Pepper Snapple’s share price jumped 2.6% on the day of announcement, signalling investors’ confidence in the potential strategic upsides of the deal despite the initial dilutive effect on earnings per share.
Credit Suisse is Dr Pepper Snapple’s exclusive financial advisor. Bai Brands is being advised by J.P. Morgan.
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Regardless of positioning itself as a pro-privacy tech firm, Apple has been accused by iOS builders of conduct that “ought to increase many privateness issues.” All of it pertains to Apple’s personal apps, together with the App Retailer, and the way in which utilization knowledge is allegedly shared with Apple even when the consumer has turned off analytics sharing and personalised suggestions.
The Twitter account Mysk, which is run by a pair of devs in Canada and Germany, posted a thread final week warning that, in the event you’re utilizing the App Retailer app in iOS 14.6, “each faucet you make” is recorded and despatched to Apple. This occurs no matter consumer preferences and settings, the devs declare. Apple has a number of toggles designed to cut back monitoring, however the builders say that “opting-out or switching the personalization choices off didn’t cut back the quantity of detailed analytics that the app was sending.”
In a follow-up by Gizmodo, the builders discovered that a number of different apps, together with Music, TV, Books, the iTunes Retailer, and Shares all despatched knowledge to Apple regardless of the privateness toggles. (The Well being and Pockets apps, nonetheless, didn’t transmit any analytics knowledge in any respect.) The location reviews that many of the apps that despatched analytics knowledge shared constant ID numbers, which might enable Apple to trace your exercise throughout its providers, the researchers discovered.
Apple was shortly sued in a California class-action lawsuit after the findings had been made public. The swimsuit alleges that Apple “violates state legislation in reference to its unlawful recording of customers’ confidential exercise on its client cellular functions,” and expenses that Apple is violating belief with “its pervasive and illegal knowledge monitoring and assortment enterprise.” Apple has not but responded to the swimsuit, which seeks “compensatory, statutory, and punitive damages in quantities to be decided by the Court docket and/or jury.”
The thread additional factors out that Apple’s alleged monitoring appears ironic, provided that iOS 14.5 noticed the introduction of strict measures to stop third-party devs from monitoring customers with out consent. It’s value noting that the iOS 14.6 working system is greater than a 12 months outdated now, however the authors mentioned they noticed the identical apps sending related packets of information when working iOS 16.
This appears extra of a query of intent than one in all expertise, provided that the monitoring was taking place amid the implementation of high-profile pro-privacy measures. It’s onerous to see why Apple would nonetheless have been harvesting utilization knowledge below iOS 14.6 after which backtracked in a later replace with none apparent motivation.
Certainly, if something Apple has shifted its enterprise mannequin in the wrong way for the reason that heady days when App Monitoring Transparency was being trumpeted as the way forward for consumer privateness. The rising prevalence of advertisements on the App Retailer–regardless of the shop already being an exceptional income driver for Apple–hints at a technique centered on wringing out each drop of accessible revenue reasonably than prioritizing the consumer expertise. And advertisements, after all, are far simpler when optimized with consumer knowledge.


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ORLANDO, FL – April 28, 2020 – Greenspoon Marder LLP has secured a major victory for its client Westgate Resorts with the reversal of a summary judgment ruling that was previously hailed by Reed Hein & Associates, LLC d/b/a Timeshare Exit Team (“TET”) president and founder Brandon Reed as a “significant defeat for the timeshare industry.” But Monday’s ruling will ensure a jury decides Westgate’s claim that TET, a Washington-based company, engages in deceptive business practices by advertising its timeshare “exit” scam nationwide and collecting thousands of dollars from consumers without providing any legitimate services.
In an Order entered April 27, 2020, United States District Court Judge Gregory A. Presnell vacated summary judgment on Westgate’s claims for damages and injunctive relief against TET for violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practice Act (“FDUPTA”). Judge Presnell agreed his February 11, 2020, Order granting summary judgment on Westgate’s FDUPTA claim was a “clear error of apprehension,” granting Westgate’s Motion for Partial Reconsideration.
Specifically, the Court noted his Order inadvertently focused only on TET’s false advertising – as TET had argued in seeking summary judgment – and overlooked evidence from Westgate showing a wide range of other deceptive acts and practices by TET that supports Westgate’s claims for damages and injunctive relief under FDUTPA:
[I]n addressing Westgate’s FDUTPA claim, TET did not address any conduct outside of the Advertising Statements. Nor did it address Westgate’s prayer for injunctive relief. Instead, TET focused exclusively on the Advertising Statements and Westgate’s request for monetary damages. [citations omitted]. Following TET’s lead, the Court inadvertently failed to consider any conduct outside of the Advertising Statements that may have supported Westgate’s claim for monetary damages. The Court also inadvertently overlooked Westgate’s prayer for injunctive relief. As such, the Court reconsiders Westgate’s FDUTPA claim.
In its Amended Complaint, Westgate alleged claims against TET and its principals for tortious interference with existing contracts; violation of FDUTPA; civil conspiracy; and false advertising in violation of the Lanham Act. The Parties each moved for summary judgment in October 2019, and on February 11, 2020, the Court entered partial summary judgment dismissing all but two of TET’s affirmative defenses and Westgate’s claims under the Lanham Act and FDUTPA, while denying judgment as to Westgate’s remaining claims.
To support its claim that TET had engaged in unfair and deceptive acts and practices, Westgate presented 21 TET customers who testified that they stopped paying Westgate under their timeshare contracts specifically because TET instructed or encouraged them to stop paying. Court found those customers’ testimony compelling and illustrative of TET’s deceptive practices, summarizing their personal experiences at length in the Order and concluding:
Based on this testimony, and contrary to TET’s arguments otherwise, Westgate has proffered sufficient evidence from which a reasonably jury could find TET engaged in deceptive practices that caused Westgate actual damages. More specifically, a jury could find that TET engaged in deceptive practices by guaranteeing owners that it could legitimately exit them from their timeshare interests and instructing those same owners to stop making payments to Westgate, knowing that it would not actually negotiate with Westgate, that Westgate would likely foreclose, and that TET would simply claim that it had successfully “terminated” the owners’ timeshare interests without disclosing the foreclosure. Because the timeshare owners were current on their timeshare obligations before hiring TET and only stopped paying at TET’s direction, a jury could also reasonably find TET’s purported deceptive practices caused Westgate actual damages in the form of lost payments.
Accordingly, the Court agreed that summary judgment was not appropriate on Westgate’s FDUPTA claim, and vacated the Order’s entry of summary judgment on that claim.
Since filing this action on July 8, 2018, against TET and its principals, Brandon Reed, Trevor Hein, and Thomas Parenteau, Westgate has uncovered substantial evidence of deceptive business practices by TET, including false advertising, as Westgate demonstrated in seeking reconsideration. This evidence shows TET blankets the nation with radio advertising, spending up to $1 million a month and using paid celebrity endorsers such as consumer financial advisor Dave Ramsay. This creates the false and misleading impression that TET can safely and legitimately cancel an owner’s timeshare contract, which in fact they have no legitimate means of terminating lawful and valid timeshare contracts. Instead, timeshare owners, who hire TET and pay fees ranging on average from $5,000 to $15,000, are simply told to stop paying their timeshare contracts, resulting in substantial damages to Westgate. After collecting these exorbitant fees, TET representatives provide fraudulent email updates to customers on the status of their “exit” when in fact TET has performed no services whatsoever. TET also sends the customers “congratulation” letters taking credit for performing an “exit,” after the owner has actually been foreclosed upon, and in spite of the fact that TET has taken no action on behalf of the consumers.
Although TET widely advertises a “100% money-back guarantee,” it rarely issues a refund, resulting in hundreds of consumers complaints that prompted the Better Business Bureau to revoke TET’s membership in 2019 and the Washington Attorney General to file a lawsuit asserting that “[v]irtually every aspect of Defendants’ operation is deceptive and/or unfair.”
State of Washington v. Reed Hein & Associates, LLC, Case No. 20-2-03141-1 SEA, King County (Wash.) Sup. Ct., Complaint (Feb. 4, 2020) at ¶1.5.
Westgate’s claims against TET and its principals are scheduled for a two-week jury trial commencing on January 5, 2021. This action is one of several lawsuits against TET and other companies in the timeshare ”exit” business brought by Westgate and other timeshare developers. The majority of the cases are pending in the Middle District of Florida in Orlando, and Greenspoon Marder represents a substantial number of the timeshare developers in these cases.
The Greenspoon Marder team consisted of co-managing director,
Michael Marder, partners Richard Epstein, Jeffrey Backman, Brian Cummings, and Olga Vieira, senior counsels Eliot New and Roy Taub, associates Michelle Durieux, Julia Stepanova and Gregg Strock.


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Features - Financial
MARCH 3, 2000
Formula 1's franchise system
BY JOE SAWARD
The reason that people want to buy a team is that successful Formula 1 teams can make a lot of money thanks to the provisions of the Concorde Agreement and the huge amounts of money Bernie Ecclestone has been able to generate from the sale of Fe's TV rights.
Formula One Holdings earned around $330m last year from sale of TV revenues. The teams receive 48% of this. That means that between them they took around $158m last year. The division of that money is not made equally, but it is fair to say that a middle-ranking F1 team in 2000 can be guaranteed to earn around $15m a year from TV income.
In exchange for the money the teams have committed to sending two cars to every Grand Prix in the course of the next 10 years. This means that Ecclestone has a guaranteed package that he can sell to the TV companies. Ecclestone does not own the commercial rights to Formula 1 but he has a 15 year deal with the FIA for which he pays the governing body an annual fee of $10m. This is not much but when he eventually decides to float Formula One Holdings on the Stock Exchange the international automobile federation will get 10% of the company - and that would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Having paid the teams and the FIA, Ecclestone gets the rest of the money and further revenues from the sale of other promotional rights in the sport. He has to pay for the vast digital television facility which goes from race to race but he is still able to make annual profits of around $270m. Such profit margins have attracted interest in the financial world and this enabled him to sell 12.5% of the company to Morgan Grenfell Private Equity Ltd for $325m last autumn. A few weeks ago he sold another 37.5% to San Francisco investment company Hellman & Friedman for just over $1bn.
In addition Bernie had raised a bond issue (which is in effect a loan) for $1.4bn. This has been secured the future revenues generated by the business. In short Ecclestone has collected $2.7bn in the last 12 months and remains in control of his empire. He says he intends to go on running the sport for another 15 years, looking for ways to add value to the company. There are obvious possibilities in merchandising and with the Internet. There is also the strong possibility that Ecclestone will buy Paddy McNally's Allsport Management, the company which looks after the sale of the circuit signage at each Grand Prix and the VIP Paddock Club operations. Allsport has a turnover of around $160m a year and has a high profit margin. Ecclestone would have to pay McNally around $500m for Allsport but such a deal would greatly increase the value of FOH, particularly as McNally is currently working on the development of an official supplier program for the sport, which is potentially another huge money-making scheme.
The economics and the legally-established stability of the Concorde Agreement have suddenly turned Grand Prix racing into a promising investment opportunity. With careful financial management, a moderately-successful F1 team can now be guaranteed to make a sizable profit every year for the duration of the Concorde Agreement and if TV income continues to rise that could mean more than $200m worth of income - just for being there. In addition F1 teams have enormous merchandising potential which has yet to be exploited and at the end of the contract the owners of a team will still have a very valuable asset to sell. The Benetton company long ago realized that it was better value to own a team rather than be a long-term sponsor. Austrian drinks company Red Bull followed suit in 1994 when it bought a majority shareholding in the Sauber team and in 1997 British American Tobacco decided to buy the Tyrrell team - paying $30m for the back-of-the grid operation. Recently the Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica has purchased Minardi for around $50m.
The car companies have also realized that they can reduce their investment in F1 if they become owners or shareholders of F1 teams and so we have seen DaimlerChrysler buy a 40% share of the TAG McLaren Group - the parent company of the West McLaren Mercedes team. Jackie Stewart's Stewart Grand Prix was also snapped up by the Ford Motor Company with the estimates of the sale price being $60m.
Formula 1 is an obvious place for the world's car manufacturers to compete and with the new financial structure of the sport, it is advantageous for the car companies to own the teams - as it means that their investment is being repaid as they go along. They still have to invest a lot of money but at the end of 10 years they will have recouped the money (probably with a profit), they will have had free publicity and they will have a racing team to sell. It is motor racing which makes financial sense. Big companies do not, however, want to actually run operations and so the trend is to take a large minority shareholding and let the teams get on with the running of the business. The amounts of money involved may have changed but the business is much the same as it always has been, except that now it is one millionaire fighting against another rather than two race fans in competition.
Analysis of situation of each team:
McLaren International Ltd - Estimated value $1.2bn
The McLaren Formula 1 team is part of the TAG McLaren Group. This has several different divisions including the F1 team, the car building company McLaren Cars, the Formula 3000 team, a marketing company, the TAG Electronics company and a high-technology car stereo company. It also owns a share of a catering company.
The company is 40% owned by the DaimlerChrysler car company but Ron Dennis retains 30% of the shares and Mansour Ojjeh of the TAG Group owns another 30%. The parties to the agreement have given assurances that they will not reveal how much money is involved but rumors so that Dennis received $80m for the 10% he sold and TAG got $240m. If these figures are current the value of the company is around $800m. However, it is clear that part of the deal was an agreement between DaimlerChrysler and McLaren for the construction of a supercar beginning in the year 2003. The intention is for the Mercedes SLR model to compete directly with Ferrari models in the supercar market. Each one will cost around $200,000 and the intention is for production to be around 500 a year which will bring the company an extra $100m a year in income. This means that the company's true value is probably around $1.2bn. Although DaimlerChrysler is the biggest McLaren shareholder the company remains under the control of Ron Dennis as he had negotiated a deal which allows him to control TAG's votes on the board of directors so, in effect, he controls 60% of the company.
The TAG McLaren group currently employs 750 people but says that this figure will rise to over 1000 when the new Paragon Technology Center is completed. This state-of-the-art facility will house the entire TAG McLaren Group and should be is finished next year. Paragon - which will house the very latest high-technology windtunnels and test equipment - will also increase the overall value of the company and upgrading work taking place at McLaren's Lydden Hill facility should also be taken into account. Lydden Hill is being converted to become the European distribution center for the new Mercedes-Benz SLR models and will be used as a test track for the production cars before they are delivered.
The company also owns a number of industrial sites in and around Woking and, given the property prices in Britain, these will be worth several millions of dollars. They will probably be sold once the McLaren companies have moved to Paragon.
It is quite likely that the TAG McLaren Group will continue to expand by acquisition of high-technology, automobile-related companies in the years ahead.
Dennis says that there is no plan for the company to sell any more shares to DaimlerChrysler at the moment and so it is unlikely that the situation will change until 2003 at the earliest. If the new SLR is a success, Dennis and Ojjeh may decide to release more shares.
Ferrari SpA - Estimated value $1bn
Enzo Ferrari established Scuderia Ferrari in 1929 and although the team changed names on several occasions it remained much the same for the next 40 years, during which time the company became the most successful racing team in history. After World War II Ferrari began building expensive road cars for the rich and famous. Racing and Ferrari's unusual personality added the company's mystique and created a glamorous image which would eventually make the Ferrari Prancing Horse one of the most recognized brand images in the world. This alone has enormous value.
In the late 1960s Ferrari wanted to expand production of his road cars and needed investment from a bigger company and so he sold 50% of the company to the Turin-based industrial giant Fiat. The Ferrari F1 team was left to run independently until Ferrari died when it too became under Fiat control. Fiat now controls 87% of the company. Ten percent of the company is held by Enzo Ferrari's son Piero Lardi Ferrari. The remaining 3% belongs to a consortium of banks. The sale was completed in 1996 and raised $14.7m. This value the company at around $470m but that has increased significantly since then with successful new models being produced and Ferrari now also being in control of the Maserati car company. Work is going on to revive the Maserati brand and there has been continued speculation that the company will eventually enter a Maserati team in single-seater racing in the United States, but not until the current CART-IRL problems are solved. The company is planning to enter the US market in 2001 with a range of luxury sporting cars for those who cannot quite afford a Ferrari. This is likely to be very successful because of the strength of the Maserati brand.
Of all the Formula 1 teams Ferrari is the most successful in merchandising but this is still to be properly exploited. There are estimates that a more effective merchandising operation could bring Ferrari around $100m a year in revenue as the firm's popularity around the world is remarkably strong. Team boss Luca di Montezemolo is also believed to be considering building a Ferrari theme park which would also generate significant new revenue. This would include a museum of the all the company's cars.
Fiat is a public company but the Agnelli Family still controls around 32% of the shares. In recent months there has been much speculation about whether Fiat Auto, Ferrari's sister car company (which owns the Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Innocenti and Autobianchi marques), will be bought by one of the major automotive companies. The Agnelli Family has said that even if this were to happen they would not include Ferrari in the sale. If Ferrari was to become an independent car company it would need to be strengthened with a wider product range and this would probably mean that Ferrari would become a public company although the Agnelli Family would undoubtedly retain a significant shareholding.
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Ltd - Estimated value $500m
Frank Williams and Patrick Head have been in business together since 1977 when they set up the team in an old carpet warehouse in Didcot, Oxfordshire. They have built a very successful company thanks to their extraordinary successes in Formula which began with the team's first F1 victory in 1979. Since then the team has collected a total of nine Formula 1 Constructors' titles (a total which was equaled last year when Ferrari won the 1999 title) and seven Drivers' World Championships. In addition to the Formula 1 program, Williams has had a very successful British Touring Car Championship team with Renault and more recently has won the Le Mans 24 Hours and other major sportscar races with Williams-built BMW sportscars. In recent years Williams has raised more money by running test teams for BMW and will this year he running a testing operation for the Michelin tire company, which plans to enter F1 in 2001.
The Williams organization also runs a low-key engineering consultancy business which helps other non-F1 racing teams with their technology. Current work is being carried out for Opel in the British Touring Car Championship and for the Petrobras Junior Team Formula 3000 operation. This team is not owned by Williams but enjoys the semi-official status of being its junior team. The engineering consultancy business remains an area which is still not fully commercially-exploited.
Williams has not become involved in building production cars mainly because Williams and Head are interested in racing rather than making money. Success has made them both very wealthy men - with the company estimated to be worth around half a billion dollars - and neither is showing an interest in selling their shares at the moment. Even without the sale of the shares the two men are wealthy so there is no rush for them to do anything. The current arrangement with BMW allows the Munich company to style the cars in exchange for cash payment so BMW can make the cars appear as they want them to be and Williams can retain the shares.
The Williams assets include one of the most advanced windtunnel facilities in the world and one of the largest factories although the team also has a separate facility at its site in Grove, Oxfordshire, which used to house the BMW Motorsport sportscar team. The team also has a private museum and conference center which is run as a separate commercial operation in its own right and eventually there is likely to be a Williams Museum which will be open to the public.
Williams is also in the process of developing a more effective merchandising operation as there are millions of Williams fans around the world. The team does not attract the same following as Ferrari but there is no doubt that there is considerable expansion possible in its merchandising operations.
Jordan Grand Prix Ltd - Estimated value $180m
Eddie Jordan established Jordan Grand Prix at the end of 1989 and he and his family retained complete control of the team until the end of 1998 when he agreed to sell 40% of the team to the venture capitalist company Warburg, Pincus & Co for an estimated $60m. This valued the team at $150m but success in 1999 has had been a big help in increasing the team's value, notably with the big new sponsorship deal from Deutsche Post.
In addition there is a major effort going on to develop the Jordan brand around the world. This is being undertaken by former Reebok marketing man Bill Sweeney who believes that the Jordan name can be built into a very successful "lifestyle" brand which will eventually produce multi-million dollar income for the team. The team's strength is its image of being relaxed ad free-spirited in a sport where too often teams have a very corporate image. Sweeney's first deal was an agreement for Jordan to market the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its associated brands around the world - in exchange for Indianapolis marketing Jordan Grand Prix in the Americas.
Jordan's actual operations are a lot less valuable than those of other teams. The factory is too small for the team and the team's windtunnel at Brackley is 12 years old and too small when compared to the facilities being used by the bigger teams these days. In order to increase the value of the team Jordan needs to invest in a new factory. That will probably not be possible until Jordan gets backing from a major automobile manufacturer and at the moment there is no sign of that happening although it is the obvious step for the team. The problem for Jordan is that most of the manufacturers which are looking at Formula 1 today are planning to enter the sport by buying a large percentage of an existing team. This is logical because the current Concorde Agreement guarantees that the top 10 teams all receive a share of the TV income and of the fees paid by promoters in order to secure a race. This income amounts to about $12m a year at the moment and this is likely to increase in the years ahead. This means that a manufacturer can buy into Formula 1, exert a considerable amount of control, and then recoup the money by selling the shares later. Jordan's problem is that having parted with 40% of the team he is now not in a position to sell a share of the company to a big car company without losing control.
Jordan's other weakness is that it relies heavily on sub-contracting firms, although we understand that Jordan actually owns several of these. The team produces much less of the F1 car in-house than do its rivals.
Benetton Formula Ltd - Estimated value $120m
The Benetton clothing company bought control of the Toleman Formula 1 team in 1985. The Italians had been involved in F1 in 1983 with Tyrrell and in 1984 with the Euroracing Alfa Romeo team but neither had been a success and Luciano Benetton decided that it would be better, as a long-term investment, to buy a team and find sponsorship for it than it would be to continue purely as a sponsor.
The Benettons have invested heavily in the team over the last years but the value of the team to the Benetton company in terms of advertising alone has been enormous and this probably explains the family's unwillingness to sell a share in the company to the Ford Motor Company in 1998. That resulted in the departure of the team's chief executive David Richards and left the team in the hands of Luciano's son Rocco Benetton.
The team has not been a great success since Michael Schumacher departed in 1996 with the only race victory coming in Germany in 1997 when Gerhard Berger won at Hockenheim. The team has been losing sponsorship and there is a danger that at the end of the coming season Japan Tobacco, which supplies the majority of the team's sponsorship from the Mild Seven brand, may decide not to continue. Fortunately for the team there are a lot of companies interested in entering F1 at the moment and so a replacement should be found. The team's biggest asset at the moment is that it has a remarkably good facility at Enstone, including the vast $20m windtunnel which took three years to complete and can be used for full-sized models.
Benetton is currently hoping that its relationship with Renault, which dates back to 1995 will result in a deal to use the new Renault V10 Formula 1 engine if the French car company decides to return to Grand Prix racing in 2001. This is by no means certain to happen. Renault chief Louis Schweitzer has hinted that if th company does come back to Grand Prix racing it will probably be as a team owner rather than as an engine manufacturer. In all likelihood, however, this would mean that the company would buy a share of an existing team in order to get to the vital chassis technology which F1 teams have available to them. If the Benetton Family are not happy to part with at least 40% of the team it is unlikely that Renault will be willing to do a deal. In addition there are strong commercial links between Renault and Tom Walkinshaw which mean that an Arrows-Renault deal is more likely to happen.
Benetton is currently being identified by potential buyers as one of the most likely teams to be sold although it should be remembered that the operation remains a strong marketing tool for the Benetton empire.
PP Sauber AG - Estimated value $ 80m
Peter Sauber's success with Mercedes-Benz in sportscar racing in the late 1980s helped him to build an impressive factory in Hinwil in Switzerland and to enter F1 in 1992. Mercedes-Benz supported him quietly and when things went well decided to support him officially in 1994. That program was a great disappointment and Mercedes-Benz decided to do a deal with McLaren instead. After a brief period with Ford (which was already committed to joining forces with Stewart in 1997) Sauber struggled to survive and concluded a deal with the Red Bull drinks company - owned by Austria's Dietrich Mateschitz - and with Lichtenstein businessman Fritz Kaiser. Mateschitz bought 51% of the Sauber team while Peter Sauber and Fritz Kaiser (who organized the deal) each took a shareholding.
Kaiser proved to be the commercial force behind the team and found massive financial support for Sauber from the Malaysian oil company Petronas in 1995. In addition Sauber and Petronas formed a joint-venture to build an F1 engine. While this was being prepared Petronas agreed to pay for old Ferrari engines and these were rebadged as Sauber Petronas V10s.
In 1998 Sauber sold more shares to Kaiser and so the pair each had 24.5% of the company. In 1998 the financial crisis is Asia meant that the Sauber Petronas V10 engine design program was cancelled.
Last year Kaiser decided that he either wanted to run the team how he felt it should be run or he wanted to sell his shares. Mateschitz sided with Sauber and Kaiser departed, selling his shares back to Sauber and Mateschitz. The team now faces the renegotiation of the Petronas deal (after five unsuccessful years) without Kaiser. There are rumours that Petronas may have decided to commission Lotus Cars, a subsidiary of the Malaysian company Proton, to design a F1 engine for the future. Petronas may want to have more control over the F1 programmed and could ask Sauber for shares in the company but the problem is that it is unlikely to feel that basing an F1 team in Switzerland is a good idea. British chassis designers do not want to work there. Thus it would be more logical for Petronas to try to buy a shareholding in a British team and supply its rumoured new Lotus engine to them.
If this is the case Sauber will probably become a target for takeover.
The team has added problems because it does not have its own windtunnel and has trouble getting as much time as it wants in the Swiss aerospace tunnel at Emmen. The team is planning to build a windtunnel at Hinwil but is struggling to get planning permission.
Sauber is safe as long as Mateschitz sticks with him but if the team cannot find sponsors, engines and good staff it is unlikely that the Red Bull boss will be happy to watch his investment become devalued.
Arrows Grand Prix International - Estimated value $ 80m
Tom Walkinshaw has been running the Arrows team since the middle of 1996. The team was moved to new premises at the Tom Walkinshaw Racing headquarters at Leafield in Oxfordshire and a new staff recruited. But all Walkinshaw's efforts have failed although he came close to winning a race in 1997 when Damon was on his way to victory in Hungary in 1997 when his car hit trouble. In 1998 the team had serious financial trouble and at the end of the year Walkinshaw restructured the team, selling 45% of the team to the venture capital company Morgan Grenfell Private Equity Ltd and 10% to the British-based Nigerian Prince Malik ado Ibrahim. Malik failed to pay for his shares and was ousted in the autumn and since then his shares have been left unsold. The team again struggled for money in 1999 and at the end of the year Morgan Grenfell said it was looking to reduce its involvement in Arrows. Those shares have not been sold because the only people interested in buying want to run their own operations and not be in a partnership with Walkinshaw.
Walkinshaw has now found money for the 2000 season from the Orange telephone company (a deal which is rumoured to be worth around $18m a year), from Repsol YPF ($7.5m) and from the cable TV company UPC ($7.5m). This means that Tom now has a good budget to run the team this year. Tom's aim is to do a deal with the Renault car company for engines in 2001. This is quite likely to happen as Walkinshaw and Renault are working together on the production of the Renault Sport version of the Clio at Tom's factory in Uddevalla in Sweden. Walkinshaw would also be happy to sell Morgan Grenfell's share of the team to Renault. The French company has hinted that it would like to have a share in an F1 team when it does return to F1. Arrows would be a cheap option and would give Renault the chance to have a higher profile on the car for less money than it would cost to buy a big share of Benetton. Arrows has a very talented engineering team and if a Renault deal does happen it is virtually certain that Walkinshaw would get Michelin tyres in an effort to find a performance advantage.
The problem for Walkinshaw is that Arrows has debts which need to be settled and that means that even if Renault decides to buy a share of the team more money will be needed to pay the debts left over from 1998 and 1999. The good news for Tom is that Morgan Grenfell wants to get out of F1 and will sell its shares relatively cheaply if Renault were to come along and that would mean that there was more money available to settle all the debts.
Jaguar Racing - Estimated value $ 100m
Jaguar Racing is very definitely not for sale. Formerly known as Stewart Grand Prix , the team was bought from the Stewart Family last year by the Ford Motor Company for a rumoured $60m. Ford has very specific plans for the team and it is fairly clear that the team is going to be part of a long-term strategy by Ford to build up a strong presence in Formula 1, using the sporty Jaguar brand. Although Jaguar has never raced in Formula 1 the name did create a lot of excitement with its highly-successful sportscar programmes of the late 1980s and Ford's Jac Nasser hopes to translate that passion to race fans around the world with the Formula 1 cars.
The team is believed to have cost Ford a rumoured $60m, although the team was worth considerably more than that. The low price was because Ford had already invested heavily in Stewart and so was in a position to pay less than the market value for the team. The team became Jaguar Racing in January and Jackie Stewart recently stood down as chairman and chief executive although Ford did not name a replacement for him. Ford's Neil Ressler will act as chairman leaving the running of the team to the existing management (minus Stewart).
This is an interim year as the team management is not greatly changed and Stewart and the Ford-owned Cosworth - which is supplying the engines - need to be relocated to new facilities. A site has been found near Northampton but Ford has yet to get planning permission for its planned "motorsport campus" which will feature new factories for the various teams and a new windtunnel. Once this is completed the team will become a lot more valuable.
Jaguar's immediate target is to sell a lot of the new cars it is building. The current S-Type is due to double Jaguar sales in the next 18 months and in 2001 it will be joined by the smaller T-Type which is expected to double the company's sales again. In addition the F-Type roadster is aimed to attract those who want a real roadgoing sports car.
It is expected to be a couple of years before Jaguar Racing is strong enough to take on McLaren and Ferrari and by then it is likely that Jaguar will have developed a lucrative merchandising operation to go alongside the F1 programme. Ferrari reckons that it can raise annual merchandising income to $100m and Jaguar should be able to do almost as well if the team does become a winning force. This will greatly help the financing of the team. At the moment Stewart's old sponsors HSBC are still involved although the red color scheme detracts somewhat from the Jaguar green which has been chosen. In the long term the team is expected to concentrate on finding sponsorship from companies which will fit in with the green color scheme, in much the same way as Williams sponsors now need to fit into BMW's desire for blue and white cars.
Gauloises Prost Peugeot - Estimated value $ 120m
Alain Prost bought the old Ligier team from Flavio Briatore in February 1997 and he had complete control of the team until October 1999 when he sold 10% of the shares to the luxury company Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy's investment capital subsidiary LV Capital for an estimated $12m. As part of the deal it was agreed that Louis Vuitton and Prost would establish a joint venture to produce and sell Prost-branded merchandise around the world. The strategy is aimed at the top end of the market with products likely to be expensive clothing, watches and high quality design items. This is intended to produce considerable income for both companies. Prost's intention appears to be to try to secure a second supply of Mercedes-Benz engines in 2001. This deal makes a great deal of sense for Mercedes-Benz as it will mean that there will be four Mercedes-engined cars to be beaten rather the current two. It makes sense for Prost as it fits neatly in with his luxury merchandising plans. The recently announced sponsorship deal from Yahoo! will provide the teams with a distribution network for goods on the Internet.
Mercedes-Benz is unlikely to want to acquire any equity in the Prost team but Alain seems to be committed to making his team successful rather than selling it to make a quick profit. He is already a very wealthy man thanks to his long and successful driving career so his motivation in building a team is not financial. The team has built an impressive factory at Guyancourt near Versailles and there will soon be a windtunnel as well. In addition Prost has officially confirmed that a lot more of production is going to be done in Britain in the future at the new B3 Technologies factory which is currently under construction in Godalming, Surrey. This will enable the company to have its finger on the pulse of technological development in Britain while remaining based in France. There are also very considerable financial benefits as the cost of employing staff in France is considerably more expensive than it is in Britain and so switching production to Britain will help the team save money without breaking the link with France.
Prost's value is increased by the fact that it still owns the old Ligier factory in Magny-Cours. This is now the base of the Gauloises Junior Team, Prost's Formula 3000 operation which will run Andre Couto and Sebastien Bourdais this season. The company also has the old Ligier windtunnel at Magny-Cours. This may be developed as a commercial testing facility for non-F1 teams as it has proved itself to be rather unreliable for modern F1 work.
Minardi Team - Estimated value $50m
The sale of Minardi to Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica has yet to be completed but it is expected that the deal will be done within the newt few months. In that is the case the team is expected to be moved to Spain in the course of 2001. Former Benetton Operations Director Joan Villadelprat is expected to take over the running of the operation at a new factory. Initially this was expected to be located in Barcelona but it may be that the team will be offered incentives to be located at the new Circuit Ricardo Torma in Valencia.
The exact ownership situation of the team remains uncertain at the moment but it is possible that Telefonica will be only part of a Spanish consortium which may include former F1 driver Adrian Campos. There is no doubt that Campos has been influential in shaping the team this year. He currently runs Adrian Campos Motorsport in the Open Fortuna by Nissan series in Spain and won the inaugural title in 1998 with driver Marc Gene (now with Minardi) and last year with Fernando Alonso (now Minardi's test driver). In addition the team has backing from Lois (which supported Minardi when Campos drove for the team in the mid 1980s) and he is based in Valencia. Campos may be part of the consortium as he comes from the wealthy Suner Family which used to control a huge ice cream and frozen chicken empire called Avidesa. That business has since been sold to Nestle SA. It would not the first time that a Spanish consortium has tried to establish an F1 team. In 1993 Jean Mosnier came close to establishing a Formula 1 team called Bravo. The project failed because Mosnier died unexpectedly while preparations were being completed.
A switch to Spain and Villadelprat in charge would probably enable the team to recruit some top level designers from Britain, although the team's value is going to remain low until a deal can be struck with a major motor manufacturer. It is possible that the team may be offering part of its shares to Renault in the hope of an engine deal in the future. It may be a coincidence but the team's new yellow color scheme is not dissimilar to the old Renault Sport one from the early 1980s. This would be a very cheap deal for Renault and would be a way for the team to raise money to build a state-of-the-art factory in Spain. This is largely speculation at the moment but Renault has strong connections in Spain where there are a number of Renault and Nissan factories and Telefonica's electronic impact in South America - a major Renault target market - could make it an attractive deal for the French company.
British American Racing - Estimated value $80m
British American Tobacco subsidiaries controls 50% of the shares in British American Racing. Thirty-five percent of the team belongs to an American company called Mount Eagle Inc, which involves CART team owner Jerry Forsythe, Craig Pollock and Jacques Villeneuve, while the remaining 15% of the team belongs to Reynard Motorsport. The team is not very successful at the moment in part because of the rivalry between the various partners. Pollock has the support of BAT while Adrian Reynard was the pivotal figure in the negotiations which convinced Honda to supply the team with engines in exchange for BAT money. The Reynard-Honda combination has been extraordinarily successful in CART in recent years but it remains to be seen whether that success can be repeated. The current car has not shown well in testing, despite the fact that Honda is claiming to have more than 800 horsepower from the engine. Honda may be content to use BAT money for a year or two to develop the V10 engine into a winner and will then switch to another team - Jordan being the obvious choice. However, if the team is not successful this year BAT chiefs are going to become more and more impatient as it seems that they were promised rather faster results than have actually happened. In addition there is a very distinct danger that if the new car does not work well the team will lose Villeneuve at the end of the year. There are. therefore, many question marks and this is keeping the value of team much lower than it would be if these was a little more harmony. The team does have a very impressive facility at Brackley and a brand new windtunnel but Pollock is still out of favour with the F1 bosses after his arrogant stance last year about the FIA's decision to ban twin liveries in F1.
There have long been rumours that part of Honda's deal with BAT is an option to buy control of the team at some point in the future if BAT decides to leave F1. Increasingly tough anti-cigarette legislation in Europe will mean that BAT's investment in Grand Prix racing will have less value after 2002. That will be about the same time as the new Honda V10 engine becomes fully competitive and, if the team can sort out its internal problems, it will become a much more seasoned operation, capable of good results. And that will greatly increase the value of the team.
A few points this year would certainly help as BAR currently does not have any right to the TV money from Bernie Ecclestone as this is given only to the top 10 teams. Pollock has been campaigning for the money to go to all the teams but so far his pleas have been ignored. Things might be different if there was a new team boss.


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In an effort to continually improve its messaging experience, WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging application owned by Meta, has recently launched the highly anticipated “edit message” button option. However, that’s not all WhatsApp has in store for its users. Reports suggest that WhatsApp is planning to introduce a new design that will feature rounded corners and small margins around the edges, giving the application a fresh and modern look.
The latest development spotted in the WhatsApp beta for iOS 22.214.171.124 update reveals an exciting addition – a translucent effect for the tab bar. Although this feature is still under development and not yet available to beta testers, a preview has been discovered. The translucent effect adds a touch of elegance to the application’s interface, providing users with a more visually appealing and pleasing experience. Here’s a preview of the upcoming feature:
In the provided screenshot, we can observe the tab bar with its translucent effect. However, this change is not currently visible even if you have installed the latest version of the application, as it is still in the development phase. WABetaInfo, the source that uncovered this new feature, confirms that the instant messaging platform is actively working on implementing it in a future update of the app.
“We can confirm that a translucent effect will be applied to the tab bar in a future update of the app,” WABetaInfo stated. Although the specific release date has not been disclosed, the translucent effect for the tab bar can be expected to enhance the overall user experience.
These upcoming changes demonstrate WhatsApp’s commitment to constantly refining its messaging application to meet the evolving needs and preferences of its users. With the new additions and updates, WhatsApp strives to provide a visually appealing and user-friendly platform for seamless communication.


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Uconnect Screen Delamination Recall: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Addresses Widespread Issue
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) recently announced a recall for vehicles equipped with Uconnect touchscreen systems due to a widespread problem of screen delamination. This recall affects a significant number of vehicles and has stirred concerns among owners.
The Uconnect touchscreen system is a popular feature in many FCA vehicles, providing drivers with access to various functions such as navigation, media, and vehicle settings. However, it has come to light that the screens in some vehicles are experiencing delamination, causing the display to degrade over time.
Delamination refers to the separation of the layers of the touchscreen, resulting in a visible gap or bubble between the layers. This defect affects the visibility and functionality of the screen, making it difficult for drivers to operate the system effectively and safely.
According to FCA, the recall affects approximately 3.2 million vehicles globally, with the majority of affected vehicles being in North America. The company has reported receiving a significant number of complaints regarding the delamination issue, leading them to take swift action to ensure customer satisfaction and safety.
The recall covers a wide range of FCA vehicles, including popular models such as the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Ram pickup trucks. FCA has stated that they will replace the affected screens free of charge for affected owners.
Owners of the affected vehicles are encouraged to contact their local FCA dealership to schedule an appointment for the replacement. FCA aims to address the issue promptly and minimize any inconvenience caused to owners.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time FCA has faced issues with the Uconnect touchscreen system. In 2015, the company recalled over 1.4 million vehicles due to a software vulnerability that allowed hackers to remotely control certain functions of the vehicle. FCA took swift action to rectify the issue and improve the system’s security.
The Uconnect screen delamination recall has prompted a significant amount of interest and discussion among vehicle owners. Many have expressed frustration and concern over the defect, as it affects a crucial aspect of their driving experience. However, FCA’s proactive response and commitment to resolving the issue have been widely appreciated.
In conclusion, the Uconnect screen delamination recall has highlighted a widespread problem affecting millions of FCA vehicles globally. FCA has taken swift action to address the issue and provide free replacements for affected screens. Owners are advised to contact their local dealership to schedule the necessary repairs. This recall serves as a reminder of the importance of manufacturers promptly addressing any defects to ensure customer satisfaction and safety.
Google suggest keywords for Uconnect Screen Delamination Recall:1. Uconnect screen delamination recall 20212. FCA Uconnect touchscreen problems3. Uconnect screen replacement4. Uconnect delamination lawsuit5. FCA touchscreen recall6. Uconnect screen bubble7. Uconnect screen warranty8. Uconnect screen not working9. FCA recall news10. FCA customer satisfaction


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Firewood dealers short on wood
Vermonters ordering firewood late this year may have a hard time finding it.
Some firewood businesses say they've had to turn away customers this year because of a shortage of wood.
Dave Sparrow of East Montpelier said that he's facing competition for raw logs from paper mills and the wood chip-burning industry, which is growing.
Paul Frederick of the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation says cold weather last winter depleted some firewood dealers' inventories.
And he says customers who ran out of wood last winter are ordering more than they have in the past.
(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Downstream Nigerian oil and gas company, Eterna Plc, has rolled out its future plans which include expanding its retail footprints to marketing aviation turbine kerosene (ATK) otherwise known as jet fuel. aviation, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) commonly known as cooking gas.
The company’s chairman, Dr. Gabriel Ogbechie, revealed this in Lagos in his chairman’s statement at Eterna’s 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Ogbeche added that the company will continue to expand its retail footprint and increase the number of outlets in the country, which stood at 61 as of December 2021.
He said that while continuing the trajectory of the company’s five-year strategic plan, the marketing company has attracted investment interest, explaining that in the fourth quarter of 2021, a new investor, Preline Limited, acquired a stake. of 60.98% in Eterna, making it the main and majority shareholder.
He argued that with the addition of the new investor, Eterna’s prospects have continued to improve, given the company’s track record, strong commitment to shareholder value and experience. industry contributed by the new investor.
According to him, the investment demonstrates the belief in the potential of the company.
Ogbechie said: “We will begin to gradually enhance our involvement in the aviation space with the retail sale of aviation turbine kerosene. We will invest in liquefied petroleum gas and gradually put in place the necessary infrastructure for market penetration.
“We have also put in place various initiatives to strengthen market presence, increase volumes and local brand value for our lubricants. With respect to new ventures, we have entered into discussions with some potential strategic partners to explore opportunities in identified growth areas within the energy space.
Commenting on the outlook for the industry, he observed that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has impacted oil prices and created an opportunity for gas-producing countries like Nigeria to take advantage.
According to him, the increased tension between the United States and Russia and the continuous imposition of sanctions against Russia have further worsened the deterioration of the fragile relations between Russia and its European neighbors.


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CavinKare Seeks Creative Partner for New Henna Brand
Steve’s breakdown: CavinKare manufactures and markets personal care products such as ethnic care, skin care, and home care products, as well as offers hair care products, including coconut oil; and food products, such as pickles, vermicelli, and peanut candies. It markets its products in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, the United States, and the GCC region. Needless to say, getting on this company’s agency roster would be a good idea. The pitch is currently underway in Mumbai.
CHENNAI, India: FMCG conglomerate CavinKare is currently scouting for a creative partner for an upcoming haircare product. According to industry sources, this soon-to-be-launched brand is a henna (mehndi) product that is likely to be marketed under the name ‘Nyle Henna’, implying that the offering is an extension of the company’s existing brand Nyle, best known for its shampoo range.
While refusing to verify the brand name, the company spokesperson has confirmed the pitch news to afaqs!. The spokesperson has also shared that the product will be available in powdered form.
The recently-initiated pitch is currently underway in Mumbai, and so far, around two-to-three agencies have been invited and briefed. It is learnt that these agencies include the company’s existing roster agencies, which handle the creative duties for products across the company’s portfolio.
The first round of presentations, expected to be a blend of creative, as well as strategic inputs, will take place in the last week of this month. The selected agency will be required to work on the launch campaign for the brand.
According to market sources, the product is expected to be launched in April, this year. It will be a mass brand that will target women, particularly housewives, in the 28-30 years age bracket.
In the recent past, CavinKare has appointed several creative agencies across its brands.
In June 2011, afaqs! reported that Cartwheel Creative had won the creative duties for Nyle shampoo. The agency was awarded the mandate after a multi-agency pitch process. Prior to Cartwheel, the creative duties for Nyle were with Bates.
Curry-Nation currently handles the mandate for three CavinKare brands including Fairever (the flagship product in its fairness creams category), and the deodorants Spinz, and Hi5. The agency was awarded the duties in May last year.
Around March last year, Saints & Warriors was given the duties for Garden Namkeens, CavinKare’s traditional snacks range. A few months later, the agency was also handed the duties for the company’s non-traditional finger foods business.
MEC is the media agency on the CavinKare account.


text: Despite the specter of The SCO Group's legal scuffle with IBM and Linux users, big players such as BEA Systems, HP, IBM, Sun and Veritas will roll out products and services at this week's LinuxWorld Conference & Expo in San Francisco.Despite the specter of\u00a0The SCO Group's legal scuffle with IBM and Linux users, big players such as\u00a0BEA Systems,\u00a0HP,\u00a0IBM,\u00a0Sun\u00a0and Veritas will roll out products and services at this week's LinuxWorld Conference & Expo in San Francisco.Also see:\u00a0Microsoft marshals forces to try to stem open source momentum The legal battle is expected to have little effect - save for being a hot topic of conversation - at LinuxWorld, the first since\u00a0SCO filed its $3 billion lawsuit against IBM\u00a0alleging the company had inappropriately used portions of proprietary Unix code to beef up Linux scalability. Instead, show-goers can expect to find a long list of announcements from major vendors that are pushing Linux into more-critical data center roles.IBM jumped the gun last week in\u00a0announcing a pre-integrated Linux cluster. The cluster includes Linux on the company's new 32-\/64-bit AMD Opteron-based servers packaged with network switches and storage. It also comes with IBM's new DB2 Integrated Cluster Environment, which can support up to 1,000 nodes, the company says.HP also will announce pre-integrated Linux clusters and a tighter relationship with BEA to support BEA's application server on Linux. HP and IBM are expected to announce a slew of management products for Linux, enabling their flagship management systems to run natively on the Linux platform.For its part, Veritas will unveil clustering tools for IBM DB2, MySQL and Oracle databases to increase recovery and step up availability of those applications running on Linux."Linux is moving into database and application server environments beyond just the very early razor-edge adopter of last year and the year before," says Pierre Fricke, executive vice president at consulting firm D.H. Brown Associates. "You've got more mainstream business users putting this stuff into play at that level."Pushing that trend are products and services from major vendors that view Linux as an increasingly important and viable data center platform. The show will feature more than 150 vendors unveiling and demonstrating products, about the same number that had booths at the LinuxWorld in New York in January.In addition, the show will feature its first Hands-On Lab, which will offer show-goers computer training on a variety of Linux applications, from managing a mixed Windows and Linux environment to network security issues for Linux and Java. The show will feature a financial summit to highlight the growing use of Linux in the financial community, and a CIO Agenda, which is aimed at helping CIOs make sense of the Linux platform and where it's headed.Attendance at the show is expected to be on par with last year, when about 20,000 people showed up, according to show organizer IDG World Expo, a sister company of Network World. While the show will include the expected number of "geeks [and] techies, we're seeing larger numbers of attendees from manufacturing, finance\/ banking, government and education," an IDG World Expo spokeswoman says.One of the reasons for the interest in the show is the cost-savings customers have realized by running Linux on standard platforms vs. more-expensive proprietary machines, analysts say.Petroleum firm Amerada Hess, for example, traded in IBM Unix systems for Linux on Intel-based boxes. Jeff Davis, technical lead at the firm in Houston, says the company is saving "several million dollars" by running its supercomputing applications for seismic analysis and reservoir simulation on Red Hat Linux.At this week's show, Davis expects to hear about more widespread vendor support for Linux and more advanced enterprise solutions. He says he's also interested in hearing about\u00a0Linux Kernel 2.6, which expands the symmetric multiprocessing capabilities of Linux to support up to 16 processors. Linux 2.6 is now in beta and is expected to be generally available next year."The big news to me is what's going on technically," says Joe Clabby of Clabby Analytics a research company in Yarmouth, Maine. "Linux had shortcomings, particularly in the area of scalability. Most Linux implementations scaled well to six and sometimes eight processors so that limited where they could be deployed. Now [with Linux 2.6] you're looking at 16-way and 32-way [capability]. So Intel-based Linux servers can indeed finally come into the enterprise and scale up and compete head-on with midrange servers from Sun and IBM."Weather.com used to be a Sun Solaris shop but now runs 100% of its systems on Linux on Intel. Dan Agronow, vice president of technology at the firm in Atlanta, says he moved his Oracle database to Linux in 2001 and saved thousands of dollars in the process.He hopes to see better performance from Linux, but says the multiprocessor support is secondary. "We've had a lot of success with the horizontal scalability of two CPU boxes."Agronow says he's looking forward to testing the new Opteron-based eServer 325 from IBM. "We're not looking for a larger number of CPUs per server. Performance is the biggest benefit we'd like to see in the future from Linux," he says. Ice.com, an online jewelry retail site in Montreal has used strictly Linux and open source for years. "We chose Linux for one reason, and that was cost," says CIO Steve Bramson.Bramson says he would like to see more tools for configuring and managing Linux and open source environments. "There's a big difference between installing a Windows 2000 package and a Linux package on a server," Bramson says. Products that make Linux set up more point-and-click features would be a plus, he adds.IBM is focusing on that idea with its eServer Integrated Platform for e-business, which includes hardware, application server, database software and tools that small and midsize businesses need to get up and running on Linux. It also is extending Linux support for Tivoli. HP will announce that its ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment pack for Linux will now run on a Linux server, enabling it to be used in a Linux-only environment.Several other vendors are expected to make management-related announcements at the show. Among them is Candle, which will introduce software for managing and fine-tuning the performance of IBM WebSphere on Linux. Linuxcare will unveil software for managing thousands of Linux virtual servers deployed on IBM's mainframe hardware platform.IBM is extending Linux support for Lotus, including the first Web-based Linux client for its forthcoming Domino 6.5 messaging and collaboration server, which also will run on IBM eServer zSeries mainframes. The Domino Web Access client, formerly called iNotes, now supports the Mozilla 1.3 browser, which runs on a Linux desktop. Show-goers can expect to hear more about Linux's move to desktop environments as businesses find the same kinds of savings for client environments as they have for servers.Senior editor John Fontana contributed to this report.


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NANJING, China, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — About July 13, 2022Triastek, Inc. (“Triastek”) announced a collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company (“Lilly”), a leading global pharmaceutical company, to leverage the benefits of 3D printing technology to enable targeted release and programmed medication in specific regions of the gastrointestinal tract.
According to the agreement, the project will focus on the targeted delivery of drugs to the gut. Triastek will focus on two aspects: Ffirst of all, conduct an in-depth study of excipient properties and process parameters to maintain drug stability throughout the formulation development and 3D printing process, as well as during drug release. Second, to identify a unique three-dimensionally structured dosage form design, which will enable the programmed release of drugs into specific parts of the intestine, with the aim of improving the bioavailability of orally administered drugs.
Triastek is a 3D printing technology platform company, and its pioneer MED® The technology has versatile applications in the development and manufacture of solid dosage forms. With the facilitation of this collaboration by Lilly China Innovation & Partnerships, Triastek will work with Lilly to explore new solutions for oral drug delivery.
Triastek is committed to promoting the application of 3D printing technology in the pharmaceutical field. Triastek’s 1st and 2nd products (T19 and T20) have received IND clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company also holds 158 patent applications related to 3D printing of pharmaceuticals with full patent coverage worldwide. Triastek has also established collaborations with a number of multinational pharmaceutical companies, as well as national pharmaceutical companies to provide technical solutions for the development of complex formulations.
dr. Senping Chengfounder and CEO of Triastek, said: “the collaboration between Triastek and Lilly is an excellent example of the application of MED® technology to improve oral drug delivery. We envision that the MED® Triastek’s technology can be used to solve formulation challenges leading to the development of clinically valuable products for our global partners.“
Founded in 2015, Triastek, Inc. is the world leader in 3D printing of pharmaceutical products and is a pioneer in the implementation of digital pharmaceutical solutions. Triastek’s new proprietary 3D printing technology platform encompasses dosage form design, digital pharmaceutical product development and smart manufacturing.
SOURCE Triastek, Inc.


text: Gibraltar-based online gambling company 888 Holdings and the American corporation Authentic Brands Group have teamed up to launch a new bookmaker in the United States. The partners will create a Sports Illustrated-branded operator that will launch in the second half of 2021 in Colorado and expand into other state betting markets later on. The operator will specialize in online sports betting. As My Lucky Story reported, Louisiana continues to legalize sports betting. Earlier it became known that the Chinese bookmaker OB Sports became a sponsor of the English FC Aston Villa. Recall that the Bally gambling corporation will launch a mobile betting application in Kansas.