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When Will Electric Cars Take Over?
With the recent announcement that the sale of new petrol and diesel cars is set to be banned from 2030 instead of 2035, the United Kingdom is turning to electric cars and asking if the infrastructure will be in place for this deadline. Will schemes, grants and perks will be available to switch? In this article we discuss how the UK will prepare for this automotive shift, as well as the need-to-knows when investing in electric cars.
Incentive Schemes for Electric Vehicles
Schemes differ depending where you live within the United Kingdom, with Scotland running a separate electric vehicle loan scheme for personal and business use instead of the plug-in grant available to the rest of the UK. Those living in Scotland can receive an interest-free electric vehicle loan up to £28K in value which is payable over 6 years.
Business owners can get a loan up to £120,000 interest-free from Transport Scotland to assist with transport and travel costs. This can be in the form of new vehicles (up to the value of £28K per vehicle), new electric motorcycles or scooters eligible for the plug-in grant (up to £10K each), new electric or hybrid HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicles) up to £50K each or vehicle efficiency devices including telematics systems or video and tele-conferencing facilities.
The government offers a plug-in grant to pay towards your new low-emissions vehicle – this can be a car, motorbike, moped, van, taxi, van or truck. However, there are only specific models eligible for the grant.
For cars, the requirement is that they must have “CO2 emissions less than 50g/km and can travel at least 112km (70 miles)”. These prerequisites have increased in strictness recently with previous requirements being little as “less than 50g/km and can travel at least 16km (10 miles) without any emissions at all”. This suggests that the requirements for the plug-in grant is likely to be continuously revised and updated.
As well as the performance of the car, the government takes into consideration the financial factors too. To be eligible for 35% off the purchase price of the cost up to a maximum of £3,000, the car’s recommended retail price (RRP) must cost less than £50,000 including VAT and delivery fees. The grant applies to a maximum grant of £3000 for low-emission vehicles.
As well as a grant to purchase a new electric car, the government have an electric vehicle homecharge scheme (EVSH). This grant funds 75% of the cost of installing an electric charge point when installing at home. But, like the plug-in grant, there are requirements that you must meet to be eligible. The scheme now only supports smart charge points. These are charge points that:
- Receive and process information
- React to the rate of charging or discharging.
- Monitor, record and share energy consumption
Perks for Owning an Electric Vehicle
The perks for electric cars are likely to be reviewed regularly, but for 2020/21, the main perks are split out by domestic car owners, business vehicles and company cars. The perks vary across the three ownership types; however, the perks focus on tax in one form or other.
Domestic car owners with pure electric cars can benefit from the exemption of annual road tax or Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) if your vehicle costs less than £40,000. This does not include hybrid cars.
Electric company cars are now exempt from income tax and national insurance contributions. Before 6th April 2018, employees charging their vehicle at work would be treated as a taxable benefit in kind.
Businesses purchasing cars for their employees can write down 100% of the purchase price against corporate tax liability. In 2020/2021 zero emission,100% electric cars will pay no tax, only 1% in 2021/2022 and 2% in 2022/2023.
Electric cars are eligible for first year allowance. This means businesses purchasing electric cars can deduct the full cost from their profits before tax as part of their first-year allowances. First year allowances refer to the deduction to corporate tax during the year the equipment was first purchased.
London Congestion Charge
If commuting into London, the majority of vehicles are required to pay a congestion charge. In 2020/21 you qualify for the 100% cleaner vehicle discount if you emit no more than 75g/km of CO2 and have a minimum 20 miles zero emission capable range. However, from 25th October 2021 battery electric cars will only be eligible.
Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)
Certain areas within London are only accessible by certain cars for free or daily charges apply on top of the congestion charge from the 25th October 2021. The ULZE is expanding to include more of London to tackle air pollution and the health issues associated with it. The ULEZ will be expanding up to the North and South Circular roads. All fully electric cars are exempt from the ULEZ charge as they do not generate local emissions.
Changes to Infrastructure
With the deadline on the ban of new petrol and diesel cars being sold in the UK moved forward an additional 5 years, many are asking if the infrastructure is ready. A report highlighted 1.7 million public chargers will need to be added by 2030 and a further 2.8million by 2035 for the original deadline. The government has pledged:
- £1.3bn towards speeding up the rollout of charge points for electric vehicles across England
- £582m toward grants designed to encourage the public to buy electric vehicles
- Nearly £500m to spend on the development and mass-scale production of electric vehicle batteries.
Currently there are 35674 charging points in 12,973 locations across the UK according to ZapMap. As the uptake of electric vehicles increases, it’s important that the infrastructure reflects that. We don’t need to rely solely on the government for these charging points, private companies such as Shell and BP are also investing heavily in rapid charging points.
The challenge is encouraging the public to switch from petrol or diesel cars to electric. In 2019, only 1.6% of all new cars registered were battery powered.
Electric car sales in the UK have already shown signs of increasing as a result of the recent announcement made by the government. September 2020 saw a 184% increase in pure electric registrations compared to the previous year, and in the first nine months of 2020 seeing a 127% uplift compared to the equivalent time frame last year. This indicates the public uptake of electric cars is moving in the right direction.


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One of the new features that Apple has rolled out for its App Store is app privacy. Now, when a developer submits a new app or update, it also has to submit details about its privacy practices and how it handles data.
It basically lets you see what apps learn about you, and how the developer or company behind that app uses that data.
Must read: Best of the best gadgets of 2020
To see this information, fire up the App Store app, search for your favorite app, and then scroll down to App Privacy and then tap App Privacy.
And depending on the app, get ready for some serious scrolling.
Here's the information for the Facebook app:
That's a long list.
Here's the information for TikTok:
Some developers -- even big ones -- have not yet issued privacy data.
When developers submit a new app or an update, this information will now need to be supplied.
Does this new feature make you think twice about installing and using some apps? Let me know.

domain: news


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The first Holiday season wave has gone with the Black Friday and the Thanksgiving weekends and it seems that retailers took a wait-and-see position. The experts and industry influencers discuss Black Friday and the surprises it has brought.
In this week’s digest, we have gathered all interesting opinions and conclusions to share with you.
What’s About Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Takeaways: Black Friday Retail Recap: 7 Facts That Might Surprise You
Business journalist Barbara Thau has shared seven the most important facts and conclusions after Black Friday.
- Store traffic declines stabilize over Black Friday weekend.
- Mobile purchases set a new holiday record, generating 47.4% of site visits (39.9% smartphones, 7.6% tablets) and chalking up 33.1% of online revenue (24.1% smartphones, 9.0% tablets), according to Adobe data.
- The number of e-commerce holiday purchases has actually increased.
- WalMart, Nike, and Best Buy appeared to be the big winners in terms of traffic over Black Friday weekend, according to Fung Global Retail & Technology.
- Amazon and WalMart boosted their combined online market share by 1.5%, according to SimilarWeb. Meanwhile, Target, J.C. Penney, and Sears all lost 0.5% of market share.
- The top 5 purchased items on Amazon were Echo Dot 2nd Generation; the Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote; the TP-Link Smart Plug; the Instant Pot 7-in-1 Pressure Cooker; and the 23andMe Personal Genetic Service.
- This holiday season is likely to be the season for smaller brands.
Takeaways: Meet the Winners and Losers of Black Friday 2017
Retail Dive exposed the unexpected conclusions dividing all the cases, facts and practice into two big groups: losers and winners of Black Friday.
This holiday season mobile sales have beaten all the records, Amazon set 55% of e-commerce, and Best Buy made the most successful advertising campaign among 15 brands.
Meanwhile, in-store traffic didn`t meet the expectations and dropped by combined 1.6% over the last year.
Weak websites also faced problems with handling the holiday traffic. Macy’s, Lowe’s, and U.K.-based retailers the Perfume Shop and Game were affected by technical glitches that slowed purchasing activity and transaction processing on Black Friday.
Takeaways: 7 Lessons from Cyber Monday
Retail Dive made their takeaways from the Cyber Monday. As we can see, mobile sales fell down making up about 43% of visits.
Consumers expecting better service and free shipping doesn’t surprise them anymore. But one of the important conclusion is that Cyber Monday turned into Cyber Week.
Read the article to know why.
Podcast: Forget Omnichannel. It’s Omnipresence
Doug Stephens’ new podcast, Retail Prophet, kicked off this week with an analysis of Amazon: “Amazon is not a retailer at all. They’re data, technology, logistics, service, innovation, and media company that uses each of these competencies to weave a sticky web of conglomerate platforms.” This is omnipresence, says Stephens. And it’s the future of retail.
Listen to the podcast at the link above.
In-store Tech: How Walmart Is Using Tech this Holiday Season
Several recent Walmart technology developments, including virtual reality-based training for store associates, shelf-scanning robots, and grocery pick-up, are expected to play a significant role for the retailer this holiday season, according to the Jacksonville Business Journal.
Virtual reality technology from a start-up called Strive already was being used by the retailer in recent weeks to help Walmart employees prepare Black Friday by showing them virtual scenes of throngs of customers entering their stores and requiring assistance, according to MIT Technology Review.
The report comes a month after Walmart said it was expanding its use of robots in more stores to scan shelves in hope of optimizing inventory management processes that usually have been performed on a manual basis by human employees.
Furniture: Pottery Barn launches AR app for iOS
Williams-Sonoma has announced the launch of the iOS version of Pottery Barn’s augmented reality app, 3D Room View, which allows users to virtually place life-sized, three-dimensional Pottery Barn products in a room, save and share room designs, and connect through the app to shop, according to a Williams-Sonoma press release.
The app lets customers see over 1,500 products, which, for now, will focus on living room furniture like sofas, sectionals, chairs, coffee and side tables, and rugs and lamps. The company plans to add additional product categories in the coming months, according to the release.
The launch of the iOS app comes about eight months after the launch of Pottery Barn’s 3D Room View for Android mobile devices supporting Google’s Tango augmented reality technology.
In-store tech: Why Mobile Self-Checkout Makes Sense for Retailers
“Mobile self-checkout — i.e., giving customers the ability to scan as they shop and pay with their personal mobile devices — makes the checkout process much easier for both customers and associates because it cuts down on upsell interactions and waits times.
Retailers can still incorporate any questions or offer that they would normally mention face to face. With mobile self-checkout, however, customers can respond more quickly and with less awkwardness, on their own terms” – Samuel Mueller, Total Retail
Read more details in the article.
Trends: 3 AI Myths Retailers Need to Know
While brands are already heavily investing in AI to better engage today’s easily distracted consumers, there are many myths about the technology that retailers need to know. Here they are:
Myth No.1: AI is the solution.
AI is an enabling technology. It’s not a solution that can just be downloaded or installed and do the job at hand. We’re not yet at a stage where AI thinks freely for itself; we’re at a stage where it can analyze complex data sets and identify business problems.
Myth No.2: AI is a premature platform which doesn’t fit in your business.
Brands both small and large that refrain from adopting these technologies are exposing themselves to potentially losing loyal customers. Studies yield by 2020 that 57 percent of consumers will depend on companies to anticipate their needs through personalization, and if they don’t, they’ll have no problem switching brands.
Myth No. 3: AI is going to kill our jobs
Marketing and creative careers which require artistic expertise will always have a place in business. AI simply unlocks the full potential of marketers, giving them the ability to spend more time on creating content and campaigns that get delivered to their audiences.
List: Top 25 Examples of the Internet of Things in Retail
There is a great article where the different examples of using IoT in the store are gathered together. It’s really inspiring how technologies can change the reality, customer experience and the definition of retail.
IoT is the technology that connects a customer’s mobile with a store’s shelves, a sales assistant’s tablet to an e-commerce site, an RFID clothing label to a smart changing room.
More in the article.
Trends: 2018 Customer Experience Trends
Most executives talk about improving the customer experience—even of creating the quintessential customer experience—but too few walk the talk when it comes to developing and implementing strategies, policies, and training initiatives that can truly make a difference. Some exceptional firms are going all-out and competition dictates others will either catch up or fade away.
Review these 2018 Customer Experience Trends for what’s fresh, viable, and essential to staying in the game.
Infographic: Why Millennials Are Different, and How Retailers Can Engage Them
In the article, you’ll find infographic from the CUBE what takes you through some interesting insights into what marketers can do to capture their attention.
The first thing to keep in mind is that 84 percent of millennials don’t trust traditional advertising and seem to be suspicious of its intent. Millennials seem to be more focused on desirable experiences over buying something that’s desirable, and they love to support local companies.
Have a read through the infographic to know what you can do to engage Millennials.
Winter is here, the holiday season has just begun and it’s not the time to relax. Have a nice weekend. See you next week!


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INSUFFICIENT depot space for repositioning containers has become a "glaring issue" impacting the industry worldwide today, reports Hamburg's Container xChange Forecaster.
"There is just not enough depot space to accommodate all the containers. With the further release of container inventory into the market from the disposal of leasing fleets, there will be added pressure on depots in the coming months," said the report.
"This will be a key challenge for some and a competitive advantage for others in the business, especially in China because of the empty container repositioning there," said Container xChange CEO Christian Roeloffs.
"The declining rates and container prices indicate a weakening demand and surplus of containers. The wider this gap, the lower the container rates and prices. The logistic companies have already moved onto the planning for Chinese New Year because of the weak peak season this year," said Mr Roeloffs, during the recent Digital Container Summit.
A most of those polled by Container xChange in the month echoed that the freefall of container prices is NOT an indicator of global economic normalisation well into 2023. Clearly, the industry is not upbeat about the supply chain getting back on track, he said.
Said Andrea Monti, CEO at Sogese which owns container depots in different locations in Europe: "Container volume at the depots is increasing to an extent that we are returning some requests for depot service agreements. We are in a situation where we are not able to accept new clients for some locations."
This peak season, which has technically not happened this year, retailers and companies are more cautious in their stock management strategy as they adjust to the shorter cargo delivery cycle.


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Nigerian companies are suffering from the scarcity of tech workers, a report by SAP Africa has disclosed.
According to the report, nearly all organisations in Nigeria and Africa are expected to experience a tech skills-related challenge in 2023.
According to the report titled, ‘Africa’s Tech Skills Scarcity Revealed,’ Nigerian companies are the most hit when it comes to scarcity of tech skills.
It stated that all the Nigerian companies it surveyed said they had suffered a negative impact due to a lack of tech skills, compared to 60 per cent in Kenya and 78 per cent in South Africa.
In a virtual event, the enterprise application software firm further stated that Nigerian firms were struggling to attract top tech skills.
The firm stated that a lack of these skills was having a negative effect on Nigeria, and the continent’s digital transformation efforts.
Commenting on the report, the Managing Director at SAP Africa, Cathy Smith, disclosed that there was an urgent need to invest in skills development and training to ensure Nigeria and Africa can capitalise on its large youth population.
She said, “More than half of the world’s population growth between now and 2050 will take place in Africa, where 1.3-billion people are expected to be born by mid-century.
“With the correct investment in skills development, Africa’s economy could transition away from its reliance on natural resources to build the world’s future tech workforce, bringing untold economic and social benefit to the continent and its citizens. However, as our research reveals, African organisations still face some difficulties with attracting, retaining and upskilling suitably skilled tech workers.”
According to the firm, four in five organisations surveyed reported some negative effect from a lack of tech skills, with 41 per cent reporting that employees are leaving due to the pressures they experience as a result of understaffing.
To tackle the tech skills challenges, the report said many organisations have committed to creating access to the correct tech skills, with 41 per cent stating that upskilling of existing employees would be a top priority in 2023, and 40 per cent planning to reskill employees.
According to the report, the most in-demand skills include cybersecurity and data analytics (63 per cent), developer and industry skills (49 per cent), and digital transformation skills (48 per cent).


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With the undeniable failure of 2018 iPhones, Apple seems to be already preparing a comeback for 2019. This time, however, the company is rumored to employ a lot of new feature such as a smaller notch, improved redesigned camera module and an in-display fingerprint scanner in order to not miss the industry trends. According to some new tidbits of information, the company is meant to deliver some big changes in the internals of the device, and one of these changes will bring faster Wi-Fi speeds.
According to a report, the 2019 iPhone series will bring support for the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard, which is based on the IEEE 802.11ax technology. This will result in a 40% increase on the handset Wireless network speed. We can’t estimate how good this upgrade will be at the end of the day, but of course, it should bring much better results than the Wi-Fi 5 technology which debuted back in 2014.
Gizchina News of the week
The new Wi-Fi 6 performance improvements will be felt by users especially when they are connected to a network that is being shared with multiple users, like a Wi-Fi hotspot. It will be much more reliable when multiple users are connected inside a home as well. When it comes to battery life, the new standard will expand the usability of smartphones while consuming less juice than the former. Additionally, a new feature called “target wake time” will basically tell devices ahead of time when a Wi-Fi signal will be required, thus making the Wi-Fi sleep more often, saving more battery as a consequence.
The 2019 iPhones should debut in September, so we’re still too far from seeing this new technology in action, at least when it comes to the Apple smartphones. After all, other companies could easily push the new standard before the Cupertino based company.


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Tariffs on US beef into Korea will drop from 40 percent to zero over the next 15 years, following the ratification of a Free Trade Agreement between the two nations overnight.
The Korean National Assembly approved the KORUS Free Trade Agreement with the United States last night, which follows its successful passage through US Congress in mid-October.
Like the US, Australia has been working to negotiate a similar bilateral accord with the South Korean Government for the past five years.
The ratification of the KORUS FTA now paves the way for Australia to increase its efforts to formalise a similar agreement.
Australia is the largest exporter of beef to South Korea, accounting for 49 percent of beef shipments to the market from January to August this year, compared to 38pc from the US and 12pc from New Zealand.
South Korea is Australia’s third largest export market for beef, worth about $750 million a year.
US website Meatingplace.com said US meat industry leaders believe US beef exports to South Korea could double as a result of the deal.
The KORUS FTA is also expected to generate up to 350,000 new jobs in South Korea as it ramps up its own exports to the US, and is forecast to boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product by 5.66 percent over the next decade, according to the Korea Times.
Not all in Korea are happy with the deal, however, with the country’s farming and livestock industries predicting losses of around 850 billion won ($742 million) per annum over the next 15 years, and higher unemployment in rural areas, the Korea Times reported.


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The trade exchanges between Iran and Turkey in the first eight months of the current year reached about $3.5 billion, registering a 19 percent decline compared to the same period last year.
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) in its latest report announced that the trade exchange of Turkey with Iran from January to August 2023 hit $3.490.
This is while that the volume of trade exchanges between the two countries from January to August 2022 stood at $4.330.
According to this report, the Republic of Turkey exported over $1.946 billion to Iran from January to August 2023, showing no significant change in value compared to the same period last year.
Turkey imported over $1.544 billion worth of non-oil products from Iran in the first eight months of the current year in 2023, showing over 35 percent decline compared to last year’s corresponding period, the report added.
The balance of trade exchanges between Iran and Turkey has amounted to $402 million in favor of Turkey since the beginning of 2023.


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Europeans will start getting Chinese-made Model 3’s before production shifts to Germany.
As per Autonews Europe, a Tesla spokesperson declined to comment on the rumor. However, according to individuals familiar with the brand, Tesla looks forward to exporting Model 3 vehicles in Europe. They might even do that for other markets, including Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand, basically all right-hand-drive countries.
Moreover, these countries started to adopt EVs on a vast scale, significantly increasing the demand for electric vehicles, thanks to climate change awareness.
Meanwhile, Tesla might need to ramp up production of its Model 3 shortly. The American carmaker has fierce competition in China from BYD and NIO, and in Europe from VW Group, PSA Group (Peugeot, Citroen, Opel), and Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance, and BMW. Currently, Tesla produces around 11,000 units per month in its Shanghai factory.
Tesla’s largest plant is currently in Fremont, California, where it produces Model X, Model S, Model 3, and Model Y. To supply to the increasing demand, Elon Musk is already building another Gigafactory near Berlin, where Tesla is expected to start producing vehicles by mid-2021.
The latest developments will undoubtedly help Musk’s vision of producing more affordable vehicles. Building vehicles closer to the target markets significantly lowers costs, while also increasing the profit margin for the company. Moreover, new plants will help Tesla become a true global carmaker, with presence across most continents.


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NEW DELHI: Cab aggregators Ola and Uber will soon have toughest competition as the Centre announced they are planning to launch a single mobile app for booking all kind of vehicles car, autos, e-bikes and e-rickshaw.
Union minister for road, transport, highways and shipping Nitin Gadkari Monday said that the government will provide an app based platform where anyone even common people who wants to start their cab business can register and run cabs.
It will be kind of a comprehensive platform where all kind of vehicles like cars, auto rickshaws, e-rickshaws and e-bikes can be registered for offering ride to passengers.
“Why should two companies like Uber and Ola have a monopoly in the market? We want people even those running cab business at a small scale to have an equal opportunity to provide service to people. The mobile app will provide a platform to such people and better, efficient and cheaper cab services to people,” said Gadkari.
The minister said that discussions are already on with all stakeholders for developing the app and it will be launched soon. It will act as a one stop platform for booking all kinds of vehicles for providing transport facility within cities.
Concerns have been raised by users over surge pricing by taxi aggregators like Uber and Ola during peak hours. Issue of cab unavailability and random cancellation by drivers also bothers frequent riders.
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016 passed by the Lok Sabha has brought taxi aggregators under the law. Under the bill pending in Rajya Sabha, state governments will issue licenses to taxi aggregators as per central government guidelines. Currently, state governments determine guidelines for plying of taxis. There could be cases where state taxi guidelines are at variance with the central guidelines on aggregators.


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Short Bytes: Yes, Google has bought the entire alphabet and it’s the proud owner of abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.com.
The desire to grab the perfect domain name inspired the tech company to buy abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.com.
After the announcement that Google is launching its new parent company Alphabet with URL abc.xyz, the .xyz domain names became a hot commodity.
This new 26-letter URL was recently spotted online and it shows that it’s registered under Google. The URL was created long back in 1999 and was privately owned before Google decided to buy it.
I performed a quick check to grab the full alphabet in other extensions and they were already registered (sad face).
“We realized we missed a few letters in abc.xyz, so we’re just being thorough,” a Google spokesperson told Business Insider in an emailed statement.
If you check abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.com, it leads to an inactive website. I hope that in near future, Google will love to host some Easter egg on the website or redirect it to the abc.xyz.
What is your dream URL? Tell us in the comments below.
Also read: How BIG is Google, Really?


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Dacia is expected to launch a high-performance Sandero RS outside of Europe, with a release date pencilled in during 2015.
A brand fan created an imaginative concept image for the model in Photoshop several months ago, before it was formally announced. French graphic designer Khalil created an impressively realistic mock-up of how the RS might eventually look, with the trademark Dacia grille and subtly sportier body shape.
The real car is being developed by umbrella manufacturer Renault, through their dedicated Renaultsport division. The company confirmed the vehicle prior to the recent Moscow Motor Show.
It's part of a key push to support the motorsport brand's rising popularity in markets including Brazil and Russia. In these countries, the Dacia cars are sold with Renault's badging and a selection of power systems.
In an interesting move, the RS will apparently be powered by a brand new engine, one not currently available with any other Dacia vehicle. The most potent version offered to Russian drivers is a 1.6-litre engine delivering 101bhp, so the new Sandero model should exceed this comfortably.
The Dacia Sandero RS is not anticipated for a UK release, yet drivers can be just as satisfied with a new Sandero or Sandero Stepway from Lookers. Take a test drive in any current model from one of our Dacia dealerships in Chester, Colchester and Stockport.


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Chief Executive Officer of McDan Group of Companies, Daniel Mckorley, has urged entrepreneurs in the country to be resilient and take advantage of the current macro-economic conditions to build a solid foundation that can propel their businesses to transcend the country’s borders, by leveraging on the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
According to him, just as businesses were able to innovate and adopt technology to survive the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, similar tenacity is required from entrepreneurs in these trying times to survive but, this time around, the ability to look beyond the borders of this country should be their target.
He added that the hardship being experienced now does not spell all doom or gloom, but rather key attention must be paid to the significant level of ease of mobility that has been restored through technology.
“As I always say, in adversities like these real leaders emerge; stronger and more resilient countries are seen; and able countries take advantage to become the new economic force. And similarly, it is in times of adversities like this that innovative entrepreneurs emerge and become the world’s new game-changers.
It is not all doom and gloom; this is the time when Ghanaian entrepreneurs must take advantage of what is happening and launch products that will penetrate the AfCFTA. This is because it is in times like these that we see stronger businesses, and I believe this is the opportunity for vibrant, strong, young entrepreneurs to get ready and lead the fourth industrial revolution,” he said.
Dr. Mckorley further mentioned that his organisation is committed to promoting trade in the sub-region and has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the AfCFTA secretariat to provide logistics support for easy mobility of goods and services.
“My company’s partnership with AfCFTA will be a critical contributor to the transformation we want to see on the African continent. The agreement will spearhead industrial transformation and economic development, boost intra-Africa trade, and create employment.
“All businesses looking at exporting cargo should note the McDan Group of companies is here to facilitate that trade and bring growth to the economies of Africa,” he said.
He mentioned that unless the goods are able to move from one country to another, all the boardroom discussions and MoUs signed will be meaningless; hence, entrepreneurs must take advantage of the transportation logistics that his outfit is providing to ensure their goods reach all countries on the continent.
He made these remarks at the Ghana Economic Forum (GEF) 2022 – an annual event organised by the B&FT – on the theme ‘Building a robust and resilient economy through technology, finance, investment, trade and entrepreneurship’.
The AfCFTA secretariat has adopted a special instrument described as the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI), which has set the ball rolling for commercial trading to commence for the first seven countries to have met all requirements and expressed strong readiness.
Ghana is one of the first seven countries to start trading under this arrangement, and the McDan CEO believes that if entrepreneurs are able to think beyond the borders and take advantage of available logistical support they could be lead beneficiaries of the continental trade area.


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Today, McDonald’s workers are walking out to demand the bare minimum needed to survive: $15/hr.
McDonald’s pretends to do the right thing – like the PR stunt last week where they claim they’ll raise pay – for workers at just 5% of their U.S. locations. The reality is McDonald’s is giving shareholders billions while ignoring workers who deserve $15.
McDonald’s thought they could get some good headlines last week by saying they would pay a fraction of workers – those at just 650 stores out of nearly 14,000 – a few dollars more. It’s too little for too few.


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Apple on Wednesday reported record sales of its iPhone and iPad lineups, along with record revenue, but sagging Mac sales and unmet Wall Street expectations dinged the company. Following its earnings report, the company held a conference call with investors and members of the media, and notes of interest follow.
- Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook started off the call by saying the most important thing to his company is that customers love their products.
- More than a half-billion iOS devices have been sold, with 75 million sold in the last quarter alone.
- This year's holiday quarter had one less week than the same period did in Q1 2012.
- Apple's cash now totals $137.1 billion, a sequential increase of over $16 billion. Over $94 billion is overseas.
- Cook on rumors of iPhone production cuts: People should question the accuracy of any reports about build plans.
- iMacs were down by 700,000 units year over year
- Cook also promised that Apple has "incredible stuff" coming down its product pipeline.
Apple's iPhone business
iPhone sales reached 47.8 million units in the quarter, good for a 29 percent increase from the same period a year ago.
Revenue from the iPhone business was similarly up 28 percent year over year, reaching $30.6 billion.
Average 3.7 million iPhones sold per week in first quarter compared to 2.6 million per week from a year ago, represents an average increase of 39 percent per week.
Sequential increase of 79 percent from September quarter, over 3.5 times IDC projection for overall smartphone market.
Ended quarter with about 10.6 million iPhones in channel inventory.
Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer noted that many government agencies are issuing iPhones "by the thousands," including NASA, NOAA, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and the Transportation and Security Administration.
Companies highlighted as rolling out thousands of units were also Neiman Marcus and Volvo.
The iPhone saw the highest growth in China â "into the triple digits," Cook said.
Cook said "no one comes close" to matching the quality of the Retina display on the iPhone 5.
"We put a lot of thinking into screen size and believe we've picked the right one," he said, in response to a question about larger-screened smartphones.
iPhone 5 was fastest iPhone rollout ever, 100 countries by the end of December.
iPhone 5 production was in constraint to start the December quarter, while the iPhone 4 âÂ which is available for free with a service contract â was constrained throughout the quarter.
"The supply chain is very complex, and we obviously have multiple sources for things," Cook said. "Yields might vary, supplier performance might vary." He suggested market watchers not pay attention to a "single data point."
Notification Center has sent more than 4 trillion notifications, a number Cook said is "mind blowing."
Apple's iPad business
Apple saw the most growth from its iPad business in the holiday 2012 quarter, with unit growing by 48 percent year over year to 22.9 million.
iPad sales average 1.7 million per week compared to 1.1 million a year ago, an average increase of 60 percent.
Revenue growth for the iPad wasn't as strong, as lower margins on the iPad mini affected the company's revenue, holding it to 22 percent year over year growth.
Financial institutions like Barclays, Nomura Securities and Bank of Beijing deploying iPads among employees for secure customer service. Barclays rolled out more than 8,000 iPads, Oppenheimer said.
State and local governments are also "rapidly adopting" the iPad, he said, replacing "huge amounts of paper."
International government deployments strong with Sweden deploying 10,000 iPads and over 5,000 purchased by the Netherlands for Dutch tax authority and court system.
Started and ended quarter with 3.4 million iPads in channel inventory, below target range of four to six weeks.
Apple's Mac business
The Mac took a major hit in the holiday quarter, with sales dropping from 5.2 million a year ago to 4.1 million in holiday 2012, a decrease of 22 percent.
Revenue wasn't down quite as much, sliding 16 percent year over year.
IDC estimates the total computer market contracted by 6 percent in the quarter, Oppenheimer noted.
Apple was "significantly constrained" of inventory of the new iMacs. Oppenheimer said the company believes Mac sales would have been "much higher" if not for those constraints.
"The most important thing to Apple is to make the best products in the world that enrich customers' lives," Cook said, adding that the company is "not interested in revenue for revenue's sake."
iMac took a hit and the company left the quarter with "significant constraints" on its all-in-one desktop.
Last year there were 14 weeks in the quarter. This year there were 13 weeks.
Channel inventory was also down from the beginning of the quarter by over 100,000 units.
"If you just take these three factors, they bridge more than the difference between this year's sales and last year's sales," Cook said.
He also pointed out some "lesser things," including the fact that the market for PCs is weak, and iPad cannibalization of the Mac.
Apple's iPod business
iPod sales continued their steady decline, reaching 12.7 million in the holiday quarter, off 18 percent from a year prior.
Revenue for the iPod line was also down by 15 percent.
iPod touch was a "popular item" over the holiday season and accounted for more than half of iPods sold, Oppenheimer said.
iPod share of U.S. mp3 player market stood at 70% in the December quarter, top seller internationally.
Apple's iTunes business
Revenue from Apple's iTunes business was up 25 percent year over year to $1.8 billion.
56 new iTunes countries were added during the quarter, now available in 119 countries. Over 20 million songs to choose from.
App Store had a record breaking quarter, and there were more than 2 billion downloads in the month of December alone.
App Store now offers over 775,000 apps to over 500 million users in 155 countries, including over 300,000 native iPad apps.
Cumulative app downloads at 40 billion with $7 billion paid out to developers
Apple's retail business
Retail sales were up just 5 percent year over year â smaller than usual growth for the company which has seen its retail stores take off over the last decade.
A total of 11 new stores were opened in the quarter, including four new ones in Greater China.
14 stores were relocated or expanded during the quarter.
With an average of 396 stores open, average revenue was $16.5 million.
Hosted a record 121 million visitors during the quarter, compared to 110 million a year ago.
Apple's regional business segments
Record all-time revenue high of $6.4 billion in sales driven by iPhone and iPad, income at $1.6 billion.
Apple Stores averaged $16.3 million or $1.25 million per store per week, compared to $1.22 million per store per week during same period last year.
Record 121 million visitors compared to 110 million a year ago.
Apple was hardest hit by year over year revenue increases of 10 percent in Japan, 11 percent in Europe, and 15 percent in the Americas.
The company's strongest growth came from Greater China, where revenue was up 67 percent year over year.
This is the first quarter where Greater China has been broken out as its own business segment. It includes Greater China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Apple's next (Q2 2013) fiscal quarter
Guidance to be changed from single point to range guidance, Oppenheimer said.
Apple is projecting revenue between $41 billion and $43 billion for the next quarter, with gross margins between 37.5 percent and 38.5 percent.
Operating expenses are expected to be between $3.8 billion and $3.9 billion, with a tax rate of 26 percent.
Other income and expenses (OI&E) expected to be $350 million.


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We are proud to have been announced as a finalist at the Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2022 in the ‘Outstanding Growth’ category.
The Chamber of Commerce has been helping to shape the UK’s business agenda for more than 150 years and runs a programme of awards to give businesses an opportunity to showcase their skills.
The finalists for the Derbyshire Business Awards were announced in July and will now go through to a final level of judging before the winners are announced on 11th November. The award for Outstanding Growth recognises businesses who have achieved exceptional levels of growth in sales, profit, market share and jobs in the last 12 months.
Trading for almost 20 years, we have continued to grow year after year with an exceptional achievement in 2021/22, achieving 44% like-for-like growth. This accomplishment has been achieved through a combination of excellent customer service creating high customer loyalty, whilst focusing on quality and driving innovation in the business to enhance service standards and operational processes.
Our Founder and Managing Director Peter Botham said:
“We are absolutely delighted that our performance has been recognised by such a prestigious award and will keep our fingers crossed for November.
The 2021/22 financial year was an exceptional year for us. We are immensely proud of everything we have achieved as a business and as a team and are pleased to be able to offer more employment opportunities to people in the local area.”
At Shed we are becoming the preferred grounds maintenance supplier for many large, multi-site clients, including CEVA Logistics, Bunzl, FedEx, Dawsons and Wilko where extensive growth is occurring.
A key example of this is Scania, who expressed their satisfaction with our service, professionalism and health and safety practices. As a result, they awarded us with 12 additional sites last year, including Edinburgh, Newcastle and Gatwick to name a few.
The icing on the cake for us was being awarded Chesterfield Royal Hospital in November 2021, the largest single-win contract for the company. The team have found it very rewarding to visibly improve the external grounds and courtyards for patients, visitors and staff at the hospital.
Our growth has created several new employment opportunities within the operational, administrative and management functions. 10 new employees joined us in the past 12 months including 2 apprentices, with further recruitment planned for 2023.
Our success continues – the business has set off to a strong start in 2022-23 with sales trading at 24.5% sales growth in the first 4 months of the financial year.


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- Samantha Birkin enjoyed the high life until she was hit by the increasing cost of living.
- She said that she used to spend $2,500 a month on designer outfits and top-brand sneakers.
- Birkin is happy as a new mom but said she can no longer afford to indulge herself as she did before.
A $12,500 vacation on a tropical island? Check! A $520 dinner a deux? Check! A couture handbag for $2,200 and a pair of designer sneakers for $1,250? Check and check!
Samantha Birkin and her fiancé, Liam, thought nothing of splashing out on the finer things in life. They enjoyed five-star hotels, took four overseas trips a year, and dined at fancy restaurants. At one point, Birkin said, she wouldn't go out without hiring a professional makeup artist on the weekends.
But now, Birkin said, the couple has gotten a dose of reality after the cost of living crisis in the UK — which has recently seen inflation rise to 10%, interest rates to 4.5%, and food and non-alcoholic beverages by almost 20% — coinciding with the birth of their first child, Calie.
"Times have definitely changed," the 30-year-old from Lancashire, England, told Insider.
A new survey showed that Birkin's situation is not uncommon
According to Forbes, economists blame a combination of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine affecting gas prices, economic fragility in the wake of COVID, and ongoing supply chain issues. Another key factor, they say, is the struggle of the agriculture industry to recruit people. They say it's partly down to Brexit in 2020 — when the UK officially left the European Union — which created a scarcity of workers from Europe.
As for Birkin, she said that rising bills — including a recently proposed 50% increase in their rent to almost $1,900 — have forced the couple to reduce their spending significantly. Birkin said her landlord blamed a hike in his mortgage payments for the increase in rent. Their council tax is $340 a month, with utilities such as electricity and water amounting to $325. Internet service and TV cost $100 a month.
Meanwhile, the pair needed to upgrade their car to accommodate Calie — the contract payments on their Mercedes mini SUV total $73 a month. As for the family's food, including baby formula at $15 a bottle — plus $30-worth of diapers — they spend around $1,000 a month,
The family's situation is typical of many young people in the UK, a new survey by Unity Mutual found. The data — gathered by research company LMRC from 2,000 British residents aged 18 to 39 over three days in mid-February 2023 — found that more than half said they make difficult choices about their spending each month. They said that they've ditched their "live now" mentality to make ends meet.
A total of 57% of the millennials and Gen Zers told researchers that they've been forced to ditch vacation plans because of inflation and their lack of finances. Some 29% said they had less than $1,500 in savings.
Birkin told Insider that while she doesn't regret having Calie "for one second," a significant percentage of the couple's income now goes to their daughter. They spent $2,500 on furniture for her room before she was born
"I used to spend hundreds of dollars on a new outfit for going out," Birkin said in a press release issued by Unity Mutual. "I'd get my hair and nails done, and I also got into the habit of paying to have my make-up done — and that was before I even set foot in a bar."
She added, "Now, I wouldn't dream of doing that. All my income literally goes on what is needed for Calie and paying the bills."
Birkin said that her fiance owns half a dozen sneakers by Louis Vuitton
"We used to go on three or four vacations a year as well, and that had to stop," said Birkin, the owner of a hair salon. "When I think back on how much we were spending on clothes and trainers, it was about $1,500 to $2,500 a month. We've completely had to change our lifestyle."
Birkin told Insider that she felt "bad" for purchasing so many luxury goods. She said that she'd forked over $2,500 on a designer handbag and $1,250 each on various brands of sneakers, including Prada, Balenciaga, and Christian Louboutin.
"Liam's got Dior and about five to six pairs of Louis Vuitton trainers," the mom said. She said the couple's joint income was between $5,000 and $6,200 a month, but she reduced her work hours following the birth of Calie in order to spend more time with her.
She said that one pricey dinner — at an upscale restaurant called The Ivy in Manchester, England — cost $520. Last year, the duo forked over $12,500 for a trip to the Maldives. They canceled the vacation when they got pregnant because of fears about the Zika virus and visited Egypt instead.
Birkin said she wouldn't swap her young family for her old carefree lifestyle
Now, despite the major adjustment to their financial situation, Birkin said they still wanted to buy their own home "within the next couple of years." But, the mom added, "It's an impossible task to save the deposit needed with property prices so high at the minute."
While she and Liam, a 39-year-old personal trainer, might occasionally miss their former lifestyle, Birkin said Calie makes up for the sacrifice. "Our priorities have changed," Birkin said. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to us."
Do you have a powerful story to share with Insider? Please send details to email@example.com.


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27 febrero, 2017
TradexFirm International’s annual trade mission attracted importers and distributors from across the UK
Fruit and vegetable exporters from Spain, Egypt and Poland seeking to raise their profile in the UK market took part in a trade mission organised by TradexFirm International in London last week.
Among the companies taking part was melon and watermelon exporter Caridul, which is looking to introduce its premium Piel de Sapo melons in the UK, where the variety has been gaining market share in the past two years.
“We already ship to France, Portugal and Germany, as well as supplying leading retailers in Spain, and think the time is right to bring our melons to British consumers,” said the company’s commercial director Angel Palma.
Guillermo Soler from the Orri Running Committee was also there to promote the Israeli-developed protected mandarin variety. Spanish volumes for the current season are forecast to reach 3,500 tonnes with production projected to rise sharply as trees mature, reaching a ceiling of 80,000 tonnes by 2020/21.
Among the most innovative companies taking part in the event was Gardeniers, a Zaragoza-based producer of fresh organic vegetables and artisanal products that employs young people with intellectual disabilities to help them to live independent lives.
The company supplies specialist organic stores in Germany and Denmark and is looking to break into the UK market.
“Consumers in the UK have a very high degree of social and environmental awareness and we therefore think our products are an excellent fit for this market,” said Jesús Soto, president of Atades, the organisation that runs the project. And has been providing permanent employment to local people with mental disabilities for over 50 years.
At present the company exports around 600 tonnes of fresh vegetables a year but has the capacity to scale up its production as demand increases.
Murcian grower-exporter Vasaki Ibérica was another company keen to increase its presence on the UK market. “We currently have three clients here and are looking for another two,” explained Celia Sánchez. With an annual output of 12,000 tonnes of table grapes, stonefruit, kaki, iceberg, broccoli and other vegetables, the company’s strategy is to limit its client base in order to ensure that it maintains a good service.
Commenting on the recent shortages caused by the floods in December and subsequent cold snap, Sánchez said: “Right now we’ve had to curtail our exports – we have hardly any production and what is available is of very bad quality. However, this is a short-term problem – by next week we expect to be back to normal”


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Brisbane, Calif. - Mar. 29, 2006 - IGN Entertainment, a leading Internet media and services company serving the video game and entertainment enthusiast markets has launched IGN Mobile, a brand new service that extends the IGN, GameSpy and GameSpy Insider brands to the mobile phone. Fans of IGN's news and editorial are now able to access video game and entertainment news and reviews, game tips and cheats, gear reviews, DVD features and all the other daily content they rely on, wherever they go.
IGN Mobile content will be edited and packaged to mobile format, offering editorial updated live, simultaneously with web sites. Gamers can subscribe to the new service for a monthly fee of $4.99, charged to their phone bill.
IGN users can simply go to http://mobile.ign.com to sign up. Currently available to Cingular subscribers, the service will be rolled out to all other major carriers in the coming weeks.
"Videogamers lead digital lifestyles and want their news, game tips, and entertainment at their fingertips," said Dale Strang, Executive Vice President and General Manager, IGN Entertainment. "We created IGN Mobile as an anywhere anytime solution for IGN's huge audience."
About IGN Entertainment
IGN Entertainment, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, Inc., is a leading Internet media and services provider focused on the videogame and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's properties reached more than 33 million unique users worldwide in the month of January 2006, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore Media Metrix.* IGN's network of videogame-related properties(IGN.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, Direct2Drive and others), is the web's number one videogame information destination and attracts one of the largest concentrated audiences of young males on the Internet. IGN also owns and operates the popular movie-related website, Rotten Tomatoes and one of the leading male lifestyle websites, AskMen.com. In addition, IGN provides technology for online game play in videogames. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices throughout the U.S. and in Montreal.
*comScore Media Metrix, January 2006 Worldwide data. Worldwide data cited herein represent an aggregate of 32 countries reported by comScore Media Metrix on a monthly basis.
IGN Entertainment, Direct2Drive, IGN.com, GameSpy, Rotten Tomatoes, FilePlanet, GameSpy Arcade, GameSpy Arena and TeamXbox are trademarks of IGN Entertainment. Sudden Strike, Arms for Victory, Stranger, Fireglow are trademarks of Fireglow Limited. Other trademarks and copyrights mentioned are the properties of their respective holders.
Contact: Sibel Sunar/Brian Rubin
The Bohle Company
(310) 785-0515 Ext. 271/287


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Nearly 50 years after Atari’s release of Pong, video games sales continue to boom. And with the additions of relatively new innovations like mobile gaming and cloud gaming, the once-overlooked market could be catapulted into a $300 billion mega-industry by 2025, according to at least one report.
One person already reaping the monetary rewards of video game development is British entrepreneur Paul Wedgwood, a former engineer turned co-founder and CEO of games maker Splash Damage. As the developer behind hit first-person shooters such as “Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory,” “Doom 3,” “Dirty Bomb,” and “Enemy Territory: Clone Wars,” Wedgwood and his team quickly grew the studio into one of the most successful UK operations of its kind.
Back in 2016, Splash Damage was sold to a Chinese poultry company in a deal reportedly valued at up to $150 million. Though Wedgwood remained the firm’s CEO for a time, he stepped down a few months ago — after 17 years at the helm — to focus on other, publicly unspecified endeavors.
At least one of those new projects, apparently, involves a move to Los Angeles. Records reveal Wedgwood recently plunked down a hefty $6.73 million for a fully-renovated house tucked into the mountains high above Beverly Hills. (Though the property has the coveted 90210 zip code, it’s technically located in a neighborhood of L.A. city known as Beverly Hills Post Office.)
Marketed as a “sophisticated and very private entertainer’s home,” the 1960s structure began life as a humble midcentury ranch-style abode but has been extensively remodeled several times over the ensuing decades. In its current iteration as a glammed-out contemporary, the house features walls of glass and an airy, open-concept floorplan of nearly 5,500 square feet.
Set on a quiet cul-de-sac shared with only two other homes, the property features a two-car garage and a massive oak front door that pivots inward, directly into an enormous living/dining/family room combination with sunset views.
The chic, sleek kitchen has Italian-designed cabinetry, a marble-topped center island, and the full range of pricey Miele appliances. Other spaces include a library/office with custom bookshelves, a games room, three guest/family bedrooms, and a master suite with a roomy bedroom and spa-like bathroom, both of which open to outdoor terraces.
Outside, the irregularly shaped pool includes an inset hexagonal spa and a Baja shelf for watery sunbathing. And while the backyard isn’t particularly large, it does include a firepit and wee patch of lawn, plus lush views that sweep directly over Coldwater Canyon.
Some of Wedgwood’s more high-profile new neighbors include John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, Milla Jovovich, Formula One star Daniel Ricciardo, and veteran producer Robert Shaye..


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Dr. Disrespect has spoken out for the first time since his Twitch ban. Well, sort of. He did a series of interviews with many different publications. Really, there was no new information to be found as far as Doc’s ban or what the underlying cause of it could be. All of these pieces were more or less PR fluff. If you want to read one of the interviews with slightly more substance, you can check out Steven Messner’s at PC Gamer.
64% of American adults, or 214.4 million people, play video games, according to a report by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). Here’s a bunch more numbers: ESA CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis said in a speech at the Games For Change Festival on Tuesday that 41% of gamers are women. The average age of gamers is now 35 to 44 years old. Forty-six million gamers have disabilities, according to the AbleGamers Charity. And a survey by the American Association of Retired Persons in 2019 found 44% of Americans over age 50 enjoy games at least once a month, up from 38% in 2016. For more details behind the numbers, Dean Takahashi at VentureBeat has you covered.


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How many among Volkswagen’s ranks were involved in the automaker’s ongoing diesel scandal? Works council boss Bernd Osterloh says it’s anyone’s guess.
In a joint interview with VW brand CEO Herbert Diess, Osterloh told Reuters the scandal could involve 10, 50, or 100 people, if not more. He added those involved would still “remain a limited group” out of a global workforce of 600,000.
Automotive News reports Volkswagen Global Works Council General Secretary Frank Patta addressed the 1,100 attendees in Cobo Hall during the first day of the 36th UAW Constitutional Convention in Detroit. Through a translator, Patta urged the union to wage a new fight for the VW factory in Chattanooga, Tenn. — where both unions lost the right to organize workers in a close election back in February — proclaiming the election “was stolen” by outside anti-union politicians and political groups. Finally, he vowed that his works council will continue to back the UAW in all of the latter’s efforts to organize non-union shop floors throughout the Southeastern United States and elsewhere, believing the efforts will see both parties ultimately prevail in their respective goals.
While the United Auto Workers take their battle to bring their brand of organization to Volkswagen’s plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. before the National Labor Relations Board, VW’s labor leaders are regrouping in their fight to establish a works council in the U.S. plant.
Following the 712 – 629 decision against representation by the United Auto Workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., the union may be forced to throw in the towel on foreign-owned auto factories as the automaker’s works council vow to press forward with plans to establish their brand of representation in the plant.
Latest Car ReviewsRead more
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- Tassos VW's EV program losses have already been horrific, and with (guess, Caveman!) the Berlin-Brandenburg Gigafactory growing with leaps and bounds, the future was already quite grim for VW and the VW Group.THis shutdown will not be so temporary.The German Government may have to reach in its deep pockets, no matter how much it hates to spend $, and bail it out."too big to fail"?
- Billccm I had a 1980 TC3 Horizon and that car was as reliable as the sun. Underappreciated for sure.
- Inside Looking Out I did not notice, did they mention climate change? How they are going to fight climate change, racism and gender discrimination. I mean collective Big 3.
- Lou_BC I'm not too picky about gloves. If I'm concerned about heavy oil or grease contamination, I'll donn nitrile gloves. Heavier work and I'll use "old school" leather gloves, fake leather, synthetic or whatever is available.
- Dusterdude Getting the popcorn ready . May be a good plan for strikers to make sure they own good winter jackets for future pickets .


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A late-comer to the world's largest auto market, French carmaker Renault SA is currently building its first factory in China.
The 50-50 joint venture plant, located in central China's booming motor city Wuhan, won't officially start assembling passenger cars until next year, but it has already begun making plastic parts on an integrated injection molding system supplied by Haitian Plastics Machinery Group Co.
The JU33000II system completed testing and began production on March 24, and Haitian CEO Zhang Jianfeng celebrated the milestone by holding a ceremony in Wuhan, according the Ningbo-based machinery giant.
Haitian custom-built the automated production line for automotive trim based on the needs of Dongfeng Renault Automotive Co. It consists of injection molding, part removal, automatic mold change, material handling, automatic preheat, robots and other systems, Haitian said in a statement.
Using twin screws, the system can process different resins for different products such as bumpers, back doors and fenders. Its switchable double injection unit structure offers adaptability, enabling “mixed line” production of multiple products and fast changes. The system also is highly automated.
The 3,300-ton, two-platen press is the first injection molding system that Dongfeng-Renault procured, according to Haitian.
The integrated system is the first of its kind in China, Haitian said, and the largest in the world in terms of clamping force.
Haitian spent nine months developing and manufacturing the system, working closely with the customer.
Dongfeng and Renault formed the joint venture last year. It is investing 7.8 billion yuan ($1.3 billion) to build the Wuhan factory on 5,000 mu (823.7 acre) parcel, with initial annual capacity of 150,000 passenger cars.


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Anguilla Is COVID-free and Open to Visitors — Here's How to Plan a Visit
As of November, all visitors are welcome to visit the island, on the condition that they meet the pre-entry requirements, which includes submitting an application that can be found on Anguilla Tourism Board's website. Each applicant will be asked to fill out a home address and desired travel
Is it safe to travel on holiday?
Many countries around the world are now easing travel restrictions. They are looking to restart domestic and international travel. China and US are the world’s two largest air travel markets. They have made a big decision to ease travel restrictions, aiming to revive trade and tourism.
Pakistan Officially Reopening For Tourism With COVID-19 Entry Requirements
Pakistan officially reopened its borders for tourism on October 5th with specific COVID-19 entry requirements for all incoming passengers. Pakistan originally closed its borders back in March when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Prior to the pandemic, Pakistan was seeing a surge in tourism brought on by rave reviews of the friendly culture and being a budget friendly destination.


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Kylie Jenner announces baby brand, Kylie Baby
3 June 2021, 10:43
The reality TV star launched her new baby brand with the help of her daughter, Stormi.
Kylie Jenner has quietly announced the launch of her new baby brand, Kylie Baby.
The cosmetics entrepreneur, 23, is expanding her ever-growing empire with her latest venture into baby products, announcing the new project with a little help from her daughter Stormi.
On Wednesday (3 Jun), Jenner posted an adorable photo of her three-year-old tot in the bath, tagging @kyliebaby.
"Bath time with @kyliebaby," Kylie captioned the snap.
The verified account hasn't posted anything yet and has no profile picture, but already has over 450,000 followers, including Kylie herself and her mother, Kris Jenner.
Kylie initially filed a trademark for the phrase 'Kylie Baby' back in 2019, with the application covering products including apparel, cribs, changing mats, bed linens, baby carriers, diapers, diaper bags, strollers, car seats, bottles, breast pumps, pacifiers, baby formula and more.
Kylie and Kendall Jenner are pure chaos in new Drunk Get Ready With Me video
According to Forbes, the billionaire beauty maven has registered around 130 trademarks including 'Kylie Hair', 'Kylie Body', 'KylieCon' and 'Kylie Museum'.
Jenner's cosmetics company, Kylie Cosmetics, launched at the end of 2015, followed by her skincare line Kylie Skin in mid-2019.


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Samsung only recently released the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and we now have the first speculation regarding its successor. According to a recent report, Samsung’s screen camera (UDC) technology will no longer be introduced with the Galaxy S21 anymore.
However, this technology is now scheduled to come with Samsung’s next-generation foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
The report also claims that the UDC technology was to arrive with the Galaxy Z Fold 2. However, the output was not enough at the time of its mass production. This is the same reason why it will not arrive with the Galaxy S21. It makes sense for the UDC technology to arrive with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 foldable phone.
For the camera module, it must be thinner to fit under the display. Furthermore, it must have a software that corrects color distortion. Obviously, the UDC technology requires a lot of work. Recall that as of last year, the HIAA 2 equipment was already with Samsung Display.
All Specifications About Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 2020


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Strategic acquisition accelerates Checkr’s expansion into the small business segment, unlocks best-in-class products for businesses of all sizes.
SAN FRAN — Checkr, a leading HR technology company powering the future of work, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Inflection, whose flagship brand GoodHire is a leader in background checks for small businesses. This is Checkr’s largest acquisition to date, enhancing its leadership in the background check industry. The transaction closed in April 2022.
This acquisition is a critical part of Checkr’s expansion strategy in its fastest growing small-to-medium sized (SMB) business segment. GoodHire serves tens of thousands of customers in this segment. It was the first provider to offer a self-service background check solution, designed specifically for small businesses, featuring a 100% online experience, built-in compliance, an intuitive interface and excellent customer service.
Companies of all sizes now expect digital tooling and a great candidate experience to win the war for talent — the kind delivered by innovative gig companies like Uber and Doordash. With this acquisition, Checkr is positioned to bring an innovative, best-in-class software platform to customers of all sizes – now including small businesses as well.
“This acquisition is bringing two of the most innovative companies in our space together,” said Daniel Yanisse, CEO of Checkr. “Our teams have so much in common: a focus on building delightful experiences for customers, very similar cultural values and most importantly, a commitment to build a fairer future for workers.”
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, creating the vast majority of new jobs in North America,” said Naeem Ishaq, CFO of Checkr. “We’re excited that this strategic acquisition enables Checkr to tap into this incredible growth and further accelerate our fastest growing customer segment.”
“We’re excited to join forces with Checkr and help make compliance and hiring easier, faster and more accurate.” said Mike Grossman, CEO of Inflection. “I am confident that together we will continue to always build the best products for our customers.”
To learn more about Checkr visit here.


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Apple announces the deployment of the satellite connection in the United States and Canada. But the most important information is that his service will land in France from December.
One of the novelties of the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max was the SOS function and locate by satellite, since Apple smartphones now have a satellite connection. Until now, there have been rumors of a wider availability of the satellite connection, which have therefore been confirmed.
Emergency SOS and Locate by satellite arrive in France in December
Apple announces that the satellite features of its iPhones are now deployed in the United States and Canada since November 15. The company takes the opportunity to indicate that it will also be available “in France, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom in December”. A deployment that could be effective via the next update of iOS 16.
In the press release, we learn that the service will also be free for two years for people in France who have purchased one of the iPhone 14s. This trial period will begin from the date of availability of the satellite connection. It will a priori be necessary to start paying for a subscription from December 2024. For the moment, we do not know the prices of said subscription.
An emergency service that operates via satellite connection
As a reminder, this feature allows iPhone 14 users to send messages to emergency services via Emergency SOS or call them even when there is no mobile network or internet connection.
Also, the satellite connection makes it possible to share the position of the iPhone (and thus its own position) in the Locate application (Find My), with its relatives for example. It is actually an option offered for two years and then paid for by users. Finally, this service “also works with other security features available on the iPhone and Apple Watch, including collision detection and fall detection”. Let’s hope that this accident detection does not trigger during a roller coaster ride.
An important function of iPhone
To manage to deploy this satellite connection, Apple has put the small dishes in the big ones. The apple brand called on the Globalstar company, also based in the United States, investing more than 450 million dollars to the point of monopolizing 95% of the Globalstar network, which is a constellation of satellites in low earth orbit.
When announcing the latest iPhones, Elon Musk said he was in talks with Apple for potential use of the Starlink network for use with smartphones, which is technically possible today. Since then, we have no news on it, Elon Musk being surely very taken by Twitter.
To follow us, we invite you to download our Android and iOS application. You can read our articles, files, and watch our latest YouTube videos.


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Tuffnells has seen a significant increase in consignments for medical products and healthcare supplies as it continues to deliver vital items to essential businesses and services dealing with COVID-19.
Order data comparing February to March showed an 89% increase in consignments for medical products and a 49% increase for healthcare supplies.
Orders for healthcare items surged from just over 40,000 during a four-week period in February to almost 70,000 in the same period in March, as well as medical products increasing from under 3,000 leading up to the lockdown to more than 6,000 in the weeks following.
A Tuffnells spokesperson said the business has been doing everything it can to ensure vital items reach the businesses that need them most.
He expects the spike to continue into May and June.
“Like most businesses working in the supply chain, we have seen a significant increase in demand for specific types of consignments, especially medical, healthcare and cleaning supplies as we look to do what we can to make sure vital items get to where they need to be to help people directly and indirectly deal with the impact of COVID-19," he said.
“We have had to increase the number of deliveries we are making to support the surge as essential businesses including hospitals, care homes and medical facilities require more supplies, more regularly - including the Nightingale Hospital in London, which we delivered materials to, to help the amazing team who have worked so hard to construct it so quickly.
“This is why last month we announced our plans to hire more warehouse and delivery workers. Our team is doing an exceptional job in difficult circumstances and we thank all of them for continuing to do what they can to ensure important deliveries are made.”
Other types of products seeing a spike in orders include cleaning supplies, which rose from under 14,000 in February to more than 19,000 in March, protective clothing, safety equipment and fire extinguishers.
Tuffnells has 37 depots throughout the UK and is part of The Connect Group which also owns Smiths News.


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By Elton Gomes
The United States-based ride-hailing application Uber has announced a lighter application for its India market. Uber’s new app – Uber Lite – has been toned down from roughly 39 MB 5 MB, and is expected to work on Android phones across all networks. At just 5 MB, the app is simply the size of three selfies.
Manik Gupta, Head of Uber’s product, maps, and marketplace said the idea behind the development of the application was to attract users in markets where most of the phones have limited storage. In India, the app will initially be available in Delhi, Jaipur, and Hyderabad, and other cities will be able to avail the app soon.
Uber’s Indian market
Uber’s head of rider experience, Peter Deng told TechCrunch that a lighter app was the need of the hour, “The next hundreds of millions of riders for us are going to come from outside of the United States.” In fact, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has also highlighted the importance of India by stating that the country was “a very important market, not only in terms of our business today but where our business is going to be five or ten years from now.”
Uber Lite boasts of a 300-millisecond response time, which means users can hail a ride quicker. The app will function at the same speed on 2G networks. In addition, by only showing maps on request, it won’t consume excess data.
Uber Lite will retain the core functionality of the Uber app and will have many existing features like in-app support and the ability to share your trip with others. Uber Lite has been designed “to make booking rides easier and quicker in spotty connectivity and slower than average internet speeds, on basic Android phones, and for people with limited data plans through the following new features,” the company said in an official statement.
Why is this important
Amidst increasing competition from domestic players like Ola, Uber has been struggling to gain a foothold in the Indian market. Ola already has its lite app which is lesser than 1 MB and it also enjoys 45% of the taxi market in India. Uber currently has captured 35% of the market and with a lighter app in the market, Uber will look to overtake Ola in terms of popularity and taxi share.
Elton Gomes is a staff writer at Qrius
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The group of workers seeking to unionize at the Apple retail store at Grand Central Terminal has disclosed their demands. Fruit Stand Workers United seeks a minimum wage of at least $30 for all workers, plus other benefits.
Apple Retail Store Workers Seek More
Through its website, the group sought a minimum wage of $30 per hour. They derived this from a matrix based on role, tenure, and performance. Employees at Apple retail stores currently earn salaries ranging from $17 to more than $30 an hour. The salary depends on the market and experience of the worker.
Aside from the across-the-board salary increase, the Apple retail store workers also demanded more benefits.
For benefits, we seek more robust changes, like increased tuition reimbursement, faster accrued and more vacation time, and better retirement options, including higher match rates for 401(k) and enrollment into pension plans.
In addition, the group also asked for improved health and safety standards. They plan to conduct research on security protocols while also tracking dust, health defects from building materials, and noise pollution at Grand Central.
Apple Says the Company Offers Strong Compensation and Benefits
CNBC reported that an Apple spokesperson said the Cupertino company already offers very strong compensation and benefits for all employees.
We are pleased to offer very strong compensation and benefits for full-time and part-time employees, including health care, tuition reimbursement, new parental leave, paid family leave, annual stock grants and many other benefits.
However, Apple has yet to release an official statement about the specific concerns of this group.
Apple Retail Store Workers at Grand Central Gather Authorization Cards
As the group awaits Apple’s reaction to their now known efforts, an employee-led organizing committee has started collecting authorization cards. These cards will determine the level of unionization support at the store. The group would need 30% of the 270 eligible employees at the store to proceed with filing with the National Labor Relations Board. This is a major step before filing a petition to form a union.
Once the group gathered signatures of the 30% eligible employees, the next step would be to get 50% of employees to vote for unionizing. Only then can the union be certified.
The group also said that its union effort did not include changes to the hiring, promotion, and transfer policies. It also did not plan to negotiate changes to time and attendance policy. Hence, Apple should not impose stricter time and attendance policies to retaliate against the workers who organized the unionization efforts.


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Nigeria has sealed its place as Africa’s largest economy after the South African economy contracted for two consecutive quarters.
This is South Africa’s second recession in two years.
The discussion about the continent’s largest economy was previously based on whether the N306/$ official exchange rate or the N360/$ market rate was used.
Bloomberg data pegs South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) at $352 billion.
At the official N306/$ exchange rate, Nigeria’s GDP is $402 billion and at N360/$, it is $476 billion.
Joe de Beer, deputy director-general for economic statistics at Stats SA, told journalists on Tuesday that the 2019 third-quarter GDP figure was revised to a contraction of 0.8%.
“The economy is in recession again. That is two consecutive quarters of contraction, after being in recession in the first two quarters of 2018,” he told journalists.
In the fourth quarter of 2019, South Africa’s economy contracted by 1.4% and the overall GDP growth for the year was 0.2% while Nigeria’s economy recorded its biggest growth since the 2016 recession.
Nigeria’s economy surpassed projections by the International Monetary Fund, growing by 2.27% against the projected 2.1%.
In 2013, Nigeria’s economy was rebased by the National Bureau of Statistics from an estimated $270 billion to $510 billion.
This made Nigeria become one of the largest economies on the continent.


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Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.
- from an ancient rhyme often repeated by mariners
It's almost morning in the Trump administration and I see a red sky!
Tax reform is a recurring threat in DC. Every politician that runs calls for tax reform and every incumbent up for reelection calls for tax reform. It's a standard line in every candidate's stump speech. There's been much lip service paid to the topic and very little elbow grease expended.
That could be changing. It would appear that the Republican Congress and the Trump administration are both serious this time - as in they want real tax reform!
House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) released a "Tax Reform Blueprint" in July 2016 that outlined the general provisions of a comprehensive tax reform package. When the new Congress convenes in January, the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Trump Administration will begin developing the actual text for a tax reform bill.
Here's where it gets complicated...One of the provisions included in the Tax Reform Blueprint, the “Border Adjustment Tax” (BAT), has generated significant concern among several industries, including the automotive sector. The BAT is not a tariff. Tariffs are taxes imposed on specified imported products (e.g., the 25% chicken tax imposed on the import of light pickup trucks since 1963).
The House Republican proposal (including the BAT) would modify business income taxes in several ways: reduce the rate from 35% to 20%; accelerate depreciation schedules, eliminate all interest deductions; exempt the cost of exported goods from the taxable receipts subject to income tax (they would be taxed in the jurisdiction in which they were sold); and disallow the cost of any imported goods as a deductible business expense.
For example, if a $24,000 vehicle were imported to the U.S. and sold for $25,000, under current tax law the $1,000 profit would be subjected to a 35% corporate tax rate ($350). Under the BAT proposal, the entire $25,000 would be subject to a 20% tax ($5,000). The proposed tax would apply to all imported goods, including any part used in a vehicle assembly in the U.S. or any imported part purchased by a dealer.
Foreign vehicle tariffs have historically been supported by domestic auto manufacturers and opposed by "import manufacturers". NADA has traditionally sat out tariff battles. This is not the case with the BAT, it is opposed by virtually all the auto manufacturers and the entire retail community.
The auto industry now uses global supply chains and the minimum amount of foreign parts included in U.S. assembled vehicles is now 25% (many use 50% or more).....all of those parts would be subject to the proposed BAT. If the BAT proposal were to become law, the price of U.S. assembled vehicles utilizing 25% imported parts would most likely go up by $850 to $1,000 a piece, imported vehicles would probably go up by $3,000 to $5,000 (much more for luxury vehicles) and many foreign models would probably not be imported, plus imported parts bought by dealers would effectively go up by 20%.
As the tax reform process unfolds in the coming months, NADA will continue to work with members of Congress, the Trump transition team, and the new Trump Administration to advocate for tax policies that enable dealers to continue to drive the economy.


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A Conversation with Dealer News Today
There’s a common structure to my conversations with dealers and media outlets. The conversations often cover current market conditions as COVID-19 continues to disrupt retail automotive, things dealers should do with their inventories to survive the current crisis and the outlook for when the market may come back to what we might consider normal.
My conversation this week with Dealer News Today follows the same trajectory, with perhaps a deeper-than-normal dive into what the industry could face when summer turns to fall.
You can listen to the conversation here.


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The use of videos among prospective car buyers during their online research is becoming increasingly popular, according to video firm CitNow.
The firm's chief executive says that dealers themselves are now using video technology in sales or after sales procedures, with 65 per cent of the franchised dealers in the UK opting for CitNow products. The service is also used by manufacturers themselves to promote their cars to buyers doing research outside the dealership environment.
Offering extra services such as these videos helps buyers to gain a better understanding of how the cars they are interested in actually operate and look inside and out. Enhancing sales procedures in this kind of way helps to get buyers through the door and to engage them on another level. It's vital, however, to ensure that you update your traders combined insurance to include new technologies and equipment.
CitNow's chief executive, Alistair Horsburgh, explained how the firm's video technology can enhance the sales experience offered by dealerships: “The clever, and the most entrepreneurial, sales people are personalising videos, and sending them to customers showing them (for example) how they could have the 2017 version of their current car, for around the same price as they’re paying now.”
He added that the automotive industry is at a 'tipping point' in its use of digital technology, with more and more dealers willing to go digital in what has, in the past, been more of a traditional sales environment. CitNow says working with customers on improving the product has allowed it to develop better picture and sound quality.


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Digimon Survive Gets New Developer Profile Video
Meet the team behind the latest Digimon title!
06.01.19 - 12:48 PM
It's been a while since we heard anything about Digimon Survive, but Bandai Namco has released a lengthy new video on the game. The video in question is a developer profile, introducing us to Producer Kazumasa Habu and Assistant Producer Katsuaki Tsuzuki as they talk about Digimon Survive and the history of the Digimon franchise.
Check out the video down below, and stay tuned to RPGFan for more info on Digimon Survive. The game is currently slated to release for PlayStation 4 Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PCs sometime in 2019.


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Signal Hill analyst Todd Greenwald has said that "Xbox 360 needs a real price cut" in his latest note to investors.
Microsoft dropped the price of the 20GB console in the US by USD 50 last week prior to E3, but Greenwald believes the company needs to do more in the face of competition from the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii.
"We remain very sceptical of Microsoft's pricing strategy and competitive positioning versus the PlayStation 3.
"At USD 349, with a 60GB hard drive, we just don't think it is a compelling product compared with the PS3 at USD 399 with an 80GB hard drive (along with more processing horsepower, Blu-ray, Wifi, HDMI, and going forward, more exclusive content)," he offered.
"We'd also note that the Xbox 360 has just been surpassed by the Wii in the US, despite Microsoft's one year head start over Nintendo.
"We do think that the Netflix announcement is a significant addition for Xbox users, though its far more of a positive for Netflix than it is for Microsoft in our opinion," he added of the recently revealed streaming movie deal.
Greenwald pointed to Sony's introduction of the 80GB PS3 in the US at the same retail price as the 40GB unit, and a collection of exclusive titles, as reason why the PlayStation 3 is better positioned than the Xbox 360 for the first time since launch.
"Sony's biggest announcement was a strong counter-punch to Microsoft's USD 50 price cut on the 360.
"We think this should give Sony a leg up versus the 360, along with several exclusive titles like the just-released Metal Gear Solid, LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2, Killzone 2, Gran Turismo 5, God of War 3, etc.
"Beyond Gears of War 2, Microsoft doesn't seem to have the same library of exclusive, must-have titles," he added.


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The latest news, analysis, trends and solutions regarding inventory planning and optimization and its impact on supply chain management. New technologies in inventory planning and optimization are transforming the way companies operate - and allowing them to stay ahead of the competition in their industries. As these solutions continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies around the world are using inventory planning solutions for supply chain optimization.
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Nov. 2, 2007— -- Customers at two of the country's largest Italian food chains could be getting much more than just a taste of Italy in their entrees.
They may be getting oodles of calories and saturated fat, suggests a report published Wednesday by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The report, published in the November issue of the Center's Nutrition Action Healthletter, panned popular Italian food chains Romano's Macaroni Grill and the Olive Garden for their less healthful offerings.
Among the highlighted entrees was the Olive Garden's fettucine alfredo, which served 1,200 calories and 33 grams of saturated fat, according to an independent lab analysis commissioned by CSPI. Another entree at Macaroni Grill, spaghetti and meatballs with meat sauce, treats diners to 2,430 calories and 57 grams of saturated fat.
Aside from finding that restaurant menus may not be entirely forthcoming about the actual amounts of fat and calories in their fare, CSPI's director of nutrition Bonnie Liebman said the higher-calorie, higher-fat offerings could be especially dangerous to those consumers who believe that they are sitting down to a healthful Mediterranean-style meal when they visit these establishments.
"Italy is a Mediterranean country, so many people assume that Italian food represents a Mediterranean diet," Liebman said.
"Many Americans have only a vague notion of what's in a Mediterranean diet," she added. "Most probably assume it's got olive oil, pasta and tomatoes, but few realize that it's missing the meat, cheese and butter in popular Italian dishes like lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, baked ziti and fettuccine alfredo."
Dietary experts remain split, however, as to whether consumers could mistake the restaurants' high-calorie offerings for traditional Mediterranean fare -- although some agree that consumers may fall into this trap.
"Consumers are certainly at risk of believing that these meals are 'Mediterranean' due to the ambience that the restaurants create and promote in their advertisements," said Dr. George Blackburn, director of the Division of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
"I would suspect that the average consumer would believe that these restaurants were serving a healthy Mediterranean fare," agreed Dr. Charles Clark, professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.
But others say there is little chance that consumers actually believe that just because an entree includes olive oil and tomatoes, it is healthy.
"I think the CSPI is really stretching the connection between a Mediterranean diet and Italian restaurants in America," said Madelyn Fernstrom, associate professor and director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Weight Management Center.
"I do not think consumers are viewing these restaurants as consuming a Mediterranean diet."
"I have not seen these restaurants advertising that they serve foods consistent with the Mediterranean diet," noted Mary Beth Kavanagh, instructor at Case Western Reserve University's department of nutrition. "I suppose some people might think that these Italian restaurants might be more 'healthy' than a burger joint or steak house. But I really do not think most people are familiar with the Mediterranean diet and therefore would not make the connection."
"I don't believe consumers actually go to restaurants like Olive Garden or Romano's Macaroni Grill to become devotees of this healthful eating style," said Jackie Newgent, culinary nutritionist and author of "The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook." "I believe consumers go to these Italian chain restaurants because they love the food and they get filled up without spending a fortune."
Both the Olive Garden and Macaroni Grill were quick to respond to the CSPI report. Both chains noted that customers at their restaurants were free to request healthful alternatives to many options on the menu.
"Our menu has something for everyone, from traditional favorites to lower-fat garden fare items," the Olive Garden said in a statement. "There are also choices available to guests to tailor their meal to accommodate their preferences from whole wheat pasta to steamed vegetables."
"Macaroni Grill is able and happy to modify most menu items to fit the individual dining and dietary needs of its guests," read another statement from Macaroni Grill. "For example, substituting side items or whole wheat pasta, getting sauces or dressings on the side, and asking for adjustments in preparation or a container for leftovers are very common guest requests."
And even CSPI applauded Macaroni Grill for posting its nutritional information online. But diet experts were quick to point out that the heavy portion sizes at these establishments, more often than not, tipped the scales against the chances for a healthy dining experience.
"The quantities are outrageous, often two to three times the calories and fat that a meal should contain," said Keith Ayoob, associate professor in the department of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine New York. "That's the antithesis of the Mediterranean diet."
Part of the problem is that, with all that Americans hear about a Mediterranean diet, few truly understand what might constitute such offerings.
"Basically, a Mediterranean-style eating approach refers to a plant-based diet with plenty of produce, grains, beans, nuts, seeds and olive oil, some cheese and yogurt, fresh fish and poultry, very little red meat, moderate alcohol (mainly wine) consumption and plenty of exercise," Newgent said.
"It's a diet that is based heavily on fruits, vegetables, fish and for fat, olive oil," Ayoob said. "But olive oil is simply the main fat source; it doesn't drown everything, as some would like to believe."
The Mediterranean diet is so foreign a concept in mainstream American restaurant cuisine that some say it's almost a sure bet that if you're eating out, the food you're enjoying is probably nothing like what actually graces the tables of families living on the shores of the Mediterranean sea.
"The idea that a chain restaurant could produce healthy Mediterranean food is unlikely," said Dr. Darwin Deen of the department of family and social medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "I have eaten at both Romano's Macaroni Grill and Olive Garden and can tell you that while it is possible to eat healthy from their menus, most of what is offered is no better than a steak house in terms of complying with the Mediterranean diet."
There are ways for Italian chain restaurant faithful to make their outings as healthy as possible.
"Go occasionally, not regularly," Kavanagh said. "Split entrees, and tell the waiter or waitress not to bring the breadsticks at Olive Garden."
"They've got to get a salad with a monounsaturated oil [dressing], a limited amount of pasta -- not all you can eat -- and consider an entree that is not pasta-based," said Dr. Ken Fujioka, medical director for the Scripps Clinic Center for Weight Management in La Jolla, Calif. "Concentrate on veggies, fruit, and protein, and limit starch. Also, red sauces only -- no white cream sauces."
And past president of the American Dietetic Association Connie Diekman noted there is even a good solution to the portion problem.
"If the portion is large, I get the take-home container right away," Diekman said. "I divide the portion into what I'm going to eat now and put the rest into the container. While dining out almost always means more calories than when dining at home, as consumers we can control what we choose to eat at the restaurant and what we take home for the next day or the next several days."
But most important, Ayoob notes, is that consumers should also open their eyes -- not just their mouths -- to what they are eating.
"Some consumers may operate on a 'Don't ask, don't tell' basis," he said. "They may consider information like this as 'spoiling their fun'; they still deserve to make an informed choice, however."
"Knowledge is power, and you can't know how to change if you don't know what you're doing."
And if you're really yearning for a taste of the Mediterranean, you might be best off bringing it into your own kitchen.
"If you are truly interested in following a Mediterranean eating plan, make time to get acquainted with your own kitchen at home," Blackburn said. "Fill your fridge with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and enjoy healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds, legumes) in moderation."


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Rapper Aitch’s surprise gig - at Manchester Piccadilly Subway
The Manchester-born musician turned up for a foot-long sandwich and a few tunes - to the delight of fans.
Rapper Aitch at Manchester Piccadilly Subway Photo: Taylor Herring
The Brit Award-nominated star posted a lunchtime call-out to his fans online, saying he had something special lined up – but none expected that they’d be one of just 25 people at the in-store performance.
Aitch, who grew up in New Moston, said: “I wanted to do an intimate gig for my Manchester crew and thought this would be a cool spot. It’s been great, big up Subway for having me down and letting me takeover and be sure to cop an Aitch Sub before they all go.”
Aitch, who has appeared on tracks with the likes of Stormzy, Ed Sheeran and AJ Tracey, now has a sandwich renamed after him in the branch - the Aitch Footlong is a cheese toasted Italian B.M.T with chipotle southwest sauce. And the branch changed their signage to say Subw-aitch for the wacky promo stunt.
One fan who was at the impromptu gig said: “It was such a surprise seeing Aitch, I really enjoyed the gig. I’ve been listening to him forever, so this has really made my day.”
Mays Elansari, head of marketing UK & Ireland at Subway, said: “When we heard Aitch was a Subway fan we wanted to pull off something special for his fans. What better way to collaborate with Aitch than to rebrand our Subway Manchester Piccadilly store especially for this surprise event and rename his favourite Subway Footlong after him! It’s the first time we’ve ever staged a gig in a Subway. Who knows, it might not be the last.”
Subway is posting footage of the gig to their YouTube channel here.