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Last month, we heard that French auto group PSA Peugeot Citroen was planning a return to the U.S. What we hadn't heard at the time was exactly how the company planned to take on such a well-established auto market after a decades-long absence.
CHECK OUT: 2017 Audi A4 first drive
Winning America, in three easy steps
The plan was unveiled yesterday by PSA Peugeot Citroen CEO Carlos Tavares during a meeting held in Paris for investors and analysts. Called "Push to Pass", it builds on the company's successful "Back in the Race" restructuring scheme, and it rolls out in three phases.
Phase one: Take on Uber
Tavares expects to begin Peugeot Citroen's long campaign to gain a foothold on U.S. soil by becoming a "mobility operator"--in other words, a ride-sharing company like Uber. To do that, it may partner with Bollore, which has created vehicles for a popular car-sharing service in France called Autolib.
Phase two: Take on Zipcar
After phase one, the next logical step is to put everyday drivers behind the wheels of Peugeot Citroen vehicles. Envisioning a Zipcar-like model, Tavares discussed loaning and potentially leasing vehicles to Americans, though cars would remain the property of Peugeot Citroen.
Phase three: Take on automakers
Once the public has become accustomed to seeing Peugeot Citroen vehicles roaming the streets, it's likely--or at least possible--that there would be some demand from shoppers. Based on the strength of that demand, the company could begin selling to consumers.
Tavares' plan is intriguing, but it won't be easy to carry out--especially phase three.
For starters, Peugeot Citroen has no presence in the U.S., and it hasn't for some time. Citroens haven't been sold in the U.S. since 1974. Peugeot pulled out in 1991. And very few American consumers are even aware of the company's relatively new, luxury DS brand.
Oddly enough, though DS could provide a leg-up to Peugeot Citroen by boosting demand among America's upscale shoppers, Tavares appears hesitant to include it in Peugeot Citroen's return plan--at least for the moment. That could change going forward, but currently, his focus is on mass-market brands Peugeot and Citroen.
Complicating matters is the fact that Peugeot Citroen has no dealer network. Unless it plans to follow Tesla's arduous path of gaining approval for direct sales to consumers (which in many cases would require the company to sell only zero-emission vehicles), it's got plenty of work to do on the distribution front.
And perhaps most challenging of all, the automaker will have to make its vehicles meet U.S. federal standards. That's no small feat. (For reference, none of the cars in the DS luxury line could be sold in the U.S. today.)
Still, there's something to be said about Peugeot Citroen's ambition. Can pure drive help it succeed in America this go-round? Stay tuned.


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(Note: This story has been updated from an earlier version.)
By John Schroyer
Denver-based MJ Freeway, one of the more prominent software firms in the cannabis sector, has suffered a cybersecurity breach for the second time in six months.
The company said some of its source code information was posted illegally online last week. MJ Freeway officials are calling it “a theft” but said the breach won’t impact customer or patient data.
The breach follows a hacking incident in early January that resulted in a major crash of MJ Freeway’s point-of-sale system, which is used by hundreds of marijuana retailers across the country.
“We do consider this a theft,” said Jeannette Ward, MJ Freeway’s director of data and marketing. “We did report this to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.”
Source code is basic computer language upon which programs are based. When used by a private company, source code often is proprietary.
Ward said she doesn’t know who posted the company’s information online, but “it was not something we did. We did not post our source code.”
She said the matter is “under investigation still.”
The company contracted a third-party analyst to examine the information that was posted, Ward said, but after a 60-hour audit process, the probe was called off on June 27.
Extended time online
According to Ward, the posted information was an “outdated version of our source code,” so it’s not nearly as much of a cyberthreat as if it were an up-to-date live code.
“It’s not something that will impact our customers’ or patients’ data in any way,” Ward said. “It doesn’t impact our product because it’s outdated source code. So it’s not a big deal.”
Regardless, the incident could represent another security issue for the company after the system hack in January.
“It’s like an aneurysm. You don’t know if it’s going to kill you now or in 30 years. Once that risk is there, you’ve got a threat,” Connor Penhale, the CEO of software consulting firm Compliant Cannabis, said about the possible ramifications of such a breach.
“What’s happened is, someone has exposed all of the possible threats – now and in the future. MJ Freeway’s job just got a lot harder from a security perspective.”
Penhale emphasized, however, that IT solutions are available that can help the company weather the storm.
Surge of success
MJ Freeway has been on an upswing in recent months. The company has landed two government seed-to-sale contracts – in Pennsylvania and Washington state – as well as $3 million in financing to help fund market expansion.
The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board has discussed last week’s breach with MJ Freeway executives, according to the board’s communications director, Brian Smith.
“We know that MJ Freeway follows strict industry security standards … We are satisfied with the security measures they have in place,” Smith wrote in an email to Marijuana Business Daily.
The company shouldn’t expect that mindset from all its clients, however.
“What MJ Freeway’s customers need to ask themselves is – based on the track record that MJ Freeway has – do I feel confident that they can handle this one more big thing that they have on their plate?” said Penhale, whose company used to offer a point-of-sale system to the cannabis industry. “It’s a reasonable question to ask.”
Aside from offering software consulting, Penhale’s firm also sells a software platform that hosts online marijuana-related services, such as cultivation sensor data gathering.
Another question is why MJ Freeway’s information remained online for four days, as gitlab.com reported.
Ward said MJ Freeway became aware of the information theft last week but only learned of the gitlab.com post on Sunday.
According to Penhale, the fact the information was online for an extended period instead of being taken down immediately increased the likelihood it was downloaded by someone who may want to try to use it against either MJ Freeway or its clients.
Ward reiterated the information posted online was out of date and therefore is harmless.
Penhale suggested that MJ Freeway should hire an outside cybersecurity expert to audit the company’s business operations in an effort to plug whatever holes may have led to the two breaches.
“When a big company has a problem, they say, ‘Mea culpa, we screwed up, here’s the consultant we’re bringing in to fix things.’ Because that helps,” he said. “They need to hire a kind of Northern Star in the IT industry, someone everyone can point to and say … we can trust what they say.”
Ward said MJ Freeway brought on an independent security consultant after the initial breach in January.
“They’ve been on staff ever since” performing audits and reviews of the company’s cybersecurity, Ward said. “That is an ongoing thing, to make sure our defenses are as good as they could be.”
She blamed a competitor for circulating word among industry observers about the gitlab.com breach and the Reddit thread.
“(The breach) doesn’t pose a threat or risk to our current MJ Freeway software or services. It doesn’t pose a risk or threat to our clients or patient data. And the information this competitor is sending people says the opposite of that. It even goes further than that and claims that this information is now imminently at risk, and that’s absolutely not true,” Ward said. “That, as a business practice, is unethical, and we should not tolerate it in this industry.”
Meanwhile, Ward said MJ Freeway has made significant headway in retrieving customers’ historical data that was lost during the January breach and that everything that’s recoverable has been recovered, roughly 90%.
“We are done recovering data,” she said. “We have communicated to customers, ‘This is what we have.'”
John Schroyer can be reached at email@example.com

domain: news


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• CME Group is set to expand its Bitcoin and Ethereum product lineup from May 22, pending regulatory approval.
• The new offerings will introduce shorter-term cryptocurrency options with 14 new derivatives available.
• CME Group reported an increase in demand for its cryptocurrency derivatives products with average notional daily volume exceeding $3 billion in Q1 2023.
CME Group Expands Crypto Derivatives Product Suite
CME Group, the world’s largest derivatives exchange, announced that it is expanding its Bitcoin and Ethereum product lineup from May 22 – subject to regulatory approval. The new offerings will introduce shorter-term cryptocurrency options with 14 new derivatives available. This includes 10 weekly contracts expiring Monday through Friday for both cryptocurrencies as well as four additional micro contracts for BTC and ETH on Tuesday and Thursday expiry.
Demand For Cryptocurrency Derivatives Products Increases
Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products at CME Group, said the new contracts give traders “greater precision and versatility in managing short-term bitcoin and ether price risk”. The company reported an increase in demand for its cryptocurrency derivatives products with average notional daily volume exceeding $3 billion in Q1 2023. This shows a significant uptick in the number of traders looking to utilize the exchange’s crypto offerings for risk management purposes.
Regulatory Approval Required Before Launch
The launch of these new products remain contingent upon regulatory approval by various authorities before they can be made available to customers on the exchange platform. Although there is no guarantee when or if these products will be approved by regulators, CME Group has expressed confidence that their applications will be successful given their long history of providing secure financial services to clients around the world.
Crypto Market Growing Rapidly
The introduction of more sophisticated crypto derivative products demonstrates that the crypto market is growing rapidly as more institutional investors enter into this space seeking higher returns than traditional asset classes have been able to provide over recent years. With increased interest from large corporations such as Tesla investing heavily into Bitcoin and other digital assets, it seems likely that further growth is expected over the next few years which could lead to even more innovative financial instruments being introduced onto exchanges like CME Group.
In conclusion, CME Group’s expansion of its Bitcoin and Ethereum product lineup demonstrates how far digital assets have come in terms of mainstream acceptance within markets around the world today – making them a viable option for investors looking to diversify their portfolios while also taking advantage of higher potential returns than those offered by traditional assets such as stocks or bonds. While the launch date remains dependent on regulatory approval, it appears that a future filled with more advanced crypto derivative products could soon become reality – giving traders greater flexibility when managing their risks associated with digital asset investments.


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Last week luxury watchmakers Breitling opened a new boutique with the help of a very famous friend! The award-winning actor and pilot John Travolta helped the brand unveil their new store in Orlando, Florida, with an event at The Mall at Millenia. Travolta and Thierry Prissert, the president of Breitling USA, welcomed more than 300 VIP guests, while hundreds of fans eager to get a glimpse of the legendary actor gathered outside the store.
Travolta, who has been an ambassador for Breitling since 2005, said; “There’s a synergy between the values a pilot holds dear and those which Breitling continues to champion. My passion for aviation parallels Breitling’s dedication to professional-quality instruments, and I think this mutual enthusiasm is one that pilots around the world both understand and appreciate.”
Indeed, the presence of Breitling’s CAP 232 airplane, on display in the Grand Court of the Mall, further demonstrated the tie between the Swiss manufacture and the world of aviation. Guests had the chance to pose with the aerobatic plane during the cocktail party at the 500 square-foot boutique, where Travolta mingled amidst the Breitling timepieces on display. Travolta, who has more than 7,000 flight hours to his credit, is certified on ten types of aircraft, including the Boeing 747-400 Jumbo Jet. With a residence in Ocala (that boasts its own private runway), the actor was a perfect fit for the boutique opening.
“Florida is a very important market for Breitling,” said Prissert, who began the evening with a short speech about the history of the Swiss brand. “Our new presence in Orlando will be an integral part of our global network of boutiques, and having Mr. Travolta here to launch this new location with us was quite an honor.”
The new Breitling boutique is located in the Grand Court of The Mall at Millenia, 200 Conroy Road, Orlando 32839. For more information, call +1 407 900 2610 or visit the Breitling website. Photos courtesy Breitling.


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Gates Doubts iPod a Microsoft Employee Favorite; "iPod's a Great Success"
TMO Reports - Gates Doubts iPod a Microsoft Employee Favorite; "iPod's a Great Success"
by , 7:10 PM EST, February 16th, 2005
Microsoft Corp. founder and chairman Bill Gates said Wednesday he doubted claims that 80% of his employees are iPod owners. Acknowledging the iPod has been a "great success," he said consumers want more choice than what Apple can offer and Microsoft will gain market share in digital media devices in 2005.
In an interview with ABC News anchor Peter Jennings, Mr. Gates said, "I doubt that's the case" when asked if a recent story in Wired news is correct when it quoted an anonymous Microsoft employee as saying about 80% of the employees at Microsoft's Redmond, Wash. campus own and use an iPod at work.
"Certainly, the iPod's a great success," Mr. Gates said, praising Apple CEO Steve Jobs for having done "a lot of amazing things in our business."
When asked if he owns an iPod, Mr. Gates said, "No, I'm not an iPod user. I use the Creative Zen, which is a fantastic product."
On the subject of the iPod's success, Mr. Gates acknowledged Apple has done a "great job" in marketing and selling the iPod, but refused to acknowledged that Apple had beaten out Microsoft for dominance in music players. Mr. Gates vowed that customer choice will win out in the end.
"It's their (player), only their one music store, only their device," he said of Apple. "What we're doing is providing choices. So it's like the Apple computer versus the PC. With the PC you can buy from many companies so you get cheaper prices, you get more variety and here with music devices we're coming in with the same. But they're a strong leader in the space and I think as we gain share, people will be surprised."
Other issues Mr. Gates commented on included:
- Fri, 6:26 PM
- Apple Regent Street Opening Photo Gallery
- Fri, 5:59 PM
- Apple and IBM Partnership: Macs, iOS and Watson Are The Glue
- Fri, 5:05 PM
- Teens Steal $13,000 in iPhones from Natick Collection Apple Store
- Fri, 1:41 PM
- TMO Daily Observations 2016-10-21: iPhone 7 Fire, Microsoft Surface on the Rise
- Fri, 11:22 AM
- iPhone 7 Blamed for Car Fire
- Fri, 9:00 AM
- HYFY Pro 1-Year Plan: $25
- Fri, 8:00 AM
- King of the Hill Intro in Pixel Art
- Thu, 8:19 PM
- Eddy Cue Dampens Expectations for Original Apple TV Programming
- Thu, 7:33 PM
- Mad Max Available on Mac App Store and Steam
- Thu, 6:25 PM
- Satechi Slim Rechargeable Aluminum Bluetooth Keypads
- Thu, 4:44 PM
- Apple Will Likely Let the 2013 Mac Pro Quietly Die
- Thu, 1:58 PM
- MacBook Pro's Function Touch Strip Called Magic Toolbar


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Soft drinks news, articles and information:
|7/13/2013 - Forget about tea, coffee and smoothies in the morning -- just down a few cans of soda pop before starting your day and you should be good to go. This is the latest marketing advice to emerge from junk beverage giant Coca-Cola, which is currently trying to boost sales of its sugar- and aspartame-laden...|
|5/17/2012 - The use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been long associated with fatty liver disease, diabetes and increases in obesity, but a new study has investigated its effects on the brain. HFCS is an inexpensive ingredient added to fast food and fizzy drinks and is 6 times sweeter than sugar obtained...|
|2/9/2010 - A 14-year study of 60,000 people in Singapore found that those who consume two or more sweetened soft drinks per week have an 87 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer.
Published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, the study was led by Mark Pereira of the University of...|
|9/1/2008 - The introduction of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in the seventies coincided with a marked rise in obesity in the U.S., leading to speculations that there might be a causal connection between HFCS consumption and weight gain (1). This seemed all the more plausible since HFCS consumption grew much...|
|7/25/2008 - Medical science has discovered how sensitive the insulin receptor sites are to chemical poisoning. Metals such as cadmium, mercury, arsenic, lead, fluoride and possibly aluminum may play a role in the actual destruction of beta cells through stimulating an auto-immune reaction to them after they have...|
|6/16/2008 - The human body is composed of 75 percent water and 25 percent solid matter. To provide nourishment, eliminate waste and conduct all the trillions of activities in the body, we need water. Most modern societies, however, no longer stress the importance of drinking water as the most important "nutrient"...|
|4/5/2007 - According to a report published in the March / April edition of General Dentistry, phosphoric acid in soda causes tooth enamel erosion, even with minimal exposure. While some consumers may believe that sugar is the only culprit of soda's adverse effects on dental health, enamel erosion occurs whether...|
|10/30/2006 - The next time you get up early on a Saturday morning, turn on your television to any one of the major broadcast stations or child-oriented cable networks. In between Saturday morning cartoons, you'll suddenly find yourself bombarded by commercials advertising fast food and sugary breakfast cereal and...|
|10/11/2006 - The nation’s children are consuming ever-greater amounts of soft drinks that could increase their risk for obesity and dental disease, caution the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
In their annual back-to-school wellness message, the two health organizations...|
|9/5/2006 - The effect of soft drinks on the world's growing obesity epidemic is a hot-button issue among scientists and the industry itself, and that link was the main subject of a world congress that met Monday in Sydney, Australia.
According to a report on Australian news program "The World Today," the congress...|
|8/15/2006 - In response to recent findings by scientists at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and elsewhere that certain soft drinks may contain amounts of the carcinogen benzene above the U.S. legal limit for drinking water, Commercial Alert and public health advocates sent letters today to all U.S. chief...|
|6/1/2005 - The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently announced a three-year, multi-million dollar alliance with Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages (CSAB) to help combat obesity and diabetes in America by stressing the importance of making smart nutritional choices.
According to an ADA press release...|
|1/14/2005 - Coca-cola was originally promoted as a drink "offering the virtues of coca without the vices of alcohol." Until 1903, a typical serving contained 60mg of cocaine. Today, it still contains an extract of coca leaves. The Coca-Cola Company imports eight tons of coca leaf from South America each year --...|
|1/8/2005 - This is a compilation of quotes about the destructive health effects of soft drinks from some of the leading authors on health, nutrition and junk food. This full list, and much more information, is included in The Five Soft Drink Monsters downloadable ebook.
Michael Murray ND and Joseph Pizzorno...|
|1/6/2005 - Those of you who are familiar with the work of the late Dr B. may own his book called "The Water Cure," or "Water for health, for Healing, for Life: You're Not Sick, You're Thirsty." He's also the author of "Your Body's Many Cries for Water." Essentially, Dr. B is the foremost authority on the relationship...|
|12/26/2004 - New research published in the United States that followed 50,000 U.S. nurses reveals those who drank just one serving of soda or fruit punch a day gained weight more quickly than those who drank less than one soda a month. Those who drank more also had an 80% increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes....|
|10/11/2004 - Mike: I have a question for you on water -- a lot of people think that they are hydrating themselves when they consume soft drinks or milk or Gatorade or all these other liquid beverages…
Dr. B: Gatorade is possibly okay, but Gatorade has sugar in it, and it's not particularly good for people who...|
|8/6/2004 - A new study carried out by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health reveals a strong correlation between the consumption of refined carbohydrates -- especially refined white sugar -- and increased risk of breast cancer. This is apparently a major "eureka" for these scientists, who are just...|
|7/1/2004 - Groundbreaking new research published in the International Journal of Obesity reveals that artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose -- precisely the kinds of chemical sweeteners found in diet soft drinks or many low-carb food products -- may actually promote obesity by tricking the body into...|
|5/17/2004 6:20:25 PM - A new study from the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas reveals
that the more overweight a person is, the more likely they are to have
kidney stones. According to reports, the researchers conclude that
obesity and diabetes actually cause the kidney stones. I have an
alternate theory. ...|
|1/5/2004 2:25:18 PM - Kudos to doctors for pushing to ban soft drinks and fruit drinks in
schools. It's just one way to combat rising childhood obesity, and it
will surely help these children maintain healthy body weights as adults
(it's much harder to lose weight as an adult if you were obese as a
child). This is...|
See all 60 soft drinks feature articles.
|11/16/2003 9:49:10 AM - The answer, of course, is found in their diets: children and teenagers are consuming vast quantities of soft drinks. Those soft drinks are highly acidic, and the body strips minerals from the skeletal system in order to buffer the acidity of the soft drinks. As a result, drinking soft drinks leads...|
Concept-related articles:Bone mass:Fractures:Bone:Medical:Consuming:Increase:Adolescent nutrition:Kids:Junk food:Snack foods:Food industry:Food manufacturers:Food:Children:Sell:How to:
a free video website featuring thousands of videos on holistic health, nutrition,
fitness, recipes, natural remedies and much more.
CounterThink Cartoons are
free to view and download. They cover topics like health, environment and freedom.
The Consumer Wellness Center is
a non-profit organization offering nutrition education grants to programs that
help children and expectant mothers around the world.
Food Investigations is
a series of mini-documentaries exposing the truth about dangerous ingredients
in the food supply.
alternative health programs, documentaries and more.
The Honest Food Guide is
a free, downloadable public health and nutrition chart that dares to tell the
truth about what foods we should really be eating.
a free online reference database of healing foods, phytonutrients and plant-based
medicines that prevent or treat diseases and health conditions.
a free, online reference library that lists medicinal herbs and their health
a free online reference database of phytonutrients (natural medicines found in
foods) and their health benefits. Lists diseases, foods, herbs and more.
|Poison in the Food: Hydrogenated Oils|
Exposes the horrifying truth about hydrogenated oils and the diseases it causes: birth defects, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and more.
|Spam Filters For Your Brain|
Your brain is being spammed by 3,000 ads and commercial messages per day. Now you can actually filter out annoying, manipulative messages with the revolutionary brain defense technology revealed in this guide.
|How to Halt Diabetes In 25 Days|
A down-to-earth guide on halting type-2 diabetes using natural methods: nutrition, food choice, medicinal herbs and more. Provides a 25-day plan for radically altering your body physiology to literally reverse type-2 diabetes.
|The Five Habits of Health Transformation|
Explores the five most effective, yet effortless strategies for transforming human health. Written for busy people and based on research involving 763 participants, this book reveals which health strategies deliver the most results with the least investment in time, money or effort.
|How to Prevent and Reverse Prostate Cancer|
Discover the little-known natural health secrets that can prevent and even reverse prostate cancer. This book shows you how to reduce your risk of prostate cancer to near zero using potent, clinically proven health strategies that far surpass anything offered by organized medicine.
|The Ten Most Important Emerging Technologies For Humanity|
In this book, author Mike Adams takes you on a fascinating tour that ventures far beyond conventional science and dares to suggest that as a civilization, we are spending too much time, money and effort on technologies that really don't help us while ignoring the technologies that can really make a difference in our lives.
|Superfoods For Optimum Health: Chlorella and Spirulina|
In this free online book, you'll get the astounding truth on how these two superfoods are far more than just "supplements" like vitamins and minerals: they are disease preventing foods from nature that can actually help conquer cancer, diabetes, heart disease, clinical depression, and much more.
|Take Back Your Health Power! How to reclaim your natural health power from the doctors, drug companies and food marketers who have stolen your right to be healthy|
This courageous report tells you how to take back your power from those who have been exploiting your misfortune for their profit. Learn how to put yourself in control and transform your health outcome from this day forward.
|The Five Soft Drink Monsters: how to kick the soft drink addiction for good|
This downloadable ebooks reveals how to easily and permanently break the soft drink habit for good. This guide will show you, in clear understandable terms, how to recognize each of the five addictive elements of soft drinks -- and then beat them with a clever strategy that's already worked for thousands.
|How to Beat the Bird Flu: how to protect yourself from the coming bird flu pandemic|
This downloadable ebook arms you with the information you need to protect you and your family from the possible bird flu pandemic the World Health Organization is warning about.
|The Seven Laws of Nutrition|
Learn how to transform your health, reverse chronic disease and free yourself from pharmaceuticals by mastering the fundamental laws of nutrition.
|The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D: an exclusive interview with Dr. Michael Holick|
In this interview, Dr. Holick reveals fascinating facts on how vitamin D is created and used in the human body to ward off chronic diseases like cancer, osteoporosis, mental disorders and more.
|The Healing Power of Water: an exclusive interview with Dr. Batmanghelidj|
This exclusive interview with Dr. B reveals how Dr. B. discovered the healing ability of water and pioneered the emerging field of hydro-health. This is a must read report that will forever change the way you think about H2O.
How to recognize and avoid the common foods (and food ingredients) that cause disease. Names all the exact ingredients that directly cause heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, depression, osteoporosis, arthritis, high blood pressure, ADHD, behavioral disorders, mood swings and many more.
|The Food Timing Diet|
Revealed: The Mike Adams secret to shedding body fat, experiencing phenomenal mental and physical energy and eliminating blood sugar swings -- all while eating enormous quantities of health-enhancing (and delicious!) food. Learn why it's not WHAT you eat as much as WHEN you eat!
|The Weiss Method For Better Heart Health|
Radically improve your heart health in just eight weeks! Discover the natural way to prevent and reverse heart disease with Decker Weiss, NMD, a leading authority on non-invasive heart disease treatments that combine the best of conventional and natural treatments.
|The Real Safety Guide to Disease Prevention|
More than 80% of all chronic disease is preventable, but only if you know how. Learn the proven, yet simple prevention strategies for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer's and many other degenerative health conditions.
|The Real Safety Guide to Beating Cybercrime|
Learn how to protect yourself, your children and your finances from cybercime in this sought-after safety guide that covers phishing, online identity theft, auction fraud, spyware, cyberstalking and much more.
|The Real Safety Guide to Protecting Your Environment|
Teaches you 120 practical, Earth-saving tips and strategies for energy conservation, detoxifying your home and work environments, clean air, clean water, recycling and much more. Instant download and hardcopy editions available. 50% of revenues donated to pro-environment non-profits.


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We know D.C. Get our free newsletter to stay in the know.
Pret A Manger is opening a new location on the ground floor of an office building at 1399 New York Ave. NW, according to construction permits.
The sandwich and salad shop will have a 34-seat capacity. The London-based chain already has five locations in D.C. Reps from Pret A Manger could not immediately be reached for comment, but we’ll update with more information as it becomes available.
UPDATE: Pret A Manger USA president Martin Bates tells Y&H the location will open in “late summer.”
Photo via Google Maps


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For those of you who bought this stock last summer, you must be doing a lot of gloating right now.
This is after a stellar earnings report that had investors thinking it’s only the beginning for this popular stock. But is it?
There were a few things to take away from the latest report, and while most of them were positive, other points may be trending towards a downshift before the next uptick in share price.
The bullish view
So, let’s start with that earnings report. Shopify reported revenue of $320.5 million or, the headline you most likely saw, up 50% year over year. This beat not only analyst estimates, but the company’s too.
Subscription revenue grew 40% year over year to $140.5 million, which included the recurring revenue that is now up 36% compared with the prior quarter and now represents 14% of total revenue. Finally, merchant solutions also rose 58% year over year to about $180 million. This has the company lifting its 2019 outlook to $1.5 billion in revenue and for the second quarter alone to $350 million.
Part of that growth in revenue comes from the business expansion itself. The company has expanded into shipping, payments, and capital, now offering everything from purchasing to loans through its site. Analysts see this merchants solution segment as the largest opportunity for Shopify, and this quarter proved that. Once even more larger businesses get on board, this segment’s revenue should skyrocket.
The bearish view
It’s not all good news, and honestly, many analysts believe this stock is coming towards not just a dip but a pure plunge. Granted, Shopify is in its infancy and has a long way to grow, but it has a long way to go as well when it comes to fighting back already established brands like Facebook and Amazon.
Then there’s the type of merchants it has. While it’s continuing to expand into the enterprise clientele market, the ones it already has have been less quality, with even some accused of “dropshipping” cheap products into the U.S.
And, of course, the earnings report did have a few flags. For instance, costs of goods rose by 55%, resulting in a lower margin, operating expenses grew higher than sales, and general and administrative expenses climbed steeply by 68%. All this points to while an increase in revenue is good, and so is expansion, it’s not great if you can’t keep costs under control.
In fact, shareholders should be worried that what it’ll mean is no profit reported from this company for quite some time. While everything grows higher, net loss was still reported at $1.5 million. That number could grow even larger as the company continues its expansion, especially into the television and film industry.
While Shopify still has a great future ahead of it, I think it’s definitely headed towards another dip. If you look at its historical performance, when the markets dropped Shopify plunged with it. In the summer, it reached $225 per share only to drop down to $166 at its lowest. Since then, it’s been on a steady climb to where it is now near $350, but should a recession hit that number will likely plummet.
Analysts believe when its down dropping, that share price could close to $200-$250 per share. When it hits those numbers, however, it’ll provide the perfect time to buy.


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Sharon Hegarty brings 20+ years of experience across industries
Samsung has appointed Sharon Hegarty as its IT and mobile marketing director for the UK and Ireland.
Hegarty’s career spans more than 20 years, and has seen her work across the music, videogame and telecoms industries. She replaces Rebecca Hirst in the role. According to Samsung, Hirst will “continue to support the team for a transitionary period”.
Past telco roles including channel marketing manager at Vodafone, head of sponsorship at Three, and interim head of brand and communications at TalkTalk.
She joins Samsung from Virgin Media, where she was director of brand and marketing from 2018. Prior to Virgin, she was marketing director at Sky TV.
Commenting on her appointment, Samsung’s corporate vice president for the UK and Ireland Conor Pierce said: “I am excited to welcome Sharon into the team. She brings a wealth of experience and expertise which will ensure she is perfectly placed to drive forward Samsung’s marketing approach in 2020 and beyond. I look forward to working shoulder-to-shoulder with her as we continue this incredible journey of growth.”
Samsung will be announcing its latest flagship device range at its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 11. It is rumoured that the range will feature foldable devices.


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SXSW is all about thinking outside the box. Actually, it's all about the BBQ, craft beers and parties. Then after that, it's about thinking outside the box.
After sitting through roughly 167 panels over four days that were supposedly wearable tech themed, our conclusion was that Frogdesign were the biggest box avoiders of all.
Adam Pruden, senior interaction designer at Frog, took to the SXSW Interactive stage for a session titled Wearable Drones: High-Flying Fashion and, in 15 minutes, proceeded to blow everyone's minds.
Pruden said we're entering a "post smartphone era" and that personal computing was set to dramatically change in the next 15 years.
"We discovered several clues that one day drones might become the next personal computers," he stated. His reasoning was that drones, and particularly wearable drones, could not only perform the tasks of a smartphone, they could go above and beyond what we expect from our handsets.
"In fact, the drone that may replace your smartphone is already evolving from it," he explained. "Smartphones have led to huge advances in things like chip-mounted gyroscopes, accelerometers, and batteries. This same technology is being paired with quadcopters, essentially creating flying smartphones."
Frog Design decided to imagine 16 wearable drones that could become common place by 2030 and, for its Wearable Drones in the City project, produce detailed concepts of the product series.
"Wearable Drones in the City is a product series from Frogdesign that envisions a future urban landscape in which our personal devices have become loosely bound to us," explained Pruden.
"Unlike the stationary smart devices of today that only support us digitally and live in our pockets or strapped to our wrists, these smart devices of the future incorporate autonomous flying technologies to reach beyond the limitations of the human body in order to enhance our everyday interactions with the city," he added.
Here's what the tech-futurist had to say about four of the concepts...
"Flare is a wearable drone that assists with navigation in the city. This compass-inspired drone is made of glass and metal that clicks into an acrylic palm strap. The owner instructs the drone where to go via voice control and launches the drone with a quick flick of the wrist. After launching, the glass illuminates and rotates within the metal ring. The drone guides its owner through the city by flying several meters ahead until they reach their destination."
"Breathe is a wearable drone that protects against air pollution in the city. This oval-shaped drone is made from a flexible plastic 'lung' and contains a small propeller at its base for both flight and air intake. It gently rests on its owner's shoulder while monitoring the level of air pollution nearby. When levels become too polluted, the drone launches from the shoulder to supply fresh, filtered air by hovering several inches in front of its owner's mouth."
"Scout is a wearable drone that facilitates exercise and play in the city. This drone is a highly durable sphere with a rugged rubber case, and it snaps into a magnetized clip that doubles as a health monitor. Once thrown into the air, Scout's propellers expand and it quickly becomes a fast-paced rock climbing game. The drone projects an interactive interface onto the cliff face and maps out a route that challenges the user's endurance and pace."
"Parasol is a wearable drone that shields against weather in the city. This drone takes on a compact, cylindrical form and is made of gold as if it were a highly fashionable piece of jewelry. The drone hooks onto a belt or necklace and uses onboard humidity sensors and a thermometer to signal the exact moment it needs to protect against solar rays, rain or snow. After launching, the drone's propellers spread into a large disk, adjusting its position to continuously shield off the elements."
Remember, these were just 4 of 16 designs that Frogdesign has been exploring. "Some wearable drones will be invisible, indiscernible from typical articles of clothing and accessories, while other will be displayed proudly on various locations of the body," Pruden claims.
"Clothing, jewellery, watches, arm-bands, leg-bands, hats, helmets will be powered by flight to expand the current capabilities of body-confined wearable tech."
What do you think? Are we looking at a wearable drone invasion? Give us your thoughts below....
Image credits: Jenny Savage, JungSoo Park, Jessica Covi, Reid Schlegel - Frogdesign.
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BARCELONA (MarketWatch) -- Chipmaker Broadcom Corp. brcm on Tuesday unveiled its new CellAirity multimedia chipset, saying it would enable manufacturers to develop handsets with leading third-generation capabilities at the price of 2G phones. "What CellAirity does is allow you to make 3G phones at 2G prices. We believe that one of the things that has slowed down adoption of 3G is handset prices," Broadcom Chief Executive Scott McGregorr told a press conference at the 3GSM mobile trade show in Barcelona. The new WEDGE chipset will enable phone manufacturers to build a 3G handset with a total bill of materials under $100, Broadcom said.
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At the 2023 Tokyo auto show, Lexus unveiled the LF-ZL concept previewing a future flagship electric SUV.
The concept, the name of which stands for “Lexus Future Zero-emission Luxury,” measures 208.6 inches long, or about eight inches longer than the current Lexus LX SUV and two inches longer than the LS flagship sedan. An EV-specific platform allows for greater packaging flexibility and helps maximize interior space within that generous footprint.
The LF-ZL and other next-generation Lexus EVs will have a modular structure composed of three large “gigacastings” comprising the front, center, and rear of the vehicle structure. Pioneered by Tesla, this process eliminates some smaller parts that would ordinarily be welded together to form a basic vehicle structure, simplifying the production process and increasing rigidity.
Lexus LF-ZL concept
Future Lexus EVs will also feature new battery tech, including prismatic cells that will offer higher energy density and lower weight to help increase range, the automaker claims. The physical shape of the cells will also allow for thinner battery packs, allowing for sleeker styling that can help improve aerodynamics, according to Lexus.
Another new technology feature appearing in the LF-ZL concept is Lexus parent Toyota’s new operating system, known as Arene. It will be able to process data from the car’s onboard sensors and the surrounding environment, allowing the car to, for example, automatically bring up directions when a driver or passenger identifies a point of interest. Lexus also mentioned the “utilization of big data” to manage the charging process, helping to integrate EVs with the grid.
The LF-ZL was unveiled alongside the Lexus LF-ZC concept, a sleek hatch that Lexus said will enter production in 2026. The automaker didn’t discuss a timeline for the launch of the LF-ZL, however.
Lexus LF-ZL concept
Before the arrival of these next-generation models, Lexus will introduce more EVs based on its current technology, likely including a three-row SUV. For now, Lexus’ sole EV for the U.S. market is the RZ crossover. The automaker also sells an electric version of the UX crossover in some markets.
Lexus ultimately plans to sell only zero-emission vehicles—including both battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell models—in the U.S., China, and Europe by 2030, and the rest of the world by 2035.


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Foxconn is the largest manufacturer of electronics in the world, employing well over 1 million people in its factories. The drive to produce more devices quickly and cheaply has led to abundant bad press due to working conditions and low wages, but the company has been working on a solution -- robots. Earlier this year Foxconn announced its plans to deploy several thousand robots to take over for human workers, but a new report casts doubt on the feasibility of such a plan. The Foxconn robots (Foxbots) aren't precise enough for Apple, so they won't be getting their cold metal graspers on any iPhones. That throws a rather large monkey wrench in Foxconn's plans.
Apple's exacting standards require components to be installed with a tolerance of 0.02mm. That's thinner than a human hair. The Foxbots, however, are only capable of 0.05mm accuracy. It's still impressive as far as robotic assembly goes, but Foxconn's dream of moving to a workforce that doesn't need to be fed or housed is probably on hold. Luckily, Foxconn hasn't gotten too far in its plans to install one million (apparently useless) Foxbots in its factories.
Other OEMs might not have the same exacting standards as Apple, but I doubt the likes of Samsung or Motorola will be too keen on accepting manufacturing tech rejected by Apple. It's possible smaller Chinese companies that specialize in low-cost unbranded devices and iPhone knockoffs might be interested, though.
Most phones and tablets are assembled mostly by humans simply because of the precision required. Most robots don't have the manual dexterity required to drop tiny components into devices on an industrial scale. The technology required to make this work exists, but you'd have to design entirely new industrial robots to make it happen. That throws the economics off balance. It seems counterintuitive, but the phone in your pocket might be more expensive if it wasn't handmade. Foxconn is looking to save money fast, so it used automotive robots as the basis of the Foxbot design.
The robots, which cost between $20,000 and $25,000 each, are being used in Foxconn's facilities despite lacking iPhone levels of precision. All the hard work is still being done by humans with their nimble fingers. The Foxbots are only allowed to tighten screws, polish metal, and handle packaging -- easy stuff that a few extra fractions of a millimeter won't affect.
Foxconn is reportedly redesigning the robotic arms(Opens in a new window) in hopes a more precise version will get Apple's seal of approval. That could take several years of research, but the resulting robots could have much greater finesse. There's even talk of abandoning the automotive robot frame and instead designing something more like a human arm with multiple fingers. This would make the contraption considerably more versatile, but also more expensive. There's usually a cost to automation--it can take several years for a company to recoup the research and deployment costs, and it looks like Foxconn isn't going to get around that by repurposing automotive assembly line bots.Now read: Robot hand uses static electricity to pick up almost anything – with no moving parts


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|RGDATA has urged Retail Minister Neale Richmond to provide funding for legal costs incurred by retailers who have successfully defended Workplace Relations Commission cases taken by individuals opposed to the public health requirements on mask wearing.
In a letter to Minister Richmond, RGDATA’s Tara Buckley raised concerns on “an issue which is leaving an unfortunate legacy from the COVID-19 Pandemic and is directly relevant to two areas within your portfolio. This relates to cases involving the Workplace Relations Commission taken against retailers by individuals opposed to the public health requirements on mask wearing. Regrettably given the lag time for hearings with the WRC, many of these cases are only concluding now – a significant period after the pandemic restrictions were lifted.
“By way of context, as you will be aware, the vast majority of Food Retailers, including
RGDATA members remained open right throughout the COVID 19 pandemic and
owners and staff continued to provide an essential service to their local communities.
Our members invested significantly in PPE equipment and introduced additional public
health measures to keep their customers and staff safe.
“As one of the few retail formats that remained open through the pandemic, retailers also
had to play a significant role in ensuring compliance with the applicable public health
requirements and in particular to ensure that customers wore face masks and complied
with social distancing requirements. This required significant costs to facilitate
compliance through reduced footfall and increased supervision and security. Our
members accepted these costs in the spirt of the national crisis that applied at the time
and in order to comply with the law.
“However, there were also a significant number of individuals who took it upon
themselves to challenge the public health rules. Some did this through being abusive or
hostile to shop owners and their staff. Others went further and took cases to the
Workplace Relations Commission alleging that our members insistence on the customer
wearing a mask constituted discrimination.
“While RGDATA understands that the WRC has rejected all defended cases taken
against retailers, the defence of these cases is incurring considerable costs for retailers.
For example we are aware of one retailer in the North East who had to defend three
different cases from the same anti mask protester. The retailer won all three cases, but
incurred costs of €10,000 in doing so, in circumstances where the retailer is not able to
seek recovery of the costs against the unsuccessful complainant. The retailer
understandably feels aggrieved to have been hit with such a bill, in circumstances
where he was merely seeking to comply with and enforce compliance with Government
Public Health requirements. The risk for the retailer is that if the cases are not defended,
then the complainant could get an award by default as has happened.
“In circumstances where these costs were incurred by retailers in a context of securing
compliance with the Government’s public health requirements around COVID 19, and
given the lack of recourse that is available to retailers to recoup these costs (which are
otherwise lost for investment or job creation prospects), RGDATA requests that your
Department should establish a discrete fund whereby retailers who have successfully
defended a claims before the WRC arising from the enforcement of Public Health Rules
in a retail premises, can have the proven costs of mounting the defence, recompensed
by the State. This will cover a finite number of specific cases given that no new tranche
of cases can be litigated and there will be an official record within the WRC of all cases
that have been taken.
Failure to make some allowance for the costs incurred by retailers in defending such
cases will leave them at a loss arising from the enforcement of public health obligations
and the requirement to meet such claims prosecuted through State run agency, the
WRC. This would be deeply unfair against a cohort of businesses that have behaved
responsibly in the provision of an essential service.”
RGDATA is keen to engage further with the Minister for a fair outcome on this issue.


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Meghan Markle fans say it’s “inspiring” she’s teamed up with a company whose ‘sexist' advert she got to change as a child.
Her and Prince Harry’s Archewell Foundation has agreed a global partnership with consumer goods firm Procter & Gamble.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said it will focus on areas including gender equality and more inclusive online spaces.
When she was at school, aged 11, Meghan wrote to the business to complain about gendered language in a dish soap commercial.
P&G’s Ivory Clear TV advert had included the line: “Mothers around America are fighting greasy pots and pans”.
But it was changed after she called the business out and urged it to swap it for “people all over America”.
Speaking back in 1993, Meghan said she was left “furious” about it.
The company is best known for owning major brands such as Crest, Oral B, Gillette, Pampers and Tampax.
Supporters have now praised the Duchess, 39, on social media and say it has gone “full circle”.
One wrote on Twitter: “Meghan Markle is so inspiring that 30 years after changing their sexist advert following a letter she wrote to them.
“Procter and Gamble joined the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry today in the Archewell compassion movement!”
Another posted: “It's the full circle for me. Meghan wrote to Procter and Gamble at 11 years old to voice her opinion on their sexist ad.
“They made the changes to include everyone now she has partnered with them to help communities in need.”
While one said: “That’s amazing, I love that Meghan is collaborating with Procter and Gamble given the background of 11/12 year Meghan writing to them about sexist ad and them listening and changing it.
“Beautiful to see them work together to support vulnerable women.”
Archewell announced the “multi-year global” partnership on Tuesday, saying: "Archewell Foundation believes that with community, and through compassionate service to others, we can unleash systemic cultural change.”
The non-profit said it would “elevate the voices of adolescent girls” and work with men and boys to encourage gender equality.
P&G said: “We’ve also been inspired by the mission of the Archewell Foundation and its founders, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, that with community, and through compassionate service to others, we can drive systemic cultural change, benefiting everyone.”
Source: Read Full Article


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iRobot Corp, famed as the manufacturer of the "Roomba" autonomous floor-cleaner, has bought underwater robot maker Nekton Research - suppliers of droid submarines to the US military. “We believe that the underwater market is the next frontier for robots,” said Helen Greiner, iRobot co-founder. “This acquisition positions us for …
No shit, Sherlock!
“We believe that the underwater market is the next frontier for robots,”
What, you mean that market that ROVs (i.e. everything robotic bar the autonomy) already dominate?
Since when did stating the bleedin' obvious become a business strategy?
Paris, 'cos she worked this one out about 10 years ago.
But... they're called pool-cleaners
and they already exist since a while?
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An emerging trade war between China and the United States has prompted predictions of severe disruption – both economic and geopolitical. But analysts say it’s hard to tell how a trade war might actually play out. “Nobody can honestly claim high confidence that they understand what the overall impact will be,” Daniel Rosen, founding partner at economic research firm Rhodium Group, said to The Straits Times.
Rosen has 26 years of professional experience analyzing China’s economy, commercial sector, and external interactions and even he is saying, “You might as well project the weather on a Tuesday afternoon a year from now.” But just as a rainstorm on Tuesday afternoon begins with colliding water droplets up in the clouds, a trade war starts with tariffs.
So let’s explore the current state of trade between these two economic superpowers.
China and the United States traded goods and services worth over $636 billion in 2017. It's the world's largest bilateral trading relationship. And at $19 trillion and $12 trillion, respectively, the U.S. and China are the world’s largest economies, by far. (Though China is not the only country the U.S. is targeting. President Trump has also imposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and the European Union.)
A trade war is exactly what it sounds like: Countries attacking each other’s trade with tariffs, quotas, and other kinds of restrictions. One country will impose restrictions, causing the other to respond in a tit-for-tat escalation. This can hurt both economies and lead to rising political tensions. And when the warring factions are the world’s economic superpowers, their battles affect other economies as well.
“A trade war is exactly what it sounds like: Countries engaged in a tit-for-tat escalation of restrictions on the other’s trade.”– Click to tweet
For the United States, the imposition of trade restrictions on China has an economic goal and a national security goal. President Trump has invoked both economic and national security rationales for two key strategies. His aim is to close the large trade gap between the U.S. and China and to address what he characterizes as China’s theft of American intellectual property.
“For the United States, there is both an economic aim and a national security aim to trade restrictions on China.” – Click to tweet
President Trump wants to use tariffs as a way to close the trade gap. The U.S. trade deficit with China was just over $375 billion in 2017– the U.S. buys far more goods from China than it sells to China. As a tax on products made abroad, tariffs raise the cost of imported goods, making consumers less likely to buy the imports and, in theory, boosting local production of those goods. If Chinese goods increase in price, the plan is Americans will turn to locally produced goods.
Another issue is Beijing’s 'Made in China 2025' policy, a strategy designed to increase China’s profile as an innovator of high-tech products rather than just a manufacturer of low-end goods. Along with this strategy, China has been buying foreign technology firms in key industries like semiconductors and robotics. U.S. officials, led by President Trump, believe these practices constitute “unfair transfers of American technology and intellectual property to China.”
As U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer put it in a statement: “China’s government is aggressively working to undermine America’s high-tech industries and our economic leadership through unfair trade practices and industrial policies like ‘Made in China 2025.’”
Thunderbird Professor Robert Grosse describes those unfair trade practices as state-supported cheating. Typically, joint venture agreements between U.S. and Chinese companies, he says, include technology transfer requirements, meaning the American company has to give its know-how to the Chinese partner.
“At the heart of talks of a U.S.-China trade war is Beijing’s ‘Made in China 2025’ policy, designed to increase China’s profile as an innovator of high-tech products.” – Click to tweet
Bloomberg News reports that the Trump administration, including Lighthizer and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, are pushing for structural changes to China’s policies. That response may extend beyond tariffs. On June 24, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. is planning to introduce new restrictions on Chinese ownership of U.S. technology firms.
Are such measures likely to make a difference? Most analysts say it is unlikely significant changes will be made to the Made in China 2025 policy because it is potentially so powerful for China. If successful, the policy will give China opportunities for sustainable economic growth – even, economic dominance – for decades to come.
Trade deficits are not necessarily bad. But it’s complicated. As countries have shifted from manufacturing economies to service economies, you have to look a little more closely at what exactly countries trade.
Discussions of the trade imbalance usually focus on goods. China shipped far more goods to the United States ($505.6 billion last year, according to U.S. figures) than the U.S. shipped to China ($130.4 billion) – that’s where the approximately $375 billion trade deficit figure comes from.
When one trading partner thinks about putting tariffs or quotas on the other country, it’s limited to the dollar value of its imports from that partner. So while the U.S. could restrict as much as $506 billion worth of China’s exports, China has only $130 billion worth of U.S. goods exports that it could restrict. But restrictions on goods trade isn’t the only weapon in the trade fighter’s arsenal.
The Chinese government could begin targeting trade in services – like tourism, travel, and banking – according to analysts quoted in CNN Money.
Even more potentially damaging than that could be restrictions on goods and services sold to Chinese citizens by American multinationals with a presence in China – the likes of Apple, Nike, GM, Starbucks, Boeing, and Ford, among others. Those sales are not accounted for in discussions about a trade deficit. Yet, they “far exceed the value of U.S. exports to China,” Alex Wolf, a Hong Kong-based economist at Aberdeen Standard Investments, told the Financial Times.
“China could retaliate against U.S. services exports, or against American multinationals selling to Chinese consumers in China.”– Click to tweet
Abroad and at home, for any given industry or business, the impact of trade restrictions depends on a variety of factors: How much does demand change when prices rise? Are substitutes readily available? How much extra productive capacity is there around the world, and how long would it take to get new manufacturing facilities up and running? Tariffs could hurt American companies by imposing costs not faced by their competitors.
Trade wars – they’re complicated.
Economists are concerned because neither China nor the U.S. is showing signs of backing down. And the consequences could be severe. According to a model by the Tax Foundation, if the tariffs move ahead, it could lower GDP growth by 0.1 percent (about $20 billion) and cost nearly 80,000 American jobs.
Tariffs will likely create supply and demand imbalances, while boosting prices for consumers, increasing costs for manufacturers, and potentially exacerbating trade tensions with other countries. S&P Global urged “companies, as well as individuals, should be especially alert as the negotiations play out.”
In the meantime, U.S. tariffs aimed at Chinese goods are scheduled to take effect on July 6.
China-U.S. trade war: A recent timeline
Having a hard time keeping up with the details of the looming trade war? That’s understandable. Even before the tariffs take effect, the United States and China seem to be locked into responding to each other’s moves as they up the ante.
U.S. Automakers: The impact of tariffs on American-made cars is small, but “duties on Chinese imports would disrupt recent moves by Ford and GM to use their Chinese factories to supply limited numbers of cars to the U.S.,” according to Wall Street Journal reports. GM dealers last year sold about 40,000 China-made Buick Envision SUVs.
U.S. Farmers: According to the Wall Street Journal, “Agribusiness firms may need to find alternative markets for U.S. grown oilseeds,” which include soybeans, a huge cash crop for American farmers. U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows that the U.S. is the second largest soybean producer, behind Brazil.
U.S. Energy: A look at economic subsectors by S&P Global Credit Analysis shows that proposed tariffs would probably deal a significant blow to the U.S. energy sector, which relies heavily on steel and aluminum for various projects.
U.S. Chipmakers: The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), which represents major American chipmakers, has two significant concerns about the proposed tariffs. For one, they say the proposed tariffs are “fails to address the serious IP (intellectual property) and industrial policy issues in China.” And, they feel the tariffs actually threaten more harm than good. American chipmakers primarily send finished chips to China where they are assembled, tested, and packaged. Under the announced tariffs, American semiconductor companies argue they will be forced to pay tariffs on their own products.
Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)
Press Release: USTR Issues Tariffs on Chinese Products in Response to Unfair Trade Practices
Trump targets China investments as trade war heats up
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the U.S.
U.S. China Trade is a Win-Win Game
U.S. Census Bureau
Trade in Goods with China
Tariffs: The blunt tools of trade disputes
Thunderbird Professor Mary Teagarden weighs in on proposed China tariffs
Thunderbird Knowledge Network
Economic Forces Push Us Outward, But Social Forces Call Us Home
Thunderbird Knowledge Network
It’s Time for the U.S. to Revoke China’s Free Pass on Trade


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Says Lynn Franco, Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board: “The Consumer Confidence Index increased in November and is now at its highest level in more than four and a half years (76.4 Feb. 2008). This month’s moderate improvement was the result of an uptick in expectations, while consumers’ assessment of present-day conditions continues to hold steady. Over the past few months, consumers have grown increasingly more upbeat about the current and expected state of the job market, and this turnaround in sentiment is helping to boost confidence.”
Consumers’ appraisal of current conditions was relatively unchanged in November. Those saying business conditions are “good” declined to 14.4 percent from 16.5 percent, while those saying business conditions are “bad” deceased to 31.5 percent from 33.0 percent. Consumers’ assessment of the labor market improved. Those claiming jobs are “plentiful” increased to 11.2 percent from 10.4 percent, while those claiming jobs are “hard to get” held steady at 38.8 percent.
Consumers remained optimistic about the short-term outlook in November. Those expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months edged up to 22.2 percent from 21.5 percent, while those expecting business conditions to worsen edged down to 14.3 percent from 15.0 percent. Consumers’ outlook for the labor market was about the same as in October. Those anticipating more jobs in the months ahead marginally improved to 20.3 percent from 19.7 percent, while those expecting fewer jobs remained virtually unchanged at 19.7 percent. The proportion of consumers expecting an increase in their incomes decreased to 15.9 percent from 16.7 percent.


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Allen’s Milk Bottles, which have been around since the '70s, are finally getting that long overdue makeover and will now come in two new Oak-inspired packs.
The first pack took its cues from beloved Oak flavours like chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla malt to create a mix bag of all three in milk bottle creations. The second pack is dedicated solely to Oak Iced Coffee and is the perfect treat for coffee lovers.
After announcing their collab nearly two months ago, the lollies are finally hitting stores nation-wide.
This isn't the first time Oak and Allen's have teamed up. Back in April, Oak dropped a line-up of lolly-inspired milk flavours including Allen's Fantale's and Pineapple, and in late 2019, Oak released a Redskin's and Jaffas milk. Now it seems the pair have swapped roles.
The new Allen’s Oak packs are selling for only $2.99 each and can be picked up at Coles, Woolworths, and the lolly aisle of your local shop.
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The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has been recognized by Subaru of Indiana Automotive with the Excellent Performance Award as an exceptional parts and delivery supplier, the companies said. The award, presented May 3, also distinguished Goodyear for its commitment to achieving excellence in collaboration with Subaru of Indiana Automotive.
“Goodyear and Subaru share a mutual commitment to delivering the highest level of performance and excellence to our customers,” said Steve McClellan, president, Goodyear Americas. “We work closely and collaboratively with automobile manufacturers like Subaru, and are honored by this recognition and our placement on some of Subaru’s best-selling vehicles.”
Goodyear has been an original equipment supplier to SIA since 2005, supplying OE tires for the Subaru Tribeca and currently working with Subaru to deliver three fitments for the Subaru Legacy.
“SIA is pleased to present The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company with the Excellent Performance Award for superior performance related to safety, environmental stewardship, quality, delivery and partnership,” said Ken Nelson, manager, Subaru of Indiana Automotive. “This award recognizes strong performance for all given targets.”
In addition to this prestigious award, Goodyear has recently been recognized by Honda North America with the Supplier Sustainability Award for demonstrating an exceptional commitment to social and environmental responsibility and by General Motors with the 2017 Supplier of the Year Award in the tire category, for demonstrating product, delivery and customer service excellence.


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The Industry Council for Tangible Assets has notched another sales tax win.
Alabama becomes the 37th state to exempt sales of gold, silver, platinum and palladium bullion and money, ICTA’s David Crenshaw reports.
Numismatic commerce can blossom thanks to Gov. Kay Ivey. She signed into law Senate Bill 156 on March 6 to create a sales and use tax exemption on U.S.. coins and currency and precious metals bullion sales.
Of course, she isn’t the only one who deserves the high praise of collectors.
“The bill’s author, Senator Tim Melson along with its House sponsor, Representative Ron Johnson, championed the bill through the legislature,” said Phil Darby (J & P Coins and Currency in Helena).
“Alabama coin businesses and collectors owe them a debt of gratitude,” Darby said.
Collectors and bullion buyers often don’t care about politics.
They just do business in states where they are not whacked when they make their purchases.
Fortunately for all of us, ICTA and its allies in the state's coin dealer community do the heavy lifting.
According to Crenshaw, in the summer of 2016, Darby and Steve Caiola (Alabama Gold Refinery of Homewood) started collaborating with ICTA to obtain the exemption.
Darby and Caiola hired Graham Champion of Public Strategies in Montgomery, Alabama's capital city, as the campaign’s lobbyist.
Darby, Caiola, Champion, ICTA treasurer Pat Heller and Crenshaw, who is ICTA’s chief operating officer, met with the state’s department of revenue deputy commissioner Michael Gamble to lay the exemption’s groundwork.
The first legislation died last year.
In the next legislative session, Champion secured Rep. Johnson to sponsor House legislation.
“We promoted the sales tax exemption as a legitimate jobs and economic development issue with the legislators,” Champion said.
“We were pleased with the unanimous support of our legislation in both houses, recognizing the benefits to the state’s revenue, to in-state businesses, and to in-state investors and collectors from eliminating the sales tax," Champion said.
Crenshaw says the new law takes effect June 1.
Alabama is now eligible to host a national coin show such as the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo.
“We have discussed the possibility of hosting a show in Alabama. However, we have been reluctant because of the sales tax obstacle,” said Mary Burleson, president of Whitman Publishing.
Perhaps the creation of a new coin show will demonstrate to the 13 remaining states the economic benefits of this sales tax exemption.
Buzz blogger Dave Harper won the Numismatic Literary Guild Award for Best Blog for the third time in 2017 . He is editor of the weekly newspaper "Numismatic News."
• Like this blog? Read more by subscribing to Numismatic News.


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Sunday, September 21, 2014
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
Here's a new cutscene and awesome gameplay demo from Tokyo Game Show!
Thursday, September 18, 2014
At long last we're getting to see more of FFXV, formerly Versus XIII, that is now in development for next-gen consoles by Hajime Tabata who replaces Tetsuya Nomura as the director. Also announced was that a demo voucher would come with Final Fantasy Tye-0 HD which releases in March of 2015, so perhaps there's still a year or so to go before the title releases. But for now, here's more of Noctis-oji.


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BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct.8
The volume of freight traffic between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan amounted to 12,300 TEU containers in the first 9 months of 2021, Azerbaijan’s ADY Container LLC told Trend.
According to the company, the volume of cargo transportation in the same period of last year was 9,700 TEU. Thus, the increase has reached 26 percent.
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have recently expressed interest in increasing the transit of goods through international corridors.
This issue was discussed during the meeting of the Minister of Transport of Azerbaijan Rashad Nabiyev with the Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan Bakhyt Sultanov.