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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. trade deficit widened more than expected in January as high oil prices and resurgent demand helped pushed imports to a record high, a Commerce Department report showed on Friday.
The trade gap swelled more than 4 percent to $52.6 billion, the highest since October 2008. The department also raised its estimate of the December trade deficit to $50.4 billion, from its previous figure of $48.8 billion.
Imports rose 2.1 percent to a record $233.4 billion. China accounted for a big share of the gain, with imports from that country rising 4.7 percent to $34.4 billion.
Goods imports reached the highest level since July 2008, just before the financial crisis caused world trade to plummet.
Stronger U.S. demand also pushed imports of services, autos, capital goods and food, feeds and beverages to record highs.
The average price for imported oil fell slightly to $103.81 per barrel, but remained well above the January 2011 level of $84.34.
Meanwhile, U.S. exports put in another good month, growing 1.4 percent in January to $180.8 billion, led by record exports of services.
Exports of autos and capital goods also hit record highs, displaying the increasing competitiveness of American goods in world markets.
The growth was led by exports to Mexico and Japan, with shipments to China and the 27-nation European Union tumbling.
The closely watched U.S. trade deficit with China swelled 12.5 percent to $26.0 billion. Last year, it set an annual record of more than $295 billion.
Reporting by Doug Palmer, Editing by Andrea Ricci


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Yesterday eJewish Philanthropy released a special, satirical Purim edition of their usual newsletter called pJewishMisanthropy. The whole thing is absolutely hilarious-at least it should be to any of us working in the Jewish communal world who read often-vague articles about the future of “peoplehood,” “Jewish innovation,” “leadership,” and “engagement” in the ever-changing Jewish American/Israeli landscape. Still, one story in particular caught my attention.
In a “sponsored advertisement,” pJewishMisanthropy announced the world’s first “Kosher Camera,” a camera that lets you erase women from images as you take them. They even designed a whole website for the product.
Read More: @ jwa.org
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TimePlay teamed up with Interac to create a brand new game launching on September 29th! Use your phone to purchase concession items on the big screen and whoever gets the most items wins! But watch out for items that aren’t available at cinema concessions as you will lose points!
We are giving a ballot for a draw for 20 movie passes where anyone who plays the Interac game is automatically entered for the chance to win! You can play this exciting game anywhere in Canada up until October 26th. Don’t forget to arrive early to the theatre!


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Starbucks announces nationwide five pence coffee cup charge
Starbucks has announced that, following a three-month trial in London, it will be introducing a five pence paper cup charge across all 950 stores in Britain, effective from Thursday 26 July.
The new initiative will see customers charged an additional five pence for use of the cup when purchasing a hot beverage. Those using reusable cups have already received a 25 pence discount off any Starbucks drink for several years, with other coffee chains such as Pret A Manger and Costa offering similar deals.
Starbucks’ London trial, conducted in partnership with environmental campaign charity Hubbub, produced positive results, showing a 126 per cent increase in the use of reusable cups in participating outlets, measured by the number of customers redeeming the reusable 25 pence cup discount.
Hubbub compiled a report evaluating the overall impact of the charge on customer behaviour. It shows that the percentage of customers bringing in their own cup increased in the trial stores from 2.2 per cent before the trial to 5.8 per cent during the trial. The report also found that mornings see the greatest number of customers using reusable cups, with 8 per cent of all hot drinks served in reusable mugs.
The results indicate that enforcing the five pence charge across the UK, with supporting in-store communications and staff training, would have a positive impact on reducing disposable cup use.
In January this year, a report by MPs in Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee said that coffee shops should be made to charge 25 pence for the use of disposable cups, after it emerged that 99.75 per cent of the 2.5 billion cups disposed of annually in the UK are not recycled.
While the charge to be enforced by Starbucks is significantly smaller than that called for in January, the five pence cost is a bid to encourage customers to use a reusable cup through placing a value on the environmental impact of the product.
Starbucks has been widely sharing its current and planned environmental policies. Earlier this year, Starbucks committed $10 million (£7.5 million) to developing a fully recyclable and compostable hot cup in partnership with Closed Loop Partners. Currently, all drink-in customers are served with ceramic cups, and all UK stores offer paper cup recycling bins, though the final destination of the majority of used paper cups – which are very difficult to recycle due to the mixed-material composition of the items – is unclear.
The company has also announced plans to eliminate single-use plastic straws globally by 2020, including creating a new strawless lid – currently launched in 150 stores – as a standard on all iced coffee, tea and espresso beverages, while straws made from alternative-materials, such as paper, for Frappuccino-blended beverages or customers who prefer or need a straw will also be made available.
Martin Brok, President of Starbucks Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “We saw encouraging results from the first three months of this trial with Hubbub, and what stood out to us was the positive response we had from our partners (employees) and customers who continue to push us to innovate and find ways to reduce waste. Extending this to all our stores across Britain is an exciting step and we’re hoping this charge will remind customers to rethink their use of single-use plastic as it has with plastic bags.”
Trewin Restorick, CEO and founder of Hubbub, added: “Single-use plastics is an issue that has become more significant in people’s minds than ever before. The trial proved this, showing that customers have an increased awareness of the need to reduce waste from single-use cups. A 5p charge is an effective way to prompt this change. We’re excited to be working with Starbucks, particularly as they take on board the findings of the trial and introduce the charge across the whole of the UK. We look forward to discovering what more can be done to encourage people to use reusable cups.”
The government’s initial response to the EAC’s coffee cup report in January stated that it prefers to support voluntary commitments by retailers over legislative action – there has been no legislative action taken since January – and numerous companies have since put policies in place targeting disposable cups.
Coffee chain Costa has also announced plans to recycle up to 500 million disposable coffee cups a year by 2020, subsidising waste collection companies Veolia, Biffa, Suez, Grundon and First Mile by £70 per tonne of takeaway cups collected, in order to provide an incentive for their collection for recycling.
Independent coffee shop chain Boston Tea Party, meanwhile, completely banned the use of disposable coffee cups in its 22 stores in June, with takeaway beverages only being sold in reusable cups. A cup loan scheme has also been developed, which allows customers to ‘rent’ a reusable cup for a deposit of £4.50, which can then be reclaimed when the cup is returned. Similarly, supermarket chain Waitrose has banned all disposable coffee cups from its stores.
Additionally, last month, the Scottish Parliament banned single-use coffee cups in its main buildings, claiming that 450,000 cups could be diverted from landfill every year as a result.
While the voluntary initiatives of some retailers are to be welcomed, the variation in the form that these initiatives take can pose some confusion. Chris Sherrington, Head of Environmental Policy and Economics at environmental consultancy Eunomia, states that it would be preferable for the government to take the lead on introducing these incentives, saying: "It will be interesting to see the results of Starbucks' nationwide rollout of the charge across its UK stores. Combined with its discount of 25 pence for those bringing their own cup, there is now a 30 pence price difference in favour of reusables – although theory suggests that presenting this all as a charge would lead to a greater shift in behaviour. However, from the consumer perspective, it adds a further potentially confusing variation to a diverse series of incentives offered by retailers for those bringing their own reusable coffee cup, with – as far as I'm aware – no similar charges or discounts being applied to single-use cups for soft drinks and smoothies.
"An across the board tax of 25 pence covering all takeaway cups used to serve hot and cold drinks would be much simpler for consumers and it would deliver a much greater shift to reusables than different retailers running their individual schemes that apply only to specific types of drink. Evidence also suggests a tax of something like 25 pence – as opposed to a discount of a similar price – would create a bigger shift in consumer behaviour. Behavioural research tells us that people work harder to avoid a loss, or an additional cost, than they will to seek the same level of gain, or discount.
"It's also worth thinking carefully about where the money goes. While the waste prevention effects of a tax or a charge would be the same, a tax would be preferable. A tax would avoid the risks – that could occur with a charge – that funds disbursed by retailers displace CSR spending, and lead to undue influence over recipients, who themselves might become overly dependent upon the proceeds of the charge, potentially limiting their support for greater ambition in respect of waste and litter prevention. Revenues from a tax could be used to offset other taxes, such as those on employment."
Disposing of the disposables
While efforts are being made to limit the use of single-use cups, recycling companies have been taking steps to tackle the issue of recycling the disposable coffee cups, a process made difficult by the mixture of cardboard with a plastic lining. In May this year, bespoke paper manufacturer James Cropper, announced a ‘CupCycling’ process, which enables the company to separate the plastic and paper and use the fibre to make luxury recycled products, while the plastic lining is processed at a separate facility.
In environments where disposable cups are still seen as the most convenient option, such as summer music festivals, there have been efforts to ensure that all cups are made of compostable materials; for example, all food and hot drinks served by traders at Latitude festival come in biodegradable packaging by BioPak, which is made from waste material from the sugarcane industry.


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Listed below are recent posts across all of CalRecyle's blogs.
On June 1, 2017, President Donald Trump announced the United States would withdraw from the United Nations Paris Climate Accord, signifying a dramatic change in the nation’s approach to climate change and its effects on our natural resources, infrastructure, and public health. On the same day, California Governor Jerry Brown, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Washington Governor Jay Inslee formed the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of states to address the existential threat of climate change. California and 14 other states have pledged to meet our share of the Paris Agreement greenhouse gas reduction targets and reduce GHG emissions by at least 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.
California Governor Jerry Brown, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Former Secretary of State John Kerry, Washington Governor Jay Inslee. Photo by Nature Conservancy.
The Paris Agreement
On December 12, 2015, 196 nations adopted the Paris Agreement, a legally binding framework for an internationally coordinated effort to tackle climate change. The agreement establishes a goal to reduce global temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius below pre-industrial averages. The goal is to balance GHG emissions with sequestration efforts resulting in a net reduction in emissions. Each participating nation submitted its own plan to help meet the agreement’s goals, to be reviewed and adjusted every five years as progress is made. The Paris Agreement emphasizes global progress and recognizes that each country has a unique starting point in its aim to combat climate change. Developed countries will lead the way and support developing countries in the effort.
Photo Credit 2 Executive Magazine
The U.S. Climate Alliance
California and other member states in the U.S. Climate Alliance are implementing policies to reduce carbon pollution and other GHGs, promote clean energy deployment, and track and report progress to the global community. In doing so, these states are growing clean energy economies, creating new jobs, protecting human health, and investing in resilient communities.
California Leading the Way
Governor Jerry Brown identified six climate strategy pillars spanning every sector of the economy from transportation to power to energy to land management. A few of the actions underway:
- California’s goal of 1.5 million zero emission vehicles on the road by 2025 will significantly reduce pollution and GHGs.
- The state is working to decarbonize its electricity sector and reach a target of 50 percent renewable energy. Energy usage goals for new residential construction (zero net energy by 2020) and commercial construction (zero net by 2030) are in place.
- Innovative farm and ranch management practices are being promoted to build adequate organic matter in soil, increase carbon sequestration, and reduce overall GHGs.
California has several funding mechanisms to support strategies and technologies that drive emissions reductions. Known collectively as California Climate Investments and funded through a cap-and-trade program, the state has the only multi-sector GHG emissions trading system in the United States. California Climate Investments stimulates public and private sector investment in cleaner, more efficient technologies and industrial operations. Sixty percent of proceeds are allocated to public transit, affordable housing, sustainable communities, and high-speed rail.
CalRecycle’s own GHG reduction grant programs are funded by California Climate Investments, focusing on recycling of organics and other discards. Primary emphasis is on expanding infrastructure and local programs to divert organics from landfills, where such materials emit methane, a super-pollutant with a climate change impact 70 times greater than carbon dioxide. At a cost of about $4 per ton of GHG reductions, organics and other recycling is the most cost-effective among the state’s climate strategies.
By committing to ambitious efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, California and its partner states in the U.S. Climate Alliance are determined to reverse the effects of climate change. Learn at the U.S. Climate Alliance website, including California’s specific plan to meet the Paris Agreement targets.Posted on In the Loop by Christina Files on Oct 9, 2017
Upcycled art is a new genre growing in popularity among designers and makers. Rather than sourcing raw materials to create masterpieces, artists source discarded textiles in hopes that upcycled art can contribute to a more sustainable mindset in our economy and daily lives. Four percent of California’s waste stream is textiles, which are defined as items made of thread, yarn, fabric, or cloth. This may not seem like a lot until you consider that 4 percent is over 1.2 million tons of material that could be diverted from landfills and used to make new products.
Recently I got the chance to test my design skills at Merge 2017, an upcycle fashion event hosted by the Sacramento Chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). It’s a one-day event that gathers top architects and interior designers (not fashion designers!) from around Sacramento to upcycle architectural materials into chic fashion ensembles. Upholstery fabric, carpet samples, ceiling panels, and floor tiles are transformed into bodices, skirts, belts, hats, and jewelry. After a full day of designing, sewing, hair, and makeup, the event culminates in a runway show held at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria in Downtown Sacramento. This is upcycled art at its finest!
Fashion is a big business. According to the Business of Fashion’s 2017 State of Fashion report, global fashion is a $2.4 trillion industry, or the nation-equivalent of the world’s seventh-largest economy. That’s a lot of textile material! In an era where inexpensive, seasonal clothing is common and second-hand clothing purchased at thrift stores is sometimes seen as unfashionable, fashion artists are reframing the concept of reusable textiles and paving the way for sustainable high fashion. Although it’s unlikely that many traditional fashion designers would use architectural materials for their garments like we did at Merge, the event brought awareness to upcycled fashion and inspired attendees to repurpose items rather than toss them out. Seen in creative, artistic terms, it’s yet another pathway to casting aside self-imposed limits on fashion.
My sister Jessica, an accomplished interior designer, led a team from Hibser Yamauchi (HY) Architects. She recruited both our mother (and her mad sewing skills) and me (pretty savvy with a glue gun) to lend a hand. Prior to the event, firms were assigned several sustainability-focused textile manufacturers who supplied them with materials. HY worked with Rockfon and Momentum Textiles, both of whom are dedicated to recycling and diverting waste from landfills when possible.
The theme for this year’s event was “Around the World,” and our team was assigned Russia to inspire us. We wanted to create an edgy homage to Russian ushunka hats—would you believe these faux fur accessories are combed ceiling tile fiber? We used Rockfon stone wool ceiling tiles, which are comprised of up to 42 percent recycled content. Rockfon reduces its environmental impact by diverting 95 percent of its production waste from landfills.
Our dress was constructed from Momentum Textiles Crypton Green upholstery fabric. My mom’s skills came in handy, since we couldn’t use a pattern and had to create our own on the spot and then tailor the garment to our model. Momentum creates fabrics from recycled fibers, and their Crypton Greenfield Gold Certification fabrics are constructed in an environmentally conscious way and have low VOCs.
My contribution consisted of transforming a long rope of carpet sample tassels into a woven braided necklace with blue vinyl tile charms dangling from its threaded loops. We spent hours pulling tassels apart, tying 4-inch threads into a long string, braiding them together into a rope, and then crocheting a necklace to grace our model’s neckline.
The best part was, of course, the runway walk! Our model nailed the perfect runway attitude—a little sass, a little twinkle in the eye, and alot of dramatic hip swings. The competition was fierce; although we didn’t win, we were proud of our efforts, felt good about what we created – and how we created it!
The Sacramento chapter of the International Interior Design Association put on a stellar event and awarded several local interior design students with scholarships. There was an electric atmosphere of creativity in the Galleria that night, and you could see the scholars beaming to be part of such a vibrant and artsy community.
In keeping with the design principle on display that evening, the event hosts gathered up the leftover and unused architectural materials and donated them to a local organization looking for raw materials for art projects and crafts. Sometimes being sustainable is just about your perspective. I never thought of industrial building materials as suitable for the runway, but I’ll never look at a scrap of carpet the same way again!
CalRecycle sustainability Merge RecycleForClimatePosted on In the Loop by Christina Files on Aug 7, 2017
My grandmother used to say necessity is the mother of invention, and I think she was right. Californians dispose of more material during times of abundance; when the economy is flush, our wallets open wide and we buy new things, wrapped in lots of packaging, and we throw out old things. Some of these old things still have a lot of life in them, especially if we get creative!
I come from a pretty artsy family. And we’re not the type of people to run down to the craft store to buy everything we need. Instead, we prefer to scavenge local thrift stores, yard sales, and even each other’s craft closets to assemble the materials we need to create a project.
Fabric flowers are en vogue again, especially for country chic weddings. So, when my friend got engaged, it was only natural that I dove into my mother’s and sister’s ribbon and lace collections to assemble the material I needed to create a set of bridesmaid tote bags with accent flowers.
Back in my grandmother’s day, fabric flowers constructed of rolled ribbon or delicately folded muslin could transform everyday dresses into Sunday best or even wedding garments. New clothes were expensive and difficult to make, so textiles were repurposed over and over again. Now, fabric flower tutorials are just a YouTube video away. Since they require just a few inches of ribbon, you can easily transform scraps that are otherwise too short for wrapping packages or tying large bows.
Bows can be crafted from more than just recycled ribbon and lace. Small scraps of burlap, leftover canvas strips from a sewing or paint project, and even an old satin bathrobe belt can be carefully sewn or glued into concentric rows of beautiful flower petals. I like to adorn the center of each blossom with a pearl from a broken necklace strand or a glitzy vintage earring or broach.
If you can’t raid a relative’s or friend’s stash for craft materials, visit a thrift store where donated art supplies are given or resold to the public. Take the Free Utopian Projects (Free UP) movement, for example, which promotes sustainable art practices by supplying makers with materials. Free UP Oakland has a permanent storefront filled with a hodgepodge of crafty art supplies. Guests can take one free item per day and make a donation to purchase additional items.
Oakland is also home to the East Bay Depot for Creative Use. Founded in the late 1970s by a group of Oakland Unified School District teachers, The Depot’s initial aim was to provide reusablesupplies to educators who were often paying out of pocket to stock their classrooms. They have grown a lot since their beginning and now divert over 200 tons of reusable material from landfills each year.
You don’t have to be an artist to help divert reusable textiles and art materials from landfills. Consider calling your local grade schools or university art department to see if they can use your materials. Just remember that one person’s trash may be another person’s treasure … or in this case, flower!Posted on In the Loop by Christina Files on Jul 20, 2017


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London Toy Fair closed with strong messages about industry growth and the importance of licensing to the toy market. U.K. toy sales grew 6 percent last year, the strongest performance in the European toy market, according to NPD Group. France, the second
April 6, 2018
U.K. toy sales grew 6 percent last year, the strongest performance in the European toy market, according to NPD Group. France, the second largest market in Europe, grew 3 percent.
“For the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain to show a combined growth of 3.5 percent for 2010 was a fantastic outcome and a credit to the trade for continuing to deliver innovative and exciting new products into the consumer market,” explains Frederique Tutt, industry analyst for NPD Group.
Hello Kitty ranked overall as the best European license. Toy Story appeared at the top of the U.K. chart for top licenses by revenue, while Playmobil took top spot in Germany and France. Seven of NPD’s top ten rated toy manufacturers for 2010 are active licensees.
Highlights from London Toy Fair include:
Vivid Imaginations launched plush and collectible toys based on the Moshi Monsters.
Character Options’ Character Building line of construction toys with collectable mini figure lines of HM Armed Forces and BBC’s Dr Who.
LEGO’s Ninjago showed off its growing line of licensed storage products, apparel and house wares.
Vintage, heritage and retro toys were represented by Creation’s Monty Python comedy novelties and Fisher Price toys such as the chattering telephone and teaching clock.
Zhu Zhu Pets added Zhu Zhu Babies and Zhu Zhu Puppies last year, and will incorporate Kung Zhu for boys this year.
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Feeling unmotivated? You might want to check out your metrics
Yes, even the best of us can feel unmotivated to work out at times. But if you’re finding it really challenging to stay interested in exercise, Apple’s senior director of fitness technologies Jay Blahnik has a solution that might work for you.
Staying motivated when it comes to your fitness can be really challenging sometimes, so of course, if someone suggests a key to hacking your enthusiasm, we’re all ears.
Someone who would know an awful lot about this is Jay Blahnik, senior director of fitness technologies at Apple and we chatted to him on a recent episode of Body+Soul’s Healthy-ish podcast.
The tech giant has recently launched Apple Fitness+, a fully integrated workout experience that offers running, HIIT, spin, yoga, strength classes, and more. We gave it a shot and, well, it’s really fun.
Like what you see? Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this.
It also tracks basically everything, from your heart rate to energy burned, and it can even motivate you to push harder if you want to.
Those metrics are key, says Blahnik, who says seeing where you are in your fitness journey can be a great tool to keep you going.
“Wanting to measure what we do is almost human nature, we want to know how far we drove, what grade we got, how hot is it outside,” he explains.
“I think it’s the same with fitness, if you know how you’re doing, you can see when you’re dropping back or when you’re pulling ahead or staying the same.”
What’s interesting is that tracking your workouts keeps you motivated, even if you aren’t making progress every single time.
“We found that people are not just motivated by pulling ahead, sometimes you’re just happier you’re not getting worse.”
He adds: “[Fitness] isn’t necessarily always about progression, it’s knowing when you’re at.”
Jay Blahnik is the senior director of fitness technologies at Apple.


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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released its annual "Dirty Dozen" list, which ranks produce most likely to be contaminated with pesticides. EWG analyzed pesticide residue testing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration to come up with the rankings for these popular fresh produce items.
11. Snap peas
10. Cherry tomatoes
7. Bell peppers
To get the full list of all the most contaminated produce, click here.
More water guzzling lawns may be replaced by drought tolerant plants throughout Santa Barbara because of the on going drought, and in some cases, homeowners will be getting a cash rebate for making the change.


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Timely hypergrowth lessons from The Motley Fool
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Here presents a paradox for LivingSocial, which has been actively searching to decrease - not increase - its focus on the core deals business. No one recommends that LivingSocial double down on daily deals, a model that attracted hundreds of millions in venture capital and allowed the company scale explosively but hasn’t brought it to profitability. The question then becomes - not whether LivingSocial should focus, but where?
The Motley Fool shows one potential path forward: a consumer Internet company that aggressively shed most of its staff, put its head down, tightened its hiring standards and placed profitability ahead of growth. “Our plans have proven too optimistic to withstand the current business environment, and so now we are hunkering down and battening the hatches,” Motley Fool co-founders David and Tom Gardner wrote in a 2001 memo.
The company is now approaching a staff of 300, Conner said. It recently launched a competitive, six-month hiring initiative for developer talent called the “Devspandex Learning Tribunal Program,” which has 10 initial openings. From that number, the company is actually hoping to hire five or fewer, Conner said.
“You have to make sure that you’re focused, that you have a clear framework for what it is your trying to do, you have a clear roadmap,” Conner said. “Something we didn’t have back then was just a clear understanding of what it is that we’re doing, how is it profitable, how does each person in the organization lead to that value.”
Bill Flook covers technology, biotech and venture capital.
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It may be called Small Business Saturday but it’s a big idea that will hopefully boost trade for local shops and businesses in the all-important run-up to Christmas.
Due to take place this Saturday, December 7, on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, Small Business Saturday and Doncaster Council are welcoming residents and visitors to take to the streets and show their support by shopping locally. The message is simple: “Shop local and support local business.”
The idea stems from the United States, where last year it helped drive sales of £3.5billion for independent shops, and led to an increase in longer term custom. The Government is now backing the initiative for the first time across the UK.
Doncaster’s SME business community represents a total of 6370 businesses employing between 0 and 249 employees and accounts for a staggering 99.5% of the total number of businesses in the borough. 5,560 of this figure represent micro businesses, those employing less than 10 employees. To appreciate the value and contribution small businesses play in the local economy, almost 33,000 people are currently employed by SME’s in the borough.
Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones said: “Small businesses play an important part in our local economy in creating jobs and serving our local communities and this initiative is a great opportunity to shine a spotlight on them and help them thrive.”
“In support of Small Business Saturday, Doncaster Council has announced free car parking at Chappell Drive car park for up to five hours between the hours of 8am and 6pm over the festive season. However, we are not only focusing on the Town Centre and Markets but on any small business across Doncaster. Anyone can get involved and support the initiative”.
Doncaster Council is also encouraging entrepreneurs and business owners to take advantage of the range of support services available through Business Doncaster. The programme offers a variety of services which support the growth of small businesses trading across the borough, including business events and seminars, networking opportunities, property searches and advice with business grants and finance.
Business Doncaster offers a multitude of services to assist local business, so get in touch and find out about the many ways we can help you and your business.


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Huong Thi Hoang on a visit to Bremen
Is the coronavirus crisis affecting foreign investment? Are companies in Vietnam still interested in doing business with Germany? We put these and other questions to our Vietnamese expert Hoang Thi Huong:
How has the situation in Vietnam changed for you personally since the beginning of April?
Huong: The lockdown was officially eased on 23 April. Many Vietnamese have approached normal life cautiously, with many children staying at home right up to the middle of May. Everyone has to wear a mask when going outside, particularly in public spaces. We are all looking forward to seeing each other again in the office, and we have started to contact our customers to inform them of our return. We have coped well with the lockdown thanks to the fact that the outbreak is not as serious in Vietnam as it is in other countries.
How are local companies managing the coronavirus crisis? In which areas are there restrictions?
All companies must comply with government regulations, and almost all of them have continued to operate during the lockdown, including restaurants, bars, cinemas and other businesses in the entertainment and hospitality industries. But they have to ensure that their businesses have safety measures in place to protect health.
To what extent are there restrictions on foreign companies operating in Vietnam?
As far as the service and trade sectors are concerned, most businesses are operating normally, but the closure of the borders has led to a shortage of materials in the manufacturing industry. Exports continue to decline, falling by around 20 per cent in April compared with March 2020, and the value of imports also fell by almost 8 percent.
Are Vietnamese companies currently interested in doing business abroad (for example in Bremen) or do their priorities lie elsewhere?
I think there are some companies who are exploring business opportunities in both Europe and Germany as a result of the pandemic, but they need time to strengthen their capacity, both financially and in terms of other resources, for such an expansion. When investors decide to invest in Germany, Bremen is a preferred option as they can receive local support in Vietnam. The cost of living in Bremen is also low, more or less on a par with Ho Chi Minh City, which is an advantage.
Vietnamese investors usually start off with small sums to test the waters. They monitor the business environment and familiarise themselves with the local situation before approaching long-term partners for further business relationships. That is why the focus of many Vietnamese companies is on the trade and services sector, and I think we will see an increase in business activity in the future.
Has your work changed? Has there been a change in the type of information companies are requesting, or in the nature of their enquiries?
I often contact investors via corporate networks to get a quick idea of their intentions. The basic questions that entrepreneurs ask themselves remain the same: Is the business model sustainable? How much will it cost to establish and operate a company locally? Are there any additional factors or costs to consider? What incentives are there to relocate abroad? What is the quality of life like locally? Are there good schools and universities for my children?
Thank you for talking to us.


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Italian ski resort Livigno is the latest to add electric car chargers.
The centre has teamed up with energy company Repower, to install the fast charging stations which supply 22 kW of electricity.
Open for use by locals and tourists alike the charging points are located in the carpark of the Aquagranda center, in Via Isola in downtown Livigno, at Plaza Placheda and at both the Laghetto Bork and Eira Pass parking areas.
In addition to the car charging stations the resort is also unveiling six charging stations for e-Bikes.
“I believe that Livigno can become the first smart city in the Alps,” said Remo Galli, Deputy Mayor of Livigno, adding, “We are very happy to have completed this project; electric mobility is the future in terms of transport and we wanted to make the town move in a green direction.”
To launch the service the charging points will operate free of charge until December.


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On this week’s e-newsletter, examine how a science fiction comedian ebook makes use of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) to make the studying expertise extra interactive and the way Web3 musicians view NFTs. Take a look at how huge names like Bandai Namco, Sega and Sq. Enix are eyeing blockchain gaming. In different information, learn how a metaverse-focused fir- built-in NFTs inside Minecraft regardless of its ban on NFTs. And, don’t overlook this week’s Nifty Information that includes the primary metaverse wedding ceremony at The Sandbox.
Sci-Fi NFT comedian ebook undertaking lays the inspiration for CCG improvement
Table of Contents
An NFT comedian ebook undertaking created by former recreation builders is working to deliver their imaginative and prescient of a GameFi comedian ebook sequence to life. Talking with Cointelegraph, Dušan Žica, CEO and chief working officer of 2142, described the comedian’s premise as a synthetic intelligence battle in 2142 AD, proper after the final Bitcoin (BTC) is mined and Satoshi Nakamoto’s dormant pockets wakes up.
Inside the undertaking, customers can mint, accumulate and compile pages of the comedian ebook sequence and take part in a decentralized autonomous group (DAO) that decides the course of the story.
Web3 is creating a brand new style of NFT-driven music
One of the crucial hyped use instances for NFTs is music. Due to this, Cointelegraph spoke with numerous creators inside the NFT music house to ask what comes first — the music or the will to create music NFTs.
Reveel CEO Adrien Stern described music NFTs as an “anti-genre,” because it promotes range and freedom, whereas NFT musician Thomas Pipolo stated that NFTs are a software to promote the product. In the meantime, Jeremy Fall, who based a Web3 file label, stated that it’s not concerning the hype however about using the know-how.
Bandai Namco, SEGA amongst gaming giants eyeing blockchain gaming
Gaming giants Bandai Namco, Sega and Sq. Enix have been taking a look at blockchain gaming, in line with Ryo Matsubara, consultant director of Oasys. In a Cointelegraph interview on the 2022 Tokyo Video games Present, Matsubara stated that these gaming firms, who’re additionally their companions, have a long-term imaginative and prescient for blockchain gaming.
The chief additionally talked about that the corporations should not merely seeking to make a fast revenue however are fascinated with creating the way forward for video games. The chief talked about that this new gaming mannequin wants extra time to mature earlier than getting broader integrations in conventional video games.
Metaverse agency implements NFTs into its Minecraft and GTA 5 servers
A metaverse-focused agency has managed to implement NFT integrations inside their Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 5 servers. In an interview with Cointelegraph, Oscar Franklin Tan, chief monetary officer of Enjin, and MyMetaverse CEO Simon Kertonegoro shared how they have been capable of combine NFTs into Minecraft regardless of its ban on NFTs.
Based on Kertonegoro, they don’t have any pay-to-win NFTs, and their greatest NFTs are free, and that is how they’ve NFTs on their server with out violating the phrases of service. The chief additionally stated that they want to begin a dialog with Mojang studios, the creators of the sport. In the meantime, Tan additionally expressed that Enjin helps MyMetaverse’s efforts to succeed in Mojang.
Nifty Information: The Sandbox hosts its first wedding ceremony, Hollywood actor auctions photograph of eye as NFT and extra
The Sandbox has held its first wedding ceremony inside its Metaverse. A pair from Singapore, Joanne Tham and Clarence Chan, celebrated their union in a digital duplicate of Alkaff Mansion, a well-liked spot in Singapore. In the meantime, actor Javier Bardem donated a photograph of his eye as an NFT to lift funds to assist restore folks’s sight.
Thanks for studying this digest of the week’s most notable developments within the NFT house. Come once more subsequent Wednesday for extra stories and insights into this actively evolving house.
The journalist is a writer and digital nomad. Loves thinking, learning, and writing about all things Web3, particularly its impact on major creative industries.


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Report: Microsoft to Cut Price of Windows RT
June 3, 2013 10:44 AM
comment(s) - last by
(Source: The Guardian)
But will it be enough to push sales?
Microsoft is reportedly cutting the price of its Windows RT software for smaller tablets in an effort to boost sales of
the failing OS
It's not clear how much Microsoft charges hardware makers for Windows RT software, and since the pricing talks are confidential, the exact amount of the price cut hasn't been released either.
A price cut could be a helpful start to bringing Windows RT back to life. The OS was released October 26, 2012 (when Windows 8 launched) as a platform for ARM-based devices. It's not the whole Windows 8 experience, as it lacks key software (such as Windows Media Player) and isn't compatible with as many desktop applications or hardware as Intel-based Windows 8 Pro devices.
haven't seen a whole lot of success with RT
. Back in April, many computer companies started slashing the prices of their RT-based tablets in hopes of clearing their stock. For instance, at that time, Dell's 32GB XPS 10 tablet with Windows RT launched at $500 last fall and dropped to $450. The XPS 10 was
in May to a starting price of $299.99. ASUS' VivoTab RT was another device to take a cut ($599 at launch, cut to $382 for 32GB on Amazon while Newegg listed it as "discontinued").
getting underway in Taipei this week, hardware makers are unveiling future devices -- and RT doesn't seem to be in too many company plans.
Hewlett-Packard (HP) said it currently doesn't have any plans for an RT device. Acer called Windows RT "immature," and said that it is focusing on Windows 8 Pro and Android-based tablets instead. Samsung said it hasn't decided whether it should make a successor to its RT tablet.
However, a couple of companies are continuing on with Windows RT. HTC, while deciding against a larger RT-based tablet, said it will develop a 7-inch device with Windows RT. Dell is also working on a new RT tablet and plans to update
the XPS 10
It looks like Microsoft will keep its original price of $499 for its Surface with Windows RT tablet.
If Microsoft offers the Windows RT software (which comes pre-installed only) at a discount, hardware makers can sell devices to consumers for cheap and hopefully clear their inventory. But will a price cut be enough to push future device sales and justify R&D on RT-based tablets?
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: How about $100?
6/4/2013 2:04:22 PM
I knew this was coming. RT tablets are such non-sellers, they have to resort to deep discounts and freebies to move inventory. Don't buy one unless your comfortable with a dead-end device. The RT ecosystem was dead on arrival, and the situation isn't going to get better. It's just like those HP WebOS tablets that HP practically gave away a couple years ago.
RE: How about $100?
6/4/2013 5:04:12 PM
It's not nearly as bad as the WebOS devices because Palm was dead and HP was amazingly slack.
Microsoft may give up on the RT concept, but if they do, it will still have a regular life-cycle of 3-4 years. After that, people will be upgrading anyway. Microsoft knows that ARM is up and coming and it needs to have an ARM OS. They also have deep pockets and plenty of history showing us that they take 2-3 attempts to get into a market.
All in all, it's a sales failure, but that doesn't mean it's a crappy tablet. It's a big failure in marketing mostly.
"I mean, if you wanna break down someone's door, why don't you start with AT&T, for God sakes? They make your amazing phone unusable as a phone!" -- Jon Stewart on Apple and the iPhone
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Flipkart and Hotstar announced the launch of Shopper Audience Network, which brings together unique audience based insights to video advertising. As part of the initiative, the Shopper Audience Network will enable brands to establish connectivity with customers through personalised TrueIntent video ads on Hotstar.
The Shopper Audience Network make use of deterministic audience-based insights to help brands to connect with users. It takes advantage of Flipkart’s understanding of users purchase journey coupled with the massive scale of TrueIntent video ads. The aim of the network is to help serve personalized advertising to over 150 million users across hundreds of categories.
The Shopper Audience Network also provides the required tools to improve attribute and measure the impact of their digital ad spends. The ambition of the Flipkart is to emerge as a leading digital ads platforms. Moreover, the partnership leverages Hotstar’s huge momentum in the video ads market.
Commenting on the development, Prakash Sikaria, Senior Director, Flipkart disclosed that the company understands customers better than anyone else and it has been the strength. The insights and analytics offered by the Shopper Audience Network will help marketers in their ad journey on our platform.
Responding to media, Prabh Singh, EVP, Hotstar revealed that marketers today have access to a large scale audience that is deeply engaged. He added that brands that advertise on Hotstar have seen a rapid boost in the engagement. The partnership with Flipkart will enable tech analysts to provide an opportunity to connect the dots to hundreds of product categories on Flipkart.
The Hotstar video platform consists of a canvas of high-quality content, innovative ad formats and a sticky and affluent audience. If Flipkart’s audience network is implemented, then it will create a compelling platform for any brand to talk to its consumers.
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Brazil is ready to transfer anti-retroviral manufacturing technology to Portuguese-speaking African countries, with which it has a cooperation agreement. Negotiations are underway for a future agreement with Angola, a country with 5 million Aids virus carriers. The idea is to support the installation of a plant to produce medications under a public patent and with free distribution. “Our objective is not to create an international antiviral market, but to share knowledge with countries that have the ability to manufacture” says Eloan Pinheiro, director of the Pharmaceutical Technology Institute (Far-Manguinhos), at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). “We will transfer our technology free of charge, sending and receiving people for training in the cooperation program”, she explains.
The cost of setting up a plant like Far-Manguinhos, for example, goes as high as US$ 50 million. For an enterprise of this sort Angola could ask for a loan from the World Bank (IBRD), says José Marcos Nogueira Viana, international advisor to the Ministry of Health, the organ to which Far-Manguinhos is linked. “Brazil has expressed its view at large forums, such as the World Aids Conference in New York and the Pan-American Health Conference, that it is willing to transfer technology for the production of medications to fight the disease, since it is unable to transfer money. Our policy is international solidarity” he adds. The purpose of the agreement with Angola, or with any other African country, is to train future partners to develop and standardize formulas for unpatented medicines. “This is not the same as copying”, emphasizes Eloan. “We are talking about product development”.
Far-Manguinhos is a reference point in the Brazilian and international pharmaceuticals markets. The institute has already developed eight of the 12 anti-retrovirals produced by six official laboratories and distributed by the Ministry of Health. These medications are not protected by patents as they were registered in this country before 1997, when the Brazilian Patents Law came into effect. Eight of these antivirals have already been approved in bioequivalence tests, which assess their quality standards against branded medications. Six of them are registered as generics.
In Brazil, the development of anti-retrovirals at Far-Manguinhos and their production in six public laboratories support the Ministry of Health’s Aids medication distribution program. Nevirapin, for example, which used to cost US$ 3.04 a 200-mg tablet, had its price reduced by 58%. In the case of Didanosine (ddI), the reduction was 72%. At present, these medications already account for 41% of the R$ 575 million that the government spends on buying anti-retrovirals for free distribution. If all the medications in the anti-Aids cocktail were imported, government spending on the project would be almost twice as much. Spending on imported, patent-protected antivirals still account for 59%.
The government has tried to reach an agreement with the big pharmaceutical companies to lower prices. In September, after winning its dispute with the US government in the World Trade Organization (WTO), in which the US government questioned article 68 of the Brazilian Patents Law, on compulsory licensing in the event of abuse of economic power, and the threat to halt Nelfinavir’s patent, led to Roche, the owner of the brand, to lower its price by 40%. Nelfinavir, moreover, had already been developed by Far-Manguinhos. With the agreement, the price per tablet produced by Roche will fall from US$ 1.07 to US$ 0.64. This has been the second agreement reached with the pharmaceutical company this year.
In March, Merck Sharp e Dohme lowered the prices of Efavirenz and Indivinar, by 59% and 64.8% respectively. The results speak for themselves: the Aids mortality rate in this country has fallen by half over the last five years and the number of people being interned in hospital because of opportunistic diseases such as tuberculosis or cytomegalovirus, has been cut by 80%. “The State has to have the power to monitor prices and profits and to establish a clear policy for treating diseases that the pharmaceutical industry considers unprofitable” justifies the director of Far-Manguinhos.
The same policy applies to treating diseases associated with poverty and lack of basic sanitation, such as malaria and Chagas’ disease, which are among the various lines of research undertaken by the institute. The projects are structured according to the level of priority. Research into diseases established as neglected, for example, tuberculosis and leishmaniasis, are among these priorities, as is research into plant-based therapies and medications referred to as exceptional, such as anti-psoriatics, anti-psychotics or those against hepatitis and epilepsy. The strategy is to keep the focus of the research on what society and people most need. Eighteen plant-based products are currently being researched. Another four are being grown. Far-Manguinhos is currently carrying out chemical and pharmacological tests on five products and on the formula of two others.
The projects are conducted by 134 researchers in various branches of knowledge, six post-doctors, 26 doctors and 30 researchers with masters’ degrees. The researches are monitored by a Project Planning and Management Nucleus, which is responsible for assessing the work and which acts as a sort knowledge development council. The nucleus assesses each project’s cost/benefit ratio, cuts those with poor performance, interfaces with the market and assesses the team’s efficiency. “The private sector only trusts us when laboratory-bench-scale development is standardized. And this is done by the Management Nucleus. We carry out laboratory-scale research in the pilot plant and with products of up to 1 kilo. Through partnerships with the private sector we can jump from 1 kilo to 30 kilos”.
Optimization of spending
Partnership between the public and private sectors has been the Far-Manguinhos strategy for producing pharmaceutical products and developing pharmaceutical formulations. The institute has non-disclosure agreements for copying molecules of products costing more that US$ 100, for which there is little supply or are not served by the market. The synthesis of these products is transferred to the private sector, which takes on the responsibility for manufacturing them. Many of these products are already on the market. None of these molecules is protected by patents, which frees the country from the obligation to pay royalties and enables prices to be monitored.
In partnership with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the institute has been carrying out research into new antivirals for three years. Sixty molecules have already been patented and they are ready for pharmacological testing. Toxicology and sub-acute pharmacological tests have already been done out and it has been proved that the molecules have the active potential for new medications. Far-Manguinhos, is now seeking partnerships with private laboratories to develop the pharmaceutical product, since it is a risky undertaking. We expect, says Eloan, to produce at least two pharmaceuticals. “We prefer to entrust the development to companies that have pharmacochemical production here in Brazil. Our partners will have the license to manufacture. But as the patent is public, the State will retain control over the market price”.
Far-Manguinhos is also part of the worldwide network of laboratories, headed by Médecins sans Frontière, the French organization financed by the Global Alliance – formed by Bill Gates, president of Microsoft, and the Rockfeller Foundation, among others -, to conduct research into new molecules for treating leishmaniasis, malaria and Chagas’ disease or those diseases neglected by the large pharmaceutical companies. Between 1975 and 1997, of the 1,233 new drugs developed, only 1% was intended for treating these diseases, which, however, kill 13 million people a year in developing countries, according to information from Médecins sans Frontière. These molecules will be developed in partnership with the public and private sectors and States will have the right to control prices, since the purpose is to eliminate these diseases.
Brazil has 3.37% of the world pharmaceutical market, representing US$ 10.31 million. It is the fifth biggest in the world and the leading market in Latin America. With regard to the production of medications, in the opinion of the director of Far-Manguinhos, the Brazilian market is competitive: 89.3% of medications are produced in Brazil. But when it comes to pharmaceutical ingredients the opposite is true: 82% of pharmochemicals are imported. We have few companies with the technological ability and with the international standards required to undertake all the stages in research.
There are only six or seven companies in the country. “From this standpoint, Brazil is highly dependent” she says. Brazil, in her opinion, does not have a policy of encouraging technological development and the local production of active principles. On the contrary, what can be seen is a decrease in imports of active ingredients as a result of an increase in imports of finished pharmaceutical products, and a tendency to lower import duties on importing finished products, while active ingredients remain unchanged.
This lack of incentive helps explain the sequence of gaps found in the various stages of developing a new medication. The first occurs between the basic research and the pre-clinical trial: the results are published, but the pre-clinical trial stage does not begin. And when it does take place the validated drugs do not go forward to the clinical trial stage because of the company’s strategic choices, creating a second gap in the development of the medication. And, finally, when clinical research makes progress, the new or existing drugs do not reach the patient because of lack of commercial interest.
In the opinion of the director of Far-Manguinhos, only partnership between the public and the private sectors will be able to consolidate the policy on pharmaceutical ingredients in this country. “We have to protect local competitive industry, with tax incentive policies to strengthen domestic products. Competition brings price down.” She quotes India as an example. It is one of the world’s biggest producers of generics, and it has developed its market with a national program of tax and breaks export incentives for medications. The Indian system of developing the pharmaceutical industry was built on a succession of short-term strategies to leverage businesses, particularly in the private sector.
The government created a foundation to promote the development of medications. It restructured and modernized research and development centers; it implemented investment funds for Research and Development into new medications; it changed the Patents Law and adopted tax incentive policies benefiting imports. In the medium-term, it invested in strengthening the infrastructure for the New Molecules Discovery program and in developing human resources for research into new medications. The results are well-known: India is, at present, one of the biggest producers of generic medications in the world. Eloan believes that strengthening the pharmochemical sector in Brazil is going through a similar process.
Partnership for generics
The Indian laboratory Ranbaxy is studying a joint venture with a Brazilian laboratory to set up a plant for manufacturing generic medications in this country. The giant Teza, of Israel, has begun negotiations for the production of generics in partnership with Biosintética. “There are also understandings with Canadian companies, through the National Association of Medication Manufacturers, with the same end in view”, adds José Marcos Viana, international advisor to the Ministry of Health. The federal government’s intention is to expand local production of generics, which, at present, represent between 5% and 6% of the pharmaceutical market in Brazil”, he says.
Some multinationals pharmaceutical companies guarantee that they will soon begin producing generic versions of their out-of-patent products. But the government’s strategy is to look for partnerships with large international producers like India – the biggest private sector producer of generics in the world -, Israel or Canada. The first step was to put up a credit line from the National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES) available to companies interested in producing generics in this country.
The second was for the National Congress to approve, in February this year, conversion of the provisional measure altering clause 7 of article 43 of the Patents law, in order to facilitate production of generic medication in this country. The change in the legislation makes it clear that generics of a given brand can only be sold after 20 years, when the period of patent protection ends. But there is no impediment to companies undertaking research on the active ingredient before that date. “The earlier wording left it open to restrictive interpretation that would prevent not only production but also research” says Viana.
This matter was the subject of heated debate between the European Union and Canada, which allowed research, production and warehousing of generic medications before the end of patent protection. The debate was mediated by the World Trade Organization (WTO), whose decision resulted in an international agreement, enabling only research before the 20 years were up. This measure became known in the market as the Bolar Provision, referring to another dispute with the United States, before the Trips agreement, involving a company producing generics, Bolar, and a large pharmaceutical company.
“The matter went to the Supreme Court, which authorized research before the end of the patent.” tells Viana. Besides Brazil, only Israel, the United States, Hungary and Canada give this protection. The Bolar Provision was the essential reason, besides the money from the BNDES, for attracting companies like Teza and Ranbaxy to this country.Republish


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Steven T. Oakland, president and chief executive officer, said in a Nov. 1 conference call that none of the company’s manufacturing plants were damaged due to Hurricanes Florence and Michael.
“…our Robersonville snacks plant and Faison pickles plant were both hit by the storm, and both were shut down for eight days due to Florence, its aftermath and the resulting flooding,” he said. “Lost production time at these plants along with several days of downtime at our three affected warehouses resulted in a drag of a few cents per share in the third quarter.”
Hurricane Michael affected operations at TreeHouse’s Dothan, Ala., plant and the company expects a negative impact from that storm to show up in the fourth quarter. Of greater importance is the effect Hurricane Michael may have had on the U.S. cucumber crop.
“About one-third of our country's cucumbers are grown and processed in the Carolinas, Florida and Alabama,” Mr. Oakland said. “We are now facing supply shortages as well as increased shipping distances, which will likely drive costs higher in the months to come.
Bay Valley pickles, TreeHouse Foods“…our pickle business represents just under one-third of our Condiments segment. Given the prospective nature of these issues, we’ve done our best to factor that into our fourth-quarter guidance. There are further constraints in the supply chain that are still being evaluated. For example, one of our large packaging suppliers with operations in the Florida Panhandle has been down and does not expect to be back at full production at that site for another six months. So, while less direct, these are issues that are still being assessed and at a minimum, will likely affect us down the road.”
TreeHouse Foods net income for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 was $5.4 million, equal to 10c per share on the common stock, and a decline compared with the same period of the previous year when the company earned $28.8 million, equal to 50c per share.
Sales for the quarter fell to $1,394 million from $1,548.8 million the year prior.
Despite the weak results, management emphasized the company’s turnaround is on track.
“Our Q3 results represent the third quarter in a row of delivering upon our financial commitments,” Mr. Oakland said. “I continue to be impressed by the effort our organization is putting forth to deliver sequential operational progress and improve our business for the long term.
“Our TreeHouse 2020 and Structure to Win initiatives and goals, which aim to properly align our cost structure across the business, remain on track as we continue the process of defining how we can best position ourselves to capitalize on private label growth across the food and beverage landscape.”
Matthew J. Foulston, chief financial officer, said stock-keeping rationalization, divestment of the McCann’s Irish oatmeal business this past July, and volume weakness impacted sales.
“The top line was a little softer than anticipated, driven by unfavorable volume and mix of 8.9%,” he said. “The primary drivers were less volume in our Snacks division where we lost the majority of a large low-margin piece of business and Meals where … being first in the market with pricing late last year cost us to some degree.”
The company issued guidance of earnings per share for the year to be in the range of $2.05 to $2.25. Management expects fourth-quarter earnings to be between 88c per share and $1.08 per share. The company said pricing related to Canadian tariffs are in place and will be reflected in the fourth quarter.


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- FTC Solar has announced Sean Hunkler as its new CEO who will replace outgoing CEO Tony Etnyre
- Hunkler will join the company from Western Digital Corporation and has previously worked with SunEdison
- Etnyre will continue to support the company on strategic matters and business development through a transition period
US based solar tracker systems and software services provider FTC Solar, Inc. has announced a CEO transition for the company with current incumbent Tony Etnyre stepping down, also as the member of the Board of Directors.
Etnyre will continue on board to advice the company on strategic matters and business development through a transition period reaching into 2022.
Etnyre will be replaced by the Executive Vice President (EVP) of Global Operations Sean Hunkler with effect from September 24, 2021. “The selection of Sean Hunkler to succeed Tony as CEO results from his extensive experience and demonstrated track record of driving growth and operational excellence across all aspects of global operations for industry leading companies,” said Chairman of the FTC Solar Board of Directors T.J. Rodgers.
Before Western Digital Corporation, Hunkler worked with NXP Semiconductors as its EVP for global operations, followed by as CEO of its spin-off company Nexperia. He also held senior leadership roles in SunEdison, MEMC Electronic Materials, Freescale Semiconductor and Motorola.
Recently, FTC Solar reported its Q2/2021 financials and its annual revenues suffered the impact of lower product volume. Management said it will take meaningful actions to mitigate impact of global logistical and elevated cost challenges (see FTC Solar’s Q2/2021 Net Loss Widens).
To learn more about solar trackers and FTC, check our TaiyangNews Market Survey on Solar Trackers 2021, which provides an overview on players, technology, and products – and is for free download here.


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Canada’s economy held steady in October: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
The Canadian economy leveled off in October as gains in the resource sector helped offset declines in factory production and consumer spending. According to Statistics Canada, the country’s gross domestic product was unchanged, after falling 0.5 per cent in September.…
Manufacturing sales dipped 1.1 per cent in October: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
Machinery, aerospace parts, oil and coal led the decrease.
Canada is officially out of recession: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
It’s official: Canada is out of the mild, technical recession that it fell into in the first half of 2015. According to federal agency Statistics Canada, Canada’s GDP grew at an annualized rate of 2.3 per cent during the three-month…
Manufacturing sales dropped 1.5 per cent in September: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
The motor vehicle assembly industry saw sales fall 10.3 per cent to $5 billion in September following four months of gains.
Manufacturing sales dipped in August: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
The drop was led by oil, coal, auto and aerospace, the agency said.
GDP expanded by 0.3% in July: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
Led by the resource sector, Canada’s economy grew 0.3 per cent in July, according to new figures from Statistics Canada. The expansion was broad based, StatsCan said, with the manufacturing, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, and finance and…
Canadian wholesale trade unchanged in July: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
Higher sales in the machinery subsector was offset by lower sales in other subsectors.
Canadian exports jump 2.3 per cent in July: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
Strong auto industry exports played a large role in gains.
Auto sector lifted June wholesale sales to $55 billion: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
Five of seven wholesale sub-sectors posted gains, the agency said.
Chemical products lead manufacturing growth in June: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
Chemical products and automobile sales led a modest growth in factory sales in June, according to new figures from Statistics Canada. The industry added 1.2 per cent in sales in June to reach $50.8 billion, according to StatsCan, and recorded…
Manufacturing sales stumbled in April: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
Decline was led by slowdowns in food, aerospace products and parts, and petroleum and coal products.
Led by manufacturing sector, Canada gained 58,900 jobs in May: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
Buoyed by strength in the manufacturing sector, Canadian jobs growth made their biggest gains in seven months in May 2015, according to new data from Statistics Canada. Canada added 58,900 jobs last month, StatsCan said, including 21,500 new positions in…
Canada lost 19,700 jobs in April: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
Canada lost 19,700 net jobs in April, according to Statistics Canada, as full-time work climbed by a healthy 46,900 but the country shed 66,500 part-time employees. The national unemployment rate held steady at 6.8 per cent in April for the…
Canada’s trade deficit grew to $3 billion in March: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
Deficit increased compared with February, as imports grew 2.2 per cent while exports grew 0.4 per cent.
Canada’s manufacturing sales fell to $51.5 billion in November: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
Manufacturing sales fell 1.4 per cent in November 2014 to $51.5 billion – the third drop in four months, according to new figures from Statistics Canada. The drop for the month was due to lower sales of motor vehicles, chemicals,…
Manufacturing helped lead October GDP growth: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
Led by gains in manufacturing – plastics among them – Canada’s gross domestic product rose by 0.3% in October, according to new figures from Statistics Canada. The growth was broad-based, the agency said, affecting several major sectors of the economy…
Canadian manufacturing sales fell in October: StatsCanby Canadian Plastics
Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales fell 0.6 per in October to $52.7 billion, the second drop this year. According to StatsCan, the drop was due to lower production of aerospace products and parts. It adds there was also a decrease…


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New York, NY (PRWEB) October 09, 2013
Jennefer Witter, the CEO and founder of boutique public relations firm The Boreland Group Inc. (TBG - http://www.theborelandgroup.com), today announced that she has signed an agreement with AMACOM (http://www.amacombooks.org), the book publishing division of the American Management Association, to author an e-book set for publication in 2014. Tentatively titled “101 PR Tips for Entrepreneurs,” the how-to will feature actionable, nuts and bolts advice for start-up and established business owners on effectively leveraging public relations to gain their “unfair share” of business-building attention.
“I’ve been in public relations for more than three decades and have seen the discipline grow into what it is today -- a critical business component that benefits businesses of all sizes,” says Witter. “I’m extremely pleased to help entrepreneurs, whether they are new or established, learn the ins and outs of PR so that they can personally experience its proven return on investment.”
Witter’s e-book will feature a foreword by Janet Hanson, the founder of 85 Broads (http://www.85Broads.com), a global networking organization composed of more than 30,000 high-achieving women. Hanson was recently named to Fast Company’s list of “25 Smartest Women on Twitter” and Gotham Magazine’s “Power List: Finance Bigwigs & The Establishment.” “I am very pleased to pen the foreword for this book,” says Hanson. “Jennefer is a smart and intuitive PR expert and I know her tips will help many, many business owners.”
Answering Market Need
The e-book evolved from an overwhelmingly positive reaction to a weekly series of public relations tips Witter had been posting on her social media pages. Based on the high interest level, Witter, along with the publisher, saw a market for this expanded book of tips.
“Jennefer’s e-book will meet a growing need in today’s business environment,” says Ellen Kadin, executive editor, AMACOM. “With a lackluster job market, more small businesses are forming each year, and start-ups are fragile; yet there is a lack of concise, reader-friendly information available on how these cash-strapped companies can leverage PR to increase market share and revenue. We were impressed by Jennefer’s thoughtful proposal and her credentials in the industry, and we’re delighted to be publishing her smart and timely e-book.”
About The Boreland Group Inc.
The Boreland Group Inc. (TBG) is a boutique public relations agency that focuses on corporate and executive visibility. Founded in 2003 by CEO Jennefer Witter, an industry veteran with 30- plus years of experience, the firm produces strategic, customized public relations campaigns that raise its clients’ visibility to their specific target audiences. Campaigns include media relations, writing, social media, speaker’s bureaus and cause-related marketing. Headquartered in New York City, the agency also has an office in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
Witter was recently named one of nation’s “10 most successful black CEOs and entrepreneurs” (http://madamenoire.com/288100/blacks-in-business-ceos-and-entepreneurs/10/) and The Street.com named TBG one of “5 Black-Owned Businesses Making a Buzz” (http://www.thestreet.com/story/11376639/4/5-black-owned-businesses-making-a-buzz.html) nationally in 2012. The agency is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE).
Witter is a sought-after speaker and has presented at consumer, trade and academic venues on public relations, social media and small business topics, including The Power Conference, the DC chapters of the National Sales Network and the African American Real Estate Professionals, 85 Broads, The Learning Annex and New York University. Previously, she was the public relations expert for Inc.com TV and a contributor to AOL Small Business.
For more information on Witter and The Boreland Group, visit http://www.theborelandgroup.com or follow her on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/jenneferwitter/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jennefer.witter).
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Editor’s note: A photo of Jennefer Witter is attached. Photo credit: Jill Lotenberg
The Boreland Group Inc.


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Thomas Sabo opens its first flagship store outside Europe on August 16 in the new Westfield WTC in New York City. Todd Tieche, formerly of Richemont, Morellato and Parmigiani, also joins the brand as wholesale director Thomas Sabo US.
"The opening of our first flagship store in the US is a big step for the company in terms of positioning Thomas Sabo as one of the leading premium jewellery and watches brands worldwide," said the brand’s founder and chairman Thomas Sabo.
Head of Sales US and Canada Christoph Gerschutz noted that Tieche’s expertise will support the brand’s overall growth. "Thomas Sabo also cooperates with industry-renowned distributing partners for a fast, continuous and stable expansion across the US. We are looking forward to seeing further growth through Todd and his team," he added.
Tieche said: "I am thrilled to be joining the brand and am delighted by the upcoming opening of the New York flagship store. This represents a unique opportunity to show both existing and new partners the world of Thomas Sabo. I am sure that this calling card will push the US business."
Thomas Sabo currently operates almost 300 of its own shops across all five continents and collaborates globally with approximately 2,800 trade partners.
The Thomas Sabo flagship store at the new Westfield WTC in New York City opens on August 16, 2016. This is the brand's first flagship store outside Europe.


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In recent months, Apple has been increasingly on the receiving end of unwanted attention from hackers. Apple’s OS offerings have long been touted as being more robust and secure than Microsoft’s Windows, and so far, the company is living up to that reputation. The reality, however, is that given the sheer number of iPads and iPhones in use around the world today, the company is an attractive target for hackers.
Security company SentinelOne has recently discovered the latest flaw in Apple’s OS X operating system, which bypasses the SIP (System Integrity Protection) protocols the company has in place to prevent local privilege escalation. SentinelOne describes this non-memory corruption as being stable, extremely reliable, and logic based. It does not crash the machine or process that it takes over, which would give the device’s owner a clue that something was amiss. In short then, this zero day vulnerability is something that is less likely to be used by your run of the mill hacker than it would by nations, sponsoring highly targeted stealth attacks against other nations.
By their nature, zero day flaws are extremely difficult to discover, simply because the engineers who designed and built the devices in question aren’t looking for them. For the same reason, these kinds of flaws are virtually impossible for antivirus software to detect, because the software works by looking for symptoms or virus signatures it can match to the database of known threats.
In any case, so far, Apple has had a stellar track record when it comes to patching vulnerabilities to their system, in many cases, releasing a patch just 48-72 hours after a flaw is discovered. At this point in time, Apple has not released a patch to fix this vulnerability.
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- VF Corp. will spin off its denim business that houses Lee and Wrangler jeans into an independent public company
- The apparel maker is seeking to sharpen its focus on more profitable brands such as Vans shoes and The North Face outdoor wear.
- Its jeans business has underperformed as large retailers including Walmart increasingly stock their own private labels
VF Corp. will spin off Lee and Wrangler jeans into an independent public company, the company said on Monday, seeking to focus more on profitable brands such as Vans sneakers and The North Face outdoor wear.
Skateboarder favorite Vans has driven much of VF's growth in recent years while its jeans business has underperformed as large retailers including Walmart promoted their own private labels instead.
Annual sales of VF-made jeans fell 1 percent in the company's latest reporting period, while overall sales climbed 12.5 percent.
VF has already sold apparel brand Nautica as it seeks to concentrate on its faster-growing outdoor and athletic names. The new VF also holds onto Timberland and will have annual revenue of more than $11 billion, compared to just over $2.5 billion for the new jeans company.
VF will shift base to Denver while the still-to-be-named jeans company will move to the company's traditional base in Greensboro, North Carolina, and be led by Scott Baxter, currently president of VF's Americas West group.
Baxter led VF's jeans business from 2011 to 2015 and will focus on increasing sales in China and other Asian markets at the new company.
VF said the spin-off would also give it more flexibility to pursue acquisitions and explore new business areas. It will be structured as tax-free to shareholders and is expected to close in the first half of 2019.
VF, which has a market value of about $38 billion, said it would take charges for the deal without giving details.
Barclays was VF's financial adviser while Davis Polk and Wardwell provided legal counsel.


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brand deface what they take, and good brand make it into something better, or
at least something different.” VKworld
Z3310 is a perfect imitation of the newly released Nokia 3310 whose price have
scared Nokia fans away from purchasing the phone not only in Nigeria but even
in other countries.
except for the VKworld branding at the bottom of the display. The phone is
expected to be released at the end of this month and will be sold half of the
price of Nokia 3310 and not just that, but it also comes with better spec than
built-in memory and a microSD card slot (32GB max.) It also features a 2MP rear
camera with flash and a 1200mAh battery. If VKWorld is offering something
better, then we should expect a larger built-in memory, a higher resolution
camera and a slightly bigger battery.


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Ford thinks driverless cars need to be rugged and, more surprising, hybrid-powered.
That’s according to an announcement from the automaker, explaining that it will buck the trend of repurposing consumer vehicles as driverless ones and build a car designed specifically for autonomy. It makes sense: when cars can drive themselves, the conventions used to design most automobiles are surplus to requirements. But until now, little thought has been given to bridging the gap between experimental minicabs and more fanciful concept vehicles.
Ford, however, has some fairly pragmatic ideas. First, it thinks autonomous cars are going to need to be tough, in order to withstand the rigors of 24-7 use that a robo-taxi will no doubt endure. With that in mind, it says, its specially designed autonomous cars will use heavy-duty hardware—think burly wheels and upgraded brakes—along the lines of those used in commercial vehicles like its police cars.
Elsewhere—and this may be slightly surprising—it also reckons the vehicles must be hybrids. Many commentators have argued that automation and electrification go hand in hand. But Ford thinks users will demand that cars cover large distances without waiting around at recharge points, and that the computer systems aboard the vehicles would put a huge dent in an all-electric’s range, making a hybrid a better bet.
Finally, the vehicles will come loaded with features that help them integrate with other road and sidewalk users. That, says the automaker, is why it’s been playing around with researchers dressed as car seats and pizza-delivering driverless cars, to see how folks interact with their vehicles when there isn’t a driver behind the wheel.
We don’t yet know what this all looks like when it gets put together as a package. But it seems a far cry from Waymo's famous, frivolous bubble car, which was also designed with autonomy in mind. Still, as we’ve reported, that vehicle got scrapped in favor of exploring more conventional cars. Perhaps ones like Ford’s will roll out.
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